Title: One Thousand Six Hundred and Forty-Three Miles from Texas
By: Clockstopper
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Summary: AU story about what would have happened if Greg never moved to Vegas and instead Nick moved to San Francisco. Some Sara because I like her when she’s away from everyone else.

Nick sits in his car and stares at the entrance to the San Francisco crime lab and really wishes he were anywhere else.

He thought he’d paid his dues in Texas. Thought he’d been a good enough CSI to get into Las Vegas, but apparently they got someone else, someone older and more qualified than Nick was, to fill the spot. Nick had pretended like it hadn’t hurt. Pretended like it hadn’t matter when it really did because he didn’t, and still doesn’t, want to spend the rest of his life in Texas with his parents and their scrutiny.

He loves them, he really does, but they look at him like he decided to be a street hustler rather than a cop and then a CSI. Because he didn’t want to be a lawyer and have to do everything that that job entailed. His father had made his career keeping the bad guys out of jail and Nick had wanted to do the opposite.

Nick knew he was black sheep in the family. All his siblings were lawyers just like his parents had hoped for. Nick was the kid they hadn’t expected. Nick was the kid they hadn’t even wanted and he’d come to grips with that fact a long time ago.

So to him, anywhere was better than being stuck in Texas at his old crime lab where his old cop buddies sneered at him and secretly thought he was a disgrace to the uniform. Anywhere was better than being stuck eight miles away from his parents and his sisters and brother and their jokes that actually hurt despite the lack, not total lack mind you, of malice behind them.

Nick just wasn’t so sure that San Francisco was the right anywhere.

Perhaps he should have gone to Miami or New York. They’d wanted him to work there and he’d certainly considered it. But he chose San Francisco because it had a pretty great crime lab and because his parents’ eyes had gone extremely wide when he said he was thinking about moving to San Francisco.

Petty, yes, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now, Nick wasn’t so sure, but he was here and he had a shift starting in five minutes and he’s not sure his boss is going to take to kindly to him being late on his first day.

So Nick sighs because really that’s all he can do and he kills the engine to his car and takes his keys out of the ignition. He takes a deep breath and rubs his hand over his face.

“Well, here goes nothing.”

~*~

“Greg.”

“What?” Greg asks a little distractedly.

He looks up and sees Amber, the trace tech from down the hall, staring at him expectantly and he sighs. He really doesn’t have time to deal with Amber and whatever crisis she's having at the moment. It’s always the same thing. Boyfriend dumped her for another girl and took her television.

Greg really thinks she should either quit dating or stop spending so much time on TVs.

“Did you hear? There’s a new CSI coming in. He’s from Texas.” Amber says with a bright smile on her face.

She pops her gum and Greg wonders, not for the first time, whose the person she’s related to that gave her this job.

“Yeah, I heard.”

“Why are you so down? This is great. I wonder if he’ll be some nice eye candy.”

“The CSIs are always out in the field. You’ll see him a grand total of five minutes a day.”

“Five possibly good minutes.”

Greg rolls his eyes.

“Is that all you think about?”

“No, but it’s nice to think about.”

Greg shrugs and gets back to what he was doing which was swabbing some poor girl’s nightgown for semen.

“That’s it. You’re not going to gossip with me about what this guy could look like.”

“I’m not in mood.” Greg says.

“Okay, that’s not like you. You’re always in the mood.”

“Yeah, well, not today.”

“Something’s up. What is it?”

Greg sighs because Amber won’t stop pestering him if he doesn’t tell her what’s wrong with him today.

“Well, you know Shauna broke up with me.”

“Yes, we had the Ben and Jerry’s.”

“Anyway, my parents called and asked me to bring her to dinner tomorrow night.” Greg says.

Amber gasps at that and Greg rolls his eyes.

“Erika and Charles don’t know. I thought you would have immediately run to mommy and daddy.” Amber says.

Greg glares at her.

“You know, Amber, you’re the older sister I’ve never wanted.”

“Oh come, it’s true. I thought they’d have been the first people you would have told.”

“They introduced me to Shauna so I have a feeling they already know. They’re just pulling some of their psychological shit to mess with my head.”

“Must suck having parents that are psychologists.”

“You have no idea.” Greg says as he loads his equipment to test the DNA against their suspect.

“Well, maybe the hot new guy will cheer you up.”

“How do you know he’s hot?”

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say the guy that Sara’s showing around is him.” Amber says pointing in the direction Sara Sidle, one of the CSIs in the lab, and the guy trailing after her.

Greg looks up and sees him and Amber’s right. He is hot. Almost insanely so in his tight jeans and even tighter shirt and Greg doesn’t even know what to make of him.

“Oh my God.” Greg says.

“Seriously.”

Greg stares for a little while longer even though he knows he probably shouldn’t and in a matter of moments the guy is looking over in his direction. He smiles shyly and waves before Sara ushers him away.

“So, cheered up.” Amber says with a leer on her face.

Greg throws a glove at her.

~*~

“So that’s pretty much it. Carl’s going to be giving out assignments soon so we better head back to the break room.” Sara says.

Nick feels a little intimidate by Sara. She seems to be very good at her job, at least that’s what their boss, Carl, says. She had rushed through the introduction of the crime lab like she had other, more important things to do that didn’t include playing chaperon to Nick. He barely saw anything and still had no idea which lab was which because she had pointed to all of them and rattled off which ones there were.

“Um… yeah… uh… I…”

“You got all that right. I’d really hate to have to tell you everything over again.” Sara says.

Nick knows that tone. He’s heard his sisters use it time and time again when he was little and they were much older than him. It’s that ‘I’m not going to tell you it over because you should have got it the first time’. Nick knows better than to say he doesn’t have everything down because she’ll just sigh and reshow him, as fast as she did the first time, and Nick will be even more lost.

“No, I’ve got it. Just, you know. It’s… big.”

“Yeah I bet. Heard you transferred from Texas.”

“Um… yeah… Dallas.”

“Oh, they have a pretty big lab. I once went there for a conference. It was really…”

Nick doesn’t mean to tune her out because he doesn’t know anyone in San Francisco and it would probably be a good idea to make a good impression on his co-workers. Except he can’t focus on her because he can feel someone watching him and it’s a little disturbing.

It’s not the paranoid new guy feeling either. Someone is really staring right at him. He can feel the eyes on him. So he looks around and he sees a guy in one of the labs staring at him. He’s got a smile on his face and Nick has to admit that he’s pretty cute.

Nick smiles and waves at him and the guy smiles back a little shyly.

“Nick, we gotta go.” Sara says grabbing his arm.

Nick spares one last glance at the guy before letting Sara haul him off to the break room.

“I need you to process this… yesterday.”

Greg sighs and looks up at Sara’s urgent face. Sara always has her urgent face on when she’s working a case, so Greg doesn’t let it get to him like he did in the earlier days when she first started working.

He’s been here longer than her despite being younger than her and if she really pisses him off, which she doesn’t… most of the time, he could put her stuff on the backburner. He usually chooses not to though.

“What, you want me to hop into my time machine and process if for you then come back with the results. There are a few problems with that scenario.”

“Greg, I don’t have time for this. Just process the stuff.”

“Ah, see, but I’ve got at least seven different things to process, one of which belongs to Carl’s case and you know seeing as he is the boss I should probably do his stuff first.”

Sara lets out an exasperated sigh and runs a hand through her hair.

“What do you want to put me on the top of the list?”

“Just a little information.”

“On?”

“The new guy.” Greg says in as casual a tone as he can manage.

“The new guy?”

“Yup.”

“Why don’t you gather that information yourself? I’m sure the lab rats are better at gathering that information than I am.”

“Ah, usually, but this is a very special case. He’s working with Anna who we all know is worse than you when it comes to her cases. She might as well sit him down in the break room with a crossword puzzle.” Greg says.

“And my information will be better because…”

“You spent some time with him. Just give me small details. Like a name for explain.”

“His name is Nick Stokes. He just transferred from Dallas PD.” Sara says.

“Anything else?”

“He’s pretty quiet.”

“Really.”

“Yeah, now will you process my stuff.”

“I don’t know. Anna actually threatened me this time around.”

“She’s a bitch. Piss her off.”

“You say this and yet you’re not the one who’s gonna be on the other end of her tongue lashing.”

Sara sighs and looks at Greg pleadingly.

“I’m working a rape here. Come one Greg. Semen samples are your specialty.” Sara says just a bit teasingly and she smiles, crooked teeth oddly white and Greg smiles back at her.

“You know you just made a very dirty double entendre there, Miss Sidle.”

“Well, I’m not the one with a crush on the new guy.”

“I didn’t say crush. I never once mentioned crush. I asked for information.”

“Because you have a crush on him.”

“I’ve never even talked to the guy. Miss Anna I Can Solve Everyone Case on My Own has been the one dealing with the evidence. I’ve caught glances.”

“You think he’s hot.”

“Can one really deny that?”

Sara smiles at that.

“I guess not. A little too silent for my tastes though.”

“Well I’m sure there’s a… crap… bitch alert.” Greg mutters.

“What?” Sara says.

As she turns around she sees Anna coming in, Nick trailing behind her and he looks so out of place that Sara feels sorry for him. He smiles in her direction and she can’t help smiling back. She’s read his reference and he seems like a damn good CSI, but San Francisco has a lot more cases than Dallas, despite how big Dallas is.

Sara turns back to Anna who looks pissed, but she always looks pissed. She looks to Greg who’s got his wide eyed innocent look on his face and Sara knows there’s going to be an explosion.

“Sanders. Do you have the results to the evidence I gave you.” Anna asks, her tone curt and Sara wonders, not for the first time since she started at the San Francisco crime lab, why Anna still works there.

“Sorry haven’t had time to run it yet.” Greg says shrugging his shoulders in a ‘what can you do’ manner.

“I gave it to you an hour ago. That should be more than enough time to have done the necessary tests and have the results.”

“There was a backlog from the night shift that I had to run through before I could even start on day shift’s stuff. There are at least three cases that have top priority over yours.” Greg says.

He’s being professional about things and Sara knows that that doesn’t work on Anna. Nothing really works on Anna.

“Well, if you were, say doing your job instead of chatting with Sidle, maybe things would get done.”

Greg looks like he’s about to say something back to her, but Sara knows that he knows better. Carl likes him, he does, but Anna’s got the Director of the crime lab in her pocket. Between Greg’s age and the fact that Anna’s been there longer, it’s no contest.

“I’ll page you as soon as I get it done.” Greg says through gritted teeth.

“See that it’s sooner rather than later.” Anna says, air of superiority in her voice and Sara wishes, not for the first time since she started working at the San Francisco crime lab, that she could just smack Anna in her little self-righteous face.

But she doesn’t and Anna walks off, Nick looking confused and a little angered before he follows after her and Sara sighs.

“She is such a bitch.” Greg says.

“Yeah.”

“No, she’s like the anti-Christ. She’s like Satan’s evil spawn. She’s…”

“Probably going to make Assistant Director and ruin all our lives.”

~*~

Nick’s having the crappiest day he can ever remember having.

When he got to the break room with Sara, he was introduced to all the CSIs that work there and there were a few of them. He’s still trying to remember their names, but he figures if he sticks around, and right now that’s a pretty big if, he’ll get them done sooner or later.

He wasn’t expecting to work alone his first day on the job, but he was kind of hoping that he’d get to work with Sara. It’s not that the other CSIs don’t seem nice, because they do, Nick just would have felt more comfortable being paired up with someone he’d already been introduced to.

But Carl paired him up with a woman named Anna Terry and Nick did his best to politely introduce himself before she said, in no uncertain terms, that they had a case to work and pleasantries could be exchanged later.

So they got work, a liquor store robbery with on fatality and two other injured. The guy had gotten away and Nick had spent most of his time taking pictures and Anna’s notes like he was some kind of rookie.

Like he hadn’t been a cop for a few years before taking the CSI training. Like he hadn’t gone to said CSI training, and been damn good at it, and then worked as a CSI for a couple of years. He was a level two after all, not some wet behind the ears rookie.

He doesn’t say anything though, content to just let her play superwoman and he prays that he’ll be paired up with someone better next time around.

But it’s when they get to the DNA lab, last ditch effort really in Nick’s eyes because that hair could have come from any place, Nick has to say something.

“You treat everyone like that or did he do something to piss you off in another life?” Nick asks, his voice just a little angry and Anna looks at him, confusion clear on her face.

“What, Sanders, no. He should be doing his job. He works for us.”

“I didn’t know you signed his paychecks.”

“He’s a lab rat. It’s his job to process evidence and process it fast. If he can’t keep up then he shouldn’t have the job.”

“Someone must have thought he was qualified enough to hire him.”

“Why are you getting so bent out of shape about this?”

“Because you just treated him like he was some kind of slave and you think it’s okay.” Nick says.

Anna stops in front of him, hands on her hips and one eyebrow cocked and she rolls her eyes.

“Look, you’re new here, and maybe you don’t know how things work, but if I don’t yell at him he’s just gonna goof around and not get anything done. That’s how they all are.”

“You know, I’m surprised you get any evidence processed with that kind of attitude. I’ve worked in a crime lab before. I know how things go. If you’re respectful to the technicians, then…”

“Oh please. Sanders is a kid. Some kind of boy genius. He should be working in a research lab, not a crime lab.”

“Well he’s not. He works here and he probably gets paid more than you do to do it.” Nick says.

Anna glares at him.

“You’re new here, but I’m going to tell you one thing Stokes. Stay out of my way, okay. You won’t like it if you don’t.”

Nick watches as she walks off and thinks about New York.

~*~

Greg takes out another cigarette. He knows he should probably cut down, but some days he needs it more than others and this is one of those days.

He tries not to let Anna get to him. He really does and for the most part he doesn’t. He knows he’s smarter than her. Knows that she phones in most of her cases and that she gets by because of her connections and attitude.

He also knows that Sara’s probably right about her becoming the new Assistant Director. It’s a political position and Anna’s nothing if not political.

So he lights his cigarette and takes a long drag from it before moving it away from his lips. He holds in the smoke for a few seconds before blowing it out and bringing the cigarette back to his mouth.

“Long day?”

Greg looks up and sees the new guy, Nick, standing in front of him a few feet away.

“How’d you guess?” Greg asks.

“You just look like you had a long day.” Nick says.

“Hmm… and how was your first day.”

Nick grimaces slightly and shrugs his shoulders.

“Long.”

“I bet, working with Anna.”

“Yeah, hey I’m sorry about…”

“What do you have to be sorry about. She’s the bitch.”

“I know, but I was…”

“What… there? Are you always this hard on yourself?”

Nick smiles a little self-deprecatingly.

“I’m Nick by the way. Nick Stokes.”

“Yeah I already knew that. I’m Greg Sanders.” Greg says holding out his hand.

He’s not really going for the cool thing, but it seems to be coming off that way. Mostly because Nick’s pulling the whole ‘aww shucks’ thing, white knight complex and all and it makes Greg a little curious and amused at the same time.

Nick takes his hand and shakes it.

“Nice to meet you.” Nick says.

“Yeah, same here.”

“So… is she always like that?”

“No, no.”

Nick smiles a little at that.

“This was a good day.” Greg says teasingly.

Nick frowns.

“That’s just great.”

“Carl probably won’t put you on anymore cases with her. Just finish this case up and then you can get paired up with someone else. Alec is pretty cool and so is Tyler. I hear Sara’s tough when she’s working a case, but you’ll learn to like her. Kyle… Kyle’s a bit weird.” Greg says because he really doesn’t know what else to say about Kyle.

“Weird?”

“He’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong. He solves his cases a lot of the time. He’s just… he’s got the genius thing going on.” Greg says.

Nick shakes his head.

“Sounds like a handful.”

“It is. You’ll get used to it though. They’re all pretty decent people. You know… except for Anna.” Greg says.

“Yeah I’m…”

“Don’t say sorry. You didn’t do anything.”

“I know, but I could have said something.”

“Anna’s a bitch, this is true, but she’s got the ear of the Director of the crime lab. Hence the reason I didn’t tell her to take her skanky Prada wearing ass straight to hell.”

Nick smiles nervously.

“She’s a problem then?”

“For everyone. It’s better to just ignore her. Once she becomes the Assistant Director we’re all in for some shit.”

“Guess I walked into something.”

“Yeah, you did, but everyone else and the city makes up for it.”

“Well, I just got here so I don’t know much about either of those things.”

“You’ll learn.” Greg says with a smirk.

“I guess. I better go. Again, I know you want let me say…”

“Look, if you’re feeling so bad about it, why don’t you by me a beer?” Greg says.

Nick gets a panicked look on his face that Greg just had to smile at.

“I don’t really know anywhere…”

“I’ll drive.”

“My car…” Nick says pointing to his car.

“Will pick it up after. Come on, you’re the one that seems to feel bad over the whole thing. This’ll ease your guilt.”

Nick looks as though he’s contemplating it for a second before he nods.

“Great. Let’s go.”

Nick feels out of place in the bar, despite the lack of people. He should feel grateful that Greg took him to some small bar rather than some loud nightclub. Greg looks like the type who would know about a few nightclubs and though Nick thinks there’s some attraction there with Greg, he’s pretty sure that acting on it would be phenomenally stupid.

“You okay?” Greg leans over the table to ask.

Nick nods and takes another drink from his beer. They’ve been sitting for a few minutes, in silence, and Greg should be getting that bored annoyed look. Only he’s not and Nick can’t exactly figure out why.

“Hope you like this place. Kind of quiet, but the CSIs hang out here and sometimes I tag along.” Greg says.

“You know the CSIs well?” Nick says.

He knows it probably sounds utterly lame, but he can’t think of anything else to say.

“Well, I’m not really close with Kyle. Like I said, he likes to do his own thing. But Alec and Tyler… I’ve known Alec for a few years now so I know he’s an alright guy. You never know with Tyler sometimes though.” Greg says as he takes another drink out of his beer.

“I didn’t really get to talk to any of them.” Nick says.

“Sucks being the new guy.”

“Yeah, it does.”

“Well, it’s a pretty…”

“Well, if it isn’t Greg Sanders… and the new guy.”

Nick stiffens a little at the voice coming from behind him, but Greg just smiles widely and rolls his eyes.

“He has a name Alec.” Greg says.

“Right, right… Nick… Stokes. Am I right?”

Nick’s greeted with the sight of a tall, blonde haired guy with green eyes and unbelievably straight teeth. Nick remembers meeting him earlier than day when assignments were given out.

“Yeah.” Nick says.

“Not much of a talker. That’s cool, you’ll fit in with Tyler.” Alec says.

“I’m not that quiet.” Tyler, who’s shorter than Alec and maybe as tall as Nick, says.

Nick studies both of them quickly and notes the differences between them. Where Alec is tall and lean, Tyler’s a shorter and more muscular looking. Alec also has that surfer dude look going where Tyler looks like a bit of a nerd with his floppy light brown hair and big owl glasses.

“You’re Nick right. Nice to meet you, informally of course.” Tyler says holding out his hand, smiling.

Nick shakes it and smiles back.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“So what are you guys doing?” Alec asks.

“Nothing, just sharing some beers.” Greg says nonchalantly.

“That’s exactly what we were going to do. Mind if we join you?” Alec says.

Nick watches as he sits down in the booth next to Greg and throws his arm over Greg’s shoulder. Tyler rolls his eyes.

“Um… if it’s okay with you, Nick.” Greg says.

“Oh, come on, it’s okay, right Nick.” Alec says.

“Yeah, sure, why not. The more the merry right.” Nick says a little nervously.

He wants to make friends with his colleagues, but something about the easy way Alec and Greg are around each other irritates him.

“Oh kiss of death right there Nick. Alec has no one, and I mean no one, to go home to. He’ll keep you out until all hours of the night.” Tyler says as he sits down next to Nick.

“You’re just upset because you’ve got the old ball and chain and I’m living the single life you wish you had.” Alec says sticking out his tongue.

Tyler rolls his eyes.

“I happen to like being married.”

“Then why are you here with us, if you like it so much.”

“You’re the one that dragged me here. I was perfectly fine going home to my wife.”

“Go, you’re a party poop anyway.”

“Who’s going to drive you home when you get unbelievably drunk. You’re sure as hell not riding that bike.” Tyler says.

“Greg can take me. Can’t you Greg.”

Greg smiles nervously.

“Um… actually… I gotta take Nick here back to the lab after we’re done here. We took my car.”

Alec pouts a little at that, but then sighs and turns back over to Tyler.

“Well, I guess you have to stay then.”

“Yeah, sure, don’t get too drunk tonight.”

“I make no promises.”

~*~

“Well that was…”

“Yeah, sorry. Alec’s really better in small doses.” Greg says as he parks his car right next to Nick’s.

The parking lot is pretty deserted and Nick guesses that’s because everyone from the nightshift is at their crime scenes.

“No. He was okay. Loud.”

“He gets like that. Even more so now that Tyler’s married.”

“It’s okay.”

“He’s really professional when he works… at least that’s what people have said. I haven’t worked out in the field because you know, lab technician, but Sara says she enjoys working with him and Sara’s really professional.”

“Greg, I said it was okay. They’re cool, but…”

“Loud? Yeah, well, that’s just them. Tyler was a little quieter tonight though.”

Nick nods and takes a deep breath. He knows he should probably get out of the car and into his own, wish Greg and good night and tell him he’ll see him in the morning.

Because he really did have a good time, once he opened up a bit, and yeah okay he was a little bothered by how touchy Alec was with Greg, but halfway through the night Alec seemed to have lost interest to his beer.

They remind Nick a little of friends he had back in Dallas because he did have a friend like Alec who was loud and drank too much, but could still go to work and be totally competent. And a friend like Tyler who was bogged down with a new wife and a mortgage, yet he still found time to go out with his friends.

Greg’s different though and Nick can’t honestly tell why. He’s smart and serious, but he’s fun to be around too. And he was the first person to actually make an attempt to make Nick feel like he was welcome.

“So… you coming in tomorrow?” Greg asks.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I… I have to work.”

“Just sounded like you were ready to bolt.”

Nick sighs and smiles a bit nervously.

“Whoa… didn’t think I was that transparent.”

“You’re not, I’m just really good at reading people.” Greg says as he turns his head toward Nick and smiles.

Nick can’t help smile back at Greg. It was the first thing he noticed when he first spotted Greg staring at him in his lab. He’s got straight teeth and they’re white, but there’s something about the way his eyes twinkle and light up when he smiles.

