Just needed to write some mildly fluffy stuff- hope you all like it- please review!
One-shot for now.
Disclaimer: I own zilch
Under A Paper Moon
The car speed through the Las Vegas streets the neon flying past the windows for mere seconds before disappearing quickly behind them as just a blur of colour. Greg shifted in the passenger seat sighing slightly as he flicked through the radio stations feeling somewhat agitated by the fact that he had been forced to hand over his car keys.
"It's been two years...do you seriously need to always drive?" He asked in a mannerism he recognised from his teenage years casting his eyes over at Sara. She changed gears slowing the car to let a truck pass with a small smirk tugging at her lips.
"Yes" Being the only word fitting enough to answer his question. It hadn't been long that she had been re-assimilated into the team but it was as if she had never been away, the streets of Vegas had left their mark on her memory.
"Does Grissom stand for your constant need to be in the driver's seat?" Greg asked turning to face her watching as a frown flashed on her features before quickly disappearing. She was good. He had to give her that, even now when was attempting to provoke her Sara remained calm.
"I think you'll find Grissom prefers it when I drive" She replied shortly keeping her eye focused on the road however she could feel Greg's gaze wash over her. It seemed to get under her skin slightly; their interactions had been surprisingly awkward since she'd been back something she had not been anticipating.
"Well then he obviously doesn't value his life particularly highly" He replied in a dead pan voice with raised eyebrows. Sara turned to look at him quirking an eyebrow in a slightly bemused way before turning her attention back to the road. Silence settled between them consuming the space of the department issue Denali.
"You know a lot's changed since you've been gone..." Greg was the one to break the silence not bothering to face her as he spoke, tapping his feet restlessly in time with the music playing on the radio.
"Oh, yeah, it looks the same to me?" Sara replied with pursed lips not fully understanding what it was that he had been trying to point out.
"Well sometimes you need to look deeper" He shrugged leaning forwards putting the volume making it clear that he was not in the mood to explain. Sara took a deep breath glancing at him but for some reason she couldn't find the right words to question Greg further.
They soon left the lights of the city behind, a plume of sand following them as they left the solid, smooth roads and found dirt and sand in the desert. Their call was 30 miles out of town; it was a long time to sit side by side in awkward silence with someone who was supposed to be your best friend.
Sara desperately searched her mind for a conversation topic but came up with nothing, instead choosing to send him nervous glances whenever she felt confident enough to take her eyes off the road. It was difficult to see in the darkness, the sky seemed incredibly overcast and heavy and not a single star lit their way. The headlights of the car only offered her a minimal view of the road making her feel anxious.
They had been driving in silence for 30 minutes; not a word crossing between them and the silence lingered in the cab of the car like a storm. Sara could feel the tension building between them as she turned onto a straight part of the road and took a deep breath.
She was about to ask him what was going on, why he was acting this way around her when all she wanted was for things to go back to the way they were when the Denali suddenly started shuddering angrily.
Greg looked round at her, a frown crossing his brow as she stared down at the dial and pumped the accelerator in an attempt to bring the vehicle back to life. With one last almighty splutter the engine died completely.
"What's going on?" Greg queried, turning in his seat to regard her properly. "You trying the old 'out of gas trick' cause I'm not that kinda gal"
"Very funny Greg" she remarked turning the key in the ignition to no avail.
With an exasperated sigh she swung open the door and stood in front of the massive black hulk searching for something obvious that could have landed them in this situation. But there was nothing- she angrily kicked the tyre with a grunt cursing under her breath for the situation in which they'd found themselves.
Greg joined her outside, a cold wind whirling around them as they stood surveying the empty road stretching miles ahead and behind them, the only thing affecting the horizon an old dilapidated barn barely visible in the distance.
"So your driving hasn't improved then?" He smirked, walking back towards the passenger side door with a bored expression.
"Go to hell Greg" Sara shot back following him.
"Great...the last thing I wanted tonight..." he mumbled under his breath but it was loud enough for her to hear.
"Yes because I am thrilled at being stuck here in the middle of nowhere with you" She shouted at him not be able to hold back the venom in her voice.
"Nice to know how you feel about my company Sara..." Greg commented turning to face her as he prepared himself for an argument.
"Well, you've not exactly been a great companion lately." She replied crossing her arms across her chest with a frown.
"What's the supposed to mean?" He snorted eyeing her carefully.
"The silent treatment in the car was an accident?" She pointed out with a frustrated sigh.
"I'm sorry I forgot you constantly needed attention." Greg rolled his eyes at her, belittling her concerns.
"What the hell is wrong with you today?" Sara asked accusingly taking a step towards him.
"Nothing, Sara. Nothing at all is wrong with me." He looked fed up, bored almost of being forced to talk to her.
"Well you must have skipped your medication then because I'm feeling a whole lot of hostility right now" She responded clicking her tongue.
