Hiding in Plain Sight: 18/21
Oct. 25th, 2008 07:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xantheficTitle: Hiding in Plain Sight: Part Eighteen
Author: Xanthe
Fandom: SGA/NCIS crossover
Pairings: Gibbs/DiNozzo, John/Rodney, Carson/Caldwell, Teyla/Ronon, Ziva/McGee, and some other pairings that would spoil the story if I revealed them. Gibbs/Ducky friendship.
Rating: NC17 for explicit BDSM sex (m/m slash, femslash and het) and spanking.
Author's Notes
Summary: When a serial killer murders three marines on Atlantis, NCIS are called in to investigate. However, their arrival brings complications for everyone – revealing a lie, a prophecy, a secret and a nemesis.
Part Eighteen: “I don’t want to leave NCIS because I love my job and I love those guys but I will - for you..."
Hiding in Plain Sight
By Xanthe
Part Eighteen
"All being well, this is the last time we'll have to do this, Tony," Carson said, unlacing the back of Tony's gown and carefully removing one of the dressings on his shoulder.
Tony glanced sideways at Gibbs, who was leaning against the wall, sipping a cup of coffee. Technically speaking, Gibbs didn't have a right to be here during Tony's medical exam because Tony wasn't wearing his collar any more, but Tony knew that neither he nor Carson was brave enough to point that out to him.
"Looking good," Carson said, moving onto the next dressing. "No more dressings required, Tony – it's all healing up nicely."
"Does that mean I can go home now?" Tony asked. "Because everyone else is getting R&R on Atlantis and all I'm seeing is the inside of your infirmary."
"And what is wrong with the inside of my infirmary, laddie?" Carson asked dangerously.
"Well, for starters, it's boring," Tony replied, and then he gave a high pitched squeak as Carson ripped off the next dressing a bit too enthusiastically. Gibbs grinned and took another sip of his coffee. Tony made a face at him. "And also, I'm fine now. I'm really fine. I'm well. I can be allowed to get up, and move around, and do stuff."
"I agree," Carson said.
"I can be allowed to actually walk places instead of being pushed in a chair and…what did you say?" Tony turned his head and glanced over his shoulder. Carson smiled at him.
"I said yes," Carson replied. "I already agreed with Gibbs that you can go for a walk around the city after I'm done here. But for no longer than an hour, no further than the south pier, and you don't go alone – Gibbs goes with you," Carson added firmly.
Tony didn't care about any of those restrictions – he was finally being allowed out.
"Ah yes," Carson said, having removed all the dressings. "You're going to be fine, son – which, I might add, is testament to the excellent care you've received." He beamed around the room happily, obviously pleased with himself. "Don't roll your eyes like that at me, Tony – there was a time or two back there when we might have lost you."
"Nah. Never would've happened." Tony shook his head. "Tell him, boss." He glanced at Gibbs over Carson's shoulder. Gibbs shrugged.
"I didn't give him permission to die, Doc," he said.
"So I didn't," Tony added. "Like a good little sub." He sat up and Carson helped him into a bathrobe, and then he slipped off the bed and over to the door, and waited for Gibbs, impatiently.
Gibbs took his time, sipping his coffee, and Tony stood there, glowering at him, aware of the conditions of his walk. Trust Gibbs to be all toppy about it and make him wait. He found himself hopping from one foot to the other, impatient to get going, and he could tell Gibbs was toying with him, sipping slowly on purpose.
"Gibbs!" he said at last, unable to bear it.
"Tony?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow. Tony glowered at him.
Finally, Gibbs finished his coffee, set the cup down on the table, and joined him by the door, an amused little smile curving at his lips.
It felt great to be out walking around again; they walked down to the south pier and Tony leaned against the railing, looking up and relishing the feel of the sun on his face.
He saw Abby, a long way off on the east pier with Colonel Lorne and a bunch of his marines, and she waved at them excitedly, and then signed something with extravagantly large hand movements.
"She says 'hi' and she hopes you're not driving Carson completely insane," Gibbs translated, signing back at her.
"Hah, the other way around more like," Tony muttered. "So, how did you learn how to sign, boss?"
He'd asked before, several times, and Gibbs had either ignored or sidestepped the question, so he wasn't actually expecting a reply this time around; he was therefore surprised when one was forthcoming.
"I was deaf once," Gibbs said.
"What? When?" Tony turned, startled.
"When I was a kid, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, with a hint of exasperation in his voice, like it wasn't any big deal. "I was ten, and I used to sneak onto military land nearby and go watch the Marines blow things up on training exercises. Once I got too close and busted my eardrums. They didn't think I'd ever get my hearing back so I learned how to sign."
"But then you got your hearing back?"
"Obviously. I can see why we made you an agent, DiNozzo."
"Oh…wait a minute. Wait just a damn minute…" Tony held up his hand, the penny dropping. "You can't just sign – you can lip-read too! That explains everything – like, how you always know what we're talking about when you're nowhere near. I thought that was just some creepy toppy power you had, but no, you can lip-read, can't you?"
"Yes, DiNozzo, I can lip-read," Gibbs grinned. "Which came in damn useful when I was a sniper in the Marines. It's also pretty helpful dealing with smart-mouthed agents who think I'm out of earshot."
"How long were you deaf for, boss?" Tony asked, intrigued.
"Just over a year." Gibbs shrugged. "My dads were great about it – we all learned to sign, and I learned to lip-read pretty well. Then I just recovered my hearing almost overnight. That year of silence made me really aware of body language – it taught me how to see things, to really observe things, in a way I never would have done otherwise. I learned to really concentrate, and be aware of what I could see, touch and smell, in a way I never would have done otherwise. It completely changed the way I view the world."
"And it explains why you never miss a thing,"
"When you can't hear someone creeping up behind you, you have to really develop your peripheral vision," Gibbs said. "I never lost that awareness of where people are standing in relation to me."
"Nobody ever sneaks up on you by surprise," Tony grinned.
"Nope." Gibbs rested his arms on the rail, and gazed out at the ocean.
“So you had two dads?” Tony decided to risk a personal question while they were on a roll. He’d learned more about Gibbs in the past few days than he had in all of the last five years.
“Yeah.” Gibbs nodded.
“I’m guessing one or both of them were in the military,” Tony hazarded. Gibbs grinned at him sideways.
“You guess right, Tony. One was a Marine and the other was Air Force – both of ‘em fought in WW2. Later on, after they had me, they bought a store and ran it together.”
“Which one was the biological?” Tony asked.
“The one who taught me carpentry,” Gibbs replied, side-stepping the question with a chuckle. “He wasn’t a great storekeeper but he used the garage to make some fantastic pieces of furniture – they sold pretty well in the town.”
“They proud you joined the Marines?”
“Hell no! I ran off to join up as soon as I was old enough. When dad found out he slapped the back of my head so hard I thought I’d go deaf again. Working wood gave him these really hard, flat palms – used to hurt like hell when he spanked me.”
“Yeah, well, I know how that feels,” Tony muttered under his breath. “So why didn’t they want you to be a Marine?”
“Too young – and they knew how hard the military life could be - but it was all I ever wanted to be,” Gibbs shrugged.
“I bet you were a tough little kid to raise,” Tony commented.
“How do you draw that conclusion, DiNozzo?” Gibbs said, sounding half amused and half outraged.
“You snuck out to go watch the Marines blow things up on their weapons test site when you were ten, and then you snuck off to go join the Marines and that’s just the two things you’ve told me about,” Tony grinned. “I rest my case. You were a stubborn little brat weren’t you?”
“Maybe I was a little headstrong,” Gibbs conceded. Tony rolled his eyes because calling Gibbs a little headstrong was like calling a Shinzoic Grand Master a control freak.
Gibbs seemed to be in a good mood, so Tony decided to risk asking him for something.
"Boss, I'm feeling better – couldn't you ask Carson to sign me out of the infirmary now?"
It felt so good to be out here, in the fresh air; he wanted to feel that he was over this and could put the entire thing behind him, instead of feeling like some feeble invalid who needed babysitting the whole time.
"Nope." Gibbs shook his head.
"Oh come on, boss. You could out-top him," Tony grinned, deciding that flattery was the best way of getting what he wanted. Besides, Gibbs could out-top anyone.
"You want me to out-top Dr Beckett in his own infirmary?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"You could do it," Tony said encouragingly. Gibbs gave one of those dry grins.
"Yes, I could, but I'm not going to," he replied.
"Boss…you said that after Carson signed me out then we'd talk about my collar," Tony said quietly, dropping the act now because this was what he really wanted to discuss.
"I did, yes." Gibbs nodded.
"Well I'm fine, so we could talk about it now," Tony said. This had been eating away at him, and he needed to find out where Gibbs stood on the subject. Did his boss intend to collar him again? Until Tony knew, he wasn't sure what his response would be, and he felt like he was in limbo while it was still undecided. If Gibbs DID intend to collar him again would he even have the strength to turn him down?
"You miss it that much?" Gibbs asked.
"Honestly? Yes," Tony said. "I didn't think I would but I do." Which didn't mean he'd accept it back again but it was the truth; he DID miss it. "I'm not saying I miss everything that went with it," Tony added. "Like having my ass spanked every day – I'm just saying I miss the damn thing being around my neck and what that meant. Like earlier, when you were in the room when my dressings were being changed – you still act like you're my top, but I don't know if you are any more."
"Tony – stop fretting about it," Gibbs told him firmly. "I told you I'd talk to you about it when you're better and I promise you that I will but that's not now. A few days ago you were nearly dead, and there's time enough to deal with your collar when Carson discharges you."
"Gibbs…" Tony began.
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs snapped. Tony glared at him, feeling all his pent-up frustrations rising to the surface. Gibbs took a deep breath. “Tony,” he said, in a softer tone. “Did you ever wonder why I spanked you every day?”
“Yes. All the damn time,” Tony answered emphatically.
“How did it make you feel?” Gibbs asked. “Did it make you angry?”
Tony paused, considering that. He wanted to say ‘yes’ but he knew that wasn’t true. “No,” he admitted at last. “It…kind of made me feel warm inside – as if I belonged somewhere, or to someone; as if someone was looking out for me, keeping me grounded - which isn’t to say that I liked it.”
