I really appreciate the support I received in the last chapter, thank you guys! Your reviews get me through the tough days at work.
Love Danni.
Chapter Twenty
Tony hobbled into the meeting and right next to him was Ziva. The whole gang was there, Derek, Sarah, Ezra, Azriel. All of their faces happy to see him. He took a seat and not long after that Abbott came into the room. And yeah, Tony didn't miss the fact Eli wasn't present. He didn't mind.
The first thing Abbott did was ask how he was doing. Tony made some kind of joke about still being able to walk. The room shared a laugh at that.
They discussed the case and the things that needed to be tidied up before they were all disbanded. Tony couldn't help but feel his heart race when Abbott started talking about the flight home. One week. He had one week before he would be flying home. One week to make the most of her.
He couldn't help it when his eyes flickered to hers. Caught the way she'd looked at him too. With everything set and planned they were released to the office. They all went up and started writing up reports, filing paperwork, evidence. They had been up there a couple hours. Sharing jokes, laughs.
It felt good, like it had before everything had gone downhill. He caught Ziva's gaze on multiple occasions, when he became distracted from his work and he smiled at her. She smiled back every time. Yes, things felt good. They started packing up for the evening when Ziva spoke to the room.
"I do believe we will have this tidied up by tomorrow. After that I would like to invite you all to my home in the country for a few days. I think it would be nice for us all to spend some time before you leave. This is a team I am proud to have had the company of" she said. He could tell she had been nervous. Because this was Ziva letting people in, getting close. And not just with him.
The fact she was welcoming them to her home, was even more surprising. Maybe he had broken a few more of her walls than he'd thought. He smiled.
"That sounds like a really nice idea Ziva, thank you" Sarah spoke up, looking happy. He knows they were all going to miss this team. They'd all shared a lot.
"I'll make sure to bring the Arak" Azriel spoke up. Tony couldn't help but laugh at that comment, they all needed to let loose a little after the last week.
He'd gone back to his apartment and he didn't miss the way she didn't follow. He wondered if she just needed a little time still. But when his pocket vibrated as he negotiated his crutches to his room, he smiled as he looked down at the screen.
Except for the first night they'd slept together when he messaged her, they haven't texted or called. It felt kind of nice.
Have time with your family back home. Save room for me in that bed – Z
He smiled at the screen. He hadn't even mentioned that he wanted to call back home, it was almost like he was an open book to her. That put a tingle in his chest.
There's always room in my bed for you – T
Because there was. It was that simple. He rested his crutches on the side of his bed and sat himself down, dialing the first person on his list. Gibbs.
"Gibbs" was the grunt across the line. It didn't sound like he had woken his boss this time, not that he'd checked the time difference. Good. Starting with a less grumpy Gibbs was needed for this phone call.
"Hey boss" his voice was quiet, thinking about what he was going to say.
"DiNozzo" he replied. Of course, Gibbs was leaving the conversation start in his court, he'd initiated the call after all. He was hoping Gibbs was just going to ask something or say something, because he was still trying to think about how to word this.
"I'll be home in just over a week" he started. That was the easy part.
"That was sooner than expected" was all he said. He could hear the questioning in his bosses' tone though. Because he was due home many months before expected.
"Yeah, well. We had a few bumps in the road, but the case is closed" he told him. Still beating around the bush about how injured he'd gotten himself in the last few days. He scratched the back of his head, feeling Gibbs' stare over the phone.
"Bumps in the road DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, his voice told him that he better spit it out and not make Gibbs force it out of him.
"I'm a little roughed up, but nothing I can't handle" Tony explained. He could feel the moment when the head slap would have come. Thank god he wasn't within striking distance. "Couple knife wounds, bullet to the thigh. I'm fine, docs said I'm all good boss nothing to worry about" Tony furthered, getting it all out.
He heard the huff of the other man.
"Tony, I thought I told you to look after yourself over there dammit" Gibbs grumbled, but his tone was softer. Tony still felt another slap that would have come at that moment if Gibbs could reach him.
"I know boss, sorry boss" Tony absently rubbed his crown, Gibbs' usual target area.
"Rule six DiNozzo" was another grumble.
"Right boss" he replied. There was a slight silence before Gibbs spoke up again.
"I want you walking off that plane next week, not in a goddamn wooden box. No more shenanigans. I mean it DiNozzo" he ordered. He agreed with his boss before the phone call ended after a couple goodbyes.
He definitely wasn't going to get into any more trouble if he could help it, but he's sure there will be a few shenanigans in the next week. Especially if Arak is involved. But those are all ones that Gibbs really doesn't need to know about.
He called Abby, Kate, Tim. Catching up and letting them know he was coming home soon. They were all ecstatic. He came up with some random excuse to why he was coming home early. He decided to leave out his war stories for today, he didn't want any upset people after he'd heard their excitement at his early return. Even Timmy had a smile in his voice. Maybe his presence was missed after all.
He sent Ziva a message just before heading to the shower.
Tea? – T
You read my mind – Z
He smiled at the message and put the kettle on before making his way to the shower. He had to take his bandages off so he could clean himself and put fresh ones on. It took longer than expected. And it was far more difficult than he thought.
He tied his towel around his waist and hobbled out to the bedroom. He had to leave the crutches in the bathroom so he could carry the fresh medical things the doctors had given him to the room. His leg handled it, but it wasn't easy. Just as he stepped out into his bedroom the ninja herself was rushing over to him, hands going around his waist.
"Whoa cowboy, slow down" she said softly, helping him to the bed and taking the medical supplies from his hands. He sat on the edge of the bed and his eyes settled on hers.
"Cowboy?" he smirked. She shrugged, laughing.
"You look as though you have been taken out by one of those wildebeests those men with the hats wrangle, that is a cowboy yes?" she explained. He laughed at that. Hard. Sometimes he wondered what exactly went through her head to come up with things like that.
