Title: A Special Place
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: Places, mission_insane
Prompt: 2, Park
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Ryan Wolfe, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Ryan laughed as he watched Greg run through the park with Wolfie; both the man and the dog looked happy and carefree, as though they were thinking about nothing but having a good time. For all Ryan knew, maybe that was all either of them had on their minds.

He loved watching his boyfriend like this, loved seeing Greg play with their puppy. There was something so young and carefree about him; Ryan couldn't help wondering if he himself had ever felt that way, or if he had always been older than his years.

There were times when Greg was like that; he was so intelligent, and so dedicated to his work, that often Ryan thought he was older than he actually was. Greg could seem like an old soul, someone who had the experience of far more years than his chronological age.

And then again, there were times like this, when his boyfriend could seem like a child at play. He loved both sides of Greg Sanders, but if he had to choose between them, he would take this one every time. This side of Greg melted his heart and made him love his boyfriend more than ever.

Somehow, every time they took Wolfie to the park for some exercise, this side of Greg seemed to leap out front and center. It was as though being in the park made him feel younger than his years, as if he reverted to being a child without a care in the world.

He himself did that at times, when he was running around the park and playing with his boyfriend and their dog, Ryan thought with a smile as he leaned back against the tree trunk he was sitting in front of. But he'd done his share of running with the puppy already today.

He enjoyed their outings to the park more than he'd thought he would. At first, it had seemed like something they had to do, like taking Wolfie for his daily walks. But now, it was something that they shared, a time of togetherness and bonding unlike any he'd ever known.

When they'd both tired of running through the park with the puppy, or throwing a frisbee at him, they would sit down on a picnic blanket under a tree and have lunch, with Wolfie happily digging into his food dish. Then, when the puppy curled up for a nap, they would spend their time talking.

How many things had he and Greg discussed here in the park, under the trees, enjoying the freedom of having a day off and nothing much to do? There was no telling what they would talk about when they were here; their minds seemed to wander to a million different subjects.

Ryan closed his eyes, a smile curving his lips as he thought of some of their conversations. He enjoyed talking with Greg more than he would have thought possible; with the people he'd dated in the past, serious conversations hadn't been the norm.

With his former lovers, their relationships had seemed to be mostly about sex -- and there hadn't been a lot of talking that went along with the physical actions. That was why every relationship he'd had before Greg now seemed empty, devoid of any real meaning.

He'd cared about some of the people he'd been with in the past, but he had never been in love with any of them. He'd never fallen in love until the first time he'd gazed into Greg's eyes, seen that beautiful smile, and felt the pressure of Greg's hand in his own.

He and Greg had shared so much in the time they'd been together, and he knew that they would continue to share their lives until they were old and grey. They shared not only their bodies, hearts and souls, but all of the experiences that they'd been through together.

They shared places, too, he told himself with a smile. There were restaurants and shops in Vegas that he could look at, or merely think of, to bring a flood of memories to his mind, all of them good ones. And this quiet, pleasant park was no exception.

Somehow, this park had become a large part of their routine, the place where they came when they were in good moods and bad. They'd had some serious discussions here, as well as days like this, when they had both let themselves relax and act like children again.

This was a place he would always love, Ryan thought to himself, looking around him at the lush greenery. He felt at ease here; he enjoyed the atmosphere, and most of all, he felt safe. Even though they were out in the open, he felt as though nothing could touch them here.

Of course, he knew that wasn't true. It had been easy enough for his enemies from Miami to find him in the park -- and it had also been easy for them to threaten Greg's life. They weren't safe here -- but really, the two of them could never be completely safe anywhere.

Neither could anyone, really, Ryan told himself. There was always a way for determined criminals to find ways into people's homes; no one could ever be a hundred percent guaranteed that they'd be safe. Even people under police protection weren't always guaranteed their safety.

But still, he couldn't help feeling peaceful here in the park. It was a place that he and Greg seemed to gravitate towards; they always came here when they had something serious to discuss, as though the serenity they could find here calmed their souls.

Not only that, but this was a place where they could both let their inner child run free -- just as Greg was doing now, he thought with a soft laugh as he watched his boyfriend throw a stick to Wolfie. The puppy bounded off to fetch it, barking happily, the sound echoing Greg's own delighted laughter.

Ryan stretched out full length on the picnic blanket he'd been sitting on, propping his head on one hand as he watched. He loved this place, loved the peace and serenity of it, loved the way that he and Greg both seemed to feel younger and more uninhibited when they were here.

They both dealt with so much in their lives through their jobs that it was good to be able to come here and feel the years melting away, to feel that they didn't have a care in the world. They would have to go back to reality soon enough; it was nice to have an escape from that.

He was sure that they'd keep coming to this park over the years, even though they wouldn't always live right across the street from it. But it would continue to be a special place for them, a place where they felt at home, a place where they discussed important issues in their lives.

He hadn't had a place like that in Miami, unless he counted walking along miles of beach when he was doing some thinking, Ryan mused. That was just one other thing that had made Vegas better for him than Miami -- here, he had places that he felt he could call his own.

He'd never felt like that in Miami -- but then, when he'd lived there, he had never had a special place in a park that he'd gone to. And he'd never had anyone special to be there with him. He'd been alone in Miami -- and he most definitely wasn't alone here, and never would be.

Ryan sat up as Greg and Wolfie headed back towards him at a run. He opened his arms to welcome both of the members of his little family, smiling as he did so. He wanted to embrace them with all the love that was in his heart, hold them close to him, and never let them go.

***