Tangibly Astonishing, a csi: new york fanfic

A/n: Wow. Never thought I'd actually get around to doing an MS story, but I was listening to one of my sacred CDs and I was like, 'Hey, this song works for them.' The song is You Don't Have to Believe Me by Eric Hutchinson. And now that' we've come full circle, I shall begin.

Disclaimer: I shall refrain from sarcasm when I do this. I don't own it. If I did, I'd be way more ashamed of this season than I already am. Wow. No sarcasm. Weird. Also, I don't own the rights to this song. I just own the CD.

"So how do I look?"

When Stella walked up to him the night of Robert Dunbrook's charity ball, he was astonished. She asked him what he thought of her dress, and he had to resist the urge to let his jaw drop. With much difficulty, he managed to not let that impulse show in his expression and smiled back at her expectant face. She had always come to him to ask his opinion on her formal wear (including the dress when she and Flack had gone undercover).

You don't have to believe me I'm just speaking my mind
You look lovely as always you get that all the time
You don't have to believe me when I tell you that I'm impressed
But you sure better believe me when I say you deserve the best

Mac Taylor was for more than just well aware of the fact that his partner looked good. He had heard dozens of other cops and suspects tell her that. He wasn't about to deny it either, but he'd remained more discreet about it. Saving the compliments for special occasions when she actually asked for his opinion. Anything more would imply feelings he would choose not to say out loud. That included (but wasn't limited to) NYPD formal functions when she wore a dress that was on the edge of elegant and a fantasy. Now that he would deny. Even if Danny (and something inside of himself) would roll his eyes repeatedly. But every time she asked, he'd reply with something along the lines of good. And every time, she would say something back such as, 'Thanks for your exaggerations' with a sarcastic smile on her face and a flash of disappointment in her verdigris eyes.

You don't have to believe me but I'm not gonna lie
I've seen all the attention you get from other guys
You don't have to believe me when I tell you I like your dress
But you sure better believe me when I say you deserve respect

It feels like nobody's on your side no access to your pride
You gotta learn to take control your whole body is a temple so
You've got a choice to make and your mind is what's at stake
So before we build this love please believe that you're good enough

Arguing with her about that subject was pretty much useless. They'd go around in circles for hours if they had that sort of time to argue about whether or not she looked stunning. No matter how many people he got to tell her she looked beautiful (Danny, Lindsey, Flack, Angell, Adam, Hawkes, Sid…), she would always shake her head and roll her eyes like it wasn't them she wanted the compliment from. He didn't get her. Most women he knew grappled to be told that their features were appealing to someone. But not Stella. She never wanted someone else's opinion. Even right now, as he was telling her she looked good; he couldn't help but gather the same reaction as before.

You don't have to believe me but I'm not often wrong
They've been taking advantage and it's gone on too long
You don't have to believe me when we're dancing out on the floor
But you sure better believe me when I say you are worth much more

He was just about to bring up what had been on his mind before her phone rang, cutting off the path to his answer. She nodded, her curls bouncing with the movement; she then seemed to realize that whoever she was talking to couldn't see her. With an 'I'll see you soon' she hung up her phone and looked back at him.

"That was Brendan. He's waiting outside." Even with her tone that read happy, Mac couldn't help but notice her face fall. If only just a fraction. "So, I'll see you at the ball with," She paused for a moment, as if trying to remember his date's name. "Julian?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Gillian."

She smiled shyly at her mistake. "Right. Sorry. Well, I guess I should go now before the ball actually ends before I even get there." Stella moved forward to hug him and kiss him on the cheek. "I'll see you, Mac." With that, she turned on her heels and started for the door.

When her hand reached the handle, he said something that made her pause. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Stella."

When she turned back around, he noticed that her smile wasn't sarcastic, but grateful, and her eyes didn't flash disappointment, but sparkled with elation. "I'd say thank you, but that might be an understatement."

Mac laughed again. "You're welcome, Stella."

You don't have to believe me
But you sure better believe me when I tell you you're due for love

Beautiful. He hadn't been lying, but there were so many other things he could go for that would come closer to how she really looked. Gorgeous. Phenomenal. Perfect. But there was something that was beyond words to describe her. He looked after her as she walked through the lab. Late shift lab rat's heads turned to stare at the embodiment of something far beyond Aphrodite, Selene, or Athena. More because she wasn't just a myth. She was tangibly astonishing.

I don't want nobody else
And nobody else is gonna treat you the way they ought to
And that's what you deserve
If I could make you see it
So you can truly believe it
So you won't even need it

Finito!

A/n: I'm sorta iffy about this. Like, I think it's good, but I'm never really sure. Plus, I think I'm still in an FA mind frame. Anyways, this is my first ever attempt at anything more than a mention of MS, so I really do wanna know what you think. Oh! If you're gonna favorite, at least review. Cause it's annoying when people do that. I don't care if that offended you for whatever reason, but you know you hate it too, so get over it.