Disclaimer: I do not own CSI.
Written for the challenge set for me by Piccolina789.
Challenge as follows:
It has to take place during the summer (i.e. in between seasons of CSI), but you can choose between which seasons you want it to be.
Has to be GSR.
Starts with the phrase "I always hated the rain."
Ends with the phrase "Well, that is much, much better."
Include chocolate-dipped strawberries, a mention of Chicago and the word "dazzling".
Okay, here goes...
Rainy Day
"I always hated the rain." moans Sara, leaning against the door frame of the back door and looking out over the muddy garden.
Grissom walks up behind her. He lifts his hands to her shoulders and gently applies pressure under his thumbs, rubbing clockwise for three turns and then anti-clockwise for three turns.
"All I wanted to do this weekend was get away from Vegas. Go somewhere where we don't have to hide our relationship. Be a real couple for one weekend."
"I'm sorry, honey, there's always next time."
"Oh, come on Gil. How often do we have a long weekend off together?"
He sighs and pulls her backwards slightly so that she's leaning against him.
"Are you sure we have to cancel our plans? Is there no way we can..." she trails off.
"No, I asked. With the rain over the last few days the lake water has risen and is dangerously close to flooding out half of the cabins surrounding it. The cabins are being evacuated and prepared for flooding."
Sara looks as though she might cry. He knows how much she was looking forward to getting away from here for a few days, even he was looking forward to spending some time alone with Sara, and the freedom of walking around hand in hand with her, or being able to kiss her whenever he wanted. For six weeks this has been booked and careful consideration had been taken as to where and when they could share the same weekend off.
"Next time..." she says, sounding a little angry. "Next time we have a long weekend off together I want to go somewhere. Somewhere away from Vegas, away from Nevada. Then it can rain all it wants to, I won't care because I won't be here."
He knows he should find what she's just said amusing but he does, and he struggles to hid his smile.
"What if rains wherever we go?" he asks.
He lifts a hand to her hair and runs his fingers down through it, allowing the long silken strands to curl around his fingers.
"Well then we'll get wet." she bites back.
She feels him tense up at the harsh sound of her voice. Sighing, she turns around to face him and wraps her bare arms around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry." she whispers. "I just... I was really looking forward to getting away, you know? With everything that's been going on lately it feels like we haven't been able to spend much time together. With rallying around Brass after being shot, and everything at work..."
"I know. I was looking forward to getting away too. Just you and me." he whispers into her hair.
"And Hank." she says when their beloved boxer barks, as if joining in the conversation.
They both turn their heads towards the garden where Hank is playing out in the torrential rain. He's completely covered in black mud, his brown fur pitted, as he bounds from puddle to puddle and then to one of his many, now soggy, toys.
Sara chuckles and turns back towards her lover.
For a split second he can feel his breath hitch in his throat, her eyes are no longer sad or angry but are now glinting with mischief. Pursing his lips curiously; wearily, he watches her, wondering what she's thinking, or planning. He mouth parts slightly, and before he has time to think she kisses him deeply. Her body presses against his and her hands run up in to his hair. For a long and wonderful minute they kiss like there's no tomorrow, hot and wet kisses which causes a fluttering sensation deep inside him, but then she pulls away from him. She looks up in to his ocean blue eyes and smiles her beautiful, gap toothed, smile.
"How much do you love me?" she whispers, seductively.
For a moment he thinks carefully how to answer her. Of course he knows the answer; he loves her more than anything in the world, and she knows this, but the glint in her eyes tell him that no matter what his answer is she is about to play dirty.
"It depends what you want." he replies, an involuntary groan escaping him as her slender fingers move up under his t-shirt.
"How much?" she asks again.
He can't help smiling as he stares her down. Her touch leaving a trail of goosebumps from the waist band of his trousers and up to his smooth chest.
"Too much..."
Just as he's about to pull her further into him, with a little more force than necessary, she pulls her hand from under his shirt and holds it up to him, stopping him in his tracks.
