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Chapter 7:

Greg was shaken awake by some weird dream that he couldn't even remember. He sighed and looked over at the clock. A little after ten o'clock. He looked down to see Nick still nestled close to him.

He looked so cute when he slept. He couldn't feel too good sleeping with his contacts though. Greg knew the hazards of keeping your contacts on over night. They could attach to his eye.

Greg laughed. He was worried about Nick's health. He was worried about Nick. He never wanted anything bad to happen to Nick... ever.

He didn't know what he would do if something bad like that happened. Of course he knew he was probably overreacting to things, but he couldn't help it.

He heard his phone ring and sighed. It was more than likely work and that meant he was going to have to kill Grissom. It was his day off and he had just pulled a double. He hadn't even slept much.

He disentangled himself from Nick, who was very reluctant to let him go, and walked into the living room searching for his pants. He found them in a heap on the floor and took out his cell phone and answered it.

"Sanders."

"Greg, I need you at a crime scene." Greg sighed.

Oh yeah Grissom was definitely going to die.

"Gris, you do realize that it's my day off and I just pulled a double. Why can't you have Catherine or Sara or Warrick work it with you?"

"Because, from the files I looked over, it looks like it could be from the same guy that killed your vic."

Greg rubbed his temples and took in a deep breath.

"Gris... please, man I'm begging you. I haven't gotten much sleep today and I'm really tired. Can't you just put someone else on it."

"Greg, this is your case. Now look the crime scene isn't that far away from your place. Maybe a five minute drive."

"Grissom, I'm not at my place."

There was a stilled silence from the other line. Greg knew Grissom was probably thinking over this new piece of information and viewing it with every possible explanation.

"So it's about a twenty minute drive from Nick's. Either way I expect you here soon."

"Well I kind of have to get dressed and take a shower... I mean don't want to go in smelling weird." Greg smiled. If he was going to work, he was going to make it as hard on Grissom as he possibly could.

"Just get here Greg." Grissom said in that tone that meant he'd heard way too much and wanted to pretend like he hadn't.

Greg sighed.

"You have to work?"

Greg turned around to see Nick standing in the doorway of the hall that led to his bedroom. He had a sheet wrapped around his shoulders covering up most of himself from Greg's view.

"Yeah. Gris thinks this body they found may relate to my case. He wants me down there ASAP." Greg said grabbing his pants and shirt.

"Oh. You're not... gonna take a shower?" Nick asked.

"Can't. Gotta get down there."

"But you just said..."

"That was only to make Grissom feel uncomfortable. Seriously, you think I'm going to shower?" Greg said. He lifted up his arm and smelled himself.

"Hmmm... maybe I should." Nick smiled.

"You probably smell a little. I don't think Grissom would appreciate you walking into a crime scene smelling the way you do."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll take a quick shower. You on tomorrow night?"

"Yes, actually I am. You think Grissom's gonna keep you working that long?"

"He might. Depends on if I can finish the case. If I get out early... I'm welcome back here... right?" Greg said feeling a little nervous. He'd done one night stands that had ended like this and he didn't want that with Nick.

"Of course you're welcome back here. Why wouldn't you be?" Nick asked.

Greg smiled as he walked over to Nick. He placed a small kiss on Nick's nose and smiled.

"Good. Now, you look tired. Get some sleep. If I don't see you before you go to work tonight, I'll definitely see you later." Greg said.

Nick just smiled as Greg ushered him off to his bedroom.

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

Greg walked onto the scene, hair wet and dripping clothes a little damp considering he'd thrown them on when he was still a little wet. His left shoe was untied and practically falling off as he ran to the crime scene.

A house.

A nice looking house.

A house that looked like it was fit for suburban living.

Nothing like the other place Greg had processed. A bachelor pad apartment that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in decades. This place looked immaculate. This place looked stunning.

This place looked like it couldn't possibly be related to his other crime scene. If it wasn't Greg was going to physically injury Grissom. And he was going to make it hurt. He was going to make it hurt really bad.

He walked inside to the house. There was evidence of a struggle. There had been evidence of a struggle at the other place. The cops were looking at him strangely. Greg guessed it had something to do with his appearance. He didn't look like his usual self. When he got to Grissom and Brass, Brass was smirking at him.

"Hot date, Greg." He asked.

"And what, Jim, would make you ask that question?" Greg asked.

"You're hair's not done. Doesn't matter if you're sleeping or not you're hair is always done. That and you have a hickey on your neck." Brass said smirking widening.

Greg's hand instantly went up to his neck feeling around for marks. Sure he and Nick had gotten a little... yeah, but hickeys. He didn't remember Nick kissing his neck. Though it was somewhat of a blur... a nice blur, a very good blur, the best blur of his life.

