Title: Dreams Come True
By: Fran Holland
PAIRING: Gil/Nick & Gil/Sara


Sara woke to the sound of Gil's voice. She lay there for a few moments, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. Finally, she sat up.

"Nicky, please. Yes. Please." Gil was saying.

Even though the bedroom had blackout shades, enough light came through that Sara could see that Gil was still asleep and appeared to be dreaming. It took her awhile to wrap her brain around what she was seeing and hearing, mainly because she did not want to know.

Gil's legs were apart. His back was arched and he was repeating Nicky's name over and over, along with a few sexual expletives.

Over the past several months, Sara had heard him call out Nick's name in his sleep, but she kept telling herself that it was because Nick was his friend and after Nick was buried, Gil felt very protective of the other CSI. As she sat there listening and watching Gil, she came to the realization that it was more than that.

Gently, she pulled back the sheet that covered Gil from his chest down, and even though she knew what she would see, reality caused her to hold back a sob.

Gil's cock was hard and his hips were moving as if someone was actually there, stroking him. She took his cock into her hand and as she did, Gil moaned and thrust up into her hand.

"Yes, Nick, love you. Faster...please." Sara had to strain to hear the words that Gil was murmuring.

Sara continued to hold Gil's cock firmly and he thrust against her until he ejaculated with a cry.

"Love you, Nick. Ah...Ah...Ah...."

Suddenly, the room was quiet except for the rapid breathing of a still asleep Gil and Sara's quiet sobs.

When the alarm went off several hours later, Gil awoke and knew right away that something was strange. He looked over at the other side of the bed and noticed that Sara wasn't there. He lay there for a few moments, listening to she if she was in the shower. He heard no sounds from the house at all.

He made a move to get out of bed and noticed the crusty residue on his belly. He was a bit shocked. He couldn't remember having a wet dream in many, many years. Gil took a quick shower, dressed and thirty minutes later, he was downstairs waiting for the coffee to brew.

He got to work early and noticed Sara's car in the parking lot. She must have had insomnia, he thought. The biggest thing that they had in common was that they were both workaholics.

Instead of looking for Sara, he went straight to his office. Pretty soon, he was engrossed in a case from the previous night and did not raise his head until Catherine poked her head in the door and told him that his team was in the break room waiting for assignments.

Before he could even stand up, his cell phone rang. Catherine stood and watched him. His side of the conversation did not tell her much, other than it was work related. When he clicked his phone shut, he looked up at her.

"That was the sheriff of White Pine. They've had two strange murders and are requesting my presence." Gil told her.

"White Pine County? Where?"

"A small down outside of Ely, named Madison. I'll give out assignments and then I'm going up there. It's about a four hour drive and they are keeping the scene secure."

They walked down the hall together and entered the break room. All the chattering stopped and everyone looked at Gil expectantly except Sara, whose eyes were on her hands.

"Catherine and Warrick, DB over in the warehouse district. Sara and Greg, B&E at Gino's Jewelry off the strip. Nick, you're with me."

Sara's eyes flew up and met his for a minute, before turning to Nick. Gil did not understand the look she gave Nick. He must have been mistaken but for a minute it looked like Sara hated Nick.

All the CSI's left except for Nick. He looked up at Gil waiting for instructions.

"Go home and pack a bag, clothes for a few days. Warm clothes."

"What's up, Boss?" Nick asked.

"Murder in a small town out side of Ely in White Pine County. The sheriff called a few minutes ago and requested a team."

"Cool." Nick replied as he stood to head home to pack.

Gil smiled. "It will be cool. January in Ely, the temperatures are freezing."

Nick laughed. The two men agreed that Gil would go home to pack also and pick Nick up at his place in thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes to the second later, Gil knocked on Nick's front door. Nick opened the door with his bag in hand. He had changed from his long sleeve oxford shirt to a LVPD sweatshirt and in his other hand was a down parka.

****

Once they were in the Denali, Gil told Nick to get some sleep if he could, since they would probably be working all the next day. Used to being awake during this time, it took Nick a while to fall asleep, but soon the lull of the tires on the road, allowed him to nap.

