Title: When the Night Descends
Author: Ardvari
Feedback address: ardvari@hotmail.com
Date in Calendar: 22 December 2007
Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Sara/Sofia
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3443
Summary: Sara was hers to touch, she was the key to Sara's lock and she was starting to turn, slowly and deliberately, to turn something loose that had been locked up tightly.
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DW07

Disclaimer: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigators," CBS, or any representatives of Louise Lombard, Jorja Fox, or Marg Helgenberger.

Note: My ever gracious thank you goes to Princessklutz04 and Shatterpath for the beta.

When the Night Descends

Night crept over the city, forced the sun down behind the mountains in the distance as Sara looked out the window, following the taillights of a car with her eyes as it rounded the corner.

She was standing too close to the window, her breath fogging up the glass, in a tiny circle of warmth. With the tip of her finger she drew a heart, watched as the circle around it grew smaller and the heart vanished into nothingness.

Maybe when the sunlight hit the glass in the morning Sofia would find it. A tiny, nearly invisible heart that spoke of all the things Sara couldn't find a way to admit.

That this was more than sex. That she was starting to feel something grow deep down within her, a tiny little bud of something she hadn't felt before, a flutter close to her heart, something that made her catch her breath. A scary feeling that made her laugh nervously, made her wrap her arms around herself.

"Are you cold?" Sofia asked from across the room, a steaming pot in one hand, two forks in the other.

"No just... thinking." Sara turned away from the window, away from the invisible heart and the glistening lights with a smile.

"Hm. Dinner's ready." Blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes, Sofia put the pot down on the cork mat on the coffee table and held out a fork to Sara.

"Why do we never use plates?"

"Less dishes. Less hassle. More time for other... things." Sofia explained, making Sara blush. She took the fork, sat down next to Sofia on the floor and leaned back against the couch.

Digging into the pasta, Sara subconsciously leaned into Sofia just the way she always did, the two of them huddled on the floor like conspiring school girls with one too many secrets to keep.

It reminded her of being little, of hiding in her closet with a book and a flashlight while her parents tore down the house. Sometimes she wished there had been someone there to huddle with back then. That a younger Sofia had shared the closet with her, had wrapped an arm around her and told her it was okay.

"You don't wanna take the night off?" Sofia asked softly, half turned to an unusually quiet Sara.

"Why?" brushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear, she munched on a piece of green pepper, savoring the taste of it.

"You seem... off. Sara? Are you... breaking up with me?" the tremor in Sofia's voice was just a little too much to bear, Sara turned around, eyes wide and shocked.

"No! God no! Nonono. What made you think...?" she broke off, leaned forward and grabbed Sofia for a startlingly harsh kiss full of emotion.

They broke away from each other, both slightly surprised by the raw emotions all of a sudden so very exposed between them, as if the proverbial bell jar had been lifted and he emotions that had clung to the outside of the glass now surrounded them, danced on the air between them.

"What are we doing?" Sara whispered, leaning closer again, her face inches away from Sofia's.

"What feels right. I keep telling you to stop thinking. Just feel." Her lips brushing over Sara's, she felt the other woman tense.

"So hard to let go..."

Sofia shifted, her tongue licking across Sara's bottom lip softly.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, waiting for Sara to open her eyes, big and glazed and delicious.

"Y-yes." It was a barely audible sigh; a small acknowledgment that whatever was between them was starting to grow roots.

A quick glance to the clock on the wall made Sofia smirk a devilish little smirk that sent a shiver down Sara's spine.

"You need to go." she said, cupping Sara's cheek softly.

Sara looked down at her lap, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"I wish I didn't have to."

"Well, let me put it this way: You'll have something to look forward to when you get home. Here, I mean." It was Sofia's turn to blush. Neither of them was good at admitting that they had moved past the state of casual sex.

This was more and it scared them both.

"I can't wait to come... home." A shy smile stole across Sara's face as she got up, helped Sofia to her feet and brought her in for another kiss, hard and slow and deep.

*+*+*+*

The lab was quiet, the usual cool atmosphere that drove the flush out of Sara's cheeks and made her long for a warm hand on her spine. She had come to hate working on the nights Sofia was off, caught herself glancing around the corners because she wanted so much to catch a quick smile, a tiny wink that would keep her going.

