Title: Exposed
By: Verisimilitude
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Disclamer: I do not own CSI. I'm making no money from this, not as if anyone would pay for my stuff anyway.
Summary: Greg's sexual preferences are revealed by an old acquaintance right in front of Nick.

***

Trying to be inconspicuous as he peered at Nick over his coffee while waiting for the night's assignment Greg was startled slightly when Grissom came into the break room. 'Get yourself under control, self or this will be one helluva night' Greg thought, remember the rules: 1) don't think about Nick at work, 2) don't think about Nick at work and 3) don't think about Nick at work!

Grissom handed out the assignments more quickly than usual in an attempt to return to training his cockroaches for an upcoming race. He'd been doing that a lot lately and it made him even more oblivious to the world around him. This worked out well for Greg at that moment, lost in his internal recitation of his rules, because he had paid zero attention to what Grissom had said.

"Ready to go, Greggo?" Nick asked. Realization dawned on Greg"”he was spending the night with Nick. Working with Nick, that is. Working. Right.

"Absolutely!" Greg responded with some fake cheer. If he didn't seem entirely happy 100% of the time the CSI's got concerned. Not that he wasn't happy to be going out into the field, he really was, but that's not exactly where his thoughts were at the moment. The two men left the break room and headed out to Nick's SUV. Most of the drive was spent in either amiable silence or with Nick quizzing Greg on various procedures"”fingerprinting, blood droplets, that sort of thing. Getting only one wrong Greg was pleased with himself, Nick even granted him one of those heart-stopping, knee-weakening grins when he answered a particularly difficult question about the directionality of stab wounds.
Unfortunately, they had to arrive at the crime scene sooner or later and Greg had to get his knees under control and get out of the SUV. Brass was waiting for them outside of a nightclub"”one of the more risqué ones, if you can say that anything in Vegas isn't risqué to act as a comparison.

Brass filled them in curtly, "Vic's name is Patrick Brennen, 23, died of what appears to be an overdose. Drug paraphernalia's missing though. That sorry looking fool over there had passed out at the same table. He's ok, just drunk. Name's Josh Sampson. The other friends split. Probably took the stuff with them. I'm going to talk to the people who were sitting at the next table, see if anyone saw anything."

"Thanks Brass" Nick replied. Turning to Greg he added, "I think we should talk to the friend, then take a look inside." Greg nodded his assent. As they got closer to the Josh Sampson Greg got a knawing feeling in his stomach. The man looked familiar, his name even sounded familiar, but Greg just couldn't place him. But as soon as Josh spoke, Greg remembered and a feeling of dread welled up inside of him.

"Greg! Hey buddy! How's it going? I haven't seen you in ages!" Josh slurred, throwing an arm around Greg's shoulder. Nick just stared at them, wondering why Greg would be associated with someone like that. Hoping that the man was more coherent when he was sober. But then again, Greg didn't look too pleased to see him, nor was he taking kindly to the arm around his shoulder. In fact, he was slowly trying to disengage from Josh and that pleased Nick, although he wouldn't entertain the thought of why.

"Hi, Josh" Greg replied, still trying to remove Josh's arm, "can you tell us what happened tonight?"

"You're not a cop now are you? 'Cause you used to be a science geek. Back when you were screwing my brother you were a science geek. Hey, did you know he's getting married? To that chick he was banging when he was banging you!"

The colour drained from Greg's face and he felt like he was going to be sick. The shocked look on Nick's face was all he needed to officially make this the worst night of his life. He had just been publicly 'outted' by a man he never liked because of a fling with a total jerk five years previously. Now Nick knew, and he looked as if he'd seen a ghost or was ill or something. Greg was never going to live this down"”the entire lab would hear before the nights out and he'll never be able to look at the clearly homophobic Texan again"”even inconspicuously over his coffee in the break room. Gone would be the playful flirting, the casual joking, and the smiles Greg lived for. All of it just gone.

Conveniently, Josh, overcome with hysterical laughter at Greg's predicament, passed out on the ground.

