#never enough of undercover tiva :')

[indestinatus]

Whiskey Business

TIVATOBER 2020 // DAY 7

↳ prompt: Whiskey - rated M (1,954 words)

summary: Tony and Ziva go undercover as a married couple, and… Things go as expected.

A/N: Gratuitous use of trope “let’s kiss to distract them” and I’m not sorry. 

read it on AO3 🥃

“So how did you two meet?”

Tony lifted his gaze to settle on the middle-aged woman sitting at the other side of the table, her smart gray eyes seizing him up as she took a sip of her wine. Among everyone at that dinner, she was the one he was more worried about, her sharp stare making him believe she was seeing more than she let on.

“Oh, you know, the usual.” He gave her his trademark smile and saw her eyes sparkle, a voice in the back of his mind telling him to tread carefully. 

Tony wiped his mouth with a napkin and surveyed the table, noticing the silence that had followed her query. Even if not really obvious, they were all paying close attention to them there, especially to a question that could reveal something as valuable as that. 

There were eight people in total - including him and his partner - and now they were all trying their best not to look discriminatively curious, but Tony had spent too much time studying people in his life to spot an audience when there was one. 

He glanced at Ziva by his side to see she was doing an incredible job in focusing on him - warm eyes and a small smile displayed as if she was remembering a fond memory between them - though he was certain she had already calculated all the best exit routes at this point, her sweet façade a mask only him could see through. 

Tony took the hand she was resting on the table and brought it to his lips, locking eyes with her as he pressed a brief kiss to her knuckles. They both knew it was just for show, but the way in how her eyes widened almost imperceptibly made him way more satisfied than he would ever admit. 

He glanced at the madam at the end of the table again, casting her his best lovey dovey smile before turning his gaze back to Ziva for full effect.   

“I went on a run every morning to keep myself in this great shape—” he hadn’t meant it as a joke, but laughed along as the others did too “—and one day she just came along,” Tony said, squeezing Ziva’s hand in appreciation. 

She rolled her eyes accordingly, an uncharacteristic shy smile tugging at the corner of her lips as if remembering good memories. 

“She’s not really the athletic type, you see,” Tony added, and had to bite back a whimper that rose on his throat when he felt a sharp pain on his foot, certainly coming from Ziva’s high heel. “But love makes you do crazy things. Isn’t that right, honeybunch?” he amended through gritted teeth. 

Tony gave her a lip-tight smile, trying not to protest at the acute pain still radiating from his toes even if Ziva now cast him the most wonderful smile ever, her head tilted a little in his direction. She chuckled right after, shaking her head while the others at the table laughed too, captivated by her charm.

“She struggled to keep up with me at the beginning, but after a few days of chase, I found myself unable to think about anything else.”

Ziva looked at him again, an eyebrow lifted. He mirrored her expression, letting his gaze flicker to her mouth hovering so close to his, lingering for a moment. 

“She’s a real distraction,” Tony declared to everyone, knowing how clear his desire for her was to them.

Well, maybe it was more real than he wanted to acknowledge, but some part of him was thrilled over the fact that Ziva’s mask fell for a split second, her cheeks flushing a bit. 

Perhaps it was the wine?

“I thought you’d be the one to chase her,” a voice interrupted his thoughts. 

Tony glanced up to see it belonged to a man in his late 30s, his face recognizable from McGee’s computer when they had narrowed their suspects’ list a day earlier. The man smirked, but not at him; rather at Ziva, ogling her without shame. She did look beautiful tonight - a maroon dress that showed her low neckline and her hair styled in an updo that complimented it well - but that was hardly an excuse for a free stare when Tony was sitting right next to her. He clenched his jaw. 

“We played cat and mouse for some time,” chimed in Ziva, as if sensing his attention was elsewhere. She smiled sweetly before raising her hand to cup Tony’s cheek, taking him by surprise for a moment before he played along, leaning into her touch. 

“Until he gave me what I always wanted,” Ziva continued, looking into his eyes.

“A ring?” He asked with a smile.

She shook her head slightly, then withdrew her hand from his face to pat his chest just above his heart. The corner of her lips tilted upwards. 

“A home.”

The women swooned and the men chuckled, and Tony would’ve been moved himself if it wasn’t for the mocking sparkle he saw hidden in Ziva’s eyes. 

“Thank you for inviting us to yours,” she added without giving him time to react. She turned to the mistress and ducked her head, saying, “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” the woman replied, raising her chin in conceit. “And you didn’t even see the cellar yet.”

“Could I?” asked Ziva, her voice so sweet it didn’t even seem to belong to her. 

“Sure, dear,” was the mistress’ reply. “It’s magnificent.” The woman eyed Ziva with appreciation, then her gaze turned to Tony and the respect immediately died. “Take your husband, teach him a few things. The stairs are just around the corner.”

Before she could change her mind, Ziva was already up, ever so eager to pull him along out of that table filled with criminals to the place they were looking for since they got there—the cellar where they believed the data for the arms shipment was hidden.

°°°

“Superficial much?” asked Tony, watching her rummage through whiskey bottles and cedar barrels.

“I was just doing my job,” Ziva deadpanned, shooting him a glare. “It’s incredibly difficult to ‘keep up’ with your nonsense.”

She cast him an annoyed smile and he returned it, blinking sweetly at her bickering. 

“I think she bought it,” Tony said as he searched behind rows of wine bottles. “I’m starting to believe in it myself, this undercover business is really just me finally showcasing my refined acting skills—”

“Honeybunch,” interrupted Ziva with a tight smile. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Shut up,” she said dryly, the smile dying. “We need to be quick.”

Tony huffed annoyed. “I am being quick.”

“And yet you can not stop babbling.”

If Ziva were looking at him, she would’ve seen the offended face he pulled, but she was rather engrossed in opening and closing big wooden crates instead. Knowing she was right and that they really needed to get that code as fast as possible, Tony focused on doing the same, checking cabinet doors and places where a safe could be hidden.  

“Found it!” exclaimed Ziva suddenly, holding up a flash drive the size of her hand. “Now we just need to give it to McG—”

Tony had no time to think other than to throw himself against her, skilfully joining their hands as he brought them above her head while he muffled her words with a kiss. 

His tongue pushed inside her mouth while he pressed her body against the whiskey cabinets, Ziva’s protesting cries dying out as soon as he squeezed the hand that held the flash drive, telling her the reason. 

She started to play along, releasing the hand that was free to wrap it around Tony’s neck and pull at his short hair. The kiss turned wild in a second, their tongues battling for dominance while Tony pressed his hips against hers, Ziva letting out a low moan that made his head swim. 

Soon Tony’s hand was hooking her bare leg around his hip, the slit of her dress making matters a lot easier. He squeezed her thigh and Ziva bit at his lower lip, the mix of pain and pleasure letting a sound escape from the back of his throat. 

Certainly not thinking properly, Tony pushed her body against the glass cabinets, listening to the bottles of whiskey rattle inside as he did so. He was sure he heard Ziva’s appreciating groan being muffled by his mouth, but the sound of someone clearing their throat nearby kept him from reacting accordingly. 

“Oh,” said Tony with a relaxed smile, licking his lips as he let Ziva’s leg down. He felt a bit lightheaded, his pulse racing even if it was all an act. “Sorry, man,” he added to the familiar face who’d caught them on the base of the stairs—the guy that had ogled Ziva all night. 

Tony glanced at her then, noticing with a flicker of satisfaction that she looked as disheveled as him - her face visibly flushed and her breathing uneven as she did her best to tidy her hair. 

Tony raised his hand to brush a strand off her forehead, and Ziva’s eyes widened a bit before she let them skim over his face with a glint of lust that seemed unexpectedly too real. 

“Like I said,” Tony declared to the stranger, though his gaze was locked with hers, “A real distraction.”

A moment passed and then the man huffed, taking them out of their reverie. With his hands inside his pockets, he walked towards them only to open a nearby cabinet, taking two bottles of wine. 

He looked at them with a smug smile, saying, “Oh, I understand.” Then gave Ziva a once-over, not a dash of shame as he ogled her bare legs. “Completely.”

Tony took a step forward to block his view, and the guy’s eyes snapped to his. Tony narrowed his eyes, clenching his jaw, and the stranger took no longer than five seconds before he gave up on the staring match, shaking his head and walking towards the exit with a small smile. 

Tony huffed. “Douchebag,” he chastised, turning to Ziva. “Flirting with my wife?”

“I am not your wife,” she replied, though her eyes were still sparkling. 

“What’s that on your finger, then?” Tony raised a brow. “A home?”

She let out a low chuckle and, to his surprise, opened the slit of her dress again to expose a hidden pocket high up her thigh—one in which she safely put the flash drive and covered it again with the fabric. 

He must have stared at her bare leg far too long, because Ziva took a step towards him, starting to fix his tie in place with a smug smile on her lips.

“You look a bit disheveled,” she said as she raised a hand to run her finger through his hair, combing it down. 

“There’s very wifey of you,” Tony replied, his eyes marveling at how close her face still hovered in front of his. 

Ziva hummed amused, then patted his chest, and he didn’t miss the way her gaze flickered to his lips for a split second before she drew back. 

Tony watched as she opened one of the cabinets and took out a bottle of whiskey, and with which passing second, he thought more about giving it all up right then and there and push her against one of the doors one more time.

“Risky business,” he thought out loud. This undercover operation was turning unexpectedly dangerous.

Ziva’s eyes sparkled as she passed him towards the stairs. 

“Don’t you mean whiskey?”

Tony watched her go, her hips swaying maybe a bit too much as she climbed up the steps.

“Yeah,” he said, ungluing his feet off the ground to follow her, “Yeah, sure.”

[justkindaoverhereobsessing]

6,19,30,34 :)

6. A fic that made you put your phone down to walk around for a minute

Alright so let’s talk about the time I read Something Blue by @indestinatus in a single day. Sofia herself undoubtedly knows this story, and honestly, the piano thing might have made other people aware of this story, too, but... this story really IS my whole review, lmao. Okay so here’s what went down: I had read part of the fic before, but I just got it in my head one day that I wanted to read the WHOLE ASS THING, all at once. This was riiiiiiight after quarantine started, so I thought, might as well day drink, I don’t have anywhere to be. Well, one drink turned into two turned into five and next thing I know, I’ve given myself a HORRIFIC crying headache as I drunkenly sob my way through this beautiful ass wedding story. I honestly had to take a break and go for a short walk in my neighborhood to clear my head toward the end, because I was way too emotional and I knew that was just going to get worse, lmao. All that to say: like all other Tiva-loving fic readers, I have been totally captivated by Something Blue. It’s so fun, so aesthetic, so lighthearted, so sweet! Read it if you haven’t! Just don’t drink a million strawberitas while you do it because you’ll end up with a hangover from both drinking AND crying... enough said, lmao. Just under 100k words (for now), incomplete but still being worked on. 

