Crunk to Bach

By Dimgwrthien

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates.

"Aiden tells me you like crunk."

Mac looked away from the passing subway and tried to find the source of the voice. It surprised him to see Stella standing a few feet away, her hands deep in the pockets of her overcoat. It was a warm day for fall, but it seemed at least ten degrees cooler underground.

"Hmm?"

Stella took another step forward, watching the end of the subway pass them. The next one, which Mac needed to get on, would be there within twenty minutes. He watched her from the corner of his eye and wondered where she was headed.

"Aiden told me you liked crunk." Stella smiled. "We were talking about our cases, and she said you told her that."

Mac grinned, and he knew that Stella could read his expression easier than a book. "Never knew you were the joking kind, Mac."

The grin still not leaving his face, Mac turned around to face Stella. "Which one are you waiting for?"

"The next one. Should be here in about -"

"Fifteen minutes," Mac finished for her. "Didn't think we'd be on the same one."

Stella smiled. "New York is a smaller city than people think."

Mac returned the smile and pointed off in the opposite direction. Stella turned her head to see what he was motioning to. "Come over here with me."

Giving him a curious look, Stella let Mac take the lead as they made their way in the direction he had motioned to. Stella heard music, obnoxiously loud, starting to rise as they walked. It sounded as though it came from a series of speakers lined up, blasting from a tiny CD player. Only when they reached the source of the sound did Mac stop them.

A young man, lean and dark, danced beside his set of speakers. His movements were fast and choppy, and Stella recognized it as what Danny and Aiden had always pointed out to her as being crunk dancing. It was a style almost alien to her, something he had never paid attention to.

"You're hilarious, Mac," she said softly, though she thought her words were lost in the beat of the music.

Mac seemed to hear her, and answered slightly louder. "You said I'm not the joking kind, and I'm not in this case."

Stella raised an eyebrow.

Mac pointed next to the speakers, to where an elderly man sat with a violin. He played softly, so soft that Stella needed to lean forward and search for his notes to hear it amidst the stereo sounds. Mac looked between the violinist and the dancer with a mild amusement.

"Amusing to hear two different sounds together, isn't it?" Mac asked, his voice loud again to be heard. Stella looked at him, seeing that he continued to concentrate on the music. When he finally did turn to her, he motioned back to where they had come from. Stella took the cue and walked slowly back to where they had been waiting for the subway, matching her stride to Mac's.

"I suppose," she answered slowly.

"Every time I ride the subway, I notice those two. It's like they always travel together." Mac put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder what it would look like if there wasn't a stereo there."

"A man crunking to Bach," Stella mused. "I'd pay to see that."

Mac smiled. "Just something I notice every time, and it always interests me. So, yes, I suppose you could say I like crunk."

"Show us your moves, then," Stella joked. She took her hands from her pockets and thrust them forward repeatedly, miming the man's moves. "You know you want to."

Mac laughed quietly, his smile spreading into a full-fledged grin. Stella couldn't remember the last time she saw him smile like that. "Always observant, aren't you, Mac?"

He only smiled.

Lights flashed at the end of the tunnel, signaling the on-coming subway train. Stella leaned forward, trying to guess how far away it was. "Where you headed?"

"Trying out a new restaurant Sheldon suggested. I got off work earlier than usual, so I figured it was a good time to try. You're heading home, right?"

Stella nodded.

Mac turned to look at her as the subway train slowly pulled into a stop beside them. "Care to come with me? I'll walk you home after."

"What kind of restaurant is it?" she asked, smiling. The doors opened, and the two joined the crowd entering.

"Japanese."

Stella stood beside Mac, grabbing a metal bar beside her. "As long as I get to pick the sushi."

Mac grinned. "Sure thing."