“I… um… I think I’ll tough it out. Doesn’t seem too bad.” Nick says eyes staring at Greg's mouth.

There’s long seconds of silence between them and Greg’s smile vanishes from his face and is replaced with something more serious. He closes his lips and swallows a bit before opening them again.

And when he leans in and kisses Nick, it’s hard for Nick to think that this is a bad idea. Because it is. They have to work together and Nick does not want to start his first job away from off with an office romance.

But Greg has soft lips and they’re pressing against Nick’s and Nick doesn’t ever remember liking kissing quite this much. So he goes with it, kisses Greg back and when Greg pulls away he actually moves forward to try and catch Greg’s lips.

“This is a bad idea.” Greg whispers between them.

“Yeah it is.” Nick whispers back.

“You know I’m about this close to not caring and inviting you back to my place.”

“I’d turn you down.” Nick says.

Greg frowns, pout firmly on his face and Nick almost has to physically stop himself from leaning forward again to kiss Greg.

“You would?”

“Not just because this is a bad idea, but also because I don’t really put out on the first date.”

“Sensibilities, huh. Man you really are from the South.”

Nick smiles.

“So, what happens now.”

Greg’s lips purse and he looks as though he’s in deep thought. Nick waits for him to speak.

“Well, we could pretend it didn’t happen. Go on working together and letting the sexual tension fester.”

Nick scrunches up his nose.

“Yeah, I don’t like that idea either, but I don’t think you’re going to like the other options.”

“Probably not.”

“So… festering sexual tension. That could be…”

“Lousy?”

“I was going to go with interesting. You never know though. Maybe after you’ve gotten more comfortable and we both know this isn’t a lust thing…”

“Maybe then, huh.”

“Yeah… maybe then.”

Three Months Later

“So I told him, it’s not my problem if he thought this was a commitment thing. I mean, I never said anything like that.”

Nick rolls his eyes because everyone should know that about Alec. The guy’s looking for fun and not a relationship, but Nick can’t really blame the guys that hang all over him hoping for a little bit more.

He’s gotten to know Alec a bit more, he’s gotten to know them all a bit more and, with the exception of Anna, he really likes all of them. Alec was a bit much in the beginning, but he’s gotten used to him over the past months. He really clicks well with Tyler, who watches sports and complains about how lax gun laws are becoming.

He likes Sara and her professional attitude at work and her sense of humor that’s dry and just a little biting. She can call someone stupid and smile at the same time till that person is smiling back at her like he didn’t just get insulted.

He’s been unable to figure Kyle out because the guy is in his head most of the time, but he enjoys working with him. Kyle has this way of knowing what everyone’s thinking and solving cases faster than Nick remembers anyone solving cases.

Carl’s good as a boss. Firm when he needs to be, but pretty lax other than that. He’s the kind of guy that has a family and smiles warmly at everyone and puts the cases behind him with an ease that Nick envies.

Then there’s Greg. Nick spends more time with Greg than anyone else and he’s aware that the attraction is still there, that it’s been lingering since that kiss in Greg’s car, but neither one is entirely ready to take it any further.

It sucks sometimes when Nick’s feeling lonely or there’s a case that just can’t get out of his head and he wishes for a warm body next to his, but he knows this is probably the best idea. He doesn’t want to rush into a relationship only to have it fail and be reminded of it everyday until one of them gives in and quits.

“You told him before hand that it wasn’t anything like that right.” Nick asks.

“Come on, Nick, you know that’s like the prerequisite talk before I sleep with anyone. Guess he thought it’d be different with him.”

“I don’t know. He seemed like a nice guy.”

“You’re one of those guys that looks for the perfect relationship, aren’t you.”

Nick rolls his eyes.

“Is it so bad to want someone to come home to every night. Someone you know is going to be there.”

“I’ve tried that. It didn’t work out very well. I kept having to explain why I was so upset all the time. You know the job.”

Nick nods. He’s had relationships that ended because of the job, more so when he was a cop then when he was a CSI, but he gets what Alec is talking about. Get’s that it’s hard to keep any sort of relationship when you have to punch the wall every now and again.

“You’re probably right.”

“Tyler keeps saying that I don’t know what I’m missing, but I think that’s the standard response from someone who’s married. And Julie just loves trying to set me up with some of her friends.”

“She really shouldn’t.”

“Maybe you could convince her to set you up with some of her friends.”

Nick shakes his head.

“Not ready for a relationship.”

“Right. You’ve been here three months and I’ve never seen you hook up with anyone. Not even a one nightstand. Please don’t tell me it’s because you’re from the south.”

“One big change at a time. I just started getting comfortable here.”

“Hmm… I don’t think you’re being entirely truthful with me here Nick.”

“I am.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at Greg.”

Nick sighs and starts to walk away.

“And?” He says.

“Greg looks at you the same way.”

“And?”

“Greg’s hot, okay. I’m not blind.”

“Really?”

“I’d never… you know… with him.”

“And why is that?”

“Well it certainly isn’t just because we work together. He’s my friend, has been for a long time now. I’m not looking to ruin that.”

“Maybe that’s my thinking too.” Nick says.

“You started out looking at each other like that. I just don’t know why you haven’t acted on it.”

Nick stops, Alec stopping a few seconds after him and he looks at Alec, very seriously and clears his throat.

“I don’t want to ruin anything.”

“You’ll never know until you try.”

Nick glares at him.

“Can we just drop it?”

“Sure, I’m just saying… don’t wait too long.”

~*~

“You know it’s totally not fair that those two guys are gay.” Amber says.

“Don’t you have something to process.”

“Yeah, Anna’s stuff. I’m thinking I’ll tell her it was contaminated.”

“That’s unethical in more ways then I can count.”

Amber rolls her eyes.

“I’ll processes it and give her the results and fake smile as she pats me on the head.” She says.

“Seems like the best way to go about things.”

“God, I hate having to bend over backward for that women. Like I don’t have enough issues in my life, she’s gotta be a bitch on top of everything else.”

“It’s her way.” Greg says as he picks up the swab of blood Sara gave him for compassion against her suspect.

“So what’s up with you and Nick?”

“What do you mean, what’s up?”

“I mean what’s up. How come you haven’t jumped him yet.”

Greg rolls his eyes.

“Because I’m a professional.”

“Bullshit, what’s the real reason.”

“I just told you the real reason. Office romances get… sticky.”

“You’re stopping yourself because office romances get sticky. That’s a stupid reason.”

“It’s my reason.”

“Did he turn you down?”

Greg rolls his eyes.

“No, he didn’t. We both agreed that this was what was best.”

“Wait, he admitted to wanting to jump your bones but you mutually decided not to. Are you insane?”

“Look, this works. He’s a good friend. I like that about him.”

“I’m sure there are other things you’d like just as much, if not more, about him.”

“Drop it Amber.”

She rolls her eyes and sighs what Greg thinks is her attempt at a put upon sigh and waves her hand.

“Fine.”

~*~

“So, long day?” Nick asks.

Greg shrugs his shoulders and pulls out his jacket from his locker.

“I guess.”

“Wanna go out for a beer?”

Greg quirks his lips and shrugs his shoulders again.

“I guess.”

“You don’t sound so enthusiastic.”

“Sorry, I am. Beer sounds good.”

“Great we can…”

“Oh My God! Did you hear?”

Nick looks over to his side to see Alec standing there looking utterly flustered and pissed off.

“What?” Greg asks.

He’s a lot more used to Alec’s weird outbursts than Nick is, but Nick tries to look concerned and interested.

“Julie’s pregnant.” Alec says as he kicks his locker.

“Really. Huh, Tyler didn’t say anything.” Greg says.

“I know. He just told me. Apparently she’s been this way for four months now and he didn’t want to jinx anything by telling everyone.” Alec says as he angrily opens his locker, the door smashing against the other lockers.

“What’s so bad about Julie being pregnant?” Nick asks, but Greg gives him a look that means shut up and he’ll explain everything later.

“I need a drink. Several drinks. You have to go out with me tonight, Greg.” Alec says, distress clear in his voice.

“Well I was going to go out with Nick.” Greg says.

Alec utters something that sounds suspiciously like of course and sighs.

“You don’t mind me tagging along, do you Nick?”

“No, of course not.” Nick says shaking his head.

“Great. Let’s get plastered.”

~*~

“So, you’re telling me that Alec is in love with Tyler.”

“Yup, tragic isn’t it. Like something straight out of a soap opera.”

“But… I… they’re… Tyler’s straight.” Nick says.

He’s a little confused with the situation and a lot uncomfortable with the bar they’re at. It’s clearly a gay club, not that he has anything against that, but it’s a little more loose than the clubs Nick would usually go to.

“The heart really doesn’t care. Anyway, Julie’s nice enough, but even I didn’t think the marriage was going to last all that long. Now with a kid in the picture…”

“But Alec… I mean he never thought… I mean he knew…”

“He knows Tyler will never love him like that. Hasn’t even told Tyler about it. He got so drunk at their wedding that I had to haul him off before he did anything stupid.”

“Geez, that’s a messed up situation.”

“Tell me about it.” Greg says as he takes another drink from his beer.

They’ve been there for a little over two hours, most of that time Greg spent getting Nick caught up on the office drama that revolved around Alec and Tyler. He’s seen Alec maybe twice throughout the whole night and both times he looked very drunk.

Nick’s a little worried about him. Worried that he’s going to do something incredibly stupid in his brooding state. Greg doesn’t seem all that worried, but Nick’s been around long enough to know that Greg’s always worried about Alec and he’s just learned how to keep it from being too obvious.

“Maybe we should haul him home now.” Nick says.

“He’s fine. He’ll come back when he’s spun out.”

“He get’s high?”

Nick thinks it probably shouldn’t come as that big a shock, but with the random drug testing that the crime lab likes to perform, he thought Alec would a little more careful than that.

“No, probably fucked, but not high.”

Nick blushes a little at that, but hides it was a clearing of his throat.

“I haven’t seen him in awhile. Maybe we should look for him?” Nick volunteers.

“I can.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll look for him.”

“Nick…”

“Look, I kind of understand what he’s going through. Maybe he won’t want to talk to me, but I think you’re a little too close to the problem.”

Greg smiles and shakes his head.

“Okay.”

~*~

Nick’s been gone for five minutes when Greg starts to get worried. It’s a pretty wild club and Nick’s always struck Greg as the type of person who didn’t do the big club scene. He sighs and he’s about ready to start looking for them when a guy, taller than Greg with light brown hair and a wide smile steps in front of him.

“Hi.” The guy says.

“Hi.” Greg says back, just to be polite.

“So, I was wondering if you’d let me buy you a drink.” The guy says, his smile widening and Greg smiles back.

“Um… I was actually on my way to go find two of my friends. I think they might need my help.”

“They’re grown ups right?”

“Yeah, but one’s a little down and the other doesn’t really do clubs.”

“Devoted friend. I like that. Well, my name’s Todd.” The guy says.

He pulls out a business car and hands it to Greg.

“Call me when you’re not around your friends.”

He smiles at Greg one more time before settling back into the crowd of the club. Greg looks down at the business card, teeth biting at his lower lip and he stuffs it into his pants before he heads off to find Nick and Alec.

~*~

Greg finds them in the bathroom, Alec puking his guts out and Nick stroking his back as he heaves. It took long minutes before Alec was able to stand up straight and the car ride to his house was made in silence as both Nick and Greg prayed he didn’t feel the urge to throw up in the car.

“What a night.” Nick says when they get to the crime lab.

The night shift is bustling around and Greg knows there’s probably going to be backlog for him to process in the morning.

“So, see you tomorrow?” Nick says.

Greg smiles, hand on the door and shakes his head. Nick smiles back at him as he gets out of his car. Greg watches Nick drive off and sighs.

Pulls out the business card from his pocket and stares at it for long minutes before putting it back in his pants and getting into his car.

“Could you stop being my shadow. Please. Only it’s starting to get annoying.”

Nick smiles at Alec, being sunglasses perched on his nose and it’s the first time in the months that Nick’s been working in San Francisco that Alec’s needed them. They went out again last night and Nick’s starting to think that Alec might have a problem with that. Only curves that thinking when he realizes they’re both relatively young and it is San Francisco.

Last night it was just Nick with Alec, Greg begging off by saying he was in desperate need of lost sleep and Nick had just smiled and said it was okay. He likes Alec and maybe he’s looking out for him because of everything, but that’s what friends do for each other.

“I’m just trying to make sure you’re alright.”

“I know Greg told you about my stupid crush. Look, I’m fine. So she’s pregnant. So he’s stuck with her. He’s straight. I’m very aware of this.”

“Doesn’t change things.” Nick says.

Alec frowns, eyebrows knot together and he sighs. Snaps a couple more pictures of their crime scene and looks over at Nick.

“No, it doesn’t.” He says plainly.

“I’m just worried man. I don’t want you to do anything stupid.” Nick says.

“Yeah, I know, you’ve told me. Look I’m not going to go out and have unprotected sex and snort drugs up my nose. I do work for the police. I’ve seen enough of that on the job.”

“Doesn’t matter. Look you go out and you get drunk and you think ‘hey I can handle this’ and then it’s one too many and you’re passed out, waking up with no memory of anything that happened before.”

“You just paint the loveliest picture of the world.” Alec says sarcastically.

“It’s the truth.”

Alec sighs again and nods his head.

“What if I said I wasn’t going to go out tonight?”

“I’d know you were lying horribly.”

Alec scowls.

“Fine. I guess we could go to the bar. Tyler won’t be there. I know this. He’s practicing being the perfect husband.” Alec says, sneering a bit at the end of his sentence.

“Cool. Then we’ll go out for some beers and then I’ll drive you home.”

“What, no Greg?”

“I asked. He had something to do with his parents.”

It’s the frown on Alec’s face that makes Nick doubt that statement. That and the fact that Greg had stumbled a little when he told him that he couldn’t go out, but Nick had chalked that up to Greg’s parents even though he didn’t know them.

“Erika and Charles have dinner with Greg on Tuesdays. It’s Thursday.”

“Maybe it’s something else?”

“I doubt that. Come on, Nick. You’ve been here a little over three months. You have to have the schedule down in your head by now.”

He had, and that was another thing that made him question, but he trusted Greg. There really wasn’t any reason to lie about it, but now Nick has to wonder.

“Well that’s what he said.”

“Sounds fishy to me.”

“Does it matter? I mean he’s free to do whatever he wants.”

Alec raises an eyebrow at that.

“Yes, of course, except…”

“There’s no except.”

“Defensive is not a good look on you Nick.”

“Can we drop it.”

“Sure… I’m just saying…”

“Well don’t just say.”

Nick sounds a little angry, even to his own ears and Alec backs away holding up his hands in mock surrender.

“Fine, just… maybe you waited too long.”

Nick sighs because the thought has crossed his mind. All the times they’ve been out and guys have hit on Greg and Nick’s not blind. He knows Greg’s good looking, really good-looking, but Greg’s always turned them away. Has always smiled brightly at them, that smile that makes Nick feel like he’s the only guy in the room, and told them ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

He’s not stupid. He certainly didn’t expect Greg to wait forever, but he’s always thought that maybe Greg would. That they’d both get to the point where everything wasn’t so new and then things would progress.

“Maybe.”

“You can’t tell me that doesn’t piss you off.”

Nick thinks Alec probably gets it more than anyone else does and Nick sighs.

“Maybe.”

~*~

“Has he said anything to you?”

Greg bites his lip because Tyler’s a great CSI, probably the best in the lab next to Kyle though no one can really beat Kyle, but it’s surprising how oblivious he can be to the things in the world that didn't involve yellow tape and blood.

“Um… just, you know. The usually. I’m losing my best friend to breeder-dom.”

“Well that’s ridiculous. I mean, if he asked I’d go out with him. But him and Nick seem to be excellent buddies nowadays and I just…”

“Look, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s Alec. He’s got his issues. In no time he’ll have you following him blindly into something stupid. He’s just… going through something.”

“He used to tell me about that kind of stuff.”

“Maybe you can’t relate.”

“I’d try.”

“But you wouldn’t get it. Nick… Nick gets it I guess.”

Tyler sighs and nods his head. He looks like a guy who just lost his best friend and Greg knows how true that statement is. Still, Alec’s not going to give Tyler up, even if it does mean heartache and Greg’s pretty sure that he was speaking the truth when he said Alec would be fine in no time.

Not really fine, but he’ll have pushed his issues to the back of his mind because Greg knows losing Tyler would be like losing a limb to Alec.

“Does it bother you that he spends so much time with Nick?”

“No, why would it?”

“Well I mean Alec’s… Alec. And Nick… I mean I don’t know him that well but…”

Somewhere in the middle of Tyler’s fumbling Greg got it. Got what he was trying to say and he frowns a little at that. Because Nick made it clear that offices romances weren’t his kind of thing, they both had and they’d agreed not to, so Greg’s pretty sure that Nick hasn’t started anything with Alec.

And he’s pretty sure Alec wouldn’t do anything either. He likes Nick as a friend, Greg knows that and Alec’s not the kind of guy to go around sleeping with his friends.

But they have been around each other lately. If you’re looking for Nick you really should look for Alec too and Greg’s not sure how he feels about that. Knows that Nick’s probably just trying to help Alec through this, but Greg has to wonder if there’s something more.

“If they are, it’s not my business.”

“Oh, I just thought… I mean you and Nick… I thought you guys were, you know… together.” Tyler says, confusion clear on his face.

“No.”

“Oh… see this is what happens when Alec’s not around to keep me updated. I thought for sure the two of you were together.”

“Were not.”

Tyler nods.

“Well then I guess that means Alec’s free to do whatever with him.”

It makes Greg’s stomach twist up into knots to hear that, but he’s not really one to talk. Knows that later tonight he has a date, his second with Todd from the club and he clearly remembers lying to Nick when asked if he wanted to go with him and Alec to the bar.

So he doesn’t have any room to say anything, but it still makes him sick to think about it and he hopes to God that Alec isn’t trying to move in.

He could hit himself for even thinking it because it’s not Alec’s style and he’s pretty sure it’s not Nick’s either.

“You know Alec. He doesn’t get involved with his friends. He just has things in common with Nick. I mean it’s okay for him to go out and make other friends right?” Greg says.

“Yeah, I guess. Just wish he wasn’t leaving his old friends in the dust.”

Tyler pouts and little and wonder, for not the first time since he’s learned of the whole Alec and Tyler drama, if Tyler would be willing to go gay for Alec. Scraps the thought because it’s just so unlikely and not at the same time that Greg doesn’t even want to contemplate it.

“Trust me. He’ll come around.”

~*~

“So, Mindy, got anything for me.” Nick asks, smile on his face and Mindy, the receptionist, smiles at him.

“Nick, you charmer. Shouldn’t smile like that if you don’t really mean it.” She says lightly.

Nick laughs and watches as she shifts around looking for something.

“You had a message here. I think it was from your mom. You really should think about calling here more often.” Mindy says.

“Yeah, I would, but… busy.”

“Excuses, excuses. Anyway, Alec also told me to tell you that he’ll meet you at the bar. He got his clothes dirty during his case today and he wanted to go home and
change before your little get together.”

Nick nods.

“Ah, here it is.” Mindy says handing him a post-it.

He looks at the number and knows it’s from his mother. The message says urgent.

“Urgent?”

“That’s all she said. I got the feeling that she wanted to tell you the information herself.”

“Yeah okay.”

“Nick, tell me you’re going to call her back. That’s the three time in a row.”

“Yeah, I’ll call her back just for you?” Nick says.

He’s laying on the charm a little thick and Mindy just rolls her eyes.

“It’s sad how utterly and completely useless that charm is.”

Nick laughs again.

“Um… excuse me. Could one of you tell me where I can find Greg Sanders?”

Nick turns around and is faced with a guy smiling too bright and totally straight teeth. He’s taller than Nick and he’s wearing a suit. He looks to be about Nick’s age, hair a little lighter and eyes a bright green. He looks extremely professional and for a second Nick thinks he might be a prosecutor.

Except Mindy looks confused about who he is as well and Mindy knows just about everyone who comes in and out of the crime lab on a regular basis.

“May I ask why you’re inquiring?” Mindy says not skipping a beat on the professionalism.

The guy’s smile just gets wider and he tilts his head at her.

“My name’s Todd Jamieson. I’m… I’m supposed to be taking Greg out for a date tonight. I'm a little early.” He says, smile getting a little self-deprecating and Nick thinks that’s totally on purpose.

Mindy frowns.

“Um, I could page him.”

“If you could just tell me where he is…”

“People really aren’t allowed to wander around the crime lab.” Nick says.

There’s a little anger behind it and he watches as Todd frowns a little.

“Nick’s right. I’d have to page him.” Mindy says.

It’s clear that she’s on his side and Nick thinks that’s the way it should be. He’s been charming Mindy since his first day here and, though she immediately took a shine to him, Nick knows that’s not how she is with everyone.

He gets a sick little thrill at the thought that Todd can try the charm all he wants and Mindy’s never going to fall for it.

Doesn’t make him feel better about Greg lying to him or Greg having a date, but he thinks that’s what going to a bar and getting drunk it for and he’s relieved he had plans with Alec to go out and do just that.

“Well, Mindy, it’s been fun.”

She smiles at him as he leaves and he doesn’t look back to see Todd battles with her to just tell him where Greg is. Doesn’t matter anyway. He doesn’t want to think about it. Doesn’t want to remember any of it and he knows that he’s going to get hammered tonight and possibly tell Alec about the whole thing.

Anything that’ll erase the eager look on Todd’s face when he said he had date with Greg will suit Nick just fine.

Greg walks over to the front desk after hearing the page for him. He’s not entirely sure who it could be, but he rushes through his tests anyway, putting the samples through the various machines that will take a few minutes before he’s got the results.

He stops, eyes widening just a little bit, when he sees Todd standing there, clean blue suit and bright smile in Greg’s direction. Mindy looks a bit pissed, but Greg’s a little shocked to take too much notice.

“Um… Todd… what are you doing here?”

“We have a date.”

“Uh… yeah… for seven. It’s six thirty.”

“Actually six forty-five and I know, I’m early. I just wanted to make sure you remembered.”

“I remembered it’s just that… I’m kind of working. I know I was a little late the last time, but my work’s a little hectic.”

“I understand that. I was just hoping I could maybe convince you to leave a little early.” He says smiling brightly.

Greg smiles nervously at him and he laughs a little.

