*******

Chapter 3:

Greg skipped into work that night. There was a bounce in his step as he walked along humming a tune he couldn't recognize. He betted it was sappy or something. It was like he was walking on air. His date with Nick went better than he could have ever expected.

He knew the whole lab was probably buzzing about it. At the very least they were wondering why he was so happy. And he had told Warrick. It wasn't as bad as telling Sara or Catherine, but Warrick could be a gossip when he wanted to be.

He made his way towards the break room to make his coffee. Selected few could drink his coffee. Nick, Grissom, Catherine, Sara sometimes when she was being nice to him and himself. Warrick seemed like a weird mutant when it came to coffee.

He only drank it when it was completely necessary to keep him going therefore he wasn't interested in Greg's Blue Hawaiian. The other lab techs had never tasted Greg's coffee partly because it was all gone when they went to get some.

When he entered the break room Jacqui, Archie, Bobby and Nick were sitting at the break table talking animatedly. Well Jacqui and Bobby were talking mostly. Archie seemed to be adding in every once in awhile, but Nick had this glazed over look in his eyes.

"Hey guys." Greg said. Jacqui and Bobby barely looked up to acknowledge him they were so heated in their argument. Nick, however, looked up at him shyly before looking back at his magazine.

"Oh, hey Greg." He said with a soft smile. Greg couldn't help but smile back. Nick started to blush.

Jacqui and Bobby stopped talking long enough to look over at Greg weirdly.

"You're in early." Jacqui said.

"Was hoping to talk to Grissom." Greg answered.

"Really... what about?" Jacqui said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Well that's private stuff, Jacqui." Greg said with a smile on his face. Jacqui rolled her eyes.

"Right, so where were we?" She asked.

"You were demoralizing the male species." Bobby said.

"Right. So I go on this date with this guy and I swear if he wasn't staring at my breasts the whole time my name isn't Jacqui Franco." Jacqui whined.

Bobby rolled his eyes and sighed as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Not all guys are like that, Jac. I mean there are good guys out there." Bobby said.

"Yeah, you're just down because you had a bad experience." Archie said.

"Easy for you guys to say. Married and dating a steady girlfriend. You have no idea what it's like to be dating loser after loser, it's been too long. It's not just one bad experience. The whole thing is a bad experience. I just wish Mister Right would turn up already. All this dating is starting to make me feel old." Jacqui said.

"It seems tough now, but trust me it'll be all worth it." Bobby said with confidence.

"You're probably right... so, Nick, you've been pretty quiet on the subject." Jacqui said turning to Nick.

"Um... not much to say." Nick said burrowing his nose deeper into his magazine.

"You haven't dated... at all." Jacqui asked.

"No, I've dated... just not recently. It's been awhile." Nick said.

"Huh." Jacqui said taking a sip from her coffee.

"Well we don't really need to ask if you've been dating. Your stories circulate around the office daily." Jacqui said looking at Greg.

"Moi, what have the nasty rumors been saying about little ole me." Greg said pouring his coffee into a mug.

"Oh just that you're a womanizer. Lady's man you know. Oh and that you swing both ways." Jacqui said as if she were stating the sky was blue. Greg gave her an odd look before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hmm, rumor mills getting better. Well as long as you guys are talking about something other than the ever present Grissom/Sara/Catherine/Warrick circle I guess I can stand being the center of attention." Greg said.

"Mandy, you know the old nightshift fingerprint tech who now works days heard Warrick tell Catherine that you were going on a date with and I quote 'someone special'." Bobby said.

Greg chanced a look at Nick who had his magazine covering his face. Greg just knew he was probably blushing like a mad man and Greg just couldn't help but smile at that.

"Well, someone special... I don't know about that... more like someone I could imagine spending the rest of my life with." Greg said taking another sip from his coffee.

"Wow, you're serious here. Tell us about her." Archie said.

"Now, who said it was a her."

"See, all the good guys are either taken or gay. I'm telling you there's no hope for the female race." Jacqui said. Greg smiled at her as he grabbed two plastic cups and filled them up with coffee.

"Sorry, Jacqui. I can't speak for the entire male race, but I can say that any guy should get down on his knees and thank God for the pleasure of taking you out on a date." Greg said.

"Oh easy for you to say that now. You're dating some fabulous." Jacqui said. Greg smiled.