Gil had the radio station turned to a classical station and he knew that it would help Nick sleep. About an hour outside of Vegas, he glanced over and smiled softly. Nick had pushed the seat back and was reclining, his head on the headrest. He was dead to the world. After looking back at the road for a time, he found his thoughts drifting.

Nick had always been special to Gil. After Nick's kidnapping, Gil had done a lot of soul searching and had come to realize that he loved the younger man. He had felt foolish, and had started an affair with Sara. He loved Sara too, just not in the same way. Sara was a good match for him. He was smart enough to know that his feelings for Nick would never be reciprocated, so in order to save his sanity, he turned to someone that he had a lot in common with, someone that really loved him.

Over the months since Nick's kidnapping and rescue, Gil had had a few dreams about Nick. Some sexual, some not. Most, he did not remember much about them at all; just that Nick was the star of the show.

Gil continued to put miles behind them and his mind continued to daydream about Nick.

Nick was surprised when Gil woke him up as they pulled into the sheriff's office parking lot. He did not think he would sleep long at all. Gil gave him a few minutes to wake up and comb his hair before exiting the SUV.

Sheriff Randall Stevens introduced himself to the two men and after handshakes all around, Gil and Nick were once again back in the Denali following the sheriff's car out of town. He had told him the crime scene was about fifteen minutes away in the small town of Madison.

Gil and Nick talked about the scenery, the weather and all sorts of other topics as they followed the patrol car along the winding road. Nick was loving the extended time that he got to spend with Gil.

They arrived at the scene. The yellow tape was wrapped completely around the small clapboard house, which was out in the middle of nowhere as far as Nick was concerned. A deputy was standing on the front porch, sipping coffee out of a thermos. The temperatures were close to freezing and the deputy was bundled up in a heavy parka, a black ski cap and thick black gloves.

Nick and Gil retrieved their kits from the back of the SUV and met the sheriff on the path leading up to the house.

"Tell me what we have so far, Sheriff Stevens." Gil said, stopping before he reached the porch.

"Randy, please." The sheriff said, before answering Gil. "The first victim is in the living room, the body has been decapitated. The second body is in the barn over there." The sheriff pointed to a small barn about 50 yards away. "It was decapitated also. We've searched the area but have not turned up the heads yet."

"Have the victims been identified?" Gil asked.

"Yeah. Joe and Tim McIntyre. Brothers. Moved here about ten years ago, from back east. Quiet folks. Had a mail order business of some sort. Stayed to themselves until a few weeks back. Joe started seeing a woman from Ely. According to witnesses, he would bring her into the diner here in Madison, they would eat and she would spend weekends here."

The sheriff's radio sounded at that moment. "Sheriff Stevens, the missing heads have been found." Said a crackling male voice.

"Where?"

"In Ely, on the front porch of a woman named Tammy Cole."

"Secure the scene. We'll be there shortly."

Sheriff Stevens met Gil's eyes. "That's Joe's lady friend's name."

Nick was left to process the first scene while Gil rode back to Ely with the sheriff to process the second scene. The coroner had arrived and he assisted Nick with examining the bodies. Nick was finishing up when he noticed the first snow flurries. He walked up to the deputy, who was now sitting in his car.

"I'm done here. I guess we can head back to Ely."

"Great, I'm colder than a witch's tit." The deputy exclaimed.

Nick laughed and loaded his kit in the back of Gil's Denali. He followed the deputy back to Ely as the snow began to get heavier and heavier.

Nick pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff's office right behind the deputy. Both men got out of their vehicles and rushed into the warmth of the office. Gil and the sheriff were already there.

Without the convenience of their own lab, Gil and Nick began laying out the evidence that they could process by hand. The coroner walked in and after a brief conference, Gil followed him over to his office where they started the autopsies.

It was 8:00pm before the sheriff finally called everyone together to quit for the night. Between the evidence and witnesses, they were close to finding out who was responsible for the grisly deaths of the two brothers. But it had been a long day and everyone was tired, so the sheriff pointed Nick and Gil towards a small state park right outside of town.

"Grover Forest State Park is the only place around that has beds for the night. Our only hotel burned down about three months ago. The park is nice, and has cabins for rent. I've already called out there and they have a cabin ready for you."

