i know this is a day late; a couple things came up and it was a very hectic day - my apologies!
jae
Loophole
"Where do you think you're going?"
She gives a start, surprised at the sound of his voice echoing through the stairwell around her. Slowly she brings her foot back from the first step toward the basement exit, turning to look at where he leans against the wall of the landing.
He grins over the red cup he holds near his mouth, smirking at her evident surprise and being caught off-guard.
"Tony," She narrows her eyes, her hand raising instinctively to brush the skin of her neck; a nervous habit she'd adopted when the Magen David necklace once hung from its chain around her neck.
Tony crosses his legs as he continues to lean against the wall, giving her a knowing look as she approaches him.
"Making a break for it already?"
Ziva smiles innocently as she comes to rest against the wall before him.
"I'm merely taking a break from the party." She rolls her eyes, shooting a pointed look through the wall they lean against.
He smiles knowingly. "Marco from H.R?"
"He has been trying to nab me as his Secret Santa for three years now." Ziva takes his cup from his hand, holding it up to her nose to sniff the contents of his beverage. She raises her eyebrows.
"Coffee?"
Tony shrugs, a smile playing on his lips as he watches her drain the rest of its contents.
"Someone has to be sober enough to drive you home." Smirking, she hands him back the empty cup, and holds up two fingers.
"I've only had two," she raises her hand for emphasis. "Beers. I was ready to move on to liquor, but my partner mysteriously disappeared." She lets her eyes travel up and down his body pointedly, and he stands up straight with a chuckle, reaching into his jacket with his free hand.
"Needed a quick break." He mimics her earlier excuse, crouching down to place the empty cup on the floor quickly. She looks away, smiling toward the stairwell.
The smile he regards her with is warm, and out of the corner of her eye she sees him withdraw his hand from beneath his jacket, and the neat, shiny package captures her attention.
"Is that from your Secret Santa? Who was yours?"
He chuckles, shaking his head.
"No. Gibbs was mine."
They each laugh, and she brushes her hair behind her ear, pushing off the wall to mimic his stance.
"Actually," Tony sobers, holding out the package. "This is yours."
Ziva's eyes snap up to meet his, a look of surprise wiping the laughter from her face.
"Tony, we have a rule."
He smiles, for he knows this.
They do have a rule; and every year, he abides by it grudgingly.
But this year is different from those that precede it.
His eyes linger on where her hand rises to brush against her neck again. It had been bare for so long now. At the time, it had taken him almost a week to realize that her necklace had been missing since the day they pulled her from Saleem's camp.
He presses the box into her hand, letting go only when he knows she won't push it back.
"We do," he amends, nodding his head. Her fingers tug gently at the gossamer bow, almost bigger than the package itself. "But as your secret santa, i'm obligated to present you with a gift."
Ziva's tone becomes accusing. "You found a loophole."
Her eyes flash up to meet his, familiar eyes that regard her so warmly and just a bit hesitant. It's that look that makes her own face soften, relaxing with affection as a blush slowly blooms across her cheeks.
"Go on," he urges, and carefully she pulls apart the bow and wrapping paper.
He takes the paper from her grasp, balling it up to shove into his pocket, and when he looks back toward her, her face is frozen in stunned surprise.
"Tony," she murmurs, hushed. "This is -"
"If you don't like it, there are other styles." He cuts off, his tone guarded as he observes her warily. "I just thought that it shouldn't be like the old one. It represented the past." He rambles, as she continues to gaze at the necklace in silence. "It should be new, you know, to represent the present -"
"Tony," his sentence dies as she looks up at him. He waits patiently as a myriad of emotions fall across her face. She settles on something that is more loving than he'd ever admit, and closes the distance between them to brush a kiss to the side of his cheek, her free palm coming up to frame his face.
"Toda." She murmurs, pulling back.
Silently, he reaches for the pendent in the box, unearthing it delicately from his cushioned padding. He nods for her to turn around, and she obliges. He brings the chain around her neck, brushing away her curls to fasten the necklace securely together.
He allows her curls to fall gracefully down her back, and she turns around, touching the Star of David to the center of her chest.
"Perfect fit." He muses fondly, but he looks up at her when he utters it.
She returns his gaze, her eyes warm with understanding.
"Perfect fit." She echoes, and his face break into a shy, intimate smile.
Even in the darkened stairwell, her necklace seems to glow.