19. A slow burn fic you like

Wild as the Wind by Aksannyi. Okay, so if you’re not familiar, this is a fic that departs canon at the end of season 10: after quitting NCIS, Ziva finds herself vulnerable to the evil intentions of a group bent on getting revenge for the death of Ilan Bodner, so she (and Tony) disappear into the Brazilian rainforest to go off-grid and live somewhere safe from pissed off terrorists. Honestly, the premise is so fun, and it has totally convinced my suburbian ass that I’m ready to go build my own cabin dozens of miles from civilization. If that’s not enough to convince a prospective reader, let me add: this has some WILDLY hot smut, y’all. Truly life-changing. Is there anything better than sweaty, dirty jungle sex? (Answer: no.) And on to the slow burn part... obviously, Tony and Ziva are in for a huge change in dynamic when they suddenly become each other’s ONLY company for the forseeable future. Not to give anything away plot-wise, but they get progressively closer as the fic goes and the pining is REAL. It’s SO well done--frustrating and oh-so-satisfying when that spark finally catches! It features not only some thrilling, heart-racing terrorist-centered drama but also a million little soft, sweet moments as Tony and Ziva become each other’s family. (In the interest of full disclosure, I’m only like halfway through this one, but several people have told me it only gets better from there, and I recommend this with total confidence!) Just under 200k words, complete.

30. A fic you stayed up all night to read

All Fall Down by mon-petit-pois (on fanfiction.net). (TW/CW: there are descriptions of sexual assault and drugging (among other serious topics) in this fic, please be aware!) So this is maybe the only abandoned fic that I’ll ever recommend, but... it’s a truly engaging, original AU. It follows a young Ziva as she settles into her new under-the-radar life in the US with Ari and (the original) Tali after spending several incredibly traumatic and harrowing years undercover for Mossad. She meets one Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo after she’s injured in a mugging attempt, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship as she tries to come to terms with everything she has gone through and what her past means for her future. Okay, so for why I’m recommending it: the story of Ziva’s life undercover in Be’er-Sheva is told through flashbacks, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to stop reading. You’ll sit there in horror, your hand over your mouth as you root for baby Ziva harder than you’ve ever rooted for anyone in your life. Meanwhile, the story progresses in present time and you’ll find yourself obsessing over the absurdly innocent friendship-that-might-turn-into-more between Ziva and Tony when they’re in a wildly different set of circumstances! And there’s a pretty major plot twist introduced in the beginning of the story that puts an entirely new spin on everything... you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll want to put your head through a wall when you reach the end of what’s posted. Just over 200k and seemingly abandoned, but abandoned close enough to the end of the tale that it’s pretty easy to extrapolate and figure out how the fic is likely to end. So it’s kinda :(/:), I guess, lol. 

34. One fic everyone should read

Am I really going to recommend my THIRD Jess fic of the day? You bet I am! Everyone should read leave before the lights come on by @benditlikepress! This is my favorite of all of her fics, and y’all know that’s saying a lot. The plot: Tony and Ziva cross paths at a bar right before she’s set to go back to Israel between Kill Ari (Part II) and Silver War, and, well... there’s no harm in a little inter-agency fraternization now that NCIS and Mossad have finished their business, is there? Okay, for starters, this fic is STRAIGHT FIRE. It’s hot. It’s smutty. Read at your own risk. (You won’t regret it!) Honestly, this fic sticks in my brain like few do, which is why I recommend it to everyone even though it’s fairly short... it just leaves THAT much of an impact. It’s truly masterful the way Jess weaves the pre-existing sexual tension and mutual attraction between newly-introduced Tony & Ziva with a very realistic question of what-would-have-been. (Notice I don’t say might-have-been, because no one can convince me that this wouldn’t have played out in EXACTLY the way that Jess describes it.) If you squint a little, it’s even pretty close to canon-compliant! It’s such an enticing, seductive tug into the early T/Z dynamic, and honestly, my soul has never been crushed quite like it was the day I read this fic and realized I had reached the end of it. It’s brilliant, it’s SUPER in character, and it’s honestly what we as Tiva fans deserve. 9k words, complete.

Thanks for the ask, Annalise! <3 

fic comment ask meme

[factoffictionwriter]

We talk a lot about the significance of season 3 episodes like Undercovers and Boxed in on the early development of the Tiva relationship, but there’s one I don’t think we talk about enough. 

3.18: Bait

(The one where the young guy takes his classmates hostage and demands to see his ‘dead’ mother)

Throughout the season, Tiva has slowly gotten to know each other as partners and, dare I say it, friends. They’ve laughed together, cried together, almost died a handful of times together... basically, they’re finally getting into their grove. 

But if you ask me, this is the first episode, and ultimately the first moment in the timeline of their relationship, that Ziva starts to recognize Tony as someone different. And by different, I really mean someone distinct from the hoards of standard hero-types that she’s worked with before. Up until this point, there have been small moments of bonding and adorableness between them, but it’s always been pretty run of the mill schoolyard crush stuff. Things, I would bet, Ziva has done with a cute coworker before. To coin a term used way later in the series, it was a standard “work flirt”. 

Bait is the first time that Tony does something that genuinely surprises her and forces her to rethink her assumptions about him on, like, a major level. He’s proven himself in smaller ways before this, but I feel like the magnitude of this situation - watching him weigh the lives of every person in that classroom and really getting to see him take charge (like when he hung up on the director... goddamn) - really has an impact on Ziva. I feel like this is the episode where she realizes, oh, Tony isn’t just a good guy. He’s a good good guy. Like genuinely, to his core, cares deeply about the lives and well being of people he’s never met and will likely never interact with again. And while he can be annoying, self-centered, and a little bit of a jerk at times, he will ultimately make the best decision he can when it matters. And his gut is good, if not yet as good as Gibbs’.

Ziva is clearly meant to be Tony’s foil in this episode. When they’re talking in the control center, she’s meant to be the person calling the kid a terrorist so that Tony can call him a victim. She’s meant to be pushing for sniper action so that Tony’s resistance is more noticeable. But I also think she’s making all of these comments because, in her mind, she’s expecting him to think and talk like the men she’s used to working with. And. He. Doesn’t. 

It frustrates her at first, and she definitely starts to wonder if he’s capable of pulling this off somewhere in the middle, but in the end, Tony is right. And when she tells him as much, she looks genuinely surprised (maybe a little impressed, which is why she had to throw in the quick ‘Doesn’t make you Gibbs’ because god forbid his head get any bigger). And after this realization, when someone suggests they shoot Cody to save the hostages, she’s totally on Tony’s side! Just one of many, many times that Tony challenges her to rethink her position - and ultimately her training.

Obviously, a lot happens between them from this point forward, and to say this is the moment Ziva David decided to trust Tony DiNozzo with her life and everything that means anything to her in the world is just crazy. But I would argue that this is the moment when she decides that Tony is inherently good - like Gibbs style good as opposed to Eli style good - which drastically changes the way she sees him going forward. And maybe, just maybe, is the distinction she needed in order to fall in love with him. 

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. 

[television-overload]

Really long hot take on Ellick and Tiva, but it's IMPORTANT

I think maybe the reason I'm okay with Ellick getting their moment even though it is what we SHOULD have gotten for Tiva is because my brain almost splits them up into two different shows.

Especially after Tony left, so much of what made the show special was gone. The three musketeers were broken up. The family aspect vanished because it felt like no one knew each other anymore. Gibbs' characterization was off. So my mind made sense of it and treated it like a new show. Some of the same characters, sure. But those ties that connected them to who they were on the old show were severed. They felt stale. I hated Bishop. Now stick with me here. If you know me at all, you know that has changed. But what hasn't changed is that I basically started fresh in season 14.

I chose to give them the benefit of the doubt because all new shows take a season or two to really get going.

Season 15 came, and so did Torres. He filled the gap of what was missing in the show, which was the family component. Interpersonal relationships that made the "old" show so special. He is fiercely protective of his new family, the team. Yes, especially Ellie now. And now that is a theme we see more often.

We can't pretend that watching case after case with no heartfelt subplot is anywhere near the vibe we had in seasons 3-10. Just because our two FAVORITE characters left, doesn't mean the writers should just quit and the show should lay back and die. Reintroducing this relational element was necessary for the show's survival.

And yes, at first I was furious that everything Ziva worked so hard for, that TIVA worked so hard for, was coming so easily for Bishop and Torres. But as soon as I separated the old show from the new in my brain, I was able to see the burgeoning romance between the two new agents, and I fell in love with it too.

Will it ever match what Tiva had? No. I won't pretend to say that it will. For others, maybe they see them as equals. And that's okay. Others don't see it at all. That's okay too. For me, Tiva is the ultimate pairing that cannot be rivaled, and I recognize that part of that is terrible writing that delayed their getting together officially for 14 years. The slow, slow burn that wasn't entirely intentional. Just no one had the guts to actually go for it and put Tony and Ziva together.

That's why the end of Berlin and the beginning of the next episode get me so bad. Ziva literally looked like she was about to tell Tony about her feelings, and then a car comes and smashes those hopes and dreams away. The next episode acts like it never happened.

Season 12 and 13 were a mess too, comparatively. Tony felt out of place. In the season 13 finale, the writers fixed some things by at least giving Tony a permanent tie in to Ziva and making his feeling - LOVE - for Ziva canon. But then they killed her. And unless we hear otherwise, it seems that actually killing her off were their intent.

This is becoming a Very Long Post, but as I said, season 15 and 16 I started to really enjoy the "new" show. Different, but good. I can understand how Ellick feels super rushed, but thinking of other shows that rush it even more takes that away somewhat. And it's not like Ellick is actually together yet. They haven't done anything close to when Tony and Ziva were undercover on the literal 8th episode Cote was in (I LOVE that episode).

Tony and Ziva were INTENSE. Tragic backstories combined with angst and hidden feelings. It's enough to set you on fire. Compared to them, Ellick is lighthearted fun. And I can recognize when something is fun, or cute, or heartwarming. Nick was a work-by-myself type undercover agent, hardened by his work. Ellie has softened that exterior and brought out the goofiness in him that she herself exhibits. They bring a lot of laughs and life to a show that otherwise might be kind of dull or monotonous. Kasie too, but this post isn't about her. I could ramble for several more paragraphs about Kasie.

In this "new" show, the writers have learned that prolonging the slow burn relationship for too long is detrimental to the characters, the actors, and the show. It seems that this time around, they are determined not to make that mistake. Plus, NCIS is on its 17th season. There's no telling how much time it has left. It could go on for 2 more seasons or 20 more seasons. It all depends on the storytellers. The writers. The actors. And the fans.

Finding enjoyment in what they put out.

Putting off any relationships they have growing, character development they want to focus on, is a dangerous business in a show with 17 seasons under its belt. They don't have time for all the things they put Tiva through. It's different.

So here is what I will leave you with. NCIS has changed. And yes, the ship we loved is gone. They have their happy ending, and I desperately hope we get to see some of that someday. I literally want nothing more than to see it. But instead of comparing Ellick to Tiva, try to see it for what it is on it's own. For those of us that have watched them grow for 2 and a half seasons (at least? I don't remember) it has felt like a long time coming.

I'll be honest, I fight off those feelings about Ellick a lot. Not so much now, but I used to. I was petty that Ellick was everything Tiva should have been. I looked for connections where they may not have been any just so I could say they were trying too hard to copy Tiva. But after I realized my bias and started looking at them and the "new" show from a fresh perspective, I saw all the charm and enjoyment that Ellick was offering. It has brought so much more enjoyment to me when watching the show. And why would you deny yourself enjoyment and happiness? After Tony left, I had never been so happy and excited and emotional during an episode of NCIS until the season 16 episode "What Child Is This." Ellick has given me something new to ship, something new to speculate about, something new to freak out over. To actually look forward to without the underlying distrust and dread that came with Tiva, simply because the writers didn't know how to handle a relationship so big that had grown almost beyond their control.

