Title: You Learn Something New Everyday
By: Serenity
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Summary: Nick and Greg work a case in a gay club, why does Greg know his way around? Just an idea that came to me and I had to write it!

Greg had just poured steaming hot coffee for Nick, Warrick and Sara when Grissom came into the break room, arms filled with files and papers. "No time for coffee I'm afraid guys! Warrick, Sara, you have an assault at the Tangiers, and Nick and Greg…" he checked the slip of paper that was balanced on the top of the teetering pile "You have a homicide at 'Corpo Provocante' on the Strip, get going. Brass and David are already on their way."

Nick thought he saw Greg's eyes darken when he heard the name, but decided he'd imagined it when a huge grin formed on his face. "Hey can I drive?" When Nick shook his head no, he put his hands on his hips in mock disdain. "OK then, but I get to control the radio." They drove to the club making small talk about the weather and the people cruising the strip. Greg seemed slightly uneasy and kept shifting in his seat, twisting the seatbelt around his fingers.

As they pulled up outside the club, they saw Brass waiting at the entrance. "Hey" he acknowledged them with a nod, opening the door and entering. "Gay bar. We got a male DB, looks like he's been shot in the head at close range. ID on him is Jason Martinez. We're holding his boyfriend" Brass checked his notes "Stephen Nelson, but he claims he's innocent. No weapon found yet."

They found David standing over the dead man, who was slumped on the green leather seat. Nick kneeled beside the body and checked the wound. "Hey David. Anything of interest?" David pointed to a small bullet lodged in the leather. "Looks like a 9mm. Through and through, made quite a mess." Greg took some tweezers and gently lifted the bullet out and tagged it. Nick snapped some photos of the scene. "Greg, go and talk to the boyfriend, test him for GSR" Greg left and returned soon after, shaking his head. "GSR was negative. The guys distraught, I don't think he did it." He turned and made his way to some heavy green doors. Nick looked up "Where are you going?" Greg stopped and turned "Bathroom." Holding his hands up he shot Nick a grin "Don't worry, I'm not going to pee, I'm going to process!"

Some time later, as the coroners were zipping up the black body bag, Greg returned, triumphantly clutching a brown evidence bag. "I got a 9mm, it was wrapped in toilet paper in the bottom of the garbage can. I think we should be able to get some usable prints."

They returned to the lab and ran the prints and then gave the gun to Bobby to check if it was the murder weapon. Nick examined the results with a satisfied smile. "The striations match and the gun came back registered to the victim's ex boyfriend, Tony Piper, prints are also a match. Brass is on his way to pick him up now. Looks like a case of jealousy to me."

As they sat nursing coffees in the break room, Grissom called though the door as he passed. "Hey, nice work on finding the gun Greg."

"Grissom's right, that was some great work out there." Nick put down his coffee cup and looked pointedly at Greg. "But how did you know where the bathroom was?"

Greg shifted uneasily in his seat. "The owner told me where it was."

"No, I don't think he did, Greg. There were no signs to say the bathroom was through those doors. How did you know?"

"I guessed."

"Greg, I'm a CSI, I'm trained to sniff out BS, remember?"

Greg sighed and sat back in his chair, picking at the corner of the table. "If I tell you, you promise never to say anything?" Nick nodded. "I go there. Maybe once, twice a month. I'm…. bisexual, Nick. I don't advertise it because it's hard enough working with cops sometimes, they already think I'm strange. If they found out about this…. I don't know if they'd have my back when we're in the field." He looked up at Nick, his eyes glistening. "Please don't hate me now that you know. I know you were brought up in Texas, where men are men and women are glad of it. But it's still me, it's still Greggo."

Nick stayed silent, absorbing the young mans confession. "And it's not as if I can go there anymore anyway, not after seeing that. How could I go there again after seeing that poor guy. And I can't run the risk of being seen there. I'll have to find somewhere out of our jurisdiction. God, I'm babbling. Nick. Say something? Please?"

