Title : The New Guy
By: lin71
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Fandom Type: TV series
Pairing: Warrick Brown/Nick Stokes
Series: 1) Rough Case, 2) Visiting Nick, 3) The Evening After the Morning Before
Prompt : First meeting.
Rating : PG
Disclaimer : Not mine. I really wish Warrick was, but he’s not, darn it. And since I don’t own much anyway, don’t sue me. I really would be a waste of time for the both of us.
Feedback: would be great, just be nice about it.

On the way to his apartment, Warrick couldn’t help but think about the first time he’d met Nick. It was a few years ago, first day in the lab for Nick. He had heard about this guy from Texas joining their team, and he and Catherine had been joking a little about giving out department horses instead of cars. He hadn’t been prepared for the effect that this first meeting would have on him, however.

Grissom had asked him to get to the lab a little earlier than usual, to give everybody the chance to meet the new guy, Nick Stokes, before they had to get to work, so Warrick strolled through the lab 15 minutes before his shift started.
He knew how much depended on making a first impression, and therefore he was using every ounce of self-confidence inside him, something he had picked up while playing blackjack. Never let your guard down, never let them see your cards, never let them see you.

He saw Nick Stokes standing in the conference room, talking to Grissom, his back to the door. He was a little shorter than Warrick, but he was at least as muscular and the firmness of his ass definitely had Warrick’s attention. He caught himself before he started staring, almost.

‘Hi, I’m Warrick Brown. You must be Nick Stokes,’ he said to the other man’s back. Nick turned around and extended his hand.

‘Yes I am, nice to meet you,’ he answered in a thick Southern accent.

Warrick took his hand, and at the same time their eyes locked. It couldn’t have been more than two seconds before they broke contact, he didn’t think Grissom noticed anything, but Warrick could have sworn that in those two seconds Nick could see right through him. Something nobody ever could, something that shocked the hell out of him. He usually didn’t allow people to get close to him, using his skills to keep them at a distance without them even knowing it. And in those two seconds, he knew that wouldn’t work on Nick. And more so, he knew he didn’t want to keep him at a distance.

That realization made him swallow hard. He never believed in love at first sight. Lust at first sight was something he was familiar with in all shapes, forms and sizes, but not love. The intense feeling that washed over him while looking the other man in the eyes was completely new to him, and it made him wish he could read Nick as easily as he seemed to do with him.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up. He’d briefly seen Nick’s file last week, Grissom’s lack of filing skills sometimes worked in his advantage, and he knew the guy had worked as a cop before he became a CSI. And the chances of a Texan cop being gay or even bisexual were pretty much non-existing.

On the other hand, nobody knew about him too. At least not at the lab. Not that he was in denial of who he was. Not at all. He just preferred to keep his private life private. After all, he didn’t work as a CSI that long, and telling everybody that he’s a former gambler still struggling with his addiction and a serial dater with a preference for men might not be the best way to introduce himself.

Suddenly Grissom’s voice shook him out of his musings, making him realize he was still standing there, staring but not really seeing anything. He blinked a few times to get the blur out of his vision, trying not to look embarrassed while he took the assignment from Grissom.

‘Double homicide in a hotelroom at the Excalibur. Take Nick with you.’

‘Sure,’ he nodded, turning his eyes to Nick once more. ‘Come on, I’ll show you the way to the locker room.’

As soon as he said that, images of Nick changing his clothes popped in his head. Not exactly the best way to start the shift, he thought, quickly trying to block them out. To his surprise however, Nick started to blush and avoided his stare.

Warrick smiled to himself. Either Nick was the most prudish man on the face of the earth, or life just got a whole lot more interesting. And the gambler inside him, already put all his money on the second option. He just had to wait for the right moment and be patient.

Over the past years, he had started believing his first impression had been wrong. After all, he and Nick had become the best of friends since day one, but nothing ever indicated that Nick felt something more than that. He was glad he had been proven wrong about that, although he knew he’d have a hell of a job trying to get Nick to open up a bit more about himself. Not that the man needed to jump out of any closet, but the shock on his face when Warrick even suggested someone knowing about them proved he had a long way to go.
On the more positive side, Warrick thought, at least Nick also thought about them as a ‘them’. And that was more than he hoped for when he drove over to Nick this morning.

He smiled to himself, thinking about their joint shower. As long as Nick wasn’t holding back when it came to getting a bit more physical, it would be allright. All other problems would be solved along the way, or so he hoped.