“Um… well I just ran something so it’ll take a few minutes.”

“I can wait.”

“I think I might be under dressed.” Greg says.

Todd laughs a little at that and shakes his head.

“You’ll be fine. Just hurry up.”

“I’ll… um… try. It’s just I’ve gotta run this stuff for Alec, I told you about him. Anyway this could be the breakthrough in his case.”

“Alec went home.”

Greg looks over and sees Mindy smiling a bit sarcastically in Greg’s direction.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, he and Nick we’re going out to the bar. Gave Nick the message just a few minutes ago before he left.”

It’s her subtle way of telling Greg that Nick knows and that she doesn’t approve and Greg feels a little ill at ease knowing that he’s gotten himself on Mindy’s bad side.

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh. But I’d still get back to work, Sanders. Never know when something will pop up.” She says cryptically.

Greg can see Todd’s frown and he sighs.

“I’ll just get finished with this and put it in the shelf.”

“Yeah, okay… I’ll… um… wait.”

~*~

Nick downs the rest of his beer. He thinks it’s his fourth, but he can’t be too sure. He got over the shocked look on Alec’s face a long time ago. It’s been replaced with something kin to understanding and that just makes Nick want to drown himself in booze even more.

“I won’t say it.” Alec says.

“You’re dying to.” Nick slurs.

To Alec’s credit, he keeps it in. Doesn’t say the obligatory ‘I told you so’ and doesn’t point out the obvious. Just keeps ordering beers and drinking them right alongside Nick.

“I might be. But then I don’t have much room to talk do I. In love with a straight man here.”

“God, we’re so fucked up.”

“Eh, the company’s good.”

Nick snorts a little at that. Watches as the waitress comes over and asks if they want another drink and Nick’s gotta love that there’s not really a limit here. She smiles at him and Nick knows that she’s pretty. Long dark brown hair and sparkly brown eyes accentuated with black eyeliner.

She’s hit on him before and Nick’s always put on the charm, let her down gently and Nick thinks she knows it’s an exercise in futility. This is San Francisco and even though it’s not overrun with gay people like must people make it out to be, there’s a good percentage.

He’s seen her flirt with other cops and such that make it through the bar so he knows he’s not special because of it. Still doesn’t mean she’d go home with him the first chance she got.

“Least you’ve got the whole revolving door policy.”

“Don’t think you could take it for a spin?”

Nick pulls a face and Alec laughs at him. Takes a long swig from his beer that he hasn’t finished yet and slams it down.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“It’s just not my style.”

“No, it’s not. But you know it’s not such a bad life.”

“Still not my style.”

“You come to San Francisco. And openly gay man, I’m assuming here anyway. Or maybe you weren’t. Maybe you had to keep it a secret in Texas. Either way you come here and you aren’t the least bit interested in sowing wild oats?”

Nick picks at the label on his empty beer bottle and sighs.

“No.”

“Get out of here.”

“I’m serious.”

“How is that even possible?”

“I… I needed a change.”

“And the fact that San Francisco is like the gay Mecca never crossed your mind?”

Nick wants to be honest. Wants to tell him about his family and all that entails, but it makes him sound like he’s a stupid teenager and he doesn’t want to sound like a stupid teenager.

“It did.”

“There, now you’re being honest.”

“It did in the sense that it would royally piss my parents off.”

“You’re telling me you picked San Francisco to get back at your parents.”

“It sounds dumb.”

“Yes it does, but then again I know the kind of parents you’re talking about.”

“It’s not that they were bad or anything. It’s just that… the last of seven here. Six sisters and a brother and I was the last, the baby. They didn’t… let go very easily.”

“I have no idea what that’s like. Middle child here. Bracketed by an older brother who’s married with two kids and a landscaping business and a sister who’s doing Masters work.”

“See.”

“Yeah, yeah, I grew up in California and had pretty liberal parents and could never understand your pain. I get it.”

Nick just nods and Alec laughs a bit.

“I give it two months, maybe.”

Nick groans a little bit and sighs.

“I’d rather it ended now.”

“It could have been nothing if you’d have made a move.”

Nick looks up and scowls in Alec’s general direction.

“Don’t. I feel like enough of an idiot as it is.”

“Maybe if you confessed your undying love… he’d stop dating this Todd guy.”

“I’d have to be the biggest asshole in the world to do that.”

Alec picks up his beer, studies it for a few minutes before he takes a swig. Sets the bottle back down and stares at Nick, studies him really and Nick fidgets a bit under the intense gaze.

“If I were you, I’d rather be the biggest asshole in the world than lose out on the best thing that ever happened to me.”

~*~

“You look like you don’t want to be here.”

Greg looks up at the sound of the other voice, startled a bit out of his thoughts and he looks over at Todd who’s sitting across the table.

“What?”

“You’re distracted.”

“No I’m not.”

“I think you might be.”

Greg sighs.

“It’s just… I lied to some friends so I could be here.”

Todd leans back in his seat and looks Greg up and down.

“Really.”

“Yeah and one has been feeling really down lately. I blew them off yesterday.”

“Because you went out with me.”

Greg nods and he’s not sure what else he can say because not only is he admitting that he hasn’t exactly told his friends about Todd, but he knows that he doesn’t sound the least bit guilty about it.

“Well it sounds like there’s two of them. Maybe they can help each other out.” Todd says as he smiles in Greg’s direction.

“I guess. I just…”

“You feel bad. It’s nice that you care about them so much. If you want we can take a rain check…”

It’s a perfect out and Greg thinks maybe he should take it. Leave and not return Todd’s calls and Todd would get it. He’d move on, he’s a good looking guy after all, but Greg likes him.

Maybe not as much as Nick and that just feels wrong. Feels like Todd’s just a stand in guy and Greg knows that that’s not all that fair to Todd, but he’s getting a little tired of waiting around for something to be the right time with Nick.

Amber would say that he shouldn’t have waited in the first place and Greg thinks that maybe he agrees with her. They’re in a weird spot now. Close friends with just a little bit standing in the way of making it more and this is all a part of what they agreed to.

Agreed to waiting until they’re both totally sure and Greg’s starting to wonder if that’s ever going to happen. Starting to wonder if it’s ever going to be the right time to make a move.

“No… no, it’s okay.” Greg says as he smiles.

And he feels just a little guilt when Todd smiles back at him.

“You want me to be your kid’s godfather.” Alec says as he snaps a picture of their crime scene.

Nick shares a smile with Sara who’s dusting for fingerprints on the other side of the counter in the hotel room their processing.

“Who else would I get?” Tyler asks as he shifts around the sheets.

The victims were found naked and dead in the bed, both facing each other and the blood had stained the sheets a dark red. The coroner had already taken the bodies to the morgue so it was all a matter of taking pictures and piecing together evidence.

“I don’t know. Isn’t that the type of thing you give to relatives?” Alec asks.

It’s clear to Nick that Alec doesn’t want the job, probably because he doesn’t think that he’d be good at it. Tyler seems oblivious though.

“I’m an only child, Alec.”

“Yeah, but Julie… she’s gotta have family.”

Tyler scowls at him.

“Yes, two sisters and a younger brother. You met them at the wedding.”

“Ah but you forget that he consumed more alcohol that night than any frat boy at a party.” Sara says, sly smile on her face.

Alec glares at her and she just rolls her eyes.

“Ty, think about it. Godparents have to take the kids if the parents bite the dust. Do you really want to leave such a thing up to me? The guy who forgot that he had a fish and starved it to death.” Alec says.

“Whoa, I’m glad it wasn’t a dog.” Nick says jokingly.

“Ever the fucking comedian, Stokes.”

It’s said dryly, but Nick can hear the banter behind Alec’s words so he doesn’t let it get to him.

He’s been hanging around Alec a lot more lately, Tyler sometimes showing up and Sara’s even gone out with them once or twice and put them both to shame in the drinking and getting up to do your job department.

Nick’s not stupid. He knows it has to do with the fact that Greg’s been blowing them off for the past two weeks, secretively and they’ve all started to speculate. Nick knows the truth and he's just a little interested in why Greg hasn’t just come out and said he’s dating someone.

“Anyway, should you be worrying about this stuff right now. I mean has the kid even started kicking yet.”

“Fetal movement occurs between 7-8 weeks, but you can’t feel it. Women usually start to feel it somewhere around the 16th week.” Nick says absently.

He feels the eyes on him and looks up to see the curious faces of his colleagues.

“I have six older sisters. All of them have kids. I know a thing or two. That and it’s basic biology.” Nick says defensively.

“To answer your question, he started kicking a week ago.” Tyler says.

“He?” Alec asks.

“Ultrasound. We had to know. It’s a boy.”

Tyler says it so excitedly and Nick knows that Alec feels a little bad for the wince he can’t entirely hide. Tyler doesn’t see it though, but Nick shares a look with Sara and he knows that she knows.

He thinks it’s possible that everyone but Tyler knows.

“Well, then, congratulations are in order than. A drink at the bar maybe.” Alec says.

Nick has to admire how good he’s being. He hadn’t thought that Alec was going to get over it, but Alec kept reassuring him that it would happen. Nick’s positive that the feelings are still there, buried under the multitude of layers that make up Alec’s messed up life, but he doesn’t say anything.

Doesn’t pour out his soul to Tyler and smiles when Tyler readily agrees to go out to the bar with all of them.

Doesn’t even bat an eyelash when Tyler asks if they could make it a restaurant so Julie can go too.

~*~

“So… those are your results.” Greg says handing the sheet to Kyle.

He studies them for a few seconds before sighing.

“Are you sure?” Kyle asks, his voice low and hushed and the look in his eyes makes Greg doubt that the results are true.

“Um… I ran it twice just like you asked. Something not adding up.”

“Well… all of my physical evidence points to the husband… except this of course.” Kyle says.

Greg’s been working with Kyle long enough to know that if he’s looking at someone already, it’s usually that person who turns up to be the bad guy.

“You sure? I thought he had an alibi.”

“It was weak. So very weak.” Kyle says.

He’s a little lost in his own world as he stares at the sheet of paper in front of him as though he were willing the results to change.

“Maybe you could make a case with just the evidence you have. I mean who knows what could have been going on that she got someone else’s DNA inside her.”

“Yes, but DNA… people like DNA. Figure it means everything. You can have all the fingerprints and bullet analysis tests, but DNA’s where it’s at.”

Greg smiles a bit at that because that isn’t Kyle trying to be cool. That’s Kyle just being Kyle and most people wouldn’t be able to follow his train of thought even if they tried. Greg’s not sure if he should be pleased or disturbed that he can.

“Well, bring me something else and we’ll see what happens.”

“I’m working with Anna tonight if you hadn’t noticed. She’s going to take this to mean that it’s not the husband and move on.”

Greg nods because he understands what Kyle’s not saying. He’s not saying ‘don’t give Anna the results, please, even if it means she chews your ass out’. Because Greg likes Kyle and he’s pretty sure that if Kyle’s going one way it usually means it’s the right way, he’s willing to do it.

“No one but you, Kyle.” Greg says with a smile.

“I hope your talking about work related stuff.”

Greg looks up to see Todd standing in the doorway of his lab, hair a little messier than usual and he’s finally in something that’s not a suit.

“Um… what are you doing back here.”

“That Mindy lady must not be on tonight. It was a blonde girl. I asked and she said it was okay.”

“It’s not.” Kyle says impassively.

Todd smiles at him and shakes his head.

“Are you sure?”

“Would you like me to outline the reasons as to why we don’t ever have non-authorized personnel in the labs. You look like a smart guy. I think you can figure it out for yourself… unless you can’t.” Kyle says.

He’s not trying to be mean. The condescending tone is just how he talks, but Todd stiffens at it and crosses his arms over his chest.

“I’m just here to take Greg out to lunch.” Todd says defensively.

“Then you should probably wait in the waiting area. It’s what it’s there for.”

Todd looks over at Greg, like he’s expecting Greg to say something and Greg’s not entirely sure what he’s supposed to say. Not exactly sure if he’d say the right thing or not. And he likes Kyle and it’s not like Kyle’s wrong.

“Right, waiting area.” Todd says, his voice a little angry.

“No, look, I’m done anyway. You have your results, so I’ll just take my lunch now.” Greg says.

He starts to take of his lab coat, Kyle eyeing him suspiciously before he shrugs and walks out of the door.

“Sorry about that.” Greg says.

“No, it’s okay, I guess. Everyone’s very professional here.”

“You have to get that at your job, right?” Greg says with a smile.

“Well, were strict in the office and the courtroom I guess. We don’t have anything there that can be contaminated so I guess were a little more loose on some things.”

“Kyle’s just really professional about things.” Greg says as he takes off his latex gloves and throws them in the waste basket.

He straightens out his clothes, gives Todd his best smile and walks past him.

“So… where are you taking me.” Greg asks as the walk toward the entrance of the crime lab.

“Well I was thinking about this cool little place that I…”

“Oh man you look like someone took a big shit all over you!”

“This is your fault. This is all your fault. You freaking drew the short straw and you know it.”

Greg smiles a bit when present with the sight of an arguing Tyler and Alec. Tyler’s got icky brown stuff all over himself and Alec’s pointing and laughing hysterically. He sees Sara and Nick trying to suppress laughter and Kyle watching in interest.

“Come on, it’s not that bad. A quick shower and you’ll be right as rain.”

“I smell, Alec.”

“Well, duh, you were in a storm drain.”

Tyler’s scowl deepens.

“This is why I’m such a good friend. Nick wouldn’t go down there and Sara said hell no and it was you who was supposed to go down there, but you started complaining about your fucking clothes.”

“It’s not that bad.” Nick says.

Tyler turns to glare at him and Nick holds up his hands in mock surrender.

“Perhaps you should take this argument outside. Only this is a crime lab and we want to at least try and maintain the image that we’re respectable.” Kyle grumbles.

Tyler glares at him too, but it doesn’t really affect Kyle.

“Well if it isn’t Sanders.” Alec says when he looks up and spots Greg.

He watches as Tyler turns around and Sara and Nick’s eyes find him. He smiles nervously and waves.

“Guys.”

“Well where the fuck have you been.” Alec says.

“Place of employment, Alec.” Kyle says.

“Oh, right, I’m sorry. Excuse my French. It’s just I thought old Greg here was dead.”

“You turned in evidence to me yesterday.” Greg says rolling his eyes.

“Okay I thought your social life was dead. So, let me guess, this is Todd.” Alec says.

He walks over to where Greg and Todd are standing, gets in Todd’s face and studies him closely before shining his trademark smirk.

“Cute.” He says to Greg.

“How…”

“Greg, this is the crime lab. The walls have ears.” Sara says.

Greg would believe her too, because in the crime lab the walls do have ears. It’s the way Nick’s not looking at him, blushing a little bit and he remembers what Mindy said about Nick being there when Todd should up the first time. Greg thinks Nick’s talked with them about it and Greg’s not sure how to feel about that.

These are his friends, at least they were and now they’re listening to Nick talk about things, what Greg’s not sure.

“That and I paid Amber in Crunch bars for the information. You should keep track of your loyalties my man.” Alec says, smirk still on his face.

“Well, this isn’t the way I’d like to have met all of you, but I guess I’ll take what I can get.” Todd says a bit too earnestly.

He holds out his hand for Alec to shake it and Alec raises an eyebrow at that.

“Yeah, sure.” Alec says giving Todd’s hand a slight shake before going back to the group.

“Well, you kids have fun.” Alec says.

Greg wants to glare at him for his attitude, but he thinks Todd will notice and the last thing he wants is Todd asking questions. He thinks he might have a few to answer when they get to actually having lunch.

“Hey, Greg, we’re going out tonight to Bennie’s. If you guys want to join…” Tyler trails off.

Greg sees the barely there glares that Alec, Sara, and even Kyle shoot him. Watches as Nick looks away, seemingly finding the wall behind Sara’s head fascinating.

“I don’t…”

“Sure, we’ll go. I mean I’d like to get to know all of you a little better… if that’s alright with Greg.” Todd says.

He smiles at Greg and it’s hard for Greg to say no because it would be rude to his friends and to Todd. He knows it’s going to be awkward with Nick there and maybe that should give him some indication of the things left unsaid between them, but it just hurts his brain to think about it all for too long.

He’s almost got himself convinced that not waiting forever is a good idea. He honestly thought that Nick would have made a move by now if he were still interested. But then again it’s Nick and Nick isn’t one to just make moves and Greg knows this.

“Um… I guess.”

“Great, that’s awesome.” Tyler says happily.

Alec looks like he’s going to smack him and possibly Greg, but Greg says nothing and neither does Alec.

“Well we really have to go. See you all later.” Todd says wrapping his arm around Greg’s waist to guide him out of the crime lab.

Greg doesn’t have to turn around to feel the glares on his back. He just knows that they’re there.

Nick looks around the restaurant. He’s hoping that Greg and Todd won’t show up because he’s not too sure he can deal with the both of them. Seeing them together, as a couple because that’s what couples do. They go out with their friends and have a good time and laugh and smile and Nick’s not ready for that.

Not ready to see Greg happy with someone else, someone who isn’t him.

Alec says it’s his fault. He waited too long. He should have stepped in when there was still a chance and now he didn’t have one so he just had to live with it.

He’s fine living with it… as long as it’s not paraded around in his face.

“Tyler’s an ass.” Alec whispers to him.

He sees Tyler and Julie walk through the door to the restaurant, both looking exceedingly happy and he knows that the ass comment has more to do with that then with the whole inviting Greg thing.

“This is the reason he wanted a restaurant instead of drinks.” Alec whispers harshly.

“Yeah. You gonna be okay.” Nick asks.

“It’s not like I haven’t had dinner with them a million times since he married her. I’m fine. The question is… are you gonna be?” Alec asks.

“Will you two stop whispering like girls. It’s rude.” Sara says from across the table.

“Sorry, Sidle. Didn’t know you were so touchy.” Alec says.

Sara rolls her eyes.

“If the both of you get so drunk I have to take you home, I’m kicking both your asses.” Sara says.

“Well, then, Kyle here can take us home.” Alec says, smirk on his face.

Kyle raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Just picks up his glass of water and takes a sip.

“What makes you think I’m not drinking tonight?” Kyle says quietly.

“Oh, bad case. I heard you were working with Anna today. That’s gotta be harsh.” Alec says.

“The worst thing…”

“Hi guys. How are you?” Julie says.

She’s bright and smiling, happy looking in a shirt-dress and fashionably styled hair. She’s pretty, not overtly so, but she fits with Tyler. At least physically.

“Good.” They all answer.

Her smile doesn’t waiver and Tyler pulls out her seat for her. She miles warmly at him before she sits down. He pushes the chair in for her and pulls out his own seat. Sits down and smiles at everyone.

“So, celebration time.” Tyler says.

“Sure, of course. Only, Sanders and the new boy toy aren’t here.” Alec says.

“Are you going to keep calling him the new boy toy?”

“Well not to his face.” Alec says.

Tyler rolls his eyes and folds his hands in front of him.

“Greg has a new boyfriend. That’s nice.” Julie says.

“You’d think so wouldn’t you.” Alec says a bit cryptically.

Nick stomps on his foot and glares at him.

“Ow, really, was that necessary.”

“Shut up.” Nick says.

They glare at each other for a few moments before Tyler clears his throat.

“We’re not here to argue about that stuff. We’re here to celebrate.”

“Right, how could I forget.” Alec says rolling his eyes.

Everyone’s quiet for a second before Alec bangs his hand on the table. Everyone jumps a bit and Alec just smiles.

“So, you were saying about working with Anna, Kyle?”

~*~

“So does Alec act that way with everyone or am I special.” Todd asks.

They’re standing in front of the restaurant, Greg fidgeting a little and he knows he shouldn’t be nervous, but these are his friends. He knows them and he knows that Alec’s going to be insufferable, Tyler will try and stop him, but Kyle will be the one to succeed for some odd reason. If he’s lucky, Sara won’t join in, but Greg’s never been that lucky. Julie will sit there staring off blankly and Nick… he’s not sure what Nick will do.

“He’s a bit much sometimes, but it’s just because he’s trying to be a good friend.”

“I get the feeling he doesn’t like me at all.”

“He doesn’t know you.”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t dislike me.”

Greg bites at his bottom lip because Alec doesn’t need to know people to dislike them. And he’s stubborn too. If he doesn’t like you from the beginning then he’ll never like you if he so chooses.

“Look, don’t let Alec get to you. He’s going through a rough time right now.”

Todd straightens out his tie and nods.

“I really wish you would have changed.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re gonna eat you alive when you go in there dressed in a suit. Bennie’s isn’t exactly a suit and tie kind of establishment.” Greg says as they walk through the front door.

“Hey Greg. They’re waiting for you.” The hostess says with a smile on her face.

She picks up two more menus and Todd and Greg follow her.

“I like suits. That’s not a bad thing.” Todd says.

“I know, but this is supposed to be a celebration. That means casual.” Greg says.

“Maybe this is casual for me.” Todd says.

Greg rolls his eyes.

“Sure.” He says softly.

Spots everyone sitting at the table, laughing and talking and you’d have to know Alec really well to know that he’s irritated with the whole thing.

The probably is, Greg isn’t the only one who notices. Every once in awhile Sara will look over as well as Kyle who’s a little more subtle about it. But it’s Nick, Nick who’s sitting right next to Alec with a serious expression on his face even as Tyler tells some joke.

He tries not to let it get to him. He’s dating someone else and if Nick wants to date Alec then that’s his problem. Thinks that it might be better, but he knows Alec and he knows a little something about Nick and he just can’t believe that they’re really dating.

“Hey guys.” Greg says.

“Hey it’s Greg. Nick, look it’s Greg.” Alec says pushing at Nick’s chest.

“How many has he had?” Greg asks.

“A few.” Nick answers.

“He’s not so bad.” Tyler says.

Greg has to wonder if Tyler knows how delusional he sounds as he sits in his seat. Todd takes a seat next to him and gives Greg a smile and Alec burps loudly.

Greg just knows it’s going to be a long night.

~*~

“Psst.” Alec whispers into Nick’s ear.

He’s closer than he needs to be and it took Nick all of five seconds to figure out what he was doing.

“What?” Nick whispers back.

“Let’s go outside really quick. Smoke break.”

“I don’t smoke.”

“Yeah, but I do and you need to get away from the cutesy couple as much as I do.” Alec says.

“I don’t…”

Nick’s sentence gets cut off by a bread roll being thrown at his face.

