Eleven
When Ziva's eyes opened again, she was laying on her stomach and Tony's hands were moving over her back slowly. She turned her head over to look at him. He was sitting up, cross-legged with part of the comforter over his lap.
"How long have you been awake?" She asked.
"A few hours." Tony told her.
"Is everything okay?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded. "You were having a nightmare."
"I was?"
"Yeah." Tony said. "It must have been pretty bad. You were screaming."
"I do not even remember." Ziva told him. "I am sorry I woke you."
"I figured you needed some more rest, you were fine after I started talking to you and rubbing your back." Tony said.
Ziva smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Tony smiled and laid back down beside her. "Anytime. You know, your back is gorgeous." He said.
Ziva laughed. "That is the first time anyone has ever told me that."
"Well it shouldn't be, it's true." Tony said.
Ziva moved closer to him, pushing her chest off the bed. "Can I kiss you?" She asked.
Tony nodded. Ziva smiled and pressed her lips against his gently.
"How do you feel?" Ziva asked. She sat up against the headboard and Tony moved closer to her side, snuggling up to her. She wrapped her arms around him and he laid his head on her chest.
"Sore." He told her.
Ziva nodded. "Can I take a look at the bruises on your back?" She asked.
Tony nodded and sat forward so she could see.
"They look better than they did yesterday, I think the aloe helped. I could do it again later today if you like?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded. "That would be good." He said. He laid back down against her.
"Can we talk about what happened last night? In the shower?" Ziva asked.
Tony looked away from her.
"I'd rather not." He said.
"Are you okay?" Ziva asked.
"Do I look okay to you Ziva?" Tony asked.
"That is not what I meant Tony. The water when I got in the shower that night was almost scalding. I am surprised you do not have burns. And the way you were scrubbing yourself, did you hurt yourself? I mean, are, is your… is your penis okay?" She asked brokenly. That was a very strange question to ask.
Tony shrugged. "I guess. I haven't really thought about it. I woke up earlier and you were screaming, I wasn't thinking about me."
Ziva rubbed his back softly. "Can I look?"
Tony tensed up. "It's probably fine, but you can look if you want."
"I will not do anything, I just want to make sure, alright? And I will only look if it is okay with you. I will not touch you." Ziva told him.
"You can touch me. I trust you." Tony told her.
Ziva lifted the blanket so she could look underneath. She looked up at Tony, who's eyes were squeezed shut.
"I will not touch you there Tony." She said, taking his hands softly instead.
Tony let out a sigh of relief and his eyes opened. "It's not that I don't trust you, I do, it's just…"
Ziva squeezed his hands gently. "You are not ready. It is fine Tony, no big deal." She told him as she glanced down at his penis. She was shocked – it was bright red, and looked painful, but there were no open wounds or burns, so it wasn't a major health hazard.
"It's not sexual, and it's just you." He said.
She could tell he was getting frustrated with himself. She looked up at him again, and his eyes were tightly closed.
"Open your eyes Tony, look at me." She said softly.
Tony's eyes opened.
Ziva smiled softy. "I am done looking." She told him.
Tony looked down, and then back up at her.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
Tony shrugged. "No more than the rest of me."
"Alright." Ziva said as she laid back against the headboard once again.
Tony laid back down with her and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Do not do that again." She told him.
"Do what?" Tony asked.
"What you did last night. Do not just get up and leave, especially if you are going to do something like that. Do not hurt yourself – wake me up, talk to me, scream at me if you need to, just do not leave if you are going to do something stupid." Ziva told him firmly.
"You're gonna get sick of me and my complaining eventually." Tony said quietly.
"No, I am not!" Ziva yelled. "Tony if I did not want to be around you, if I did not want to help you, I would never have volunteered to stay with you, and I certainly never would have brought you to my home!"
Tony tensed when she yelled, and Ziva forced herself to relax.
"I'm sorry." Tony whispered.
