Title: innascible
By: Caroline Crane
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG13
Summary: He only had one resolution this year: Be as boring as possible. So far it wasn't going that well.
Author's note: Usually when I write canon Nick/Greg I have this whole timeline thing going in my head where they started dating shortly after the end of season three and by season five they're like a little old married couple. But this is post-Grave Danger first time fic, and you know what, I'm okay with that. I've worked hard this past year at getting over myself, and I think it's going okay.

VII. Prompts: "I've never done this before."; a new year's resolution not just broken but SMASHED

Nick had never been a big fan of resolutions. It just didn't make a lot of sense to him, promising yourself you'd do something that you should be doing anyway. But it had been a long, strange year, and suddenly a resolution, even if he never said it out loud, didn't seem like such a bad idea.

It was a simple one, really: Don't get shot at, kidnapped, stalked, or otherwise threatened with any kind of physical harm. In short, live as boring a life as possible.

So far he wasn't getting off to the best start.

He wasn't in any actual physical danger, granted, but making out with a coworker outside a restaurant in broad daylight definitely didn't count as boring. And part of him wished he'd been drinking, because at least then he'd have an excuse for what they were doing right now. Only it was seven o'clock in the morning, and even if he felt like giving up that kind of control, it was a little too early to hit the bottle.

Then again, he wasn't all that sure he was in control right now, because yeah, he was the one who'd pinned Greg against the nearest wall and kissed him, but that didn't mean he'd started it. No, this had started long before Greg followed him out of the restaurant, long before they'd decided it was a good idea to meet Warrick and his wife for breakfast after their shift.

Warrick who was still inside, probably on his way out right now and then he was going to see Nick kissing Greg like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life. And maybe it hadn't been his whole life, but that was how it felt right now. Like if he stopped even long enough to catch his breath this would all melt away, and then he'd never get another chance again. He knew that wasn't true, but his brain wasn't exactly working right now and when Greg's hand slid under his shirt it shut down completely.

He forgot all about the fact that they were in public, forgot everything except Greg's hands on his skin and his tongue in Nick's mouth, about his thigh pressed between Nick's legs and the sounds his was making low in his throat. The kind of sounds that sent shivers of want down Nick's spine, unfocused need and he didn't even know until right now just how much he wanted this. How much he wanted Greg, and that was something he'd been ignoring for a long time.

Because he wasn't blind, and he'd noticed Greg flirting with him over the years. But that was just Greg being…Greg, just the way he related to people, and Nick had never taken it personally. Just like he didn't take it personally when Greg stopped flirting so much, because he was trying to be a CSI and getting serious went along with the job. It had nothing to do with Greg losing interest, because there had never been any real interest there to begin with.

Only he'd noticed the way Greg looked at him lately, sort of guilty and apologetic, like he wanted to say something but he couldn't figure out what. And yeah, Nick knew what it was about, but he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want his coworkers' pity, didn't want them looking at him like he was going to break any second. He wasn't looking for sympathy – especially not from Greg – so he ignored it, but now…now he wasn't so sure that was all it was.

Not when Greg was kissing him back like he needed this to breathe, like he'd been thinking about this as long as Nick had.

"Jesus," somebody murmured, and dimly Nick realized the voice was his. "We can't…"

"Yes," Greg interrupted, hands still moving on Nick's back like he was trying to drag him even closer. "Yes, we can."

And Nick couldn't help laughing at that, because it figured that Greg would assume Nick was already trying to backpedal. Which he should, but Greg felt way too good pressed against him and he wanted…everything.

"I was going to say we can't do this here," he said, murmuring the words against Greg's mouth and they were never going to get out of here without getting caught if he didn't stop kissing Greg.

He wasn't even sure why he'd kissed Greg in the first place. It had started out as a normal enough morning, anyway. They didn't go out for breakfast as much as they used to, but every once in awhile, after a slow shift, someone still suggested it. Nick hadn't felt much like watching Warrick and Tina play the happy newlyweds over their steak and eggs, but he'd said yes anyway. He'd even been relieved that Greg was tagging along, because that meant he wouldn't feel too much like a third wheel.

But it had been weird anyway, watching Warrick play the perfect husband and watching Tina eat it up. They didn't even know each other, not really, and there was something about the little digs Tina made about Warrick's eating habits and the way Warrick just took it…to be honest, the whole thing was kind of creepy.

And he wasn't supposed to know, but the lab was probably the worst place in Vegas to try to keep a secret, so Nick had heard the rumors about why Warrick had suddenly decided to take the plunge. Because of what happened to Nick, everyone was saying, because of the abrupt reminder of how short life can be, and that meant that Nick was somehow responsible for a marriage that he couldn't see lasting.

He didn't need that kind of pressure, not when he was just trying to make it through the day most of the time, and watching Warrick and Tina in action was even worse than he'd expected it to be. Still, they were his friends – well, Warrick was, anyway – so he put on his best grin and faked it. He thought he was doing pretty well for awhile, but when Greg started shooting those glances in his direction Nick knew he wasn't fooling everybody.

And maybe he would have been fine if Greg had just stopped looking at him like that. Maybe not, but it didn't matter, because Greg was looking, glancing at him whenever he thought Nick wasn't paying attention and by the time they were finished with their food it was all Nick could do not to climb over him and make a run for it.

