Title: True Romance
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, csi50
Prompt: 15, Romantic
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 looked around him with a critical eye, finally nodding in satisfaction that everything looked just as he wanted it to. He had decided that he and Greg were going to have a romantic evening; they had the night off, and he had planned how they were going to spend it.

He'd sent Greg out to the grocery store on the pretense that they needed a few things; his boyfriend should be back at any moment, and he'd been busy lighting candles, setting the table, and doing the best he could to create a romantic ambiance in the apartment.

He was sure that he'd done a good job of that; the place looked transformed. The soft candlelight seemed to make the place look mellow and inviting; he could just imagine himself and Greg curled on the couch, their arms around each other, before heading off to the bedroom ....

Ryan shook himself out of that little fantasy, a smile curving his lips. That would happen later, he promised himself. But at the moment, he had to wait for Greg to get back, and then start dinner once his boyfriend was here.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of Greg's face when he entered the apartment and saw the candles, heard the soft jazz music playing, and realized what Ryan had planned. He was sure that his lover would be surprised -- and appreciative.

They didn't have romantic evenings often enough, Ryan told himself. They were always so busy, working long hours on the night shift and then falling into bed when they got home -- to sleep, not to make love. It was past time they had an evening of romance.

Wolfie was in Greg's apartment, tired out from a long walk and an energetic afternoon of chasing a frisbee in the park. It was a far cry from the last time they'd been there; this time, they hadn't had to worry about anyone stepping from behind a tree and threatening Greg.

They would spend the night here, and then get up in the morning for their usual long walk with Wolfie. That was something they did every day, but somehow, with Greg, even walking the dog became an adventure to look forward to and enjoy to the fullest.

Ryan turned towards the door when he heard the scrape of Greg's key in the lock; when the door swung open, he held out his arms, a smile on his face, unable to hold back a soft laugh when he saw the look on Greg's face as the other man took in the candles and the soft music.

"You planned this, didn't you?" he said as he set down the two bags of groceries on the table by the door. "You wanted me to go out so you could set this up!" He shook his head, laughing as he did so. "Not that I mind. It looks like you've planned a nice evening."

"I thought we should have a nice romantic night in, since we hadn't done that in a while," Ryan said softly, sliding his arms around Greg's waist. "Come on, let's get dinner started. I want to cuddle on the couch with you. And slow dance. And then make love."

"You've really gone all out on this, haven't you?" Greg asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Ryan's cheek. "I'm impressed. And appreciative," he added with a smile. "We've been so stressed out lately that having a romantic evening will be nice and relaxing for both of us."

"Yeah, it will," Ryan agreed, picking up the bags and taking them into the kitchen. Within moments, the pasta was cooking, and he had uncorked a bottle of wine and taken it into the living room, along with two crystal wineglasses and a single white rose in a small glass vase.

Greg picked up the rose, holding it to his face and closing his eyes as he inhaled the soft scent. "I love roses," he murmured, opening his eyes and smiling over at Ryan. "You know exactly how to set the right mood, don't you? You've thought of everything."

"I hope I have," Ryan said softly, pouring two glasses of the sparkling wine and handing one to Greg. He settled back against the couch cushions as he sipped his wine, regarding his boyfriend. It had been a while since he'd seen Greg look so happy and at ease.

The last few weeks had been stressful for both of them, but that was all over now. They might have some more rough patches ahead of them, but Ryan was sure that they would always be able to get through them. After all, they had each other to lean on.

He'd known from the beginning that he loved Greg; all it had taken was one look, one smile. And he had no doubt that Greg returned his emotions -- he had known that from the first, even though there had been a few bumps along the road to true romance.

But they had settled into a happiness that Ryan had thought he would never know, a happiness that was the most comforting feeling he had ever known. No matter what, he would always have Greg to turn to. His lover would always be there -- and he would always be there for Greg.

No one had ever offered him that kind of security and love before. His past relationships had all been fleeting and intransigent, more for the pleasure of the moment than for any kind of long-term emotional commitment. He had wanted that, but he'd always chosen the wrong people.

This was the first time in his life that his romantic feelings had been returned, the first time that he'd truly felt as though he was connected to someone. It was a feeling that he never wanted to give up; this was the kind of relationship he had always dreamed of having.

"What are you thinking about?" Greg asked, his voice soft and husky. "You're just sitting there looking at me with this little smile on your face, like the cat who got the cream and the canary. It makes me wonder just what tricks you might have up your sleeve for tonight."

"I was just thinking that I've never had this kind of true romance in my life before -- and now that I've found you, I'm never going to let you go," Ryan replied, his own voice husky with emotion. "And yes, I do have some tricks up my sleeve. I hope you'll enjoy them."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Greg whispered, putting down his wineglass and leaning forward to brush a gentle kiss against Ryan's parted lips. "I'm looking forward to seeing just what you've got planned for tonight. And I'll bet that I'm going to love every second of it."

"I'll take that bet," Ryan told him as he put his wineglass aside and rose to his feet, taking Greg's hands and pulling his boyfriend up along with him. "This is going to be one of the most romantic nights of our lives. At least, that's what I'm hoping for."

As he spoke, Ryan hoped with all of his heart that this night would be perfect for both of them; he wanted the two of them to have a purely romantic evening that would linger in their memories forever, a night that they could look back on and treasure for all the years to come.

Yes, this was going to be a night of true romance, Ryan told himself as he entwined his fingers through Greg's and led his boyfriend into the kitchen to check on dinner. And the romantic evening was only just beginning for the two of them.

***

Next story in series - Don't Stop Swaying.