Title: No Place More Romantic
Author: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: Summer Hiatus Challenge, tv_universe
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.

***

"We need to take a vacation somewhere," Ryan told Greg, looking up from his plate of bacon and eggs. "We haven't had one in a while, for more than a year. And we're both starting to get burnt out, babe. We need to get away for a while."

Greg nodded, sliding into his chair across the table from Ryan and picking up his fork, spearing some eggs and eating contemplatively before he swallowed and answered. "Yeah, we do need to get away for a while. But both of us at the same time? Not gonna happen."

Ryan sighed softly, nodding reluctantly. His boyfriend was probably right; the chances of two CSIs being able to take a vacation at the same time was very slim, especially two who worked as a team. Russell wasn't going to let them both have time off.

But maybe, if they put it to him in the right way .... He had to realize that they were both working overtime, and that they were both starting to wind down. Greg always had dark circles under his eyes lately, and Ryan felt as though he was dragging more every day.

They were both feeling weighed down by their work; they'd been going in to the crime lab day in and day out, with only one day a week off lately. They needed the break, needed the rest. Surely Russell would see that and give them both some time off.

"Where do you want to go for a vacation, if we can get the time?" Greg's voice broke into his thoughts, making Ryan's head jerk up. He hadn't really thought about where they would go; he just wanted to take the time away, to get in some rest and relaxation.

"I don't know, baby," he said, his brows drawing together in a slight frown. "I hadn't really thought about a place to take a vacation, just that we need one. Is there any place you'd particularly like to go?" One that they could afford, he added mentally.

Not that there weren't a lot of places they couldn't afford to go, he told himself. They'd been banking their money, careful not to spend too much. They didn't want for anything, and neither did Wolfie, but they didn't go on indiscriminate spending sprees.

Paris? Venice? Mexico? No, not Mexico, he thought, almost wincing. He'd had enough dealings with that particular country when he was a CSI in Miami. He really didn't want to go to Mexico any time soon, or ever, really. It was one place he'd like to avoid.

"I hadn't thought about it, either," Greg admitted, a grin breaking across his face as he leaned back in his chair and looked at Ryan. "What about some romantic place, like Paris? I've never been there, and I'd love to go. To share all that romance with you."

Oh, his heart was melting in his chest at those words. He knew that Greg had a romantic soul, but hearing that his boyfriend wanted to share a beautifully romantic city like Paris, the City of Lights, with him .... that was almost enough to make him cry.

"I was thinking of Paris," he said softly, reaching across the table to take Greg's hand. "Or Venice. I want to share a gondola ride and a kiss in the moonlight under the stars with you. I want to make love to you in a villa in Venice, beside a canal."

"That would be amazing," Greg whispered, squeezing Ryan's hand gently. "I can just see it now .... the two of us in this big huge bed in a romantic Italian villa, with a gondolier singing a love song outside our window while we make love. That would be incredible."

"It would be, wouldn't it?" Ryan said softly, smiling at his lover. He could picture the two of them now, see it in his mind's eye. He could see Greg under him, that gorgeous face illuminated by moonlight as Ryan slid inside him, as they slowly made love ....

"I'd better stop thinking about making love to you in the moonlight in an Italian villa, or we'll have to go back to bed," he said with a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Though since this is our one day off this week, we could do that, if you want to."

"Going back to bed sounds great, but we've got too much to do today," Greg said, covering his yawn with his free hand. "I'm just so tired that I'm not real sure I feel like getting everything done. Grocery shopping, doing laundry, doing some housecleaning ...."

Ryan amost groaned at the thought. He'd forgotten that they had so much to do today; they had seemed to put everything off all week, until now everything had piled up on them. It was so much to get done in one day that it was almost like having to go in to work.

This was proof that they really needed some time off, he told himself firmly. They would have to talk to Russell about that as soon as possible -- probably tomorrow, at the beginning of their shift. He didn't want to put this off any longer.

He didn't want either himself or Greg to burn out on their jobs. Russell had to realize that was a distinct possibility, and he didn't think that their boss wanted it to happen, either. He knew that they were both good CSIs, and that Russell appreciated them and their hard work.

And if he did appreciate their work as much as Ryan thought he did, then he wouldn't deny them a little time off. Only a week, Ryan told himself. Only a week, though two would be better. Still, a week would be time enough for them to recharge their batteries.

"Russell's got to realize that we need some time away from work," Ryan said, reluctantly letting go of his boyfriend's hand. "We'll talk to him about it when we go in to work tomorrow night, Greg. He'll give us the time. Together. He has to."

"Well, he doesn't have to, but it would be nice if he would," Greg said wistfully, shaking his head. "If we get the time off, but can't get it together, then there's no use taking a vacation. We'll just have to stay here and wish that we could go to someplace more romantic."

"What, a place more romantic than the home we've made for ourselves?" Ryan knew that his words might sound silly, but he could tell that Greg was getting into a melancholy mood, and that was the last thing he wanted on their one day off this week. "I take exception to that."

Greg laughed softly, just as Ryan had hoped he would. "No place is more romantic than our home," he said, his voice very soft and loving. "But it'd sure be nice to take a vacation somewhere that we could get romantic and unwind and forget about work for a while."

"It would be," Ryan agreed with a nod. "And we'll get that time off, Greg." He was determined to talk their boss into letting them take at least a week off together, no matter what he had to do, what promises he had to make. They needed this time. Anyone could see that.

When they returned to work from having some time off, they'd be able to come back with fresh eyes and a better perspective, without facing burnout. They'd both be able to do a better job, and Ryan was sure that Russell would be able to appreciate that.

"We'll manage to get some time off together, love," he said, hoping that his words were true. "And when we go back to work, we'll both be better at what we do for having had some time away from it. Everybody needs a break now and then."

Ryan hoped that they could indeed get that time off; even if they didn't go anywhere other than their own home, they needed a vacation badly. And somehow, he was going to make their boss see it their way, no matter what promises he might have to make.

***