“Sara.” Nick says.

“It’s rude.” She says again.

“Nick and I were just discussing a smoke break.” Alec says.

“Nick doesn’t smoke.” Greg asks with a confused look on his face.

“I know. He’s just going with me to make sure I stand up right.” Alec says.

He pulls Nick out of his seat and drags him to the front of the restaurant and out of the door. Drags him toward his car and pulls out his pack of cigarettes.

“How long before they send a search party?”

“I was dealing fine.”

“You were dealing as well as I was. I don’t understand why you don’t just tell him.” Alec says as he lights his cigarette.

“He’s happy.”

“He’s miserable. Did you see that guy? He’s wearing a suit. Gregory Sanders does not like men who wear suits. Probably thinks the two of us are fucking.”

“I’m not the kind of guy that just steals other guys away.”

“Why not? He’s probably half way in love with you anyway. He’s gonna get to that point where he can’t dump the suit for no reason and then he’s going to say and then the both of you are gonna be miserable.”

“Would you do it? Wait you didn’t do it so what makes you have the nerve to get all self righteous.”

“The thing with me and Tyler isn’t the same. Tyler’s straight and not in love with me. You, my friend, you don’t have that luxury. What I can’t figure out is why the hell you’re waiting.”

Nick just rolls his eyes.

“You think for one second… you think if I thought that Tyler was gay and that he was in love with me… you think I’d actually let that pass me by?” Alec says.

Nick takes a deep breath and sighs.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Not talking about it sure seems great.”

“Shut up.”

“You know, you could let the suit have him. We could hook up like the rumors that have been going around the crime lab have suggested. You’re certainly not bad to look at.”

“I didn’t get involved in one office romance that could have actually worked out.”

“Oh, but we’d be more of a friendship thing. Helping each other out. Maybe we’d be somewhat happy with each other and then Greg could ride off into the sunset with this Todd guy and Julie and Tyler could have a billion more kids.”

Nick walks over to where Alec is standing, pulls the pack of cigarettes out of his hand and pulls one out. Picks up the lighter and looks at it for a second before he lights it. Puts it up to his lips and takes a deep drag.

“That seems like an excellent plan.”

~*~

“They’ve been out there awhile. Maybe someone should go check on them.” Greg says.

They’ve been gone for fifteen minutes, not that he’s keeping track, but he can’t help but be a little worried… and annoyed.

“They’re fine. Alec probably wanted more than one cigarette.” Tyler says.

“It’s possible. Or Alec’s liver finally gave out and Nick had to drag him to a hospital.” Sara says dryly.

“Though Alec drinks a lot, the possibility that his liver would suddenly give out is about as likely as lightening striking someone in a car.” Kyle says.

“I was joking, Kyle.” Sara says.

“I wasn’t.” Kyle says.

Sara rolls her eyes.

“I wouldn’t be too worried. Nick knows what he’s doing with Alec. He’s had to deal with Alec for awhile now. They’ve been going out for awhile now.” Sara says.

“Going out?” Greg asks.

“Not out, out. At least I don’t think so.” Sara says.

“They do seem kind of close.” Todd says.

“Closer than anyone I’ve ever seen get with Alec.” Julie says with a bright smile on her face.

Like she just killed two birds with one stone.

“No, he would have told me if he was dating Nick.” Tyler says taking another drink from his soda.

“It’s not like it would be a bad thing if he was. Nick is a really nice guy. I’m sure Alec would be very happy with someone for a change.” Julie says.

“Alec’s happy when he’s miserable.” Tyler mutters.

“Oh you don’t know that.”

“Yes I do.”

“He could be just fine if he found the right person.”

“Alec doesn’t believe in right people.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” Tyler says.

Julie frowns at him, picks up her glass and takes a drink. She’s glaring at him and Greg can tell that everyone else feels just as uncomfortable.

And that’s when Alec and Nick decide to walk back in.

“What did we miss?”

~*~

Nick bundles Alec into his car. Puts on his seatbelt and sighs. After Tyler and Julie left he continued to drink. He had started talking then, nonsensical angry words that didn’t make much sense to anyone else, but Nick got.

“He okay?” Greg asks.

Nick looks up. He can see Todd standing a few feet away looking a bit irritated. Nick has a moment to be happy about that before he looks back at Greg.

“He’ll live.”

“He seemed like he was getting better about the whole thing.”

“Kinda hard to get better when the thing that’s making you sick is being shoved right into your face.”

Nick knows how true those words are.

“Look I know that tonight should have just been me. I think Todd felt a bit out of place anyway. I feel like I’m being a bad friend.”

“You’re not. Alec knows you care.” Nick says.

“We haven’t hung out in weeks.”

“That’s on you Greg.”

“I know that.”

“Look, I don’t want you to feel guilty for having a life.”

“You’re not. I’m feeling guilty enough.” Greg says.

There are things he’s not saying. Things that Nick can’t quite figure out, but he knows it’s there. Looks at Greg for a long time, but that doesn’t help either.

“Are you sleeping with him?” He asks.

“With who?” Nick asks.

“With Alec.” Greg says.

He thinks about lying, just to see what Greg would say. Just to see how Greg would react. To see if he’d be jealous are not.

But Nick’s not a teenager. He’s not in high school. He’s an adult and he doesn’t need to play games.

“No, Greg. I’m not sleeping with Alec.” He says.

“Oh, well, that’s…”

“Look, you gotta go. Todd’s waiting for you. Alec’s gonna throw up in my car if I don’t get him home soon.” Nick says.

Greg nods.

“Okay, well, bye.”

He stands there for a second before leaving, Nick watching him go and he sighs.

“Bye, Greg.”

Two Weeks Later

“Nick, I can’t keep fielding calls from your mother. You do know that it’s been almost four months now, don’t you?” Mindy says.

“Yes, I’m aware that it’s been four months.” Nick says, his voice a bit exasperated.

“Why don’t you just tell them that you don’t want to talk to them?”

“That would defeat the purpose of not talking to them.”

“They didn’t beat you, did they?”

Nick stares at her for a few seconds trying to figure out if she’s being serious or not. She certainly looks serious, but Nick guesses it’s somewhat of a valid question. There are only a few good reasons to dodge ones mother the way Nick’s been doing.

“No.”

“Then what’s the problem.”

“We don’t really see eye to eye.”

“Well, they’ve gotta be calling you for some reason.”

“Probably to just rag on my life and tell me about all the stupid decisions I’ve made. I just… I’m settling in. I don’t wanna have to deal with that right now.”

“You mean you’re comfortable here and you don’t want your parents bad mouthing your life because you like it.”

Nick scowls at Mindy.

“You sure you’re not a shrink and just doing this job just to royally piss me off?” Nick asks.

She smiles too sweetly at him and hands him a few messages.

“All from your mom. And that’s just this week. If I were her, I’d have come up here and kicked your ass a long time ago.” Mindy says.

“Well then it’s a good thing that you’re not my mom.” Nick says as he leafs through them.

They don’t say anything significant and Nick guesses that has to do with his mother not liking to leave personal information with total strangers. Though she talks to Mindy so much that Nick has to wonder why she doesn’t just get over that.

She’s called a lot of times. Left a message saying that she needs Nick to call her back as soon as humanly possible. That’s the basic content of the messages. Nick likes to think if it were really important, she’d have left the really important information so that Nick would know that it was necessary to call her back, especially since she has to know that Nick’s avoiding her just a little.

But then again this is his mother and Nick knows how she thinks.

“So, are you gonna call the poor woman back or am I gonna have to field fifty more of these until she wises up and takes the time off and comes up here.”

Nick takes a deep breath and sighs.

“Maybe.”

Mindy rolls her eyes.

“That means no.”

Nick tries not to glare at her too much.

~*~

“So are you still with Tad?” Amber asks.

Greg tries to keep from rolling his eyes at her, but fails and she just rolls her eyes right back at him.

“It’s Todd.”

“Whatever. Are you still with him?”

“Yes.”

“A month. That’s a pretty long time. He meet Erika and Charles yet?”

Greg tenses a bit at that. The truth is that in the month that he’s been seeing Todd he hasn’t once taken Todd to see his parents, which is odd considering how many times he goes to his parents' house in a month.

He’s seen Todd get that look when he has to pass on a date because he’s going to eat dinner with his parents. Seen the look that says Todd wants to be invited, but doesn’t want to say anything about it.

Meeting the parents is a big deal, Greg knows this. Has only taken select few to meet them and Greg has a feeling that Todd wants to be one of those select few.

Greg’s just not sure if he wants Todd to be one of those select few.

They’ve been having fun. Dating and going out and eating dinner and watching movies and everything is really good. He likes it. He likes Todd, but it’s been in the same place it’s always been in and Greg doesn’t think that bodes well for a relationship.

“No.” Greg says quietly.

“A month and he hasn’t even met Erika and Charles yet. So it’s not all that serious.”

Greg sighs.

“I… I want it to be.”

“Oh you so do not. You want this to be a distraction because you can’t get what you want, which is stupid because you can get what you want.”

“Oh and what exactly do I want.”

“A certain hunky Texan CSI who everyone seems to think is having rotten, dirty sex with Alec.”

“Everyone?”

“Mostly the techs. I happen to know different. I went out with them once and Alec was practically fucking this dude on his stool. Nick didn’t seem to be phased at all so I figured to two of them weren’t making like bunnies.”

“You know if Kyle heard you talking like that he’d get pretty pissed.”

“Kyle happens to like me and you’re changing the subject. Nick’s right there. Waiting for you, I’m sure, and you’re just being stupid.”

“I don’t want to hurt Todd. He… he didn’t know the score when he got into this.” Greg says.

“So you’d rather hurt Nick. That seems utterly stupid.”

“I’m not hurting Nick.”

“What planet are you living on? Of course you’re hurting Nick. The only reason he hasn’t thrown you down on your work table yet is because you’re in a relationship and he’s too much of a stand up guy to do anything that shady.”

Greg sighs. He wants to rub his forehead and temples, but he’s wearing gloves with nasty chemicals on them and he doesn’t want them coming into contact with his skin so directly.

Settles for closing his eyes and counting to ten before he opens them again and Amber’s still looking at him like he’s an idiot.

“Can we just drop this?” Greg asks.

Amber sighs in a put upon way and rolls her eyes.

“Fine, fine. We’ll drop it. But that doesn’t mean its going away, buddy.” She says as she starts to walk away to her own lab.

Greg tries not to glare at her too much

~*~

“That was the most disgusting case I’ve ever handled.” Nick says.

Sara smirks at him and shakes her head until her hair is out of her face.

“Whining isn’t very attractive, Nick.”

“I’m not whining.” Nick says, pouting just a little.

“Neither is pouting.”

“I’m not pouting.” Nick says as he scowls.

“Neither is…”

“Oh shut up. Come on, you gotta admit it was pretty gross. I think my jeans are ruined.”

“And to think for half a second when I first met you I didn’t think you were gay.”

Nick continues to glare at her.

“They were really good jeans.”

“Yes, and we shall mourn their loss, but at least take comfort in the fact that we solved the case.”

“Yeah and I’m going to smell like decomp until I’m eighty.”

Sara rolls her eyes at him.

“We weren't even with the body long, but in any case... lemons. Lots and lots of lemons. You’ve had to have worked one back in Dallas.”

“Yes and each time was worse than the time before. God, I hate decomps.” Nick says.

He wants to take a shower, possibly four, and wash himself until he can’t smell the wretched scent of dead bodies anymore.

“Yeah, I hate them too. You’re not alone. I think everyone hates them.” Sara says.

She pats him on the shoulder a bit awkwardly before opening her locker door. Pulls off her jump suit and throws it in her locker as she gets her keys.

“I was supposed to go out with Alec tonight.” Nick says, frowning a bit.

Sara wrinkles her nose.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine alone. He seems to be dealing much better… at least for Alec.” Sara says.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, but I just like…”

“Nick Stokes you have a call at the front desk. Nick Stokes, you have a call at the front desk.” Mindy’s voice booms through the loud speaker.

Nick frowns and starts to tie his shoes.

“Aren’t you gonna go answer it?” Sara asks.

“Mindy’s been on my ass about my mom calling and me not answering. It could be a trap.”

“I’ve never seen anyone actively avoid their mother as much as you do. It could be someone else, you know.”

“Everyone I know is on shift.”

“Could be the PD.”

“They would have called you.”

“You’re never gonna make it passed Mindy. You might as well go.” Sara says.

She pulls on her jacket. Gives Nick one last look before heading out of the locker room.

Nick sighs. Knowing Mindy, she will keep his mother on the phone until he slinks out of the locker room and to the front door and corner him. Make him take the phone under duress and Nick thinks it’s probably just better to suck it up and take it like a man.

So he grabs his jacket, closes his locker door and goes to meet his fate. When Mindy spots him, she smiles widely and Nick sighs. Takes the phone she’s extending toward him and takes a deep breath.

“Hello?” He says.

“Nicholas, I’m so glad I caught you. I’ve been trying to call you for some time now.”

“Yeah, I know, mom. I’ve just been real busy with work…”

“Oh excuses. Doesn’t matter anyway. I just wanted to call you to tell you that I’ll be coming by today.”

“What?” Nick says.

He tries to keep his voice from getting too high pitched or strangled, but thinks he probably fails miserably.

“I’ve got a meeting with some other partners from the Reno branch and I thought why not stop by Vegas to see my youngest boy. I was gonna have to take a layover anyway.”

“Mom, I kinda had a really rough day at work. I smell really bad.”

“Well maybe if you would’ve answered my other calls, you would’ve known I was planning this. Look I don’t mind if you’re smelly. I’m already here and I intend to see my son, so you might as well drop it.”

“Already here?” Nick says.

He chances a glance over at Mindy who’s smirking like that cat that got the canary and he vows to get his revenge somehow.

“Yes that’s right. I had to get your address from one of your sisters, mind you, but I’m already on my way there.”

“Um… I’m not home.”

“Well I know that silly.”

“So you’re gonna get there and I’m not gonna be there. It’s gonna take me awhile to get home. Maybe you should just get a hotel room somewhere and we could reschedule.”

“Nonsense. I’m not going to be here in the same town as you, Nicholas, and not see you. Just give me directions to the crime lab and you can drive me to your place. Or better yet, maybe that cabby knows how to get there.”

There’s muffled noise of conversation and Nick just knows his mother’s asking the cabby to turn around or whatever he has to do to get to the crime lab.

“Oh, good, he knows how to get there. He says he’ll be there in a few minutes.

“Mom, I smell really, really, bad. Like a thousand dead bodies bad.”

“Nicholas, I raised seven children. I can handle a little smell. At least until we get back to your apartment and you get cleaned up. I plan to take you to dinner. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Nick has a moment to contemplate why the universe hates him before he sighs.

“Fine, see you in a bit.”

~*~

Greg just has a few things left to process before he can go home, by himself. He’s thinking about catching up on some of his television shows.

Todd is working some big case and had to cancel, but Greg doesn’t really mind. It should probably be another sign of things going bad that he doesn’t even care that he’s not going out with his boyfriend, but he hasn’t seen an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in such a long time that he’s willing to over look it.

Just has to finish up the samples on Nick and Sara’s case and then he can go. He’s about ready to put them through processing when Nick walks through the door.

“I’m doing your samples right now.”

“Don’t bother.” Nick says a little angrily.

Greg frowns at him.

“Okay.”

“Oh… sorry I snapped. It’s just… you don’t have to do the samples. We already nailed the guy with the other evidence.”

“You sure. Maybe you want to cover your bases.” Greg says.

He really doesn’t want to have to wait the time it would take to process everything Nick and Sara gave him, but he doesn’t want their case to get thrown out on unused, not disclosed evidence.

“The guy confessed. Gave up another body for a leaner sentence. Trust me the bases are covered.” Nick says.

He looks unhappy which is not something a CSI would look when they’ve just solved a case.

“You okay?” Greg asks.

“Just peachy.” Nick says gloomily.

“Really because you’re sounding like a little kid who was sent to bed without any desert.”

Nick frowns some more.

“My mom’s coming to town… is in town apparently.”

“Oh… and this is a bad thing.”

He remembers bits and pieces of conversations where Nick revealed stuff about his parents. They’re dislike of him moving to San Francisco being the thing that Greg remembers the most.

“They’re… she’s… she’s a handful.”

“Is it… is it the gay thing.”

Nick groans.

“No, it’s not the gay thing. Not entirely anyway.”

“What’s that mean?”

“They accepted it. They just rather I was in the closet.”

“How is that not the gay thing?” Greg asks.

Nick frowns.

“It’s not… I mean it is, but… they act like if I have to be gay then I should settle down with some unassuming guy.”

“Kind of like the male version of a fifties housewife. They still expecting you to give them grandkids?” Greg asks.

“Probably.” Nick groans.

Greg smiles a little bit. He knows it’s probably not the best thing to do, but Nick’s predicament is just a little bit funny. He wonders if Nick’s mother coddles him.

“I’m very sorry.” Greg says.

Nick glares at him.

“No you’re not.”

“Okay, so I’m not. It’s one dinner. What’s she gonna do? Try and set you up with some doe-eyed little gay boy.”

“Don’t even joke about that man. She probably already has one lined up ready to go. He’s probably even gonna come to dinner with us.” Nick says.

“Poor Nicky.” Greg says as he tries to stifle laughter, but fails miserably.

Nick continues to glare at him.

“It’s not funny man.”

“Oh it’s so funny.”

“No it’s not.”

“It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Greg.” Nick says.

He’s pouting and that just makes Greg laugh even more.

“Pouting isn’t very attractive Nick.”

“No one seems to think I’m attractive today.” Nick mutters.

Greg thinks Nick probably didn’t mean for him to hear that, but he did.

“Oh, Nicky, you’re attractive. Just not when you pout.”

It’s a lie. Total lie and Greg knows it, but it gets Nick pouting even more and Greg’s always thought of himself as a bit of a masochist.

“Nicholas?”

Nick turns around and Greg stares at the woman at the door. She’s pretty, has the same hair color as Nick, but green eyes. She’s wearing a business suit and looks like one of those tough working ladies that doesn’t put up with crap.

“Mom.” Nick says.

She goes into hug Nick, but smells him and backs up.

“You do smell horrible.” She says in a matter of fact tone.

Greg had been aware that Nick had worked a decomp, but he’d been around CSIs for so long that he almost didn’t notice it. Sure, he could smell it, but he’d learned to ignore it.

“I told you.” Nick says.

“Well, no matter. We’ll just go to your place and you can clean up. I’ve got dinner reservations at a very nice place, so I’m told. Are you gonna introduce me to your friend?”

Greg has to admire the no nonsense attitude she has about her. It’s so different from his mother, who has that attitude occasional, but prefers to be nice and sweet most of the time.

“Right, um… Greg, this is my mother, Jillian Stokes. Mom this is Greg Sanders. He’s…”

Greg doesn’t know what compels him to say it. The words just come out before he can take them back and he’ll convince himself later that he was doing it so that Nick didn’t have to go through whatever terrible date that his mother undoubtedly had lined up for him. All Greg knows is that the words come out of his mouth before he has a chance to take them back.

“I’m Nick’s boyfriend.”

Nick stares at Greg and wonders if those words really just came out of his mouth.

He looks over at his mother, shock clear on her face before she has a chance to cover it up and he realizes that he did really hear those words just come out of his mouth. Looks back over at Greg, who’s turned a surprising shade of red that Nick never thought a human could reach before he composes himself.

“Well, Nick certainly didn’t tell me anything about this.”

His mother recovers first and Nick thinks he should have seen that coming. Should have seen her sensible attitude come to life even though he knows that she’s silent judging everything about Greg. Picking all the reasons Greg is bad for him and Nick can’t help feeling a little nervous at the thought because he isn’t even dating Greg.

Greg laughs though. Puts on that charming smile and shrugs his shoulders.

“It’s pretty new.”

Extremely new, Nick thinks.

“We’re not really at the point of advertising it yet, but Nick just came in here to tell me that our date for tonight was off because he was going to be spending time with his mother. I was actually hoping to meet you before you left.”

Greg is good, Nick thinks to himself as he watches Greg work his magic. He’s seen this done before on unsuspecting waitress and bartenders, but it never ceases to amaze him.

“Oh, well, I’m sorry to have barged in, but if Nick had answered his messages, he would have known I was planning this.”

“I told you, I’ve been busy.” Nick says.

Her eyes roam over to Greg, disapproving look on her face and Nick knows that Greg could have all the charm in the world and it isn’t going to work on her because he’s not right. Greg’s not her pick and that irritates the hell out of him.

“Yes, I can see that.”

“Are you sure you still want to go to dinner? I mean I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get this smell out.”

“It won’t offend too many people. At least I hope. I don’t know much about this town, but I’m told the restaurant I booked reservations at is pretty high end.”

She spares another glance at Greg who’s looking at him a bit worriedly.

“You should come too, Greg. I would absolutely loved to get to know the man that my son has told me nothing about.”

Greg gives her another smile, this one a little more pained then the last.

“Sure.” He says.

“Fabulous. Nick dear settle on the arrangements. I’ll be waiting in the waiting area.”

Nick takes a deep sigh and watches as she walks off and turns back over to Greg.

“What the hell, man?”

“I figured if she had me there, you wouldn’t be so much of a target.” Greg says with a wide smile on his face.

Nick frowns at that. Thinks about what it says about his friendship with Greg that he’s willing to do that and smiles.

“Thanks.”

“I fully expect the best damn coffee out of this though.” Greg says.

“She’s…”

“She makes Anna look nice… no offense.”

“Oh none taken. I know she can be… but she’s my mom, so…”

“Can’t choose who you’re related to.”

“Exactly.”

Greg smiles at him again and sighs.

“So… dinner…”

“Pick you up at your place. Probably at seven?” Nick says.

Greg shrugs his shoulders.

“Sure. In for a penny and all that.”

~*~

Greg’s nervous. Extremely nervous and he throws down the clothes that he was looking at and rummages through his closet again.

Nick’s mom had said high end, which usually means a jacket and slacks type of place. Greg’s been too enough of them to know that. He has a feeling he doesn’t want to be loosing any more points before the dinner even starts.

He picks up one of his button ups that he reserves for dinner with his parents. He doesn’t have much in the way of fancy clothes. He should probably just go with his one and only suit combo that’s reserved for fancy dinners with his parents and their friends and the rare times he has to testify in court.