After receiving directions and being assured that the drive would only take about ten minutes, Nick and Gil were once again in the SUV. Gil had the windshield wipers going as snow continued to fall down. There was already over an inch on the ground. The ten-minute ride took about twenty, since Gil was being cautious.

They pulled through the park's gates and a uniformed man stepped out of a small building beside the road. Gil let down his window.

"Mr. Grissom?"

"Yes."

"Here are the keys to your cabin. It's the second one down this road on the left. There is firewood on the porch and of course, a small heater. The weatherman just announced that we might be in for a blizzard. Hopefully, we won't lose power. If we do, there are candles, matches, extra blankets and a battery operated radio in the kitchen area."

"Thanks." Gil took the offered key and carefully drove down the narrow road until they made out a cabin on the left. He drove a few minutes more and there was the second one. Gil parked as close to the cabin as he could and both men jumped out and while Nick grabbed their stuff, Gil unlocked the door.

The cabin was just that, a cabin. One large room that had a stone fireplace at one end. There was a queen-sized bed piled high with quilts and a few more furnishings. The kitchen area consisted of a small refrigerator, sink and small microwave oven. There was a small door near the back and Gil assumed it was the bathroom. The sofa in front of the fireplace was short, more of a loveseat than sofa, but Nick put his bag down next to it.

"I guess I've got the couch."

"Nick, you cannot possibly sleep on that. The bed is big enough that we can share." Gil said, before amending, "unless that makes you uncomfortable?" The last was posed as a question.

"Oh, oh, I'm cool with that." Nick seemed to blush, but Gil couldn't be sure in the dim light of the one lamp that Gil had found.

"Will you make a fire?" Gil asked.

"Sure." Nick opened the door and brought in an armload of wood from the porch. Next to the fireplace was a basket of newspapers and kindling. He found matches on the mantle and pretty soon; a nice fire was heating the room. Gil had pulled off his coat and was opening cabinets and drawers in the kitchen area. He found the radio and turned it on.

Country music blasted out of it. Nick laughed. Gil frowned and played with the dials until he found a station that was news based.

"Flip a coin for first shower?" Nick suggested.

"No, you go ahead. I'm just going to warm my old bones for awhile."

Nick grabbed his toiletries and a pair of flannel sleep pants and opened the door of the bathroom. It was very small, but hat the basic needs of a shower stall, sink and toilet. Nick turned on the hot water and had to wait several minutes for it to get warm enough so he didn't freeze his balls off. He stripped quickly and washed up just as quick. He was not sure how much hot water there was and he wanted Gil to have enough.

Nick toweled off with one of the towels provided and put on his sleep pants. He brushed his teeth and opened the door. Gil was sitting on the couch with his feet up on the hearth. The voice on the radio was talking about weather conditions.

"What's new with the weather?" Nick asked, sitting down beside Gil.

"They are saying this blizzard is going to be bad. We are to expect power outages and no one is supposed to be traveling."

"Well, that sucks. At least our murderer won't be going far either."

Gil gave Nick a nod in agreement and stood. "I'm going to shower."

Nick laid his head back and listened to the sound of water. He imagined Gil under the running water and mentally kicked himself. He would not allow his stupid fantasies of his boss to surface. It was bad enough that they would be sharing a bed. He knew he would not sleep a wink.

Gil showered and brushed his teeth, then realized that he had not brought anything to sleep in other than his boxers. He had not expected to be sharing a room, let alone a bed with Nick. This could prove to be awkward, he thought. He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door. He felt the warmth from the fireplace and small heater, as he walked over to his bag. He rummaged inside until he found his red checked cotton boxers and glancing over to make sure that Nick was still staring into the fireplace, he dropped his towel.

Nick picked that moment to turn around, "Hey, Griss, the radio just said...." Nick's voice trailed off as he saw Gil's bare ass. Gil was stepping one leg into his boxers. When he realized that Nick was probably looking at him, he blushed and yanked up his boxers before turning.

Gil hoped the dim light in the cabin would hide his telltale blush that he could feel on his cheeks. "What?"

