Title: ‘Tis the Season
Author: IrishDachsie
Pairing: Grissom/Sara
Rating: Um…NC17
Disclaimer: Not mine…but fun to play with…
A/N: This is a response to a challenge given to me by Ann…Merry Christmas!
Sara groaned as she snapped her phone shut and
plopped onto the bench in the locker room. She raked her fingers through her
hair as her eyes closed.
"Now, what the hell am I supposed to
do?"
"About what?"
Her eyes snapped open as she quickly lifted
her head. She blushed lightly as she saw Grissom leaning against the doorframe.
"Oh…nothing…"
His head tilted slightly as his eyebrow
raised. "Hm…really?"
She rolled her eyes as she stood up and
grabbed her coat. "Have a nice Christmas, Griss…"
He touched her arm as she moved to walk by
him. "Sara, what’s wrong?"
"Nothing…" She closed her eyes to
stop the tears from forming. "Nothing except that Santa
isn’t coming."
His eyes narrowed in confusion as he continued
staring at her. "Santa?"
"Yeah…you know, Santa Claus. Red and
white fur suit, hat…big, white fluffy beard…chubby cheeks…Saint Nick…Father
Christmas. What did you call him?"
"Santa…"
"So, why am I describing him to you if
you already know who he is…"
He chuckled lightly. "I…have no idea. I’d
rather you explain the statement of ‘Santa isn’t coming’…"
"He’s in rehab…"
"Santa’s in rehab?"
She nodded sadly. "He was doing so well
too…had been clean and sober for almost ten months…and…just relapsed."
Grissom bit his lower lip as he watched her.
Laughing right now wouldn’t be the smartest thing he could do. Instead, he
folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath.
"So…did Santa drink too much
eggnog…or…what?"
She exhaled slowly and focused her eyes on the
floor beneath her feet. "No, he’s not an alcoholic. He likes the white
powder too much…"
"Snow?"
"Coke…"
"Santa is a coke addict?"
She finally lifted her eyes and stared at him.
"Are you making fun of this?"
"No…I’m trying to understand what’s going
on…"
"I just told you…"
He shook his head and placed his hand back on
her arm. "Sara…what you told me is that Santa Claus is addicted to
cocaine…so…he isn’t coming."
"Right…"
"And…I think you’re taking it for granted
that I’d know exactly what you’re talking about. I haven’t believed in Santa
since I was four…"
Her face reddened as she finally realized the
problem. "Oh…" She inhaled deeply and thought for a moment. Not
really knowing how to proceed, she shrugged her shoulders and began talking.
"For the past couple of years, I’ve gone
to Sunrise Children’s Hospital on Christmas Eve. It’s a program that I was
involved in when I was still in
She looked at his face to find him smiling at
her. She lowered her eyes quickly.
"And…it’s supposed to start in…" She
glanced down at her watch and sighed heavily. "Four hours. Where the hell
am I going to find a Santa in four hours?"
"I’ll help…"
It was blurted out so quickly, he wasn’t
exactly sure he had said it aloud or not. As she looked back into his eyes, he
realized that he had.
"Grissom…I can’t ask you to help. You’re
getting ready to…well…aren’t you leaving for Christmas?"
"You’re not asking…I offered. And…no,
it’s just me and the bugs this year. Mom is visiting her sister…so…" He
tilted his head to the left and smiled at her. "This isn’t anything to get
upset about. I’ll help you…"
"Are you sure? I mean…"
He chuckled as he nodded and led her into the
hall. Her soft sniffle made him stop and look at her.
"Hey…"
"I’m sorry…I just…well…thank you, Griss…"
His fingers grazed against the small of her
back as he smiled gently at her. "You’re welcome, Sara." His hand
flattened against her back and he prodded her to start walking. "Come
on…let’s go make sure some children have Christmas this year…"
She returned his smile as she nodded and
allowed herself to be led out of the building.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He sat down on the couch in the doctors’
lounge and tied his bootlaces. He sighed lightly as he leaned back and closed
his eyes.
What am I doing?
Helping Sara…
Yes…but…Santa? Kids? I’m not really good with
kids…
You’ve never given yourself the chance to be
good with kids, have you?
