Previous part of this story - H1N1.

Gil couldn’t sleep.  He was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open but all he could see when he closed them was Nick suffering the terribly paroxysms of his coughing.  After half an hour of trying to sleep, he gave up.  He got up and made himself a tea and then went to look at Nick.  He seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

 

Gil leaned against the door jamb and watched Nick as he sipped his tea.  Then he realised what he needed to do.  He backtracked to Nick’s bedroom and retrieved his pillow and the comforter.

 

He settled down on the floor beside the Nick’s spare bed.  And Nick.  The floor was hard but he was very tired and he’d certainly slept in worse places although, he conceded, probably not in the last twenty or thirty years.  He didn’t have time to think much more about it because he fell sleep.

 

“What the fuck?”  Gil’s eyes opened as he felt something prodding his side.  “Grissom?  What the hell are you doing on the floor?”  It was Nick’s feet as he tried to get out of bed.

 

Gil struggled to a sitting position, his back loudly complaining, his bones cracking.

 

“I couldn’t sleep.”

 

“Man...  That is so not true!  Your snores woke me and I wondered why they were so loud, now I know.”  He started chuckling.  His voice had recovered and he seemed to have suffered no after effects of the coughing fit.  “Now, I need to piss...in the john this time...”  He added, sheepishly. “...and I’m so hungry I could eat a steak.”  He declared.

 

“I’ll move then.”  Gil was still half asleep but when he looked at the clock beside the bed he saw that he’d slept for just over a five hours and that was a good sleep for him.  He had to roll onto his knees to push himself up and he was grimacing as he did it.

 

“You’re going to live to regret that floor.”

 

“You could be right.”

 

“Gris?  I’m sorry about last...”

 

“...don’t.  Nick, you’re sick, and you were critically sick only days ago.  It’s only to be expected.  I’m just pleased you seem better now.”

 

“Thanks.  I do feel better.  I had a fit like that in the hospital, just once.  But it does clear my lungs quite a bit.”  He looked past Gil as if he was thinking.  “And I felt better after that too.”

 

“So go take a piss and I’ll do something to eat.  No steak yet.  But what about pasta with some sauce...tomato, nothing fancy.”

 

“I could live with that.  You don’t have to get up.”

 

“Yes, I do.  Go.”

 

Nick made his steady way out of the bedroom and then Gil bent over the bed and grimaced at the pain in his back.  He rubbed it hard and knew Nick was right...he regretted his display of bravado already.  But then, he had slept.  He moved his back around a bit trying to ease the muscles, he would probably need to go and see someone about this...get a massage.  He smirked to himself as he wondered if Heather could recommend anyone.  She knew just about everything.  She’d never failed him yet.

 

Nick came back.  “I managed that okay.  I’m going to take a shower...are you going to stick around?”

 

“Of course.  Let me go and put the coffee pot on...”

 

“...coffee!”

 

“Decaf.”

 

“Spoilsport.  I reckon if I had a cup of real coffee I'd get better straight away.”

 

Gil didn’t speak but raised his eyebrows and the look he gave Nick spoke a thousand words.  Nick surrendered, rising his hands up and smiling.

 

“You’ve got very curly hair, Grissom.”

 

“It was damp when I went to bed.  I usually have to tame it.”

 

“Do you use products?”

 

Gil was astounded.  “Do I look like a guy who would use products?”

 

Nick started chuckling and Gil smirked.  “Stop it, Nicky; you’ll make yourself cough again.”

 

And Nick stopped immediately and looked at Gil, causing Gil to frown at him.

 

“What is it?”

 

“You called me Nicky.  You haven’t done that for years.” 

 

“No.” 

 

“Coffee pot?”

 

“I’ll go and start if off.”

 

When Gil got back upstairs, Nick was just waiting for the water to heat up before he got in the shower. He smiled at Gil and stepped into the shower.  Gil took a piss, washed his hands and sat on the toilet seat until Nick had finished, still manoeuvring his back  trying to free the muscles.

 

When the shower clicked off he stood and handed Nick his towel as he stood dripping in the cubical.

 

“What shall I get you to wear?  Same kind of things?  I’ll put some more washing on later.”

 

Nick smiled.  “I never figured you out as domesticated.”

 

“I’m not particularly, but I have to live and eat and keep clean.  Just the basics.”

 

“I cook.  Took classes when I first came here and I love it.  When I’m better I’ll cook you a feast...whatever you want.”  Nick paused.  “I’ll never be able to repay you.”

 

“You’ve repaid me already.  When I saw you lying half dead in the hospital all I wanted was for you to open your eyes and speak to me.  Your recovery has been incredible...last night notwithstanding.”  He smiled at Nick.

 

“You were right about Rachel you know.”

 

“Rachel?”

 

“My sister.   She’s very squeamish, wouldn’t cope with vomit...and...”

 

“At least our job prepares us for stench and bodily fluids.”

 

“I guess.”  Just then Nick’s stomach rumbled.  “I told you I was hungry!”

 

“I believe you.  Is there enough hot water for me to shower?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“I’ll get your clothes, then shower, then cook.”

 

“Great.  You do know it’s the middle of the night, don’t you?” 

   

“It’s the middle of our day.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Still weird, though, when you’re not at work.”

 

“I’m used to it now, and I like working mostly during the night.”

 

“You do get used to it, you’re right.  I’ll make my way downstairs when I've dressed, I’ll be okay.  I know it.  Shower.”  Nick commanded Gil.

 

Gil thought that he should give Nick a chance to do some things.  Walking downstairs should be okay.”

 

“Hold the hand rail.”

 

“I will, don’t worry.”  Gil laughed at Nick’s eye roll.  They had conducted the entire conversation while Nick was naked and drying himself off.  Gil found some clean clothes for Nick and let him get dressed.

 

Nick looked in the mirror.  “I could do with a shave, but I’ll leave it, see what happens.  My beard isn’t thick like yours, the most I can get are kind of patches around here...” He pointed to his cheeks.  “I could grow a goatee though.  What do you think?”

 

“As long as it’s not a moustache.”

 

“You never said!”  Nick laughed.

 

“No.  I believe Warrick made up for everyone, with his insults.”

 

“It was just an experiment.”

 

“It failed them?”

 

“You think that’s so funny, don’t you?”  Nick said with mock seriousness.

 

“Not as funny as your moustache.”  Gil smirked.

 

Gil took off his clothes and switched on the shower and he turned his head to speak to Nick and caught Nick staring at his ass.   Really...staring at his ass.

 

Nick dragged his eyes up to meet Gil’s face and he smiled at him as Gil’s eyebrows tried to join his hairline.

 

“Just checking it out, is all.”

 

“And?”

 

Nick shrugged.  “It looks good enough to bite.”  At Gil’s shocked look he continued.  “I’m not being literal, man, just an expression.”  He grinned.

 

“I don’t like pain.”  Gil couldn’t turn around to face Nick because his cock was twitching and filling and he mentally kicked himself at his inane response.

 

“Good to know.  People talk you know.”

 

“Talk?”

 

“About you and Lady Heather.”

 

“Heather’s my friend.”  Gil was quite indignant.

