Title: Recipe for Love
Author: liquid_latex
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI. If I did, there would be much more inappropriate slashy content.
Summary: Grissom has bad timing, Nick makes a mistake, and the price of silence is a surprising one.

***

Nick and Greg were having a shower. Their wet, slick bodies pressed tightly against one another as the hot stream of water fell upon their shoulders. Steam escaped from the top of the shower doors and crept out to fog up the mirrors. Lips and tongues mashed together as Nick's hands tangled themselves into the damp hair curling at the back of Greg's neck. Nick thought Greg never looked better than when he was wet. Body glistening, rivulets of water coursing down his naked body. Greg was stroking him now, Nick's cock firmly encircled in Greg's dexterous fingers. Nick was almost there. Reaching, straining...a few more strokes and he would be there.

A shrill ringing pulled at Nick through layers of sleep. He grunted softly and tried to burrow down deeper into the duvet, reaching out and grabbing hold of Greg's bare hip to pull him closer. But the ringing was persistent, invading Nick's dream and finally rousing him to the point of consciousness where he realized it was his phone ringing on the bedside table.

Hands fumbling, he grabbed his cell, flipped it open and issued a hoarse "Stokes."
It was Grissom. Calling him to come in on his day off. Interrupting the most wonderful of all dreams. Damn.

Nick snapped shut the phone and tossed it back on the table, thinking he could just have five more minutes warm in bed, beside Greg, still snoring softly. Nick's dark eyes drifted shut and were once again opened when the phone began to ring.

"Grissom, I said I would be there as soon as I could!" he snarled into the phone.

"Nick?" came the confused reply on the other end. "I was trying to reach Greg."

Shit. Fully awake now, Nick shot wild-eyes around the bedroom, finally lighting upon two identical looking, department issued cell phones, side by side on the table.

"Are you and Greg together?" Grissom asked softly. His question had more meaning to it than he even realized and Nick struggled to find his reply.

"Me? Greg? Together?" he said, nervousness taking control and making him babble. "Nah, that's crazy. I mean, I...well, he..." Nick raked a hand through sleep-tousled hair and finally barked back a coherent response "Look Grissom, everybody makes mistakes. You obviously mis-dialed. Even you make mistakes."

Nick paused, barely daring to breath, hearing nothing but silence on the other end. He wondered briefly if he had taken things too far, become insubordinate with his supervisor. Worried for a second about repercussions.

"You're right, Nick," came Grissom's final reply. "I'll try again. And I'll be seeing you soon."

Shaking awake the still snoring Greg, Nick frantically explained the situation to him.

"I thought we agreed to keep our cell phones on separate tables," Greg said, voice still raspy from sleep.

"Yeah, well it was kind of hard for me to even think when you've got your hands all over me the second I walk in the bedroom door," Nick replied hastily, images last night flashing through his mind, bringing the slightest twitch of a smile to his lips.

Greg had all but pounced on him when he entered the bedroom. Pushed him up against the wall and rubbed himself wantonly up and down Nick's body. Threw him down on the bed and demanded that Nick strip. Nick had tossed the contents of his pockets on the table, not noticing Greg's cell already there. Then he had been possessed by Greg's lips, hands and cock. And was beyond all thought and reason. Sensation overtook him until he was delirious with pleasure. Spent, he had collapsed in the circle of Greg's sinewy arms and drifted into oblivion.

The phone rang again. They both looked at each other and this time it was Greg who answered his own cell phone.


Pulling into the parking lot, Nick let out a groan as he realized his boss was standing there, waiting for him. He caught Greg's eyes in the rearview mirror as Greg pulled into the spot behind him. Nick gave a little shrug and Greg simply smiled, eyebrows raised.

Grissom knew. From the look on his face, it was obvious their secret was out. And it wasn't that they were ashamed of their relationship at all, they just knew that it was against departmental regulations for members of the same team to become involved in a relationship. Neither one had been willing to risk breaking up the team. Until now.

One look at Greg standing beside him, hands stuffed into his pockets, staring down at his sneakers, and Nick knew he would risk it all to be with the man he loved. And he was pretty sure Greg felt the same about him.

Deciding honesty was the best policy, Nick approached Grissom first. "Ok, look. We are together. As a couple. Greg and I. And I know it's against regulations so if you want to suspend me or switch me to a different shift, go ahead."

Grissom's eyes widened only slightly behind his glasses. He nodded slowly as the hint of a grin broke out across his face. "I won't tell on one condition."

Nick and Greg looked at each other, speechless. Grissom would go against the rules for them?

"What's that?" Nick asked suspiciously.

"Pie," said Grissom, rocking back on his heels.

Nick's brows furrowed together in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Pie," he repeated, as if that made all the sense in the world. "Specifically, cherry pie. Last month when your parents were here, your Mom told me you make the best cherry pie she has ever had. 'Even better than all the Stokes' sisters' she quoted. I want one."

Incredulous, Nick looked at Greg again, who simply grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Pie," Nick said unbelievingly. "It all comes down to a pie."

***