“But you didn’t like it when I missed a day, either, did you?” Gibbs said.
“No.” Tony shook his head. "Although I really hated it when you'd call me over to your place on the weekends just to deliver one swat; seemed to me like you did that just because you could - just to remind me who owned me."
Gibbs turned to look him straight in the eye. “Tony, did your father ever spank you when he was drunk?” he asked.
“Gibbs, he never spanked me when he was sober,” Tony replied.
Gibbs made a little movement of his head, the way he always did when he was angry, which he was right now but not with him, Tony thought.
“Yeah. That’s what I figured,” Gibbs said softly.
“Thing is, he was often so drunk I could have stood up and walked out of there and he’d never have known the next day,” Tony said, gazing out at the ocean. “But I didn’t. I stayed and let him whack me with his strap.”
“So why did you stay?” Gibbs asked.
“Because I wanted it to mean something,” Tony sighed. “It never did but even as a kid I was a sub to my bones, Gibbs, and I wanted to believe in him. I wanted him to be more than he was. I wanted to trust him and I wanted him to care about what I did and why I did it. I wanted the connection. Whacking me while drunk was the closest he ever came to that. When he was sober he just ignored me, like I wasn’t worth the effort. He used to communicate with me via these little notes he left around our hotel suite.”
“And when he was sober he sent you away to boarding school,” Gibbs murmured.
“Yeah. To be fair, I was kind of a pain to have around,” Tony said.
“Well, I’ve stood having you around for five years.”
“Which is strange because I never took you for a patient man, Gibbs,” Tony commented. Gibbs delivered a highly predictable slap to the back of his head.
“I can be, Tony,” he said. “Now do you see why I spanked you every day?”
Tony frowned. “Uh…no,” he said.
Gibbs grinned. “I think you do, Tony. Now come on – let’s get you back to Carson.”
"Hey, did you know that Ducky was hot when he was younger?" Tony asked, as they walked back. He was surprised by how tired he felt. Maybe Carson was right – he wasn't all better yet.
"I think he's still pretty hot," Gibbs replied. Tony glanced at him sideways.
"Did you and he ever…?" he began, with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, and then he ducked, instinctively, as Gibbs's hand connected again with the back of his head.
"Don't go there, Tony," Gibbs warned.
Tony grinned. Now *this* was starting to feel more like old times.
~*~
Gibbs wandered around the Athosian marketplace aimlessly. He wasn’t someone who enjoyed shopping but this wasn’t exactly like a trip to the local mall and he had thought it might be a damn sight more interesting.
Athosians usually bartered their goods but they liked Earth gold so Gibbs had bought some from the Atlantean quartermaster in case he saw anything he liked. It would be nice to take home a souvenir of some kind from the Pegasus galaxy.
General Sheppard had ferried him over to the mainland personally – as it was market day, a few offworlders had come through the gate so there was a lot of ferrying going on.
“That’s life in Pegasus,” Sheppard grinned at him as they landed at the Athosian settlement. “Part taxi-driving, part risking life and limb on a daily basis.”
The Athosians mainly sold hand crafted goods – Gibbs picked his way around some stalls piled high with Athosian-style clothing, mostly made of animal hides. Then he moved on to a stall of weaponry.
“Athosian knives are pretty damn good,” Sheppard told him, coming up behind him. He pointed at one with a plain wooden handle and a gleaming, serrated edge. “Nothing fancy – their knives are for killing, not for show. I’m heading off to meet Rodney – see you at the food tent in about an hour?”
Gibbs nodded, and continued browsing. He liked the knives he had, so he wasn’t tempted. He moved on, and saw Colonel Lorne coming out of a tent nearby. Abby wasn’t with him – Gibbs looked around to see if she was close by.
“She’s visiting Tony,” Lorne told him, before he could say anything. “She was here earlier – she left with Lieutenant Hansen so she’s fine. And she just radioed to say she’s reached the infirmary.”
“Just as long as she’s safe,” Gibbs murmured, grinning slightly because it was clear that Lorne remembered each and every single one of the conditions for dating Abby that he’d imposed on the man.
Lorne was holding a little parcel in his hands and he slipped it quietly into his pocket. Gibbs raised an eyebrow but Lorne didn’t offer an explanation; Gibbs decided that he wasn’t owed one.
“What’s this tent?” he asked.
“Jewellery – they’ve got some nice stuff,” Lorne said, gesturing with his head. “Go take a look.”
Gibbs decided to do just that. He slipped inside the tent and was surprised to see some extremely intricate work on display. The clothing and weaponry had been so rough and ready that he’d expected more of the same. There was body jewellery, piercing jewels, bracelets, collars, cock rings, harnesses, necklaces – all beautifully crafted. His eye was drawn to a necklace, made of an unusual red gold, and he pointed at it. The Athosian stallholder came over.
“That is Athosian gold,” he said. “We used to mine it on our homeworld, before we were forced to flee. Now it is very rare, and thus expensive.”
“And this?” Gibbs pointed to a shiny, more silvery looking chain.
“That is Atlantean gold,” the man told him. “We mine it here – neither form of gold will tarnish, and both are beautiful and strong, but Atlantean gold is hard to mine – and therefore just as expensive as the Athosian gold, I fear.” He gave an apologetic smile.
Gibbs looked at the man sharply, trying to decide if he was being hustled, but years of experience interrogating people, combined with his own gut, told him the man was telling the truth. He fingered the gold chains speculatively, allowing himself to fantasise for a moment, and then pulled himself together, shaking his head.
“I will be here, if you change your mind,” the Athosian told him.
Gibbs joined Rodney and John at the food tent half an hour later. They were already there, seated with an enormous plate of food in front of them.
“What is it with perpetually hungry subs?” Gibbs asked, sitting down with them. “DiNozzo eats enough for three people too.”
Rodney paused in mid-chew. “We get so much exercise seeing to the needs of our perpetually demanding tops that we need lots of food?” he hazarded around his mouthful of food. Gibbs snorted.
“You ate like this before I collared you,” John pointed out, holding out a heaped fork of food for Rodney to take another mouthful. “How’s Tony doing?” John asked, looking up at Gibbs.
“Good. Carson says he can return to quarters the day after tomorrow,” Gibbs replied.
“Thank god!” Rodney sighed. Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “Uh…it’s just, he’s driving everyone insane being cooped up in there. He called me on my radio seven times last night when I was working in the lab.”
“He reminds me of you. I’m surprised Carson doesn’t keep you both permanently sedated while you’re recuperating,” John told him, holding out another forkful of food which Rodney gobbled up happily.
“Oh, please! Last time you were in the infirmary Carson practically had a nervous breakdown,” Rodney told him.
John grinned at him fondly, and Rodney grinned back. There was something so easy and joyful about their banter that even Gibbs couldn’t help but be affected by it. It was rare to see a top and sub so completely and perfectly in tune. Gibbs had a feel for dynamic, in himself and everyone around him, and he didn’t think he’d ever met a pair better suited to each other. Sure they had hiccups along the way, like everyone, but they were solid to the core.
“Tony radioed you seven times?” Gibbs frowned. “What the hell did he want?”
“Uh…” Rodney flushed wildly and gazed helplessly at John.
“Answer the man, Rodney,” John urged, with a look that said he was enjoying watching his sub squirm.
Rodney looked as if he’d prefer the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Gibbs gazed at him steadily and expressionlessly – it was his favourite interrogation technique and Rodney Sheppard was hardly a difficult person to break. The silence only lasted about ten seconds before Rodney caved.
“Well…uh…he wanted me to go and spring him out of the infirmary,” Rodney muttered.
Gibbs laughed out loud. “And what did you say?” he asked.
“That I wanted to live, and pissing off the three toppiest tops on Atlantis – you, John and Carson - was not a good way to go about it,” Rodney said with a grimace.
“And he called back six times?” Gibbs grinned. “DiNozzo is nothing if not persistent!”
Rodney took another bite of food from the fork John was offering, and gazed at Gibbs speculatively.
“You know,” he began, still chewing. “You’re not what I thought you’d be when you arrived.”
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “And how’s that?”
“Well…I thought you’d be into leash etiquette and Shinzoic obedience rituals and all that stuff but you’re not.”
“You thought I was into all that Shinzoic shit?” Gibbs frowned. “Why the hell would you think that?”
“I dunno. Just because you had five leashed subs and they all walked to heel like they were in tune with you.” Rodney wrinkled up his face. “Usually that’s something you only see in the show ring.”
“They walk to heel because they learned the hard way that I don’t stop for ‘em,” Gibbs replied with a gruff laugh. “I don’t have a lot of time for the Shinzoic principles. If a sub and top have something good going on then they just move the way they should – no need to make it into some kind of hard study.”
“Exactly,” John agreed. “Rodney and I spent part of our honeymoon in a Shinzoic retreat,” he confided.
“It was terrible,” Rodney said mournfully.
“Well you wanted to go,” John reminded him.
“I know. I thought it’d be hot but it was the most boring thing I’ve ever done,” Rodney confided. “Those people study for years just to become two halves of the same apple or something like that - two sides of the same coin, the two sides of the moon – whatever. ‘Sub and top moving in perfect harmony, each a working part of the same well-oiled machine’,” he quoted. “Terrible,” he added again, shaking his head.
Gibbs laughed out loud. “I could have told you that. Being a top is instinctive – and I presume being a sub is the same for you, Rodney. Nobody has to teach you – if there’s anything to learn it’s to listen to your gut and be who you are, and never, ever let anyone tell you to be anything else.”
“Agreed.” John nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I knew there was a reason you and I get along, Gibbs.” Gibbs grinned back at him.
“Likewise, General,” he said, meaning it. John Sheppard was one of the finest men and best tops he’d ever come across – and he owed him for helping him rescue Tony.
It was dark by the time Gibbs returned to his quarters. He didn’t expect anyone to be there as Ducky and Abby were both spending their free time with Woolsey and Lorne respectively so he was surprised, when he turned on the light, to find Abby curled up in the corner of the lounge, staring out of the window.
“Everything okay, Abs?” he asked, cautiously, feeling his gut tighten. If Lorne had done anything to upset Abby he’d go and rip the man’s throat out.
