Confrontation Situation (NCIS, Tony/Ziva).
Title: Confrontation Situation (1/2)
Fandom: NCIS.
Pairing: Tony/Ziva.
Author Note: This is kind of a 'what if' fic, written and then abandoned in favour of Conversations at Night, which is why the style is so similar. Tony/Ziva are my favourite pairing in the show but despite that (or maybe because of that) I find them the hardest to write. I'm not thrilled with how this turned out but I've finally had to give up trying to rework it for the sake of my sanity, heh. 3,164 words total. 1,592 for this part.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"I can explain-"
"-breaking into a co-workers apartment and watching them sleep? Really, Ziva? Because I'm thinking that counts as a definite Red Light Situation, don't you? Not to mention, it's kind of creepy."
He stands with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed and stormy. His disapproval of her actions is clear but she finds herself distracted by his hair, which is sleep-tousled, spikes pointing in a dozen different directions. It reminds her of their under cover operation, when she'd woken to the same sight the first morning only to realise she finds it undeniably attractive.
His anger abates somewhat as the adrenaline surge subsides, the shock of finding her in his bedroom is slowly wearing off. His body language relaxes as he sighs a resigned sigh and pushes her over so he can reclaim his side of the bed. She sits up, moves obediently, curls her legs underneath her and waits for his eyes to meet hers.
"I want to know what you're hiding from me."
"What?"
"How can you ask me 'what'? The hospital visits, the two cellphones, the exhaustion and you, leaving work at all hours! Why?"
"It's none of your business!"
"You were wearing a hospital bracelet, Tony!"
"Which is also none of your business!"
"Of course it is! You are my partner, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then that makes it my business, you taught me that. Partners are supposed to trust each other, are they not? After all the time we've spent together, do you still not trust me?"
She's telling the truth - these are things that he has tried to teach her, qualities he's tried, in his own way, to instil. He's the one who encouraged her to talk, to open up, to share with him the way he thinks friends and partners should. It just figures that she's finally learnt those lessons now that he has to lie to her.
"I do trust you, Ziva, I just..."
"You just do not trust me enough to tell me what's wrong."
Hearing the words spoken out loud hurts so much more than she thought it would.
Tony often annoys her, can drive her crazy and sometimes make her want to kill him with her bare hands, but he's her partner and beyond that she considers him her friend, possibly even the best one she has. Despite the act he puts on, and she's sure it is mostly an act, she knows that if she ever needs his help and asks for it, he'll be there. Even with the tension and mistrust currently between them, she still believes that holds true.
"I can't tell you, Ziva. I swear, it's not that I don't want to, I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
He's caught between wanting desperately to tell her truth and knowing he absolutely can't blow his cover. He doesn't want to hurt Ziva and he knows that he is the longer he maintains his silence, but she can't know about what he's doing. He doesn't have permission to tell.
She swipes a hand across her face in what would seem to be an angry gesture if not for the sheen of tears he sees on her cheek as she turns her head, and that's the straw that breaks him because Ziva doesn't cry, has never cried in front of him, and knowing he's the cause breaks his heart.
"I think I should go, I can see that you clearly are not going to talk."
"Ziva, wait a minute, okay? Just-"
"No. I'm sorry I let myself in to your apartment. I will not be doing it again."
She takes a deep breath and makes to move from the bed, but Tony moves faster, slips an arm around her waist to keep her in place. She can break free of his hold if she wants to, they both know that, but she chooses to stay in his arms, press her cheek into his shoulder and wait to see what comes next.
His presence is a comfort and his body warms hers, chasing away the chill that set in when she first saw the hospital bracelet on his wrist. Under normal circumstances she would never allow herself to indulge in this kind of behaviour with him but tonight she doesn't care.
He tightens his grip and when he speaks his voice is a whisper.
"Don't go."
"Then tell me the truth."
There's a pleading note in her voice that he doubts she intends and it tears at his heart.