Slowly, Nick reached his hand over the table and grasped Greg's forearm, squeezing gently. "Well, you learn something new everyday. It's OK Greg. I know exactly what you're going through." He leaned close and whispered "You should try 'Indigos' it's about an hours drive away. That's where I go." He couldn't help but grin at Greg's wide eyed look of shock. "Like I said, Greg. You learn something new everyday."

Nick pushed his chair back with a loud scrape, walked over to the counter and refilled his coffee cup. Greg's eyes were still wide and he was moving his mouth, but no sound was coming out. Nick suppressed a smile, thinking that he looked just like a Goldfish. Finally he found his voice. "Did you…. Are you….did you just say what I think you said?"

Walking over and closing the break room door, Nick took a deep breath then turned to face him. "What I tell you now never leaves this room, OK? Right. I guess I've known I was bisexual since I was 15 years old. But growing up in Texas, I had to hide what I was, what I felt. I hid it so well that I almost started to believe I was completely straight. Then I moved to Vegas, and after a while I realised that those feelings were still there. Especially when…" He paused and walked back to the table and sat down again.

"When what, Nick?"

He shook his head "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you know you're not alone in this. I can tell you, it's difficult trying to lead a double life, worrying in case someone finds out. But now, I've got your back and you've got mine. But you've got to be smart about this Greg, if you don't want people knowing, you can't go clubbing on the strip." Greg looked guiltily at him from under his thick lashes "I know. But I'm kinda new to the whole scene, and I read about Corpo Provocante on the net, it's supposed to be the hottest club right now."

"How long have you been going there?"

Greg exhaled loudly and looked up at the ceiling "About 5 months, I guess. I've probably been 7 or 8 times altogether. I just go there to dance and stuff, I've never actually picked up a guy there. I've never had the nerve." He blushed and dropped his voice "I've never even….you know. It's not that I don't want to, it's just……I don't want it to be with just anyone. I want it to mean something." He ran his hand through his hair and let out a nervous giggle. "Shit, I sound like a girl. I'm so pathetic."

Nick smiled compassionately at him and leaned forward, elbows on the table and his face resting in his hands. "Sanders, you're full of surprises, you know that? You're not pathetic. You want your first time to be special. That's cool. I wish mine had been. You have the option to wait for the right person. Don't rush into anything." Greg was just about to respond when the door opened and they jolted apart just as Grissom walked in. He tapped Nick on the side of the head with the file he was carrying. "Nick, Brass just brought the ex boyfriend in, he's waiting for you. Greg, can you give me a hand in the lab?" Greg nodded and got up from his chair. Glancing at Nick, he hurriedly followed the supervisor down the corridor. Nick rubbed his tired eyes and made his way to find Brass.

The shift had ended by the time they ran into each other again, Greg was packing up his bag in the locker room as Nick came in to get changed. Pulling off his shirt, he noticed that Greg was suddenly very interested in what was in the bottom of his bag. "Lost something?"

Greg didn't look at him. "No, I'm fine." he mumbled. "Just checking I've got everything. I'll see you later then." He swung the bag over his shoulder and made to leave, but a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Greg finally looked up, his brown eyes dark with distress.

"Are you sure you're OK man? It's been a hell of a weird day for you. I'm not busy if you wanna talk some more. We could grab breakfast if you want?" Greg wrenched his hand away "Look, thanks for your concern, but I'm fine. Just leave it will you!" With that he stormed out of the locker room. Nick pulled a fresh t-shirt from his locker and ran after Greg, pulling it on as he went. He made it to the parking lot in time to see Greg's car rocket out onto the road.

Back at his house, Nick found it impossible to sleep in the sticky Vegas afternoon. He tossed and turned, his sheets a tangle around his legs. He kept running his conversations with Greg through his head. He couldn't understand why the young CSI was suddenly so angry with him, but he intended to find out. He got up from the bed and padded to the bathroom, stripped off his black t-shirt and boxers and stepped into the shower. Setting the water to 'cool' he stood and let the pulses of water drum at the tight muscles in his back. Something had happened to Greg after he had left the break room and Nick needed to know what it was.

