odette_river | anniversary

Title: Anniversary
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: vaguely Ziva/Gibbs
Rating: PG
Word Count: 309
Summary: Gibbs acts strangely all day, and it's only when she's driving home that Ziva realizes why.
Author's Note: I randomly discovered this going through old notebooks and I don't think I've posted it before (though remind me if I have), so here you go.

As a rule, she doesn't mark the days people die. There are too many to remember everyone, and the ones who really matter are already there with her, every day. So to her, it is a day like any other.

*

As a rule, he doesn't mark the days he nearly died. There are too many, and if he tried he would never be able to make a gut decision again. Too much relies on chance. He remembers this day, though, for her.

*

It's been one of those days when they have nothing to do except paperwork. Gibbs watches Tony throw pieces of paper at Ziva. She pretends not to notice until he puts his head down and she is suddenly at his side, whispering something in his ear. She looks up, then, and catches Gibbs's eye. He doesn't look away.

He brings her coffee later, and manages to drop a hint that he's just planning to go home. He doesn't know why he does it.

*

Gibbs acts strangely all day, and it's only when she's driving home that Ziva realizes why. Ari. Oh.

She goes to his house and he lets her in as if he's been expecting her, which he has.

"How are you?" he asks.

"Fine," she says.

They sit in his basement and rink wine and pretend they're here for some other reason. The wine is sweet on the back of her throat.

"Ziva," he says.

She looks up at him, and it's only then that she realizes she's crying. When did that start?

"Sorry," she says, swiping the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Come here," he says and lets her hide her face against his chest. The first time she cried in this basement, he'd left her alone; the second time, he'd come to save her. This is the third time.