“No,” she said, the sound muffled because she had buried her face in her knees as she spoke. “Gibbs…I’m sorry.” She glanced up, and he saw immediately what she was sorry about. There was an empty space around her neck where her collar had been, and she was holding it loosely in her hand.
“Oh,” he said, feeling a little winded. “Well…it had to happen one day,” he told her, going over to sit down beside her on the floor. He put his arm around her and waited.
“I know,” she said at last. “But I didn’t realise it would be this painful.”
“You sure about this?” he said. “Because this time, if you give it back to me, you can never have it back again.”
She glanced up at him, her eyes steady if a little anxious. “I am sure,” she said. “Although it kind of scares me that I’m so sure.”
He kissed the top of her head, and held her close.
“Lorne?” he asked.
“He's special, Gibbs,” she replied. “And it’s not fair on him to wear another top’s collar any longer. He’s been patient, and he hasn’t asked me to do this but…the thing is, I want to do it.”
“Fair enough.” He kissed her again.
“I want you to know that I am so, so grateful to you for letting me wear your collar all this time.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” he told her, sincerely.
“Are you sure you’re not upset?” she asked. “Only, I know Tim and Ziva have their own thing going on now, and Jordan took Tony’s collar off him and I’m not sure you intend to put it back, so that just leaves Ducky and…are you going to be lonely, Gibbs?”
He laughed again. “Oh, I’m a big boy, Abby – I’ll cope.”
“That’s what Tony said you’d say!” she exclaimed.
“You talked to Tony about this?”
“Yeah. Tony can be really cool when he’s not, you know, pretending to be an idiot,” she said.
“Yeah. I know.” Gibbs nodded. “And he’s right. I’ll be fine.”
“He said you never intended to keep any of us forever, and I remember you let Stan go, and then Ziva and Tim. You even let Tony go, which, I’m sorry, is just wrong on so many levels…but anyway…I just figured it was my time.”
“Lorne works about as far from NCIS as it’s possible to get,” Gibbs pointed out to her. “And I will not lose my forensics expert as well as my sub.”
“I don’t want to leave NCIS – you're my family…but I can’t promise anything right now. I have to give this a chance, don’t I?”
“Yes, yes you do,” Gibbs agreed. “And Lorne’s a good top, Abby. I like him. If I have to lose you to anyone he’s about as good as it gets.”
“Thank you, Gibbs.” She turned towards him, and he caught hold of her chin and kissed her on the lips one last time. She threw her arms around him and held him tight, and then pulled back, pressing the collar into his hand. He got to his feet and pulled her up.
“Your ass still belongs to me at work,” he reminded her.
She grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, bossman!”
"Bye Abby," he said softly.
"Bye Gibbs," she replied, her eyes gleaming as she blinked back the tears.
He watched her as she walked over to the door. She was almost there when she turned and ran back, almost knocking him over with the force of her hug.
“Promise me that you’ll collar Tony again,” she whispered fiercely in his ear.
“Can’t make that promise, Abby. You see, he doesn’t need my collar any more either.”
She slapped the back of his head, startling him, and he put up his hand to rub the sore spot.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“That, is because you are wrong, Gibbs!” she said. “First time for everything,” she added slyly.
“Go!” he ordered, laughing softly. “And Abby – thank *you*. It was an honour to have you wear my collar.”
She smiled, raised her hand in a little wave, and then she was gone.
~*~
Abby went to Lorne’s quarters, feeling scared but excited. It was like starting a new life – she had no idea where it would lead her but it felt exhilarating all the same.
Lorne had keyed his door pad to allow her to enter, so she did just that. Now that she was here she felt apprehensive. Supposing he didn’t like her as much as she thought he did? Supposing he actually liked the safety of knowing she was another top’s collared sub? Maybe she hadn’t thought this through enough…
She had worked herself up into a frenzy of over-thinking by the time she heard him at the door.
“Hey!” he grinned as he entered. He was dressed casually, in a stripy navy blue shirt and a pair of jeans. She liked the way he dressed; he wasn’t one of those tops who had to parade around in some heavy leather outfit to make him feel big. “You okay?” he asked, seeing her face.
She got up, slowly, and stood there.
“So…I did something, and I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it…and maybe I should have talked to you about it first but it felt like something I had to decide for myself…and I know I’ve only known you for a few weeks but it feels like longer, and, see, I don’t feel like this is one of those short-term flings but on the other hand, maybe that’s what you feel, and I guess I should have thought about that before I…”
She stopped as she realised he was staring at her neck, his eyes shining. Then he crossed the room at a run and swung her up in his arms.
“So I didn’t do a bad thing?” she said, as he kissed her bare throat over and over again.
“Not a bad thing, Abs,” he said huskily, between kisses. “Not a bad thing at all. Uh…was Gibbs okay about it? He’s not going to come down here and kill me with his bare hands or anything, is he?”
“You see, I have no idea why everyone is so scared of Gibbs!” Abby said. “He’s a really sweet man.”
Lorne laughed. “Abby – if you had been there when he was interviewing me to see if I was good enough to date you then you’d have some idea of why I have a healthy respect for the guy. Also, I’m guessing you are the only person – ever – who has described him as ‘sweet’.”
“Well, he’s always been sweet to me,” Abby said. “Okay, sometimes I can see that he can be a little scary but mainly he’s just misunderstood.”
“Okaaay,” Lorne said, in a tone that suggested he didn’t believe that for an instant. He ran his fingers over the empty space on her neck, smiling at her. “Abby, what did you have in mind?” he asked. “I mean, I know how *I* feel, but how about you?”
“I don’t want to leave NCIS because I love my job and I love those guys but I will - for you,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about it – Rodney could probably use another scientist – I have no idea why so many of them leave but he really needs more help in there. I could apply for a job here – that way we could be together.”
“First Gibbs, now Rodney – you really do have a unique view of people, Abs,” Lorne grinned. “And I love you for it. Although I think even you might find Rodney a hard boss to work for.”
“I would not!” Abby protested.
“Perhaps not – you clearly have the ability to work for difficult bosses,” Lorne grinned. “But…no, I don’t think that’s the right solution, Abby.”
“You don’t?” Abby grimaced. “You think I’m moving too fast, don’t you? I didn’t mean to imply I’d move in with you, or make you feel you have to collar me or anything. I just thought…”
“Ssh.” He put a finger over her mouth. “How about this instead?” he suggested. “I’m owed about three months’ leave. I’ve been out in Pegasus for years and I’ve barely had any time back on Earth. Why don’t I take those three months? I’ll need to ask Sheppard but I’m pretty sure he’ll agree. Then…if it's worked out between us and you still want me after that time then I’ll request a permanent transfer to Earth, so you can still work at NCIS.”
“You’d give up the Pegasus galaxy for me?” Abby asked. “Really? But it’s so cool out here!”
“Yeah, but I’ve been thinking about Earth a lot lately. My mom is getting older and I know she worries about not seeing me very often. Don’t get me wrong – I love it out here – but I figure there’s plenty of excitement to be had back home, especially if I have a reason to go back there."
“I love you,” she told him. “Is it too soon to say that?”
“No.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her hands behind her back, the way she loved, making her feel restrained and safe at one and the same time. “It’s not too soon at all.” He kissed her, and she sighed and pressed herself up against him. Then he released her, and stepped back.
“Hey,” she pouted. “I thought we could…” she glanced at the bed.
“Oh no.” Lorne shook his head. “I have plans for tonight. Come here.” He held out his hand and she took it, and then he led her out of the room.
“Where are we going?” she asked, intrigued.
“Well…you told me, specifically, that it should never be boring,” he told her, a gleam in his eyes. “So I’m doing my best to make sure it never is.” Something about the way he was smiling told her that he loved arranging surprises, and that suited her just fine.
He led her down to the jumper bay and they got into a jumper; he closed the hatch, and pulled her in for another kiss.
“Undress,” he told her throatily when he released her.
“Ooh, kinky,” she said, unbuttoning her blouse. He grinned at her over his shoulder as he took control of the jumper. “Sex on a spaceship – I’ve never done *that* before.”
“You won’t be doing it tonight either,” he said. “I have something else in mind.”
She finished undressing and stood there, completely naked, as he piloted the jumper out over the ocean. He threw her something black.
“Put it on,” he ordered as she caught it.
“A blindfold? Hmmm…I like the way this is going.” She slipped the blindfold over her eyes and then stood beside him. “So…this feels weird,” she said. It did – standing stark naked save for a blindfold, while he flew the ship. There was something exciting about it and she could feel herself getting turned on.
He landed the ship smoothly a few seconds later and she wondered where they were and what he had planned. She heard him move around the jumper, gathering up things, and then she felt his warm hand in hers.
“Come with me,” he whispered in her ear, and he sounded more than a little dangerous. She shivered, remembering the night she’d first met him, and how he had turned her on with just some flirting, wordplay and the touch of his hand on her wrist. He seemed to understand her instinctively.
He led her towards the ramp and she felt the warm night air on her naked skin.
“I’m not…you’re not taking me anywhere public are you?” she asked, uncertainly. He squeezed her hand.
“Trust me,” he said, and she did – implicitly. He led her slowly out of the jumper, and she felt grass under her bare feet. The night was warm, and a balmy breeze caressed her skin. She liked how it felt – her naked and vulnerable behind the blindfold, while he was fully clothed and in charge. All she had to do was give herself up to whatever he had planned and she was happy to do that.
They walked a short distance and then he stopped, and she heard him moving around again. Finally he returned, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Okay…I’m going to remove the blindfold now,” he told her. “Keep your eyes closed.” She did as she was told, and felt him remove the blindfold. “Open them,” he whispered in her ear.
She did so, and gazed around. They were on the cliff-top above Collar Bay, and she was standing by a blanket. Over to one side was a little fire, and all around the blanket were dotted dozens of candles in little jars. She noticed the stakes that had been hammered into the ground around the blanket and her stomach did a little flip in anticipation, wondering what he had planned for her.
“Evan…this is so beautiful!” she said.
“It’s the exact spot where we first met,” he told her.
He stood behind her, and ran his hands down her bare arms. She shivered and melted back against him, loving the feel of his denim jeans against her naked buttocks. He slid his hands over her breasts, cupping them, and teased her nipples into little points with his fingers. She gasped at the sensation flooding through her breasts, and he kissed her neck.
