Title: Bodies in Motion
Author: watashiwakk
Pairing: Gil/Nick, Archie/Greg
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Humor, Drama, Romance
Summary: After the events of Grave Danger, Nick Stokes has been seriously rethinking his life. In a last ditch attempt to understand the enigma that is Gil Grissom, Nick starts them off on a journey that will not only affect their lives, but those around them by circumstance.
Author's Notes/Warnings: This is my first CSI fic, but I've written many a fic before on ff.net for other pairings under Moonlitecrescndo. Spoilers for any episode before Grave Danger and may make a reference to some episodes this season.
Disclaimer: If I owned CSI, we'd know who'd be having sex right now.

***

Bodies. Everyone was always looking at them, judging them. Inside and out, nothing else mattered more than one's body, one's taste in bodies, or opinion on bodies. How one sees or feels about a certain body can define how you feel for your entire life. Not only are other bodies that important, your body is important. It shows people what they can think of you, places you into a neat little box where no one even has to judge you anymore, because there are these preconceived notions that things are just the same as the last person they saw, or met, or knew, or slept with, with your type of body. Its not even talked about really, and then it's talked about all the time. How people feel about bodies, how they see them, but then the idea that these notions define everything is never talked about in any type of sense or situation.

Your body meant that even if you became what you wanted to become, you were still tied down to one inevitable, boxed-in shape of being that some people never cared to know in certain types. The cookie-cutter wasn't there, but unique-ness was forced into the cookie-cutter, pressing and folding the shapes into the same, worn-out cookie, until you couldn't remember why you liked your body in the first place.

For Gil Grissom, bodies meant everything. For Gil Grissom, bodies were the first things he saw. But unlike others, he didn't judge. He just observed, collected evidence, quietly waiting until the bodies, dead bodies, spoke to him.

Problem was now; he was observing a body that was alive. Very much alive, was Nick Stokes, and Gil Grissom found himself impatient to wait for the evidence to come to him.

*****

"Hey, Gris...do you think that we could talk?"

Gil's cheek pulsed slightly. Of course he'd like to talk, but not about what he was sure Nick was going to discuss, mostly including the fact that they hadn't really talked since he'd been put in a box and buried alive. Not that Gil was being insensitive, but honestly, he had chosen to ignore the problem entirely. Nick had come back to work, his friends had pulled him through, and now was the appropriate time to thank his boss for perhaps saving him with the bug obsession. Gil didn't need that thanks, he didn't want it. He just wanted Nick to be okay, to stay where he was, to carry on. But he knew that perhaps he never would be okay. Honestly, Gil was unsure how someone as sensitive as Nick would ever recover...and that affected him in ways he hadn't quite imagined. So he stayed away, ignored the problem, the issue. Ignored the fact that deep down he was beginning to-

"Gris? Are you okay, man?"

Gil shook his head.

"Nick, when do you want to talk?" He found himself saying, and wanted to kick himself, for agreeing so easily to something he was fighting. It was Nick, after all. They had been through a lot. He should give him a little bit of time, give him the thanks, the closure he perhaps wanted and-

"Now?"

Gil sighed. He was internal monologue-ing again. Nick seemed to break out that trait in him.

"If you'd like to, Nicky."

He hadn't called him that for quite some time, and he supposed the twitch in Nick's throat was not because he enjoyed the name. It seemed he was a bit annoyed. He turned and walked to his office, and Nick stepped in, closing the door. He sat down in the chair in front of Gil's desk and watched him.

"I just wanted to say-"

"Nick, stop. Before you say anything, I just want to ask you one thing." Gil paused. Nick paused.

"...Gris?"

"Hold on." He lost his train of thought, and now he looked like even more of an idiot.

"...Gris, are you alright?" He seemed more concerned now that he had to ask that question...again. It slightly annoyed Gil that Nick seemed to be concerned for him, even if he was just annoyed a second ago. But that was Nick Stokes for you, nice guy, and the boy-next-door type that is your best friend but not your lover-

"Yes, yes. What were you saying, Nick?" Nick's brow furrowed. Never had Gil been this distracted. If he hadn't been suspicious already, now he was even more so. Was this what his company with him now did? Was this what being with Grissom meant now? Because he'd been...there...Grissom was going to treat him like he either didn't exist or...like he didn't matter when he was around?

