Title: Love at First Sight
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/Frank Tripp
Rating: FRT
Series: Part of the Gotta be Somebody series
Summary: Ryan and Frank's first date.
A/N: The song is Michael Buble's 'Love at First Sight' Song lyrics are in italics
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them.
Love At First Sight I'm making this one special eveningTaking a chance in my lifeHoping you feel the same way as I do tonightJust try and look into my eyesDon't be scared of what you might see thereThe first time I saw youI knew love at first sight must be true, so true, oh so trueAnd now I just have to explain why I feel this wayI feel joy, I feel painYou're in my heart and it's tearing me apart'Cause I love you, I love you, I love you!
It had been a long week, and Ryan was looking forward to it being over. Well, if truth be told, he was looking forward more to Friday night and his date with Frank than anything else. It had been almost a week since the two men had admitted their feeling but luck was not on their side.
They had planned on going to a movie that first night, but ended up having a major case, involving some influential people, come in about an hour before end off shift. Then the higher ups demanded that the case be solved before anyone could go home. It had taken them almost 72 hours before it had been solved, and everyone was so exhausted that they just went home to bed.
Frank had called periodically through the week, mostly at night before Ryan went to bed. They had agreed to take it slow and had finally set up a 'first date' for the following Friday night. He had been so nervous, and excited that he babbled away to Alexx until she had finally laughed and told him to breathe.
Walking down the hallway in the lab, Ryan caught sight of the older man and smiled when their eyes met. He didn't know if anyone knew Frank was interested in men, but being a cop, Ryan didn't want to put any undue attention on him. Getting a smile in return, Ryan carried on to Trace to see if his results where done yet.
The brunet had been in the layout room for about an hour before he heard the door swish open and the footsteps of someone entering.
"I'm almost done if you need the room." he said as he started to put the files back into their folders.
"Don't need the room." came the gruff voice from behind him.
Standing up straight, he turned with a smile. "Hey Frank, what can I do for you?"
Smiling back at the younger man, Frank leaned his hip against the table and crossed his arms. "Well, foe starters come here."
Walking over to the older man, Ryan smiled shyly and stopped right in front of him. "Now what?"
The Texan uncrossed his arms, letting his left hand stroke down Ryan's arm before pulling him into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on the top of his head. "How are you today?" he asked, ignoring the other man's question.
"Good, tired but good."
"You still up for tonight?" he asked stroking up and down the smaller man's back.
"Wouldn't miss it. You still want to?" Ryan asked, hating how insecure he sounded.
"I'll be there, have no doubt of that. Now, how about lunch. I heard from a little birdie that you haven't been eating properly." he said, tipping up Ryan's chin to look in his eyes.
"Been busy trying to solve this case so that I can have the night off." he said, surprised at the feelings he had about Frank taking care of him.
"Well, I'm off for the next hour and so are you. So let's go eat and then finish up for the day." Frank said, standing up and guiding Ryan out the door.
Lunch had been a casual affair, both relaxed and completely comfortable in each other's presence. They had gone to a small beach side restaurant that was a good 20 minutes from the lab, just so that they could be alone. Afterwards, Frank had driven them back to the lab and gave Ryan a kiss, with the promise to pick him up that night at 7pm.
The rest of the shift was in a fog for Ryan, and Eric had laughed at him when he caught him staring in a mirror. Now that the shift was over and he was heading home, Ryan found that he had butterflies in his stomach. He wasn't sure what to expect or what Frank expected for that matter. Would the older man expect Ryan to go home with him afterwards? Would Ryan want too?
The younger man spent the next couple of hours getting ready for his date. He tried on every outfit that he had at least twice, showered once and redid his hair about half a dozen times. He wanted everything to be perfect, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted to make sure that Frank would ask him out again.
Looking at the clock, he realized that it was almost seven, and he still needed to finish getting dressed. He finally settled on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue t-shirt, with a light colored blazer thrown over top. He had just pulled on his boots when there was a knock at his door. Taking a calming breath, he opened the door and almost died on the spot.
"You…you look amazing." he stuttered, when he got a good look at his date.
"Was just about to say the same thing about you." Frank said, letting his eyes roam freely over the young man.
Ryan could only stare at him, taking in the black stretch jeans, navy shirt and leather jacket. He had never seen the Texan in anything other than suits and his uniform, but the picture that he portrayed now was worthy of at least a year of wet dreams, if not more. He unconsciously reached out and ran his hand over the leather arm, while scrutinizing the other man's pants.
Ryan gave an audible gasp when his eyes took in how the jeans seemed to stretch over a certain part of Frank's anatomy. Looking up through his lashes when he heard a small chuckle, he blushed and dropped his hand back to his side. Trying to think of something to say, but having difficulty getting his brain to work as all the blood in his head had flooded south.
"Like what you see, baby? Cause I know I do." Frank said taking a step into Ryan's condo and enveloping him in an embrace that allowed for maximum contact without feeling trapped.