"Good." she smiles, cocking her head to the side cheekily. "I'm going for a shower. I'll let you clean Hank off."
Quickly, before he can ever register what she's said, she worms her way out of his arms and practically skips off to the bedroom giggling.
It takes a few seconds to pull himself together and he starts to follow her down the hall, only to be stopped by a barking Hank following closely behind, leaving a trail of wet muddy smudges.
"Hank." he growls, staring longingly down the hall at the bedroom door. "I guess it's not just the rain which can ruin plans."
He looks back towards his dog and sighs.
"I guess we'd better get you cleaned up." he says, and trudges back through to the kitchen.
GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR GSR
When Sara finally emerges from the bedroom, a good forty minutes later, she's wearing a pair of black trousers and a light green, tight, tank top and a pair of fluffy polka dot slippers. Her hair is damp and starting to curl at the ends and she's wearing the lightest application of make-up.
He smiles watching her make her way towards him.
"Okay..." she says, joining him at the sink. "The rain isn't going to spoil our weekend. We still have the weekend off together so..." she trails off and looks around the kitchen, her mouth hanging open slightly.
"Great minds think alike." he smiles.
"What's all this?" she asks, looking around in awe.
The worktops are covered with platters of food; various cheeses cut into small chunks, crispy salads, crispy bread rolls, different fruits, yoghurt, rice cakes, chocolate dipped strawberries and three bottles of sparkling wine.
"Well, I had the same thought as you. We can't let the rain spoil our weekend off. So... we'll have a picnic here and take it from there."
"Oh Gil. I was thinking along the lines of snuggling up on the sofa, maybe insert a few makeout sessions, but I like your idea better."
He smiles, pleased with her reaction.
"I'm almost done here. Why don't you go set up a 'picnic area' in the living room?"
Sara reaches up and gives him a quick peck on the cheek and moves into the living room, giving an almost clean Hank a pet as she walks past him.
Gil arrives a few minutes later with some plates of food to find a tartan blanket, the one from off the back of the sofa, spread over the hardwood floor with cushions and candles surrounding it. It all looks so romantic. Sara helps him bring in the food and wine and they just settle down on the blanket when Gil stands up again.
"There's something missing..." he mumbles, walking over to the CD player.
Searching the discs he pulls out the one he's looking for, inserts it into the machine and presses play. The soothing sounds of birds and water lapping at rocks fills the room, creating a peaceful environment imitating the sounds they'd hear at the lake.
Taking a seat on the floor opposite Sara his heart melts at look across her face, although she's disappointed that their weekend plans have been ruined there's no mistaking the happiness which is filling her features right now.
"Care for a drink, Miss Sidle?" he asks, holding up a champagne flute.
Smiling adoringly she nods her head.
"This is perfect."
He hands her a glass filled with sparkling wine and the clink glasses.
"Happy Long Weekend." he chuckles.
"Happy Long Weekend." she replies and takes a long sip. The bubbles in the wine tingle her tongue and she revels in sensation it's giving her.
For the next few hours they eat, drink and talk. Their conversations deep and meaningful making up for lost time from the last few weeks, talking about work, their feelings, stories from their past, everything. They feed eachother the chocolate-dipped strawberries, laughing and giggling like teenagers and making a bigger mess than a three year old would. By the time the strawberries have been eaten they're both covered in chocolate. Sara has a chocolate fingerprint on the tip of her nose whilst Gil has smudges under his chin and down his neck, and they both have chocolate spattered down the front of their clothes.
Still laughing they make their way to the kitchen to clean themselves up, that's when their conversation turns towards the subject which they've been trying to avoid - almost losing Jim. Although he's going to be fine it was touch and go for while. And the whole of night-shift felt the ache of almost losing the father figure of their team.
"He's going to be fine, Sara." Gil says, at seeing the look in her eyes.