 

“Okay.  Okay.  I believe you.  The water’s going cold and I’m dying of starvation.  And if you jerk that off in the shower, make sure you wash the tiles down.”  He nodded at Gil’s erection that he could obviously see.  His grin nearly split his face as he turned and left the bathroom.

 

Gil needed a cold shower to cool his red cheeks and he wasn’t thinking about his ass cheeks!

 

Gil had no option but to jerk off in the shower...this hard-on wasn’t going to go away on its own.  But it only took a few tight strokes for it to be over; his eyes screwed shut, thinking of the look on Nick’s face as he stared at his ass.   He washed the tiles several times until he was sure there wasn’t any visible trace of him on them.  By the time he’d finished his shower the water was very nearly cold and he shivered as he stepped out the shower.  He towelled himself dry quite vigorously and was warm when he’d finished, but his cheeks were still burning.  He stared at his image in the bathroom mirror.

 

Could he really be in with a chance with Nick?  It would be like all his Christmases and birthdays rolled into one...all the happiest times in his life would surely be eclipsed with just one night with Nick Stokes.

 

No.  Nick was joking.  Why would a young, handsome, young, intelligent, young, young man want him?  An overweight entomologist getting on for twenty years his senior?  No.  It wasn’t going to happen.

 

He dressed quickly and was all Mr Efficient; his embarrassment forgotten, he thought he might as well behave as a boss taking care of a sick employee.

 

When he got into the kitchen Nick was waiting for the coffee pot to fill and smiled as a stern faced Gil entered.

 

“I hope that’s decaffeinated coffee?”  Gil’s manner was brusque and Nick immediately caught on, his smile fading.

 

“I was going... Yes, it is.”  Nick was going to joke but then thought better of it.  

 

“Go and sit down.  I thought I'd make pasta...and make a simple sauce.  Tomatoes...onions, garlic, is that okay?”

 

“Yeah.”  A very bewildered Nick left the kitchen and Gil held on to the sink as he sighed deeply.  Might as well get it over and done with, no use prolonging the agony for himself and let Nick think that everything was okay.  Because it wasn’t.  Gil wasn’t foolish enough to set himself up for a fall, however enticing Nick was.  And God, he was enticing.

 

He found the pasta, fusilli, and all the other things he needed and prepared the sauce and let it simmer for a while.  He took a mug of coffee to Nick who was sitting on the couch; he avoided eye contact with Gil and just muttered his thanks for the coffee as Gil left it on the coffee table. 

 

Gil returned to the kitchen and was ready to smash his fist into the wall.  He bet that Nick thought he’d done something to annoy Gil.  Christ almighty, he could mess things up without any effort whatsoever.

 

He stabbed at the sauce, swirling it around the pan.  Five minutes and he’d put the pasta on to cook, the sauce was simple and didn’t really need much longer.  Gil had been surprised by the amount of fresh herbs and spices he’d seen in Nick’s kitchen but that was now explained by Nick who actually liked cooking and had even taken classes.  Trust Nick to fully enter into the spirit of the thing.

 

Gil stared at the wall.  He’d have to apologise now.  He couldn’t let Nick think it was something he’d done that had altered his mood so drastically.  God, he was a fucking moron.   Who’d told him he was an intelligent man?  He would swear his emotional intelligence put him in the lowest rating of the intelligence quotient.

 

He sipped his coffee and then glancing at the kitchen door, poured it down the sink and made himself a cup of real coffee from a jar of instant coffee he’d seen in Nick’s cupboard.

 

In fifteen minutes he took a dish of pasta covered with his homemade tomato sauce into Nick, who took it and thanked his again once more without making eye contact.  He fetched his own dish and sat down and looked across at Nick who took a mouthful of his meal, when Gil sat down.  He chewed it and took another mouthful.

 

“This is good.  Thanks.”  He tried a tentative smile.

 

“Thank you.  But it’s because you had all the ingredients in you kitchen...fresh.  I usually use packet stuff and dried herbs, but you had fresh garlic and onions to use and with the fresh tomatoes it makes the difference between mediocre and good.  Eat up.”

 

Nick didn’t need to be told twice, he ate all of it and then sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.  Gil picked at his and after he’d finished half of the dish he put it down on the coffee table.

 

“Are you leaving that?”

 

“Yes.  I haven’t much appetite at the moment I’m afraid.  Nick...”

 

But Nick cut in.  “Could I have it?”

 

“Of course, if you want it.”

 

“Well, I could certainly do with a bit more.”

 

“Go ahead.”  Gil leaned forward and was going to put his remains into Nick’s bowl, but Nick swapped Gil’s fork for his own and started on Gil’s leftovers.

 

Gil smiled at him, although Nick was too focussed on eating to notice.  Nick managed about half of Gil’s leftover pasta before he called it quits.

 

“I feel a whole lot better now.  Gris?  What...”  But that was as far as he got as Gil raised his hand.

 

“Sorry to interrupt but I have an apology to make to you.  My behaviour just now was juvenile and completely uncalled for.  I’m very sorry.”

 

“That’s what I was going to ask you.  Was it me in the bathroom, did I overstep the mark?”

 

Gil shook his head.  “No.  No.  Not you.  Me.”

 

“Well I’m sorry too.  Because I must have triggered something to make you...upset.”

 

“Honestly?  You didn’t Nick, it’s all me and the way I get sometimes...negative and...I suppose it’s because I've lived alone all my adult life.  Probably too set in my ways.”

 

“That’s not true.  You’ve always been positive, I think.  You lecture us all...all the time, but you know when to keep your mouth shut too; like when you’ve said to me about some things, ‘it’s over’...and I thought about it and  you’ve always been right when you’ve said it to me.  It was over and it was up to me to move forward and put it behind me, because there’s no mileage in crying over split milk, hell, you have to wipe it up and carry on...”  Nick’s voice started to give out; that was easily more than he’d spoken in one go, since he was taken off the ventilator.

 

“Do you need a drink?”

 

“Yeah, please.  May I have a juice?”

 

“You may.  What about some ice cream?”

 

“Oh God, yes please.  A guilty pleasure.  I never buy the stuff because I'd just put it in front of me and eat it all in one go.  It’d be good for my throat.  Medicinal.”

 

“That’s a good enough excuse.  I’ll go get it.”  He took their dishes out and a few minutes later came back with a juice and two bowls of vanilla ice cream.

 

Nick began eating his ice cream, just taking each small spoonful and savouring each one.

 

“This tastes good and it does soothe my throat.”

 

“Good.”  Gil ate his own and tried not to watch Nick as he relished each spoonful, probably totally unaware of his effect on Gil.

 

When his bowl was empty and his spoon licked clean he looked across at Gil and started speaking again.

 

“And you’re here looking after me.  A guy set in his ways wouldn’t just up and leave their own secure little cocoon to come here and take care of me.  But there’s more to this isn’t there?”

 

Gil tried his damnedest to keep his face as neutral as his could as he was about to lie through his teeth.

 

“No., there’s nothing.  Just me being...petulant.”

 

“I might be sick and I might not be your best investigator, but I sure as hell know when you’re covering up...”

 

Gil knew he’d flushed at being caught out.  But something else had piqued his curiosity.

