Title: Hiding Hickeys
By: kateg123
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI...if I did Greg and Nick would have been a canon couple a long time ago!
Summary: It's swelteringly hot weather...so why is Nick coming into work with a scarf on? The rest of the team are determined to find out the answer to this question. Implied NickGreg.

***

Grissom looked up as Nick walked into the break room and did a double take. Normally Nick walking into the break room would have been a regular occurrence. One he wouldn't have given a second thought to. Today however was 90 degrees weather and the air conditioning was broken leaving the lab sweltering and generally not a place where you would wear a scarf. Nick however seem to disregard this and was casually sporting an interesting burgundy number.

Nick seemed to notice Grissom staring at him and self consciously tugged on the scarf saying, "What?"

"You're wearing a scarf," Grissom stated plainly, "why?"

For some reason Nick went a colour that almost matched his scarf at this innocent question. He had no time to answer however as Catherine walked in closely followed by Warrick.

"Griss we got the warrant, we're going to head over…why are you wearing a scarf?" This last bit was directed at Nick as she noticed his scarf.

Warrick just stared at Nick and blinked as though wondering whether it was an illusion.

Nick shrugged uncomfortably and said, "Um…I was cold?"

"Nice try Nicky, you're sweating more than I am, you can't even use that excuse." Warrick added to the conversation.

"Look it's not a big deal I just felt like…wearing a scarf today." Nick interjected starting to get annoyed by their constant questions.

Sara Sidle chose this moment to enter the break room and interrupted the silence by asking curiously, "Nick, why on earth are you wearing a scarf in this heat?"

Nick just sighed loudly and stalked out of the break room subconsciously tightening the scarf around his neck as he left.

The remaining CSI's merely looked at each other in confusion and shrugging continued with the conversation.

"What do you think's up with him?" Warrick questioned, annoyed at his friend's angry exit.

"I'm willing to bet he's hiding something," Catherine said with a smirk on her face.

Grissom remained confused and clueless but Sara and Warrick both turned to her with amazement on their faces.

"What? You think he got bitten by a vampire or something and he's like covering up the puncture marks?" Warrick said.

Catherine turned to face him with an incredulous expression on her face and said in slow tones as if talking to an infant, "No Warrick…what I meant was I bet he's got a…"

"Hickey!" Sara cut in excitedly.

"Oh." Warrick said feeling extremely stupid.

"So how do we get him to admit it?" Sara asked getting the expression which meant she was plotting something. And the someone it was aimed at better watch out.

"Excuse me for interrupting but what are you all talking about?" Grissom questioned still confused and clueless about the goings on of the young.

Sara turned to him with a fond expression on her face and said, "Griss…don't worry you'll understand when I explain it to you in plain terms. Catherine thinks that Nick had a lovebite," here she gestured to her neck area and said in overly patronising terms, "on his neck…which is why he would be wearing the scarf."

An expression of sudden understanding crossed Grissom's face and he said in satisfaction, "Ah yes…those."

The three others snickered and turned to each other trying to plot a way to get Nick to admit he had a hickey under that mound of material.

"We could tell him he's turning purple from a sudden new allergy to his scarf," Warrick cut in.

"No way, he would know if he was allergic to something in his scarf and it would have affected him by now," Sara said hastily.

"What about a new no-scarf policy?" Catherine said looking pointedly at Grissom as she said this.

"I can't do that, there's absolutely no reason." He said in tones that very clearly said 'duh'.

"Well how are we going to get him to take off his scarf?" Sara said starting to get annoyed at their lack of suggestions.

"Steady on tiger, we'll think of something," Warrick said stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"What exactly is the purpose of getting Nick to admit he has a hickey?" Grissom asked after the silence had stretched on for a few minutes.

Catherine turned to him and said, "Nick is a known ladies man Griss, now if that is a hickey under that scarf there can only be one reason why he would be hiding it. Actually two. First of all he would know that we would immediately ask who the lucky girl was who got to nuzzle on his neck. So he would be hiding it because either he is ashamed of whoever the girl was or it wasn't a girl at all!"

Grissom still looked confused and said, "So what you think his cat gave him a lovebite?"

Warrick choked on the coffee he was currently drinking in laughter. "Man that is a weird image you just put in my head!"

"Look Griss, by not a woman I meant a man." Catherine said bluntly.

"Ah," Grissom said thoughtfully, "I never expected Nick to be gay."

Catherine and Sara looked at each other and Sara said, "Well Catherine and I have actually been wondering for a while you know. There was never any sign but maybe this is it. If we can get him to admit it's a hickey then we can press the information of who gave it to him out of him! It's a genius plot."

"You know guys, we're overlooking one option here," Warrick said suddenly.

"What?" Catherine questioned.

"Well, there is the option where we just do it by force. I hold him down and you guys get the scarf off!"

The others all looked at each other and their eyes all comically widened in realisation.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that," Sara said annoyed at herself for not thinking of the more violent option.

"Ok so it's settled, I'll grab him when he walked out of a room and you guys get that scarf off as fast as you can, I'm not sure how long I could hold him for."

The three exchanged wicked grins before heading out of the break room leaving Grissom alone chuckling to himself.

Nick stretched his hand out to open the door of the locker room and opened it slowly savouring cold feel of the metal under his hand. God he was hot!

He stepped out of the room and the next thing he knew he had a good view of the floor and was hearing Warrick's voice above him yelling, "Now! Now! Take it off!"

Wondering what the hell was happening he didn't struggle but as soon as he felt someone tug on the scarf tightly wound around his neck he realised their ploy.

"Guy's get off! Seriously, I mean it!" He struggled as much as he could but Warrick was holding him strong.

It was too late, however and he realised someone had successfully unwound the scarf from his neck and was dangling it tauntingly in front of his face.

"Alright let him up Warrick," he heard Catherine say.

He realised he was suddenly free and scrambled up trying to hide his neck by tilting his head at a very odd angle.

"So Nicky, what you got there?" Sara said looking with interest at his general neck area.

All three caught sight of the large purple looking bruise at the same time and Catherine shouted triumphantly, "Ha I knew it; you have yourself a hickey Nicky."

The others laughed at her rhyme but Sara stopped as she noticed something else.

"Hold on a second, what's that." She stepped forward and grabbed Nick's face tilting it to the side so she could see the other side of his neck. "Guys I have another one here," she took a closer look and said, "and it's fresh! Guys whoever gave Nick these here hickeys is still in that there locker room!"

All four looked towards the closed door of the locker room and Catherine stepped forward to open the door while Nick was positive he had gone a very interesting shade of red from all the unwanted attention.

"No Sara, that was err…from yesterday it just um…looks fresh." He said lamely trying to come up with an excuse.

"Whatever Nick," Sara said distractedly as Catherine reached for the handle of the door.

However, the door started to open of its own accord and all four seemed to hold their breath as it seemed to happen ever so slowly.

The breath was then expelled in surprise at the person who walked through the door.

"Heya guys, why are you all standing around the locker room?" Asked Greg Sanders curiously as he stepped out of the door.

Nick smacked his head against the palm of his hand damning Greg for eternity for not listening to his mental pleas for him not to come out of the locker room.

Greg looked at him and noticed the absence of scarf around Nick's neck. For a moment he stared at him and then turned his attention to the rest of the group who were all watching him with amused smiles.

"Oh," he said nervously. "Right…about that..."

***