The easygoing Tiva is back! Man, I don't like writing them being at odds with each other…
Disclaimer: Is it mine? No.
When their movie finished, it was already dark. In some ways, sitting closer to each other was even more torture, because both of them felt the heat coming off the other's skin and they very much wanted to reach out and touch each other, even if it was just to hold hands again. Both were frustrated with themselves for not having the courage to establish contact by the time the credits rolled.
Tony's head turned to her then and his breath was once again taken away when he saw her. Her face was only illuminated by the television screen and the streetlight coming through the window. She looked so ethereal. He wondered how she could even be real and how he was worthy of being betrothed to her.
Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up at him and was taken aback by his intense gaze.
"What is it Tony?" she asked.
"You're beautiful," he stated, smiling. His answer took her by surprise and she felt a deep blush spreading across her cheeks and a smile daring to overtake her lips. "And when you blush and smile like that, you're even more beautiful," came his second statement. She cast her eyes down at that and smiled even brighter. She was sure her face was flaming red by now, but as she glanced up at him again, she saw in his eyes that he meant every word he had just said.
"Thank you, Tony," came her shy answer. She did not know how he had such power over her – she had never blushed when someone had called her beautiful. It scared her that she was able to be so entirely relaxed in his company, but she found that she liked it a little too. She was trained to always be on the alert, but she revelled again in being able to just feel safe.
"Want some dinner and another movie?"
"That would be nice, thank you. Although, maybe only a small dinner. We had lunch late."
"Well then let's go, ma'am!" he said excitedly as he jumped up from the couch and held out his hand to help her up. He feared her not taking it, but smiled when her warm hand slipped into his and she used it to hoist herself up and unto her feet. His smile disappeared soon however, when she lightly hit him on his shoulder. It wasn't hard, but enough to sting for a few seconds.
"Hey! What was that for?" he exclaimed.
"Do not call me 'ma'am'," she stated with a very serious face, but he could see a smile threatened to break free.
"Duly noted."
The smile returned to his face as he pulled her from the living room.
In the kitchen, they whipped up a quick, light dinner, working together effortlessly again.
They returned to the living room, carrying their food and drinks with. Tony put in another movie and they settled in next to each other to watch it. Tony, who had seen the movie already, offered to take their dishes back to the kitchen when they were finished eating. When he returned, he sat a little closer to Ziva than he had when they were eating and threw his arm casually over the back of the couch, resting it a few inches behind her head. She either didn't even notice, as she was very invested in the movie, or she didn't mind, because she didn't react to it, so Tony relaxed next to her and turned his own eyes to the screen.
Half an hour passed and Tony saw Ziva's eyes getting a bit droopy. His insides turned over when her head fell against his shoulder a few minutes later. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He relished in her warmth next to him and decided to watch her, rather than the movie. When the ending credits rolled again, he just sat there, listening to the music and watching her sleep.
When the music stopped, Ziva was woken by the sudden silence. He felt the exact moment she became aware of where she was rested as her entire body tensed up, but again she relaxed a moment later when she realised that he didn't mind her position.
"You awake?" he asked softly, even though he knew the answer.
"Yes," she whispered back, her voice not yet returned from sleep. "What time is it?"
"Past eleven. Do you want to go to sleep?"
"Yes, I would like to." She finally lifted her head and looked at him. Like that afternoon, their faces were only inches from the other, and they both almost jumped away from the other, but Tony's arm at her waist kept her rooted to the spot. "Uhm…" she was at a loss for words for a moment, stunned by his closeness and the need inside her to kiss his lips. She quickly recovered and drew her face back only an inch in order to be able to focus on his eyes. "I would like to shower first. Is that okay?"
"Yes," he answered her with a raspy voice.
"Okay," she said, but made no move to get up. They stared at each other for a few seconds more, trying to read the other's thoughts and both coming up with the same results. They wanted to kiss so badly, but Ziva's words from that afternoon kept them from doing it. In that moment, she regretted ever saying them, but kept by them. Tony told himself that he would wait until she gave him the okay before he finally sealed their mouths together, but he didn't know how long he would last if they kept on getting themselves into these situations where the temptation is so great.
Eventually Ziva pulled back and stood up. This time, she held out her hand to him and he took it. They both smiled at their repetitive actions. After turning off the television, Tony retrieved Ziva's bag where it was resting in the hall and took it to the bathroom for her.
"There you go. Don't use up all the hot water," he teased.
"I will try my best," she said with a mischievous smile. He left the bathroom then and she turned the water on when the door closed.
About ten minutes later, she walked into Tony's bedroom wearing shorts and a singlet top. He was sitting on the bed, paging through a magazine when he spotted her coming through the door. He couldn't decide which was sexier – her wearing his shirt or her wearing that outfit which complimented her figure wonderfully.
"Hope there's still some hot water left for me," he smiled, trying not to stare at her.
"I might have left you some."
"Thanks. I'll be right back," he said and gathered his things.
She went to sit on the edge of the bed and started to try and comb her mess of curls as he was leaving the room. She was just finishing when he came back from his shower, wearing a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.
"It must be hell to comb all the tangles from that head of hair," he commented when he saw her still busy even though he had time to shower in the time she had been busy.
"Yes," she answered. "The weather makes it extra curly. It is a headache."
"I like it," came his nonchalant answer while he was busy putting his clothes of the day in the hamper for washing.
Ziva was silent after his compliment. When her hair was tangle free, she put her brush on the dresser and walked to the side of the bed she had slept on the night before. Pulling back the covers, she got in and waited for him. He joined her a moment later after turning off the main light.
With only the glow of the city's lights coming through the window, they chatted for a while until their sentences started getting fewer and farther between. Hearing Ziva's breathing even out, he softly breathed his good night into the air.
"Laila tov, Ziva."