 

“Best investigator?  Why don’t you think you’re the best investigator?”

 

“You’re deflecting.”

 

“And you’re making sweeping statements about your abilities and my assessment of those abilities.”

 

“It’s no secret.  You think more of Warrick and Sara’s abilities that you do of mine, but hey, it’s cool, not everyone can be top of the pile or teacher’s pet and I do my job to the best of my ability and you do leave me be... “

 

“...Nick your assessment it completely wrong.  I hope I don’t have favourites but there are staff with more problems...issues, which means I have to give them more of my attention.  The very fact that I leave you to get on with job, is exactly because of that...you do get on with the job, no fuss, no problems.  Completely dependable at all times.  Unlike others...”  Gil stopped as he saw the look that Nick was giving him.  “...don’t you believe me?”  Gil knew he’d behaved badly towards Nick on a personal level at work, but he’d always given him, and the others, fair assessments...and Nick’s assessments definitely improved, as his work had improved, exponentially, over the years.

 

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I have no evidence to the contrary...the others all treat me like the poor relation.  ‘It’s a shame that Grissom neglects you and spends shift after shift with me’, is something I've lived with for several years.  I’ve never had the glowing assessments that Warrick and Greg and Sara have had.”

 

“You haven’t?  Have you seen their assessments?”

 

“I...no.”

 

“So...”

 

“They told me about what they’d got.”

 

“And you believed them?  Did you show them yours?”

 

“No.  I didn’t mention mine.  I just listened to what they’d got to say.”

 

“It’s a private matter anyway, between me and each of them...and you.  You did the right thing, but Nick, a direct comparison of the assessments would show you the true picture, not what they would like you to believe...”  Gil stopped talking, he was angry. 

 

He’d always hoped that however late he was with his staff assessments that he still reflected the performance of each of his team as he saw it.  Nick’s would have always compared very favourably with all of them.  In fact nowadays, Nick had the best all round assessment of the lot and that included Catherine.  

 

He sat for a minute or two thinking about the assessments and what he’d said about Nick.  He was convinced in his own mind that he’d been fair about all of them, but it was impossible not to have been more favourable about Nick than anyone else.  He had the whole package.  Not necessarily the most intelligent, nor the most knowledgeable, but he was astute and dogged and he was excellent with the living...and the dead.  He was a complete all rounder...Nick, unlike all the rest of his team, was always consistent and reliable.  And that wasn’t damning him with faint praise.  That’s what made Nick the best.  The best of the lot.  And Gil included himself in that assessment.

 

Nick was talking.  “Earth to Grissom...”

 

“Sorry Nick, I was thinking.”

 

“You don’t say.”

 

Gil smiled.  “You are head and shoulders above the others. You are the standard that they should aspire to...”

 

“Can we change the subject now?  You’ve gone off at a tangent.”

 

“I think it needed addressing.  And what about me having teacher’s pets?  I’m there to teach and I don’t have favourites.”

 

“Grissom!”  Nick was getting exasperated.  “You’re evading.  Hoping to make me forget my original question.  There was more to your little meltdown than you being insular.  And it started in the bathroom.  If you were okay with what I said, then it must be something else.  What?”

 

“Nothing.”  Gil knew Nick wouldn’t accept that, so he elaborated.  “Nothing that you need to be concerned about.  It’s not you; it’s me.”  Gil wouldn’t let Nick get another opening so he needed a diversion and before Nick could speak he carried on.  “I’m going to tidy up the mess I made in the kitchen.  You should rest.”

 

He stood, retrieved the dessert bowls and moved swiftly into the kitchen.  He put the dishes down and leaned on the sink once more.  But not for long.

 

“You see, there is something.”  Nick had followed him, why he’d thought he wouldn’t was beyond him.

 

“Nick, there’s nothing.”

 

“We both know that there is.  I’m going upstairs to the bathroom.”  And he left Gil in peace.

 

Gil thought about Nick.  How come he was so much better all of a sudden?  He seemed to have gone from critically sick, to very sick to nearly okay in a less than a week.  His voice became weak when he’d been talking for a while and he was still wheezing a little, but most importantly Gil hadn’t heard him cough except to clear his throat.  It was only about seven hours ago that Nick had been almost incapacitated by the coughing fit.

 

Of course it didn’t last.  Even as he thought the thought he heard Nick start to cough. He left the kitchen and ran to the stairs and saw Nick leaning on the wall at the top.  Gil reckoned he’d rushed up the stairs.  Gil climbed them quickly and managed to steer Nick into his bedroom and onto the end of the bed.  There were no pillows in the room so he left Nick to fetch one from the spare bedroom where they’d both slept.  He laid it on Nick’s lap and started the usual administrations to try and calm him.

 

It was over more quickly than before and he didn’t vomit so it was an improvement, but Nick was still wiped out.  He sat quietly for a few minutes.

 

“Would you like a tea again?”  The warm fluid had calmed Nick down after the last fit of coughing.

 

“Yeah, please.  Sorry.”

 

“Not your fault.  Unless of course you tried to run up the stairs.  Trying to run before you can walk?”  Gil’s eyebrows indicated the question to Nick and Nick nodded somewhat sheepishly.

 

“I felt okay but my breath caught when I got to the top and then it started...  Do you always have to be right?”

 

“Yes.”  Gil was emphatic, but smiled and ruffled Nick’s short hair before he realised what he was doing.

 

“You know if I hadn’t just tried to cough my guts up, I'd kiss you now.”  Nick’s voice was weak but there was no denying his flirtatious manner.

 

Gil swallowed and stared at Nick for a few moments.  Then roused himself from his stupor.  “I’ll go get your tea.”  He jumped up from the bed and that’s when his troubles began.

 

Gil had been sitting beside Nick and his body was twisted to one side so he could soothe Nick but as he stood up quickly his back muscles spasmed and locked and the pain grabbed him in a vice like grip causing him to stop dead in his tracks and utter a loud, ‘ahhh’.

 

“What’s wrong...Gil?”  Nick stood up beside him quickly and he started coughing again.

 

They stood there, Gil grimacing in pain momentarily unable to move and Nick coughing and bent over.

 

Gil was able to rub Nick’s back and the coughing subsided; it hadn’t been as bad as before.  His back started to loosen a little and he twisted it gently, trying to free the muscles.

 

Nick soon calmed down again and looked up at Gil.  “Your back?  That’s what sleeping on the floor does for you.”

 

“I wish I’d had the benefit of your hindsight.”  Gil was being sarcastic but it made Nick grin.

 

“Let me see if I can help.”

 

“No...  Don’t touch it...”  Gil was horrified that it would hurt more.

 

“Oh come on.  Baby?  Much?”

 

Gil tried not to smile through his pain but he couldn’t help it at Nick’s weak but mocking voice.  Nick stood behind him.

 

“Where’s it stuck?”

 

Gil indicated his mid back on his right side.

 

“Okay.  I’ll work down to it and see what my magic fingers can do.”

 

“You’ve done this before then?”  Gil felt quite confident now.

 

“No.  You?”  Gil felt less confident.  “Bit of commonsense should help.  I’ll kind of work my way down to it...try and relax as much as possible.”

 

“I am relaxed.”

