Title: Ten Minutes and Counting...
Author: Dee
Rating: Pg-13
Word Count: 1275
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Characters: Gil Grissom and Nick Stokes
Warnings: AU and v.fluffy!
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: In my dreams they are like, totally mine!
Unbeta-ed: All mistakes will be mine.
A/N 1: Another v.old fic! It’s probably well over two years since I wrote this!

Gil was dressed and ready to leave.  He'd been waiting for Nick for at least fifteen minutes. He looked at his watch; they'd have to leave their house within ten minutes if they were to be on time for the meal at the Paris.  They were meeting the rest of the team.   They'd gone out together many times over the years, the six of them.

 

But this was the first time that they were all going out together knowing that Gil and Nick were a couple - and had been for some time.

 

When Gil and Nick had realized that they were indeed a couple and their relationship was going to last, they'd agonized about telling their colleagues - who were also, really, their closest friends.  They had finally confessed a few days ago.  It was a huge shock to their friends.  Not one of them had guessed or even suspected that either man was anything other than entirely straight.  Add to that information the fact they were dating each other and that made this the biggest item of gossip to hit the LVPD...in the twenty-first century!

 

Overall, Gil thought that the information had been received quite well; they were fortunate in their friends.

 

For Gil, the strangest phenomenon had been Nick's behaviour since the revelation.  He had seemed to be perfectly at ease being in a gay relationship.  He…they…had both been closeted but had no problem with their private life.   But it was as if his outing had thrown Nick off kilter.  He was used to being a closeted gay man in a straight world.  Gil had never been particularly bothered about it, but he was a naturally secretive man anyway.   Nick was...and here Gil searched for the right word...frightened was too strong a word, but apprehensive, yes, that was the right word, about telling their friends that he was gay.  Gil suspected that this stemmed from the homophobic atmosphere within his family and friends back in Texas.

 

Nick loved Texas and all things Texan and often referred to good things that had happened to him, or stories about his life there.  But rarely...no, never, did he refer to his family or any close friends he'd had there.  He just didn’t speak about them.  So Gil was pretty sure that he'd been hurt, or warned, or had some experience that had blighted his Texan life, or he would not have left his beloved Yellow Rose state and moved to Nevada.

 

The subject had never been broached, Gil felt it was Nick’s business and when he was ready he would tell Gil and Gil would listen.   In the meantime Gil could afford to bide his time; he wanted to be with Nick and stay with him and it seemed as if Nick was of the same mind, so there was no rush to solve this particular puzzle.

 

And there was no doubt that Gil was very happy about Nick choosing to move to Las Vegas.   There had been times in the early days, when he'd been mentoring Nick, that he'd thought his impetuous and impatient manner would be the ruin of him, but he'd suddenly caught on, big time, and moved up a gear.  Gil was very proud of him.  Despite their romantic, (Gil smiled to himself at the thought of his romantic self) and their very sexual relationship, he often felt fatherly towards Nick.

 

Gil thought that that was indeed was the crux of the matter.  Nick craved acceptance, especially from Gil; first it had been as an investigator and then as a lover, a partner.  Gil was sure, despite Nick having never said a word about it, that solving the puzzle would mean unravelling what had happened within his family, most likely with his father.  He knew they were a big family but Nick had had no contact, that he knew about anyway, in the year, and then some, they'd been together.  Nick did not speak about them either, which, of course, was a huge clue, in and of itself.

 

His mind came back to the present and he looked at his watch again, five minutes and he'd have to call Nick, which he really didn't want to do.  Nick's mood tonight was…what...skittish, perhaps explained it.  In Gil's mind he was like a beautiful young colt, a thoroughbred, prancing about, not happy at being reined in, but at the same time wanting to be controlled.  He smiled again, at the analogy this time, he thought that Nick might like it - he certainly loved horses and Gil planned to buy him a new mount for his birthday and was already looking for a suitable horse and the best stabling.

 

Nick didn’t mind being nagged, normally, he’d just roll his eyes and totally ignore Gil, but in this instance if Gil valued his skin - and he did - it would not pay him to nag him into hurrying.  Gil then wondered if Nick’s newly acquired skittishness was a feminine trait.  He'd seen Catherine and even Sara (though rarely, he conceded) behave like this, but not any men he could think of, off hand.  He wondered if this part of the gay make up?  Nick’s gay behavioural pattern, since his, their secret, was now out in the open. 

 

Gil had had no particular preference before Nick; Nick was his first long-time lover, period.  He’d always found it difficult to connect and communicate within an intimate relationship and yet nothing had seemed simpler than being with Nick.  He’d known Nick was gay…he just knew, even though Nick had dated women, but those relationships had all ended in some sort of disaster.  He had a lot of female friends though, and that was how his ladies man image had been founded.  It could not have been further from the truth.

 

Three minutes.

 

And now their friends knew, and Gil and Nick would arrive, as a bona fide couple, at the Paris.  But, Nick was still upstairs unable to decide what to wear, whether one shirt was too gay, another too straight, a colour too outspoken, or a label too expensive.  He was a mess and Gil could not...okay, would not, be drawn into the fray.  Whatever he said would be wrong and cause even more trouble; Gil chuckled...yes, there was no doubt about it, Nick was as gay as he’d ever been, this evening.

 

"I'm ready, what do you think?"  Nick came scampering down the stairs.

 

Gil held his breath at the sight of Nick before him, he looked...great, absolutely great.  And gay, absolutely gay.  He was wearing a long sleeved silk shirt, in blood red, and just plain black pants and belt, but they were expensive and cut beautifully, hugging his compact hips and ass.  He’d put on his titanium and silver necklace that Gil had bought him for his last birthday.  He rarely wore it out in public and yet it completed his look so perfectly, lying seductively along his throat.

 

"You look, my love, like a million dollars."

 

"Oh God, do you think it's too much?"

 

"No, you look just right for an evening out at the Paris with your lover."  Gil said, but thought, 'when did I turn into a diplomat?'   But Nick did look incredible, there was no denying that, and having him as his lover and partner was the biggest turn on he could ever imagine.

 

"You really think that?"

 

"I really do.  I love you Nicky, did I tell you that before?"

 

"Yeah, you did...hey, come on, don’t hang around or we'll be late..."

 

Gil sighed and then smirked as Nick’s ass sashayed towards their front door.  "Just coming…dear."

 

The End