After a long hiatus, we return to the story. Thanks to my editor Lady Arwin for (finally) editing this.
Enjoy!
The moon is hiding in her hair. / The lily of heaven/ full of all dreams, /draws down.
She was sitting in the window seat.
Tony leaned against the door way of the living room, watching Ziva, as he slowly woke was the middle of the night and he had woken to her side of the bed empty. He had gotten up to look for her and found her sitting in the window seat of the picture window facing the street; dressed in his OSU t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Her head was resting back against the wall, eyes closed. He couldn't tell if she was just closing her eyes or she had fallen asleep out here.
The moon was full that night and it shone in through the window, casting her shadow on the floor. It shown on his girlfriend's hair, illuminating it as it hung in loose curls from a messy pony tail. The moonlight softened her features, and she looked peaceful as she slept. (ok so she looked peaceful, but is there any way to make this point more expressive?)
He moved quietly from his place by the door to the couch and stretched out. He rested his head on his hands, still watching her. She sometimes fell asleep in the strangest places. Once she had fallen asleep curled under her desk. Another time she had fallen asleep wedged between some of Abby's machines. In the middle of a long case she had once fallen asleep in Observation while trying to watch Gibbs and Tony interrogate several of the possible suspects. Tony had found her there, stretched out on the floor, her head in her arms. Tony felt that Ziva was like the soldiers Tony had known over the years. They got sleep whenever and wherever they could.
He didn't want to go back to bed. After having Ziva cuddled against his chest almost every night, it was hard to sleep alone now. He could still remember the first time she had wormed her way close to him and rested her head on his chest, right over his heart. It felt right to him; to have the woman he loved sleeping above the heart she owned almost completely.
He settled more deeply into the couch. It was peaceful here, stretched out on his couch; watching her as he debated returning to sleep. His eyes were caught by Ziva shifting in her sleep, probably trying to find a more comfortable position on the window seat. Sitting up, he rested his elbows on his knees. She looked peaceful there on the window seat with the moon shining through her hair, but he knew she wasn't comfortable. He got up and walked over to stand beside her. Carefully scooping her up, he carried her back towards their room. Through the dark hall; her body limp in his arms; into their sanctuary he carried her. This room; with the comfortable bed, two windows covered with curtains, was perfect for them . It had a walk-in closet which had been Ziva's request, so she could go in, shut the door and surprise him with her clothes on occasion. This was the place she felt safest, the curtains thick to prevent anyone from seeing in if they chose not to open them. And when they slept close together, the nightmares stayed away, most of the time.
He gently set her down on her side of the bed, and covered her with the blanket. He went around the bed and lay down in his side, and carefully pulled her against his side. He needed her here. He felt he could protect her this way. He settled more deeply into the mattress, and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Ziva." He whispered to her. He knew his dreams would be.
For a mere instant, Ziva was disoriented as she woke in a darkened room and not in the window seat where she had fallen asleep. Then her senses registered the warmth of the man beside her and the protective arm around her. She snuggled closer, deciding that he must have woken to her gone, found her asleep and brought her back to bed. He had been doing that for as long as they had been together. She was grateful; if she had stayed on the window seat she would have woken with her body stiff from sleeping curled in a ball in a wooden seat.
Here in her cocoon of darkness and warmth, she felt her body relax. She half-wished, as she drifted back toward sleep, that she had been awake when he had carried her back to bed. Maybe next time she would be. She could always threaten him. But he would just laugh at her and smile that grin of his, and say neither yes nor no. And then, when she least expected it, he would sweep her off her feet. She knew he would. It was just the sort of romantic thing he was prone to.