 

“Yeah.”  Nick chuckled and Gil actually felt himself relax a little. 

 

Nick’s fingers started at his shoulders, very gently massaging.  Gil was immediately sceptical; he would need a lot more pressure than that to try and relieve...

 

“Ow.”  The pressure just started.

 

“Who’d have thought you were a big baby?”

 

“I’m not.  It hurts.”

 

“Quit whining.”  Nick was digging into his muscles but he was relaxing and the massage was working, although Nick was some way away from the actual site of the pain.

 

“Agh.”  Nick’s fingers had arrived.

 

“I don’t want to do any damage and the muscle feels really tight...I know a physio you can see...he’s at the gym...good.  I could call and see if he’d make a house call.

 

“Now you tell me, you could have tried him first...aghhh...”  But Nick’s fingers digging into his errant muscle was helping.  Hurting like fuck, but helping.

 

“You see, what you should have done was have me sleep in my bed and you could have slept with me.  We can do that tonight.  And, don’t worry I’m too sick to do anything.”

 

“Nick, stop it.”

 

“The massage?”

 

“The flirting.”

 

“You don’t like it?”

 

Gil hesitated.  He couldn’t say that he didn’t like it.  He did.  But what was the point?

 

“He who hesitates is lost.  Who said that?”

 

“It’s attributed to the eighteenth century English playwright, Joseph Addison...”

 

“...how the hell do you know that?”

 

“I don’t know.  I must have read it somewhere.”

 

“Do you remember everything?”

 

“Not everything.  Quite a lot.”  Gil was aware that his back pain was easing and he was able to twist it under Nick’s fingers without pain.

 

“Is it working?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you do like me flirting?”  Nick had whispered this and Gil felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and stand on end.

 

“Nick...I’m...”

 

“...my boss, I know...”

 

“...a lot older than you.”

 

“Right.  So it’s not the boss bit, it’s the age gap?”

 

“It’s everything, Nick.”

 

“You were born in 1956 and I was born in 1971 and our birthdays are next door to one another in August, so it’s exactly fifteen years.  What’s wrong with that?”

 

Gil couldn’t actually think what was wrong with fifteen years.

 

“You know that Joseph Addison guy?   He wrote that phrase for you.  How’s your back feeling?”

 

“Much better.”

 

“There you are then, I’ll phone Drew at the gym, later.  But now, I've got to go to the bathroom.”  He stopped his massage and slapped Gil on an ass cheek, but made a hasty get away and closed the bathroom door, while Gil was still looking after him, dumbstruck.  

 

There was no denying that his back felt better, it was sore but he could move.  He rubbed his ass where he still felt the slap from Nick.  His dick had liked it, too, and twitched appreciatively.  What was he getting himself into?  Should he just, go with the flow?  Nick was, apparently, allegedly, not averse to...what?  He didn’t know. 

 

He‘d go and make Nick’s tea for him and tidy the kitchen.  See what happened.

 

Ten minutes later the tea was made and waiting for Nick and Gil had made a good start at tidying up and washing dishes. He heard Nick come downstairs.

 

“Your tea’s here, going cold.”  He called.

 

But Nick was right there, beside him. Nick took hold of his shoulders and gently moved him around to face him.  Gil let himself be moved and held his wet hands out and away from Nick.

 

And Nick kissed him.

 

A toothpaste flavoured kiss, just gently pressing warm closed lips to his own.  Nick pulled away and grinned and then looked around with a frown.

 

”What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.  Nothing at all.  I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

 

Gil chuckled and this time he kissed Nick.  In the same, almost chaste, manner.

 

He pulled away.  “You’ve got to take it easy, you’ve been very sick...”

 

“...and you’ve got a bad back.  Not as young and virile as we once were.”  Nick sounded wistful and Gil laughed.

 

“Take your tea and sit down and rest.  I’ll finish up in here.  I hope you had another successful bowel movement.”

 

“Aww, gross, man!  Way to go to ruin the romance.”

 

But they both chuckled as Nick went out of the kitchen holding his drink.

 

And once more Gil leaned on the sink and instead of over-thinking the situation, he thought that he would give it a go.  Even if he had his heart broken he’d enjoy it while it lasted.  He smiled.  It was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...his smile turned into a smirk.  He knew the origin of that saying too.

 

In the morning Nick phoned his gym and Drew agreed to come to the house to see to Gil.

 

He also phoned Catherine and Warrick and spent a few minutes talking before his voice started to fade.  They agreed to visit him in a couple of days when he said he would feel a little more lively.  Catherine was worried about re-infecting Nick, but they all knew that wasn’t going to happen.

 

Nick also checked his e-mails and Bobby had sent him one.  Confessing that it was most likely him that had infected Nick, he said that he thought Nick was taking it to extremes to get his own back by going the whole hog and getting pneumonia.  Talk about drama queen!

 

Nick showed Gil the mail; Gil pulled up a chair to sit beside Nick at his computer.

 

“So Bobby knows you’re gay?”

 

“Yeah.  I think most people do, but no one mentions it really.  It’s just is, you know?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Neither man had mentioned their kiss, but Gil felt very comfortable with the situation.

 

“Will you date me...Gil?”

 

In all his confident actions in the last hours Gil was taken aback at Nick’s question.  He sounded as if he wasn’t as certain about it all as had let on.

 

“I’d like that.”

 

“Dating includes sex, you know.”

 

Gil laughed.  “Really?  Good job you alerted me to the rules.”

 

“Just so you know.  Can I ask you a question?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What happened in the bathroom...or, when you came down?”

 

“Oh, that.”

 

“Yeah.  That.”

 

“That was all me.  I liked the flirting...a lot.  You saw.  But then I got to thinking...I do a lot of thinking.  I’m a lot older.  You weren’t interested.  Deluding myself.  Usual stuff.”

 

“I know.”  At Gil’s sceptical look he nodded. “I've liked you for...years...since I arrived, but man, I’ve been intimidated.  Not good enough for you.  Not even sure you were gay, although Warrick was certain...and he’s not even gay.”

 

“I find that worrying.”

 

“Yeah.  Malfunctioning gaydar!”

 

“I did suspect you were gay, though, so it can’t be totally inactive.”

 

“I’ve never paid much attention to it.”

 

“How do you meet...men?”

 

“Clubs mostly.  I did a gay chat line once, but that freaked me out and I dropped it.  What about you?”

 

“Years ago I did the club scene but now...I haven’t had a relationship...and that’s a fancy word for mostly one or two dates...for many years.”

 

“I’ve had nothing long term...Richie was one of the longest...just short of five months.”

 

“You said you got bored of him.”

 

“The sex was great...and then...nothing...he was good looking.  His elevator didn’t go all the way to the top floor.”  Nick spoke very seriously and Gil burst out laughing after a moment realising what Nick had said.  And Nick joined in.

 

“What about your family, Nick?  Will the rift be healed you think?”

 

“I think so...eventually.  If Dan isn’t there we get on okay...but I doubt I’ll ever be able to take you home to meet the folks.”  He was being really serious this time.

 

“I might not be around for that long...depending on how good the sex is and whether I talk about anything other than the...weather.”  Gil tried to make it sound light-hearted.

