I have an update for you all! I wrote this and decided to re-write it, I wanted things different. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.
He didn't really want her to go away down to Miami to see him, but he knew the reason for her visit and he couldn't say no to it. At least she was a decent enough woman to go say it to his face instead of over the phone. He wasn't sure a few nights ago when they had that conversation about taking a chance together if she was going to stay with Ray or not. He wasn't going to force her to leave him, he wasn't like that. He was just glad that he knew now she wanted to have that chance with him, and she was serious about it, she was going to break up with Ray.
After work she had shown up at his apartment explaining her little trip she would be taking for the next day or two.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Tony asked as he handed her the coffee she had asked for. He sat down on the table in front of her seat on the couch so he was facing her. She nodded her head.
"Yes I am sure. I want this to be between me and him. I don't want you to get involved in it; he will suggest it was your fault then. And honestly it is not, I wanted to for a long time, you just gave me a small push to finally do it" she explained, taking a long sip of her hot drink. He reached out and placed his hand on her jean covered knee.
"Ok. You'll call me though right?" he asked. She smiled at his protectiveness over her. It was stronger than Ray or any other man, even Gibbs, had over her.
"I will, I promise to keep you informed" she replied and placed one of her hands over top of his. He nodded. He looked at his watch.
"I meant to be meeting Robbie at the pub so if you're sure you don't want me to come?" he asked, smiling. He knew she was going to be sure about her answer but he would always make sure.
"I am sure Tony" she chuckled lightly. The way he smiled, there was something different about it. Something much more personal and open.
"Do you want me to wait till you head off?" he asked.
"No it is ok, I can leave if you like?" she asked and he shook his head.
"No it's ok, you can stay here until till you leave if you want, I don't want to make you waste your coffee" he grinned "Just lock up on your way out" he added.
"I will thank you" she replied. Her hand moved around his then and his fingers went in between hers. They gazed into each others eyes while sharing a soft smile.
"You be safe ok?" he said a little quieter. She nodded, she would always be safe and he knew that but she found it sweet if he still said it. He leant forward then and placed a very gentle kiss to her forehead. As he pulled back his lips lingered above her skin a while before he fully pulled back.
"I'll see you in a few days then" he stated as he stood to full height. She still held his hand.
"You will. I'll call" she replied. He felt the want to not let her go alone but he had to, it wasn't his decision. After a gentle squeeze of her hand they both let go. He headed to the door, keeping his eyes on her the whole way.
"Bye Ziva" he called out as he left the door.
"Bye Tony" she replied and the last thing he saw was her leaning back into his couch with her hot drink and relaxing. He couldn't help but feel slightly intimate about this, him leaving her in his apartment alone. However he trusted her with his life so why not his apartment? He smiled at the fact even though they weren't in a relationship yet they were so close to each other already.
He was sitting in his lounge watching a movie while eating his dinner when she called him the next night.
"Hey" he said and he smiled as though it would reach her through the phone.
"Hello" she replied and he could tell she was slightly upset by the way she said it.
"You alright?" he asked. Putting his fork on his plate and paused the movie as he leant back on his couch, focusing himself on her. He heard her sigh.
"I am ok, it just did not go so well with Ray earlier" she replied and he wondered what happened.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. He knew her and if she wanted to talk to him about something she would, if she didn't well she just wouldn't.
"He just…he did not understand the fact why I could not do the long distance relationship thing. I did not think I felt comfortable enough to share why with him if he could not tell by all the things I have shared with him. I have told him before what I did not like about the long distance thing" she explained. He knew if it was him he would remember every little detail she told him, he had done that for the past five years and they were partners, not romantically involved. Well not physically but emotionally? Emotionally they had a lot of deep feelings for each other that they have not expressed.
"Other than that it was alright though?" he asked.
"I guess, once he asked that I was sure and I said yes he walked away. I hadn't seen him after that" she said. Tony knew from experience that that was a sign someone didn't like what was happening and decided just to walk away from the problem. The fact was that in this case he knew Ray wouldn't be able to just walk back to it, walk back to Ziva. Ziva was one of those women that were sure about their decisions.
"So what are you doing right now?" he asked, he wasn't sure if she was going to stay in Miami tonight or come home.
"I am just sitting in my hotel room at the moment. I am too tired to come home on a plane at this hour" she told him. He could picture her right now sitting in her bed, most probably with a book in her hand. He smiled at the thought. The thought of her.
"You order room service for dinner?" he asked. When they stayed in Paris he found out the little secret that Ziva enjoyed the luxury room service gave her when she was in a tired mood when she didn't want to go out.
"Yes I did. And your sitting there with takeout and a movie?" he could feel the smile come from her through the phone. How it was that they had come this far as friends and not cross the line when they knew each other so well was a good question.
"Yes I am, is there something wrong with that?" he toyed with her. And by the way she laughed lightly on the other end of the line he knew she knew that. He grinned to the sound of her laughter.
"Tony do you ever eat a proper dinner?" she asked him.
"I do…sometimes…when I have the time to make it…not really" he confessed with a smile. He could feel the light vibe coming off her through the phone, it was a good feeling. He wished she was there at home with him.
"Well I think I am going to have to make you a proper meal one time, show you what you should be eating" she replied. When he heard that he got excited, her cooking was the best and for her to come to his house and cook him his own special meal. That sounded perfect to him.
"I cannot wait to taste your culinary masterpiece" he replied, smiling away through the phone. He didn't know what had gotten into him but he was all happy now that he was talking to her. And again he heard that soft sound that was her laughing. He loved to make her laugh; bring some sort of joy to her. And no matter how unladylike it was to snort when she laughed so hard, he found it adorable.
"I am glad to hear that you are" she replied once she had stopped laughing. This feeling they had right now it was comfortable, they were free. Free for each other. There was no barrier stopping them from being apart and even though the distance right now in this moment separated them, nothing else would. They would still be one together.
They laughed and talked for hours before she ended up falling asleep on the phone to him. He felt like a love struck teenager right in this moment, having his crush fall asleep on the phone to him. He didn't hang up though, he kept his line open, and he didn't know why he just did. Maybe to keep that connection between them that separated them. Maybe it was just the sound of her soft breathing made him relax.
He knew things were going to be different between them now, heck they were already different. He hoped for the best because this is the start of something he wanted, he wanted something important, something permanent. And if everything went well between him and Ziva he may get that. He only hoped he would get that. He was forty this year and he wasn't getting any younger, he needed some stability in his life.
And even though his partner may not have been the most stable woman to pick, it wasn't really his fault, he didn't pick her. He was drawn to her; he couldn't help who his heart picked. He knew it had picked the right woman and he would try his hardest to make this work, to show her that he was there to support her and to love her, to be the man for her that she needed in life. Because he needed her in his life just as much as she needed him.
He had always had a part of his heart that belonged to his partner. For a long time.
Love to know your thoughts on this chapter. There will be more!