Title: The Sound of Silence
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, csi50
Prompt: Silence
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 put down the book he was reading, glancing over at where Greg was sitting on the couch, flipping the pages of a magazine. Neither of them had spoken for a while; the sound of silence stretched between them, wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

There were never uncomfortable silences between them, Ryan reflected with an inward smile. Even the longest silence never felt as though it stretched out too far; whatever either of them said to break that silence was never meaningless small talk.

He'd never felt like that with anyone else. He had always been uncomfortable with long, drawn-out silences when he was around other people; he got nervous and fidgety, and never quite felt as though he knew what to say to make the silence disappear.

With Greg, he didn't have to say anything. The silences between the two of them were sometimes just as revealing as the words they spoke to each other; if he hadn't been completely at ease with his boyfriend, he couldn't read so much into those quiet times.

Greg didn't have to say a word to him to convey his feelings; all they had to do was exchange a look, a smile, and he knew that his boyfriend was thinking about him, that Greg's love for him was strong and true. And Greg knew the same was true of him.

The connection they had went beyond words; it spilled over into the silences that they shared, as well. Ryan had never experienced that kind of close connection with anyone before; with anyone else, he might have found it scary rather than comforting.

With Greg, nothing about that closeness was frightening. It just made him want to be even closer, to wrap himself around Greg and hold him close, to become a part of the man he loved. If that had been possible, he'd have wanted to do it, to be as close to Greg as he could be.

But it was enough that they shared something so unique, a bond so strong that no one would ever be able to break it. That connection might have been a little tenuous at the beginning of their relationship, but Ryan knew that it had grown stronger with each passing day.

The silence seemed to envelop them, wrapping them in a safe cocoon that no one could intrude into. Ryan was surprised at how comfortable that felt; with anyone else, he would have given in to the need to say something, anything, no matter how trivial.

He'd never been good with silences. They'd always made him feel that he had to throw something into the void, say something to make the atmosphere live. With other people, silences felt like dead air, heavy and awkward. With Greg, they were something completely different.

He didn't know just why the silences between the two of them were more comforting than disconcerting. It was something new for him, feeling that he didn't have to say anything and keep up a conversation to be comfortable around another person.

Maybe that was just more proof that he and Greg belonged together, he mused. The fact that they could be completely comfortable around each other without saying a word just showed how much they were meant to be together, how perfect they were for each other.

What would Greg do if he suddenly said something? He would probably be surprised, but he would look up, smile, and answer. Ryan knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt; he knew that Greg would smile at him. He could see that smile in his mind's eye now.

He was almost tempted to break the companionable silence, to say something simply to see Greg raise his head and flash that insouciant grin at him. That smile made his heart melt, made his insides turn cartwheels and somersaults.

He loved that smile. But at the moment, he was also loving the fact that the two of them could sit here in an agreeable silence without feeling the slightest bit uncomfortable with it. This was unlike anything he'd ever known with any other person, no matter how close he'd been to them.

Even though they weren't speaking a word, he and Greg were close. They might be sitting across the room from each other, each in their own little worlds of thought, but each of them had an inner radar that was attuned to the other. They didn't need words to communicate.

What they shared was beyond words, even beyond most emotions. Ryan had never dreamed that he would have a connection this strong with anyone; there were times when it still amazed him that he and Greg had managed to find each other.

But now that they had, he would never let go, he told himself. Greg belonged to him, and he belonged to Greg, in ways that no one else could ever begin to understand. They didn't just love each other; they were a part of each other, connected within their hearts and souls.

Anyone could understand the physical connection they had made; some people might even understand the love they had for each other. But no one would ever be able to fathom what else existed between them, the primal connection that came from deep within them both.

Ryan didn't have any words for it himself. All he knew was that he loved Greg beyond measure, beyond words, beyond any emotion he'd ever known. If he lost Greg, he would cease to exist. His body might continue to function, but he himself would be gone.

The thought made him shudder; he didn't want to think about ever losing Greg. That would be the end of him; without Greg in his life, he would lose all capacity for living. He might exist, but that wouldn't be a life. He would only exist in a physical shell; everything else would be lost.

That wasn't going to happen, Ryan told himself sternly. He wasn't going to lose Greg. If they got into a bad situation, they would have each other's backs. They would look out for each other, keep each other safe, and they would make it through.

Somehow, with the sound of silence surrounding the two of them, he felt as safe at this moment as he'd ever felt in his life. There was something about this silence that felt right; if they had spoken to each other, the magical quiet that encapsulated this moment would be shattered.

"What are you thinking about?" Greg asked, the words bringing Ryan out of his thoughts and into the present. He blinked, looking over at his boyfriend to realize that Greg was staring at him, head tilted to the side, a curious expression on his handsome features.

"You," Ryan answered, his voice a husky whisper. "I'm thinking about you. And us, and how amazing it feels to be with you. And about how we don't need words to communicate with each other. About how we have such an incredible connection, and how happy it makes me feel."

Getting up from his chair, he moved to the couch, sitting down beside Greg and pulling his boyfriend into his arms, their lips meeting and clinging. The sound of silence was around them again -- this time, a silence born of a passion that was too all-consuming for any words to describe.

***