Heyy, sorry for taking so long to put this next chp up but my exams are in about 2-3 weeks and my life has been crazy !! Anyways, here is the next chp, written to another Ingrid Michaelson song (seeing a pattern here? :P) called "Around You" This is similar but slightly more upbeat than the previous ones, for those actually listening to them lol, kinda representing the ending…which you all know already, but oh well :) Btw the lyrics apply to both Tony and Ziva.

Hope you guyz enjoy it !! Please review !! Here it is !! The last chp of this Ingrid Michaelson inspired fic :D

XXX

Do you feel what I feel? Well?

Do you feel this way too?

That every wound seems to heal when around you…

With a grunt, Tony dropped the weights onto the floor and plopped himself down on the couch in frustration, he ran his hands down his face, pulling them back up to knot themselves in his longer hair. The impromptu workout had not been as much of a distraction as he had expected.

He had hoped to get his mind off of a certain person; off of the ultimatum he had left her with in their last conversation. The thoughts only increased his worries that she would take longer than he had anticipated to talk to him, because, knowing her, she would not want to talk to him, unless necessary, until she had made her decision. He constantly had to remind himself that he had only talked to her last night, and that she probably needed more time to think, but he could not stand knowing that he could not do anything about his current situation, not talking to her, knowing that she was not talking to him, and it was his own doing, no matter how temporary the circumstances actually were.

Ever since he had left her apartment, his mind filled itself with thoughts. Questioning why in the world he had just done that, if it was the right thing to do, only to realise that what's done is done, and that he cannot go back in time and reverse it, no matter how much he wanted to.

Although his attempts at working out had proved to be futile, he had a back up plan that was sure to work, but was always his last resort. Shaking his head, he shook out all of the thoughts of drowning his sorrows in alcohol once again. He had learned that the hard way a good couple of times.

So what the hell am I supposed to do now?

Two short knocks on his door broke his silent rant with himself. He opened the door, his eyes widening upon seeing who stood in the hall.

"Ziva?"

"Hello, Tony."

"What are you doing here?" he asked genuinely.

"What?" she smirked, "I cannot visit my partner at nineteen hundred hours?"

Tony chuckled softly, "Come on in."

Letting out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding in, Ziva walked past Tony and made her way to his couch. She shed her jacket and draped it on the back of the couch and sat down, gracefully this time. She looked up to see Tony removing the dumbbells from the middle of the living room, folding up the mat that lay on the floor. It was only then that Ziva drank in Tony's current physical state.

He donned a grey tank, sweat stains around his neck and armpits, black running shorts and running shoes, she had obviously interrupted him. However, she was not complaining. She found herself taking in his arms, long, lean and muscular, admiring how they contorted with each movement he made. His significantly more toned torso, pecks now protruding slightly, stomach definitely flatter, the tank covering what was definitely the making of a toned set of abs. She subconsciously licked her lips as her eyes wandered down his body to his calves, the body part she rarely saw because of the long pants he often wore. Too often, she added in her mind as she noticed how toned they looked. Never before would she find herself checking Tony out so blatantly, but this was a very special occasion, one that called for a more official look, or perhaps a last look.

"Ziva," Tony said loudly, smirking lightly at her facial expression, knowing exactly what she was doing.

Ziva snapped out of her thoughts, focusing her gaze on Tony's face, rather than his body. "Yes, Tony?"

"I asked if you wanted something to drink, but your mind was obviously somewhere else," he teased, smirk growing with each word.

Ziva's face flushed, knowing that she was caught, "No, thank you, Tony. I know why I am here, and I would prefer to get right to the point."

Still smiling, Tony nodded and sat on the couch next to Ziva, close, but with a comfortable space between their bodies. Nevertheless, Ziva felt the warmth emanating from his body, smelling faint hints of his cologne, mixed with sweat. Suppressing the urge to moan, she took in a deep breath and looked into his green eyes, always playful and sparkling, breathing out his name.

"I do not know where to begin," she said, her eyes drifting to his chest for the third time that night, she noticed, "because you are my partner, my friend. This conversation is one that I have been dreading for a long time now."

Tony's heart sank at her last sentence, his emotions shown through his face.

