Disclaimer: If they were mine... but no. They're not.

This was inspired by Mazzy Star's Fade Into You. Good song. Awesome, in fact. ;)

Fade into You

Grissom liked to watch her sleep. She looked so young and innocent as the sheets covered most of her deliciously naked skin. Her right arm was flung across his pillow; she definitely was a bed hog. But she had warned him before she had first started to spend the night at his place and he had promised her he would be okay with that. He had methods of how to keep her from taking up all of the space; usually he scooted close to her and draped his arm across her waist. That kept her in place and, more importantly, close to him.

Tonight he was standing in the doorway, a sliver of light resting across the sheets covering Sara's stomach as the light from the hallway fell past him into the room. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest under the sheets, watched as she frowned in her sleep and finally turned over to his side completely. She never seemed happy until her head rested on his pillow.

Grissom smirked to himself. They could have just as easily bought a smaller bed instead of the king-sized monster that she had insisted upon. They never used all the space anyways.

"I don't want to sleep close to you after I fight with you."

That's how she had explained her need for a bed that had him scared he might lose her in it. After their first major fight she had cuddled up on her side (pissed) and he on his (scared) and when they woke up in the morning she had been draped across his chest and one of his hands had cradled her head to him. She couldn't really be mad at him after that.

She shifted again, drawing the sheets up under her chin. Her hair had fallen across her eyes but that didn't seem to disturb her peaceful sleep. He was happy she was sleeping this well these days. After her sleeping problems and the insomnia she had gotten so used to he had been worried she might come to find that sleeping in the same bed with him was a nuisance. That her sleeplessness would keep them both awake. Just a couple of months ago she had told him that she had never slept better in her life.

A small smile settled on his lips as he turned around, shut off the light in the hallway and made his way into the bathroom to brush his teeth quickly. Undressing in the dark, quiet so as not to wake her, he climbed into bed and turned to face her. Her breathing was steady and she wiped a strand of hair out of her face that now seemed to be tickling her cheek. Carefully he helped her brush all of it aside and withdrew his hand as her eyes fluttered open.

"I didn't mean to wake you." he whispered and she smiled a sleepy smile.

"'S okay." she mumbled softly. Her hand snuck up to grasp his and she stroked over the back of it with her thumb. Soft touches, as if a butterfly was brushing its wings against his skin. His skin was oh, so receptive to her touches and he smiled.

"What kept you so long?" she asked, her eyes searching his for an answer. She was always looking for answers in the depths of his eyes. As if she was going to find a treasure there, just like they found treasures at the bottom of the ocean in those pirate movies.

"I just wanted to finish reading that journal. And I was watching you sleep." His hand crept up to cup her cheek, running a thumb along her cheekbone. Sara nodded and wriggled closer, careful to stay warm under the covers. Her hair smelled of grapefruit and something else, something sweet as her head rested against his chest. He loved that smell and sucked it into his lungs as if all the air that didn't smelled like her was poisonous.

Sara raised her head and looked up at him. He looked relaxed, at ease as he held her. It had taken them a long time to be this comfortable with each other but it had been worth the wait. Slowly she leaned up and kissed him, as always loving the feel of his slightly chapped lips on hers. She couldn't get enough of his kisses.

"So good." she sighed, causing him to chuckle. He loved the easy, almost silly conversations they had when she was half asleep and he was starting to wind down. Pillow talk with her was wonderful; in fact, he had never had anybody to "pillow talk" with before.

"I'll take that as a compliment." he teased, running a foot up her leg. Giggling with her eyes closed, she caught his leg between hers.

"You should." He silenced her with a couple of light kisses. Her collarbone looked entirely too delicious and he brushed his lips across it briefly before settling down again.

"You're gorgeous." he stated matter-of-factly, making her smile again.

She didn't answer, instead snuggled back down against his chest and wound her arm around his chest.

"Sometimes I wanna fade into you…" she whispered as she fell asleep and he ran a hand through her tousled hair.

"I love you." he whispered back and she squeezed his side softly, as if to tell him that she knew that, had always known and would, in fact, always know.

The End.