A note from the Author: if you are enjoying this story, please let me know! I also welcome your input of course. I would like to know that people are reading it! Thanks, Rob.
This story is a complete work of fiction and all characters are copyrighted to CBS and or Universal Studios. This is in no way a representation of the sexuality of the actors or the characters.
This is about the CSIs Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes but will tangentially involve several other characters from the show. I'm not sure exactly where this is going to go (aside from the obvious, a romance between Nick and Greg). I may jump around in time somewhat (e.g., flashbacks), and I'll try to stick more or less to the themes of the series and reference a few episodes, but no promises... it's obviously a parallel reality, though even on the show those two seem very friendly.
Special guest actor (not the fictional character; though of course this actor has been fictionalized, and in fact I play a little fast and loose with his timeline) this episode. Same disclaimer applies: the portrayal of him is completely fictionalized. I do not know him or anything about his personal life. ---
Nick and Greg, Chapter Nine
"Come on, Mitchel, come back down..." Greg urged gently, stepping slowly closer to the singer, who was now half-sitting precariously on the balcony railing.
"Greg, do you like me? You don't think I'm a mess?" Mitchel's eyes were filled with tears.
"Yes, Mitchel, I like you a lot. I watched you on Disney and thought you were... really hot. And meeting you, and learning about who you really are, I like you even more. You have been through a terrible experience; anyone would be traumatized. Please don't throw your life away." Greg edged closer.
Mitchel wavered and looked over his shoulder. There were people below now by the fountain, looking up. "I don't want to die, but..."
"Mitchel come here!" Greg reached out.
The singer reached out his hand, and almost lost his balance. But Greg grabbed his hand and pulled him off the railing.
Mitchel fell against him and wrapped his arms around him. "I am so sorry bro. Thanks for, thanks for being my friend." He whispered.
"It's gonna be okay Mitchel, come on in."
A cop grabbed Mitchel, pulled him away from Greg and pinned the basically unresisting kid to the floor. "Hey! He didn't commit a crime! Don't be so rough!" Greg yelled.
Then Nick took hold of the tech with all his strength and pulled him aside. "Oh god Greg, what the hell were you doing?" He whispered angrily. He gripped Greg's arms, not even thinking about the people around them for a moment, only about his lover who he had just seen so close to a balcony dozens of stories above the ground.
"Nicky, it's okay, I wasn't in any danger, he would never have hurt me."
"You don't know that!" Nick shook him gently. "You never know what these people will do!"
"Nick." Greg looked down, shaking his head. "Please don't be angry, I just wanted to help him."
Suddenly Nick was aware of the cops -- and mostly Brass -- looking at them, while trying not to be obvious. "I'm not angry at you," he whispered, "But in situations like this they try to call in trained people to talk people down."
"But Mitchel wanted to talk to me, he trusted me. I got him to come in. It worked out ok."
Nick looked over at Brass, and said in his best 'take charge' voice, "You got this?"
"Yeah, sure, you deal with that, this is under control." Brass nodded, having a feeling there was way more going on here than he wanted to know, and was just as happy to have plausible deniability.
Nick almost dragged Greg into the bathroom, slammed the door then pushed his lover against it. "What the FUCK were you doing, Greg!? He could have pulled you over the balcony with you!"
"Nick, no, it was never like that, he would not have..." Greg mumbled, suddenly unsure of everything. He closed his eyes, scared to look at angry Nick. He never wanted to see Nick mad at him. "Please, I'm sorry, Nick, please, don't be mad, I was just trying to help him!" He pushed back a little.
"Greg, baby," Nick pulled the slim tech in his arms. "I'm not so much mad as I was terrified that something could happen to you. Greg, you know how much you mean to me?" He eased the tech back, shaking him gently by his almost bony shoulders. "You know, normally I don't like to babble about my feelings, but since we... kissed, I want to tell you how I feel. I'm opening myself up to you; please, please be careful G."
Greg started playing nervously with the Velcro on his vest. "I'm so sorry, Nicky." He glanced up and saw tears brimming in Nick's eyes. "I just didn't want him to do something stupid."
"I appreciate that, and it was brave of you. But next time, think about me, about us?" Nick gave him one of his little smiles, not the big grin, the shy cute smile. Then he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
Greg smiled back, and took a deep breath. "What is Grissom gonna say?"
"He'll have a few choice words. In the meantime, if you are up to it, let's go have a look at the suite again."
"Ok. What's gonna happen to Mitchel?"
"I imagine they are going to put him under observation in some kind of private facility, to be sure he won't hurt himself."
The guys returned to the suite wordlessly; Nick cut the seal on the door and they went to work.
Nick's phone rang. It was Grissom. "Stokes."
"I heard that you and Greg had an exciting afternoon."