He picks up his cell phone and dials Amber’s number. He knows he’ll probably get a lot of flack from her when he tells her why he needs her help, but he’s willing to take it.

“Yeah?”

“That’s how you answer you’re phone?”

“When it’s you. What can I do for you Greg?”

“I’m having a clothing crisis.”

“Where the shimmer blue top thing and your tight jeans.”

“Is that like your answer for everything.”

“It’s the best outfit in your wardrobe.”

“Well it won’t work tonight.”

“Tad taking you someplace fancy.”

“It’s Todd and no. I’m going somewhere with Nick. And it’s fancy. And I have no idea what to wear.”

“Nick. You’re going somewhere fancy with Nick.”

“And his mother.”

“Okay, hold up, rewind, tell me everything and spare no details.”

“Can’t. They’re gonna be here soon.”

“I’m not you going to help you if you don’t tell me.”

Greg sighs and rubs his forehead.

“Nick’s mom was going to make him go on a blind date of sorts and he was going to have a terrible evening so I decided to help him out by posing as his boyfriend.”

There’s a silence on the other end of the phone before Amber bursts into laughter. Long, loud laughter and Greg scowls into the phone.

“This isn’t funny, Amber.”

“No it is funny and Freudian if I do say so myself.”

“I’d really not like to be psychoanalyzed right now. I don’t have the time or the comfy couch.”

“Fine, but you are so getting the grilling of your life tomorrow. And that includes all my psychoanalysis.”

“Yeah, whatever, can you please help me.”

“Yeah sure. Don’t where that ugly green shirt that I know you have in your hand.”

Greg doesn’t say anything, but drops the shirt anyway.

“Go with the light blue button up shirt and the charcoal dress slacks and the black tie. Bring the matching jacket, but don’t wear it unless you have too. And try to do something with your hair.”

He grabs the clothing in question and smiles.

“Thanks Amber.”

“So much psychoanalysis it’s not even funny Greg.” She says as she hangs up.

He hurriedly takes off his clothes and puts on the clothes just in time to hear the knock at the door.

He takes a deep breath, straightens out his sleeves and takes the plunge.

~*~

The dinner, in Nick’s opinion, has been one disaster after another. His mother sizing up Greg and asking him many personal questions and Greg answering them as best as he could. His mother still didn’t approve by entrees and both Nick and Greg had felt extremely nervous.

If he could drink in front of his mother he would.

Then his mother’s secret pal had showed up, both his mother and his pal had shared looks of fake innocence. But instead of hitting on Nick, he had started hitting on Greg. His mother had frowned the whole time as the guy tried cheesy line after cheesy line and Greg had looked like he had wanted to smack him.

His mother had gotten rid of him by desert and then there had been more awkward silence. So much so that Greg had to excuse himself to go to the bathroom… twice.

“I don’t like him Nicholas.”

“I got that.”

“I just want what’s best.”

“I like Greg.”

“Well I can see why. He’s good looking and young and reasonably intelligent.”

“He graduated Stanford Phi Beta Kappa and you call him reasonably intelligent. He’s twenty-four and he already has his Masters and he’s been working. That’s like genius level mom.”

“Yes, I know. He should be working in a private lab.”

“He likes the crime lab. Like I like the crime lab.”

“He’s seven years younger than you Nicholas.”

“Yeah, I picked up on that.”

“I’m just saying. How long can a relationship like this last? And considering the fact that you work together.”

“You just don’t like him because he’s not someone you picked out. Well I like him mom. I like him a lot.”

It didn’t escape Nick’s notice that what he was saying was true.

His mother sighs.

“This was a mistake.” She says.

“Maybe.” He says.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I… I was expecting… I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.”

Nick sighs.

“I’ll just rent a hotel room. There’s one I heard was good. I’ll just go there.” She says.

Nick nods.

And it’s at that second that Greg comes back, smile on his face.

“What did I miss?”

~*~

“She just pisses me off. They all piss me off.” Nick says.

They went to a bar they were familiar with that was just a few blocks away from the restaurant which Nick finds surprising, but Greg not so much. Nick’s had two drinks, not beers but the really hard stuff, and Greg’s had almost two.

He figures he should just let Nick vent out his anger. Doesn’t think about how Nick might get too drunk to drive home or he might to drunk to drive home and how he doesn’t even have his car anyway.

Nick needs to vent and Greg feels like it’s his responsibility to listen.

“I had plans this evening. Plans that didn’t include her and her judgements.”

“Going out with Alec again tonight.”

Nick frowns at that.

“I already told you I’m not sleeping with him.”

“I know. It’s just that you still go out with him almost every night. You two are close.”

“I like him. His attitude… I wish I could be like that.”

“Alec’s cool. I miss him… you guys. Hanging out with the guys.”

“Well you got yourself a boyfriend.”

Greg sighs and shrugs his shoulders.

“Yeah I did. Still. I should be better at time management than this.”

“Alec’s a bit pissed by it, but I understand.”

“You do?”

Nick nods, takes a drink from his glass, makes a face at the burn and sighs. Greg tries not to notice the way he loosens his tie or the way his white button up shirt clings to his skin. Tries not to think about how good he looks in beige dress slacks too, but he’s been failing all night so why start trying now.

He thinks about the evening. How it had gone from bad to worse and the abrupt way Nick’s mother had left, sparing Nick a kiss on the cheek and one last withering look in Greg’s direction. Remembers how Nick had pulled him to the car and had demanded they go out for drinks.

Greg isn’t one to turn away a friend in need so he had gone with it.

Now they are both in the bar drinking drinks and he’s listening to Nick complain about his family and Greg thinks the he’d rather be here then anywhere else.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s a relationship. You have to compromise things in order to make it work.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

“I mean if you want it to anyway. I know there have been times when I was in a relationship because my parents wanted me to be in it and I just stopped spending time with that person to get out of it.” Nick says.

“Ha, I’ve done that before too.”

“But I can understand. You know Alec though. Doesn’t believe in relationships so he can’t respect people who are in them.”

“He especially seems to hate Todd.”

“He’s a suit.”

Greg laughs.

“What?”

“Since when did you start speaking like you’ve lived here your whole life?”

“Alec’s the one that said it. I’m just merely repeating what he said.”

“Yeah, sure.” Greg says.

Nick rolls his eyes.

“I think we need more alcohol.”

Greg smiles.

“I’m inclined to agree.”

~*~

They’re laughing and Nick long ago lost count of the amount of drinks they had had. He thinks it’s somewhere up there though. He doesn’t know why he’s walking Greg up to his apartment. Thinks it might have something to do with the fact that Greg had gotten out of his car and had tripped.

Not that he’s helping much because they’re both giggling and poking and walking funny and slurring their words and he thinks Greg may have invited him to stay on his couch so that Nick wouldn’t be in danger of killing himself horribly in a car accident.

They get to Greg’s door, Greg giggling as he tries to open his front door and then he turns.

Nick’s not sure who had moved first. He thinks it might have been Greg, but it’s very possible it was him. It doesn’t matter because there kissing, lips brushing against lips and it’s all tongue and teeth and messy wet heat and Nick’s pulling Greg closer to get more.

There’s some part of his brain that’s telling him this is wrong, but there’s a bigger part that’s telling that part to shut up. He decides to go with that part as his hands slide up under Greg’s shirt and he starts brushing the smooth, warm skin there and Greg moans.

“You coming in?” Greg says with a leer, his words slur.

“Yeah.” Nick says his voice breathy and he moves in for another kiss.

“Yeah.”

They kiss and Nick kicks the door closed, not that Greg seems to mind.

Greg seems more preoccupied with kissing him and getting his shirt off at the same time, not that Nick minds. They lost their ties a long time ago and Nick’s grateful for that because ties are so very complicated. It’s sloppy though, Greg’s fingers fumbling with the buttons and he unbuttons the top button of Greg’s shirt before he yanks it up over his head.

It works, Greg only getting stuck a little and he just giggles it off and Nick laughs with him. Greg takes the hint and does the same for Nick’s shirt. They start kissing again, lips needy and wet and insistent and Greg’s hands are on his forearms, pulling him toward the bedroom.

Nick goes, can’t not go and his hands fumble with Greg’s belt as the walk there. Greg’s hands haven’t left his forearms and by the time they’re in Greg’s bedroom, Nick’s got his belt off and starts working on his pants.

Greg’s hands are on his pants too and lips move from lips to necks and shoulder and anywhere they can reach. Getting naked happens in a blur for Nick and soon they’re on the bed, Greg beneath him squirming and smiling and laughing and Nick’s right there with him.

Nick doesn’t think about how unbelievably drunk the both must be or the fact that they shouldn’t be doing this. Can’t think about that because he’s thought about this situation some many times and he wants it. All he can think about is how much he wants it.

So he goes with it because Greg’s going with it and he moves with Greg, cocks brushing together until Greg’s turning them over, pining Nick down on the bed with a leer on his face and he wiggles down.

Takes seconds before Greg’s taking Nick’s cock into his mouth and it’s not elegant or anything, but it’s warm and wet and it’s Greg sucking him and doing it enthusiastically. Doing things with his tongue that make Nick want to explode into little pieces and he just doesn’t care.

His hands go to Greg’s hair, messes it up and holds it and he would be upset with how ridiculously fast he comes, but he’s drunk and Greg doesn’t seem to mind. Sucks until Nick’s done and then moves up Nick’s body.

Hand immediately going to his cock and Nick summons up the strength to bat it away. Replace it with his own hand and his stokes are hard and demanding and he listens to Greg moan. Listens to the unbelievably hot sounds he makes and Nick thinks that if he hadn’t come already, he’d just come from those sounds.

Doesn’t take long before Greg’s coming too, spurts of cum falling onto Nick’s hand and stomach and Greg just collapses on him.

He passes out, Nick can tell that much and Nick has just enough time to pull the blankets up before he passes out too.

~*~

Greg wakes up in phases, all of which include blinding light and a splitting headache. He groans, moves around a bit and when his arm comes in to contact with something solid and warm, he panics a little.

Tries to pull himself up, but his head is pounding and he knows that he’s probably better off just rolling onto his side, so he does and he doesn’t really like what he sees.

Nick, lying there with his face slack from sleep and he’s snoring just a little bit. Nick lying there asleep and what looks to be naked. At least his chest is naked and Greg has a feeling that, if he were to lift up the blanket, Nick’s bottom half would be naked too.

He tries not to freak, fails and then hops up out of bed. It hurts his head to move that fast, but he feels like he has too. Starts rummaging around his bedroom for pants of any kind and he doesn’t even realize that Nick starts to wake up.

“Hey.” Nick says and it startles Greg till he’s jumping a little in the air as he pulls his jeans over his boxers.

“Hey.” Greg says uneasily.

“Um… I…”

“We’re late for work.”

Nick frowns and looks over at the clock at the bedside table. Greg’s very happy that it does show that they’re running late because Nick says ‘huh’ and climbs out of bed with the blanket covering him up.

If they don’t say anything while they get dressed and leave, Greg’s grateful for it.

~*~

Nick’s glad he’s working with Alec.

He’s trying to piece together everything that had happened the night before, but it’s hard when your head doesn’t want to cooperate.

He knows they had sex, can just tell in the guilty way Greg held himself and the dried cum on his chest that took forever to get off when he took his quick shower in Greg’s bathroom. Knows that it properly hadn’t been the best decision he ever made in his life.

He doesn’t know what to do about it though. Doesn’t know how to make heads or tails of it and he knows that it had probably screwed up everything.

“You slept with him.” Alec says as he snaps another picture of their crime scene.

“That’s what I said.” Nick says through gritted teeth.

“I can’t believe you slept with him. You must have been wasted.”

“Yes, can we not focus on that. I freaking slept with him Alec. I slept with him when he has a boyfriend.”

“Obviously not one he feels a lot for when he’s sleeping around.”

“He was drunk.”

“He pretended to be your boyfriend. Do you want me to tell you how much that says without actually saying anything?”

“You don’t have to psychoanalyze the shit out of everything.”

“When it comes to you and Greg, I feel the need to get decidedly Freudian.”

“Like your life isn’t one big fucking Greek tragedy.”

“You know you get angry after getting laid. You should look into that.”

Nick takes a deep breath and sighs. Balls his hands up into fists and tries to tell himself that he’s not going to hit Alec for acting so laid back when it’s clear that Nick is freaking out.

“I should look into what the hell I’m going to do about this now. I slept with Greg under the worst possible circumstances.”

“Maybe he’ll realize what I big mistake he’s making with the suit and leave him.”

“I don’t know if I want that.”

“Oh please. You’d get what you want and Greg would be happy. The only one who loses out here is the suit and not really because than he gets to go off and find someone who he actually belongs with. It’s a win-win.”

“You’re logic ain’t like any logic I’ve ever heard of in my life.”

“That’s because it’s the best logic you’ve ever heard of. Look, maybe it didn’t happen under the best circumstances, no hearts and flowers and all that shit, but it happened and you’ve gotta deal with it. No you can either both go on and pretend it didn’t happen like a bunch of idiots or you can do something about it.”

Nick lets out another sigh. Looks at the crime scene before him. He’s not entirely sure what happened and he’s glad that the cops aren’t around asking tons of stupid questions. He had learned early on that the detectives pretty much let the CSIs do their job without much interference.

Nick likes that.

“I put myself out there and he still ends up with Todd… I don’t think I can do that man.”

“I think you’re a little passed the point of maybe putting yourself out there. You guys fucked.”

“It was a blow job.”

“With reciprocation I’m sure. Fucked. Get over your delicate Southern sensibilities and call it what it is.”

“Could just have been a drunken thing.”

“No, see, Greg and I have been drunk together enough times to know that it wasn’t just a drunken thing. It was a Nick and Greg thing. Another long episode in the tragic romance that is.”

“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you.” Nick says snidely.

Alec looks over at him, head tilts slightly and his eyebrow raises. Nick’s seen that look before. That ‘I’m eyeing you critically and sizing you up to see if you’re for real’ look that he usually reserves for suspects and idiots.

“When it comes to the two of you, I’ve got no answers at all.”

~*~

Greg feels lousy.

He wonders if everyone can see it or if he’s just being paranoid. He’s had to field questions from Amber all day and that hadn’t been fun. He’s just trying to get done with his work so he can hurry home and try to figure this all out.

He doesn’t get that luxury.

“Hey.”

“Nick.” Greg says and he hopes it’s not as tense as it had sounded.

“So… um… do you have a break coming up?”

“Are you really going to jam this conversation into a break?”

Because he knows what conversation they’re going to have. Knows that it’s going to be that awkward morning after conversation that involves trying to figure out what the other person wants and whether or not you have to let them down gently.

Part of him doesn’t want to let Nick down gently. Wants to go back and do it all over again, only more and without the hazy feeling left in his brain from the alcohol. He’s liked Nick for such a long time and he knows there’s Todd. Knows that it wouldn’t be fair to Todd to just up and leave because it’s past that point where he could do it without it getting awkward.

But he just doesn’t care because this is Nick. The guy he’s wanted since he first stepped into the crime lab in those jeans and that ‘aww shucks, can’t make it in the big city’ attitude. Everything about him. Greg likes and it’s hard to not factor that in.

Then, there is Todd, who’s been nothing but nice and sweet and attentive and all those good things a boyfriend is supposed to be and Greg knows that some people would kill to be in his position. Kill to have someone like Todd and he can’t help but feel guilty and wrong to even think about leaving Todd for someone he slept with while they were dating.

Even if it Nick.

“I just thought I’d see if you wanted some coffee.” Nick says, perplexed look on his face.

“So we’re going down that road. We’re both going to pretend it didn’t happen.”

“I thought that’s what you would have wanted. You do have Todd after all.”

Greg sighs because it’s so like Nick to play the martyr.

“So… that’s it.”

“What do you expect from me Greg? Want me to get down on my knees and tell you to leave your boyfriend because we had drunken sex. I’m not that kind of guy. And, yeah, maybe there are feelings involved, but…”

He trails off and Greg takes in a shuddery breath. Thinks about the friendship he had been trying to preserve with Nick when they had both turned each other down that first time and he wonders what would have happened if he had just said ‘fuck it’ and demanded that Nick go home with him.

Because it’s clear that Nick wants him, he can see it and he wonders if it’s pretty clear that he feels the same. But Nick wouldn’t just let him break off a relationship like that. Not because of him and Greg knows it would never feel right if they did it.

At least he thinks that anyway.

“Look, I wouldn’t feel right. I don’t care what Alec says, I wouldn’t feel right. So, yeah, that’s it. We pretend it didn’t happen and you let me get you coffee.” Nick says.

Greg feels like a coward.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Stokes, Avery, what’s the deal here?”

Kyle looks over at Nick, eyes rolling ever so slightly in a way that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t looking straight on.

“It’s a crime scene. There was a crime.” Kyle says.

Anna glares at the back of his head and lets out a put upon sigh.

“I mean what are we thinking?”

Nick wants to roll his eyes at that. She had been late getting here and yet she still had the nerve to act like it’s her crime scene.

When Carl had told him and Kyle that Anna would be working with them tonight, that Sara, Alec and Tyler would be working with each other, Nick had been willing to give up his kidney to switch.

Alec had flat out refused, mumbling something about not being able to go closer than a building near Anna. Nick had figured he’d ask about that later during drinks when he had time to wallow in his bad luck.

Sara had refused too, claiming that Nick had only had to work with her once in the last six months where she’d had to work with her three times.

He had almost convinced Tyler, had worn him down just before Alec had grabbed him and had told Nick that no meant no and he had to take his lumps like everyone else did.

Nick had sworn not hit him to hard after the case was over.

Kyle had been strangely okay with the whole situation, but that’s just Kyle, Nick thinks. He doesn’t really show much emotion in front of other people. It’s the eye rolls and the very thinly veiled sarcasm that gives him away though and he’s got that in spurts.

“Were thinking that this guy died.” Kyle says as he snaps another picture of the body.

The coroner snickers at that and Nick can’t really blame him.

Anna glares again and lets out another sigh.

“Do we have any idea how?” She says.

“I’m thinking the gun shot wound in his chest might be the culprit.” Kyle says.

He’s got to wonder how Kyle gets away with it. If he were the one mouthing off, Anna would have definitely threatened his job repeatedly and called him a few choices words. It’s like she doesn’t know what to say to Kyle and Nick knows how that goes.

“Fine, if you want to be difficult. Why don’t you and Stokes go process the rooms of the house.” Anna says.

The coroner gives them a desperate look because he knows if Nick and Kyle leave, that he will be left alone with Anna fending off her millions of mostly useless questions. But Nick’s man enough to admit that he wants to stay as far away from Anna as possible and if that means processing bedrooms that probably have nothing to do with the crime, he’s willing to do it.

Kyle looks over to the bedroom. Nick thinks he might give Anna a hard time about being pushed off the body, but he’s got that trance like look that Nick’s got used to after working with him for so many years and he starts walking toward the bedroom.

Nick follows because he was going to move to the bedrooms anyway and he might as well keep Kyle company. Even if Kyle doesn’t want it.

“So… there a reason why you didn’t give Anna heat over ordering you around?” Nick asks.

“The victim was high when he died. I want to see if he left his drugs lying around.” Kyle says.

“How the hell do you know that?” Nick asks.

“I just have a feeling. And there was residue on his nose. I doubt Anna will see it until forever so I figure we should take this time to search for the drugs.”

“I see. Makes sense now.”

“Of course it does. Though I’m not sure we’re going to find anyway. The guy probably disposed of it via snorting it up his nose.”

Nick smiles at that.

“Yeah, well, could be that his party led to his death.”

“Of course. But then that would be boring.”

“Boring? This is a crime scene, Kyle. Not a crossword puzzle.”

“Well, I’ll admit, work wouldn’t be nearly as fun without the drama that is.” Kyle says distractedly.

Nick frowns.

“Alec and Tyler haven’t been bad lately. If anything things have been better. Though I have to say I thought it would get worse as Julie got farther along.” Nick says.

Kyle cocks an eyebrow and looks at him quizzically. Takes a deep breath and snaps a picture of the victims bedroom.

“I wasn’t talking about that drama that is. I was talking about you and Greg.”

Nick rolls his eyes.

“There is no me and Greg.”

“You guys slept together.”

“How do you know that?” Nick scowls.

“Relax. No one told me. I figured it out for myself. I may be the kind of guy that investigates the evidence, but you don’t get as good at your job as I am without knowing a thing or two about human behavior.

“You guys are acting off and usually that means there was a bad sexual encounter or someone admitted their feelings and the other did reciprocate. Now, considering I know Greg’s crazy about you and just being stupid for whatever reason he has, and I know you’re just as crazy about him, I took a leap to the sexual encounter.”

Nick frowns.

“Your genius is scary some times.” Nick says.

“So I’m told. So… sex. And I bet you’re being all noble and not letting him break up with the guy he’s with so you’re both stuck in this nightmare tug of war. Really, it’s better than All My Children.”

Nick rolls his eyes.

“So I’m told.”

“Alec.”

“Alec.”

“Yes. Mr. Carmichael certainly has a way of making people feel worse about their stupid decisions.”

Nick scowls.

“I see that’s a trait you share with him.”

“I’m sorry, Nick. Really, I wish it wasn’t playing out like a soap opera. And it certainly isn’t my business.”

“It’s fine. I’ve been better about it lately.” Nick says.

Kyle gives him a mysterious smile that looks a little sad around the corners and shrugs his shoulders.

“But it never fully goes away, does it.” He says.

Nick looks at him, shock plain on his face that he can’t even lie about it.

“Yeah, it does.”

~*~

“Look, Julie, I’m sorry, but I can’t just take the day off… yes I know it’s Saturday, but I have to work… because it’s on the schedule… I said I know it’s Saturday…”

Alec gives Greg that wide-eyed deer caught in the head lights look that means utter torture and Greg gives him what he hopes is a reassuring look. It doesn’t work that well though, but Greg had already had the feeling that it wouldn’t.

“So… DNA results.” Alec says as he actively avoids the battle going on a few feet away from him.

“Right, well, not a match to your suspect. DNA came back with two X chromosomes so the person you’re looking for should be decidedly more female than the sample you got from your suspect.” Greg says.

“Well damn.” Alec says as he looks over the print out Greg handed him.

“Did you really think it was this guy?”

“All signs pointed to it, yeah.”

“Well you’re going to have to look from some different signs. Unless of course this DNA isn’t the case breaker.”

