A/N: I thought I'd post this one in celebration of the snow day we're having tomorrow (yay! I get to sleep in past dawn!)...also because secret4eyes asked so nicely, and so AliasCSINYFriendsER doesn't have to wait so long ;) Enjoy!

Stella sat on the bench in the locker room and surveyed her haul. Her colleagues had been kind to her on her birthday, as they had every year she had worked at the lab. There were cards and flowers, the Crime Lab photo album one of the techs had put together for her, the day at the spa from Lindsay, the tickets to the theater from Danny, and even a boxed set of Bon Jovi's greatest hits—her favorite band—from Sheldon Hawkes. She smiled as her eyes drifted over to the half-eaten birthday cake someone had brought in from a little mom-and-pop bakery nearby, recalling her friends crowding around her and singing Happy Birthday with more gusto than Pavarotti hitting a high note.

The smile faded a bit, and she sighed. Mac had been there, of course, because he was both the head of the lab and Stella's best friend. He had only stayed long enough to chat with a few people and eat a piece of cake, though, sliding his had across her back and whispering "happy birthday, Stella" in her ear before disappearing again, muttering something about a case that couldn't wait. She knew it wasn't an excuse, that there really was a case that couldn't wait just because it was her birthday, but the words had sounded hollow when he spoke them.

"I don't know what I expected," she said out loud to herself. "It's not like he was going to profess his undying love for me in front of all those people…"

Her voice trailed off and she sighed again, staring at the cake a moment longer before moving to gather her gifts together for the trip home.

"That was quite a sigh," a male voice informed her as she packed.

Stella straightened up and turned to find Mac standing in the entrance to the locker room. "Hey Mac," she greeted him, a bit of the smile returning to her face.

"Everything okay?" he asked, moving closer to the bench where she sat.

She watched him approach and nodded slowly. "Yeah, everything's fine. It's just been a long day."

He sat down beside her and nodded himself. "That it has," he agreed. He watched her as she resumed collecting her presents, marveling at how his heart was already beating nearly out of control just because he was next to her. "Can I offer you the chance to make it a little longer?"

Her smile grew with curiosity. "How?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I didn't really get to celebrate with you yet," he replied, a faint blush creeping over his cheeks. "Will you let me take you out to dinner?"

She contemplated his offer, her eyes focusing on the stack of birthday cards at her feet. She leaned down and reached for the cards, picking them up and stuffing them tiredly into her bag. "I don't think so, Mac," she told him, her curls moving gently with the shaking of her head. "I don't really feel like going out tonight."

"Oh," he responded softly. "Okay." He was disappointed, and showed it much more than he realized, to Stella's surprise.

"But why don't you come over and watch a movie with me at home?" she asked. "We'll find something stupid on TV and make some popcorn…just the two of us. What do you say?"

"That's what you want to do for your birthday?"

"Yep. Take it or leave it," she winked.

He grinned. "I'll take it."

Mac helped Stella carry her things out to the car and drove her home, once again gathering the birthday gifts together to take them inside when they arrived. Stella immediately went to look for a vase for the flowers and Mac found himself holding the bag full of cards and presents, along with the half-eaten birthday cake.

He set the items on the kitchen table and pulled off his overcoat, picking up the cake and taking it into the kitchen where he found a container to store it in. A little further hunting produced the package of popcorn Stella had mentioned, and in a moment's time it was popping energetically in the microwave. He surveyed the kitchen and, deciding that everything was in order, moved into the living room and settled himself on the couch.

Stella returned with a vase she had found buried in a storage closet somewhere, smiling brightly as she filled it with water and arranged her flowers. "There," she said when she was satisfied. "Aren't they beautiful?"

Mac looked over from his place on the couch and smiled back. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman," he replied.

She laughed. "What a line! Did you get that one from Danny?"

"No," he said slowly, his own mouth curving into a soft smile. "I meant it."

She parked herself next to him on the couch, her eyes twinkling. "Really?" she asked, a bit of shyness creeping into her voice.

He moved closer to her, reaching inside his suit coat and pulling out a small, black, velvet box. "Really," he replied, smiling as he set the box on her knee.

Her eyes focused on the box, then shifted to Mac, the astonishment clearly written on her face. "For me?"

He nodded, his own eyes sparkling mirthfully, almost teasingly. "For you."

"O-okay…" She picked up the box a little hesitantly and lifted the lid, the astonishment quickly turning to outright shock at what she saw. "Oh, Mac…" A pair of small diamond earrings glittered up at her, and she momentarily lost her powers of speech.

Seeing her difficulties, he chuckled and spoke instead. "Do you like them?" he asked.

She nodded, tearing her gaze from the earrings to train it on her partner. "They're…gorgeous…"

His grin widened and he leaned in, kissing her gently on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Stella."

She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of his lips on her skin. A moment later he did it again, and this time he didn't pull away. Her cheek rested against his and she could feel his hand brushing a lock of hair from her forehead, her whole body tingling from excitement and anticipation.

Mac felt the energy emanating from her and allowed his heart to dictate his movements, managing to quiet his brain for at least a little while. His hand traveled from her forehead across her face, caressing her cheek tenderly as his lips brushed tentatively over hers. He heard her breath catch in her throat and his eyes flickered open briefly, noticing her elated expression. Assured his advances were being well received, his eyes closed again and he smiled as he slowly kissed her, allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of Stella's mouth on his.

When they broke apart, neither spoke but both shared the same thought. Moving in concert with each other, they curled up blissfully together on the couch, her head against his shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly around her, the popcorn in the microwave all but forgotten.