Silent Actions
Title: Silent Actions
Length/Word Count: 1286
Pairing/Characters: Tony/Ziva
Prompt: Prompt #51 Kisses for 100_tales
Rating: PG-13... bordering on R?
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox ... I'm just playing in it. I'll clean up when I'm done.
Summary: Silence is the first comfort, being together is the second. Takes place after 8x23 Swan Song
Author Notes: I'm so tired ... but I can't sleep and this forced its way out. It needs a part two ... it may not get done until after the finale
After EJ’s screams, the silence followed them everywhere. It followed them to the warehouse and then to the hospital. The silence had become their friend while they watched EJ’s team being loading into ambulances. By the time they were sitting in hard orange chairs in the ER waiting room, the silence was the only thing that felt familiar.
Tony has only nodded as the doctor explained that the fate of the other team. Cade and Levin had both lost a lot of blood, but were stable. In addition to the gunshot wound, Cade also had a dislocated shoulder from tackling Lt Cobb’s off of EJ. EJ had fared worse, losing a great deal of blood, but the doctors were confident that if she made it thought the next twenty-four hours, the chances were good that she would recover.
Ziva had silently taken his hand as they left the hospital. She led the way to his car, and took his keys. He didn’t object when she slip into the driver’s seat, and didn’t say a word as she ran stop signs and sped through yellow lights.
The silence was still there as Ziva unlocked the door to her apartment and tossed her keys onto the small table in the entry. They shed their coats, leaving them thrown across a chair instead of hanging them. Tony headed to the sofa to retreat into his own solitude, and Ziva to the kitchen to work her feelings out by cooking.
She forced him to take the plate of flatbread covered in kalamata olives with fresh mozzarella melted overtop. She didn’t have to force him to take the glass of wine that she handed to him. They ate in silence, a muted black and white movie playing on the television.
It wasn’t until she finished eating that the weight of the day hit her and her tears fell unhindered for the first time since Frank’s death. Tony set his uneaten plate of food aside and pulled her closer to him, catching her tears with his thumb and brushing them away.
He leaned closer, his eyes dark, the way they had been in the elevator before it opened onto Abby and McGee. She thought he was going to kiss her then, she knew he was going to kiss her now. His lips gently touched her, and she surprised herself by not pulling away. He broke the kiss first and his eyes sheepishly met hers. When she didn’t say anything he pulled her closer and kissed her for a second time. This time she kissed him back, her lips parting, allowing him to explore her mouth. She moaned softly against his lips before pulling away to break the silence.
“No .”
Tony leaned in, nuzzling her neck with his nose and he placed soft kisses over her collarbone. “Yes.”
She pulled away. “We cannot do this. What about Franks? What about EJ? He team? The killer?”
Tony took her hands in his, and silently looked at them. He turned them over, palm side up and gently kissed both palms. “Franks is gone. EJ’s team will be fine, and will be back in Rota in no time. And we will catch the killer before he gets to anyone else.”
“What about you and EJ?” Ziva asked, the question leaving her mouth before she could stop it. She pulled her hands out of his and started picking at her nails.
Tony reached out and pulled her hands back to him. “It’s nothing.”
“It has not been nothing.” She said, staring at their hands. She bit her lower lip. “You cannot tell me she does not mean something.”
Tony reached out and cupped her chin with his hand. “You mean something.”
She shook her head.
“You have always meant something Ziva. But you won’t let me in. You let me close, but it’s not enough. EJ let me in; it wasn’t hard, it just happened. And I realized that what I want.” His hand slid to her neck as she tried to pull away. “But I don’t want it with EJ. I want that with you. I want you to let me in. I want you. Every other woman has become past tense. We were, she was, but you have always been my present and my future. I can’t live without you. I tried.”
“But EJ.”
“EJ knows I have feelings for you. She called me on it the first night we were together. She understands me Ziva. She and I both have itches that need scratched. It’s never been more than that. Yes I like her, yes we understand each other, but we don’t have anything that either of us has a problem walking away from.”
Tony pulled her to her feet and softly kissed her lips. Taking her hand he pulled her down the hall into her bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, he looked up at her. “It’s up to you Ziva.”
