Title: Beautiful
Author: CatStokes
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick tells Greg he's beautiful.

***

'It isn't supposed to be this easy to fall in love, is it?' Nick thought to himself as he watched Greg working away in the lab. To Nick, love was about compromises and trust; it was about being in a relationship was someone for a long time and never wanting to leave their side. It wasn't about lust over someone; it wasn't about wanting to slam them down on the lab counter and kiss them into frenzy. And it certainly wasn't about falling for a guy.

Watching Greg was one of Nick's favourite past-times when he was at the lab with nothing to do. Usually he'd go in with a cup of coffee and a bit of news to talk about, but today was different. Nick didn't know why it was different, it just was.

He'd turned up today the same way, two cups of coffee and a conversation formulating in his head. But when he walked through the doors to the DNA lab he was just taken away by the beauty and gorgeousness that was Greg Sanders.

"Nick?" Greg said an amused smile on his face. He'd been glancing at Nick for the ten minutes that he'd been staring at him. "Yo, Earth to Nick Stokes?" Greg almost shouted, causing Nick to jump a foot out of his chair.

"What?" Nick asked, obviously fazed from his zoning out session.

"You're staring," Greg said, letting his amusement shine through making Nick blush a little. "Any particular reason why?"

"Cuz you're beautiful," Nick found himself saying against his will. He quickly looked away from Greg and turned towards the door. "I'm sorry," he said before literally running from the lab and hiding out in the locker room till the end of shift.

-.-

Nick couldn't have been home for more than five minutes before someone was knocking insistently on his door. "I'm coming...I'm coming," he shouted to the impatient person on the other side of the door.

"I hope you're planning on being literal there," the person on the other side of the door replied with a smirk.

"Oh...er...Greg." Nick nodded politely to him, suddenly extremely uncomfortable standing on his doorstep. "What are you doing here?"

"I think we need to talk," Greg said, looking down at his feet.

"No, Greg, we don't. It was completely inappropriate what I said in the lab and if we could just forget about it...I would really appreciate it..." Nick was silenced by Greg's lips on his own, kissing him frantically.

Just as quickly as it had started, it finished and when Greg stepped back with a slightly smug smile on his face, Nick missed the heat.

"Have you finished?" Nick nodded. "Good, now it's my turn to talk." Greg pushed Nick backwards, further into the hallway and Greg followed him in, shutting the door with his foot. "Right, first of all I would like to thank you for what you said back at the lab. No one has ever called me beautiful before. Not even my own mother." He put his finger on Nick's lips to stop him talking when he tried to speak. "Not your turn yet. And in response to what you said back there," Greg said, pointing over his shoulder before putting his hand on Nick's stomach, "I don't want to forget about it."

Nick let his jaw drop. "What?" he finally managed to mutter when Greg looked like he was going to take everything he'd just said back.

"I said I don't want to forget that you called me beautiful in the lab. And I know I'm going to sound soppy," he said, stepping past Nick to stand behind him with his back to him, "But I don't want to forget about it because it meant so much to me...and the fact that you said it..." he trailed off and shrugged.

Nick reached out and touched Greg's shoulder. "Come here," he whispered, enveloping Greg in his arms and holding him tight. He stepped back and cupped Greg's cheeks. "You are beautiful...and funny..."

"Don't forget charming," Greg piped in.

"...and modest. I'd travel to the ends of the Earth to be with you. And at the risk of sounding like a girl; I love you more than words can say." Nick heard the muffled choke in the back of Greg's throat before seeing to tears spring to his eyes.

"I love you too," Greg whispered before kissing Nick harder and with so much want that Nick thought he, himself, was going to cry. And when he finally pulled away, panting and gasping for breath, he added, "I love you so much Nicky." Greg hugged Nick until one had to pull away. And as Greg did so, he yawned.

"Come on," Nick said, taking Greg's hand and pulling him further into the silent house, "You're staying here today."

THE END

***