Sara gave a happy sigh, as she nestled into the crook of Catherine's arm. "And that's the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. And these are the cute markets that are held on weekends, just on the city centre outskirts. And that's…" she kept jabbering on as she continued to show Cath photos of her trip to Paris off her camera, but her thoughts had begun to stray.
She smells nice, she thought to herself. Just like always. A mysterious mix of expensive coffee, peppermint and a hint of perfume. Sara thought back to how when she had hugged Cath in the airport, she hadn't wanted to let go, and just stood there, hugging her and taking in her smell, the one that she had quite missed while she was overseas.
The brunette nuzzled Catherine's neck gently with her head. "And that's the entomology wall," she told her, giving the blonde the camera so she could have a better look.
She gave a chuckle upon seeing the whole bedroom wall of the small flat completely covered in various photos of bugs and arachnids, most with descriptions that one could read if they were bored in bed. "Grissom kept you busy studying his babies I see."
Sara loved Cath's laugh. It was so sweet, so contagious, so…sincere.
She gave a jump as a thought occurred to her and scrambling off the bed, she began to root around in her bag, the search made all the more difficult as the only light came from a small table lamp.
Finally she straightened up, holding a small bejeweled charm that was carved into a puzzle piece, that the blonde had given her upon parting. "You had always loved puzzles," she had said. "Good luck in France. And with Grissom." The last part she had added reluctantly, more an afterthought with almost no sincerity.
"What are you doing?" Catherine asked her now, amused, sitting up to see what she was doing.
With a proud grin, and in way of answer, Sara held the charm out to her.
"My charm," she stated, astonished. "You still have it."
"Of course I have it! I turned into a necklace so I could take it everywhere with me. To remind me of you."
Catherine smiled, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink, though in the dull light, it was hard to tell. "That's sweet." A pause. "You're sweet."
Sara grinned, blushing. "Thanks…"
Despite the semi darkness, it wasn't hard to tell her cheeks were on fire. Catherine grinned. "Cherry," she lovingly teased.
Sara's cheeks turned redder. "Shush you!"
With a laugh Catherine fell back upon her pillows. Sara watched her, still sitting by the edge of the bed, taking in every detail of her, from her sparkling blue eyes to her gorgeous smile. God she had missed Cath.
"Did you mean what you said?" she asked curiously after a moments silence.
The blonde propped herself up by her elbows. "Mean what?"
Sara looked away, suddenly finding a non-existent speck on the blanket very interesting. "Did you mean it when you said you loved me, in your letters?" she asked quietly.
There was a pause, more of surprise at the question than anything. "Of course I did. Do." She gave a growl, though not a mean one. "Stop confusing me! I did mean it, and I still do."
Sara flicked at the speck morosely . "But you only meant it as a friend."
Another growl and she found herself pinned down on the bed. Her heart was suddenly competing in a marathon as she looked up at Catherine. She'd changed, become more serious. Her weight on Sara's wrists kept her pinned to the bed, but it was a nice weight, a comfortable weight that needn't be shifted.
"You wanna repeat that sentence Sidle?" she asked, her voice low.
She gave a defiant wriggle. "You only-"
But the rest of the sentence was cut short as Catherine swiftly brought her lips to Sara's. The brunette's heart was suddenly competing in a sprinting marathon. The barrier between them that Sara had been worrying about for so many months had finally been broken.
Catherine's lips were soft, smooth, and she felt a twinge of shame at her own lips which despite endless applications of lipbalm never seemed to smooth.
There was something in the way Catherine kissed her; something shy yet hungry, as if she'd wanted to do this for quite some time. Sara kissed her back, tentativly at first. The pressure on her wrists loosened, and gently pulling them out of Catherine's grip, she brought her hands to cup the blonde's face, as she began to kiss her back properly. The wave of longing, want, and love that had been held back for so long broke, and every emotion she had ever felt regarding Cath found it's way into the kiss.
A minute later they broke apart, both of them in need of air. Sara's eyes were closed, a smile on her face, and she felt dizzy, the way one usually feels after kissing someone they love with all their heart.
Catherine sat on top of her, watching her as a smile played on her lips, her fingers absentmindedly playing up and down her arm.
"Aren't you hot?" Sara asked in reference to Catherine's pj's, squinting up at him, her voice coming out as nothing more than a husky whisper. She was pretty sure that Catherine wasn't in the slightest bit over-heating in her midnight blue silk pyjama's, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"Aren't you?" Cath countered, raising an eyebrow at Sara's flannel pj's. In the dim light her eyes sparkled with something. Mischief, playfulness, want? Sara could not tell. "Well," she demanded, "aren't you?"
Sara gave a small smile. Yes, she wast hot. Heck, she felt like a lobster in a boiling pot. But it wasn't like she'd admit to the fact. She looked at her, studying her as memories came pouring back. "Catherine?"
Her fingers continued to trace patterns up and down Sara's arm. "Hmmm?"
"Don't you ever get lonely, always being here all by yourself? Alone?" she asked softly. She knew well that Catherine wasn't fully alone. The brunette knew that Cath had Lindsey with her. But she had meant it in a different way, and she wondered if Catherine would understand.
He was silent for a moment, looking at her, wondering where this had come from. She took one look at Sara's face, and instantly understood. "But I'm not alone," she replied, a gentle smile upon her smile. She leaned down, her lips brushing Sara's ear gently. "I have you."