"I was just wanted...to talk about..." A lump form in his throat. It had already been hard enough for Nick to even get up the courage to talk to Grissom, and now he was being shot down for even going for support. "Never mind."

Gil paused, and was actually concerned...more, now. "Nick?" He asked, giving him his full attention, ignoring the foolish pattering of his distraught heart.

"No, forget it."

"Nick, please, you have my full attention now." Gil made no excuse for his behavior before, there was none, not really. So he waited. Nick looked up at him, biting his lip and then gripped the arms of the chair.

"No, I shouldn't have even come." Gil's eyebrow rose and he waited, not moving. He continued to look into Nick's eyes, concentrating on him. It was a heady thing for Nick, to have that concentrated gaze in his direction. He let go of the arms of the chair and placed them on his thighs.

"Iwantyoutocomehomewithme!" It was rushed, confusing. Gil looked at him, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Nick...?" He said after a while, unsure of what to say of what he thought he just heard.

"Iwantyoutocomehomewithmetosavemefrombeingalonewithmyparentsandfamilyrightnow." Gil seriously wished there were more spaces between his words, but he didn't mention it right now, as he had understood perfectly what he was saying.

"I'm your boss, Nick." He paused, letting this sink in. Nick waved him off, blushing.

"I know you're my boss, Gris, my memory is just fine." Gil paused again.

"So you do realize you just asked your boss to come home with you." He looked at him pointedly. And then Nick said something that made his stomach clench, and his hair on his arms to stand on end-in a good way.

"Yeah, but I trust you the most. And I just wanted to see if you'd-"

"Yes." It was out of his mouth before he could think. Gil coughed slightly and then looked at Nick.

"I will come if you need me." But I doubt I'll be any help, Gil thought idly. He tapped his hand on his desk.

"When are you going?"

"This weekend." It was suspected of course; he had vacation days set for this time for months ahead. But his trip home now seemed perfunctory, because of his accident, and not because he had cheerfully planed to see his family this time, once, when he wasn't tainted by bugs and constricted places and insane fathers. Gil nodded.

"Of course." There was a pause, as he looked at Nick, partly glad that they hadn't had the conversation about thanking him yet.

"Thanks, Gris." Well, that was spoken too soon. But then the look on Nick's face seemed to refer to this event, and this event alone. He stood and looked at Gil, smiling a little, before he smiled a bit more, his nervous heart calming, now that he asked, and seemed to secure time with his boss, the only thing he had to be nervous about was his plan. There was something that he needed to do on this trip, but he was unsure how. But it was happening, Nick was sure of it.

Gil was simply glad that Nick was leaving his office, before he asked him to dance around in a paper hat and women's knickers, because at the rate he was agreeing to Nick's desires, well, not desires, but questions? Suggestions? The word escaped him. But that wasn't the point. He would agree to just about anything, apparently.

Nick was looking at him again, but also looking past him, seemingly concentrating on his poster of the horn fly's biological cycle. Gil looked back at the poster and then back at Nick, who was now looking in his direction.

"Oh, and one more thing." A very pregnant pause. Nick seemed to like springing random things on him.

"We're driving." And he left the office, Gil's eye twitching slightly at the idea of driving to Dallas in a car with Nick Stokes. The possibility of not discussing his tragedy was slim to none. The intimacy of the situation was incredible and the length determined to prepare an endeavor was cut short with the realization that he had to take vacation time. At least now Nick wasn't on his own shift. As Gil set to work about organizing the feat of not encouraging Sara even more into liking of him by placing her in charge of night shift, he allowed himself a light smile. It was still with Nick Stokes, after all. It couldn't be that bad.

