Title: Kiss and Tell
Author: liquid_latex
Pairing: pre-slash Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. If I did, there would be much more inappropriate slashy content.
A/N: Inspired in triplicate by a) a conversation with Saras_Girl while watching 'Who Shot Sherlock?' b) the fact that we both think Greg looks like he's wearing lip gloss and c) Katy Perry's song 'I Kissed a Girl'
Summary: Because Greg has lovely lips. And Nick's not sure if he likes cherries. And Jacqui is too clever for her own good. Pre-slash fun.

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Greg winced and pursed his lips together. Sore, cracked, chapped lips that were the source of his frustration today. Without conscious thought, his tongue snaked out to moisten them, but then he remembered his mother's warning that licking his lips would only cause them to dry out more.

He tried to concentrate on his work, but would find himself gnawing on the corner of his chapped lower lip, biting off tiny pieces of skin and making matters worse. And every time he tried to smile, he feared his upper lip would split open.

He had to do something; these chapped lips of his were becoming more and more of a constant distraction. Absently running a finger across his mouth, Greg gazed out of the large front window of the DNA lab. He spotted Jacqui, obviously on her break, leaning up against the wall, Diet Coke in her hand.

"Jacqui!" he called out to get her attention, then motioned for her to come closer. "I need you."

"Don't you always?" she joked, grinning mischievously.

Greg shook his head, "No, really. My lips are so chapped. I can't get anything done. Can you run over to the store for me and get me some Chapstick? Please?"

"Are you serious?" Jacqui chuckled. This would be a first. A guy asking her to buy Chapstick for him. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "What's in it for me?"

Greg fished a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet, held it by the two corners and snapped in neatly in front of her face. "You can keep the change."

Jacqui grabbed the twenty and turned on her heels. "Back in five." She said as she made her way out of the building.

**~*~**

True to her word, Jacqui returned, unceremoniously tossing a small plastic bag on the worktop in front of Greg.

Fighting the urge to lick his lips, Greg emptied the bag and took out the small tube of Chapstick.

"You're a lifesaver, Jacqui." He said as he uncapped the stick and slathered it across his parched lips. Then he rubbed his lips together and took another look at the Chapstick.

"Cherry!" he exclaimed incredulously, seeing Jacqui staving off laughter. "Aw, Jacqui, come on. Couldn't you have chosen something like mint or...or original or something less....less girly?"

Jacqui shrugged her shoulders, curls bouncing as she turned. "I don't recall you asking for a specific flavour, DNA boy. Enjoy your lipstick."

"Chapstick!" Greg corrected, but she was already gone. With a sigh of frustration, Greg took the lid off and applied more. Lips feeling somewhat better already, Greg thrust the tube into his coat pocket and went back to work.

**~*~**

By the time Nick had arrived to pick up his DNA results, Greg had all but forgotten the cherry Chapstick. But as he spoke to Nick, explaining his findings, he couldn't help but notice that Nick's eyes seemed drawn towards his lips.

Greg stopped talking, wondering why the corner of Nick's mouth was turned up in the hint of a smile. He stood in front of the older CSI, not speaking and still Nick was staring at his mouth.

"What?" an exasperated Greg asked, throwing his hands up in the air. It had been a very long day in the DNA lab, Greg was tired, hungry and in need of more caffeine. This was not the time for Nick to be messing with him.

"Greg," Nick began slowly, "Are you wearing lipstick?"

"What?" repeated Greg, confused for a moment until he remembered his sore lips. "Oh, no. No. I have chapped lips. It's Chapstick. Really it is."

Nick's grin stretched even further, and his eyes crinkled with the smile. "Uh huh. Sure it is, Greggo."

Greg blew a short burst of air up through his lips, fumbled for the tube of Chapstick in his pockets and threw it at Nick. "See for yourself then. I don't have time for this."

Being around Nick quite often made Greg nervous and as a result, Greg would fall into the petulant child routine with him. It was one characteristic of himself that he despised, and yet he couldn't seem to help himself. Nick just seemed to draw it out of him. While he worked hard at impressing the older man, it didn't quite come out that way.

Nick looked at Greg, standing across from him, arms folded tightly across his chest and his sneakered foot tapping on the floor. Then he gazed down at the Chapstick in his palm.

"Hmm. Cherry, huh?" he asked, and before Greg could form a response, Nick had closed the distance between the two, grabbed Greg by the lab coat and pulled him impossibly closer.

Greg's eyes widened as he took in the scent and sight of Nick, holding him, still drawn to his shiny, glossy lips, stained pink from the Chapstick. This time it was Nick's tongue adding moisture to Greg's mouth and he gasped.

On that intake of breath, Greg's mouth opened slightly and Nick took advantage of that opening and used it to slide his tongue into the warm wetness.

Greg sighed contentedly as he felt Nick's tongue exploring his mouth, hands still tightly gripping the dark blue fabric of the lab coat. Greg tentatively reached out, smoothing his hands over Nick's strong shoulders, down his arms and back.

Their tongues met, dueled and Greg heard Nick moaning into the kiss as sparks of electricity all but made his toes curl, and he leaned deeper into the kiss, pulling Nick closer so that they were pressed up against each other.

All too soon, Nick was pulling away, whispering that anyone could see them through the windows. Greg looked at him through drowsy eyes, lips now swollen from the kiss.

Nick stared back, eyes dark and glittering. He licked his lips, tasting Greg, tasting the cherry Chapstick. "I never liked cherry until now," he said huskily. "I think I'll keep this." He took the small tube of Chapstick and slid it into his jeans pocket.

As he left the DNA lab, Greg shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. He was in complete shock of what had just happened. Nick. Kissed him. Unbelievable. But true. His body still tingled as he remembered the gentle, yet possessive way Nick had kissed him, making love to his mouth. His lab coat still bore the indentations of where Nick's fingers had been holding on so tightly.

From behind Greg, he heard the electronic sound of machines beeping and knew he had better get back to work. But from the turn of events today, he thought he wouldn't be going home alone after work. And that thought put an extra spring in his step. Kissing Nick was more of a rush than any cup of coffee he'd ever had.

**~*~**

Nick smiled as he walked down the hallway towards the fingerprint lab. In his jeans pocket, he could feel Greg's cherry Chapstick pressing against his hip. He was amazed he had finally gotten up enough nerve to let Greg know how he felt about him. All this time, he had thought it would be a conversation, but he thought the kiss worked out well enough. Better than well enough, actually. From the response he had gotten, and the look on Greg's face when he left DNA left him feeling giddy. He could still taste the Chapstick and was anticipating what would happen next.

"Hey, Jacqui," he grinned, "Did you get a match on that print I lifted off the telephone?"

Jacqui looked up at him, then her face broke into a wide smile of her own. Nick held up a hand in confusion as she took a step nearer to him and raised herself up on her tiptoes.
She took a sniff of his lips, then stepped back. "Smells like cherry."

Nick's face flushed and he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, Greg leant me his Chapstick. Sore lips."

"I'll bet," Jacqui replied, nodding as she appraised him again. "Well, Nick. You are either one very bad liar, or you can't find your own lips without a mirror."

"What?" Nick asked, but now knowing that he could not hide the truth from Jacqui. Those lab rats don't miss a trick, he thought.

She ran a finger from the corner of Nick's mouth to his lower jaw, following the shiny trail of cherry Chapstick, then held up her finger for Nick to see.

"He leant you his Chapstick alright. Straight from his mouth," she said with a wink as she turned her back on him. "By the way...your print is a match."

*Fin*

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