Title: No Great Cathedral
By: Caroline Crane
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: NC17
Summary: AU. There's a murdered hotel guest and a crowd of college students in town, but that's the least of Nick's problems.
Author's note: For whimsicalnotion on the occasion of her birthday. I really hope this is what you had in mind, hon. And I'm very sorry about the wait. Many, many thanks go out to mlleelizabeth for the help regarding the Dallas area. Without her this fic would be far less authentic. I didn't manage to work the ghost story in, but I'm going to write you folklore fic one of these days to make up for it. Also, thanks go out to nekosmuse, gem225 and oh_mumble for the early betas. They only saw the original, vastly different draft, however, so all mistakes are purely my doing.

He'd been standing in the same spot for over an hour already, watching hotel guests get off the elevator and glance warily at the crime scene tape marking off the room behind him. The CSIs were still inside, a camera flash going off in his peripheral vision periodically and it was a struggle not to glance over his shoulder to see what they were doing.

Door duty wasn't exactly his favorite part of being a cop – it made him feel more like a bouncer than an officer of the law, and when another group of people stepped off the elevator and started toward him it was all he could do not to roll his eyes. And it would just figure there would be a conference in the hotel on the same day that there was a shooting, because it pretty much guaranteed he was going to spend most of his shift answering dumb questions from tourists.

There were four of them this time, three guys and a girl, all a little younger than him. College kids, he was guessing from the way they were dressed. They stopped just in front of him, craning their necks to see around him into the room.

"Hey," the one closest to him said, "did somebody really get shot in there?"

"Sorry, guys, I can't discuss the details of an open investigation."

"That means he doesn't know anything," the girl said, smirking in a way he was pretty sure she thought was cute. Her friends did too, at least the two that laughed. The third guy was still leaning slightly to the left, trying to see into the room where the guys from the crime lab were still gathering evidence.

"Listen, I need to keep this area clear, so unless you've got some information to report I need you to move along back to your rooms."

Another smirk, but the girl took a step backwards, followed by two of the guys. "Whatever you say, officer," one of them said as they headed down the hall, laughing to themselves and he told himself it didn't bother him. It didn't, because they were just obnoxious college kids and he'd been one himself not that long ago.

He shook his head and turned back to his post, realizing a second too late that they'd left someone behind. He caught himself just before he collided with the other man, reaching out to press a hand against his chest. "You need to stay behind the tape, buddy. Besides, your friends are leaving without you."

"They're not my friends," the kid answered, snapping out of his trance long enough to glance down at the hand on his chest. "Just some guys I met at the conference. Officer…Stokes."

He looked up from Nick's uniform, grin tugging at the corners of his mouth and his hair sticking up in ways that Nick was pretty sure defied gravity. His smile was infectious, though, and despite his better judgment Nick found himself grinning back. "Well you can't hang around here, so you might as well catch up with them. This is still a crime scene."

"Yeah, you said. So what are they doing in there, anyway?"

He leaned around Nick again, and this time Nick followed his gaze until he caught sight of one of the investigators tucking something into an envelope. "Collecting evidence," he answered, pushing a little harder on the other man's chest until he took the hint and straightened up again. "They're from the crime lab. They dust for prints, gather fiber samples, that kind of thing. Then they take it back to the lab and recreate the crime. Kind of like doing a puzzle. Listen, pal…"

"Greg," the other man said, a smile brightening his features and Nick had to admit he was kind of cute. "Greg Sanders."

"Greg," Nick echoed, trying and failing to stifle a smile, "you really can't hang around here. If the crime scene gets compromised…"

"Right, no problem. But it's safe here, right? My room's right down the hall, I don't have to worry about getting caught in any crossfire, do I?"

"No," Nick answered, grinning at Greg's earnest expression. "I'm here to keep you safe. I mean…to keep the hotel guests safe."

"Good to know." Another smile, even more unreadable than the last one, and Greg took a step backwards. "So I'll see you around, Officer."

"Nick."

"See you around, Officer Nick." One last grin and Greg was gone, turning on his heel and disappearing around the corner. For a while Nick stared after him, wondering what exactly had just happened. He wasn't sure why he'd told Greg his name, but one thing he was pretty sure of was that Greg had been flirting with him. The elevator chimed and he sighed, pushing the thought of some kid he'd probably never see again out of his mind as the doors slid open and another group of college kids spilled out.

~

He hadn't expected much from a Chemistry Conference. He definitely hadn't expected a real live crime scene, complete with actual criminalists and a hot cop on door duty. And okay, it probably wasn't a good idea to flirt with a cop. He hadn't even really meant to flirt; at first he was so caught up in the crime scene that he barely noticed the guy, and when he finally looked up it just seemed natural to smile and try to start a conversation.

He sort of owed it to the guy, after all, because the guys he'd been with were complete morons and he didn't want Nick thinking every college kid in the hotel was a stuck-up asshole. It had gotten him on a first-name basis, anyway, and that was something. Besides, it was harmless – less than five minutes of letting Nick explain procedure Greg already knew, and if it made him feel important Greg wasn't going to discourage him.