Nick, if he were thinking about the event at all, would have confirmed that flying in a metal box was not his cup of tea at the moment. But instead, he was driving back home, alone, in his own metal box, to sleep in a wooden apartment box that contained only him. If he was going to move back to Texas, he needed some time alone with Grissom to say goodbye...

***

Archie didn't think that he was going to get everything finished for Gil by the time he left for the weekend. He sighed and continued to process the film, editing out the unnecessary sounds and zoning in on the gunshot from the back, but he knew that he still had to go through seven more security tapes from different angles to see if he could actually see the shooter. Rubbing his eyes slightly from the strain of his double shift, he almost moaned when he saw Greg come in and sit down, pushing over a mug of Blue Hawaiian that was calling to him.

"If you feel like I do, I know you need this." Greg chuckled, crossing his legs on a chair and looking at Archie's worn-out face. Archie smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Greg, I definitely...needed this." He breathed in the Blue Hawaiian and groaned again, causing Greg to shift uncomfortably at the sound. Archie looked at him. "You okay?"

Greg just nodded, not ready to admit the sound had an effect on his libido. Not quite ready to say that he wanted the man in front of him in a more...intimate sense. Didn't think there was time, especially since Nick was leaving...especially since everything. He sighed and took in a deep breath.

"Archie...I don't give my Blue Hawaiian to just anyone..." He started out, biting his lip. No time like the present, no time like the present. Archie smirked.

"I known man, that's why I'm holding it close, its precious." Greg blushed, watching Archie, his heart beating. See? How could he not want someone who thought his coffee was precious? That was precious, the look of Archie clutching the coffee mug like that. He smiled.

"You're precious." Well, he didn't mean to say that out loud, really, so he leaned over and kissed Archie's lips softly, before pulling back and getting up, heart beating. Archie looked up at him, brow furrowing. He hadn't really thought about Greg that way before, but he had always found the other lab rat interesting, so he stood and smiled.

"You know, there has to be some kind of rule against kissing in the lab." He murmured, smiling at the shocked look on Greg's face. "But I'm free after shift, if you want to take this somewhere else?"

Greg paused, licking his own lips, his suave, flirtatious self embarrassed when it really counted

"Are you sure?" Archie nodded and put his mug down, fixing Greg's collar so it flipped up, the way he usually wore it.

"Yes." Greg blushed at the answer and smiled.

"Okay...well, see you later!" He didn't remember leaving the room, really, just the next thing he was doing, Greg was calling Nick on his cell.


*****

Nick Stokes was packing. He had sent most of his things back to Texas already, so the already astute Grissom would not figure out that he was leaving, permanently. Some things he left in his mostly bare apartment--he didn't need the furniture where he was going. So, as he continued to pack things for the trip, it was a surprise to hear his work phone go off.

"Stokes." He answered.

"I ASKED HIM AND HE SAID YES!" Nick knew that could only be Greg, as the usually excited younger man was the only one that called him for non-work calls...on the work phone.

"You finally asked Archie, man...nice." Nick smirked and chuckled, shaking his head. Greg continued.

"And I kissed him and he didn't freak out!" He was too excited, hidden in the locker room closet, hoping that no one could hear him. "Do you think me being forward is like...going to put a damper on the whole wanting-to-bottom-thing?" Nick chuckled. Greg had been exploring his bisexual side, and had found who he wanted to take his...well, other virginity. Now it had taken him two months to actually get the courage to ask Archie...on a date.

"Dude, you have a nice ass, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Like Nick knew anymore than Greg did. Greg knew more, he was sure, considering he had been researching the whole top/bottom idea and had become obsessed with it. Nick, on the other hand, as he placed the phone between his shoulder and cheek, so he could continue packing, wasn't one to even think about that. In fact, he still considered himself straight. He just happened to have found his boss...rather attractive. Someone whom he could see having more with. More of anything, really. So he had to face his own struggle by asking him to come and meet his family to see, once and for all, if there was something, one thing, that could make him stay.

"You think so? Really?" Greg smiled so brightly Nick was sure he could almost hear it over the phone.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't, Greg, now get back to work, man...I'll talk to you later about it. Come pick me up if you want to talk."

