All About Us
He is We
Take my hand, I'll teach you to dance
I'll spin you around, won't let you fall down
Would you let me lead?
You could step on my feet
Give it a try it'll be alright
Tony taps his fingers on the table to a rhythm that is unfamiliar to him as well as the rest of the people seated around him. Gibbs shoots him a glare, not for the first time that night , and he quits the drumming. Normally tony would have been out on the dance floor, schmoozing with the female agents that were new and therefore completely unaware of his reputation. But tonight was different, he was different, she was different, they were different.
He glances over at his partner and girlfriend who is staring at the dancing couples longingly. He wishes he could take her out there, this is just a party, just a simple New Year's Eve party and the two of them dancing as partners wouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary. The problem is that he is afraid he will do something to give them away.
They have been dating for the past few months, their relationship beginning in the five long hours they had spent trapped together in an elevator following Dearing's explosion. The cramped space, head injury, and possibility that they might not make it out alive had all contributed to Tony admitting feelings he'd been hiding for years. Ziva wasn't surprised by his words and ,knowing the same things he had, admitted her own feelings for him.
The agency had suffered a handful of casualties, the one of most importance being their beloved ME, Dr. Donald Mallard who had died of a heart attack upon hearing the news of the explosion. The team had recovered from the loss, but the couple had never found a good time to tell the others that they were no longer just partners and friends. Hence Tony's reluctance to dance with Ziva at the NCIS New Year's Eve Party.
Keeping a secret from Gibbs is one thing. Breaking one of his rules and keeping a secret from him for nine months is a whole other matter entirely.
Tony looks around the table again and when Ziva holds his gaze for longer than usual, glancing at the dance floor pointedly, he simply shrugs throwing his gaze over at Gibbs briefly. She shakes her head ever so slightly and then stands up from the table.
"Tony, would you do me a favor?" she asks, a teasing glint in her eye.
"Hmm?" he eyes her curiously, she isn't usually the risky one when it comes to their secret.
"Come dance with me." It isn't a question and she starts walking away from the table before he can answer.
He follows her ignoring a few of the questioning looks that are being directed his way as he leaves the table. She stands in the middle of the floor waiting for him and when he reaches her Tony circles both arms around her waist while she drapes hers around his neck.
The room's hush hush
And now's our moment
Take it in feel it all and hold it
Eyes on you eyes on me
We're doing this right
He leans down close to her ear, his breath tickling her neck as he whispers, " This is risky."
She shrugs glancing up at him briefly, " I do not care."
Tony tips her chin up with his finger, "What's been going on with you lately Zi?"
"What do you mean?" her eyes flick away from his; she knows exactly what he's talking about.
They sway around in a circle for a few moments before Tony speaks, "You quit teasing me at work, at home it's better but you've started changing in the bathroom, what did I do wrong Ziva? What's going on?"
"You have done nothing wrong Tony." she pulls back staring into his eyes a mixture of emotions swimming in her own. "I have just discovered some things and my mind has been in a mess this week."
"Discovered what things?" he asks concerned, already making a list in his head of what might be wrong.
"Do not worry, I am not sick." A sigh escapes her lips as she rests her head against his chest. "I am just unsure of how you will take this news."
A ball of worry and fear takes up residence in the pit of his stomach, but he pushes it away, placing a feather light kiss on top of her head. "whatever it is Zi, I'm here for you. Nothing you say can change that."
Cause lovers dance when they're feeling in love
Spotlight's shining it's all about us
It's all about us
And every heart in the room will melt
This is a feeling I've never felt
But it's all about us
She opens and closes her mouth several times and is unable to get the words out, but somehow her silence allows his mind to connect the dots and then just like that he knows, "You're pregnant."
Ziva nods, "I do not know how it happened we were using-"
"99%" she looks at him quizzically so he continues " Protection, it's only 99% effective. Looks like we're that one percent."
His voice betrays no emotion and she is dying to know what he is thinking, "How do you-I mean, what are you..." she trails off unable to find the right words and looks away from him.
Once again his breath is tickling her neck and when he whispers in her ear she can feel his smile against her cheek, "I'm seriously considering picking you up and spinning you around right now because of how happy I am Ziva David."
The smile on her face Rivals his own, "Why don't you?"
"Didn't want to make a big scene." His gaze drifts over to where the rest of the team sits and it is clear to him that his Boss knows something is up, but in this moment he really doesn't give a damn.
So when she whispers, I want to make a scene, he does, knowing full well that the joy they are both feeling is more important than worrying about the consequences for breaking Rule 12.
Suddenly I'm feeling brave
Don't know what's got into me
Why I feel this way
Can we dance real slow
Can I hold you real close
The room's hush, hush
and now's our moment
Take it in feel it all and hold it
Eyes on you, eyes on me
We're doing this right
When he plants her back on her feet they both can feel all the eyes that are now fixed on them. But they don't care. She laughs and it sounds like bells and his grin could power the whole city. Tony pulls her close and they continue to dance to the next in a string of slow songs that have been playing since they took to the dance floor.
"Now that we're done with that, I have something to ask of you." he pauses a chuckle escaping his lips, " Actually now that I think of it I have two something's to ask you."
