A/N: Heads up, we've got some adult themes making an appearance in this chapter. I think the T rating stands for now, but we'll be heading into M territory next time.
Disclaimer: God it's hard to keep making these original. I don't own the show or the characters.
The knock on her door didn't come until after 8pm, when Ziva opened the door to Tony. Despite his obvious exhaustion, he gave her a brilliant Tony smile, and she couldn't help but return it.
"Evening, Zeevah," he said.
She opened the door wider and stood aside to let him in. He took off his jacket and hung it on the hook beside the door while Ziva grabbed a key off the kitchen counter. She brought it back to him and handed it over.
"I got another set cut today. This is yours back."
He took it back with a smile, and while he wound it back on to his set of keys she watched him quietly. She took in the way his shoulders were slumped, the way he had to lean his hip against the kitchen counter, the frown creasing his forehead, and realised that it was all because of her. If this had happened back at Mossad, Ziva knew that her father would not take it as deeply to heart as Tony and the rest of the team had. As far as Ziva was concerned, it was just another sign that she was where she was supposed to be.
"Do you want a drink?" she asked as he slipped the keys back into his jacket pocket.
Tony shook his head and stepped up to her with a serious look before wrapping his arms around her. She felt him take a deep breath.
"I just need to do this for a minute, okay?" he said against her ear. "Please indulge me."
Ziva put her arms around his waist and held him back. She knew exactly what he meant. As much as he needed this to assure himself that she was really, truly okay, Ziva needed it for much the same reason. She turned her face into his neck and inhaled deeply, drawing in the familiar, much loved scent of him. It occurred to her that somewhere along the way, Tony had become the first person to make her feel safe and comfortable. She hadn't gone looking for it, had never even thought that she needed it. But it had happened. His voice on the line last night had been her saving grace, and then, just as he'd promised, her brought her home. He'd brought her back to her family, and brought her back to him.
For his part, Tony was just relieved to have his hands on her again finally. He'd been desperate to hug her since Abby had handed him the phone last night. It wasn't exactly a secret that she'd scared the crap out of him, and not in the usual way with knives and paperclips. Now that she was wrapped around him, warm and breathing deeply, he could stop being so scared.
The counselling session that morning had, at times, been excruciating. But it had also helped him sort a few things out. Accepting Ziva as the most important thing in his life would not automatically result in her being taken away. He had to get that through his head. Because he was tired of pretending that he wasn't in love with her. The lie was eating away at him more and more every day.
"I had an epiphany," Ziva said softly.
"Uh-oh," he joked.
She pulled her head back to look him in the eyes, but stayed within the circle of his arms. "I am happy. I am where I want to be. In Washington, at NCIS, with our team."
She watched as a spark seemed to light in his eyes, and a smile started pulling at his lips. It gave her the confidence to continue this honest streak.
"I did not dislike the work at Mossad, but it did not allow me to have a life. NCIS does, and I am not prepared to lose what I have built." She smiled and shook her head to make the point. "I feel like I belong here. I feel that I am loved, and accepted as I am. I feel at home."
Tony would never be able to tell her how relieved he was to hear that. "You do belong here, Ziva. Don't ever doubt that."
She smiled wider before turning serious again. "I want to stay here in your life, Tony."
His eyes fluttered shut for just a moment at just how good it felt to hear that. "Good. Because I want you in it. And although I would follow you to Israel if you returned, I would not make a very good Mossad liaison officer."
Ziva had to laugh, and then wrinkled her nose. "No, Tony, I do not think you would."
He smiled somewhat bashfully, and was taken by surprise when in the next second, Ziva's lips were on his.
Until the day she died, Ziva would swear that she had only intended to give him a quick, chaste kiss. But as soon as her mouth found his, her considerable desire for him took over. The stab between her legs caused her hips to press against him, and her hands balled around his shirt over his chest as she pulled him closer. As she licked at his bottom lip, she started praying that soon he would start kissing her like he had when they went undercover. She often thought of that fist kiss, when his hand slid over her jaw and then pulled her to him strongly, making her feel like he was crazy for her. She wanted that again.
She didn't have to wait long. As soon as Tony's tired brain registered what was happening, he burrowed his hand into her hair and pulled her harder against him. She moaned, and Tony smiled to himself. Yeah, he knew she liked that. Not all of their undercover assignment had been an act. His other hand pressed into her low on her back, encouraging the pressure she was creating there. He parted his lips and welcomed the stroking of her tongue against his. His body thrummed with pleasure, and as tired as he'd been just two minutes ago, he knew he'd do this all night if that's what she wanted.
After a long minute, Ziva broke the kiss and they both sucked in much needed air.
"That was to say thank you for last night," Ziva told him, her voice much deeper than normal.
He stroked both of his hands through her hair. "It was worth it."
When she kissed him again, he was ready for it. He came on strong right from the beginning, leaving her with no doubt that he wanted this. He turned them so that her back was against the kitchen counter and used his weight advantage to press against her. Ziva's arms went around his neck as she kissed him with abandon. His hand ran down her back and her skin sensitised under his touch, and her mind drifted to what it would feel like to have him moving inside her. She shuddered against him.
"Oh, my God, Ziva," he murmured against her mouth. He couldn't believe how good this felt. He was losing himself in her, and somehow he knew it would be a recurring theme for the rest of his life.
Again, Ziva was the one who broke this kiss. She pulled back only far enough to be able to see his eyes, and the blatant desire there sent glorious stabs of pleasure shooting through her body.
"That was because you make me happy," she said, her voice now barely above a whisper.
He looked at her in awe. "God, you make me happy too."
He met her again for another blistering kiss, and almost cried with joy when he felt her hands pulling his shirt out of his pants. He pulled up his mental list of all the things he'd ever wanted to do to her as his hand snaked down to squeeze her butt. Just as he stepped back, pulling her with him with the intention of getting her into her bedroom, his cell phone started ringing.
They both froze, and then Tony slowly pulled his head back.
"You have got to be kidding me," he gritted out.
Ziva reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. "Gibbs," she read off caller ID.
Tony had to laugh. After basically getting Gibbs' blessing to break the rules that afternoon, of course he was now the one putting a stop to it.
"Hilarious," he said, before giving Ziva one last, hard kiss and answering the phone. "Yes, boss?"
He kept running his hand up and down her back as he listened to Gibbs, not quite ready to let go of her just yet.
"Gear up, DiNozzo," Gibbs was saying. "We've got an ID."
Tony's eyes stopped their lazy exploration of Ziva's flushed face and he stood up straighter. "We do?"
"Abby got a hit on the SUV. We're heading out to Alexandria."
"Get McGee to text me the address. I'll meet you there."
He hung up and met Ziva's suddenly very alert gaze.
"What?" she asked.
"Abby got an ID. We're going to pick them up now."
Ziva grabbed his face between her hands and planted a hot, wet kiss on his lips before spinning away and running from the kitchen. "I just need shoes!" she called.
Tony winced as he slipped on his jacket. "Uh, maybe you should sit this out."
She appeared in the doorway to her bedroom, brandishing a stiletto heel. "What?" she demanded.
Tony held his hands up in defence. "I just mean because you're not supposed to be at work today."
Ziva stalked up to him, her eyes narrowed. "Tony, you all might be calling it a box in a hole, but from where I was, they stuffed me in a coffin and buried me in a grave. I am mad. And I need to be there."
Immediately, Tony caved. Not because her tongue had just been in his mouth, but because he knew that she needed to find some measure of control over the situation. She needed to get out there and kick some ass.
"Alright, ninja. Let's go."
Two more chapters to go, and I promise I will have this story finished by the weekend. Stay with me!