Although he feels something for Jeanne that he thinks could be genuine, he knows that a large part of them is who she thinks he is. She doesn't know Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and all the history that belongs to that man; Ziva does. She knows who he is, has seen him at his best and at his worst, and what he feels for her has always been more than just affection for a partner and friend.
He owes her the truth. Partnerships rely on trust - without it, they crumble.
"I need to make a phone call."
"To who?"
"Just- stay quiet while I do, okay?"
He waits until she nods her agreement and then lets her go as he reaches for the phone by his bed. He knows Jenny isn't going to be happy about a two am wake-up call, but he figures that'll soon be forgotten once he tells her what he's calling about.
Ziva shuffles closer so she can resume her earlier position, her head against his shoulder and her body close to his. It gives her the added benefit of being able to listen in on his conversation but he mentally shrugs that off in favour of keeping her close. She's going to find out who he's calling eventually.
"Sheppard."
Ziva's eyes widen and Tony puts a finger to her lips, his eyes commanding her silence. He can see the wheels beginning to turn and knows that whatever the outcome of the conversation, she can figure out at least the basics now. Ziva's smart and subterfuge is only one of the many languages in which she's fluent.
"Jenny."
"It's two am, Tony."
"I know. I have a slight situation here."
"Where are you? Are you all right?"
"It's okay, I'm at home, I'm fine. I have company, actually."
"You caught the part where it's two am, right, DiNozzo?"
"Right. Getting to the point. Your favourite ninja girl and mine is here- want to say hi?"
Ziva lifts her head momentarily to glare at him but it's mostly an act. She'll never admit to it but she likes some of the nicknames he's given her and ninja girl happens to be one of them, especially when it's accompanied by that particular teasing smile.
"Ziva's with you?"
"Uh huh."
"What does she know?"
"Hard to tell at this point. I need to tell her the truth, Jenny."
Jenny doesn't reply immediately and Tony feels a sinking in his stomach. He's blown this one, after months of preparation, just because he couldn't distract his partner long enough to do his job. He can imagine the disappointed look on Jenny's face and the guilt he feels at that is overwhelming.
Ziva's grip on him tightens and her breathing quickens ever so slightly as they both wait, silently, for an answer. He doesn't know what he's going to do if Jenny says no.
"Do we have any other choice here?"
"I don't think so. But I would have ended up asking eventually even if we did."
"I know, Tony."
Ziva feels better, somehow, knowing that Tony has wanted to tell her the truth. The pain his lies have caused her lessens, soothed by the new knowledge. It doesn't make things better but it does make them a little easier to accept.
"Outline only, enough to explain yourself and nothing more. The details remain under wraps."
"Understood."
"I'll see you in my office in the morning. Be early."
"I hate that you're a morning person."
Tony listens to Jenny's chuckle and relaxes. If she can take a joke then she can't be too mad at him. He's not thrilled with the early meeting - 'early' translates to 'before Gibbs gets in' which translates to 'should still be in bed, sleeping' - but if that's his only punishment, he'll gladly take it.
"Hey, Jenny?"
"Yes, Tony?"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise when you have nothing to apologise for. We'll work around this."
"And here's me thinking it was 'don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness.' Or... oh no. Don't tell me I have to learn 'Jenny's Rules' now too?"
Ziva thinks his sarcastic tone will surely annoy Jenny, but she hears only faint laughter echoing from the phone. This entire evening is turning out to be somewhat unbelievable, yet she's still grateful she chose to come here and set this particular chain of events in motion.
"Make sure Ziva knows that anything you tell her is confidential. And bring her with you tomorrow."
"I will."
"Try and get some sleep."
"I'll see what I can do. Good night, Jenny."
"Good night, Tony."
He clicks the phone off and throws it onto the bed. Ziva is still pressed against him; his arm still snug around her waist. He breathes in deeply, absorbing her familiar scent, and tries to collect his thoughts.
Now that he has permission to tell her the truth - or some of it at least - he has no idea where to start.
