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“You are awfully chipper,” Ziva said with a smile on her face as she watched Tony slice a croissant into thirds, before licking a crumb of pastry off his finger.
It was the middle of June and the warmer weather was finally upon them, with more than just a few short days of sunny spells. It had been a long cold winter, and an even longer spring, and so the David-DiNozzo family had taken the first opportunity of the summer to explore the city in which they called home.
This morning they were sitting outside of a small cafe called Le Moulin. It was quaint and quiet – the kind of establishment they liked – and it held a lot of memories, especially for Tony and Ziva. The first time they had ever visited the cafe was during their first trip to Paris, while they both still worked for NCIS. Their mission had been simple – collect their witness, Nora – and ensure her safety back to the United States. Of course, Ziva had thought it was best if they simply stuck to the job at hand and suggested getting food to go. But Tony had somehow convinced her that they needed to make the most of the time they had there, witness or not, as they would only ever be in Paris together once – and if they couldn’t have authentic pastries at a cafe then, then when could they?
“It’s a beautiful day and I’m eating breakfast with my two beautiful ladies,” he replied, grinning. “I’m allowed to be in a good mood.”
“That you are,’ Ziva chuckled, nodding.
“Dad?” came Tali’s voice from the chair beside them. “Can you hurry up with that croissant or I’ll be a teenager by the time I get to eat it.” She rolled her eyes, sighing.
“Alright, sassy pants, it’s done,” he laughed, placing the biggest third onto a plate and sliding it across the table. “And enough with the eye rolling. I get enough of that from your mom.”
“She does it with love,” Tali giggled.
“She is right, Sweetheart,” Ziva replied. Tony’s brows crinkled in scepticism and Ziva laughed. She took a sip of her coffee, looking out at the view. How lucky they were to have such a wonderful place right on their doorstep.
She placed her cup back on the table, blissfully unaware of the foam settling itself on her upper lip. Tony smiled to himself as he looked at her.
“What?” she asked, feeling his eyes on her.
“You have…”
Her brows knitted together as his words trailed off. He smirked, gesturing at her in a come hither motion with his index finger. He bit his lip playfully as he leaned over the table with a twinkle in his eye. She tilted her head slightly, confused. His gaze flickered between her eyes and lips for a split second before their mouths connected, the taste of coffee potent on his tongue, as he kissed away the foam. They lingered for a moment, a warmth spreading through their stomachs.
“Do you have to do that in front of my croissant?” Tali asked, swallowing a bit of her food. While she loved how in love her parents were, it was one thing to witness it at home… but another to be subjected to it while she was simply trying to enjoy her food in peace and look out at the view. Tony and Ziva pulled away slightly, their breath warm on each other’s lips as they shared a look. They smiled at one another, going in for a longer, slower kiss, much to the annoyance of their daughter who sighed in exasperation.
It was very rare that the two of them were so openly affectionate in public, beyond things such as hand-holding, as Tony knew that it made Ziva feel self-conscious, and she hated people staring, and he never wanted to do anything that made her uncomfortable. But, he figured that if there was going to be an exception to the rule, it was going to be today.
“Alright, alright, we’re done,” Tony chuckled, sitting back down in his seat and taking a bite of his share. Ziva took a bite of hers, a smile plastering itself across her face.
“So, what shall we do today?” Ziva asked, changing the subject before their daughter could give them another lecture about how gross they were.
Tali took a sip of her vanilla milkshake. “I think we should take a walk through the park.” She smiled, looking at her mother, and then to her father, who gave her a small, inconspicuous wink, just between the two of them.
Birds chirped in the trees above them, as they strolled with hands intertwined through the flower gardens towards the park entrance. They had spent a lot of time there over the years. Ziva had been in regular therapy ever since she had joined them in Paris, and had found that spending time in nature was an organic remedy for her anxiety. Often, she would bring her book and simply sit on a patch of grass reading, until it was time to collect Tali from school. Other days, Tony would meet her on his lunch break and the two of them would have a mini picnic while Tali released her unspent energy on her bicycle, or doing handstands and cartwheels with her friends. And some days, she would perch herself on a park bench by the lake, and listen to the gentle ripples and splashes of the ducks, just thinking.
