Closer Reality

Chapter 26 – Commitment and Completion

When Abby drifted back to consciousness on Christmas morning, it was to the familiar scent and solid feel of her wrap-around Marine, generating heat like a furnace.

Several sensations gradually made it through her comfortably drowsy state. Lips were trailing soft nibbling kisses over the back of her neck, warm breath caused goosebumps to prickle across her skin and his nose was nuzzling into her hair.

She relished the feel of the hard body behind her, the legs and hips cradling her butt pressing something very interesting against her lower back. When Abby tried to turn over, all she got was a sleepy husky mumble as strong arms tightened around her, keeping her in place.

Memories from last night crowded in: the possessive dominance of his kisses, the calluses on his hands catching on her skin and making her shiver, the feel of his body underneath her... inside her.

If she couldn't move, she could at least press back into him and did so, rocking into the hardness digging into her, hearing his deep groan. One large hand cupped her breast and she moaned low in her throat as fingers began teasing her nipple. His other hand slid slowly down over her stomach and Abby let her legs fall open to encourage him on, heat curling through her as her body began to react to his touches with its usual dizzying swiftness.

Abby twisted her head to kiss him, murmuring against his mouth. "Morning, Gunny."

Gibbs chuckled, nibbling his way along her shoulder. "Morning, sleepyhead." When she tried to turn in his arms again, he tightened his hold. "Shh... relax. Let me."

"Wanna touch you."

Gibbs just murmured into her skin and she shivered at the low rasp. "Just feel, Abbs."

He'd woken earlier, content to watch Abby sleep, her breathing steady, her face peaceful. She was so beautiful as she slept, lying trustingly in his arms, long limbs tangled with his and he almost wished they could stay here all day. But if they couldn't, he could at least make sure her alarm call was pleasant.

Gibbs felt the moment when Abby gave control over to him as she relaxed against him, resting her hands over his as they roamed over her body and soon she was writhing in his arms.

As he ruthlessly exploited her hot spots, her thoughts scattered and by the time Gibbs pulled her leg up and back onto his hip to slide inside her from behind, Abby was so wet and desperate that she couldn't control her moans. A vague part of her mind hoped that Jackson was downstairs by now because there was no way she could stop, even if the house was on fire.

The feel of her warm tight heat wrapping around him had Gibbs groaning her name into her neck as he began thrusting slowly. In this position, Abby couldn't get much leverage at all and all she could do was hold onto his hip or arms as he rocked into her.

So she gave up trying to move and concentrated on how Gibbs made her feel... electricity sparking through her, the pleasure building until she was spiralling out of control... the passion between them as intense as it had been from their very first night together.

His fingers slid down to work her clit as his thrusts sped up and as he growled in her ear for her to let go, her release came as a slow wave that took her under as she moaned into the pillow.

Gibbs soon followed her over, his hips jerking as he spilled inside, biting down on her shoulder as he came, arms squeezing her tight against him, the rumble of her name vibrating through her skin.

When she came back to herself, Gibbs was still curled around her, holding her close as their heartbeats slowly calmed, aftershocks skittering through them both. Abby was perfectly content to lie there, completely absorbed in how good he felt against her, his ragged breathing washing over her neck.

A husky giggle broke out, making him twitch inside her, even though he was spent. "Well, oorah and Happy Christmas to me."

He snorted into her neck. "Think we can make it to the shower?"

Abby turned her head to kiss him and hummed into his mouth in appreciation. "Mmm... maybe in a minute, when my legs have reconnected to my brain. But yeah, I wanna get downstairs before Jack."

"Too late... he's already up." Gibbs stretched and rolled onto his back with a groan, slipping out of her.

"Oh. You sure?"

"Yup, can smell the coffee."

Abby giggled as she turned to fling an arm and leg over him. "I swear you were a drug sniffing dog in a past life... you can smell coffee about a mile away."

Gibbs grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

They shared a teasing and playful shower, content to have some time to themselves while they could. Abby enjoyed the opportunity to run her hands over firm soapy muscles as she hadn't been able to get her hands on all that naked flesh in bed.

After Gibbs dressed and disappeared back into the bathroom to shave, Abby hurriedly threw on some clothes and retrieved a package from her nightstand. She sat on the bed, turning it over in her hands, her mind running over the past few weeks and how she'd spent some of them plucking up her courage for this morning.

"Oh, Jack. I do love you but sometimes your timing really, really sucks," she murmured to herself.