Nick, finally pulling his wits about him, quietly said, "We should go inside and process the scene."

"Ok" was all Greg could muster in response"”heart broken and miserable.

***

It had officially been the longest night of Greg's life, ok, not technically because he hadn't had to work a double or anything, but trying to process that club with Nick without talking to him was a cruel and unusual torture that not even the Spanish Inquisition would inflict on their worst heretics. The silence between them had been so awkward that not only cutting it with a knife would have been impossible, but also a chain saw might not have been able to make a dent. The drive back had been even worse and now that Greg was home in his apartment he just wanted to forget that it ever happened. Or cry. Or both.

However, the insistent knocking on his door changed all that. Opening it and seeing Nick standing there made Greg wish he'd come home and committed suicide. Now way was he having the 'I don't think we should be friends anymore' speech right now. Not from Nick.

"Uhhh....can I come in?" Nick asked tentatively after being stared at by a silent Greg for at least a minute.

"Why?"

"I think we should talk about...you know... what happened tonight."

"Why?" Greg repeated.

"Please G, just let me in. I have something to say and I don't want to say it outside of your door."

Greg sighed in response, then moved aside allowing the older man into the apartment. Greg shut the door slowly, then stood facing it for a moment, gathering his courage. He'd never thought that he'd have to gather courage to face Nick, the man he's secretly loved for years, but fate plays cruel games with us all. Greg turned and found Nick staring at him.

"Well?" Greg asked, the edge of his voice tinged with hostility. He knew he needed to be slightly angry to keep himself together and he prayed to God that he could just hold it together long enough for Nick to give him the 'talk' and leave.

Noticing the edge to Greg's voice and the same emotion mirrored in the younger man's eyes Nick averted his eyes from the gaze and began to stammer through what was clearly a prepared speech:

"Greg...ummm...about what that guy, Josh Sampson, said about you and...umm...his brother..." Nick faltered at this point. Greg decided that that was enough and filled in the silence of the pause:

"Nick you don't have to do this. I understand. In fact, I'm rather used to it. You're from Texas and a frat and everything so, I'd really rather you didn't pretend to be my friend..."

"Greg!" Nick interrupted, exasperation leaking into his words, "that's not what I was going to say. Please just listen. I don't really know how to say this..."

During his speech Nick had moved closer to Greg, when he couldn't find the words he used his hand to supply the lack, cupping Greg's cheek and stroking it lightly with his thumb. Before he could change his mind or lose his nerve Nick leaned in to Greg and kissed him. Kissed him with all the love and passion he'd been hiding for years never suspecting that the young, wild lab tech/CSI in training would ever love him back. It was a kiss to end all kisses"”or to start many more. When they parted, it was like the world started up again after having paused to witness the event.

Greg was speechless. Utterly and completely speechless. Thoughtless even. It was all he could do to stand there panting for air and looking at Nick, arms still wrapped around his neck from the kiss. The kiss. 'He kissed me! Oh my God! Did he really kiss me? He kissed me!' A grin broke out on Greg's face.

"Wow" Greg said.

"Yeah" Nick replied through a grin of his own.

"I had no idea."

"I had no idea about you either."

"All this time..." Greg started but was interrupted,

"We can make up for it now." Nick leaned in and kissed him again.

***
Waking up cuddling with Nick was so overwhelmingly pleasurable that it couldn't possibly be real. Greg knew he was usually groggy in the morning and not to trust even his own thoughts till at least after one cup of coffee. But when Nick stretched, mumbled something incoherent and pulled Greg even closer, he got scared. His heart began to pound and his breath started coming in shallow gasps. Noticing, Nick moved them so that they were face to face, concern clearly showing on his face.

"What's wrong Greg?" he asked tentatively, hoping that the young man didn't regret what they had done.

"I'm just...." Greg let out his breath, trying to continue, "I'm scared."

"Why?"

Avoiding Nick's gaze until the last words of his response Greg replied, "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up from this and I'll be all alone."

Nick pulled him close, damn near crushing him in a hug and said, "Don't worry baby, you'll never have to wake up alone again."

The End.

***