I don't really know how to wrap this up. I have so much I want to say, because the very LAST thing I want to see in this fandom is more division and argument and anger. But I'm seeing it pop up again. It really makes me sad. We all can agree on what makes this show special. Why we fell in love with it. The characters, and how they fit together. We may disagree about the specifics of this, but why let that divide us? Why not let each other enjoy what we love? I know this news about Torres in the ICU sounds very similar to how we thought the aftermath of Berlin would go, but I surprised myself by not immediately feeling jealous and upset for what Tiva deserved. I felt excited for this momentous occasion in the Ellick storyline, and ESPECIALLY excited for the writers to, in my eyes, redeem themselves for how they handled the car crash in Berlin. However you want to look at it, NCIS is a much different show now. Your opinions are valid. You can love the change or you can hate it. Of course, I encourage everyone to try to see it for what it is, and recognize the good parts of what we have now, but maybe that's not for everyone. Seriously, that is okay. Just please, I'm begging all of you, don't antagonize each other for differing opinions. Use the disclaimer "I know it's not everyone's opinion, but that's okay" if you are going to speak out against something from the show, whether it be new or old.

Just have respect in whatever you do in this fandom.

Please.

/end rant

[supercsi4]

17x14 On Fire

Took me a while to compose myself after this episode. I’ve watched the holding hands scene 1000 times, and just finished a re-watch of the entire episode.

Ellie and Nick at the beginning, giggling and racing each other, do they do this often? ��I really wanted a little more backstory, because it was like oh look how cute they are together and bam, Nick’s in the hospital.  Whose house do there meet up at?  How often do they do this?  Do they then go get breakfast together?  I have so many questions.

Then when they found out the suspect Colleen hit Nick on purpose, I ask, was she stalking him?  And if so, he must hang out with Ellie enough that Colleen knew where Nick would be and what time.  This episode left me with more questions than answers.  The episode seemed a little rushed and really should have been 2 hours long, so they could explain a little more.

I feel like not only has Ellie come out of her shell in the past couple seasons, but Gibbs really has as well. Now I don’t want to give all the credit to Nick, Jack probably has something to do with it too, but, and this in an unpopular opinion, I’ve never been a huge fan of Gibbs.  I know that’s going to shock some people, but honestly if he left the show, I’d still watch it.  I’ve always been more invested in the other characters.  But I’ve really grown to love him these past couple years, probably because the writers are finally are letting him open up a little more and not be such a stick in the mud.

“You hang in there amigo.” -Gibbs to Nick.

I was shocked when Gibbs told Vance, “These are the only kids I have left!”  Then he shocked me again when he opened up to Ellie, “Do I look happy to you, Bishop? You do the kind of things I’ve done, you get the kind of things I’ve got.  Bourbon and a boat in the basement.  You don’t want to become me.”

I also really like Kasie, like more than I thought I ever would.  Another unpopular opinion, I wasn’t ever too attached to Abby either, I definitely like Kasie more.  She’s all-aboard the Ellick train.  Tim on the other hand, is still in denial.

“Yes, we are all going to need therapy if they ever hook up.”  -Kasie to Tim.

But really will you guys?  You already went through years of Tiva and they are now living happily ever after.

Angry Ellie is everything I always wanted and never knew I needed.  She is stubborn and has a temper just like Nick.  I mean after she punched Victor in the airport to protect Nick, I could definitely see her killing for him.  It’s weird, I barely remember when Qasim died, though I wasn’t as invested in Ellie at the time, so I don’t remember if she lost her shit like she did this week.

Xavier is a dick and I’m glad Gibbs killed him.

“What is she going to do?  Beat me with her yoga mat.”  I did really want to see Ellie fight Colleen.

“He keeps asking if you’re ok.”  Did I want Ellie there when Nick woke up? Yes.  Did I want to see Nick panic wake up and ask about Ellie?  Yes.

Is Jimmy really that much of a genius, but also that oblivious?

Nick was undercover for NCIS Great Lakes, hmm really?

Ellie and Nick holding hands in the hospital was a huge step in their relationship and I know it will lead to more, so I will be satisfied for now and I will be patient.

Now the question @chasethesun18 asked was Did Torres say, “Cause you know I risked my life to save yours” or “Cause you know I’d risk my life to save yours?”  I’d like to think it was “Cause you know I’d risk my life to save yours?”  Closed caption disagrees with me, but I’ll hear what I want to hear and what I think would make more of an impact in that scene.

Nick looks at Ellie holding his hand and he’s really thinking hard at the end of this scene.  Is he thinking, “Holy shit, does she love me too?” “Holy shit she knows I’m in love with her.”  WHAT IS HE THINKING?!?!

TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL!!  WHAT BETTER TIME THAN AFTER YOU ALMOST DIED!!

Sorry to yell at you Nick, but come on! Ok, ok, maybe he doesn’t know how worried she was yet or how she threatened to kill Xavier, maybe after he finds out, he will confront her.

Yeeesssss!  Next episode we need a scene where Nick confront Ellie about wanting to kill Xavier for what he did to him.

I can see it now…

“You’d do the same thing Nick!”

“That’s because I’m in love with you!”

“I’m in love with you too!”

They kiss and end scene.  Happy Valentine’s Day!  You’re welcome.

[beatrixacs]

For the asks: 1, 3, 9, 14, 17, 19

Thank you for asking me :) 

1. If you're an author, how many WIPs do you currently have? (Be honest!) I am going to be totally honest, no secrets here. :) Two - one TIVA (NCIS) and one Reylo (Star Wars). More paying attention to the Reylo one at the moment.

3. Do you prefer canonverse or AUs? I prefer canonverse, both in reading and writing, although I do read an AU from time to time. I usually go to read AU when I am too tired of the canon. Generally, it has to be applicable on the given ship (e.g. can’t imagine Beauty and the Beast AU for TIVA but I can imagine it for Sherlolly or Reylo).

9. Fake dating or arranged marriage? Fake dating. Arranged marriage doesn't repulse me, I just have never read a fic with arranged marriage (pretended/fake marriage yes, though, damn I even wrote one and have ideas for more of those).

14. (For authors) Post a line of dialogue from one of your WIPs without context. Lol, I can go on without a dialogue for hundreds of paragraphs so this took some scrolling :D

For TIVA "Yeah, I do. Thanks.” He expressed his gratitude because without her, he would have probably never realized how important for him was to just watch Ziva without constantly taking pictures and babysitting his son.

For Reylo “Tell me what happened.” He murmured into her hair that still smelled of water as if freshly washed.

17. Describe a fic that is still in the 'ideas' stage. A fic? Like 'a fic'? I don't have just one! Though most of it are just ideas, pieces of unrelated dialogues...

There are a couple of those I have developed in my head into full stories, including one of TIVA stories I was forbidden by my friends to ever write because the heartbreak would be too great (no character death). There are also some of those with typical fanfic situations - fake marriage, undercover missions, drunk situations...

I guess the next one I would really love to develop because the other ones usually have some AU condition that doesn't exist in canon is Season 9 alternate ending - Ziva's wedding day to CIRay (I so hated that plot, maybe that's why I keep being fixed on it). To say it briefly, Tony and the rest of the team including CIA and Mossad organize Ziva's kidnapping on the day of her wedding  because they want Ray to catch himself into his own web of lies as he is actually a double agent and traitor. They are afraid Ziva wouldn't believe them otherwise so they rather kidnap her and basically use her as a bait to get Ray finally reveal himself for who he is. Tony is the one who kidnaps her, taking her from the US to a house in Provence, France where they are supposed to wait until everything gets sorted out. There is no TV, no phones, no internet connection, no radio, nothing to know what is happening in the outside world and they are on a secluded places with enough food for two weeks. Well, and, Tony's task is to convince Ziva about Ray's dishonesty which leads to the analyzation of their relationship and so on, while Ziva secretly plans to escape and get to Ray by herself to deal with him for playing her.

19. What's your favourite character headcanon? My favourite character headcanon? Anything that happened to Tony and Ziva post 11x02 doesn't exist for me.

I am capable of dealing with 11x01 and 11x02 storyline but I refuse to accept anything that followed afterwards. Tali is cute and all but I absolutely hate the way she was conceived, introduced and then used against Ziva. Ziva I know would NEVER keep Tali a secret from Tony just because "she doesn't need a man to complete her". BS. And I don't even want to talk about Season 17 and the storyline that didn't make any sense, once again just served as Gibbs-fest and probably made look Ziva even worse in certain points. Some of the actual good details were introduced too late (PTSD for example). That's my opinion, albeit controversial for some and I happily moved on from that so it doesn't exist for me. I don't even reblog all those beautiful parallel gifs with any of the scenes from Season 17 because I hated 99 % of that and it detached me from the ship quite a lot.

So any possible return of Ziva on screen? 

Leave them be, we understand TIVA more than the so-called writers of the show and there has been enough butchering. I already have quite a lot of canons I need to supress in my mind, I don’t really need more.

Fanfic asks

[stanathanxoox]

Bubbly

gif is not mine

@drethanramsey-ismybabe asked Bubbly - Colbie Caillat with Dr Ethan Ramsey

It was karaoke night at Donohue's, you hadn't planned on singing you really hadn't but when you had been working a 14-hour shift on next to no sleep for the previous two days and then added alcohol into the mix there hadn't really been much choice. You get up on the makeshift stage and scroll through the song options before finding exactly the song you were looking for.“Aha!” you say into the microphone. Smiling as the first chords play through the speakers you get ready to sing as your eyes meet the blue pools sitting across the bar at the sipping his drink, you can see the corners of his mouth are turned up in a slight smile. Your eyes never leave his as you sing the song you know from heart, bearing your soul to him.

Will you count me in? I've been awake for a while now You've got me feelin' like a child now 'Cause every time I see your bubbly face I get the tingles in a silly place It starts in my toes, and I crinkle my nose Where ever it goes I always know That you make me smile, please, stay for a while now Just take your time wherever you go 

The rain is fallin' on my windowpane But we are hidin' in a safer place Undercovers stayin' dry and warm You give me feelings that I adore 

It starts in my toes, make me crinkle my nose Wherever it goes I always know That you make me smile, please, stay for a while now Just take your time wherever you go But what am I gonna say? When you make me feel this way I just, mmm And it starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose Wherever it goes I always know That you make me smile, please, stay for a while now Just take your time wherever you go I've been asleep for a while now You tucked me in just like a child now 'Cause every time you hold me in your arms I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth It starts in my soul, and I lose all control When you kiss my nose, the feelin' shows 'Cause you make me smile, baby, just take your time now Holdin' me tight Wherever, wherever, wherever you go Wherever, wherever, wherever you go Wherever you go I always know 'Cause you make me smile, even just for a while 

There's a clap from all around as the song fades, but your attention is stuck on Ethan. He gives you a wide smile before he gets to his feet, and walks out. The next thing you know you can feel your cellphone vibrating in your pocket. Pulling it out, you can't help but grin as you see the name Jonah popping up on your screen. It was your code for him so that when your roommates saw your phone they wouldn't suspect anything was happening between you and Ethan. You clamber down from the stage before checking the message he had sent you. That was beautiful, meet you back at my place ASAP it reads you beam at his words before sending back a message of your own 

Thanks babe xx be there soon. You hurry to collect your things and rush out of the bar trying to escape before any of your friends catch you, luckily their all engaged in other things so your escape is clear. You make your way across the street to where your car is parked. However, when you try to get your car to work the damn engine is flat, you try ticking it over once, twice, a third time but nothing seems to happen. Instead of heading back into the bar to talk to the bartender or even one of your friends you call Ethan, he picks up almost instantly 

“Ethan, I need your help” you say and you can hear the concern in his voice “What do you mean Y/N? What's happened?” he asks and you are about to explain about the engine being flat when a sudden explosion erupts from the hood of the car, and your thrown back across the footpath, before hitting your head on the concrete wall, you can hear a murmur from the phone speaker but mostly all you can hear is the ringing in your ears as you lose consciousness.

