Dear reader: This story is rated T. This chapter, however, is rated borderline M.
In the span of 13 months after Ziva had been presumed dead, burned by fire, there had been 2 death threats against Miss David. Luckily, none of them were of any intelligent origin. Even if the threats were bogus, Tony and Ziva proceeded with caution. They waited an appropriate amount of time until anyone from their former life (besides Gibbs) would know beyond a reasonable doubt former agent Ziva David was not dead but very alive. This is a chapter written within that time period.
Tony and Ziva remained friends for over 3 months. They had their awkwardness and combatant behavior at times… until one night in early October.
Ziva sent the business e-mail she had been writing off, saved some documents, and closed out the remaining windows, then turned off her computer. She glanced to her wrist watch, noticing the late hour, she began to get worried. This morning Tony left for work without saying a good-bye or even giving a smile to Ziva; he ignored her, which was very unlike him. As she stared blankly at her computer screen, Ziva suddenly felt guilt and nausea reach out from the core of her stomach and into her neck and head. The night before they had a fight about their lives together, and one of the things Ziva said hurt him more than he let on; following her comment, Tony intentionally said something to hurt Ziva. When the noise jilted Tali awake, Tony stopped pacing the room to then glare at Ziva due to the sudden burst of crying. He raced to Tali's room and held her. "I think you've done enough", is all Tony could formulate.
All day Ziva wanted to call him, apologize, tell him a million times how sorry she was, but something stopped her. He's busy at his new job. He doesn't need the extra drama or inconveniences…
Ziva got up from the desk and turned off the downstairs lights, except for one lamp in the living room and the light that illuminated the front door. She figured when he does come home, he should at least come home to some light, tripping in complete black-out is quite painful.
Ziva checked up on Tali, who was fast asleep in her bed, the night light projector lit up the room with blue shadows of moons and stars. Ziva just marveled at her little girl whose face was distinguishable in the darkness by the subtle glow, the scene appeared rather magical to her. She broke away and headed towards her room. She hoped and prayed Tony would come home soon, it was much later than usual and she expected him home 2 hours ago. What is he doing? He can't be mad at me forever. Can he?
"Hey…" The voice came from the doorway of the bedroom.
She was sitting in a chair situated in the corner, Ziva had had her eyes closed until the voice commanded them open. When she did, she saw him.
"Tony."
Ziva watched every move he made, her eyes like a sniper on a target. She watched him take off his jacket and shoes, until Tony broke her concentration.
"Are you going to stare at me all night? Or should I-"
"I'm sorry!" Ziva interrupted, Tony turned around to face her and placed his hands, for leverage, on the dresser. "I'm sorry…about last night. I was angry, not at you, Tony, at myself. Things were going fast for me. The planning, the moving, all of those things I wanted…and now I had them".
"So you lash out on me?" the hurt was present in his voice.
"Yes, and I truly regret everything I said to you, I meant none of it!"
"Are you sure?" He replied, "You sounded pretty believable, Ziva"
Ziva got up and walked towards him, she stopped 3 feet away. "I am positive." She then walked a foot forward, her voice soothed his ears. "I wanted to call you today, apologize and make up. I hate myself because I do this. I do this type of stuff that not only hurts me … but everyone around me..."
Tony took his hands off the dresser and straightened himself, "Ziva, don't hate yourself. How many times do I have to say that?" He stated, "Hey…I knew you were just venting from frustration." He examined her, "I was angry not because of your words but because you were shutting me out."
Ziva felt relief, knowing he was putting this behind them, "Thank you, Tony, for understanding…"
Tony felt his heart ache, thinking this was it for them tonight. Usually they would kiss and go to sleep. They had kept affection limited and he was fine with it because he wanted both of them to be ready before making a giant move to intimacy.
"Hey, what are friends for?" was all he could manage.
Ziva smiled and then her mind switched subjects, "Um, Tony, if you don't mind me asking, why were you so late, tonight? Meeting?"
Tony was always honest with her, "Close to it, we had a video conference tonight, ran later than usual…I'm sorry I didn't let you know. But it was with the director of NCIS."
Ziva was surprised, "Really? What was it about?" then she remembered, "ah, I am not privileged that information, at least tell me it was a good conversation, yes?"
Tony laughed, "Well, a good conversation about national security?" Ziva shrugged and then turned around to pull back the sheets on the bed. "Gibbs asked about us"
"Gibbs?" She immediately heard the familiar name to face Tony, who had escaped into the bathroom. "What did he say? What happened? You talked to him?"
Tony peeked out with a toothbrush in one hand, "uh, yeah he asked about you and me. Hoped things were good. He's not really talkative, you know that Zee-vah."
She let out a sigh, "I know…silent mute"
"He'd like to see us and Tali." Tony explained.
"I would like to see him as well." Her mind sparked a new interest, "us…"
A few moments passed before Tony came out of the bathroom. He looked around then noticed Ziva was no longer in sight.
