Title: As You Wish
Fandom: NCIS
Author: Alidiabin
Words: 1,265.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings/ Spoilers/ Rating: None | 9x01 and the whole EJ/mole arc | Teen|
Parings: Tony/Ziva
Summary: After the events in 9x01 Tony seeks comfort in Ziva. She helps him grieve.

As You Wish

He stood by her front door holding his gift Anna Karenina in its Cyrillic form, wrapped in tissue paper. It was one of those Tolstoy classics that Ziva and Ducky were always going on about. Ziva had a thing for Russian literature and often quoted the first line to him when discussing their families 'happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way'.

Ziva opened the door without despite the fact he had not knocked or even called ahead. She leant on the door frame dressed only in a NCIS t-shirt that was at least three sizes too big.

"Hi," he said awkwardly.

"Hello," Ziva replied. They stewed in awkwardness for seconds that felt like hours before they both opened their mouths. Neither spoke at first, then Ziva spewed words. "Are we going to stand in my doorway all night?"

"Here," he said handing her the gift. She looked at the gift moving it in her hand. "It's not a bomb,"

"I know," Ziva said. She ran her fingers over the paper and swivelled round turning back into her lounge room. Tony stood where he was. "You may come in. Shut the door behind you." Her sentences like orders short and sharp.

Ziva's couch had a red blanket messily strewn across it and a purple cushion on top. The coffee table had her closed laptop next to an open book and a glass of white wine.

"What are you reading?" Tony asked.

"The Secret History," Ziva said, "It's about Greek gods and strange college students,"

"Any good?" Tony asked as Ziva bent over to tidy up to let Tony sit down. Tony found that the baggy NCIS shirt exposed her black underwear when she bent over.

"Not really," Ziva said as she sat down on the couch and motioned for Tony to sit down. "It is interesting just not me cup of coffee."

"Kinda like The Producers," he said thinking of a movie that had sounded good on paper but turned out to be rather bad. Ziva nodded even though she had no idea what he was on about. "And it's tea not coffee."

She ran her fingers under the silver tissue paper ripping it slowly. Her mouth fell open as she read the title of the black hardcover book. Tony was known for his comic gifts like lederhosen so such a meaningful gift was a surprise. Anna Karenina was one of her favourites and she had not been able to replace the Cyrillic copy that she lost in the Mossad sanctioned explosion to clean up Rivkin's mess.

"Thank you," Ziva said. She opened the book and read the first line which happened to be one of her favourites, in the original Russian. Then as she smiled at the familiarity of it she began to wonder why Tony had given her such a gift. She turned to look at him her face sour.

"What is it really a porno?" Tony asked, "Because all I know in Russian is Vodka."

"No," Ziva said as a smile crossed her face, "the book is correct,"

"Then what did I do wrong?" Tony asked.

"Why did you get me this?" Ziva queried whilst looking directly at him with a piercing look.

"Can't a guy get his partner a gift?" he asked.

"Flowers maybe but a classic literature," Ziva replied. She was truly amazed by Tony's gift; Ray had yet to give her such a sentimental gift. "And one of my favourites too,"

"Well you're not just any partner," Tony said. "And…"

"Is it a peace offering?" Ziva asked.

"More of an apology," Tony replied.

"What for?" Ziva asked. What would he need to apologize for? Then she clicked, the whole mole debacle and everything before it. "Look we both," Ziva paused. "It is not needed."

"Ok," he said quickly. He wanted so desperately to drop the uncomfortable subject.

"What I said before," Ziva said, "about us being here for you, about me being here for you."

"I know it still applies," Tony said. "You've always been here for me."

"Is there anything I can do for you now?" Ziva asked, knowing he had been shot and that he wanted to drop the subject.

"Got any food?" he enquired. Ziva let out a soft chuckle.

"Actually," Ziva said as she walked toward her neat and tidy kitchen.

Tony perked up at the promise of food. He walked toward her kitchen. He looked at her fridge magnets were holding a variety of photographs up including one that must have been recent; perhaps the team celebrating Ziva's full agent status in a bowling alley.

Ziva opened the white fridge rather violently and pulled out four plates wrapped in tin foil.

"Did you have a dinner party?" Tony asked wondering if he had been left out. Ziva shook her head.

"When Gibbs called," Ziva began, remembering Gibbs harsh words on the phone; telling her Tony had been shot and checking her whereabouts. "I could not go back to sleep and I needed to do something," Ziva said as she opened one of the plates revealing falafel. Tony grabbed one of the falafels. He read between the lines of Ziva's statement. Ziva had been too worried about him to go back to sleep and cooked to distract herself. "So we have a feast fit for a King,"

"King DiNozzo has a ring to it," Tony said as he took another falafel. Ziva opened one of the other foil capped plates revealing some vegetables with couscous.

"What does that make me?" Ziva asked as she took out another plate and dished up the food. She also made a plate for Tony and grabbed the appropriate cutlery.

"Queen DiNozzo," Tony said with a smile, Ziva rolled her eyes. "Or my naughty mistress from an opposing country who gave up her citizenship just to be with me," Ziva let out a laugh.

"I think not," Ziva said as Tony leant over and took food from Ziva's plate despite her having a plate made up for him.

"Fine a brave knight that is my brother in arms but as in the final twist is revealed to be a brave warrior princess," Tony said with a smirk.

"As you wish," Ziva said making a reference to the Princess Bride.

"Is this a kissing book?" Tony asked again referencing the Princess Bride.

"Well our story wouldn't be a kissing book," Ziva said as she took some homemade bread from the pantry.

"Well except for that time we were undercover," Tony whispered before he noticed the bread, "wow you really went to town with this whole cooking thing," he said wondering how worried Ziva was. "Enough food for the whole Kingdom," he added in a bad English accent.

They ate in comfortable silence.

"Remember that time you told me that Jews and Italians eat when they grieve," Tony said. Ziva did, she remembered the Burrows rape case and how emotionally draining it had been, yet Tony had been by her side and turned up at her apartment with a pizza and a bad comedy on DVD.

"Are you grieving?" Ziva queried. She knew Tony was like her; he could bury grief in something else but eventually it would come out in an inappropriate way.

"I don't know," he said. He was not sure; he had no idea whether EJ was alive or dead and was certain the new SecNav had it in for him.

"Well I am here," Ziva said squeezing his hand. He took another mouthful of food knowing she would be there for him.

A/N: Reviews? Yes, this is unbetaed. I did try though. My cat now understands the whole T/Z dynamic because I read the fic aloud to try and correct some mistakes.