"I know." she smiles. "It was just... He's your best friend and I wouldn't know how to help you if anything had have happened to him. Hell, I was struggling to cope with what happened to him."
"Honey, you helped me immensely. Just by being there with me you helped me help him. I couldn't have been that strong if it wasn't for you. But he's home now and he's being checked on every few hours, he'll be fine and be back at work before we know it."
"You're right. I know you're right."
She tries to smile, to ease his worrying, but he can see that now that she's thought of the sadness which the shooting brought she's struggling to let it go again.
"Listen," he says, pushing himself up from the kitchen table, where they seated themselves after de-chocolating their bodies. "This is supposed to be a happy weekend and I don't like the way it's heading so..."
He holds out his hand to her, she accepts it curiously and allows him to pull her to her feet. Leading her back into the living room he picks up the stereo remote off the coffee table he changes the CD. A familiar song starts to beat through the speakers.
"Dance with me?" he asks softly.
"What?"
He lifts both her arms around his neck and brings her body closer to him. He starts to move slowly to the music, leading Sara in soft sways in time with the beat.
"Sara?" he asks.
"Hmm.."
For a second Sara stops, keeping her hold around Gil's neck, and kicks her slippers off, freeing her feet so that she can move with ease instead of shuffling along the floor.
"You mentioned earlier that you'd like to go somewhere new, a different state. Where did you have in mind?"
Lifting her head from his chest she looks up in to his eyes and smiles.
"I don't know. Anywhere as long as we're together. We don't have to leave Nevada, I was just having a rant earlier. I'm sorry."
"I'm serious, Sara. Anywhere you'd like to go, tell me."
"Well... I've never been to Chicago but I've always wanted to go. I have a friend out there, Kate, and it would be nice to meet up with her. We could go for a meals and drinks and we could go see all the sights. I'd love to go up to the sky-deck in the Sears Tower and just look out over the city. And we'd go in Baseball season so that I could take you to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field." she smiles dreamily.
He can see the excitement in her eyes just at the thought of visiting Chicago, and in that moment he decides that they will definitely take a trip away from Vegas on their next weekend off.
"You would take me to see a ball game?" he asks, his eyebrow raised. "You hate sports."
"Yeah, but I love you..."
At her words his heart decided to do a little dance in his chest. He's still not used to hearing her say that to him.
"I've never loved you more than I do right now." he smiles down into her eyes, making her flush a faint pink.
His heart melts, again.
As the opening chords to another song starts his hands join together at the base of her spine and he leans in and kisses her neck slowly as a voice booms through the speakers.
There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea, You became the light on the dark side of me.
Then all was lost.
His touch, the feel of his mouth against her skin, never fails to ignite a fire within her. His tender caresses and kisses making her gasp and writhe about in his embrace. Her hands play across the breadth of his shoulders, feeling the solidness of his muscles. She can feel his hands on her hips, his thumb under the rim of her top teasing the sensitive spots he found during their first night together.
The CD continues to play, song after song, but the words can't be heard over their combined whimpers and soft groans. Clothes are stripped from their bodies and discarded on the floor as they make their way to the bedroom, now in urgent need of intimacy.
Eventually, after what seems like hours, they fall on to the bed. Their mouths locked together in sensual kisses. She's laying beneath him, bearing her soul to him, whilst his dazzling blue eyes burn in to her with desire.
"Something's wrong here..." she frowns.
Pulling away a little he looks at her confused, and before he knows it she's reversed their positions. Now he's beneath her, completely under her control.
He shudders at the feel of her finger tips trailing down inside his boxers, his only remaining piece of clothing. She slowly works his underwear down his legs and off on to the floor then crawls back up the bed, kissing her way up his body. Before reaching his mouth she repositions herself to look down at his magnificent, now naked, form.
She bites her lip and smiles. "Well, that is much, much better."
THE END
Thanks Piccolina789 for the prompts.
I struggled with smut so I missed it out.
What did you think?
Lynne xo