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He raises his head when his partner rushes into the bullpen. Ziva wasn’t wearing her usual jeans and blouses that she wears to work. No, today she was wearing yoga pants and a loose fitting crop top with a sports bra peeking out from underneath.
He gets up from his chair, his OSU sweater prominent on his chest; he walks around to her desk. “I didn’t realize this was part of the causal Saturday dress code, Ms. David.” He strolls over, noticing her hairline was speckled in sweat and her hair was in a messy bun. “What’s gotten you all worked up?” He asks a little concern.
“Oh nothing, just a work out at the gym. I wanted to attempt to make it this morning before we got a call.”
“And then why are you still in that dress?”
Ziva huffed, “I was not expecting to get a call in the middle of class! I had my phone on vibrate, so when I called Gibbs back, he said there was no time to wait, to come straight here.” She looks around the bullpen. “Where is Gibbs anyways?”
“Getting the car with McGee. You better get dressed, I told the boss-man that I’d have you at the crime scene pronto.” Ziva pauses as she reaches for her bag, glancing over at him, giving him a look.
“He’s downstairs?”
Tony rolls his eyes, placing his hands on her shoulders and guiding her to the women's washroom. “No time to talk, just go get changed.”
“What about a shower?”
Tony smirks as she looks back at him. “You can shower later, besides, you don’t stink that bad. Just get in there,” he pushes her in through the door, “and go get dressed.”
***
Dressed and in the car, Tony drives himself and Ziva to the crime scene at Virginia Beach. He decided to kill the time by doing what he always does, prying.
“How come I barely ever see you at the gym? We work the same hours!” He eyes her as they drive down the freeway.
She grins over at him. “I do not know, maybe because you stay in the weight room the entire time you’re there.” He can feel her teasing, her eyes gleaming up at him.
“That’s not true.” He says, thinking back to the last time he was at the gym. He did, in fact, stay in the weight room the entire hour he was there. But he wasn’t going to tell her that, even if she was going to pry him out of it. “Besides, we go to the same gym, I’m sure I’d see you when you go lifting.
Her head throws back as she laughs.
“Besides, I bet these classes you take are easy. Nothing is like deadlifting and running.”
Ziva’s laughing stops short, and he feels the glare of her eyes on him. “You wouldn’t know a good workout if it hits you on the nose.”
“Bring it on Ms. David.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her before counting his drive to the crime scene.
***
The following week came and went, and the next thing Tony knew, it was a Friday night and the case was wrapped up. Submitting the last of the files, he gets ready to leave the bullpen when he looks up at his partner. “Care to go out for a couple of drinks?”
The woman across the squad room laughs lightly. “No thanks; if I am going to get you to the gym before 8:30 tomorrow morning, I think it will be best not to have alcohol in our systems.” She chuckles at him. He gives her a questioning look. “Did you forget already, Tony?”
“Forget what Zi-vah?” He says standing up with his backpack in his grasp.
“I am taking you to my class, DiNozzo, and you are going to see just what fun it can be.”
He closes his bag and walks over to her desk, moving to sit on the edge of it and stares her straight in the eye. “Ms. David, I can show you what kind of fun I love to do, maybe even show you my new sheets while we’re at it.”
For a moment, Ziva gets lost in his eyes, learning forward all so slightly so her breath is on his lips. Neither one blinks, but he looks down at her lips before smirking. With a blink of the eyes, she leans backwards and on her heels. “You promised me you would to the gym with me, and you are not breaking it DiNozzo.” He raises his hand to place it beside hers, stretching out his finger to brush it against her pinky.
“I did.” He leans forward to whisper closely to her. “Maybe afterwards we can go back to my place for some exercise.”
Ziva gulps, suddenly feeling warm in her blouse. “Maybe.”
***
Tony groans when his phone rings at 5:30 the next morning. Doesn’t need to look at the cell to know who it was. “I’m not getting up David.” He could feel her smirking through the phone.
“Oh yes you are DiNozzo, you have to eat a good breakfast before you go out with me. You might need it for afterwards.”
He would laugh if he had the energy, but instead he palms his eyes. “I’ll show you the energy I have from my bed, but it’s far too early to be waking up Ziva.” He groans as he rolls onto his side, relaxing. “How are you even awake right now?”
He could hear clunking coming from the other side of the phone. “I am making breakfast. Come over and I will share with you, Tony.” She teases. “Tony? Tony!”
He had almost fallen back to sleep, but her sudden yelling was enough for him to pull the phone away from his ear. “Alright,alright, hold your horses.”
Silence met him as he pushed himself off his bed. “Tony, I do not have any horses.”
He groans, covering his eyes with his hand. “It’s an expression Ziva…” He mutters. He can tell that she was making a silent ‘Oh’ with her mouth while trying to think how horses have anything to do with it.