He hadn't actually run, but he'd gotten the hell out of there as soon as he could. The part he hadn't counted on was Greg following him. Calling Nick's name before he could make it to his truck, stopping in front of him on the sidewalk and Greg never looked that nervous. Not around Nick, anyway, and he wasn't sure why it pissed him off, but he felt his jaw set and before Greg even uttered the words 'are you okay?' Nick's whole body was vibrating with the need to strike out.

"I'm fine," he'd snapped instead, forcing himself to turn away from Greg before he did something he couldn't take back. He knew what Greg was asking, knew exactly what they all thought every time they saw him. They were all just waiting for him to explode, to lose it or have some kind of meltdown so they'd finally have a reason to stare at him like he was some kind of freak.

But the joke was on them, because he really was fine. Most of the time he didn't even think about it, and as long as people weren't looking at him like he was made of glass, he was okay. And eventually everyone would stop waiting for him to freak out, and then everything would get back to normal.

Only he was the only one who seemed to want to let it go, and before he could get his truck open Greg's hand was on his arm to stop him. "You sure? I mean, I know you and Warrick were tight before…"

Nick turned back to look at Greg, frowning in confusion because it was obvious Greg thought he knew something, but Nick couldn't figure out what. Then he caught sight of Greg's expression, sympathetic and kind of resigned at the same time, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"You think…? You're way off track, G."

"Come on, Nick, this is me you're talking to," Greg said, and he looked so earnest that Nick forgot that a few seconds ago he'd been thinking about hitting Greg. "I've known you guys forever, it's not like it's that hard to figure out. I mean, we both know it was never going to happen, but knowing he went and got married and having to see it…"

Nick was shaking his head before Greg could finish, caught between the urge to laugh and the fear that Greg wasn't the only person in the lab who'd come up with this theory. Because yeah, Warrick was a good-looking guy, but they were just friends. They'd always been just friends, and Nick had never hoped for anything else. He wasn't that stupid, for one thing, and he'd learned a long time ago what a bad idea it was to fantasize about your friends. Especially the straight ones.

"You're way off base," Nick said, warning in his voice and Greg shivered a little at the sound, but he didn't back down.

"I'm just saying you're not the only one who's ever felt that way." Greg shrugged but didn't look away, and Nick wasn't sure, but he thought maybe Greg was blushing.

"Are you saying you've got a thing for Warrick?"

"No," Greg answered, still nervous but now he was grinning in that way that always went straight to Nick's cock. "Not Warrick."

Greg was still talking, but Nick wasn't listening anymore. He didn't really want to hear Greg's opinions on Warrick or the chances of his marriage lasting even a year. He wasn't really interested in talking at all, so he shut Greg up the quickest way he could think of.

And that was how he found himself pressing Greg into the side of a diner, hands stroking down his back and Greg's cock digging into his thigh. Greg was staring at him, wide-eyed like he still wasn't exactly sure this was really happening. "So did you have someplace specific in mind? Because my place is about ten minutes from here."

It took Nick a couple seconds to realize what Greg was talking about, but as soon as he remembered where they were and why they shouldn't be doing this here, he nodded and pulled away. Instantly he felt cold and he wished they didn't have to stop even long enough to get to Greg's place, because he didn't want to think about what they were doing. Ten minutes was a long time to think about all the reasons this was a bad idea, but if they stayed where they were and someone saw them, they'd have a lot more than Warrick to worry about.

"I'll follow you," he said, digging in his pocket for his keys and when Greg leaned in for one last kiss Nick didn't even think about trying to stop him. Instead he slid an arm around Greg's waist, pulling him close and if they kept this up, they really wouldn't make it out of the parking lot. Still, he took his time pulling away, fingers lingering on Greg's hip even after Greg pulled back and looked at him.

"If we catch the lights right we can make it in seven minutes," he said, and Nick laughed and let go of him. He climbed into his truck and waited for Greg to pull out of the parking lot, and when Nick got to the road he didn't even consider changing his mind and turning in the direction of his own place.

~

He waits until Nick's truck disappears from his line of sight, working hard not to think about the fact that he knows where Nick lives, and it's the opposite direction from where he's headed. Because he doesn't want to know this, doesn't want to picture it and he definitely doesn't need the images that are permanently burned into his brain.

"Warrick?"

"Yeah, I'm just…damn," he mutters, sparing a glance for Tina. She looks concerned but a little amused, like she's trying hard not to laugh at him. And that just makes all this worse, because she's not the one that has to go back to work tonight and look at both of them. "I didn't need to see that."

"I think it's sweet," Tina says, and that's just great, because now she's probably going to want to invite them over for dinner or something. "Come on, baby, they're your friends. You're telling me you didn't notice the way they kept looking at each other this morning?"

And he's not an idiot, so yeah, he noticed. He was just trying really hard not to. "I knew," he says, suppressing a shudder at a sudden flash of Nick and Greg and…God, hands where they definitely shouldn't be. "I was just kind of hoping I'd never have to see actual proof."

Tina laughs again and squeezes his hand before she drops it and heads for the passenger side of the car. "Come on, let's go home and I'll help you forget all about it."

He's pretty sure that's impossible, because no matter how distracting Tina is, he still has to show up at the lab tonight. But he follows her to the car anyway, slides behind the wheel and turns the engine over. And he thought it was weird enough working with Catherine after she admitted she had a thing for him, but now…now all he can do is pray that Grissom sends him out with Sara.