Title: Grace
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1, 52_challenge
Prompt: 27, Feline
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 leaned forward and rested his elbows on the counter in the DNA lab, watching Greg as his boyfriend put their evidence into the machine that would, hopefully, give them a DNA match. They were both holding their breath, hoping that their theory was correct.

He was having a hard time taking his eyes off Greg; he always loved watching his lover work. Greg had a natural grace when he moved; Ryan could swear that his boyfriend must have studied dance at some point in his life. He'd never seen any move with such fluidity.

He was almost like a cat, Ryan told himself with an inward smile. There was something about the fluid grace of Greg's movements that reminded him of a feline -- something smooth and sensual, that made his heart beat faster every time he looked at his boyfriend.

That wasn't the kind of thing that he should be thinking about here, in the DNA lab at work, Ryan cautioned himself. He didn't want anyone to start thinking things they shouldn't be -- the last thing they needed right now was for their secret to be made public knowledge.

Maybe Ecklie would do away with that silly rule about colleagues not dating at some point, but Ryan didn't think it would happen any time soon. He wished it would; he wanted more than anything to be able to tell all of the people they worked with how much in love he was.

He hated feeling as though he and Greg had to sneak around; he hated having to keep two apartments, even though they were side by side, and they looked at it as having one place with two kitchens, two bedrooms, two baths, and two large living rooms.

But so far, he had to admit, their living arrangements were working out well, even if it was annoying to have to pay rent and bills on two separate apartments. They enjoyed having two places to go, and even Wolfie seemed to like having two different homes.

In fact, everything was working out in his life since he'd moved to Vegas. Miami seemed like a distant dream; there had been aspects of his life there that he'd enjoyed, but he knew that he would never have been as happy and fulfilled if he'd stayed there.

He'd found his happiness with Greg, and this was where he intended to stay. Ryan couldn't imagine a life without the man he loved; Greg was so much a part of his heart and soul that he had to wonder just how he had survived for so many years before they had met.

He surreptitiously watched his boyfriend as Greg turned from the machine he was standing in front of to pick up another piece of their evidence; he loved watching Greg work, loved watching the way he moved. He'd never seen anyone who had such innate grace.

Next to Greg, he felt clumsy, as though he would trip over his feet if he even thought about moving. Ryan knew that wasn't true; he might not be as graceful as Greg, but he didn't stumble around in the dark. Still, he didn't have that feline way of movement, that inner grace and balance.

What was it about Greg that mesmerized him so? He smiled at the thought; he didn't need to know just what it was that made him so in thrall to his boyfriend's grace. It was enough for him to know that he was in love, and that Greg felt the same way about him.

In truth, it wasn't just one thing, or even a few things, about Greg that held him so in thrall. It was everything about the other man, Ryan told himself. There was nothing about Greg that he didn't love; all of those things kept him mesmerized, and only made his love for Greg grow stronger.

He admired his boyfriend in so many ways; Greg had all of the qualities that he'd always wanted in a partner, and more. There was nothing about this man that he would change; even though they had rare disagreements, they always managed to work things out between them.

Greg was loving, loyal, brave, smart, funny, sexy .... and so beautiful that it made Ryan's heart ache to look at him, especially when they'd just woken up in the morning, or right after they'd made love. At those times, he could actually feel his heart swell with love.

Just look at Greg now, it was as though he could feel his heart expanding, reaching out to the other man; all he wanted to do was take Greg in his arms and kiss him, let him know how completely and thoroughly he was loved and wanted, throwing caution to the winds.

But, of course, that wasn't possible. And even if it was, neither of them would be so unprofessional as to do something like that while they were at work. Maybe when they were on a break for lunch, but never while they were actually working in the lab.

Greg turned around again, catching sight of Ryan and smiling, then frowning slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something?" he asked, pointing at the collected evidence on the table in front of Ryan. "I'm going to need all of that in a few minutes."

"Oh!" Ryan had forgotten all about what he was supposed to be doing; he had been far too caught up with watching his boyfriend's graceful movements. "Sorry about that. I was just .... watching you." The last words were said in a very soft voice, to keep anyone else from hearing.

"Why were you watching me?" Greg asked, looking mystified. "I'm just doing what I always do when we're here in the lab. It's not like I was doing anything that could have been that fascinating." His brows rose in a silent question, his gaze fixed on Ryan's face.

"Because I love looking at you," Ryan said softly, his own gaze locked with his boyfriend's. "I love how you're so graceful when you move. It's like watching a cat pad along -- you've got the grace of a feline, Greg. I keep thinking you could be a dancer."

A pink blush rose to Greg's cheeks; he dropped his gaze, looking down at the table. "I didn't study dance, but I took karate lessons when I was a kid," he said softly, almost as though it was something to be afraid of. "At least, until my mom decided it'd be too easy for me to get hurt."

"And she made you stop," Ryan said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Well, at least now I know where you got that graceful way of moving from. And you know, if you wanted to start taking karate lessons again, we could always do that together. I think it'd be fun."

Greg laughed, shaking his head. "No, I gave up wanting to be a ninja a long time ago. When i was about .... twelve, I think. But it's a nice idea. Maybe I can show you some of what I learned. I think I've still got at least a little of it in my head. Enough to show off with, anyway."

"You can show off to me any time," Ryan said with a laugh, aching to reach out and touch Greg, but knowing that this was neither the time nor the place to do so. "Maybe today, when we get home." His voice dropped lower, became a verbal caress. "In our bedroom. Naked."

"I wouldn't mind doing that," Greg said, his dark eyes sparkling with laughter. "I've got a feeling that you're just comparing me to a graceful cat so you can have a chance to see me naked. Not that you need an excuse for that. I'll get naked for you any time you want."

"Well, behind closed doors, at least," Ryan told him, laughing again. "Not here and now -- even though I think there'd be some people here who'd love to get an eyeful. But I don't think I'd like it. There are some things that I don't want anybody else seeing."

Laughing, Greg nodded, reaching for another piece of their evidence. Sobering, Ryan joined him, getting down to business and pushing all of those delectable ideas out of his mind -- for now. He was sure that they would all resurface later --- when he was able to take advantage of them.

***