 

Nick turned to Gil and ran a finger along Gil’s dimple on his chin.  “You’re a keeper. Gil.”

 

Nick leaned in and kissed him and ran his tongue along Gil’s lower lip.  Gil shivered and automatically opened his mouth under Nick’s lips.  Their tongues just touched at their tips and Nick pulled back.

 

“Don’t want my gross germs infecting you.”

 

“I’d be infected by now if that was the case.  But we should wait until you’re better.”  Gil kissed Nick once more but with closed lips, and then pulled him into an awkward hug.

 

“Hey, watch your back.”

 

“Yes.  I forgot, but it did remind me.”

 

They smiled at each other.

 

“Do you mind me calling you Gil?”

 

“Of course not...we are going to date, aren’t we?”

 

“Yeah.  Where shall we go for our first date?”

 

“Somewhere special.  A fancy restaurant, maybe.  Somewhere memorable.  What do you think?”

 

“I think we should go to bed.”

 

“Now?  You’re tired?”

 

“No!  For our first date.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Well, you’ve been here taking care of me...visiting me at the hospital, worrying over me.  I think we’ve had all our dates...we should just cut to the chase.  What do you think?”

 

“I think, Nicky Stokes, that that is an excellent idea.”  Gil took Nick’s hand and kissed his knuckles and Nick smiled at him so sweetly that Gil was physically warmed by the affection he saw in his face.

 

The door bell interrupted their reverie.

 

“That’ll be Drew.”  And it was. 

 

He’d bought his table with him and set it up in the living room and very quickly he was nearly killing Gil.  That’s what Gil thought was happening.  He was torn between knowing that it was helping, and the pain that Drew’s pummelling of his back was causing him. 

 

Gil was just about to stop Drew from killing him...either that or he would have to kill Drew...anything to stop the agony...when the landline phone saved his life.  Its shrill ring surprised everyone, because Nick, just like Gil and Drew, took most of his calls on his cell phone.

 

Nick frowned at the phone but picked it up and as he started to listen he and bent his head forward and put a finger in his ear to try and hear what was being said

 

“Momma?  Is that you?  You’re very faint.”  Nick was shouting as much as he could do with his weakened voice.  He listened.

 

“Right.  Yeah, I’m okay.  Been out of the hospital a couple of days...”  He listened again.

 

“Double pneumonia caused by the Swine flu, and you know my asthma...yeah...yeah...said it weakened my lungs...no...NO...Momma how can you say that?  It just isn’t true.”  He listened some more screwing his eyes up.

 

“My boss, Dr Grissom...yeah...yeah...he phoned Dan...yeah, Dan knew...no...no.”  Nick looked up and rolled his eyes.   “My boss, Dr Grissom.  I will.  I will.  Thanks for calling. Bye.”

 

He put the phone back in its cradle and Gil and Drew looked at him expectantly.  “My Mom...talking from a ship in the Baltic Sea on the way to St.Petersburg.”

 

He wasn’t going to say anymore while Drew was there and Gil knew that.  “Have you finished, Drew?”

 

“Does it feel any better?”

 

Gil moved around and was surprised to find that although the muscles were sore, he appeared to have a full range of movements and the pain had gone.

 

“It does.  It feels a lot better.”

 

“That’ll do for now, but I strongly advise you to continue treatments, regularly for a few weeks...make sure it doesn’t come back.  You could be left with a permanent weakness if you’d don’t deal now.

 

“I understand.  How often.”

 

“Once a week for four to six weeks should do it.”

 

“Okay.  I can come to the gym next time.  Is that good for you?” 

 

“It is.”  Drew produced his iPhone and booked a couple of appointments for Gil and then texted the times and dates to Gil’s phone.  “I’ll text you a reminder.”

 

“Probably a good idea.  Thanks.  Let me know how much I owe you.”

 

“I’ll bill you at the end of the treatment.  Okay?”

 

“Yes.  Thank you.”

 

It was about ten minutes later that Drew had packed and left.  Gil turned to Nick.

 

“They just read your e-mail.”

 

“They’re not going to look at their mails everyday while they’re on vacation.  I know Dan didn’t tell them, he told me he wasn’t going to spoil their vacation, unnecessarily.”

 

“Momma was annoyed at him.  But she still had to ask if the pneumonia was because I had AIDS, or was HIV positive.”  Nick’s eyes welled up with tears.  “I was on a fucking ventilator fighting for my life and she still thinks it’s because I’m gay.”  Tears rolled down his cheeks.

 

Gil didn’t say anything, he thought, fucking bitch.  And those two words were wholly inadequate to describe exactly what he thought of her.

 

Gil took Nick in his arms and held him and then realised that this was their first proper hug and smiled into Nick’s shoulder as Nick gently cried into his.

 

“I’ll look after you, Nicky.  I promise you.  Make up for all their fucking callous behaviour.  I wish my Mom was still alive, she would have adopted you.”

 

Nick pulled back and looked at Gil and smiled.  “She would?”

 

“I’m sure of it.”

 

“I would have been Nicholas Grissom.”

 

“About the Nicholas bit...they called me Gilbert; I don’t think you’d have got away with Nicholas.  Mom’s father was Gilbert, and my other grandfather was Arnold.  So Arnie?”

 

“Mmmm...maybe I’m too old to be adopted.”

 

“Maybe.  You okay?”

 

“Yeah.  I’ve cried tears before about it all; there’s nothing I can do.  She did say she wanted me to go home when they get back.  She wasn’t very happy about Dan not telling her.  Nor that he hadn’t visited me.  Wanted to know who took the medical decisions and who was looking after me now.  I said you...didn’t mention, just yet, that you’re my brand new boyfriend.”  Nick’s voice was fading fast.

 

“No more talking.  I’ll make some tea and you should rest.  Are you hungry yet?”

 

“Okay.  I am...do you know I think I could eat a bowl of cereal.”

 

“Go sit on the couch and I’ll get it.”

 

“Thanks, Gil.  I’m calling you Gil all the time now, did you notice?”

 

“Yes I did...but like I said I think it’s probably appropriate now we’re almost officially dating.”

 

Gil made the tea and produced a bowl of cereal.  Nick ate it all and then settled back on the couch and Gil wrapped him up in the blanket.

 

“Now rest; shut eye.”  He kissed the end of Nick’s nose.

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

“Bit of this, bit of that.”

 

It took only moments for Nick to fall sleep.  And then Gil set about his tasks.  He cleaned up the bathroom and bedrooms.  Put more washing on and ironed what he’d already washed and dried.  When all that was done and he'd checked that Nick was still sleeping he set up his laptop at the kitchen table.

 

He answered mails and read articles and started some research for an article he was writing.  He was engrossed in his work and jumped when Nick came up behind him and slipped his arms around his neck.

 

“I could hear you tapping away in here and thought that it would be like that if we were together.  You’d be working in the den and I’d be in the garden...pottering.

 

“You make you sound middle aged.”

 

“Nooo...I’m always pottering.   Keep on top of the weeds and it makes it easier.”

 

Gil still felt a shiver of worry coarse through his body.  Was Nick assuming some kind of idyllic lifestyle?  It wouldn’t be that easy.  He was very set in his ways...and he’d bet that Nick was too...they were men who’d lived alone for many years.