“No, I’m afraid it probably is the case breaker. Hence the ‘well damn’.”

“Sorry, dude.” Greg says apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it. This just makes it all the more challenging. So… you want to go out with me and Nick tonight. Free drinks for singles at Badlands.”

“You actually take Nick to Badlands? Nick actually goes to Badlands?” Greg asks.

Despite the fact that they decided that they’d be civil and friendly and not let the whole ‘feelings and sex’ thing get in the way, he hadn’t been hanging out with Nick as much as he would have liked.

It had been a little over two months since that night and the next day where Nick basically told Greg that he was in love with Greg, but that he wasn’t the kind of guy to just step in and still Greg away.

They’d gone out a grand total of three times since then, always with Alec and someone else, because Alec tended to go off and start making out with some random person, as a buffer. Never alone and Greg isn’t sure if that’s because Nick’s afraid of what might happen or not.

He thinks it’s probably hard for Nick because he knows it’s hard for him.

“Yeah. Not that he likes it much. He has to fend off drunken morons most of the time, but sometimes I actually get him to dance. After a few drinks of course.” Alec says.

“Wow, just doesn’t seem like Nick’s scene.”

“It’s not, not really at least. So… you think you can hang tonight. I know you’re not a single, but I’ll buy you a drink considering I’ll save on drinks.”

Alec has that look on his face, the one that’s disapproving and condescending and means that he is not amused. He hasn’t let Todd anywhere near Alec since that first meeting and he’s had to convince Todd that that’s because Alec just has a problem with people in general.

Greg thinks that six months is probably way too long to be with someone who you really don’t see much of a future with, but that’s guilt for you, Greg guesses.

And knowing the relationship that Nick has with Alec, he probably knows all about that night. Knows about the sex and the lies and knows that Greg’s staying with Todd because of guilt and Alec doesn’t agree with that.

Alec’s the kind of guy that doesn’t believe in doing something that makes you miserable. He believes in doing things that make you happy, screw everyone else.

Greg almost feels like he’s lost Alec to Nick and he knows it’s ridiculous, but they seem to have much more in common, especially know.

“I don’t know, Alec. I’ve got a date with Todd tonight.”

“Right, well, you’re lost. It get’s pretty crazy on free singles night.”

“How does that even work. I mean the club has to loose money because of it.”

“I was thinking the same thing, but…”

Alec’s interrupted by the sight of Nick coming in, scowl deep on his face and he puts his evidence bags on the desk next to some of Greg’s tools.

“Wow, you look pissed.”

“I plan to get drunk tonight. You’re driving.” He says angrily to Alec.

“I figure as much. It’s why we’re going to Badlands. Free drinks.”

Nick pulls a face.

“I was thinking more of the bar.”

“But we’d have to pay.”

“I don’t care. Not really looking for loud music. Just drinks.” Nick says.

Alec shrugs his shoulders.

“I was just trying to convince Greg here to not be a hermit and go out with us. Looks like we’re going to the bar instead.”

Greg nods.

“Sounds great, but I think… I think Todd actually has something planned.” Greg says quietly.

Nick takes a deep breath and bites his lip. Looks over at Greg and to his evidence bag.

“I need you to process that. And you’ll probably want to do it fast. Anna might be on you ass soon.”

Greg groans.

“You drew the short straw, huh.”

“Yup and now I’m paying for it because Alec was being mean and wouldn’t let me switch with Tyler.” Nick says with a smile on his face.

Alec rolls his eyes.

“Tyler’s frazzled. Julie’s been keeping him up all night whining. Hormones I guess. He didn’t need the added bonus of working with Anna.”

“Always looking out, huh.” Nick says a bit snidely.

Alec glares at him and Greg wonders if they do this all time. The bickering and sniping and Greg gets why everyone thinks that they’re sleeping together. It’s still the hot topic of office gossip and Greg’s not entirely sure why.

If they’re waiting for Nick and Alec to make out in the waiting room it’s not going to happen, not only because they’re not dating, but because they’re professional. At least Nick is anyway.

“I’m just…”

“Hey, Alec, can you do me a favor?” Tyler asks, his hand over the mouth piece of his cell phone.

“Um… that depends.”

“Julie’s got these friends that are single and…”

“Oh no, not another freaking set up. You know I hate those.” Alec groans.

“I was going to ask Nick to go with you. Look she’s doing this really creepy cupid thing now that she’s pregnant. Like cupid on acid and she just can’t stop trying to set people up.”

“I can’t believe I saved your ass from working with Anna. I should have let you trade with Nick.” Alec grumbles.

“So does that mean yes?”

Greg has to wonder if Alec is physically capable of saying no to Tyler. It doesn’t seem that way because for all his petulant arguments about hating being set up, he caves really easily. Shoulders go slack and he lets out a really long sigh before saying yes.

“Nick?” Tyler asks.

Nick’s eyes go a little wide and he looks over at Greg. It’s not as discrete as everything else has been and Greg notices the look right away. That torn, I don’t know what to do look, but he’s also a little sad.

Like he’s looking at Greg and he knows that Greg has a boyfriend and that’s not going anywhere and he’s got nothing better to do. Greg wants to stop him. Wants to tell Nick to say no, but Nick’s already opening his mouth, he looks resigned in a way Greg doesn’t like and he nods.

“Sure, why not.”

Nick tries not to stare off blankly into space and fails.

This is the third blind date he’s been on with one of Julie’s friends and he’s starting to wonder if she’s ever met him. None of them have been his type and Alec had even said that she’d tried to pawn one off on him before.

They’re nice guys… for the most part and Nick thinks that there’s probably someone out their for them, it’s just not him.

This date isn’t going over so well either. The guys keeps talking about himself and his job, something to do with selling or buying something, and Nick’s not really interested in that. Science, yeah. Law enforcement, sure if it’s not after a bad case. Action movies, why not? Pointless discussions on music, television and/or movies that he either likes or dislikes, you betcha.

Hearing about numbers and fiscal policy, no, big fat makes his eyes turn a bit glassy no. Just no and he doesn’t know what to do to make this date go any faster. He keeps praying that maybe his cell phone will ring and it’ll be Alec, who had volunteered to stay behind and work the evidence so Nick wouldn’t have to break his date.

Nick’s starting to think that Alec’s really an agent for the devil, but he has no concrete proof to back himself up.

He had wondered how Alec had gotten Julie to back off, at first, but then they had gone out and up popped one of Julie’s set ups.

His name is Dylan, he’d been the guy Julie had set Alec up with that first time when Nick had agreed. He’s a detective, had moved from Arizona where Julie grew up to San Francisco on a transfer and why Julie thought it would be a good idea to pair him up with Alec, Nick’s still not sure.

Nick had thought that they hadn’t hit it off, mainly because they spent the whole night bickering and talking about how they were both going to kill Julie, pregnant or not.

But there he had been, bright smile and the sniping hadn’t stopped, but they’d both been too busy making out with each other to do much of that anyway. Alec hadn’t even noticed when Nick had left and Nick really wishes it’s just a lust thing because he’s not sure he can loss Alec if it’s something more.

The rational part of Nick’s brain tells him it’ll never be something more because it’s Alec, but Dylan keeps on showing up and they keep on arguing and going home together and it’s looking a little bit more like a relationship each day.

“So Julie said you work with Tyler.” The guy, Nick for the life of him can’t remember his name. He thinks it’s starts with a J, but you can’t be too sure.

“Um… yeah.” Nick says looking down at him cell phone.

“That must be exciting.” He says.

Nick gives him a tense smile.

“It’s a job.”

“You gotta love it though, right. I mean you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t love it.”

Nick frowns.

“I love it when we catch the bad guy.” Nick says.

“Man, I don’t think I could do what you do. Just seems like it would be too heartbreaking.”

“It’s not always bad.” Nick says defensively.

“Yeah, but just seeing what people do to each other on a daily basis, I mean…”

It’s then that Nick cell phone rings and he tries not to show his relief too much. He thinks he probably fails at that too and his voice sounds a bit eager when he answers.

“Hello.” He says.

“So, how boring is it?”

“It’s fine.” Nick says, the guy giving him a funny look.

“Which is Nick Stokes code for it’s horrible get me out of here.”

“Sure, whatever you say Alec.” Nick says.

He can hear Alec laughing on the other end of the phone. Looks over at the guy and shrugs his shoulders before focusing his attention back on the phone.

“Tell him you have to leave.”

“Why?”

“Well, other than the fact that you really want too, we just caught a break. DNA gave us a hit off of CODIS so we’re running with it and you, my friend, get to get out of this date guilt free.”

“Really?”

“Yup, I’m on my way to pick you up as we speak. Be out in the front when I get there or I will leave your ass on that date.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be there in a second.” Nick says before hanging up.

He looks up to see the guy frowning a bit and he sighs.

“Work.” Nick says hoping that that’ll be enough.

The guy shrugs his shoulders and laughs a bit. Shakes his head and sighs.

“Yeah. Sure.”

~*~

“Well if it isn’t Carmichael and Stokes. Hey, Carmichael, I heard you’re dating the new guy. You haven’t dropped his ass yet.”

Nick would really like to cringe at how unprofessional some of the detectives are.

“What like I dropped your ass?” Alec answers back.

Nick rolls his eyes and watches as Detective Rosen just laughs and lifts up the tape.

“Scenes secure, guys. Do your thing.” He says.

“Thanks.” Alec answers.

They walk into the house which looks just as bad on the inside as it had on the out. Papers had been thrown everywhere and old take out containers lay on various surfaces. It’s a dump and it smells and Nick cringes just a little bit at the sight.

“Well this is definitely where our killer lives.” Alec comments.

“Why, because it looks like shit?” Nick says.

“Well, yeah. Come on psychos usually live like this. Like this or their places are so meticulously clean that it’s obsessive compulsive. There’s no middle ground with these guys.”

“You should really leave the psychoanalytical crap to Kyle.” Nick says.

Alec smirks at him and sets down his kit. Nick follows suit and pulls out a set of gloves while Alec puts his on.

“I can’t believe you’re such a slut.” Nick mutters.

Alec looks over at him, frown clear on his face and Nick shakes his head.

“Rosen?”

Alec smirks.

“Drunken thing. Happened after a bad case. It didn’t mean anything to either one of us.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

“So I’m a slut sometimes. That’s no one’s business but my own.”

“Never said it was. Just said I can’t believe how big of one you are sometimes.”

“You want me to be like you. When was the last time you got any? Because I can tell you exactly when the last time was for me.”

“Oh yeah, that with Dylan.”

He doesn’t mean for it to come out so snarky sounding. Doesn’t mean for his tone to imply anything because he’s not in love with Alec, for from it. He just doesn’t want to loss his friend, no matter how selfish it sounds.

“Yeah, with Dylan.” Alec says.

One eyebrow is cocked and he’s giving Nick that questioning look he does so well. Asking all the questions he needs to ask without actually asking them and Nick squirms a bit under the scrutiny.

“What are you doing with him?” Nick asks.

Alec smirks.

“I have no idea.”

“It’s the first guy I’ve ever seen you go more than one time with. He took you to dinner last night.” Nick says.

Alec laughs.

“Yeah I know.”

“And yet you have no idea what you’re doing with him?” Nick says questioningly.

“I might. I mean, kind of. Look I like him okay. I’m not in love with him or anything. Kind of hard to fall in love with someone when you’re already in love, but I like him. He… he doesn’t put up with my shit.” Alec says.

Nick nods.

“I’m pissed off at you.” Nick says.

Alec laughs.

“I thought you might be. Look I’ll ditch the good Detective Dylan Abrams tonight and make it just you and me.” Alec says, bright smile on his face.

Nick tries not to smile back at him, but fails miserably.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Good. Now, let’s process.”

Nick smiles as they spilt up, the routine really easy when it comes to the two of them. Nick takes one of the bedrooms while Alec starts on the living room. He’s checking out the room, looking at the whole thing before he starts to process.

He notices the window open and he finds it odd because he had been under the impression that no one had been in the house before they had gotten their. An open window just seems out of place.

He turns around to go ask the detectives if it had been open when they had gotten there when he hears it.

A gunshot.

~*~

Greg moves his food around distractedly.

He’s in another fancy restaurant, eating more fancy food as he listens to Todd talk about his day in court. It’s routine, but not in the good way. He’s almost tempted to tell Todd that he hates fancy food. That he wants a burger instead, but he never gets the words out.

“You seem distracted tonight.” Todd comments.

“Just thinking.” Greg says.

“You know we didn’t have to come out tonight if you didn’t want to. We could have stayed home.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been wanting to take me out tonight for awhile. Figured it must be important.”

Greg’s hoping it’s not something too important. Todd’s great and he likes him, not loves and he thinks that he should probably examine that considering they’ve been dating for over six months now.

But he knows all this. Knows why he keeps going through motions with Todd, but he doesn’t know what to do. Doesn’t know how to make things right so he just keeps going through them.

Todd smiles though and Greg makes an effort to smile back at him.

“Well, you know we’ve been dating for awhile now and I think everything’s going great. I love you and I know that during nights that we’re not together because you have to go back to your apartment… I don’t like them. So… I was wondering if maybe you’d considering move in with me.”

Greg hadn’t been prepared for that. Todd had given no indication of even thinking about that and Greg certainly hadn’t given him any reason to think that. Hadn’t even thought about it going that far and he knows he probably looks seriously shocked, but he can’t help it.

“Greg?” Todd says.

He has a worried look on his face. Like he thinks Greg is going to say no and Greg’s pretty sure he should say no. Pretty sure that taking that step with Todd would be an awesomely bad idea.

“I… um…”

He’s saved by his ringing cell phone. Todd scowls as he pulls it out of his pocket and Greg frowns a little at the number. It’s Nick’s number, only Nick’s on a date and Greg doesn’t know why he’s calling.

“Hello?” Greg says.

There’s a flurry of words coming from the other end and Greg can’t understand them all, but the ones he does make his blood run cold.

“What?”

Nick’s hands shook and he couldn’t get them to stop.

He thinks they’re stained red, but he knows that’s impossible. Knows that he washed them, thoroughly a great number of times despite the doctors wiping the blood off of them. He thinks he can feel blood seeping into his fingernails.

He doesn’t remember much, most of it come in small flashes and all he remembers is the gun going off and rushing into the living room. He remembers seeing Alec lying there, blood pouring out of the gunshot wound in his chest and a guy standing over him.

Nick thinks maybe he tackled the guy. There’s a pretty nasty cut on his forehead that gives that theory credence, but he doesn’t remember the scuffle. Just remembers pressing down on the wound, Alec making incoherent noises and he remembers the scramble of detectives in a vague, background noise kind of way.

It’s hazy at best and he knows that that’s his mind working on forgetting it. Retrograde amnesia and all that, but Nick feels that something this big shouldn’t be such a blur.

He was told to go home by Carl specifically who should up with the rest of the CSIs, Anna the only one not there and Nick thinks that’s just fine. He couldn’t though and Carl had just shook his head and had dropped the subject. Tyler looks frazzled, like he wants to rips his hair out, but he’s too busy on his cell phone, calling Alec’s mom and dad and whole family.

The nurse had tried to get him to stop using it, hospital policy, and he had actually yelled at her.

Sara sits there with her jaw twitching and tears in her eye. She had asked how Nick had been feeling and Nick hadn’t answered her. It had been clear she hadn’t known what to do in this kind of situation so she had just patted him awkwardly and had taken the seat next to him.

Kyle has a pensive look on his face. Like he’s trying to figure it all out in a way that makes sense, but the whole thing doesn’t make any sense. Nick would tell him that, but Kyle needs the comfort of reasoning and logic despite what their jobs are.

He hears the vague sound of yelling coming from his side. Looks up to see Dylan standing their, face angry with his hands on his hips and Nick isn’t sure when he got to the hospital, but he’s yelling at Rosen and he looks very heated about the whole thing.

More heated than someone would if his relationship had just been a fling, but Nick can’t bring himself to care because Alec’s in surgery for a gunshot wound to the chest and the doctors had all looked very grim.

Nick really hopes that’s just their default expression.

But he thinks someone should stop him because Dylan is new and he doesn’t want to make enemies with the rest of the precinct. Not that Nick doesn’t think Rosen should be torn a new one. It had been his job to clear the crime scene and he’d left them alone.

Not something the detectives are supposed to do and Nick thinks they’ve all gotten too used to the CSIs being extra proficient. Nick knows when he had been in Dallas as a CSI he couldn’t go anywhere without a detective following close by.

So Rosen deserves it, but he saw the look on Rosen’s face. That shocked, guilty look and Nick thinks he’s probably beating himself up enough without Dylan rubbing it in.

“Don’t you know how to do your job?” Dylan yells.

“You’re just upset that you’re boyfriend got shot.” Rosen says.

He doesn’t seem to be in the fight too much and Nick chalks that up to the whole beating himself up thing.

“You’re damn right I am, but it’s not about that. It’s about you not knowing how to clear a crime scene.”

“You’ve been here for… what… five minutes. I’ve been with this department for over ten years now. Don’t tell me how to do my job.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you did it properly.”

They look ready to punch each other, the space between them just a few inches and Nick puts his arm between them and that get’s their attention.

“This isn’t helping any.” Nick says.

“Sure is helping me.” Dylan mutters.

“Maybe, but arguing and placing blame isn’t going to undo what happened. Alec got shot. Stop yelling at each other. It’s not going to solve anything.”

They both seem to cool down a little bit at that, but they’re still glaring and Nick’s really glad when Rosen’s cell phone rings and it’s the precinct. He has to answer it and he spares one last glare in Dylan and Nick’s direction before leaving.

“Damn incompetent bastard.” Dylan mutters.

“It’s not his fault. The crime scene was cleared. The guy got in through a window in the backyard.” Nick says.

“Doesn’t matter. They should have had uniforms stationed everywhere. Maybe then…”

His voice trails off, but Nick gets the picture.

“Playing the blame game isn’t going to make you feel any better.” Nick says.

“Certainly feels like better to me.”

“Now maybe. Is it going to make you feel better when he’s out of surgery? Is it going to make you feel better when he needs help going to the bathroom because of the big fucking whole in his chest? You need to start thinking about that… if you’re gonna stick around.” Nick says.

Dylan frowns.

“Why wouldn’t?”

“It’s been two weeks.”

“So?”

“So two weeks ain’t that long to actually be taking care of someone like that. Two weeks is the time where you’re just starting out, not playing nursemaid to a gunshot victim.”

Nick thinks about other things too. Thinks about the fact that isn’t been two weeks and Alec’s in love with someone else and how he doesn’t know how someone could put that much of themselves in a relationship that might fail miserably.

But people are weird and Nick’s really starting to get that.

“You think because of that.”

“Because of what?”

“Because of Tyler. Trust me, I know all about that.”

“But…”

“People fall in and out of love all the time. Besides, I’m happy.”

“You’re happy.”

“Yup.”

Nick doesn’t get it, but it’s enough for Dylan.

“He’s happy too, you know.”

Dylan rolls his eyes.

“You don’t have to lie.”

“He is. He said he likes you. The thing with Tyler… it makes him miserable.” Nick says.

“It’s like…”

“Nick.”

Nick turns.

“Greg.”

~*~

Greg sits in the car and waits until Todd kills the engine before letting out a breath he hadn’t know he’d been holding.

He’d had to let Todd drive him. He hadn’t taken his car to the restaurant and he probably hadn’t been in a good position to drive anyway.

So he’d let Todd drive him. Todd who hadn’t said anything, but he’d looked worried the entire time. Greg thinks it might have something to do with the fact that he hadn’t answered Todd’s question about the whole moving in thing.

But that had been before. That had been before he knew that one of his best friends had been shot and could possibly die and he thinks that Todd should understand that at the very least.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Todd asks.

He knows the appropriate response would be yes. People that have been dating six months do that sort of thing for each other, but he doesn’t want Todd there. Todd doesn’t know Alec and Greg has a feeling it’s just going to be the crime lab and a few cops there anyway.

Todd would be out of place and it would be awkward. Especially with Nick there.

“I’m fine.”

“How are you going to get home?”

“One of the guys will take me. Probably Tyler.”

That’s not true though. Greg knows Tyler will be there for as long as possibly before Julie pulls him away and he has a feeling that it’ll take a lot on her part to pull him away. He wonders if it’ll be the same with Nick, only there will be no one to drag him away.

It’ll probably be Kyle or Sara or he might end up staying at the hospital until Carl says it’s time to go back to work. Figure that Carl will be there to tell them.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Greg says as he grabs the door.

As he’s about to get out, Todd pulls his arm. Pulls him close and kiss him softly and Greg feels nothing.

“It’s going to be fine.”

It’s a meaningless platitude, but Greg can’t really blame Todd for it. Todd doesn’t know Alec, doesn’t know the situation, doesn’t know much about it or much about Greg’s life. Greg has to wonder how Todd can say the love word when he doesn’t really know that much about Greg.

“Yeah… um… I have to go.”

He lets go of Greg’s arm reluctantly and Greg tries not to jump out of the car. Makes it to the doors before looking back and Todd’s already driving away. Greg sighs and thinks that they’re probably going to have to start talking about things, but Greg thinks that topic can wait.

He still feels terrified and that feeling doesn’t go away when he sees Nick. Nick who’s talking to some guy Greg thinks may or may not be Dylan Abrams.

He’s heard about Dylan from Alec. How he’s hot, which Greg can see. He’s got dark hair and dark eyes and he’s tall, probably an inch taller than Alec and He’s almost as lean, but not quite. He’s wearing a suit, but Greg chalks that up to him being a detective and he looks distraught.

Only two weeks and he looks distraught. Greg knows from Alec that he knows about the Tyler thing, but Greg’s been listening to Alec’s mooning when he comes to the lab to have something processed and Greg has to wonder if maybe this is the guy to break the whole in love with Tyler thing.

But it’s only been two weeks and Alec’s been in love with Tyler for a lot longer than that, but Greg thinks it might be a step in the right direction.

He looks back at Nick and notices the head wound and sees a few scratches on his hand. He looks tired and Greg thinks he might be on some pain meds, but he’s trying to keep it together.

“Nick.” Greg says.

“Greg.” Nick says and he looks a little relieved.

“How is he?” Greg asks because it’s something he’s been dying to know.

“They won’t tell us. He’s still in surgery though, so I guess there’s nothing new to tell us.”

“How is everyone?” Greg asks.