Besides, he was interested, and even if he hadn't gotten to talk to any of the actual investigators it was still something. And there was something about this cop – the way he smiled, the earnest way he described what the CSIs were doing – that made it impossible to resist. And okay, Greg hadn't really tried that hard, but it wasn't like he was ever planning to see the guy again.

He was long gone by the time Greg left for his seminar the next morning, the door where he'd been standing closed and presumably locked, but the crime scene tape was still blocking off the room and Greg couldn't help wondering what had happened; if the evidence in the room had told them anything, if they had any suspects and if it had anything to do with anyone from the conference.

It was kind of cool, knowing a major crime had happened just a few doors down from his own, and now there was a whole investigation going on somewhere. They might even be interviewing suspects already, and even though he knew better Greg couldn't help picturing faceless suspects being grilled in dark rooms. And no matter how hard he tried not to, his brain kept supplying an image of Nick doing the interview. Which was impossible, because Nick was just a uniform and they had detectives to do that kind of thing, but he looked good in Greg's imagination, so he stopped trying to fight it.

He barely heard a word of his morning lecture; he tried to focus, but his mind kept wandering to the shooting, his imagination supplying a hundred different scenarios for what might have happened. And it was stupid, because he didn't know any of the details or even who had been killed, but that didn't stop him from coming up with theory after crazy theory. It was something to do, anyway, and by the time they broke for lunch he was in the middle of a fantasy about foreign spies and government secrets.

Not that Dallas was a hotbed of international espionage – not that he knew of, anyway, but it wasn't impossible. Then again, maybe it was a crime of passion, some kind of lovers' quarrel that got out of control. He liked that theory even more, but he still didn't even know who'd been murdered and it would be a lot easier to picture it all if he knew if he was dealing with a man or a woman.

He was so caught up in his theories that he didn't notice the commotion in front of the hotel until he was practically at the center of it, stopping short when he realized there was a police car parked right in front of the lobby doors. A second later the door swung open and a guy around his age appeared, hands cuffed behind his back and being pushed toward the car by a cop he didn't recognize. The guy in cuffs looked familiar, though, and Greg was so busy trying to figure out why that he almost missed Nick holding the crowd back while his partner put their suspect in the car.

When he recognized Nick he started forward, squeezing through the crowd until they were practically shoulder to shoulder. "Is that the guy?"

Nick glanced over at him, his expression shifting from surprise to recognition. "We're just taking him in for questioning," he said, voice gruff and businesslike and Greg couldn't help grinning at the sound. He tore his gaze away from the squad car long enough to look at Nick, taking in the fit of his uniform and the set of his jaw. He definitely took his job seriously, and Greg had to admit he was glad to see the other man again.

"So why'd he do it?"

"I don't know if he did. Right now he's just a suspect."

"But you think he did it, right? You wouldn't have cuffed him if you didn't think he was dangerous."

"Look, I don't have time to explain procedure to you right now," Nick answered, still focused on the crowd but Greg could see the corners of his mouth twitching with the effort not to smile. And that was interesting; maybe it wasn't so dangerous to flirt with certain cops after all. "I'd love to tell you all about it, but we've got to get this guy downtown."

"I thought we were downtown."

Nick rolled his eyes, but the grin he still hadn't managed to shake ruined the effect. "It's just an expression. Downtown as in the precinct house."

"Yeah? I've never been inside an actual police station before. Any chance of getting a tour?"

And okay, maybe he should work on the timing of his flirting reflex, but it was hard to resist when Nick was still fighting a smile and turning a little pink. Besides, there was always the chance he could hear more about the case, and now that he'd seen the suspect he was even more curious about the details.

"Why are you so interested in all of this? You're not a reporter or something, are you?"

"No," Greg answered, grinning at Nick's suspicious expression. "I'm just interested."

He held Nick's gaze for a second longer than strictly necessary, and when Nick cleared his throat and looked away he was definitely blushing. And that wasn't what he'd meant when he thought the words, but somehow they'd come out that way and he couldn't bring himself to take them back. It would be easy enough to clarify, say he was interested in the case and he wouldn't be lying, but he didn't want to.

"Stokes. You coming or what?

His partner's voice made Nick flinch, and he swallowed hard and stole an involuntary glance at Greg. "Yeah," he called back, taking a few steps toward the car. "Look, I gotta go."

The last thing he wanted was to let Nick walk away, because he was still interested in the case, but now he was kind of interested in the cop too. He wouldn't mind seeing more of Nick, anyway, but he had a feeling propositioning a cop in front of a crowd was the worst thing he could do. Instead he shrugged and took a step backwards, telling himself it didn't matter if this was the last time he ever saw the other man. "Of course, Officer."

It was probably wrong that he kind of got off on the way Nick flinched when he said 'officer', drawing the word out until it sounded almost dirty. And he had no idea what he was doing, but a second later Nick was sliding into the squad car without a backwards glance and Greg told himself it didn't matter.