Her eyes sparkle with interest, "Alright what is it?"
"Why did you start changing in the bathroom?" They sway back and forth, and he moves his head so his chin rests on the top of her head.
"It is stupid, you would find it silly." She replies quietly tracing her finger across the smooth material of his shirt.
"Nothing about you or what you say is silly to me Zi." Tony means it and she can hear no hint of joking in his voice.
"I know that I am not far enough along to be showing I was barely far enough to be able to tell I was pregnant, but I started changing in the bathroom because I thought you might find out." The arms encircling her waist tense up and she can picture the look of hurt on his face. "It is not that I did not want you to know ahava, I just was not ready for you to know yet. I was going to tell you tonight after the party, but you ferreted it out of me before I could."
"I weaseled it out of you Ziva, good try though." He laughs at her peculiar wording and she lightly smacks his chest.
"What else did you want to ask me?"
Cause lovers dance when they're feeling in love
Spotlight's shining its all about us
It's all about us
And every heart in the room will melt
This is a feeling I've never felt
And it's all about us
"Well, I haven't had a chance to get a ring yet and I think if I got down on one knee Gibbs would probably stop me from asking you, so why don't we keep what I have to say next just between us for a few days?" She pulls her head away swiftly and her stare is now trained on his emerald green eyes searching for any hint of a joke. "You gonna let me finish or are you going to keep attacking my face with that look?"
"I am sorry Tony I just wanted to make sure-"
"I wouldn't joke about something like this Zi." He clears his throat and smiles down at her, "Alright now where were we, ah yes...Ziva you are the most important person in my life, you have been for six, well now I guess it will soon be seven years. I might not have known that when you walked into the bullpen that day and accused me of having phone sex that you would change and shape my life in so many ways, but I'm glad you did. We have had our ups and downs and some really close calls especially in just this past year and I don't want to wait any longer to make you mine forever so-"
"Wait." She places a finger over his lips and his eyes grow large with worry as hers fill with tears. "I have two requests. One, could you wait a minute and two, would you mind actually doing the knee thing?"
His gaze turns from one of worry to one of confusion, "Why?"
"It is almost midnight and I thought a proposal would be a good way to start off the new year." Before she explains the next part of her request a blush creeps onto her face. "When I was a little girl most of the marriages I witnessed were arranged so there was really no need for a proposal. But one day when my mother and I went into to the market in the middle of town to pick up some supplies for supper we saw a young man propose to a girl right in the middle of the square. He got down on one knee and took her hand and simply asked if she would spend the rest of her life with him. It was the most romantic thing I've ever scene and I have imagined the man I love doing the knee thing since then."
His smile had grown wide as she explained herself and he gladly waited, "There are moments when I think I couldn't possibly love you anymore than I already do, but then you go and tell me something like that and I find room in my heart to love you even more."
The blush that had faded away now flares back on her cheeks and she looks down at her feet, "You are too kind."
Do you hear that love? They're playing our song
Do you think we're ready? Oh I'm really feeling it.
Do you hear that love? Do you hear that love?
"Ten...nine..."
The guests around them begin to count and move towards the windows to witness the fireworks that will be launched over the Potomac River in just a few seconds.
"For you, I can never be kind enough." He whispers before slowly bending down in front of her.
"Eight...seven...six"
He grasps her left hand with his right and smiles, "Like this?"
Even though she knows what he is about to ask her hand still flies to cover her mouth and tears well up in her eyes. She nods in answer to his question and few salty drops spill down her cheek.
"Five...four..."
"Ziva David before the old year has past I have one last thing to ask you." A small laugh escapes her lips and Tony's grin grows wider. "If you'll have me, I would love to spend the rest of my life belonging to you and only you. Will you marry me?"
"Three...two..."
"Yes."
"One!"
A chorus of 'Happy New Year' rings through the room, but it doesn't really reach their ears. Tony stands and sweeps Ziva into his arms and for the second time that night he spins her around. When he sets her down their lips meet for a kiss that is both passionate and gentle.
"Happy New Year Zi." He breathes after they part.
"Happy New Year ahuvi." She replies stroking his cheek.
Out of the corner of his eye Tony can see Gibbs approaching from the other side of the room and knows that if that want to enjoy this moment at all they have a very small window of opportunity to make themselves disappear. So he pulls his fiancé by the hand, gently but with a underlying hint of urgency and they slip into the hotel staircase and make their way down to the lobby. They quickly rent one of the last rooms available for the holiday weekend and spend the rest of that night wrapped in each others arms.
Do you hear that love? They're playing our song
Do you think we're ready? Yeah I'm really feeling it
Do you hear that love? Do you hear that love?
Cause lovers dance when they're feeling in love
Spotlights shining its all about us
It's all about us
Every heart in the room will melt
This is a feeling I've never felt
And it's all about us
A/N: Hey so you might have noticed the change in title, I decided the other one was a bit of a mouthful. To those of you reading This Is Home I apologize for the delay but busy weekends coupled with writer's block do not go together well. I am working on the last chapter right now, yes I said last :( and I hope to have it up by Sunday. Hopefully, I'm not making any promises though because I have a band competition Saturday. Well I think that's all, thanks for reading!