A/N: I had this idea after watching Housekeeping but I think I needed to see A Desperate Man before I could fully devote myself to writing this. That being said I am on the fence on how they executed that episode. A part of me did not like the way they wrote Tony but I think that is the same part of me that just wants TIVA to just get together all ready! Anyway I hope yall enjoy this 3 XO (Much later: This story has given me hell! Hope it is worth it ;))

And if you couldn't already tell: Spoilers for A Desperate Man

I'm the Only One

"Now or never; Ziva David, will you marry me?"

The sun is shining in just the right way to create a warm spot on her back that makes her feel even more uncomfortable as people gather around them. Her blood surges through her veins making her heartbeat quicken as she ponders the proposal for only a moment before giving the on lookers a nervous smile and pulling him to his feet. Her next thought is that he does not really want to marry her, not now anyway, and she believes it until he starts whisking her away with his plans for their future.

That moment replays over and over in her mind as Ziva sits on her red couch wringing her hands together. She does not remember telling him that she will need some time to think about it or even what his reaction was. It feels as though time stopped after he asked her; like there was a magic pause button that presented itself to her and she pressed it. Now the whole world is waiting to find out if she, Ziva David, is actually going to marry Ray Cruz.

She wishes that was the case, but the phone call she received moments after from Gibbs wondering when she would be returning is a painful reminder that it is not. She is thankful that Gibbs let her go home because of a little stomach ache with nothing more than a "take care of you". In all honesty she is surprised he bought it at all; since when does she go home because of a "little stomach ache"?

Tony is walking back from the break room with a chocolate bar tucked away safely in his pocket when he sees that Ziva still has yet to return from her rendezvous with Ray. His fingertips slide over his desk as he continues toward hers and sits down on the edge. He remembers the desperation in Ray's voice the day before when he had spoken with him.

"Tony it's Ray. Is Ziva there at work with you?"

"Yes."

"I need to speak with her."

"No."

"Tony please! I'm in love with her! I want to marry her! Please just- Just let me talk to her."

He knows she doesn't want to speak with him but he figures the guy needs some reassurance of that for some reason. So he asks in the best way he knows how and is met with an even worse expression than he anticipated.

"Later."

Hearing that Ray intended to spend the rest of his life with Ziva stung a little bit more than Tony expected, but he kept his composure well. He knew the day would come when someone would want to marry her. He just didn't expect it to be this soon, and the person to be someone other than him. He wondered if Ray was asking her right now. Was he down on one knee in a nice suit with flowers and a huge diamond? Were they at a restaurant, a hotel room, the park? Those questions all loomed in his brain as he recalled his own proposal to Wendy. The biggest one seemed to haunt him the most though.

Would she say yes?

"You all right DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks as he sits down at his desk and stretches out his legs. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah boss." Tony answers slightly startled. "Just a little sick to my stomach is all."

Gibbs smiles and shakes his head at him before asking, "You and Ziva drink from the coffee cup last night?"

"No boss. Why?" Tony questions with a confused look on his face.

"Cause she's feeling a little sick to her stomach too; said she had to go home."

Realization strikes Tony like lightning hitting a metal building and sends him to his desk in a flash.

"You know boss she probably gave it to me. Must be really contagious. I think I should go home too so that I don't get you or McGee sick. Or Abby. Or hey what about Ducky? For a guy at his age a stomach virus could be deadly! And Palmer can't get sick cause he's got a whole wedding to plan and…" Tony rambled as he shoved anything he thought he might need into his pack.

Gibbs sat firm at his desk with his arms crossed; watching his senior field agent lose his mind right before his eyes.

With a quick zip of his zipper Tony stopped and looked in Gibbs' direction only to be met with a steely glare. With a pleading glance Tony hoped his boss would let him go so that he could go check on the one person he desperately needed to see.

"Go on DiNozzo." Gibbs commands like a master telling his dog it is okay to eat his food.

"Thank you boss." Tony yells as he runs to the elevator.

Letting his arms relax Gibbs grins and whispers to himself, "Bout time he went after that girl."

His phone buzzes in front of him and he picks it up to answer it. Giving one last glance to the elevator he sees that Tony is long gone and chuckles before answering, "Yeah, Gibbs."

Everything I ever wanted out of life, he offered. Ziva thinks to herself. Why could I not say yes then?

She has been sitting in the same spot for over an hour going over every detail of her and Ray's relationship in her mind. There is unsettling feeling she has about marrying him and she wants to know why.

He is a good man, a strong man, a worthy man; He has done nothing, pardon the night before, to hurt me. He has only loved me… But does he love me in the way I need to be loved?

There it lay; the one question she did not dare to ask until now in fear of the answer. For a moment another man crosses her mind but she quickly pushes him away knowing he would do more harm than good in this situation. Turning her attention back to the man who just pledged his life to her Ziva thinks about Ray and his proposal. She is a private person, and yet Ray chose to propose to her in a very public way. Did he not know her at all?