“Is it too early for ice cream, Abba?” Tali asked, spotting the van across the path.
“How about we get some after we take our walk?” He raised his eyebrows to Tali, who nodded, suddenly remembering the reason her father had asked her to suggest it.
“We can go now, Ahuvi ?” Ziva asked Tony, as she checked her watch. “It is nearly midday.”
“I think we should wait,” he said, the corners of his lips curling up. He resisted the temptation to beam, otherwise he’d ruin the surprise.
Ziva’s brows crinkled. “Alright, what is up with the two of you? You’re acting very odd…” she said, glancing between Tali and Tony.
“We’re not acting odd,” Tali replied. “We are… perfectly normal.” Ziva laughed, unconvinced.
“If by normal you mean suspicious , then yes, you are.”
“Abba has a surprise for you, Ima!” Tali blurted out, earning herself an eye roll from her father.
“Thanks, T! You know the meaning of surprise is to... you know… surprise ?”
“Sorry, Abba! But Ima doesn’t know what it is though!”
“Tony, you know I am not a fan of surprises,” she said, with a half-sigh.
“I know, but I think… I hope you’ll like this one,” he replied with a grin.
They continued walking further into the park, the trees becoming more dense as they escaped from the edges of the streets. They passed a multitude of happy people, picnicking peacefully on mats, dotted about the grass on either side of the path. Some were laughing with their companions, while others were simply enjoying the serene and pleasant ambience of summertime. Whatever their reasons were for spending their time there, a warmth filled Ziva’s chest at the beauty of it all. To think that for the longest time, she had been so plagued by her demons that she could not see a day when there was not a dark cloud hanging over her head. And yet, there she was with her two greatest loves in the world, in a place so peaceful, strolling happily in a blissful splendour at the life they had made for themselves. A life she once thought was not a possibility for her.
Tony’s thumb traced gentle circles on her skin as their fingers remained interlaced, while he stole a glance every so often, admiring her. He often asked himself how he got so lucky to be with her, and he laughed at the fools before him who had let her go – either willingly, or through their own careless actions. Because how could anyone not want to be with her?
But though Tony DiNozzo often played the class clown (more so when he was younger, though his childlike qualities were reawakened when it came to entertaining their daughter, especially during her formative years), he was no fool. No. He was a smart man. And smart men held onto the women they loved forever.
They stopped short of the white victorian-style pavilion. It sat deep within the centre of the park, overlooking the lake, and usually it was bare. But today, it had been adorned with garlands of bright blooms and pretty florals, of roses and hydrangeas in a multitude of colours, interspersed with baby’s breath and other greenery.
“Tony?” she asked with her head slightly tilted, confused as she looked at him. He bit his lip, the corners of his lips turning into a smile. He turned to her, taking both of her hands in his, holding them delicately between his fingers.
“It’s not exactly a Chuppah,” he said, glancing towards it and then back at her. “But it was the best we could do…”
Her mouth parted and her eyes widened as she looked at him. Panic settled inside him as she stared, at a loss for words. Oh god, maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should have done something else. Maybe she doesn’t want this. You didn’t even ask her if it was what she wanted. For all you know she may not. Nice one, Tony. You’ve likely just ruined everything. His thoughts were broken at the sound of her voice.“ We ?” she asked.
Tali stepped forward, reaching out her hand with a smile on her face.
“I know it’s not traditional nor probably how you envisioned it, but I,” Tony began and Ziva bit her lip, refraining herself from smiling too hard. It’s not traditional, she thought, but then again, neither are we. His words were silenced at the feel of her lips on his, gentle and tender.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Yes, what?” he asked, his brows crinkling.
“Yes, I will marry you, right here, right now,” she giggled.
“You’re sure?” he asked, genuinely. “I mean, we can do this any other place, any other time, with a giant guest list of our family and friends and–
“Tony,” she said, soft but firmly. “This is everything I have ever wanted.”
“But every little girl has dreams about what they want their wedding day to look like, right?” he asked, half-jokingly. “And getting married in a park pavillion doesn’t seem like the dream wedding venue?”
