𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 ━━ 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐳𝐳𝐨

FIFTEEN | not bad

"A cup of iced coffee, please. Thanks." I smile kindly at the barista, passing her my card. "On second thought, make that an iced water with a spritz of lemon." She types in my order and passes me a pen to sign.

"Come here often?"

Jumping at the sudden voice, I turn to see a sweaty Tony standing behind me with that snarky smile splayed across his face.

I grab my card back and head to the waiting area. "The point of having a late morning means I don't need to see you for another. . .hour and 48 minutes."

"Oh, don't tell me you're bored of my face. I see you catching glimpses when I'm not looking." He follows behind me like a shadow.

"I do not." A red tint flushes my cheeks, not doing much to hide my embarrassment. "Why are you all sweaty? I thought you were banned from the gym for —"

"Alright, we don't need to tell the whole coffee shop." He presses a clammy finger against my lips to shut me up. "And if you must know, I went out on a run. And met a really pretty girl."

Reaching over, I pick up my water and take a sip. "She beat you on the steps?"

"I thought women are terrible at running up the steps."

"Only because our bosom flails around. But if you've got the right kind of bra, you can really kick a guy's ass."

"I was thinking about getting some breakfast." He glances up at the menu posted overhead. "Care to join me? I'll pay." Tony breams brightly.

"Um. . ." I bite my bottom lip nervously, "I really shouldn't —"

His sunglasses teeter on the tip of his nose. "Pick a table. I'll order us some good grub."

Not even five minutes later, Tony sits down across from me, propping his legs up on the adjacent seat.

"When's the last time you got an actual night of sleep?"

That makes me choke on my water.

"Ex-Excuse me?" I use a couple of napkins to cough into. "If you mean sex, I swear to —"

"I don't." Tony slips off his sunglasses, and that's when I realize he isn't just messing around. "I think it might be better to start off with when's the last time you ate a full meal."

"Tony, where is this —"

"I'm thinking close to four months."

Just then, a waitress brings us our food. From the amount of food she sets down, Tony must have ordered the entire menu.

"Bruises only last, what? Two weeks?" He piles maple syrup on top of a stack of pancakes. "But the marks underneath the skin? Those can last a lifetime."

My fingers fidget anxiously. "Care to explain what's going on in that. . .miniscule brain of yours?"

"Since that terrorist decided to visit NCIS, you haven't been the same. There's something," He pauses to take a bite, "something off about you."

"Well, how would you feel if some guy you don't know held a gun to you?"

"You lied to Gibbs about eating three weeks ago. Said you had a couple of granola bars when I distinctly remember the exact opposite." A plate of waffles is placed in front of me. "Matter of fact, you didn't even join in on the pizza the night before." Damn it.

"Tony, just because we work together does not mean you know me." It takes everything in me to push away the plate.

The senior agent runs a hand over his face, letting his fingers linger on his chin. "You need help, Eva."