Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

Early the next morning, Tim was awake, ready to go running, Jethro's leash in his hand, as he waited by the doorway to his building for Ziva. Though they hadn't made specific plans to meet up again this morning, he was pretty sure that she would be there. Last week had started a new and fun routine for them, one that he was quickly getting addicted to.

As if on cue she pulled into the lot, giving him a quick nod as she parked the car, exited and locked the door before pocketing the key and meeting up with the two males. After a quick hello to the dog, she turned to Tim. The three took the same route as they had on their previous outings, walking to the park, happily talking and laughing before breaking into a run at the park entrance.

Once the run was finished, they returned to Tim's building, making a stop at Ziva's car for her bag, which Tim, gallantly carried to his apartment. They then began the familiar routine of sharing the bathroom and getting ready for work.

"Hey, Tim, do you mind if I keep a few things here?"

"Not at all," he replied.

"I figured it would be easier to keep a set of toiletries here rather than bringing them in and out almost everyday."

"That's fine with me," he replied, "But you'll still have a bag to carry in every day, I mean, you won't have any work clothes here."

"I know," Ziva replied, with a grin, "But I don't think we're ready for that stage yet."

"But we're at the stage where it is okay for our toothbrushes to mingle?"

Ziva shrugged, "That doesn't take up as much space as clothes would."

Tim just shrugged in return before heading towards the kitchen, smiling and giving a small chuckle when he noticed the plate his friend had prepared for him.

Hearing the sound, Ziva stood in the kitchen doorway, "You said you eat them for breakfast," she stated with a smile.

"And I do," Tim responded, picking up a handful of blueberries and eating them.

"Something else to add to the marriage vows," Ziva smiled, and returned to the living room, "I'm just going to check your typewriter."

"Ziva," Tim said.

"Do not worry, I will not read anything," she called back, "Just checking for blueberry stains."

"There's nothing to see," Tim stopped her, "I didn't write anything last night, haven't done any writing in a bit, actually. Now, come eat breakfast before we're late."

"Very well," she agreed, reaching for the cup of tea Tim had prepared for her, "Thank you."

"No problem. I have another one prepared in a travel mug so you can take it with you to have on the way into work."

"So domesticated," Ziva teased, causing Tim to blush and shrug the comment off.

"When are you going to make that pastry again?" Tim asked.

Ziva smiled, "It is addicting, is it not?"

Tim smiled in agreement, it was very good. "Perhaps next time you can show me how to make it and tell me about the trip you were on when you discovered it."

"I would like that," Ziva admitted. "Perhaps we should do that at my place, then I can also show you pictures from my travels as well."

"Sounds like plan to me."

"Then it is a date," Ziva agreed, smiling at him.

It wasn't long after that that the two of them had finished eating and were in the car heading to the navy yard.

"Everything okay with Probie?"

"Why would it not be?"

Tony shrugged, "He just seems different today."

"Then maybe you should ask him if everything is okay," Ziva suggested.

"I tried," Tony admitted, "I don't think he heard me. He's really spaced out."

"Hmm," Ziva hummed thoughtfully, "Probably had a good time last night and is caught up in the memories."

Tony frowned before he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "I thought the two of you went grocery shopping?"

"That was the original plan," Ziva replied with a smirk. "He ended up going shopping with his friend. Called her from my car and said he had a favor to ask her."

"That's it?" Tony said incredulously. "No, I miss you, would like to see you, just wanted to ask a favor? And it worked?"

"Apparently," Ziva said dryly. "She said she could not resist his eyes."

Tony frowned, "But they were on the phone, how could..."

Ziva shrugged, "Do not ask me, I am just telling you what I heard."

"Hmm," the SFA hummed in thought as he tapped his pen against his chin, "So you saw her, right? What does she look like? A nurse? A school teacher? A librarian?"

"You can tell someone's profession by what they look like?"

"Sometimes," he smirked.

