Title : A Night Out
By: lin71
Pairing: Warrick/Nick (who else?)
Prompt: # 031 Music (maybe more ‘facing the music’ than actual music)
Rating: Fuck if I know. I think FRM is pretty much on the safe side, no clothes coming off in this one.
Series: 1) Rough Case, 2) Visiting Nick, 3) The Evening After the Morning Before, 4) The New Guy, 5) Honesty, 6) Seize the Opportunity
Summary: Warrick is trying to ease Nick into accepting himself by taking him on a date. The evening turns out to more than he had hoped for.
Disclaimer : Not mine. I really wish Warrick was, but he’s not, darn it. And since I don’t own much anyway, don’t sue me. I really would be a waste of time for the both of us.
Feedback: would be great, just be nice about it.
A/N this isn’t exactly where I wanted to go when I started this chapter, but somehow the boys didn’t want to listen to me. That or I should stop writing while being slightly intoxicated.

‘Oh no Nicky,’ Warrick said, returning from the kitchen with two plates stacked with sandwiches. ‘There’s no way we’re gonna spend our first free evening together at home playing couch potatoes. Nights off are meant for going out.’
 
Nick pretended to pout, standing up to get something to drink for the both of them. ‘Rick, you know I’m not the clubbing type.’
 
‘I know you’re not babe, and I’m not gonna take you to some sort of hardcore party. Just some place that’s not too big, not too crowded and where the music is kinda mellow.’
 
He came up behind Nick, wrapping his arms around Nick’s waist and kissing his neck.
 
‘I just wanna be able to dance with you, Nicky. I wanna see you in some tight jeans, maybe a silk shirt, losing yourself in the beat, getting all hot and sweaty. You know I love to see you like that.’
 
He dropped his voice a little, knowing the effect it has on his lover.
 
‘It’s like a whole evening of foreplay Nicky. I’ll pick some place that’s gay-friendly, so we don’t have to worry about someone being bothered by us kissing, touching,’ he pressed his body harder against Nick’s, swaying a little to some unheard song, ‘me holding you like this while we dance. Just think about it, okay?’
 
Nick sighed, he knew he was losing this battle, but the way Warrick was holding him somehow made him lose his will to argue. He let his head fall back on Warrick’s shoulder, turning his face towards the other man.
 
‘All right, we’ll go. But next time I get to choose what we’re doing on our night off. Just promise me we’ll go some place you’ve never seen anybody from the lab before. Don’t want to spend half the night looking over my shoulder for familiar faces.’
 
Taking a mental note of the fact that Nick obviously didn’t oppose to some making out in public, Warrick nodded his agreement.
 
‘Let me handle that Nicky,’ he said, licking a slow path from Nick’s shoulder to his ear. ‘All you need to do is get ready on time, and don’t worry about anything else besides having fun.’
 
Nick turned in his arms and pulled Warrick’s head down, tracing the other man’s lips with his tongue before entering his mouth.
 
‘Or we could just stay in,’ he suggested, when they had finally broken contact, pressing his erection against Warrick. Warrick grinned.
 
‘I think I’ve unleashed some kind of monster. You just can’t get enough, can you?’
 
Nick blushed, but tried to keep his cool. ‘Hey, I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.’
 
‘Just hold that thought baby, it will make the whole evening all the more interesting. Now let’s eat first, okay?’
 
Nick stole a quick kiss before taking a mouthful of sandwich. ‘Okay, I can take a hint. But you’d better make it up to me later.’
 
They made quick work of their food, and after the last bite Nick got up from his chair.
 
‘I’m gonna head home to change,’ he said. ‘You want me to pick you up later?’
 
‘Hell no!’ Warrick answered. ‘No way one of us won’t be drinking tonight. I’ll take a cab and let him swing by your place to pick you up. That way we won’t have to go back in search of a car we left there tomorrow.’
 
‘What time will you be there?’
 
Warrick looked at his watch; it was about 8 p.m. now. ‘Is around 10 okay with you?’
 
Nick chuckled. ‘Rick, if I’m home in 20 minutes, I can be ready 10 minutes later. I’m a CSI remember, specialized it getting ready to leave the house quickly whenever needed.’
 
‘Okay, 10 it is then.’ Warrick took Nick in his arms to kiss him, before he turned him towards the door and swatted him on his butt. ‘Now go, I’ll see you later.’
 
‘Later,’ Nick answered, still smiling and rubbing his offended behind on the way out.
 
 
That smile had pretty much faded by the time he got home and realized what he was about to do. What they were about to do. It was one thing to constantly be all over each other when they were at home, or on a deserted road for that matter, but going out as a couple was a whole different thing. People would see them together and know. Nick suddenly felt nervous and far from ready to do something like that. Going out in public would make it all the more real, would really mean that he is gay.

He rubbed his hand across his face, working up the courage to get off of the couch and shower and get dressed. He could do this. Warrick promised him to go somewhere they didn’t know anybody, so nobody would care about them. Their secret would remain safe, at least for now.
 
