Disclaimer: I own nothing but this bottle of rum and this carton of eggnog, happy holidays~
A/N: It's Christmas... and I couldn't sleep so I wrote this for you all. It's pretty pointless, it's pretty cute. There's two parts to it. Nice & Naughty (Ha, see what I did there?) Welp, it's just after midnight so I'll give you the fluff now... the smut later ;) JIBBS JIBBS JIBBS. Happy Holidays~!
It wasn't Paris. It wasn't Italy. It was not Europe, and that was an entire lifetime behind the both of them. In most cases, it was better that way.
Jenny settled well into the corner of the couch under a blanket as close to the fireplace as physically possible from her spot. It was warm, and that was welcome after she had been out in the cold earlier. She sighed softly, resting her chin on her arm as she leaned on the arm of the couch. She still wasn't entirely sure what it had been that had brought her to this spot tonight, but this was where she was … and she was surprisingly comfortable. So comfortable in fact, she completely lost herself in thought. It wasn't until she heard quiet footsteps she even remembered she was not alone.
"You warmin' up yet?" Came the question from directly across the room, where Gibbs stood watching her patiently.
She blinked, turning slightly to face him. "Hardly, why is it so cold in here?" She insisted, curling up a little more under the blanket.
"Heater's busted. Again. Not workin' as well as it should." He told her simply, "Want some coffee or somethin'? It'll help."
She glanced outside, nodding. It was relatively late, but it was Christmas Eve. She wasn't sure she would be able to sleep. She didn't mind being alone most of the time, but there was something about the holiday season that just… Made her not want to be alone. Perhaps it was the constant reminder that no one should be alone on Christmas, or just simply the desire to not want to be alone and this being a good excuse to be with someone. Though she had surprised even herself when she had wound up on Gibbs' doorstep, of all places. It was what had reminded her that she wasn't alone, that even if things had changed from what they had once been, it was still him she wanted to be around. She considered him family in her own special way. "Yeah." She finally answered, "I suppose it can't hurt."
He nodded and went back into the kitchen, reappearing just moments later with two mugs for each of them. He sat down next to her on the couch, leaving a bit of space between them as he held out the mug for her. It was such a comfortable gesture, just to sit on the couch with her and not say much. "Here." He insisted as he held the mug out to her.
"That was .. fast." Her brow furrowed just slightly as she hesitantly took the mug from him. She looked at her drink, then at his, curious when she realized that his coffee wasn't black… Or, coffee. She eyed him for a moment, curious at what he was up to until the scent of the warm drink flooded her senses. It brought back memories that made her nostalgic, to say the least. She continued to stare at him a few moments longer before she sipped at her coffee. It was coffee, but with eggnog and the slightest hint of something alcoholic. So, real eggnog. She smiled fondly, cradling the mug in both hands and keeping it close to her. "This reminds me of that one Christmas we spent locked up in that house…" She began quietly, glancing around his scarcely decorated living room. While it was scarce, there were a few Christmas-y things. A small tree, a few lights, some clearly handmade wooden ornaments. "It was a lot warmer there." She teased with a friendly smile.
He smiled lazily as he patiently watched her all curled up on the couch, apparently struggling to warm up. While he had to admit it had been a surprise to find her in his house on Christmas eve, he wasn't about to turn her away. He hated spending Christmas alone. He hated spending any Holiday alone but for some reason this one in particular was more difficult. "Heater wasn't broke in that house." He pointed out, taking a drink from his mug before putting it down on the table. He moved back on the couch and made himself comfortable, putting one arm up on the back of the couch and motioning her closer. "C'mere." He told her. "Never could warm yourself up."
She sipped at her drink again, thankful he remembered and she didn't have to go into detail about it. When he offered his side to her, she leaned forward and put her coffee down, gathering the blanket she had and moving over. She cuddled up against his side, sighing softly and closing her eyes for a moment. It was a sickly comfortable feeling, his warmth against her. Something she had missed despite her great denial. "Are you going to ask me why I'm here?" She asked, looking up at him and curling her hands against his side. He was so warm, all the time. How?
"Nah." He shook his head. He got it, really.
"Good, because I don't have a good explanation." She let out a relieved breath and reached forward to gather her drink again, sipping at the hot liquid gratefully. "This is much warmer, thank you Jethro." She said softly, resting her weight against him.
"Welcome." He murmured, running his hand over her back. "You stayin' or not?" He asked rather boldly. However, he didn't seem like he expected her to answer one thing over another.
"I … Honestly hadn't thought ahead that far. I just didn't want to be alone. And I had a feeling you would be. No offense." She felt her cheeks warm in a mildly embarrassed blush.
He let out a very short amused laugh. "None taken. Didn't think you would be alone." He admitted.
"Is it strange that I ended up here, of all places?" She asked, sipping at her drink before putting it down again so she could rest against him. This was so weirdly comfortable and sickeningly domestic. Not a situation she had ever really pictured herself in, at least not with him. Or rather, it wasn't a situation she had ever considered a possibility. "Do you ever miss it? Europe, I mean." She asked, tilting her head just slightly to look up at him, "Us." She clarified after a moment of silence, "not professionally."
