A/N: I've been sort of MIA due to several consecutive personal reasons, but I'm back. This was inspired by pro-bee's gif set from the scene in You Better Watch Out where Tony shows his family ring in MTAC, and allusions to it looking like a proposal (can't link here, but you can find it on tumblr).

Tony wasn't entirely sure what was up with Ziva, but she had been acting skittish for several days. At first he thought it had to do with Senior staying at his place. But then he realized she had been the one who had looked at him with those big brown eyes and patted him on the chest, with complete disregard of personal space, and convinced him to let his dad stay with him. It was something else. Unfortunately, the case and Senior's shenanigans had kept him so busy he hadn't managed to get her alone to ask her.

Which is why he was now staring into a mirror in the ladies' room, fixing his hair and tie, waiting for Ziva to emerge from the only occupied stall.

"I thought I heard you come in."

His gaze met hers in the mirror and for a split second her attention drifted towards the door, no doubt to check whether it was locked or not. He smirked. It was. But he didn't have that in mind when he had locked it. He appreciated the twinkle that appeared in her eyes all the same.

"Did you miss me?" she said with a purr as she washed her hands in the sink next to him.

"Do you really have to ask?" He turned towards her and handed her a paper towel while looking her up and down.

Despite the tension of being apart for days, Ziva easily picked up on the fact that he wasn't here because he missed her physically. She raised an eyebrow urging him to talk.

"Something's bothering you," he said.

He held her gaze and hoped it wouldn't take as much cajoling as it usually did to get her to open up. They were at work; people would wonder where they were.

Ziva briefly looked down before letting out a frustrated groan. "I lost my engagement ring." She rubbed her forehead. "I have looked everywhere in my apartment, I cannot find it."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "I am so sorry, Tony."

"Hey, no," he said and grabbed her hands in his. "These things happen. When did you last have it?"

"I must have left it at your place. I didn't think to look for it when I rushed over to grab my things before you and your father got there."

She pulled away from him and started pacing.

"I am not used to wearing a ring. I should have put it on my necklace." She was gesticulating widely now and despite feeling empathy for her frustration, he couldn't help but find her behavior endearing. He leaned back against the counter and watched her with a small smile as she continued voicing everything she could have done differently.

He didn't bother to point out that anything other than her wearing the ring at home, when they were alone, would've let the cat out of the bag. As much as he liked the thought of his ring on the necklace which meant so much to her, it would be like strapping on a flashing neon sign. Their efforts to keep their relationship and recent engagement a secret, to prove it wouldn't affect their work, would've been wasted.

After pacing some of the frustration out of her system she turned towards him and cocked her head.

"Why are you smiling? I lost my ring. I lost your mother's ring," she said with emphasis.

"You just never struck me as the type to get worked up about jewelry." He touched her Star of David and said, "Except for this."

"That is because they are not just jewelry."

And he got it. Of course he got it. If they couldn't find the ring it would hurt, because she was right, that ring meant more than the precious metals and diamonds it was made of. But it wouldn't change his feelings, and it wouldn't change the promise they made each other.

"If it's at my place, I'll find it."

He pulled her closer and touched his lips to hers. She leaned into him and deepened the kiss for a moment before breaking away and heaving another sigh. Guilt and regret were evident in her eyes.

"I will move heaven and earth to find it," he said solemnly and threaded his fingers through her hair.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Maybe start by moving some furniture first."

That evening, when his dad excused himself to go over to his neighbor to say goodbye, he looked for the missing ring. An hour-long search had proven fruitless. He briefly wondered why Senior hadn't returned yet, but quickly decided he'd rather not experience any flashbacks.

Staring at the bathroom sink, wrench in hand, he was reminded of the tale of a hobbit and a ring. Was he becoming too obsessed? Was he really going to tear down every piece of plumbing in his apartment because he didn't want to let go of a ring?

Yes.

Yes, he was.

Half an hour later, all the piping in the bathroom had been dismantled and he was on his knees in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Scraping what he assumed to be raw snicker doodle dough from the inside of a pipe, he heard the front door open and cussed under his breath.

How was he supposed to explain this?

But then, as the last clump of dough fell on the tile, he heard a distinct clatter and saw a dough-covered circle on the floor in front of him. He quickly grabbed it and dropped it in a glass of water to clean it off—that ring wouldn't be anywhere near another sink anytime soon.

Blaming Senior's cooking for the mayhem in the kitchen and steering him straight back out the door evaded further questions. On the ride back to the Navy Yard, Senior was none the wiser about the state of the bathroom or his son's personal life.

Until they walked into MTAC, that is. Tony had been trying to contain his excitement at finding the ring ever since getting into his car. He couldn't wait to see the look on Ziva's face.

So he walked down the stairs and said, "You've been waiting for this a long time, Ziva."

He held out the ring for her to see and her face lit up brighter than any Christmas tree he'd ever seen. She walked up to him, smile never leaving her face, and he felt completely lost in the joy she seemed to be radiating. Merry Christmas, indeed.

Which is why he forgot they were at work, surrounded by their friends—their family—and he blurted out, "Your engagement ring."

It took him a second to realize what he had said.

Where he had said it.

In front of whom he had said it.

He was pretty sure he'd seen Gibbs somewhere in the back sipping coffee when he first walked in. Late night coffee-induced head slaps were always the worst. His smile faded somewhat as he kept watching Ziva, unsure of what to do or say next.

He didn't snap out of it until Abby squealed and punched him in the arm. "I can't believe you proposed to Ziva in MTAC, Tony. That's so unromantic."

Later, while watching the movie, Tony leaned close to Ziva's ear and said, "We're going to have to stay at your place tonight."

Ziva looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Because of your dad and the bed?"

"No, because I dismantled all of the plumbing and don't know how to fix it."

"Well," she said and the corner of her mouth twisted upwards. "My bed has more room for what I had in mind, anyway."