[CSI: Miami] [Horatio/Marisol] [#01 - Ice Cream]
Title: Vanilla
Author:
stunt_muppet
Prompt: #1, “Ice cream”
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairing: Horatio/Marisol
Rating: PG
Word Count: 512
Warnings: Complete fluff. Not a serious syllable in the bunch. Also, dialogue-focused rather than description-focused.
Disclaimer: CSI: Miami and all characters and situations thereof are the property of CBS, Bruckheimer Productions, etc. I’m just borrowing them for a moment.
*_*_*_*
The sun had been shining all day; the temperature had hovered at 95 Fahrenheit; it was humid but not sticky.
It was, in other words, a perfect day for ice cream. Marisol had noted this. And, when they reached the nearest ice-cream shop, Horatio had been happy to indulge her.
But a slight complication had emerged when she had insisted that he get something for himself. Polite refusals had only made her more persistent.
So he had bought a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This only seemed to irritate her.
“You can’t get vanilla,” she said, taking a bite out of her mint-chocolate-chip with chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles. “Nobody likes vanilla.”
“I like vanilla,” Horatio replied.
“No, you don’t. Nobody really likes vanilla. They may say they do, but they don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s boring, that’s why,” she took a seat on a nearby park bench. “It has no flavor. It’s bland. It’s…it’s not real ice cream. It’s what you add stuff to to get ice cream.”
He sat down next to her. “Well, I could argue that vanilla has no flavor so that nothing gets in the way of the cold, creamy essence of the ice cream.” He pointed with a spoonful of the offending vanilla.
“You could argue that, but you’d be wrong.” She said, sounding satisfied. “What’s the point of ice cream if it doesn’t have a flavor? Or if it’s not even sweet? Might as well not even be dessert if it isn’t sweet.”
“Vanilla’s plenty sweet.”
“Not as sweet as it could be.”
“Does it have to be?”
She shrugged. “I think it should be, anyway. I dunno, maybe it’s a Cuban thing.” Another bite. “We’ve got two basic attitudes about food. If it’s an entrée, add garlic; if it’s dessert, add sugar. Have you ever had flan?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“I figured.” She laughed. “You’ve lived in Miami all this time and you’ve never had flan?”
“I’ve only been here ten years. Not that long, really.”
“That’s still a long time to have never had flan. You can get it at any half-decent restaurant. It’s better homemade, though.” A smile, as she turned to face him. “I’ll make it for you, next time you come over for dinner. I don’t make it nearly as well as my mom does, but…”
“I may have to take you up on that,” Horatio replied. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“It’s never too much trouble.” She said. “Whenever you get sick of eating dinner by yourself, all you have to do is stop by.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Positive.”
He grinned shyly and looked away. “That’s…that’s very sweet of you.”
“Not too sweet, though?” She asked, teasingly indicating another spoonful of ice cream. He only shook his head, unsure of how to respond.
Completely on impulse, she leaned close to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Come on,” she said as she got up. “Did you want to keep walking?”
It took a moment for him to stand up and follow her.
Cross-posted to my journal and
csimiami