Well…no…
So…how do you know that you’re not good with
kids?
I’m not good with…anyone.
Sara. You’re good with Sara.
Since when? I’ve been cold towards her…I’ve
pushed her away more than once…I’ve…
Fallen in love with her?
He sighed heavily and rubbed his hand across
his beard.
"Griss?"
His eyes opened quickly and focused on the
brunette smiling at him as she leaned against the closed door.
"You okay?"
He sat up and tried to return her smile.
"I’m fine…just…"
"Nervous?"
His smile finally surfaced. "Very…I’m not
sure about this…"
Her smile faded somewhat as she felt the panic
begin to stir in her stomach. Seeing the flash in her eyes, he stood up and
walked the short distance between them.
"I’m sure about wanting to help. I’m not
sure about…well, how are the kids going to react towards me?"
She inhaled deeply as the panic began to fade.
"You’re Santa…they’re going to love you." Her eyes focused on the
open red fur coat. "Of course…you’re going to need more padding than
that…"
He chuckled lightly and nervously scratched
his beard. His eyes widened as she handed him the bag she had brought in.
"What’s that?"
"Only a couple of the most important
things you’ll need today…" She flashed him a toothy grin as he took the
bag and peered inside.
"Oh…" He ran his fingers through his
hair as he glanced into her eyes. "Sara…"
"Griss…it’s a
necessity…I’ll help you with it, okay?"
He pulled out the snow white curly wig and
beard, groaning softly. She laughed gently as she pushed him back towards the
couch. "It’s not that bad, Griss…"
"It’s hot…and I’m not even completely
dressed yet…"
"It’s for the children…"
"If it was for adults, I wouldn’t be
here…"
"Quiet…" She grinned as she grabbed
the padding and slid it into the costume. She quickly fastened the jacket and
sat down beside of him. "Turn towards me…"
She couldn’t help but smile as she looked into
his eyes. The white fur collar circled his neck perfectly, the darker curls at
the nape of his neck resting atop gave a striking contrast in color.
She affixed the wig first, laughing as his
dark beard stood out sharply. He shot her a mock-glare as he tried not to join
in with the laughter.
"Sara…"
"I’m not done…be quiet and sit
still…"
She lifted the white beard and attached it to
the wig. She carefully ran her fingers through the curls to arrange them. The
fake beard wasn’t as coarse as she expected it to be…but, she was sure that his
own beard was much softer.
"Is that okay?"
"What?"
"Is it…comfortable?"
He grinned, causing his blue eyes to brighten
considerably. "As comfortable as a hot fur suit and a thick wig and beard
can be…"
She grinned as she held her hand out to him.
"Stand up…"
He took her hand without thinking twice and
obeyed her soft command. He stood quietly in front of her as she grabbed the black
leather belt from the table. He inhaled sharply as she slid it through the belt
loops on his jacket and fastened the brass buckle.
Taking a step back, she inspected him closely.
Nodding her approval, she picked up the hat and placed it on his head. She
allowed her hand to glide slowly down the side of his face.
"Thank you…" She breathed the words
softly.
Involuntarily, he leaned his head into her
palm and closed his eyes. "I can do this…"
She smiled at his soft mutter and nodded as
she took a step backwards. "Yes…you can."
His eyes opened as he realized that he had
actually voiced his previous thought. He met her gaze, exhaling as he nodded
slowly.
"Come on, Santa…" She grabbed the
bag of presents and handed it to him.
He chuckled, slinging the bag over his
shoulder as he followed her out of the lounge. "Lead the way,
Rudolph…"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grissom sat in the padded armchair, smiling at
each child who crawled onto his lap. As each youngster slid from his lap, he’d
reach into the bag resting beside of his chair and pull out a brightly wrapped
package for the child.
He caught the eye of a small girl sitting
quietly in a wheelchair. He offered the little girl a wink and felt his heart
melt as she smiled weakly at him. Handing a box wrapped in bright green paper
to the young boy who had just given him a hug, he stood up and slowly walked
towards the girl.
He knelt down beside of her wheelchair, his
eyes shining as he smiled at her. "Hi there, what’s your name?"