When you wake, it's to the sound of a heart monitor and the bright lights of the hospital room. You try sitting up, but feel a soft hand on your shoulder stopping you from moving, you begin to panic before you meet the blue eyes of the man you love, they're full of concern and desperation but they show a little bit of relief at seeing you awake. 

“Ethan” you whisper and he leans down placing a kiss on your forehead before he says 

“Shush, it's okay, try not to move sweetheart” you give a small smile at hearing the term of endearment he normally doesn't say outside of the his apartment. “How long have I been here?” you ask and he frowns 

“It's been two days since the explosion, honestly when the doctors showed me the results from your CT scan and MRI, I'm surprised you're actually awake after such a short time” he says and you raise an eyebrow “What do you mean?” you ask and he says 

“I'll let your assigned doctor tell you” he says, and your face falls. But you understand why he's doing this, it's overstepping the boundaries for him to have even have told you this much since you weren't his patient. 

It feels like an eternity before the doctor comes in to discuss the findings with you, he's about to dismiss Ethan but you shake your head and reach out for him “No! Let him stay” you beg, panic setting in, your hand outstretched, waiting for his hand to hold and the doctor raises an eyebrow at you before turning to Ethan “The patient has asked for you to stay” the doctor says and Ethan looks at you, trying to decide on whether or not he should stay or if he should leave, you meet his blue eyes, pleading with him and he sighs before making his way over to your bed and he takes your hand in his before he turns to the doctor who is eyeing the two of you suspiciously before Ethan growls and the doctor begins to explain his findings. The doctor runs the normal tests now that you're awake as well and declares that your stay in the hospital will be a short one if there are no further signs of complications, such as seizure. When the doctor exits the room you look over at Ethan as he watches you digest the news. 

“I'm sorry this happened to you sweetheart” he whispers, sitting next to your bed in the horrible plastic hospital chair. You give his hand a gentle squeeze, 

“I'm just glad your here Ethan. I love you” you whisper and he beams, before he leans over and places a kiss on the back of your hand “I love you too Y/N, so much” he says and you smile.

Tag List: @tiva-jenry-caskett-rizzles-densi, @jimmybpride, @dressed-up-just-like-z1ggy, @nikkiwierden, @samchelforever007, @kirkspockbones, @xoncisxncislaxncisnolaox, @lasalle-pride-sebastian-love, @haliannej, @brooklyn-99-amyxjake​, @mizzezm, @genius2050, @twilight-twihard, @cullencoven2019, @captainxholmes, @luciferxchloeislove, @drethanramsey-ismybabe

Tag List for Open Heart: @melissagoodwill, @lady-kato, @i-bloody-love-drake-walker

[loudlooks]

Close Shave

Is Tiva Fic Amnesty still a thing now that Ziva’s officially back? BTW, I’m totally ignoring the “not every fic needs to be published” rule here, consider that a warning.

I don’t remember what time frame I pictured this in, maybe season 5 or 6? As usual, no plot. Loosely inspired by a scene from The X-files (which unfortunately wasn’t even MSR, except in my imagination).

Also on FF and AO3

Word count: 1805

A yank on the drawer handle revealed his electric shaver. Grabbing it with one hand, rubbing the scruff on his chin with the other, he looked up just in time to see Ziva roll her eyes.

“What?”

“Imagine if I shaved my legs at my desk,” she replied testily.

He raised an eyebrow and grinned widely, only mildly disappointed he hadn’t come up with that image before. “Nobody would get any work done,” he said as his eyes wandered to where her legs were hidden behind the cold, hard metal of her desk.

She turned towards her computer screen, but he caught the corners of her lips twitch ever so slightly.

“Think of the cleaning crew, Tony,” she said flatly.

Ignoring her comment, he tried to remember what her bare legs looked like while hitting the power button on his shaver. Silence greeted him and he pushed the switch once more.

Nothing.

Resisting the urge to smack it on the side of his desk, he muttered, “Damn it, I charged you yesterday.”

Turning the electric razor over and over in his hand, vigorously  pressing the button a few more times—surely it will work this time—he looked up when Gibbs dumped two items on his desk before heading to the elevator.

He picked up Gibbs’ straight razor and opened it carefully. As the blade glinted in the fluorescent light overhead, he met Ziva’s eyes across the bullpen, and deadpanned, “I think the boss wants me dead.”

She was beside him in a flash, admiring the lethal piece of steel with an eager smile. “I have not used one of those in years.”

“Why did you use a…” He stood up, pushing images of slit throats and blood stains to the back of his mind. “You know what, I don’t wanna know.” He grabbed the shaving gel and pointed it at her. “If I’m not back in ten, call Ducky and tell him to bring a body bag.”

He tried to walk around her, but Ziva stopped him with a finger to his chest. “I am very good with knives, I could give you a shave.”

Staring down at her smiling face, he raised an eyebrow. The gleam in her eyes both worried and excited him. He bit down a smile as angry hornets seemed to take up residence in his stomach.

“Someone’s an eager beaver.” He regretted the words as soon as they left his lips, images of her strong tan legs, and a skimpy bikini bottom flashed to the forefront of his mind.

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, it only made him want to stay in her personal space even longer. Accepting her offer would achieve just that. “Fine,” he said with a calmness he didn’t feel.

Her smile turned mischievous and his brain to mush; he’d always had a soft spot for her dangerous side. It haunted him in his dreams, and occasionally his nightmares.

She grabbed a small towel from her backpack, and almost speed-walked towards the men’s room. He followed her like a puppy—who’s the eager beaver now—his gaze focused on the sway of her hips.

The way she barged into the men’s room like she owned the place sent a tingle down his spine. She kind of did, he supposed, other agents always scattered like roaches afraid of the light when she walked in there.

“This isn’t going to be perfect,” Ziva said as she dumped the towel next to the sink, turned on the hot water tap, then grabbed a stack of paper towels from the dispenser. “But it will be fun.” Her gaze flicked down his body, briefly landing on his lips on the way up.

His smile wavered, then he grimaced into the mirror and rubbed his hands over his cheeks. “I don’t want to end up like Leatherface.” He ignored her look of confusion—as well as the disappointment in himself for once again skirting around their obvious physical attraction—and continued, “Isn’t it ironic that I trust you more with a razor sharp blade against my throat than behind the wheel of a car.”

She roughly pushed him aside with her hip, stepped in front of the sink and glared at his reflection. He patted his cheeks again, making sure that laser sharp look hadn’t rendered a shave unnecessary.

After soaking the towel with hot running water and wringing it out, she handed it to him, and told him to cover his face. He briefly complained about how ridiculously elaborate she was making things, but complied after she raised an eyebrow and tested the sharpness of the razor on a paper towel.

His face and ears warmed exponentially with each passing moment of awkward silence. “I feel like an idiot.” The towel covering his face only half responsible for his mixed feelings.

“Good.”

The hint of amusement in her voice was barely audible, but enough to release the tightness that had settled around his heart. A second later, Ziva pulled the towel away, made room next to the sink and easily lifted herself onto the countertop. As soon as she grabbed hold of his tie, pulling him in between her legs, any sense of awkwardness evaporated. He scanned her face intently, looking—hoping—for...for what exactly? The lingering smell of her shampoo heightened his senses, and he wondered, not for the first time, when she had started getting under his skin quite like this.

Ziva seemed unaffected, preoccupied with lathering up shaving gel in the palms of her hands.

Clinging to the belief that he had gotten better at reading her than even Gibbs, he hoped for a look, he’d settle for a glance—one of those furtive, yet exposed glances she sometimes sent him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention.

And there it was, so fleeting he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been fixated on her every move. Unaware, her gaze immediately followed what her hands were doing—spreading the gel evenly all over his two-day stubble.

Emboldened by the evanescent look, he smiled faintly and placed his hands on either side of her legs. She narrowed her eyes at a spot close to his ear, fussing with the gel too long for it to be anything other than a distraction.

“Stop smiling,” she said quietly.

His smile widened, she briefly closed her eyes, then met his. “Tony.”

It never seized to amaze him how much she could say with just one word, his name. Not quite an admonishment, more of an acknowledgement, a “not now, but maybe later”.

She held the razor up, and he knew she was right; there wasn’t time to get into any of this now, he had to be clean-shaven and dressed to the nines in half an hour. Why was their timing always off?

He sighed and relaxed his face so she could get to work.

Pulling the skin taut with one hand, she placed the edge of the cold blade against his cheek with the other. “I haven’t done this in a while.”

His eyes flashed to hers. Was she talking about the shaving or that thing between them that they weren’t talking about? The mischievous grin appeared again, only this time it annoyed him more than anything else. He was tired of maintaining the status quo, evading his feelings with humor and banter.

As she moved the blade downwards in slow, even strokes that he could barely feel, he considered the possibility of having read her wrong. Maybe their physical closeness, the intimacy of trusting her to run a blade over his face and throat, had clouded his judgement.

“How attached are you to your sideburns?” She wasn’t even trying to hide the teasing in her voice.

His skin tingled as sweat began to form, frustration building as feelings of doubt settled deep down inside. “Can you stop joking.”

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“Hey, I joke to deflect.” Ziva narrowed her eyes. “And, occasionally out of boredom,” he conceded.

She lowered her hands, busied them with cleaning the blade, then looked at him decisively. “I know.” Inhaling deeply, she placed to razor on his other cheek. “Let us  just get this over with.”

Did she mean the shave, or the conversation they had been avoiding for years?

Her hands moved expertly over his face as his drifted to her thighs on their own volition. She stilled her movements, a beat passed before her gaze met his. Open and exposed she bit her bottom lip, then got back to work.

He didn’t dare move his hands until she rinsed the blade and carefully placed it aside. His fingers squeezed gently, feeling the strong muscle underneath the rough denim as she held his gaze.

She dabbed his face clean with wet paper towels, avoiding his gaze again, a myriad of emotions  washing over her eyes, eventually settling on fear.

“It will be dangerous,’ she said gravely.

It took him a moment to realize she was talking about the undercover op, not them. He grinned and squeezed her thighs reassuringly. “You’ll have my back.”

Shaking her head vigorously, she said, “No, Tony, I will be in the van down the road, it could take minutes before I…”

Smoothing her fingers over his cheeks,  her thumbs briefly caressed his lips and she made eye contact.

He smiled gently. “I’ll be careful, I’m gonna want another shave like this.”

She released a breath, fear fading from her eyes as she leaned in closer. Her lips touched his tentatively at first, then firmly. Claiming him, giving him a reason to be extra careful.

The sound of the door handle barely registered in his mind, and was swiftly followed by Ziva’s warm hands on his chest, pushing him backwards as she slid of the countertop, turned and smoothly wiped up some spilled water with a paper towel.

From the corner of his eye he saw the door open and a familiar figure walk in. Briefly looking at Ziva in the mirror, he noticed a light blush on her cheeks.

“Oh, hey, boss,” he said lightly.

