Title: Vegas Native Rule #1
By: juneprota
Genre: AU, Romance
Summary: When his family chooses Las Vegas as their vacation destination, Greg decides the city has nothing to offer an eighteen-year-old. Young CSI Warrick Brown sets out to change his mind.
Word Count: 11,050
Status: Complete
Archive Permission: Free reign.

Those two weeks after Christmas had always been a big deal in Greg's family. It was the only time of year everyone had time off. Each year someone would choose a vacation destination. They'd all go, and then they would each try to find a way to occupy their time. The intent was for it to be a family vacation, but it never turned out that way. Greg usually saw less of his family during these two weeks than any other time of the year. This year his dad had chosen Las Vegas, which meant his dad would be gambling away the family savings, his mother would be shopping, Papa Olaf would be at the strip clubs, Nana would be seeing the shows, and Greg would be shit out of luck. Because, really, what is there to do for an 18 year old in Vegas?

Greg had spent just over thirty hours in Vegas and he was already bored out of his mind. The only upside to the whole trip was that he got his own hotel suite. His parents and grandparents were right next door of course. But he still had the room to himself and that was all that mattered. It felt like he was living in his own apartment.

After spending the last two hours flipping through channels and finding nothing to watch, Greg left his room to get some ice for soda. For such a fancy hotel, you'd think they'd have an ice machine on every floor. Next to the vending machine was a sign saying the closest one is two floors down. He could've gone down the stairs just to his left. But he was feeling kind of lazy so he headed to the elevator and pressed the button for the 12th floor. Just as the doors started closing, he saw a woman rushing toward the elevator. Being the gentleman that he was he held the doors open for her.

"Thanks, hon. You're a doll." She had a soft Texan accent. She was cute...and scantily dressed. If he swung that way he might have been interested. The elevator stopped on 12. "You know, you're kind of cute. If you get bored in the city, give me a call." She handed him her business card before Greg stepped off the elevator. He walked toward the machine as he read the card. He couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. "Sandy Lane. Escort." Greg never heard of an "escort" handing out business cards. But this was Vegas, wasn't it?

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick and Nick were both surprised when their names were called together. Brass almost never partnered them together. It didn't look good having two Level 1 CSIs working a case together. They were both sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see what kind of case of case they had pulled, and both groaned when Brass said "trick roll." Trick rolls were about the worse cases to work. They happened all the time. The tricks never had the real name of the prostitute. And the prostitute rarely left any kind of evidence behind. They were nearly pointless to process. Nick and Warrick knew they'd end up spending more time comforting the victim than collecting any real evidence.

The ride to the strip was amiable. It took awhile, but Nick and Warrick had finally formed a comfortable friendship over the last few months. And that friendship only got stronger when Warrick was going through a rough break up a few months ago. He and Stacy had been together for a couple years. The last two months of the relationship hadn't been good, and Warrick had known it was coming to an end, but it'd still hurt when he'd caught her cheating. It'd hurt a lot in fact. Stacy had been his friend first. He trusted her. He thought they'd be able to end things on good terms. He never thought she'd cheat on him, and then she'd confessed to cheating on him for the last 6 months. Warrick had been devastated. But he'd gotten over it, somewhat, with a little help from his new friend. That was three months ago, and Warrick was past ready to move on. But, he hadn't met anyone that caught his eye recently.

Nick pulled the SUV in front of the Bellagio. He and Warrick stepped out and walked into the hotel, taking the elevator to the fifteenth floor. "You take neighbor duty, and I'll talk to the vic."

Warrick rolled his eyes in response. Everyone just loved being woken up in the middle of the night to be asked about prostitutes. He started at the door next to the vic's and began knocking. He made it through three doors, with no responses. Finally at the fourth door someone answered.

Greg wasn't expecting a walking wet dream to be on the other side of his door. Hell, who knows what he was expecting but it definitely wasn't someone that fit the cliché of tall, dark, and handsome.

"Hi, I'm Warrick Brown." Warrick smiled and reached for his badge, but before he could, Greg interrupted him.

"Could you hold on for one sec? Don't go anywhere." Greg didn't give him time to answer and closed the door in Warrick's face. He ran to the bathroom and pulled out his retainer, wet a toothbrush, and ran it over his teeth a few times. He looked at himself in the mirror and ran his hands over his hair trying to get it to lay down in some kind of order, but gave up on it after a few seconds.

Warrick stood outside of the door and exhaled. He hadn't counted on an attractive half-dressed man to open the door. Maybe today was his lucky day. He smiled when the door swung open again and reached out his hand. "Hi, I'm CSI Warrick Brown, with the Las Vegas Crime Lab." Greg reached out to shake CSI Warrick Brown's hand. It was large and warm. He could feel calluses on the palm. Warrick looked Greg over once again. He was younger than Warrick originally thought, couldn't be older than twenty. He was still just wearing a pair of blue boxer shorts, giving Warrick a real good look at his body. He had a swimmer's build, lean but strong. He had deep brown eyes, and slightly curly brown hair.

"I’m Greg Sanders." He gave Warrick his best smile, and he had a killer smile. Warrick had to remember that he was working a case, no matter how boring it might be or how attractive a possible witness was.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Don't worry about it. Believe me, I don't mind." Greg hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. Warrick just smiled and looked down the hall before looking back at Greg and clearing his throat.

"There was an incident a few doors down from you and we were hoping you might be able to help us."

"Sure...uhm, do you want to come in?" They'd both been standing in the doorway.

"Uh…sure." Warrick walked into the hotel suite and left the door open behind him. Greg couldn't say he wasn't a little disappointed, but he sat on the edge of his bed and casually leaned back a bit, resting his weight on his hands. Warrick looked at the man sitting in front of him. This guy was either very comfortable in his own skin or he was trying to seduce him. Warrick didn't think it was the latter, unfortunately.

"You said something happened a few doors down?"

"Right. The guy in 1512 had a guest earlier this evening, around 11pm. The guest stole a few of his belongings. He said he heard his guest talking to someone in the hallway, telling them to hold the elevator. Did you hear or see anything, Mr. Sanders?"

"It's Greg. Her name was Sandy Lane." Greg stood up and bent over to look at the balled up clothes on the floor next to the bed. He knew that card had to be somewhere. "She gave me a business card in the elevator. I don't know where I put it." Warrick truthfully wasn't paying attention to what Greg was saying. He was more focused on the pleasant view and letting his imagination take off. His thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind him. He turned around to look at Nick.

"There's a DB in Henderson. Brass called us out on it." Nick looked pointedly at Greg and then at Warrick. He tried keeping the smile off his face, but wasn't too successful. "You...uh...want to stay here, man?" Warrick looked at Greg again and wanted to say "hell, yeah." But, he'd never live that down. "Mr. Sanders says he has evidence from our trick-roll. I'll be down in a sec."