"Lucy." Her voice was so soft and weak.
"Lucy…hmm…" He tapped his finger
against his white beard as he pretended to be deep in thought. "I think I
remember my elves packing something special for you…"
Lucy’s pale face framed her eyes, which
brightened somewhat. "Really?"
He nodded as he brushed her brittle hair back
from her face. "Would you like me to help you over to my chair?"
She sighed lightly as her eyes lowered to the
tiled floor. "I don’t like this chair. I used to be able to run and
everything…and now…I have to have people push me around…"
Grissom glanced at the nurse standing nearby
and motioned her over. He gently patted Lucy’s knee and smiled. "Let’s see
if Santa can do anything about that, okay? I’ll be right back."
He stood and walked behind the wheelchair to
talk with the nurse. He leaned close to the woman’s ear and whispered his
request softly. With a smile, she nodded and followed him back to Lucy’s side.
"Lucy?"
Her pale blue eyes turned towards him. He
knelt once more and leaned forward. "I know that you don’t feel very well.
And I also know that your muscles are not as strong as they used to be. But…I
think I know a way to get you out of this chair for a few minutes…"
She offered him the first bright smile that
the nurse had seen for weeks.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The young redhead smiled at Sara as they
placed the cookies on the trays. "So…you found a Santa then?"
Sara chuckled as she nodded. "Yeah…I went
into a slight panic…he offered to help."
"He’s really good with the kids, where
did you find him?"
She poured a few glasses of fruit punch and
smiled. "He’s actually my boss…"
"Really? I thought…"
Sara looked up as the young woman’s voice
trailed off. "Thought what?"
"Well, just the way you two look at each
other…I thought…you know, that you were…together."
Sara blushed lightly as she glanced across the
room. She felt her heart skip as she saw him kneeling beside of the wheelchair.
Her voice was soft as she answered the woman. "No…no, we’re not…"
The observant woman chuckled softly.
"Well…you should be…especially considering that dreamy look in your eyes
right now…"
Sara shook her head quickly as her face
reddened a bit more. Hearing a soft gasp from the woman, Sara turned to look at
her. "What?"
"He made Lucy smile…look at that, will
you?"
Sara refocused her attention on Grissom. A
gasp escaped from her own lips as she watched him carefully pick the girl up
and carry her towards the Christmas tree. The nurse followed them closely,
pushing the I.V. stand behind them.
She felt the tears begin to well in her eyes
as Grissom sat down in front of the tree, tenderly holding Lucy in his lap. She
smiled brightly as the other children made their way to Santa. They formed a
semi-circle between him and the tree, their anxious eyes facing him.
Lucy rested her head on the soft red fur that
covered his shoulder.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He had just pulled the padding from his
costume and laid it on the table beside of the thick wig and beard when he
heard a light knock on the door. With his hair wet and plastered to his head,
he opened the door to find Sara standing on the other side.
She took in his appearance and narrowed her
eyes slightly. "Are you okay?"
"What?" He looked at her, confusion
etched on his face before he realized that he probably looked horrible. He
chuckled softly and shrugged his shoulders as he ran his fingers through his
hair. "I’m hot and tired…but, I’m very okay."
He stood back from the doorway in a silent
request for her to enter the room. A smile appeared on his face as she granted
his request and moved by him. He closed the door as she turned around to face
him.
"So…was it as bad as you thought it was
going to be?"
He grinned as she leaned against the table.
Shaking his head, he laughed. "No, not at all. In fact…I had a nice
time."
She looked into his eyes and returned his
grin. "You know…what you did for Lucy…well, that was just…" She
sighed lightly as her words trailed off.
"I didn’t do anything…"
"Griss…you made
her laugh. The nurses all said that she hadn’t laughed or smiled in
weeks." She poked him lightly in the chest. "YOU did that…"
He blushed in embarrassment as he walked by
her. "She was tired of being confined to a wheelchair…"
His quasi-explanation was cut short as he
tripped over his bootlace. Sara’s hand quickly grabbed his arm in an attempt to
steady him. Her attempt failed.