Last night's conversation had taken her by surprise in more ways than one.

What they'd talked about, what they'd agreed on had her bubbling over with happiness, but could that conversation threaten to derail what she had been planning for weeks? Two such important and difficult conversations almost back to back were sure to be too much for Gibbs... weren't they?

Abby couldn't suppress a feeling that she was about to screw up... big time.

But this had been something she'd decided on weeks ago, ever since he'd given her the promise ring now permanently on her left hand, and had organized his present soon after. It was just unfortunate that Jackson pushing them last night about kids had triggered one conversation she hadn't anticipated.

So should she wait a while... keep back this present until the timing was better?

But why should she change her plans?

After all, this was her life... her man... and she was about to ask possibly the most important and difficult question of her life. She should have been excited about it, not scared stiff.

So she sat there, staring down at the package in her hands, her mind whirling in circles, until Gibbs emerged from the bathroom. Abby looked up as he approached and Gibbs could see the nervousness evident in her body language and wondered at the sudden change from the playful mood in the bathroom.

Gibbs settled next to her on the bed, watching as Abby turned over the small gift-wrapped box in her hands and waited her out.

Biting her lip, Abby eventually began to speak. "I, erm, got you a present... but you know that. It's downstairs under the tree with the presents for everyone else but I, um, also got you a sort of private present that I wanted to give you now rather than in front of everyone coz... well, you might not like it... or you might like it but might not want to wear it, or at least you might not mind wearing it but maybe not today... like in front of everyone. But it may trigger questions and I know you don't like being questioned and today may be difficult enough..."

Gibbs stopped her with a finger on her lips. "That's a lot of buts, Abbs. What's wrong?"

Abby stared at him, before mumbling against his fingers. "Nothing... and I was heading for an 'and' next rather than another 'but'... or maybe it was an 'also'... or a 'plus'. Yes, definitely a plus." When she saw his raised eyebrow, amusement gleaming in his eyes, she dropped her gaze. "Sorry... I went off down a side alley again there, didn't I?"

Gibbs slid his hand to her cheek, stroking his thumb across the soft skin. "Only a brief detour... which might make more sense if you let me open it."

Although he could make a good guess what might be inside the box and found his heart rate increasing at the thought of it.

"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. I'm not sure if this is too much after, y'know, last night, sort of too much too soon kinda thing but, erm, you can decide for yourself, I guess. " Abby gave him a sheepish smile before handing him the box and he gave her a quick reassuring kiss before opening it. He'd guessed right but couldn't immediately find his voice as he stared down at it.

Abby couldn't help filling the silence nervously. "It's a promise ring."

Ever since he'd given her the promise ring, she'd wanted to mirror the sign of commitment it represented. Something tangible to show that this was it for her too, something that went beyond the words she'd said to him already because they didn't adequately describe how she felt about him. She wasn't sure anything could adequately portray how he was everything.

His half grin tugged at his mouth. "So I see."

It was a plain gold band and he recognized the symbols on the outside. Abby was wearing the matching ring on her left hand, only his ring was plainer... the Celtic symbols engraved once on the plain gold rather than all around the black inlay which adorned Abby's ring.

But the symbols themselves were the same... three cornered knots, triskeles, denoting the body, mind and spirit of two people joined in Serch Bythol, everlasting love. It was the design he'd chosen for her ring and now he was staring at its mate nestled in the small box.

"Of course you can," Abby carried on softly as Gibbs continued to look down at the ring. "Erm, it's the same design as mine, so you may figure I cheated by copying, but it means so much, I thought you might like the same thing. Although I thought you might not want the full design, so I just went for the, erm, traditional gold. I got the engraving of our initials on the inside like mine."

"Abbs..."

She couldn't immediately read his expression as he trailed off so she launched into another babble. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to... especially not today in case it starts Jack off again. And I know we discussed this before and neither of us want the drama of a wedding, a piece of paper that can't tell us anything we don't already know, with all the expense and hassle that goes with it."

"Monkey suits." He put in, smiling slightly.

Abby gave him a shy smile as Gibbs glanced up. "Oh yeah, not to mention the rubber chicken dinner."

He reached over to lace his fingers with hers. "Arguing with the in-laws."

"Bridesmaids being sick in the garden, yeah, I know," Abby felt some of the tension leave her at the smile on his face, the softness in his eyes. "But it doesn't mean I'm any less committed to you. A piece of paper's not going to tell me I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I told you before that I think of this as a wedding ring."

