Title: Help From A Friend
By: Fran Holland
Pairing: Gil/Nick

Jethro Leroy Gibbs got off the plane in Las Vegas carrying a brief case, small duffle and a garment bag. He had not checked any baggage since he always traveled light, so he made his way to the car rental area of the airport and was glad there was no line. In a short time, he was sitting in his rented sedan perusing the map of Vegas that the rental agent had given him.

Pulling into the Las Vegas Crime Lab twenty minutes and one wrong turn later, Special Agent Gibbs grabbed his briefcase and walked to the double doors.

The receptionist greeted him warmly. "Can I help you, Sir?"

"I'm looking for Dr. Gilbert Grissom." Jethro said, without returning her smile.

"I'm sorry. Dr. Grissom works nights. He won't be in until around 11:00 tonight. Can I give him a message?"

"No message. I'll be back at 11:00." Gibbs turned abruptly and walked back the way he had come. He walked briskly, but his trained eyes took in every detail of the crime lab and he was impressed.

Gibbs checked into a small hotel near the crime lab. It wasn't flashy, by any means and even though the US Government was picking up the tab, Gibbs liked to keep things simple. Glancing at his watch, he decided that he had four hours to kill. He really wasn't hungry so he decided a nap would probably be the best way to spend his time. If Grissom worked nights, then Gibbs was going to be up late tonight.

Gibbs walked back into the lab at a quarter of eleven. Not seeing anyone at the reception desk, he looked around briefly and headed down the hallway. Stopping at the first room he came to, he asked a young woman where he could find Dr. Grissom. Without looking up from the report in front of her, she pointed left and mumbled, "second office down, look for the bugs."

Gibbs had read a complete biography of Dr. Grissom. He had learned that the man was not only the leading entomologist in the nation, he had also taken a small state funded forensic lab and turned it into the second best next to Quantico. Gibbs also learned that Grissom had never been married, didn't date, had surgery not long ago to repair hearing loss and was considered eccentric by his colleagues.

None of that prepared him for Grissom's office. Looking like a cross between Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory and a museum, Grissom's office was full of jars and aquariums that housed all manner of creatures, both alive and dead. The man himself was not what Gibbs expected. Gibbs had seen a photograph, but somehow the picture didn't do the man justice. Gibbs thought the man sitting behind the desk was very handsome. And when the man in question looked up over his glasses, Gibbs mind went completely blank for a second. 'I'll bet he's great in the sack.' Gibbs thought to himself.

"Yes, can I help you."?

"Dr. Grissom?"

"That's me." Grissom replied.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS." Gibbs walked closer to Grissom's desk and held out his hand. Gibbs wasn't much on polite behavior and normally he didn't bother to shake hands with people, but something about Grissom commanded his respect.

Grissom stood and shook the offered hand. Grissom didn't speak, but Gibbs could tell that the man was wondering why an NCIS agent was in his office. Grissom removed his glasses and waved towards the chair that was in front of his desk.

Gibbs remained standing. "I need to talk to you about a case that you worked on last week."

Grissom inclined his head. "Okay."

Gibbs' respect for the man grew. It was almost humorous how much Grissom reminded Gibbs of himself. A lot of people would start asking lots of questions, but Grissom remained silent, waiting for the information to come to him.

"A man by the name of Sahib Yuman was killed by a random gunshot wound to the head according to your report. I am familiar with the victim and I don't thing the shot was random."

Grissom's eyebrows rose and Gibbs thought that he was going to go on the defensive about his findings, but Grissom surprised him by saying softly, "I didn't think so either, but there was no proof it was anything but a random drive by. Agent Gibbs, I go by the evidence and quite frankly, there was none."

"I would like to see your case file and I'll share some information with you. I've heard you are the best at what you do. I want the best. Yuman was an informant for the government; he was filtering secrets from Iraq to a field agent here in Vegas. The agent is missing and has been since Yuman was shot. I have to find that agent."

"I'll get you the file and I'll assign Catherine Willows to you. She's one of my best CSI's." Grissom walked around his desk and was on his way out his door when Gibbs' voice stopped him.

"I want you." Grissom turned abruptly.

"Excuse me?" Grissom said.

