Title: Everywhere A Sign
By: kennedy
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Note: Beta'd by the wonderful Catlover2x.
Summary: One-off. Greg is seeing omens and portents wherever he goes.

***

Blood in the egg. Greg immediately feels himself tense. It's a sign. Gagging, he throws the egg into the sink, rinses it down the drain, and walks into the bedroom.

"We're going out for breakfast," he informs Nick, who has just gotten out of the shower and is towelling himself dry. Nick stands before him, naked, a glistening god, perplexed.

"I thought you were making breakfast?" he asks. "G, you are the laziest cook I have ever known."

"Trust me, we're eating out," Greg sighs. "There was blood in the egg."

Nick reaches for his boxer briefs, shaking his head in disbelief. "In all of them?"

"It doesn't matter. You chuck out the batch if there's blood in one."

Nick pulls up his jeans and buttons them. "That's such a waste. I bet if you check the others, they'll be fine."

"I can't eat them!" Greg yells, returning to the kitchen, where he scoops up the entire carton and throws it into the bin.

"How about if I make pancakes?" Nick asks in an effort to placate his boyfriend, pulling his t-shirt over his head, and searching for his boots.

"We don't have enough time," Greg shrugs.

"You're doing this deliberately," Nick growls, locating one boot and then dropping onto one knee to reach for the other behind the couch.

"I am not!" Greg protests. "I'm just that lazy that if I really wanted to get out of making breakfast I would say so, because thinking of an excuse would be too much effort."

Nick stares at him for a long, hard moment. "That actually makes sense," he concedes.

They had come straight home from work and showered before going back out to get some Christmas shopping done; and then they would come back to crash before their next shift. They had managed to get off work a little bit early, the sun had yet to rise when they first got home. As Greg pushes open the front door, he stops suddenly. Suddenly enough that Nick crashes into him, against his back.

"What now?" Nick asks, exasperated.

Greg moves a few steps forward to let Nick step out around him. "Red sky in the morning."

Nick rolls his eyes. "That's an explanation?"

"Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Greg intones heavily.

"If only Grissom could hear you."

"Well, he can't. But you can. So be supportive."

Nick stares at the sky that was painting the Vegas surrounds a spectacular shade of pink. "Ever since you did that case with the psychic, you've been temporarily obsessed. When are you going to get over it?"

Secretly, though, he has to admit to himself that the sky above them does look slightly threatening.

Greg glares at him, as if he is about to call for his boyfriend's execution. "Get over it?"

"So, breakfast!" Nick exclaims, taking him by the arm, knowing he is in trouble.

Greg allows himself to be steered towards the car. As usual he finds himself at the passenger's door. His eyes narrow, and he whirls around to snatch the keys that he knows are hanging from Nick's back pocket.

"Hey!" Nick protests.

"If you're gonna be an asshole, I'm driving," Greg says, and that is that.

Defeated, Nick humbly slides into the passenger seat. Greg smiles to himself as he jumps behind the wheel of the truck, and guns the motor as he knows it will drive Nick crazy.

"That sky definitely is red," Nick mumbles to himself as Greg begins reversing out of their driveway.

Greg shrugs. "I'd say it's more magenta."

There is a slight screech of rubber on tarmac as Greg kicks the accelerator, and Nick's fingers turn white as they grip the dashboard.

----------------------

The café they like going to is off the main street, tucked away amongst a small row of specialty stores. They like it because of the outdoor section, which gives an atmosphere of seclusion "“ thanks to wide wooden tables and chairs that are nestled amongst dense shrubs and pot plants. Once hidden away in there you would never guess that you were in Vegas.

Because it is still early, they are the only ones who choose to brave the outdoor section. The air is crisp but they know coffee will warm them up. Greg orders pancakes with a side of bacon; Nick orders muesli and cinnamon toast. Greg wrinkles his nose at the healthy alternative as he hands his menu back to the waitress.

"I like cinnamon toast," Nick says defensively before Greg can even start.

"I have nothing against cinnamon toast," Greg admits. "But muesli is a tool of Satan."

The plant next to them rustles even though there's no breeze, and they both turn to look at it. The leaves part and a black cat emerges, sitting at the foot of their table. Greg freezes slightly as it sits on its haunches and studies them, its tail wrapping around its feet as it lifts one paw to commence grooming.

"It's only a cat, G," Nick says.

"A black cat."

"You've never had a problem with black cats before," Nick points out. "In fact, last week I found you lying half-way underneath Mrs Ellerstom's shrubs playing with hers."

"It's just... in light of everything else." Greg becomes aware of the cat staring at him, grooming paused with one paw in midair. "It's another sign."

"Here's another one," Nick groans, making an "˜L' with his finger and thumb, and placing it against his forehead.

