[From An Eye for an Eye]
That night Claire and Tony were staking out Horlocker's apartment in the NCIS car. It was during the winter months so it was freezing outside and the car wasn't turned on. Claire used her hand to wipe off some of the condensation on the windshield that had come from the temperature difference. She looked at the apartment again through binoculars while Tony lounged back in his seat, seemingly asleep. Claire shivered and glanced back at Tony. Seeing his position, she glared and smacked him on the arm. If she had to stay up you can be certain she would have him awake too.
"Wake up." She told him. Tony just shifted.
"I am awake." He groggily replied. Claire looked at him a moment, thinking that his sleepy voice was very attractive. Fortunately, Tony hadn't opened his eyes yet to see her slight blush.
"Turn the heat up please I'm freezing." She asked and looked through the binoculars again.
"Can't, smoke from the tailpipe will give away our position." He replied with his eyes still closed. Claire rolled her eyes and shivered violently again.
"Great…I can't feel my legs here." She chattered. Tony slowly opened an eye as an idea popped into his head. He was going to utilize this alone time with her.
"We could do what the eskimos do to keep warm." Tony suggested in his low, groggy voice. Claire sat back in her chair and huffed out a shaky breath.
"What's that?" she asked curious as to why his demeanor had suddenly changed. Tony opened up both of his eyes and locked his gaze on her.
"They presssss their bodies together." He explained and held his hands up together as illustration. For some reason, she suddenly became slightly uncomfortable. Sure, she had been close to Tony before but the thought of what he was suggesting made her feel nervous, like some teenager with a crush. Claire gave him an odd look and he sat up to talk to her properly, noticing his effect on her.
"Of course the effect is greatly improved if….you're naked." He added and leaned in closer. Tony played it off in a cool manor but he secretly was turned on by that thought. It confused him a bit. Claire was just his friend right? So why was he somewhat serious about his proposition. Plus, the proximity was making his head swim a little.
Claire gave him a sickly-sweet smile, trying to play along, and didn't look away. Tony's breath caught.
"There's not enough liquor on the planet to make me do that, Tony." She told him smugly, fighting against her desire to see how this would play out.
"I wasn't suggesting the naked part." Tony pointed out and rested his hand on her shoulder, starting to stroke it gently. Claire glanced down at it and sucked in a breath. This teasing was starting to wear on her and suddenly the car didn't seem so cold anymore.
"But if you wanna freeze…freeze." He told her with a wink while he rubbed his thumb on her shoulder even more. She looked at him in conflicted. She had to keep in mind that it was just a game to him, and she couldn't let him know that she was affected. The intense teasing was starting to muddle both of their thoughts as they sat there, both enjoying the intimate contact. Their eyes connected and they got even more caught up in the moment. Suddenly Claire took in a deep breath and shuddered, making her look away from his intense gaze. Someone had to come back to their senses. She and Tony were just friends and they didn't need any odd emotions messing it up.
"Oh I need a vacation." She told him, changing the subject. Tony smiled broadly, to cover up the sudden disappointment, but he was glad to see that he had flustered her. Maybe it wasn't just him feeling things. He leaned back down in his seat again.
"Where would you go?" he asked curiously, going along with it. Claire started shivering again and she fidgeted in attempt to warm herself as she thought. Tony wanted to wrap an arm around her to help warm her but after the previous heat of the moment, he decided against it.
"Oh someplace warm, somewhere where there's no cellphone reception." She told him with a small smile.
"The tropics." He whispered wistfully.
"Oh yes, the tropics would be nice." She agreed with a grin. Claire looked back towards the apartment and saw his light turn off.
"Horlocker's light just went off." She informed Tony and pulled up her binoculars again.
"He's probably going to bed. It's midnight." Tony told her as he looked at his watch. Claire glanced back at him in agitation.
"God, do you think we're gonna have to stay here all night?" she whined as she shivered again. She really didn't want to be sitting out there in the cold all night. And her new fuzzy feelings around Tony weren't helping the situation either.
"Why don't you call Gibbs and find out." Tony challenged. Claire laughed.
"Why don't YOU call Gibbs and find out." she mocked. They both laughed.
"Cause I know the answer." Tony quipped with an almost giggle. Claire laughed again, the awkward tension gone. Now they were just enjoying a laugh together like they normally would do.
"Oh I need a vacation!" she whined childishly and glared back at the house. Suddenly they heard a gunshot from the apartment. Their smiles dropped and Tony shot upright before they both raced out of the car. With guns drawn they sprinted toward the apartment.