"I meant that I want you to assist me on this case, no one else." Gibbs could have kicked himself for that little slip. He thought the man was sexy as hell and he wouldn't mind a roll in the hay with the guy, but this case came first. Besides, Gibbs thought, there wasn't anything in Grissom's biography that said what his sexual preferences were. In fact, Gibbs figured the guy was asexual.

"Agent Gibbs, Catherine is very good and I'm very busy."

"I can go over your head on this. I really don't want to, but this case is very sensitive and very important to some very important people."

Gibbs was bluffing, but Grissom didn't know that and Gibbs almost grinned when the other man sighed.

"Okay, let me give out assignments to my team and I'll see what you got and we can start to compare notes." Grissom once again turned and headed down the hallway. Gibbs followed. After a few steps, Grissom turned.

"You can wait in my office."

"No offense, but your office creeps me out and besides, I'd like to see this team I've heard so much about."

"What have you heard?" Grissom was curious.

"That your team is the best group of CSI's in the western US, possibly the country." Gibbs knew more than that, in fact, he had a complete file on each one of Grissom's team. Gibbs didn't like going into any situation without knowing everything about everything.

Grissom stared at him for a second, and then nodded. "They are."

Grissom resumed his walk down the corridor. When he turned into what looked like a break room, Gibbs was right behind him. Several people stopped talking and looked up. Smiling at Grissom and then upon seeing him, the smiles faded away.

Gibbs took in the small group, quickly putting names to faces. The pretty strawberry blond must be Catherine Willows. She had been a stripper at one time, but turned her life around. Gibbs thought she was still very attractive and he had a soft spot for redheads. The woman sitting next to her was a slim brunette. Nothing exciting about her, she was watching Grissom very intently. She must be Sara Sidle. A handsome black man with intense green eyes was at the end of the table, Warrick Brown. Beside him was a young man with spiked hair and a lime green shirt. Greg Sanders. He was one of the newest of the team, before going out into the field, Sanders was one of the leading DNA specialist in the country. Quantico had tried to woo him on several occasions. Last, but not least, at least to Gibbs, was Nick Stokes. Very attractive, came from a high-powered family in Texas. Had some trouble last year, was kidnapped and almost died after being buried by a madman.

"This is Special Agent Gibbs from NCIS. He's here working on a case and I'm going to be assisting him. I'll be here at the lab in case anything comes up, but you will be on your own tonight." Grissom finished handing out his assignments and motioned for Gibbs to follow him. Gibbs nodded to the group and trailed along behind Grissom.

After showing Gibbs an empty conference room, Grissom left to go retrieve the evidence from the locker and the case file. While he was gone, Gibbs opened up his brief case and pulled out his own file on the case. Then he opened his cell phone and called the director, but got her voice mail.

"Jenny, I'm here and have already met Dr. Grissom. He's collecting his evidence and files. He seems willing to assist in any way possible. I'll keep you informed."

Gibbs clicked his phone shut and was pocketing it when Grissom returned carrying a large white box that was sealed with evidence tape. On top of the box was a manila file folder. Compared to Gibbs' file, Grissom's was very thin.

Grissom broke the seal and made a notation to his file that he had broken the seal, along with the time, date and who was present. Grissom began removed the little evidence that they had collected. Pretty soon, several photographs were spread out on the table, along with a large plastic back with the deceased's clothing in it and a small bag with the bullet retrieved from the body. There was also a cell phone sealed in a plastic bag and that was what interested Gibbs the most.

Gibbs filled in Grissom on the history of the case, showing him his own pictures and case notes. Loving puzzles, both men were soon pouring over the evidence, neither speaking except to ask a question here and there. Hours went by, Gibbs poured over the cell phones last calls, both received and made. After comparing them to the cell phone number of the missing agent, Gibbs came up with a match.

"Did you run these other numbers?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course." Grissom looked perturbed that Gibbs was asking such a dumb question. Grissom pulled out a sheet of paper from his file and handed it to Gibbs. Listed in neat rows were the last ten calls that were made and the last ten calls received. One common number showed up on each list. Beside it, in Archie's neat handwriting were the words 'The Ozark Hotel'.

"Did you check this out?"

Grissom signed, "Yes, Gibbs."

"Sorry, I'm not used to dealing with private sector investigators that actually know what they're doing."

Grissom slid another sheet of paper over to Gibbs. But before Gibbs could read it, Grissom told him what it said.

