Title: The Amazing Spiderman
Author: Black Angel - blackangel_life
Category: Humour, Romance
Spoilers: Anything from Who Shot Sherlock? onwards.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Hodges/Greg, Archie/Bobby, Jacqui/Mandy
Disclaimer: I don't own either of these two or anything to do with them. I wouldn't spend all my time online if I owned two sexy men now would I?
Summary: Ronnie has gotten Hodges and Archie into something, will everything go as planned?
Author's Note: This is a ficlet for b_c_hawk for quessing correctly. Thanks go to my fabulous beta reader helena_eternal

The lantern's grinning orange face was clearly mocking him. It's evil eyes were looking at him as if to say: ‘What do you think you look like?' If it had been left to him he wouldn't be in this situation, he wouldn't be dressed like this.

David Hodges sat in the corner of the room trying to busy himself by putting napkins on paper plates and trying desperately not to be noticed. At the moment, he hated Ronnie with a passion. It was all that mans fault.

One evening in the break room, Ronnie had suggested that they all do something fun for Halloween. That had been a nice idea. However, Ronnie's idea of fun had been a fancy costume party. David had tried to protest. He had tried to tell them that they were all adults and would look ridiculous. Jacqui had scolded him by telling him that that was the point.

So it was decided that they would hire out a room with a bar and have a party. Ronnie had taken charge to begin with and all David had to do was find a costume.

It had to be something that said "Hey, I'm fun. Look I'm joining in." while looking halfway cool at the same time. David had gone for Indiana Jones, cool but fun. He had the hat, the jacket and, of course, the whip.

He had felt quite content about the party for all of three days. Then Ronnie dropped his bombshell.

"Guys, I'm so sorry." He had pleaded the day before the party - yesterday. "I feel terrible but there's no way I can do this." Ronnie was ill. David was sure he was faking it and would be there in costume.

It had fallen to David and Archie to organise the rest of the evening. They had assumed that in a month Ronnie would have everything sorted out.

He hadn't.

Ronnie had booked the room and bar but that was it. David and Archie were left to sort out the decorations, food and music, all within one day.

"We can do this." Archie had sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than David. "We can buy a ton of cheap decorations."

"I'm not worried about the decorations." David had snapped at him. "Or food. The guy down the hall in my building runs a catering company. He said he'd help if he could get an invite."

"Cool." Archie nodded.

"But what about music?" David scowled. "Everyone decent is going to be booked up for Halloween."

He and had Archie had sat in silence for a few seconds before a light cough sounded behind them.

"Maybe I can help?"

~~~~~

So that was how David had come to be sitting in a room, dressed as Indiana Jones arranging paper plates. He could sink no lower.

"Hey. Where do you want me to set up?" Greg appeared at his elbow.

No, wait, here came a new low. Greg had offered his services as DJ with the understanding that David would ‘owe him'.

"Over there." David pointed to the far side of the room where Archie was pinning up black and orange streamers.

"Thanks." Greg grinned and went to get this equipment.

As the younger man walked off, David couldn't help noticing that Greg was dressed as Spiderman under his clothes. That meant spandex. David shook his head; he knew Greg liked to wear odd things, but spandex?

"I'm going to go and get changed." Archie called over. "You okay?"

"Yeah." David faked a smile. "Food's sorted, Sanders is here for the music and between the two of us, we've got this place looking…"

"It does look good doesn't it?" Archie surveyed the room like a proud parent.

"What's your costume?" David casually asked.

Archie grinned. "Robin."

"So who's Batman?" David laughed.

"Do you even need to ask?" Archie shook his head.

"Bobby?" David ventured a guess. Archie nodded and left to put on his spandex and tights on. Was David going to be the only one sans spandex?

"So," Greg appeared out of nowhere making David jump. "Indiana Jones? Nice. Did you have the whip already or did you have to buy one?"

"Funny Sanders." David cocked his head. "I did think about asking to borrow yours but I didn't want to think about what it had been used for."

Greg just grinned.

"So why Spiderman?"

"He's cool." Greg looked offended that David could even ask that. "Why Indiana?"

"No spandex."

**********

Within half an hour the place was full. Most of the techs - not everyone could get the night off - and their partners, friends, and the odd CSI and administrative staff.

Jacqui had come as a witch, David had called her boring. He was sure he wasn't the only one. Bobby and Archie were leaping about being Batman and Robin. And of course Ronnie was there, as the Penguin. Every now and then Bobby would yell:

"Get him Robin!" And they would chase Ronnie for a while.

Leah had come as Lara Croft and had told David that great minds not only thought alike but chose archaeologists. Mia looked as uncomfortable as David. She had chosen to dress up as a devil but looked ill at ease.

"You OK?" David smiled at her. She pulled a face.

"I feel stupid."

"Well at least you're not Catwoman." David laughed pointing at Mandy who was now being chased by Bobby and Archie.

