Title: Tenderness
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas /CSI: Miami

Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, csi50
Prompt: 6, Tender
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 reached for Greg's hand as they made their way out of the theater, neither of them looking back at the credits on the screen behind them. They'd both enjoyed the movie, but they weren't the kind of people who talked about what they'd seen after it was over.

"Want to go out for coffee?" Ryan asked, twining his fingers through Greg's. When Greg looked over at him and smiled, he could feel his knees weaken; it was amazing how nothing more than a smile from his boyfriend could take his breath away.

All Greg had to do was smile at him, or merely touch his hand, and he was transported to the stars. This man had the ability to take him over the moon with just one look, one touch, one smile -- and Ryan never wanted that to change.

"Sure," Greg agreed, squeezing his hand gently. "I don't feel like going back home yet. And I think Wolfie will be okay on his own -- he's got his toys and plenty of food and water. He has to get used to us going out on the days when we're not working."

"I think he already has," Ryan told him with a soft laugh. "When we left, he was curled up in his basket, looking like he was settling down for a long nap. But I think we'll probably need to take him for a walk when we get back home. I don't mind doing that, if you don't want to."

"We'll do it together," Greg said, resting his head against Ryan's shoulder for a moment as the two of them waited for the crowd of people to push through the doors at the back of the theater. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do when we get home than walk the dog with you."

"I can think of other things I'd rather be doing, but I'm not going to mention them here," Ryan told him, his dark eyes sparkling with laughter. "I'd a lot rather take you directly to bed and make love to you, but I think this is one night we'll have to pay attention to the puppy first."

"I don't mind that," Greg said, flashing another smile at Ryan as they moved out into the lobby and headed for the front doors. "Because I've got a feeling that when we get back from walking Wolfie, both of us are going to want to get into the shower. And we know where that leads."

"It either leads to sex in the shower -- or going right to bed afterwards," Ryan replied with a laugh. "I'm not going to deny that's where I'd like to take you, babe. But for the moment, I think we need to go get a cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of the evening."

Greg nodded assent, moving closer to Ryan as they headed out to the parking lot. Ryan dropped Greg's hand, sliding his arm around his boyfriend's waist to pull him close. There was really no reason to do so, but he wanted to feel that Greg was protected.

Why was it that he always felt this tender protectiveness towards Greg whenever they went out anywhere? It wasn't as though there would be someone jumping out at his boyfriend to attack him; Greg was perfectly safe here in the parking lot. Nobody was coming after him.

But still, he couldn't help wanting to protect the man he loved, and he was sure that Greg felt the same way towards him. They watched each other's backs, no matter where they were and what they were doing; at this point, it had become second nature to them both.

He had never thought of little tender gestures like that with anyone else he'd ever been with. No one else had seemed to need his protection in the way that Greg did; no one else had ever inspired those kinds of tender feelings for their safety.

Always before with his lovers, he'd felt that they could take care of themselves. But then, he'd never been as close to anyone as he was to Greg; no one else had ever been a part of his heart and soul, winding themselves into the fabric of his life so completely.

The tenderness he felt towards Greg was a new thing for him, but it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Rather, it felt natural, as though he was meant to love and protect this man. He could feel that tenderness reaching out to him from Greg, as well, making a full circle.

Had anyone else ever made him feel so loved? Ryan didn't need to answer that question in his mind; he already knew what the answer would be. There had never been anyone else in his life that had made him feel that he was the center of their universe.

Maybe some people would consider it unmanly to feel this way about anyone, to have this kind of tender regard for another man. But Ryan didn't care what anyone else thought. Greg belonged to him, and he to Greg. They would protect each other with their lives.

Not that there was much to worry about here, he thought with a slight smile. There was no threat, no danger. That had ended when they'd managed to put Santos in jail. At least, he hoped that any danger to either of them had passed.

Ryan sighed contentedly as he unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's seat. This had been a happy, peaceful day; he and Greg had stayed in bed for most of the day, then had decided that, since they had the night off, they'd go to a movie.

Somehow, sharing a bucket of popcorn with Greg in a darkened theater was so much better than going out on a date with anyone else. He couldn't remember a thing about the movie; all he could think of through the entire thing was how much he loved the man at his side.

Reaching over to take Greg's hand as his boyfriend got into the car, Ryan curled his fingers into Greg's again, feeling a rush of warmth and love envelop his body. He would love this man forever; there was nothing in the world that could ever tear him away from his Greg.

"I love you," he whispered, squeezing Greg's hand and wishing that he had room in the front seat of the car to take his boyfriend into his arms and kiss him thoroughly. "I just wanted you to know that, Greg. I'll love you forever. I'll always be with you, until the end of time."

"And I love you," Greg said softly, returning the gentle squeeze the raising his free hand to stroke Ryan's cheek. "I always have, Ry. I've loved you since before we met. I've spent my whole life waiting for you. I'm just glad that you found me when you did."

"So am I," Ryan told him, his throat tightening with emotion. "If I hadn't, then we'd both still be looking for each other. But I'd have found you sooner or later, baby. I know I would have. It might have taken me a while, but I'd have come to you."

"We'd have found each other somehow," Greg agreed, reluctantly releasing Ryan's hand and fumbling for his seat belt. "No way could I have lived my life without you, Ry. I'd have managed to bump into you somewhere. We'd have found a way to be together."

Nodding, Ryan started the car, heading out of the parking lot and towards the café. Desire, as well as tenderness, was starting to grow within him, and he could hardly wait to finish their coffee and go home so that he could show Greg just how much what they shared meant to him.

***