Title Fruit & Nuts
Author wobbear
Rating T (a very light T)
Disclaimer I still don't own CSI or the characters.
Author's note This started out as part of the epilogue to my first ever fic, Cotidie, but it was way too long and, well, downright silly. And yet I've decided to resurrect it here. Many thanks to partlybouncy for her very helpful comments; sorry it's taken me so long to finish this up.
Set post Grave Danger, and during the Cotidie epilogue, but it should (I hope) stand alone.
Just so we're all clear, there is no dog in this one.
Summary Musings after their first time. GSR
Sara came back from the bathroom and slid into Grissom's welcoming embrace, nestling close to his side.
"I didn't know … I , uh …" He faltered, then tried again. "I didn't know how good it would be."
Sara shifted on the rumpled sheets and grinned at him. "What—the sex?"
She raised her finger, waggling it close to his nose in jokey admonition. "Don't tell me that now you're wondering why you waited so long."
"Uh, yes … I mean, no. Um …"
Sara giggled; he was struggling to string words together.
He held up his hand. "Give me a moment."
She waited patiently, stroking his bed-head curls into a tidier shape. She would always give him the time he needed to gather his thoughts.
"Uh ... okay." Grissom breathed in deeply, and launched into it. "What I was talking about was … I didn't know how good it would be to move past my fears and allow myself to love you; to open up to you, let you in." He smiled wearily, relieved that he'd gotten it all out.
He twisted a long strand of brown hair that had strayed over his shoulder. "How did you know?"
"I--I didn't know anything." Sara leaned her head into his stroking hand. "Maybe that's not quite right. I knew I wanted you. But that was only the inspiration, the catalyst. I've learned the hard way that you don't get anything worthwhile without working to make it happen."
This was getting a bit heavy for post-coital discussion, Grissom thought. After his little speech, he was exhausted. Sure, they needed to talk about the serious stuff, he even wanted to, just ... not right now. That required brain power, and currently all he could manage was light banter.
But he had he started this.
Why?
In the past he'd heard people talk about mind-blowing sex, and had dismissed it as blatant it be … ? Had his mind actually been blown by this first encounter with Sara? Hmm … he could still think of words like hyperbole, so maybe not …
Hang on, she was speaking again—
"I admit though, you were a tougher nut to crack than I'd expected." Sara narrowed her eyes and grimaced at him, yet somewhere in there he caught a hint of a smile.
Phew. He could work with that.
Grissom turned on his side to better see her, propping himself up on his elbow. He toyed briefly with the idea of just saying 'nuts to you', but she deserved so much more. He had to try harder.
Tougher nut ...
Grissom reflected for a moment, then grinned at Sara. "So, I'm not a peanut?"
Then he berated himself. Why on earth had he mentioned that dusty little ground grower? They were easy to get into, though …
Sara snorted. "Nope, definitely not. I didn't eat loads of you at the ball park."
Noooo, that came after ...
Grissom gave himself another mental slap. He had to get whatever was left of his mind off that subject. His body needed some more rest before further, uh, recreation. He marshaled his meager thoughts.
"Um ... an almond?"
"Mmm. A tougher shell, but easy enough to open." Sara twirled her pinkie in a tight gray curl above his left ear.
He pondered further. "Hazelnut?" Thinking was getting easier.
"Eh, no. Sometimes you need a hammer to open them, but a light tap'll do it."
He didn't want to suggest walnuts—he was trying not to fret about their age difference, but walnuts were too wrinkly by far. Inside and out. "How about a macadamia nut?"
"Ooooh, let's see—very yummy, especially when coated in chocolate. Hey, that's an idea." She licked her lips suggestively.
"You're going off topic." Grissom's attempt at sounding stern wasn't convincing. "We're talking nuts."
In more ways than one, he added to himself.
"Okay, one last try."
"All right, let me think." He pursed his lips and made a show of great deliberation. "I've got it: brazil nut."
