UNCAGED

A slash fiction with Grissom and Aaron from the episode, Caged.

Sexual content

I. The Denouement

Gil Grissom stood in his office, watching Aaron Pratt nervously finger the little vials arranged on a tray on one of his bookshelves. He had asked Aaron to come there, so that he could explain to the young man the circumstances behind the death of the book restorer, Aaron's friend Veronica.

Gil had felt an affinity for the young man since they had first met. Aaron was a high-functioning autistic, with superior right brain ability. That meant that although he had difficulty in relating to other people, he was also extremely intelligent and could function in society.

And he liked Shakespeare.

The young man was handsome (for all that he greased down his hair too much) with a wide, expressive mouth and melting brown eyes that would flash this way and that in a desperate attempt to not look into the eyes of another... There was a saying that the eyes were the windows of the soul...Aaron had vulnerable eyes...Gil wanted nothing more than for Aaron to be able to look him in the eyes...

Aaron turned, looking at Grissom, and then his hand flinched suddenly and several of the vials fell onto the floor. Aaron bent down like a jack-in-the-knife to pick them up, saying in a slightly panicked voice, "Sorry."

"That's okay," Gil said, moving forward to help him. He bent down, and as he picked up the vials his hand brushed Aaron's. They both stood up together. "I like order, too," Gil said. Aaron's eyes looked into his for just a second, then skittered away.

Gil reached past Aaron to replace a couple of the vials on the tray. They were very close. Aaron didn't back away...his fingers nervously played once more with the vials.

"Do you..." started Aaron... "Would you...like to see a movie... with me? I have ... Hamlet...on DVD...Kenneth Branagh. Derek Jacobi. Julie Christie."

"I would like that, " Gil said quietly.

Aaron smiled that brilliant smile of his, which came and went as suddenly as a silver fish breaking the surface of a pond and then disappearing.

"Tonight?" he said.

"I work nights," said Gil. "My day off isn't until this Saturday. May I come over on Saturday?"

"Yes," said Aaron, nodding. "Saturday. August 25. Six p.m."

"6 pm," Gil repeated. "May I bring dinner? I'll pick up some Thai food. Chicken with cashews?"

Aaron blinked several times, smiled that skittering smile. "Yes. I like Thai food. Pad Thai. Rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with ...chicken...seafood...or tofu."

Gil placed his hand on Aaron's arm, smiling. "Pad Thai," he said, "with chicken. I'll see you on Saturday, then."

Aaron nodded sharply, then turned and left the room. As he walked, Gil noticed that he held one hand over the spot where he, Gil, had touched his arm.

II. Saturday

At precisely 6 pm on Saturday, Gil knocked on the door of Aaron's apartment, and Aaron answered it promptly.

"Hello," said Aaron loudly.

"Hello," said Gil, with a smile. "Cashew chicken, and pad thai," he said, slightly lifting his arms to rustle the white bags carrying all the food.

Aaron stepped back, and Gil entered his apartment. He carried the food into the kitchen. "You have your own way of doing things, Aaron," he said. "Shall I let you prepare the food?"

"Yes, please. Sit in the living room. I will bring it out."

Gil walked into the living room. Instead of sitting down, he called, "May I look at your books?"

"Of course you may," said Aaron.

Gil had already had a good look at Aaron's books the last time he'd visited the apartment, when he and Nick Stokes had been investigating the death of Veronica Bradley. But then he'd been investigating a crime, now he could relax and just enjoy the feel of the books. Aaron's entire apartment was covered with bookcases...he clearly loved books. Well...that was to be expected...masters degree in library science, English degree from UNLV...

Aaron came into the room with the food tastefully arranged on two plates on a tray. He placed them on the coffee table, along with silverware - precisely aligned beside each plate. He also took two glasses of water from the tray... Calistoga water, bottled at the source... and placed them on coasters beside each plate.

"Do you...want to... watch the movie while we... eat?" he asked?

"Yes," said Gil.

Aaron took up the remote, pointed it at the TV, and pressed the button. The credits for Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet began to unfold.

Gil picked up his silverware and began to eat.

They ate in silence, concentrating on the screen and the events unfolding there.

