DISCLAIMER: These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.
SEQUEL: To Into the Setting Sun, Rising From the Ashes and Outside In.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Falling into Place
By Jaina
"What time is it," Abby asks sleepily as she slowly slides her feet off of Ziva's lap and lowers them to the floor. She sits up and rubs at her eyes a bit.
Ziva glances at the clock hanging on the wall across the room. "Late," She says startled. "Very late," she adds. "It's almost 4 AM."
Abby giggles sleepily. "That's not late, that's early," she corrects Ziva sliding over until her shoulder playfully bumps the other woman, and then shares a grin with her.
"So it would seem," Ziva agrees, not sounding particularly disturbed about the late hour. "That was our third movie."
It seems that Ziva had yet to be exposed to classic, old American horror movies, and since Tony has obligingly left Abby with most of his collection of said same DVD's the last time that he came over for a movie marathon, they've spent the last several hours watching them.
Or more accurately, Ziva has been watching a little, marveling at how the special effects tend to be the most frightening aspects of the movie and most importantly, watching Abby sleep at the opposite end of the couch. The other woman had slipped into sleep sometime during the second movie and manages to take up most of the couch as she sprawls out with her legs in Ziva's lap and curls up cutely with her arms tucked around a pillow at the opposite end.
To be honest, Ziva has spent more time watching her than the movie. Not that she considers it a loss in the slightest. She's enjoyed every moment of her night so far, and now it's time for her to go.
"I should be going," she says softly. "I don't want to be late for work tomorrow."
Abby shudders at the thought. No one, with Gibbs as their boss, has ever come to work late twice.
"You could stay here," she offers. It isn't the first time that one of her co-workers has needed to crash on her couch after a late night.
Ziva smiles, a sweet smile, that even in Abby's tired, sleep-fogged state, she makes a note of to savor later. It's not the kind of smile that's often won from Ziva and well worth savoring.
"I shouldn't," She gathers her jacket and then collects her boots, and her bag. With a frown, Abby watches her move slowly around the room.
"Is there some Israeli custom against spending a night at a friend's house that I'm not aware of," Abby asks as Ziva walks towards the door.
Ziva stops with the door half-open. "No," she says slowly, "But it's probably best if..."
Her words trail off as she sees Abby's determined expression. By now she has learned that Abby's determined expression is not something easily, or often thwarted. Only Gibbs manages that on the best of days.
"Afraid to be seen with me," Abby challenges her, not quite seriously.
The words bring Ziva up short. "Yes," she responds in a clipped tone. "But not for the reasons that you think," she adds quickly. She takes a deep breath and leans against the door, pushing it shut again. She drops her shoes and her jacket to the floor and steps close to her, until Abby can feel Ziva's breath warm against her ear.
"I'm not really one of your NCIS agents. Even in this country, there are those who watch me and note everything that I do to be reported to Mossad."
"And they would have a problem with you crashing at a friend's house," Abby half-asks and half-states.
Ziva shrugs in a manner that is meant to be off hand, but doesn't quite manage it. "Getting close to a Mossad agent can be very dangerous."
Abby's hand falls to rest on her forearm, lightly at first, and then Ziva can feel her fingers gripping tighter. "Then you should have thought of that earlier," she whispers, closing the fractional distance between them, to lightly brush Ziva's lips with her own.
She pulls away quickly to measure Ziva's expression. What she sees on the Israeli woman's face is enough to make her skin tingle and things low in her body tighten. This time it is Ziva who leans in for a kiss, her hand drifting to rest just above Abby's hip and then finding its way up until it's behind Abby's neck and she's pulling her into a deeper kiss.
By the time they're falling backwards onto the couch, Ziva's objections are long forgotten.
They're barely asleep before they're awake again. Ziva is the first to jerk out of her small nap, surprise at feeling arms wrapped around her waist foremost in her thoughts. She shifts her weight slightly before she opens her eyes and almost knocks Abby off of the couch before she remembers where they ended up.
Only her quick reflexes keep Abby from spilling onto the floor, as Ziva tightens her grip on the woman in her arms. Ziva laughs and then looks up to find Abby staring at her from only inches away.
"Hi," Abby says softly.
"Good morning," Ziva can't contain the smile that's coming to her lips unbidden and doesn't even try. Instead she dips her head and nuzzles her lips against the skin of Abby's collar bone, before she traces a line up Abby's neck and then finds her lip.
The kiss is slow and sweet. Abby's lips respond to her own gently, and then her tongue sweeps into Ziva's mouth. They spend several minutes kissing until they're both breathless with it.
Abby lets out a groan of frustration as she catches a glimpse of the clock out of the corner of her eye and flops back onto the couch. She looks up at Ziva's tempting form and pouts. "We don't have time for this."
"Mmm," Ziva mumbles, still enjoying the feel of Abby's silky skin against her fingers. Her hand traces lightly over Abby's stomach, and she smiles when she feels Abby's muscles tense underneath her touch. Her smile turns wicked as she places a kiss first to Abby's abdomen, next to her own hand, and then another just above her breast, her neck and then finally on her lips.
Abby looks dismayed when Ziva sits back on her heels, straddling Abby's calves.
"We will finish this later," Ziva promises with a look that Abby doesn't even think to doubt.
She stands and starts to walk away when Abby catches her arm and pulls her back down for one last kiss. "You're going to drive me insane, Ziva David."
Ziva smirks, "Oh, I intend to, but I don't think you'll object."
Abby laughs as Ziva walks away and then jumps up to follow her to the shower.
The End