Warnings: Tony/Zoe, fluffy
A/N: You can thank the "Frozen" reference in the sneak peak for this. This is a glimpse into the future of what I have planned for the "Raising Kaitlin" series, or least maybe a test run to see if people like this idea. New pairing for me, so be kind :)
Elsa, Anna, and Spider
Snow days meant Tony staying home with Kaitlin, watching movies before going outside to play. Snow days also meant Kaitlin dressing up as Queen Elsa and dancing around the house singing "Let it Go". He wasn't surprised on this particular snow day, when Zoe stopped by, that his daughter wanted to watch Frozen with her.
Kaitlin had on her Elsa dress that had been a gift from Abby and she handed Zoe her crown. "Here, Zoe, you can be Anna!"
Zoe looked at Tony incredulously. "Anna?"
Tony chuckled. "Princess Anna of Arendelle, fast talker, little clumsy, loves her sister the ice queen, Elsa. In fact when the kingdom shunned her sister she went looking for her to bring her back... with the help of an outdoorsman, a reindeer, and a magical snowman. And it's scary that I know all this..."
"Uh-huh," Zoe said as she grinned and nodded her head.
"Listen, when you have kids you know too much about children's movies," Tony responded.
Zoe kissed his cheek and gently pat his chest before going to join Kaitlin on the sofa. She snuggled under the blanket with her and settled in to watch the movie. Tony joined them, sandwiching his daughter between him and Zoe.
Tony had been nervous when introducing his little girl to his girlfriend. What if it didn't work out between them? What if Zoe left not only breaking his heart but Kaitlin's as well? But as he watched Zoe interact with her, asking her questions about the movie and giggling when Kaitlin giggled at the characters on screen... his fears began to ease.
Kaitlin enjoyed her time with Zoe just as much as Tony enjoyed watching them together. It was how he'd always pictured their life being if Amanda had stayed with him.
"I like warm hugs like Olaf," Kaitlin said, first hugging Zoe then Tony. "Daddy likes them too!"
"Daddy thinks he's so tough... he's really just a giant teddy bear," Zoe teased him.
"Hey! I can be tough!" Tony countered.
Zoe leaned over the little girl and kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "I know," she said, softly.
Tony grumbled a little, only making Zoe grin at him some more. Okay, so yes, at times he could be a big, soft teddy bear... especially around his daughter... and even though he wasn't as tough as he wanted to appear... Zoe was still with him. His brow furrowed at this thought and she noticed him looking at her funny.
"Something wrong?"
"No. Just... if I'm not that tough... why are you with me?"
"I get enough tough with the job, Tony."
Tony scrunched his nose up. "You just... don't strike me as the type of girl that wants a wuss of a boyfriend.
Zoe rose a little on her knees. She gave him a soft, tender kiss, and pulled back smiling, sweetly. "Spider... you are not a wuss. I'm with you because you're sweet, funny...an amazing father... I don't need my boyfriend to be tough all the time. Okay?"
He still didn't look convinced, but Zoe went back to talking about the movie with Kaitlin, and Tony went back to watching them. By the time the end credits were rolling, Kaitlin was curled up against Zoe's side, half asleep and Tony's arm was draped over Zoe's shoulders. Gently he let his fingers slip through Zoe's hair, smiling at her. What did it matter why she had chosen him? She was with him and she was happy. He was happy and his daughter was happy. In the end nothing else really mattered to him but that. "Hey, anyone want to go out and play in the snow?"
Kaitlin woke up, immediately, and jumped up, exclaiming, "I do, Daddy!"
"Go change," Tony instructed her and she took off in her princess dress up the stairs towards her bedroom.
Zoe slid over on the sofa, encouraging Tony to wrap her into his arms. Tony obliged, holding her close. She snuggled her cheek into his chest and sighed, happily. This was a side of her that he never knew existed. It reminded him that she was more than a federal agent, that she was a woman and that she liked to be treated as one every now and again. He kissed the top of her head, soaking in the clean smell of her shampoo.
Tony grinned and hugged her a little bit tighter. "This is nice," he murmured. "I like this side of you."
"Mmmm, we can't stay here all day though," Zoe mumbled, closing her eyes.
"I don't know... I bet we can," Tony replied, grinning from ear to ear.
"You daughter? Remember her? She wants to go out and play in the snow..."
Oh. Right. Kaitlin. Tony thought, with a little bit of a sigh. Normally when Zoe was there, cuddling with him on the sofa, his little girl was fast asleep in bed or they were at Zoe's apartment. "If she stays in the front yard I can see her from here."
She sat up and threw him a mock glare. "DiNozzo."
He sighed and raised his hands in surrender. "Ok, ok. I'll take her out to play in the snow."
"Maybe I'll go outside and play too."
"You want to go outside, in the cold, and play in the snow?"
"Why not?"
"Because you could stay inside, where it's warm and make us hot cocoa when we come in."
Zoe pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss, her hands resting, gently, on chest. Pulling away from him, smiling, she whispered, "Spider? Do you want to build a snowman?"
Tony let his mouth pull into a grin and then he brought his lips to hers, kissing her deeply and loving the feeling of her against him...
"I'm ready!" Kaitlin exclaimed, alerting the adults she was there and sending them flying apart form one another.
"Ok!" Tony said, jumping off the sofa and smoothing his hair back where Zoe had messed it. "Daddy just needs to get his snow stuff on and we're good to go!"
Zoe chuckled and got off the sofa, finding Kaitlin's pink, knit hat, and pulled it over the little girl's soft locks of golden brown hair. She pulled her own coat, boots, hat and gloves on, "Come on, Tony... I wasn't kidding! Let's go build a snowman!"
Tony grinned as he watched his girls go run outside to play in the snow. He quickly bundled up, and with a laugh, joined them.