Tony rolled over on his side and looked at the clock beside the bed; he had fifteen more minutes before the alarm would go off. He thought about rolling back over and closing his eyes but if he got up now that would be fifteen minutes longer he could spend with Dani. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed at his still sleep ridden eyes. He had taken the night watch while Ziva had days, which he thought would decreases the amount of time spent with Dani and therefore lessen the temptation to try and seduce her with his charm. As it turned out Dani was a classic night owl. Over the past four days they had bonded, Dani was a huge movie fanatic, so instantly they connected over their top ten movies. Tony stood up and stretched, his muscles protesting as he did, he would have to remember to tell Gibbs he needed new mattresses in this joint, the ones he had now were hard as rocks.
Tony made his way to the living room to find Ziva on the couch reading; a quick scan of the living room produced no Dani. "Where is she?" Tony asked.
"Outside." Ziva replied not looking up from her book.
"You're not supposed to leave her alone." Tony said as he made his way to the door.
"Relax she's fine." Ziva said as she continued reading. Tony opened the door and didn't see Dani. He ran around the side of the cabin and found her sitting in a clearing on the hillside. Tony made his way over to her, smiling as he went, she was beautiful and smart, really funny and the thing he liked most about her was when he gave her shit she gave it right back. He sat down next to her; she looked at him and started to laugh.
"What?" He replied self consciously.
"Nice do."
"Oh…yeah…I worked on it all night." Tony said as he ran his fingers through his jumbled mess of hair. "What are you doing out here?"
"I wanted to see the sunset."
"Don't you think all these hills will be in the way?" Tony asked she elbowed him playfully.
"Well yeah dork, but the sky will be pretty."
"Oh." Tony said nodding. "Did you just call me dork?" Tony couldn't remember the last time he'd been called a dork.
"Yeah." She said giggling. "You are a dork of the highest degree." Tony raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'll have you know many women find me attractive."
"What makes you think I don't find dorks attractive?" Dani asked punching him in the shoulder.
"Ouch." Tony said rubbing the spot she had hit. "What did you do that for?"
"That's for being so damn dorky."
"So you do find me attractive." She hit him again.
"I never said that."
"Oh but you didn't have to." He caught her wrist this time before she made contact with her fist. "Don't try to fight the attraction Dani, no woman can resist DiNozzo."
"Oh my God." She said rolling her eyes. "You did not just say that." Tony laughed at himself.
"Yeah it was a bit of an over kill huh?"
"Ya think?" She looked at her wrist and back to Tony's face. "You going to let go anytime soon?" Tony shrugged. Dani reached over with her free hand began to tickle Tony; he let out a string of boyish giggles.
"Ok stop." He said as he let go of her wrist.
"Oh so we're ticklish huh?" Dani asked and with a sinister smile she started using both her hands to tickle him.
"No…ok Dani really you have to stop." Tony said between laughing. "I hate being tickled." Tony said as he tried to squirm away from her, when she didn't stop Tony grabbed one of her wrists. While he was trying to get the other wrist Dani was practically laying on top of him trying to tickle him with her free hand. Tony soon caught the other wrist and flipped her so she was lying on her back and he was pressed against her, pinning her hands over her head. "Tickling is the worst." He said breathless from laughing.
"Baby." She replied. Tony was suddenly aware of their bodies pressed together and the close proximity of his face to hers. He could feel her warm breath on his skin and Tony knew he needed to put some distance between them; he couldn't be this close to her and stay in control of the situation. "Are you going to kiss me or what?" Dani asked softly. Tony let go of her wrists and sat up.
"I can't." He said shaking his head, he scooted away from her just for an add measure of protection.
"Don't tell me you're gay?" Dani said sitting up.
"What?" Tony asked.
"All the good ones are either taken or they're gay…you are obviously not taken so you must be gay."
"I am so not gay." Tony said standing up and taking a few steps away from her. Dani stood up as well and walked over to him.
"Then tell me what it is…is it me? Do you not find me attractive?" Tony looked at her, he shook his head.
"You are very attractive."
"Well then?" Tony was silent. "Tell me you don't feel something here." Dani said grabbing Tony's hand. He felt it, every time they'd touched over the past few days he had felt it. Tony wasn't sure what to do, he was on unfamiliar ground. Only once in the past had he actually felt this sort of connection with someone. Usually with women it was all about getting them into bed and he felt different with Dani. He actually looked forward to spending time with her. He could actually see himself in a relationship with her and that scared him. Not to mention the fact that Gibbs had threatened his life if anything were to happen between them. "So you're just going to what not talk to me now?" Dani said letting go of his hand and walking back to the cabin.
"Wait." Tony said running to catch up to her, he stood in front of her, looking down into her eyes. "You said all the good ones are either taken or gay, right?"
"What?"
"It's my job to protect you Dani, that's what I'm trying to do here. I'm not a good guy…"
"Tony…"
"No I'm being serious. Look Dani, I'm the kind of guy that has a new girlfriend every week, I never get into a serious relationship, it's always been all about the sex." Tony said laying it all on the line. "You deserve more than I can give you."
"Caterpillars always turn into butterflies." Dani replied. Tony thought about it for a moment.
"What?"
"Caterpillars are creepy and nasty and gross just like the guy you just described." Dani said flashing him a smile. "But they always turn into butterflies."
"And they aren't creepy and nasty and gross?" Tony asked.
"Right, so I'll just wait for you to turn into a butterfly." She said and started walking back to the cabin. Tony laughed.
"That was so corny." Dani turned around and flipped him off.
"Just don't take too long DiNozzo cuz I won't wait forever." She winked at him and walked into the cabin.
