Title: Snuggle
Author: dizzy - in - the - izzy
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I am really original with my titles, aren't I?

A/N: I do not know. Do not ask. I'm just pulling things that I've been hoarding in my arsenal of fics to the site, so there. But I like this one a lot.

Ziva had never been extremely clingy. She had never been the kind of person to want extreme physical contact. She enjoyed the occasional hand holding, or a hug every now and then, but it had to be with the right person. She'd link arms with someone, or walk right next to them, but there had to be trust. And she didn't trust extremely easy.

Things changed at NCIS. She learned to trust the people around her. She let her guard down a little more. She became a bit more effeminate. She learned how to love people who weren't her blood. She learned that not everyone was going to let her down. And it comforted her to know there were people who felt the same about her, that loved her and cared about her. And even though her track record with men was bad, her team taught her that not all men were going to let her down. The three men, the ones she worked with every day, made her feel the most loved of all. Especially one in particular.

She sits on the couch, her legs crossed and a box of take out in her lap. She's been sitting like this since she arrived home, and she's aware of the knot that has formed in her back. She stands and makes her way to the kitchen, her mind in another place. She throws the take out away, and stretches out her back. She hears each vertebrae crack, and smiles. There is relief in her back, and she begins the process of making herself tea. She's waiting for the water to boil when she hears a knock at the door.

Shutting off the water, she jogs to the door. Upon looking through the peep hole, she throws open the door and smiles at the man on the other side. Without a second thought, she nearly bounds forward and wraps her arms around his waist, and snuggles her face into his chest. He laughs softly and wraps his arms around her body, kissing her hair.

"I'm glad to see you too," he whispers and she smiles against his chest.

Since she ventured into a romantic relationship with Tim McGee, something in her changed. She had known he was affectionate, and was one of those people who would always make it a point to let you know how he felt, but she hadn't expected him to be so touchy-feely. She hadn't expected he'd to be so touchable. At first she was hesitant, even though he'd made it a point to hold her hand over dinner, or give her a hug good night. And then one night, he'd given her a kiss at her door, and something in her body switched. She wanted to be close to him, and feel his warmth on her skin. She wanted the skin to skin contact, the feeling of his soft skin under her hands.

What started with a want turned into something she did every day. Whenever she could, she'd make it a point to touch his hand, head, neck, back. Even at work, she'd make it a point to brush his hand when grabbing something from him, and if they ended up in an elevator together, she would offer him a quick kiss or a squeeze of the hand. And every time she made a point to initiate contact, he'd smile. As though it was something he'd worked on. And she came to believe he had, because it was what he liked.

Over time, she became a cuddler. She liked to curl up against his side, and put her legs across his lap as they watched television. At night, when they stayed at one apartment or the other, she'd wait until he slipped under the cover to curl up against his side, molding her body to his. And whenever he was in bed first, he'd pull her as close as he could to his chest, keeping his arms tightly wrapped around her.

She looks up at him now, seeing the smirk on his face. He knows (he's always known, really) just how much their relationship has changed her. He smiles at her softly, placing a gently kiss on her lips.

"You are late," she says, and he laughs at her quietly. He makes to move them backwards, but she doesn't let go. With a smile, he gently walks them backwards to the couch, where he drops them onto the cushions, eliciting a laugh from her.

"I got caught in traffic," he responds, and she laughs again. His lips have found her neck, and she shuts her eyes as he hovers above her.

"Tim, I am tired," she whispers into his ear, and his lips leave her skin. He gives her a smile, and helps her up off the couch. With ease, he pulls her to her bedroom, where they quietly strip of their outer clothes. Tim crawls under the covers first, his body spreading out in the soft sheets. Ziva smiles fondly, crawling above the covers to lie on his back. He smiles over his shoulder at her, and reaches around to grab at her.

She rolls off him, and he pounces on her. She laughs as his hands pull her under the covers, burying his face into her neck. She wraps her hands around his head, holding him there. She begins to giggle as he tickles her sides, his hands moving swiftly over her exposed skin.

She's about to flip him off when he stops and wraps his arms around her. With that action, he's curled up against her chest, his body snuggling up against her. She relaxes back onto the bed, knowing that tonight he's going to be the one to snuggle. His breath caresses her neck, and his hands press into her skin. She's well aware of the almost clingy feeling to his position, but she knows it's not that. It's been a long week of cases and long nights of working. They haven't curled up around each other in a week, and he's missed her as much as she's missed him.

His hands relax, and she curls her arms around his shoulders. His head remains on her shoulder, and his long body presses against her side. Lying like this, his feet reach over the end of the bed, but she knows he doesn't mind. It's all about contact at the moment.

"I missed you so much," he finally chokes out, and she squeezes him tighter. Even though she's gotten better at the physical stuff, words still don't come easily to her.

"I know," she whispers, stroking his hair. It's soft to her fingers, and she has to smile.

"It's been a long week," he says against her neck, his lips making contact with her skin again. She lets this be their focus for a moment before she finally works up the words in her mouth to express what she's feeling.

"I missed you," she starts quietly and he squeezes her body, "and especially being close to you. Like this."

She adds the end as an afterthought, and she can feel his smile against her skin. He sits up momentarily to press his lips to hers, and she knows that she's alright.

He lies back down against her, his nose nuzzling into her neck. She smiles, that feeling of comfort she always feels when he is wrapped around her filling her stomach. She can feel his breathing even, and his body relax. They are both tired, and she knows they are going to fall asleep soon. And as a last minute thought, she decides to whisper what is on her mind.

"I love you, Tim."

She feels his hands press against her skin slightly, and his lips turn up in a smile against her neck. He gently moves his hand up to run through her hair, and he pulls her face down to look at him. She tries to make it clear in her eyes how comfortable and adored she feels, and she thinks he gets it as a glowing smile crosses his face. He reaches up to kiss her, his lips moving carefully over hers. When he pulls back, he nuzzles her cheek.

"I love you too."

A/N: Just adding to the fluff which is my life.

Reviews, yadda yadda.

-Izzzzzy