Title: Sparks
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Series: 1) Catch Me I'm Falling
Fandom: CSI: Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Adam Ross, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Greg sat at his desk across from Ryan, trying not to glance up at the other man. He was unable to keep his eyes off Ryan for long; there was something about the presence of the handsome CSI that drew his eyes inexorably in that direction.

Why was he feeling this way? After the last guy he'd dated, he had decided that he was swearing off men for a while; he wasn't really interested in women at this point, either. It seemed to make a lot more sense to be celibate, to concentrate on work for a while.

But the second he'd laid eyes on Ryan Wolfe, those good intentions had flown out of the window. His body was sending him unmistakable signals; he wanted Ryan in a way that he had never wanted anyone else, even though he knew almost nothing about the man.

Hadn't he learned his lesson about men he didn't know much about with the first guy he'd been involved with? Greg's mind shied away from that memory; it wasn't something he wanted to think about even now, a part of his life that he'd never revealed to anyone.

At least that bastard was behind bars now -- and he was just glad that he hadn't had to come forward with any explanations about his own past to put him there. It was frightening to think just how close he might have come to being a victim.

Would he ever be able to tell Ryan about that? Greg wondered, stealing another look at the other man. He had no idea if Ryan was even interested in men; for all he knew, this man was completely straight. What if he was obsessing over someone who would only repudiate him?

No, his gaydar was better than that, Greg berated himself. There was no way he could have judged Ryan wrongly. There were hidden depths to this man, he was sure of it. And he thought that he'd seen a spark of interest flare in those amazing eyes when they'd first met.

He was sure that Ryan's inclinations were the same as his own. Now, the big problem was to figure out how to let Ryan know that he was interested -- and see if there were any sparks between the two of them. If there were, then he just how to capitalize on those sparks.

But he wouldn't push Ryan, if the other man said no. Greg didn't think he would; still, there was always the possibility that he could be wrong about Ryan, and that there was no interest there other than friendliness. If that was all there was, he'd have to accept it.

Greg glanced over at Ryan again -- and found that the other man had lifted his head from the papers he'd been perusing and was studying him, a slight smile curving his lips. Greg's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in surprise.

He definitely hadn't been wrong. There was a gleam of interest in Ryan's eyes, one that he was absolutely sure of. He had no doubt that this man's thoughts were running along the same lines as his own -- now all he had to do was find out just where he stood.

"What's a hot guy like you doing in a CSI unit, anyway?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and trying to affect a casual mood that he didn't feel. Inside, he was seething with tension, wishing that he could simply lean over and kiss Ryan, wishing that they were alone.

He'd have to wait for that, Greg told himself with an inward smile. But somehow, he had the definite feeling that such an action wouldn't be turned away -- or unappreciated. He would still have to tread carefully, but there was no mistaking that spark that had flared to life between them.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ryan drawled, resting his elbows on his desk and focusing his gaze on Greg. "I wouldn't have expected to see such a hot guy doing police work. Out in the field, yeah, but here? It's not exactly a job that gets a lot of public glory."

"I was never interested in that," Greg said quietly, Ryan's words making him feel that he had to give the other man a bit of an explanation as to why he was here, doing what he did. "I .... had a bad experience when I was younger that kind of turned me towards this."

"Yeah?" Ryan's brow creased in a frown, his next action surprising Greg. He reached across the expanse of their two desks, placing his hand over Greg's and clasping his fingers loosely. "I hope you weren't hurt. I'd hate to think of anything happening to you."

"I know how to take care of myself," Greg said softly, his mouth suddenly dry. Why was it so hard for him to come up with something to say when those incredible eyes were focused so intently on him? It felt as though Ryan was delving into his very soul with that gaze.

"Well, you've got a partner to watch your back now," Ryan told him, letting go of Greg's hand and leaning back in his chair, still studying the other man. "I'm surprised they sprung that on you so quickly. And that they stuck you with the new guy, considering how young you are."

Greg laughed a little self-consciously, wondering if he should tell Ryan just how he'd felt about being the one to partner with a new person. No, he wasn't going to say anything about that. It would probably be hard enough on Ryan, getting used to a new place and new people.

"I'm kind of surprised they let me be the one to partner with you, too," he said, the words coming out before he could hold them back. "But I'm not the CSI with the least experience here. And it's a good feeling to know that they trust me enough to be a good partner for you."

"There are other ways to be partners," Ryan murmured, his words bringing a sudden blush to Greg's cheeks. He hadn't expected that; he'd thought that he would have to be the one who brought up the subject of any kind of personal attraction.

"Yeah, there are," he answered, keeping his voice low, glad that they had an office to themselves and that there was no one else around to hear what they were saying. "And I'm going to be honest -- that's what I'm most interested in. I just wasn't sure you felt the same way."

"Funny, because I've been sitting here wondering if you felt the same way I do," Ryan told him, his eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter. "Great minds really do think alike, I guess." He reached over to take Greg's hand again, this time squeezing the other man's fingers gently.

This was all moving so fast that Greg wasn't sure he'd actually Ryan correctly; his head was spinning, his senses on alert. Had Ryan said what he thought he'd heard? Was this man actually almost at the point of propositioning him, here at work, in their office?

Yes, he definitely was. There was no doubt of the intention behind his words; Greg could read that intent loud and clear in Ryan's gaze. These weren't just sparks flying around between them; they were the start of what he knew would become a roaring forest fire.

This wasn't what he'd expected, but he wasn't going to turn away from it. Maybe it was time for him to step back into the dating game, to throw caution to the winds and try to put that first bad experience in the past out of his mind. He'd been living with that for long enough.

Did he actually see sparks flying between them when Ryan touched his hand? Greg blinked, his eyes narrowing as he focused on their clasped hands. He could almost feel those sparks igniting, threatening to sweep over his entire body.

That wouldn't be a good thing, he told himself, reluctantly pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. They had to be professional here at work; if there was any hint of a relationship forming between them, Catherine might change her mind about partnering him with Ryan.

Would they be able to hide how they felt? That could end up being a big problem for them at work -- and he knew that he wouldn't be able to lie about how he felt if anyone asked him point-blank. There would be so many complications if things worked out for them.

He'd cross that bridge when they came to it, Greg told himself firmly, returning the gentle squeeze of his hand. He didn't know what the future was going to hold, but he could feel those sparks circling around them, just waiting to burst into flame at a moment's notice.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" Ryan's soft voice broke in on his thoughts; Greg looked up in surprise, his gaze meeting the other man's. Oh yes, there were sparks; they practically flew across the desks, hovering there in the air in front of his eyes.

"Hadn't planned on it. You want a hometown guide to show you around Vegas?" he asked with a grin, his thoughts immediately going to the night ahead. There was so much he could show Ryan -- and they would more than likely end up in his apartment at the end of the evening.

He was jumping ahead of himself. He had to slow down a little, Greg cautioned himself firmly. He would be working with Ryan for a long time -- there was no need to rush into anything, as if the object of his desire would be leaving soon. There was no fear of that happening.

"Sounds like fun," Ryan told him, returning the smile and squeezing his hand again. Greg could swear that a geyser of sparks flew into the air at that touch -- and he couldn't help feeling that there would be even more of those sparks in the atmosphere when they were alone tonight.

***

Next story in series - Holding Steady.