“Rattled, but relatively okay. Tyler’s been terrorizing the hospital staff.” Nick says.

“Sounds like Tyler.” Greg lets out a little laugh.

Nick smiles and Greg hears Dylan clear his throat.

“Oh, right, Greg… Dylan Abrams. Dylan… Greg Sanders.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen pictures.” Dylan says.

Greg smiles.

“Well it’s nice to meet you. Alec talks about you a lot.”

Dylan smiles, but it’s slightly pinched and Greg wonders why.

“You look like you could use some coffee.” Nick says.

“I wouldn’t say no. Only… hospital coffee…”

“You’re spoiled. Besides, Dylan looks like he could use some coffee too.” Nick says.

Dylan nods a bit absently at that assessment.

“You’re probably right.” Dylan says.

Greg notes the exhausted tone in Dylan’s voice and thinks maybe coffee isn’t the answer. A good nights rest and to stop worrying so much, but Greg doesn’t think that’s going to happen.

“Right, so I’ll go get some.” Nick says.

“You know where the cafeteria is?” Greg asks.

“This isn’t my first coffee run.” Nick says.

“Well you better bring some back for everyone. Don’t think your friends would take too kindly to getting us coffee and not them.” Dylan says.

“I’ll go with you.” Greg says.

Nick nods and spares another glance at Dylan before following Greg. They walk to the cafeteria in silence, Greg sparing a few glances in Nick’s direction and he knows that Nick’s tired. Can see it in Nick’s face and he can tell that Nick’s thinking a mile a minute about everything that happened.

They order the coffees in complete silence, Nick sparing a charming smile to the lady that works the cash register before grabbing one of the cup holder cartons. He doesn’t even ask if Greg’s going to grab the other one before moving to the counter that has the creamer and sugar.

He stops when he gets there. Holds on to the counter and closes his eyes tight and Greg has to wonder if this is the first time Nick’s let it hit him.

“He got shot.” Nick says, voice low and Greg’s hand just goes to his shoulder.

Rubs softly and soothingly and Nick lets out a shuddery breath.

“It was just like every other time we’ve done a crime scene together. We just… did what we’ve always done. He took the living room and I took the bathroom. I didn’t… I…”

“You didn’t know that he was going to get shot.”

“I know but… I keep thinking about what I could have done differently. What I did was stupid. I… I tackled the guy.”

“What?” Greg says a bit shocked.

He hadn’t known about that and if he had he thinks he would have been a lot more worried about the whole thing. As it is Nick has a bad head wound and Greg wonders what he would have done if that call had come from Carl telling him that both Nick and Alec had been shot.

“I know it was stupid, but I couldn’t help it. I don’t even… I can’t remember… I can’t remember any of it. What happened. One second we were talking about Alec’s relationship with Dylan and then he was shot.”

“It’s terrible Nick. I get that. I’m worried about him and if he’s going to make it. You can’t beat yourself up about this. It’ll kill you inside.”

He doesn’t know when he pulled Nick to look at him. Doesn’t know when his hands got on Nick’s forearms, but they are.

Coffee cups of steaming coffee on the counter with the milk and creamer and sugar and Greg stares at them for a second. Looks back up at Nick and he knows that Nick’s saying things. Things that get him close to breaking down over the whole thing and Greg doesn’t know what makes him do it.

He just grabs Nick’s face and starts kissing him, soft, warm kisses and Nick’s shocked for half a second before he’s kissing back, lips pushing insistently against lips and he feels Nick’s hands grabbing at his shirt and he knows his hands are wrapping around Nick’s neck and he knows they definitely shouldn’t be doing this, but he can’t stop.

This is passion. This is what’s missing and Greg knows that, has known that but he’s been stupid. Extremely stupid and he wants to fix it. Has to fix it because it’s not fair to anyone especially Todd.

But he’s not thinking about Todd. And he’s not thinking about Alec and him being shot and how that affects Nick. He’s thinking about this, kissing Nick and it feels just too good.

In hindsight, Greg thinks he really should have seen what had happened next.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Greg pulls away and his eyes widen.

“Todd.”

Nick instantly feels like shit.

There’s a sadness in Todd’s eyes, but also he really doesn’t look all that surprised and Nick feels utterly guilty about that. He doesn’t know why; he hasn’t been involved in Greg’s relationship and he knows that he’s not the problem. At least not really.

If Todd thinks that Greg is cheating on him than it’s something deeper in their relationship that’s wrong and Nick thinks it’s a little self centered to think that he’s the root of their problems.

“Todd.” Greg says, his voice calm and Nick would think that he didn’t just get caught making out with another guy in front of his boyfriend.

“Is this the part where you make excuse now? Tell me how it was all him, he was kissing you?”

“No, this is the part where I ask you if we can talk some place a little more… private.”

“Why? You obviously don’t give a shit about private. Is your friend Alec even hurt or do you just like making out with coworkers at hospitals?”

“Yes, Alec’s hurt. He’s in surgery.”

“So what, you thought you’d pass the time by cheating on me.”

Nick feels very awkward about the whole thing and he wonders if Todd’s going to try and punch him. He’s thought about punching Todd, but part of Nick feels like it isn’t Todd’s fault that this whole thing is one giant mess.

“This isn’t the place to do this.” Greg says, voice a little desperate.

“But it’s an okay place to cheat on me.”

Todd’s getting increasingly agitated, hands running through his hair and he’s started to pace. Nick wonders what the other people in the cafeteria must be thinking. There’s only a few of them, but Nick sees some of them shuffle out, all looking very awkwardly embarrassed and Nick wishes he could be one of them.

He’s not sure what he’s supposed to do. He’s never been in the situation. He hadn’t even known Greg had been planning to kiss him, but it had just happened and it’s not like he had pushed him away. He hadn’t wanted to push him away.

“Todd, look, if you just calm down we can go talk about this like rational people. Nick doesn’t need to be apart of this.”

Nick really wishes Greg hadn’t said that. Watches as Todd walks over to Greg, angry look on his face and he shouts in Greg’s face.

“He’s not apart of this? He’s the one you’re cheating on me with. How the fuck do you figure that he’s not apart of this?”

He grabs Greg’s arm and Greg lets out an ow.

“Hey, man there’s no need to get violent.” Nick says because he’s getting grabby and even if he isn’t hurting Greg, which Nick doesn’t really think he is, at least not much, it doesn't matter though.

He shouldn’t grab Greg and Nick steps in because of it.

“What are you, his knight in shining armor?” Todd says turning to Nick.

“I’m just thinking there’s a rational way of dealing with this that doesn’t involve you getting grabby.”

“Really. So, tell me something, how long have you been fucking him under my nose?”

“It’s not like that.” Nick says a bit feebly.

Because it’s kind of like that. He and Greg did have sex and it may have been a long time ago, but it had still been sex and it had been behind Todd’s back.

“Then what’s it like? Why don’t you explain it to me?”

Nick opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Todd snorts and turns back to Greg. Let’s go of Greg’s arm and crosses his arms across his chest.

“Why don’t you explain it to me?” Todd asks again.

Greg seems to have the same problem, mouth opening, but no sound coming out and Todd snorts again and sighs.

“Whatever.” He says as he walks away.

Nick looks over at Greg, who’s face is contorted with confusion and he does something that Nick hadn’t thought he had been going to do.

He follows Todd.

~*~

“Todd!” Greg yells when he makes it to the hospital entrance.

Todd’s getting into his car. He looks over at the sound on his name and sighs. Leans against his car and takes a deep breath.

“What?” Todd says, his voice defeated sounding and he doesn’t even look over in Greg’s direction.

“I just… I wanted to say… I’m sorry.” Greg says.

It sounds stupid to his own ears and he knows that it’s probably the worst thing he can say. It’s confirmed when Todd starts to laugh a little bit, hysterical laughter and he lifts his head and looks over at Greg.

“Really?”

“I didn’t want… I didn’t want it to end this way.”

“What way did you want it to end then?”

“I… I’m not sure. I think you’re a great guy…”

Todd snorts and shakes his head.

“And I know there’s someone out there for you.” Greg continues even though he knows he’s probably being ignored.

“Just not you, right.” Todd says.

“I’m sorry.” Greg says because it’s all he can really say.

“That doesn’t much matter now, does it.”

“I was kind of hoping it would count for something. Nick and I… I haven’t been cheating on you. At least not like you think. I did, once, but it was a one time thing.”

“Why?”

Greg’s face contorts in confusion, lips pouting a bit and his brows furrow.

“Why did you stay with me? After you cheated. I mean was it a recent thing or… just why?”

“Does it matter?” Greg asks.

Todd takes another deep breath. His mouth becomes a thin line, face determined and he nods.

“Yeah, it matters.”

Greg nods back. Rocks on his heels a bit before going to sit down on the curb and he takes a deep breath.

“It was a while ago.”

“Then why the hell did you stay with me for so long? If… if you didn’t love me then why would you do that?” Todd asks.

He sits down next to Greg and Greg almost tells him not to because Todd’s in a fancy suit and Greg doesn’t want anything else to get dirty because of him.

“Guilt, I guess. I mean… me and Nick… it’s been like that for a long time. The wanting thing and we hadn’t acted on it and I thought I should probably move on. Get a life, you know, but…”

“You love him.”

“I think I do. I’m pretty sure… but that doesn’t matter. I stayed because you were a good guy and Nick, he… he wouldn’t let me break up with you just because of that. He’s a decent guy that way.”

“A decent guy that sleeps with other people’s boyfriends.”

“We were drunk at the time.”

“In Vino Veritas, Greg.”

“Yeah, well, really, he’s not the kind of a guy.”

Todd nods his head and sighs. They sit there silently for a few minutes.

“Why’d you come back anyway?” Greg asks.

“It’s going to make you feel like shit.” Todd says.

“Like I don’t already feel like shit.”

Todd sighs.

“I figured I probably shouldn’t leave you here alone even if you told me too, so I came back to keep you company. Even though your friends don’t really like me and the guy who’s shot pretty much hates me.” Todd says.

Greg nods.

“That doesn’t make me feel like shit.”

Todd lets out a laugh, head shaking and he claps his hands together.

“That, and you left your jacket in my car. Thought you might need it. But mostly the first one. I guess the jacket was just an excuse I was going to use.”

Greg nods. He feels like he should probably say something, anything at all, but there’s really nothing to say in a situation like this so he just sighs.

“Guess I better get that.” Greg says.

“Yeah, probably.”

It happens in slow motion. Greg gets his jacket out of the car and Todd gets in the driver’s seat. Turns on the car engine and firmly places his hands on the wheel. Looks over at Greg and smiles a sad smile.

“I really am sorry.” Greg says.

“I know. So am I.”

And then he’s closing the door. Stepping away from the car and watching as Todd drives away and Greg has no idea what to do next.

~*~

He knows Greg’s going to try and talk to him when he sees the look on his face and he ushers him off to the side before he’s near the group.

Pulls him into the hallway away from their prying eyes and sighs, Greg looking utterly confused and he takes a deep breath.

“We can’t talk about this here.” Nick says.

“What?” Greg says, face even more confused.

“Either you worked things out with Todd, which I really don’t want to know about or you didn’t and you’re going to try and work things out with me. Which is great, really it is, but…”

“But what Nick.”

“Not tonight, okay.”

“Why not?”

He looks hurt and angry and Nick takes another deep breath.

“The doctor just got back. He had news.” Nick says.

“About Alec?” Greg asks.

“Yeah, they’re done with the surgery.”

“And?”

“And everything went fine, except they said that the bullet got really close to the spinal column and they’re not quiet sure if it cause any damage. To his spinal cord.” Nick says.

“How the hell can they not be sure about that?”

“They say nothing was nicked, but because it was in such a sensitive area… there could be slight nerve damage. Something about the spinal cord not being the only important part, but the nerves being just as vital and foreign objects near them is a bad thing.”

“But they don’t know for sure.”

“I guess it’s like when they mess around with the brain. They can’t be certain that everything’s okay until he wakes up and they can test his reflexes and stuff.”

“But they’re doctors. They should know this kind of stuff.”

“Well they can’t be sure. They said if anything, it’ll just be temporary, but he may have to relearn a few things.”

“Things? Like what?”

“Walking mostly. It’s the only thing they’re afraid of.”

Nick can feel his hands shaking again and he doesn’t know how it happens, but Greg’s suddenly really close to him, arms wrapped around Nick’s waist and Greg’s leaning in.

“You’re shaking.”

“I can’t stop.” Nick says.

“I know. It’s going to be fine. He’s going to be fine. You just gotta believe that.”

“What if he isn’t? He can’t… he just can’t, Greg.”

He’s not sure if Greg understands. Understands that Nick doesn’t want to talk about them right now because Alec may be really hurt, more than just a gun shot wound and it scares Nick out of thinking of anything else.

Greg seems to get it though. Just holds him close and rocks him and Nick doesn’t cry, but it’s a near miss. He feels like crying or throwing up or hitting something really hard, but he doesn’t. He just stays in Greg’s arms and hopes that everything, all their issues with each other will hold off until they know Alec’s out of the woods for sure.

“He’s not going to, okay. This is Alec. He’s a stubborn bastard. He’s not going to let a gunshot wound take him down and you know that.” Greg says against his neck.

Nick laughs.

“You’re right, I just…”

“It’s okay to be scared.” Greg says as he takes Nick’s hand in his own and squeezes it.

And Nick knows that they can talk about their issues much later and it’ll be okay.

Nick doesn’t see much of Greg after their talk.

They sit together for a little while before Carl decides that it’s time for everyone to go home. He gives Nick two days off with the promise that other CSIs will be able to take over the case, even though there isn’t much of one know that they guy has been caught.

He tries one more time to get Nick to go home, but Nick says no, vehemently protests and Carl sighs and says that he gives up. Looks over in Greg’s direction and jerks his head toward Nick.

“Maybe you should go home. Take a rest. You’re starting to look a little gray.” Greg says quietly when it’s just him and Nick.

Tyler had to be dragged away, but just the mere mention that he had a pregnant wife at home that wouldn’t be very happy if he had stayed at the hospital all night, got him to leave.

Dylan had been called in to work and Nick could see the way it tore him to have to leave. Nick thinks that’s how it should be.

“I… I can’t.”

Greg’s lips purses and he nods his head tersely.

“You’re going to have to get some sleep. Hospital room waiting chairs can’t be comfortable. And they said Alec can’t have visitors until late tomorrow, if he’s even coherent by then.”

“Greg.”

“I get it. You’re worried, but collapsing from exhaustion isn’t going to help any.”

“I’m not leaving until I at least see him. They’re gonna have to call the cops.”

Greg sighs because he knows just as well as Nick does, that the hospital won’t call the cops for this. Won’t try and kick him out and Greg sighs again and rubs his eyes.

“Fine, but at least try and get some sleep. I know that these chairs aren’t the best in sleep accoutrements, but you’re going to be dead tired if you don’t at least try.”

“I’ll try.” Nick says.

Greg nods. He leans in and looks a bit indecisive and Nick’s about to ask him what’s wrong when he feels lips press softly against his own. It’s just for a second, but it’s there and it’s really and Nick wants more, but Greg pulls away and gives him a nervous smile.

“That’s all I ask.”

He’d stayed in the hospital after that. Found a way to sleep on the chairs that had been semi comfortable before one of the nurses pointed him to a room with a couch. She hadn’t said anything else about it and Nick had just thanked her.

It hadn’t been until later, at least four o’clock the next day, that Nick had gotten word that Alec had woken up and, though he had been in a lot of pain, he had been doing okay.

His family hadn’t made it up yet, but Tyler had said that Alec’s mother may come by sometime that day. Tyler had stopped by himself and there had been a talk that Nick had waited patiently in the waiting room to not hear.

“Well at least he was scared shitless.” Alec says after Tyler leaves.

Nick’s surprised he can manage such a coherent sentence considering the pain meds he’s doped up on.

“Yeah, I guess.” Nick says.

He looks down at his hands and hears Alec sigh.

“So, how bad is it. Really. Give it to me straight. The docs, they think I ain’t ever been around people when we have to deliver bad news. I know all their stupid tells, even if they don’t think I do.”

“You should be resting man.”

“Fuck that resting bullshit. Just tell me, Nick.”

Nick sees the monitor beep a bit too harshly and he opens his mouth just as a nurse steps in, needle in hand and Alec’s asking Nick to tell him right up until the drug takes its affect and knocks him out.

Nick barely makes it to the bathroom before he throws up.

~*~

Two days off turns into the mandatory week off with pay that apparently had been the rule whenever the CSIs or cops got shot at.

Nick spends most of his free time at the hospital where he watches and listens as Alec comes in and out of consciousness. He hasn’t asked Nick to tell him again, but Nick has a feeling that has to do with the fact that he’s been told what the problems are.

He only goes home when someone like Tyler or Sara or Kyle who happen to have been visiting drag him away. On one rare occasion it had been Dylan and that hadn’t been all that fun.

“He’s going to be fine.” Dylan had said when as he stopped the car in front of Nick’s apartment building.

Nick hadn’t been sure if he had been saying it to Nick or himself.

“The doctors say that he’s regaining a lot of feeling in his lower extremities. They’re hopeful.” Nick had said.

“Yeah, I know. I just… I hate seeing him like that.”

“Yeah, I do to.”

He keeps missing Greg. He’ll go home to rest and then go back to the hospital and it’ll be someone else there. He’ll have left with Tyler being in the room and suddenly it’ll be Sara and she’ll casually mention that Greg had just left ten minutes ago.

He knows they know. It’s kind of hard not to and they all seem to be taking a sigh of relief on that front even if they’re all holding their breaths with Alec’s situation.

After his week is up, Carl puts him on mandatory vacation time. He’s been working at the crime lab for close to seven months without any vacation time whatsoever and Carl says he has some backed up. He gives Nick a standard work week, but by then Nick’s itching to go back to work.

He still spends more time than absolutely necessary at the hospital listening to Alec bitch and moan about everything, but he wants to go back to work. Wants to start putting the bad guys away and putting this whole mess behind him because Alec can wiggle his toes and the doctors say it’s only a matter of time before he can start physical therapy.

“You know. I’m sure there’s more things you can be doing with your time off than babysitting me.” Alec says as he pushes around the Jell-O that came with his hospital food.

“Maybe I like babysitting you.” Nick says.

“That’s sweet. Bullshit, but sweet.”

Nick rolls his eyes.

“It’s not bullshit. It’s the truth. Someone’s got to look after your dumb ass.”

“And you’ve been nominated as looker after over all dumb ass I take it. This has nothing to do with you feeling guilty about me being in this hospital bed and not you.”

Nick glares at him.

“Can’t you just accept that I’m your friend and I want to be sure you’re all right?”

“No, because I know that Greg broke up with the suit and the two of you are this close to getting it through your stupid heads that you can actually be together without the world exploding and yet you’re here. In this terribly furnished hospital room.”

“You’re showing your gayness.”

“I know, terrible isn’t it. I try not to, but the ugly ass color that these walls are painted just brings it out in me.”

Nick smiles.

“It is pretty ugly.”

“See, you agree. And yet you voluntarily come here. I have an excuse. I’ve been shot, repaired within an inch of my life so I have to be here. You… you’re here because you want to be and that just screams wrong.”

“I’m your friend.”

“Tyler’s my friend too and you don’t see him here from morning till night.”

“He has a wife.”

“Right and an offspring that’s cooking. How could I forget these things?”

“Dylan comes by just as often as I do. He’d probably come more if he could take the time off.”

“Yes, well, he has a reason.” Alec says with a leer.

Nick rolls his eyes.

“Unless you’re totally going against all doctor’s orders, I don’t think that’s the reason he keeps coming back.”

Alec shrugs.

“He likes me.”

“And you like him.”

“Weird concept isn’t it. Two people who like each other having regular sex. I can’t imagine who thought of that.” Alec says dryly.

“He’s a good guy.” Nick says totally ignoring the obvious dig at Nick’s own love life.

“Yes, he is. And I really do like him, but I’m afraid history will repeat itself and I will undoubtedly screw something up. It’s in my nature. I’m caustic like that.”

“It doesn’t have to be. Come on you can’t tell me that after all this, after everything, you’re still going to pine away after Tyler.”

“The heart wants what it wants Nick. You should know that.”

“Yeah, well, I think its bull. I think you’re just afraid to let someone get too close.”

“Nick…”

“What you can dish the psychobabble, but you can’t take it?”

“You don’t know… it’s just easier to… I mean I…”

“Hey, am I interrupting something.”

Nick and Alec look over to see Dylan standing in the doorway, bright nervous smile on his face and he’s actually twiddling his thumbs.

“No… no… you’re not… I mean… you’re not interrupting anything.” Alec says.

He stutters and blushes a little and he hadn’t been like this when they first met, what with the arguing and all, but Nick’s seen him like this every other time he’s seen them together.

It reminds him a little of two fourteen year olds dancing around each other and he thinks it’s nice, refreshing even and he knows that Alec likes it even if he doesn’t believe in all of that.

“Oh good. Um… so… I was talking to your doctors.”

Nick has noticed that he’s done that a lot. Talk to the doctors that is. Alec’s mother hasn’t been able to get any time off of work, but she and the whole family has sent more flower arrangements that Nick would think would be necessary.

Tyler talks to the doctors, but mostly he just sits with Alec, talking about the good old days and Alec will just nod at him.

Dylan talks to the doctors. Ask tons of questions that Nick wouldn’t think a detective would know about. Medical stuff and Nick suspects Dylan has a sibling or something that’s a doctor or in medical school.

The doctors have stopped questioning if he’s family because Alec had just shaken his head that first time when they asked if it would be okay to discuss his medical status with Dylan.

“And?”

“They say that you can leave the hospital in a week. When you start physical therapy. But driving is out and standing for long periods of time. Sitting for that matter.”

“Why even let a person out of the hospital?” Alec says jokingly.

Dylan laughs and Alec’s still smiling at him and his smile gets even wider when Dylan sits in the chair at the other side of the bed and holds Alec’s hand.

“Yeah, I know. They almost don’t want to let you out without someone there with you.”

“Oh, please I don’t need to be watched like a hawk.”

“Actually you wouldn’t be the hawk in that situation. Someone else would be the hawk.” Nick says.

Alec gives him a questioning look and Nick shrugs.

“You’re such a dork.” Alec says, but it’s not biting so Nick knows he doesn’t mean it in a bad way.