“It’s also the place where I’d like, with your permission, to pierce these,” he said, tweaking her nipples gently as he spoke. She felt a thrill of excitement run through her.
“You want to pierce me?” she asked, excitedly.
“If you’ll let me have that honour,” he said, rubbing her nipples insistently with his fingertips. If she had been his collared sub he wouldn’t have had to ask permission – he could have just gone ahead and done it - but she wasn't collared – yet. She liked how nicely he was asking, full of respect.
She turned in his arms and kissed him, hard, on the mouth.
“I’ll take that as a yes then,” he said, when she was done. She looked at him, feeling a little dazed.
“Gibbs always said to wait for someone who’d make it special,” she whispered.
“Am I special enough?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.
“Oh hell yes!”
“It’ll hurt but I’ll make it good if you trust me.”
“I do trust you – and I like a little bit of pain,” she told him mischievously.
He laughed, and then that dangerous look was back in his eyes. She remembered the stranger she’d met out here a few weeks ago, and how he had painted a delicious little scenario in her mind. Lorne was an imaginative top but he was also responsible and very skilled. She had no hesitation at all about surrendering herself to him, totally and completely.
“Come here then.” He took hold of her hand and led her onto the blanket, then sat her down. She liked the way the fire felt, warming her skin. It was a warm night so she wasn’t cold but it was nice to feel the heat of the flames on her naked body. “I don’t want you to look – I want you to feel,” he whispered, placing the blindfold over her eyes again.
Now there was just her naked body, exposed on the cliff-top, the breeze tickling her, and his voice, deep and dangerous, anchoring her. He took her hands and bound her wrists with rope. She loved that he used rope – she had no objection to cuffs, and they were certainly more comfortable, but she loved that he knew how to tie a sub so expertly.
Then he took her bound wrists and pulled them over her head, making her lie flat on the blanket. She felt them loop the rope into one of the stakes, securing her there.
“I’m going to tie you tightly,” he told her, his breath teasing her skin as he spoke. He sounded so calm, and so utterly implacable and in control that her clit began to pound with excitement. “I don’t want you moving when I pierce you. I want you still - so I’m going to tie you tighter than usual.”
She moaned, softly; she loved the combined promise and threat in his words. She adored being tied and loved the idea of being completely immobile when he pierced her.
She felt his rope on her body, criss-crossing her skin, and she knew it would leave those beautiful little red marks that she loved seeing after he released her. She wished they wouldn’t fade so soon.
“You’re mine now, Abby,” he murmured as he worked. “And I’m going to place my permanent marks on your body. I’m going to pierce you, and that will show you – and everyone else - who you belong to.” He kissed her throat as he said that, on the exact spot where her collar had once been, and she knew how much this meant to him. She was his now – she didn’t belong to Gibbs any more, and Lorne was going to make his mark on her, printing it indelibly in her skin where it could never be removed.
She wriggled in anticipation, and then squealed as he slapped her thigh.
“Be still, submissive,” he hissed, dangerously, in her ear. She thought she might come there and then but he hadn’t given her permission so she tried her best to relax and do as he had ordered. She imagined that if she could see them his eyes would be laughing at her but she liked that she was blindfolded – it made the scene more intense.
He tied her as tightly as he’d promised, ropes digging into her bare flesh, each of them making her aware of their presence. He pulled her legs wide apart and attached them to the stakes he had placed in the ground until she was completely immobile, unable to move a muscle.
She heard him open something. She wished that she could see what he was going to pierce her with, and then it occurred to her that he must have bought some body jewellery and she wondered what her new decorations would look like.
“You’re so beautiful…and you’re mine,” he whispered, undoing her pigtails so that her hair flowed loosely. He kissed her mouth, and she moaned and opened up to him, but he didn’t linger. He trailed wet kisses down her neck, and then, without warning, she felt his warm mouth on her right nipple, sucking hard. She cried out but she couldn’t move, and it felt so delicious to be bound this tight while he toyed with her.
He moved onto the other nipple, sucking that too, and then slid his hand between her open legs and rubbed her clit. It was already pounding like it was going to explode but it was too soon, and she knew she had to hold on for him.
“Later,” he warned, and she moaned by way of reply.
She felt something cool on her nipples and smelled something medicinal, so she guessed he was using some kind of antiseptic. She shivered. She was about to be pierced. She knew it would hurt, but she loved the idea of experiencing that kind of pain at his hands. It would be intense but so delicious. Besides, she was tied tightly, and couldn’t resist. She was his, and he could mark her any way he liked.
She heard him move over towards the fire, and then he returned. She was glad she couldn’t see him - even though she longed to know what was going on. Being blindfolded made her so much more aware of her body; she could feel the softness of the blanket beneath her, the tight criss-crossing of the ropes digging into her, the warmth of the fire on her skin, and the coolness of the breeze wafting over her bound, naked body.
She thought she’d explode from a combination of nerves, apprehension, excitement and arousal as she felt his body straddle hers. She wished for a brief moment that she could lock gazes with him, and see the intent look in his eyes when he pierced her, but then she squawked as she felt her left nipple being held steady by what felt like a cool metallic clamp. She struggled to draw breath, fearing what would happen next while welcoming it eagerly. Then there was a sharp blaze of pain in her nipple and she wanted to twist away but the ropes held her firmly in place, and she was screaming and screaming and all the time there was that sharpness in her breast that wouldn’t go away. She felt a tugging sensation and then the pain receded into a dull, pounding throb.
“Oh god!” she cried, her body drenched with sweat. His mouth closed over hers and she offered herself up to his searching kiss. She was his, she told herself, over and over again, like a mantra. If he wanted to pierce her she was happy to offer up her body to be pierced. She loved the idea of wearing his jewels in her breasts, even though it hurt so much right now.
“That was good. It looks so beautiful,” he whispered to her when he finished kissing her. “If you could only see what I see - you look amazing, Abby. All bound up beneath me – and the piercing looks so pretty. I love your breasts…so round and white and soft…and all mine now. All mine.”
She felt him plant a kiss on the breast that was hurting, and then he pulled back. She tensed as she felt that clamp take hold of her other nipple in its cold, metallic embrace.
“Please no…please yes…please no…” she whispered, wanting it to happen but afraid of the intensity of the pain all the same.
“Ssh,” he said, soothing her. “Take this for me, Abby. You can take it, can’t you?”
She knew that she could, and she nodded, trembling. Then she felt another blaze of that same sharp pain and she screamed again. He was marking her, and it felt so bad and so good at one and the same time. The tugging began and she screamed again, loving the intensity of the moment. He let her scream – she was glad he hadn’t gagged her – she loved that they were all the way out here, where nobody could see or hear them, and she could be as loud as she wanted, screaming out her joy and agony at one and the same time. Then, as she screamed, his mouth closed over hers, swallowing the sound, and he claimed her for his own with a deep, powerful kiss.
Then it was over, and now both breasts ached, sore but deliciously so.
He kissed her again, softly this time, and she moaned, utterly helpless beneath him. Then she felt his mouth on her body, covering its terrain, mapping it and claiming it for himself.
She felt him untie the ropes as he went, loosening them by degrees between kisses and caresses, until she was free.
“Stay there,” he told her and she obeyed, not moving a muscle. She heard the sounds of him undressing, and then he was back. He sat down beside her and then he pulled her over. She found herself sitting in his lap, and felt his hard cock. He manoeuvred her up, and she allowed herself to be guided down, her wet pussy swallowing his cock easily, her knees bent on either side of his body.
“Hold it there,” he told her, and she sighed, loving the way he felt inside her – hard, strong and pulsing.
She felt his fingers on her face, and then he whisked her blindfold away. She blinked down at him, smiling insanely, and she saw that he was smiling too, his eyes shining.
“You can look now,” he said, and she glanced down and saw the beautiful jewels glowing in her nipples, dappled by the firelight. The piercings were plain steel barbells, but beneath each one swung a cobweb, with seven red jewels glinting along its delicate tendrils. “I thought these suited you. I bought others, though,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the box by the fire. “We can try them on you another time.”
“They’re perfect,” she whispered. She loved that he didn’t want to change her, and that he’d chosen something so intrinsically her. She reached down to touch them but he grabbed her hands and held them behind her back.
“Uh-uh. These are mine for tonight – no touching,” he said. “Now, ride me. I want to be at eye level with these when I come inside you.”
She loved how he was holding her hands behind her back as she rose up and slid back down on his hard cock. His mouth brushed her breasts as she rode him, taking care not to catch the new piercings, and it felt so amazingly intense that she wanted to explode.
She was bobbing up and down in the dark summer’s air, her breasts bouncing as she rode him, each move of her hips sending a wave of sensation through her body, making her sore nipples ache even more, with a sweet, erotic throb.
She looked down on him, meeting his gaze as he stared back up at her. She could see that he was in his top-space, intent and focussed, his brown hair mussed up, his handsome face and hard, toned body dappled in the firelight. He was so beautiful, and the moment was so perfect, that she lost herself in her own sub-space. She was nothing save the dangling cobwebs hanging from her breasts, and the feel of his hardness inside her body. She was his submissive, and he had marked her as his own, with his own hands.
Her body was a tumult of sensation – pain, pleasure and something darkly beautiful all merging as one. She rode on, her hair streaming out over her shoulders, her body joining his in the age-old dance between dominant and submissive. She was his - his, his, his and she had never felt happier. The crescendo playing inside her built to a climax and then she was blinded by a series of starbursts, white flashes like fireworks exploding in her mind and body, sending ripple after ripple of pleasure through her. Those waves of pleasure kept on coming, over and over again, until she was spent and could do nothing but hang there, looking down on him, completely out of it.
He released her wrists and stroked her thighs while she hung there, gazing at him, lost in the moment. His hands moved up her body and cupped her breasts, and she looked down at the beautiful cobwebs dangling from the steel bars he had placed there.
“You’re not his any more,” he said softly, his eyes dark with emotion. “You’re mine now, Abby. I made you mine tonight.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I'm yours. All yours.”
She fell down on top of him, a jolt of sensation from her sore nipples sending another wave of intense pleasure through her, and he caught her and held her against him, keeping her safe, just the way he'd promised.