Nick laughed, "whatever you say, man," and walked down the hallway to the elevator.

Warrick pulled out one of his own business cards and handed it to Greg. "I have to get going, but if you find that business card, or you remember anything else about her, or if...just give me a call, Greg."

"I'll do that CSI Brown."

Warrick tossed a grin Greg's way. "It's Warrick. Just Warrick. I'll see you around." And with that, Warrick and Greg parted ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg didn't get a lot of sleep that night. His mind kept drifting to Warrick's full lips, large hands, and pretty green eyes. He was the hottest guy Greg had ever seen. Perfect. And Greg had a feeling Warrick might be a little interested in him. Even if he wasn't, Greg was going to go for it. He was only here for two weeks. If he made a complete fool of himself, he'd never have to see Warrick again.

That morning, Greg tore through his things to find Sandy Lane's business card. An hour later he was doing a victory dance. Now he had an excuse to call Warrick.

Warrick's business card just had his work number on it. He dialed the number, putting in the extension. It went straight to voicemail. Greg frowned. He dialed the number without the extension and got the receptionist.

"Las Vegas Crime Lab."

"Hi, may I speak to CSI Warrick Brown."

"Warrick Brown...I'm not familiar with him...let me check...we got a few new hires on the night shift a few months back...yeah, Warrick Brown. I'm sorry, he won't be in until 11pm this evening. Can I direct you to someone else?"

"No, that's alright. Thank you." Greg hung up his phone and fell back on his bed. Now he'd have to wait around all day for 11pm to get here.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Greg stared at himself in the mirror. He had debated with himself all day. But he'd finally come to a decision. He was going to give the card to Warrick in person. All Warrick needed was the phone number. If he just called, Greg wasn't sure he'd get to see Warrick again though.

He couldn't remember a time where he'd put more thought into what he was wearing. There were clothes all over the hotel room. He'd finally decided on a dark purple button down shirt, his mother had bought him but he'd never worn, and a pair of lighter jeans. He tried doing something with his hair, but gave up. He had let it grow out over the last few months, and the curls were starting to show. Overall Greg thought he looked good.

His grandparents were spending most of their time on the strip, so Greg borrowed their rental car. He'd pulled directions to the Las Vegas Crime Lab from MapQuest. Greg parked in front of the lab. He felt a little weird going in, but it was obvious the place was busy. All the lights were on, people were walking around. He checked his watch, 11:15pm. He walked to the receptionist’s desk. "Hi, I’m here to talk to Warrick Brown about a case."

The receptionist smiled. "Sure, I'll page him."

Greg sat down in a chair across from her desk. Within minutes, Warrick was walking toward him with a smile on his face, which only made Greg smile in return. "Hey, Greg." He stopped in front of him, and Greg stood up.

"Hi, Warrick."

"We can go in here to talk." Warrick led him to one of the many glass walled rooms. Warrick leaned against a table, while Greg stood in front of him.

"I found that business card I was looking for last night." Greg pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to him.

Warrick took it from his hand and slipped it into his shirt pocket. "Thanks, this'll help a lot."

"Good." Greg reached for something to say, but Warrick beat him to it.

"You know you didn't have to bring this in. I just needed the phone number on it."

"Oh, well..." Greg decided to go with the truth. "I wanted to see you again."

Warrick ducked his head and smiled. "Well, I wanted to see you too. You have that business card I gave you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Warrick rolled his eyes. "Can I see it?"

"Oh, you meant now." He reached for his wallet. "I thought you were just being curious." He listened to Warrick's warm chuckle as he pulled the card from his wallet and handed it to him.

Warrick pulled out a pen and scribbled his cell phone number on the back. He took the card and slipped it in Greg's front shirt pocket. "There's my personal number. I work most nights 11-7. I'm usually in bed by four. Mornings are the best for me. How long are you in town for?"

"We're here for two weeks. We just got in a couple days ago."

"You and your family, right?"

Greg nodded. "Yeah."

"So you haven't seen all the sights, yet?"

"It doesn't seem like there's much to see for someone my age," at Warrick's questioning glance Greg clarified, "eighteen."

"That's not true."

"The clubs are 21 and up, the casinos are 21 and up, and I'm really not interested in seeing Celine Dion or Cher perform anytime soon."

"Oh, you're talking to a Vegas native here. I promise there is fun to be had."

Greg was just teasing Warrick now. "I really don't think so."

Warrick took the challenge. "You want to place a bet on that? I promise you Mr. Sanders, by the end of your two week stay, you'll never want to leave my beloved city."

"You can try to change my mind all you want, Warrick." The door to the room opened, before Warrick could respond.

"Rick we just got called out." Nick looked between his partner and the young man from the night before. "Interrupting something?" He said it with a smile and Warrick new he'd be in for a night of ribbing.

"Mr. Sanders found the business card of our vic's lady friend. He was just dropping it off."

"Oh, good." Nick stood in the doorway, and Warrick tried to will him to leave. When Nick didn't budge, he decided to use his voice.

"I'll meet you by the Denali, Nick. I was just going to see Greg out."

"Whatever you say, partner." Nick left, and Warrick stood up.

"I better get going, or Brass will have my ass."

"Wouldn't want that."

"You want to grab breakfast in the morning? I get off at seven, I usually like to grab some grub afterwards."

It was more than Greg had hoped for. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"I'll pick you up at your hotel tomorrow morning then."

"Sure, I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Sounds like a date." Warrick was about to kiss Greg's cheek, but remembered where he was, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." He and Warrick walked out of the room and parted ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick walked into the Bellagio lobby and spotted Greg right away. A smile spread across Warrick's face as soon as he saw him. There was just something about this guy. Yeah, Greg was attractive. Nice body, pretty eyes, sweet smile. But Warrick had met a lot of attractive guys, and none had drawn the same reaction after just one meeting.

"You can take a picture. It'll last longer." Warrick had been caught.

"I'd rather have the real thing."

"Well, I'm all yours." Greg grinned, and Warrick tried not to let his mind delve too far into the innuendo.

"That's good to hear."

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg commented on Warrick's choice of radio station almost as soon as he got in the Jeep. "You listen to jazz a lot?"

"I listen to everything. Blues, R&B, Rap, Soul, Rock, Pop. But it all has its roots in Jazz. It's musician's music. What do you listen to?"

"Rock, heavy metal, punk…"

"I bet you listen to it loud too."

Greg smiled at Warrick, "is there any other way to listen to it?"