"Yup, very fabulous. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go talk to the boss. Nicky." Greg said handing Nick one of the cups of coffee. Nick smiled up at him and accepted the coffee.

"Thanks Greg." Nick said taking the coffee. Greg gave him one more smile before leaving with his mug and a cup of coffee in hand to find Grissom.

"Well, I guess your hopes are dashed, huh Nick." Nick looked over to see Jacqui, Bobby and Archie looking at him like he was a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

"What are you talking about?" Nick said pushing his slipping glasses up.

"Your little crush on Greg. I mean come on, Nick everyone knows you've had it bad for him ever since you saw him." Archie said.

"Yeah, now he walks in here all happy like he's floatin' on air and you gotta be feeling a little down." Bobby said.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about. I gotta go, Warrick needs me to get him those samples." Nick said getting up from his seat and rushing out of the room.

"Poor kid, he seems devastated." Jacqui said before going back to her conversation with Bobby.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Greg walked into Grissom's office or as he liked to call it the other little shop of horrors. He saw Grissom looking over paperwork, frown on his face and Greg was starting to rethink asking him at this moment.

"Um, Grissom, can... can I have a word with you." Greg said slightly nervous.

He couldn't really help it. He just got nervous around Grissom. He was a fully capable fully qualified CSI and he still couldn't stand up to his boss.

This is for Nicky though Greg thought as he cleared his throat and waited for Grissom's answer.

"Sure, sit down. What's on your mind, Greg." Grissom asked. Sure he seemed friendly, but Greg could still feel himself shaking a bit.

"I brought you some coffee." Greg said setting the plastic cup down on Grissom's desk. Grissom gave a knowing look before picking up the coffee and taking a sip.

"What's on your mind Greg?" Grissom asked again.

"Um, well you know I have Wednesday off, right. Well I was hoping you could give me Thursday off instead." Grissom looked at him, Greg still couldn't quite figure out what that look meant, but he guessed it had something to do with trying to read Greg's expression.

"You know, Sara has Thursday off. The only way I could give you Thursday off is if she agreed to switch days with you." Grissom said.

"Oh, really, well, if I got her to agree... to switch days I mean, could I have Thursday off?" Greg asked.

"I suppose. I don't see the harm in switching days. I mean if it's for someone special." Grissom said and Greg wasn't sure when Grissom learned how to smirk, but that was what he was doing.

Grissom was smirking in a self-assured I know something I'm not supposed to know, but I know it anyway kind of way. Greg squirmed in his seat.

"My personal life's the new office gossip I guess."

"According to the desk secretary you're planning to propose." Grissom said still smirking and that was really starting to freak Greg out.

"Wow, got blown a little out of proportion. I just went on my first date with Nic... yeah, um, don't know where she could have gotten propose from." Greg said shifting even more in his seat. Grissom's gaze had intensified and his smirk had gotten even more self-assured.

"I imagined you wouldn't be. You're here almost as much as Sara is. Couldn't imagine when you'd find time to date. Of course if you see this person everyday day in and day out perhaps it wouldn't seem like such of a stretch."

"What if it was someone I worked with?" Greg asked.

"Well, if it's one of the lab techs, and I'm assuming when I saw this... I don't see what the problem is. You're a CSI level two Greg. It'd be wrong if you were dating your boss, but you're not. I don't see any problems with it." Grissom said.

"I didn't think there would be. Just wanted to cover my bases."

"So long as it doesn't affect your work, I don't see a problem with it."

"Great. That's... great." Greg said as he got up to walk away.

"Oh, Greg. You're working a B and E with Sara. Her case with Catherine came to another dead end. I'm keeping Catherine on it."

"Did you tell Sara this? You know she's going to be mad that you took her off a case."

"Yeah, well I'm the boss, no." Grissom said as he looked back down at his paperwork. Greg sighed. It was going to be fairly hard to convince Sara know especially if she was mad.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick carefully brushed a strand of hair out of his face as he tried to process the evidence found at Warrick's crime scene. It didn't help that Warrick was standing off to the side staring at him like he was some side show freak.

He'd been trying to avoid everyone in the crime lab all day. Most had no clue that he and Greg had been on a date and were trying to console him now that the news that Greg had 'someone special'.

They all thought Nick would be devastated because apparently he hadn't kept his little- fine huge elephant size- crush on Greg secret. And he thought he had hid it so well.

More like someone I could imagine spending the rest of my life with Greg's words flew through Nick's head.

