#tiva in the time of quarantine

[factoffictionwriter]

This is stupid, Tony thought to himself as he stared at his own image on his phone screen and adjusted the old, faded NCIS cap on his head. Completely and totally stupid. Why am I doing this? What even is the point here?

He sighed, lowering the phone and glancing up at the streetlight just in time to catch the walk signal.

The streets of New York City were empty, especially at this hour. He'd spent just over two months in Ziva's Unofficial Academy of the Early Risers (a school in which he had no more say in enrollment than he had in the half dozen boarding schools he'd attended in his life), and his time spent in America felt a whole lot like a midterm. Getting up at the buttcrack of dawn was easy when you had a pushy bedmate to grunt, rollover, and pull half the covers off you in the process of getting up. It was much harder, he found, to maintain the habit when said pushy bedmate was halfway around the world and therefore unable to ease the blow of a blaring alarm clock with a cup of coffee and a good morning kiss.

But alas, he'd managed to maintain his 'proper' morning routine: up by 5, first cup of coffee at 5:05, early morning run by 5:30, second cup of coffee by 5:35, and the rest of the morning to laze around on the couch until it came time to clock in and work (lazing on the couch was a new addition. Back home, such time would be taken up the daily grind of getting a 5-year-old - who unfortunately inherited his sleeping habits instead of her mother's - from bed to bath to school. Funny how he almost wished he could be helping in that routine these days. Almost.)

He'd come to truly cherish those quieter moments of the morning spent huddled around a coffee pot or a muted laptop with his partner. Now his mornings seemed to drag on, and he'd started using any excuse just to run to the corner store. If he went at this hour, there were hardly ever crowds - and the shelves were normally fully stocked.

As he approached another intersection, he noticed a group of what appeared to be teenagers taking up the majority of the sidewalk a little ways in front of him.

"Social Distancing, my love, is easier said than done in a city like New York. Tali and I would much rather have you here. Safe."

"Hm. Did you know Paris has almost twice as many people per square mile compared to New York City?"

Even from thousands of miles apart, he could feel her utter lack of amusement.

"I'm serious, Zi. Things are bad everywhere. I'm just as safe here as I am at home - maybe even safer since I haven't gotten on a plane lately. I'm way more worried about you. You haven't left the house lately, right?"

She let out a slow sigh, clearly signaling that she, much like he, had grown tired of her partner's constant concern.

"No. I have remained home with Tali since the day I spoke with the doctor. Elizabeth has been kind enough to drop off groceries and pick up prescriptions - though I suspect you had a hand in that."

Elizabeth was the high schooler across the street who watched Tali from time to time. He may have - a confession that would never hold up in a court of law - given her a call as soon as he understood the scope of this whole situation. And he may have offered her twice her babysitting rate plus a little bonus for every prescription she fills to go to the store and make sure the girls had everything they needed.

"I just wanted to know that you guys were taken care of."

"Then come on home and take care of us yourself."

Now it was his turn to sigh. Every conversation ended like this these days. Her asking him to come home, him refusing, and both of them growing too frustrated to even muster a quality goodbye. Something had to give. He couldn't keep ending things like this.

[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

[babyitsbeautiful]

TV Show Challenge- How long have you been a fan?

In the midst of quarantine and time not exsisting, here’s a challenge to get your fandom brain thinking.

Think of all the shows you’ve watched over the years, both past and present. Think about the very first episode you watched, the first scene you ever saw. Was it a show you saw a preview of and started from the beginning? A show you saw copious amounts of gifs of on here and knew you had to see it?

I’ve made a list of 20 shows I have been a fan of. You can go by mine or choose your own(doesn’t have to be twenty, I just wanted to provide a wide variety), the only rule is that it has to be a show you started while still airing new weekly, regardless of if it’s not currently on now. (I.e. netflix binges for cancelled shows after the fact don’t count because you weren’t watching live and didn’t live through the torture of waiting a week for a new episode. Lol. But binges to catch up to watch live do count)

Cue the nostalgia:

Supernatural- First episode watched on The WB- 1x13 “Route 666” - Fan ever since.

Once Upon A Time- A tumblr motive to watch. Binged S1-S3A in time to catch the premiere of S3B live on ABC on Sundays. Fan until the end.

NCIS: Los Angeles- First episode watched was 3x21 because of the Five-0 crossover. Waited until after season 3 to catch up only on Deeks’ two season one episodes and then all of S2 and S3- Fan ever since.

NCIS- 7x01 Truth is Consequences. Tiva did me in. Caught up on S3-S6 (Skipped Zivaless seasons) fan throughout Season 12ish. Left, came back to watch Tony’s departure and other Tiva centric episodes.