"Oh, looks like I have a few things to teach you..." Warrick reached for the radio and changed it to a classic rock station.

"I'm sure you could teach me a lot of things."

Warrick kept his eyes on the road, but smiled. "Do you always speak in innuendo?"

Greg thought about it for a second."No, not really."

Warrick dropped his right hand to Greg's knee and glanced at him quickly. "I like it." He squeezed Greg's knee, "it's cute." He brought his hand back to the steering wheel.

XXXXXXXXXX

The diner was interesting. It looked like it had been furnished at a thrift store. There was a mix of different chairs. The majority of the tables looked to be folding card tables. There were more comfortable chairs and sofas in the back, along with a very small stage. Warrick saw Greg looking at it. "Place serves food all day. On the weekend they have local musicians, poets, storytellers come in. This is the most un-Vegas place I know. Discovered it when I was in college."

They sat down at a table in the corner near the windows. "The food is good, and the staff is friendly, but it'll take them all day to give us a menu," Warrick leaned forward on the table, "which means you can tell me all about yourself."

Warrick and Greg spent the entire morning getting to know each other. Greg told Warrick all about his family and life in San Gabriel. Warrick had never laughed so much as when Greg gave ridiculous accounts of his family, his grandfather specifically.

Greg learned that Warrick just graduated college last spring. He started working as a CSI, which is different than a cop, a few months ago. Greg noticed that Warrick didn't dwell on his childhood too much, but he talked of his Grandmother fondly.

Through their conversation they discovered that they had one big thing in common. They both loved science. Greg was planning on majoring in chemistry like Warrick had.

"Well, if you like science, you can't leave Vegas without going to the Science Center. I'm free tomorrow if you're not doing anything."

Greg rolled his eyes. "I think I can fit you in on my tight social calendar."

Warrick smiled. "Good."

XXXXXXXXXX

The science center turned out to be an all day excursion. There were displays and exhibits on the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. There were presentations and interactive virtual tours, along with an actual simulation of how radioactive materials could be placed underground, stored, and retrieved.

Warrick had taken two dates to this place before, and they both bombed, but he could tell that Greg enjoyed himself. In fact, Warrick would say Greg enjoyed it way more than he ever did. He wouldn't shut up about it on their way back to the hotel, but Warrick didn't mind. Greg was cute when he got excited about something.

It was a little after three when Warrick pulled in front of the Bellagio, and he didn't want the date to end.

Neither did Greg. "That was a lot of fun. Did you...uh...want to come up?"

Warrick thought about it for a second, but quickly dismissed the idea. "I think I'll have to pass. I've got to get some sleep if I'm going to be okay for work tonight."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that whole job thing."

"I was thinking we could go to a Wranglers game tomorrow night, though." Warrick clarified at Greg's look of confusion. "Hockey. The game starts at seven. I could pick you up at five. We could grab a little to eat and then head to the game. I'd have to leave right after for work, but it should be fun. You interested?"

Greg responded immediately. "Definitely."

"Good." Warrick reached over the console and brushed his lips against Greg's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow Greg."

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg took the elevator down to the hotel lobby a little early to visit the 24 hour café attached to the lobby. He usually didn't drink coffee, but he could use the caffeine. He looked at the menu on the wall and ordered the most expensive thing on it, hoping it wouldn't taste like complete shit. He sipped on his Blue Hawaiian coffee and found it didn't taste too bad.

He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night. His mind wouldn't stop thinking about his last two dates with Warrick. They'd been amazing. The guy was perfect. There was no doubt that Warrick was gorgeous. But what really had Greg's mind occupied were all of Warrick's other traits. Greg knew guys who were attractive, and most of them knew it too, and used their looks to get ahead. But Warrick didn't seem like that type of guy. Yeah, he was a little cocky. But, he was cocky about his intelligence and capabilities, and that was a major turn on. He was also the first person outside of Greg's family that actually listened to all of his ramblings. Greg didn't feel uncomfortable going off on a tangent. To top it all off, Warrick was just a good guy. He was by no means a saint. But he was self-aware, which went a long way. He knew his faults and was willing to admit them. No one could make any judgments about him that he hadn't already made himself.

The only flaw Greg could think of was that Warrick lived in Vegas instead of San Gabriel. He was leaving in a week and a half, and the thought of that kind of sucked. Greg watched as Warrick walked into the lobby and looked around for him. Warrick spotted him and started walking over. Greg's eyes didn't leave him.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Warrick repeated the words Greg had said to him a couple days ago.

Greg just shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I like the view." He got up and they started walking out of the building toward Warrick's jeep. "You work out?"

Warrick chuckled. "Yeah, when I hit college I decided it was about time I bulked up a bit."

"Oh, so you didn't always look like this?"

"I was about as dorky as a dork could get. Short, big feet, thick glasses. I don't think it could have been worse."

Greg gave a little grimace. "You've obviously never worn head gear."

Warrick laughed. "No, no I haven't. We would've made a pair."

They ended up eating at a little pizza restaurant off the strip. After they'd finished eating, Warrick pulled Greg into the bathroom and tossed him a Wranglers jersey. "Here, put this on." Warrick sat on top of the counter and watched as Greg pulled off his long sleeve shirt and reached for the jersey. "You should probably wear the jersey over your shirt. It's going to be cold."

Greg narrowed his eyes and reached for his shirt again. "Why'd you let me take it off, then?"

"Hey, a guy's got to take what he can get, right?"

Greg smiled. "If you wanted a show, all you had to do was ask, Vegas." Greg put on his shirt back on and pulled the jersey over it.

"Come here for a sec."

Greg stepped closer to Warrick until he was standing between the other man's legs. Warrick took out a small tube of face paint. He put some on his finger and marked a "W" on Greg's left cheek. Greg looked at himself in the mirror. "Branding me now? W for Warrick."

Rick laughed, "No, for Wranglers." He moved in and kissed Greg's other, unmarked cheek. "That's not a bad idea though."

Greg looked at his face paint in the mirror and then Warrick. "What about you?"

"I'm too cool for face paint."

Greg pouted, "and I'm not?"

"You're a tourist and it's your first hockey game. You have to go all out." Warrick waited a beat and added, "and no, you're not too cool for face paint."

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick paid for the tickets and handed one to Greg as they walked into the stadium. "Games against Idaho can get pretty wild. You just have to remember two very important words, 'you suck.'"

Two hours later, Greg and Warrick were walking out of the stadium and Greg's throat was raw. "I don't think I've yelled so much in my life." Wranglers fans had a reputation for being the meanest and loudest in the ECHL. Every player introduction, goal, penalty, and bad call was an opportunity to tell the other team they sucked. One section was even throwing potatoes onto the ice.

