Finally.
They finally had a corresponding night off for the first time in almost a month. They could enjoy some uninterrupted time together without it being in the car on the way to a scene, or in what seemed like passing ships at home.
Since he had come home from Massachusetts, it had been one thing after another.
Another miniature had haunted him and kept him awake. Those poor kids at the high school that had pulled him out of her warm fleshy embrace that Saturday morning. A floater in Lake Mead interrupted their french toast last week, she kissed him on her way out and he tasted like syrup and coffee. A hit and run called them both in while they were trying to enjoy a movie on the couch. And most frustratingly and most recently, a murder suicide killed the mood as they were enjoying an intimate shower together. Nothing like a page from Ecklie to ruin a moment.
They could barely catch a break lately, it seemed. They had expected to see more of each other now that they not only worked at the same place but also shared a home. Regardless, it felt like the only place they were able to spend time was underneath the cool blue lights of the layout room, or the vibrant neon lights of the strip while knee deep in decomp or garbage.
After his sabbatical, Grissom had asked Sara to officially move into his condo with him. Practically all of her everyday belongings were there anyways, aside from the obvious.. some furniture and artwork, a blue fuzzy lemon in her fruit bowl and a spoiled carton of milk in the fridge back at her apartment. It took her by surprise when he asked her the night he came back.
Once he had finally made it home from the scene where Kepler had been shot, and taken Catherine home, they finally were together again. They had been laying in bed, wearing nothing but Grissom's soft navy sheets with their warm limbs twisted with one another. Her cheeks and neck and other unspeakable parts of her body were hot with beard burn. She had barely made it to the shower at the lab without him following her with that evil look in his eye. Once they got back to his condo, all bets were off. He devoured her.
"I've missed this. I've missed you." He whispered as he drew lazy circles on her cool, freckled shoulder with his thumb. Her breathing had slowed. Her body was sated from their multiple accounts of love making that evening and she was almost asleep as her arm rose and fell on his abdomen with each breath he took. He felt her cheeks form a smile against his chest.
"Mm." She nodded against him in agreement. It had been far too long. A month is a long time to sleep alone once you've gotten used to sharing a bed with someone.. and a month is a long time to go without intimacy once you finally have it in your grasp.
"Did you stay here while I was gone?"
She nodded again, and sleepily replied, "Hank was always disappointed when it was me coming in the door and not you, but we figured it out. I had to bribe him with those fancy chicken jerky treats you buy him and I had to let him sleep in the bed with me."
Grissom chuckled, and the deep vibrations of his chest rumbled underneath Sara's fingertips. A comfortable moment of silence enveloped the room, as Sara began to sink back into slumber.
"Move in with us." Grissom spoke suddenly, and immediately his heart began to thump underneath Sara's hand.
"Excuse me?" She spoke as she propped herself up on her elbow with a start.
"Move in with us. Me... Hank and I." Grissom stuttered and cleared his throat, his confidence failing him.
It took some convincing and would take some practical planning, but Sara agreed. Her only conditions were that he had to make her zucchini lasagna every Sunday like he did when they spent the night together the first time... and that she wanted to buy them a fancy espresso coffee maker for the kitchen, because Grissom's drip brewer was from the late 80's and if she was going to wake up here every morning she wanted to wake up to the smell of rich, strong coffee. He laughed, and agreed wholeheartedly. His only condition was that she walk around in a tshirt and underwear all day long on their days off. That provoked another on of her infectious laughs accompanied by a playful slap to the side of his thigh, dangerously close to his butt cheek. They both fell asleep grinning from ear to ear that night.
Sara had officially given her landlord her notice two weeks prior, and almost immediately, she moved in.
Tonight was finally a night off together, and they actually had plans. Grissom suggested he make his mother's tomato sauce recipe for spaghetti, and Sara's mouth basically started salivating at the mention of it.
She had a hard time getting along with Betty, but she couldn't deny the woman knew how to cook, and raised her son to inherit the talent. The Grissom family spaghetti sauce was to die for, and instead of meat, Gil had come up with this delicious walnut, mushroom and spinach concoction that was better than anything she'd ever tasted, especially when he topped it with goat cheese and fresh basil. He suggested they open an expensive bottle of wine, and watch an old movie on the couch.
He didn't come across as a man who was very in touch with his romantic side, but deep down Sara had learned the man was infinitely attentive and amorous.
As soon as their shift was finished that morning, they headed back to their condo in separate cars... but not before he shot her a knowing wink.
Sara joined him in the shower when they got home, and they each ate a slice of butted toast before snuggling up together to sleep for a few hours.
Around 3, Sara awoke to an empty bed, with a note on her bedside from Grissom,
Went out to the store to grab ingredients for dinner. Be back soon. G.