How To Get Away With Murder- Fan since day one.

Grey’s Anatomy- Started on Day One- Pilot, Fan through S3 or S4 (can’t remember exactly) and then stopped watching for a while, came back continuously in S8 and currently am a fan. (For now, still pissed about Alex)

The Vampire Diaires- Fan since day one.

Smallville- Started in S5 while still on The WB, binged S4 (didn’t care for loisless seasons) and remained a fan until the end.

Hawaii Five-0- Fan since day one.

One Tree Hill- Started in S3 I believe. I think it was also still on The WB. Caught up later and remained a fan until the end.

Lucifer- Started after season one was complete and before season 2 aired. Fan ever since.

Game of Thrones- Binged S1-S6 in time to be caught up for S7 premiere on HBO- Fan ever since, despite the hellacious final season.

Scandal- Fan since day one.

White Collar- Fan since day one.

Scorpion- Fan since day one.

Pretty Little Liars- Fan since day one.

Hart of Dixie- Fan since day one.

Charmed (Original)- Started in S6 I think. Binged to catch up for current season 6 episodes, fan ever since.

Lost- Started on Pilot, stopped watching around S4ish. I don’t fucking remember and I’m glad I stopped, ngl.

Chicago P.D.- Fan from the Pilot until Sophia Bush left. Started for her and ended for her. Was not a fan without Erin Lindsay tbh.

Cut and paste in a new post with your own answers/stories.

Happy thinking. :)

[ttiva]

Hello. Do you have any Tiva fanfiction recommendations to help with thw quarantine? Preferably newer ones but any stories will do. Thank you :)

hello!

i’ll be honest, i haven’t read fanfiction in a fair few years, so can’t recommend new stuff (anyone who does still read- feel free to recommend some in the replies!)

however, i will refer you to the bookshelf of fanfiction i created many years ago!

my all-time favourite tony & ziva fics are the treading water series (lowkey i may reread this for the fifth time lol) and the rules of engagement series!

hope this helped :)

[aksannyi]

SWAK has always been one of my favorite NCIS episodes, but I wish it had would up in a later season rather than the 2nd one, especially because I would have loved to see Ziva in Kate’s place when Tony was sick. What do you think their dynamic would have been like there if that episode had fallen in season 9 or 10 when everything was going so well for Tiva?

I think if it had happened in that context then I would not be currently alive and answering this ask, anon. Because the way Cote/Michael would have played that scene and the feels from Ziva being there with Tony as he slowly coughed his life away would have fucking legit killed me dead.

Think about when his car blew up. Now multiply that times 50. I think, honest to goodness, at this point in time, Ziva would have been a Mess. A pure and absolute Mess. I don’t know if she would have been able to hold back, despite how damn good at it she was.

(Let the record show that she would have promised him certain death for taking the goddamn envelope in the first place when all was said and done because how dare you make me watch you almost die so painfully like that)

Oh dude. There is so much wealth here. I want to hope that Ziva would stay with him the way Kate did. But I think as soon as she was cleared from illness she would have run around and tore heaven and hell apart herself to find who did this and make them pay. For hurting her Tony. (Yes, her Tony.) And then when they got whoever it was, she’d have busted her fucking way back into quarantine to be like, “Okay, we got the bitch, now you have to get better because you’re not fucking dying, okay?”

And he’d be like, “Idk if I can make that promise” and she’d threaten him with more death if he didn’t live lol. But underneath that you’d see the true care in her gaze, the way she looks at him with worry, fear, and (of course) love, and the way he knows all this and appreciates her way of covering her tracks because he also knows that she’s still not secure enough to voice these feelings, even in these circumstances. But late at night, when she thinks he’s asleep - the coughing has subsided for a short time and his eyes are closed, his breathing is raspy but even, and she’s crying softly, tears rolling down her cheeks, her hand grasping his, and she begs him not to die because (she chokes on a sob and draws in a shaky breath)… she loves him, and she wishes she could have said it before.

(And he does hear her, because who sleeps with the plague?) (But he keeps that to himself, because this is enough for now, and it’s…) Wait, why is he reaching his hand to cup her cheek, his eyes opening slowly and a weak smile on his face? Because in my world, they don’t silently pine over each other and they admit how they fucking feel, dammit.

And can you imagine that moment? Her momentary panic that he’d heard coupled with her relief at his acceptance, that it’s out there? His silent understanding? The gaze they’d share as the weight of her words washes over the both of them?

And then Gibbs or Ducky (tbh I can’t remember) bursts in and says the disease will die out on its own and Tony can probably recover and their eyes widen and now they will have to deal with this and…

Okay yes, I would kill for this anon. Thanks.