~

Nick wasn't sure what he was doing. He didn't really have any business at the hotel, but he had a little time to kill before the end of his shift and he'd come up with a plausible enough excuse to swing by and tie up a few loose ends. And okay, maybe he was looking for Greg too, but every second that passed without a sign of him convinced Nick a little more that this was the worst idea he'd ever had.

There was no question that Greg had been flirting with him outside the hotel, and it was hard to believe that was just over twenty-four hours ago. He'd spent the entire night trying not to think about it, trying to convince himself it had all been his imagination and Greg wasn't interested in him. And even if he was, he was a college kid, down here for a conference and in a few days he'd be gone and Nick would never see him again.

All he had to do was stay away from the hotel until the conference was over and he could avoid temptation. That line of logic lasted until he found himself pulling up outside the hotel for the third day in a row.

And now…now he was here, but he had no idea what he was doing. He'd done a few completely pointless follow-up interviews with hotel employees that he wouldn't even bother to put into his report, wandered up to the hallway where the crime scene had already been cleaned up and now he was back in the lobby, feeling like a complete moron and trying to convince himself to go back out to his car and the station.

He was halfway across the lobby when the doors opened and a crowd of college kids spilled inside, noisy and full of pent-up energy like they'd all been sitting still for too long. They were only a few years younger than him, but they seemed a whole world away from him now and suddenly he felt even more stupid. He didn't have any business hanging around a hotel looking for some kid just because he'd seemed interested; Nick wasn't that hard up, and even if he was, it was no reason to make a fool of himself where people might recognize him.

Only one person already had, and when Nick caught sight of Greg he swallowed hard and did his best not to look like he'd been looking. Not that it mattered, because Greg had already broken off from his friends and he was heading across the lobby, a bright smile plastered across his face and God, that wasn't fair. He wasn't supposed to look so happy to see Nick, like they actually knew each other. Like they'd had more than a total of five minutes' conversation about a murder investigation Nick hadn't even been able to talk about.

"Hey," Greg said when he reached Nick, hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels like he had more energy than he knew what to do with. Nick could think of a few things to do with it, and as soon as the thought surfaced he flushed and pushed it as far back in his mind as it would go. "So can you talk about it yet?"

"What?"

"The case," Greg said, bouncing again and that was really distracting. "Or are you here gathering more evidence?"

"No, it's pretty much tied up." Nick glanced around nervously, but as far as he could tell no one was watching them. It didn't make him feel any less conspicuous, standing there in his uniform with Greg staring at him like Nick was the most fascinating person he'd ever met.

"Great. So you can tell me all about it. Unless you're still on duty," Greg added, gaze wandering down the length Nick's uniform and by the time he met Nick's eyes again Nick was sure he was blushing.

It was the perfect out, and Nick knew he should take it. He was still in uniform, and it would be easy to tell Greg that he had to get back to the station and finish up some paperwork. Only those weren't the words that tumbled out of his mouth, and by the time he finished talking it was way too late to take it back. "I get off in a few minutes. I just have to take the car back to the station and change."

Technically it wasn't an invitation, but judging by Greg's expression that was how he'd taken it. And Nick couldn't blame him, because that was exactly how he'd meant it. He wasn't sure what it was an invitation for, but when Greg answered he had a feeling he was going to regret it.

"Perfect. You mind if we get something to eat? I'm starving."

~

"You know, I spent all day yesterday trying to figure out where I saw the guy you arrested. I finally remembered, he was sitting a few rows in front of me in the seminar yesterday. It must have been right after he shot his friend. Why didn't he just leave town then?"

Nick shrugged, leaning back in the booth and stretching one arm across the back of the bench. They'd ended up in a little hole in the wall restaurant not far from the police station; Nick had said something about the best barbecue in town, but Greg was more interested in the company than the food.

He hadn't gotten his tour of the station – hadn't gotten much further than the lobby, but Nick had seemed a little twitchy about having him there and Greg couldn't really blame him. It would be hard to explain who Greg was or why he was waiting around for Nick to change into street clothes, and he didn't want to get the guy in trouble. He wasn't exactly sure what they were doing, but whatever it was, he was pretty sure the Dallas P.D. wouldn't approve.

"Hiding in plain sight, I guess," Nick answered, his voice surprising Greg out of his reverie. "He probably tried to convince himself he didn't leave any evidence behind, and when the panic set in he had a change of heart. It happens a lot more than you'd think. Panic does weird things to people. We're just lucky we didn't show up an hour later or he would have been gone."

"Seems like a stupid reason to kill a guy," Greg said. "I mean all that over a girl neither of them were probably ever going to see again?"

"Jealousy does weird things to people too. So does rejection. I hung around for part of his interview, and he seemed pretty fixated on the fact that the girl picked his friend over him. I mean anybody who's gonna go find a gun and shoot somebody over a one-night stand has to have a couple screws loose already, you know?" Nick grinned as the waitress appeared, setting two plates down in front of them. "Now this is real Texas barbecue. You're gonna love it."