"Well, I could not tell with her," she began, only to change topic when a figure appeared in the corner of her vision, "McGee and I wondered if we could apply the method we used on the cold case from last week to other cases. It might work to help us close them as well."

"Wha-that's a good idea," Tony nodded, when he noticed where Ziva's gaze had drifted to. "Maybe I should get him to look at some of the cases I've been working on."

"Look, yes, do the work for you, no," Gibbs commented as he entered from behind Tony, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

"Boss!" Tony stated in mock surprise. Due to Ziva's expression, he realized that the older man was behind him, but what he did not know was how Gibbs managed to escape the elevator without him noticing. "Good morning. And I would never have Probie do my work for me."

"Morning," he returned with a curt nod, not bothering to comment on DiNozzo's latter remark.

"So? What was she like?" Tony asked the moment he and Ziva were alone again.

"Who?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "McGeek's geek."

With a look of amusement portrayed on her face, she asked, "She's a geek?"

"Well, yeah, of course. After all, he said he has known her for years, so I figured they went to school together. And even if they didn't, well, to be friends with him for that long, they must have a lot in common, and since all he does is work, write, online gaming and other geeky pursuits," he concluded with a shrug. "Anyway, did you meet her?"

"We weren't formally introduced," Ziva replied with a smirk.

"So, how did that happen anyway? I thought you were going to take him shopping, or did you get a better offer from guy in tights?"

Ziva's eyes narrowed at the nickname, but she refused to comment on it, "Tim took your advice."

"My advice?" Tony echoed in surprise. "Wow. He must really like her and be serious about this one if he's listening to me."

Ziva frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

Tony shrugged and absently replied 'Just that sometimes I get the feeling that he wants me to shut up."

"Trust me, DiNozzo, we all feel that way sometime," Gibbs stated as he reentered the bullpen.

"Oh, hey boss," Tony said, still surprised that Tim not only listened to him, but took his advice as well.

Ziva scrutinized Tony, "Can you blame him for wanting a few moments of peace?" she asked, gaining Gibbs' attention as well as the SFA's. "Usually when you talk, and it is not about a case, it is to make fun of him or criticize various aspects of his life."

"Hey now, I'm just teasing the guy," Tony defended himself.

"Perhaps that is how you intend it to be," Ziva admitted, "But when it is done constantly and consistently, and no topic is off limits…" she stated, leaving the rest of her sentence unfinished letting them come to their own conclusions.

Before Tony could reply, Tim reentered the bullpen, ending the conversation as they returned to work.

"So, you never told me how grocery shopping went last night." Tony stated, digging for information.

"It was grocery shopping," Tim remarked, "Nothing out of the ordinary usually happens."

"Really? Nothing?"

Well," Tim began, drawing out the word, "I did find a great deal on blueberries, $3 for two pints."

"I don't care about your blueberries," Tony snickered. "I heard you had the lovely…What was her name again? Accompany you."

"Nice try, but I'm not telling you her name. I told you I'm too smart to fall for that."

Tony's eyes narrowed, "One of these days you might."

"Whatever," Tim mumbled, "And how did you know that we went shopping together? Are you following me?" Tim turned away so Tony couldn't see the amusement on his face. Ziva had texted him earlier, sharing her conversations with Tony.

"What? No! I have better things to do with my time. If you must know, Ziva mentioned that you called her from her car and that she met you there."

"Oh," Tim stated quietly, before admitting, "Actually, it was kinda fun and informative."

"Really now? So what did you learn?"

"Yes, really. We learned about each other's likes and dislikes about food, shared some memories that different items brought back to us."

"Like what?" Tony really couldn't imagine a grocery store as a setting for a date.

"She loves vegetables, but despises cooked carrots. Loves cherry flavored things."

"You don't say," Tony smirked.

"Do you have to be so sophomoric?" Tim asked, rolling his eyes. "Soda, juices, Italian ices, jello, candy, things like that."

"And what weird food quirks of yours did you share?"

"Mostly that I like blueberries, but not in other foods, and that I'm allergic to avocadoes."