He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling as though thinking about his answer carefully. Finally he answered, "Sometimes."
"Right now." She insisted, sitting up slightly so she could turn to face him better. For this moment at least, it felt like they were completely alone. It seemed like everyone else was tucked away with their families, the world was quiet, and here they were. Alone with no family close enough to go to, and together again.
He shrugged, looking down at her after a few moments. "Yeah." He admitted, although he wasn't entirely sure if it was because he missed having a family or just because it was the holidays or if he really just missed her.
She worried her bottom lip for a moment, studying his face. "Me too." She finally murmured, relaxing against his side. She hesitated, putting her head against his shoulder. "Do you think… That as long as we're both alone we can be together every year just for the holidays?" She asked, resting her hand against his side and keeping her head on his shoulder so she wouldn't have to see his face.
He didn't move. He stayed silent for a good long time. After a moment, he very clearly said "no."
Startled, she looked up at him. "Why?" She asked.
"'Cause I don't want to be with you for a few days every year." He told her seriously.
"Jethro-" She glared at him. That was just downright offensive.
He looked at her, amused by the sudden burst of what he could only think to call red-headed anger. "Would rather just have you all the time."
She balked, flustered. "I – You, what?" She asked, confused by everything that had happened in the last, oh, five seconds.
He leaned forward, keeping a hand on her back as he reached for his drink. Once he set it back down, he looked at her still sitting in that awkward position half pulled away from him. "Did I stutter?" He asked, not a hint of a smile on his face now.
"No." She murmured apprehensively. "I just- don't understand."
"Tried to ask before. You said no." He reminded her. "Asking again."
She moved slightly against his side, unsettled and uncomfortable. She hadn't expected much out of this night, but this… This she really had not been prepared for. The first time she had said no to him, she had been banking on him fighting her, fighting for her. She had been thrown off by his lack of fight then, and she was just as thrown off by his sudden bluntness now. She didn't know what to say, so instead she simply stared at him with an astonished expression for a while. Slowly, she leaned against his side again and took a deep breath, trying to analyze this whole situation. But as she took a breath and relaxed, it occurred to her that she could only find comfort where she had been so unsettled a few moments ago. Well if he was trying to surprise her then two could play at that game. She turned slightly against his arm, tilting her head up and brushing a gentle kiss to his lips, unable to find words to express what simple actions could.
He looked at her, though he didn't look surprised by the gentle gesture. In fact, when she pulled back, he leaned forward to kiss her again. He moved his hand up her back and through her long red hair, pulling her a little closer to keep here there. After a moment, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers. "s'that a yes?" He asked, leaning back slightly to look at her.
She looked up at him, studying his familiar eyes. Finally, she nodded and leaned forward to kiss him again. "This isn't how I imagined this night going at all." She whispered, resting her hand against his chest and nuzzling his cheek. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, memorizing everything about this- the smell of the fireplace, warm despite the cool air throughout the rest of the house and outside, the slightly sweet taste of eggnog in his lips. She shivered, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she pressed her forehead against his temple. She sighed softly, a relaxed and relieved sound from her. "I'll stay. But just tonight." She said softly, stealing another kiss from the corner of his mouth. She felt him smile just a little.
"Tomorrow night too." He murmured, kissing her again as he tugged the blanket around her and pulled her closer. He felt the subtle shiver go through her and he looked up. "Still cold?" He asked, leaning forward to grab her warm drink for her.
She watched and felt him move, reaching out to stop his hand. She shook her head, "No, Jethro. I'm not cold anymore." She told him, shrugging the blanket just off her shoulders. She chose to ignore his argument about how long she would stay. She hadn't even prepared to stay here tonight, never mind the next day.
"You sure?" He glanced at the floor in front of the fireplace, "Got no problem helpin' you warm up." He murmured against her temple.
She reached for her drink again, cradling it in her hands again as she settled against him. She nearly dropped her coffee at his comment and she looked up at him surprised. "Jethro, I've hardly been here an hour!" She insisted, clicking her tongue at him in disapproval.
"I ... just meant sitting closer to the fireplace." He told her, nodding toward the empty space on the floor. Although, he had to admit he liked where her mind took his words. He smiled, more amused by that than he had been by anything else from her tonight.
"Oh—I … Well." She huffed softly, feeling suddenly foolish for assuming he only wanted such a thing from her. "I suppose it couldn't hurt." She admitted, cuddling against his side and making herself comfortable. "But not yet. I like it right here." She told him, arching into him slightly and reaching up to touch his face. She pressed her fingers against his jaw, gently making him look down at her so she could lean up and kiss him. It was a slow, lazy gesture. It was casual and familiar, it was comfortable and it felt safe. She knew it would be different this time, because they had both changed. "Mm... Maybe I'll stay tomorrow too."
Yes~ pointless, fluffy. Comfortable. Family doesn't necessarily mean many. Remember that. Sometimes it just takes one person. (And some eggnog.)
Much love! (Stay tuned for the adult part of this story, eh?)
