Title: Nine Love Songs - the Cutting Room Floor
By: saras-girl
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A few scenes written for Nine Love Songs that didn't make it into the finished version.
A/N: These are a collection of scenes I wrote for Nine Love Songs that in the end I didn't have a place for. If nothing else, they highlight the truly chaotic nature of my writing...lol. Anyway, I decided I liked some of them too much to just discard them so here they are.

Though I'm well aware that I don't really deserve reviews for serving up what is essentially a load of deleted scenes...well...ah, go on, indulge me and tell me which was your favourite. Please? :)

This is seriously the closest I'll ever get to writing drabbles. They aren't in any particular order but if you want to do your own head in trying to figure out where they would have gone, be my guest...

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1 – Realism and manipulation

Nick sometimes wonders how they got from opportunistic roommates, to roommates who kissed, to roommates who had sex, to this. He doesn't have a word for it, still, but what they are is two men that cannot stand to not be touching each other. Nick finds that not touching Greg does not feel very good at all. He finds that if they are in the same room, he almost has no choice in the matter, because every nerve ending he possesses will twinge in protest until he gives in and makes contact. He also finds that lying here, tangled from head to foot on the couch and watching some godawful forensics show (because it is Greg's turn to choose, and Nick suspects it is payback for two hours of Animal Planet earlier) he feels safer and calmer than he has ever done. Anywhere.

Nick presses his lips against the back of Greg's neck and holds him a little tighter. He is surprised, or he was at first, that despite Greg's usual need for constant movement, this is one time when he can be still. He does not fidget or pull out of the tight embrace but sighs contentedly and brings his hand up to link through Nick's, pulling it more firmly around his chest.

"There's no way they'd get a warrant with that little evidence," Nick mutters against Greg's hair, one eye reluctantly fixed upon the TV screen.

Greg laughs softly and twists his neck so that Nick's lips rest right underneath the angle of his jaw. Nick licks gently over the pulse point, feeling it jump erratically, but it is not a sexual touch, just fulfilling the need to have as much contact as possible with Greg.

"Suspend your disbelief. Did I mention that I love you?"

"I mean, really, it's not even an accurate picture of forensic investigation. If you want to be a CSI, Greggo, I hope you're not taking hints from this. Look at that - " Nick points at the screen with their joined hands. "You don't use pheno like that, I can't - "

"I love you," Greg sighs, smiling and pushing back even closer.

Nick hears it this time. He lets both of their arms drop back down and curls himself more protectively around Greg, hiding his smile in the soft citrus-scented hair.

"We can watch another one after this, if you want," Nick whispers.

Greg's grin of triumph does not escape his notice.

XXXXX

2 – Creativity and distraction

Nick stirs the sauce slowly, enjoying the companionable almost-silence that hangs over the kitchen, only broken by the soft hiss of the liquid in the pan, and Greg's light scraping as he deals with the vegetables behind him. He isn't sure when they became so domesticated but it feels oddly easy and natural, even though Greg seems to be more of a hindrance than a help in the kitchen. In fact, he's usually so distracting a presence that the last ten minutes of silence are making Nick a little suspicious.

"Greggo, aren't you done with those..." Nick turns around to see Greg looking extremely pleased with himself "...potatoes?"

His eyes fall on the pile of unpeeled potatoes that Greg attempts to shield from his gaze by stepping slightly closer to the counter. Greg smiles innocently and holds up a long, twisted strip of skin that he has clearly spent the last ten minutes carefully removing from the potato in one go. The one clean potato that he is holding in his other hand.

"Um, no not quite. But look!'" he says brightly, looking obscenely proud.

"Very impressive."

"What can I say, I'm good with my hands," Greg smirks, twirling the spiral of skin in front of Nick's face. Nick rolls his eyes and tries not to smile.

Nick turns away to stir the pan once more and says nothing for a while.

"You can show me, after dinner then," he says at last.

"Are you flirting with me, Mr Stokes?" Greg murmurs, pressing himself against Nick's back and dangling the slimy skin over his shoulder.

Nick laughs, surprised.

"I suppose I am."

Surprised, because he is. Surprised at the little flicker of squirmy heat and that free-falling sensation he gets when Greg says it, genuine amusement and pleasure in his voice. Nick has never really stopped to consider that things like flirting might still go on after being with somebody for this long. It's a nice surprise, and he is smiling uncontrollably at the sauce before he can stop himself. Greg kisses his neck lightly and the slimy, cold potato skin brushes against his skin.

"Peel your potatoes," he instructs, reaching up to remove the peel and throw it at Greg over his shoulder.

XXXXX

3 – Beginnings and stunned silence

As they enter the brightly lit store through scraping automatic doors, Nick feels a strange sense of déjà vu. Greg's smirk as he looks over his shoulder at Nick alerts him to the fact that he's not the only one. He meets Nick's eyes for the briefest of moments before he takes off down the nearest aisle at an alarming speed. Leaving Nick staring after him from next to a display extolling the virtues of a shiny new power sander.

He can't help looking around as he attempts to find Greg, up and down aisles and behind the cash registers. He's not sure why, but Nick is almost hoping she's there. Even though that's silly, it was months ago and even if she does still work here and she is working today there is no way she'll remember them. Why would she? Still, this is where it all began.

