Title: Sunday Afternoon
By: Chapin CSI
Pairing: Gil/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Warning: I don't speak English and it shows in my stories; luckily, my readers are very forgiving. Thanks!
Summary: Just a fluffy conversation. A sequel to 'Bundle Of Joy' and 'Bundle of Trouble'.

***

"That bitch loves you more than me."

Grissom looked up from his book, wondering if he'd heard correctly. It wasn't like Greg to make a harsh comment like this.

And Greg didn't look like he'd made that comment, either. He was comfortably lying on a deck chair, his arms folded under his head, a placid smile on his lips. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, so for a moment Grissom wasn't even sure if he was awake.

"Greg?"

"Mmmn?"

"Did you just say something?"

"That bitch," Greg said, his head tilting sideways. "She loves you more than me."

Grissom smiled and glanced at the creature sitting beside him. She was a bitch, indeed. Truddy was their lab dog, and right now she was giving him one of those adoring looks of hers.

Gil put his book down and leant over.

"Do you love me, Truddy?" he asked, and the dog lowered her head a little, her ears flattening back in submission.

"See?" Greg said. "She never looks at me that way."

"She's just acknowledging me as the Alpha dog in this family," Gil said smugly.

Greg snorted.

"Ha. Yeah, right," he muttered, then he added under his breath, "I bet she wouldn't look at him that way if he had to wash her and cut her toenails -"

"It's your own fault, you know," Grissom said, picking up his book again.

"My fault? Why is it my fault?"

"You're always talking to her like in that wacky tone of yours. She's not a parrot, you know."

Greg frowned.

"You know… That might be it," he said slowly. "You talk to her as if she were a human being." He looked up, "Come to think of it, you do that to kids, too."

"Kids are human beings, Greg."

"What I mean is, you talk to them as if they're grown-up human beings." Greg took off his glasses and put them on a nearby table, "Kids are in awe of you, you know. Karen's kids, for instance, sit quietly and look at you with wonder in their eyes, whenever you read to them."

"That's only because Karen told them I was Santa Claus' alter ego," Gil glared.

Greg's body shook with laughter.

"They believed it, too," he said. "You'd better come up with some swell presents this year,
Santa."

Grissom gave him one last look, then turned back to his book. He was conscious of Greg's eyes on him, however, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the young man spoke again.

"What are you getting me, by the way?" Greg asked. "Not a lump of coal, I hope."

Gil shook his head.

"With all those hints you've been dropping, I know exactly what you want."

"Did you buy it already?"

"No. Whatever I buy today will be obsolete in two months. I'll wait till December."

"But you don't want to leave it to the last minute, either, Grissom."

"I'm not going to leave it to the last minute."

Greg was silent for a moment, then he spoke again.

"I've already bought you your present," he said.

Gil didn't reply.

"Wanna know what I got you?"

Gil didn't even look up.

"No," he said.

"Are you sure?" Greg said in a teasing tone, "I could give you a hint."

"I don't want a hint."

"It's a big gift," Greg said. "Huge."

"I don't want to know."

"Truddy's already seen it." Then, in a slightly high-pitched tone Greg added, "Right, Truddy?"

Truddy wagged her tail but didn't move.

"Yep." Greg continued, "It's a big gift. Boy, are you gonna love it -"

Grissom put his book down.

"Greg?" he asked, "Unless you want us to exchange gifts on Halloween, don't say another word."

Greg looked curiously at Grissom.

"You want to be surprised?"

"Exactly."

Greg smiled.

"All right, Gil. Not another word. Come Christmas morning, you'll get the surprise of your life."

THE END

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