All roads lead to Paris

Part 33

They sat down, Ziva slightly embarrassed that the whole restaurant was watching them, but Tony proudly smiling. Tali hugged her mother tightly, still squeaking excitedly. The people in the restaurant turned back to their food and Ziva felt a bit relieved.

She smiled at Tony, he smiled back. There was nothing to say after what he just did. She was still speechless. Even though she expected him to do it this way, with a hundred people watching them, she was still surprised that it actually happened. On this evening. In this rather small Italian restaurant. On a normal Friday afternoon.

Now it was official: they were getting married.

Except the proposal there wasn't anything special on this evening. They drove home and went to bed, earlier than usual. The day was amazing: they got to work together again, Tali had her roleplay, they went out for dinner, and obviously the most amazing part the proposal, but it was also a really exhausting day.

Ziva lay down next to Tony, her head resting on the pillow, facing Tony. He looked up at the ceiling, daydreaming. His smile didn't disappear since they left the restaurant, and it was now even bigger.

Ziva asked: "What are you thinking about?"

He answered, still with his eyes on the ceiling: "I just imagined you in a white dress. Sounds unreal, I know."

She smiled and said: "But, it will be real. This is real, Tony."

Tony turned his head to her, and his smile slightly faded away when he said: "I hope you don't regret saying no to your first proposal.

As he spoke it out loud it sounded a bit cruel speaking of her past. He opened his mouth and wanted to apologize but Ziva answered: "No I don't. Looking back Ray and maybe Michael too, were just two situations that brought me closer to you."

Her words soothed his urge to apologize, immediately. She paused and said: "After all this, Michael, Ray, maybe even Jeanne and EJ"

Tony scoffed as he heard her saying those names.

"I think we are closer than ever now. And you know why?"

Tony shook his head.

"I think you defending me, and me defending you made us come as close as we are now."

He smiled, knowing her words are absolutely true. She smiled too.

Tony turned to his side, slung his arms around her and pulled her as close as he could. Their foreheads now touching, Tony said: "Then I'm really glad you had your stupid boyfriends and I my stupid girlfriends, that I hope we will never see again."

She laughed and said: "Yeah, I hope that too. Would be really awkward."

"Really awkward is an understatement, but yes it would." They smiled at each other, and Ziva kissed him softly. She whispered: "Goodnight, Tony."

He kissed her back, harder than she did and said: "Goodnight, Ziva." 

The next morning Ziva was already up when Tony got up to take a shower. He yawned stepping out of the bedroom. He slept well. Maybe too well. Now he was more tired than he was the day before.

He slowly went to the bathroom and found Ziva styling her hair. When she noticed Tony leaning in the doorframe, she looked at him in the mirror and said: "Good morning. You didn't hear your alarm. Again. I told you to use a different sound, so you actually wake up."

He answered after yawning one more time: "Thanks for your idea, MUM."

She turned to him and said: "Why so grumpy?"