"Brass and Nick Stokes went to the hotel and interviewed the desk clerk. It's a small hotel, and there was no way to trace the calls to a particular room, since it goes through a central switchboard."

"Damn." Gibbs said quietly. "It's just one dead end after another."

After a few minutes, Grissom spoke excitedly. "Hey, I might have something." He had been going over Gibbs' files and found a name that he thought he recognized.

"What?" Gibbs stood and came around to peer over his shoulder.

"Hang on, let me call Nicky. He was lead on this and he'll probably remember more than I would." Grissom pulled out his cell and punched in Nick's cell.

"Nicky, where are you?"

"Okay, as soon as you get done, I need your help."

"Yeah."

Gibbs only heard Grissom's side of the conversation but assumed that Stokes would be joining them soon.

"He's working on a B&E and will be heading back to the lab in about an hour or so." Grissom informed the other man. "Do you want to take a break and get something to eat while we wait?"

Gibbs' glanced at his watch. It was 3:00 in the morning, an unusual time for him to be thinking about food, but he realized that he hadn't eaten since lunch.

"Sounds good." Both men rose and Gibbs followed Grissom out of the building.

They didn't talk much as Grissom drove them to a small diner not far from the lab. After they were seated and the waitress had taken their orders, Gibbs spoke.

"When you aren't working, what do you do for fun?"

"Roller coasters." Grissom said simply.

"Really?" Gibbs stared at the other man.

"Really." Grissom said.

Gibbs laughed. "You would have made a great marine."

"Why do you say that?"

Gibbs held up one finger, "You don't talk unless you have something to say." Another finger joined the first. "No deep relationships, a loner."

"Observant, but sometimes too focused." The third finger joined the other two.

Grissom pursed his lips like he was not happy with Gibbs' assessment of his character.

"I've been accused of all those things...and more." Grissom said softly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, I have all those traits too, but you can add bastard to my list."

Grissom cocked his head, "I can see that."

Gibbs laughed again. "You know what, Grissom. In another time and place, you and I could be friends, maybe even more than friends."

Gibbs waited for Grissom's reaction to his statement. If he read the man right, Grissom would be intrigued and not offended.

"More than friends?" Grissom asked quietly.

"Lovers, perhaps." Gibbs leaned back and waited for the backlash.

Grissom surprised him again by leaning forward with his elbows on the table and said, "I would not have taken you for a gay man."

"I'm not. I like men and women. Women are nice and soft. Men are easier to deal with, not as emotional. Men are more intense in bed, I'm an intense person and sometimes I need someone that can deal with me on that level. Women usually can't and I've got three ex-wives to prove it."

"So, if I were to ask you back to my place after work, would you come?" Grissom asked with an inclination of his head.

"No, not now. We are working together. I want this case solved before I plan any recreational activities." Gibbs said bluntly. "But ask me again when we solve it."

"You're very sure that we are going to solve this case."

"I don't give up easier, Grissom. I want that agent. If he's clean, then he's probably dead. If he's dirty, then he killed Yuman and I want him behind bars."

Grissom nodded and reached into his pocket for his wallet. He opened it to pay his part of the tab, but Gibbs stopped him. "Compliments of Uncle Sam." He said as he picked up the check and stood up.

Once they were back at the lab, the two men went straight back to the conference room. Grissom unlocked the door, having locked it earlier since evidence and case files were left out and unattended.

Before he sat down, Grissom asked Gibbs if he wanted some coffee. "Hell, yeah." Grissom smiled and walked out of the room to get it. He had only been gone a few seconds when Nick walked into the room.

"Stokes." Gibbs stood and offered the young man his hand.

Nick took the offered hand and shook firmly. "Where's Griss?"

"Coffee run." Gibbs said with a slight smile. "I don't function well without it."

Nick nodded and sat down across from Gibbs. He did not speak and Gibbs took the time to observe the younger man. When Grissom returned, Gibbs was still watching and was intrigued to see the way Stokes' eyes lit up when Grissom appeared in the doorway. The look was quickly veiled when Grissom acknowledged the dark haired man. Grissom sat down next to Stokes and quickly briefed him on what they knew so far and what they suspected.

