Work Text:
“You’d be far more attractive if you were capable of change, you know.”
The words were teasing from Ziva’s lips, and Tony knew it, but they still stung. Reminding him that he would always be the same, always a playboy, always unable to settle down, always unable to keep a relationship.
Always unable to truly love.
“Well, if I changed, I wouldn’t be me, would I?” His retort was meant to be light, playful, but it felt heavy. It was charged with a lot. His inability to change. His desire to remain the man he was.
His dislike of anyone who tried to change him.
“No, that is true.” Ziva kept on filing her nails as though she had not just called him “ugly” because he couldn’t keep it in his pants long enough to make an honest woman out of anyone. In fact, she kept up the conversation as though she hadn’t said anything hurtful at all. “Anthony DiNozzo will always be Anthony DiNozzo—”
“You forgot the Junior—”
“Self-centred, egotistical, arrogant—”
Each word felt like a punch to the gut.
“—loud, smart-mouthed, boastful—”
And each punch to the gut challenged him to fight back.
“—and yet, somehow, kind, thoughtful, caring—”
Wait, what?
“—friendly, funny.” She huffed, putting down her nail file and looking him in the eye. Looking at him and seeing that he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to throttle her or cry. Looking puzzled at every single word she’d said. “You are an enigma. A complication of… multiple personalities.”
Tony blinked at her a few times before words finally came out. “They call that multiple personality disorder. I don’t have that.”
She puffed out her cheeks in frustration. “That is not what I meant. You are a… where one thing contrasts itself? Self-contrasting?” She snapped her fingers as she tried to recall the word.
Tony knew what she was looking for. “A paradox?”
“Yes!” She pointed at him, eyes bright as he found the word for her. “Yes! That! You, Anthony DiNozzo Junior, are a paradox.”
He nodded slowly, wondering what the everloving fuck that meant.
“And I happen to like those.”
He blinked at her slowly, pink rising to his cheeks as a small smile formed on his face, in response to the soft smile on hers.
Oh.