"Huh?" Ryan asked, as he moved closer, leaning his head on the strong shoulder. "Oh…yeah, definitely like what I saw."
"Good to know. Now how about we head out to eat." Frank said, trying to keep himself under control. Just the feeling of having Ryan in his arms was almost enough to over-ride his senses and devour the boy right where they stood. Nevertheless, that was not what Frank had in mind, he wanted to play it right, and he wanted to make sure that their first time was comfortable and not rushed. Moreover, he knew that it wouldn't be tonight, even if they both wanted it. Getting a nod in response, Frank pulled away and waited as Ryan grabbed his wallet and keys from the table and locked up.
Walking out to Frank's car, Ryan whistled under his breath. "Man, this is one sweet ride."
Frank smiled as he ran a hand over his new Lexus. "Thanks, it's a 2009 Lexus IS 250 all wheel drive. A little better than the other one I had."
Ryan walked around the deep red car, admiring the sleek lines and sporty look. Even though it was a four door, it still had the sports car feel to it. "It's definitely not what I would have associated with you." he said with a smile.
Opening the passenger door for the younger man, Frank waited until he was seated before going around to the driver's side. "And what did you think I would be driving?"
"Let's just say nothing newer than 1995." Ryan replied with a smile and a slight giggle as he saw the look o Frank's face.
"I will have you know that I always upgrade my vehicles every couple years." Frank said with a shake of his head. "At least I drive something other than the lab Hummer."
"Hey, I don't think I need to add to the pollution problem. Besides, I don't live that far from the lab and most days the walk is a great way to wake up. Besides, on days when I'm on call I get to take the hummer home." he said, defensively.
Resting his hand on the Ryan's thigh, Frank smiled as he turned onto the busy street, "I wasn't judging you."
Ryan blushed and looked out the window, feeling the heat that was generated by the placement of Frank's hand on his leg. He sat quietly watching the busy downtown traffic of Miami go by and thin out, until almost 30 minutes after they had left his condo, there was no traffic.
"Ummm…Frank, where are we going?" he asked nervously. It wasn't that he thought the older man would hurt him, but as they left the busy city behind, he couldn't help the apprehension that was building in his stomach.
"It's a little place with a great view of the beach. It's called Shula's on the Beach, in Fort Lauderdale." Frank said, turning onto Beach Blvd. "They have some of the best steaks that I've found."
Relaxing a little, Ryan grinned. "Good thing I'm not wearing white."
The rest of the drive to the restaurant was done with making small talk about work and just about everything else that was not too personal. Pulling into the parking lot, Ryan had to admit that if the view from the lot was anything like the view from the restaurant, than Frank's comment about it being 'great' was an understatement.
Walking up to the railing, Ryan closed his eyes and let the slight breeze wash over his face. Turning when he heard Frank approach, he smiled at the older man. "If I forget to tell you later, I'm having a great time."
"You're welcome and I'm enjoying myself as well." he responded, leaning against the railing. After quietly taking in the view for a few minutes, Frank wrapped an arm around the brunet's waist and steered him towards the restaurant. "Let's go get something to eat."
After being led to their table, Frank held out Ryan's chair until he had sat down before taking his place. Waiting for the waiter de to come over to their table, the Texan ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller, before tuning to his menu for the main course.
"See anything that interests you?" Frank asked, looking over the top of his menu at his companion.
"What do you recommend?" Ryan asked, holding back the first thought that came to his mind when Frank had asked that loaded question.
"Well, I always get the Cowboy steak, with mashed potatoes and asparagus. But if that's too much, there's always the New York Strip." he said, taking in the other items on the menu, "but if you don't want steak, they have chicken and fish. I have heard good things about their Florida Snapper."
Looking at the items that he had recommended, Ryan had to agree that he would not be able to finish a Cowboy Steak, but the Tuna steak did look appetizing. "I think I'll have the Yellow fin Tuna Steak Au Pouivre, with mashed potatoes and broccoli."
"Sounds good." Frank answered, and placed their order once the appetizer had arrived. Swirling his wine in the glass, Frank leaned back and looked at Ryan, not just a quick appraisal, but also an honest to god look. He liked the way Ryan's whole face lit up when ever he laughed, and how the younger man's eyes would sparkle when he smiled.
He continued to look over his companion, watching as he blushed under the scrutiny. "So, why don't you tell me a little about yourself, Ryan? Like what did you do before moving to Miami?"
"Not much to tell." Ryan shrugged, taking a drink of his wine. "I studied chemistry at Boston College, and started to study genetics before going to the Academy. I was born and grew up in Boston, have an older brother who races cars and my parents do they're thing."
"What made you decide to come to Miami?" the older man asked, knowing that there had to be more to the story than what he was just told.
"My Uncle Ron lives here and after a visit decided that I liked it here, no snow." he said with a grin, not ready to talk about the real reason. "What about you?"
"Well, I wanted to be a firefighter when I was growing up, but after a car accident, I got into crime fighting shows and decided to change my career choice. Went to the academy right out of high school and moved to Miami after I got married. Started in the gang unit before transferring to homicide. And have been here ever since."