Stokes quickly got into the puzzle and when Grissom asked about the name that had come up in Gibbs' file, Stokes jumped right in with suggestions and ideas. Gibbs was very impressed. But what took his mind completely off the case for a second was the way Grissom's body language changed around Stokes. When the dark head was bent over the file, Grissom eyes held an emotion that Gibbs could only describe as desire. 'So that's how it is.' Gibbs thought. The two obviously wanted each other, but neither would make the first move.

Gibbs continued to observe the two men as they all worked out details of the case. With a phone call to Brass, the ball was rolling and hopefully the case was nearing an end. Gibbs was elated. He had thought he would be in Vegas for at least a week, digging up leads, but Grissom and Stokes had solved the case for him.

Less than an hour later, Brass and a uniformed officer escorted a bearded man into one of the interrogation rooms. Gibbs looked through the glass and grimaced.

Grissom over at him, "That him?"

"Agent Michael Hoffman." Gibbs almost spat out the words.

"Going by the name Michael Holloway." Grissom said, pursing his lips.

Brass came to the door and motioned for Gibbs to enter. Brass bowed his head slightly at the agent, silently giving him the go ahead.

Grissom, Brass and Nick all stood outside the interrogation room and watched in awe as Gibbs not only got a confession out of the agent, but also had the man in tears. Grissom stared at the handsome man bent over the table, leaning in almost in the agent's face and felt a shiver of excitement. He wondered if Gibbs was serious about being lovers. Grissom looked away from Gibbs and his eyes lingered on Nick. He loved Nick with his whole heart but knew that it would never be, so why couldn't he have a very brief affair with Gibbs?

Eventually, Gibbs came out of the room and spoke to Brass.

"Local federal agents are on their way to pick him up and he'll be transported to a detention center in Virginia until his trial."

Brass nodded and shook Gibbs' hand and walked away. Gibbs turned to Grissom and Nick.

"I want to thank you for your help with this. You made my job a lot easier." Gibbs stuck his hand out to Nick and the two men clasped hands. "Nice meeting you, Stokes."

Nick nodded and headed towards the trace lab to finish up his earlier B&E case. Grissom watched him walk away and then glanced down at his watch.

"I've got an hour left before quitting time, do you want to wait around and have breakfast?"

"Let's skip breakfast and go to my hotel." Gibbs said with a cocky smile.

Grissom's eyes widened in surprise. Gibbs told him the name of the hotel and gave him the room number. "I'll see you there."

Grissom couldn't find his voice, so he just nodded.

On his way to his hotel, Gibbs called and left another message for the director.

"Hoffman is in custody and I've arranged for transport. I'm going to stay in Vegas another day, see you Thursday morning." Gibbs laughed softly as he clicked his phone closed. He wondered how Jenny would react to him taking a day off.

Gibbs pulled into a drugstore that was across the street from his hotel and purchased a few necessary items.

He unlocked his room and took a long, hot shower. After he shaved, he dressed in a clean pair of white boxers and blue jeans. He stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a few minutes looking at himself. He kept very fit and wasn't ashamed of his body, sometimes he just wished the hair on his chest hadn't turned gray.

"Damn, I'm getting old." He said to the mirror. Barefoot, he flopped down on the bed and picked up the remote control.

The closer it got to quitting time, the more nervous that Grissom got. He couldn't seem to sit still and paced his office and the hallways. At times, the clock didn't seem to move at all, and then suddenly it seemed to move too fast. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and told Catherine that he was heading out.

She raised her eyebrows, but didn't make any comment.

Grissom pulled into the hotel parking lot and began having second thoughts. He knew this was just a way to relieve the sexual tension that he lived with constantly because he saw Nick almost every day, but on the other hand, he felt as if he was cheating.

"Can't cheat on someone you don't have, you old fool." Gil murmured before opening his car door. His palms were sweaty when he knocked on the door of room number 215.

"Glad you didn't chicken out." Gibbs said when he opened the door.

Grissom eyes quickly roamed up and down Gibbs' body, liking what he saw. Gibbs was very fit and Grissom couldn't wait to run his fingers along that hairy chest. Grissom's eyes continued down and found a new appreciation for tight jeans. The crotch area was worn almost white in places.

Gibbs took a step backwards to let Grissom into the room. Once Grissom saw the bed, he felt the butterflies in his stomach.

Grissom turned quickly and almost ran into Gibbs. "Look, it's been a very long time since I've been with someone, I don't think I can do this..."