And he was right, but Greg had a feeling that had more to do with the company than the food. Not that the food wasn't good, but they could have been eating raw eel for all Greg cared. Nick talked about the case through most of their meal, describing the way the suspect sang as soon as they presented him with ballistics evidence. It turned out he was a student from some school in New Mexico, and he and the guy he'd shot knew each other through some national student organization.

Nick had no idea why he'd shown up at a National Chemistry Society Convention with a gun, but he was right about one thing: the guy obviously had a few screws loose before he got to Dallas. He sounded like a real whack job, anyway, and the fact that he'd get mad enough to shoot a friend over some chick they'd picked up in a club was proof of that.

"You sure he was jealous of his friend?" Greg asked when Nick stopped for breath, interrupting what was turning into a long speech about ballistics evidence and how the crime lab worked.

"Why else would he shoot him?" Nick asked, confusion marring his features for a second before he realized what Greg was asking. "Oh. I guess it could have been some weird lovers' quarrel thing. But if he had a thing for his friend he didn't own up to it in his interview."

"Well yeah, I mean that would be kind of asking for trouble, wouldn't it?" Greg said. "Telling a Texas cop you're into guys right before they lock you up and throw away the key...you'd have to have a death wish."

"We're not all that bad," Nick said, frowning over his Coke and Greg hoped it was dark enough in the restaurant to hide his blush. And granted, he was fishing for a reaction, but he knew better than to make it so obvious.

"I didn't mean…I mean I did, but...sorry. It was a stupid thing to say. Dumb stereotypes, you know?"

Nick shrugged and set his glass back down, pushing his plate away and gesturing for the waitress. As soon as he reached for his wallet Greg's heart sank, because he was pretty sure that meant the evening was over, and it was his own fault for opening his mouth and saying exactly the wrong thing. Then Nick glanced over at him again, mouth turned up in a crooked smile and Greg's heart leapt right back up into his throat. "Stereotypes exist for a reason. But they're not always true."

Before Greg could answer the waitress appeared with the bill, and Greg reached for his own wallet. As soon as he did Nick waved him off, dropping a few bills on the table and standing up. "My treat. Texas hospitality is one of those true stereotypes," he added, his expression almost mischievous and Greg wasn't sure he was going to make it through the rest of the night without doing something stupid.

"Yeah? Does that hospitality extend to a tour of the city?"

Nick looked over at him when they reached the truck, expression unreadable and for a second Greg thought he was going to say no. But before he had a chance to panic Nick nodded and unlocked the door, holding it open while Greg climbed into the cab. "One tour of Dallas, coming up."

~

He wasn't sure when this had become an actual date. Maybe when Greg asked him to dinner, or maybe when Nick paid the bill. Either way he hadn't intended to end up out at White Rock Lake, but he couldn't really say he was sorry.

They'd driven around for a little while, Nick pointing out the hottest spots downtown and boring Greg with a little local history. Only Greg never seemed bored, and Nick couldn't tell if it was just an act for his sake or if Greg really was interested in all this stuff. He seemed interested in hearing about Nick's job, but he'd seemed just as interested in hearing stories about Nick and his brother and sisters coming downtown with their mom when they were kids.

He pulled into a parking spot at Winfrey Point, thankful it was a weekday so the place was pretty much deserted. Usually there were kids up here making out or getting drunk, but it was still early on a Tuesday, so they didn't have any company yet. He shut off the engine and shaded his eyes against the setting sun, glaring off the lake and making him squint.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what are we doing out here?"

Nick grinned at the nervousness he could hear in Greg's voice – he was pretty sure Greg was trying to act casual, but it was clear he didn't know what they were doing any more than Nick did.

"You said you wanted to see the city. This is the best view in town." He pointed across the lake at the skyline, hazy now while the sun was still up. "Once the sun goes down the view's a lot better."

"So is this on the standard Dallas tour?"

"To tell you the truth, this is my first one. I'm not really in the habit of showing tourists around."

"Good thing I'm not a tourist, then," Greg said, grinning when Nick glanced over at him. "But you're good at this. You could go into business."

Nick laughed at that, glancing out the windshield again in a vain attempt to hide his smile. "Living here my whole life probably helps with that."

"You ever thought of leaving?" Greg asked, shifting on the bench seat until he was leaning against the door, watching Nick instead of the sunset and it was hard not to squirm under that intense gaze.

"Sometimes," Nick answered, one hand tracing the curve of the steering wheel absently as he spoke. "My whole family's here and I know they'd hate it if I left. Then again, sometimes my family's the reason it seems like a good idea."

"So where would you go?"

Nick shrugged at that, shifting in his own seat to look at Greg. "I don't know. Phoenix, maybe. Or Vegas."

"Don't tell me, you've got a white jumpsuit stashed in your closet and a secret obsession with Elvis."

