A/N: Okay, so I decided to write another chapter to this story... re-read the whole thing... Denese925 reminded me that Ziva usually speaks differently (even though I don't completely agree with your description, because for one – she does not always end questions in '...yes?' - in the last chapter she was not asking if they should be prepared, she was stating it. It is part of her training to make sure to be prepared for anything and I kinda imagined her... you know... realizing that they would be stuck there for the night – training kicking in. She would not need to ask Gibbs what to do – she'd just do it. And with the contractions I'm honestly not sure anymore... I know she uses them sometimes... rarely – but she does. When I wrote this I had a little Ziva-voice in my head – as always^^ - and the sentences I wrote didn't seem to conflict with it... But I'll try to do better from now on.) - Thank you a lot! I always appreciate constructive criticism. I hope it doesn't bother you much that I don't really agree, but I will absolutely try to do better.
And I am so sorry that I haven't updated in so long! Semester finals have been over for a week now, and I've just been – well – doing absolutely nothing productive (besides making gifsets for tumblr, fangirling over how pretty Kari Matchett is, watching The OC, watching Men in Trees again...). I really need someone to push me to do something.
But I have come around to update my Covert Affairs story (about Auggie/Joan^^), which I am extremely proud of! The Covert Affairs/NCIS crossover is yet to be written... my muse is nowhere to be found.
Chapter 3.
Bourbon had become the most interesting thing in the world.
Even though Ziva usually preferred whine, she relished the taste of her boss' favorite liquid as she took another sip. She had to admit the whole situation seemed very romantic. Thunder rolling through the sky, lightening flashing every now and then, a power outage, and the fireplace as the only source of light and heat. Gibbs' presence only made it worse.
It should have been Dinozzo or McGee stuck up here with her. She could have dealt with that. They never made her weak in the knees, or made bugs fly around in her stomach – or was it butterflies?!
Gibbs' crystal blue eyes seemed even deeper than normal and his silver hair reflected the light of the fireplace perfectly. She couldn't possibly look at him again. Every flash of lightening just made it worse – hitting him in all the right places. Why must he have such a handsome face?
The bourbon was a welcome distraction. It, too, reflected the light of the fireplace,and every flash of lightening seemed to bring bring out a new color in the brownish liquid – though maybe that was just the alcohol taking over her senses.
Gibbs, just as his young agent, had been staring into his glass for quite a while now, taking a sip now and then, and feeling the effects more and more. Shouldn't he have gotten used to this stuff by now?! Or maybe there was another reason for him to become lightheaded that night.
Ziva was wearing that sweet perfume that always made his senses go crazy. It smelled fruity, exotic – maybe Mango, or Maracuja? Sitting next to her, almost uncomfortably close, he couldn't help but shut his eyes for a moment, taking in her scent. Mango – definitely.
Don't do that, Jethro! She's young enough to be your daughter. She's your agent. She's your friend. Don't smell her!
The romantic scenery wasn't exactly helping with that.
He should probably just keep staring into his glass. Ziva seemed to have found some interest in it.
ZibbsZibbsZibbsZibbs
Refilling their glasses again – he didn't remember if he had done this four or five times already – his fingers accidentally brushed hers again. Her eyes turning from the glass immediately and focusing on his. He couldn't help but stare at her for a moment – her hair curly now that it dried. It had gotten wet on their way in, but the air had dried most of it by now.
Her beautiful dark curls seemed a shade lighter now, as the fire flickered in the fireplace close by. A flash of lightening lit up her face for just a second, making her features even prettier than ever.
Subconsciously, he moved his hand so it could touch hers a little more. The change was almost too small to notice, but Ziva's senses were heightened, so she felt every bit of it.
The next flash of lightening brought both of them out of their trance and back into the real world. Jethro drew away his hand quickly, setting down his glass on the coffee table next to the bottle. Ziva shook her head for a second and set down her full glass of bourbon next to his.
'We should probably try and get some sleep.'
Ziva only nodded in agreement.
ZibbsZibbsZibbsZibbs
They had quickly decided to stay on the couch, as the bedroom was about as cold as it gets and the fire made the living room somewhat cozy. They decided not to stop the fire, as it had become smaller anyway and didn't pose much of a threat. The couch was big and full of blankets they had found all over the house – they would be warm all night without even touching.
ZibbsZibbsZibbsZibbs
Falling asleep with a little distance between them, facing in opposite directions, had been a conscious decision. Waking up in each others arms hadn't.
When Ziva opened her eyes in the morning, the thunderstorm was over and she found herself curled around her boss. Her head was resting on his chest, one of her arms was draped over his torso, one of her legs lay comfortably between his. Her knee was only inches away from an area she should never be close to.
He's my boss – No matter how good this feels, I have to move!
When Jethro opened his eyes, his arm was around his agent, holding her close. His other hand was intertwined with hers on his chest, and her soft curls tickled his neck.
All would have been fine – almost appropriate – if she hadn't tried to move away slowly.
Feeling her stirring in his embrace, trying to slide away from him, Gibbs tightened his one arm around her and squeezed her hand ever so slightly. Her leg had moved a few inches closer to the area she had tried to avoid, which made Jethro tense up slightly as he felt himself grow hard beneath the sheets.
'Sorry.' Ziva said.
He did not answer.
It was quiet for what felt like an hour, while it was probably only a few seconds.
'I should... I should go... do something...'
But she didn't move.
Seconds passed.
'The weather seems to have gotten better.'
Silence.
She tried to move again, but his arm held her in place.
'What are we doing, Ziver?'
She didn't know how to answer that.
It was quiet again – both of them thinking about how they got here.
He had known about his attraction for her since the day they met. A dark beauty with ninja skills, who hadn't lost her ability to feel, to show vulnerability every now and then. Later, he had realized that not everyone got to see this emotional side of her, and he loved being there for her when she needed him.
But they were colleagues – friends. Nothing should ever happen between them.
She had known about her attraction for him since the first time she had read his file. A marine, her father's age, with piercing blue eyes and a past as troubled as hers. Not many people knew him as good as her, even before they met, but nothing had prepared her for the effect he had on her. She trusted him more than anyone and felt the need to be there for him whenever she could.
But they were colleagues – friends. Nothing should ever happen between them.
'I can't do this anymore.', he said, 'I like being your boss. I like being your friend... I just don't think that's enough for me anymore.'
She moved again, not away but closer. Lying on top of him, her hands on both sides of his head, she kissed him, and, for the first time in her life, she felt invincible. Everything seemed perfect. Nothing could bring them down.
His hands resting on her hips, he rolled them to the side to lay on top of her.
The smile on his face was the most honest one she had ever seen from him and she instinctively knew that she would see it a lot for the rest of her life – because she would do anything to keep him happy.
Her eyes showed him a feeling he had never seen in them before, at least not directed at him – Love. With this realization, his smile grew even bigger and he knew that as long as she looked at him like this, he wouldn't need anything else to keep him happy.
As they kissed again, Ducky – back in D.C. - smiled to himself, without really knowing why. It just felt right.
The End.
A/N: Whoa... it's 3:19am... I should go to bed...I hope I'll wake up to some reviews^^ Thanks to everyone who already reviewed the previous chapters. I love you all! Reviews just make me so happy!
