Gosh, this took me forever to write- sorry for the delay! I found myself lacking inspiration for a while there. I kept running scenarios through my head, trying to decide the best way to proceed with this, and I kept hitting roadblocks. Not quite sure how it turned out… would love a review to hear your thoughts! This chapter starts with a short wrap up of stuff from the last chapter as it seemed kind of incomplete, and then it jumps into new stuff.
As the movie credits began to roll, Tony glanced over to his partner, who had been oddly quiet for the past half hour. He smiled to himself as he saw her curled into a ball at the end of the couch, clearly asleep.
He debated whether or not to scoop her up and carry her to his bed, where she would surely be more comfortable, but he figured she hadn't slept much in the past few months and assumed she would wake up at the slightest touch. Instead, he grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and returned to her side, draping it across her sleeping form, lingering a moment to brush his fingers across her temple, reveling in the tranquility of her demeanor. Tony then turned to head toward his bedroom and climb beneath the sheets, throwing one last glance over his should to watch her in gentle slumber, thankful that despite all the stress they had been under, she had found peace enough on his sofa to let her mind drift into dreamland.
When he awoke in the morning and tugged some sweats on over his boxers, emerging from his bedroom, he was met with disappointment. The end of the couch was empty save for a neatly folded blanket and a scrawled note of 'Thank You' written in Ziva's careful handwriting.
He let out an audible sigh. While a part of him had somewhat expected this disappearing act from her, a large part of him had desperately wished she would still be there come morning. He knew she was still healing and vulnerable, and he could sense her fear and apprehension regarding their relationship; she needed time. Ziva David would be the greatest test of his patience in history.
…
Ziva sat curled into an oversized arm chair with a blanket draped across her lap and a book in her hand. She had spent the last half hour rereading the same paragraph as she continually found her mind drifting off mid-sentence.
One week had passed since their movie night. Aside from their four month separation following Jenny's death and their three months apart while she was held captive in Somalia, this was bordering on the longest time they had gone without seeing each other. While yes, he could drive her nuts all day with his incessant movie references and childish antics, he could also bring her a sense of calm and ease that no one else could; she missed her best friend.
Having enough of the empty feeling in her stomach, Ziva marked the page in her book and set it on the end table. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her things, making her way toward the front door. Pulling it open with a start, she nearly knocked into a man standing on the other side of the entryway. She glanced quickly up and a smile spread across her face.
"Wow, I knew we had some sort of telecommunication, but I hadn't even knocked yet, Ziva! I come baring entertainment and sustenance," he said with flourish and his classic DiNozzo smile as he held up a bag of Chinese food and a DVD. His smile fell quickly, however, as he noted her bag slung over her shoulder, her keys in her palm, and her shoes tied to her feet.
"Heading out?" he questioned.
She let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Not anymore. It seems the person I was planning to visit will not be home."
As understanding of her words hit him, his eyes lit up momentarily. "Does that mean I can come in?" he probed, cocking his head to the side while one corner of his mouth turned up, returning the smile to his face.
"I suppose that would be okay," she responded, stepping aside and pulling the door open wider.
Ziva slipped her shoes back off, dropped her keys onto the end table beside the doorway, and released her bag from her shoulder while Tony cautiously stepped into the living room. He hadn't been to see her new place since she had to move following the explosion at her old apartment four years ago, after the whole Rivkin debacle. The place had a cozy feel to it, and he took a deep breath, reveling in the aroma that was so uniquely Ziva. He had missed his best friend.
"My entertainment system is not quite as impressive as yours, I am afraid," she said with an apologetic glance over her shoulder.
"Not a problem," he returned; he wouldn't have minded if all she had was an old VHS player and TV as ancient as Gibbs', all that mattered to Tony was that he was with her again.
He handed her the DVD while he began to set out the cartons of takeout food.
"Bond?" she questioned with a smile, holding up the movie.
"I thought it was appropriate… after our time in Berlin," he added, watching as she dropped her gaze, guessing she was recalling their moment dancing in each other's arms, just as he was.
She took a second to collect herself before inserting the DVD, grabbing a carton of chow mein and chopsticks off the coffee table, and taking a seat at the end of the sofa, Tony joining her moments later.
Maybe it was the fact that she was in her own apartment, on familiar territory, but Tony thought she seemed more relaxed this evening. She sat with her back against the arm rest and grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch, draping it across her legs, and extended her feet down the cushions, bringing them to a rest in Tony's lap as the movie began.
Their conversation was kept to a minimum as the movie rolled, and halfway through the film Tony gripped her blanketed toes and gave them a gentle massage through the wool, throwing a glance to his right to gage her reaction, wondering if this was crossing their newly defined boundary line of friendship. When she didn't turn her head to give him a cautionary look and rather gave a sigh before sinking lower on the sofa, he continued with his ministrations. Everything felt so comfortable and right.
After the final scenes and the screen began to flash blue, they both sat in silence momentarily, neither wanting to break the magical spell that had fallen between them. While he would have loved nothing more than to spend the entire night with his partner's feet tucked onto his lap, he didn't want to overstep the boundaries and overstay his welcome.
"I should head out. It's getting late," he announced, giving her toes a final squeeze before lifting her feet and placing them on the cushion beside him. He rose and stretched his arms above his head, producing a loud pop of his shoulders and back.
Ziva let out a chuckle, "You are not getting old, are you?"
"Heck no!" he was quick to respond, giving her a sly smile in return while she stood up beside him.
They made their way to the front door and paused at the open entryway. Tony could see the look of apprehension cross her face and knew exactly what she was thinking. They had been careful to avoid discussion of the team and their future during these movies nights, opting to keep the air light, yet both felt the looming dread of uncertainty their resignation left in its wake.
He reached for her hand and pulled her into a hug, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead yet again, lingering a bit longer than what one might consider to be a friendly gesture. She closed her eyes and snaked her arms around his waist, thankful he always knew exactly what she needed.
"It's going to be okay," he whispered into her hair, and he felt her nod into his chest.
They remained in that position for a few moments longer before Tony pulled back.
"I'll see you soon," he reassured.
"Soon, yes," she repeated, before giving him a soft smile and shutting the door to her apartment.
So I'm trying to take their relationship slowly, with a gradual progression. I hope you guys are enjoying this; I tried to make this one a bit longer. I've kinda plotted something out for chapter 3 already, but if anyone has any suggestions for where you think I should take this, I would love to hear your thoughts! I'm hoping to get a few chapters written today and tomorrow cause my weeks get a little too busy to write with school and everything.