"Calm down champ. It's not that noticeable." Brass said. Something in his tone made Greg think different.

"There's no way I have a hickey. I'd remember a hickey." Greg said, his hand still covering his neck.

"Well maybe you just got caught up in the passion."

Brass giggled. He actually giggled. Greg scowled at him.

"I swear there's no way I got a hickey."

"So you didn't have a hot date? Because the way Grissom was talking it sounded like you did. Perhaps nabbed yourself a certain lab tech you've been... swooning- for lack of a better word- over for, oh I don't know, years."

Greg's scowl deepened.

"How is it that you knew this? Does anyone else know this?" Greg asked.

"Well Nick's not to good at keeping his emotions hidden, but you... well I had too look a little deeper for you. Saw it eventually." Brass said.

"Yes, well if you must know about my personal life... I went on a date with Nicky, but I swear I don't know how that hickey got there. I don't... I don't remember him..."

"That good huh?" Greg didn't blush. He did however glare at Brass.

"That good what?" Greg turned around to see Grissom standing behind him.

His hand was still covering most of his neck. He smiled nervously at Grissom. He turned to see that Brass was still smiling and giggling under his breath.

"Nothing, Gris, let's just work the crime scene." Greg muttered his hand still on his neck.

"Greg, you're gonna have to move your hand from you neck." Grissom said.

"I will... as soon was we get started." Greg said trying to get away from Grissom.

"Is there something you don't want me to see."

"No, I just..."

"Did you hurt yourself? Do you have a rash? You better let me take a look at it."

Brass began to laugh, loudly. He couldn't stop himself. He doubled over laughing. Grissom quirked an eyebrow and Greg looked even more nervous.

"Something I should know, Greg?" Greg sighed and removed his hand from his neck. He bit his lip as he wondered what Grissom was thinking.

"That's a nasty bruise Greg." Grissom said in a deadpan voice.

"It's... it's not exactly a bruise. It's more of a... hickey." Greg said.

"Hmmm... yes I figured that much. Considering you were on a date and it's on your neck." Grissom said.

Greg wished a hole would open up and swallow him wide. This was all Grissom's fault. Soon this would make the new rotation at work and Nick would be so upset.

He really liked his privacy. Though it wasn't really Greg's fault that Nick gave him the hickey in the first place. He sure as heck didn't give it to himself.

"Oh, well then... can we get to work."

"Greg... I'd appreciate it if... you didn't come to work with... love bites on your neck." Grissom said.

Okay, now Greg was pissed off. If he had had it his way he wouldn't be at work. Granted even if he had waited it would still be there, but at least he would have had time to try and cover it up.

"You're the one who called me in. I didn't even know it was there until Brass here informed me."

"It's a good thing he did. Now you'll have a chance to cover it up. It looks unprofessional."

Now Greg was bordering on appalled. Grissom was actually calling him unprofessional. Greg, the man who came to work in wrist cuffs and Marilyn Manson concert tees.

Any other time, Greg might have gone along with it. Sure he usually came to work dressed unprofessionally and basically looking unprofessional, but he didn't even want to be at work. Grissom and called him.

"Would it matter if I didn't cover it up?" Greg asked.

Grissom seemed to be thinking this over and Greg's anger was steadily increasing. He was probably trying to find cool calculated words that had some hidden Zen meaning to them. Greg hadn't it when he got cryptic.

"Let's just work the crime scene." Grissom said.

Greg sighed. He wasn't going to get anything out of Grissom, though the other man would probably look at him funny if he walked around with an uncovered hickey. And really, Greg didn't want to call that kind of attention.

He followed Grissom to the body and took out his camera. Grissom knelt down and began to look for evidence around the victim. David was going about his business. Greg sighed again and began to take pictures.

"Is there something bothering you, Greg?" Grissom asked.

"Oh, hey, Greg. Thought it was your day off. Heard that you had a big date with..." from Grissom's questioning look and Greg's glare, David knew to shut up.

"Well, I'm done. I'll just..." He said scampering off into the other direction.

"Well." Grissom asked.

"Well, what?" Greg said a tad bit petulantly. He knew it probably wasn't the healthiest career move in his life, but Greg wasn't in the mood.

"Greg, you're obviously mad about something."

"Yeah, I mad about having to come in on my day off when I just pulled a double. A double on my own thank you very much. Everyone else is laying asleep at home having a nice boring time and I'm here at a crime scene when I can be somewhere else.

"Somewhere much better than with the body of a dead guy in some suburban hell hole and you'd think that you'd be considerate enough to understand that, but apparently you're not." Greg said in a huff.