He couldn't have meant them. He was probably just trying to give the rest of the lab techs something to talk about. That's what the lab techs did. The gossiped about the CSI and other lab techs as a form of entertainment.

At least he didn't have to hear about how Sara love Grissom, but Grissom loves Catherine, but Catherine loves Warrick and who knows who Warrick loves. Sometimes it was Grissom loves Sara and Sara loves Grissom, but Catherine also loves Grissom.

Sometimes it was visa versa with Grissom loving Catherine and Catherine loving him and Sara not being able to but out. Other times it was Warrick and Catherine loving each other and Grissom not being able to but out. It definitely gave Nick a headache.

"Didn't I say I'd page you when I had the results?" Nick said.

"I don't mind waiting. I'm actually supposed to be on break right now." Warrick said leaning against one of Nick's counters.

Nick sighed and grumbled something before going back to the task at hand. He really hated it when they crowded around him like this. It was very distracting.

He turned up his music, some country he usually turned down when Greg showed up because of the other man's total hatred for the genre. Greg was the one who told him about using music to soothe his nerves.

"So how was your date earlier?" Nick looked over at Warrick, eyes filled with panic.

He didn't know why he panicked. It was obvious that Warrick knew something. Bobby had even said that Warrick had told Catherine about Greg going on a date. Nick wasn't a betting man like Warrick, but he'd put money on the fact that Greg must have told Warrick about his plans.

"It... it was fine." Nick said as he cut off the piece of the swab that had the blood on it and dropped it into a solution.

"Greg seemed to be walking on air today. At first I didn't get what he was so happy about..." Nick scowled at him having enough sense to feel offended.

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean I didn't even notice that he was interested. I mean I knew you were interested..."

"What did the crime lab send out a bulletin or something?"

"No you're just really obvious. I mean really obvious, man. And Greg... well Greg flirted, but Greg flirts with everyone so I didn't think much of it." Nick turned to study Warrick's face.

He wasn't entirely sure what Warrick was getting at, but it had to be something. Nick wasn't entirely sure how close Warrick and Greg were, but he knew it was close enough for the occasional breakfast or game at the other's house.

They talked about their dating habits and stuff like that. Warrick may have been a total jerk to him, but Greg thought he was an okay guy.

"Are you just trying to get more gossip for the rumor mill?" Nick asked.

Warrick laughed, really laughed, and Nick looked at him with a confused expression. He didn't know what was so funny about that question. It was a known fact that the crime lab had ears, lots of ears.

"Sorry, man, but... I can gossip with the best of them, but that's not why I'm here. I'm just... I'm trying to see what he sees." Now Nick was thoroughly confused.

"What?"

"It's just... Greg's been out with some pretty hot girls you know. Beautiful blondes, leggy brunettes, curvy red heads, you know."

"Yeah and you're point."

"Well, I knew he liked guys too and I've seen some of the guys that he's gone out with and they're... built, you know. Bulging muscles and whatnot. You don't fit into that category."

Nick went back to scowling at him. As if he didn't know he wasn't anywhere near to the perfect people Greg dated. He knew this. He didn't need Warrick telling him that he wasn't good enough for Greg. He already knew this.

"What's your point?"

"My point is I've known Greg a little longer than you have and he's always been a bit... shallow. I mean he's smart... super scary Grissom smart and he devotes most of his life to his work, but when it comes to dating. Well, you know its girl after girl or guy after guy. You're different. He really likes you... more than I think he's ever liked anyone in his life."

"Are you sizing me up to see if I'm good enough?"

"No, I'm just trying to see it from his point of view. I mean I'm looking at the guy that's turning Greg Sanders into mush as we speak." Warrick said.

Nick blushed.

"I don't think... I mean he seems to like me. I just... I don't really know why, but I'm happy that he does." Nick said.

"Ah, that's it. That's it in a nutshell."

"What's it in a nutshell?" Nick said. He really didn't like being this confused so many times in one conversation.

"The insecure thing. Greg really loves that. Now I get it." Warrick said.

"Could you maybe explain it to me, because I'm still having a hard time figuring it out." Warrick just laughed at him again and Nick tried to keep himself from looking even more confused.

"Just believe Greg when he says he likes you. Greg never lies." Warrick said as he pushed himself away from Nick's counter.

"I'll just wait for your page in the break room. Give you a little breathing room." Warrick said on his way out.