“Anyway, they sounded pretty concerned about you not having anyone there to watch you so I… I may have said I’d be around to help out. Only because I know how much you wanna get out of here, not because I think you should let me be around or anything.”

Nick thinks it’s hard to remember them as anything but these two painfully awkward guys who really like each other. Certainly doesn’t remember the arguing, but he knows they still do that, pick fights about nothing that never get any bigger than the occasional yelling match.

He watches as Alec frowns a bit at that. Takes a deep breath and his eyes go all squinty before he exhales.

“Do you want to be around?” Alec asks.

“Only if you want me to be around. I wouldn’t… I mean I know that… look I just want to know that someone’s watching out for you and I think it would be easier if that someone were me.”

“But you work, like more than I do.”

“I guess I’d just feel better if I knew where you were. I can start working nights. That way it’ll be easier, but I’m not saying you have to. I just… I thought it would be…”

“No, no, it’s… I want to.”

Nick thinks they probably don’t notice him slip out of the room, but he doesn’t think it would have mattered if they had.

~*~

He hears the knock on his door and he frowns.

He’s not sure who would be knocking on his door, despite the fact that it’s only eight o’clock in the night. A few weeks ago he would have instantly thought Todd, but that’s over and done with and everyone he knows is either working or having a good time without him.

He’s trying to catch up on the latest in music videos and he knows that h e should probably try to go out and have a good time like everyone else his age, but he’s not really feeling in the clubbing mood.

It’s not the same without Alec anyway.

He’s content to order take-out food and laze around in his sweats and he’s still trying to figure out who could be right before he opens it.

“Nick.” He says.

Nick, who’s looking tired and lonely and totally wrung out and Greg thinks he might collapse soon if he doesn’t usher him into the apartment.

He does so quietly, hoping his careful actions won’t piss Nick off and when Nick flops down on the couch, Greg knows he hadn’t needed to worry. Nick’s too exhausted to even care.

“Long day.” Greg asks.

He almost wouldn’t notice it except for the fact that Nick looks up at him questioningly, looks down at their hands and Greg notices that they’re entwined, most likely his own doing. He waits for Nick to say something, anything, but he doesn’t. Just shakes his head and leans in close.

“So, about this talk.”

“One of us should probably say something. That’s what talking is all about right? The act of actually communicating.”

Nick shakes his head because Greg’s right. They should be talking, communicating, because that’s what Nick came there to do. He came there to talk, but now he feels like there’s nothing to say. Nothing new anyway because Greg should know everything by now. Should know exactly what Nick wants from him and what he’s not willing to sacrifice.

The tricky thing is bringing it to life, deciding on what exactly they should do because it might be obvious, but Nick’s never felt so clueless in his life.

“Well.”

“Yes.” Greg looks at him, eager and desperate for someone else to talk.

“I… um… this is a lot harder than it should.” Nick says because it is and he has nothing else to say.

“Yeah, um, it is.” Greg says.

“I like you.”

“I like you too.”

“But I think you already knew that. At least… I’m pretty sure that you knew that. Or am I assuming too much here, Greg.”

“No, I… I know. I mean I pretty much figured it out. You didn’t exactly hide it.”

“And you like me.”

“I do.” Greg says with a smile.

“Then why is this so hard?” Nick asks.

“The talking part is always hard.”

“But it shouldn’t be. I mean… should it.”

“Nick, we’re guys. Or feelings… not something we like to discuss if we don’t have to. Relationships, we leave that until the last possible second. As is evident by my latest utter failure in that department.” Greg says a bit bitterly.

“Do you regret it?” Nick asks.

He doesn’t want to know, not really especially if the answer is yes. If the answer is he does regret ever leaving Todd and Nick has a pretty good idea that he doesn’t, but he can’t be too sure.

“I regret hurting him. I regret dragging it on for so long when I knew I was in a totally different place.” Greg says thoughtfully.

“But… I don’t regret it being over. I didn’t love him and he… he deserved someone that does love him. That’s not me. I mean it’s kind of hard to fall in love with someone when you’re already in love.”

Nick looks over at him, eyes a bit wide and he studies Greg, tries to figure out if Greg had just blurted it out or if he had really meant it. Greg’s looking back at him, a bit shocked, but resolved for the most part.

He knows he’s in love with Greg. He’s had months for it to develop and it seems too fast and too long at the same time, but he’s not going to question it. Not when Greg’s leaning in and they’re kissing and that seems fast too, but it doesn’t matter.

Greg’s hands are on him, pushing him back on the couch, and Greg’s mouth is on him, kissing with lips and tongue and a bit of teeth and it’s wet and warm and the best thing Nick’s ever experienced all wrapped up into one.

“This isn’t talking.” He murmurs against Greg’s lips and Greg laughs, throaty and a bit lower than usual.

“Yeah, I know, talking is overrated.” Greg says, leaning in for another kiss.

“Maybe, but… nothing’s really solved.”

“I think this solves things pretty well.” Greg says, his mouth and Nick’s neck and Nick can’t help but squirm a bit.

“Maybe, but… I… we’re really gonna do this?”

Greg lifts up a bit, pout on his face and brows furrowed.

“You don’t want to.”

“I want to. I want you. I… I love you, Greg. I just… we do this, we do it all the way, no going back or calling things to a stop because of work or whatever. This is it.”

“Duh, Nick. Duh.” Greg says like that’s all a given.

“I’m sorry, what was I thinking. Clearly I’m Captain of the Obvious Squad.” Nick says a bit dryly.

He really thinks they should probably talk and he knows it makes him sound like a girl, but he’s not too sure jumping into bed together is going to solve anything.

“Of course Nick. You’re delaying the good part for nothing.”

“You call it nothing. I call it being careful.”

“What, you want me to say that I’m there with you. I love you isn’t enough, I gotta tell you that I’m in this all the way. Fine, I’m in this all the way. You’re in this all the way. We’re all the in this, now I believe I was right… here.” Greg whispers into his ear.

He thinks he should put up more of an argument because five minutes ago this had seemed all very hard and now it doesn’t. Now it seems really easy and it throws Nick a bit, but Greg’s nibbling his way down Nick’s neck and his hands are caressing underneath Nick’s sure and protest is the last thing on his mind.

So they kiss and they touch and shirts get lost somewhere in there until they’re thrusting against each other, denim against sweats and chest against chest and the friction and heat is nice, but Nick wants more.

“Bed.” He says a bit hoarsely.

“Yeah, yeah.” Greg says and they’re both up and on their feet.

The stumble a bit, both too unwilling to let go for a second to make the trip graceful at all, but Nick doesn’t care and it doesn’t look like Greg does either. So they stumble and they laugh a bit, at themselves and it’s a bit hysterical because it feels like they should have been doing this a long time ago.

Nick’s pants come unbuckled and there’s a bit of a scuffle when they get to the bed because Nick still has his shoes on and Greg starts to laugh again when Nick falls over trying to take them off. Nick scowls at him and that just makes Greg laugh harder until Nick goes over and practically yanks his sweat pants off and Greg’s breath turns into shudders and gasps and Nick just stares.

Stares at Greg laying there, naked because Greg hadn’t bothered with underwear and Nick hadn’t been expecting that, but it doesn’t matter. He climbs on top of Greg anyway and he thinks maybe they should lie on the pillows, but he’s too preoccupied with the feel of Greg’s mouth on his own and Greg’s skin under his hands and against his skin.

Greg’s hands push at his pants and Nick gets with the program, pulls them off and he’s right back there with Greg, on top of him and kissing and touching and he wants more, needs more.

“Come on, Nick. I… I want you.” Greg says against his mouth.

“Want me to what?” Nick says his voice low and he watches as Greg shudders again and he likes it.

Likes the way Greg looks underneath him, face filled with pleasure and Nick knows he’s the cause. Knows it’s not anyone else, but he wants to hear Greg say it.

“I want you to fuck me.” Greg says, voice just a bit to throaty and seductive that it could probably make Nick come if he hadn’t needed to fuck Greg so much.

“Where…”

“Bedside table.”

Nick scrambles a bit, sits up and looks through the bedside table and finds what he’s looking for, but even that’s too long. Too long away from Greg and his smooth skin and wonderful mouth and just Greg and he hurries back. Kisses because he can’t stop himself and he doesn’t ever want to stop.

The cap opens and lube finds it’s way onto Nick’s fingers and Nick’s fingers find their way to Greg’s entrance, rubbing softly at first before Nick pushes, slow and steady and Greg’s legs fall open even more, breath shudders and he lets out a long moan.

By the time there’s two fingers, Greg’s begging for it, words flowing from his mouth in a steady stream and Nick doesn’t care about most of them except for his name. And when he finally pulls away, Greg whimpering just a bit from the loss and he rolls the condom onto his cock it’s because he can’t take anymore and because it’s Greg and because he wants this too badly to keep himself from having it any longer.

He lets out a groan when he pushes in, Greg’s legs wrapping around his waist and he tries to take it slow, tries to make it last, but his body has other ideas and he’s thrusting, hips moving fast and a bit erratically and Greg pushes back.

Moves with him, under him and Nick’s vaguely aware when Greg wraps his hand around his cock and Nick bats it away because he just wants Greg to feel good.

He’s not sure how much time passes, too concerned with the warm body beneath him, the one he’s thrusting into, the one that’s pushing against him and making beautiful noises. He sees it when Greg comes, feels it and hears it and he watches, watches Greg’s face and the way it twists and contorts and the feel of Greg’s cock in his hand as it spasms and the feel of the cum on his hand.

He’s not sure how much time passes before he comes, it feels so short, just a few thrusts, but he can’t keep it away anymore, Greg’s hands all over his body and Greg looking sated and Greg urging him on, telling him to let go, so he does.

~*~

Greg’s not sure how long it’s been.

He looks at the clock and it reads two in the morning and he knows he should sleep, but he’s too keyed up from sex. He gets like that. Whereas Nick after a few sloppy kisses and the clean up part and the shuffle to the pillows and under the blankets and more sloppy kisses, had knocked right out.

Greg hadn’t been so lucky.

It’s not that there’s anything to keep him up, except for the nagging thought that maybe Nick will go away, but he knows that won’t happen, not this time anyway. He’s perfectly content really.

His fingers card through Nick’s hair and Nick snuggles closer to him and Nick looks pretty content himself.

“I’m not going to mess it up this time.” Greg whispers to him.

He knows Nick can’t hear him, Nick who’s fast asleep and looks so perfect like that and Greg has no intention of waking him up. Wants him to sleep because he knows Nick hasn’t gotten much sleep since Alec got shot and ended up in the hospital.

“I’m really not.” Greg says again.

He believes it too, because this is something he wants more than anything and he’s had relationships before, serious ones even, but nothing as serious as this one. Nothing that meant this much to him and he sighs.

He looks at the clock again and it says two-seventeen in the morning and he sighs again. Cuddles close to Nick because he has to be at work by nine and he really needs his sleep if he’s going to be able to do that.

So he closes his eyes and he thinks about Nick and it’s not long before he’s falling asleep with dreams he knows are better because he knows what the real life thing is like.

Two Months Later

“Shit, we’re gonna be late again.” Greg hisses between kisses.

“Right, right, late.” Nick says, but he’s too focused on the mouth that’s underneath his own, moving against his own.

And it’s not like Greg’s pulling away.

“Seriously, Nick, if we don’t leave in the next two minutes we’re going to be late… again and Carl can’t just ignore that fact. Even if he does like me.” Greg says smugly.

Nick laughs and leans into Greg, hand reaching for the carry away mug he has that’s filled with coffee.

“It was one time, Greg and you were only late by four minutes, if that. I went straight to the scene.”

“Right, which means you missed out on Amber being smug and Carl giving me the awkward talk about how I can’t let my personal relationships interfere with my work.”

“He said that?”

“Yeah, but I think it was only because Sheriff Lake was there. Wanted to impress the big wigs with his stellar boss skills.”

Nick laughs at that because Carl’s pretty good at office politics, a lot better at it than most people, but he hates every second of it. He knows how to play the game though and Nick can’t fault him for trying to please everyone.

“Alec comes back today.”

“That was a totally non-segue Nick.”

“I wasn’t trying to segue. I was just speaking the truth. I think it’s a bit early.”

“Alec doesn’t.”

“Alec’s a stubborn pain in the ass.”

Greg smiles at him.

“What?”

“You’re worried about him.”

“Of course I’m worried about him. He’s pushing himself too much. Even Dylan said so.”

“Yes, I had heard, but do you really think Dylan would let him go back to work if he wasn’t ready.”

“Do you think anyone is capable of making Alec do something he doesn’t want to do?”

“Fair enough, but do you think Carl would allow him to come back to work if he wasn’t ready? No, because Carl treats us all like we’re his kids and he’d smack Alec if he was trying to come back too early.”

Nick knows this and he’s seen Alec with his own two eyes. Alec had pretty much made it mandatory that they come over so he could gloat over how so right he had been and Nick thought it would be nice to humor him.

He’s watched Alec go from bedridden to able to hobble around, sometimes with a cane when he’s feeling tired, other times with no assistance at all. Alec happily reports that all his doctors say that three months is more than enough recovery time for a gunshot wound, even one that got that close to his heart.

So they go out, restaurants mainly because Alec can’t have any alcohol mixing with his meds and Greg and Nick watch as Dylan and Alec awkwardly try and make it through dinner going from lovey dovey to fighting in ten seconds flat.

It’s nice and it’s clear that there’s something there, something much deeper than just some relationship, but maybe not love. Nick’s even seen Dylan putting Alec to sleep, hands carding through that almost blond hair and there’s definitely something in his eyes that could be love.

It makes Nick wonder because everything with Greg isn’t like that, doesn’t feel new, feels like they’ve been doing it for a long time, settled into an easy routine and there’s no awkwardness, there’s not even any fighting.

“Okay, now we’re really going to be late. You do realize you’re going to have to break the speed limit to get us there on time, right.”

Nick smiles and thinks that maybe it’s a good thing they skipped over most of the new relationship stuff and just are.

“Right, I’ll even turn on the siren.”

Greg rolls his eyes.

“Do you even have a siren?”

“Yup, for emergencies only.”

“Imagine that, giving scientists with guns sirens.”

“Keep up talk like that and I’ll go slow on purpose just so Carl can give you the talk again.”

Greg shakes his head a wags a finger at him.

“Oh, Mister Stokes, you play dirty.”

Nick laughs and pulls Greg close to him. Kisses Greg’s neck and then starts to pull him towards the door.

“Yup, now hurry up. We’re gonna be late.”

~*~

Alec’s arrival had been met with hugs, not too tight and laughter, loud and infectious and all over the place. Everyone had grabbed him to the side and had talked with him about various things. The whole thing had lasted a good twenty minutes before Carl had said it had been time for them all to get back to work.

But Greg would have had to been a fool not to notice the way Alec visibly flinched when Carl had paired him up with Tyler.

Greg watches him now, sitting in the stool across from his work area, taking in deep calming breaths to keep himself from over working. Tyler had sent him in with the evidence, told him to stay with it until Greg had finished and Alec had glared at him the whole time.

“Trouble in paradise?” Greg asks.

Alec glares at him, but the sigh is telling.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“I’m going to assume working with Tyler isn’t nearly as soothing as one would think.”

“He’s babying me. And worse than that, he’s acting like he’s not doing anything. And worse than that, we’re working the case with Dylan. They’d be comparing notes on my health if Dylan wasn’t so busy glaring at him.” Alec huffs.

“That sounds rough.”

“Please don’t offer me relationship advice now that you’re not single with Nick. It would just be too much.”

“Me, offer relationship advice. You do know that the longest relationship I’ve ever had was with a guy I was feeling too guilty about to break up with, right?”

“Ah, the suit. I’m surprised you even talk about him.”

“Todd was a good guy. Definitely deserved more than I can give him. He was in love with me and I wasn’t in love with him.”

“And yet there was no fight for your honor or anything. He just… left.”

“I made him look like an idiot. I’m glad he didn’t try and fight for me.”

“Because knowing you, you’d have stayed with him out of pity.”

Greg glares at him.

“You know that thing where you ask me not to give you relationship advice. I think I’m going to have to enforce it with you.”

“If you’d have just listened to me, you would have been happier much earlier.”

“Yes, and if you would just listen to me you’d realize that Dylan, he’s a great guy. You’re not going to find a guy better than that and I’m including Tyler in that. You’re going to loose him if you keep this whole ‘in love with Tyler’ thing up.”

“You can’t just fall out of love with someone.”

“Alec, you’re already out of love with Tyler. You’re just too scared to see it.”

Alec glares at him, gets off the chair and kicks it against the desk. His eyes are angry and his fists are clenched and Greg thinks if they weren’t at work, they’d be solving this with their fists, something Greg really doesn’t want to do.

He just wants the best for Alec and this whole pining after Tyler thing isn’t what’s best.

He agrees with Nick, thinks it’s all a cover screen because Alec’s just too afraid of feeling anything that he’d rather pretend he feels something for the unattainable. Greg doesn’t doubt that Alec had been in love with Tyler, at some point, probably even during his relationship with Dylan, but it’s changed.

It’s clear that it’s changed and if Alec can’t see it, then he’s just being stubborn Alec.

“Just page me when you get the damn results, Sanders.” Alec says and he stomps out of Greg’s lab.

Greg sighs and looks down at what he’d been working on.

“It’s gonna be a long day.”

~*~

He’s rubbing his neck in the locker room and he feels utterly wiped.

Hours spent on a case, digging through dumpsters, talking to witnesses, hiking up trails and all for it to turn out to be a suicide. Kyle had said suicide from the very beginning, but Nick had wanted to press on because it hadn’t felt like a suicide, not a real one anyway and Anna hadn’t cared one way or the other.

So they had dug and it had been a suicide and Anna had looked at him like he was an idiot that didn’t know how to do his job.

“You look tense.”

Nick looks up to see Greg standing in the doorway, hip leaning against it and Nick smiles.

“You could say that.”

“Heard you worked with Anna today. That must have been tough.”

“She spent most of her time in the lab.” Nick says.

Greg frowns, walks closer to him and quirks his lips.

“Really, I didn’t see her all day.”

“Apparently she had some meeting with the sheriff over a case she worked. You’ll excuse me if I don’t really pay much attention when she talks.”

“Huh, I never do.” Greg says.

Nick feels Greg’s hands on his neck, smooth circles rubbing into his skin through his clothes and Nick tries his best not to moan. He knows Greg’s good at this, has had two months to figure out just how good.

Evenings spent at home just kissing, touching and being together and Nick’s never really had a relationship like this before, one that’s affected him so deeply, one that makes him need to touch the other person as often as he possibly can.

Likes the feel of Greg’s skin underneath his fingers and the way Greg feels against him, solid body against solid body and he likes that they drive the same car to work and leave at the same time and get to spend lots of time at home together.

He thinks about how other people say it’s annoying to work with the person you’re dating, but he hardly sees Greg in the lab and when he does, they’re professional, both knowing that there’s a lot to loose if they aren’t.

“Maybe we should take this conversation home.” Greg whispers in his ear.

“Home, huh. That’d be your place.” Nick says jokingly.

“Well, most of your stuff is at my place. I mean… that doesn’t freak you out or anything, does it?”

Nick frowns, gets up from the bench and turns around to face Greg.

“Well, we haven’t talked about it or anything. It just kind of… happened.”

“I know, but… I mean I like it. Waking up in the morning with you there and driving to work with you, even if we barely get here on time.”

“Yeah, well, if you lightened up on the hair product, maybe we’d get here earlier.”

Greg swats at him, but it’s done playfully, big grin on his face.

“Seriously, though, I mean, I know we’ve never talked about it and it’s a bit sudden but… I think maybe we should talk about it.”

There’s honesty in Greg’s eyes, that look that says he wants Nick to move in even if it is pretty fast considering. And Nick wants to move in because he likes all the things Greg mentioned too and many more reasons as well.

“Alright, we should…”

“You guys suck ass!”

Nick looks over, Greg mirroring his motion and he sees Alec standing in the doorway, clothes dirty and he’s managed to whip out the cane, his steps a bit wobbly.

“At least have the decency to break apart in front of the man that just recently got dumped.” Alec says.

His voice shakes just as much as his hands are and Nick’s over to him, helping him to his locker, Alec protesting and pushing him away the whole time.

“I said get off me.” Alec says.

“Man, what’s wrong.” Nick says.

He’s worried because Alec hasn’t shaken this badly since his first day in physical therapy and if Carl sees him, Alec is definitely taking a few more days off. Nick knows he doesn’t want that. He’d been talking about going back to work since he’d been let out of the hospital.

“Did you say dumped?” Greg asks.

“Yes, dumped. He dumped me. Said he was kidding himself to think that he could handle it never being anything more. Great, dump a person when they’re still recovering from life saving surgery. What a prince.” Alec says sarcastically.

He attempts to get his stuff out of the locker and concedes a bit when his hands shake and he drops his wallet. Nick helps him get the rest of it out and sighs.

“Maybe seeing you with Tyler was just too much. I mean did he really say that it was over?” Greg asks.

Alec frowns.

“Well… no… not really. He just… he got really upset, but it’s heading there and I say fuck him. I can do better.”

Nick and Greg share a look, but don’t say anything.

“Look, maybe you two just need some time apart. You can stay with me and Greg tonight.”

“I can go back to my place.” Alec says stubbornly.

“And how are you gonna get there when Dylan drove you in this morning?” Greg says.

“You’re not going to let me out of your sight, are you?” Alec asks.

“You’re a smart man, Mister Carmichael.” Greg says.

“He really did dump me.” Alec says.

Greg nods at him in an overly sympathetic manner that makes it feel like he’s just humoring Alec and Alec glares.

“He did.” Alec says petulantly.

“Or you had a fight over a situation you concocted in your head and you’re just hoping he’s going to break up with you so you don’t have to deal with your feelings.” Greg says.

Alec glares even more.

“I can psychobabble with the best of them. You do know who my parents are, right.” Greg says.

Nick laughs and Alec glares at him.

“Whatever, you’re buying me Chinese for this.” Alec says as he hobbles off.

“He can be such a drama queen.” Greg says.

“Yes, but I fear that isn’t the end of this.” Nick says.

“Oh no, there’s going to be fireworks before this is done. Maybe Alec will admit his true feelings. Maybe Dylan will challenge Tyler to a duel.”

“Your mind works in mysterious ways.”

Greg smiles.

“So… home?” Greg asks.

Nick smiles at him and grabs his hand.

“Home.”

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