Gibbs looked at him with scrutiny, then a gave a small nod. “Nice job, Ziver.”

She turned around, blush gone, that mischievous look that always stirred up the hornets’ nest in his stomach firmly in place. Smiling smugly, she looked from him to Gibbs, and said, “It’s not every day I have the opportunity to put I knife so close to DiNozzo’s throat.”

Gibbs smirked and walked past them without a second glance.

Feeling overly confident he winked at Ziva before quickly gathering his things, and catching up to her at the door. He glanced back at Gibbs, then opened the door for Ziva and whispered, “That was a really close shave.”

[aksannyi]

it was confirmed awhile ago that in the season 10 finale, tony and ziva were finally supposed to become canon and that there's a real tiva kiss that was filmed but never got used and is now locked away somewhere. if we had gotten an actual kiss instead of the forehead kiss and bullshit line about friendship, how do you see that scene playing out, and what do you think would have happened with t & z moving forward in that episode and into season 11?

Let me preface this by saying I’m an X-Files fan anon, so you understand why I’m about to say what I’m about to say:

I think nothing.

Honest to god, nothing. They kiss, they move on, they never talk about it, it never happened. Isn’t that how it works? (fuck you Chris Carter)

Okay on a serious note, this is a really awesome question anon. When I watch gifs from the S10 finale, I always thought they cut it at a weird point because Tony leans in for the forehead kiss and then they both look at each other and I’m like…. kiss?????? wtf?????? Because it looked like that was the next logical step there.

I don’t think the dialogue would have changed much. She still would have said the friendship thing, Tony would have still responded the way he did. Forehead kiss, then they lean in and actually kiss. “What about being friends?” Ziva would have asked, and Tony would have shrugged the way he does and just say something like, “We still are,” in that meaningful way. Because they’re still friends, just now they’re friends that kiss and it’s just more and Ziva just smiles softly because she gets it and doesn’t need him to explain.

Then in S11, would you like how I would think it goes or how GG would have done it? There were rumors that even if Ziva had stayed, she would have still gone to Israel after they resigned (which makes no sense, unless she was just going to settle her father’s estate because she really didn’t have a chance to do that.) so I’m assuming Tony would have gone after her, convinced her that she could come back and they could be a team again and “Hey, nothing has to change between us unless you want it to” but then she shocks him (and herself) by saying she does want it to but she was afraid of what could happen because the car crash (I always go back to that) and him possibly getting hurt. And he reminds her that was always a possibility. They kiss again and it’s like a bigger kiss (because why not) and then they both come home and join the team again. They don’t ask Gibbs’ permission in my version of events because they are Grown and don’t need his permission, but on the show they probably would have because GG doesn’t seem to realize that Tony and Ziva are adults and Gibbs is not the keeper of their lives.

And then they just… are. The end of the episode moments might show them on a date, or it might show them snuggling on a couch. We see small little pecks of reassurance at random points in episodes. “Be safe.” (peck) “See you in a bit.” (peck) etc. Holding hands, more flirting (like they would ever stop). I think it could have been organic (yes, one of GG’s favorite phrases) without affecting the overall natural flow of the show that much. And the natural progression to maybe getting engaged. Married. Kids.

And honestly? I think the Jimmy/Breena baby storyline was meant to be for Tiva. I think it was always meant to be for them. What was all that baby foreshadowing in S10 for anyway? Showing Ziva with that t-shirt and baby bump for an undercover op we never saw? It was meant to show:

That Ziva was ready to be a mother

That Tony was not afraid of this

That they were not afraid to talk about this sort of thing together

That they were almost there. Truly.

It was pure foreshadowing of something we were to expect to happen. Only Cote left the show and it didn’t happen. So rather than trash the storyline, they gave it to Jimmy and Breena. I’m convinced of this.

Anyway, I could speculate until the cows come home, but I’m sure this response is already long enough. Another great question anon, thank you so much for the message. I love getting the chance to flex my thinking cap.

And, this is the final anon in my inbox that I haven’t answered. Yay!

[loudlooks]

Balmy

Day 24 of 30 Days of Summer

Today’s prompt: thanks for the suggestion @hopeless-nostalgiac (source)

Undercover fake dating, Tiva

Also on FF and AO3

Word count: 800

Her skin was slick and warm underneath his hands, sweet and pulsing underneath his lips as they moved down her neck. She angled her head, offering up more vulnerable skin, and his heart fluttered, getting lost in the sensation of holding her so close as water gently rocked against their bodies.

Her lips and breath against his ear sent a tingle down his spine, then she whispered, “They are using some kind of sign language.”

He froze for a second, realized she hadn’t offered anything up and had simply wanted to get a better look at the suspected buyer. It wasn’t the first time he had gotten caught up in his undercover role as a newlywed. If he couldn’t find a way to keep his head in the game the whole operation could be a bust.

Placing a few more kisses on her neck, he glanced at Petty Officer Smith who appeared to be reading a book. He squinted from behind aviator glasses and ran his fingers through Ziva’s wet curls absentmindedly, as he tracked Smith’s every move.

Water droplets on her shoulder begged for his attention. As his mind battled between indulging his desires and concentrating on the job at hand, his mouth twitched upwards.

“This is one undercover op I don’t mind dragging out,” he murmured into her ear, before making eye contact. “Five-star hotel, swimming pool, balmy weather, a beautiful woman.”

She raised an eyebrow, and he quickly glanced around, keeping half an eye on Smith while she observed the buyer at the opposite side of the pool. “I meant women, plural,” he quickly covered.

Touching her lips to his, she murmured, “You have barely looked at any woman since our arrival.”

Smith once again all but forgotten at the lightest touch of her lips, he grinned and said, “It’s not professional to look at other women in the middle of a make-out session.”

Her throaty laughter made his knees weak. He cupped her face, the glint of his gold wedding band reminding him none of this was real. None of it except how she made him feel.

She scoffed lightly. “I don’t think I made out this much with Ray the whole time we were together.”

The subject of Ray had always given him mixed feelings. He focused on the petty officer in the lounge chair, wondering how to react.  “Ah, the downside of a long-distance relationship with a scheming CIA operative, not enough canoodling.”

Her lack of reaction drew his attention; maybe she got lost in translation, again. The wistful look on her face told him differently. “Any complaints about the undercover canoodling?” He asked lightly, hoping to take her mind of the past.

Her gaze ping ponged between him and the buyer, and she began to fidget, drumming her fingers on his triceps. “No.”

The way her brows pulled in it was obvious there was more to it. “But?”

She sighed and closed her eyes briefly. “It is…distracting.”

“That good or bad?” He knew the professional answer, he was hoping for a personal one.

“Being distracted on the job is never good, Tony,” she chided gently. The conviction in her voice didn’t match the warmth in her eyes. “Perhaps we should talk about…this, some time.”

She glanced at the suspect, then shifted her gaze back to him. His eyes wandered to her mouth as her arms snaked around his neck. “When the job is done,” she murmured against his lips.

His hands slipped down to cup her behind and pull her against him, as his mouth claimed hers and he let go of the desire he had been struggling to keep in check. There was nothing fake about the way she kissed him back with abandon.

When his hips thrust against her, craving more contact, he came to his senses and broke the kiss. They couldn’t afford to get this distracted again. He bit his bottom lip, finally leveling his breathing. “I can’t wait for this job to be over,” he said with a lewd smile.

She laughed that throaty laugh again and hugged him close, looking over his shoulder, as every nerve ending in his body tingled pleasantly. His mind drifted to all the things he wanted to do to her, while his gaze drifted to the petty officer who hadn’t moved from his chair.

A disappointed sigh in his ear. “The buyer is leaving.” A kiss on his cheek. “I will notify McGee.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” he said as his hands slid up to her waist, and turned her around to walk out of the pool in front of him.

“It is just a phone call, Tony.” She looked at him over her shoulder, then glanced down suggestively. “Perhaps you should swim a few laps to get rid of that extra energy.”

Tag request: @ttiva @youaresoooloved

[loudlooks]

Common Sense

Tiva, inspired by Bull gif sets where Michael wears glasses. No plot (no porn either, though things do get a bit heated).

Also on FanFiction and AO3

Word count: 3295

McGee’s laugh breaks her concentration. Looking up she sees his mirth is directed at Tony. Tony, who had been quietly working, the steady rhythm of is hunt and peck typing technique almost matching the rhythm of her own touch typing. Tony, who is now glaring at McGee from behind dark-rimmed glasses.

When did he start wearing-

He turns towards her, glare still firmly in place, cautioning her not to join in with the probie.

Laughing at him is the last thing on her mind. His aviator sunglasses are one thing. He knows exactly how good he looks wearing them, and his smugness lowers some of his appeal. Not a lot, just enough to keep her libido in check and her hands to herself. These glasses are a whole different story, though.

“They’re computer glasses, okay,” he says.

“You’re just getting old, like Gibbs,” McGee says, casting a furtive glance at the empty desk in front of him as soon as the words leave his mouth.

“They block blue light, McScreen. You of all people should know that.”

He taps the rim of his glasses with two fingers, conjuring up an undercover operation a lifetime ago; a pair of spy glasses, lots of naked skin, those fingers and his mouth, all over her body. She sips from the bottle of water on her desk, hoping it will cool down the heat rapidly rising inside of her.

“What happened to this job, anyway, all we seem to do these days is look at screens,” he grumbles.

“You love watching the screen,” Ziva says, worrying that staying quiet for much longer would make him suspicious.

“I love watching the silver screen. There’s a difference.”

Unable to resist the sudden magnetic pull he seems to have on her, Ziva walks over to his desk and leans against it.

Tony barely acknowledges her, continues typing with two fingers, and lets out a frustrated sigh pointing at the screen. “I didn’t have to deal with computers when I first became a cop.”

Ziva narrows her eyes. “How old are you, again?” She reaches a hand towards his head. “Is that a gray hair?”

He swats her hand away, scowling, then tries to look at his reflection in the monitor before turning towards her again. Ziva bites the inside of her cheeks, but knows she can’t hide the laughter from her eyes.

He wags a finger at her, puts on a fake smile and says, “Funny, David.“ The fake smile slides from his face before turning towards his computer again.

A light chuckle escapes her lips, but then he readjusts the dark frames, scratches the stubble on his chin absentmindedly, and a tingle runs through her body. She swallows audibly. When he turns towards her at the sound, eyes ever so slightly narrowed behind those glasses, she wishes she could take off her sweater to let some excess body heat escape. She hadn’t bothered with a bra when she pulled on a tank top that morning, though.

Would he comment on it, the way he used to?

“Can I help you?”

Her gaze flits to his lips and for a second she loses all train of thought. When she meets his eyes again, his brows are furrowed and he gives her the same intense look of curiosity he usually reserves for a difficult case.

Too distracted to keep up the banter, she shakes her head and slinks back to her own desk.

The rest of the day turns out to be one of the most unproductive days of her whole career. The glare from the skylight keeps reflecting in her partner’s glasses, drawing her attention to him with every move he makes.

They really should do something about those skylights. Unless they are the reason he needs to wear glasses. In which case-

He catches her staring at him, again, and smirks. The only thing keeping her from jumping his bones—besides Gibbs occupying the desk next to hers—is the memory of her father’s look of disappointment as he scolded her for getting caught while learning to tail a person of interest.

So much for being a ninja.

As the sun shifts and the skylight glare lessens and then disappears completely, the case file in front of her finally manages to hold her interest. The next hour is spent checking one of their suspect’s backgrounds, the mundane task tempering the restlessness brewing inside her.