So she buried herself in work, spent the night glued to a computer screen going through too many missing persons cases to count. It was easy to lose herself in the faces of person after missing person, one fake smile after the other, life etched into pale skin, into dark skin. The sad eyes of a ten year old girl made her stall for a moment as she eyed the girl, measured her up against the picture of herself as a ten year old. Perfect match. Abuse. One way or the other. If she told Grissom, he would tell her to not let her emotions cloud her judgment. If she told Sofia, she would squeeze her hand, knowing that words didn't make the past go away. Words couldn't heal the wounds that time had passed by carelessly.

She sighed, scrolled down and pretended that the past didn't still inhabit a small, dark part of her soul.

When she signed off, threw a jacket over her shoulders and stepped out into the cool Vegas morning, she caught herself gripping the shiny new key in her pocket tightly. Sofia had left it on the counter for her weeks ago, had left her asleep in sheets that smelled of women and nothing but. It had been a bit of a surprise and just a tad scary for a moment just before a warm feeling washed through her, taking all the fear and the nagging feelings away.

Sara went to her apartment for a quick shower, tied her hair back in a haphazard ponytail before she drove the short distance to Sofia's place.

A quick thrill ran through her as she pushed the key into the hole with an air of finality, the door popping open with a quiet creak. The apartment was dark, curtains shutting out the light. Sara knew that Sofia probably hadn't slept much, had probably read and cleaned and shopped because there was a fresh pineapple on the counter and the magazines on the coffee table that had been offset by Sara's left leg yesterday were stacked neatly. She pursed her lips at the memory of how exactly her leg had wiped everything clear off the table as she pulled off her shoes and tip-toed into the dark bedroom.

She felt giddy and stifled a quick bubbly laugh by pulling her shirt over her head and stripping out of her pants before she slid beneath the covers, leaving swift, hot kisses along Sofia's shoulder.

The blonde woman smiled into her pillow, sighed softly, her face half disguised by strands of hair.

"I wanted to be awake when you got back." she mumbled, her voice tinged with sleep.

"Don't worry about it." Sara whispered into the hollow of her throat, right against that soft biteable skin.

Sofia wrapped her arms around her, pulled her close and for a moment, the two of them lay entangled, legs entwined, bodies pressed together in the darkened bedroom.

Sometimes Sara felt as if their bodies molded together like two pieces of clay, soft and malleable, pushed together into one.

"Are you willing to play a little game with me, Sara?" Sofia asked, wrapped a strand of the other woman's hair around her finger and tugged lightly.

"Depends on the game... and the players." Sara answered vaguely, pursing her lips.

"The game will be... bonding and I will play... with you."

Sara looked at her slightly stunned, feeling the heat course through her body in low, pulsing waves. With a quick nod she leaned into Sofia, sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and whispered a tiny "Yes" against her mouth.

"Good. That's good." Sofia disentangled herself from Sara and the sheets, got up and walked out into the kitchen, leaving a slightly confused Sara behind.

Sara sat up and scooted up until she could lean against the headboard, bundled the covers around herself because despite the warmth in the apartment she was shivering. Sweet anticipation mingled with a sliver of fear made her shudder, made her wonder what would happen if she said no, if she just walked out, left all of this behind.

It was when Sofia returned with a plate balanced on her forearm and a couple of scarves draped across the other that Sara realized she didn't want to. She didn't want to walk out, leave and wonder what it would have been like to stay.

Sofia sat down on the edge of the bed, her long limbs folded gracefully as she watched Sara, smiling lazily under the other woman's wide, slightly scared gaze.

"I cut some fruit. But- I'm going to blindfold you and feed you and when the plate's empty I'm going to tie you down and teach you to let go. Can you deal with that?" Sofia's voice, always husky, sounded as if it had been dipped in sweet, hot, slow sex and a shiver ran down Sara's spine.

"I've never been..." she started, looking down at her wrists, wondering what Sofia's silky scarves would feel like against her skin, would feel holding her in place.

"There's always a first time for everything." Sofia broke in, lifted an eyebrow at Sara challengingly. Her eyes were a stormy blue, a color Sara loved, wanted to dive into.

"Okay. Okay. What if I..."

"You can always say stop. We should, in fact, have a safe word." Sofia said, put the plate down on the tangled sheets and covers and held out a hand to Sara.