Gil was very conscious of Aaron beside him... for all that he was all the way on the other side of the couch... and he was aware that Aaron was very conscious of him. But that was just perhaps because he wasn't used to having anyone else in his apartment except Veronica.

After they finished eating, Aaron promptly took the plates and silverware back into the kitchen. Then he returned and sat back on the couch...slightly closer to Gil than before.

As the movie continued, Gil noticed that Aaron was mouthing the words to himself. Obviously, he knew every line in the movie.

Well, two could play at that game.

Hamlet spoke again. Then it was Rosencrantz's turn. Gil spoke his lines out loud, matching the inflections of the actor on the screen.

Aaron looked at him, grinning, and then when Hamlet spoke, Aaron spoke his dialog aloud.

They continued like that throughout the entire movie, alternating on the dialog. Once in a while Gil would get caught out, misrembering a line, and would laugh and cover his face, and Aaron would smile also, once he realized Gil wasn't getting mad about forgetting, and they were having a fun time.

At the end, they both clapped their hands, both at the end of the movie and at the end of their own performances in it.

"That was fun," Aaron said happily. "I thought only I could quote from the movies like that."

"I've done it all my life," Gil said with a smile. "I wanted to be an actor when I was growing up, before I got into criminalistics."

"I wanted to be an actor, too," said Aaron.

Suddenly, he looked away...turned away...wiping sweaty palms on his vest.

Gil started to extend a hand to stop him, then stopped, lowered it.

What was he doing? Aaron was an intelligent man...who clearly knew what he wanted...but he was autistic for all that...and easily taken advantage of by someone who knew how to manipulate him. Veronica had manipulated him...for dishonest purposes. He was greatly attracted to Aaron...but wasn't he manipulating him too? Taking advantage of the man's need for friendship and liking for him? He, Gil, wanted it to be more than that...but was Aaron able to distinguish the difference between what friends did together and what romantic partners did? If Aaron just wanted to be friends with him...would he think that he'd have to do the romantic bit too, even if he didn't want to?

Gil didn't want to force that kind of decision on him.

Gil stood up. "I've had a fun time," he told Aaron truthfully, "but I should go."

Aaron turned back sharply, and stepped up to Gil. "I don't want you to go," he said.

Gil looked down at him, standing very close to him, hands at his sides, but his face turned away.

"Why not?" Gil asked softly.

Gil saw Aaron blink his eyes hard, still looking away. "I don't know," he mumbled.

Gently, Gil put his hands on Aaron's biceps. Aaron didn't move...neither closer or away. He blinked hard again.

Gently, Gil bent down and pressed his lips to Aaron's hair. (Way too much hair gel, he thought absently...we'll have to work on that .) Still Aaron didn't try to pull away.

Gil kissed his hair again, this time lower down, towards the side of his face. He slid his hands down until each was grasping one of Aaron's hands. Aaron held onto them fiercely.

Gil stepped back just a little bit, lowered his face, and sought out Aaron's lips with his. Aaron turned his head to meet Gil's questing lips.

Gently, Gil kissed him, his lips warmly caressing Aaron's. Aaron suddenly turned his face away, blinking hard. Gil waited. Aaron turned his head back, his eyes skittering briefly towards Gil's. Gil sought out his lips again, and this time it was Aaron who initiated the contact, opening his lips and closing them over Gil's.

They stood there for a long time, kissing, deeply. Occasionally Aaron would jerk his head away...each time Gil waited patiently...each time Aaron would turn his head back. Finally, his grip on Gil's hands loosened...he let loose of Gil's hands and instead put his hands on either side of Gil's waist.

Gil put his own hands on Aaron's back, and pressed him closer, kissing deeper and deeper.

He could feel Aaron's manhood growing..as had his own...

He stepped back, looking into Aaron's eyes...and Aaron gazed back at him.

"Do you want to watch Hamlet again?" Gil whispered.

Aaron's eyes lit up.

"Yes!"

They returned to the couch, and Aaron started the movie again. Then they sat back on the couch, Aaron's back leaning into Gil's chest, Gil's arms around him, Gil nuzzling the back of his neck.

Eventually, Aaron's hands went down to his jeans, and unzipped his zipper. And then, he turned over.