"No," Nick answered, shaking his head at Greg's amused grin. "I went there once with my frat brothers. It's a pretty fun town. The kind of place where anything goes, you know?"

"As opposed to Dallas."

"Let's just say there are some things you don't talk about when you're in Texas. What about you? Where are you from?"

"I grew up just outside L.A., but I live in San Francisco now," Greg answered. "After I graduate this spring I've got an internship with the San Francisco crime lab."

"Yeah?" Nick said, trying hard not to sound as impressed as he was. He'd always been interested in what the crime lab did, and the more his father pressured him to do something less dangerous than being a cop, the more he thought about going through the CSI training program. "So that's why you were so interested in the case."

"That's one reason."

Something about the way he said it sent a thrill up Nick's spine, and before he could stop himself he was shifting a little closer to the center of the cab. He caught himself before he did anything stupid, but Greg was leaning toward him and he was pretty sure he wasn't reading the signals wrong. And he wished he was better at this – wished he wasn't so out of practice – but there were certain trade-offs to being a cop and he was still new enough to the force to worry about what would happen if anyone found out about him.

Only Greg was interested; he was almost positive of that, and no one was going to find out about this. Because he was only in town for a few days, just long enough for a conference and then he'd be gone again, and if Nick didn't do something now he might not get another chance.

"You don't have your gun on you, do you?"

Greg's voice was a lot closer now, and it took Nick a few seconds and a couple tries to process the question. "What? No, why?"

"Just making sure you can't kill me for this," Greg answered, voice moving closer and by the time hot breath brushed his lips Nick got it. He surged forward into the kiss, lips parted and when he heard a low groan he recognized the sound as his own. He couldn't make himself care, though, because Greg's tongue was in his mouth and his hand was sliding through Nick's hair and it had been too long since he did this.

Way too long, and when he finally had to come up for air all he wanted to do was dive right back in again. Greg tasted good, smelled even better and this was everything Nick had been trying so hard not to imagine it would be. He knew he was in danger of losing control way too soon, but Greg was breathless and grinning at him and for once Nick wanted to lose control.

"I don't need my gun to kill you, just so you know."

That got him another smile, pleased and just a little surprised. "Sure, but it's easier to write off as justifiable homicide if you just shoot me."

"Trust me, Greg, I don't want to shoot you." He murmured the words against Greg's mouth, lips brushing together and when Greg pressed forward Nick kissed him again, hands sliding down his sides to grip his hips. It had been a long time since he made out with anyone in the cab of his truck, and it was a little more awkward than he remembered. There was no way they were going any further than kissing while they were out in the open like this; no one was around at the moment, but the Point was on a regular patrol route and if highway patrol – or worse, Dallas P.D. – caught them out here Nick could kiss his career goodbye.

As soon as he thought it Greg was pulling away, lips wet and swollen and eyes glazed like he was having some trouble focusing. "We could go back to the hotel. If you want."

"Don't you have a roommate or something?" Nick asked, already wondering if he could get Greg into his apartment without any of his neighbors noticing. And he'd never even considered bringing a guy home before, but they couldn't stay here and he wasn't sure he could pass this up.

But Greg was shaking his head, already disentangling himself from Nick's grip and sliding to a more or less safe distance. "There was some mix-up with the conference reservations, I ended up with a room to myself."

That was all Nick needed to hear; a second later he was sliding back behind the wheel, pulling his seatbelt across his chest and stealing one last glance at Greg before he started the engine and pulled back onto the road.

~

Greg was pretty sure nobody had seen them on their way across the lobby. He could tell Nick was a little nervous, glancing around as though he was expecting somebody to recognize him and ask him what exactly he thought he was doing. But they made it to the elevators without seeing anyone, and the hall was deserted when they finally reached Greg's floor.

He sent up a quick prayer of thanks and led Nick down the hall, somehow managing to keep his hands to himself until they got inside his room. But as soon as the door was closed and locked Nick's hands were on him, pushing his shirt up and tracing patterns across his skin and Greg had never been so glad to be right about anything in his life. He turned into the touch, taking in dark eyes and an intense expression, and he knew closeted cops were almost as much a cliché as closeted soldiers, but Nick was the hottest cliché he'd ever laid eyes on.

He let Nick pull his shirt off before he leaned forward, a hand on the back of Nick's neck to pull him close for a long kiss. "How do you want me?" he asked, and he probably sounded like a bad porn but he didn't really care. Cared even less when Nick swallowed convulsively, hands gripping Greg's hips hard for a second before he answered.

"On your knees. I wanna fuck you."

And it wasn't the most inventive answer ever, but he could work with that. Part of him wished he'd gotten Nick to bring his uniform with him, but that was back at the police station and there was no way Greg could wait until Nick went all the way there and back. Besides, he had the actual cop, and he was willing to bet naked Nick was just as hot as Nick in a uniform.

"Give me a second," he said, lips brushing Nick's one more time before he pulled out of the other man's grip and disappeared into the bathroom. He rooted around in his shaving kit until he found a stray condom, digging a little more until he found something that would pass for lube. A small bottle of hotel-issue hand lotion, and it wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing.

