she is the weapon

⇢ a time will tell universe snippet

The salt air drifted through the breeze, settling on Ziva’s skin. The sunlight glistened across the water, reflecting strobes across the sand like a mirrorball. The striped beach towel, picked out by a little girl much smaller than the teenager who’d taken her place, was slightly worn under her bare legs, but just soft enough to remind her of how many wash cycles it had been through.

A colorful umbrella sat slightly askew above her, providing just enough shade to keep clear the view in front of her.

Tony’s broad back was facing Ziva, only about ten feet away, tanned and muscled in a pattern her fingertips had memorized. He was ankle deep in the water, splashing against his legs. Tali stood further into the salty water, her face visible to her Ima and a grin nearly from ear to ear was plastered on her face and even without seeing Tony’s face, Ziva knew their daughter’s mimicked his well enough she didn’t have to see it, to know exactly what it looked like in that very moment. No matter how many times she was told that Tali was her spitting image, Ziva knew better than to believe it fully; her father was in there too, always reminding her of how they’d gotten into the mess of being parents to begin with.

Dipping into the water, were the tiny toes of a baby girl whose big brown eyes were taking in the beach for the first time, while joyous giggles emanated loudly among the crowd. Over every other sound filling the surroundings, all Ziva could hear was the ecstatic laughs of their ten month old, securely in the arms of a man who would never let a bad thing happen to her and would instead play a role in every memory that made up her sweetly innocent childhood.

A glance over his shoulder.

A smile returned by her.

“You gonna join us, Ima?”

She paused for just a minute, etching the scene into her mind not to be forgotten. The firsts that they missed with Tali, that Maya would never lack and Ziva always wanted to remember what she would never take for granted.

“you’re a sick chick david.”

9x02: restless

*a preview of the first one shot set in the time will tell universe (post multi-chapter) // will be NSFW*

A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth, bending the line of his lips downward.

Her eyes stared at her feet.

She’d been in hiding for weeks now. For some time, she’d needed him. There was nothing that was a secret between them because her ability to function independently had been taken away by their youngest child. Tony had seen every inch of her and in a way he never had; it was intimacy, but not the kind that struggled in crumpled sheets and breathless moments. It was intimacy someone could only have with another person when they had no inhibitions left and codependency was survival. That was different from sex. So different.

Then less she needed him, the more she protected herself from him.

As if for even a moment, Anthony DiNozzo had ever looked at Ziva David as less than she’d ever been. He never had and he never would. In fact, quite the opposite was true. Whether Ziva believed it or not.

“Zi,” The nickname was gentle on his lips.

“She is still sleeping?” Avoiding the softening of his eyes that she could hear in voice.

“You don’t have to do that?”

“Do what?”

“Hide.”

“Who said I was?”

“That towel you have a death grip on.”

ziva is so quick to make it clear she’s not over tony. it seems ridiculous that she even suggests they’d never be together again in the first episode when we watch her fall again, hard, fast & wholeheartedly, for the only man she’s really ever loved just a few episodes later.

but we also find out that sophie shared with her tony was dating someone; i think she takes the news of something like that coming from a friend to mean whatever tony & nicole are to each other is enough that it’s worth mentioning aka it’s IMPORTANT.

we watch her driving along, the little bite of her lip when she’s listening to tony discuss being really interested in another woman. the way she tries to play it desperately cool when he suggests going to his girlfriend’s house to hide out. her answer in therapy is makes so much sense when you watch this scene.

An easy quiet coated the apartment, settled with intention between Tony and Ziva. His hand came to rest on her upper thigh, an inch too close for her comfort.

She felt the way her cheeks blushed like a school girl who was on a first date with a boy from her class she had a crush on. It was like she had never experienced being drawn to him, or anyone. They were sitting on the couch, it wasn’t overtly romantic or suggestive and yet, the warmth of his fingertips through the denim fabric of her jeans made Ziva inhale, softly, but in hopes of not giving herself away.

“How about takeout and a movie?”

“So romantic,” Ziva kept her voice measured.

“That’s me,” Tony smirked. An eyebrow cocked. His eyes surveying her face.

“We have the night to ourselves and all you want to do is stay here?” Ziva returned the stare, even if it was forced.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking at me like staying in is exactly what you want.”

AKA the date (or lack there of) after the finale 💋

NSFW / NCIS: tony & ziva

the wine is pouring. the apartment is quiet. tony asks ziva if starting over is something she ever thinks about; they are parents already after all, what would be so bad about doing it again? and what would be so bad about starting to try right away?