Title: Conversation
By: Caroline Crane
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Summary: Missing scene for "Jackpot". Nick and Greg talk about talking.

Greg stopped in the center of the hall, backed up a few steps, and did a double take. When he was sure he wasn't hallucinating he grinned and headed for the break room, pushing the door open and easing his way in as quietly as possible. He froze when his shoe squeaked against the linoleum, but when the slow, steady breathing filling the room didn't change he started moving again.

Nick was stretched across two chairs, his legs propped up on one and a case file resting on his chest. His glasses were resting crookedly on the bridge of his nose, and it was all Greg could do not to reach out and pull them off. Greg took a few minutes just to admire the view; he rarely got to see Nick in his glasses, and it was even more rare to see him this relaxed right in the middle of the crime lab. Nick was laidback, sure, but he was wound pretty tightly where his job was concerned and it wasn't often that he let his guard down in the middle of a shift.


He looked so peaceful that it seemed a shame to disturb him, but Greg knew if he didn't he'd just spend the rest of their shift watching Nick sleep, and eventually someone would notice. "Hey."

Nick started and looked up, his glasses sliding down his nose when he sat up too fast. "Wha…what?"

"Slow night," Greg said, nudging Nick's legs until he took the hint and swung them off the chair to make room for Greg. "You catching up on sleep or paperwork?"

"Funny," Nick shot back as he reached up to adjust his glasses. "You got something for me?"

"Now there's a loaded question."

Nick rolled his eyes at Greg's smirk, but he couldn't quite suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Greg shook his head and leaned back, letting his gaze wander down Nick's chest and back up to his face before he continued. "I just figured I should probably wake you up before somebody else did. Cath's in charge tonight, you know how scary she can be when you give her a little power."

"In charge of Gris' paperwork, you mean." Nick stopped fighting his grin and dropped his case file on the table next to them. "Has she been keeping you busy tonight?"

Greg shrugged, glancing toward the door before he looked at Nick again. "Recovered some chat transcripts from Gris' vic's computer. Pretty hot stuff."

"Yeah?" Nick leaned forward then, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his voice to just above a whisper. "You get any ideas?"


"I don't need any help, you know that," Greg answered, grinning when Nick laughed and glanced self-consciously over his shoulder.

"Anything you wanna share?"

"What, here? Or do you want me to IM you?"

"Why would I want to have cybersex when I can have the real thing?" Nick asked. Greg could tell by the tips of Nick's ears that the conversation was making him a little nervous in such a public setting, but Nick was the one who started it. Sort of. Besides, he'd always kind of liked watching Nick blush.

He reached out and grazed his knuckles across Nick's knee, the denim of his jeans rough against Greg's skin. It reminded him of the feel of Nick's cheek when he woke up in Greg's bed at 2:00 in the afternoon, and Greg smiled to himself and let his fingers linger against the fabric. "You'd be surprised. Words can be pretty powerful, you know."

"You can talk all you want as long as we're in the same room while you're doing it," Nick answered, catching Greg's hand and squeezing for a second before he let go.

Nick's voice was level, almost conversational, and Greg knew it was because anybody could walk in on them at any moment. Nick's back was to the door, though, and nobody in the hall would be able to see the look in his eyes. Greg swallowed a shudder, wishing more than ever that they were already back at his place and not condemned to suffer through the last four endless hours of their shift. "That an offer?"

"Maybe. Why don't you come by my place later and talk about it?"


"Will you be doing any…talking, or is this a one-man show?"

"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of letting you do all the work." Nick held his gaze for a beat, his head tilted a little as though he was actually considering his own idea. Then he stood up and leaned over Greg, the scent of his cologne floating through the air as he reached for his case file and straightened up again. When he looked up again his ears were even redder than before, but his smile was anything but embarrassed. "I better get back to it. See you later?"

"I'll be there." Greg stretched theatrically and shifted until his legs were stretched across the chair Nick had just vacated. "Should I bring anything?"

"Just you, G. That's all I need."

Nick was gone before he could answer, but for once Greg was too stunned to think of anything to say.