~*~
End of Part Eighteen
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Hiding in Plain Sight: Part Nineteen
Author: Xanthe
Fandom: SGA/NCIS crossover
Pairings: Gibbs/DiNozzo, John/Rodney, Carson/Caldwell, Teyla/Ronon, Ziva/McGee, and some other pairings that would spoil the story if I revealed them. Gibbs/Ducky friendship.
Rating: NC17 for explicit BDSM sex (m/m slash, femslash and het) and spanking.
Author's Notes
Summary: When a serial killer murders three marines on Atlantis, NCIS are called in to investigate. However, their arrival brings complications for everyone – revealing a lie, a prophecy, a secret and a nemesis.
Part Eighteen: “I don’t want to leave NCIS because I love my job and I love those guys but I will - for you..."
Hiding in Plain Sight
By Xanthe
Part Eighteen
"All being well, this is the last time we'll have to do this, Tony," Carson said, unlacing the back of Tony's gown and carefully removing one of the dressings on his shoulder.
Tony glanced sideways at Gibbs, who was leaning against the wall, sipping a cup of coffee. Technically speaking, Gibbs didn't have a right to be here during Tony's medical exam because Tony wasn't wearing his collar any more, but Tony knew that neither he nor Carson was brave enough to point that out to him.
"Looking good," Carson said, moving onto the next dressing. "No more dressings required, Tony – it's all healing up nicely."
"Does that mean I can go home now?" Tony asked. "Because everyone else is getting R&R on Atlantis and all I'm seeing is the inside of your infirmary."
"And what is wrong with the inside of my infirmary, laddie?" Carson asked dangerously.
"Well, for starters, it's boring," Tony replied, and then he gave a high pitched squeak as Carson ripped off the next dressing a bit too enthusiastically. Gibbs grinned and took another sip of his coffee. Tony made a face at him. "And also, I'm fine now. I'm really fine. I'm well. I can be allowed to get up, and move around, and do stuff."
"I agree," Carson said.
"I can be allowed to actually walk places instead of being pushed in a chair and…what did you say?" Tony turned his head and glanced over his shoulder. Carson smiled at him.
"I said yes," Carson replied. "I already agreed with Gibbs that you can go for a walk around the city after I'm done here. But for no longer than an hour, no further than the south pier, and you don't go alone – Gibbs goes with you," Carson added firmly.
Tony didn't care about any of those restrictions – he was finally being allowed out.
"Ah yes," Carson said, having removed all the dressings. "You're going to be fine, son – which, I might add, is testament to the excellent care you've received." He beamed around the room happily, obviously pleased with himself. "Don't roll your eyes like that at me, Tony – there was a time or two back there when we might have lost you."
"Nah. Never would've happened." Tony shook his head. "Tell him, boss." He glanced at Gibbs over Carson's shoulder. Gibbs shrugged.
"I didn't give him permission to die, Doc," he said.
"So I didn't," Tony added. "Like a good little sub." He sat up and Carson helped him into a bathrobe, and then he slipped off the bed and over to the door, and waited for Gibbs, impatiently.
Gibbs took his time, sipping his coffee, and Tony stood there, glowering at him, aware of the conditions of his walk. Trust Gibbs to be all toppy about it and make him wait. He found himself hopping from one foot to the other, impatient to get going, and he could tell Gibbs was toying with him, sipping slowly on purpose.
"Gibbs!" he said at last, unable to bear it.
"Tony?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow. Tony glowered at him.
Finally, Gibbs finished his coffee, set the cup down on the table, and joined him by the door, an amused little smile curving at his lips.
It felt great to be out walking around again; they walked down to the south pier and Tony leaned against the railing, looking up and relishing the feel of the sun on his face.
He saw Abby, a long way off on the east pier with Colonel Lorne and a bunch of his marines, and she waved at them excitedly, and then signed something with extravagantly large hand movements.
"She says 'hi' and she hopes you're not driving Carson completely insane," Gibbs translated, signing back at her.
"Hah, the other way around more like," Tony muttered. "So, how did you learn how to sign, boss?"
He'd asked before, several times, and Gibbs had either ignored or sidestepped the question, so he wasn't actually expecting a reply this time around; he was therefore surprised when one was forthcoming.
"I was deaf once," Gibbs said.
"What? When?" Tony turned, startled.
"When I was a kid, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, with a hint of exasperation in his voice, like it wasn't any big deal. "I was ten, and I used to sneak onto military land nearby and go watch the Marines blow things up on training exercises. Once I got too close and busted my eardrums. They didn't think I'd ever get my hearing back so I learned how to sign."
"But then you got your hearing back?"
"Obviously. I can see why we made you an agent, DiNozzo."
"Oh…wait a minute. Wait just a damn minute…" Tony held up his hand, the penny dropping. "You can't just sign – you can lip-read too! That explains everything – like, how you always know what we're talking about when you're nowhere near. I thought that was just some creepy toppy power you had, but no, you can lip-read, can't you?"
"Yes, DiNozzo, I can lip-read," Gibbs grinned. "Which came in damn useful when I was a sniper in the Marines. It's also pretty helpful dealing with smart-mouthed agents who think I'm out of earshot."
"How long were you deaf for, boss?" Tony asked, intrigued.
"Just over a year." Gibbs shrugged. "My dads were great about it – we all learned to sign, and I learned to lip-read pretty well. Then I just recovered my hearing almost overnight. That year of silence made me really aware of body language – it taught me how to see things, to really observe things, in a way I never would have done otherwise. I learned to really concentrate, and be aware of what I could see, touch and smell, in a way I never would have done otherwise. It completely changed the way I view the world."
"And it explains why you never miss a thing,"
"When you can't hear someone creeping up behind you, you have to really develop your peripheral vision," Gibbs said. "I never lost that awareness of where people are standing in relation to me."
"Nobody ever sneaks up on you by surprise," Tony grinned.
"Nope." Gibbs rested his arms on the rail, and gazed out at the ocean.
“So you had two dads?” Tony decided to risk a personal question while they were on a roll. He’d learned more about Gibbs in the past few days than he had in all of the last five years.
“Yeah.” Gibbs nodded.
“I’m guessing one or both of them were in the military,” Tony hazarded. Gibbs grinned at him sideways.
“You guess right, Tony. One was a Marine and the other was Air Force – both of ‘em fought in WW2. Later on, after they had me, they bought a store and ran it together.”
“Which one was the biological?” Tony asked.
“The one who taught me carpentry,” Gibbs replied, side-stepping the question with a chuckle. “He wasn’t a great storekeeper but he used the garage to make some fantastic pieces of furniture – they sold pretty well in the town.”
“They proud you joined the Marines?”
“Hell no! I ran off to join up as soon as I was old enough. When dad found out he slapped the back of my head so hard I thought I’d go deaf again. Working wood gave him these really hard, flat palms – used to hurt like hell when he spanked me.”
“Yeah, well, I know how that feels,” Tony muttered under his breath. “So why didn’t they want you to be a Marine?”
“Too young – and they knew how hard the military life could be - but it was all I ever wanted to be,” Gibbs shrugged.
“I bet you were a tough little kid to raise,” Tony commented.
“How do you draw that conclusion, DiNozzo?” Gibbs said, sounding half amused and half outraged.
“You snuck out to go watch the Marines blow things up on their weapons test site when you were ten, and then you snuck off to go join the Marines and that’s just the two things you’ve told me about,” Tony grinned. “I rest my case. You were a stubborn little brat weren’t you?”
“Maybe I was a little headstrong,” Gibbs conceded. Tony rolled his eyes because calling Gibbs a little headstrong was like calling a Shinzoic Grand Master a control freak.
Gibbs seemed to be in a good mood, so Tony decided to risk asking him for something.
"Boss, I'm feeling better – couldn't you ask Carson to sign me out of the infirmary now?"
It felt so good to be out here, in the fresh air; he wanted to feel that he was over this and could put the entire thing behind him, instead of feeling like some feeble invalid who needed babysitting the whole time.
"Nope." Gibbs shook his head.
"Oh come on, boss. You could out-top him," Tony grinned, deciding that flattery was the best way of getting what he wanted. Besides, Gibbs could out-top anyone.
"You want me to out-top Dr Beckett in his own infirmary?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"You could do it," Tony said encouragingly. Gibbs gave one of those dry grins.
"Yes, I could, but I'm not going to," he replied.
"Boss…you said that after Carson signed me out then we'd talk about my collar," Tony said quietly, dropping the act now because this was what he really wanted to discuss.
"I did, yes." Gibbs nodded.
"Well I'm fine, so we could talk about it now," Tony said. This had been eating away at him, and he needed to find out where Gibbs stood on the subject. Did his boss intend to collar him again? Until Tony knew, he wasn't sure what his response would be, and he felt like he was in limbo while it was still undecided. If Gibbs DID intend to collar him again would he even have the strength to turn him down?
"You miss it that much?" Gibbs asked.
"Honestly? Yes," Tony said. "I didn't think I would but I do." Which didn't mean he'd accept it back again but it was the truth; he DID miss it. "I'm not saying I miss everything that went with it," Tony added. "Like having my ass spanked every day – I'm just saying I miss the damn thing being around my neck and what that meant. Like earlier, when you were in the room when my dressings were being changed – you still act like you're my top, but I don't know if you are any more."
"Tony – stop fretting about it," Gibbs told him firmly. "I told you I'd talk to you about it when you're better and I promise you that I will but that's not now. A few days ago you were nearly dead, and there's time enough to deal with your collar when Carson discharges you."
"Gibbs…" Tony began.
“DiNozzo!” Gibbs snapped. Tony glared at him, feeling all his pent-up frustrations rising to the surface. Gibbs took a deep breath. “Tony,” he said, in a softer tone. “Did you ever wonder why I spanked you every day?”
“Yes. All the damn time,” Tony answered emphatically.
“How did it make you feel?” Gibbs asked. “Did it make you angry?”
Tony paused, considering that. He wanted to say ‘yes’ but he knew that wasn’t true. “No,” he admitted at last. “It…kind of made me feel warm inside – as if I belonged somewhere, or to someone; as if someone was looking out for me, keeping me grounded - which isn’t to say that I liked it.”
“But you didn’t like it when I missed a day, either, did you?” Gibbs said.