"You could say that."
"I told you to keep him safe, Nick. You of all people I trusted with Greg."
Nick thought there was something odd about how Grissom said that. 'What does he mean, 'me of all people'?'. "Griss, he's safe. He said he was never in any danger."
"Brass said differently, even by your reaction. Though he also said that Greg may have saved the young man's life."
"Yes, I think maybe he did." Nick lowered his voice and walked into the other room. "And you know, I'm a little... protective... of Greg."
"Yes, that's what I meant about you looking after him." Grissom paused. "Is he there with you now?"
"Yessir," Nick said in a more respectful tone, somehow automatically. "We're going over the suite again for another possible weapon."
"Ah yes, Doc filled me in. Very well. It's almost five now. Wrap it up, see that Greg gets home, and it's up to him when and if he wants to come in for this night shift; we can cover DNA one night, since he's either a fool or a hero around here now. You however, I expect to see at midnight."
"I'll be there."
"Thanks, Nick."
Not for the first time, Nick Stokes thanked God that Gil Grissom was their supervisor and not some ass like Ecklie. He rejoined Greg.
Greg looked over at him. "Grissom?"
"Yep."
"That didn't sound too bad from what I heard, you only said 'yessir' once." Greg smirked.
"Actually you are either a 'a hero or a fool' around the lab."
"Really!?" Greg's face lit up. "I wonder which one Archie thinks I am?" He smiled evilly then, clearly trying to bait Nick.
Nick made a face. "Don't get too excited. I'm sure Brass was not thrilled about how that went down, and while he's no fan of Ecklie's, you know it's going to work it's way up to him."
"I just... I just wanted to do the right thing, he looked like he was climbing up on that railing." Greg sounded exasperated. "I didn't know how long it would take to get anyone else there, and the cop at the door was useless."
"I know, sometimes we CSIs get placed in situations outside of our job description."
"Nick..."
"Yeah?"
Better come look at this weird oblong decoration thing on the mantle, there are some greasy smears. I don't want to try to dust it."
"How did we miss that?"
"Maybe because we weren't looking for that kind of weapon?"
"Let's bag it. I'll take it back to the lab and - "
"WE'LL take it back to the lab." Greg said with unusual force.
"Grissom told me to get you home."
"I think you should drive me 'home' because I'm too shaken up. But in the meantime, I think there are good prints here, and we shouldn't waste any more time."
"Spoken like a true CSI." Nick grinned and clapped his hand on his lover as they packed up.
"Hit on AFIS! 'Charlene Duvall.' Oh it's the scary girl who looks like she could almost be a pro wrestler." Greg stepped back from the screen. "Hers were the only prints on the... sculpture."
"Hmm. Shoplifting, assaults... she has a bit of a sheet."
"But rape and murder?" Greg scowled.
"Criminals often escalate." Nick shrugged. "She's local, works at the Grand. I'll call Brass and have her brought in. Good job man. And now, I am going to take you home."
"Yay me!" Greg made his cutest goofy smile.
"So all you have to do is almost get pulled over a balcony twenty stories up and you can have the night off if you want." Greg smiled as he and Nick got inside Nick's house. Greg had followed him home and parked on the street.
But Nick didn't smile. "Don't joke about it man, I was so scared for you."
"I'm sorry; too soon." Greg kind of shrugged. "Wow it got cold out fast tonight." He shivered.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Nick looked at him and put a gentle hand on his arm, concern on his face.
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, everything turned out okay today at least. Mitchel has issues he has to face, but hopefully he's not going to try anything stupid again."
"Okay. I'm more worried about you. That was a lot to deal with on your first field assignment, and I should have been there."
"Dude, please don't feel guilty! You wanted to come and I said no because he wanted to see me alone." Greg smiled gently then.
Nick managed to smile back a little then. "I'll make us something to eat unless you want takeout."
"You know what I want? And this may sound dumb."
"What?" Nick sauntered to the kitchen ahead of Greg, who could not help watching his hunky boyfriend's ass. 'All mine.' He thought.
"I could just go for some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and I know you got all the fixin's here."
"All I have is that old fashioned tomato soup you mix with milk."
"That's the best kind man, I'm talking about comfort food! I'll help, I want to keep busy."
Nick woke up and reached across the bed. Greg wasn't there. For a moment in that half-awake mental state he wondered if he had imagined it all. Then his instincts kicked in. Of course Greg had been here, and he wasn't in the bathroom...
He got up and shuffled down the hall past the kitchen to the living room where he heard the TV.
There, sprawled on the couch, half under the throw-blanket while the Science Channel blared some stupid ad on the TV, was Greg, asleep.
