Title: Bad Sink, Bad!
By: nigaishin
Rating: WarrickxHodges
Pairing: PG
Betas: blackangel_life and redleaf0
Disclaimer: Not mine. Meh. Response to the[info]dhodges ffic challenge #3.

Warrick walked in Trace expecting to see Hodges behind one of the microscopes, but the lab was apparently desert.

He heard some noises and blinked down at the figure kneeling on the floor, surprised and then amused at the sight.

"Hodges...?"

He bit back a chuckle when the tech hit his head under the sink at the sound of his voice, clearly not having heard him come in, and tried to choke the snicker bubbling up in his throat with what he hoped sounded like a very puzzled "What are you doing there?".

"Checking for leaks" Hodges grumbled back, and Warrick rolled his eyes.

And they said Sanders was weird.

Here was a man who knew about Portuguese water dogs and other strange, random stuff, in all seriousness on all fours prodding under a sink.

"Call facilities, man. You got my results?"

"If you knew the kind of stuff that grows in these pipes, you'd be on your hands and knees with me."

Warrick gaped.

He didn't know why he felt a jolt at those words, nor why his mind apparently disconnected and started wondering on its own at them.

He wanted so bad to answer with one of his usual, flirty come-backs. That had been his first instinct.

But this was Hodges, for Hell's sake.

Hodges. Snarky tech with a comment for everything and everybody, smug whenever he could. Sarcastic, higher-than-thou smirk.

Actually, Warrick thought as he absently watched him talk, he couldn't remember him ever snapping at him. Nor brushing him off, or doing one of those things that made people around the lab get so worked up at him.

Not even now, when he had obviously spoiled his fun with sinks (and here again he was glad he had such a good poker face, because breaking out in a laughter now would have probably gotten him some ass whipping).

He was pretty sure Greg or anybody else would have been chewed alive for that.

And all he had gotten was an annoyed sigh and his attention.

He threw a quick glance to the sheet in his hand, commenting on one of the results just to show he was listening to him, and then went back to his musings.

He wondered if Hodges realized how easily his casual remark could have been mistaken for something much naughtier.

Maybe it was just him.

They were alike, in a way.

Even if he was clear now, a good CSI, and he knew his team and the lab respected him, he also knew his liking for gambling and how close he had been for falling would always be there, leaving a shine of mistrust in people's eyes whenever it came to him.

He guessed he deserved it to some point, but that didn't make him any happier when he thought about it.

The same mistrust was there for Hodges, probably much worse.

The fact he actually acted as if he didn't care didn't help, but anybody would be on the defensive if people around him behaved like that, fleeing the lab as soon as they could or gladly blaming him if they could, even if on a subconscious level rather than out in the open.

When Greg's lab had blown up and Cath and him had wrongly accused him of having a part in that, he realized how similar the situation was to when he had been caught gambling on work hours, and nobody had confronted him on that but rather gone straight for the surveillance videos.

He remembered now the surprised expression on Hodges' face later, when he had walked up to him to apologize. In the breakroom, nonetheless.

Hodges' eyes had widened slightly and he had straightened up a bit where he stood leaning against the counter, apparently out of words and smart remarks. Then he just waved him off and went back to his newspaper.

He looked up from the test results as Hodges pointed out it wasn't his job to think about the how's of a crime, and hummed his response.

Even if that was the truth, he could bet most of his colleagues would be annoyed at that remark.

He thanked him and wandered off to work on his case, just as Grissom walked in.



Warrick glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed in relief.

End of the shift. Finally.

He was walking down the hall to get the hell out of there before somebody managed to dump some other case on him when he spotted Hodges still sitting on the floor by the sink, glaring at the pipes.

He chuckled and walked in to stand right by the other man's side.

The tech looked up quizzically, and snorted when he saw who it was, amusement in the taller man's eyes clear, hands folded over his chest.

"Hey, Hodges. That offer for joining you on your hands and knees still up?" Warrick flashed him a grin and watched him freeze for a moment and snort again at him.

"Be my guest" was the muttered answer as Hodges looked away, shrugging a bit.

Warrick felt his lips pull into another grin.

"Scoot over."

***

Next story in series - Time Out.