Part 2
Fandom: NCIS.
Pairing: Tony/Ziva.
Author Note: This is kind of a 'what if' fic, written and then abandoned in favour of Conversations at Night, which is why the style is so similar. Tony/Ziva are my favourite pairing in the show but despite that (or maybe because of that) I find them the hardest to write. I'm not thrilled with how this turned out but I've finally had to give up trying to rework it for the sake of my sanity, heh. 3,164 words total. 1,592 for this part.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"I can explain-"
"-breaking into a co-workers apartment and watching them sleep? Really, Ziva? Because I'm thinking that counts as a definite Red Light Situation, don't you? Not to mention, it's kind of creepy."
He stands with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed and stormy. His disapproval of her actions is clear but she finds herself distracted by his hair, which is sleep-tousled, spikes pointing in a dozen different directions. It reminds her of their under cover operation, when she'd woken to the same sight the first morning only to realise she finds it undeniably attractive.
His anger abates somewhat as the adrenaline surge subsides, the shock of finding her in his bedroom is slowly wearing off. His body language relaxes as he sighs a resigned sigh and pushes her over so he can reclaim his side of the bed. She sits up, moves obediently, curls her legs underneath her and waits for his eyes to meet hers.
"I want to know what you're hiding from me."
"What?"
"How can you ask me 'what'? The hospital visits, the two cellphones, the exhaustion and you, leaving work at all hours! Why?"
"It's none of your business!"
"You were wearing a hospital bracelet, Tony!"
"Which is also none of your business!"
"Of course it is! You are my partner, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then that makes it my business, you taught me that. Partners are supposed to trust each other, are they not? After all the time we've spent together, do you still not trust me?"
She's telling the truth - these are things that he has tried to teach her, qualities he's tried, in his own way, to instil. He's the one who encouraged her to talk, to open up, to share with him the way he thinks friends and partners should. It just figures that she's finally learnt those lessons now that he has to lie to her.
"I do trust you, Ziva, I just..."
"You just do not trust me enough to tell me what's wrong."
Hearing the words spoken out loud hurts so much more than she thought it would.
Tony often annoys her, can drive her crazy and sometimes make her want to kill him with her bare hands, but he's her partner and beyond that she considers him her friend, possibly even the best one she has. Despite the act he puts on, and she's sure it is mostly an act, she knows that if she ever needs his help and asks for it, he'll be there. Even with the tension and mistrust currently between them, she still believes that holds true.
"I can't tell you, Ziva. I swear, it's not that I don't want to, I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
He's caught between wanting desperately to tell her truth and knowing he absolutely can't blow his cover. He doesn't want to hurt Ziva and he knows that he is the longer he maintains his silence, but she can't know about what he's doing. He doesn't have permission to tell.
She swipes a hand across her face in what would seem to be an angry gesture if not for the sheen of tears he sees on her cheek as she turns her head, and that's the straw that breaks him because Ziva doesn't cry, has never cried in front of him, and knowing he's the cause breaks his heart.
"I think I should go, I can see that you clearly are not going to talk."
"Ziva, wait a minute, okay? Just-"
"No. I'm sorry I let myself in to your apartment. I will not be doing it again."
She takes a deep breath and makes to move from the bed, but Tony moves faster, slips an arm around her waist to keep her in place. She can break free of his hold if she wants to, they both know that, but she chooses to stay in his arms, press her cheek into his shoulder and wait to see what comes next.
His presence is a comfort and his body warms hers, chasing away the chill that set in when she first saw the hospital bracelet on his wrist. Under normal circumstances she would never allow herself to indulge in this kind of behaviour with him but tonight she doesn't care.
He tightens his grip and when he speaks his voice is a whisper.
"Don't go."
"Then tell me the truth."
There's a pleading note in her voice that he doubts she intends and it tears at his heart.