Nick pulled up outside Greg's apartment and switched off the engine. He sat for a moment gathering his thoughts before he worked up the nerve to exit the vehicle and ring the doorbell. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he rang the bell twice more before a voice came over the intercom. "Who is it?" Nick pressed the speak button and asked to be let in. The buzzer sounded and he pushed his way through the door . He still wasn't keen on enclosed spaces, so he avoided the elevator and walked up the two flights of stairs to the apartment. Greg was waiting in the doorway, dressed in black sweatpants and a light blue t-shirt, barefoot and rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He nodded his head in an indication that Nick should follow him into the apartment. Closing the door behind them, he threw the wet towel in the direction of the bathroom and sat on the couch. He became very interested in a loose thread on the stitching of the arm rest, picking at it and keeping his eyes low. Nick sat opposite him on a coffee table.

"Greg…" Nick began.

"Listen Nick, I'm sorry for the way I freaked out on you before. It's not your fault this happened. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"What did happen?"

Greg laughed humourlessly. "Did you know that Grissom can lip read?" He finally met Nick's eyes. "He was outside the break room, he saw everything that I said to you. Everything. That's why he wanted to see me in the lab. In private." He over emphasised the word private, with a scowl on his face. "Oh and don't worry, you had your back to him, he has no idea what you told me and I didn't say anything."

Nick looked confused. "But Grissom isn't homophobic in the least. I can't understand why he upset you like this."

Greg shook his head "Grissom was fine, he's not the problem. He told me that as long as I kept work and home separate, my private life wasn't his business. He just said that I should have come to him and said that I had personal knowledge of the crime scene, rather than risk compromising the case or whatever. He said if he'd known he would have assigned it to someone else. But he said that he would use his discretion and leave it out of the report this time."

"So, if Gil was cool with it, why were you so upset?"

"After Grissom left the lab, Hodges came out of the storeroom, smirking at me. He overheard the whole conversation Nick! He knows and now everybody is going to know." He leapt off the couch and paced the small room. "What am I going to do now? I'm so screwed!" Nick walked over to the troubled man, steadying him by placing strong hands on his shoulders. "Look at me Greg. You'll get through this. I'm here for you, OK?" He pulled him into what he hoped was a comforting embrace. He inhaled deeply, taking in the clean smell of the smaller man, a mix of coffee, shampoo, shaving balm and something he couldn't place, but was intrinsically Greg. Seeing him upset like this made his heart ache. "If Hodges gives you any shit, I'll sort it, I promise." He rubbed his hand through the still damp hair, fingertips lightly tracing the faint scars that forever marked the skin on his neck.

The close proximity of Nick made Greg's head spin. The feel of solid muscles through thin cotton and the heat building between them made his stomach knot with lust. He made an attempt to separate himself from the Texan, but his grip was firm and unyielding. He realised he was trembling slightly and tried to focus on anything but the warm breath on his face and the strong hands running up and down his back. "Nick, we shouldn't do…" The words were stolen from his mouth in a crushing, passionate kiss. Greg gave into the sensation and kissed back, soft moans escaping from the back of his throat. Then as suddenly as it began, the soft lips were gone and Nick was by the door at other side of the room. "Why did you stop?" Greg gasped.

"I'm sorry Greggo, I shouldn't have done that." He searched his pockets for his car keys. "You're upset and vulnerable right now. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. " He reached for the handle but turned back for one last look. "I'll talk to Hodges tonight. He won't be saying anything." With a curt nod he left, the door slamming loudly behind him. Greg fought the urge to run after him and instead slowly moved to the window and watched as he drove away. The heat from Nick's lips still burned him and he had to breathe deeply to calm his racing heart.