 

“You’re worrying.  I can feel the tension.”

 

“I don’t want to rain on your parade, Nick; no more than I want to spoil it for me...but you are jumping the gun here...”

 

“...and you’re mixing up your metaphors.”  Nick said, knowingly.  He pulled up a chair and sat beside Gil at the kitchen table.

 

Gil smiled at him.  “You know nothing about me...”

 

“...whoa...I know a lot about you.”

 

“Just superficial things.”

 

“No.  I know more.  I know: that you’re science nerd, a geek...you know everyone’s job at work, sometimes better than they know it themselves.  You are well read and once you’ve read something you retain that knowledge, like Joseph Addison?  You are dogged and determined and moody and sarcastic. You don’t like office politics and refuse to be drawn into them.  You never suffer fools gladly and yet you accept anything and everyone without question.  You have a morbid and juvenile sense of humour.”

 

Gil opened his mouth to speak and Nick put his fingers over it before he managed to say a word.

 

“Shhh, I’m in full flight.  You are kind and you’re not shy and yet you are awkward with some people.  When you’re a friend you’re a friend forever, but you never interfere and you hold back. 

 

“You like crosswords, the more difficult the better.  You like classical music and Wagner and Mozart in particular.  You have a soft spot for opera.  You love insects and admire their lives, lived perfectly.  You like their order and predictability.  You race cockroaches.  You like baseball, but probably prefer the statistics to the actual game.

 

“You have lived alone all your adult life and have never had a significant relationship with either sex.  You have treated me badly over the years and often marginalised me because you’ve liked me a little too much and thought it better to keep me at arms length than risk getting your heart broken.  Your heart has never been broken, because you’ve never given it away. 

 

“And you think that if you give it to me, I will break it.”

 

Gil sat stunned at Nick’s revelations of his character.  It would be relatively easy to assume most of what he’d said and yet he’d said it all fluently and there was nothing that wasn’t accurate.  But knowing all of this and then actually being in a relationship were totally different animals.

 

“Was I accurate?”

 

“You know you were.  But knowing all of these facts about me doesn’t make you know me...”

 

“...I know it doesn’t but I know more about you than if we’d just met and were dating.  What I’m trying to get over to you, Gil, is that we’re not strangers.  We have a knowledge of each other; we don’t have to spend time getting to know each other.  We can to skip that and go for something better...you care, you care about me or you wouldn’t be here and I want to care for you. 

 

“Because, for fuck’s sake, all the men that I’ve had all the doomed relationships with since I arrived in Vegas have failed miserably because they weren’t you.  I wanted a man like you.  And the only man like you...is you.”

 

A sudden thought struck Gil.  “Your voice is so much stronger than it was.”

 

Nick started chuckling and then laughing.  “See what I mean?  Only Gilbert Grissom would think to say that at a time like this.  And I’m okay with it because I know you and expect the unexpected.”

 

“This relationship could be doomed before it’s started...”  Nick face changed from laughter to concern in an instant at Gil’s grave announcement.  “...if you persisted in calling me Gilbert.”

 

“Man...see what I mean.  We gonna give it a go?  A good go...warts and all?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Was that easy?”

 

“Yes.”  Gil chuckled.  “In the end, Nick, it was very easy.”

 

“Told you so.  God, you know how long I've waited to say to you, ‘I told you so’?”

 

“Don’t think I’ll let you get away with that too often.  How come you do know so much about me?”

 

“I have this compartment in my brain...special storage unit for Gil Grissom information and every little snippet I've heard here and there, I've stored away waiting for this day to come.”

 

“Did you think it ever would?”

 

Nick looked serious; he looked down at the table and then up again.  “No.”  

 

Gil covered Nick’s hand with his own.  “Nor me.”  He lifted the hand up and kissed it and Nick pulled their hands away from Gil’s lips and he kissed Gil’s hand.

 

“I’m going to sit out on the deck for a few minutes...get some fresh air.  Think about this.  You.  Me.  Us.”

 

“I’ll make you a tea, or would you prefer something else?”

 

“Tea please...I think I’m becoming addicted in the absence of coffee.”

 

Gil packed his work away and watched Nick walk out onto his deck and ease himself into one of the chairs out there.  He was so much better than he had been.  He looked better; he sounded better.  His whole demeanour was getting back to normal.  Gil couldn’t quite believe the speed with which the illness had hit him and now that same speed could be applied to his recovery.

 

When he’d made the tea he took two mugs of the steaming drink out on the deck...and found Nick, sobbing.  Quietly, but as if his heart was broken.

 

“What’s wrong?  I thought things were better...”

 

Nick nodded.  He had a wad of tissues in his hands.  He wiped his face and nose and then spoke as tears still fell down his cheeks.

 

“I am happy.  I’m really, really, happy...but...”

 

“But what, Nicky?”  Gil had a cold knot of fear in his belly.  He was certain it was all going to fall apart even before it’d had begun. 

Nick snuffled a bit more and took a few sips of his hot tea.  “I can see a future for us, you and me...we are going to great, I know it.” 

 

Gil took an extra deep breath and relief flooded him.  “But...”

 

“When I had the argument, back at Easter with my family, I was annoyed, and as I said Richie was flavour of the month.  But he turned sour.  And the family stuff was a storm in a teacup and I thought it would be okay again.  But it won’t ever okay again.  Not when my Mom asks if I have AIDS; not when I really have someone for them to meet who I want to become one of the family.  It’s not going to happen.  I promised Mom I would go back when they get home, but I won’t and they won’t bother calling.

 

“I won’t be going home again.”

 

Nick started sobbing again.  Gil knelt in front of him and pulled him into his arms and let his head rest on his shoulder.  There was nothing he could think of to say.  If only his mother could see him breaking his heart over her, would she relent?  She might, but if Nick wanted the family to accept his partner, a partner, Gil corrected himself not wanting to jump the gun, then the chances seemed very slim.  People do change their minds but he thought the chances of that actually happening seemed very slim.

 

“Nicky, they could change their minds when they’ve had a chance to think about it...you never know.”  He whispered into Nick’s hair, hoping he at least sounded convincing.

 

Nick shook his head.  “No.  Like I said they all but threw a party when I left the state for Vegas.  How long have I been in Vegas...getting on for ten years...it’s not going to change.  I only have regular contact with the twins...Rachel and Alison...they’re closest in age to me.”

 

Gil sighed.  He had no more soothing words to say to Nick.  It did seem bleak.

 

“Hey, Gil?”  Nick pulled back and looked at Gil.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’ve got you though, now.  We can be our own family.”

 

“Yes.  You’re right.  We can be.”  And despite all the worry of Nick’s illness and his fucking family, Gil’s spirit soared.  He would be a family; a family of two with Nick.  He knew with absolute clarity and certainty that it would happen.

 

Later that day when they went to bed, sharing Nick’s bed.  Nick was propped up with pillows and cushions and when he coughed a little and Gil woke up, he found that his head was in Nick’s lap.  The most comfortable pillow he ever used in his life.  Nick took a few sips of water and told Gil to go back to sleep, but when Gil went to move away Nick he stopped him and stroked his hair and within moments he was asleep again. 