She took a step closer to him. “You are right. This is not the dream wedding venue for most women. But then, I am not most women.” It’s beautiful, she thought.
He laughed. “No, you are most definitely not. But still, I just… I don’t want you to be disappointed. When people ask you what your wedding day was like–”
“I will tell them that it was the greatest moment of my life,” she replied, smiling, “and I will mean every word of it. And besides, I would much rather people ask me about my husband instead.” Husband. His heart leapt as the words rolled so casually from her tongue. He could get used to hearing that.
“And what would you say?” he asked, with a twinkle in his eye.
"That I married the most amazing man,” she said as her fingertips danced over his face. “ A wonderful father. An excellent partner. And the love of my life.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss her.
“Well, if it isn’t my three favourite people in the world,” came Senior’s voice from behind them. Tony and Ziva broke their kiss, turning to the elderly man who was walking towards them with a gigantic grin on his face.
“Grandpa!” Tali said, running to hug him. He embraced her in his arms, laughing. “You’re right on time!”
Ziva looked at Tony, puzzled. A proud smile spread over his face. “He was already here in Paris and the moment he found out my plans he practically begged me to let him marry us,” he admitted. “Thank god for getting ordained via the internet.”
“It’s true,” Senior replied with a chuckle. “I did.”
“You knew I would say yes to this?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.
“I didn’t,” he confessed, “I just hoped you would. And if you did say no… well, then we could have just called it the most expensive family outing we’ve ever had,” he joked.
“He’s just being modest,” Senior interjected. "Tali convinced him that you would."
"She was not wrong," Ziva said, smiling at her daughter.
Senior walked over to Tony, a beige blazer over his arm. He handed it to him, winking. “Because you can’t get married looking like that, Junior. At least make some effort for your blushing bride.”
Ziva laughed, as Tali came to stand beside her. “He looks perfectly handsome as he is,” she replied, her elevator eyes examining his attire. A light pink shirt, and beige trousers. A blush crept up his cheeks at Ziva’s gaze and he pulled on the blazer and adjusted the cuffs, clearing his throat. She watched him with a smile on her face, amused at how flustered she could make him. “Oh!” she exclaimed suddenly. “I am not dressed fancy enough for a wedding either!” She glanced down at her long white sundress with lace patchwork, and white wedges on her feet.
“I disagree. You look beautiful,” Tony said, bringing his lips closer to her ear. He lowered his voice, just enough so she could hear. “And when we get home, you won’t be wearing that for very long.” She gave him a look as the colour crept into her cheeks. It was her turn to blush apparently…
“Well, kids,” Senior said, climbing the steps of the pavillion with Tali at his side. “You ready?”
“More than ever,” Tony replied, turning to Ziva. She bit her lip with a smile, nodding. “Oh, wait! There’s one more thing,” Tony said. He unlinked his fingers from Ziva’s, reaching into his back pocket. He took a small step back, pulling out the box and dropping to one knee.
“I haven’t officially asked you,” he said.
“Tony, you do not need to–”
“Yes,” he replied. “I do.” He opened the box, revealing the ring he’d chosen. It wasn’t anything overly fancy as Ziva was not one for flash and extravagance, but it had a fairly decent-sized oval-shaped diamond in the centre, with two smaller stones either side, and matched the wedding band he had also chosen for her, with Tali’s help. “I know we’ve gotten everything a little backwards by having a daughter before we ever went on an actual date, and living together before we ever were an actual couple." She chuckled at his words. “ You once said we were both romantically dysfunctional, but the truth is, we just hadn't found our person. But you, Ziva, are mine. I know this is pretty redundant considering where we are and I know your answer, but I’m still going to ask you anyway.” He took a deep breath, and she smiled, tears welling in her eyes. “Ziva David, will you marry me, right here, right now?”
She nodded, wiping away the stray tear that had slipped down her cheek. “Yes.”
He rose to his feet, gently wiping away another tear that fell. “They better be happy tears,” he laughed, reaching for her hand and delicately slipping the ring onto her finger.
“They are, ” she replied, bringing her lips to his, kissing him softly.
