Checkmate

Author: Daniela
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Greg/Grissom
Rating: PG
Category: Romance/Humor
Serie/Sequel: Breaking the Ice
Disclaimer: I don´t own them but I love them dearly.
Summary: Greg and Grissom play a game of chess
Warnings: A few spoilers for the 2. season
Feedback: Yes, please. It´s the icing on my cake.
Email: daniforblue@yahoo.de
Released: May 2003
Beta: Sarah, Monika

It was a peaceful day at the lab. When Grissom dropped in at the break room, Greg was sitting alone at the table, poring over a chessboard. Grissom surprised himself by feeling drawn to Greg. He strolled over and teased: "Apparently you´ve got too much time on your hands again."

"It´s my break," Greg startled.

Grissom pacified him saying, "Well, there isn't much going on at the moment anyway." For a minute, he watched Greg play. "Do you often play with yourself?"

Greg´s head jerked up, and he stared at Grissom. His brown eyes seemed almost black. Did Grissom have any idea what he just said? Certainly not. Greg sighed excessively. "Yes, that´s the problem."

Grissom surprised himself a second time when he added, "Do you want to play with me?"

For a moment, Greg was speechless. "Sure," he granted, as he finally found his voice. "It´s much more fun to play with someone else." He restrained a grin.

While they positioned the chessmen, he fought his nervousness. Grissom had never wanted to play chess with him before. Of course, every one of the CSI´s knew that Grissom was a very good player. Only Warrick had beaten him. Why did Grissom want to play with him now? Greg had absolutely no idea. It makes me happy. Who cares about the reason.

For a while, both silently concentrated on the game.

Greg couldn´t stand this for long. "I was captain of the chess club at High School," he suddenly burst out.

Grissom looked at him. "Indeed?"

Cheered up by the short remark, Greg talked frankly now. "I was rather good. Unfortunately, I´ve had little exercise in the recent years. I simply lacked equal opponents."

Grissom was smiling. "I always thought you had been a football player."

Greg laughed. "You certainly didn´t think that."

Grissom´s smile deepened. "Or a baseball player. With your athletic body."

Silence. Greg was perplexed. Grissom regarded his body as athletic? How could he? He knew himself, his body was no more than slender. Grissom might be kidding, but he didn't know for sure. Grissom was acting really strange. Like never before. Greg felt puzzled.

While they talked, David had been in the room and had put a kettle on. He had thrown them a curious glance, but finally left without saying a word. The kettle started to whistle.

Greg got up to turn the boiling water off.

Grissom looked confused. "Where are you going?"

"The water was boiling," Greg replied. "Don´t you hear and see anything while you play?"

Grissom winced visibly at this remark. "Perhaps your constant babbling is the reason why I can´t hear anything else." He was immediately sorry for his stupid back talk when he saw Greg´s hurt look. Trying to reestablish the good mood, Grissom started to talk. "My mother taught me to play chess when I was very young. She likes this game very much."

"Why?" Greg asked eagerly, having forgiven him already.

"Because you need your brain and little to no conversation."

"Well, that´s why you like it too, isn´t it?" Greg mocked him.

This truly cheered Grissom up. "Perhaps sometimes."

The game went on, and Grissom took Greg´s queen.

Greg´s lips twitched slightly, but he didn´t comment on it. "Doesn´t your mother like to talk to others?" Greg asked curiously. He was secretly pleased, because his boss had finally exposed something about himself.

Grissom stayed silent for a long time, looking undecided.

He will simply ignore my question, Greg thought and was wrong.

"My mother likes to speak to other people. Only some don´t like to speak to her. She is deaf."

Greg was dumbfounded and concentrated on the game to stall time. With his next move, he took Grissom´s castle and announced, "Checkmate!"

Baffled, Grissom realized he had been tricked. He shouldn´t have taken Greg´s queen.

Greg grinned triumphantly, but then he mumbled, "Your mother certainly has had a hard time, and you probably do too."

"With you I have it much harder," Grissom joked merrily.

Greg was slightly blushing. He simply was not used to such delightful jokes from Grissom. "I have to go back to work now, otherwise I´ll get into trouble with my boss."

Grissom cast him an amused look. "It was a good game."

"Perhaps I´ll give you a rematch sometime."

"Yes, in the meantime I´ll have to practice."

Satisfied with himself, Greg hurried back to his desk and thought about what he had learned today. So, Grissom's mother is deaf. Who knows about this? Why does he keep it a secret? A secret that he´s now told me. Me, Greg Sanders.

Unbelievable.