Title: To Look At You
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Many thanks to the lovely crimescenecrazy for inspiring this fic!
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Nick Stokes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

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Nick glanced over at Greg, a smile curving his lips as he did so. He loved watching his boyfriend at work; Greg had the most brilliant mind of anyone he knew, and he could almost see the wheels turning as he studied the evidence that had been brought back to the lab.

He knew that Greg wanted to be a CSI, but he was glad that hadn't happened yet. He liked knowing that Greg was here in the lab, that he was safe. Shane couldn't get into this place, not without getting past a hell of a lot of security. Greg would be protected here.

If he was a CSI, he'd be out in the field, sometimes by himself. Nick didn't want to think about what could happen in that situation; Shane would have far too many opportunities to harm Greg. At least by being here in the lab, his boyfriend was protected from that eventuality.

But things could happen, even here. A shudder went through Nick's body as his mind moved back to the day that the explosion had occurred; he had been so sure that Greg was hurt more badly than they'd realized, panicking at the knowledge that Greg was injured.

Greg was recovering from those wounds, and now that he was back at work, his self-confidence seemed to have bounced back to the point that it had been at before the advent of Shane in his life. Nick hoped that he was getting past all of that.

Of course, there was no way to know exactly how Greg was feeling -- not unless he asked, and Nick was too circumspect to do that. If anything was obviously bothering Greg, then he'd try to talk to his boyfriend, but he didn't want to pry into Greg's innermost feelings.

That seemed rude somehow, as though he was asking for too much. If Greg wanted to talk, then he would, Nick told himself firmly. And until then, he could content himself with watching over his boyfriend, protecting him, and loving him.

All it took was one look at Greg as he was now, moving around the lab in full control of what he was doing, putting that brilliant mind to good use, to make Nick feel that all was right with his world. As long as Greg was safe and the two of them were together, he was happy.

Sometimes he looked at Greg when they were working and wondered if the love he had for his boyfriend showed in his eyes, if other people could see how he felt. But he couldn't veil that love; it was impossible for him to hide it, no matter how hard he tried.

He could hold himself back when it came to words and gestures when they were at work. If he reached out to help Greg now and then, it could be seen as friendship, or something that anyone would do for one of their colleagues. It wouldn't be noticed and remarked upon.

But the expression that he couldn't keep out of his eyes when he looked at Greg -- ah, that was different. Nick was sure that sooner or later, people would notice that he had stars in his eyes whenever his gaze rested on the younger man, and that they would say something about it.

Nick had to suppress a sigh at the thought; as much as he hated hiding his feelings for Greg, he knew that if he let them come out into the open, it could have disastrous consequences for the two of them at work. So he had to keep his emotions under wraps.

If only he could let all the love that he had for Greg shine through his eyes every time he looked at his lover! But that would be dangerous for them both in their work environment. If Ecklie realized what kind of personal bond they had between them, he'd separate them in a heartbeat.

Nick had no doubt that he would be sent to work on swing shift, which was one thing he definitely didn't want. He wanted to be on the same shift as Greg, so he could be with his boyfriend any time they weren't at work and make sure that he was protected at all times.

If anything happened to Greg, he would have only himself to blame for not protecting his boyfriend to the extent that he could have. But he wasn't going to let anything happen, he told himself firmly, glancing over at Greg again, unable to hold back his smile when he did so.

What was it about Greg that could bring a smile to his face and make his heart skip a beat? He'd thought that he had been in love before a few times in hs life, but nothing compared to the way that just looking at Greg could make him feel.

He had no idea why he'd been so attracted to this young man from the first moment they'd met. But now that his dreams had come true and he had Greg by his side, there was no way that he was going to give up the man he loved, not for any reason.

As though Greg could sense Nick's eyes on him, he looked up, their gazes meeting and holding. When a smile slowly blossomed on Greg's features, Nick was sure that he was going to melt into a puddle of goo, spreading across the floor at his boyfriend's feet.

How could anyone have a smile like that, a smile that could take his breath away and make his heart do somersaults in his chest? No one else had ever had such an effect on him, and Nick was positive that no one else ever could. No one else could smile like Greg.

"Do I have something on my face? Is my hair all messed up or something?" Greg asked, raising a hand to smooth back a few errant strands of hair from his face. "You're looking at me kind of like you want to eat me up with a spoon. If that's the case, you'll have to wait until we get home."

"There's nothing on your face," Nick responded with a laugh, shaking his head. "There are times when all I want to do is to look at you, Greg. I can't help it. You're too beautiful not to look at. And you're the most precious thing in my life, so I feel like I have to keep an eye on you."

Greg looked back down at his work, a pink blush creeping into his cheeks. "If you keep talking that way, I might have to jump on you when we get home. Keep it up, big boy. Flattering my ego is one sure-fire way to get whatever you want behind closed doors."

Nick glanced around the lab, making sure that they were alone, before he moved closer to Greg, speaking in a low voice. "When we get home, I'm going to strip you naked and make love to you in the shower before we go to bed. How does that sound?"

"Terrific," Greg replied, his voice low and husky. "You can look at me all you want, Nicky. I like feeling your eyes on me. It makes me feel safe." He raised his head, glancing around the lab before looking back at Nick. "Even though I know you can't watch over me all the time."

"I might not be able to protect you every second, but I'll do my best," Nick vowed, moving closer to Greg and brushing a surreptitious kiss across his cheek. "You know that, Greg. All I have to do is look at you to know that I want to keep you safe for all of our lives."

Greg's answering smile was enough to have his heart pounding in his chest; if there had been a place for him to spirit his boyfriend away where they could kiss and touch without fear of being interrupted, he would have been there in a split second.

But there was no place like that here in the lab; he would have to be patient and wait until they got home to show Greg just how much he was loved and desired. Though by the look in the other man's eyes, he had no doubt that Greg already knew.

"Sometimes all I have to do is to take one look at you, and all my good sense goes right out the window," he murmured, moving away slightly just in case someone came into the lab unexpectedly. "You're like a drug, Greg. A drug that I'm happy to be hooked on."

"When I look at you, I just see the guy I love," Greg whispered, his voice so soft that Nick had to strain to hear it. "And for the record, all I want is to look at you all the time, too. I could never get enough of that, if I live to be a million years old."

It was hard for Nick not to step forward and wrap his arms around Greg when he heard those words, but he managed to hold himself back. When they got home, he would show Greg just how much those words had meant to him -- and he would spend the day feasting his eyes on the man he loved.

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