“No.” Tony shook his head. "Although I really hated it when you'd call me over to your place on the weekends just to deliver one swat; seemed to me like you did that just because you could - just to remind me who owned me."
Gibbs turned to look him straight in the eye. “Tony, did your father ever spank you when he was drunk?” he asked.
“Gibbs, he never spanked me when he was sober,” Tony replied.
Gibbs made a little movement of his head, the way he always did when he was angry, which he was right now but not with him, Tony thought.
“Yeah. That’s what I figured,” Gibbs said softly.
“Thing is, he was often so drunk I could have stood up and walked out of there and he’d never have known the next day,” Tony said, gazing out at the ocean. “But I didn’t. I stayed and let him whack me with his strap.”
“So why did you stay?” Gibbs asked.
“Because I wanted it to mean something,” Tony sighed. “It never did but even as a kid I was a sub to my bones, Gibbs, and I wanted to believe in him. I wanted him to be more than he was. I wanted to trust him and I wanted him to care about what I did and why I did it. I wanted the connection. Whacking me while drunk was the closest he ever came to that. When he was sober he just ignored me, like I wasn’t worth the effort. He used to communicate with me via these little notes he left around our hotel suite.”
“And when he was sober he sent you away to boarding school,” Gibbs murmured.
“Yeah. To be fair, I was kind of a pain to have around,” Tony said.
“Well, I’ve stood having you around for five years.”
“Which is strange because I never took you for a patient man, Gibbs,” Tony commented. Gibbs delivered a highly predictable slap to the back of his head.
“I can be, Tony,” he said. “Now do you see why I spanked you every day?”
Tony frowned. “Uh…no,” he said.
Gibbs grinned. “I think you do, Tony. Now come on – let’s get you back to Carson.”
"Hey, did you know that Ducky was hot when he was younger?" Tony asked, as they walked back. He was surprised by how tired he felt. Maybe Carson was right – he wasn't all better yet.
"I think he's still pretty hot," Gibbs replied. Tony glanced at him sideways.
"Did you and he ever…?" he began, with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, and then he ducked, instinctively, as Gibbs's hand connected again with the back of his head.
"Don't go there, Tony," Gibbs warned.
Tony grinned. Now *this* was starting to feel more like old times.
~*~
Gibbs wandered around the Athosian marketplace aimlessly. He wasn’t someone who enjoyed shopping but this wasn’t exactly like a trip to the local mall and he had thought it might be a damn sight more interesting.
Athosians usually bartered their goods but they liked Earth gold so Gibbs had bought some from the Atlantean quartermaster in case he saw anything he liked. It would be nice to take home a souvenir of some kind from the Pegasus galaxy.
General Sheppard had ferried him over to the mainland personally – as it was market day, a few offworlders had come through the gate so there was a lot of ferrying going on.
“That’s life in Pegasus,” Sheppard grinned at him as they landed at the Athosian settlement. “Part taxi-driving, part risking life and limb on a daily basis.”
The Athosians mainly sold hand crafted goods – Gibbs picked his way around some stalls piled high with Athosian-style clothing, mostly made of animal hides. Then he moved on to a stall of weaponry.
“Athosian knives are pretty damn good,” Sheppard told him, coming up behind him. He pointed at one with a plain wooden handle and a gleaming, serrated edge. “Nothing fancy – their knives are for killing, not for show. I’m heading off to meet Rodney – see you at the food tent in about an hour?”
Gibbs nodded, and continued browsing. He liked the knives he had, so he wasn’t tempted. He moved on, and saw Colonel Lorne coming out of a tent nearby. Abby wasn’t with him – Gibbs looked around to see if she was close by.
“She’s visiting Tony,” Lorne told him, before he could say anything. “She was here earlier – she left with Lieutenant Hansen so she’s fine. And she just radioed to say she’s reached the infirmary.”
“Just as long as she’s safe,” Gibbs murmured, grinning slightly because it was clear that Lorne remembered each and every single one of the conditions for dating Abby that he’d imposed on the man.
Lorne was holding a little parcel in his hands and he slipped it quietly into his pocket. Gibbs raised an eyebrow but Lorne didn’t offer an explanation; Gibbs decided that he wasn’t owed one.
“What’s this tent?” he asked.
“Jewellery – they’ve got some nice stuff,” Lorne said, gesturing with his head. “Go take a look.”
Gibbs decided to do just that. He slipped inside the tent and was surprised to see some extremely intricate work on display. The clothing and weaponry had been so rough and ready that he’d expected more of the same. There was body jewellery, piercing jewels, bracelets, collars, cock rings, harnesses, necklaces – all beautifully crafted. His eye was drawn to a necklace, made of an unusual red gold, and he pointed at it. The Athosian stallholder came over.
“That is Athosian gold,” he said. “We used to mine it on our homeworld, before we were forced to flee. Now it is very rare, and thus expensive.”
“And this?” Gibbs pointed to a shiny, more silvery looking chain.
“That is Atlantean gold,” the man told him. “We mine it here – neither form of gold will tarnish, and both are beautiful and strong, but Atlantean gold is hard to mine – and therefore just as expensive as the Athosian gold, I fear.” He gave an apologetic smile.
Gibbs looked at the man sharply, trying to decide if he was being hustled, but years of experience interrogating people, combined with his own gut, told him the man was telling the truth. He fingered the gold chains speculatively, allowing himself to fantasise for a moment, and then pulled himself together, shaking his head.
“I will be here, if you change your mind,” the Athosian told him.
Gibbs joined Rodney and John at the food tent half an hour later. They were already there, seated with an enormous plate of food in front of them.
“What is it with perpetually hungry subs?” Gibbs asked, sitting down with them. “DiNozzo eats enough for three people too.”
Rodney paused in mid-chew. “We get so much exercise seeing to the needs of our perpetually demanding tops that we need lots of food?” he hazarded around his mouthful of food. Gibbs snorted.
“You ate like this before I collared you,” John pointed out, holding out a heaped fork of food for Rodney to take another mouthful. “How’s Tony doing?” John asked, looking up at Gibbs.
“Good. Carson says he can return to quarters the day after tomorrow,” Gibbs replied.
“Thank god!” Rodney sighed. Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “Uh…it’s just, he’s driving everyone insane being cooped up in there. He called me on my radio seven times last night when I was working in the lab.”
“He reminds me of you. I’m surprised Carson doesn’t keep you both permanently sedated while you’re recuperating,” John told him, holding out another forkful of food which Rodney gobbled up happily.
“Oh, please! Last time you were in the infirmary Carson practically had a nervous breakdown,” Rodney told him.
John grinned at him fondly, and Rodney grinned back. There was something so easy and joyful about their banter that even Gibbs couldn’t help but be affected by it. It was rare to see a top and sub so completely and perfectly in tune. Gibbs had a feel for dynamic, in himself and everyone around him, and he didn’t think he’d ever met a pair better suited to each other. Sure they had hiccups along the way, like everyone, but they were solid to the core.
“Tony radioed you seven times?” Gibbs frowned. “What the hell did he want?”
“Uh…” Rodney flushed wildly and gazed helplessly at John.
“Answer the man, Rodney,” John urged, with a look that said he was enjoying watching his sub squirm.
Rodney looked as if he’d prefer the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Gibbs gazed at him steadily and expressionlessly – it was his favourite interrogation technique and Rodney Sheppard was hardly a difficult person to break. The silence only lasted about ten seconds before Rodney caved.
“Well…uh…he wanted me to go and spring him out of the infirmary,” Rodney muttered.
Gibbs laughed out loud. “And what did you say?” he asked.
“That I wanted to live, and pissing off the three toppiest tops on Atlantis – you, John and Carson - was not a good way to go about it,” Rodney said with a grimace.
“And he called back six times?” Gibbs grinned. “DiNozzo is nothing if not persistent!”
Rodney took another bite of food from the fork John was offering, and gazed at Gibbs speculatively.
“You know,” he began, still chewing. “You’re not what I thought you’d be when you arrived.”
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “And how’s that?”
“Well…I thought you’d be into leash etiquette and Shinzoic obedience rituals and all that stuff but you’re not.”
“You thought I was into all that Shinzoic shit?” Gibbs frowned. “Why the hell would you think that?”
“I dunno. Just because you had five leashed subs and they all walked to heel like they were in tune with you.” Rodney wrinkled up his face. “Usually that’s something you only see in the show ring.”
“They walk to heel because they learned the hard way that I don’t stop for ‘em,” Gibbs replied with a gruff laugh. “I don’t have a lot of time for the Shinzoic principles. If a sub and top have something good going on then they just move the way they should – no need to make it into some kind of hard study.”
“Exactly,” John agreed. “Rodney and I spent part of our honeymoon in a Shinzoic retreat,” he confided.
“It was terrible,” Rodney said mournfully.
“Well you wanted to go,” John reminded him.
“I know. I thought it’d be hot but it was the most boring thing I’ve ever done,” Rodney confided. “Those people study for years just to become two halves of the same apple or something like that - two sides of the same coin, the two sides of the moon – whatever. ‘Sub and top moving in perfect harmony, each a working part of the same well-oiled machine’,” he quoted. “Terrible,” he added again, shaking his head.
Gibbs laughed out loud. “I could have told you that. Being a top is instinctive – and I presume being a sub is the same for you, Rodney. Nobody has to teach you – if there’s anything to learn it’s to listen to your gut and be who you are, and never, ever let anyone tell you to be anything else.”
“Agreed.” John nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I knew there was a reason you and I get along, Gibbs.” Gibbs grinned back at him.
“Likewise, General,” he said, meaning it. John Sheppard was one of the finest men and best tops he’d ever come across – and he owed him for helping him rescue Tony.
It was dark by the time Gibbs returned to his quarters. He didn’t expect anyone to be there as Ducky and Abby were both spending their free time with Woolsey and Lorne respectively so he was surprised, when he turned on the light, to find Abby curled up in the corner of the lounge, staring out of the window.
“Everything okay, Abs?” he asked, cautiously, feeling his gut tighten. If Lorne had done anything to upset Abby he’d go and rip the man’s throat out.
“No,” she said, the sound muffled because she had buried her face in her knees as she spoke. “Gibbs…I’m sorry.” She glanced up, and he saw immediately what she was sorry about. There was an empty space around her neck where her collar had been, and she was holding it loosely in her hand.