"What?" Nick looked confused.

"You were saying something about the radio." Gil saw that Nick's face was flushed also. He hoped it was being close to the fire and not embarrassment at having seen his boss in the buff.

"Oh, oh, right. The radio said that the temperatures were supposed to drop to ten degrees in this part of the state."

"Well, at least we have electricity and a fireplace." Gil said. "I'm going to bed now."

"Okay, I'll stoke up the fireplace and bring in more wood before I turn in." Nick stood up and while Gil crawled into bed, he turned off the lamp. Nick pulled his parka on over his bare chest and opened the door. Cold, biting air hit him and he rushed to bring in two loads of firewood before closing the door.

"Holy shit. It's fucking freezing out there." Nick exclaimed.

"You act surprised." Gil said dryly from the bed.

"Smartass." Nick mumbled.

"I heard that." Gil replied.

"Sorry, Boss." Nick said.

Nick heard a chuckle from the bed. After he was done stacking the logs right next to the fireplace, he threw a few more logs on and slowly made his way to the bed. He was dreading sharing a bed with the man he secretly lusted after.

Gil felt movement as Nick crawled under the covers. "These sheets are like ice." Nick complained.

"Quite whining, Nick. Your body heat will warm them in no time."

"I'm not whining, I'm just saying...." Nick let his voice trail off and he lay down stiffly on his back with his arms at his side.

Gil was in the same position. Both men lay there, wondering if they could possibly sleep in this position. Gil was the first to move. He turned over on his side, facing Nick and slid one arm under his pillow. Nick rolled over on his stomach and curled his arms around his pillow. Nick sighed and closed his eyes. Gil closed his eyes.

Nick pretended to be asleep, though he knew that it was an impossibility. Gil relaxed and was soon asleep. Listening to the even sounds of Gil's breathing relaxed Nick and soon, he too was fast asleep.

Something woke Gil and he lay in the dark taking in his surroundings. A dim red glow was coming from the fireplace. Gil could hear the wind outside whipping around the sides of the cabin. He looked over at the small digital clock that was on his side of the bed, but could not see it. He was confused for a moment, and then came to the realization that they must have lost electricity. The temperature in the cabin had dropped and he knew that he needed to add wood to the fire. He could hear Nick's even breathing and slipped quietly out of bed so not to disturb the younger man.

Gil took the poker and stirred the embers, and then he added several logs. He remained standing in front of the fire until it was burning merrily again. When he crawled back into bed, Nick moaned in his sleep and rolled closer to him. Gil froze as Nick's leg brushed against his. Quickly, he turned his back on Nick and lay stiffly on his side, as far away from Nick as he could get without falling off the bed.

Nick was dreaming of Christmas. But instead of family around the Christmas tree, he was with Gil. They were kissing under the mistletoe and then they were on a rug in front of a fireplace, white twinkling lights from the tree in the background. As Nick's dream became more erotic, Nick began to mumble in his sleep.

"Touch me. Gil, please....suck my dick....God, yes...now..."

Gil felt as if someone had hit him in the stomach. He was afraid to move and he knew that he could not have heard what he heard. I'm only hearing what I want to hear, he told himself.

Suddenly, he felt Nick's body up against his back. When Nick's erection pressed between the cleft of his ass, pushing the cotton boxers into his crack, Gil actually shuddered. Gil remained on his side, so tense that the muscles in his back and shoulders began to ache. Gil's own penis was hard as Nick moved his hips, grinding into Gil's ass. Nick murmured Gil's name a few times, and occasionally whimpered, all the while moving his cock up and down between Gil's cheeks. Eventually, Gil felt Nick's body tense and he groaned along with Nick as Nick came. Gil felt the warm wetness through the flannel pants and his boxers.

Once he came, Nick rolled on his back and continued the deep, even breathing of sleep. Gil lay stiffly on his side, stunned by what had just happened. He had come to terms with the fact that Nick was out of his reach, now, he realized, this might change everything. With that thought, Gil fell asleep.

Nick woke slowly. He opened his eyes and gazed around the cabin. When he remembered where he was and why he was here, he stretched and that's when he remembered that he wasn't alone in the bed. He glanced over to see the back of Gil's head on a pillow and heard Gil's even breathing.

