Chapter Text
Even at this late hour, the bullpen was bustling. Ringing phones, conversational agents, the whir of the photocopier. The MCRT was wrapping up their final reports for the case they closed yesterday. As Ziva proofread the final paragraph of her report, her IM dinged.
DiNozzo, T: Almost done?
David, Z: Yes. You?
DiNozzo, T: Just sent it to the printer.
DiNozzo, T: I thought tonight we could watch a movie at my place?
Outwardly, Ziva’s expression did not change. However, internally, she was curious as to the modification in what had become their routine: after work, they would go to her place. On the weekends, they’d spend time at Tony’s apartment, until they left for the evening, and then would end up back at Ziva’s. Ziva could count on one hand the times during the past three weeks they had slept in their own beds. She was intrigued.
David, Z: Depends on the movie. And what you are cooking.
From across the bullpen, Tony smiled.
DiNozzo, T: Whatever you want. And whatever you want.
DiNozzo, T: As long as what you want is some kind of pasta.
Ziva chuckled. Tony was a good cook, but probably hadn’t been grocery shopping in quite some time. Ziva was the better chef in the relationship anyway.
David, Z: That is acceptable :)
They were both brought out of their conversation by Gibbs.
“Where are those reports?!”
A chorus of “nearly there”, “printing now”, and “almost finished” rang out.
“Ok, so I really wasn’t kidding about the pasta”, Tony said as he and Ziva walked up to his apartment. “We can order in if you’d rather something different?”.
“Pasta is fine, Tony. Truthfully, I am almost too tired to be hungry”.
“Is that so, Ms. David? Hmmmm”, he playfully teased as he unlocked his front door. “Then I guess it’s a good thing we have somewhere comfortable to bunk down”, he smiled as he let her into his apartment.
Ziva was skeptical, but managed, somehow, not to roll her eyes. She wouldn’t call the prospect of sleeping on Tony’s couch ‘comfortable’.
“No, not there”, Tony chided when he saw Ziva looking at his couch. He took her by the shoulders and steered her into his room. There, in the middle of the space, sat a new queen-sized bed.
“Oh!”, Ziva gasped, and then turned out of his grasp to look at him. He was smiling from ear-to-ear.
“I didn’t think it was fair to always be staying at your place. And I thought you’d like might like a change of scenery every now and again”.
“Tony, I…I did not mind”, she said quietly, shock still written on her face.
Ziva was stunned. She couldn’t believe he’d buy a whole new bed set just so she’d be comfortable (they tried, once, to sleep on his bed. That’s how Ziva knew the couch was not a comfortable option). No romantic partner before had been so thoughtful as to consider her comfort (the same could be said for the activities they did on the bed). But what if their relationship didn’t work out? What then? He’d be left with a reminder of what was, and she would always feel guilty – more guilty than she knew she’d feel – of being the cause of this change.
Tony could see the cogs in her brain practically flying off their axes. He placed both hands back on her shoulders.
“I can see your mind spinning, Ziva. I wanted to do this. I want you to be comfortable in my apartment. I think what we have – what we’re building – is good”, he smiled as she relaxed marginally under his hands, “and I didn’t want something as stupid as owning a single bed to ruin anything”.
Ziva smiled at him and rolled up onto her toes to kiss him. Her arms came to rest on his shoulders while his wound around her waist. When he tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled back.
“No one has ever considered me like this, Tony. But, what…” she began to say, but was cut off by Tony’s lips back on hers. It was a gentle kiss, mostly to stop her train of thought, but also to convey something else.
“Listen. The only thing this changes is where we sleep. There isn’t pressure for anything more. So, no ‘buts’, ok?”, he leaned down for a quick peck.
She smiled up at him and ran her hands through his hair. “Ok”.
Another thought crossed her mind. “When did you have time to buy a new bed?”.
A blush began to spread up his neck. She quirked an eyebrow.
“Oh, um, well, you know…”, he stuttered, greatly amusing Ziva.
“You can tell me, Tony”.
“Ah, well, ok, maybe, I don’t know, two-ish weeks ago?”. He tried to gauge her reaction when her hands left the back of his head and settled on the forearms he still had around her waist.
“You’ve had this for the last two weeks?”, she asked, confused.
“No, no. Just since this morning, actually. I ordered it two-ish weeks ago. It was delivered and assembled this afternoon. My neighbour let them in”.
“Ohhhhhhh”, she said, turning her head to look at the bed. The fact he ordered a new bed so soon after they ‘officially’ started dating was…what? Presumptuous? Thoughtful? Should she be uncomfortable? Or flattered?
When she looked back to Tony, she landed on thoughtful and flattered. His slightly panicked expression had her heart melting. He really did just want to do something nice for her. And here she was, making him feel as though he had crossed a line.
She broke out in a smile, moved her hands to frame his face, and kissed him. She hoped this lip lock was conveying her gratitude. And excitement. Not only for where this night was quickly headed, but for the path this relationship was on.
When she pulled away, she was gratified to see Tony’s slightly dumbstruck expression.
“Thank you”, she said sincerely. He smiled and rubbed her sides.
“Now”, she said, with more of an authoritatively teasing tone, pulling him with her as she backed up towards the bed, “I think it is time we tested this out, yes?”.
Tony grinned that playboy grin she so loved now that she was on the receiving end of it. “Only if you’re not too tired, Ziva. Or too hungry?”.
She smirked at him as she began to undo the knot in his tie. “I think we have more important things to do tonight”.
“I couldn’t agree more”.