"Keep it up, and I'll drive for the rest of the week." Greg leans in, and whispers, "The cat is staring at me."

"Yeah, it can't believe the dumbass human sitting across from it."

"Definitely driving for the next week now."

The cat leaves them alone when their food arrives, but afterwards when Nick leaves to use the restroom Greg is startled when it reappears. It leaps onto their table, and briefly brushes its velvety forehead against Greg's before continuing on and disappearing into the house behind the café. Greg finds himself smiling, and is still doing so when Nick rests a hand upon his shoulder and asks him if he is ready to go.

----------------------

Their Christmas shopping is successful, despite their exhausted and over-laden arms threatening to give out on them. They manage to get a reasonable five hours sleep before their alarm demands that they wake up and get ready for work.

Greg makes good on his threat to drive, and Nick can only fume inwardly as his boyfriend gets them to work in record time.

"Jealous much?" he smirks, and Nick wants to kiss the expression right off his face. But he decides to punish him, although in doing so he is also punishing himself. "I want coffee."

"You just had coffee."

"You know I need at least three to kickstart my shift."

"If they sliced your veins open, all that would spill out would be liquid caffeine."

Greg raises an eyebrow. "Yummy."

Nick slowly gets out of the car, feeling that last-minute I could still call in sick and go back home dread but fighting it.

Greg stops at the front door to the crime lab, and Nick groans at the sight of what is blocking their entrance.

A ladder... and they will have to walk under it to get inside.

"No way!" Greg protests. "It's like the universe is toying me. As if it's a giant cat and I'm the mouse on a string."

"Well, I'm going in," Nick shrugs.

"No!" Greg restrains him by the shoulder, and Nick jerks back against him.

"It's a ladder, Greggo. There is nothing a ladder can do to me."

"Oh yeah? What if it falls while you're walking under it, and it fractures your skull? I like your skull, Nicky. I don't want it to get broken."

"Bye, G!" Nick begins to walk towards the door.

"Hey, Nick!"

Nick turns back. "Yeah?"

"When you get in there, come around and open the emergency door for me, and I'll come in that way."

"Not a chance in hell!" Nick cries.

An argument is prevented by the sudden appearance of a janitor, who walks out from within the building and carries the ladder back inside.

"Okay, I'm coming in now," Greg says, and hurries up to catch up with him.

As they make their way to the breakout room, they pass Sara. She's carrying a mirror from a crime scene, on her way to run some tests on its surface. She suddenly loses her grip and the mirror falls to the floor. Mia sticks her head out from the DNA lab and yells, "You know what that means, Sara!"

The superstition is lost on Sara, who growls, "Yes, my case is compromised!"

Greg looks at Nick, who shakes his head. "Don't start!"

"You listen to me, and you listen to me good, Nick Stokes," Greg says firmly. "Something bad is going to happen. And knowing the luck you have, I am going in to tell Grissom you're not going out into the field tonight."

"Yeah," Nick scoffs, "right."

Greg tilts his head, and fixes upon him an intensity of expression which makes Nick's stomach drop and realise he is being completely serious.

"Don't you even dare, Greg..."

"Try me, Nick. Just try me. Blood in the egg, a red-skied morning, a black cat, a ladder and a broken mirror; the evidence is all right there! It's as if the universe is saying "˜I'm coming to get ya, Nick!'."

"Maybe it's coming to get you, G."

They are having their own mini-standoff in the middle of the hall. Mia is watching them with interest, although she is pretending to be running tests. Sara is crouching down with a little dustpan and broom she fetched from the lab, and is sweeping the remnants of the mirror up. She is also eavesdropping, but really it is just a case of being in the right place at the right time rather than actual interest.

Grissom emerges from his office, bearing a sheet of paper. "Greg, Nick, good evening. I have a B+E at a suite in the Mandalay. I'd like you both to take this one."

Nick nods though still staring at Greg, daring him to say anything.

As Grissom leaves, Greg hisses, "I only didn't because we're working together on this one."

"Are you going to protect me, Greggo?" Nick teases, although he is touched.

"Nothing's going to get through me," Greg vows fiercely.

----------------

Greg proves the truth of his statement by sticking to Nick's side all night like a ferocious guard dog, much to Jim Brass' amusement. He cannot help but laugh uproariously when Nick takes a step away to start dusting the sill, then realises he has forgotten his brush and turns back only to collide with his partner who has started to follow him.

When Greg gives him an affronted look, Brass raises his hands in defense and says, "Down, boy!"

"You're embarrassing me," Nick hisses at one point.

Hurt, Greg takes a step back. "I'm only looking out for you." He shrugs, turns away, and walks off to start processing the other end of the room.

Nick watches him go, realises he may have screwed up a little. Greg's heart is always in the right place, even if he tends to come at it from an original angle. He has to find a way to make him stop worrying so much.