When Nick threw back the covers, two things hit him at once. First and foremost, it was freezing in the cabin, second and probably most important, Nick felt the dried cum in his pants. He remembered his dream and smiled a sad smile to himself. Quietly, he rose and tossed a couple of logs on the fire and watched as sparks showered out onto the hearth. Throwing on a pair of socks and his parka, Nick opened the door to fetch more wood.

The landscape before him made him stop in his tracks. Everything was white. Nick figured that the snow had to be about five or six feet. He could make out the shape of the Denali, only because he knew where they had parked it.

"Kind of beautiful, isn't it?"

Gil's voice behind him startled Nick and he yelped.

"Sorry." Gil said.

"That's okay, I just didn't realize you were awake. I just came out here to get some more wood."

Both men picked up a large armful of wood and brought it into the cabin. Nick called for the shower first and Gil told him that he would try to get a cell phone signal while Nick was showering.

After Nick had disappeared into the bathroom, Gil pulled out his cell phone and saw that he only had one bar. He put his clothes on quickly and grabbed his coat. Outside, on the far end of the porch, Gil's phone registered two bars. Knowing that he was probably lucky to get that, Gil called the sheriff's office first. The connection was bad, but the deputy that answered the phone told Gil that the suspect in the murders had been apprehended early this morning and added that all the roads were closed and the park was usually the last in line to get snowplowed. The good news was that the sheriff's office was sending in a snowmobile with supplies.

Gil called the crime lab next and talked to Ecklie. Once he had explained the situation to him, Conrad was rather pleasant and told Gil to be careful coming home and not to take any chances with the weather.

Gil's last call was to Sara. "Hi. Sorry we didn't get to say anything to each other yesterday, but I needed to get on the road. I hope Catherine filled you in."

There was silence on the line. "Sara?"

"I'm here, Gil. I just don't want to talk to you right now. I have some things that I have to work out and I'll just talk to you when you get back in town."

"Sara, what's wrong?"

"Bye, Gil."

Once Gil was back inside, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. He also found a small coffee maker and supplies in a cabinet. Not wanting to waste water, he took the carafe outside and filled it with snow. He sat the carafe next to the fireplace for a few minutes to melt the snow, while got the filter and coffee ready. When Nick came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and looking better than a body had a right too, in Gil's opinion, the coffee was brewing.

Nick closed his eyes and inhaled the scent. A look of ecstasy came over his face.

"Ah, coffee. You're the best, Griss."

"I'd like to think so." Gil said with a small smile.

Nick grinned back at him. "So, did you find out anything?"

"Yes. If you stand on the end of the porch, you can get a signal on your cell."

"That's nice, Griss, but I meant did you find out any information on the case or the weather?"

"Oh, yes. The sheriff's department captured our guy, so now all we have to do is process the evidence for the trial. As for the weather, well, you know as much as I do. I called Ecklie and explained our little situation and as soon as we can safely travel, we'll need to head home. The sheriff's department is also sending a snowmobile with supplies for us until the snow plow gets out here."

"Cool." Nick said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He ripped open a couple of sugar packets and dumped them into his cup and gave it a quick stir. Bringing the cup to his lips, he took a small sip and sighed.

Both men stared at each other for a few seconds, before Gil spoke. "I don't know when the roads will be cleared, so I'm going to the truck and getting my laptop and some books. You can play video games while I read."

"Alright." Nick shrugged his shoulders.

Gil put on his coat and opened the door. Snow blew in and he quickly walked out and shut the door behind him. As he trudged through the deep snow to his vehicle, Gil moaned the fact that he was stranded in a small cabin with Nick. If only he could be sure about Nick's feelings. Nick's actions while he slept were confusing to say the least.

After digging snow away from the driver's door, Gil opened it and slid inside. He turned and reached into the back seat for his laptop and his newest forensic magazine. Hopefully, they would not be spending another night in the cabin. He didn't think he could share a bed with Nick again without touching him.

He had just made it back to the porch when he heard the sound of a snowmobile motor. Shaking the snow off his head, Gil stood and waited until the snowmobile came around the corner.

