"I have never begged for my job back, I personally make it a rule in this beautiful world to only beg two people: my lover and my dog" - Jorja Fox
To Radish, for begging for this really.
-
Sara began to think the idea of getting a private room at the restaurant had been a good idea. After the tiny, perfect ceremony (perfect by her standards), the guests had moved to their cars and headed to the makeshift reception; a large room in a tastefully upscale restaurant.
The reason that the now-wife Sara was thankful for the privacy was because of the open bar she and Gil had been so thoughtful to supply. It seemed that everyone was taking full advantage of it; some, too much.
Case and point, Jim Brass and Greg Sanders both sat at a table, three empty glasses in front of each. Glasses that had contained scotch and screwdrivers... respectively. At the moment, the two men were in a verbal dispute over the best quarter back in the league, and it was getting loud.
Warrick and Catherine were both sipping glasses of wine, seated at a table with Nick and Lindsey, the latter on the former's lap, though she was quite old enough to be on her own. Truth be told, the younger Willow's had a large crush on a certain Texan and was more than happy to be seated in his lap, laughing along with the adults.
Sara and Grissom were relaxed in form, both slung over chairs, speaking with Doc Robbins, his wife and the young David, who's bride-to-be had been introduced to the group an hour earlier.
Other people, Archie, Hodges, Ronnie and Bobby included were milling about, nursing drinks, talking sporadically, everyone enjoying themselves at the low key affair.
When dinner arrived, people settled down at the tables, no formal place settings arranged, and dug into the meal carefully chosen by the bride. It had been a task, the menu, as Catherine had mentioned that the selection usually included a choice of beef or chicken, but that was something that Sara didn't know. The last real wedding she had been to was when she was fifteen, and she'd spent most of the affair in the bathroom, wishing for the night to end.
So, it had come down to the integral choice; chicken and beef, or chicken and fish. Finally, Grissom had talked her into chicken and fish, telling her that it was her day and she'd have fish if she wanted it. And she did... want the fish, that is.
Luckily, a sufficient number of people had actually chosen the fish over the chicken, so Sara didn't feel quite so alone.
Red snapper filets, seasoned with dalamation sage and wrapped around a sprig of fresh rosemary, coated with chopped pecan crust. The chicken, a smoked breast, glazed with a reduction of limejuice and ancho chilies, dressed with crumbles of Gorgonzola and slivers of bartlet pear
Grissom reached over and stole a stalk of asparagus off of her plate, lewdly sneaking a peek at her cleavage, allowing her to catch him. Though she had changed out of her gown, the new dress also afforded a rather liberal view of the enticing skin below her neck. Her dress was light and airy, a soft peach color that made her skin look all the more pink.
It made her seem as if she was glowing, and she felt like she was. And she was glowing when the two of them got up shyly to cut the exquisite dessert.
The cake, a base of butter-batter fine white cake drizzled with cappuccino and iced with a cream cheese frosting, the bitterness of the cappuccino offset by sugar-dusted edible rose petals worked into the border design. A delight to look at, a culinary pleasure to indulge in. And the groom's cake, off to the side, a simple New York cream cheesecake with a warm sauce of fresh blackberry compote, on the side.
They'd cut the cake in the traditional manner and Grissom had insisted that they shock their guests by feeing each other a forkful of the sugary concoction. She'd been laughing so hard that she nearly spit it out, but doubled over in his arms as he began to laugh too. That had spurred the entire room into laughter. Then, the rest of the plates had been handed out, and Catherine was caught feeding Warrick a piece and Lindsey had shrieked with laughter, drawing the entire room's attention to them.
Nick had clamped his hand over the girl's mouth and that sent her into another fit of hysterical giggles, having her crush's hand on her mouth, she couldn't wait to tell her friends.
There was dancing, and more eating, and of course more drinking and when the party began to wind down, their guests began pouring themselves out the door, all careful to find a designated drive designated enough to get them all home safely.
Gil and Sara were the last to leave, hand on the small of her back as they walked from the establishment.
They didn't go to a hotel, or take off on a honeymoon, they simply headed back to his townhouse, both of them quite full and happy, lethargy setting into their bones. Sara was all smiles in the passenger seat, her window open, the light spring air floating her hair about around her face. From time to time, Gil's hand would steal over to stroke her bare thigh, wanting nothing more than to fall between the pillowy skin there.