Her hands were placing the med supplies next to him.
"Let me help" she stated, going over his injuries for the first time. Her hands were gentle, her eyes concerned. She pulled out a disinfectant and started on his face, lightly dabbing his stitched eyebrow. Four stitches there. Her hands were so tender with him. Her fingertips traced the angry black and purple that surrounded his eye, peppered his jaw.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed and she was kneeling in between his legs. He couldn't help himself when his hands went to her waist, holding her there. Not wanting to let her go. God, he never wanted to let her go. She'd felt the way his hands gripped her a little tighter, because her eyes settled on his.
She leant in then, her lips brushing his softly.
"I am sorry Tony" she whispered against his lips. One of his hands weaved into her hair at that, leaning his forehead against hers.
"What are you sorry for Ziva?" he asked.
"This was all my fault, Michael" she stated and he was shaking his head against her.
"Stop that, it was not your fault. I don't care what you say. He was unstable, that was it. Him attacking me was not your fault" he explained to her. He saw that she went to protest at his words but he just pressed his lips to hers, stopping the words before they began.
"I don't want to hear anything about it, I just want you and me, here. The body heals" he whispered to her. But will his heart? His mind whispered to him. Will his heart heal from the journey of her? Maybe not. But that's something he will live with once she's no longer in his hands. For now, he was just going to enjoy her. Cherish her.
She nodded softly at him. He knows she of all people know just how the body heals. He's sure she's been in worse situations than he ever has. He doesn't really want to think about it too much.
She distracts him when she goes back to her task, his personal nurse. Her hands trace down to his neck, she cleans this. It doesn't go missed by him how warm her hands are at the touch. It was like they spread a fire across his skin. Her hands soothed down his bare chest. She leant in, her lips pressing a feather light kiss to the two bruises on his chest. The bruises that marked the fact he'd been shot in the chest and if it hadn't of been for his armour, he wouldn't be here to feel her touch.
Her breath tickled his skin and his hands at her waist tightened again. She didn't meet his eyes this time though, she kept up her examination of him. Her fingers traced down to his ribs where a large cut drew across the skin there. The antiseptic was back out and pressing lightly to him. He winced at the feeling.
For a tough assassin, she's very gentle with him. It just adds to his suspicion that deep down she's a gentle lover, not a fighter. Its not who she really is no matter the exterior that she shows the world. She places a new dressing over his ribs, keeping the stitched skin safe.
Her hands go to his arm then and she repeats the process with the cut on his wrist. He never had anyone give him this much care before. Look after him quite like this. Not since his mother passed away when he was a young boy. And she did it just because she wanted to. There was no deal or payment. She was just taking care of him like there was nothing else in this world she'd rather be doing.
She makes his heart ache for her so much.
Her hands go to the end of his towel then, pulling it open. He was bare to her then but this wasn't about sex for once and he had to hold his breath. Because it wasn't about sex and that's what this had always been about. Just sex.
Her fingers were gentle as her eyes took in the damage to his thigh. The skin was angry purple, he had the bullet wound which had been stitched. He also had some damaged tissue around the area which had more stitching. He'd honestly been so lucky not to come out worse.
"Does this make you more attracted to me? Because I've been told a rumour chicks dig scars" he joked, trying to lighten the mood. Because he wasn't sure about her but his heart was straining at her touch, her care. Her love.
"Tony" she all but whispered his name. Her gaze settling on his again. He wasn't sure what it was he saw there, but her eyes were wet. "You should not have put yourself at risk like that" she continued. He expected this conversation to come out at some point, but he wasn't sure she was going to like his reply. Because he'd thought about her asking this, challenging his decisions and he wasn't going to lie in his answer.
"If I hadn't, we'd probably both be hobbling around. Or worse. I had to do something" for you. He wanted to add. But he couldn't bring himself to. He would have done the same for anyone, but he felt the result if he hadn't in this case would have been worse. He couldn't see her hurt, that would destroy him. And maybe that's what he had seen in her gaze before, she was breaking at seeing him hurt like this. For her.
"No more scars please" she said, smiling softly at him and bring a hand to the side of his cheek. She didn't want anymore. No thanks. It's definitely what he saw in her eyes right now. She didn't like seeing him hurt like this. Because she did care, so much.
"That goes for you too" he replied, leaning forward and touching his forehead to hers. Leaning into her as much as possible. He knows she's not one to back down, that bruises and scars were common for her. But he didn't like it. He didn't like her being the punching bag she lets herself be sometimes. Seeing her the other week with all those bruises, it had put fire in his bones. He hated seeing her hurt.
That's when she nodded against him before kissing him softly. Because not that he knew it, but she'd made a promise to herself to not be her fathers loyal attack dog anymore. Because she'd had enough and didn't want to be used anymore. Because Tony had taught her that she deserved better and she was starting to truly believe that.
She leant back and he watched as she leant down, placing a kiss above his knee, just below his wound. She was breaking his heart with her care and he wondered if she knew just how much she was. She cleaned his leg, bandaging it too. He was well looked after tonight that's for sure.
"Now, how about that tea?" she leant back, smiling softly at him. He brought his hand up to her cheek, running his thumb across her cheek. Marking her with his tenderness just like she'd marked him with her gentle touches.
"I would like that" he replied. They stayed like that for a minute just staring into each other's eyes. He knew. She knew. But they wouldn't talk about it. They wouldn't talk about how much they wanted this because it wasn't inevitable. And it wasn't fair on their hearts to talk about it.
He settled for pressing his lips to hers, drinking every last breath of her that he could. Because his heart was struggling tonight. As much as he tried to avoid it, he was getting feelings for this woman that weren't going to fade away overnight.