"That's a thing?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"Huh. How'd that come up anyway?"

"She offered to make Tacos for dinner for us one night," Tim admitted. "Said she had a great recipe for guacamole that I had to try."

"Not even officially your girlfriend yet and she's already trying to kill you," Tony laughed. "So how did she take your refusal?"

"She knew it was something that couldn't be helped, so she overlooked it, of course it probably helped that I'm not allergic to sour cream as well." Tim joked.

"So she still gonna cook tacos for the two of you? That's nice. Though it's too bad she didn't mention making breakfast for you sometime."

Tim blushed, but didn't answer.

"Probie?" Tony asked, borderline speechless. Did that blush mean what he thought it did? "Has she made you breakfast? This morning perhaps? Or is that planned for the morning after the tacos?"

Tim remained silent.

"Come on Probie, spill. I know there's something to share, you don't turn that shade of red for no reason."

"There was an older lady doing her own grocery shopping," Tim began, deciding that story was safer than mentioning the morning pastry lesson that he and Ziva had talked about. "She heard us talking about my allergy."

"So?"

"She mentioned what a cute couple we were and then warned," Tim paused, barely catching himself from saying Ziva's name, "my friend to make sure she thoroughly brushed her teeth after dinner if she had the guac, since it would be a shame if we had to spend the night at the hospital rather than her place since kissing me could cause a reaction."

"Oh that is priceless," Tony laughed boisterously, "I wish I was there."

"I'm glad you weren't," Tim retorted, still bright red. "It was embarrassing enough as it was."

"What was your girlfriend's reaction to that advice?" A curious Tony asked, still laughing.

"She's not my girlfriend, and better than mine," Tim muttered, causing Tony's curiosity to spike higher. "She thanked the elderly lady for her concern before she apologized for her part in embarrassing me, then said that the fact that I get embarrassed is one of the things she likes about me."

"That's an interesting line."

"It's not a line," Tim snapped.

"Well, of course you're gonna believe that."

"It's the truth. She has no reason to give me a line," Tim added honestly. After all, they weren't really dating so there was no reason for lines or games.

"Yeah, women love men who glow red."

Tim rolled his eyes, and decided not to waste his breath by replying. Luckily, the computer chimed notifying them that something was found.

"Saved by the bell," Tony smirked as Tim focused on the screen, hoping it was a lead in Tony's case.

"You're right," Ziva remarked as she loaded up her fork with more food, "This does seem better every time."

The two had decided to order 'the kitchen sink' again and bring it home, well, back to Tim's place, both of them too tired to cook. This time, Ziva had taken a look at the menu and had an input into the choices Tim ordered. Conversation was light as the two eagerly dug into their food.

"I can't believe with all the food we bought yesterday, we ordered out," Tim muttered, as he handed Ziva a glass of wine before sitting down next to her on the couch, radio playing music in the background. After eating their full, the couple quickly cleaned up the kitchen and retreated to the living room.

"It was an exhausting day," Ziva replied. "I know that I mentioned cooking tacos, but I really didn't want to cook or be on my feet any more. I feel like I walked the equivalent of the entire country."

Tim smiled, for once he felt grateful that Gibbs had kept him at his desk to work his magic on the computers. Poor Ziva and Tony had canvassed a three block radius hoping to find someone or something to provide insight into the cold case. "Here," he said, putting down his glass of wine and patting his lap, "Bring your feet up here."

Ziva scrunched her nose, "Why?"

"I thought you trusted me," he teased, adding a soft, "Just do it. What do you think I'm going to do? I have no doubt that if I do try something you don't approve of, I'll be incapacitated in minutes."

"Seconds," she corrected with a grin as she gingerly placed her feet in Tim's lap.

"Okay, now lean back and relax," Tim ordered softly, as he began to lightly rub her aching feet.

"Hmm, that is nice," Ziva muttered, eyes drifting shut.

Tim just smiled and continued the foot massage.

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