Ziva looked at him and then at the bed. Leaning down she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her onto the bed as his hand slipped under her shirt and across her lower back. She tensed as his fingers traced long faded scars, but he didn’t stop kissing her long enough to comment on them.
She didn’t stop him when he pulled her shirt over her head. Instead she laughed as he trailed kisses down her bare skin and across her stomach. Her grinned up at her when her ab muscles clenched from his tongue trailing over them.
His shirt followed hers onto the floor, and she ran her fingers across his back as her lips traced a path across his shoulder blade. He pulled her closer, his lips seeking hers, and she allowed herself to give into the feeling of being totally adored by another person. A moan escaped her lips and he pulled away with a smile.
“Was that a yes?”
She nodded up at him and then shook her head.
Tony slid further up onto the bed, and pulled her to him until her head was resting on his chest. Running his fingers through her hair, he gently kissed her forehead. “What’s up in that brain of yours?”
“I do not know.” She whispered as she placed a single kiss on the curve of his neck.
“Do you want this?” He asked slowly.
She nodded against him, not trusting her words.
“So why the uncertainty?”
“It is a lot.” She pulled away and looked up at him. “It is so fast.”
“It’s been 5 years Ziva. I don’t know if I can handle any slower.” He said with a low laugh. “I know I can’t handle 10 years.”
She leaned down and kissed him. “I do not need 5 more years. But I need more than a few minutes.”
Tony wrapped her hand in his, weaving their fingers together. “I will be here Ziva.”
She nodded, snuggling against him. “I do not want to be alone tonight, but I am not ready...”
“I can wait. That can wait. We have time for that Ziva. I will do this at your pace.” He said as he pulled her closer. He gently began to stroke her hair and she felt her eyes begin to drift shut.
“Soon.” She whispered to him. “I promise.”
She felt him laugh as sleep overtook her. She felt him pull a blanket over them as his hand continued to slowly stroke her hair. She cuddled against him, the remaining questions in her head falling silent as she breathed him in. There would be time for questions in the future. For now it was enough to allow herself to let him in.
Length/Word Count: 1286
Pairing/Characters: Tony/Ziva
Prompt: Prompt #51 Kisses for 100_tales
Rating: PG-13... bordering on R?
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox ... I'm just playing in it. I'll clean up when I'm done.
Summary: Silence is the first comfort, being together is the second. Takes place after 8x23 Swan Song
Author Notes: I'm so tired ... but I can't sleep and this forced its way out. It needs a part two ... it may not get done until after the finale
After EJ’s screams, the silence followed them everywhere. It followed them to the warehouse and then to the hospital. The silence had become their friend while they watched EJ’s team being loading into ambulances. By the time they were sitting in hard orange chairs in the ER waiting room, the silence was the only thing that felt familiar.
Tony has only nodded as the doctor explained that the fate of the other team. Cade and Levin had both lost a lot of blood, but were stable. In addition to the gunshot wound, Cade also had a dislocated shoulder from tackling Lt Cobb’s off of EJ. EJ had fared worse, losing a great deal of blood, but the doctors were confident that if she made it thought the next twenty-four hours, the chances were good that she would recover.
Ziva had silently taken his hand as they left the hospital. She led the way to his car, and took his keys. He didn’t object when she slip into the driver’s seat, and didn’t say a word as she ran stop signs and sped through yellow lights.
The silence was still there as Ziva unlocked the door to her apartment and tossed her keys onto the small table in the entry. They shed their coats, leaving them thrown across a chair instead of hanging them. Tony headed to the sofa to retreat into his own solitude, and Ziva to the kitchen to work her feelings out by cooking.
She forced him to take the plate of flatbread covered in kalamata olives with fresh mozzarella melted overtop. She didn’t have to force him to take the glass of wine that she handed to him. They ate in silence, a muted black and white movie playing on the television.
It wasn’t until she finished eating that the weight of the day hit her and her tears fell unhindered for the first time since Frank’s death. Tony set his uneaten plate of food aside and pulled her closer to him, catching her tears with his thumb and brushing them away.