"I'm not the one needing medication to handle my moods Sara" It was low- he knew that the moment the words appeared in the air between them but for some reason Greg found he couldn't take them back.
"I go away for a while and I'm public enemy number 1? I thought you'd be happy to see me back." The confused expression on Sara's face only seemed to irritate him more.
"Sara...You didn't keep in touch at all. And now you want me to pretend everything's just fine" Finally the problems that Greg had been attempting to ignore came out into the open.
"I couldn't keep in touch; you know I would have if I could. Weren't you the first person I called when I got to Paris?" She seemed to be pleading with him to understand.
"Gee thanks Sara... you called to let me know you married him" Greg almost spat the last word at her as the clouds above them rumbled threateningly.
"Is that what this is about? You're jealous" Sara sounded outraged forcing herself to take a step back from Greg.
"Jealous...wow... after everything you ask me if I'm jealous" He gave a small humourless laugh turning away from her.
"I'm right aren't I? You still have feelings for me..." It was this that forced Greg to face Sara.
"I'm not jealous Sara. I'm disappointed. You choose him- him of all people." The sky above them matched their mood rumbling with anger and flashes of lighting appeared in the distance
"And who would you have preferred?"
"Forget it" Greg turned away again this time determined to not say any more.
"No Greg, we're not forgetting this! Tell me! Tell me the truth!" Sara's hand closed around his arm pulling him back towards her.
"What? You want me to tell you that I'm still in love with you? That I've missed you? That I've been hoping you'd come back?" He caught her eye his heart fluttering in his chest as he confessed all of the things he had wanted to keep to himself.
"Yes, I do. I want you to tell me that." Sara's voice was quiet.
"Why?"
"...because maybe I feel that way too. Maybe the only reason I did come back was for you and I can't stand it when you're pushing me away like this. Maybe I need to hear it to make it real..." Her response seemed to be knocking the wind out of him but Greg refused to let her see.
"What if I don't believe you?" He asked in a low voice, frowning against biting wind.
"Why would I make it up? I have everything to lose..." It was true.
"Then say it..."
"Say it? You want me to say that sometimes I can't breathe when I think about you? That I took this job before Ecklie had even finished talking because I knew it would bring me back here? That I felt a little bit of disappointment when it was Grissom who came after me?"
They were standing inches apart as the sky gave in rain falling from the sky scattering across the dirt, Greg attempted to move them both towards the car but Sara refused to move. Placing her hands on his chest she pushed up against the door, his back colliding with the mental and glass as Sara pressed her body up against his. Before Greg could gather his thoughts Sara's lips were covering his, the taste of rain lingering on them as she kissed him hard. Her hands curling around his shoulders as she stood on her tip toes to even out their heights.
The kiss was like nothing Greg had experienced before. It was earth shattering. All of these years he had been waiting to kiss Sara and here after all of this time it had appeared. The way she took nips at his lower lip, the way her tongue confidently exploring the inside of his mouth teasing him with everything she could muster had him feeling breathless. His hands rested on her waist as he pulled her even closer against him.
Sara reached behind him opening the door to the back seat pulling Greg with her as she climbed in. He landed on top of his mind racing at a million miles per hour as he realised what was happening. Sara's hands had found their way under his shirt scraping down his back as she arched her body into him.
"Greg..." his name seemed to roll of her tongue like perfection as he kissed her neck thrusting against her involuntarily. Sara had unbuttoning his shirt peeling it away from his shoulders gasping as her hands smooth across his muscular chest, soon followed by her lips as she planted dainty kisses on his skin.
Greg groaned reaching for the clasp on her slacks his heartbeat quickening to the point that he thought his chest was going to explode. Sara's erratic breathing surrounded him as he blinding pulled her trousers out of the way throwing them onto the floor. He returned to kiss her on the lips as she repositioned herself beneath him.
It was the sound of tapping at the window that stopped them in their tracks. As they looked up to find a small torch was shining into the space illuminating them in their position and an elderly man glared down at them.
"This is private property you know?" He said not moving away from the window.
"Sorry Sir...We...Can't start out truck..." Greg stumbled over his sentence finding that he could not move.
"I'll go get some jump lead..." He grumbled finally stepping away heading back towards the vehicle in which he had appeared from.
Once he'd gone, Greg glanced down at Sara who appeared to be unable to suppress her laughed. She smiled up at him brushing a hand across his cheek before bringing her lips up to meet his kissing him softly.
"Can I get a rain check?" she whispered seductively in his ear.
"Of course..." Greg muttered back to Sara.
Greg looked down at her, their eyes meet in the almost darkness the sound of thunder and rain filling their ears as the moment seemed to linger in the air forever. He realised that after all of this time he had never expected to be so in love. And from the way she smiled at him he realised that whatever this was...it was real.
The End