A few seconds later he was heading back to the bedroom, kicking his shoes and socks off along the way and when he reached the bed Nick was sitting on the edge, still wearing everything but his sneakers.

"Nice to see you didn't start without me," Greg said, grinning when Nick flushed and dropping the condom and lotion on the bedspread.

He pushed Nick backwards and climbed onto the mattress, one knee on either side of Nick's thighs. Nick's cock pressed insistently against the front of his jeans, leaving nothing to the imagination and Greg reached out with one hand and pressed the heel of his hand hard against Nick's erection.

That got him a groan and a convulsive thrust of Nick's hips, denim scratching against his palm and Greg used his other hand to work Nick's zipper down. He slid his hand inside and pulled Nick's cock out carefully, stroking slowly as he took in the sight of Nick still mostly clothed and looking way more vulnerable than he should. And it was hard to believe that just a few hours ago Nick had been all business, standing in the lobby in his uniform and if Greg hadn't shown up when he did he might never have seen Nick again.

Only Nick had never said what he was doing in the hotel after the case was already closed, and Greg's wrist twisted a little as he leaned in to press his mouth to the side of Nick's neck. "So did you come here looking for me today?"

"Does it…Jesus…does it matter?"

Greg smirked at that, tongue darting out to lick a hot stripe down Nick's neck. "Definitely."

"Yeah," Nick said, voice breathy and low and his hands were clenched hard around the bedspread. "I was looking for you."

"Good." When Greg's mouth found Nick's he arched into the kiss, hands leaving the bedspread to stroke down Greg's back. He could feel the strength in Nick's hands, and he was pretty sure Nick hadn't been lying when he said he didn't need a gun to kill Greg. A shiver rolled through him at the thought, and he tore his mouth away from Nick's to trail hot kisses down his neck.

Across his chest and down, tongue dipping into Nick's belly button and he got a choked gasp and a murmured 'please' that told him exactly what he needed to know. He hadn't really expected Nick to let him take the lead this way, but he had to admit he liked being in control. He liked taking his time exploring all that perfect skin, liked knowing how much Nick wanted him – wanted him enough to beg for more.

His mouth closed around Nick's cock, tongue darting out to taste salt and bitter. He pulled away to roll the flavor on his tongue, glancing up at Nick to make sure the other man was watching before he opened his mouth and slid as far down as he could go. His hands pressed down hard on Nick's hips, holding him against the mattress as he swallowed around Nick's cock. He could feel Nick struggling not to thrust, fighting the urge to push forward and choke him and there was a part of Greg that wanted to let go and let Nick fuck his mouth.

But he liked the feel of all that firmly controlled strength underneath him, liked the tension of Nick's muscles straining under his fingers and the choked, broken noises Nick made when Greg swallowed around him again. He arched up a little harder against Greg's hands, control slipping minutely and even that was kind of hot, so Greg pulled away with one last swallow and looked up at Nick.

"Come here," Nick said, face flushed with concentration this time and he practically dragged Greg up his body, pressing their lips together and shifting until Greg was flat on his back and draped in Nick.

He didn't remember moving, but he wasn't about to complain because Nick was working his jeans down over his legs and hooking his thumbs in Greg's boxers, dragging those down too to toss them on the floor. Then he was standing up, tugging his own clothes off and Greg pushed himself up on his elbows to watch.

He swallowed hard when Nick pulled his shirt off, because he'd felt all that muscle pressed against him but it was a lot different seeing it with his own eyes. His jeans rode low on his hips, cock pressed flat against his stomach and it was all Greg could do not to crawl off the bed and slide to his knees in front of the other man. But he was enjoying the show too much to break the spell, and when Nick finally kicked off the rest of his clothes and crossed back to the bed Greg was almost disappointed.

That lasted as long as it took for Nick to reach for the condom, then Greg was focused on watching him roll it down his length. He reached for the small bottle of lotion while Nick put the condom on, squeezing a little in his hand and reaching for Nick.

"Sorry," he said as he slid a slick hand up and down Nick's length, "I wasn't exactly planning for this."

"Not a problem," Nick answered, taking the bottle from Greg and pouring lotion on his own fingers. "Turn over."

Greg swallowed a shudder and pushed himself onto his knees, planting his elbows on the mattress and pushing his knees as far apart as he could. He groaned at the first press of Nick's fingers inside him, pushing back into the sensation and biting down hard on his lip. He wanted to tell Nick to skip the prep work and just do it, but Nick seemed determined to take his time. His free hand rested against Greg's hip, fingers moving restlessly against his skin and Greg glanced back over his shoulder long enough to catch the intense expression on Nick's face.

Totally focused, and Greg couldn't help wondering what a guy like that was doing riding around in a patrol car all day. It was the same kind of look he saw on people in the lab when they were working out particularly tricky experiments, the same look he was sure he wore every time he lost himself so deep in his job that he forgot to eat or sleep. He'd never expected that kind of focus to be directed completely on him – for him – and it made waiting even harder.