Nick's heart was also racing as he drove back to his place. The kiss kept replaying in slow motion in his head, and he found it almost impossible to focus on the road in front of him. Finally he made it home and threw himself onto his unmade bed. He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger and sighed. Getting up and looking at himself in the mirror, he shook his head. "You've done it now, Nicky." he said to his bemused reflection. "You've really gone and done it. The one thing you swore you wouldn't do. You've let yourself fall in love with him."

When Greg arrived at work he found that Nick had already left on a case. He was secretly glad of that, as he was confused and wasn't sure if he was ready to face him yet. He was putting his bag in his locker when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Quickly turning to find Hodges watching him, he groaned inwardly. Standing tall and looking straight into his eyes, he took a deep breath. "OK Hodges, lets just get this over with. What do you want?"

Hodges made a clicking sound with his tongue and looked Greg up and down. "Well, Sanders. I just wanted to let you know that your" he made air quotes "little secret is safe with me. I'm not going to 'out' you, if that's what you're worried about." He rolled his eyes. "Like I even care about what you get up to." He turned to leave, but stopped and looked back up at Greg. "Be sure to tell Nick I spoke to you." With that, he skulked back to his lab.

Greg tried to ignore the skip of his heart at the sound of his friends name. He tried not to think of the kiss, but it was branded at the forefront of his brain, like an instant replay that he had no control over. Just the thought of it made him feel dizzy, like the air had been sucked out of his lungs and all the blood had rushed from his brain to his groin. He tried to shrug it off by reciting the periodic table over and over, but even this was beginning to lose effect. He sat down on the bench and tried to gather his thoughts. "Hey Greg!" a cheerful voice cut through his musings. "Oh hey Sara. What's up?" She grabbed her boots out of her locker and sat down beside him. "I'm off to join Nick on his case, it turned out to be bigger than they thought." She pulled on the boots and stood up again. "Although I don't know why he didn't ask for you, you've worked the last few cases together. Then again, you're probably lucky, he's in a really foul mood today." She wrinkled her nose and leaned in murmuring "I heard he even had a go at Hodges." With that she bounded off.

"So now he's avoiding me." Greg thought to himself. "Was the kiss really that bad? Damn it, I've really messed this up." He went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Looking up into the mirror, he studied himself. He hadn't been able to sleep since he'd told Nick the truth and inky black smudges under his eyes declared that fact to the world. He rubbed his hands over his face and decided he had to get this sorted before it drove him crazy. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and had almost dialled Nick's number when Warrick came into the bathroom. "Yo, wassup Sanders." He turned on the faucet and washed his hands, watching Greg in the mirror. "You OK? You look tired."

"I'm fine." He snapped the phone shut again. "Hey Warrick, did you see Stokes before he left on his case?" He was hoping to sound laid-back, but his voice wavered and he silently cursed himself. Warrick didn't seem to notice and dried his hands on a paper towel. "Yeah, but he seemed a little off. He wouldn't say why. I know he went to speak to Gil just after he got in, don't know what about. But you know Nick, Mr Enigmatic. I reckon he's got girl problems or something." He chuckled and tossed the balled up towel towards the garbage. "Right, lets go, you're working a B and E with me." Greg followed him out of the bathroom, muttering that he needed coffee first.

Just as the shift was ending, Greg caught sight of Sara in the lab. "You're back!" He exclaimed shrilly, practically running over to her. She smiled, "Well Greg, it's always nice to be missed. Can I do anything for you?"

He smiled shyly, embarrassed at his outburst. Forcing his voice down an octave or two, he spoke again. "Is Nick back too?" She shook her head as she leaned over the microscope. "He's gone home already, said something about a headache and left me to finish up here. Did you need him for something?" When she looked up Greg had already gone. "OK, was it something I said?" she asked the empty room.