~~~~~

The rest of the night followed in a predicable order that David had seen before. Every lab tech night out or party went the same way. Everyone got supremely drunk, including (much to David's surprise) Mia, and tended to get… friendly.

Friendly was the only word David's inebriated mind could think of. Anything else led to thinking too hard and David was only able to sit upright, never mind thinking of a better way to describe his fellow techs groping each other.

Mandy and Jacqui were sat in the corner, arms around one another as they giggled at Bobby and Archie who were all over each other. Leah was sitting on Ronnie's knee, every now and then patting him on the head and muttering about how her boyfriend wasn't as nice to her as Ronnie was. Mia was slouched against Travis who had taken to rubbing David's leg in a very suggestive way.

David wasn't interested though. For one thing, he knew Travis was seeing someone and had been for three years. Another thing was that Travis would die tomorrow when he remembered he had rubbed David's thigh.

But the main thing was David couldn't take his eyes off Spiderman.

Greg had been doing his DJ thing all night. Dancing and moving to the music in his costume.

Perhaps spandex wasn't such a bad thing after all.

~~~~~

The party gradually wound down and people started making their way home. David had to endure plenty of drunken goodbyes with lots of people slurring: "I love you, you're lovely."

He and Archie had agreed earlier to stay and take down the decorations and collect the uneaten food. Greg was already packing up his things, bending and stretching in his spandex costume.

"Will you need a ride home?" Greg smiled, obviously noticing that David was staring. "I haven't had a drink tonight."

"Err, well, I have to help Archie." David pointed towards the AV tech who was wrapped around Bobby looking half asleep. Bobby looked up and gave David an apologetic smile.

"He's had a tad too much."

"You should take him home then." David heard himself say. Why had he said that? Now he'd had to stay here on his own. Stupid.

Nevertheless he waved Archie and Bobby goodbye and turned back to face the destruction the techs had wrought on the room. As he turned, he found Greg already starting to pack up the decorations.

"You don't have to do that you know."

Greg smiled. "I know."

~~~~~

Together they made short work of the decorations. Greg had insisted on taking most of them down himself, stating that he didn't trust a drunken David and a stepladder. David had to admit Greg had a point as he wobbled his way around the food table. Besides if Greg was up a stepladder David had the best view of the young CSI that he had ever had.

When everything had been packed up and put into Greg's car, Greg had asked again. "Do you need a ride home?"

Of course David did. Archie had given him a ride to the party and he wasn't sure how much a taxi would cost him.

"I'll be fine."

Greg frowned. "Are you sure? You don't live too far from me. It's no trouble."

David wanted to say yes. He wanted to get into Greg's car and be driven home by Spiderman.

"It's okay."

This time Greg rolled his eyes; David loved it when he did that. "So how are you getting home?"

David shrugged.

"Get in the car." Greg ordered, hands on spandex clad hips. David gave a short laugh and did as he was told. He was too drunk to argue.

As Greg drove, David gave drunken directions and each time Greg would laugh and tell David that he knew where he lived. The journey home didn't take as long as David would have liked. He wanted to stay in Greg's car with him all night. It was warm, it was comfy and most importantly, it contained a Greg wearing a tight spandex suit.