Gibbs wrapped his hand around Grissom's neck and cut off the rest of his sentence with a hard kiss. Stunned, Grissom only stood there for a few seconds. Then a wave of desire hit him and he found his arms moving on their own accord to wrap around the waist of the lean ex-marine. Grissom moaned as Gibbs' tongue worked its magic on his mouth. He felt Gibbs' hands on the buttons of his shirt and his own hands roamed over warm skin of Gibbs' sides and back.

Gibbs finished unbuttoning Grissom's shirt and pushed it back off his shoulders. He tore his lips away from Grissom's and latched onto a taut nipple. He nipped it with his teeth and chuckled deep in his throat when he heard Grissom gasp. He lifted his head and locked eyes with Grissom.

"Get your clothes off." Gibbs said huskily as he began to unfasten his jeans.

Grissom felt his erection straining against his slacks and couldn't wait to get out of them. He kicked off his shoes and bent to pull of his socks. By the time he straightened to undo his pants, his breath caught. Gibbs was standing in front of him, completely and gloriously naked. Grissom's hands stopped as he stared at the other man's heavy cock.

"If you don't get your pants off soon, I'm going to rip them off you." Gibbs growled. He let his hand stray to his cock and gave it a few strokes. Grissom groaned and almost broke his zipper getting his pants off. His boxers soon followed and he suddenly found his back on the bed with Gibbs straddling his hips.

"God, you're hot." Gibbs panted as his mouth came down on Grissom's. Hands roamed and breathing became labored. Gibbs jerked and moaned as Grissom's hand wrapped around his cock.

"I want this inside me." Grissom murmured as he relished the feel of Gibbs' mouth on his nipples.

"Soon." Gibbs whispered. "I want this to last."

Gibbs slid his body down Grissom's until his face was above Grissom's hard cock. His tongue flicked over the slit, lapping up a bit of pre-cum. Grissom held his breath as Gibbs took the entire length into his mouth.

"God, you've got to....stop....or I'll...come."

Gibbs answer was to increase the suction and move his mouth up and down faster and faster. Grissom gripped the bedspread with clinched fists and tried to hold back, but it had been too long. His back arched and he cried out as his cum spurted into Gibbs' willing mouth. Gibbs mouth and throat worked until Grissom's cock was limp. He let it slip out of his mouth and licked his lips. He sat up on his haunches and looked down at Grissom.

"I'm going make you come again." Gibbs said. Grissom opened his eyes and looked at Gibbs. His gaze moved to Gibbs' hand that was once again, stroking his cock.

Gibbs reached over and grabbed the box of condoms that he had set by the bed earlier. He opened the box and removed one, tossing the box back on the nightstand. He ripped open the package with his teeth and slowly rolled the condom onto his cock.

Grissom lifted his knees and spread his legs. Gibbs leaned over Grissom's body deliberately rubbing his erection over Grissom's limp cock in order to reach the lubricant. Once he is back in position, kneeling between Grissom's thighs, he snapped open the plastic bottle and poured a liberal amount into his palm. His slick fingers slowly rubbed the sensitive skin under Grissom's balls and then slowly moved downwards until they brushed across the puckered entrance. Grissom moaned.

Gibbs continued to slowly tease the entrance with one hand, while the other cupped Grissom's balls and lightly squeezed them. Grissom felt the pressure of Gibbs' finger pushing into him and he thrust his hips forward. Grissom closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of pleasure that Gibbs finger was giving him.

When Gibbs moved his finger deeper in order to press against Grissom's prostate, Gibbs was pleased to see Grissom's cock begin to harden.

"Feels so good. Please, fuck me now." Grissom panted.

Gibbs slowly pulled his finger out and nudged the head of his cock up against Grissom's tight hole. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, God, yes." Grissom's hips were moving slowly and his hand moved down to his cock. He stroked it to a full erection as Gibbs pushed inside of him.

Once the head of Gibbs' cock breached the tight muscle, he stopped, waiting for Grissom to let him know it was okay to continue. Grissom's blue eyes met his and he nodded. Gibbs pushed in another inch.

"Okay?"

"Oh, yes." Grissom said with a slight smile.

Gibbs returned the smile and slid the rest of the way in. He moaned at the feeling. "So tight."