A relationship consists of two people, Ziva. She thinks to herself. It cannot always be about you.

Tony sits in his car across the street from Ziva's apartment and stares at the dim light illuminating from the window. He taps his phone against his lips as he thinks about what he is going to say to her.

Maybe she came home with him to celebrate their engagement. That is not a thought he wants to ponder. Maybe she came home to think things over. Decide if Ray is really the one she wants. If he's right for her.

"But he's not." Tony says to the empty seat next to him. "You know who is Anthony. You've known for a while."

So why am I still sitting here?

With that he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car. As he makes his way across the street he begins to rack his brain with what he will say to her and his hands begin to tremble. He quickly shakes it off however when he opens the door to her building.

The walk up to her third floor apartment seems endless tonight even though he has made the trek many times before. Finally reaching his destination his fingers trace the gold '326' etched on her door before giving it a firm knock.

The bad feeling Ziva has about marrying Ray is starting to get on her last nerve. She has been through every detail of their relationship, critiqued every fault he could possibly have, and yet she still has no reason as to why she should not marry him. Sighing she leans back on her couch and ruffles her hair in an attempt to ease some of the tension.

Why are you making this so difficult? She asks herself, but before she can answer a knock at the door jolts her out of her thoughts.

Quickly making her way to the door she stands on her tiptoes to see who her visitor is through the small glass hole. Her eyes are met with tiny light brown spikes which could only mean one thing.

"Tony?" She questions as she opens the door. Her tone is disbelieving as if he weren't really there.

"Can I come in?" He asks with slight hesitation; almost like he is expecting her to say no.

Ziva steps back further into her apartment to open the door more to let him pass. As Tony enters the living room his eyes make a quick scan of the surroundings as if to check and see if anything has changed since the last time he had been there. Ziva leans against the entrance to the room and just watches Tony; waiting for an explanation for what he is doing there when he should be helping Gibbs with the case.

Tony turns around and stares at her from the center of the room; admiring all her features he has loved for the past seven years. When their eyes finally meet he begins to make his way back to her.

"I-" He stumbles as he takes the one step up to her. "I was-" Come on DiNozzo don't choke now.

He gazes deep into her eyes that are full of questions in hopes of finding some inspiration on what words he needs to say to get his point across. Somehow or another though he gets lost in them and everything fades away but the emotions he is feeling inside. His hand comes up to rest softly on Ziva's cheek and that is when she finally breaks under his scrutiny and looks to the floor. In order to get her attention again Tony lets his thumb graze her bottom lip. Her eyes meet his once again with such uncertainty it almost unnerves him, but before either of them can say anything Tony is softly brushing his lips against Ziva's while slowly letting out a breath he did not know he was holding.

The kiss is tentative at first; neither of them knows where it will lead and if there will be any turning back from it. After a few long moments though Tony leans in more and kisses her a little harder and that is when Ziva finally lets herself give in and return it. Her hands slowly wrap themselves around his waist while the one of his that rests against her cheek slips into her hair. They pull each other closer at the same time the kiss finally heats up. Tony nips at her bottom lip silently asking for access. Letting out a small moan Ziva opens her mouth to him and presses her tongue against his which in turn makes Tony groan. He grabs Ziva's ass to tug her even closer to him and she feels how hard he is in his slacks.

Tony lets out a curse for the need to breathe as his lips attach themselves to Ziva's neck. Her fingers nimbly play with the tiny hairs on the back of his head while her brain tries to process just what exactly is happening and if she needs to stop it or not. When he finds that spot below her ear that makes her eyes squeeze shut and her toes curl in her boots she unconsciously decides that no matter if this is wrong or right, there is nothing that is going to stop them.

Kissing his way back to her lips Tony backs Ziva up against the wall and presses himself against her. She gasps out his name and he swears he has never heard anything so goddamn sexy in his life. Ziva locks one of her legs around his waist to get him as close as possible and Tony lifts her up effortlessly. Her legs lock together behind him while his lips make their way to her chest that makes her moan with desire.

"Tony…" She breathes out. "Bedroom."

He follows her command and holds her ass to support her as he tries to make his way to her bedroom without tripping or knocking anything over.

The backs of Tony's knees bump her mattress as he sits down on her bed and she straddles him. Ziva makes a quick work of his jacket and casts it to the floor while his hands slide up her thighs and under her shirt. Her mind is filled with nothing but want as she sucks on his neck and her fingers work to loosen the buttons of his shirt. Caught up in the moment Tony forcefully pushes Ziva's jacket from her arms; interrupting her task at hand and nearly knocking her off of him. This causes her knees to clench tightly around his hips which makes him let out a heady groan. He removes her shirt before grabbing her hips and flipping them over so that her head is against the pillows. Once of top of her Tony pulls off his shirt and tie while staring deep into her eyes. He finds them desperate with desire which drives him even closer to the edge he knows is coming.

