A/N: Someone asked if this is going to go in a different direction in light of last night's episode. I'm actually on Chapter 9 right now, so no. We are going to pretend that last night's episode never happened here.
Four.
He wakes to sunlight assaulting him. "Gah," he mumbles, with no idea what time it is or where he is.
His mind comes online after a few blinks and he remembers. Ziva. Israel. The brightest sun he has ever encountered. The bedside clock helpfully informs him that it is 7:30. He assumes that is AM.
He stumbles downstairs and sees Ziva in the kitchen. She wordlessly hands him a mug and he sniffs it. Coffee. He downs half of it, almost scorching his throat. Instantly he wakes up more, and he processes Ziva's running attire. "Went for a run, huh?"
"Yes, I got back an hour ago," she says, setting about preparing breakfast.
"So you know the whole thing about protective custody is that you're not supposed to just leave and be alone."
She rolls her eyes. "I can take care of myself," she mutters, cracking an egg. "Plus, this is not protective custody."
He smirks at her. "Oh really?" She rolls her eyes again and doesn't respond. "So what is on your agenda for today?"
"Studying and grocery shopping." The normalcy of this makes him want to laugh. "What?" she asks, recognizing his attempt to not burst into laughter.
"It's just so... normal," he explains, getting a grip on himself. "Not ninja-like at all."
She gives him a half smile. "I am just a normal college girl now, Tony. At least until graduation."
They gaze at each other for a long moment. He breaks the silence to say, in a serious tone, "I really am happy for you, Ziva. You have the normal life you were aiming for." He thinks about their current situation, then adds, "Well, almost."
She gives him a half smile and continues making breakfast. "I want to hear all about the team. Is Gibbs working on a new boat? Does Abby still bowl with her nuns? Have Jimmy and Breena adopted a baby yet?"
"I actually have no idea what Gibbs is working on right now. Abby still bowls with the nuns. Jimmy and Breena adopted a cute baby girl. Ducky is still Ducky. And McGee is in a very serious, very committed relationship with a woman."
She raises her eyebrows. "Good for McGee, he deserves it. And I will send a present to Jimmy and Breena." She hesitates and then asks, "How about you?"
"Well," he begins slowly, weighing in his mind how much to tell her. "I've been busy, you know, charming the ladies and getting the bad guys."
She eyes him. "Clearly. But what else? Uh, charming any one lady in particular?" She stutters a little over the words in her attempt at a casual tone and concentrates extra hard on the contents of her frying pan.
You, he wants to respond. "Nah. Too busy doing the work thing."
He leaves out the part about work wearing him down and how he is considering a change. He is still trying to figure out what change he wants and he knows how she likes to ask the tough questions.
"All work and no play, Tony. It makes you a dull boy, yes?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Ziva David. Have you ever known me to be dull?" he responds in mock offense. She throws a smirk his way. "And you? Is there a normal boy in your normal life?" He replicates her falsely casual tone.
She snorts. "My classmates are more than 10 years younger than me and unlike some people," she shoots him a sharp look at this and he puts a mock offended look on his face, "I am not interested in children."
He is more pleased with this than he should admit to himself and he ignores her dig at his preference for younger women. "What about professors?" He wriggles his eyebrows suggestively to hide his interest.
"I am fairly certain that Schmeil would kill me if I took up with one of his colleagues," she replies smoothly, her attention back on her now sizzling frying pan.
"Schmeil, my old pal! How is he?" He figures it is safer now to move the subject away from their lack of love lives, in case either is tempted to delve further into the reasons why they are both uncoupled. He figures the harsh light of day is not the best time for revealing those secrets.
She smiles. "He is doing well, but he is getting more frail every day. I tell him to take it easy and he never listens."
"Gee, I can't think of anyone else who never takes it easy after being told to do so."
Her smile turns into a smirk but she doesn't say anything in response. She moves the contents of her frying pan on to plates and hands him one. Scrambled eggs mixed with vegetables and bits of bacon. "Not keeping kosher, I see," he notes casually.
"It is kosher turkey bacon."
He looks at the plate in disgust but takes a big bite anyway. "Maybe turkey bacon gets a bad rap," he concedes. She smirks at him again as she eats from her own plate, standing at the counter.
"Do you plan on just staring at me while I study?" she asks.
He raises an eyebrow at her. "As much fun as that sounds, I have my own work to do. I figure I can run some searches and you know, do stuff."
She nods and they finish eating in companionable silence. Part of him can't believe he is standing in Ziva's kitchen, eating. The other part of him feels so at home, it is almost unnerving. The rapport between the two of them seems the same as it ever did and he wonders if it is really that easy. They are joking around, poking fun of each other, and even flirting a little.
He missed this. A lot.