"Yeah, it's a good way to get out a little aggression."

"You come to these a lot?"

Warrick understood what Greg was asking. "Admittedly, I do have a bit of a temper. Well it's more than a bit. But, I try to channel it into something more productive. I boxed for awhile. Exercise and anger management rolled into one."

"Wish I could've seen that."

"I could try scoring some tickets to a boxing match if you want."

"Nah, it's not my kind of thing. You in a pair of shorts and sweaty is."

Warrick nodded. "I'm sure that can be arranged too."

They didn't pull up to the Bellagio until 10:30pm. Warrick had to be at work in half an hour.

"You should just skip work and come upstairs with me."

"Wish I could. But I'm the new guy, and I'm pretty sure my boss has it out for me."

"You're the new guy and he already has it out for you?"

"I did mention that I have a bit of a temper, right? And, I don't know if you noticed, but sometimes I can be a little over-confident in my abilities--"

"You're cocky."

Warrick laughed. "Yeah. Brass is too, and he's condescending which grates on my nerves. We butt heads a lot."

"Hmm, yeah, I guess you should go to work then. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble because of me."

Warrick took Greg's chin in his hand and gave him a peck on his lips. "You know, I'm pretty sure it'd be worth it." Warrick kissed Greg again. This kiss was deeper than the others had been. Warrick kissed a little more firmly and Greg opened his mouth, letting their tongues slide together. Greg tasted like coffee and made these sexy little noises in the back of his throat.

Greg slid his hand down from Warrick's shoulder to his chest and pulled back from the kiss. "You have to go to work."

"Don't want to." Warrick was able to get another kiss in before Greg gently pushed him away. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"My family...we always spend New Years Eve and Day together."

"So, I won't be able to see you for two days?"

Greg was hating his family right now. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You're killing me." Warrick sighed. "Alright, give me a call when you get a chance, okay?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg ended up calling as soon as he could free himself from his family, even though he knew Warrick had to be at work in less than four hours, and would most likely be in the middle of a good night's sleep. Greg only had a week left though, and right now he wanted to spend every free moment with Warrick.

"Hey, Vegas."

"Greg? Hey." Greg could hear that Warrick had just woken up. He shouldn't have called.

"Did I wake you up? Of course I did. I'm sorry. You should go back to sleep. I'll call you back when you're done with work." Greg was about to hang up when he heard Warrick.

"No, no, I'm up. It's eight. We can spend a couple hours together before I have to go in."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Warrick was already out of bed and trying to get dressed as he talked on the phone.

"Good. Do you want to, maybe, hang out in my hotel room?"

Warrick knew exactly what Greg was asking, and the idea was so appealing, but he wanted it to be...right. Warrick was so attracted to Greg, physically, mentally, and on some other indefinable level. He wanted Greg, liked him. He was thinking all kinds of verbs he shouldn't be thinking when it came to Greg. Because he knew the first rule of being a Vegas native, you don't get emotionally involved with tourists. Warrick couldn't stop himself though. He didn't want to stop himself. The thought of fucking Greg in his hotel room and then leaving right after to go to work didn't feel right. Greg's body was a thing worth savoring and the simple fact that he was sharing it with Warrick was as well. "Believe me, babe. When I get you alone, naked, and on top of a bed, I'm going to need a hell of a lot more time than two hours."

"Oh." Greg was a little disappointed and a lot flattered. "Okay. What did you want to do then?"

"We're going to see a movie. It'll take me a little longer to get over there. I have something to take care of first. I'll see you in about an hour."

"Okay."

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg was surprised when Warrick led him through the parking garage to an old pick-up truck. "I didn't peg you for the pick-up type."

Warrick laughed. "I'm not. It belongs to Grams, she does a lot of community gardening. I borrowed it for tonight. That's why it took me longer getting over here."

"Why do we need a truck to go on our date?"

"You'll see." They spent the drive talking about Greg's family and their little New Year's celebration, which consisted of everyone getting drunk off their asses and making fools of themselves.

Soon enough they were pulling into Vegas Drive-In. "A drive-in?"

"Yeah. You ever been?"

"Nope."

Warrick paid for their tickets and drove in. "I took a couple dates here in high school."

"I thought you were a dork in high school?"

"I was, but I had dimples." Warrick fiddled with the radio, tuning it to the movie's station. He sat back when he was done and looked at Greg, patting the space next to him. "Come're Greg." Suddenly, Greg understood why Warrick had borrowed the truck with its bench seating. He could sit closer to Warrick.

"So, we're going to make out at the drive-in?" Greg moved closer to Warrick, until he was sitting next to him.

"That was the plan." Warrick took Greg's mouth in a deep kiss. Greg had wanted this for the past three days. Well, he wanted more than kissing. He wanted Warrick in bed with him, naked. He wanted to see him and taste him, and...fuck, he just wanted Warrick, all of him. Greg pushed on Warrick's chest until the man was lying down. Warrick looked shocked for a second, but just smiled and pulled Greg on top of him.

They'd been at the drive-in for an hour when Warrick thought to look at the clock. Both he and Greg had their shirts off. Warrick was on top of Greg. He was sucking Greg's neck while his hands were roaming over Greg's back and sides. All of his movements were so deliberate and controlled and it was driving Greg crazy. He couldn't understand how Warrick could have so much control when he'd lost the last bit of his over half an hour ago. He didn't know that Warrick's movements were so deliberate because he was desperately trying to maintain control. He was seconds away from just pulling Greg's too tight jeans off and taking him right there.

The boy was really trying to kill him. He wouldn't stay still. He was constantly moving against Warrick and his hands...Greg was random, as were his touches. His touches varied from firm to feather light. His hands had roamed all over Warrick's back and chest. He'd ghost over a nipple and absently trace symbols across Warrick's back. And the thing that was about to drive him over the edge was Greg's fascination with his lips. Warrick didn't think Greg was doing it on purpose, but every time Greg would pull away from a kiss to focus on Warrick's neck or chest, he'd move his fingers or thumb to rest on Warrick's lips. Greg was the most unconsciously sexy guy Warrick had ever met.

"Warrick." Greg was whining. Warrick had pulled away and sat up. Greg crawled into his lap, straddling his hips. Greg resumed their kiss. Another reason to like Greg, he went after what he wanted. Warrick brought his hands to Greg's back. Greg's skin was so warm. They'd fogged up the windows a long time ago. Warrick's hands were resting right above the waistband of Greg’s jeans when Greg pulled away. He wiggled his rear on Warrick's lap, causing Warrick to tighten his grip on Greg's hips. "Enjoying yourself?"

Warrick placed a kiss right above Greg's left nipple. "Very much so."