Half an hour before Warrick would get there. Nick finally got up and shed his clothes on the way to the shower. Standing under the hot spray, he tried to get his heartbeat to calm down a little, to relax a bit. But somehow even the memory about standing in this shower with Warrick two days earlier didn’t help. He sighed, turning off the shower and grabbing a towel. He felt like a coward. He knew full well that a lot of people wouldn’t care who he slept with, but still he felt somewhat ashamed of the fact that he slept with a man. And subsequently he felt ashamed for feeling something like that. If only Warrick were here to calm his fears.
 
While he was combing his hair, he looked himself in the eye in the mirror.
 
‘Now start behaving like an adult,’ he said at his reflection. ‘You know you can trust Rick. He hasn’t forced you into anything you’re not ready for, and you can’t stay inside your house for the rest of your life.’
 
His reflection still didn’t look very convinced.
 
‘And now you are going to get ready and look your best, damnit,’ he continued. ‘You know Rick is everything you’ve ever wanted in a lover. He’s kind, loving, strong and the most beautiful and sexy man you’ve ever seen. So you’re gay, big deal, it’s not like you’re a serial killer or something. It’s about time you start accepting yourself, or would you rather lose him?’
 
His reflection of course didn’t answer, but he knew what the answer was. He didn’t want to lose Warrick. The idea alone was enough to make his stomach ache. He’d never felt so strong about someone before, had loved Warrick before he even wanted to admit it to himself. So if he didn’t want to hide from the whole world for the rest of his life, he had to get over his fears. He just wasn’t sure that would happen tonight.
Dressed in only a towel he walked over to his bedroom to pick out an outfit for the night. After trying and dismissing several shirts, he finally opted for a somewhat tight silk shirt in a dark red color that, according to an ex-girlfriend, worked miracles on his eyes. The jeans were the easy part. An old pair, tight and looking slightly worn in all the right places. A glance in the mirror showed he was looking pretty good, and the nervousness he felt earlier got at least partly replaced by anticipation of how Warrick would react to his looks.
 
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door. Nick opened and saw Warrick standing there, wearing a dark-blue shirt and a pair of jeans that accentuated his long legs.
 
‘You look gorgeous,’ Nick blurted out without thinking.
 
‘So do you baby,’ Warrick answered, kissing a blushing Nick briefly. ‘Cab’s still waiting outside. Wanna get going?’
 
Nick took a deep breath. ‘Sure. Where are we going?’
 
‘Goodtimes, on Tropicana,’ Warrick answered. ‘It’s a gay club, but nothing extreme. It has a dance floor, some more quiet areas where you can actually talk and I believe some pool tables as well. Or at least they had last time I was there.’
 
‘And you’ve never see anybody from the lab there?’ Nick asked a bit hesitantly.
 
Warrick wrapped his arms around him. ‘Never. And if someone would show up there, there’s a big chance of them being gay too, or at least open-minded enough not to care.’
 
Still holding one arm around Nick’s waist, he guided him outside. ‘You’ll be fine babe. Now let’s go have us some fun.’
 
‘Could do that right here,’ Nick muttered, locking his door and walking towards the cab.
 
‘And we’re going to when we get back,’ Warrick whispered in his ear. ‘Look Nicky, I know this all feels weird to you, but I know you’re gonna like it. I wouldn’t drag you into something I know you’d hate.’
 
Twenty minutes later they arrived and saw a few people standing outside, waiting to get in. Warrick walked past the waiting line and yelled at the 7 feet tall bouncer.
 
‘Yo, Shorty! What does a guy have to do around here to get himself a drink?’
 
Nick looked at him, shock visible in his eyes. The bouncer turned his head to see who was yelling, and a large smile came on his face.
 
‘Cookie!’ he yelled back enthusiastically, causing Nick to chuckle. ‘Long time no see. Get your ass over here.’
 
Warrick took Nick’s hand and dragged him to the door.
 
‘Nick, this ugly giant here is Dan Orensen. Dan, meet Nick Stokes.’
 
Dan extended his large hand and shook Nick’s firmly. ‘So, you’re with Cookie?’
 
Nick nodded, and then asked the obvious question. ‘Cookie?’
 
Warrick looked pained. ‘Dan somehow got from calling me Brown to Brownie and ended up calling me Cookie. He’s done that ever since high school, and I’ve given up on trying to make him quit.’
 
He turned to Dan. ‘Can we go in?’
 
Dan stepped aside. ‘Of course. But not before you promise that we’ll get together sometime. I don’t think I’ve seen you after Linda has been born six months ago.’
 
‘I’ll give you a call tomorrow afternoon,’ Warrick answered. ‘I’d love to see Natasha and the baby again.’
 
They entered the club, and taking in his surroundings, Nick noticed that Warrick had been right. It wasn’t too big, the music wasn’t too extreme and he definitely saw some straight couples present as well. He almost sighed from relief. Warrick came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist.
 
‘See, just like every other club.’
 
Nick turned his head and looked at him. ‘Yeah, I don’t know why I expected it to be something else.’
 
‘It’s because you still see yourself as being different. You’re not, I’m not, and over here nobody thinks we are. And if some stupid bigot ends up here and gets some ideas, there’s always Dan to help them out pretty quickly and usually head first.’
 