"You were married? What happened?" Ryan asked, hoping that there wasn't a spouse in the picture.
"We just fell apart. Her drinking became a big issue and the paranoia that I was cheating on her. At the end, it just wasn't a good relationship anymore, so we divorced. She still lives in Miami Beach, but we don't see each other unless we have too." the Texan said, figuring he might as well be as honest with thee younger man as he could be.
"Did you? Cheat, I mean?" Ryan asked, as he nervously played with the stem of his wine glass.
Seeing the change in Ryan, Frank realized that someone had probably hurt him in the past, maybe an ex who had cheated. Deciding to clear up any doubt that he might be having, Frank reached across the table and took his hand. "Ryan, I never cheated on her. When I make a promise, I keep it. You can count on that."
Giving the older man a small smile, he let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding. "I'm sorry; it's just that I've had experience in the cheating department. I promised myself that I would never find myself in that situation again."
"I take you weren't the cheater." Frank said softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ryan's hand.
"No, I had the unfortunate pleasure of walking in on the person who I thought I loved while he was with someone else." the brunet said, shaking his head, "that's the big reason for the relocation."
"Well, whoever it was didn't have the slightest clue as to what they where letting go." the older man said, smiling at the blush that turned his face a slight pink shade.
The rest of their dinner was relaxed, with both men talking about their past and learning about things that they didn't know about each other from their personal lives. Like that they both loved football, and action movies. By the time it was time for dessert, Frank had regaled Ryan with some stories about the CSI's that he worked with.
Catching his breath after telling a story involving Speed, Delko and baby gators, Frank looked over at the younger man. "So, would you like dessert or are you full?"
"We could always share something." he said hesitantly, looking over the dessert menu.
"What would you like?" the Texan asked, liking the idea of sharing.
"How about the Chocolate Soufflé?"
Ordering the dessert with two spoons, Frank moved his chair around to sit beside Ryan. Putting his arm around the younger man's shoulders, he nuzzled at his neck, placing a small kiss just below his ear. He smiled against the skin when he got a shiver in response. Pulling back just to thank the waiter, Frank picked up the spoon with some of the decant dessert and held it to Ryan's mouth.
"I can feed myself you know." he said, before opening his mouth wide enough for the spoon to pass.
"I know." was all he said, before spooning up another mouthful for the younger man.
Alternating between Frank taking a mouthful then Ryan, they finished off the entire bowl, with Frank ending it all with a chocolate flavored kiss, that left them both a little breathless.
Leaning his forehead against Ryan's, he smiled, "ready to head out?"
"Guess we should, I have to work in the morning and it is getting late." he said quietly, not really wanting to end the night just yet.
"How about you head out to the car and I'll be right there. Frank said, handing over his keys to Ryan and his credit card to the waiter.
Ryan headed out of the restaurant and unlocked the car, but stood leaning against the hood of it, watching the setting sun play off the waves. This was his favorite time of day, the moment when both the moon and the sun where changing positions. The brilliant colors of the setting sun cast the moon into an almost ethereal plan, making it look like it was translucent.
Frank stepped out of the restaurant and was caught by the way the colors played off Ryan's hair, casting him in a glow and creating a halo affect. He had to take a moment to appreciate the site before walking over to the young man.
"Beautiful, isn't?" Ryan asked, still looking over the water.
"Most definitely." was Frank's answer, although he wasn't looking out over the water, but rather, staring at his companion.
Feeling the intense stare, Ryan turned and looked at Frank, stepping closer to the taller man. "I was talking about the sunset."
"It's nothing compared to you." he rumbled, as he took the sweet lips in a breathless kiss. Sweeping his tongue over the partial closed lips, he groaned when they parted willingly. Running his left hand up to the back of the brunet's head and the right hand fell to sit on his waist, Frank had no trouble deepening the kiss or pulling the smaller body into his.
Ryan was blown away by the way Frank was kissing him; it was all he could do to keep standing. Fisting his hands under the leather jacket and onto the shirt the taller man was wearing; he tilted his head back and let his basic instincts take over.
Frank finally broke the kiss, when he felt Ryan start to tremble. Taking a step back but not letting go of his hip, Frank smiled at the debauched image before him. "Think we should head for home." he suggested, as he led the still dazed younger man around to the passenger side of the car.
Much to Ryan's dismay the drive back to his condo seemed to take a lot less time than the drive to the restaurant. Finding himself standing at his door with Frank, the young man once again doesn't know what to expect. Should he invite Frank in or should he just than the man and let him go?
Finding his courage, he nervously asked the older man, "Would…would you like to come in?"
Smiling at the fidgeting boy, Frank declined. "Not tonight baby. We both have an early morning and I don't want to rush things."
"Oh…ok. Then I'll see you tomorrow I guess." Ryan said, not sure, if he was disappointed or relieved.
Giving him one last kiss, Frank stepped back and nodded. "Till tomorrow."
TBC…