Senior cleared his throat. “Shall we?”
They sat on the bench, the four of them in a row – Tony, Ziva, Tali and Senior – as they happily indulged in their ice creams, as they had promised. It had been extremely intimate, just the two of them – their vows, short and simple, and straight from the heart. He told her how she was the love of his life, and he would spend every waking moment trying to make her happy, and making sure she felt loved and appreciated. And she had vowed the same, promising that she would take care of his heart as if it were her own. Tali had produced their wedding bands out of her small bag which they had slipped on each other's fingers with a beaming smile, and they had shared a long, romantic kiss after saying "I do." Of course, they would visit the court house in the morning to get it officially in writing, but as far as they were concerned, they were now married.
Ziva caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger, her heart leaping every time she noticed it. She had once made a joke to Tony about eloping, not that he had ever realised that that was what she was thinking about at the time. But she had been imagining what it would have been like to marry him, just the two of them. But she never could have imagined that it would be as wonderful as it was. The thought and care and effort he had taken in choosing a spot in the city they loved – the city of love – for them to promise to be together forever overwhelmed her. She didn't know what she had ever done to deserve him, but she had promised him, and the universe that she would spend her life ensuring that she was worthy.
“So,” Tony said in between his last mouthful of ice cream, “how does it feel to be married?”
“So far, not much different from us not being married,” she joked, looking at him, “but I am excited that I get to call you my husband from now on, and that I have ring on my finger to prove it – not that it was necessary.”
“Well, if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right.”
“I would like to have a gathering though,” she replied, “with our friends and family, to celebrate? I know we just eloped, but I would like to share the happiness with them, if we can?”
“Anything for my wife,” he replied, kissing her with a smile. My wife. “The moment we get home, we’ll start planning.”
“Well,” she said, bringing her lips close to his ear, “maybe not the moment we get home. I have something else in mind…”
He raised his eyebrows with a smirk. “Oh, you do now, do you?”
“Well, we have to make this marriage… official , yes?” Her voice was low and husky.
“Hey, Dad?” Tony said, turning to Senior. Ziva bit her lip with a smirk, amused by his eagerness. “Would you mind looking after Tali for the rest of the day?”
“Sure, Junior. Why ?” Tony and Ziva looked at him, raising their eyebrows. Senior laughed. “Ah, I see…”
“What is it, Grandpa?” Tali asked, looking up at him with a face covered in ice cream.
“Your parents want to celebrate their newlywed status,” he replied.
“I want to celebrate with them too!”
“They want to spend some time alone, Sweetheart. But for now, it’s you and me kiddo. What do you say we go home to my place and we can watch that film you’ve been desperate to show me… because neither you nor I want to be there while your mom and dad are celebrating . And then tomorrow we can all go to dinner, the four of us?” Senior raised his eyebrows.
The pair looked at him, mouthing the words “thank you.” He nodded with a smile.
"Can we also make friendship bracelets?!"
"Whatever you like, Sweet Pea."
It was mere seconds after Ziva finished her mouthful of ice cream, when she felt Tony’s hand on her back, his fingers lightly tapping away with keenness. She smiled as he looked at her, his eyes willing her to move faster. “Well, we love you,” she said, pressing a kiss to Tali’s hair, Tony following suit. “Be good for Grandpa!”
“I will! Love you!” Tali said, earning a smile from both of her parents. Before Ziva could say another word, Tony’s hand slipped into hers, practically tugging her back through the streets of Paris to their apartment. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived.
“I was thinking,” she said, as he unlocked the door, her heart fluttering at the sight of the wedding band on his finger. They stepped across the threshold, and he kicked the door closed behind them. “How would you feel if I didn’t change my last name?”
“You want to be Mrs David?”
“No… David-DiNozzo. Hyphenate. I feel it’s only right, because of Tali.”
“Honey,” Tony replied, “I don’t mind if you don’t take my last name, because that ring on your finger is proof that you’re mine… not that I own you, because I don’t and I don’t want you to ever think that I do, but–”
“Tony,” she said, cutting him off with a mischievous smirk on her face. “Shut up and kiss your wife."