“Oh,” he said, feeling a little winded. “Well…it had to happen one day,” he told her, going over to sit down beside her on the floor. He put his arm around her and waited.
“I know,” she said at last. “But I didn’t realise it would be this painful.”
“You sure about this?” he said. “Because this time, if you give it back to me, you can never have it back again.”
She glanced up at him, her eyes steady if a little anxious. “I am sure,” she said. “Although it kind of scares me that I’m so sure.”
He kissed the top of her head, and held her close.
“Lorne?” he asked.
“He's special, Gibbs,” she replied. “And it’s not fair on him to wear another top’s collar any longer. He’s been patient, and he hasn’t asked me to do this but…the thing is, I want to do it.”
“Fair enough.” He kissed her again.
“I want you to know that I am so, so grateful to you for letting me wear your collar all this time.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” he told her, sincerely.
“Are you sure you’re not upset?” she asked. “Only, I know Tim and Ziva have their own thing going on now, and Jordan took Tony’s collar off him and I’m not sure you intend to put it back, so that just leaves Ducky and…are you going to be lonely, Gibbs?”
He laughed again. “Oh, I’m a big boy, Abby – I’ll cope.”
“That’s what Tony said you’d say!” she exclaimed.
“You talked to Tony about this?”
“Yeah. Tony can be really cool when he’s not, you know, pretending to be an idiot,” she said.
“Yeah. I know.” Gibbs nodded. “And he’s right. I’ll be fine.”
“He said you never intended to keep any of us forever, and I remember you let Stan go, and then Ziva and Tim. You even let Tony go, which, I’m sorry, is just wrong on so many levels…but anyway…I just figured it was my time.”
“Lorne works about as far from NCIS as it’s possible to get,” Gibbs pointed out to her. “And I will not lose my forensics expert as well as my sub.”
“I don’t want to leave NCIS – you're my family…but I can’t promise anything right now. I have to give this a chance, don’t I?”
“Yes, yes you do,” Gibbs agreed. “And Lorne’s a good top, Abby. I like him. If I have to lose you to anyone he’s about as good as it gets.”
“Thank you, Gibbs.” She turned towards him, and he caught hold of her chin and kissed her on the lips one last time. She threw her arms around him and held him tight, and then pulled back, pressing the collar into his hand. He got to his feet and pulled her up.
“Your ass still belongs to me at work,” he reminded her.
She grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, bossman!”
"Bye Abby," he said softly.
"Bye Gibbs," she replied, her eyes gleaming as she blinked back the tears.
He watched her as she walked over to the door. She was almost there when she turned and ran back, almost knocking him over with the force of her hug.
“Promise me that you’ll collar Tony again,” she whispered fiercely in his ear.
“Can’t make that promise, Abby. You see, he doesn’t need my collar any more either.”
She slapped the back of his head, startling him, and he put up his hand to rub the sore spot.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“That, is because you are wrong, Gibbs!” she said. “First time for everything,” she added slyly.
“Go!” he ordered, laughing softly. “And Abby – thank *you*. It was an honour to have you wear my collar.”
She smiled, raised her hand in a little wave, and then she was gone.
~*~
Abby went to Lorne’s quarters, feeling scared but excited. It was like starting a new life – she had no idea where it would lead her but it felt exhilarating all the same.
Lorne had keyed his door pad to allow her to enter, so she did just that. Now that she was here she felt apprehensive. Supposing he didn’t like her as much as she thought he did? Supposing he actually liked the safety of knowing she was another top’s collared sub? Maybe she hadn’t thought this through enough…
She had worked herself up into a frenzy of over-thinking by the time she heard him at the door.
“Hey!” he grinned as he entered. He was dressed casually, in a stripy navy blue shirt and a pair of jeans. She liked the way he dressed; he wasn’t one of those tops who had to parade around in some heavy leather outfit to make him feel big. “You okay?” he asked, seeing her face.
She got up, slowly, and stood there.
“So…I did something, and I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it…and maybe I should have talked to you about it first but it felt like something I had to decide for myself…and I know I’ve only known you for a few weeks but it feels like longer, and, see, I don’t feel like this is one of those short-term flings but on the other hand, maybe that’s what you feel, and I guess I should have thought about that before I…”
She stopped as she realised he was staring at her neck, his eyes shining. Then he crossed the room at a run and swung her up in his arms.
“So I didn’t do a bad thing?” she said, as he kissed her bare throat over and over again.
“Not a bad thing, Abs,” he said huskily, between kisses. “Not a bad thing at all. Uh…was Gibbs okay about it? He’s not going to come down here and kill me with his bare hands or anything, is he?”
“You see, I have no idea why everyone is so scared of Gibbs!” Abby said. “He’s a really sweet man.”
Lorne laughed. “Abby – if you had been there when he was interviewing me to see if I was good enough to date you then you’d have some idea of why I have a healthy respect for the guy. Also, I’m guessing you are the only person – ever – who has described him as ‘sweet’.”
“Well, he’s always been sweet to me,” Abby said. “Okay, sometimes I can see that he can be a little scary but mainly he’s just misunderstood.”
“Okaaay,” Lorne said, in a tone that suggested he didn’t believe that for an instant. He ran his fingers over the empty space on her neck, smiling at her. “Abby, what did you have in mind?” he asked. “I mean, I know how *I* feel, but how about you?”
“I don’t want to leave NCIS because I love my job and I love those guys but I will - for you,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about it – Rodney could probably use another scientist – I have no idea why so many of them leave but he really needs more help in there. I could apply for a job here – that way we could be together.”
“First Gibbs, now Rodney – you really do have a unique view of people, Abs,” Lorne grinned. “And I love you for it. Although I think even you might find Rodney a hard boss to work for.”
“I would not!” Abby protested.
“Perhaps not – you clearly have the ability to work for difficult bosses,” Lorne grinned. “But…no, I don’t think that’s the right solution, Abby.”
“You don’t?” Abby grimaced. “You think I’m moving too fast, don’t you? I didn’t mean to imply I’d move in with you, or make you feel you have to collar me or anything. I just thought…”
“Ssh.” He put a finger over her mouth. “How about this instead?” he suggested. “I’m owed about three months’ leave. I’ve been out in Pegasus for years and I’ve barely had any time back on Earth. Why don’t I take those three months? I’ll need to ask Sheppard but I’m pretty sure he’ll agree. Then…if it's worked out between us and you still want me after that time then I’ll request a permanent transfer to Earth, so you can still work at NCIS.”
“You’d give up the Pegasus galaxy for me?” Abby asked. “Really? But it’s so cool out here!”
“Yeah, but I’ve been thinking about Earth a lot lately. My mom is getting older and I know she worries about not seeing me very often. Don’t get me wrong – I love it out here – but I figure there’s plenty of excitement to be had back home, especially if I have a reason to go back there."
“I love you,” she told him. “Is it too soon to say that?”
“No.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her hands behind her back, the way she loved, making her feel restrained and safe at one and the same time. “It’s not too soon at all.” He kissed her, and she sighed and pressed herself up against him. Then he released her, and stepped back.
“Hey,” she pouted. “I thought we could…” she glanced at the bed.
“Oh no.” Lorne shook his head. “I have plans for tonight. Come here.” He held out his hand and she took it, and then he led her out of the room.
“Where are we going?” she asked, intrigued.
“Well…you told me, specifically, that it should never be boring,” he told her, a gleam in his eyes. “So I’m doing my best to make sure it never is.” Something about the way he was smiling told her that he loved arranging surprises, and that suited her just fine.
He led her down to the jumper bay and they got into a jumper; he closed the hatch, and pulled her in for another kiss.
“Undress,” he told her throatily when he released her.
“Ooh, kinky,” she said, unbuttoning her blouse. He grinned at her over his shoulder as he took control of the jumper. “Sex on a spaceship – I’ve never done *that* before.”
“You won’t be doing it tonight either,” he said. “I have something else in mind.”
She finished undressing and stood there, completely naked, as he piloted the jumper out over the ocean. He threw her something black.
“Put it on,” he ordered as she caught it.
“A blindfold? Hmmm…I like the way this is going.” She slipped the blindfold over her eyes and then stood beside him. “So…this feels weird,” she said. It did – standing stark naked save for a blindfold, while he flew the ship. There was something exciting about it and she could feel herself getting turned on.
He landed the ship smoothly a few seconds later and she wondered where they were and what he had planned. She heard him move around the jumper, gathering up things, and then she felt his warm hand in hers.
“Come with me,” he whispered in her ear, and he sounded more than a little dangerous. She shivered, remembering the night she’d first met him, and how he had turned her on with just some flirting, wordplay and the touch of his hand on her wrist. He seemed to understand her instinctively.
He led her towards the ramp and she felt the warm night air on her naked skin.
“I’m not…you’re not taking me anywhere public are you?” she asked, uncertainly. He squeezed her hand.
“Trust me,” he said, and she did – implicitly. He led her slowly out of the jumper, and she felt grass under her bare feet. The night was warm, and a balmy breeze caressed her skin. She liked how it felt – her naked and vulnerable behind the blindfold, while he was fully clothed and in charge. All she had to do was give herself up to whatever he had planned and she was happy to do that.
They walked a short distance and then he stopped, and she heard him moving around again. Finally he returned, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Okay…I’m going to remove the blindfold now,” he told her. “Keep your eyes closed.” She did as she was told, and felt him remove the blindfold. “Open them,” he whispered in her ear.
She did so, and gazed around. They were on the cliff-top above Collar Bay, and she was standing by a blanket. Over to one side was a little fire, and all around the blanket were dotted dozens of candles in little jars. She noticed the stakes that had been hammered into the ground around the blanket and her stomach did a little flip in anticipation, wondering what he had planned for her.
“Evan…this is so beautiful!” she said.
“It’s the exact spot where we first met,” he told her.
He stood behind her, and ran his hands down her bare arms. She shivered and melted back against him, loving the feel of his denim jeans against her naked buttocks. He slid his hands over her breasts, cupping them, and teased her nipples into little points with his fingers. She gasped at the sensation flooding through her breasts, and he kissed her neck.
