Today's prompt: Does your OC have any summer traditions?
Early season 3 Tony and Ziva
His nose is the first thing she recognizes as she runs past him, intent on breaking last week's record while the air was still relatively cool. It's when she glances back over her shoulder and really takes him in that she decides beating your own record is not that important. She slows down, doubles back, the grass soft below her shoes.
He's wearing a cap she has never seen him wear before, and sitting sideways on the wooden slat bench, one leg drawn up supporting a book. Slowing down to a walk, she quietly comes to a halt two feet behind him. As she looks over his shoulder at the open book, she holds her breath, and makes sure he doesn't notice her. What she reads piques her curiosity even more than merely finding him here, alone on a park bench, on a Sunday morning.
"Not enough crime and punishment at work?"
The book lands in the short grass with a thud as he jumps up and turns toward her. He squints at her, seemingly annoyed at being caught. "Didn't I tell you to stop doing that."
She chuckles and walks around him as he picks up the book. His eyes drift up her legs slowly, and she smirks.
He glances at her running outfit one more time and says, "Running?"
She gives him a smug smile, and glances at the book he is holding. "Reading?"
He clenches his jaw and sits back down, crossing his legs. His eyes swirl with annoyance, amusement, and, something she can't quite place. Deciding to get to the bottom of these warring emotions, that clearly have to do with her finding him here, she stretches her legs.
"I did not expect to find you here this early," she asks casually, placing one bare leg next to him on the bench and bending over to stretch her hamstrings. It gets his attention, as expected. She slowly runs her hands over her leg as she comes back up, his eyes following them like a missile tracking system locked on target. She switches to the other leg, and after another lingering look, his eyes finally meet hers.
All annoyance has been replaced with something darker, deeper, more dangerous. Something that makes her heart beat in a way a morning run never could. She wets her lips, tries to get her thoughts back on track. "No date last night, then?"
He narrows his eyes, a hint of suspicion. "No, no date."
Dragging information out of people is half the fun, but she is surprised at the resistance he is putting up today. Determined to find out why he is here, she stretches some more, with more flair and flexibility than strictly necessary.
He enjoys the show unabashedly as she knew he would. His silence is somewhat unsettling, so she sits down next to him and meets his gaze. "I assumed you would prefer something lighter, with more pictures, perhaps," she says, tapping the cover of his copy of "Crime and Punishment".
He scoffs. "Looks like you don't know me as well as you thought you did, Officer David."
There's a challenge in his eyes that she is more than willing to accept.
"Enlighten me." She refuses to break eye contact. "Why are you here reading literature instead of sneaking out of some woman's apartment?"
His reluctance fades as soon as she bumps his leg with hers.
"We've been too busy at work to enjoy the nice weather, I like to come here and read when I have the time."
She frowns, unsure why he would treat this as a secret, then remembers his reputation and wonders what else he is hiding behind that playboy, loudmouthed persona of his.
"Reading is not a crime."
"It isn't, but if you tell McGee, I will punish you."
She looks him up and down, then sniggers. "Tempting." Jumping to her feet, she winks, and breaks into a jog.
"Hey," he calls after her, and she turns around, moving backwards slowly. "If you trip over a dead petty officer, wait a few more hours to call Gibbs, I'd like to finish the rest of the book."
She raises her hand and resumes jogging, determined to read every page in his book.
