Title: Mutual Attraction
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Carlos Moreno
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Table: Un-themed 6, mission_insane
Prompt: 5, Charisma
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 Carlos Moreno, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Greg looked up from where he was kneeling in front of a blood pool at the crime scene he was working on, the camera in his hand forgotten for the moment. Carlos Moreno had just come into the room, and Greg wondered if he needed to be brought up to speed.

Moreno frowned and knelt down, glancing over at Greg. "This is a lot worse than I expected, from what I was told," he said with a soft sigh. "It seems like every murder in Vegas gets worse. It's like the criminals can always find new ways of torturing their victims."

"Yeah, it can get pretty gruesome." Greg wished that he could think of something else to say, something that would make him sound witty and intelligent. Whenever he was around this man, he always felt tongue-tied, as though he was flailing around for some way to express himself.

Why was it so hard for him to talk to Carlos? Ever since the other man had ended his relationship with Fin, he'd been a free agent, and Greg couldn't help wondering if he swung both ways. But that wasn't the kind of thing that he could simply ask Carlos out of the blue.

He didn't want his friendship with the other man to go south; he wanted that friendship to turn into something more. But he had no idea if Carlos thought about him in that way, and he had no idea how to find out without asking questions that could easily be taken the wrong way.

So what was he supposed to do, Greg asked himself, covertly watching Carlos as the other man moved around the room to gather evidence. He had to find the answers to his questions, or he was going to drive himself insane with wondering.

It wasn't like he could ask Fin, either. She had dumped Carlos for someone else; Greg resented her for that, even though he was relieved to know that Carlos wasn't seeing anyone now. He didn't like knowing that a man he cared about might have had his heart broken.

As though Carlos could sense that Greg was watching him, he looked up and smiled, making Greg look down quickly and wish that he hadn't been staring. How was he going to explain just why he'd been caught staring if Carlos asked him what he'd been looking at?

"I like looking at you, too," Carlos said softly, his words surprising Greg. "Don't be embarrassed." Those words made Greg look back up again, his eyes widening in surprise. Of all the things he'd expected Carlos to say, that definitely hadn't been one of them.

"I .... I just ...." Greg took a deep breath, deciding to take the bull by the horns and ask the question he'd been holding inside for what felt like a very long time. "Now that you're not seeing Fin anymore, are you open to dating a guy? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?"

"Not at all." Carlos stood up, turning to face Greg squarely. "It didn't really bother me when Fin moved on. To be honest, I wasn't all that interested in her. At the time, I just .... needed somebody, and she was available. It didn't mean much to either of us. She wasn't what I wanted>'

"And what is it that you want?" Greg couldn't stop the words from tumbling out; once they did, he held his breath, wondering what Carlos would say. Had he crossed a line by asking that question? Was Carlos going to turn away, or would he give an honest answer?

"I want somebody in my life who's loyal, and faithful, and who isn't going to be looking over their shoulder for their next conquest like Fin always is," Carlos said softly, his gaze riveted on Greg's face. "Somebody who I can trust. Somebody like you."

Greg blinked, unable to believe what he was hearing. Carlos wanted him? The man he'd had a crush on for all of these months and despaired of ever being close to wanted to be with him? It was almost impossible to believe, as though he'd stepped into a dream.

Carlos smiled, tilting his head to the side. "Looks like I've shocked you. I hope I"m not reading you wrong, Greg. I wouldn't have admitted that if I didn't think that you feel the same way. If you don't, then that's okay, but I'll be disappointed if we're not on the same wavelength."

Greg felt as though he was melting, turning into a puddle of goo at Carlos' feet. That smile undid him, made him feel as though he was basking in the warmth of the sun. He couldn't deny Carlos' charisma -- and he couldn't deny that he wanted this man.

He'd been attracted to Carlos since the first time they'd met, but he hadn't dared to make that attraction public knowledge. After all, he hadn't known whether or not Carlos would reciprocate, or whether he'd be repulsed by the fact that a man wanted to be with him.