"Sure, thanks." Nick said still not quite sure what just happened.

"Oh, and Nick," Nick looked up at the sound of Warrick's voice.

"Yeah."

"Sorry for being an asshole and any other time I'll be any asshole." Warrick said as he exited Nick's lab.

"Thanks... I think."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Come on Sara, please! Please I'll get down on my knees and beg. I will! I'm not above begging. In fact, begging is my area of expertise. Please, please, PLEASE!" Greg whined as he headed in for the night. He and Sara had just finished up their case and Sara seemed really angry the entire time.

"No, Greg, I like having Thursdays off." She said in an annoyed tone.

Greg had been begging her to switch days off for the last half hour and it was getting on her nerves.

"It wouldn't be every Thursday. Just this Thursday." Greg said.

"Yes, but I rarely get Thursdays off to begin with." Sara said.

"But, Sara, you don't understand. My future happiness could rest on me getting this Thursday off. Everything that I've been so carefully planning for the last few years rest on me having this Thursday off. My life rests on me having this Thursday off." Greg said a little melodramatically.

Yes he knew he could be a bit of a drama queen. It wasn't something he was entirely proud of, but sometimes it worked to his advantage.

"No." Clearly this wasn't one of those times.

"Give me one good reason as to why you can't switch nights with me." Greg said.

"I don't have to. It's my night off." Sara said as she pulled out her jacket from her locker.

"Sara, don't you care at all that I could fall into a pit of despair if this Thursday doesn't go exactly as planned."

"Greg, you're being over dramatic. What could possibly be so important that you would actually stoop to begging me to have this Thursday off?" Sara asked.

Greg gave her a weird look. Could she really be that out of touch with her coworkers that she hadn't heard the latest gossip the rumor mill was dishing out? It sure seemed like she was.

To think she'd spent the whole night with him, Greg who was either receiving glares or suggestive looks. Greg wasn't too sure where the glares were coming from, but he didn't say anything.

He just went about his work as usual even when Jacqui was being oddly curt with him. Jacqui who earlier had been praising him on his romanticism. Greg figured there must have been something weird in the water.

"Okay Sara, I didn't want to have to do this. You know I hate the guilt trip, but... I have a date with Nicky Thursday." Greg said.

Sara's eyes widened in surprise as she digested the new information.

"You mean Nick Stokes the guy you've been secretly in love with since the day he started working here."

"Yes, one in the same. Now please... do you know how long it took me for him to even realize that I liked him? He still can't fully grasp it."

"I can't still fully grasp it Greg." Sara said shaking her head.

Greg rolled his eyes at her. She had said that the first time he told her that he had a crush on Nick. She was the first one in the lab to know he liked guys just as much, if not more than, he liked girls.

She hadn't been too surprised. In fact she acted as if she already knew. She had been surprised when he told her that he had his eyes on one Nicholas Stokes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know so are you going to switch days with me or what." Greg asked.

Sara was quiet for a few moments and Greg had a sinking feeling she was still going to say no. She sighed and rolled her eyes and then opened her mouth.

"Well, I'd hate to stand in the way of your future happiness. I'll got tell Grissom that I'll switch days with you." Sara said in a defeated tone.

"YES! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Did I ever tell you just how much I love you! God you ROCK!" Greg said pulling Sara into a big bone-crushing hug.

"Greg, let go of me. People are going to get ideas." Sara said.

"Sorry, just... I'm so happy. Thanks again, Sara." Greg said as he walked out of the locker room to Nick's lab.

If he was lucky he'd be able to catch Nick before he left to go home.

Just as he thought Nick was still processing something from someone's case. Greg stepped inside his lab, big smile firmly in place.

"Hey Nicky." He said.

Nick looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey."

"So how was your day?"

"A little boring. Warrick came in... apologized for being an asshole and any future times he might be an asshole. Hodges came in to talk about a nature show. And everyone seems to think that I'm heartbroken over you dating 'someone special'." Nick said with a big smile on his face.

"If they only knew. Well, I got Thursday off, just like I said I would. So I guess we're still on."

"Of course!... I mean, yeah sure." Nick said blushing a little bit.

Greg just smiled at him walking over to where Nick was standing. Greg stood in front him, grabbing his hand in his own to play with Nick's fingers. Greg pushed up a bit on his toes and kissed Nick's nose.

"I'll see you Thursday than." Greg said.

"Yeah, Thursday."

Chapter 4

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