“Hey, send me everything you’ve got on Jameson.”

She looks up out of habit, immediately regretting it when he slides the frames down his nose so he can look over the rim.

And it’s hypnotizing, really, the way he’s looking at her.

And it’s ridiculous, really, because he’s not looking at her any differently than usual.

Is he? No, it must be the glasses. Except, why would it be the glasses. She has never had a thing for glasses.

He tilts his head slightly, and there is that look of intense curiosity, again.

“Sure”, Ziva says as flatly as possible, trying to regain some focus.

But then he pushes the frames up the bridge of his nose with his right index finger, still staring at her intently, and all the office sounds are drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears, the magnetic pull she felt earlier back in full force.

She shifts in her seat and bites the tip of her thumb. Maybe she needs to get it out off her system. Somehow. By herself, or…not.

Would he-

The ding of the elevator snaps her out of her reverie and their latest stare-off. She glances at McGee and Gibbs, relieved they haven’t noticed anything. Tony, however, is still staring at her when she brings her attention back to her computer.

What did he ask for? Oh right, Jameson.

Ziva sends him the file as the elevator dings again, and she closes her eyes briefly, hoping she won’t get stuck with him in the elevator. Not today. Not when she is feeling this restless, this distracted, this… She breathes out slowly, reminding herself it is already late in the afternoon and she won’t have to see him all weekend. She is stronger than this.

Unfortunately, the ding of the elevator quickly shapes a Pavlovian reaction, making her look over at Tony every single time.

Perhaps she should take the stairs later.

The elevator traffic increases as people slowly, yet loudly—it is Friday, after all—file out of the bullpen. Her concentration is now thoroughly shot, again, and she wonders if she should ask Abby to go clubbing with her. Get drunk. Take the edge off that way.

But then she realizes Abby would ask McGee to join them. And, Tony. Jolts of electricity shoot down her body at the thought of a crowded dance floor and Tony, all sweaty, moving to the sound of the beat, inches from her. That wouldn’t take the edge off, at all. And getting drunk would only make it worse.

Tony touches his glasses for the millionth time that day, and she wants to kiss him so hard that they will fog up. She touches her thumb to her lips wanting to taste his skin again. Wanting to know whether reality holds up to the memories that plague her far too often.

“Ziva!”

She startles and notices Tony is packing his gear blindly, eyes trained on her. And for the umpteenth time that day, as she turns to her left, she feels like she got caught red-handed. Her father would disown her.

“Go home,” Gibbs repeats.

His gaze bores into her, and she briefly relives the moment when her superior in the IDF caught her and another soldier half-naked, in the back of a weapons carrier.

She sneaks another glance at Tony—who uncharacteristically appears to be taking his own sweet time to leave early on a Friday evening—and logs off, cursing blue light while jabbing at the monitor’s off button.

By the time she gathers all her things, Tony is sauntering towards the elevator. Part of her wishes he would hurry up already, remembering her earlier fear of getting stuck with him in the tiny metal box. The other part hopes he’ll wait for her, just so she can stand close to him and refresh her memory on what he smells like late in the afternoon.

He does hold the elevator—he is a gentleman…when he is not being a jerk—and she can’t quite decipher the look on his face as she slides into place next to him. The lingering smell of his cologne is filed away in her memory for later for…reasons.

“Any plans for the weekend?” Ziva asks, as the doors close and their indistinct metallic reflections appear in front of them.

“Not really.”

He shrugs nonchalantly, and their habit of having no sense of personal space makes his arm brush up against hers slowly. As the elevator shrinks in size and the temperature resembles summer in Tel Aviv, she fights the desire to slam the emergency button, shove her tongue down his throat, and climb him like a tree.

Would his knees hold up?

She stares at his reflection in front of her, both annoyed and relieved at the lack of detail.

“Probably watch a movie. You?”

He sounds casual, but she can feel his eyes on her. Looking up at him now would destroy what little common sense she has left, so she doesn’t. Instead, she shrugs just as nonchalantly, leaning ever so slightly away from him to avoid brushing his arm once more.

“Catch up on some reading.”

The ding signaling their arrival at ground floor sounds like sweet release, until an image of him and those damn glasses pushes to the forefront of her mind again. She pushes through the widening crack of the sliding doors, mumbling a see you later.

“That must be one hell of a book,” he calls after her.

And she knows. She knows the wheels in his head are turning. But she doesn’t know how to feel about that. Or what to do about it.

Should she even do something about it?

The drive home was as blurry as the words dancing on the pages in front of her. The picture her mind keeps conjuring up of Tony is crystal clear, though.

Ziva throws the book aside with a sigh, checks the time.

She wonders what movie Tony is watching.

She wonders if he is wearing those glasses.

She wonders if he is wearing that OSU shirt, the one he let her borrow at work once when she didn’t have a spare.

She wonders what exactly she thinks she is doing, getting in her car and driving over to his place unannounced.

She wonders if she will be able to come up with a valid excuse before knocking on his door.

“Ziva? What are you doing here?”

Valid excuse; no.

Glasses and OSU shirt; yes.

She manages to sound casual, despite the visual distraction. “I thought you might want some company.”

“Really, because the way you bolted from the elevator, it felt like you couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

Oh…right, she was trying to stay away from him.

She pushes past him with an undignified huff, not waiting for an invitation—or for common sense to kick in and convince her to drive back home—and plops down on his couch, refusing to look at him and his glasses and his shirt and his scruff.

Oh, maybe it’s the stubble, she has always had a thing for-

The cold bottle of beer against her cheek startles her, and is more proof of the complete lack of situational awareness she has been experiencing all day. Seeing the smug grin on his face, she snatches the beer out of his hand and glares.

She pushes down the realization that she used to be better at dealing with sexual frustration, and takes a swig from the alcoholic drink, wishing it was something much stronger than beer.

“What’s gotten your panties in a twist today, Ziva?”

She feels her ears burn at the question, and curses his choice of words as he sits down next to her, radiating heat and smugness and…she downs half of her beer.

“Did the car in front of you break for a yellow light on the way to work?” He takes a sip from his own beer and continues studying her with a smirk. “Or did the barista have the audacity of smiling at you when he handed you your coffee?”

She can’t decide whether to smack the smirk from his face, or her lips against his.

Tony sips his beer again before placing the bottle on the coffee table, and sitting back, tucking a leg underneath him, and facing her.

His voice sounds husky when he says, “Did I do something to get your panties.” He pauses as the tip of his tongue wets his lips, then continues with a glint in his eyes, “In a twist.”

She wishes she could say no.

She wishes she could look away.

She wishes she had taken her sweater off back home.

She wishes he would remove those damn glasses.

But then he tilts his head, grins, and does in fact remove the rims.

And it is infinitely worse because he places one of the temple tips between his teeth and smiles lasciviously, looking down at her with hooded eyes.

And somehow the magnetic pull he has had on her all day, has drawn her closer towards him and clouded her mind once more.

“Why are you here, Ziva?”

She is still trying to read that look in his eyes when her mouth betrays her. “Because your glasses are evaporating whatever common sense I have left.”

He quirks an eyebrow and slides the glasses back into place. “What was your common sense telling you?”

“To keep my distance.”

She cringes inwardly at her honesty. But then the look on his face shifts as he contemplates her answer and his gaze drifts to her lips and back.

“Common sense isn’t always common…or sensible” he says, and leans his whole body so deliciously close.

So close, their breaths mingle.

So close, she does not have to rely on memory to remember how good he smells.

So close, all her nerve endings tingle.

“I know, I have worked with you for almost eight years.” The tease comes out more seductively than she intended.

This is such a bad idea.

The narrowing of his eyes accentuates the desire so obvious in his dilated pupils, and when he speaks, his breath accentuates every word against her lips. “You really think insulting me right now is a good idea?”

“I do not think any of this is a good idea,” she murmurs as she closes the distance between them, grasping handfuls of OSU shirt and pulling him closer.

The kiss is heated, frenzied, his hands tangling in her hair, just like she remembered.

Him pulling back, cradling her face in his hands is not at all like she remembered.

Tony licks and bites his bottom lip, and her whole body leans forward, because common sense has well and truly left the building, and she wants to be the one to lick and bite that bottom lip.

But his hands hold her back and she is thoroughly confused now, because he is the king of one-night-stands and meaningless sex. At least he was, years ago.

Ziva wonders if she should have gone clubbing, after all. She could have picked up some stranger, and this, whatever this was, wouldn’t have happened and there wouldn’t be any confusion.

Except, the mere thought of a one-night-stand with a stranger slows her racing heart and fills her with emptiness. She can’t even fathom letting a stranger run his hands and lips all over her. Not after the way Tony managed to be the focus of her attention all day today.

Well, not just today.

“Ziva, I know you want this now, but…what about tomorrow, or the day after that?”

She sighs in frustration, shaking her head. Before she has a chance to say anything, though, he takes off his glasses. Her gaze flits towards the dark rimmed spectacles dangling from his left hand.

Tony breathes out a laugh and points the glasses at her.  “You have a thing for glasses.”

He is goading her, but she can’t help herself. “I have never had a thing for glasses.”

“You only want me for my glasses, admit it.”

Ziva reaches for the frames, but he holds them above his head. She launches herself up and forwards, grabbing the glasses and pushing him down onto his back in one smooth motion.

“I do not want you for your glasses, I want you…” She furrows her brow as she meets his gaze. “For…” She licks her lips, trying to come up with words, any words.

But she can’t, so she does the next best thing; dropping her forehead to his chest and cussing into his shirt in Hebrew.

Tony chuckles. “Wow, this is a real eye-opener.”

She slides up his chest so they are face to face and gives him a questioning look.

His hands make their way underneath her sweater and burn holes right through the cotton of her tank top.

“If I had known my wearing glasses would have this effect on you, I never would’ve had laser eye surgery.”

“That makes no sense.” She brushes her nose against his as she drops the glasses on the coffee table. “We did not know each other back then.”

Tony’s hands slide upwards dragging her sweater up and she helps remove it. Finally. It is still far too hot, though.

“Well, hindsight is always 20/20,” he murmurs, pulling her flush against him.

His hands slip under the thin layer of cotton covering her back. The warmth from the sweater that had bothered her all day, fades in comparison to the trail of lava his hands leave seeping into her skin, down to her very core.

He kisses her heatedly, and she rocks against him, eliciting a moan from his lips. The sound pierces through the haze of lust that is clouding her mind. She runs a hand through his hair, caresses his cheek with the other, then breaks the kiss to look at him.

He makes a disappointed sound in the back of his throat.

She can’t hide the mischievous grin gracing her face as she turns his own words against him, and in a sultry voice asks, “Tony, I know you want this now, but what about tomorrow?”

He purses his lips, the corners of his eyes crinkle. “Tomorrow, we do this all over again.” He kisses her cheek, one of his hands trails down below the waistband of her jeans. “And again the next day.” He places a kiss behind her ear, her hand slips down to rest on his chest. “And again the day after that.” He kisses her jawline, she sighs. “And again.” He peppers kisses up and down her neck, she closes her eyes, focusing on his lips and his heart pounding against the palm of her hand.

He pulls back, meets her gaze, eyes sparkling. His voice is low and rough when he says, “And again, and again, and again.”

This feels so much better than she remembered.

She shudders, inhales deeply as she nuzzles his cheek, his distinct smell making her stomach flutter and her brain shut down.

