Spoilers: None that I can think of.
Summary: Well, if I say too much beyond the title, it would give the whole thing away!
Author's Note: OKAY! So I'm a horrible, terrible, no good updater and I truly do apologize. But I finally have some spare time so I wrote this. It's actually my second attempt at the letter "g" and I happen to like this idea more, so here it is! I can't, and won't at this point, make any promises in terms of when the next update will come out, but I do hope it won't take as long. I really am sorry! I hope those of you still with me enjoy this update though!
Also, this doesn't take place during any particular timeframe. Just assume Tony and Ziva are together.
Glint
Tony was never really one for shiny, sparkly things. He supposed she wasn't either. But as he looked down at the small velvet box, he decided she would probably make an exception. Or possibly hit him. Though he preferred to think the former rather than the latter.
"What are you doing?"
He nearly dropped the box on the floor in his panicked state, just barely keeping a hand on it. As he looked up at the speaker, he hastily shoved the box into his desk drawer, closing it quickly after.
"What do you mean, what am I doing? What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Well, Tony, I would say it's your usual 'nothing,' but that little box says otherwise."
"Okay, McNosy, you've caught me. I got Gibbs a mail-order bride," fake sniffle, "I just want him to finally be happy."
"Who will finally be happy?" Abby asked as she bounded into the bullpen.
"McGee. He found the man of his dreams and is going to be married. And, hey, he won't even have to leave D.C. anymore!"
"Wha-? Tony! Abby, he's just kidding!"
Abby put a comforting hand on McGee's shoulder, "It's okay, Timmy. You don't have to hide anything from us!"
"Gah, I'm not! I saw Tony with some small box and – ow! Tony, what was that for?"
Tony glanced at McGee with a warning look and slightly inclined his head toward the elevator, from which Ziva was distractedly making her way to her desk. As she sat down, she glanced up and smiled at the three standing near Tony's desk.
"Good morning. McGee, I believe congratulations are in order. Though I am rather surprised you did not tell us earlier," Ziva said with a twinkle in her eye.
"What? No, Ziva! No. I'm not really getting married!"
"Oh, well, don't worry. It will happen someday."
Abby and Tony snickered at McGee's dumbfounded expression.
"How did we even get on the subject of marriage, anyway?" Abby inquired.
"Oh, I saw Tony with… an invitation from an old frat buddy," McGee responded.
"Really? I always thought anyone Tony associated with would be an eternal bachelor," Abby quipped with a giggle.
"Oh, ha ha. Everybody has to settle down sometime, apparently. Well, maybe," Tony amended as Gibbs walked into the bullpen.
"Better keep that desk drawer closed, DiNozzo. Don't want anyone to get a surprise they shouldn't."
The immediate thump of forehead against wood earned Tony two confused glances from Ziva and Abby and smirks from Gibbs and McGee.
"How does he know everything? He wasn't even here for that!" Tony muttered to himself, his head still pressed against the hardwood.
"DiNozzo!"
"Yeah, boss? We have a case?"
Gibbs just nodded to the side, calling Tony forward.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop. Don't stress over this, Tony."
Tony smiled a tad sheepishly, "Giving me a pep-talk, boss? And here I didn't think you were the type."
"I'm not, DiNozzo. I just don't need you distracted when you should be doing your job. Now get back to work," which was punctuated by a head slap.
After that, the day passed relatively quickly with Tony and the rest of the team consumed by their latest case so Tony spent little time dwelling on the possibility that Ziva's dislike of shiny things would extend to a particular piece of jewelry he bought that had shine, sparkle and glinted when light hit it in that certain way. So much so that she might not even consider his proposition and never speak to him again. Well, days at the office would certainly get more tense.
Tony gave himself a mental slap, derailing that train of thought before it made him crazy. Well, crazier, he thought.
He walked toward his desk, sitting heavily in his chair before pulling open a particular drawer, looking for that little velvet box. Which seemed to have gone missing. Tony glanced around furtively, attempting to find any evidence as to where the box had gone.
Then he saw her leaning against the elevator doorframe, watching him. Well, shit. Does she know?
"Can I help you, Ziva?"
"Hm, possibly."
"With…?"
"You could answer a question."
"And that would be?"
"Well, I believe you have something for me…."
Double shit. She definitely knows.
"Hah, uh, yeah. About that…. Look, it doesn't have to mean what you think it means. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Cause I know this isn't exactly what—"
"What? What else can an unfinished case report mean? You know Gibbs will be angry if he does not have it on his desk by morning. What were you talking about?"
"Case report, riiiiight. That's what I was talking about, too."
Ninja skills are slipping a bit, Ziva. Thank God.
"You just need to sign it so we can drop them off and leave. We're supposed to meet Abby and McGee for drinks, remember?"
With case reports placed on Gibbs' desk, they grabbed their things to depart. As Tony shrugged on his coat and took his keys from his pocket, he noticed, with some measure of relief, that small velvet box which had been plaguing him all day.
The elevator doors closed with that familiar ping, and the perfect plan struck him. How is it that Gibbs always knows? Abby is right; the man really must be magic.
The ride to the bar was relatively quiet, but not uncomfortably so. As they walked down the street hand in hand, Tony spotted a street vendor selling individual roses and he purchased one for Ziva. Well, no points for originality here.
"A rose for the beautiful lady," he said with a grin.
He presented the rose to Ziva in his classic, though slightly cheesy, DiNozzo manner and just laughed when Ziva confusedly smiled in return.
They stopped a few feet from the door to the bar and Tony pulled Ziva over to him and bringing that small velvet box out of his pocket. While he knew she was a closet romantic, he also knew she hated the whole "getting down on one knee" thing.
"So, this isn't exactly the conventional way of doing these things, but I figure it fits since we're not exactly conventional ourselves. I just know that despite the fact that I found you a little scary," that earned him a look of amused disbelief, "okay, really scary… and really quite intimidating, when we first met, I knew there was something there. Considering that rocky start, and the ups and downs in between, this really couldn't have worked out any better. You are an amazing, strong woman and I love you more and more each day. I know we'll have our fights and occasions where you'll wonder what you're doing with me, and despite the fact that this speech has come to lack originality, and it's about to get more cliché…. I would be honored if you would marry me and spend the rest of your life with me. So, ah, will you marry me, my little ninja?"
She giggled at the pet name before considering him for a moment.
"Well… since you made this sound so rewarding in the middle of your speech…. I suppose I will consent to this. You know, just because you asked."
Having said that, she pulled his face down to meet hers in a slow and sweet kiss, only breaking contact for him to put the ring on her finger before pulling him back down again.
Several minutes passed before they realized Abby and McGee were waiting inside the bar.
"I'm sure Abby will forgive us for our tardiness. McGee might be the tougher case," Tony joked as they made their way inside the bar to find the pair.
Author's Note: Right. So, here it is. I apologize if this wasn't up to par with my usual work; I just really felt I needed to get something out (for you guys, and also because I've been stuck doing boring school work, lol). Regardless, I do hope you enjoyed it! In terms of the proposal and all that, I kinda feel like Tony and Ziva wouldn't be the type for huuuuuge displays of romance and whatnot, because they seem more subtle (I also feel Tony would be the type to provide commentary on his own proposal style, haha). I could be totally wrong though. Anyway. I hope you were entertained and forgive me for my two drawn-out monologue-style author's notes! Still, feedback would be treasured! 'Til next time! :)