After looking in various rooms, Tony found her outside, looking up at the sky. "If you're thinking of running away again, remember I can ping your phone."
He was making an attempt at light-hearted humor but the again caught her attention.
Her voice was serious, "I do not have any desire to run away from you or my daughter."
"I was being-"
"I know, Tony." She placed her hands on his chest. A cold wind blew from the west.
"Ziva, what's going on with you?"
"I am finding peace, is all."
"Outside?"
"Well" she let out a content exhale, "a thought occurred to me… those same stars I see" She points briefly to the sky, "Are the same ones I see an ocean away."
Tony observed the silence, "you think of Israel when you see them?"
"More like my old life…the things in my life that has changed….the universe has not."
He continued waiting for Ziva to explain herself…anything more than what she was giving him…
Her eyes were fixated on their feet. "I am happy." Three words she said so quietly but Tony heard more than that; he heard assurance and confidence in her. Ziva embraced him and he happily obliged. "Tony. I am so…I am indebted to you."
He skipped a breath, he found solid emotion creeping out, and he guided Ziva's head to his neck, "Let's go inside, okay?"
She took his hand and he guided her to their room. The tides were changing within them. A realization in them came through, finally. They were a mere 8 feet away but their eyes were already consuming each other.
Tony became curious; this look Ziva was exhuming was much hungrier than any look she placed upon him in the before.
She broke his gaze, "we have been living like roommates…"
He noticed the woman reach for the hem of her shirt, pulling the shirt over her head to reveal a black lace bra.
Tony had had his thoughts of taking her and proving his love for her through action but his love for her was innocent and real. He waited for her and he became a pro at this game. At times he felt like he was walking on eggshells in this relationship. Are we really going to do this? Is she fooling me? Wow. She is so beautiful…I wonder what-
"Tony!" Ziva broke into his head space, she noticed Tony getting flush and deep in thought.
"Wha-, oh, uh, sorry…Ziva are you?" He swallowed, "I mean, you want to..?"
Ziva was too confident, she chuckled, "Mm, Tony what do you want?" She walked three feet towards him. He walked one foot towards her.
"Ziva." His eyes suddenly sweet to her, but cautioning, "This will change everything."
They step together to close the distance between them. She slowly looks up to meet his eyes, she stands on her tip-toes and put her mouth to his ear, she whispers, "Tony, everything has changed."
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Lips touch. No breaking away. Human nature kicks in and the deprivation became apparent after all those years. They acted like starving villagers amid a long drought. Each kiss, each and every breath, "Tony", behaved as the nutrition they so long awaited for.
Tony had her pinned against a wall, their mouths caressing in waves of heat. "Tony." She gasped, her hands rested gripping his hair, and she was so hushed, "be careful. I haven't done this..."
He got her message, "Ziva," he pecked her forehead, his right hand caressed her cheek, "just focus on me, okay?" The voice relaxed her.
Another wave flashed through the room. The pair gently undressed each other, walking backward. The two began to tango, moving in unison.
He laid her down on the bed.
The only source of light coming through the room was the streetlights and the occasional headlights of a car driving through the neighborhood.
"It's just you and me." He said, holding her hands. She gasped and felt his tender kisses ascending her thighs, her center, then to her core. She craved to be closer to him.
He familiarized himself with the woman's body, slender but somehow new, there were new marks on her body from her pregnancy and she appeared more curvaceous. He needed her as if he had been dying all this time and she was like the antidote to his ailment.
He felt a tug at his hair, Ziva commanded his attention. Come here. He climbed up to her, then suddenly she made a move so she was the one on top of him. A little laughter ensued but utter vulnerability and openness with each other became apparent.
He put his hands on her hips, feeling this skin so soft and warm. She was a lace-trimmed danger at some point in her life, now she's a sun in his life. The couple felt their hearts beating like the timpani found in an orchestra. Our bodies fulfill fantasies, make music with our mouths and hands, we create art.
In their case, they have already created art; Tali was in dreamland down the hall.
In intervals they bind together again, they become one.
He gasped for air, "Ziva." He waited for Ziva to lay beside him. The two of them stared up at the ceiling, catching their breath.
She turned her head to look at him, noticing the perspiration glistening on his forehead and neck, she lets out a small chuckle.
Tony breathed her in like the air in the room, "That was…"
"Good?"
"Great." She saw the smile creep across his face, "we should do that again…like every day…all the time…"
She raised an eyebrow, "everyday? My my, Tony." She gets on her stomach and places her head over his, "do you think you would ever get tired of this?"
He cocked his head and grinned ear to ear, "I never could get tired of this, Zee-vah…" He inhaled her, touched her face, looked into her eyes and saw the woman he loved, but instead of just seeing her, he felt her. His thumb grazed over her supple lips, she kissed the tip of his thumb, "I love you", he told her (although he didn't need to say it, it was written in those stars she stared at three hours ago) "I love you, Zee"
Her eyes became watery, "I love you more."
"I don't think that's possible."
