Thank you for being patient, let's get caught up
jae
Vow
With two weeks to go before Christmas, they find themselves amidst the bustle of last minute shoppers that flood the downtown district of their Capitol city. But for the first time in years, he doesn't find himself to be amongst the hundreds of people in a panic, scrambling to find gifts for the loved ones that encompass his life. All of the team are encountered for, family and friends alike. And as for the most pivotal person in his life, hers may have been the easiest gift to decide on.
Accepting his change from the coffee kiosk, he turns back to the shops that line the crowded street, eyes scanning for a familiar head of curls and blue peacoat. He spots her outside a familiar window display, and smiling to himself, he takes a sip from one of the steaming cups in his hands, taking care to make his way towards her through the throng of people tracking up and down the sidewalk.
She turns her head when she feels his presence from behind her, and smiles, accepting the coffee he holds out to her. She takes it gratefully as another blast of icy wind blows against them, and brings it up to her lips to take a deep sip, shifting all of her shopping bags to hold in one gloved hand. She moves aside, revealing the display, and lowers her cup from her lips.
"My grandmother used to have a ring just like those, you know."
Tony hides his smile that threatens to fall across his face.
He knows this.
But he moves forward anyway, bending down slightly to pretend to examine the display. Antique rings of all styles and colors lay spaced out carefully from one another, many tagged for sale, while others tagged as sold.
Her finger appears against the glass before him, and he follows the direction toward a ring he has become intimately familiar with over the last several weeks, one of the few marked with a red sold tag. He hums appreciatively, straightening beside her and returning her gaze.
"Someone has good taste." He nods, referring to its current status of sale.
She hums in agreement.
"It's beautiful."
Ziva's swift glance to the display is wistful, but the emotion filters across her face for only a moment. Giving him a smile, she turns her back on the display, with one last casual glance to the name of the store, and bumps his shoulder with hers.
"Are we finished shopping?"
He reaches for her bags, relieving her of the burden, and gives her an innocent grin.
"Yeah, almost. I just gotta pick something up for McGee. Wanna get the car?"
Ziva nods easily, fishing her gloved hand into his pockets to liberate his keys.
"Sure." She presses a swift kiss to his cheek, and turns to head back down to the corner of the street, and once she disappears from view, he reaches for the door of the small shop.
And while his shopping was done, her gift was what brought them out into the busy streets of the city today. It was no accident she'd found herself outside the display of rings, for he had needed confirmation that someone, indeed, had good taste.
This year the gift he would give her was everything; all that he could hope she'd accept.
This Christmas, he intended to give her a vow.