"Maybe we should just...you know." Greg rocked against Warrick’s noticeable erection. It felt so good, Warrick didn't want him to stop. He was sure he could come just like that.

"Tomorrow, in bed." Warrick almost groaned in frustration when Greg stopped moving against him.

"Okay. Good." Greg looked at the clock behind him. "We should probably get going if you want to be on time." It sounded like a good idea.

But Warrick was a masochist. "Just one more kiss."

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick had been in the lobby for a few minutes looking for Greg when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He didn't have a chance to say "hello" before Greg started talking.

"Hey, I'm still getting ready. Come up to my room." Greg hung up on him. Warrick walked to the elevators and went to the fifteenth floor. He hadn't been to Greg's room since the trick roll last week. Warrick knocked once on the door and before he knew it the door flew open, he was yanked into the room, and attacked by a very cute brunet. Warrick couldn't stop himself from responding to the kiss at first, but after a few minutes, he pushed Greg away from him.

"What has gotten into you?"

Greg was practically vibrating with energy. "Did you know you can get espresso shots in your coffee?"

Warrick lifted an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

"Yup." Greg sat on the bed and bounced up and down a little. "So are we going to stay here?" He stopped bouncing, "or did you have something else planned?"

Warrick worried his lip with his teeth trying to make a tough decision. "Okay, we're going to hurry up and go do this thing I have planned and then we're going to come back here and do what you had planned. Deal?"

"You've got yourself a deal, Vegas."

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick and Greg stood to the side of the field as they suited up. "When I was back at UNLV, a couple buddies of mine used to drag me here every once in awhile. I called them a couple nights ago, told them I had a new guy that wanted to play. They're really into this stuff. I's a fun time, another good way to let out some aggression. I think you'll like it. And you mentioned you had a thing for extreme sports. This is about as extreme as I get." Warrick took off his barrel condom and pulled down his mask. "Ready?" Greg followed suit and nodded, before following Warrick onto the paintball field.

An hour and a half and five games later, they were in Warrick's Jeep heading back to the hotel.

"Oh my God. I don't think I've ever been so sore. What was up with that guy? He got me out the first two games, and both times at least three balls hit me."

"I think he was new...and he had a semi-automatic."

"I was new. You didn't see me hitting guys three times."

Warrick patted Greg’s knee patronizingly. "Maybe you were just born to carry a gun, babe."

Greg pushed Warrick's hand away and scoffed. "Yeah right."

Warrick's voice was teasing. "Aw, you're not gonna be mad at me now for you getting a little beat up."

"No, I just got hit in the knee, remember?" Greg didn't wait for an answer. "It was fun. Maybe I'll start up a paintball team back in San Gabriel."

"Yeah, maybe." Warrick didn't want to think about Greg going back to California.

When they got to the hotel room, Greg went to the bathroom to change clothes, throwing the paintstained ones on the tiled floor, where they wouldn't make a mess. When he walked out of the bathroom, Warrick was sitting on the edge of his bed. Warrick motioned for him to come closer. Greg walked to stand in between Warrick's legs. Warrick's fingers slipped underneath his long-sleeved shirt and lifted it up. Greg helped him pull it off over his head and tossed it on the floor next to the bed.

"I should have made you wear more layers." Warrick was looking at the three red welts that were spread across Greg's torso. Warrick placed a kiss on the one next to Greg's bellybutton. Greg's hands dropped to rest on Warrick's shoulders and drifted to the back of his neck as he watched Warrick kiss around the bruise and move on to the next one.

Greg unbuttoned Warrick's shirt as the other man dotted kisses and licks across his abdomen. When Greg had imagined what it would be like when they got to the suite, he hadn't imagined them going this slowly. But he kind of liked it. He was just trying to relax and go with the flow. Greg looked down when Warrick's lips left his body. Warrick was looking up at Greg with his stubbled chin resting against Greg's stomach. Greg didn't stop himself from bending down to peck Warrick on the lips.

Warrick's hands were resting above the back of Greg's knees. He moved them upward a little. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Do you have to ask?"

Warrick chuckled and scooted back on the bed. "I guess not." He tugged on the hand that was still in his, pulling Greg on top of him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg didn't know how long he'd been under Warrick, but he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. They'd lost the clothes awhile ago, and Greg had never imagined that simple friction could feel so good. Warrick's lips and hands hadn't left his body the entire time. There was a container of lube on the bed, next to a couple condoms, and Greg was so ready for this.

Of course he was the first one to hear the phone ring, and he seriously considered keeping it to himself, because Warrick's warm mouth and soft lips were wrapped around him, and it felt so good. It'd only take a few more minutes. But Greg knew that it was most likely Warrick's job calling, and the way Warrick talked about his job and finding a purpose, Greg didn't have much of a choice. "Warrick, phone." It came out a tad more breathy than he intended, but that wasn't really his fault. Greg pulled on Warrick's hair, getting his attention, and repeated more firmly "Warrick, phone."

Warrick climbed up Greg's body, muttering "fuck, fuck, fuck" along the way, until he was stretched out on top of him and reached for his cell on the nightstand next to the bed. "Hello?" Warrick listened to Brass go on about some case that came up, as he looked at Greg. Greg's hand was on Warrick's face, his thumb running across Warrick's lower lip. "Yeah, yeah I'll be there." Warrick closed the phone and leaned down the few inches to kiss Greg. "I have to go again."

"I heard."

XXXXXXXXXX

If the drug dealer weren't already dead, Warrick would have killed him himself. Because of him, Warrick was stuck in this lab when he could have been in Greg.

Nick's voice broke through his internal rant. "What is with you, man?"

"Nothing, man. I'm fine."

"Bullshit, you've been off all week. Something on your mind? You've been a little preoccupied."

Warrick pulled away from the microscope and looked at Nick for a long second, before he nodded. "I met someone. We don't have a lot of time. I just...uh...rather be with him, then here, right now."

"Greg Sanders."

Warrick couldn't stop himself from smiling a bit. "Yeah." Warrick sat back on the lab stool. "Don't get me wrong, I love this job. But, after the past few days, I have a feeling it's going to be interfering with my love life for a very long time."

"Oh, so we're talking love, now?"

"I don't love him. He's a tourist."

Nick looked at him in confusion. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Warrick answered in all seriousness. "Vegas Native Rule #1: You never fall for a tourist."

Nick laughed. "You're full of shit, bro."

"I'm serious, man. Besides them not living here, and eventually leaving, there's the Vegas effect."

"The Vegas effect?"

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. The person you meet in Vegas isn't the same person that lives and works in Anytown, USA. People use the city as an excuse to temporarily reinvent themselves. When you fall for a tourist, you fall for an illusion." Warrick started preparing a new slide to look at.