The other woman slid closer, let the sheets fall away from her body and for a moment they sat across from each other, both gloriously naked in the diffused early morning light stealing its way in through the thick heavy curtains.

"Come here." Sofia whispered gently, pulled Sara towards her and hugged her before she slid the scarf around her eyes, tightened it and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Blue. If you want me to stop at any time, you have to say blue."

Sara nodded; let Sofia push her back until she was once again resting against the headboard. It was insanely quiet in the bedroom for a moment, Sara was hyper aware of her skin, of every little movement the mattress underneath her made.

"'Fia?" she finally asked, an unsure feeling washing over her as she felt incredibly alone in the dark, just before a slice of something cool and juicy was placed against her lips.

"Hm?"

Sara sucked on the fruit, sweet pineapple juice flooding her senses. She chewed and swallowed and moaned slightly, sensing Sofia's chuckle more than she could hear it.

"Good..." Sara said, feeling Sofia slide closer until their legs touched, warm skin resting against warm skin and Sara felt as if flames licked up her thighs.

"Open your pretty mouth Sara." Sofia whispered, drew a strawberry along Sara's bottom lip, watched as she half opened her mouth, nipped at the fruit.

Sara loved the taste of strawberries. Above all else, strawberries signified the beginning of summer, of that tiny bit of reckless carelessness she had experienced when she had gone to college, a feeling she experienced again whenever she was around Sofia.

She could feel the other woman's mouth on hers and before she had finished reveling in the taste of the berry, felt Sofia's tongue between her lips, dueling with hers, tasting the strawberry on her.

Whimpering softly, she reached out to Sofia, let cool hands whisper across warm skin that felt so different now that she couldn't see it. Sofia broke the contact, moved away from Sara's searching hands and laughed softly.

"Patience, Sara. So much fruit left, so much time..." Sofia teased, making Sara moan again. She was impatient and quick and waiting wasn't something she was used to. It made her restless and squirmy because she was so damned wet already and wanted nothing more than Sofia's hand between her thighs.

"Damn it." Sara muttered under her breath but was silenced by a slice of orange pressed against her lips, the juice cool and welcome as she sucked it into her mouth; let the taste flood over her palate.

She was completely on fire by the time Sofia fed her the last piece of fruit, her skin tingling, a deep, low throb between her thighs that made her want to moan and whimper and beg Sofia to touch her.

For a moment the safe word was on the tip of her tongue, ready to slip off along with the blindfold so she could launch herself at Sofia, feel her warm skin underneath her own.

A shuddery breath escaped her as she felt a silk scarf being wrapped around her wrist, the soft material cool at first but warming quickly.

"Scoot down. Raise your arms, Sara." Sofia commanded softly, leaning down to brush her lips with Sara's briefly.

Feeling hot and cold, with every nerve ending on fire, an electric blue flame that licked at them savagely, Sara did as she was told with just the tiniest hint of reluctance.

She felt her left hand being tied and tugged on the bond lightly, trying to see if it would give and not at all surprised that it didn't. Sofia slid over her, deliberately close, skin on skin sending another rush of raw need right between Sara's legs.

Sofia tightened the other knot and Sara knew, could feel that the other woman's eyes roamed over her body. She hated the fact that her nipples pebbled up without a single touch and that she squirmed despite not being able to see Sofia's hungry eyes.

"Today is all about you, you know? I'm going to make you feel like you've never felt before. I know that we're close Sara, probably closer than I've ever been to anyone and yet there's something in you that I can't reach. Should I try and reach it?" Sofia's hand skimmed along her thigh, over a beautifully carved hipbone and up the flat expanse of Sara's stomach.

"Y-yes." Sara hissed just as talented fingers danced across the sensitive skin right underneath her breast.

A warm mouth closed over one nipple, tongue flicking out almost lazily and Sara moaned. This feeling of not knowing where Sofia would touch her next, which part of her she would kiss drove her crazy as she felt liquid energy burning between her thighs.

"You have the softest skin, you know that? It's both soft and resilient, weak and strong and oh so lickable." Sofia teased softly, nipped at Sara's neck and followed the path of her carotid artery with her tongue.

