katikat | Ficlet: Nothing to Lose, Not Here

Title: Nothing to Lose, Not Here
Fandom: NCIS
Genre: het
Characters: Tony, Ziva, Vance
Spoilers for: Judgment Day
Words: ~450
Summary: "My job?" he says bitterly. "You've already taken that..."
Beta: yami_tai *smooch*

"What is this?" Director Vance looks up from the sheet of paper that Anthony DiNozzo has placed on his desk.

"My resignation, sir," Tony says, his voice and look steady. He's dressed casually, in jeans and a t-shirt with some awful, washed-out logo on it, a backpack slung over his shoulder. "I thought that I would hand it in personally. It'll be faster that way."

Vance leans back in his office chair to regard his agent. "Is this some great gesture? I broke up your team so you resign to what? Pay me back? Because let me tell you one thing, Agent DiNozzo - I don't need you or your services."

Tony smiles, curling up the corner of his mouth. "I figured that out on my own, don't worry."

Narrowing his eyes, Vance steeples his fingers. "Is your decision final, Agent DiNozzo? I'm no Jenny Shepherd. Should you change your mind, I won't give you your job back," he warns, darkly.

This time, Tony laughs out loud. "My job?" he says bitterly. "You've already taken that. I have nothing to lose now, not here."

They look each other in the eye for the longest time and when Tony leaves, he closes the door very softly.

*-*-*-*

She's alone in the airport, alone in a crowd of thousands of people. She hates tearful goodbyes so she asked them not to come. Dignity is all that she has left and with that she wants to leave. Go home. Where no one will welcome her with open arms.

"Ziva!"

The call startles her. She turns around, frowning in annoyance and pushes down her sunglasses to look at him over the rim. Why couldn't he just for once respect her wishes?

Tony is standing two or three away steps from her, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a heavy bag lying at his feet. "Mind if I join you?" he asks, lifting his hand and showing her his plane ticket. The destination... Tel Aviv.

She blinks, taking her sunglasses off completely. "What? Why do you...? Shouldn't you be on your way to... Hawaii or wherever that boat of yours is stationed right now?" Ziva asks, irritated and confused.

His eyes laugh. "It's a ship, not a boat and no. I handed in my resignation to Vance early this morning." Seeing her perplexed expression, he shrugs and adds: "I think I overstayed my welcome."

Blinking some more, all she can say is "Oh."

"So." Tony rocks on his heels, hitching his backpack higher and waving his plane ticket. He's clearly nervous, unsure of her reaction. "Do you want some company?"

A week ago, Ziva would have mocked him mercilessly, torn him to shreds and called him a girl. But now, all she does is smile. "Yes, Tony. Yes, I would love that."

The End