The sheriff himself got off the idling machine and grinned at Gil, holding out two large plastic bags.

"This should keep you from starving until the plow gets here. I made a few calls and it should be out here by two o'clock or so. I'm sorry that you got caught up in this bad weather, but I sure do appreciate you coming. I think with the evidence you've collected here, we can put this guy away for a long time."

Gil had taken the two bags and held them at his side. He thanked the sheriff for the supplies and promised to have the evidence file sent to him as soon as everything was processed. Gil also assured him that he would be available in the courtroom if needed.

Nick had heard the snowmobile and then heard voices, so he assumed the supplies had arrived and he was hungry. He came outside and stood by Gil. The sheriff acknowledged him and the three men talked for a few minutes about the weather and the case. Finally, the sheriff looked at his watch and told Gil and Nick that he had to leave.

Gil took the bags inside and Nick followed closely behind.

"I'm starving." Nick said, grabbing one of the bags from Gil.

They took the bags to the small kitchen area and began to unpack. The bags contained bread, cheese, and sandwich meat, as well as chips and a six-pack of soda. The last thing that Nick pulled out was a deck of cards. He grinned.

"I guess he figured we'd be bored."

Gil chuckled and the two men made their sandwiches. They ate a quick meal and cleaned up. Nick stoked the fire and brought in more wood.

"We have about two hours or so to kill before the plow gets here, lets play a game of cards?" Nick said with a smile.

"Sure. What do you want to play?" Gil asked, settling himself on the sofa.

Nick sat on the opposite end of the sofa, so that there was space between them for the cards.

"Poker?"

Gil raised his eyebrows. "Poker?"

"Sure, why not?"

"What do we use for chips?" Gil asked, "Our clothes?" He finished with a grin.

Nick stopped in the middle of shuffling the cards. He swallowed heavily, bit his lip and nodded.

"Strip poker, huh?"

"Not scared, are you?" Gil was enjoying himself.

"Hell, no. I'm not scared. You're on." Nick finished shuffling and dealt the cards.

Twenty minutes later, both men were actually giggling as Nick pulled off his last sock. He had lost both shoes, his belt and one sock. Gil had only lost his belt.

"I wasn't aware you were a card shark."

Gil just grinned and said, "I'm not, you just can't bluff worth a damn."

Twenty more minutes passed and Nick was down to just his boxers. Gil had lost his shoes and one sock.

Nick was getting nervous. One more hand and he would be completely naked in front of his boss. And if he wasn't mistaken, his boss was staring at his crotch.

Gil couldn't believe Nick was almost naked. He had seen Nick's chest several times over the last few years in the locker room, but he had never been this close before. He wished he could reach over and touch the smooth muscles and the dark nipples. He prayed that Nick could not see his erection that was painfully straining in his pants. He looked down to the fly of Nick's boxers and caught a glimpse of dark curls.

Nick threw down his cards with a flourish. Two queens.

Gil clucked his tongue and laid down his two kings. Nick groaned loudly and Gil leaned back against the back of the sofa.

"Let's see it, Nicky."

"Ah, Griss. This might not be such a good idea." Nick was blushing a deep red.

"Why not?"

"I can't tell you."

"Nick, you can tell me anything." Gil began to wonder if Nick was ashamed of his body.

"Not this." Nick stood and turned his back on Gil.

"Are you ashamed of your body, Nick?" Gil had to ask.

"No."

"Good, because from what I've seen, you have a very nice body. I think you're gorgeous, Nick."

Nick turned. "You do?"

Gil just nodded. He stood also. "Nick, maybe we shouldn't have played like this. I'm your supervisor and I wouldn't do anything to make you uncomfortable or hurt you in any way. I just wanted to lighten things up between us, get closer to you. You know?"

Nick nodded slowly.

"I've had feelings for you for a long time that I shouldn't have. This," Gil indicated the cards, "made in worse, I'm afraid."

Nick looked him directly in the eye and asked, "What kind of feelings?"

"It's really not important. Why don't you get dressed, the snow plow will be here within the hour and I guess we should pack and clean up a bit."

Nick didn't move. He continued to stare at Gil, making Gil very uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke again.

