#thread: beth

As always, Tony expresses himself best through music. That is something that has not changed in all the years he has known his cousin. They both have enough money to buy whatever they want in this world, but Tony feels that a song is better, more personal. Beth hasn't complained about the music he's written her.

Where his previous years had a level of melancholy to the songs, this one is not melancholy, but almost hopeful. So much has happened this year and he wants to express his gratefulness for everything Beth has done for him. He wants her to know with every chord that he's so happy to have her as his cousin, as his closest friend. She means the world to him and she deserves to know that.

This isn't written for the piano, but for his guitar. It starts off slow, with an almost island feel to represent the home she loves. The music goes faster, rising and falling with a cheer that Tony doesn't usually put to his music. There are no words, just a melody of happiness and thanks, love in every note.

He's recorded it as well as written it down, and he plays it for her live, after a meal he carefully made just for her. The cake he made sits half eaten on the table, next to a bottle of red they shared. Beth sits on his piano bench while he plays, standing nearby, acoustic guitar in hand.

When the song ends, he looks up at Beth, a smile on his face. "Happy birthday, cuz. I hope you at least enjoyed dinner."

@beth-sullivan​

@brooklynislandgirl sent: 💋 (kiss) - Is your oc a good kisser? Have they kissed anyone before? Do they even enjoy kissing? What was their first kiss like in comparison to their most recent?

@beth-sullivan​

@brooklynislandgirl sent:

“You’re really not as stealthy as you t'ink, you know. I've seen you sneak out, like, five times now. Let me guess, Italy not as excitin' as you expect, or you miss being a Navy superhero?”

Retirement. What a strange concept. Not waking up every day to go to work, not chasing bad guys, not arguing with Tim and Ziva. Tony didn't have to do anything with his days, not if he didn't want to. He could stay home and cook all day if he wanted to, could work in his little garden.

It was paradise. It was also mind-numbingly boring.

Tony found himself running out of things to do, left with nothing but his own thoughts. He couldn't go pour his attention towards solving crime, couldn't put together the puzzle of the truth, couldn't contribute to society. His brain was bored of the monotony.

So he'd started sneaking out, scouring Manarola for something to do. Looking for anything he could dedicate his life to.

That's how he found it.

It wasn't an impressive building, tucked between a bakery and a small church. It had been a restaurant before, a little shop run by a woman who still cooked over a fire. Nothing except the plumbing and electricity was modernized. It had been left to deteriorate, empty for the last thirty years.

It was perfect.

Tony didn't tell Beth what he was doing. He started sneaking out, going over to do work, to bring the little restaurant up into the current century. He watched videos on how to replace plumbing and electric, how to remodel a restaurant. He wanted to do it all with his own two hands, to build something that was just his. This restaurant was going to be something Tony could look at and know he had built himself.

@brooklynislandgirl continued from X.

Their first Hanukkah in New York was something special to Tony, and to Tali too. She'd had free reign over all the Jewish stores in Brooklyn, filling her cart with everything she needed to plan a perfect holiday. Tony had met with her Rabbi a few times, just so he knew what his role in this was, and how he could make sure his daughter had the perfect holiday. It was something he did with every Jewish holiday, but especially the ones that put a smile on his little girl's face the way Hanukkah did.

She'd carefully put out her T-Rex menorah next to the more serious one, candles ready to be lit. Tony had been in the kitchen all day, making latkes and sufganiyot. Tali had made the matzah ball soup on her own, insisting that she didn't need his help. He'd long since learned not to argue with his daughter when she said that.

Inviting Beth was a no-brainer. He lived in the same building as his cousin. Naturally, she would be at their celebration. Tali wouldn't have it any other way. Her guest was unexpected, but Tony wasn't going to say no to anyone who made Beth happy. Ron had wanted to come but work had called him away. The promise of making it up to Tali had gotten him a doughnut and a watery smile from the girl.

"He's tied up tonight," Tony told Beth, watching as Tali led Marc through the set-up she'd done. "He'll be here tomorrow."

@brooklynislandgirl sent: [ ESCAPE ]: as a surprise to the overworked receiver, the sender treats them to a weekend away after renting a winter cabin.

"I don't think I've seen another house for at least a mile," Tony comments as he watches the snowy trees of Vermont pass while Beth navigates the road. "If you wanted to take me to the woods to kill me, you could've warned me. I didn't even pack anything designer. What will the coroner think about my dead body now?"

He knows why she's doing this. He's been busy with back to back cases practically since Halloween. Beth hates it when he works that much, but Tony hasn't really had much of a choice. Still, when his cousin told him she'd booked an escape for the weekend, he'd taken the time off and packed his bag. Tony's learned over the years that it's never a good idea to say no to Beth Riley. She's a force to be reckoned with when she wants something.

@brooklynislandgirl sent: D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Tony is surrounded by boxes in his new kitchen, half of his collection of cooking tools unpacked on the counter as he shuffles them into place, the homes that Beth had installed just for him when he finally committed to moving to New York. He's holding his stand mixer- painted the same green as his eyes, a gift from Beth- in his hands when Beth asks her questions. The mixer gets set on the corner of the counter as he turns to face his cousin, picking up the glass of wine he's been nursing all night and taking a sip.

"I think I'm doing alright," he tells her, gesturing to the controlled chaos that is his home, "everything has a place and I haven't managed to make any messes I can't clean up, yet. I even put coasters on the coffee table before I watched the Ohio State game yesterday. How many bachelors can say that? I know it's still a mess, but all my socks are in the hamper and I put the seat down. I'd say I'm very well domesticated."

He settles from the energetic defense, something serious in his tone, "I left NCIS. I moved to a different state. I uprooted everything. And I- I've never felt more sure I was ready for something more permanent, Beth. Even with Wendy- I wasn't sure I was going to be able to hack it, living with another person like that. Being in a serious committed relationship. But- I really want this. I want everything that comes with it. I'm ready now."

He fiddles with the wine glass, fingers rolling back and forth on the stem. "I do worry," he admits, "I see more than most people want to think about. I understand things, make connections. What if I do that and it's something that he doesn't want me to know? I'm constantly putting my foot in my mouth. If I do it to Ron and I make him uncomfortable," he trails off, unwilling to voice the worst case that dances in his head. "I want to be his friend, Beth. I want more, too, of course I do. But I want to be the person he has a pint with while he watches a game, and the person he meets for a playful match of pool. I want to be someone he wants to be around just to be around, no pressure. I- it all sounds so silly, but I want that."

Effort should be obvious in the way Tony is still unpacking. He's put everything into this, into starting a relationship with Ron that is more serious. He's put himself out there in a way that Tony doesn't usually do. He wants this thing, all the possibilities that he and Ron have. He wants to see where they can go. He wouldn't have moved if he didn't.

"I want forever, Beth. I want to make him breakfast and drink tea while we read the paper. I want to bring him his favorite comfort foods on bad days. I want to celebrate the little things. I want to plan trips and dinners and I want to spoil him. I want it all. And I'm going to get it."