Gibbs gripped Grissom's hips with his hands and pulled out until just the head of his cock was inside of Grissom. Slowly, he pushed back in. He watched himself disappear into Grissom's body and he so turned on that he wanted to pound into the man below him, but he wanted to make this really good for Grissom. By his own admission, it had been a long time for Grissom and Gibbs wanted him to savor the experience.

Grissom was getting inpatient and began to thrust his hips faster. Gibbs held back and continued to control the rhythm.

"Faster, damn it." Grissom growled.

Gibbs pushed in slowly and held it. Deliberately teasing. He looked down at Grissom's hand sliding up and down his slick cock.

"Are you ready to come for me again?"

"Yes, damn you." Grissom hissed.

Gibbs pulled slowly out and then slammed into Grissom. Grissom grunted at the impact, but did not miss a stroke on his aching cock. Gibbs increased his speed until his hips were like pistons. Grissom felt his balls contracting and knew his orgasm was close. His breath was coming out in gasps.

Gibbs' own breathing was harsh and when he felt Grissom's body contract even tighter around his cock, he exploded. He gasped as burst after burst of cum filled the condom. He shuddered and watched as Grissom's own cum jetted out onto his stomach and chest. He kept very still, waiting for the aftershocks to stop. He could feel Grissom's body trembling under his hands. Gibbs felt a little lightheaded and slowly eased out of Grissom's body until he was sitting back on his haunches. He removed the condom and looking around briefly, tossed it into the trashcan over by the television stand. He missed, but did not care.

Gibbs finally stretched his body out next to Grissom's. They lay side by side, neither speaking until their breathing returned to normal. Grissom's eyes were closed and his hand remained curled around his now flaccid cock.

"Thanks." Grissom said quietly, without opening his eyes.

"For what?" Gibbs asked, turning his head to look at the man beside him.

"I just needed this..." Grissom let the words die. He couldn't tell Gibbs that he had been sexually frustrated for years and that the object of his sexual frustration was a man fifteen years his junior and a subordinate. It would make him look like a pathetic old fool.

Gibbs' next words caused Grissom's eyes to pop open and he sat straight up. "So, are you ever going to tell Stokes you love him?"

"I...I don't know what you're...talking about." Grissom lied.

"Sure you do. It was pretty obvious to me that you both were tap dancing around each other. I'm not sure about love, but I know he wants you."

"Nicky is straight. Very straight."

"Right. If you say so." Gibbs said sarcastically. "But my advice to you is to go for it."

"I don't need your advice." Grissom stood abruptly and grabbed his pants. Gibbs could almost feel the anger radiating off the other man.

"You just needed my dick, right?" Gibbs knew he was pushing it, but he was getting a perverse sense of pleasure from it.

Grissom turned on him. "You're the one who came on to me."

"You didn't have to show up. Look, Grissom, life is short, man. Take a chance."

Grissom finished buttoning his shirt and slipped on his shoes. He didn't answer or even look at Gibbs as he slammed out of the hotel room.

"That went rather well." Gibbs said to the empty room. He lay back against the headboard and called McGhee.

"I need an address on a CSI named Nick Stokes, Las Vegas Crime Lab." Gibbs listened for a second and then added, "No, I won't wait a few minutes. Now, McGhee."

Three minutes later, Gibbs clicked his phone shut and smiled to himself. He pushed himself up out of bed and quickly showered, shaved and dressed.

Not only had McGhee given him the address, but Gibbs had made the man give him directions from his hotel to the CSI's house.

Stokes' house had not been hard to find and after Gibbs pulled into the driveway, he sat there for a few minutes. Briefly he wondered why he was bothering to get involved like this. It wasn't as if these people were his friends, but they had gone out of their way to assist him in solving his case. Making up his mind, he got out and strode purposefully up to Stokes' front door. He rang the bell and waited.

Gibbs figured that Stokes would be sleeping by now, and when there was no answer, he rang the bell again and banged on the door. Gibbs heard noises coming from inside the house and suddenly the door was flung open.

Stokes stood in his entryway, dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and nothing else. His hair was mussed and there was a crease on one cheek where he had obviously been lying on a pillow.

"What do you want? How did you know where I lived?" Nick spat out. He hated being woke up and it put him in a foul mood.

"I work for the government, I know everything." Gibbs stated with a smile. "Let me in and I'll tell you why I'm here."