Greg raced back to his apartment and quickly showered and changed. Within the hour, he was standing outside Nick's home, having an internal debate as to whether he should ring the doorbell, or turn around and leave again. The choice was taken from him as the front door opened and there stood Nick, his car keys in one hand and in the other he was carrying a bulging suitcase.

Nick flinched when he realised Greg was standing on his porch. Greg couldn't drag his eyes away from the case, even when Nick spoke. "G'! I was… I was going to call you. I'm taking some leave and I'm going to Texas to see my folks. Grissom said I was overdue some time off, after…..everything… and I talked him into letting me take it immediately." He pushed past Greg and walked to the SUV, tossing the case in the backseat. "I'm flying out this afternoon."

Greg followed him to the car, furious. "So that's it? You're just gonna leave? What about what's going on between us? You kissed me Nick. You initiated it, not me!"

Nick opened the driver's door and climbed in, leaving Greg standing in the driveway. "I know that! I shouldn't have kissed you and I'm sorry. Look, I have to get away and clear my head. I can't allow this to happen. I need to think rationally and to do that I need to get away from you." He shut the door, but the window was wound fully down, and Greg took the chance to reach in and grab his arm. "What the hell does that mean? Why can't it happen? You are attracted to me, aren't you?" he yelled over the sound of the engine roaring to life.

"We have to nip this in the bud, Greg. You heard what Grissom said to you in the lab. We have to keep home and work life separate! That's just the way it is." He shrugged off Greg's arm, pulled the SUV into gear and began to roll down the driveway.

Greg felt his blood boil. There was no way he was letting Nick stir up all these emotions in him, then just disappear. He ran down to the bottom of the drive and used his body to block the exit. Nick braked sharply as he slapped both hands flat on the hood of the SUV. His eyes flashed black with rage. "Get out of the fucking car," he said through gritted teeth "and get into the house now."

Nick looked shocked, but complied. As soon as they were inside the house, Greg stood with his arms folded across his chest waiting for Nick to speak. Instead he just slumped onto the couch, his head buried in his hands. Greg's features softened, and he knelt down in front of the trembling figure. "Hey. I'm sorry Nicky I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just that my head is all over the place at the minute. But I couldn't let you leave without finding out what the hell's going on." He reached up and stroked Nick's dark hair. "My world has been turned upside down in the past 48 hours and you are at the centre of that. If you're not attracted to me then just be honest. Tell me the kiss was a mistake, that you were just feeling sorry for me after everything I've been through. Look me in the eye and tell me. Then I'll let you go, you can fly to Texas and when you come back, we'll never mention it again."

Nick opened his eyes and looked at his friend. He reached up and covered Greg's hand with his own, bringing it down to his chest and over his heart. Biting his bottom lip with nerves, he leaned forward so that they were only inches apart. "OK, the truth? The truth is that you, Greg Sanders, are the reason I realised that I still wasn't entirely straight. I have been attracted to you since we met and it drove me so crazy. But I never once thought I had a chance with you, you were forever flirting with Sara and Catherine."

"And you." Greg interjected.

"But when I found out that you were bi too, it stirred up all those feelings that I'd been desperately trying to repress. And I kissed you because every cell in my body was screaming for you. And then what Grissom said about keeping work and home life separate kept ringing in my ears and I got scared and I tried to run and I'm sorry. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me."

Greg moved to sit beside him on the couch. "I don't hate you Nick. I'm sorry I got angry. It's just that no one has ever made me feel the way you do and the thought of you leaving with all this hanging between us, it killed me. Why do you think I go to that club every month and never ever do anything but dance? Because none of those guys at that place even compare to you Nick. It's you I want. It's you I've always wanted. When you kissed me it felt…intense and passionate and yet sweet and pure and everything I've been searching for. It felt right, Nick. It still feels right." He leaned forward and put one finger under Nick's chin and drew him forwards.