Greg helped David to his door; David wasn't so drunk that he couldn't walk but if Greg wanted to put his arms around him he wasn't going to stop him.

"Will you be all right?" Greg smiled at David. "On your own?"

David just shrugged and smiled. "As all right as any other time."

Greg stopped smiling. "I think I should come in for a while. Just to check that you're okay."

David continued to smile. "You don't have to feel sorry for me. I spend most of my time alone."

"I've noticed."

"What do you mean?" David asked as he almost fell into his apartment. Greg followed him in and shut the door.

"I watch you." Greg admitted. "You're always alone in the lab. Even in the break room. Do you still time your breaks so no one else is there?"

David was shocked that Greg had been watching him; not only that, but also that Greg had actually figured out his routine for breaks.

"I'll take that silence as a yes." Greg pushed David onto the sofa and sat next to him. "Even at the party you were alone." David opened his mouth to protest but Greg stopped him. "I know you stood with Mia, but she's as closed off as you are, if not more. And being felt up by Travis doesn't count either."

David rarely got drunk around others. He disliked it for the simple reason that he was an emotional drunk. If he felt upset, sad, depressed or just had had a bad day he would cry. Thus the reason he spent his Sunday nights sitting alone in his apartment, sobbing with an empty bottle of Jack Daniels.

Right at that moment David could feel the tears coming and wished he hadn't drank so much. He wished he'd refused Greg's ride home, he wished Greg wasn't here and he wished that Greg couldn't see right through him.

As single tear slid down David's cheek, he turned his face away hoping Greg hadn't noticed. A hand on his chin pulling his face gently back to face Greg told him he had noticed.

Greg didn't say anything. He just put his arm around David and pulled him close in one movement. David sat there in Greg's arms with his head on Greg's shoulder. David felt like he should say something but as soon as he opened his mouth Greg shushed him.

"It's all right." Greg's voice soothed him. "It'll be all right."

"It won't be." David whispered. "Tomorrow we'll just pretend this never happened. You're just comforting an old drunk."

"No I'm not." Greg pulled David closer. "I've finally seen the real you and I'm not going to forget or pretend I haven't."

David couldn't stop the tears. His whole body shook and he could barely get his words out. "I don't know what to do next. I want to be with you but I don't know how."

Greg chuckled softly. "That's okay. I do."

**********

David's head was throbbing and his mouth felt like he'd licked some form of small, furry animal. One day he'd learn that drink was evil. For a few moments he couldn't remember a thing past ten last night, then everything came back to him like a flood of cold water.

Travis getting touchy feely, Greg helping him pack up, Greg giving him a ride home. Then it hit him. He'd told Greg that he wanted to be with him.

"Shit," David groaned.

"Not feeling well?" Greg appeared in the doorway of the bedroom wearing only a pair of boxers. David's jaw must have literally dropped because Greg turned bright red and gave a nervous laugh.

"I put you in bed and slept on the sofa." Greg explained. "I couldn't leave you."

David attempted a smile. "Thank you." Greg shrugged, smiled and shivered. "Cold?" David kicked himself immediately for such an obvious question.

Greg nodded. "Can I get in?"

David wasn't sure what to say but found himself nodding. Greg climbed into the bed next to David and put his freezing cold feet on David's leg. David let out a sharp yelp and Greg laughed.

"Sorry, but you'll have to get used to that. I always have cold feet."

"Get used to it?"

"Yeah, you said last night you wanted to be with me." Greg put his arms around David. "You meant it, I know you did. Well, you've got me."

David hesitantly pulled Greg closer. "For how long?"

"For as long as you can stand me." Greg grinned and leant forward.

Greg's lips met David's for the briefest of seconds before parting. A warm tongue licked David's lips and David felt his whole body shiver. He parted his lips and allowed Greg's tongue to do as it wished.

The two men lay in bed kissing for what seemed like hours, holding and caressing each other. David didn't want this moment to end but Greg pulled away slowly, ending the kiss.

"So, think you can put up with me?" Greg whispered into David's ear.

"If you can do the same with me." David whispered back.