Title: A Simple Kiss
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Author: elfin
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimers: standard ownership is someone else's business, I'm just playing
Archive: yes to any CSI Slash archives
Thanks: again to Carmen for encouraging me not to be working at work!

***

Catherine's words played back in his mind, 'If you're no longer a CSI, then neither are we.'

He watched them filter out of his front door, watched Sara wave back at him. He bit his bottom lip once and decided, 'now or never.'

"Nicky?"

The last man out of the door hesitated and turned, his expression innocent, concerned. "Yeah?"

"Could you... stay for a minute?"

"Sure."

As the young man let go of the door handle, Gil caught Catherine's look over his shoulder. He raised his chin. "I just need to go over a couple of things."

She nodded, smirking. "It's about time."

Off Nick's confused frown, she hooked the door closed with her hand.

Nick crossed back to where Gil was standing in the centre of the wooden floored room.

"You okay?"

Gil took the risk he rarely dared take and let his eyes wander for a moment over Nick's attentive face, those big eyes watching him right back, adoring as usual.

It made him sad in a way that anyone should look at him like that, but chances like this wouldn't come along too often. At least he hoped not.

"I'm fine." He finally answered Nick's question. "I'm going to... do something and if it's out of order you have my permission to knee me in the balls."

Nick's expression changed then. His eyes darkened just a little, lips parted as if to speak but he didn't. He nodded once and waited. When Gil's rough fingertips came up either side of his face and touched his cheeks, Nick could feel the almost imperceptible trembling of the other man's hands.

He watched, amazed, as Gil's eyes closed. And then his boss' soft mouth touched his own and his heart exploded.

Not daring to give the older man time to change his mind, to run as he had done so damned often, Nick flicked his tongue over Gil's lips and reached around to cradle the heavy head against his palm. He threaded his fingers through greying curls, entangling himself.

Easing the two of them closer, Nick let his actions speak for him, reassuring Gil he wasn't about to get 'kneed in the balls'.

A rough tongue swept over his own, tasting, probably analysing Nick realised with a slight smile, and he held on, wrapping his free arm around the pliant body in his arms, his hand resting just above the swell of a denim-clad ass.

If he'd been in any doubt concerning Gil's affect on him, another part of his anatomy was also answering the siren call of the kiss.

He took a single step closer and met with his boss' response, the muted touch eliciting a groan from Nick and a deep rumble from Gil's throat.

Nick's grip in Gil's hair instinctively tightened, causing pain that didn't register and drawing the exploring tongue further into his mouth.

He felt the overwhelming need to wrap himself around the other man and never let go. He hooked an ankle around Gil's shin and the resulting contact brought forth a sob of desire so desperate Nick thought he might come just from hearing it.

With a great force of effort, he slowed them even if he didn't manage to bring them to a complete stop.

Gil's hands had moved over him and were resting at the small of his back as he leaned away a little.

"I have to work. I have to do this for you."

Gil tried his damnedest to ignore his thundering heart and aching arousal. He nodded, not trusting his voice for a moment.

"I want this," Nick continued, eyes raking over Gil's flushed face and swollen lips, " I want you. But it has to wait." He could barely believe it was him speaking, his cracking voice saying the words.

Nodding once sharply, Gil closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Nick's. "You're not just running?" he whispered.

Nick marvelled at the change he'd wrought in his self-possessed boss in only a couple of minutes.

"I'm not running, Gil. Not ever." He felt the deep breath sucked in and released before he was released. For a moment longer he stood and stared. "Remind me to thank Ecklie."

Gil smiled, chuckled. "Don't ever thank Ecklie."

"See you in a little while?"

"I'm all yours."

Nick grinned. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." Unable to stop himself from stealing a second, more tentative kiss, Nick turned and determinedly left Gil's townhouse.