"Yeah, that's real nice and all, Rick. But, if you believed any of that, you wouldn't have spent the last week wining and dining the kid."

Warrick couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from turning up, as he placed the slide on the microscope stand. "You know me, Nick. I've never been good at following rules."

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick had been at work for nearly 24 hours, and he should've been tired. But he was finally getting off, and he didn't plan on sleeping for at least a few more hours. Warrick was making his way out of the building as he called Greg. "Hey, Greg. It's Warrick."

Nick walked by him and just shook his head, smiling. "You've got it bad, man."

Warrick focused on Greg's voice. "What's up big guy?"

"I just got off work, you up for hanging out?"

"You're just getting off now? Aren't you tired?"

"A little, but I want to see you."

"I am pretty irresistible, aren't I?"

Warrick chuckled. "Something like that. I don't feel much like going out. I was thinking you could come over to my place and we could eat and watch some movies or something. I have to pick up some groceries. Maybe you could cab it over? I'll pay."

"I haven't paid for anything over the last few days. I think I can handle cab fare, Warrick."

"Fine, fine. I was thinking about half an hour from now?"

"That works. You want me to bring coffee? I don't want you falling asleep on me."

"I seriously doubt that could ever happen, Greg. I'm not a huge fan of coffee."

"I promise you'll love this stuff. The best money could buy."

Warrick laughed. "Okay, bring on the coffee. I'll see you in a half hour."

"Later."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Warrick was putting away groceries when he heard the buzzer go off. He went to the door to buzz Greg up, and left his apartment door open before going back to the kitchen to finish putting away his food. Seconds later, Greg was next to him, placing a tray of three coffees on the kitchen counter. Warrick turned to give Greg a quick kiss hello before looking at the coffees. "Why three?"

Greg pulled one of the coffees out of the tray, and Warrick could see that it was empty. "This was for the ride over." Greg set the empty cup on the counter, before reaching for another, "this is for now." Warrick put his hand over Greg's and pulled it away from the coffee.

"Okay, I'm cutting you off now. You're addicted."

Greg started pouting. "Oh, come on, Rick. It's not so bad. I'm not hurting anyone."

"Yeah, that's how all the drug addicts start. Next thing you know, you'll be holding up coffee shops for their beans."

Greg snorted at the thought. "Fine, fine. Don't blame me when I fall asleep on you though."

"Believe me, no one's ever fallen asleep on Warrick Brown." He Warrick pulled out a cutting board and a green pepper from the fridge. He placed them and a cutting knife in front of Greg. "Here, cut this. Not too small, just like bite-size pieces."

Greg looked at Warrick as if he'd gone insane. "I don't cook."

"You don't cook?" Warrick watched Greg nod. "What're you going to do when you go to college?"

"Did I ever tell you I'm awesome with a microwave? Pizza rolls, burritos, Ramen noodles."

"Man, that stuff will kill you." Warrick started cutting the pepper himself.

"You know, you don't seem much like the cooking type either."

Warrick smiled. "I'm not. Before I graduated high school, my Grams taught me twenty ways to dress up spaghetti. It's all I can cook, really. That, and breakfast. I spend a lot a dough on take-out."

"Well, how 'bout this?" Greg hopped up on the counter next to Warrick. "I'll just sit here and watch you cook."

Warrick smiled up at Greg. "I can handle that."

An hour later they were finishing Warrick's pseudo-Asian pasta dish that consisted of green peppers, onions, steak. Greg was secretly surprised that it tasted good.

They went into the living room to watch some made for television movie, and thirty minutes into it, Warrick was asking Greg "do you even want to watch this thing?" Greg had been nearly on top of him for the entire movie and seconds ago, he'd started kissing Warrick's neck while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Finally, you notice. I thought I'd have to give you a blow job before you'd take the hint."

"Oh, I'm all up for blow jobs." Warrick kissed Greg and within seconds they were making out on the sofa like the teenager Greg was, until Greg pulled away.

"Uh...Warrick?"

"Yeah?" Warrick was still dropping kisses on Greg's neck. His hand was underneath his t-shirt, but moving lower toward his jeans.

"I...uh...you should probably know I've never done this before."

"What do you mean by 'this' exactly?"

"Um...everything. Sex, blow jobs, kissing."

"You're kidding, right?" Greg was about to get up, but Warrick settled his weight more firmly on Greg. "Hey, that wasn't an insult. I just can't believe it." Greg looked at him skeptically. "First off, you're a phenomenal kisser. The best."

Greg scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. And second, I can't believe no one's seduced you yet. You're cute." Warrick placed a kiss on the side of Greg's nose. "And intelligent." He dropped another on Greg's brow. "And funny." He put one on the corner of Greg’s mouth. "And sweet." He gave Greg a real kiss on the lips before moving down to the man's neck. "You're perfect."

"I think that's pushing it a little."

Warrick pulled back a bit to look at Greg critically. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Greg laughed and leaned up to kiss Warrick. "You're not supposed to agree with me, Casanova."

Warrick got up and pulled Greg into an upright position. "Come on, we're going to bed."

XXXXXXXXXX

There was music playing softly on Warrick's bedroom stereo. They'd lost their clothes awhile ago. Warrick was sitting on the bed between Greg's legs. His hand was absently rubbing up and down Greg's bare thigh. He leaned over Greg to talk in his ear. "This is gonna hurt a little no matter how we do it. It'd be easier on your stomach, though."

Greg shook his head. "I want to see you." He could feel Warrick smiling into his neck.

"Good. Me too."

Warrick spent a few minutes preparing Greg as best he could. As he was about to push in, he looked down at Greg, who's eyes were shut. "Hey, babe." Warrick watched the long lashes lift and the deep brown eyes open. "That's better. Keep 'em open for me."

Greg grinned. "I don't think that'll be a problem." He watched the slow smile spread across Warrick's face and felt the tightening in his stomach. Warrick's smile was lethal.

"Good." Warrick pressed into Greg as slowly as he could, giving Greg time to adjust and get used to the feeling. When they were finally joined, Warrick dropped his head to Greg's shoulder, panting softly. Greg could feel the sweat on Warrick's brow. "You feel so good." Warrick kissed Greg's neck before moving to Greg's lips and slowly thrusting his hips. Within minutes the pleasure had overrode the discomfort for Greg. The only thing he could feel and hear and smell and see was Warrick, just Warrick. And it was so good. He didn't want it to end. But he could feel his orgasm approaching. He could hear Warrick's in his breathing, feel it in his arrhythmic thrusting. Greg beat him to the finish line and kept his eyes open and focused on Warrick, watching him come, hearing him groan "I love you."