Nick laughed and hung up, rolling his eyes. At least he was glad Greg had things going his way.


*****

Gil yawned and looked down at his paperwork. He was tapping his foot to the opera he was listening to on his headphones, bored out of his mind. Paperwork really was the worst part of the job. He was also doing it mostly to avoid anyone else, those of which seemed unnaturally curious about why he was taking vacation time, and how interesting it seemed to be that he was taking it at the same time as Nick. Lately, Gil was second-guessing his decision to do anything sneaky around people who detecting sneakiness was their job.

"Gil...can we talk?" Sara asked, knocking on the door as she walked inside. Gil looked up and took off his headphones.

"Need something?" He hadn't heard her, exactly. Sara walked in and sat down and Grissom's eyebrow arched. He knew that look. He was also beginning to second-guess the idea that he kept his office door open all the time. Maybe if he closed it people would think he was out on a case? Gil gave a concentrated look to his fetal pig at that thought at then went back to Sara.

"I, well, I just thought that I wanted to talk to you." Gil nodded. Yes, well, that was what usually means when they ask "can we talk?" he thought, but let it slide right now. Sara seemed distraught. And other feelings he wasn't looking into deeply right now because quite frankly Sara confused him.

"Yes?" He finally said after an appropriate pause. Sara bit her lip and then sighed.

"I just noticed that you...and Nick are going on vacation together and I was wondering, well, if I could get vacation time too."

"Then who is going to look after this shift? Greg isn't ready, Sara..." Gil said quickly, not even considering her request-in any sense of the desire. Sara jumped back in with a response.

"Warrick could be in charge and then we could-" Gil cut her off, certainly not wanting to know what Sara was about to suggest, after her little "will you sleep with me" episode years ago.

"Warrick is still on another shift, which, as you just noted, is without a man on its own. I'm not going to ask Catherine to give up a man for me." He paused, finding that sort of funny if taken out of context, and then continued. "I'm giving the job to you, your responsibility Sara, I need you here." Once he put it like that, Gil knew two things immediately-that Sara would indeed stay and that Sara did indeed believe he was hitting on her. Her gap-toothed smile showed him that. Gil nodded slowly.

"Of course, I should have realized." Sara stood and smiled, before she walked out, turning at the door to look back at Gil. "Have a safe vacation. I'm here if you need me...for anything." Gil nodded and then put back on his headphones, not wanting to give that anything any sort of thought period, nonetheless was he was still mulling over the idea that Nick Stokes just asked him to go home with him, in a car.

"Course the offers come rolling in now, Grissom, when you're everyone's supervisor." He muttered to Doyle, his tarantula. Doyle rubbed his feelers together and went to find another fly.

*****

As the shift ended, Greg had made frequent darting glances to the AV lab, something he could see from the DNA lab, which was in the center of CSI headquarters. He sighed, and smirked a little, watching as Archie walked into the lab, and his smile widened outrageously. In his changed clothes, he nodded to the exit and began leading Archie to it, silence, in its glory, pervaded their walk. But Greg didn't mind, as he let Archie push the door open, smiling as he held it open for him. Archie lead Greg over to his car, a very nicely restored deep blue 1966 Ford Mustang, he smiled even more, and only then did he speak.

"So, you wore the red shirt."

***

Nick's hands slid over his body, feeling the skin that was his alone to touch. He panted and begged him, needing his body and soul. It wasn't just that he needed the feeling; Nick needed everything he had to give. Harder and harder he pushed, forcing himself to penetrate as deeply as his body and soul could take, but then he groaned, his body wracked in shivers and sweat-he came, he finished, he was done and awake and burning.

Nick coughed and looked down at his mess of sheets, still panting and groaning from the memories of his dream. He pulled his knees close to his body, remembering how Gil felt inside him, around him, over him, underneath him. He felt the shivers wrack him again, and he stroked his hands down his own face, shaking his head.

