"Lips"

Tony DiNozzo's voice held a low undercurrent of fear as he spoke, heard by the two silent observers watching from above. "I'm not saying you're crazy, honest. Just…look, your idea is crazy."

"I thought you said real men never backed down from a challenge?" His partner's voice, accented and definitely amused, washed over the walls of the bullpen.

"We don't." He hesitated. "But seriously, going to tell Gibbs he has lipstick on his ear is seriously not a good idea. Right, Probie?"

Tim McGee's voice joined in. "Definitely not a good idea. More like a suicide mission."

"Well, he cannot walk about all day with Kiss Me Coral smudged on his ear!" Ziva sounded exasperated now, an angry huff accompanying her sharp words.

Tony's voice lowered to a low hiss. "Okay, the fact that you know exactly what shade of lipstick is on his ear notwithstanding, I'd prefer to keep my head firmly attached to my shoulders, where it belongs!"

"Surely he would not headslap you for preventing him from major embarrassment."

"Right, right, and the Cubs are gonna win the World Series."

Ziva paused, mystified. "What do infant bears have to do with this?"

Tony groaned theatrically. "It's an expression, Zee-Vah! I was saying, expecting Gibbs not to headslap me if I tell him he's got lipstick on his ear is like expecting pigs to fly!"

"Tony!" McGee's violent hiss warned the Italian to shut his mouth, and the bullpen fell suspiciously silent as Gibbs and Director Shepard walked past, heading for the elevator.

Tony stared as Jenny turned and grinned at something Gibbs murmured, his eyes going wide. He kept the explosion in until the elevator doors slid shut.

"HEY!"

"What, Tony?"

"The Director had Kiss Me Coral on."

A/n: Just a little drabble-ish plot bunny I thought up.

This very well might be the shortest thing I've written.

-meg