Title: The Right Time: Late Night
Author: StormInMyHeart
Email: deweycat
Pairing: Tony/Ziva (what else!)
Series: The Right Time
Category: Romance/AU
Rating: K+
Summary: A set of vignettes each at a different time of day...
Spoilers: None really, although all episodes are fair game.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I just borrowed them for a few minutes.
:: :: ::
Late Night
It was still hot outside.
He sat on a blanket, watching the red-glowing embers. One eye on the fire, and the other one on Ziva as she lay back on her own blanket, staring up at the star-lit sky. She seemed to be preoccupied tonight, perhaps with thoughts of going home, perhaps with other things.
He knew that nothing would get her attention until she was good and ready. He softly cleared his throat. Although he knew it was probably futile, he was going to try and distract her anyway.
"Ziva."
"Yes," she replied dreamily, not allowing any real openings for conversation.
He smiled to himself, because she was so involved in thought she wouldn't even look at him.
"I've been thinking about... well, about going home. Do you think I should take that desk job that Vance offered me? Maybe I should take some more time off, just sit back and take it easy for a while."
This at least brought her attention onto him and off the stars. "Ha!"
He laughed at the open disbelief on her face. "This time I really think I'm going to do it."
She turned back to look at the sky again. "Tony, just how many times have you said that you were going to spend more time at home?"
"Once or twice... All right, several," he conceded.
"And just how much time have you actually taken off in the past twelve years? Not counting the past two months?" she asked pointedly.
"Okay, you have a point, but this time I'm really serious about it," he asserted.
She shrugged. "Suit yourself, but I will not let you hang around the house doing nothing all day."
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Is that so?" he asked, and couldn't entirely hide the surprise in his voice.
"Yes," she replied firmly. She would have to make it clear from the start that she wouldn't give in on this. "You can just go find some hobby to occupy your time. And I do not want you hanging over my shoulder all day long, looking for something to entertain you."
He raised his other eyebrow. "What if I promise to behave myself?"
"That would be a miracle," she exclaimed.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?"
She sat up, cocking her own eyebrow at him. "I do not think I need to bring up that incident in the conferencen room..."
He raised a hand, laughing. "Point taken, but I still think if McGee hadn't interrupted..."
"We would've had a bigger problem when Gibbs walked into the room ten seconds later," she reminded him, finishing his sentence.
He laughed harder.
"You're right. We really should try to find a way around all those... intrusions."
"How about locking the doors?"
"Wouldn't that just raise everyone's suspicions?" he said. "No, with Gibbs around, I think more subtle methods are needed."
"Then how about giving each other secret signals," she giggled. "You know, like when you wear that yellow tie I gave you, it means: 'Men's Bathroom, in half an hour'."
"Ooh, that tie is going to wear out in no time," he laughed.
"Just make sure you don't wear out," she urged him, pointing her finger at him.
"Don't worry about me," he assured her. "I'm living my second youth here."
And as if to prove that, he stood up and walked over to where she was sitting, seating himself next to her. Sliding a hand around her waist, he kissed her neck. "And what would this mean?"
"To hell with everyone?" she suggested.
"Something like that, yes. Oh, Ziva, I want to be there, where you are. You know, you could just spend time relaxing with me. We could sleep in..." he coaxed.
"Tony, you know that you'd be bored to death within a month without your work. You even phoned McGee the other day, to ask him about some of your sources."
"But you seem to manage to find plenty to do with yourself," he complained.
"Need I remind you that I have a full time job? And if you stay home, or even just take that desk job, just what would you do with yourself all day?"
He leaned over, murmuring in her ear, "Well, first, I'd start at that spot just behind your right ear, and then..."
She playfully slapped his hand away, as it began its own journey. "See, you cannot even behave yourself now." She reached over, rubbing a hand gently over his jaw. "By the way, when was the last time you shaved?"
He rubbed at the beard now growing. "I thought maybe I'd try growing a beard and see if it made me look any younger."
She leaned back, inspecting it in the firelight. "I don't know, Tony. I can't see how growing a beard's going to make you look any younger."