Nick ran his fingers across his face and then through his hair. He backed up a step and motioned for Gibbs to enter.

Gibbs strode into the house like he owned it. "Got any coffee?"

"Not made." Nick said shortly. When Nick did not make any move towards the kitchen, Gibbs headed in that direction himself.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked.

"Kitchen. Show me where your supplies are and I'll make us some coffee."

"I don't want coffee. I want to go to sleep." Nick said firmly.

"I want coffee." Gibbs continued into Nick's kitchen and once he located the coffee maker on the counter, he began opening the surrounding cabinets. He found everything he needed on the second try. Gibbs didn't speak as he set about making coffee.

Nick stood, leaning against his counter. He just stared at the agent that had taken over his kitchen. Once the coffee began to drip into the glass carafe, Gibbs turned and eyed the younger man.

"You're kind of cute when you wake up, but you've got to work on your morning personality."

"Look, I don't know what you want and I really don't care at this point in time. I'm tired and am not in the mood for games."

"How long have you wanted to sleep with Grissom?"

Nick's eyes widened and he visibly paled. "What are you talking about? Grissom's my boss."

"So what?" Gibbs shrugged his shoulders. "Grissom returns the feelings, by the way."

"What?" Nick's voice was almost a croak.

"Grissom wants you and I think he may be a little in love with you, but he's too scared to do anything about it."

"You're crazy." Nick said with a shake of his head.

"No, just very observant." Gibbs turned to grab a coffee cup out of the dish drainer by the sink. He poured himself a cup of the coffee and gestured the pot towards Nick.

Nick shook his head. "You're seeing things that aren't there."

"I don't think so. I would bet the farm on this, Stokes."

Nick slowly slid down until he was seated on the kitchen floor. "Was it that obvious?" He whispered.

"Your co-workers probably wouldn't notice, but remember I'm a outsider looking in, besides I really good at reading people."

Nick hung his head. "You're mistaken about Grissom." The sentence was said with such pain that Gibbs crotched beside the other man.

"Stokes, look at me." Gibbs pushed Nick's chin up with his fingers, locking his eyes with Nick's.

"Go for it." Gibbs ran his fingers along Nick's jaw. "He needs you."

Gibbs stood and picked up the cup of coffee. He drank a few sips and then sat the cup next to the sink. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of his business cards. He placed it beside the cup.

Gibbs left the younger man sitting there on the floor, deep in thought. He let himself out and got into his car. Before he pulled out of the driveway, he once again opened his cell phone.

"This is Agent Gibbs, NCIS, I need the cell phone number for Gil Grissom."

"Yes, this is official business."

Grinning, Gibbs punched in the numbers he had been given. Three rings and then Grissom's tired voice. "Grissom."

"Gibbs."

"What the hell do you want?"

"Stokes needs you. Now." Gibbs clicked his phone shut before Grissom could respond.

Glancing at his watch, Gibbs realized he had three more hours before his plane left. He drove back to his hotel, packed his bag and stopped at the first casino he came to and parked. Opening his wallet, he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.

An hour later, he cashed in his chips and left the casino $400 richer. 'Good deeds can be rewarding.' He thought and chuckled to himself.

****

Grissom rang Nick's doorbell and waited. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously. What kind of game was Gibbs playing?

Nick opened the door and his eyes widened. "Griss?"

Gil stood rooted to the spot, staring at Nick's bare chest.

"Griss?" Nick repeated.

Gil pulled himself out of the heat of his fantasy of touching that beautiful chest, and met Nick's eyes.

"Nicky....Nicky....I just..."

"Griss, are you...?"

By its own accord, Gil's hand reached up as if to touch Nick's nipple. Nick gasped and Gil dropped his hand quickly. Nick recovered and when realization hit him, he grabbed Gil's hand and pulled him inside the house. Before Gil could recover his equilibrium, Nick had slammed the door and Gil's back was pressed against it. Nick's mouth was on his and all coherent thoughts disappeared.

Gil's hands roamed the expanse of Nick's naked back and savored the feel of the hot skin under his fingertips.

"Nicky, God, Nicky, I've waited so long..." Gil murmured when he came up for air.