He thrust back against Nick's hands, a little harder each time and he could hear the sounds he was making in the back of his throat, but he couldn't stop himself. He wanted Nick in him now, wanted that stretch until he was sure he couldn't take another second. He wanted Nick to fuck him hard, wanted to come and more than anything he wanted to catch his breath and start all over again.

Nick's fingers twisted inside him and he clenched reflexively around the other man, gasping against the sensation when Nick found the spot he'd been looking for. When he relaxed Nick did it again, then again and Greg choked back a frustrated sob and muttered something that he was sure sounded more like desperation than a demand. But he didn't care, because Nick's fingers were sliding out of him and before he had a chance to mourn the loss his cock was pushing inside.

No hesitation, just one long, slow thrust, and by the time Nick was buried inside him Greg was sure he was going to come just from that. Wanted to, but then Nick was gripping his hips and moving and it was all Greg could do to hang on. He pushed back into each wild thrust, pulling Nick as deep inside him as he could get and holding him there, counting seconds before Nick pulled back out and drove in again until they were moving so fast that he couldn't count anymore.

He was pretty sure he came first. Nick was still buried inside him when he tensed, anyway, his own hand stroking his cock in time to Nick's thrusts and he clenched hard around the cock still buried inside him as he came. White light exploded behind his eyes, heat rushing through his whole body and when Nick tensed and collapsed against his back Greg dragged them both down to the mattress.

Later he wouldn't be sure if he'd blacked out or just fallen asleep, but when he opened his eyes again Nick was coming out of the bathroom. Greg lifted his head to watch the other man cross the room, tensing when Nick reached the pile of clothes they'd abandoned on the floor. But he didn't stop and start pulling his clothes back on, and when he stepped over them and headed toward the bed Greg let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Are you on duty tomorrow?"

"No," Nick answered, hand stroking across Greg's shoulder like he was trying to convince himself this was real. Greg reached up and caught Nick's hand, summoning what strength he had left and kicking back the covers. He tugged until Nick took the hint and slid between the sheets with him, chest pressed against Greg's back and a strong hand resting on his hip.

"Good. So stay and I'll let you fuck me again in the morning."

~

Nick did fuck him again as the sun was coming up, and twice more during the night when they woke up in a sweaty tangle of limbs. The room reeked of sex and Greg hoped housekeeping wasn't getting an early start, because he didn't really care what anybody thought of him, but he knew Nick did. Nick who was propped up on one elbow, watching Greg like he was trying to memorize him. And it was almost…sweet, which was something Greg hadn't been expecting. Then again, he hadn't really expected Nick to stay in the first place, so maybe he'd let his stereotypes about cops cloud his judgment.

He was sore, aching all over and in a few hours he had to be in a cab on the way to the airport, but none of that stopped him from wanting more. And evidently Nick could read his mind, because the hand that had been tracing random patterns on Greg's chest slid lower, down Greg's stomach and between splayed legs to push inside. Greg moaned and pressed down into the sensation, fighting the urge to close his eyes because Nick was still watching him, and it seemed important somehow to keep his eyes open.

"I think…God, I think we're out of condoms."

"Shame," Nick murmured, but he didn't stop and Greg couldn't bring himself to argue. He was already hard, and he was pretty sure that was some kind of miracle. Not that he was complaining, but this was still a one-night stand and he knew better than to take stupid chances.

He opened his mouth to tell Nick they couldn't, but before he got the words out Nick was sliding his fingers out and pushing Greg onto his stomach, climbing to his knees to kneel between Greg's legs. "Nick," Greg murmured, although whether he was trying to get the other man's attention or asking for more he couldn't say. All he knew was that Nick's fingers felt amazing pushing inside him, and when he felt something warm and wet circling his opening Greg moaned and pushed back against it.

Nick's fingers were still inside him, tongue licking his own fingers and Greg's skin, and Greg wished he could see. Wished he could capture this moment somehow so he could play it over and over, because he knew this was the last time and that didn't seem fair. It wasn't right that they only got one night, less than twenty-four hours and then they went back to their lives and never saw each other again.

He felt like he should say something, tell Nick this could be so much more than a mostly anonymous fuck if he was willing to take the chance, but the truth was he didn't know it was true. They didn't really know each other, and even if they did he couldn't get his voice to work with him. All he managed were a few incoherent sounds, lows moans and he was thrusting hard against the mattress, caught between the need to come and wishing this could last forever.

Then Nick's fingers were gone, pulling out of him to grip his hips and drag him onto his knees, and Greg didn't care if Nick fucked him without protection. Part of him almost wanted Nick to do it, but instead of the stretch of Nick's cock pressing inside him Greg felt Nick's tongue working him open. A hand slid between his legs, past his balls to close around his cock, and Greg moaned and pressed back against the tongue pushing inside him.