Her lips formed the slowest of smiles as she realized that tonight, when they made love, it would be in an entirely different capacity, and for some reason, she was nervous... in such a good way.
He'd been humming to himself as they pulled into the reserved space of his townhouse and she'd leaned over to steal the melody from him. He smiled softly when she hopped from the SUV, humming her own little tune of mirth. He'd caught up with her halfway up the steps and easily pulled her into his arms, heaved her up.
She squeaked out a surprised noise as she smacked him on the arm. "I thought we weren't going to do this part conventionally." She sighed and nuzzled her face into the warmth of his thick neck. Gracefully, he dropped a kiss onto her hair and maneuvered the key into the lock, forcing the door open with her feet. "This is ridiculous, you can put me down, I've mastered the whole walking thing Griss." Sara protested, as they stood in front of the gaping door.
Grissom was silent as he stared into the vast expanse of his living room. "You ready to do this" He whispered to her, fully intending the implication that if he carried her into his apartment, there was no turning back, for either of them.
"Kiss me." She urged, and made him step over the invisible boundary, lips to lips.
It had been that kiss, that meeting of lips that had broken her. That one step into his townhouse had her, in his arms, in tears. Gil flushed, and kissed her neck, chuckling again the obscenely warm skin there.
She was, by law in fact, his now, and he was hers. And he'd never been so thrilled to be tethered by such a bond before. The ring on his finger a foreign, frightening and wholly welcome weight.
Her feet touched the floor, a fresh wave of happy tears tickling her lower lids. "We just got married." She whispered, eyes widening. "Holy shit, you just married me"
Grissom enveloped her in his arms. "No honey, we just married each other."
"You're insane." She admonished.
"If I'm insane, then you, my dear, when round the bend years ago." She snuggled down into this comforting warmth as a response to his words.
"Touché." Was mumbled against his suit jacket and he chuckled once more, releasing her back into the chill of the room. Frowning, she smoothed down the planes of her dress, wishing he would just take the initiative and divest her of it.
He looked to her with unbearably soft eyes. "Why don't you get ready for bed." He suggested, as if they had been following this routine for years. She nodded, turning, meandering to the bathroom. He watched her go, she unconsciously taking a rather large portion of his heart with her.
Sara took her time in the bathroom, foregoing a shower in favor of simply removing her makeup at the sink. Washcloth on her neck, she stared at her reflection, wondering if she somehow looked different to others. Her eyes darted to the band on her finger and then back up at herself. It was thoroughly impossibly for her to tether the smile that spread across her lips.
Sara slid on her cotton pants and tank top set and padded her way tiredly to the bedroom. He was already in bed, head on the pillow, blue eyes catching the light filtered from the window, watching her as she walked to him. As soon as she'd climbed in, his arms were around her and his lips were on hers and they yearned. Together, a yearning greater than they'd experienced before.
When she pulled back, she was unsure of herself. "Should I feel different now? I don't." He grabbed her palm and kissed the center of it.
"I don't feel any different myself." He told her and pulled her solidly to him, exploring her mouth deeply with his own. Hands explored briefly before he was sure he could stand it no longer and easily plucked the thin cotton from her body, baring her in the dull blue light of the room.
He set about feasting upon her throat, one of the favorite spanses on her body. Not only cold he illicit moans from her while there, he could feel them against his lips. He could feel her moan, he could hear her, and if he took the short journey up to her lips, he could taste her moan as well.
He slid sweetly into her, a single thrust before their bodies met and he gazed into her eyes, willing himself to slow down. Mark the occasion... anything. Sara's eyes held his as she brought her hand up to sweep across his forehead. Placing a kiss in the center of his forehead, she whispered. "I love you."
A warmth spread throughout him and he moved into her once more, his growl accompanied by her moan. They sounded so wonderful together, so right.
A symphony that had been hanging in the wings for so long, waiting to be played to its full crescendo.
And she smiled when he bit her ear and ducked to hide his face in her neck. And she sighed when he came into her, feeling entirely too sated.
And as he feel asleep beside her, lips in her hair, she felt as if...
As if she'd peek under a hidden corner of her life and found the last remaining piece of a puzzle she'd been trying to finish for years.