Although he feels something for Jeanne that he thinks could be genuine, he knows that a large part of them is who she thinks he is. She doesn't know Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and all the history that belongs to that man; Ziva does. She knows who he is, has seen him at his best and at his worst, and what he feels for her has always been more than just affection for a partner and friend.
He owes her the truth. Partnerships rely on trust - without it, they crumble.
"I need to make a phone call."
"To who?"
"Just- stay quiet while I do, okay?"
He waits until she nods her agreement and then lets her go as he reaches for the phone by his bed. He knows Jenny isn't going to be happy about a two am wake-up call, but he figures that'll soon be forgotten once he tells her what he's calling about.
Ziva shuffles closer so she can resume her earlier position, her head against his shoulder and her body close to his. It gives her the added benefit of being able to listen in on his conversation but he mentally shrugs that off in favour of keeping her close. She's going to find out who he's calling eventually.
"Sheppard."
Ziva's eyes widen and Tony puts a finger to her lips, his eyes commanding her silence. He can see the wheels beginning to turn and knows that whatever the outcome of the conversation, she can figure out at least the basics now. Ziva's smart and subterfuge is only one of the many languages in which she's fluent.
"Jenny."
"It's two am, Tony."
"I know. I have a slight situation here."
"Where are you? Are you all right?"
"It's okay, I'm at home, I'm fine. I have company, actually."
"You caught the part where it's two am, right, DiNozzo?"
"Right. Getting to the point. Your favourite ninja girl and mine is here- want to say hi?"
Ziva lifts her head momentarily to glare at him but it's mostly an act. She'll never admit to it but she likes some of the nicknames he's given her and ninja girl happens to be one of them, especially when it's accompanied by that particular teasing smile.
"Ziva's with you?"
"Uh huh."
"What does she know?"
"Hard to tell at this point. I need to tell her the truth, Jenny."
Jenny doesn't reply immediately and Tony feels a sinking in his stomach. He's blown this one, after months of preparation, just because he couldn't distract his partner long enough to do his job. He can imagine the disappointed look on Jenny's face and the guilt he feels at that is overwhelming.
Ziva's grip on him tightens and her breathing quickens ever so slightly as they both wait, silently, for an answer. He doesn't know what he's going to do if Jenny says no.
"Do we have any other choice here?"
"I don't think so. But I would have ended up asking eventually even if we did."
"I know, Tony."
Ziva feels better, somehow, knowing that Tony has wanted to tell her the truth. The pain his lies have caused her lessens, soothed by the new knowledge. It doesn't make things better but it does make them a little easier to accept.
"Outline only, enough to explain yourself and nothing more. The details remain under wraps."
"Understood."
"I'll see you in my office in the morning. Be early."
"I hate that you're a morning person."
Tony listens to Jenny's chuckle and relaxes. If she can take a joke then she can't be too mad at him. He's not thrilled with the early meeting - 'early' translates to 'before Gibbs gets in' which translates to 'should still be in bed, sleeping' - but if that's his only punishment, he'll gladly take it.
"Hey, Jenny?"
"Yes, Tony?"
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise when you have nothing to apologise for. We'll work around this."
"And here's me thinking it was 'don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness.' Or... oh no. Don't tell me I have to learn 'Jenny's Rules' now too?"
Ziva thinks his sarcastic tone will surely annoy Jenny, but she hears only faint laughter echoing from the phone. This entire evening is turning out to be somewhat unbelievable, yet she's still grateful she chose to come here and set this particular chain of events in motion.
"Make sure Ziva knows that anything you tell her is confidential. And bring her with you tomorrow."
"I will."
"Try and get some sleep."
"I'll see what I can do. Good night, Jenny."
"Good night, Tony."
He clicks the phone off and throws it onto the bed. Ziva is still pressed against him; his arm still snug around her waist. He breathes in deeply, absorbing her familiar scent, and tries to collect his thoughts.
Now that he has permission to tell her the truth - or some of it at least - he has no idea where to start.
Part 2