Title: Stop hugging...
By: Dee
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1044
Pairing: Gil/Nick
Characters: Gil Grissom and Nick Stokes
Warnings: V.fluffy and AU.
Spoilers: For S.7 E11. 'Leaving Las Vegas'
Disclaimer: In my dreams they are like, totally mine!
Unbeta-ed: All mistakes will be mine.
A/N 1: This was the epi where Nick hugged Gil 'cause he thought he was leaving and not coming back...it was on the telly this affo' and this little fic popped into my head as an alternative ending!

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Nick had just done it as a joke.
 
He'd clasped Grissom around the shoulder for a one armed hug...his other arm was full of equipment anyway.  Gris had not reacted as he'd expected by returning the hug and joking.  No.  Gris had bad temperedly told Nick to stop hugging him; so Nick had pulled away.   And then he'd seen Grissom scowling at him.  In fact, Nick had reacted without thought as he would have done from a rebuke from his father.

"Yes, Sir."   And that pissed him off because Grissom was not his father and didn't deserve that kind of respect.

Nick had his own scowl following that little incident.  Two could play that game, he thought, and went off to the lab to get working on the evidence he had from Larkston.  What had started out as a very interesting case, he was sure Catherine was onto something, had now lost its interest.   But he would be diligent as he always was.  Fuck Grissom.

The work and analysis on the bullets paid off; he discovered that it was very likely that an innocent man was in jail and a guilty man was free.  He felt good about that when he'd called Catherine...they were righting a wrong.

He thought about Grissom who was tidying up his paperwork for Catherine.  She'd been really annoyed at Gris for telling her he was taking a sabbatical, as in immediately, and that she would be in charge from the very next shift.  She liked the responsibility but she didn't like being dumped on.  Nick had discussed with her whether or not Gris was leaving for good and she didn't think he would.  It was just a sabbatical.  They'd also discussed whether or not he had a girlfriend and if he had who it might be.  No one in their right mind, Catherine had concluded.  Nick thought it was Sara, but hadn't shared that thought with Catherine.

Nick was tidying his work and getting ready to go home at the end of his shift when Grissom came into the lab and closed the door behind him.  Now that was very unusual.  It was also unusual for Nick to stay silent but he did, it was bad manners but he was still pissed at Gris for his earlier rebuke.  He was only being friendly to the guy, for God's sake.

Grissom stood awkwardly by the door he'd just closed holding his hands in front of him and definitely looking uncomfortable.  Nick tried not to smile at the image.

"Nick."

Still Nick didn't speak; he raised his eyebrows in a manner of a question.  If he'd spoken he'd have probably have said.   'What the fuck do you want?'

"Nick.  Ummm."  Nick stopped what he was doing and looked at him and waited.  He was damned if he would speak to him, let the man squirm some...he obviously was.  It suddenly occurred to him that maybe Grissom didn't have a clue what he did want, even if he had closed the door and he was very nearly ready to relent and speak when Grissom spoke again.

"I've got a cab on the way."

Now Nick was puzzled.  So?  What did this mean?   "Yeah?"   That was as much as he was giving away.
 
"I just wanted to make it clear that I will be back.  I don't know why you thought I wouldn't be."

So should Nick tell him what he thought?  Why not.  "You've made some changes in your life and something has changed.  I thought this was an opportunity for you to just leave without any fuss, with the pretence that you're coming back."

"What changes?"

Nick chuckled this time.  "Shaved your beard.  Lost weight.  Applying for a sabbatical."  He paused, should he add his other thought?  Why the fuck not.  "Got yourself a lady friend."

"A lady...a lady?  No, no, no...no, I haven't got a...lady friend.  Not at all."

Nick smiled at the denial.  Was he being honest or attempting a piss-poor cover-up?

Gil relaxed.  "I haven't got a lady friend.  Okay?"

"If you say so, man."

"I say so.  I shaved my beard simply because I was fed up of it, I'm sure I'll grow it again when I get fed up of shaving.  I have lost weight, because I needed to and the college invited me, not the other way round, to undertake a study.   Does that clear up your thoughts on my changes?"  There was an element of sarcasm at the end.

Nick laughed; he couldn't stay mad at Grissom for too long, the guy did take everything literally.  But that didn't excuse him for being rude when Nick hugged him, so Nick stopped laughing.

"So...your cab is on the way?"

"Yes.  It is.  Nick would you go out with me..."  Grissom was back to almost wringing his hands and was clearly very nervous.

"What...what do you mean?"  Now it was Nick's turn to be nervous, the tables had turned.

"Oh, I mean, like for a meal...something..."

Nick relaxed.  "...a meal.  Yeah.  When you come back."

"A meal, yes.  A date, Nick.  A date."  Grissom swallowed and Nick stared at him.

"A date."

"Yes, I realise that this is a surprise but I only discovered just two days ago that you were gay.  I think the person who told me meant to put me off you...but the opposite is true."
 
"Right.  So you're..."

"...gay.  Yes."

Nick stood staring at Grissom.  Did he want to go out on a date with him?  Hell, yes!

"Okay, then a date when you get back."

Grissom smiled.  "Think of somewhere I could take you.  Somewhere you want to go and maybe haven't been.  A special place."

"Okay."

Grissom turned and was about to leave when he turned back to Nick.  "I took the liberty of writing down your address, from your personnel file.  Could I write to you while I'm away?"

"Yeah.  I'd like that."

"I could tell you a bit about myself."  He chuckled.  "I'm a CSI and I like bugs."

Nick laughed a little and then stopped Grissom.

"Hold on."  Grissom stopped with the door half open.  "Cancel the cab, I'll drive you to the airport."

Grissom's smile lit up his face.  How come Nick had never noticed that before?"

The End

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