He whispers in her ear, “It’s common sense, really.”

She lets out a throaty laugh, realizing he was right; resisting this had never made any sense.

So she does the sensible thing she should have done years ago, and gives in to her every desire.

[beatrixacs]

25 Words - TIVA

Hello there! Me and @dazzlingstarlight decided to try this writing challenge from @promptlywritingideas. We sent each other 25 words so the other could write 25 sentences. Well, in my case these aren’t sentences. I just couldn’t stop myself and developed it further, so most of it is pieces of unrelated conversations.

Enjoy my TIVA take on the wonderful writing challenge and don’t forget to read magnificent Harm/Mac version of dazzlingstarlight!

(1)  House

Ziva sighed in content, letting the sunrays to caress her skin as she watched her little daughter and her little son playing in their playground from her place at the porch. It was truly a brilliant idea to buy a house for their growing DiNozzo family.

(2)  Movie

“What movie are we going to watch?” Tony asked Ziva nervously, fidgeting in his armchair. As a huge movie fan and self-proclaimed movie expert, he didn't feel excessively comfortable with someone else choosing a movie.

“Stop being so mistrustful.” Ziva shoved him the bowl of popcorn into his lap, feeling slightly annoyed as she had heard the exact same question for umpteenth time this day.

She sat down next to him and pushed the play button. Tony just opened his mouth wide as the opening credits for The Little Prince movie began to play. Then his lips formed into a grateful smile as Ziva squeezed his hand.

(3) Heart

“With this ring I thee wed and I give you my heart under your guardianship. I cannot imagine any other person suitable for this job than you, my love. You may have not always treated it well, but it has belonged to you since the first moment we have met. And there is so little I can do it about it, that is why I am giving it to you to take care of it as I know that I can trust you with my life. I love you with all my heart, body and soul and I will spend the rest of my life by proving you that.”

There have been silent tears at Ziva's eyes at first, then sob escaped from her lips. She has never heard such a beautiful wedding vow. And being the bride, it had been twice emotional. Her soon-to-be husband slightly caressed her face, wiping away the tear in a way only Tony DiNozzo could.

(4)  Bug

“Bitten by a love bug, DiNozzo?” Gibbs looked at his agent inquiringly. He was unfocused, seemingly having his head in the clouds, daydreaming all the time instead of properly working. All proofed that he was head over heels in love. And judging by the ‘secret’ look between him and Ziva, he had no doubt who the lucky woman was.

(5) McGee

“Do you keep any record on how many nicknames you have already invented for McGee?” Ziva asked Tony out of sudden curiosity.

“I have no idea.” Was the answer as Tony tried to count on his fingers.

(6) Undercover

“Do you realize that we are undercover and also under the covers?” Tony said while throwing the sheets across his body and Ziva rolled her eyes. He would seriously never stop with assessing their situation of being on an undercover mission and sleeping in the same hotel room AND in the same bed as they had posed as a married couple.

“Shut up and watch the movie, DiNozzo.” She growled, trying to force the fantasy of them using this cover and these covers for entirely different kind of activity.

(7) Autopsy

“Stop laughing! I couldn't sleep because of this nightmare!” Tony exclaimed, regretting that he had ever decided to tell his co-worker about the dream he had had last night.

“Ok, so let me summarize it.” Ziva said between her occasional laughs as she tried to subdue her amusement. “Me and Jimmy had an affair and we decided to kill you by performing autopsy while you were still alive?”

“Yes, and whenever he cut me, you kissed him.” Tony flatly added while Ziva was overpowered by another wave of laughter.

(8) Gremlin

“It’s a 1984 comedy horror classic, Jimmy. I even found a plushie for you.” Tony waved the plush toy in front of the face of pale Jimmy Palmer, setting in it on the DVD cover of Gremlins movie.

“Thanks, Tony.” Jimmy said hesitantly, hoping that Tony would never come up with ‘personalized’ gifts as he called it. Ziva, who had gotten a box of paperclips, silently agreed with him.

(9) Dress

“Can I talk for a second with Ziva in private?” Tony asked Abby, the bridesmaid, anxiously. He needed to see Ziva before she would walk down the aisle and marry CIRay right in front of his eyes. She nodded in agreement and slipped out of the room, letting him to go inside.

The moment he saw the Israeli bride, all words left him. Her wedding dress was the definition of beauty. The rich fluffy skirt, the lacy bodice hugging her curves perfectly, the perfect cleavage showing just enough of her natural treasures, the sequins, pearls and other decent decorations, the long veil waiting for her to place it into her hair – she looked like a Disney princess.

And in that moment he forgot all of his prepared speech about his true feelings for her. He realized that all he wanted for her was to be happy. Even if he wasn’t the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life with.

(10) Smash

Sound of breaking glass as she smashed everything made out of transparent material against the wall. Hebrew curses. More sounds of things being thrown in many directions. Thuds. Anger of losing a loved one, the person she loved the most on this world, prevailing over any other rational thought. All that was left was remorse. Wrath. Sadness. The second stage of grief over the loss of her husband Tony has just begun.

(11) Abby

Abby persistently pushed the elevator button down in her floor, wondering why the hell the elevator just wouldn’t move. She had important results to show to Gibbs and considering his injuries from the previous case, she didn’t want him to trudge to her lab. When the elevator finally arrived to her floor and the door opened, she found herself face to face with Tony and Ziva whose reddened cheeks were telling enough. Abby slowly smiled, no longer annoyed. Her suspicions were confirmed. Those two were making out in the elevator!

(12) Language

“How many languages do you even speak?” Tony wiped his eyebrow that got wet under the drops of sweat on his forehead. He was getting too old for such quick running. He was no Usain Bolt. Yet, he was forced to start dashing when Ziva had uttered apparently pretty vulgar remark towards the man they had been speaking to. It was better to run than to involve in a fight with a bunch of the man’s friends who appeared out of nowhere.

“It doesn’t matter, as long as I speak with the language of love.” Ziva replied, pressing her lips on his, stealing his breath away.

(13) Boss

“Are you saying that I’m supposed to be boss now, boss?” Tony asked incredulously, watching the older man in front of him. Gibbs’ retirement was something he expected to happen one day, but still dreaded it in the same time.

“You’re competent enough for that job, DiNozzo.” Gibbs squeezed his shoulder, expressing confidence in his successor.

(14) Phone

“Tell me, what are you wearing?” Tony whispered sensually into the receiver, his legs propped up against his desk. He was alone in the darkened office, ruining his back over the pile of paperwork.

“I’m not having phone sex with you, Tony.” Ziva refused and ended the call, throwing her phone on the couch in her apartment. She stared at it for a moment, biting her thumb in contemplation.

Half a minute later, the phone in the NCIS bullpen on the desk of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo rang.

(15) Investigation 

Tony stared at the file in front of him. He refused to believe that the investigation was over. Well, over... It was seized. Suspended. Listed as unsolved. When you have no witnesses, no cameras, no traces of tires, simply nothing to hold on to, you can hardly investigate a crime. And yet, Tony felt that he hadn’t done enough. His father was killed. Ran over by a car in the middle of an unlit street. Nobody head heard or seen anything. No clues. No hints. No traces. No suspects. Only a victim.

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder and he was immediately grateful to have her here with him. “How could you deal with it?” He asked her as she knew the feeling of losing a father like no one else.

“The official investigation might over, Tony. But the one in your heart and your mind will never stop until you know who did it and bring him to justice.” She said in a knowing tone. “And I promise you we will find the bastard who killed him. I will personally take care of it.”

(16) Magic

Her eyes lowered and her cheeks flushed with dark crimson. The magic of Anthony DiNozzo’s smile was sometimes embarrassingly efficient and she found herself in a state when she couldn’t deny him a single thing. Maybe it had also something to do with the face she was a little bit in love with him.

(17) Explosion

The steady beeping sound of the life monitor seemed like a music to her as opposed to the terrifying sounds of the explosion she’d heard and witnessed a couple of hours ago. Tony lay in the hospital bed in barbiturate-induced coma with scratches all over his body as the shrapnel had cut into his flesh while the building he had been in had blown into pieces. She’d never felt to scared in her life. And it had awakened something in her, as well. It was different than with the members of her family who had been taken away from her too soon. They were hers, they were part of her. Tony had never belonged to her as she had been to coward to tell him how she felt about him. But she vowed, at this very moment, that if he would pull through this, she would change it as soon as she had the chance. Tony DiNozzo was about to find out the extension of her love for him.

(18) Agent

“I’m Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, nice to meet you.” Tony introduced himself to a witness they were supposed to question in their latest case. “And this is my wife, Special Agent Ziva DiNozzo.”

(19) Paris

Ziva stood in front the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and watched its glow as the darkness settled in. She was getting nervous, feverishly wondering whether Orli hadn’t been joking and Tony had really found her secret message in Israel where she’d informed him about couple of things that needed to be said, including where he might find her. She had suggested a place and time for their ‘date’. She couldn’t imagine any better location for their reunion. Paris was the symbol of their friendship, their love. She could never forget what had happened here a couple of years ago. Suddenly, she had a feeling that someone was watching her. When she turned around, her eyes welled up with tears as she saw her daughter she’d missed so much over the last few weeks in the arms of the man she loved more than herself.

(20) Wedding

She walked down the aisle on her wedding day and observed the faces of the people she loved dearly and who came here to celebrate her and Tony’s happiness with them. For a moment, she had doubts about being able to go through this but in the end, it seemed as a piece of cake. When you marry a man who had crossed the world twice for you to find you, defying all orders and rules, you just know that he is the right one. And there’s nothing easier than seal the mutual love in front of those who had witness their hardships and supported them in their hard times.

(21) Father

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, Gibbs.” Ziva started, feeling more nervous than ever in her life. “You are probably the closest thing I’ve had to a father. Especially after my coming to the United States. You somehow filled the void in my heart that was left there after my parents divorced. And considering my own father is now dead and the wedding is just around the corner, I wanted to ask you... Will you give me away?”

Gibbs approached her and kissed her on her cheek. “It’ll be my honour, Ziver.”

(22) Family

“With this ring I thee wed and I fully accept you as part of me. You once told me that family is more than blood. That it’s something I build around myself. My friends. People I trust. And people I unconditionally love. I couldn’t ever imagine how right you were. You are the one I unconditionally love. You are the one I trust with my life, my heart and my soul. You are my dearest friend. You are my family. And I will do everything to preserve it until the end of time and beyond that.”

Ziva’s quivering voice as she recited her vow had almost caused a heart attack to Tony. This was really a wedding of their dreams. And he was marrying the woman he loved the most. He was the luckiest guy on this planet.

(23) Friend

“Well, that’s the problem, Ziva.” Tony countered to her words, “I can’t be friends with you anymore. My heart just can’t accept it. Not when it knows it has a chance.”

Ziva stood in front of him, running out of words. That was not how she’d imagined their conversation, how she would tell him that he needed to be patient as she was in a hard place and she had to be careful while making her decisions. She couldn’t mindlessly enter a relationship with him, but he couldn’t and didn’t want to understand it.

He turned away from her and started to walk away. That was end of their friendship and practically everything between them. He couldn’t continue in being friendly to her when all he was thinking about constantly was to show her how much he loved her.

He was more than surprised, then, when her hand reached for his arm, turned him back to her and her lips crashed on his in a passionate way that made him lose his mind. That certainly wasn’t a kiss between friends.