"What kind of feelings, Gil."

Gil's eyes widened at both Nick's use of his given name and at the tone.

Gil turned his back to Nick and walked around the sofa. He grabbed his bag and began putting his personal items into it. He was startled when Nick's hand jerked the bag away.

"Gil, please. Answer the question."

"Nicky, I can't. I can't risk...." Nick's lips pressed firmly against his cut off Gil's words. Gil was too shocked to respond at first, but after a second, he opened his mouth slightly and Nick took advantage. Nick deepened the kiss and Gil wondered if his knees were going to be able to hold him up.

When Nick finally took a step back, both men were breathing hard and Gil noticed the Nick's face was flushed and his eyes had gotten a deeper shade of brown, almost black.

"Nick, I...are you sure about this?"

"I've loved you for a long time, Gil." Nick blushed and realized that it felt really good not to have to check himself and remember to call him Griss, or boss, or Grissom. It also felt really good to finally say what he had been feeling for years.

"I've got to think." Gil said, closing his eyes and holding his head with his hands.

Nick's face became a mask. He stepped away from Gil and grabbed his clothes. Gil heard the slamming of the bathroom door and opened his eyes.

"Nicky?" He called through the door. He heard glass breaking and pounded on the door. "Nicky, open the door."

"I'm okay. Just do your thinking, Grissom."

Gil stood there trying to figure out what he had done wrong, and then it hit him.

"Nicky, God, baby, please listen to me. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just wanted to think about what I was going to tell Sara and our friends. I wanted to think about how we were going to handle our work relationship."

Gil waited, holding his breath for what seemed like minutes instead of the few seconds it really was.

He heard the lock on the bathroom release and the door opened. Nick stood there with a towel wrapped around his right hand. The towel was covered in blood. Gil gasped.

"Nicky, what have you done?" Then he glanced past Nick and saw the shattered mirror above the sink.

"Sorry. I guess I'll be paying for that." Nick grimaced.

"In more ways than one, by the looks of things. Let me see it."

Nick held out his hand and Gil took it in his own. He unwrapped the towel and groaned when he saw the damage to Nick's hand.

"Oh, Baby, you might not need any stitches, but you've done some damage." He wrapped it back up in the towel.

"Sit here, while I go to the truck and get my first aid kit." Gil motioned towards a chair. Once he was sure Nick was comfortable, he went out to the Denali and found what he was looking for. He slammed the hatch and was halfway back to the porch when he heard the snow plow.

Gil rushed inside. "The snow plow is coming, so let's get you fixed up so we can go home."

Gil gently cleaned and bandaged Nick's hand and helped him finish getting dressed. Between them, the finished packing and cleaning. Once they were finished, they put on their coats and locked up the cabin.

The snowplow was just passing the cabin and the driver waved. Gil and Nick waved back and got into the Denali. Gil helped Nick buckle in and they sat in silence, waiting for the windows to defrost.

Soon, Gil was pulling out onto the freshly plowed road and heading for the gatehouse. Gil dropped the key off with the ranger and told him about the 'accident' with the bathroom mirror. Gil gave him his business card and told the ranger to send him the bill.

They remained silent until Gil pulled out onto the main highway that would take them back to Vegas. It was only then that Gil reached over and took Nick's uninjured hand.

"Nick, I love you. I think I always have, but we've both got to go into this with both eyes open. People are going to talk. Some won't understand and some will be outright mean. I need to know what you expect out of this."

Nick looked down at Gil's hand holding his. He was quiet for a few moments, but then he began to speak.

"I want to see you exclusively. I don't know what you have with Sara, but I can't be your 'someone on the side'. I don't expect for us to move in together or anything like that. I'm not ashamed of my feelings for you and I hope you aren't ashamed to be with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you and if you want to keep our relationship a secret, I'm okay with that. If you want to tell the world, I'm okay with that too. I've dreamed of this for a long time, Gil, and I'll do anything to be with you."

Gil squeezed Nick's hand and looked over at him, then back at the road.

"I will tell Sara that it's over between us. I want to see you exclusively too. We can take things slow and really get to know each other. I don't mind the whole world knowing that I love you, Nick Stokes."

