They get out of the house in this one. Gibbs might be out of character a bit, but so is everyone else.
Disclaimer: Aw, bite me.
The next few days trapped in Tony's apartment flew by them. The power had come back on late the next night and they had passed the time making a good dent in Tony's movie collection. Their fort had stayed up and they opted to sleep there instead of moving back to the bed. The snow had stopped and now they were just waiting for the city workers to clear the roads and make them accessible. Tony had made Ziva his famous, proudly Italian pizza and she had absolutely loved it. A lot of their time had been passed laying in each other's arms and, of course, lots of kissing. They still had not taken the next step towards becoming intimate, but neither of them minded. The right time for that would come.
It took two days for the roads to be drivable again. They were watching the news when the report came on that the people of DC had their mobility back. Both Tony and Ziva mourned the end of their secluded time, but at the same time they were excited to see what this new freedom would bring them.
Tony's face dropped when he thought that he had to attend Kate's funeral. And Ziva had to take Ari's body back to Israel.
"What is the matter, Tony?" Ziva pulled him from his sombre thoughts.
"Thinking about what's going to happen now."
"What do you mean?" she prodded quietly when he did not elaborate. He responded by pulling her into his arms and burying his head in her hair.
"Kate's funeral."
"Oh, Tony. I am sorry."
"It's okay. Thank you. I just… I'm not sure if I can do it."
"You are a strong man, Tony. I know you can."
"Thanks. That actually made me feel better."
They were quiet for a while. Then Ziva spoke up.
"I do not know if I can handle going to Ari's funeral."
"Oh, God, Ziva! I'm so sorry! I didn't think."
"It is okay, Tony. It is not your fault."
"I wish I could go with you," he said as he pulled back to look into her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and it fit so perfectly in his palms.
"I wish you could too, but I do not think my father would appreciate it."
"No, probably not."
He kissed her then, softly, relaying all his sympathies, but also to let her know that he was there for her. She kissed back, meaning the same things. When they broke away, Tony smiled at her and she could not help but smile back.
"We should probably head into NCIS," she said as she watched his face fall.
"Yeah, probably. Let's go."
He kissed her one more time before they got up. It took them some time to dress appropriately and gather their things. Of course they had to make sure to cover their hickeys properly. Then they were in Tony's Mustang again, holding hands as they drove to the Navy Yard.
Gibbs was already in the office when they got there.
"Morning, boss."
"Gibbs."
"DiNozzo, David," he greeted them back.
"Is Jenny in?" Ziva asked.
"Probably," Gibbs answered her.
"I am just going to visit her," she announced and with that climbed the stairs.
Tony stood standing in front of Gibbs's desk, his eyes following her frame until she disappeared behind the door. Then he turned back to face Gibbs.
"Your office, boss?"
Gibbs's answer was to stand up with his coffee cup and march to the elevator with Tony close on his six. They waited for the doors to open, stepped in and waited for them to close again. After exactly three seconds, Gibbs pulled the emergency switch and the box came to a halt, the bright lights going out and being replaced by the dim ones.
Gibbs, as usual, started the conversation, but this time not yelling at DiNozzo for a change.
"How is she?"
"Better. The first night was absolute hell. And the day after that. But she's better now."
They were silent as Gibbs processed this information. His blue eyes were planted on the young man standing in front of him.
"There something you're not telling me, DiNozzo?"
Tony's head snapped up. "About, boss?" he tried to play innocent.
"Ziva."
He knew the innocent act wouldn't work. He had to tell Gibbs. But the question was whether Gibbs was asking about Ari or whether he was asking about him and Ziva. He decided to go with the latter, because it was not his place to tell Gibbs about Ari. If Ziva wanted him to know, she would tell him herself and in her own time. He took a deep breath and leapt toward a headslap.
"I kissed her, boss." He closed his eyes in preparation for the smack he was about to receive and felt the sting a moment later.
"Why the hell did you do that?"
Now or never.
"She's my soulmate, boss." His eyes closed again, waiting for the slap, but they snapped open when instead he felt a warm hand placed on his shoulder.
"Boss?"
"Well done, DiNozzo."
"Boss? You're not mad?"
"Well, of course I'm mad, DiNozzo! But I'm glad you found her. Look, I may not act like it, but I found my soulmate once and I gotta tell you, it's the best damn feeling in the world."
"It is boss. I haven't told her yet, though."
"What? She doesn't know?"
"No. Her tattoo says 'Hi'. That's the first thing she would hear from thousands of people she meets, so I figure she just ignores it. That was what I first said to her when we met."
"Her first words match yours?"
"Yeah, it does."
"You sure?"
"Yes, boss."
They were silent as Gibbs sipped his coffee.
"You gonna tell her soon?"
"Yes, before she leaves for Israel. I want her to come back. Or I'll go to her. But I have to be with her, boss."
Gibbs nodded, not happy with the probability of losing another agent, but he knew the strength of the bond and he understood Tony's decision. He flipped the switch and the elevator turned back on.
"You treat her well, Tony. And good luck."
"I will. Thank you, boss."
They stood next to each other, waiting for the elevator to return them to the squad room.
"What she say to you?" Gibbs asked just before the doors opened.
"Uh… 'Having phone sex?' "
Gibbs smirked behind his coffee cup and stepped out through the doors when they opened.
"Figures."