Title: Flowers and Chocolates
Author: Sam
Rating: PG
Warnings: Talk of kink. Ecklie anoying.
Archive: Sure, let me know.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will, suing only gets you one very disobidient dog and a cat that thinks she owns the house. -----------------

Not Just Flowers and Chocolates

Flowers and chocolates. Candied hearts. Big, floppy stuffed dogs so soft you ached to touch, with sad, hopeful eyes. Or big gorillas, holding more of those flowers, hearts and chocolates, looking as if they may just as well throw you over their shoulders as woo you with their gifts.

Me Gorilla, You Valentine. Deal with it.

Sigh.

Stupid Cupid Day. The one day of the year it really sucked being single. Or, at least, *appearing* to be single. Somehow he didn't think it would be particularly wise to show up to work with a Valentines present for his boss.

*Definitely* not wise to show up bearing - or, in his case, wearing - the present he wanted to give Grissom; at least not in public. Black leather, handcuffs and a fairly easy Cat with a few more than nine tails for starters. So he had a kink streak? Wouldn't due for his lover to have a heart attack and ruin all of his best laid plans.

Or best plans for him getting laid.

Greg shook his head, tsking himself as he walked down the hallway toward his lab, knowing Nick and Cath would have something for him soon. *Bad humor, Greg-my-boy. Just awful.* Still, a grin escaped and he couldn't help it. In his mind's eye he could see Gil trying not to laugh at that, mouth twitching up just so, twinkle in those baby blues giving him away...

"Ah, I got it bad." Chuckling, he debated wearing something around the lab just to make Ecklie twitch and blow a vein, but in the end decided to go for just the twitch instead of the full effect. He really didn't want to be cleaning up brain and blood spatter if Ecklie lost it. He had plans for after shift..."So maybe just enough to give myself a laugh..."

He used to irritate Grissom that same way; wearing swami hats, a latex glove like a rooster's crest on his head. He even wore a pink feather boa once. And yeah, he was a little startled when all he got for that one was an amused raise of an eyebrow and a knowing little perse of those lips...

Ah, but the following little 'talk' more than made up for the office gossip over the prank.

*So maybe just the pirate hat and eye patch today,* he decided, pulling the items from his drawer and settling the black, beaten, beaded and beribboned monster on his head. The moment he stood to gauge the full effect, sure enough, double score when Ecklie walked by, Grissom on his left, looking rather resigned.

*Must be talking case jurisdiction or paperwork again. Wonder if Ecklie ever figured out yet that Gil just doesn't care about climbing the corporate ladder?*

Spotting The Hat, Ecklie stopped in mid rant to give him the evil eye, mouth tightening and....yes! There was the tick, vein throbbing at his temple, eyes narrowed in self-righteous irritation.

Greg smiled and offered him a saucy salute. It didn't help that Grissom was trying to hold back a smirk and pretty much failing miserably.

Seeing this, the day shift supervisor stormed off, leaving only Greg and Gil standing in an otherwise empty hallway.

"You do know you irritate him all out of proportion when you do that, don't you?"

Greg laughed and with a quirk of an eyebrow and pointed look, admitted in his best haughty air, "It's what I do best." Only to flush at the look Grissom was suddenly giving him; hot, commanding and all too knowing for his body to keep it's cool.

"Really? I'm, afraid I'd have to...disagree with that."

"Hmm." He allowed his own voice to drop. "I might be...persuaded to see what you have in mind...maybe over dinner?" Eyes meeting, Greg licked his lips in a subtle tease, loving the effect it had on the older man, watching him swallow and close his eyes. "My place, 8 o'clock?"

Grissom opened his eyes, the husk in the normal steady tone readily noticeable as he challenged, "Don't you mean breakfast?"

"Sure. Pancakes and..." Greg smiled, making sure to keep it rough and wicked under the hat and once more perfectly placed eye patch. "...syrup...it is."

Gil groaned but shook his head, smiling. "One of these days, Greg, I'm going to be resting down on Robbins table and *you* - " he pointed a finger at him. " - are going to tell him why I died with a smile on my face."

"Nuh-uh. No way."

"Right." Grissom hurmphed and turned to go, adding as an after thought, "Nice hat. Though I'd lose the eye patch. At least while working on the Mobret homicide. I'd hate for Brass to shoot you for missing evidence before I had a chance to...eat breakfast."

The shiver that ran down his spine at that little bit of innuendo had absolutely nothing to do with getting shot - at least not by Brass - and Greg wondered if it was too late to trade in the pancakes for Belgiun waffles?

After all, who needed flowers and chocolates when one had handcuffs and whipped cream?

End