The Sunset

Ziva stood on the warm beach waiting. The door of the cabin opened behind her and she didn't bother to turn around. She knew it was Tony and trusted him to be behind her and still keep her safe. She was healing wonderfully. She knew that he was probably staring and she was smiling about this to herself.

Ziva closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of the evening as she heard Tony coming nearer to her. She opened her eyes again, watching the sun sinking lower against the horizon.

Tony wrapped his arms around her middle, enjoying the feel of her soft skin in his arms and her bare back pressed into his bare stomach. She enjoyed the feel of Tony's warmth wrapping around her and protecting her from every danger the world could possibly throw at her. She felt safe and she smiled again and allowing herself to inhale his scent instead of that of the beach.

"What are we doing, Tony?" she asked, closing her eyes one more time. She anticipated his answer and smiled before he spoke what she knew was coming to her.

"We're standing on the beach together, enjoying the sunset," he said, speaking calmly, though she could hear the hint of sarcasm dripping from his voice and a slight laughter surrounding him.

She chuckled. She was no longer annoyed by the light moments that broke their serious moments. She welcomed them, knowing that they kept her and him both sane. Standing on the beach, with Tony, enjoying the sunset.

That sounded nice. She smiled. Her thoughts flashed back through everything the last year had offered her from his words in Somalia "Couldn't live without you… I guess," to the most recent months of small looks, touches, cuddling, and kisses that were shared. She continued to smile.

Tony's arms tightened around Ziva as the sun sank below the horizon, leaving nothing but an orange glow behind it. Then, he spun her around to face him, without letting go of her waist or his tight grip on her. He looked into her chocolate eyes, seeing a light of hope he never thought he would see with quite that intensity. This was forbidden. They both knew this was forbidden, and yet here they were.

"We've been dancing around it for years, Zi," he said quietly. "We're spiraling out of control now. What started it?"

"Paris," Ziva answered in one word, noticing that he nodded in agreement and then smiled at her.

They stared into each other's eyes. They both went to speak at the same time and then shared a moment of light laughter as they closed their mouths again. They looked at each other for a short while longer.

"It is forbidden Tony," Ziva whispered, her voice laced with fear. She never wanted to admit that out loud. She enjoyed what they were doing far too much to admit that they shouldn't be doing it. But someone had to say it. "It is completely forbidden and if we are ever caught… well, it might be worse than a head-slap from Gibbs."

"You're an American citizen. It's less forbidden than before," Tony reminded her. "But, you're right."

Tony's head hung in despair. Forbidden was nothing either of them wanted to hear. But, they both knew it. They both knew what was allowed by their boss and what wasn't. Paris, the text messages, the phone calls, and this vacation were all forbidden.

Ziva reached her hand up, touching Tony's cheek and demanding his attention once more. She pressed herself into him a little more. They both nearly exploded with the heat of the contact. It would be something simple to drive them over the edge.

"I do not care if it is forbidden," she said, looking into his green eyes. "You are all that I care about. You are everything to me, Anthony DiNozzo."

He smiled and pressed a hand to his cheek, enjoying the way she leaned into his touch. "We need to have this conversation then."

She hesitated a moment, thinking on her words and then opened her mouth. "I am in love with you, Anthony DiNozzo."

She had been afraid of saying those words. But, once she had opened her mouth with the intent of saying them, they fell easily from her lips, laced with emotions. Tony's eyes gave her comfort before his lips could ever respond.

"I am desperately in love with you, too, Ziva David," Tony whispered back, his voice filled with love.

"And, yet, it is still forbidden," Ziva said, sighing.

"I don't care," Tony said sincerely. "You are more important than anything else in the whole world, Ziva. You are my world and there's nothing I wouldn't do or give to have you forever. I want you by my side."

"And that is where I want to be, Tony," Ziva admitted.

Finally, she leaned in and gave in to what she wanted to do as soon as he turned her around. She pressed a kiss to his lips, pushing him backward, up the stairs and into the cabin they had rented. This kiss was more passionate and raw than any other kiss they had shared throughout the past year. Their reservations were gone and they were giving into everything tonight.

Tony's hands were on her back and hers on his side. They pulled apart, but they knew they weren't even close to done. Tony saw that she was sure of what she wanted, but unsure of how she was going to react to getting it. He gently kissed her cheek and stroked her hair, reassuring her.

"I want this, Tony," she reassured him.

His hand ghosted up her back and pulled on the strings of her bikini before ghosting back down and tugging on the ones at her hips leaving goosebumps on her skin as the fabric fell to the floor between them.

His eyes darted up and down her body, but is hands didn't stray from where her bikini had previously covered her. She looked at him and nodded. "Make love to me, Tony," she whispered.

His hands obliged willingly. He moved his hand slowly upward to cup her breast and she pulled him into her for another deep and passionate kiss. They fell over the edge of a cliff they didn't know they had been standing on and crashed into each other to find pure happiness where they wanted it. Tonight was a new beginning that they were lost in for eternity.

Five years of waiting, passion, love, lust, and want were all coming out now and they knew what they meant to each other that night. This was blissful and heavenly and forbidden, but that didn't stop them anymore.

A/N – Finally! They finally had the conversation! They are finally together! Yay! Leave a review!