Luckily, they were close to the couch as his
body twisted around and fell onto the cushions. He grunted heavily as her body
crashed down onto him. Realizing that she was sprawled across his lap, he tried
to shift her body to the cushions beside of him. She stopped his movements with
a gentle caress of his cheek.
He stared into her eyes as he inhaled sharply.
She shied away from his gaze, focusing her eyes on her fingers resting lightly
against his beard.
"I thought so…" She murmured softly.
"What?" The volume of his voice was
barely above a whisper.
She blushed as she glanced into his eyes
before quickly diverting her focus once more. "I…always thought…well, I
thought that your beard would be…softer…than the Santa beard…"
She slowly pulled her hand away. Placing her
hands on either side of his neck, she pushed against the back of the couch to
raise herself from his lap.
He bit back a soft moan as she bumped against
the partially hardened flesh hidden by the red fur trousers. His hand moved to
her thigh, his fingertips lightly gliding across the denim.
"Sara…"
Hearing the husky tone of his voice, she
stopped her movement and chanced a look into his eyes. To say that she was
surprised at the darkness in color she found there
would be an understatement.
His fingers gently gripped her thigh as he
glanced at her lips. Her heart began to race as she felt him move towards her.
"Grissom…"
His eyes bore into hers as he moved back to his
previous position and let his hand slowly drop from her leg. "I…um…can you
still give me a ride home?"
Her eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Why?"
He offered her a nervous smile.
"Because…you drove me here this morning…"
"Oh…" She chuckled nervously as she pushed
herself from his lap. "Yeah…sure. I’ll…uh…I’ll let you get changed."
She watched him as he stood in front of her.
He nodded wordlessly and pulled his arms from the heavy costume jacket. She
grinned as her eyes roamed over his form.
"What?"
She shook her head in amusement as she looked
into his bright blue eyes. "Who would’ve thought that I ever would’ve seen
you in a t-shirt, red fur pants, and black unlaced boots? It’s
just…funny."
He turned from her and placed the jacket on
the table as he smiled. "The red fur pants do it, huh?"
"Yeah…" She leaned towards him,
intending to peck his cheek softly. "Thank you, Griss…"
"You’re…" He turned his head to look
at her. The word ‘welcome’ died in his throat as his lips accidentally made
contact with hers.
He didn’t pull away. He didn’t press into her
either. He merely stood there, his lips touching hers, waiting for her to make
the next move.
He sighed softly as she broke the contact
slowly. Looking into his eyes, she saw that they had darkened slightly again.
Her fingers moved across his beard once more as she leaned back into him
quickly.
He moaned lightly as her lips captured his.
His hands rested on her hips as she slid her arms around his neck. His mouth
opened when her tongue flicked against his bottom lip. He held her tightly
against him as she sucked his tongue into her mouth. Her fingers wound
themselves into the damp curls at the nape of his neck as he licked the
sensitive underside of her tongue.
A tentative knock on the lounge door broke
their kiss. They pulled from each other slowly, their eyes locked together. He
took a deep breath and voiced a strangled reply to the knock.
The young woman’s voice sounded obscenely
chipper as she answered him through the wooden door. "I’m sorry, Mr.
Grissom…I was just sent to see if the costume was ready to be cleaned."
His eyes never left Sara’s as he cleared his
throat, formulating his response quickly. "Almost. Had a little trouble
with the bootlaces…give me five minutes?"
Sara bit her lip to force her laughter back
down as the woman acknowledged and accepted his request. Her finger lightly
trailed down his chest as she took a step backwards.
"I’ll be out front…"
"Sara, I…"
She offered him a gentle smile and a wink.
"We can talk about this later, okay? Go ahead and get changed…"
He nodded slowly as she opened the door and
backed out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The ride back to his townhouse was quiet, the
air in Sara’s vehicle thick with tension. He took the opportunity of stealing
glances at her as she weaved through the maze of streets to his home.
His fingers absently picked at an errant
thread on the outside seam of his jeans. He was so lost in thought that he
didn’t realize that she had pulled into the vacant parking space beside of his.
"Griss?"
His head snapped quickly towards her, his eyes
meeting hers for the first time since he had buckled his seatbelt.
"Yes?"