After a few minutes of silence, Ziva speaks up. “Tony, are you up?”
“Hmm?” He asks, falling asleep sitting up. She yells his name and he slowly stands up, grunting with every snap and pop of his body. Still on the phone, he walks to his bathroom to do his business. “I’m up, I’m up.” And yawns.
When he walks out, he feels more awake, and goes to pull on his civilian clothing. But Ziva was silent on the other end of the phone. “... Did you seriously take me to the bathroom with you?” She asks, clearly irritated through the phone.
He doesn’t answer as he dresses, but in 10 minutes he’s walking out of his apartment. “I’m on my way. Have the food ready.” He groans.
***
It’s nearly quarter after eight in the morning when Tony and Ziva arrive at the gym in Ziva’s mini. The sun was long up, and even though Ziva had the coffee pot on the moment she walked into the kitchen that morning, Tony had insisted they stop for ‘the good stuff’ before going to the gym. Which meant sugar.Lots and lots of sugar.
They each grab their gym bags, walking into the building and straight to the individual change rooms. And it isn’t long before they meet at the bottom of the stairs to head up to the class.
In the room, Tony freezes. He takes a second glance. “Ziva.” He says grabbing her arm. She stops in her tracks, looking up at him with a mischievous glance.
“Yes, Tony?”
“There is not a single guy in here. You never said this was an all-women’s class.” He glares down at her, but there was no real heat behind it.
She leans in closer, raising so her lips were close to his. “It’s not Tony, it just happens to be a class that more women tend to go to.”
Their heads are almost touching, heat radiating off of them. “Then this will be a breeze.” Ziva throws her head back and laughs, and Tony questions what she’s going on about. He’s about to say something when one of the older women walks up to the two of them.
“Ziva!”
She turns around to where she hears her name being called, her eyes brightening at the woman before her. “Marie! How are you?” And takes the woman in for a hug.
“Oh, I’m well dear.” Marie looks over Ziva’s shoulder to Tony behind him. “And this must be your partner, Tony.” She smiles sweetly at him, and Tony smiles back, not sure where this is going. “He’s so handsome, you are very lucky, dear.” Tony cocks his eyebrows at the woman. Lucky? For have him as a partner? For having him have her back? “How long have you two been together again?”
Tony’s mouth goes dry, choking out. “Together?”
“Well of course, young man. Sure by now you would have popped the question to this sweet girl. The both of you aren’t getting any younger.”
Ziva pulls herself together, stuttering. “Marie, we- Tony- Tony and I are not a couple.” The woman gives her a strange look.
“But you said you were partners, and the way you talk about him, it sure sounds like you two have been together for years.” Marie places her hands on the hips, and Tony has a strange feeling that he’s being scolded.
Tony is unable to get another word in before the instructor turns on the music. Ziva grabs his arm, leading him away from Marie and to the back of the room where there is space for them towork out.
“Ziva, I have no idea what I’m doing.” He whispers to her.
She looks over at him, raising her finger to the instructor. “Just follow her lead.” He nods, placing his water bottle on the floor next to hers, along with their cellphones, and warms up. Then the music gets louder.
“Alright! A five, six, seven, eight!” And suddenly the entire room is moving. He’s hardly able to keep track of the instructor, so he keeps his eyes on his partner, and does what she is doing. Which already felt like she was going at lightning speed.
The music was loud and fast, and by the third song, Tony could feel his legs burning. All the running in the world couldn’t keep him up with those around him. And hell, he had to do an hour of this?
The hour passes by slowly, with each song, he feels the burning in his calves grow more intense. Maybe he should spend more time on the treadmill, instead of doing weights. Apparently thirty minutes was not enough.
He takes a good look at Ziva, she hardly looks winded, but the sweat on her forehead was prominent.
Finally, oh finally, the music stops. Tony hunches over, his hands on his knees, breathing heavy and gasping for air. When Ziva’s shoes come into his line of view, he reaches out for her, but misses. “Did you have fun Tony?” Her voice is teasing, and he feels her playing with his hair. He’s unable to get a word out before the next class shuffles into the room. Ziva picks up their items and Tony slowly follows her down to the main floor.
After a couple minutes, he’s finally able to catch his breath. “I can show you a better time.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her.
“If you shower first.” She lightly slaps his bicep.
“How about this David, we head back to your place, shower, then we spend the rest of our day off watching a classic in bed.” It was supposed to be a joke, but he wasn’t expecting to the woman agreeing with him over it. Maybe they were a couple?
“As long as you make us dinner, DiNozzo.” She raises on her toes, pressing her lips to the inside of his ear. “And I mean actually making us dinner, not ordering out.”
He gives her a DiNozzo grin.
They weren’t a couple, but they sure as hell feel like a couple sometimes.