Disclaimer: Nope. Still not mine.

a/n: I needed a break from my other fic, and this little plot bunny came hopping into my head.

It's fluffy goodness 

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You can do this. He tells himself as he takes his first step away from the car. First step is the hardest, DiNozzo. His eyes are determinedly set upon the small house in front of him.

Deep breath.

Another few steps.

What's there to be scared of?

Halfway to the door now.

Gibbs will totally go for this.

Letting himself in.

Right?

Anthony DiNozzo takes another deep breath as he steps through the entryway, shoulders hunched and sweating more than he'd like to admit.

"You can do this." He says to himself, just above a whisper, as he slowly walks the familiar steps to the basement.

He pauses, as if to reconsider his choice, before heading resolutely down the stairs. Gibbs looks up to acknowledge his presence before returning to his boat.

Tony quietly coughs as he stands awkwardly a few feet away. "Boss?" His voice is shaky and it sounds vaguely reminiscent of his pubescent years.

"Yeah."

Way to make it easy for me, Gibbs.

"Can we… talk?"

"Yup." He says, sliding the sand paper gently across the frame.

"It might be better if you weren't working on the boat." Gibbs takes the time to turn and raise an eyebrow at the younger agent. "Or continue working on the boat… that's fine. Better. Even."

"You were saying, DiNozzo?"

"Oh, right. Well." Another cough. "It's uh. It's about Ziva, boss."

Gibbs stops sanding and turns to look him full in the face. "What did you do to her?" His tone would kill a weaker man.

"What? No! Nothing! I mean, I left the toilet seat up at her apartment a couple days ago, but it was just one time." Gibbs eyes him warily before returning to his work.

"What is it then?"

"Well. You know we've… been dating for a while now."

Gibbs scoffs at this. "As you've made clear."

"Right well. Okay. So you'd consider yourself to be… a father figure to her, right?"

Gibbs nods, moving to a different section of the boat. Tony runs an uncertain hand through his hair before continuing.

"So, I just. Okay, I can do this. Please don't headslap me? I…" Tony takes another deep breath steadying himself against the boat's frame.

"Just spit it out, Tony."

"I want to marry her."

Silence encompasses the room as Gibbs stops his sanding.

Tony waits for some form of reprimanding: yelling, a headslap, getting kicked out… anything. When nothing comes, he continues.

"And since, I think, she considers you to be more of a father than her actual father… I thought I'd ask for your blessing."

Gibbs slowly turns around, dropping his sander on the counter before picking up his glass of bourbon. Tony remains silent as he watches his boss take a long, nauseatingly slow sip.

Please, take your time. It's not like I just made the biggest declaration of my life or anything.

"You know, she'd kill you if she knew you were doing this."

"Yeah, well, I think we both know Ziva makes her own choices. And if I'm being honest, I'm not just here for her."

Gibbs raises his head and looks at Tony full in the face.

"I mean… I…" Tony had not been planning on making this announcement today as well. "You're life a father to me too. And, I want to know what you think."

Gibbs takes another sip. "What I think?"

"Yeah."

"Well," he starts, placing his glass on the counter and picking up his sander. "I think she can do a hell of a lot better."

"Thanks for that." Tony mutters quietly.

"But it's her choice. And if she says yes, then you have my blessing." He says, restarting his work on the boat.

Tony releases the breath he'd been holding since he'd arrived. Figuratively, at any rate.

"And, what do you think? About, my choice, I mean."

"I think." He stops his sanding. "I think I'm proud of you, DiNozzo. Finally settling down."

"I love her." He says simply, as if it explains it all. It does.

The two share a comfortable silence as Gibbs resumes his sanding.

"And if you hurt her Tony, I will shoot you dead."

"Please, boss, she'll kill me first."

"Yeah she will."

Tony gives a small smile to his mentor before slowly turning and making his way to the stairs.

"Oh, one last thing." Tony turns around as Gibbs speaks up. "Good luck."

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I haven't decided if I want to do a chapter on the proposal or not… I do need me some more Tiva fluff. Tell me what you think?