"I can't do this..." It was so wrong, not because he felt this way about another man, but that he felt this way about anyone-how could he want so much from him when he barely even knew him? That was the most difficult part for Nick...the fact that his body and heart knew more than his mind and ran off without that vital part of him drove him insane. How could he fantasize about a man whose job was to shut himself off from human contact? That wasn't like him. He wanted warmth, he wanted care. But that was why he was doing this, wasn't it? His last ditch attempt to uncover the Gil Grissom that he knew was there, the Gil Grissom that wasn't just a cold workaholic. His last effort to find warmth in the one person with whom he needed it the most.


*****


"Gris, here, this is my last bag." Nick said, passing over the bag into Gil's car to let Gil pack it up. There was one thing he knew from just working with him-the man loved control. Nick enjoyed his control; actually, it relaxed him, made him feel safe that at least something in his life was going to be steady, if only for the car ride back to Dallas, it comforted him. But he loved that Gil wasn't a control-freak, it wasn't "his way or the highway", well; sometimes it was, but not all the time. He liked that he could argue, prove him wrong (although he often couldn't) and Gris would just eat it up. It was like he just loved to talk, like that was his own way of interacting with people, or maybe the only way he knew how to relate. If he knew any better, which in reality, he didn't, Nick would have thought that Gris had studied people at one time or another, that cool, calculated gaze surely had sent shivers down someone else's back when it was directed at them. The same gaze he was receiving right now, in fact, when they both should be getting in the car.

"Seems like a lot for just a little vacation, Nick..." Gil was astute as ever, it seemed. Nick smiled his charming I-know-what-you're-talking-about-but-playing-dumb-right-now smile that drove Gil up the wall with how attractive it was. He let this one slide, simply because it was easier, at the moment. Gil moved and got into his Denali, watching out of the corner of his eye as Nick got in as well. Once they were both strapped in, he turned the key in the ignition and drove away, towards Texas, towards Nick's home and towards an uncertain and rocky future. It was nine at night. After most of the Vegas traffic had died down, and right when they were getting into their graveyard shift. It seemed they both worked better at night about now, anyways.

Nick sat stiffly. How else could he sit when the man who he had dreamt about only an hour before was sitting just as stiffly (he added mentally) barely a foot away from him? And he had, he had so much time, so much he wanted to talk about, to say. But for the life of him, he didn't know how to start, or if he should start now, especially when their trip just started. He paused, nibbling on his lip-another habit that drove Gil wild-and looked down at his hands resting on his thighs. Despite his want to start things, Gris was the one who started the conversation first.

"I brought some books on tape, or whatnot. A little Tom Bodett..." He smiled a little, a very Grissom, private smile he reserved for those occasions when he blessed you with a little bit of background into his very private life. Not that he even knew he was doing it, Nick decided, but it was a smile he had seen very rarely, but did want to see more of.

"We'll leave the light on for you Tom Bodett?" Nick asked, incredulous. He didn't know the man did anything else but Motel 6 ads.

"Yes, he is a very accomplished author and storyteller. Here..." Gris motioned to the glove compartment where he had apparently stashed all the books on tapes he had taken out of the library for the express purpose of their trip. "Put on As Far As You Can Go Without A Passport and sit back, relax and listen to him..." Gil continued to smile as he watched the road, and Nick did as he was told, leaning back into his seat and closing his eyes, letting the almost deadpan, deep voice lull him into a sense of peace. He almost forgot to be disappointed that listening to books on tape meant not talking and discussing, but as he got into the story-telling, he decided it would be best to wait, perhaps, when they were out of Nevada to start on something deeper than this.