 

---ooOoo---

 

Nick made an incredible recovery; by the end of Gil’s vacation time, he’d been back to the hospital and been given the all clear.  He’d had no asthmatic attacks but was told to carry the inhaler with him at all times, as a precautionary measure.  He was cleared to return to work the following week but on light duties for a further two weeks.

 

The day before Gil was due back at work he went to see Conrad Ecklie.  He imparted the new information about Nick and himself to a very shocked Ecklie.  He told Ecklie that Catherine should take over supervisory duties for Nick, and if Ecklie didn’t like it then both he and Nick would leave, immediately.

 

Gil, Ecklie, the sheriff and the entire lab  knew that the excellent reputation of the LVPD crime lab was first and foremost because of the reputation of one man: Gil Grissom.  That reputation would follow Gil.

 

Ecklie accepted that there had been no relationship at all until after Nick had been taken ill and accepted the deal.  This was one time when he knew that to safeguard the lab’s reputation, a little give and take was needed.

 

On his first night back at work, Gil confided in Catherine.  She wasn’t in the least surprised and Gil owed Nick ten bucks.

 

---ooOoo---

 

Though the men had shared a bed since the second night Gil had spent at Nick’s house, there had been no sex.  Nick wasn’t well enough and was taking strong drugs that he claimed had completely ruined his libido.   That was Nick’s story and he was sticking to it.

 

Gil had used the shower each morning to ease his erections.  He couldn’t remember a time when he had to masturbate so often,  And the truth was, he was never completely soft when he was with Nick.  Whatever it was, hormones, or just plain want, he wasn’t bothered...in the least.  He was prepared to wait it out until Nick was ready.  There were no time constraints.  It would happen when it happened and Gil was very comfortable with that.

 

In fact, Gil was so comfortable with the whole situation he could hardly believe it; he knew they still had to have their first argument or disagreement, but he wasn’t waiting for it to happen...if it did, they’d deal.  But it seemed to Gil that they were both reasonable men.  Would they stay reasonable?  Only time would tell. 

 

After his first night back,  a weary Gil arrived home mid morning.  Nick had cooked a dinner.  Nothing fancy; a pasta with salmon and broccoli in a light cream sauce but what he’d baked...and Gil was incredulous and salivating at the sight of it...was a cherry pie.

 

“Don’t get used to it...they’re way too fattening to have often, but as a treat, there’s nothing better than pie...except pie with ice cream.”

 

“Can we skip the pasta?”

 

“No.  And if you leave your pasta, then there’s no pie for you.”  He added sternly.

 

Gil stared at Nick and then they both started laughing and hugged.  “Did you really bake it?”

 

“Hey, you of little faith, and even I know that quote’s from St.Matthew’s gospel.   I made the pastry from scratch and reduced the cherries.  All my own handy work.”

 

The meal was great and Gil had to have two pieces of pie.  He said a silent sorry to his mother, because the pie was the best he’d ever tasted in his entire life.

 

They were sitting in the shade on the deck and Nick yawned. “I stayed awake most if the night, so that I can come to bed with you.  I might as well get into the swing of the graveyard before I get back to work  I’ll be tired anyway, without missing sleep.

 

“Good idea.  I was thinking about my house and stuff.  What do you want to do?  Now that I've been with you I don’t want to go home and be on my own.”

 

“I was thinking that too.  Your house is bigger, but my house has a lighter and airier feel to it than yours.  We could do a week about.”

 

“We could...  I like your house much more than mine...it feels like a home to me.  Our home.  I don’t mind living here with you.  See how it goes.  I’d have to move some more of my stuff over here, but I could always go to my house to do research, use it like an office, and then come back here.  What do you think?”

 

“I think that would be great.”

 

“Yes.  It could work and if we work out I could rent it out, eventually.  I’ve got no mortgage on it, so if we do...I mean if this does...if we are going to...”

 

“Spit it out, man!”

 

“We could buy a place together.”

 

“We could.  Now that sounds like a plan.”

 

“It does, doesn’t it?”

 

Some time later they went to bed.  And both men were tired.  Gil from having to work for the first time in a week and Nick because he’d not slept much and he was still recovering.  Although Gil would be hard pressed to find any residue of the illness in Nick.  He hadn’t heard him cough at all for two days.  He’d gained weight and been in the garden and had a healthy tan.

 

---ooOoo---

 

Gil didn’t know what time it was when he woke up; all he knew was that he’d been woken up and he was pinned to the bed and couldn’t move...he was momentarily panic stricken...

But within a second his panic had subsided to be replaced by overwhelming pleasure.

 

Nick was pressing Gil’s body into the bed by leaning on him, and across him to reach a nipple and he was alternatively sucking on it and then biting it and pulling it between his teeth.  Gil’s erection was up and full and poking Nick in his side.  Gil bucked his hips up to gain a little friction for himself

 

Nick looked up at him and in the dim light of the bedroom Gil could see his grin.

 

“I woke up and for the first time since I got ill I had a raging hard-on and desire for you...and I thought I’d just go for it...there’s no time like the present.”

 

“Probably because you’ve finished taking all the drugs; they can often cause erectile dysfunction.”

 

“That so?  Thanks for the lecture.”

 

“You’re welcome.”   Gil grinned back.

 

“Do you know that in our little conversations I never asked if you were a top or a bottom?”

 

“I’m not averse to either.  You?”

 

“Hot diggety dawg...the same here!”

 

Gil laughed.  “Get on with what you were doing and quit talking.”

 

“I always do as I’m told.”  He dived down on the other nipple this time and within seconds Gil’s erection was begging for something.  He wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but just a touch would do – anything really.  Nick’s altered angle meant it was just waving around in the wind.

 

Gil rubbed his fingers up and down Nick’s back and Nick shivered beneath his touch.  Gil would have liked to touch his ass but he couldn’t quite reach.  He decided that he needed to make a few changes and pulled Nick’s head up.

 

“I need to get in on the action and I can’t, so lie on your side beside me and we can touch each other.”

 

“You’re the boss”

 

“That’s me.”

 

“I’m going to top you, I've decided.”

 

“And I’ll let you.” 

 

Nick had moved as instructed and Gil kissed him.  He pushed his tongue into Nick’s mouth and so began a duel as they battled for each other’s mouth. They were evenly matched and even drew away from the kiss at the same moment to catch their breath.

 

Gil attached himself to Nick’s neck, the warmth of the skin mixed with his unique scent to which Gil had already become accustomed was a potent sexual mix.  He nibbled and licked and sucked and Nick moaned, pulling away from Gil to do the same to him.

 

They’d made out nearly every day but Gil had been very careful not to inflame Nick too much, conscious of his recent brush with death.  Consequently they had not touched each other, other than to hug and cuddle in bed.  As Nick had said, and Gil had reminded him, his libido had been dampened by his illness and the drugs, but now Gil could feel Nick’s erection pressing against his stomach and just that thought and feel of Nick and Gil felt his hard-on leak as it pressed against Nick.

 

Nick pulled back from Gil and slipped his hand down and encircled Gil and gently tugged.

 

He breathed out and whispered.  “Wow.”