Nick just moaned softly and began unbuttoning Gil's shirt. Gil closed his eyes and let Nick undress him. Only when Gil felt Nick's hands on the zipper of his pants, did he open his eyes. Nick's chocolate brown eyes were gazing back at him. Nick smiled and ran his hand over the hard ridge in the front of Gil's pants. Gil's breathing hitched at the contact of Nick's hand on his fabric-covered cock.

Without taking his eyes from Gil's, Nick unzipped the pants and reached in to grasp Gil's hard cock. Nick was in awe of the effect he was having on Gil. Gil was visibly trembling and his pupils were so large that his eyes looked black.

"Griss, can we move this to my bedroom? The first time we have sex, I don't want it to be up against my front door."

"It's Gil." Gil whispered. "Nicky, are you sure this is what you want?"

"Very sure." Nick said and gently kissed Gil's lips, only to pull back before Gil could deepen the kiss.

"Come on." Nick held out his hand and led a very docile Grissom to his bedroom.

Grissom took in the darkened room and the unmade bed. Other than the bed, the room was clean and neat. Nick turned and pulled Grissom into his arms.

"I've dreamed of having you here."

"I've dreamed of being here." Grissom replied softly.

Nick shyly stood back and pulled down his sweatpants. He wore nothing underneath and Grissom felt his knees go weak at the sight of Nick's erect cock jutting out from his body. With his defined chest and abdominal muscles, Gil was reminded of a Greek statue.

"You're beautiful."

Nick blushed and slowly moved his hand up to cup his balls. "It's your turn."

Grissom kicked off his shoes and pulled his pants off. Standing in his boxers, he felt very self-conscious. Gazing at Nick's gorgeous body, Gil felt every one of his 54 years.

Nick came forward and slid his hands into the back of Gil's boxers, cupping his ass. "I want to see all of you." Nick dropped to his knees and tugged the boxers down and off. Gil looked down and the feelings he had for the other man were so overwhelming that he had to sit down on the edge of the bed before he fell down.

Nick dipped his head and took Gil into his mouth. Gil jerked and gasped. Nick moved his head up and down slowly, thrusting his tongue into the slit with every upstroke. Gil's hands came forward and he ran his fingers through Nick's thick hair. Just when Gil thought it could not feel any better, Nick ran his fingers underneath Gil's balls and rubbed gently. "Ohhhhh, Jesus."

Nick smiled around Gil's cock. He couldn't wait to see Gil come. With his other hand, he gently parted Gil's thighs. Taking his mouth away from Gil's cock for just an instant, Nick wet his finger with his saliva and brought it to Gil's entrance. Gil tensed and Nick licked the underside of Gil's cock. Gil relaxed as Nick continued to lick and tease his swollen cock.

"Nicky, God, Ahhhhh....I love you." Gil cried as he ejaculated in Nick's mouth. Nick swallowed a few times and continued to gently lick Gil's softening cock. When Nick released Gil's cock from his mouth, he stood up and sat down beside the other man. Gil leaned against Nick and wrapped his arms around him. As one, they lay back on the bed. Nick reached up and touched Gil's cheek, turning him so he could look into his eyes.

"Did you mean what you said, I mean, it's okay if you didn't....you know, the whole heat of passion thing....really it's okay...."

"I meant it, Nick. I love you." Gil said solemnly.

"He said you did." Nick whispered. "But I didn't believe him."

"Who?" Gil asked, his eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"Gibbs."

"Gibbs told you that I loved you?" Gil sat up on his elbows.

"Yeah."

"When did he tell you this?"

"This morning, right before you came over. Perfect timing, huh?" Nick's hand moved up to touch Gil's chest. He trailed his fingers over one of Gil's nipples and smiled as it hardened slightly.

Gil fell back on the bed and groaned, bringing his arm over his eyes. Nick picked up on the fact that the groan was not passion related and took his hand away from its wonderings.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked with concern.

"Gibbs is the reason I'm here, Nicky. Gibbs is the one that brought us together. If it wasn't for his meddling, I would have never had the courage....you probably wouldn't have made a move..."

"So, we owe Gibbs." Nick smiled and his hands resumed their exploration of Gil's body.

"Yeah, we owe him, me especially. I was...well, let's just say that I wasn't very receptive to what he had to say."

"Well, you can make it up to him later, right now, I want to finish what we started." Nick's mouth came down on Gil's and for the moment, Gil Grissom forgot all about Jethro Gibbs.

THE END