Nick gave him a bright smile and then chuckled.

"What?" Gil asked.

"I'm just picturing everyone's face."

Gil smiled. "Well, one thing's for certain, it'll be an interesting shift tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night? We're on shift tonight, Gil."

"No, I don't think so. I'm calling Catherine and telling her that we aren't getting back until late, which will be the truth. So, you and I are spending tonight and tomorrow together."

"Oh."

Gil turned and shot Nick a look. "I'm sorry, am I presuming too much. I just thought that you would...."

Nick met his eyes. "It's okay. I want to spend the night with you, it's just that now that it's not a fantasy or dream...I'm kind of nervous."

Seeing Nick blush, Gil smiled reassuringly. "Nick, you have been with a man before, haven't you?"

"Yeah, a few times." Nick blushed even more.

"We can go as slow as you want. We don't have to do anything sexual tonight, if you don't want."

"But I do. I just hope I don't disappoint you."

"Oh, Nicky, you will never disappoint me."

Nick leaned over and kissed Gil's cheek.

Both men were flushed with excitement by the time they saw the lights of the strip in the distance. Gil had called Catherine when they had finished eating at a small restaurant about thirty miles outside of Vegas, and she was glad to cover the shift for them.

"So, your place or mine?" Nick said suggestively.

"Mine. Only because my neighbor is watching Hank and I need to get him before he wears out his welcome."

"Okay."

They were giggling like school children when Gil pulled into his driveway. Neither man noticed Sara's car parked on the street. Nick waited at the door of Gil's townhouse; while he went next door to retrieve his dog. When Gil came around the corner a few minutes later, Hank was wiggling on the end of his leash. Nick leaned down and gave the dog a scratch behind the ears.

Gil unlocked the door and unlatched Hank's leash. He turned and took Nick into his arms and they kissed. They took a few steps into the house and kissed again. They were so enamored with each other that they did not see or hear Sara walk into the house.

"So, Gil. Are you fucking both of us?"

Sara's angry voice startled both men and they flew apart to face her. Gil took a step in front of Nick, but Nick took his hand and stood beside him.

"Sara, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I was going to call you tomorrow so we could talk."

"Save it, Gil. I've known you didn't feel what I felt. I've known it for a long time. I also realized recently that you had the hots for Nick. I hope you two are real happy together." The last sentence was laced with sarcasm and she turned and slammed the door.

"Gil, go after her. You two need to talk." Nick said, releasing Gil's hand.

Gil hesitated, but Nick insisted. "We can't be together until you end it with her. I feel sorry for her. Go."

Gil ran out the door to catch Sara. She was getting into her car, when she heard him shout her name. She rested her head on the steering wheel.

"Sara. I'm so very sorry. I do love you, very much, but it's not...it's not."

Sara looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "I know."

"I never meant to hurt you. I just didn't realize how strong my feelings for Nick...."

"Gil, it's okay. Really. I'll get over it. Please tell Nick I'm sorry." She pulled the door closed and looked up at Gil through the window. She gave him a tentative smile and a nod.

Gil stood by the curb until her taillights disappeared down the street. He slowly walked up the path to his front door. Letting himself in, he saw Nick sitting on the couch with Hank in his lap.

"You okay?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Gil said softly and sat next to Nick. Nick put his arm around Gil and they sat for a long time, silent, both had a hand on the dog between them.

"Gil, would you mind terribly if we didn't do anything tonight. I want to start our life together, but not on this kind of note."

Gil turned and leaned into the other man, kissing him on the jaw, then again on the lips.

"I love you. You are the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Let's go lay down and we'll talk. Okay?"

"Sounds perfect to me." Nick stood and held out a hand to Gil. Gil took it and allowed Nick to pull him up.

"You think Sara will be okay?" Nick asked, as he followed Gil up the stairs.

"Yes. I think she will. I think she was more in love with the image than me as a real person."

"I'm in love with the real person." Nick said.

"I'm glad." Gil paused at his bedroom door. "Nick, I really don't want this to be an affair. "

"Good, because I want forever." Nick said, kissing Gil gently on the lips.