Ziva brought her hand up to run through his hair. "You do not have to be sorry Tony. I am sorry I yelled. I just do not understand why you do not understand that all I want to do is help you. I am not going to judge you, and I am not going to get annoyed if you want to talk to me." Ziva told him softly.
Tony nodded. "Alright."
Ziva kissed his forehead softly. "I love you Tony, so much more than you know." She told him.
"I love you too. What time is your appointment?" Tony asked.
"Eleven."
"We better get moving then." He said.
"What time is it?" Ziva asked.
"Nine." Tony said.
Ziva groaned.
Tony laughed lightly. "Yeah, I know the feeling, but if you want time to eat, we gotta go."
Ziva sat up and swung her legs off of the edge of the bed and stood up. "Are you going to come with me?" She asked as she opened her dresser drawers to pull out her clothes.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Tony asked.
Ziva turned to look at him. "I would not have asked if I did not want you to come Tony. Are you going to be okay in the waiting room for an hour?"
Tony shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it."
Ziva nodded. "You can always come in and get me if you need to. There are only three doors that leave the waiting room. One goes to a file room, the second into the hallway, and the last one into the office." She told him.
Tony nodded. "Alright."
"I will go get you some clothes." Ziva said.
"Thank you." Tony said.
Ziva walked down the hallway to the living room and unzipped Tony's bag. She grabbed a pair of his underwear, sweatpants, and his Ohio State hoodie off the back of the couch.
"Do you need help?" Ziva asked.
Tony shrugged. "Maybe." He said as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
Ziva watched as he tried to get his underwear around his ankles. He tried for a few minutes before conceding and holding them out to her.
"Please." He said quietly.
Ziva took the underwear from him silently and crouched beside him. She got his legs into the appropriate leg holes and pulled them up to his knees. He stood up so she could ease them up onto his hips.
"Can you do the pants too?" Tony asked.
Ziva nodded and took the folded pants off the bed. "Sit."
Tony sat and Ziva worked the sweats over his ankles and up.
"Thanks." Tony said.
"Can you do the hoodie?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded. "I think so." He said hopefully.
Ziva handed him the hoodie and he tossed it over his head gently. He worked his head through the head hole and squirmed for a few moments while attempting to get his arms into the sleeves.
"Okay?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded.
Ziva took Tony's hand and led him to the living room. "Do you want something to eat?" She asked.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Tony said.
Ziva nodded. "Alright. But you have to eat something after my appointment, okay?"
Tony nodded.
Ziva stepped closer to him. She brought her hand up to rest on his uninjured cheek and tilted his head up, so she could look into his eyes.
"What is it Tony?" She asked softly.
Tony shrugged. "I don't really know."
"What can I do?" Ziva asked.
"Does it sound dumb if I just say, 'protect me'?" Tony asked.
Ziva shook her head. "Of course not." She said as she led him to sit down on the couch. "You are scared of going to a place you are not familiar with?" She asked.
Tony nodded. "I guess."
Ziva brought her hand up to run through his hair softly. "Look at me Tony."
Tony looked up at her.
"I will not let anything happen to you." She promised him.
Tony nodded. "Okay."
Ziva laid back against the arm of the couch, inviting Tony to lay with her. He laid down facing her. She rested her hand on his hip.
"It is okay to be scared." She said softly. "Even of little things, loud noises, sudden movements, I know people walking behind me made me anxious. It still does, actually. But if you ever feel scared, even just a little bit, all you have to do is squeeze my hand, and we can figure something out to help you, okay?"
Tony nodded. "I can do that."
"And you know you can always come get me if you need something, right?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded. "Yes."
"Good."
They laid in silence for a few minutes before Tony spoke.
"Can I kiss you?" He asked.
Ziva smiled a bit, nodding. "Yes."
Tony smiled and brought his hand up to cup her cheek gently as he pressed his lips against hers. It was longer than other kisses they had shared, like Tony was trying to tell her how much he loved her without having to say anything, and Ziva understood perfectly.
She pulled away a moment later, smiling brightly.
"I love you."
Tony smiled. "I love you too."