Then he shrugged, leaning over her again. "Well, we're just going to have to wait and see about the beard. Now, is there any way I could talk you into coming to bed with me, or should we just try a reenactment of the office fiasco and see if my theory holds up?" he asked, a smoldering smile, number eight that was, on his lips.
"No! You promised me we were going to camp on the beach, and that is exactly what we will do."
"Yes, but..."
"Ah, no buts," she silenced him. "A promise is a promise."
She kissed his cheek. She then stood up and held out her hand to him.
"Come on. Let's go for a short walk."
"It's almost eleven o'clock!" he protested.
With an annoyed grimace, she went for his wrist.
"There," she said, as she threw his watch on his towel. "Now, shall we? Or are you afraid of the dark?" she teased. He watched in disbelief as she walked away from the fire. "Come on."
He nodded toward her bare feet. "What about shoes?"
"We won't need them. We will not go very far."
He shook his head at her. "Fine."
As they walked along the shore, he could feel her hand slide into his, and he squeezed it gently in response. How had he managed this, he wondered, what had he done to finally have her here with him, sharing his life?
He smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder. Perhaps the better question was how he had managed to leave her out of his life for so long.
The half moon illuminated the sand and water at their feet. He smiled, remembering the all the walks along this same beach they had taken the past few days. The sounds of the ocean, voices of other people carrying in the breeze, Ziva's whispers of affection, the solitude and peace. This was a magical place of renewal, but perhaps it was not a place to dwell in for too long. At least, not now.
They stopped for a moment, watching the way the moonlight played along the water at the edge of the shore. He stood, watching the way the moonlight illuminated her face. For a minute, maybe even two, he could only stare, entranced by her once again. And then, she turned toward him, her eyes moving over his face, and she smiled. He watched her lips spread smoothly into the smile, delighting in the way the delicate lines around her eyes deepened. He slowly reached up and brushed a loose curl back over her ear, and stepped closer.
She placed her hands gently on his chest, and as he drew nearer, she slid them up around his shoulders. Her fingers rested on his bare neck, caressing the hair at the back of his head.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She was still smiling, and he smiled, too. She touched her nose to his and then closed her eyes. He nudged in closer, feeling her breath on his lips.
She had her eyes closed, yet she could feel the expression on his face shifting. Smile number eight - smoldering - turned into smile number one, setting his lips on fire. Setting her on fire, too.
She brushed her lips against his, tracing his mouth with hers. And then he felt her open her mouth and her breath joined with his. He kissed her deeply, drinking her in.
A thousand emotions washed over her, and she melted against him. Her knees actually felt weak as she returned his kiss, and then all rational thought left her as he kissed her again. She could feel his heart beating with hers, smell his cologne, and taste his lips, all of him around her.
His hand sank into her hair, feeling it flowing through his fingers, cool and silky to the touch. And he kissed her again, now holding her neck, holding her to him. She traced one hand along his cheek as their kiss lingered and then slowly ended. She kept her eyes closed, her head slightly lowered.
He watched her, moving his hand along her back, caressing her.
"Tony," she whispered and then stopped, not knowing what else to say.
He stayed silent, giving her time. He felt her chest rise as she took a deep breath and then felt it fall as she breathed out. Her heartbeat mixed with his against him and, for a moment, it was all he could hear.
Then she leaned back in his arms, a playful smile on her lips. And before he realized what was happening, she had slid out of her dress and headed straight for the water. Wearing nothing but a smile.
Hmmm... This was not really what he'd had in mind.
"Ziva?" he called, confused. Then, louder, he called her name again. He glanced around warily, but the beach was empty. Still, someone could show up at any moment.
"Ziva?!"
He walked a few steps towards the ocean, then stopped again. Looking at her, desperately. The water reached her waist now. She turned around, smiled, and beckoned tentatively. Then, she leaned over and slowly let herself fall into the lagoon.
He still stood there, uncertain what to do. Then, he made a decision. Hell, there was no harm in a little midnight swim, was there? He pulled his polo shirt over his head and stepped out of his shorts. With a quick last look left and right on the beach, he joined her.
It sure was hot outside.