“It’s also the place where I’d like, with your permission, to pierce these,” he said, tweaking her nipples gently as he spoke. She felt a thrill of excitement run through her.
“You want to pierce me?” she asked, excitedly.
“If you’ll let me have that honour,” he said, rubbing her nipples insistently with his fingertips. If she had been his collared sub he wouldn’t have had to ask permission – he could have just gone ahead and done it - but she wasn't collared – yet. She liked how nicely he was asking, full of respect.
She turned in his arms and kissed him, hard, on the mouth.
“I’ll take that as a yes then,” he said, when she was done. She looked at him, feeling a little dazed.
“Gibbs always said to wait for someone who’d make it special,” she whispered.
“Am I special enough?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.
“Oh hell yes!”
“It’ll hurt but I’ll make it good if you trust me.”
“I do trust you – and I like a little bit of pain,” she told him mischievously.
He laughed, and then that dangerous look was back in his eyes. She remembered the stranger she’d met out here a few weeks ago, and how he had painted a delicious little scenario in her mind. Lorne was an imaginative top but he was also responsible and very skilled. She had no hesitation at all about surrendering herself to him, totally and completely.
“Come here then.” He took hold of her hand and led her onto the blanket, then sat her down. She liked the way the fire felt, warming her skin. It was a warm night so she wasn’t cold but it was nice to feel the heat of the flames on her naked body. “I don’t want you to look – I want you to feel,” he whispered, placing the blindfold over her eyes again.
Now there was just her naked body, exposed on the cliff-top, the breeze tickling her, and his voice, deep and dangerous, anchoring her. He took her hands and bound her wrists with rope. She loved that he used rope – she had no objection to cuffs, and they were certainly more comfortable, but she loved that he knew how to tie a sub so expertly.
Then he took her bound wrists and pulled them over her head, making her lie flat on the blanket. She felt them loop the rope into one of the stakes, securing her there.
“I’m going to tie you tightly,” he told her, his breath teasing her skin as he spoke. He sounded so calm, and so utterly implacable and in control that her clit began to pound with excitement. “I don’t want you moving when I pierce you. I want you still - so I’m going to tie you tighter than usual.”
She moaned, softly; she loved the combined promise and threat in his words. She adored being tied and loved the idea of being completely immobile when he pierced her.
She felt his rope on her body, criss-crossing her skin, and she knew it would leave those beautiful little red marks that she loved seeing after he released her. She wished they wouldn’t fade so soon.
“You’re mine now, Abby,” he murmured as he worked. “And I’m going to place my permanent marks on your body. I’m going to pierce you, and that will show you – and everyone else - who you belong to.” He kissed her throat as he said that, on the exact spot where her collar had once been, and she knew how much this meant to him. She was his now – she didn’t belong to Gibbs any more, and Lorne was going to make his mark on her, printing it indelibly in her skin where it could never be removed.
She wriggled in anticipation, and then squealed as he slapped her thigh.
“Be still, submissive,” he hissed, dangerously, in her ear. She thought she might come there and then but he hadn’t given her permission so she tried her best to relax and do as he had ordered. She imagined that if she could see them his eyes would be laughing at her but she liked that she was blindfolded – it made the scene more intense.
He tied her as tightly as he’d promised, ropes digging into her bare flesh, each of them making her aware of their presence. He pulled her legs wide apart and attached them to the stakes he had placed in the ground until she was completely immobile, unable to move a muscle.
She heard him open something. She wished that she could see what he was going to pierce her with, and then it occurred to her that he must have bought some body jewellery and she wondered what her new decorations would look like.
“You’re so beautiful…and you’re mine,” he whispered, undoing her pigtails so that her hair flowed loosely. He kissed her mouth, and she moaned and opened up to him, but he didn’t linger. He trailed wet kisses down her neck, and then, without warning, she felt his warm mouth on her right nipple, sucking hard. She cried out but she couldn’t move, and it felt so delicious to be bound this tight while he toyed with her.
He moved onto the other nipple, sucking that too, and then slid his hand between her open legs and rubbed her clit. It was already pounding like it was going to explode but it was too soon, and she knew she had to hold on for him.
“Later,” he warned, and she moaned by way of reply.
She felt something cool on her nipples and smelled something medicinal, so she guessed he was using some kind of antiseptic. She shivered. She was about to be pierced. She knew it would hurt, but she loved the idea of experiencing that kind of pain at his hands. It would be intense but so delicious. Besides, she was tied tightly, and couldn’t resist. She was his, and he could mark her any way he liked.
She heard him move over towards the fire, and then he returned. She was glad she couldn’t see him - even though she longed to know what was going on. Being blindfolded made her so much more aware of her body; she could feel the softness of the blanket beneath her, the tight criss-crossing of the ropes digging into her, the warmth of the fire on her skin, and the coolness of the breeze wafting over her bound, naked body.
She thought she’d explode from a combination of nerves, apprehension, excitement and arousal as she felt his body straddle hers. She wished for a brief moment that she could lock gazes with him, and see the intent look in his eyes when he pierced her, but then she squawked as she felt her left nipple being held steady by what felt like a cool metallic clamp. She struggled to draw breath, fearing what would happen next while welcoming it eagerly. Then there was a sharp blaze of pain in her nipple and she wanted to twist away but the ropes held her firmly in place, and she was screaming and screaming and all the time there was that sharpness in her breast that wouldn’t go away. She felt a tugging sensation and then the pain receded into a dull, pounding throb.
“Oh god!” she cried, her body drenched with sweat. His mouth closed over hers and she offered herself up to his searching kiss. She was his, she told herself, over and over again, like a mantra. If he wanted to pierce her she was happy to offer up her body to be pierced. She loved the idea of wearing his jewels in her breasts, even though it hurt so much right now.
“That was good. It looks so beautiful,” he whispered to her when he finished kissing her. “If you could only see what I see - you look amazing, Abby. All bound up beneath me – and the piercing looks so pretty. I love your breasts…so round and white and soft…and all mine now. All mine.”
She felt him plant a kiss on the breast that was hurting, and then he pulled back. She tensed as she felt that clamp take hold of her other nipple in its cold, metallic embrace.
“Please no…please yes…please no…” she whispered, wanting it to happen but afraid of the intensity of the pain all the same.
“Ssh,” he said, soothing her. “Take this for me, Abby. You can take it, can’t you?”
She knew that she could, and she nodded, trembling. Then she felt another blaze of that same sharp pain and she screamed again. He was marking her, and it felt so bad and so good at one and the same time. The tugging began and she screamed again, loving the intensity of the moment. He let her scream – she was glad he hadn’t gagged her – she loved that they were all the way out here, where nobody could see or hear them, and she could be as loud as she wanted, screaming out her joy and agony at one and the same time. Then, as she screamed, his mouth closed over hers, swallowing the sound, and he claimed her for his own with a deep, powerful kiss.
Then it was over, and now both breasts ached, sore but deliciously so.
He kissed her again, softly this time, and she moaned, utterly helpless beneath him. Then she felt his mouth on her body, covering its terrain, mapping it and claiming it for himself.
She felt him untie the ropes as he went, loosening them by degrees between kisses and caresses, until she was free.
“Stay there,” he told her and she obeyed, not moving a muscle. She heard the sounds of him undressing, and then he was back. He sat down beside her and then he pulled her over. She found herself sitting in his lap, and felt his hard cock. He manoeuvred her up, and she allowed herself to be guided down, her wet pussy swallowing his cock easily, her knees bent on either side of his body.
“Hold it there,” he told her, and she sighed, loving the way he felt inside her – hard, strong and pulsing.
She felt his fingers on her face, and then he whisked her blindfold away. She blinked down at him, smiling insanely, and she saw that he was smiling too, his eyes shining.
“You can look now,” he said, and she glanced down and saw the beautiful jewels glowing in her nipples, dappled by the firelight. The piercings were plain steel barbells, but beneath each one swung a cobweb, with seven red jewels glinting along its delicate tendrils. “I thought these suited you. I bought others, though,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the box by the fire. “We can try them on you another time.”
“They’re perfect,” she whispered. She loved that he didn’t want to change her, and that he’d chosen something so intrinsically her. She reached down to touch them but he grabbed her hands and held them behind her back.
“Uh-uh. These are mine for tonight – no touching,” he said. “Now, ride me. I want to be at eye level with these when I come inside you.”
She loved how he was holding her hands behind her back as she rose up and slid back down on his hard cock. His mouth brushed her breasts as she rode him, taking care not to catch the new piercings, and it felt so amazingly intense that she wanted to explode.
She was bobbing up and down in the dark summer’s air, her breasts bouncing as she rode him, each move of her hips sending a wave of sensation through her body, making her sore nipples ache even more, with a sweet, erotic throb.
She looked down on him, meeting his gaze as he stared back up at her. She could see that he was in his top-space, intent and focussed, his brown hair mussed up, his handsome face and hard, toned body dappled in the firelight. He was so beautiful, and the moment was so perfect, that she lost herself in her own sub-space. She was nothing save the dangling cobwebs hanging from her breasts, and the feel of his hardness inside her body. She was his submissive, and he had marked her as his own, with his own hands.
Her body was a tumult of sensation – pain, pleasure and something darkly beautiful all merging as one. She rode on, her hair streaming out over her shoulders, her body joining his in the age-old dance between dominant and submissive. She was his - his, his, his and she had never felt happier. The crescendo playing inside her built to a climax and then she was blinded by a series of starbursts, white flashes like fireworks exploding in her mind and body, sending ripple after ripple of pleasure through her. Those waves of pleasure kept on coming, over and over again, until she was spent and could do nothing but hang there, looking down on him, completely out of it.
He released her wrists and stroked her thighs while she hung there, gazing at him, lost in the moment. His hands moved up her body and cupped her breasts, and she looked down at the beautiful cobwebs dangling from the steel bars he had placed there.
“You’re not his any more,” he said softly, his eyes dark with emotion. “You’re mine now, Abby. I made you mine tonight.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I'm yours. All yours.”
She fell down on top of him, a jolt of sensation from her sore nipples sending another wave of intense pleasure through her, and he caught her and held her against him, keeping her safe, just the way he'd promised.
~*~
End of Part Eighteen
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Hiding in Plain Sight: Part Nineteen