Title: Joy
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: Emotions, mission_insane
Prompt: 3, Joy
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.

***

"I love Christmas," Greg murmured, sighing contentedly as he curled up next to Ryan on the couch. He raised his arm to look at the bracelet that Ryan had given him; the entwined gold and silver hearts sparkled in the light, bringing a soft smile to his lips.

"Just because you get gifts, or do you like the season?" Ryan asked with a laugh, sliding one arm around Greg's slender waist. He was just teasing, of course; he knew that Greg loved the festiveness of the season, decorating the tree, shopping for presents, and all that Christmas entailed.

"You know I love everything about Christmas," Greg told him, giving his boyfriend a mock-woebegone look. "How can you say that?" But a moment later, he was smiling and laughing. "But I've got to admit, the presents are a nice touch. I love the bracelet, Ry."

"And I love this," Ryan said softly, tracing a fingertip over the gold and ruby ring that Greg had given him. The ring was a perfect fit -- and, as well, it felt perfect for the two of them. Ryan loved the hearts etched into the ring; they were a perfect expression of his feelings.

When he had first moved to Vegas, he'd never thought that he would fall in love -- or that he would even be dating anyone. He had certainly never expected to find the love of his life here, but he supposed that stranger things had happened.

He'd been happy in Miami -- for the most part. There had been too many things that had built up to cause him to leave, though, and he had never regretted coming here for one moment. Finding Greg and falling in love had made it all worthwhile.

Ryan sighed with contentment, closing his eyes and leaning back against the comfortable couch cushions. He had been fairly happy before he'd come here, but until he'd met Greg and discovered what it was like to fall in love, he'd never known true joy in his life.

Just holding Greg gave him a feeling of happiness that he'd never known before -- and Ryan knew that he would never find that kind of happiness with anyone else. Greg was the joy in his life, all of the good things that he could ever wish all rolled into one amazing man.

How had he gotten so lucky as to find such happiness and contentment in his life? He would never know just why the fates had decided to bring the two of them together, but he would spend the rest of his life thanking those fates for making Greg a part of his life.

The kind of joy that Greg brought to him was something that he'd never dreamed of having. He had long ago given up the hope that he would find the kind of happiness in a relationship that people who stayed together for years seemed to share. It just didn't seem to be part of his future.

But the moment he had seen Greg, he'd known that this was the man for him. There had been no doubt in his mind that Greg was his future, the man who would always own his heart. And wonder of wonders -- Greg had felt the same way about him.

That was the most unbelievable part of their relationship, Ryan thought with an inward smile -- that a man like Greg could actually have fallen in love with him. He didn't know what he had done to deserve that love, but he would always cherish it and hold it close to his heart.

"What are you thinking about?" Greg asked softly, raising his head from Ryan's shoulder to look curiously at his boyfriend. "You've been so quiet for the last few minutes, and then you just sighed. I know it was a happy sigh, but it still makes me wonder what's on your mind."

"I'm thinking about you," Ryan said softly, his gaze meeting his boyfriend's. "About us," he corrected himself with a soft laugh. "About how much I love you, and about how much joy you bring to my life. I've never been as happy as I am with you, Greg."

"I feel the same way," Greg murmured, resting his head on Ryan's shoulder again and placing one hand on his boyfriend's chest. "The second I saw you, I knew that you were the only man for me. I couldn't believe it when you actually felt the same way about me."

"Are you psychic?" Ryan asked, laughing again. "Those are almost exactly my same thoughts. When I first saw you, I fell head over heels in love. Okay, maybe it was more desire at first, but after that first night, when we spent all that time talking, I knew then that I loved you."

"It's funny how fate works, isn't it?" Greg murmured. "I never would have thought that I'd meet the love of my life through my job, but that's exactly what happened. And I wouldn't change how we met for anything, even if we do have to keep our relationship a secret."

"It won't always be like this, Greg," Ryan told him, his voice very soft. "Sooner or later, that stupid rule is going to be lifted. And then we can be honest with all of our friends about what we mean to each other. That's going to be a really good feeling."

Greg nodded, smiling softly as he raised his head from Ryan's shoulder again and leaned in to brush a gentle kiss across his boyfriend's lips. "It sure will be. I already feel like I've been waiting a lifetime to tell everybody just how much I love you."

"I don't think I can put all the joy you give me into words," Ryan whispered, a lump rising in his throat and cutting off his words. There were no words to describe how much he loved Greg, and how much he wanted this man to be by his side for the rest of eternity.

"You don't have to put it into words," Greg told him, moving his hand down Ryan's chest. "I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at me. I can hear it in your voice when you say my name. And I can feel it when you touch me, and when you kiss me. I don't need words, Ry."

"But I like to say the words." Ryan took Greg's face between his hands, gazing into his boyfriend's dark eyes, never wanting to look away. "I love you, Greg Sanders. I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of loving anyone. You bring me more joy than I've ever had in my life."

"I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives -- and let you make me happy," Greg told him, raising his hands to thread his fingers through Ryan's hair. "All it'll take to make me happy is for you to keep loving me, Ry. That's all I ask. Just be with me. Everything else is just icing on the cake."

"I'm not going anywhere, babe," Ryan said softly, meaning those words more than he'd ever meant anything. They came from his heart and soul, from the deepest part of himself. He would never leave Greg; he would always be right here by this man's side.

And Greg would always be here for him, loving him, bringing him the most joy he'd ever known, each and every day of their lives together. He couldn't imagine his life without Greg; they were meant for each other, and fate had been kind to bind their hearts together.

There were no words needed to express the joy that they took in each other when their lips met; nothing was needed but each other's touch, and the love that seemed to wrap around them. It was a love that they knew would never fade away -- and would only grow stronger as time went by.

***