He guided Nick to the bar. ‘Now let’s get some drinks. I don’t dance totally sober and I definitely plan on getting you on that floor sometime tonight.’
 
They made their way to the bar, and Warrick got them both a beer. He guided Nick to a more quiet part of the club where they had a good view on the crowd. When he handed Nick his beer, he stole a quick kiss. It made Nick tense up visibly. Something Warrick noticed, of course.
 
‘Nick, it’s okay. Nobody’s gonna mind, really.’
 
Nick tried to relax a little. ‘I know Rick, it’s just… I’m nervous as hell about this whole evening. I just don’t wanna……’ He fell silent.
 
Warrick cupped his chin and made him look straight into his eyes. ‘Don’t wanna what, baby?’
 
‘Don’t wanna disappoint you,’ he said bashfully. And when he saw that Warrick wanted to reassure him, he cut him off, suddenly wanting to lay all his cards on the table. ‘No, just let me... I love you Rick, maybe it’s way too early to say it, but I do. And I want to go out with you and act like any other couple, but I’m so used to hiding that it’s hard for me to let go. I’ll try, but I can’t always control a first reaction.’
 
Warrick pulled Nick in his arms, trying to blink away the sudden sting of tears he felt. He buried his face in Nick’s hair. ‘Fuck Nicky, I love you so much, and right now even more,’ he said, voice full of emotion. Then he let go and took a swig of his beer.
 
Nick cleared his throat. ‘So, wanna hit the dance floor before we end up crying all over each other?’
 
‘You do realize that I’m probably not gonna be able to keep my hands off of you, do you?’ Warrick said, not wanting to surprise Nick again.
 
‘I know.’ Nick answered, and walked over to the dance floor. Warrick quickly followed.
 
Warrick hadn’t lied, Nick discovered. They danced close. Much closer than he used to do with his former girlfriends. Warrick was almost molded against him. Sometimes dancing behind him, his body almost touching Nick, both men feeling the heat radiating off the other and sometimes in front of him, one leg almost entirely between Nick’s. This went way beyond Nick’s comfort zone, but the feeling of Warrick so close to him was quickly making him forget about that. He suddenly didn’t mind the fact that they were surrounded by others, all he wanted was getting as close to his lover as possible, and legal in a public place.
He felt Warrick’s arms around him, pulling him closer, and this time he didn’t mind when he felt Warrick’s lips on his', kissing him without breaking the rhythm in which their bodies were moving together. His whole world only existed of just them, everything else fading to background noise.
 
Warrick was the first to break the kiss, still holding Nick close.

‘I think it’s time to slow down a little,’ he said reluctantly. ‘Wanna go get another beer?’
 
Nick pulled him down for another kiss, and then answered. ‘Sure, I’ll go get them.’
 
He walked over to the bar, every few seconds stealing a glance at Warrick, who was waiting a few feet away.
Suddenly he saw the smile on Warrick’s face fade, and when he followed the direction of his view, he noticed why. One of the police-officers that sometimes worked a scene with them had entered with an officer they both didn’t know. Both men were wearing uniforms, which meant they probably weren’t on a date right now. And they were walking straight over to where Warrick was standing.
 
‘Warrick Brown?’ the guy, Nick remembered his name was Leon something, asked with an almost evil grin on his face. ‘I never expected to see you here. On the other hand, I could have expected it, since you lab guys never enter a scene without some real men like us securing it first.’
 
He kept grinning. ‘This will become food for a whole lot of gossip around the station, I can tell you that much. So where's your sissy boyfriend?’
 
But then, before Leon knew what hit him, his arm was twisted around his back with force.
 
‘He’s with me!’ Nick spat out, twisting Leon’s arm just a little bit more. ‘And if I so much as hear the slightest rumor about it, I know where to find you. So I suggest you mind your own business and stop bothering other people.’
 
‘Well well,’ Leon managed to get out, pain audible in his voice. ‘I guess it’s logical that you travel in pairs. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it quiet, for now. After all, we’re working right now so we don’t have time for a lot of friendly conversation. But you never know when a subject like this might pop up again.’
 
Nick let go and shoved him away. Both officers took off, continuing their search for someone else, and Warrick immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Nick, kissing him with vigor.
 
‘You’re my goddamn hero, you know that, don’t you?’ he said in a low voice. ‘You could have just hung back a little, I would have gotten rid of them myself.’
 
Nick looked up at him a little apologetic. ‘I didn’t know I was gonna say that, but I just couldn’t let that asshole talk to you like that. I just hope I haven’t made things worse.’
 
‘I don’t care,’ Warrick answered. ‘The idea of you leaping out of your hiding place to defend me is worth more than any trouble it will cause.’
 
‘It made me loose the party mood though,’ Nick said. ‘It’s one thing to have people you don’t know watching you, but I’m not ready for people I do know to do that.’
 
Warrick merely nodded. ‘We’re out of here,’ he stated, before putting an arm around Nick and leading him to the door. ‘After all, you mentioned something about having a good time at your place and I might take you up on that offer.’