She smiled to herself. He could just as easily texted her, but he was old fashioned, and preferred to leave her hand written notes. It was something she admired about him.
She made her way out to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee, and smiled brightly ah the shiny stainless steel espresso maker sitting on their counter top. She had been trying to decide which one to splurge on, debating between the moderately priced one with no milk frother, or the ridiculously priced one with a frother and a bean grinder. She had every intention of buying it with her own card when she got paid at the end of the month, but came home last Tuesday morning to find Grissom standing in the kitchen with a proud boyish smile, holding a mug in his hands.
"Ground up the organic dark roast beans and frothed the almond milk just for you, dear." He had said as he handed her a cup of what would prove to be worth every last cent of that 1200.
Snapping out of her fond memory, Sara made herself a coffee and had just sat at the kitchen island with the latest copy of the Forensics Journal when she heard his keys turn the lock and the door open.
"Hey!" She smiled, as she got up to meet him at the door and take one of the paper grocery bags from his arms. "What, do you plan on feeding the whole team tonight?" She joked as she noticed just how much he had brought home.
"No." He frowned, "But I do plan on feeding you. And I know if I don't make extra you'll complain tomorrow when there's no pasta left over for your breakfast."
He shot her a wink and leaned over to kiss her cheek as they made their way down the short flight of modern stairs to the kitchen.
"How did you sleep?" Grissom asked from inside the fridge as he put away the goat cheese and mushrooms methodically.
"Good." She nodded in reply as she emptied the contents of her bag and began to put things in their proper place.
He explained that while he was away, he realized that he craved the vegetarian food they would eat. He had even asked a couple of the students if there were any decent vegetarian restaurants around, to which he got several confused looks. The university had been in a pretty small suburban town, and was nothing like Las Vegas where you could order tempeh bacon and a hooker all from the same place.
"Don't be gross!" Sara laughed as she shoved her lover playfully.
They made dinner together, Sara did the chopping, Gil did the cooking and combining, and before they knew it they had the most delicious smelling pasta sauce.
Because they worked nights, their nights off were usually quite backwards from the average couple. They'd eat dinner at 10, and try their best to stick to their body clocks.
They sat down at the table, Grissom opened the bottle of wine and turned on the stereo so that the soft sounds of his classical music caressed the air.
She used to hate classical music with a passion. Now she found she would just turn on his stereo to feel closer to him when he wasn't home. It had certainly grown on her. Especially when he would make love to her on the couch or in the bedroom while it softly played in the background. There was nothing like reaching a crescendo just as the music did. He would never admit it, but Sara was fairly certain that was a fantasy of Gil's because whenever they made love to his music, he would just watch her in the throes of ecstasy as the song climaxed and then his own would follow shortly after and it would always be intense. There's no other word for it.
Sara could tell by the look in his eye that was where this date night was headed. The wine, the food, the music, the way he would look at her from time to time as she ate her pasta .. she knew exactly what he wanted to do with his night off.
"You know -" Gil started just as his phone went off.
They froze, and then he let out a pained sigh, and placed down his glass of wine as he reached for the offending technology in his pocket.
"Grissom."he answered, purposely sounding displeased.
He shot her an apologetic grimace, and Sara pursed her lips with a knowing half smile.
"Uh huh. Yes. Well, this is my evening off, Jim. And I have plans." He spoke with authority. "How many bodies?"
He sighed and placed his elbow on the table in defeat as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He shook his head.
"Yeah." He sighed, "Yeah ok, I'll give her a call. Thanks Jim."
He hung up the phone and placed it on the table firmly and then hung his head in both of his hands for a moment.
"It's ok." Sara spoke softly.
"No, Sara, it's not." He grumbled as he looked up at her, "One night. It's not that much to ask for. Of course some moron decides to go on a killing spree and murder six showgirls."
"Six?" She replied in shock, her face instantly pale.
Grissom nodded with an apologetic look on his face, "They need all hands on deck. Warrick's already there.. the others are on their way."
"Ok." She sighed and stood from her seat across from him and brought their mostly empty plates to the sink. "Don't worry about these, I'll do them later.."
Grissom rose as well, and met her at the sink and stood behind her, his pelvis pressing firmly into her buttocks. He let out a primal grumble.
"This is not how I wanted this evening to go. I'm sorry Sara." He growled into her hair as his fingers played with the hem of her shirt, gently brushing the soft skin of her stomach.
She turned in his embrace and gave him a playful smile, "Its the job, baby. It's a pretty good excuse. It's ok. You go. Text me the address. I'm going to just brush my hair and throw on a new shirt."
Gil kissed her on the lips quickly and mumbled "I'll make it up to you.. I'm sorry," into her mouth one last time before separating their bodies and departing to the crime scene.
...
"My date got cancelled."
"I'm sure he had a good excuse."