To distract him, Warrick took the younger man's mouth in a long kiss. When he pulled away, he reached down to pull off the condom and toss it in the wastebasket next to his bed. Warrick settled his weight back on top of Greg, resting for a moment before asking, "So, how was your first time?"

Greg wiggled beneath Warrick before settling into a comfortable position. "It was...memorable."

"In a good way?"

"Yeah. Good memories only." For a moment the only sound in the room was their heavy breathing. "Did you mean what you said Warrick?"

Warrick dropped a kiss on Greg's chest, aiming for distraction. "What did I say?"

"That you loved me."

"As your first, it's my duty to tell you that a lot of guys say crazy things when they come. They aren't thinking straight."

Greg looked Warrick in the eye. "Well, I'm not talking about a lot of guys. I'm talking about you. Did you mean it?"

Warrick pulled away from Greg and sat up, taking the tangled sheet with him, to cover his lap. "We just met a week ago. It wouldn't even matter if I did. You're leaving in four days."

Greg sat up and straddled Warrick's lap. "Just answer the question, Vegas. Do you love me?"

Warrick dropped his forehead to Greg's chest. "Maybe a little."

Greg's hand went to the back of Warrick's neck, sliding up to his hair. "Why don't you live in San Gabriel?"

"Why don't you live in Vegas?"

"This is depressing."

"Yeah, it is."

"Can we just avoid the subject until I leave?"

"I'm down for that. No more goodbye talk until we're actually saying goodbye."

XXXXXXXXXX

When Warrick woke up the next morning he found Greg half on top of him and a small puddle of drool on his chest. Apparently Greg Sanders liked to cuddle. Good to know. The drool? Not so pleasant. Warrick watched Greg sleep, taking notice of the sporadic freckles on his face. The one right above his lips. The two on his chin. The few dotting his cheeks. Warrick watched as Greg woke up slowly, his eyelids fluttering open. Greg lifted his head to look at Warrick for a second to smile. He hummed in pleasure and murmured "Rick," before he dropped his head back to Warrick's chest and tried to burrow himself into Warrick's warmth, until he felt the drool covering Warrick's chest. "Oh, drool. So not cool." He sat up a little and reached for a corner of the sheet to wipe it up. "You can blame that on the headgear." Greg settled back into his position on top of Warrick.

"So, what are your plans for today?"

"Well, I was hoping we could do more of what we did last night."

"Oh, I'm definitely up for that. I was asking because me and a couple of the guys, the ones from paintballing, are supposed to be hanging out tonight."

"And you want me out of the picture?"

"No, I was going to invite you along."

"They're not going to think it's weird me being here?"

"Nah, they already know I like you. You've met Nick and some of the guys when we went paintballing. Hell, you being there'll probably stop them from ribbing me as much if you weren't. It'll be fun, you should come."

"Well, if you want me there, I'm there."

"It's going to be here."

"Oh, well, I'll be here then."

"All day?"

"I can do that."

"Good."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, you're really good. Like professional good."

"I'd be a lot better if you weren't sitting on my lap."

Greg wiggled his ass against Warrick's lap. "Oh, but you're so comfortable Mr. Brown."

Warrick's hand flew from the keyboard to Greg's waist to still him, which was completely ineffective since Greg's sides were ticklish and only caused him to move around more in Warrick's lap. "The guys are gonna be here in a few minutes. The last thing I need to do is answer the door with a hard-on. Believe me, we'd never hear the end of it."

"Okay, okay." Greg awkwardly slid from Warrick's lap to sit down next to him on the bench. "So this is what you were talking about before, huh? Jazz being musician's music?"

"Yeah, this is what I was talking about."

"You know, the whole musician thing is kind of hot."

Warrick laughed. "Yeah, you may think so now. But it wasn't when I was a kid. Grams taught me how to play. She made me play organ for the church. I got teased so much about it."

"Man, we would have been best friends in school."

"Nah, I never would've hung out with you. I had a rep to protect."

"An organ-playing, glasses-wearing dork with a rep to protect? I don't believe it."

Warrick turned back to the piano, running his fingers over the keys, playing a short melody. "Believe it. I did a lot of stuff, a lot of stupid stuff when I was a kid. Stuff I'm not necessarily proud of, but it's a part of my past. Part of me. And I like who I am now."

"I like who you are too."

XXXXXXXXXX

Nick and Warrick were standing near the door as a few of the guys were getting ready to leave. Nick followed Warrick's gaze to the other side of the room where Greg was talking and laughing with Warrick's friend John. "Greg seems like a great guy."

Warrick's eyes didn't leave Greg. "Yeah, he is."

Nick watched as Greg paused mid-sentence to return Warrick's gaze and give Warrick a smile. Nick tried picking the right words to say. "You guys...this is something real isn't it?"

Warrick took a sip from his beer. "As real as it gets."

"What're you going to do when he leaves?"

"Say goodbye? There's not much else I can do."

"So he's going to go back to San Gabriel and you're never going to see him again?"

Warrick nodded. That was the plan. "I really fucked this one up. A tourist. I don't know what I was thinking."

Nick, ever the optimist. "Maybe he could move here?"

"He's eighteen and headed to college."

"There are colleges in Vegas, bro."

Warrick just shook his head. "Yeah, but Greg's smart, smarter-than-me-smart, he's an only child, his parents are loaded. He can go to the school of his choice. I'd never tell him to come to Vegas for me." Warrick watched as the subject of their conversation started walking toward him. Greg gave a small wave and smile to Nick before focusing on Warrick, whose eyes were already fixed on him. Warrick's arm was around his waist as soon as he was close enough.

"So, when are all your friends leaving?"

Warrick pulled Greg closer. "Hopefully in the next few minutes." He kissed Greg but pulled away before it could develop into anything serious.

"Alright, I think that's my cue to leave."

Greg turned to Nick. "Oh, bye Nick. It was nice meeting you. I'll email you those cheat codes when I get back to San Gabriel."

Warrick watched as Nick blushed. "Oh yeah, thanks, man. I'd appreciate that." Nick looked at Warrick. "What? That game is hard. I've been stuck on level 14 for the past two weeks."

"You're such a nerd Nick."

Warrick got a soft punch in the side from Greg. "Hey, I play those video games too."

"Yeah, but I'm dating you. You're cool by association."

"Oh, is that how that works? Good to know."

Nick looked at the two as they stood side by side, smiling at each other. They looked like an honest to god couple. "Eh, you guys are kinda creeping me out now. I'm gonna head on out. I'll see you in a couple days at work, Rick." Nick started rounding up the last few guests and left the two lovebirds alone.

