Title: Follow the Bouncing Ball By: Heather Exume
Summary: Gil and Nick’s Date.
Series/Sequel: Alterna ‘Verse
Pairing: Nick/Gil
Rated: PG-13
Webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/butterflywings
Warnings: SLASH! And complete AU!!!!!

For the first time in a long time Gil was leaving work on time. Or he would have if Nick had shown up on time. Gil was starting to think that Nick had just been playing him and that he didn’t really want to go on a date at all. Gil was about to give up and go back inside to look over his current case when a black 1977 GMC Sprint pulled up next to the curb and the door swung open. Nick’s smooth drawl slowly flowed from the car, “well are you going to get in or what?” Gil slid smoothly into the car, surprised by the soft leather cushions. So this was Nick’s car.

“Nice car.”

Nick turned and smiled at Gil, “thanks,” he said turning his eyes back to the road.

“You cut your hair.” Where Nick’s hair had been longer and hung in front of his face now it had been sheared, it wasn’t a crew cut but it was close.

“Yeah. I always keep my hair like this. I mean when I’m not on an assignment. I’ve been an undercover cop for 6 years and well it all starts to blend to together ya know? When you have to don personalities like most people change hats it can get…” Nick searched for the right word, “complicated.” He finished lamely. Those few sentences weren’t likely to express what years of undercover work had done for him, but it didn’t want to scare Gil off.

Gil could sense the tension in the younger man and decided to try and ease the stress in the air, “so where are you taking me?”

Nick visibly brightened and a large grin overtook Nick’s face causing smile lines, “it’s gonna be so fun, but I’m not telling! Nyah Nyah!” Nick even childishly stuck his tongue out at Gil. The silliness of it startled Gil but he quickly decided to go with it and laughed.

“Well I might just have to ask ‘when will we get there if you don’t tell me!”

“Ha! I am immune! You shall not sway me!”

Gil took the challenge for what it was and asked, “when will we get there?”

“Five minutes.” He proceeded to ask the same question over and over until the time reached no minutes and they were actually there. Gil had been paying so much attention to the game that he didn’t even notice where they were going, so he was surprised to find that they were at the park. Gil was also impressed by the fact that Nick had not been swayed. Frankly if they hadn’t arrived Gil probably would have stopped to frustrated to continue.

“What are we doing here?”

Nick looked at Gil with shock, “going on a date what else?”

“But why the park?”

Nick grinned wickedly, “where else would we play basketball?”

“Oh. But I’m not- “Nick tossed a pair of sweats to Gil.

“The bathroom’s right up the hill. Meet you at the court.”

Gil changed in the bathroom, all the while pondering his date. It was true that he accepted the date because of their chemistry, but now he was seeing that there was more then just chemistry to Nick. He was demonstrating all kinds of interesting facets. Gil ambled slowly down to the court and stood for a moment to admire Nick’s body. Gil could see thick muscles rippling under Nick’s threadbare shirt, and the pair of shorts that Nick wore showed off his ass exceedingly well. No doubt he planed it that way. “Hey think fast!” Suddenly Gil found a ball headed toward his head. Moving purely on reflex he grabbed the ball and started to the court. The game was on.

Gil spent one of the best hours of his life playing basketball with Nick. They ducked around each other, giggling (as much as he would have denied it if someone had asked him) when Nick tickled him with one hand and stole the ball with the other. The hour passed with neither person particularly caring who won, more about who got grouped in the process. So it was startling, but not so to find them in his bed. So he found himself drifting off, thinking, wow that was good sex.

Gil found himself blinking blearily 9 hours later. Which in and of its was quite amazing as he hadn’t slept more than 6 hours in a row since he was a teenager, but also quite shocked to find Nick still there, next to his pleasantly aching body, asleep. “Nick,” he nudged Nick, “Nick wake up.”

“Hmmm?” Nick rolled over an arm flopping over Gil. “Whaa?” He snuggled in closer to Gil until he stiffened and pulled away sharply, instantly wide wake. He assessed the room in seconds and quickly relaxed again. “Sorry.” Nick grinned sheepishly at a startled Gil, “I can’t believe that I was so soundly asleep.” Nick looked at Gil and could see that he didn’t understand, “I haven’t let my guard down like that in years. I haven’t slept that soundly since-“ Nick hesitated, “well a long time,” he finished lamely.

Gil could tell that there was more to that story then what Nick was saying but he wasn’t going to pressure him. Gil was also nervous about what was going to happen next, he liked Nick and didn’t want this to be a one time deal, but he didn’t know what the other man was thinking. “I have to start getting ready for work soon, but I’d like to do this again sometime.”

Nick thought a moment, “how ‘bout I drop you off at work and pick you up again afterward?”

Gil smiled with relief, “sure that sounds good.” Gil climbed out of bed and into the shower thinking that Nick was going to go back to sleep or leave, so he was pleasantly surprised when Nick climbed into the shower with him as well. It was a good thing that Gil had planned time in for that just in case, after all he had never been late to work and he wasn’t about to start now.

The End

Next story in series - Time Moves On.