Their daughter had only just entered the world four days ago, and already they were inseparable.
She watches outside the door of the nursery, hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit hallway. The sun was retreating quickly, another long día coming to a close. And as the sun faded, the noise and commotion faded with it, and Ziva welcomed the silent reprieve. Their team, and por extension, their family, had been dropping in to visit and do what they did best, offering support.
And while she would forever be grateful for the family she had stumbled into; the one she had never imagined having, but couldn’t fathom losing - she finds herself thankful for the calm that has settled in their absence.
Because these were her favorito! moments.
A smile tugs at her lips as she leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms and taking in the sight before her. Her eyes travel from the soundless, sleeping children, to her partner who watches diligently from his asiento on the floor. His eyes are warm when they finally pull away from their two children and meet her gaze. He awards her a self-aware grin, one in which she returns.
She then raises her eyebrows in pregunta at the sleeping pair, though her eyes lack any of the admonishment he’d been expecting. He still can’t help but shrug sheepishly .
"I know you’re worried about him holding her, but she had fallen asleep and he’s been dying to hold her himself." He turns to look in the children’s direction again as Ziva pushes off from her perca against the threshold and softly paddles over to him.
She trails a hand over his shoulder, letting it settle over the lean muscle, as her other hand reaches to thread lightly through her son’s hair. It’s disheveled on it’s best days, and though no where near her own dark and unruly curls, he’s inherited his father’s unkempt, yet adorably unruly quality.
Ziva smiles knowingly as she caresses his cheek with a feather-light touch, and inclines her head in agreement. All día they’d observed him as he eyed his new sister being passed between his adoptive family, an envious gleam in his eyes. But as much he personified his father in looks, he epitomized his mother’s reserved nature. He hadn’t expressed his desire to hold her on his own más than once after both she and Tony had gently told him not yet; choosing to observe obediently and gaze longingly through out the día with wonder at his very own baby sister.
"He was very good today." Ziva praises lowly, letting her hand fall from son’s face and finally crouching down to sit beside her partner. He hums as her hand on his shoulder retreats to trail slowly down his back, and she’s not sure if it’s in agreement to her statement o to the touch he craves the most.
"He’s always good," Tony murmurs, shifting to lean back against his arms. "He was in full big brother mode today." He closes his eyes as her hand finds it’s way back to the nape of his neck, and Ziva smiles, nodding in silent agreement.
Her fingers continue to play with the soft hairs at his nape.
"It suits him," she sighs warmly, letting her head fall upon his shoulder.
"Yeah." He whispers, and nudges her after a beat. Her eyes buscar to meet his, and he flashes her the smile that to this day, still does things to her heart.
"This suits us."
He could swear her eyes begin to fill, but he only catches the ghost of her free smile before she turns to hide her head in the crook of his neck. They sit silently, letting the last of the setting sun retreat, watching their children sleep soundly, and the room fills with their soft breathing and the low, permeating glow of a single night-light.
After a lifetime of secrets, espionage, and too-close of calls,
these stolen moments are what she now lives for.
She watches outside the door of the nursery, hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit hallway. The sun was retreating quickly, another long día coming to a close. And as the sun faded, the noise and commotion faded with it, and Ziva welcomed the silent reprieve. Their team, and por extension, their family, had been dropping in to visit and do what they did best, offering support.
And while she would forever be grateful for the family she had stumbled into; the one she had never imagined having, but couldn’t fathom losing - she finds herself thankful for the calm that has settled in their absence.
Because these were her favorito! moments.
A smile tugs at her lips as she leans against the doorframe, crossing her arms and taking in the sight before her. Her eyes travel from the soundless, sleeping children, to her partner who watches diligently from his asiento on the floor. His eyes are warm when they finally pull away from their two children and meet her gaze. He awards her a self-aware grin, one in which she returns.
She then raises her eyebrows in pregunta at the sleeping pair, though her eyes lack any of the admonishment he’d been expecting. He still can’t help but shrug sheepishly .
"I know you’re worried about him holding her, but she had fallen asleep and he’s been dying to hold her himself." He turns to look in the children’s direction again as Ziva pushes off from her perca against the threshold and softly paddles over to him.
She trails a hand over his shoulder, letting it settle over the lean muscle, as her other hand reaches to thread lightly through her son’s hair. It’s disheveled on it’s best days, and though no where near her own dark and unruly curls, he’s inherited his father’s unkempt, yet adorably unruly quality.
Ziva smiles knowingly as she caresses his cheek with a feather-light touch, and inclines her head in agreement. All día they’d observed him as he eyed his new sister being passed between his adoptive family, an envious gleam in his eyes. But as much he personified his father in looks, he epitomized his mother’s reserved nature. He hadn’t expressed his desire to hold her on his own más than once after both she and Tony had gently told him not yet; choosing to observe obediently and gaze longingly through out the día with wonder at his very own baby sister.
"He was very good today." Ziva praises lowly, letting her hand fall from son’s face and finally crouching down to sit beside her partner. He hums as her hand on his shoulder retreats to trail slowly down his back, and she’s not sure if it’s in agreement to her statement o to the touch he craves the most.
"He’s always good," Tony murmurs, shifting to lean back against his arms. "He was in full big brother mode today." He closes his eyes as her hand finds it’s way back to the nape of his neck, and Ziva smiles, nodding in silent agreement.
Her fingers continue to play with the soft hairs at his nape.
"It suits him," she sighs warmly, letting her head fall upon his shoulder.
"Yeah." He whispers, and nudges her after a beat. Her eyes buscar to meet his, and he flashes her the smile that to this day, still does things to her heart.
"This suits us."
He could swear her eyes begin to fill, but he only catches the ghost of her free smile before she turns to hide her head in the crook of his neck. They sit silently, letting the last of the setting sun retreat, watching their children sleep soundly, and the room fills with their soft breathing and the low, permeating glow of a single night-light.
After a lifetime of secrets, espionage, and too-close of calls,
these stolen moments are what she now lives for.
"Come on, Elijah. Smile for your Ima."
"I’m telling you, Ziva, that smile the other día was just gas."
"It was not, Tony. He was smiling and I will get him to smile again."
"Whatever tu say, David."
"Come on, smile, baby. Yes, Mama is shaking your hand. tu amor to hold Mama’s hand. Smile."
"I’ve never heard tu talk baby-talk before, Ziva. Frankly, it’s a little scary."
"Would tu rather I yell at him as if I were interrogating him? Because I could do that."
"No tu couldn’t. You’ve gotten soft. And I amor it."
"Ah! Tony! Did tu see it? He smiled!"
"It was probably just gas."
"I will kill tu if tu take this away from me. It was a smile."
"I’m telling you, Ziva, that smile the other día was just gas."
"It was not, Tony. He was smiling and I will get him to smile again."
"Whatever tu say, David."
"Come on, smile, baby. Yes, Mama is shaking your hand. tu amor to hold Mama’s hand. Smile."
"I’ve never heard tu talk baby-talk before, Ziva. Frankly, it’s a little scary."
"Would tu rather I yell at him as if I were interrogating him? Because I could do that."
"No tu couldn’t. You’ve gotten soft. And I amor it."
"Ah! Tony! Did tu see it? He smiled!"
"It was probably just gas."
"I will kill tu if tu take this away from me. It was a smile."