Their lips met, softly at first, then deeper, tongues probing and twisting, tasting the essence of each other. Wordlessly, they rose from the couch and moved to the darkness of the bedroom. Greg pulled Nick's tight black t-shirt over his head and reclaimed his mouth, hands exploring the solid abdomen and chest. Nick groaned and ripped open Greg's red shirt, buttons tearing off and flying in all directions. He grabbed the waistband of his blue jeans and pulled him down onto the bed on top of him. Greg kissed and licked a hot wet trail from his neck to his navel, making him writhe with pleasure. "Oh God Greg" he moaned breathlessly. "I love you." Greg froze. "You don't have to say that Nick, I'm not your prom date." He sat back on Nick's legs and looked inquisitively at him. Nick sat up and wrapped his arms around the thin waist. "It's true though. Look at me. I do. I love you."

Greg nodded, accepting it was the truth. "So show me. I'm ready Nick. I need you." He untangled himself from the embrace, stripped off his jeans and lay down on the bed. Nick gasped at how beautiful he was. Seeing Greg give himself over so completely and with total trust almost moved Nick to tears. "We'll take it slow, OK? We'll stop anytime you want to, don't be afraid to say."

They kissed and licked and explored each other for hours, arousal heightening until Greg begged for more. Nick took it slowly at first, trying desperately not to cause him any pain. Soon they found a rhythm that suited them, and they cried out in unison as pleasure overtook them. Nick collapsed totally spent, panting onto Greg's sweat soaked back, kissing the salty skin. "Are you OK?" he murmured as he nuzzled the back of his neck. Greg turned and nodded, unable to speak. Nick pulled him into a secure hug and found his lips again. They kissed for a while and Nick played with the soft tufts of blond hair that were sticking out in crazy directions. "Hey, normally you spend ages getting your hair to do this." he snickered. Greg shifted closer and lay his head on Nick's chest. "You know that thing you said earlier? Could you say it again?"

Nick kissed the top of his head and smiled. "I love you Greg."

"I love you too Nick. It scares me and I don't know what I'm doing, but I love you too." He raised his head and looked at Nick with his beautifully expressive brown eyes, his soul laid bare through them. "And I don't know what the hell we're going to do about work."

Nick silenced him with a kiss. When they broke apart, Nick smiled. "You heard Grissom. We keep work and home separate. We can make this work G'." Greg manoeuvred himself until he was lying on top of his lover and kissed him tenderly. "We have to make this work. Because I'm never gonna let you go." He glanced at the clock on the beside table and laughed. "I guess you missed your plane then."

Nick groaned. "Oh shit. Now I've got some serious explaining to do to my mom. And I don't think 'I was in bed with the hottest guy at work' is gonna cut it." He rolled his eyes and kissed Greg's forehead. "See, I knew you were going to be trouble!"

"That's part of my charm." Greg sat up and stretched, yawning. "Now go call your Momma and then get your sexy Texan ass back in here." He climbed off and Nick got up, grabbed his boxers and pulled them on, heading for the living room. He couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread over his face as he stepped over the hastily discarded clothes. He made his way to the couch and picked up the phone, sitting for a few minutes trying to think of a plausible excuse for why he wasn't coming to Texas. He looked up to see Greg leaning in the doorway, wearing nothing but black boxer briefs. He smiled nervously at him. "Just checking you were still here." He folded his arms over his chest, protectively. "Nick… this is real, isn't it? Please tell me I'm not going to wake up alone in my bed again. Because it wouldn't be the first time." He moved to the couch and straddled Nick's legs, touching every inch of him.

Nick growled and dropped the phone again. He roughly grabbed the blond hair in his fist and pulled Greg close, kissing him forcefully. "Does that feel real?" he panted. Greg whimpered and trailed his hands over Nick's muscular thighs. "I just can't believe I'm here. You were right you know."

"About what?" Nick's muffled voice came from the hollow of Greg's neck, where he was biting and teasing with his tongue.

Greg squirmed and groaned with desire. "You really do learn something new everyday"