Spying a familiar shock of blond hair, he sighs and approaches Greg. He supposes he should have known he would find him in the paint aisle. Nick wonders if he should just resign himself to the fact that Greg Sanders will never give up.

As if sensing his presence, Greg looks up hopefully.

"Eau de nil," says Greg.

"What now?" Nick frowns.

"It's a colour." Greg laughs. "Look." He pushes the chart he is studying under Nick's nose. "Apparently it has a calming effect."

Nick bites his tongue, fighting against Greg's appealing expression.

"Greg," he sighs. Setting the paint chart on the shelf behind him and touching Greg's arm. "Hooks, Greg," he says softly, staring intensely into the dark eyes.

"Hmm?" Greg's breath quickens and he blinks, trying to focus.

"We came to buy hooks. For the walls? To put the lights up? Remember? Not paint."

Greg groans and rolls his eyes.

"Hooks," he mutters, temporarily defeated. "Sure."

Reluctantly he follows Nick to the relevant section of the store and quickly they find what they need.

They are standing in line when suddenly a familiar blonde figure strides out from the back room. Her hair is much shorter and she has a nose stud but Nick recognises her instantly as she opens up a till and calls out "Who's next?" without looking up.

Stepping over with a small tingle of delight at the memory, Nick drops the packets of hooks onto the counter. She glances up and meets his eyes.

"Green paint guy!" she exclaims, grinning with recognition. Nick smiles back. "Green paint guy's...friend," she adds uncertainly. Suddenly looking vaguely sheepish.

"You were right," Nick says, patting his pockets down for his wallet and glancing at Greg. "We just didn't know it yet."

Her smile widens and she looks delightedly between the two of them.

Greg is stunned and says nothing, mouth slightly open. "Just a minute," Nick adds and reaches into his boyfriend's pockets, all of them, jacket and jeans, until he finds Greg's wallet instead. Hands over a card. "He's not normally this quiet."

"No, I remember," she replies faintly, finally tearing her eyes away to process the payment.

Nick grins at her as he accepts the bag, card and receipt. "Thanks."

"Have a nice day," she calls, leaning over the counter as Nick gently nudges Greg out of the shop.

Nick looks at Greg as they walk. The slightly flushed cheeks and small smile conveying amusement and disbelief. And the silence. Impulsively, Nick switches the plastic bag to his other hand, reaches out and laces his fingers through Greg's.

Greg gasps softly at the public display of affection and a pair of wide brown eyes snap to Nick's, but still he says nothing.

"I never realized how easy it was to get you to be quiet," Nick says, crossing the parking lot. Greg grips his hand harder and raises an eyebrow, but still says nothing. "With your clothes on, anyway," Nick adds.

Greg gets into the car and put his feet up on the dashboard. "Not that you usually complain about the things I say when I don't have my clothes on." He smiles and traces a hand up Nick's thigh.

"That's very true, Greggo," Nick laughs. Starts the car. "Eau de nil my ass. That was green."

XXXXX

4 – Victory and Reactivity

"I guess you win, then," Catherine calls from halfway across the parking lot.

Both men turn to look at her from beside Nick's car, seconds away from leaving. Greg makes a small sound of triumph and raises an eyebrow in challenge.

"What do we win?"

She takes a step or two closer, thoughtful. "My unending respect and admiration," she offers, flashing a smile. "I have never seen anyone surprise Gil Grissom as much as you did tonight. Seriously, well done."

"Ms Willows, I accept," Greg grins, affecting a small bow beside Nick.

Catherine laughs shortly and winks, tucking delicate hands into her jeans pockets and walking away. Nick watches her all the way across the parking lot until she disappears back into the lab.

"I love Catherine," Greg says, eventually, a dazed smile creeping across his face.

"I thought you loved me," protests Nick with a mock-pout.

"Aw...are you jealous?" Greg laughs and turns, leans, pressing Nick back against the car, noses almost touching. Greg's nose is freezing cold but his lips are warm.

"Maybe."

"I love Catherine like I love my mom. My GCMS. Ramen."

"I'm not sure how Catherine would feel about that, Greggo," Nick murmurs against Greg's lips, sliding fingers under his collar.

"Shut up. I'm trying to be romantic. I love you like...um...like sodium loves water." Greg traces Nick's lips with the very tip of his tongue. Breathes in sharply. "When the two get together, there's an uncontrollable explosion of..." Greg brushes their lips together so lightly it makes Nick shudder. "...heat. We're very exothermic, Nick."

"That should be weird, but it's not." Nick grins and pulls him into another cold/hot kiss, wondering how he ever managed to suppress the trails of flame that are creeping out from the centre of his body right to his fingertips.

"Weird's good." Greg shrugs, tracing fingers along the seams of Nick's coat and fiddling with the zipper. "We'll never be bored of each other."

"Never?" Nick rests his forehead against Greg's. Breathes in cinnamon and leather and cologne and Greg.

"Never."

"Get a room!" Catherine's voice echoes across the parking lot and makes Nick jump. Reluctantly he releases Greg and unlocks the door.

XXXXX

...and there you have it. Thought I should do something with them! -whispers- press the little blue button...pressssss it...