She smiled shyly as she pointed towards the
building. "We’re…uh…here."
"Oh…" He gave her a brief nod as he glanced
towards his townhouse. His hand trembled slightly as he unbuckled the
restraint. "Um…would you like to come in?" He braved a glance in her
direction before quickly adding, "For a…cup of coffee…or something?"
She studied him carefully, as if trying to
decide whether he was really offering or just being polite. As he offered her a
smile, she nodded affirmatively. "Okay…"
He exhaled softly and opened his car door. She
followed him up the narrow marble-tiled walkway, smiling as he fumbled with his
keys. Cursing under his breath, he finally unlocked the door and pushed it
open. He stood to the side and motioned for her to walk in front of him. His
eyes secretively roamed over her form as she crossed the threshold to his home.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he
closed the door behind him. "Two sugars, one cream?"
She turned to look at him, tilting her head to
the side. "What?"
"Your coffee. You take two sugars and one
cream, right?"
She smiled, her eyes clearly showing the
surprise she was feeling. "How did you know?"
He blushed lightly, shrugging his shoulders as
he made his way to the kitchen. "I’m observant…"
She followed him into the kitchen and leaned
against the counter. "Well, it is your job…"
He pulled two mugs from the cabinet and placed
them on the counter beside of the coffee maker. "Not where you’re
concerned…"
"Excuse me?"
He added the cream and sugar to her mug before
pouring the black liquid in. "There’s really no reason for me
to…observe…you."
"But…you do?"
Taking a deep breath, he stirred her coffee
before turning to her. "I…find you…fascinating." He quickly pivoted
back around and attended to his own cup of coffee. "And I tend to observe
things…and people…more…closely…when they fascinate me."
She quietly moved up behind him. He flinched
lightly in surprise as she slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek
against his back. He dropped the spoon he was using to stir his coffee onto the
countertop.
He inhaled sharply as she gently nuzzled
against his spine. "You fascinate me too, Grissom."
He stood still, his palms pressing into the
counter. As he fought to decide what to do, he felt her kiss his shoulder. He
smiled inwardly as he realized the decision had been made for him.
She loosened her arms as she felt him begin to
turn around. As their eyes met, she opened her mouth to offer him an apology.
The words were never spoken as his mouth closed over hers.
His fingers raked through her dark hair as his
tongue slipped between her lips. He felt the gentle rumble in her chest as she
moaned into his mouth. He groaned as she pressed her body against his, his
arousal unable to be hidden this time by the denim he was wearing.
His hand slid around her hip, gently squeezing
her firm ass. He was rewarded with a throaty grunt as she thrust her tongue
into his mouth. He stepped forward, his erection pressing into her center as he pinned her between his body and the counter.
His fingers slid under the hem of her shirt
and caressed her skin. His tongue plunged into her mouth as her hands deftly untucked
his shirt. Her palms flattened against his back as she pulled him tightly
against her. He groaned as she gently rotated her hips, grinding her pelvis against
him.
His lips relinquished hers and travelled down
her neck, pausing at her collarbone to nip at the sensitive flesh he found
there. She grunted into his ear as he rocked his hips against her.
"Grissom…"
His hands slid up her torso, lifting her shirt
slowly. He leaned back as he pulled the garment from her body and tossed it
onto the kitchen floor. She took the opportunity given to rid him of his shirt
before he leaned into her, licking her shoulder as her hands roamed freely over
his back.
"Grissom…" She said his name with
more urgency this time, causing him to lift his head and look into her semi-glazed
eyes.
"Do you want me to stop?"
She shook her head quickly and flashed him a
toothy grin. "No…but…can we take this somewhere more…comfortable?"
He licked his lips as his eyes drifted to her
lace-covered breasts. "We can…uh…" He glanced back into her eyes as
her finger circled his erect nipple. "Bedroom?"
She nodded her approval, smiling brightly as
he took her hand and led her down the hall. "Though…I thought you were
tired…"
He chuckled softly as he closed the bedroom
door behind them. "Apparently, I’ve caught my second wind…"
His chuckle ended abruptly as she reached
behind her back and unclasped her bra. His eyes were drawn to the firm mounds
of flesh as she slid the material off and let it fall by her feet.