"Only because I knew it was inevitable, and you do not believe in such a thing."

He smiled and opened his mouth to talk, but she beat him to the point.

"And that is why I was dreading it. You and I have absolutely nothing in common; I should have no reason to even begin to think about having a relationship with you. "

She watched as Tony's face became stonier, if possible. His smile was long gone, a result of her harsh, but necessary, words.

"Yet it is all I can think about."

She continued to watch as his face revealed his thoughts and emotions to her. She really should teach him to fix his blackjack face. No, wait…poker face, yes, that's it.

"Tony, you and I both know that a relationship is not the best thing right now. There are many complications and consequences to our actions, especially where Gibbs is concerned, and Abby," she added in a soft voice, unable to get the Goth out of her mind, nor her wise words of advice.

"A good friend gave me some advice today, telling me to follow my heart, and not my head. Because what the heart wants is not always what the brain says, or something like that. But you of all people know how hard it is for me not to think about something. Mossad taught how to analyse everything with efficiency and ease, so to find myself second guessing my actions and taking hours to come to a conclusion is rather frustrating, and a little embarrassing. And after all of those hours I find myself back in circle one, where I started. My heart wanting one thing, my mind telling it otherwise, it is very confusing."

"Square one. And I recall a certain someone telling me that the heart wants what it wants."

She let out another breath, "Yes, and I also recall saying that it shouldn't."

"But it does," he states matter-of-factly.

"How can you act like this is the most simple thing in the world, Tony? Did you not hear anything I just said? Have you even thought about any of this?"

"Of course I have. It's all I can think about, Ziva. I cant even remember one time I haven't thought about having a relationship with you, one time I haven't thought about how different it would be, how much trouble we would be in when Gibbs finds out, 'cause we both know that wont take too long."

He watches as a faint smile plays upon her lips. He shifts closer to her on the couch and takes her hand in his, "But the more I think about it, the more obvious the answer comes to mind. Because, to me, it is all worth it. All of the trial, the hardship, the fights, Gibbs, heck, even Abby. It will all be worth it once I know that I'm going to come home to you. To know that I will always have you by my side is worth more than anything that faces me. Because you are my world Ziva, I love you."

Ziva's breath hitches as she hears the last three words. Feeling his thumb caress the back of her hand, her thoughts fly about in her head. They bombard any train of thought she even attempts to create, causing her to get a mild headache. She groans and removes her hand from Tony's grasp, bringing it to her forehead.

"Stop trying to think, Zee. Just feel. Empty your thoughts."

"I can't, Tony, I jus-"

"No, stop saying you 'can't' and just try. C'mon, breathe with me. In and out. Slowly, in and out."

Ziva follows his instructions, taking deep breaths, trying to clear her mind of the clutter that inhabited it.

Tony watched on as her eyes closed, her breathing slowed and she began to look peaceful. He looked intently at her almond shaped eyes, the soft curve of her nose, her soft lips, opening every so often to let out a breath. Unable to resist, he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek, her eyes opening as he rubbed her soft skin with the pad on his thumb.

Brown pools gazed into green. Lost in each other's gaze, neither realised that they were leaning into each other. Now less than a centimeter apart, Tony could smell traces of sandalwood and lavender from her presence. Basking in her scent he closed his eyes, reveling in the intensity of the moment. The passion he felt from her, that finally matched his. He felt her rest her forehead against his, her hand reaching to the back of his neck. He already knew what she was going to say before the words even reached her lips.

He leaned in and captured her lips in a soft kiss, simply pressing his lips to hers. He parted his lips softly, taking her bottom lip between his, resisting the urge to smile at her whimper as he did so. He broke the kiss, and opened his eyes to find hers still closed, her cheeks flushed and her lips partially swollen.

The next thing he heard changed his life. The words that she uttered meant the world to him, even more, the universe, everything imaginable. For when she said those four words he knew that she was his, and he was hers, forever. Because what they had lasted a lifetime, if only more were possible.

"I love you, too, Tony."

And I think I'm losing my mind,

Maybe I've been hopelessly blind to your beauty.

And you have a sweet sinful smile,

I'm in trouble.

Cause you turn me upside down, and around, and around.