He knew he was babbling, begging for more and harder and faster, and when the grip on his cock tightened he moaned Nick's name and came. He collapsed hard against the mattress, panting and sweat-drenched and when lips brushed across his shoulder blade he swallowed hard and turned onto his back. Nick was watching him with that same unnerving focus Greg had seen the night before, like he was memorizing everything about Greg so he could remember later.

"How long are you in town?"

"My flight's this afternoon," Greg answered, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Because he probably could have changed his tickets, stayed in town a couple more days and maybe this would have gone someplace. But he knew he'd just be putting off the inevitable, and even though he'd give Nick his number and tell him to look him up if he was ever in San Francisco, this was the last time they'd ever see each other.

Nick nodded and for a second Greg thought he might say something else, some empty promise about staying in touch just to keep the fantasy going a little longer. But the words never came, and when Nick leaned in to kiss him Greg told himself it was just as well. They both knew what they were getting into, after all, and lying to themselves would only make it harder when it did end.

~

"Hey," Nick said as he fell into step next to Warrick. "Heard Brass is on the warpath again. Probably a good idea to keep a low profile."

Warrick frowned and headed toward the break room, not bothering to slow down to make it easier for Nick to keep up. "When isn't he pissed off about something? The guy needs to get laid."

"Thanks for the mental image, man," Nick said, shaking his head when Warrick laughed. "Hey, you heard anything about the new tech?"

"Nope," Warrick answered as they reached the break room, pushing the door open and stopping when he saw the person standing in front of the coffee pot. "That him?"

Nick followed the other man's gaze to the new guy, taking in the county-issue lab coat and the hair curling just above his collar. There was something almost familiar about him, but until he turned around Nick wasn't sure why. When he did Nick felt his jaw drop, caught the spark of recognition in the other man's eyes and for a second he was frozen in place. "Greg?"

"You two know each other?" Warrick asked, glancing curiously from Greg and then back to Nick. And Nick knew it must look pretty much exactly like what it was, but he couldn't wipe the stunned expression off his face.

"You could say that," Greg said, tearing his gaze away from Nick to grin at Warrick. "Hey. I'm the new guy."

"Warrick Brown. Listen, I've got a case to get back to," Warrick said, still watching Nick suspiciously. "Welcome aboard."

Nick vaguely registered the sound of Greg thanking Warrick, but he was too busy trying to work out what Greg was doing standing in the break room to notice Warrick's exit. It had been almost four years – four long years in which he'd changed pretty much his entire life, and in all that time he'd thought about Greg more than he wanted to admit. He never really thought of him as the one that got away, because they'd both known going into that night that it wasn't going anywhere.

There had been a lot of long, slow kisses even after they were showered and dressed, lots of unspoken regret that they both felt and pretended they didn't, and when Greg left Nick actually considered holding onto his phone number just in case. He had to force himself to throw it away in the lobby trash can, because he knew if he kept it he'd do something stupid like call to see how Greg was doing. And the last thing he needed was a complicated long-distance…thing, but Greg was here now and Nick couldn't help wondering how long he'd been in town.

"You should probably close your mouth now," Greg said, his voice breaking Nick's reverie and he snapped his jaw shut. "Guess I'm the last person you expected to see."

"That would be a pretty good guess," Nick answered, one hand on the back of his neck and rubbing absently as he tried to decide whether or not he was dreaming. "You don't seem all that surprised to see me."

Greg shrugged and poured another cup of coffee, holding it out and Nick had to remind his legs how to work before he managed to cross the room and take it. "I didn't know you worked here when I applied. But I saw your name on some of those department bulletins they've got hanging on the board out front while I was waiting for somebody to show me around. I didn't plan this or anything, Nick. If it makes you uncomfortable…"

"No," Nick interrupted, because that wasn't entirely true, but he didn't want Greg to think he didn't want him around. What he wanted…he had no idea if he could have what he wanted, but he never thought he'd get a second chance and he wasn't about to waste it. "I'm glad to see you. How long have you been in Vegas?"

"Just a few days," Greg answered, features softening into a smile that made Nick's stomach flutter. "This guy I used to know told me it was the place to be."

"But you didn't plan this or anything."

"There might have been a little hope involved," Greg said, smile turning mischievous and Nick couldn't help laughing. "You're not married or anything, are you?"

"No," Nick answered, and he had a feeling it was going to be a long time before he managed to wipe the smile off his face. "My job keeps me too busy for relationships. Most people don't cope all that well with the night shift."

"In Vegas? I thought everybody here worked nights."

"You'd be surprised," Nick said. "There's a lot more to Vegas than what's in the brochures. Speaking of which, if you need somebody to show you around, I hear I'm a pretty good tour guide."

"Yeah? Who told you that?"

"This guy I used to know," Nick answered, leaning close and if Brass caught him flirting he'd be out of work faster than he could blink, but he couldn't bring himself to care when Greg was smiling at him like that. "To tell you the truth, I think he was easily impressed."

"I don't know about that, I hear you're a pretty impressive guy."