He kicked off his shoes as he unfastened his
jeans. He gasped lightly as he watched her mimic his motions. She turned her
back to him as she slid the denim down her legs. Hearing his sharp intake of
air, she smiled as she kicked her jeans and underwear to the side.
She felt his arms envelop her from behind,
pulling her nude body against him. She sighed softly as she realized that she
didn’t get to watch him finish undressing. His hands slowly moved upwards,
stopping when they cupped her supple breasts. His erection pressed against the
small of her back as his lips nipped at her neck.
He stepped forward, guiding her to the bed in
front of them. Crawling onto the mattress, she rolled onto her back and licked
her dry lips as she was given her first view of his naked form.
His eyes studied her intently as he slid into
the bed beside of her. As his gaze followed her subtle curves, he reached over
and pulled open the drawer of the bedside table. He retrieved the box of
condoms, reluctantly breaking his gaze from her to glance at the expiration
date printed on the end.
He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly
opened the box. "I…was a bit worried for a minute…"
She grinned at him as he pulled out a foil
package and placed it on the sheet beside of her. "Should I be worried
that you have a supply of condoms?"
"Well, considering that I wasn’t sure if
they had expired or not…I would say…no." He chuckled gently as he eased
his body in between her legs.
His erection slid against her wet folds as he
leaned over her and captured her lips once more. Tilting her pelvis slightly,
she groaned as his heated flesh brushed across her hardened nub of erectile
tissue.
He rolled her nipple between his forefinger
and thumb as he devoured her tongue. She wrapped her legs around his waist,
pulling him against her aching center forcefully. She
broke the kiss as her hand blindly searched for the foil packet on the bed.
Her shaking fingers ripped the package open as
he pushed himself to a kneeling position between her thighs. "Sara…"
"Enough foreplay…I…need you now."
She stared into his eyes as she rolled the latex sheath onto his engorged cock.
She stroked his erection firmly as the
stare-down continued. Seeing only heated passion in her eyes, he pulled himself
from her grasp and slid his throbbing hard-on into her folds.
She inhaled sharply as he nudged against her
entrance. Locking her ankles together, she tightened her legs around him. He
groaned loudly as he easily slid into her depths. Her nails dug into his
shoulder blades as he moved slowly within her.
Even through the latex barrier, he could feel
her wet heat. He quickened his pace gradually as she pushed her hips against
him, matching his rhythm perfectly.
Sliding her hand into the hair on the back of
his head, she pulled him towards her, inviting his tongue to dance with hers.
He accepted the invitation eagerly, instantaneously pushing into her with more
force.
Her head snapped back, pressing into the
pillows as his name escaped her throat with a husky groan. He pushed himself up
onto his knees, gripping her hips tightly. The slight change in angle sent her
into a frenzy as she bucked against him. Her groan turned into a scream of
ecstasy as her inner walls clenched around him.
His fingers dug into her skin as he moaned her
name. Feeling her hot fluid gush around him proved to be too much for him to
handle as his own orgasm flooded over him.
Her hands slid over his sweaty back as he
collapsed on top of her. He raised his hips slightly, allowing his softening
flesh to slip from her. He fought to control his breathing as he discarded the
condom.
He moved to her side, pulling her close to his
chest as he gently stroked her dark hair. He tenderly brushed his lips across
hers, smiling as he noticed her eyes were beginning to focus on him.
"Um…do you have plans?"
Her fingers lightly traced a pattern across
his back. "For what?"
His muscles quivered under her touch.
"For…tonight. And…Christmas Day."
She shook her head slowly. "You?"
He diverted his gaze to a strand of hair that
was winding itself around his finger. "I…was kind of hoping…that I could
be your plans…"
Sensing her smile, he looked back into her
eyes. He returned her smile and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.
"But…for the moment…would you like to sleep with me?"
Her smile widened into a grin. "Second
wind losing its gust?"
"Yeah…I think so…"
He relaxed in her embrace as she nuzzled
against his chest. Hearing her soft murmur as sleep began to overtake her, he
smiled sleepily.
"Merry Christmas to you too, Sara…"
~ End