He leaned closer, his eyes dark, the way they had been in the elevator before it opened onto Abby and McGee. She thought he was going to kiss her then, she knew he was going to kiss her now. His lips gently touched her, and she surprised herself by not pulling away. He broke the kiss first and his eyes sheepishly met hers. When she didn’t say anything he pulled her closer and kissed her for a second time. This time she kissed him back, her lips parting, allowing him to explore her mouth. She moaned softly against his lips before pulling away to break the silence.
“No .”
Tony leaned in, nuzzling her neck with his nose and he placed soft kisses over her collarbone. “Yes.”
She pulled away. “We cannot do this. What about Franks? What about EJ? He team? The killer?”
Tony took her hands in his, and silently looked at them. He turned them over, palm side up and gently kissed both palms. “Franks is gone. EJ’s team will be fine, and will be back in Rota in no time. And we will catch the killer before he gets to anyone else.”
“What about you and EJ?” Ziva asked, the question leaving her mouth before she could stop it. She pulled her hands out of his and started picking at her nails.
Tony reached out and pulled her hands back to him. “It’s nothing.”
“It has not been nothing.” She said, staring at their hands. She bit her lower lip. “You cannot tell me she does not mean something.”
Tony reached out and cupped her chin with his hand. “You mean something.”
She shook her head.
“You have always meant something Ziva. But you won’t let me in. You let me close, but it’s not enough. EJ let me in; it wasn’t hard, it just happened. And I realized that what I want.” His hand slid to her neck as she tried to pull away. “But I don’t want it with EJ. I want that with you. I want you to let me in. I want you. Every other woman has become past tense. We were, she was, but you have always been my present and my future. I can’t live without you. I tried.”
“But EJ.”
“EJ knows I have feelings for you. She called me on it the first night we were together. She understands me Ziva. She and I both have itches that need scratched. It’s never been more than that. Yes I like her, yes we understand each other, but we don’t have anything that either of us has a problem walking away from.”
Tony pulled her to her feet and softly kissed her lips. Taking her hand he pulled her down the hall into her bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, he looked up at her. “It’s up to you Ziva.”
Ziva looked at him and then at the bed. Leaning down she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her onto the bed as his hand slipped under her shirt and across her lower back. She tensed as his fingers traced long faded scars, but he didn’t stop kissing her long enough to comment on them.
She didn’t stop him when he pulled her shirt over her head. Instead she laughed as he trailed kisses down her bare skin and across her stomach. Her grinned up at her when her ab muscles clenched from his tongue trailing over them.
His shirt followed hers onto the floor, and she ran her fingers across his back as her lips traced a path across his shoulder blade. He pulled her closer, his lips seeking hers, and she allowed herself to give into the feeling of being totally adored by another person. A moan escaped her lips and he pulled away with a smile.
“Was that a yes?”
She nodded up at him and then shook her head.
Tony slid further up onto the bed, and pulled her to him until her head was resting on his chest. Running his fingers through her hair, he gently kissed her forehead. “What’s up in that brain of yours?”
“I do not know.” She whispered as she placed a single kiss on the curve of his neck.
“Do you want this?” He asked slowly.
She nodded against him, not trusting her words.
“So why the uncertainty?”
“It is a lot.” She pulled away and looked up at him. “It is so fast.”
“It’s been 5 years Ziva. I don’t know if I can handle any slower.” He said with a low laugh. “I know I can’t handle 10 years.”
She leaned down and kissed him. “I do not need 5 more years. But I need more than a few minutes.”
Tony wrapped her hand in his, weaving their fingers together. “I will be here Ziva.”
She nodded, snuggling against him. “I do not want to be alone tonight, but I am not ready...”
“I can wait. That can wait. We have time for that Ziva. I will do this at your pace.” He said as he pulled her closer. He gently began to stroke her hair and she felt her eyes begin to drift shut.
“Soon.” She whispered to him. “I promise.”
She felt him laugh as sleep overtook her. She felt him pull a blanket over them as his hand continued to slowly stroke her hair. She cuddled against him, the remaining questions in her head falling silent as she breathed him in. There would be time for questions in the future. For now it was enough to allow herself to let him in.