-------------------------

Greg can tell that Nick is apologetic even before they jump back in the Denali to return to the lab. He decides to not play any games, and just quickly reaches for his hand before the SUV starts.

"I'm sorry if I'm on your back, okay?"

Nick's lips brush his knuckles. "I'm sorry too. I mean, it's not like my personal history doesn't give you enough reason to be nervous about certain things."

Greg nods, glad he understands.

"It goes both ways, you know. Sometimes I break out in a sweat when I see you walk near the DNA lab."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

Chastened, Greg mumbles, "But you don't act like a freak and try to stop me from doing it."

"You just gotta have a little faith sometimes, babe."

Greg gives him a sad smile, but nods.

--------------------

It is one of their better work nights. The evidence is processed quickly, and at one point while Greg is chatting with Mia and David in the labs Nick sneaks out, and Greg realises he has only been half-breathing with anticipated dread when he comes back about an hour later.

"Where were you?" Greg asks.

"Just had some errands to run," Nick says off-handedly.

"Errands? You have errands?" He can't even imagine what kind of "˜errands' Nick would have that he wouldn't know about.

"All people have errands, G."

It's weird though, and even Mia is giving Nick a strange look.

"Okay. Did you get your... "˜errands'... done?"

"Yep, even better than I thought I would."

Strange statement, but Greg lets it go and the rest of the shift passes uneventfully and it even looks like they'll be knocking off on time; but Nick pops in to see him half an hour beforehand, and hands him to the keys to his truck.

"I told Sara I would give her a hand with her case, but it will only take about an hour. Why don't you pick up some Chinese on the way home and I'll be on time to eat it with you?"

"Nick..." Greg groans. "Why...?"

"Because I told Sara I would. She'll give me a lift home."

"Fine." Greg snatches the keys off him bad-temperedly.

"Don't drive angry, G." Nick sounds amused.

"Whatever."

"Make sure you go to the Golden Dragon," Nick tells him.

"Ugh, I hate their prawn crackers."

"But I love their egg rolls."

"Too bad. I'm the one going to get the food."

"Greg..." Nick does his low-tone drawl that never fails to affect him. "I would really like some egg rolls." He sidles up to his partner, grabs him by the collar and brings him in closer so that his breath is warming Greg's cheek. "In fact, it would really make me happy. And if I'm happy, I promise to make you happy."

"Golden Dragon it is," Greg manages to squeak.

Nick gives him a tender kiss, and Greg is shocked, shocked that Nick is giving a PDA in the lab. But loving every second of it.

Still, as he drives to the restaurant, he cannot help but dwell on all the signs that have been making themselves known to him all day. What do they mean? Is he over-reacting?

The Golden Dragon has the distinction of being both a 24-hour restaurant and a convenient place to leave drycleaning. They eat here so often because it's right near their home, and when you work nightshift it is one of the better places to get a full dinner-like meal at five or six in the morning. Plus pick up your work clothes. And when they come to know you as a regular, and a CSI at that, they don't bat an eyelid if human fluids turn up on your clothes.

Greg parks, and makes his way to the front doors, the neon glow from the restaurant's sign casting a golden glow over the tarmac.

The sign.

Greg looks up, and his mouth drops open. Where the usual daily special is listed, there is something new and never before seen. He rubs his eyes like a kid in a dream, but the words don't change.

NICK LOVES GREG

All thoughts of food forgotten, Greg finds himself giving the most honest and heartfelt smile he has all day. He is distracted by an SUV pulling up beside him, and he turns around to see Nick jumping out of Sara's vehicle.

"Hey, G," is his simple greeting.

Greg still can't formulate words, he just smiles goofily.

Sara studies the sign approvingly. "Nice!" She looks back at the men, and grins. "See you both back at work tonight!"

They say their goodbyes, and Sara drives away.

Greg turns on Nick instantly. "How did you...? Was this one of your errands?"

Nick slides his hands down Greg's hips. "It was my only one."

"How did you convince them?"

Nick smiles. "One of the benefits of being a regular. They thought it was cute. If you had driven past here about two in the morning you would have seen me balancing on a ladder changing it."

Greg looks at his partner, amazed.

"I just thought that seeing you were worried about all these signs, I should let you see one that would make you happy."

"Well, now I am," Greg cups the back of Nick's neck with his hands.

Their lips meet, and the amber glow of the sign is extinguished at the same time. They both break the kiss and look up.

"Is that a sign?" Nick teases, although he is momentarily concerned about how Greg might take it.

Greg notices that the sign has been turned off as daylight has started to break. "Nope, not at all," he laughs, coming in to resume the kiss as a perfect blue sky starts to make its presence felt.

***