Just a little bit of Halloween Gabby fluff. I sat down to write the next part of Leather and Lace, and my muse was uncooperative (Bad Muse! Bad!) and this is what popped out of my brain instead.
Gibbs poked at the "enter" button on his keyboard, closing his email for the evening, or rather, the morning. Of course, they had to be the team on call on Halloween. And there had to be a dead marine hanging from a rope in a haunted house. At least they had the suspect in custody, a match on the rope, and all they were waiting for was Abby to confirm a chemical match from the acid on the guys face and the suspect's clothes. He stepped into the elevator, figuring he'd better head down to the lab and tell Abby that the match could wait until everyone had gotten some sleep. The suspect wasn't going anywhere, and he'd already ruined her Halloween by having to call her in. Abby loved Halloween, and she'd obviously been somewhere or on her way somewhere, as she'd come in wearing a long dress covered with a velvet cloak.
The elevator doors opened and he stepped out and walked the few steps to her lab, greeting her with his customary "Whatcha got for me Ab-" and his brain completely short-circuited as he caught sight of her hanging up the labcoat she must have just slipped off. Although she was covered from shoulder to ankle, it was just what she was covered with that he couldn't exactly wrap his mind around. The black sleeveless camisole, silk stockings, button-up boots, the black soft pants trimmed with lace that he couldn't remember the name for were all nice, but it was the blood red, obviously authentic corset she was wearing that made his totally overloaded mind realize that his lab rat was standing in front of him wearing historic Victorian lingerie. "Abs, what are you wearing?"
She looked down, annoyed. "I didn't want to risk getting acid on my dress." She motioned towards the velvet gown and cloak, on a hanger next to the recently removed lab coat, the same blood red as the corset. "I was on my way to a party."
"And you would rather get acid on that?" he motioned to her current outfit.
"Well, no." She shrugged. "But I didn't tie it, Amy did, and when I tried to untie it, I just ended up tying a knot because I was rushing. So I gave up, because the lab coat covers most of this. Figured I'd ask her for help later. I have to call her for a ride home anyway. She dropped me off."
"You forget about rule number nine?"
"Gibbs!" Abby gasped. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to re-lace a corset? And I'd end up cutting myself if I tried it behind my back anyway."
"I came down here to tell you to deal with that chemical match in the morning. It's late and the evidence can wait."
"I just finished the match. Positive. Emailed it to DiNozzo and McGee and was just about to call you."
"Good work, Abs." He gave her the usual kiss on the cheek. "Grab your stuff. I'll drive you home."
She grabbed a duffel and her dress, wrapping the velvet cloak around her shoulders. Gibbs took the duffel from her without a word and they headed up the elevator.
He walked her to his car and he opened the passenger door for her, taking the dress from her hands. He placed the duffel on the floor in the back seat and laid the dress gently across the seat, a yawn catching him as he climbed into the drivers' seat.
"Tired, Gibbs?"
"It's four am, Abby. We all can't live on Caf-Pow."
"So take me to your place." She shrugged. "It's closer and I can crash in your spare room. That way you don't have to drive all the way to my place and then back to yours."
Gibbs was too tired to argue.
When they pulled into his driveway, he grabbed her bag, handing her the dress. She set it gently over the back of a chair and collapsed into it while he walked into the living room, flipping lights on. "I'm guessing you want some help with that knot?"
She pulled a buttonhook out of her bag. "Give me a minute. I'm actually a lot more desperate to get out of these shoes!" He sat down on the couch and watched as she used the hook to undo the row of tiny buttons that ran up the outside of each heeled boot. She slipped her feet out and sighed. "Ah, much better!" Standing, she said "Okay, now for the knot!"
He stood and looked down at the mess she had made of the corset laces, taking a moment to get a closer look at the fascinating item of clothing. It wasn't like anything he'd ever seen at Frederick's of Hollywood. He could feel the strength of the garment belied by the delicate fabric that covered it, and would put money down that there was some kind of metal supports and sturdier fabric inside it. He ran a finger down the boning along her waist, trying to recall a time when he'd seen anything sexier than what he was looking at in that moment. He failed to think of a damned thing. He played with the laces, trying to figure out how exactly she'd managed to get things so tangled, and unsure he really wanted to help her out of it. "I can't guarantee I'm not going to have to cut this."
She turned and glared. "Gibbs, don't you dare!"
He held up his hands. "I'll try." He gently pushed her shoulder, turning her back so he could look at the laces again.
He worked at the knot for a few minutes, finally getting the last loop untangled. "Got it."
He let go of the lace just as Abby warned him "Not too fast!" She grabbed for the chair "Wow, little dizzy there." She shook her head, trying to clear it. "If it's laced too tight, releasing the laces too fast makes blood pressure drop."
He picked her up and carried her over to the couch, sitting down still holding her. "You okay?"
She blinked a moment and then laughed. "Yeah. Wow, I can breathe now! No wonder Amy says unlacing a tight corset is better than sex!"
Gibbs laughed and Abby shot him a look. "Hey! You're laughing at me!"
"Yep."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Because anyone who says that-" he motioned to the laces that were now draped over his leg. "is better than sex is doing something wrong."
She laughed. "So I've been doing it wrong all these years?"
"Yep."
Her eyes met his. "I'll believe that when I see it." Challenge issued.
"That could be arranged." Challenge accepted. Images flashed through his mind of all the ways he wanted to show her just how right things could be between them.
She smiled. "So how long do I have to wait for this...demonstration?"
He reached out, his fingers tangling in her hair, his eyes seeking hers in a moment of seriousness. "You sure?"
She leaned forward, her lips inches from his. "Absolutely."
At her whispered consent, his lips met hers in the first perfect crescendo of the night.
When they awoke in a tangle of limbs and sheets, the sun streaming through the curtains they'd neglected to close in their haste, Gibbs chuckled as he ran his fingers through her dark hair. "So, what's the verdict?"
Abby blinked in the sunlight. "Hmm." She pondered, trailing a finger down his chest. "I think I'll require more demonstrations to really know for sure. A single sample isn't enough data, you know. I'll definitely need more data." She kissed him thoroughly, squealing in surprise as he rolled her underneath him again. "Yes, lots more data."
Author's Note: To answer a few questions, tight lacing a corset can affect breathing and blood pressure, both of which can be dangerous, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Do some research and talk to your doctor before you decide to investigate tight lacing. It's not necessary to lace a corset very tightly to be beautiful. An inch or two is just fine and Scarlet O'Hara was insane! If it's painful, it's too tight! If you'd like more information on corsets specifically, Alter Years has wonderful historic corsets as well as books on corsets and corset making as well as supplies, and Dark Garden is a good place to look for more modern designs.
Thank you so much for reading, and as always, thank you very much for your feedback! It's always greatly appreciated, and thank you for taking the time to write!