| Natasha stood on the balcony over the musicians as she checked her watch again, stark silver against the red of her long dress. 'It's only 7, it doesn't start until 7:30,' she repeated and leaned over the balcony. 'He is a very busy man after all--' "I've done so many falling cases that leaning like that over a balcony is out of the question for me," Grissom said from behind her a nod she turned around. "You showed," she said gently as he walked closer in black slacks and a black button down shirt. "Did you expect me not too?" he replied, standing next to her and Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you were working on the case." Smiling, Grissom looked down to the stage below before frowning. "That's why I have...assistants." 'Hmm, a slight aversion to the word 'assistants',' she thought and Grissom looked at her, pausing her thoughts. "Why do you sit up here, above the music?" "I played in band. There is nothing more thrilling in the world than being surrounded by man made music," Natasha explained. "In the audience, you hear the finished product but here, you hear the minute differences." "You're a perfectionist," Grissom said lightly and the smaller girl shrugged. "Guilty as charged. At least I was on trumpet playing. They're starting..." So the two listened to D'Vorak's New World Symphony No. 9 for nearly an hour as the music swirled across the hall. When it was over, they clapped and left through a back door to a park. "A nice night, after nice music," Grissom replied and Natasha smiled. "Yes, they are happy about their performance; you can tell it on their faces," she answered before she sat down on a small patio surrounded by trees. "Come on, I don't bite." Grissom gave her a serious look and said, "I don't know that," before smiling and sitting next to her. As they regarded the sky, Grissom took a deep breath. "What is the saddest thing in space?" he asked softly, suddenly. "Besides space itself? Comets," she said just as soft and looked down briefly before explaining. "They lie in the Oort cloud, where the sun hovers like a distant lover, a mere pin prick of light but yet, it has them in it's grasp. And then on a whim, they're falling towards it, faster and faster until it heats up and expresses it's love in a glowing tail before being cast back outward again by gravity. Eventually these displays of love will kill the comet; will have used up all the ice possible to make the tail and it's molecules are cast off into space...forgotten." Natasha didn't realize that Grissom was regarding her with an intense gaze until she stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I tend to get poetic," she started to apologize but he reached up gently to touch the side of her face. 'His hands, so soft, strong, and warm...' she thought. "Being poetic is not a bad thing," he whispered before shutting his eyes. "I...we shouldn't be doing this." Instinct made her put her hand against the one that was touching her. "Should we?" Natasha inquired. "You can always say no." "In a relationship, it's the submissive who has the power," Grissom explained and she smiled. "Who said I was submissive?" she inquired and Grissom smiled in turn, closing the distance between them in a gentle kiss. His hands slid behind her black hair and on her neck to pull her closer as she submitted, caressing his arms and shoulders. Breaking off the kiss, Grissom's gray/blue eyes searched her dark brown ones. "How far are you willing to take this, Steward?" he asked, tracing a finger down her throat and Natasha felt a purr rumble in her chest. "As far as it's willing. My place," she replied and grabbed his hand and galloped to the SUV that Grissom had driven in. "What about your car?" he asked. Natasha shrugged, shutting the door behind her. "They know I leave it here sometimes. Just drive." "Yes, m'am," Grissom smiled and drove the two minute drive to Natasha's house. Next |