*****


Greg laughed as he tried to best Archie at his new x-box game, but knew it was futile. As he lost, for the fifth time in a row, he put down the controllers and lay back on Archie's bed, shaking his head. Despite his horrible loss, he couldn't stop smiling. After shift, Archie had taken him to dinner at Café Frescos, a place they went to all the time since it was close to the lab, and it had good take out. They talked and hung out, like regular guys, like it wasn't a date, or maybe it wasn't, but whatever it was, Greg liked it, liked being with him and well, looking at him. Archie wasn't a particularly oh-my-god-drop-dead-gorgeous guy like Greg usually found himself attracted to and perhaps that was why he had focused on him. His nerd status was just about as equal as Greg's own and he actually liked the idea, for the first time, of dating someone who could actually understand what he was talking about. And since this was new to him too, this whole having-sex-with-a-guy bit, not the dating, as Greg liked to date both sexes rather often, he found comfort in the fact that Archie was his friend, someone who he was comfortable with on this level, the talking and laughing part. After dinner (they split the check), Archie invited him back to his apartment for some strict gaming-Greg knew that he could get used to this.

He smiled as he felt the bed beneath him dip and he looked over to see Archie lying next to him on his side.

"Hey," Archie murmured, looking over at Greg in a way that made his stomach flip, and he couldn't help but lick his lips in the anticipation that the smile gracing the other's lips brought on.

"Hey..." He returned, swiftly, easily. Archie scooted a bit closer and Greg's heartbeat went faster.

"You really suck at fighting crime." He chuckled, smiling as he looked down at Greg, liking the way his hair spiked out when he lay on his bed like that. The desire to kiss him was powerful, which surprised Archie a bit. He hadn't actually thought that he would feel like this so soon. But Greg seemed to have that way about him that made him want to try new things, or experience something exciting. It got him to get out of the lab more, for sure.

Greg laughed and leaned on his side to look at Archie evenly.

"You're just lucky you're not Nick, I would have recalled about seven of those attacks, but I let it slide."

"Oh, so you're saying you let me win, now?" Archie laughed even more, looking at Greg in amusement. "Come on man, you know I'm better than you, just admit it."

Greg shook his head, staunchly refusing. "Never! I will hold that you cheated and that I let you win until my dying day." He smirked at Archie and moved his hand to his shirt, pulling him closer. "Unless you can...convince me otherwise?" He asked, looking into his eyes suggestively.

Archie moved his hand to his waist, and slid it up his side slightly, looking at Greg. "Have any suggestions?" He asked, leaning even closer now, close enough that he could feel Greg breathe against his lips. Greg shook his head in the negative, putting the ball in Archie's court. He had already made his move today, and he wanted to see if Archie was interested in making any of the moves.

"Guess I'll just have to think of something..." The AV lab tech murmured, closing his eyes as he pressed his lips into Greg's, breath hitching slightly at the feel of the soft, pliant lips under his move almost immediately. Greg groaned lightly as they finally, finally kissed after a whole night of flirting with the idea, and he moved his hand to stroke Archie's cheek softly. With the encouragement, Archie pulled Greg closer, bodies flush together as he brushed their lips together. As he felt Greg's lips part, he let out a self-satisfied growl and moved his tongue into the warm mouth, tasting and plundering with ease and desire. Greg's hand moved to the nape of his neck and pulled him closer, their lips slanting over each other now as the kiss took a different, more desperate turn. Greg sucked on the tongue inside his mouth, groaning louder and he fell back against the bed, Archie easily covering his body with his own, as his hands slid down his chest to his hips, fingers brushing lightly under the hem of his shirt. At the feel of his hands, Greg gasped, breaking the kiss as he looked up at Archie above him, panting.

"Okay...okay...you...won." He said, breathlessly, and Archie could only smile, kissing him again, this time pulling Greg's willing tongue into his own mouth, his fingers sliding up his shirt to feel the barely defined muscles of his abdomen and chest. Greg squirmed and he sighed, overloaded with the senses of Archie around him and above him, his mind not comprehending how they went from sexy gamer flirting to sexy gamer kissing, but he didn't care, not right now.

"Hey Greg..." Archie groaned, looking down at his co-worker, and now his...something. He gently pulled off Greg's shirt and his eyes glazed slightly at the look of the man underneath him, finding it terribly...hot and restricting in the clothes he was wearing. "I'm really glad we took this somewhere else..." Archie murmured, looking down at him. Greg smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him back down. Before he kissed him again, Greg laughed.

"So am I." When their lips touched again, they didn't separate for a long time afterwards.

***