"You have to admit that this is a good idea. A great idea." Tony was saying as he parked his car.
"I refuse to call any ideas of your great. It is not good for your ego."
Tony didn't know how to answer that except to open and close his mouth. He was almost offended; he didn't have an ego. You couldn't exactly have one with Ziva David around anyway. However, he soon regained his senses and grinned.
"So, you do think this is a good idea."
"I did not say that."
"You did!"
"I did not."
"Well, you didn't say anything against my idea which means you think that it's a great one!"
It was perfect logic. She would have said something of she was against it. The fact that she mentioned not wanting to feed his ego (which he didn't have) meant that she was all for it.
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Ye- oh, come on!"
She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow challengingly. However, he wasn't about to back down on this. He was right. He knew he was right. And he needed Ziva to admit it.
"I have come here with you."
"Because it's a good idea."
"No."
"Yes," then he put his hand up. "I'm not doing this again."
"Because you will lose," she said challengingly.
"Anyway," he pointedly ignored her. "Visiting whatever beaches we can is an awesome idea. A great way to spend time."
"Did you not say it was a great idea?"
"Awesome. Great. Same thing. Come on, Ziva, you have to admit that it's good."
"I am pretty sure that beaches have caused us more than enough trouble."
Tony waved a hand dismissively at her. "Photos got us into trouble."
"Photos of beaches," she reminded him.
"Exactly. Photos. This is the real deal."
"Hmm."
She still didn't look convinced. To be fair, knowing their luck, something was bound to happen to them on the beach. What were the chances of a shark attack happening? Because that was the sort of thing that would happen to them.
"If you think this is such a bad idea then why did you come with me?" He challenged. Notably, she didn't answer him. "Ha! See!"
"It does not make it a good idea," she sidestepped the question.
"But you don't think that it's bad," he pressed.
Tony wasn't entirely sure why he was pushing so hard on his but he needed her to say that this wasn't a bad idea. He really did. Because this was going to be fun and he wanted her to enjoy it.
"Fine," she said in exasperation. "It is not a bad idea, are you happy now?"
"Almost."
"Tony."
He put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'm happy. I'm happy. See?"
A big, false smile was plastered across his face making her roll her eyes.
"Are there even that many beaches on the east coast?" She asked sceptically. "I thought that all of your beaches were on the west coast."
"You're thinking of California. Or even LA."
"That is the city that is in a lot of your movies that are set on beaches," she pointed out.
Which was a fair point. But still, they were at a beach right now. On the east coast. And it definitely wasn't the only beach.
"Now who watches too many movies," he teased.
"Still you."
"No such thing for me."
"Probably not," she sighed, shaking her head.
But she had that fond look on her face again so he knew she didn't mind. He knew better than to point that out. Instead, he gestured at the beach.
"You coming?"
[xxxxxx]
Ziva stood by the wall that separated the car park from the beach. Tony was pointing at the gap in the wall that was the rough entrance to it, waiting for her.
She did have to admit that it was a good idea. Or at least an interesting one. Not that she was going to give Tony the satisfaction of saying that. No. Definitely not. Though, he probably would figure it out himself without her even saying anything. He was her partner, after all, and she was starting to understand that that meant he had this unerring ability to read her in a way no one else could. Except for maybe Gibbs. But Gibbs was Gibbs. He somehow knew everything and Ziva did not care to know how. It seemed too dangerous to find out, in a way. But Tony was not like that and could read her well. It was odd for her even though she could read him equally as well. It just was not normal for her.
But Tony was correct, her favourite place to be was at a beach. In Israel anyway. It was always a place to be peaceful and free from responsibility. And her father. Her father disliked the beach. Which was more than enough reason for her to like it. Though, maybe he just did not like the idea of something frivolous or wasting time. She could see it being a mixture of all three. Nonetheless, she liked the beach and he did not which meant she spent as much time as physically possible by the water when she could get away.
"All we need is the Israeli weather," she commented, looking around.
It was sunny, which was rather unusual, though there were clouds. Big, white, fluffy ones which Tony always called cartoon ones.
"It wouldn't hurt to be a little warmer," Tony agreed, looking around. "But this isn't too bad."
"No, it is not," she found herself agreeing, much to her own surprise.
Tony flashed a grin at her. "Great, that means we can get going."
"I suppose it does."
He made an exaggerated bow in her direction.
"After you."
"Don't mind if I do," she replied with a slight laugh.
And with that, they began walking along the beach. The sand crunched under their feet and Ziva instinctively fo8nd herself scanning for shells. You could not go to a beach and not pick up some shells, after all.