Warrick wrapped his arms around Greg from behind, his chin resting on Greg's shoulder. "Alone at last. Anything you want to do?"

Greg leaned back against Warrick. "Do you even have to ask?"

"I guess that old stereotype about teenage guys is true, huh?"

Greg turned around in Warrick's embrace. "Considering this teenage guy is seeing someone as good looking as you, yeah, the stereotype is true. Hell, you're lucky I let you put clothes on, Vegas."

"Aw G, you don't have to suffer for me. I'll take them off if you want me too." Warrick started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Bedroom, yeah?"

"Yeah, bedroom."

XXXXXXXXXX

Warrick woke up to the feeling of soft kisses being pressed against his neck. "Oh God, not again," he moaned while still pulling Greg closer.

Greg pulled away and pouted in mock hurt, "if I knew having sex with me was such a problem--"

Warrick rolled on top of Greg. "Yeah right. Having sex isn't the problem. It's the amount of times we've had sex in the past 10 hours. I think you broke me."

Greg could feel that Warrick was half hard against his thigh. Greg grinned and rubbed his thigh against Warrick. "Doesn't feel broken to me."

"Well it is. And I think we ran out of condoms."

"Oh, well, I'm hungry anyway." At Warrick's look, Greg continued. "For food. Breakfast. I'm starving."

"Come on. Let's hit the shower and we'll go out to find something to eat."

Warrick pulled Greg out of bed and into the shower. "You keep condoms in your shower?"

"Just one, for emergencies."

"Can I declare an emergency?"

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later they were out of the shower and Greg was ready to crawl back into bed.

"No, no. We have to eat."

"Fine, but if you won't let me go back to sleep then you have to let me get coffee at breakfast. Deal?"

"Fine, fine. You've got yourself a deal. Man, you're a total addict."

"Yes, I am. And I can live with that."

Greg and Warrick had finished their breakfast at the little diner down the street from Warrick's place. They were just sitting around and talking about their plans for the day. When Warrick started talking about dinner plans, Greg interrupted him. "I...uh, actually already made plans for us at 6:00."

"You made plans?"

"Well, yeah. You've shown me so much of the city. And it's our last night. I just thought...I wanted to do something special for you."

Warrick smiled. "I appreciate that. I'm sure whatever you have planned will be great."

XXXXXXXXXX

Greg took Warrick to the same restaurant they went to on their first date. The place was a lot different at night. Subdued lighting and soft music playing in the background. A local jazz group was supposed to go on in an hour. They ate in relative silence until Greg started tje one conversation Warrick didn't want to have. Their waiter had just taken away their plates when Greg reached across the table to take Warrick's hand in his.

"I've been thinking, maybe I could apply to UNLV and go to school here--"

"Greg."

"We'd only be apart for the summer and that's not so long--"

"Greg."

"Especially with phone calls, and emails, and text messages, and--"

"Greg."

"What?" Greg was pouting.

"First, stop pouting. Second, what are you talking about?"

"First, make me. Second, I'm talking about being with you. I want to be with you. I love you."

Warrick was silently beating himself up. What had he been thinking?. Falling for a tourist and not any tourist, a high-schooler. "I thought you were going to Berkeley?"

"Fuck Berkeley, Rick. I love you."

"You can't say 'Fuck Berkeley.' It's a great school."

"You aren't saying it back. Didn't you mean it?"

"Of course I meant it. I mean it Greg. I love you. I love you so much that I'm trying my hardest not to be selfish here. I want you to go to Berkeley. I want you to fuck a few guys. I want you to have fun. I don't want to hold you back in any way."

Greg pulled his hand from Warrick's. "I don't want to fuck a few guys. I want to make love with you. Don't you think I'll regret losing you just as much as I'll regret not going to Berkeley?"

"Don't you think you'll always wonder what your life could've been like if you didn't drop all your plans for some guy you met in Vegas?"

"The problem is you're not just some guy I met in Vegas. You're my first love."

"Yeah, but I may not be your last."

"You would if I went to UNLV. We would be so good together. You know that don't you? " Warrick didn't bother agreeing. He didn't have to. Greg glancedat a couple sitting at a table accross the restaurant, before focusing his gaze on Rick. "What would you actually do if I just showed up in the fall?"

"I still wouldn't feel comfortable dating you. I think you should have other experiences, be a little older before you settle down."

Greg actually laughed out loud. "Bullshit. You wouldn't be able to resist me." Greg was silent for a moment as the waiter brought their check. He glanced at the bill before reaching across the table to take Warrick's hand back into his. "God, I love your hands." He brought Warrick's hand up to his mouth and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. He pressed a kiss to the pad of Warrick's thumb before taking it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the digit, before pulling it out slowly. Warrick's eyes were on Greg's lips and slightly glazed over, which made Greg laugh again. "You are so mine, Warrick Brown."

Warrick snapped out of it and gave Greg a frown. "Yeah, yeah. If I gave one of your fingers a blowjob you'd be all hot and bothered too."

"So, if I were to go to Berkeley, would you answer my emails?"

"Yeah."

"Would you answer my phonecalls?"

"Sure."

"Would you come to visit me if I asked?"

"Maybe."

"Would you turn me away if I visited you?"

"Never."

"Would you date other guys?"

Warrick was truthful. "Yeah, probably. Four years is a long time."

Greg frowned. "To tell you the truth that's the part that's bugging me the most. The idea that you'll find someone else while I'm pining away for you. But, I guess if we're meant to be, we'll find each other again, right?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Do you think we're meant to be?"

Warrick again answered truthfully. "I don't know."

Greg nodded and took out his wallet and pulled out enough cash to cover the bill and a tip. "Come on, we should go." As they were walking through the parking lot a memory occured to Greg. "You bet me that I'd never want to leave after two weeks." Greg watched Warrick nod. "So, what do I owe you? I think you won."

Warrick threw his arm across Greg's shoulders and pressed a kiss to Greg's temple. "You don't owe me a thing."

They went to Greg's room at the Bellagio that night. Greg had an early flight that he couldn't miss. His parents would be knocking on his door to wake him up. As Warrick climaxed that night, with Greg wrapped tightly around him, he knew that he was well and truly fucked. Because he didn't want it to end. He didn't want them to end.

When Greg woke up that morning, the space next to him was cold, a note lying on the pillow.

Babe,

You probably don't know anything about this, but there's actually a handbook for Vegas natives.

Rule #1: Never fall for a tourist.

Lucky for us I've always been a rebel. I never thought I could fall so hard so fast. You were pretty hard to resist though. Go to Berkeley, Greg. Become that mad scientist you want to be. And maybe when you're all done and choosing a city to live in, you'll give me a call. I'll miss you.

Love,

Your first love, Vegas

The End