A/N: hello readers, welcome to my newest story. This is about the things that Tony and Ziva learn about each other as they begin dating. Obviously this is AU, and I promise the story is better then this intro I just wrote it really fast, the bell just rang.

Rated M because it gets a little steamy, no pun intended, and it get a little dark.

She likes the shower hot.

Like, burn your skin off hot.

We were cuddling on the couch one night after a dinner consisting of cheesy pizza and cold beer.

"I'm going to take a shower," she stated as the credits of the movie we were watching began rolling across the screen. "You want to join me?"

"Of course," so maybe I sounded a little to egger. Every time I had proposed this in the past, granted we had only been dating for about a week at this point, she had declined.

A shower is where one gets clean, not more dirty, yes? I couldn't help but giggle like a horny teenager when she had said this.

"I'll be there in a minute. I'm just going to clean up first." She nodded and stood up.

"Don't be to long or I might start without you." Damn that woman. How I had managed to resist her for eight years is beyond me.

I quickly stuffed the pizza box in the trash and tossed the empty beer bottle in recycling before beginning on the buttons of my work shirt. I was halfway undressed by the time I reached the bathroom. I was in the shower before my belt buckle even hit the tiled floor with a loud clang.

"Took you long enough," Ziva scoffed as she turned to face me, wet hair framing her face and skin glistening even more then usual.

"Sorry if I was trying to keep your house clean." The water had barely hit my hand as I wrapped it around her waist, but it was enough to send me reeling back in pain.

"What?" she asked, clearly confused.

"How can you stand that?" I gasped, clutching my injured hand.

"What the water?" Her eyes suddenly turned playful at my obvious tenderness. "Is the water to hot for big strong Tony DiNozzo," she mocked as she slowly stepped backwards and let the steamy pellets bounce off her skin.

"No, I just wasn't expecting it," I tried to defend, but made no move to join her.

"Fine, but just this once." She turned and adjusted the handle. I could see the steam dissipate within seconds of her doing so. "Better?"

"Much," I agreed, stepping forward and sliding my hands across her slick skin. She welcomed the kiss I pressed to her lips and turned so she was pinned between the tiled wall and me.

"Someone's a little anxious," I joked, licking the drops of water off her jaw.

"Yes, well, someone was complaining about the temperature," she shot back, her voice to calm to be threatening. I paused to look down at her, her peaceful expression with lidded eyes and head leaning back against the wall, opening up her delicious neck to my wanting.

"Mmm," she hummed as I kissed the hollow of her throat. I smiled against her skin and moved to nip at her collarbone. She groaned again and pulled my hair hard enough to force my face to be level with hers.

"You were correct when you said I was anxious," she whispered, her eyes still half-closed and unseeing. I smirked and hiked her legs up so she was braced on my hips, my lips almost never leaving her warm yet goose bump covered flesh.

This is why my showers were usually cold.

{{NCIS}}

"What makes you like your showers so hot?" I asked as we lay in bed later. Her head was resting on my chest, fingers gently pulling at the hairs on my neck, something that I was growing quite fond of.

Her movements suddenly stopped and her body tensed. I should have known not to pry, but then again, we were lying in bed together, naked. This was what we did now. I don't know what had happened last week that had made us suddenly want to pour our hearts out to each other, but it happened and here we were.

"It happened in So- Somalia," she choked out, and my arm instinctively tightened around her. "They used to give me ice baths. It felt good on my other wounds, at first, but they would leave me there for hours. Once I got back I never wanted to feel that cold again."

"You'll always be warm when I'm around, and I promise never to complain about your hot showers again."