Today's prompt: summer vacation, inspired by gingerstorm101 suggestion of having them run into each other while on vacation.

Tiva, don't let the title fool you, you know my titles are the worst, also, this needed a heck of a lot more work, but it's already tomorrow, wait, no, it's today, but technically it's still yesterday somewhere, supposedly time isn't linear so heck if I know, anyway, this is day 17 which should've been posted the 18th.


"Tony, what are you doing here?"

His heart skipped a beat hearing the voice he'd missed all week. Sure, they had texted, but it wasn't the same. He turned around, and realized how much he'd missed seeing her. She was all smiles, and warm eyes, wearing a wide-brim hat and a blue bikini that made his heart beat a little faster.

"I thought you were spending your summer vacation in Florida?"

He scoffed. "I was, until Senior called…"

Her mouth formed an O, then a sympathetic smile. He could see the questions in her eyes, but knew she wouldn't ask them. Not yet, anyway.

"What brings you to the East Coast?" He pointed at the beach bag. "Other than the obvious."

"We're not on call this weekend, and Gibbs let us leave early." She shrugged. "Southampton seemed like a nice place to get away."

Tony glanced at the beach behind him, he had come here to think over his dad's latest financial deal—and how he had gotten sucked into the middle of it—but he had to admit it was a nice place to relax and enjoy the view. He let his eyes rove over Ziva's body, deciding the view had improved considerably.

He took in her amused expression and decided some time spent with a close friend was what he needed to clear his head. "Mind if I join you?" He smiled and nodded at the beach.

She narrowed her eyes at him, he suddenly didn't like his odds, but then she smiled widely and hooked her arm in his, leading him to a fairly quiet spot on the beach. Removing a beach towel and book from her bag, she asked, "You didn't bring a towel?"

He watched her spread out the towel, and stretch out on it on her side, opening the book. Maybe she would've preferred to be here by herself, he thought, then remembered she was the one who dragged him here. He sat down, then leaned back on his elbows, looking at the ocean waves.

"Nah, I figured I'd go for a stroll, pick up a summer fling." He locked eyes with her and waggled his eyebrows. The sparkle and gleam in her eyes sent a tingle down his spine. She let out a derisive huff, but the corners of her eyes crinkled, revealing she was only humoring him.

He could tell she was dying to know what happened between him and Senior. The fact that she didn't push him, made him love her even more.

His heart stopped and he held his breath, unsure how to deal with that realization.

When Ziva frowned at him, he briefly feared he had blabbed his thoughts out loud. His mind raced for a way to deflect his thoughts.

"You know the sun can be deceptively dangerous before noon, you should really wear sunscreen."

She smirked and closed the book, then stared at him provocatively. "You are merely looking for an excuse to run your hands all over me."

His eyes went wide and jaw dropped, as his thoughts did a 180 from love to lust. He half-smirked, the thought hadn't occurred to him, but now, running his hands over her smooth skin was all he could think of.

He was certain she had been teasing, until she dug into her beach bag, casually threw the sunscreen his way and flipped onto her front, gathering her hair and exposing her back to him. His heart raced as his eyes unabashedly took her in, pushing away the memories the faded scars brought back.

Her eyes were closed, but he could clearly see some tension around her eyes and lips. He smiled softly, amazed at how much she trusted him to have her back. Literally.

"This will be a bit cold," he warned, squirting sunscreen in the palm of his hand.

She hummed as he gently massaged the lotion into her shoulders, and tension left her body. He worked his way down slowly, meticulously, protecting every bare inch of her body against the sun.

"Where are you staying?" He kept an eye on her expression as his hands moved from the small of her back to the exposed skin of her shapely butt.

She licked her lips and cleared her throat. He grinned and ran his hands over her butt again, more firmly this time, before moving on to the back of her thighs.

"A B&B," she said with a slightly smoky voice.

His grin widened when she bit her bottom lip as his fingers lightly caressed the soft, sensitive skin on the back of her knees. "How would you like to stay in a beach house instead?"

She raised herself on her forearms and looked at him over her shoulder, asking the questions she had refrained from asking earlier with nothing but a look.

"You're looking at the co-owner of a beach house, thanks to one Anthony DiNozzo Sr."

She quirked an eyebrow, he sighed. "I'll tell you over dinner."

Her other eyebrow raised at his assumption that they would be dining together, and he chuckled. "Don't give me that, your curiosity will get the better of you and you know it."

She chuckled and lay back down, and he applied sunscreen to her muscular calves. "Perhaps if you play your cards right, you will find a summer fling, after all," she said with a lilt.

His hands stilled on her ankles, stomach aflutter. He scrutinized her face, the mischievous smile on her lips emboldened his next move. Running a hand from the small of her back to the nape of her neck, he lay down next to her on his side, fingers tangling in loose curls, her eyes slipping shut.

"To be honest, I'm more interested in a four seasons fling," he said softly.

She opened her eyes slowly, taking a moment before actually looking at him. They both had a lot riding on this, and he hoped he had made an educated gamble.

"I believe that is called a relationship."

"I honestly don't care what we call it, as long as it doesn't end when the summer does." His voice was husky, his heart in her hands.

Her lips parted, her eyes wide open windows to her soul. It took all his willpower not to kiss her passionately then and there, to crush her body to his. There would be time for that later, in private.

"Remind me to thank your father."

He frowned, the last thing on his mind right now was his dad.

She smiled softly. "For convincing you to change your vacation plans and come here instead."