"I do too," Gibbs turned her hand over and ran his finger over the intricate band of her own promise ring. "No piece of paper means more than this... means more than what we've said already."

"That's what I think too. So, erm, I guess what I'm saying is I feel married to you in my head already." She stared at him, trying to tamp down her nerves. "So, erm, holding that thought, I wanted this ring to be a way of asking you something. So here goes... Leroy Jethro Gibbs, right here, right now, would you care to marry me... in your head... mmmph..."

Abby found herself flat on her back in a heartbeat, his mouth covering hers as he reared over her and she laughed into his lips as Gibbs kissed her till her toes curled.

When Gibbs eventually drew back, he smoothed her hair back off her face, smiling down at her, his voice rough and gravelly with emotion. "Trust you to do it differently." His heart was pounding in his chest, close to feeling overwhelmed at what she'd just done.

Abby looped her arms around his neck. "That a yes?"

"What d'ya think?" he murmured against her mouth.

Joy flooded through her as she kissed him, trying to convey through her kiss everything she felt, everything she couldn't articulate. "Maybe I shoulda gone down on one knee?"

That half grin she loved broke out. "Not gonna argue when ya go down on ya knees for anything, Abbs."

Abby giggled as his mouth covered hers again. He brushed his lips softly against hers several times before pulling back, framing her head in his arms. "Does this mean I'm your mental husband?"

Her smile widened as she saw the teasing gleam in his eyes. "Well, I'm certainly your mental wife." She gazed up at him tenderly, sliding her hand into his hair. "In every sense of the word."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "Abby..."

Gibbs could invest so much meaning into a single utterance of her name and it made tears well in her eyes as she saw the love so clearly visible on his face. "I meant what I said, Jethro... you don't have to wear it today if it's gonna make you uncomfortable."

Gibbs leaned in for another kiss before sitting up and removing the ring from the box and slipping it onto his left hand, raising an eyebrow at her.

Abby bit her lip, trying to restrain the urge to turn cartwheels around the room. "On the other hand... you could wear it." She reached for his hand, tracing her fingers over the ring, not blind to what it meant that Gibbs was willing to wear it for her today... at least until the comments started.

"It's about us, Abbs... don't care what anyone says or thinks. Don't need to say vows or promises for anyone else's benefit but you."

Jackson could say what he wanted. He was putting Abby... them... first. That was more important.

Gibbs pulled her in for a slow, tender kiss, nuzzling her nose when he pulled back. "Got you two presents too. Was gonna give you this later but seems right ya have it now." Gibbs moved over to the closet and rummaged in the back. When he returned to sit beside her, he handed her a large envelope.

Abby smiled, raising an amused eyebrow. "You want me to do your tax returns, Jethro?"

He snorted. "Already married one accountant... don't need another one."

Abby gasped when she pulled the paperwork out, staring in disbelief at what was in her hand. The deeds to this house, with her name on them, right alongside his.

She found herself stammering. "But... but... this is Shannon's house."

Gibbs wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling into her hair. "It's our house." Abby raised her head and he saw her eyes shining with joy and tears slipping slowly down her cheek. "Not sure I'm doing this right if you're crying."

"You... you're doing everything so right. I don't know what to say... except show you." She flung herself on him, smothering his face in kisses, laughing when he rolled them over again to press her into the mattress. She framed his face in her hands, trying to find the right words to express how she felt. "I've never owned anything before and suddenly... I share a house, literally. I just... I don't know how to thank you."

Gibbs stared down at her, tenderly stroking her cheek. "Don't have to... told ya before, wanted to make sure you're okay, make sure this house is yours if anything happens to me. Didn't... didn't do this with anyone else."

"What do you... oh. You mean..." When he nodded, Abby went on. "Is that how you kept the house with the... others? Kept it in your name?"

Gibbs nodded briefly. "Why d'ya think I lost everything else, and still paying alimony now? Only way I could keep the house."

Abby pulled his head down into a tender kiss, murmuring against this mouth. "I can't tell you what it means that you trust me with this... with all of it."

"Do trust ya, Abbs."

He trusted her with his feelings... his heart.

It was a big step but it felt the right one to take, to trust her with the house and all its memories. It was a level of trust he'd never achieved with his other wives and he felt more comfortable with that thought now than he believed possible.

TBC...