Title: Hope For The Future
Pairing: a bit of McGee/Ziva
Rating: K
Genre: Gen/Het
Cat: Angst, Episode Tag, Friendship, UST
Spoilers: Tag for 9x01 - Nature of the Beast
Warnings: None.
Summary: McGee and Ziva go out to celebrate, and Ziva realizes something she should have seen ages ago.
Author's Note: Yes, only I could get not one, but TWO McGiva bunnies from an episode they were in for about 5 minutes. Okay. This is one. And this is more of a, "What I wish would have happened," thing. I guess. LOL.
McGee switched off his computer monitor and stood up, bending over to grab his backpack before turning to leave. Before he could get far, though, he found himself stopping and smiling at Ziva's desk, where she was sitting, grinning down at her new ID card.
"Pretty cool feeling, huh?" he said, causing her to jump only slightly – she would call it a reflex – and look up at him, unable to wipe the smile from her face.
"I had not realized how much I wanted it until Gibbs gave this to me," she said, glancing back down at the laminated card.
McGee watched her for a moment, deciding that there was more to her words than it just being about the ID card, then said, "We should go celebrate."
When she looked back up at him, there was surprise in her eyes. "Just the two of us?"
He shrugged. "Sure, why not? There's no written rule that says we have to go out as a group all the time, is there?"
She smiled. "I suppose not. I . . ." She paused and nodded, looking amused. "Let's go."
He grinned at her. "Great."
Ziva grabbed her backpack and stood up, smirking as she caught McGee's eye. "Are you buying?"
He narrowed his eyes at her, though it was in jest. "Don't push it, Special Agent David."
She gave a loud laugh at his response, then slid a hand through the crook in his arm before they headed for the elevator. "I will watch my step, Special Agent McGee," she said, and he joined in her laughter as they left NCIS.
McGee held up his bottle of beer to Ziva, announcing, "To being an official NCIS Special Agent."
She returned the gesture, adding, "To being an equal to Tony," before clinking the neck of her bottle against his.
McGee smiled, but said, "You really think he'll ever think of us as equals?"
Ziva rolled her eyes. "Doubtful. But perhaps, one day."
They were silent for a few moments, sipping their beer, listening to the laughs of other people in the bar and the rock song playing on the jukebox, then McGee said, "I'm really happy for you, Ziva."
She glanced up, amused, saying, "Thank you, McGee, but . . ." and her words dried up in her mouth when she really looked at him. She knew he was happy for her, because he was her friend, but she hadn't really realized how happy until now. His green eyes sparkled, yet held the softness she glimpsed in certain moments when they were alone at work, or when someone made a joke, lightening the mood. But no . . . this was different from that, too. And suddenly, Ziva felt ashamed of herself.
He was there. He was always there.
The past few years were full of beginnings and endings for Ziva, and for every single one of them, McGee was there, offering his support through smiles and kind eyes, simple words of gratitude and congratulations that she took for granted as a sign of his friendship. He never made a big production out of things the way Abby did, he certainly wasn't as judgmental as Tony was, and he actually acknowledged his pride in her, something Gibbs did sparingly and at times even begrudgingly. He was just there, selfless and genuinely happy for her.
The feeling of a hand on her shoulder made her look up and she found McGee giving her a concerned look. "Hey, you okay? I kinda lost you for a minute there." He gave her a lopsided smile and that only served to make her feel even more guilty.
"I am sorry, McGee," she said, and his expression turned to confusion.
"I don't . . ."
She shook her head. "All this time, when it is your friendship I should have cherished most, I have brushed it aside, taken it for granted." She looked up, meeting his eyes. "You have always been there. Even when I thought I had no one, you remained, quiet as you were about it." She smiled. "You do not need to be like Abby, but sometimes a person needs a bit of a shake to see how much you care."
"I do care about you, Ziva," he said, his expression entirely serious now.
Ziva attempted to keep smiling, but found it faltering as she responded. "I know," she said, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering in his ear as she removed her lips from his skin. "I never knew how much I needed you until tonight."
McGee found himself reaching out, grabbing for her, and his hand closed around her wrist. He slid it down so his fingers rested under her hand, barely touching, keeping the distance necessary to maintain the moment before it faded as soon as it appeared.
"I'm always . . ." he started, but Ziva placed a finger on his lips before he could finish and he was left with no choice but to look at her, waiting for her to speak.
"I know," she repeated, and her lips turned up into a smile. "Finally, I know." She removed her finger from his lips, then leaned in and pressed the softest of kisses to his mouth, pulling back almost as soon as her lips met his. Her smile grew as she slid her thumbs across his cheeks.
"You wanna get out of here?" McGee asked after a moment of quiet between them.
Ziva's smile didn't falter this time as she nodded, waiting for him to stand before she swiveled in her seat and took the hand her offered her. They left the bar, each feeling considerably lighter, and Ziva knew, no matter what happened in her life, at NCIS, she would never be alone. McGee would be there. Always.
THE END!