Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or its characters; only my own character/s and my plotline/s (Sorry, this chapter is a bit shorter)
"Well, another case solved and closed." Ray said, holding his glass up, smiling at his co-workers. Catherine followed suit and held her glass up, as did Nick. Greg took a deep breath as he held up his glass next to Riley's.
"I'll drink to that." Riley spoke, still holding her glass up, smirking at the team. She lowered her glass and sipped it, swirling the straw around the drink. She turned her head to Greg who was resting a soft hand on her thigh.
As everyone put their glasses back down onto the table, Greg sighed deeply and cleared his throat. "Um…I don't know how to put this, but I have something to tell Riley." He said, looking back and forth at the table, taking in all the gazes that he was receiving.
His gaze finally rested on Riley, who stared back at him, her eyebrow raised in the most adorable way. She reminded Greg of a curious puppy wondering when people would take him home from the pet store. Greg rested a hand on her cheek, smiling widely.
"Um, I. Wow. Don't even know how to do this." Greg thought out loud, realizing it, as the others stared at him confused. Taking a long, deep and relaxing breath Greg started again. "Riley, you know I love you right?"
Riley's response was a simple head nod up and down, her hand over Greg's that was still placed on her cheek.
"I love you. Like, a lot. There's nothing I love more than waking up with you next to me and going to sleep with you in my arms. I love being able to tell you anything. I love how whenever I have a bad day, you're always right there to pick me up again. I love how you know me better than anyone. I love how I have dreams about us being together until we're old and dying. You're the girl I used to always fantasize about falling in love with and marrying and having kids with." Greg swallowed deeply, taking his hand away from Riley's face and digging into his leather jacket pocket. Breathing a breath through his nose, Greg stood up, pushing his chair out of the way and shakily got down on his right knee in front of the now stunned CSI.
Opening the small velvet box, Greg spoke the most beautiful words Riley was ever about to hear. "I love you more than anything or anyone in this world. Riley Paige Adams, will you marry me?" he asked, looking into her eyes, which were slowly becoming cloudy with tears welling up.
Slowly covering her mouth with a shaking hand, she let out a quiet sob. "Greg. O-oh my god." She said, her voice cracking with tears. She was looking from his face to the ring he was holding. "Yeah. Yes." She shook her head so quickly; her ponytail was bouncing up and down rapidly.
Greg felt an enormous weight be lifted off of his shoulders and his whole body for that matter as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Riley's finger. As Riley let out another sob, seeing the ring on her finger, Greg took her crying body into his arms. Gripping onto his jacket, Riley sobbed, whispering the words into the crook of his shoulder and neck. 'I love you, Greg.'
Greg continued to kiss his fiancée's head as he looked to the table at what the reactions of his co-workers were. Looking to Catherine, he could've sworn that he saw tears glistening in her eyes, smiling brightly at Greg. Nick and Ray both had wide smiles on their faces and Nick was giving Greg a thumbs up, which Greg had returned, his mouth almost sore from smiling so wide as he sniffled back tears.
Finally pulling away from his shoulder, Riley pulled Greg's head to hers, placing a feather light kiss on his lips and sighing when they rested their foreheads together gently. "Mmm, I love you." She said, giggling through another hiccup. Greg gave a gentle chuckle to the beautiful girl in front of him and he wiped a tear that had slowly traveled down her cheek.
"So I've heard." He said, sarcastically. Kissing her one last time, Greg sat back down in his seat as Riley went back to sit back in her chair when she heard Catherine say no sternly. Looking in her direction quickly, Riley raised an eyebrow.
"I wanna see the ring." Cath smiled as Greg pulled Riley into his lap and she turned, holding her hand out to the older woman and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Catherine stared at the ring for a few moments and whistled, before speaking. "Damn, Greggo. You must really love this girl." She said, as Greg looked up into Riley's eyes.
"I do. I really do." He said, stroking her cheek with his thumb, smiling as it began to turn a dark crimson color and heat began to flush to the skin.
"I'm the best man, right? 'Cuz you know, I think I deserve it." Nick spoke up from his seat, ruining the newly engaged couple's moment. Riley glared at him and balled up Greg's napkin in front of her and threw it at the Texan's head, squealing when it came flying back at her. She put her hands in front of her face to dodge it.
*****
Later on in the evening while the couple attempted to get a few hours of sleep, shrill ringing throughout the bedroom woke up the groggy CSI who was in the middle of a very nice dream involving Riley in a bikini and lots of whipped cream. Groaning in annoyance, Greg reached over Riley's sleeping body and blindly grabbed for his work cell that was still chirping. "Sanders." He said his voice still full of evident sleep.
"Greg, we need you and Riley at a scene. We have a four nineteen at the Fremont Hotel and Casino." Nick's voice filled Greg's still tired head. Scratching the back of his neck, Greg looked to the bedside digital clock. '2:18'. Greg threw the blankets off of his body and stood up, stretching his arm upwards, lifting his shirt, showing the patch of skin above his boxers and below his tee.
"Alright. I'll wake Riley up and we'll be there ASAP." Greg said his goodbyes to Nick and flipped his cell shut. Greg flipped on the bedside lamp, which made Riley immediately groan and pull the blue comforter over her head.
Smiling, Greg moved the blankets off of Riley's body. His hand went to her forehead, sweeping the hair out of her face, speaking quietly. "Ri, come on. We have to be at a scene." He said, walking across the room and picking up his jeans that were lying outside of their closet. Pulling them up and buttoning them, he looked to the bed where Riley was starting to sit up. Greg zipped the pants up and grabbed a black button up shirt from the back of the chair.
Riley stared down at her finger, holding her hand up and turning it back and forth trying to capture light in the diamond. She felt a gaze on her and looked up slowly with tired eyes to see Greg looking down on her with admiration in his eyes. "I love the ring so much." She said, forming her hand into a fist and kissing down on the ring finger.
Greg chuckled, sitting down at the computer desk and grabbing his shoes, putting them on his feet, still staring at Riley. "I'm sure it loves you too, but you have to get a move on." He said, bringing his foot onto the chair and tying the laces of his shoe.
Riley groaned and rolled her eyes and she stepped out of bed. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, she stretched, cracking her knuckles in the process. She picked up her black pants that lay near the window and yanked them onto her slender legs, buttoning them and zipping them up. Grabbing a light blue shirt that lay on the ground next to her side of the bed, she pulled her tank top off and pulled it over her head.
She had made eye contact with Greg who was pulling his leather jacket on over his shirt, rummaging through the desk for his car keys. "Top left drawer, hun." She said, quickly putting on her tennis shoes on. She heard Greg mumble thanks as she walked to her bedside table and opened the drawer to pull out her holster. Fastening it on her side and she slid her gun into it, making sure it was secure.
Greg looked down at his watch, and then looked back at Riley. "You ready?" he asked, running his hands through his hair, attempting to tame his bed head hair. At the motion of her head nod up and down, the two CSI's had made their way out of their apartment.
A/N: So, this was going to be just a two-shot, but the plot bunny visited my head last night and I HAD to make a story with my idea. So, hope you all stick around to see...ehm…read the rest. Thanks.