 

Gil smirked.  It was always a good sign when one’s partner appreciated your tackle.  So he decided to see just what Nick had to offer, after all it would soon be inside him.

 

His fingers touched the hot flesh and a frisson of excitement ran through him at the feel of another man’s hard cock.   It was that thrill that had convinced him he was really gay and not bi...no woman had ever produced in him anything near the pleasure he had with a man.  And yet, with Nick, that pleasure was intensified almost beyond endurance.  His own flesh creeping with little shock waves at Nick being with him and the anticipation of Nick being inside him.

 

So he was impatient.  Did he care?  No.

 

“I need you now, Nick.  I can’t wait.  I don’t want to wait.”  He whispered and he was well aware of the need and urgency in his voice.

 

“Okay.”  Nick was slightly breathless and wheezing but Gil was sure he was okay.  He wasn’t going to stop him now.  He probably couldn’t.

 

Nick rolled away and opened his bedside cabinet drawer.  He took out a bottle of lube and a condom.  Then he leaned back over to Gil and kissed him before pushing him onto his back and scrambling over Gil’s legs.

 

“Okay this way?”

 

“Yes...I want to see you, as I feel you.”  Nick stopped what he was doing to look at Gil and then bent down to kiss him once more.

 

“Who knew you were romantic?”  He chuckled a little, almost to himself, and had to clear his throat, but he had the bottle open and before he poured out the lubricating fluid, he used his hand to push one of Gil’s legs aside and Gil moved his other to match.  Nick pulled a pillow from the top of the bed and unceremoniously shoved it under Gil’s ass.

 

He then set about opening up Gil enough for him to enter.  He was practised, gentle and thorough.  All the time he was glancing at Gil, not shyly, but confidently and he bent over several times to kiss Gil, or to suck and bite on a nipple.

 

Gil was gently pulling and twisting his own hard-on.  He didn’t want to do too much for fear of coming to soon; he wanted Nick inside him, he wanted Nick’s cock to brush his prostate, he craved that pleasure like never before because this time it would be Nick.  This would be Nick.  Now.  Forever.

 

Forever.

 

He was surprised at himself for thinking that exact word but more than anything in his whole world, he wanted it to be true.  He was going to hold onto this thing he had with Nick for as long as he could and if Nick did the same they would make it; he knew this with more certainty than he’d ever known anything before.

 

“You’re thinking.”  Nick’s quiet words bought him back to the bed and Nick.

 

“About you.  About us.”

 

“Yeah.  I want to say something Gil and I don’t want to scare you, or for you to think you have to say it or anything...”

 

“...I love you.”

 

Nick nodded and tears sprang to his eyes, but Gil chuckled and at Nick’s frown Gil spoke again.  

 

“You fingers are up my ass.”

 

Nick laughed.  “Not for much longer...” He pulled them out with a slurp.  “I've got something bigger and better!”

 

He leaned back on his haunches and picked up the condom.

 

“A condom?”

 

“I always use condoms.”

 

“And me...but do we need them?”

 

“I've never done bareback.”

 

“No, nor me.”  Gil smiled and Nick grinned and slung the unopened foil packet over his shoulder and bent over to kiss Gil.

 

“Hey, I love you, too.”

 

“If you really love me, you’d cut the chat, again, and get on with the job in hand.”

 

Nick laughed and held his own cock pumping it back up to full erection.  He got another squirt of lube and rubbed it along his length and then positioned his rosy-red head against Gil’s relaxed and puckered opening...and pushed.

 

Gil relaxed into the feeling of fullness and steadily pumped himself, all feelings of invasion and stretching obliterated by the sheer pleasure of Nick entering him.  He was rock hard again and hadn’t even experienced the thrill of his gland being stroked.  He knew he wouldn’t last long and it didn’t bother him, he had what he wanted and the thought of putting on a less than perfect display wasn’t a problem.  Not with Nick.  Nothing would ever be a problem with Nick.

 

Nick was sweating profusely now, he eyes screwed shut and his teeth clenched.  And Gil was suddenly aware that he was wheezing a little more than he had been.  He looked up at Nick and smiled...Nick was working hard and the very thought that it was Nick who working him...made him harder and he knew he was just moments away from coming.  He let go of himself and tried to think of something else...but with Nick so close to him, and in him, he couldn’t.  But then Nick spoke.

 

“Not going to last...can’t...”

 

“You okay?”  Gil was getting a little alarmed at Nick’s wheezing.

 

“Great.  It’s...too...good...when I pull out to...push...I’m gonna come...gonna...come it feels...so...so...”

 

“God...Nicky...doitdoitdoit.”  Gil gasped out, urgently; just Nick’s words to him had sent Gil crashing over his edge and as Nick withdrew to thrust into him Nick cried out and pushed back in, catching the prostate just as Gil started to come and he opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out...the electric sparks flew up his spine and his ass clamped hard on Nick’s hard-on and then his come was spurting up onto Nick’s chest and falling down, cold, onto his own belly.

 

Nick was thrusting and coming and groaning.  As the last thrust over came him he collapsed forward onto Gil’s chest.

 

Gil’s chest was heaving up and down was causing Nick’s head to move up and down and Gil held it, trying to still it, not realising at all that it was his own movement causing Nick’s head movement.

 

As Gil returned to earth he became instantly concerned at Nick’s breathing and wheezing.  He gently moved Nick away from him to his side and Nick’s softened penis was released from Gil’s body.

 

Nick fell onto his side and started to cough, but it wasn’t as bad as Gil had feared, just a clearing of his airways and after a few coughs he was okay.  He rolled onto his back.

 

He found Gil’s hand and held it, linking their fingers.  “Wow, bareback!  I just hope you don’t think I suffer from premature ejaculation, because I don’t, man, okay?  It’s just that that was pretty intense.  Did you say you loved me?”  Gil could hear the smile in Nick’s voice.

 

“I did.”

 

“Thought so, I didn’t dream it then?”

 

“No.  This premature ejac...”

 

“...I knew you’d bring it up.”

 

“I was going to say...that it’s only to be expected after so long and such an intense moment, as you said it was bareback for the first time for both of us.  What?”  Gil looked at Nick’s incredulous face which then morphed into a grin.

 

“A lecture.  A post-coital lecture?”

 

“What else did you expect...”  Gil chuckled and Nick rolled into his arms.

 

“Man, we are going to be so good together...no....great.  We’re going to be great together.”

 

---ooOoo---

 

At shift that night, they were all sitting around the table and Gil was about to hand out assignments.

 

“Before I forget, Warrick, I’m paying off Nick’s gambling debt.”  He slid a one hundred dollar bill across the table to Warrick.

 

Warrick looked down at it, frowning,  and then a light went on... and he grinned and he whooped for joy.

 

“I knew it.  I knew it.  Man, I wish I'd doubled up!”

 

“Don’t push you luck, pal.   Here...”  Gil shuffled the assignment notes around in his hand and handed him his slip.  “...you can have a dumpster dive...”

 

The End

 

 

A/N:  Many thx to all of you have read this little Sick!Nick saga and most especially to those of you who’ve taken the time and energy to leave a comment...no matter how short, no matter how long...I really appreciate every single one!  Thank you again!