When he leans down to kiss her this time it's softer than before. Her thumbs brush against his cheeks and his hand slowly slides up her side. As much as he wants to bring them both to that pinnacle point of release he also wants to take his time with her. This may be the first and last time he ever gets to have her like this.

His hand reaches the cup of her bra and sneaks behind her back to the clasp and undoes it. He pulls away from her to admire the sight he is about to be graced with. When he looks down her face is flushed and he thinks he's never seen her look more beautiful. For a split second he almost tells her that he loves her, but decides it isn't the right time. He pulls the object that is obstructing his view and throws it clear across the room. He gasps in amazement at the gorgeous sight before him before locking his lips around one of her tightened buds.

Ziva sucks in a breath and digs her nails into his shoulders as he continues lick and suck on her hardened nipple. Her mind is clouded by pure lust and she thinks he could have her coming in no time at all with the way things are progressing. When she feels him switch to her so far unattended breast she slides her knees close to her chest and attempts to push Tony's pants off with her feet. His belt keeps them snugly in place however and when he realizes what she is trying to do he undoes them himself and kicks them off.

Tony begins making his way down Ziva's body with his soft lips; taking the time to note what spots make her wiggle with anticipation. When he meets the top of her pants he drives his tongue beneath them which makes Ziva's hips jerk off the bed. He leans back on his haunches and undoes the two buttons with ease. His fingers grip her zipper tightly and he gradually slides it down. Letting out a sigh of frustration Ziva gives him look as if to ask if he really intends on teasing her right now. He gives her a thousand watt smile when the zipper meets its end and he tugs the smooth fabric off of her.

Ziva spreads her legs in hopes that Tony will nestle between them but he surprises her by licking the inside of her thigh from her knee to her lace panties. Once he reaches them he licks from bottom to top and makes Ziva's whole body convulse with want.

"Tony…" She pleads. "I need you."

He stares at her breathing rapidly and decides to taste her later. He rips the lace straight off her body and quickly removes his boxers. With nothing between them he lies on top of her and kisses her slowly and deeply. Snaking his hand between them he fists his length and strokes a few times before positioning himself at her entrance.

Taking a deep breath he glides into her and watches her face contort with pleasure. She lets out a small scream when he bottoms out inside her and that is when he decides he needs to hear that sound more and more. Ziva brings her legs up and locks her ankles behind Tony's back as he sets a slow even rhythm. Her eyes squeeze shut every time he is fully inside her and she feels the delicious coil deep in her belly.

They take their time learning each other's bodies and what drives the other person crazy. Theyare slick with sweat as their tongues dance in each other's mouths; saying the words neither of them can form right now. Nothing is hurried or wasted. They both want to commit every feeling, every emotion to memory.

When he feels his impending release nearing Tony lets his finger drift to Ziva's center and begins moving it in a counterclockwise motion. Her breathing becomes shallow and her eyes glaze over as her fingernails dig deep into his back. He feels the muscles around him begin to flutter and he can hold out no longer. With a curse and her name she empties his hot seed inside her. His hips ratcheting against her making Ziva scream out in pleasure with her own orgasm.

When his breathing returns to normal Tony kisses Ziva chastely and slides out of her. With his head against the pillows he scrutinizes the ceiling and wonders which luck of the draw he is about get. He hears Ziva still trying to catch her breath and he knows there are only two options for him here. She finally gets her breathing evened out but does not say a word. She just lies there silently for a few moments deciding her best course of action.

"Ray proposed to me today." She finally says; breaking the tension in the air and possibly Tony's heart.

She turns he head quickly to study Tony's reaction. He looks at her with absolutely no expression on his face before he kisses her again. Rolling onto his side his hand ghosts down her stomach until he reaches the intended destination. He begins working her with high intensity and swift strokes of his fingers. He kisses her passionately in hopes of not hearing her make any sound besides her moans. If this is his last night with her he doesn't want to her about her fiancée ever again.

She comes hard on his fingers and screams his name so loudly Tony swears someone across the street probably heard her. Ziva passes out almost immediately after, and he is quick to follow her into a satiated sleep.

There is a thin beam of sunlight coming through her window when Ziva awakes in the morning. She feels Tony's head asleep on her dead arm and she turns over so that his head is now resting on her chest and her arm is wrapped tightly around his back. She stares down at the man she made love to just hours before and thinks about the one who asked her to marry him the day before. Her heart is heavy with emotion when she realizes she is going to have to choose very soon who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Tony stirs on top of her; making an almost snorting sound as he leans farther up on her chest. She smiles at him and that is all it takes.

She knows what she has to do.