Nick just stood there looking at the tech for a minute. The guy looked kind of silly but cute and innocent at the same time. He considered just leaving Greg there, but he told himself that Greg would be better off in a real bed than in that awkward position. He knelt down and gently shook the tech. "Greggo, are you okay? Why did you leave?" He whispered.
Greg started and half sat up, looking around with a confused expression for a minute before squinting at Nick. "I kept waking up, and I didn't want to bother you, since you have to go to work."
"Babe, you won't bother me, I promise. I missed you. You wanna come back? That is, unless you want to sleep here on the couch."
"No. Sorry. Sometimes at home I can't sleep and the TV is kind of a companion."
"G, you don't need the TV any more, you got me, and I understand. Okay? I sometimes sleep here with the TV on too.
Greg followed behind him, for some reason clinging to the throw until they got to the bed, where he went all compulsive about folding it neatly.
"Greg! Get in bed!" Nick finally snapped, but he was smiling.
"Sorry!"
Greg crawled in bed then and immediately spooned up against Nick, wiggling his little boxers-clad butt against Nick's crotch and almost purring when Nick put his arm around his bare chest.
"Nicky?"
"Yeah?"
"Two things. One, next time we get a day off and the weather is nice, I want us t go to the lake, rent one of those jet-skis, and go to one of those coves. Not the one..."
"Got it. It's a date. Maybe a little picnic. Nice and private." Nick pulled Greg a little tighter and started to kiss his neck.
"Oh man, I've never done it outside, have you?" Greg wiggled his butt provocatively.
Nick shivered a little and took a deep breath. "No, dammit. But since we do work the night shift, and you are making me crazy, we might have to do it one day this week."
Greg twisted partway around so he could look at Nick's chiseled handsome face in the dim light. "I was hoping you'd say that." He smiled.
"And two?"
"What do you think about Lady Heather?"
"Her personally, or her business, or what her clients like?"
"Mostly... 'c'" Greg said before starting to tickle Nick where he knew he was sensitive.
Soon enough the alarm went off at 11:00 PM. Nick started to get out of bed, but Greg, seemingly still asleep, tugged at him and made unintelligible protesting noises.
"I have to go Greg, but you can sleep in okay?
"No, I don't want to sleep alone. I want to go in with you." Greg answered petulantly, his face half buried in a pillow.
"Of course; I'd rather be with you, working on this case." Nick nuzzled against Greg's Neck. He ran his hand lightly over the tech's chest.
"Then we can have breakfast, and come back here, and..."
"Don't even say it, or we will be late."
Greg had to giggle then. "M'kay, don't use all the hot water."
"Hodges!" Catherine had to smirk a little as she saw the trace tech jump. She walked into the DNA lab hoping to find Greg, but instead, Hodges was bent over Sanders' roses with his back to her. "Are you reading Greg's card?!"
"N-no of course not." Hodges spun around, obviously hiding something behind his back.
Catherine stalked up to him. "Give it to me! Talk about low, Hodges. I knew you were a gossipy snoop, but reading your co-worker's personal correspondence? That's really low. I should tell Grissom and hope you get written up." She gave him her best glare.
"I, um, I was just looking for Sanders, and..."
"Give it to me and get out! I don't want to see you in Sanders' lab again!"
Hodges, hand shaking a little, Catherine was pleased to notice, handed over the card and scuttled away.
'For my special Einstein.'
It was unsigned. And of course the handwriting was from the florist. She hated to admit it, but she was dying to know who Greg's new girl was, who would send him a dozen long-stem roses. She leaned in to smell them.
Greg and Nick walked into the break room together, which Nick -- just as they were doing it and realized that everyone else was already there -- thought might have been a mistake. But fortunately everyone's attention was on just Greg.
"So our DNA tech saved the Disney Channel star!" Warrick leaned back in his chair and grinned.
Sara smiled up at him too. "Who knew Greg had it in him? Damnit now we're going to lose you from the lab and we'll be stuck with people like Hodges."
"C'mon guys, it wasn't as if he was dangling off the balcony and I had to pull him back up one-handed." Greg said, blushing.
"That's not what I heard. Brass said you went out there on the balcony with him and talked him down off the railing." Warrick persisted.
Catherine smiled warmly at him. "Well done, Greg, that was very brave."
"Brave and dangerous. Greg, you and Nick and I will have a little chat after the assignments." Grissom said ominously.
"Oh, Gil..." Catherine started to admonish him.
"Don't start."
And that was the end of that.
"Nick..."
"Yes, Grissom, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I let this get out of my control."
"I'm betting that's exactly the truth, actually: you can't tell me. But that's a bit beside the point." Grissom let that sink in for a moment. Nick certainly wasn't stupid, and the Night Supervisor saw the unguarded expressions play across CSI Stokes' face for just an instant: eyes narrowed, then a moment of 'what does he know?' Then tight-lipped blank face of 'got to put on the deadpan.' Grissom himself might not be 'Mister Socially Adept,' but he was very, very good at reading other people. That was the gift and curse of being an INFJ.
