Title: Push
Author: Stacy L.A. Stronach
Fandoms: NCIS/CSI:NY
Pairings: Gil/Warrick pre-slash & Warrick/Tina
Characters: Gil Grissom, Warrick Brown
Prompt: 034 Not Enough
Word Count: 445
Rating: PG/FRT
Series: My Gal Sadie, Part 2, Prequel #2
Spoilers: General spoilers for S5 but I think it's common knowledge now. Anyhow. Vague warnings for vague spoilers.
Author's Notes: Part of the "My Gal Sadie" series; part 2; My Gal Sadie is more vignettes/ficlets rather than longer stories. The first few are pre-slash but we'll get slashy, eventually. Series will be posted in sequential order.
In my universe, CSI ended about 10 minutes before the end of S6. Gil|Sara never happened. Yes, my powers of denial are strong.
Summary: Was it really what happened to Nick that made Warrick do what he did?

***

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister at the drive through chapel at Circus-Circus intones. "You may kiss your bride," he adds, smiling at Warrick and Tina Brown.

Warrick smiles before kissing his bride and deep down, he wonders if he's just made the biggest mistake of his life. He doesn't let his doubt show, instead acts the part of the newlywed and whisks his bride back to the Honeymoon Suite at the hotel.

An hour later and Tina is sound asleep, her arm lax over Warrick's waist, her head on his shoulder and he has his arm wrapped around her shoulders. He should be sleeping but he's wide awake. He wonders how he'll tell everyone that he's married a woman he'd dated for only two months. He sighs, knowing the reason he married Tina had little to do with love; yes, he likes her and the sex is great but his reasons have more to do with getting on with his life. The too close call that Nick suffered recently has made Warrick realise that he was stagnating in his own life. He had to move on…move on from Gil Grissom. Not that they've had anything more than friendship, but that has ended up not being enough for Warrick.

Warrick had found the man attractive from the first day they'd met and over the years he's worked at the lab, they had gone from coworkers, to casual friends to good friends. Then, almost two years ago, Warrick realised his feelings for Gil were more than friendship; it had been a gradual process, falling in love with Gil Grissom. There'd been no blinding flash of love…just a gentle, soft fall.

Initially, when he'd first realised his attraction, had recognised his feelings, Warrick had flirted with Gil, nothing too overt, just hints dropped here and there, but Gil had been oblivious. So Warrick had hidden his feelings away and had maintained his friendship with Gil even though he wanted so much more. But it hadn't been enough…and never would be. He values his friendship with Gil too much to go making dramatic declarations of love; he doesn't dare risk it, although he knows Gil wouldn't be offended, but he does think Gil would feel sorry for him and that would change their friendship irrevocably. He's called himself all kinds of coward for not even trying to take that step forward with Gil but he just can't do it.

Warrick looks at Tina again and thinks this is, quite possibly, the most cowardly thing he has ever done in his life. He hates himself for it and he wonders how long his marriage will last….

~~end~~

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