"Huh." Sara tilted her head playfully at him, and raised an eyebrow as she thought that one through. "Very tough shell. Very dark too. Hmm ... parts of you are nicely tanned and your stoic facade is often impenetrable." She screwed up her nose making a silly face, clearly hoping to lessen the weight of that last part. Grissom nodded slowly, biting his lower lip.
She stroked his very white belly and he squirmed, trying to escape her tickling. "And other parts, which are normally under cover, are very pale and tasty, so that works. Sorta."
"Brazil nut," she repeated. "You know, I gave up on buying them in their shells, because I could never crack them cleanly. I always ended up whacking them with a hammer, then the nut inside would break into tiny pieces." She shook her head as she remembered. "The change in texture somehow altered the taste. It was like ... it wasn't a brazil nut any more. It was a ... bland nothing."
Grissom frowned and rolled onto his back as he pondered that. He folded his arm under his head and clasped the other around Sara's shoulder, pulling her close again. "So ... if I'm a brazil nut, how did you manage to get me out of my shell without smashing me into smithereens? Or are you just saying I'm boring?" He tried to keep a worried frown on his face, but his good mood sparkled in his eyes.
"Hey, you started this whole nut thing; I'm just trying to play along!"
He pouted at her. He knew that if he kept mum she would eventually feel compelled to speak, to break the silence. One, two, three ...
"And it was you who suggested brazil nuts!" She was starting to sound a little flustered. That wasn't what he'd intended. He needed to defuse the situation.
He kinked his right eyebrow. "So ... maybe I'm a nutcase?" He grinned goofily at her, but she appeared to be seriously considering the question. Then again, he mused, this strange conversation had really started with her "tough nut" comment.
"Hmm." Sara gently tweaked Grissom's nose; he wiggled it in response. "You do act a bit crazy at times, but you're not completely nuts. And, still on this dubious metaphor, you finally decided on your own that you wanted to come out of your shell. So all I had to do was help you, nudge you along."
A long, heated kiss followed. As Grissom drew back, vivid blue eyes staring deeply into Sara's chocolate depths, he whispered, "Thank you, for everything."
Unusually for Sara, she was speechless. She swallowed a couple of times, her eyes glistening. Grissom cradled her head down onto his shoulder and stroked her hair.
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After a few moments, he absently licked his lips, considering. "I've never thought of you in nut terms. You seem more … luscious. Juicy. Hmm … fruit comes to mind."
He paused. Sara cleared her throat, then gave him a soft nudge.
"Well, there's the classic, luscious peaches. Peach-like could refer to more than one part of your anatomy." He smirked cheerfully at her.
"But, if I'm getting your drift, none of those parts are really fuzzy." Her husky voice was strong. She was over her little moment and her tone showed she was willing to play again.
"Hmm." She had a point there. "You're right. Very soft and smooth, yet not a nectarine." He caressed the curve of her breast.
"Apricot?"
"Delectable, but I'm not sure." He looked at the ceiling and asked the air, "What fruit says Sara to me?"
He turned his head, studying her intently, then smiled with satisfaction. "I've got it—passion fruit."
She gave him a light shove. "No way! Think again! Those things have to be all dry and wrinkly on the outside before they're any good to eat. Do. Not. Go. There."
Grissom fake flinched in the face of her vehement negative. He raised a pacifying palm, but he could tell she wasn't truly upset. "Oooookay … mango has got to be acceptable."
"Because ... ?"
"Because you make this man go wow." He rolled his eyes; he knew it was ultra corny.
Sara was feeling pretty mellow. She could allow that. "OK, that's a possible."
"Wait, I have one more." He looked so eager; Sara grinned and waited, wondering just how silly he could get.
"Pawpaw. Also known as papaya, but that doesn't suit my purposes."
"Yeah, nice fruit, but why?"
"Because I love touching you."
"Nope, not getting it."
Grissom waggled a hand and stroked her hip. "Just one of the syllables ..."
Sara still looked confused, so he did his best impression of a panting puppy and stroked her a little clumsily with his fisted hand.
The penny finally dropped and she bopped him back with one of her paws.
END
PS: For work and personal reasons I need to take a break from fic writing for a bit. Hope you enjoyed this, and I'll be back when I can.