(24) Daughter

“How are you going to name her?” Abby asked as she held the newborn daughter of her friends in her hands, while McGee stood behind her back, gushing over the baby’s cuteness just as her.

Tony looked at exhausted, yet smiling and incredibly happy Ziva. “Tali.” They both answered in unison.

(25) Gibbs

“Hell, it’s about time.” Gibbs uttered, seeing his two agents breaking the Rule 12 right in front of his eyes. (This is sort of a honour of a character named Tychus from Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty video game. I just can’t get the sentence out of my head, always imagining Gibbs saying it.)

[loudlooks]

Coincidence Ch2

As promised, the second part of the Kill Ari AU I’m posting for Tiva Fic Amnesty.

More details in the A/N of Part 1

Word count: 2370 

“You tried to kill me this morning,” Tony said, not taking his eyes of Ziva.

Ziva’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. Clearly she had underestimated this Agent DiNozzo. There was no way he could’ve known it was her on the rooftop. He must’ve put two and two together and figured that her bumping into him earlier that day was not a coincidence.

“If I had tried to kill you, you would not be standing here.”

“That’s what your sister said. So why didn’t you? Didn’t want to remove my handsome features from the gene pool?” he quipped. When in doubt, deflect with humor, that was his motto, anyway. His joking had proved useful on many occasions; distracting suspects, putting victims at ease. It also earned him a head slap from his boss every now and then.

The fact that he wasn’t on the floor in a pool of his own blood reassured him, ever so slightly, that Ziva must have had a good reason not to kill him. Having a gun aimed at his head was getting on his nerves, though.

“You can lower the gun, you know, I’m unarmed. It’s surprisingly hard to bring a gun into Israel, even for a US federal agent with all the right papers.”

He was pretty sure she already knew he was a federal agent, but figured it couldn’t hurt to remind her. The US government would not take kindly to a dead federal agent on Israeli soil. And Israel needed all the help they could get from their allies.

“You do not need a gun to kill someone,” Ziva replied

“Well, I don’t see anything here I could possibly use as a weapon, so I think –“

He had been slowly lowering his hands, when a little flick upwards of the barrel of the gun made him think better of it.

“Seriously, I’m not a threat,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice calm and even. “I’m in Israel to find information on the Hamas terrorist who killed my partner.”

For the second time, he saw Ziva’s eyes narrow. That had clearly struck a nerve.

She said something in Hebrew, and he saw Tali give him a look of sympathy, before walking towards another room. He swallowed hard, this did not look good for him.

He opened his mouth to postpone whatever would surely be coming next, when he saw Ziva nod towards one of the chairs.

“Hands on the table.”

Sitting down slowly, placing his hands on the table he noticed a slight change in her expression. She seemed somewhat amused by the way he had reacted to her sending her sister to another room.

Sliding the chair opposite him away from the table and sitting down, she put away her gun.

This seemed to ease his nerves. At least, until Ziva commented that there were at least five other objects within arm’s reach that she could kill him with.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Tony deadpanned.

“Talk.”

Tony had been told to shut up plenty of times, never to start talking. So in order to try and throw the Israeli off her game, he started rattling off his life story. Beginning at his earliest memories at the age of three.

She indulged him for a couple of minutes. When he was telling the story, in detail, of how he had set fire to his parents’ kitchen at the age of five, though, Ziva realized they could be there all week.

“I created a very extensive background file on you, Agent DiNozzo-“

“That’s Very Special Agent DiNozzo,” he interrupted.

“I suggest you start talking voluntarily about what you’re doing here. Unless you want me to practice my interrogation techniques on you. Techniques which happen to be very illegal in the US.”

Staring her in the eye for a couple of seconds, he concluded that his usual banter wouldn’t faze her. Remembering the look Tali had given him and the fact that he was out here with no back-up, he figured telling the truth would seriously increase his chances of not being sent home in a body bag. Assuming the Israelis wouldn’t just make his body disappear altogether.

Explaining everything that happened, from a certain Hamas terrorist breaking into the Navy Yard to standing next to his partner when she was shot, he ended with how he had come to Tel Aviv trying to find out where Ari was.

Even though her face remained expressionless throughout, her eyes told she was unaware of the details of what went down in the US with Hamas.

“Now you know my story, tell me, why does the IDF want me dead?”

“Who says the IDF wants you dead?” she replied.

“I saw the picture of you in uniform…” He touched a finger to his lips. “Wait, you’re not IDF anymore are you?”

A smirk appeared on Ziva’s face, when she saw the intrigue on Tony’s face.

“You’re Mossad,” he said matter of factly.

He started grinning, unable to hide how much he liked how this situation was turning into something out of a Bond movie. He briefly wondered if he would be as successful with this exotic female spy as Bond always was in the movies.

Before he could make a lewd Bond girl reference, though, Ziva’s cell phone rang. Never taking her eyes of him, smirk still in place because of the excitement she now saw in his eyes, she answered the phone.

From the tone of the conversation, Tony concluded it wasn’t going well.

“Lover’s quarrel?” he said as she hung up the phone, a look of annoyance gracing her beautiful features.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she said “That was the deputy director of Mossad…inquiring why you are still alive.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but I’ve been wondering the same thing. From what I’ve gathered from your sister, you’re not exactly the type to question orders.”

“What evidence do you have that Ari killed your partner?”

Tony weighed his options after she completely ignored his question; refusing cooperation with the agency that put a hit on him, trying to charm her pants off, or trusting his gut and confiding in the assassin that was sent to kill him. He didn’t exactly see the first two options ending well—very graphic images of a bullet in his head and a possible castration came to mind—he decided to go with his gut.

“We matched the bullet that killed Kate to his rifle.”

“That is hardly evidence,” Ziva said.

“A little bird at the FBI told us Ari’s actually a Mossad operative, working deep undercover. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” Tony studied her face, hoping she would give away something. Anything. Then he continued, “Everything we’ve been able to dig up so far points to Ari having gone rogue. Is that why your director wants me dead? Because he doesn’t want anyone to find out he lost control of one of his officers?”

“Ari has not gone rogue.”

The clipped tone of voice and flash of anger he had seen on her face, told Tony he had finally gotten under her skin. He took that as a sign to probe around some more. Maybe he’d finally get some answers this time.

“Looks like I struck a cord,” he said.

Her brow furrowed, not understanding.

“What is he, your boyfriend?”

No reaction. Not exactly what he’d expected. Seeing how her face had gone completely blank again, Tony was pretty sure she wouldn’t lose control again.

Ignoring the question, she said, “My orders were to kill a rogue NCIS agent who took up communication with Ari’s terrorist group.” She looked at him pointedly, leaving no room for error as to who that NCIS agent was. “I hope you realize that if you ever tell anyone about what I just told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“You’re all about the killing aren’t you?” he said, not sure what to make of this turn of events. “Where exactly did Mossad get that information from?”

“Ari.”

Tony felt his eyes go wide, realizing he was in real trouble if the deputy director of Mossad believed one of his undercover operatives, who had clearly crossed over to the dark side. With no back-up, he had no choice but to trust the Mossad officer in front of him to help him set things straight. Seeing as Ziva clearly wasn’t allowed to discuss her mission with anyone, there’s no way she would allow him to call the director of NCIS to clear things up with Mossad.

“Look, I know you have no reason to trust me- “

“You are right, I do not.”

“But,” he continued, “I told you the truth.” He looked in her eyes, willing her to believe him.

“I believe him,” Tali said, standing in the doorway.

Ziva hadn’t taken her eyes of Tony the whole conversation, but now her eyes quickly darted into the direction of her sister. Tony realized having Tali there could be to his advantage; maybe Tali could convince Ziva to help him.

“If I truly had gone rogue, joining Hamas, why would I’ve bothered to save an Israeli during a Hamas bombing?”

Again, Ziva’s eyes flicked towards Tali, who was now standing at Tony’s side of the table. Ziva had to give her credit for staying well outside of his reach, though, should he try something desperate. Biting his tongue—he had the feeling starting to babble would increase the risk of Ziva becoming frustrated and taking it out on him—he just kept looking into her eyes.

He could tell she was putting all the pieces together, trying to come up with a logical conclusion to the predicament they found themselves in. Should she trust him, a foreign agent, over a coworker? Tony wasn’t so sure she would. The increasing doubt he saw in her eyes didn’t give him much hope.

Fortunately, Tali explained Tony didn’t know they were sisters until he saw Ziva’s picture on the mantle and asked about her.

Opening the first aid kit she had brought in from the other room, Tali inquired, in a tone that told her sister it was not open for discussion, if it was okay to care for Tony’s wounds. She knew enough about Mossad interrogations that tending to a prisoner’s wounds wasn’t even on the list, unless there was a chance of the prisoner dying before spilling the information they needed. Ziva nodded her consent and Tali asked him to remove his shirt so she could check his injuries.

He couldn’t stop the smirk that formed on his lips as he watched Ziva’s eyes lower to his chest after he had removed his shirt.

“If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask.”

“Just making sure my earlier assessment of your level of fitness was correct,” she replied. The unimpressed look she gave him, brought his ego down a notch or two. Not so much because of what she’d said , but the way she’d said it. He’d been on the receiving end of comments like that before from female coworkers, including his late partner Kate. The main difference was that they always sounded snarky, which Tony took as proof that he was getting under their skin, making them uncomfortable. Their body language always gave them away. Ziva, however, wasn’t giving anything away. And trying to determine whether she really was unimpressed or just very good at hiding it was giving him a headache.

While Tali took care of his injuries, which were as he'd assumed relatively superficial and didn't require stitching, Tony tried again to get the Mossad agent on his side. Ziva eventually suggested to set up a meeting between Tony and Ari. She would stay in the background, in case anything went wrong and Ari did turn out to be a double agent.

She left the room to call Ari and set up the meeting. And while he could hear, but not understand the hushed Hebrew coming from the other room. The fact that Tali appeared to have become increasingly more nervous during the conversation about Ari, hadn't escaped his attention. She seemed to be more focused on trying to listen in on the phone call than tend to his wounds. There was definite worry on her face.

He was just about to ask her what was wrong, when Ziva entered the room again, a hard look on her face. She briefly glanced at Tony, before turning her gaze on her younger sister.

Whatever Tali asked her sister in Hebrew made Tony wonder whether teaming up with a Mossad agent who was defying orders to meet with another Mossad agent who had gone rogue was such a bright idea. He didn't have any back-up, besides Ziva, and to be completely honest, he wasn't entirely convinced she was coming along as his back-up or Ari's.

He could see something shift in Ziva's eyes after hearing her sister’s distressed question. There was conflict there. Looking back at Tali he could see conflict on her face as well. He was clearly missing out on some important detail.

Ziva's answer came in a clipped tone, and he could tell she was trying hard not to let any emotion show.

Tali looked away, blinking rapidly. He could tell she was trying hard not to cry. Tired of not knowing what was going on between them, he directed his attention to Tali, thinking he had a better chance of getting a glimpse of an answer from her than from the Mossad officer.

"Do you know Ari?"

Before her sister had a chance to answer, Ziva replied "Yes, he came over to discuss a mission a couple of months ago." She gave her sister a look which clearly told her the conversation was over. "You are meeting Ari at an abandoned warehouse in an hour," she said. "We can be there in 15 minutes. I suggest we leave now and discuss the details on the way over. Ari will not be able to make it there sooner, so we will have the advantage of inspecting the warehouse layout before the meeting."