"Nnngh..." was all Sara managed to force past half opened lips. Her head rolled to the side and her breathing grew heavier and deeper with each tongue swipe, each nip, each kiss Sofia left on her body. One hand finally traveled down Sara's body, snaking down between Sara's legs.

"Hmmm... you know, the skin on your thighs... just thinking about how soft it is makes me dripping wet sometimes. When I'm at the lab and I see you walking by... all I have to do is imagine you right here in this bed, your eyes so deep and dark and hungry I have to be so very, very careful not to drown in them and I have to concentrate so hard not to come right then and there." Sofia whispered against Sara's lips, her hand curling around the tied up woman' sex, making Sara arch up against her.

A low laugh escaped Sofia, pleased and a little surprised that Sara was in the process of losing it completely and utterly, the way she had never lost it before.

"Sofia..." she whispered softly, her voice low and husky as Sofia's fingers slid through her cleft slowly and deliberately. Much too slowly.

"So very, very wet Sara." Sofia said. Her fingers were talented, knew exactly where to stroke and when she finally pushed one finger into Sara's slick heat, the other woman cried out helplessly.

"God Sara you're so fucking tight it drives me insane. Everything about you drives me insane and sometimes I think you don't even know." Sofia whispered, a low, husky growl that made Sara squirm deliciously.

"I do... oh fuck I do." Sara choked out, arching her hips up into Sofia's hand, trying to get her hand pressed more firmly against her clit.

Sofia gave in for just one delightful fraction of a second and pushed deeper into Sara, her thumb stroking over her clit softly, a little flutter like the wings of a butterfly. Sara, bound and blindfolded, heaved a shuddering breath.

"You want this so much, don't you? And yet you don't know what you want. Your brain is confusing your heart." Sofia's lips landed somewhere along Sara's collarbone, she kissed her way down between her breasts, one hand stroking across a taut nipple leisurely while the other one still curled into Sara, increasing the pressure slightly.

Sara felt the tension inside of her grow, felt her desire and her lust and all of her emotions bubble up and spiral down, centering right where Sofia's palm cupped her gently.

For a moment she almost wished she had been gagged instead of blindfolded because she wanted with all her heart to have something to chew on, dig her teeth into as Sofia continued her sweet, slow torture.

She kissed and nipped and licked her way down Sara's body, smiling as Sara's stomach muscles quivered under hot, open mouthed kisses.

"'Fia, Christ, pleeease..."

"God, I love to make you beg baby." Sofia laughed, her tongue all of a sudden right where Sara needed it to be. She bucked up against Sofia's mouth, her brain on sensory overload as she cursed rather loudly.

"Geez, watch your language Miss Sidle." Sofia looked up Sara's writhing, lean frame and shuddered at the sight of the other woman completely lost now. She definitely wasn't thinking anymore, just feeling and wanting and needing and so, so wet.

Sofia rubbed herself on Sara's leg, feeling hornier than ever, her tongue circling Sara's clit. She could feel the other woman shuddering, mumbling and moaning and yelping occasionally until she convulsed and came, long and hard and deep.

Sofia rubbed harder against Sara's thigh, the sight in front of her and the sweet friction between her legs making her tumble over the edge soon after. She collapsed on top of Sara, their breathing ragged as she reached up and untied the bonds.

Sara's arms came down around her, hugged her close. For now she didn't seem worried about the blindfold still in place, seemed to enjoyed the utter darkness and the soft weight of Sofia on top of her.

They drifted off to sleep, long hours passing by unnoticed as they lay entangled. Eventually Sofia woke up, slightly achy and shivering just a bit because the air conditioning had chilled the sweat on her skin. She carefully rolled off of Sara, still dead to the world with her blindfold in place.

Sofia looked down at her for a moment, watched her chest rise and fall, her lips parted slightly. She looked young and innocent as Sofia pulled the sheets up around her sleeping frame and walked out into the living room.

The sun slanted through the big windows and when she walked closer, she noticed the smudge on the glass, the heart drawn there, a tiny, almost invisible acknowledgement. Smiling, she rested her palm against the glass, right on top of the heart.

What Sara couldn't say was right underneath her hand, just like everything was under her hand when it came to Sara. Sara was hers to touch, she was the key to Sara's lock and she was starting to turn, slowly and deliberately, to turn something loose that had been locked up tightly.