When Carlos had started dating Fin, Greg had felt as though he would never have a chance; he'd resigned himself to lusting after Carlos from afar. He'd never thought that it would come to this; the two of them alone here at a crime scene, with Carlos saying that he felt the same.

Just looking at him standing there, one hand on his hip, a slight smile curving his lips, was enough to make Greg's knees go weak. He moistened his lips, unsure of just what to say; he felt as though his tongue was tied in knots, any capability of speech completely gone.

The charisma that Carlos possessed far too much of was turned on him, radiating out from the other man. He couldn't have denied his feelings now even if he'd wanted to; they were too strong. All he had to do was say the words, reach out, and a relationship would be set in motion.

Carlos moved first, before Greg's next thought could form in his mind. He took two steps forward, slid his arms around Greg's waist, and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth before stepping away and regarding him with a gaze that seemed to burn right through him.

Greg's mind was reeling from that kiss; he could hardly believe that it had happened. Had he just imagined it? Was his desire for Carlos running so rampant that he was creating fantasies in his mind and believing they were real? Surely Carlos wouldn't have done something like that.

No, it wasn't a fantasy. It was real. It had happened. Greg raised a hand to his lips, his eyes wide, his gaze focused on Carlos. If that one brief kiss was any indication of what it was like to be with Carlos, he wanted more. Much, much more.

"That's just a taste," Carlos whispered, his gaze never leaving Greg's face. "Only the beginning, Greg. Only the beginning." With those words, he smiled and moved away, kneeling down to examine another bit of evidence as though nothing had happened between them.

Even doing something as simple as picking up a piece of evidence and bagging it, Carlos moved with the grace of a dancer. He didn't just have charisma, he had .... Greg struggled to find a word, but he couldn't. All he could think of was how much he wanted Carlos.

"Wh-what are you doing after your shift ends?" he managed to say, his voice sounding a little wobbly. "I was going to go out somewhere for breakfast, and if you don't have any plans, I figured you might like to join me." He waited for the other man's answer with bated breath.

"I was hoping that I'd be going to your place," Carlos murmured, looking up at him with a smile. Greg could almost feel his heart skip a beat; he hadn't expected to hear those words, but they were welcome. They were words he definitely wanted to hear.

"That'd be great," he said softly, wishing that Carlos would kiss him again. But it was too risky for them to do that again; anyone from the crime lab could walk in at any time. They were lucky that they hadn't been caught the first time; he didn't want to take any more risks.

Carlos smiled at him again, and that charisma seemed to reach out and enfold him. Greg couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was about Carlos that attracted him so much, but then again, he didn't need to. It was enough that the attraction existed.

He wanted to stand here and bask in the warmth of that charisma for the rest of his life, but of course, he couldn't do that. He had to get back to work; maybe if he lost himself in what he was doing, the shift would go by faster -- and the sooner he and Carlos would be alone together.

Carlos slowly rose to his feet, reaching out to place a hand on Greg's shoulder. "I can't wait until our shift is over," he whispered, his voice soft and seductive. "I plan to take you to bed, you know. I'll be counting the minutes until I can. I'm really looking forward to it."

"So am I," Greg managed to answer. His throat felt constricted; he could barely get the words out. So Carlos did want him. But was it just desire -- or was there more to it? Would be end up having his heart broken this time around? Was this just a one-time thing?

He could ask Carlos those questions later. For right now, it was enough to know that he was wanted -- and that there was the possibility of a future with someone he cared about, a future where their mutual attraction could grow into a much stronger emotional bond.

"Until then," Carlos told him, smiling again and squeezing Greg's shoulder gently. Then a moment later, he was walking away, out of the front door. Somehow, the room seemed much larger and emptier without his presence; it felt as though the sun had fled from the sky.

Greg sighed, looking down at the camera in his hands. He'd really done all that he could do here; he'd only been sticking around in the hope that Carlos would join him. Now that wish had been fulfilled -- and much more had happened than he'd been prepared for.

If he thought that Carlos had charisma already, he couldn't wait to find out what the object of his affection was like they were alone together, in a private place. Greg looked at his watch, a smile curving his lips. He couldn't wait until he could meet Carlos later and find out.

***