Unfortunately, Gibbs arrived before Ziva could fully demonstrate how annoyed she was with him. He had taken one look at the two of them and promptly sent her back to her desk and told Tony to stop reading nonsense emails and both of them to actually do some work.
Which they did because disobeying Gibbs when he used that tone was in no one's best interests. Even if she had a damn good reason for doing so. But still, she was not going to because one, she did not want to incite Gibbs' wrath and two, knowing her luck if she demonstrated how annoyed she was with Tony Gibbs would end up seeing those photos. Something that she did not want to happen. He would not be anywhere near as obnoxious about them as Tony would be but still. No one was going to see those photos. Least of all her partner. She just had to ensure that he didn't.
So, she kept a sharp eye on her partner but, thankfully, he was too scared of Gibbs to even check his emails, never mind open attachments of ones he already knew about. In fact, he barely used his computer at all. Instead, he flipped through witness statements and even roped McGee into checking someone's financials.
Unfortunately, Gibbs could not stay at his desk forever. Though from the way he was watching the two of them he probably wanted to. But even he could not disobey a summons from the Director.
With a very firm warning look and telling them, "No funny business," he left and disappeared into her office.
They would probably be hearing raised voices in a few minutes.
Annoyingly, it did not take a few minutes for Tony to start bugging her. In fact, it only took seconds after Gibbs was safely behind the Director's door.
"Come on," he wheedled. "Let me look at them."
At least he was now asking her, she supposed. However, that did not mean that she was going to respond in the way that he wanted.
"No."
He actually paused for a moment. Long enough that she actually got hopeful that he was actually going to leave this whole subject alone. But, of course, she had no such luck. Why was she having such bad luck these days?
"One look?"
"No."
"One tiny look?"
"Absolutely not."
How many times was she going to have to say no? Was she going to have to start using other languages? Maybe he would actually u understand those.
"One teeny, tiny, teensy look."
"You are aware of how annoying it is that you keep asking, yes?" She said with it answering him.
There was no point, he knew the answer already.
"Then maybe you should stop asking."
Which, of course, was not an option so she just ignored him and continued.
"It is more frustrating than sand in your shoes."
Tony shook his head. "Not possible. I think I proved that sand in your shoes is the most horrible thing."
He shuddered.
"Pretty sure the only horrible thing about the sand in your shoes was you throwing sand all over Gibbs," McGee snickered.
Tony paled at the memory.
"Please don't remind me of that. I'm scarred for life."
Ziva couldn't help but join in with McGee as he laughed at the face Tony pulled. Though, she had also felt just as horrified as her partner when the sand ended up all over Gibbs and, more importantly, in his coffee. That rule was there for a reason, after all. Tony had been lucky to get away with a glare and a head slap. Possibly because Gibbs did not want to get any more sand on himself. Though, he had made it a point to dust the sand off him and onto Tony.
"There a reason you're all laughing and doing no work?" Gibbs barked at them, reappearing suddenly.
One of these days she was going to find out how he did that. She was good but she was not that good. She kind of wanted to be that good.
But that was not something to dwell on right now. That comment of Gibbs got them all back to doing work without any further fuss. Which Ziva was glad of because it meant that Tony would not be continuously asking her any more.
Hopefully.
[xxxxxx]
It turned out that she only thought she was safe from Tony's shenanigans. Ziva really should have known better. This was Tony DiNozzo, after all. He did not let dogs lie down while sleeping.
On the plus side, she could read him extremely well which meant that there was very little he could get away with. She knew all of his little tells. Even ones he didn't realise he had. The subtle ones. The quick ones.
Not that he was demonstrating any of those ones at the minute. No, this currently tell was very obvious which was why she knew to take the five steps it took to get over to her partner's desk and forcibly turned his computer screen around.
"Hey!" He complained but she took no notice of it.
Instead, all of her attention was on what was currently being displayed on his screen.
His emails.
Thankfully he had not seemed to have opened the one from Nettie. It was the topmost one despite there have been several work-related emails come through. The one from Nettie had been marked with "high importance" of all things.
"I knew you were looking at your emails," she said triumphantly even though this action of his was not really a triumph on her part.
"What gave me away?" He asked petulantly as he scrambled at her hand in an effort to get his computer screen back.
All that did was ensure that she held it firmer.
"I know you," she scoffed.
He scrunched up his nose at that, probably annoyed that he had been thwarted.
"Can you know me a little bit less?"
She chuckled. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"
"Right now? Yes."