"It won't happen again, sir. I take full responsibility. I should not have allowed Greg to go there alone." Nick unconsciously sat up in his chair.
"That's okay, Nick. I'm sure you are beating yourself up enough over this that I don't need to add to it. On the positive side, Greg did very well under pressure, so we have reason to be proud of him. If he wants to be a CSI though, of course, there are procedures."
"Of course." Nick fought back a smirk. 'As if we always follow procedures around here. We get the job done though.' "I'm going to drive him the next few days, just to make sure he's okay."
"That's not a bad idea." Gil took off his glasses then and placed them on his desk, then leaned forward. "Nick, I don't have to tell you how valuable both you and Greg are to the lab... and to me. I would be very sorry to lose Greg from DNA, because as we both know, he does exceptional work. But if he wants to be a CSI, I'd rather have him in the field with us than to leave the team. And we are a team." He raised his eyebrows.
Nick actually had to look down then, unable to meet Grissom's penetrating stare. "I understand. We all need to depend on each other, and help each other."
"And know when we need to ask for help, or even support."
Again, Grissom with the cryptic comments.
"Oh thank god we're home!" Greg stalked in through the door after Nick opened it.
Then he whirled around as Nick locked the door and they looked at each other, Greg with his mouth open.
"When did that happen?" Nick asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"I dunno, it sure was fast though. I hope I'm not... presuming." Greg was suddenly shy again.
"Come here." Nick took him by the arm and led him to the bedroom. He pulled open two drawers of his bureau; they were empty. Then he led Greg to his large closet, which was also conspicuously half-empty.
Greg just gaped for a minute. Wha-where did you put your things?"
"In the spare bedroom, there was plenty of space. I thought it would be nicer if... well if you wanted... if we shared this room rather than you having to put stuff in the other room." Nick looked at the floor. He wasn't even sure why he had done it, or what he was hoping Greg would do or say, except he wanted Greg to feel welcome here. 'Moving in' seemed like much too big of a concept, but it would be nice if Greg kept a few things here. Just seeing Greg's toothbrush nest to his in the bathroom gave him a strange nice feeling inside.
Greg opened his mouth, but before he could speak again, Nick jumped in. "I'm not asking you to move in or anything - I mean, unless you want - but since we have only been at this for a few days after all, my god. But, I thought, if you wanted to keep some things here... I just wanted you to, you know, feel like you were welcome here."
"Oh Nicky." Greg grabbed the hunky CSI. "Every day you surprise me with what a closet romantic you are. Oh, pun intended."
"Don't tell anyone." Nick laughed, hugging Greg back. "So, I don't know about you, but I don't care if the sun's up, I need a nap at least, and I am sure you are at least as tired as me."
"Yah." Greg nuzzled Nick, still holding him.
"So, come on Einstein, let's just get in bed for awhile, it's nice and dark in the bedroom." He half dragged Greg down the hall.
"You smell nice" Greg started to kiss Nick's sinewy neck.
"Stop it..." Nick said in a half-warning voice.
"Make me."
They were in the bedroom by then and Nick pretty much pushed Greg onto the bed and fell on top of him.
"Ohhh! God you are heavy." Greg gasped.
"Sorry." Nick grinned, and sounded anything but sorry as he ran his hands over the lean tech,
"Nick, um ah, oh!"
"What?" Nick asked innocently at the same time he was groping Greg's hardening cock through his jeans.
"Fuck you!" Greg grabbed onto the hunky CSI and pulled him down in a kiss.
"I have a confession, this is totally out of the blue but now I want to tell you."
"Uh-oh, what?" Nick looked worried.
"You remember when I was in the hospital, after the lab explosion."
"Where you almost died, my god of course. I was freaking out."
"Well, I know you came to see me."
"I did several times, we all did."
"I know the time you came one night, and you thought I was asleep, and you were holding my hand, and you... touched my cheek. And you said something like "'Greggo, buddy I am thinking about you, You're strong, you'll be okay. I'm pulling for you, okay? You are really special... to me.' And, did you kiss my forehead?" Greg smiled.
It was Nick's turn to blush. "Did I say all that? And what, you were faking!"
Greg snuggled a little closer. "Can you blame me? My hot, tough-guy co-worker who I had a huge crush on was getting all mushy with me. It was almost worth all the glass in my back."
"Baby I am so sorry." Nick nuzzled next to Greg and caressed his face.
"Yeah well there's hardly any scars."
"Let's not talk about that. I'm gonna undress you, and we're gonna get some sleep."
"I like that plan. Then I have a plan for after that."