"I'm sorry that I interrupted your date, but you have work to do."

"You didn't pull a double today."

"No, but you've pulled doubles before."

"Yeah, but not on my day off. And this counts as a triple technically."

"Greg, I know that you're young. And I know that you're prone to do things that... well just look at that thing on your neck, but the crime scene comes first."

Greg growled at him. What was it his business. If Greg decided to wear tutus and walk around like Madame Whatever in his home, it would be his own doing. His private life was his and his alone.

"Just cause all of us don't spend our time looking at bugs and racing cockroaches." Greg grumbled.

Grissom's head sprung up and the older man rolled his eyes.

"Greg I'm very happy that you and Nick are... copulating... but the crime scene comes first." Grissom said as he swabbed the ground around the victim.

Oh yeah, Grissom was definitely on Greg's hit list.

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

"So, Jacqui thinks that you and Greg have done it. Like several times. In fact she thinks you go at it like animals." Hodges said.

Nick sighed. He was drinking his coffee in the break room. It tasted awful. He was getting a little too spoiled on Greg's coffee. Greg hadn't shown up again.

Nick assumed he was still working the crime scene, but that didn't mean he couldn't worry. Greg had had a grand total of three hours of sleep give or take. He had looked exhausted when he had gotten to Nick's place.

"I wouldn't say that." Nick said.

Hodges rolled his eyes.

"Well I figured you two... you know... but I didn't want to know... you know." Hodges said.

Nick rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't want to tell anyone anyway. That stuff's private." Nick said.

"Nick, you tell your friends that stuff. If you and Greg are... you know..."

"David you can't even say it. Can we just focus on this new case? It's complicated." Nick said.

"Yeah, sure, so trace on the inside of a water bottle. Not much to go on."

"Hey guys, discussing the case." Nick and Hodges looked up to see Warrick standing in the doorway.

"Yeah. It's pretty interesting actually. I'd like to know how they got the poison into the water." Nick said. Hodges shifted from side to side. Nick could tell he was already trying to plan an escape.

"Yeah, I'm sure everything will unfold with time. You seen Greg?" Warrick asked.

Nick frowned. Warrick had gotten in before Nick had and Nick hadn't seen Greg all night. In fact it was getting close to the end of shift and he hadn't once brought in evidence for Nick to process.

"No, I haven't seen him all night." Nick said.

"He never gave you anything to process?" Warrick asked as he took a seat in the break room.

He seemed concerned. Nick decided to drop his unfazed act as well. If Warrick was concerned he could be concerned too.

"No, I told you I haven't seen him all night. Well I saw him earlier, but..." Nick trailed off.

He could feel himself start to blush and he knew Warrick would probably know later when Greg talked to him, but Nick and Warrick still weren't on great terms. They worked together. That was basically it.

"You know, Archie said he saw him earlier. So did Jacqui. I think the word they used to describe him was 'frazzled'. Though I could be wrong." Hodges said in that tone that said he knew he was right.

"Frazzled. I still can't believe Grissom gave him this case to work. I don't think it's doing him any good."

"Well, he didn't sleep much. He said he worked late yesterday and then... yeah he didn't sleep much." Nick said.

Hodges rolled his eyes.

"If you're so concerned, why don't you find his bleached blonde ass."

"Well, Hodges, I didn't know you cared." Greg said as he walked into the break room.

He went straight to the coffee maker and began to make his coffee. When he was down putting his beans into the maker he turned and leaned against the counter closing his eyes as he did.

He was wearing a sweater, a pretty baggy one. Nick thought it might actually be his. He usually left a turtleneck in his locker just in case. He was wearing baggy pants and his hair was falling in his face. He looked oddly familiar.

"Taking a page out of Nick's old book, are we." Hodges said.

Greg didn't even bother to open his eyes. He just calm stood waiting for the coffee to be done.

"Greg, man, you okay. I know that case..."

"I finished the case. Just arrested the suspect right now. Grissom gave me Monday off." Greg said taking a few deep breaths.

"Oh, well that was the least he could do after interrupting your original day off in the first place." Nick said.

Greg opened one eye and smiled. He walked over to Nick and grabbed his coffee. He walked back over to the sink and poured in out and rinsed it a bit. Warrick, Nick and Hodges sat in silence as Greg grabbed Nick's hand and pulled him out of his seat. Nick didn't think to say anything. He just let himself be pulled into whatever direction Greg wanted.

They ended up in the parking lot next to Greg's car. Nick was about to tell Greg that his break was almost over when Greg pushed him against the car and started kissing him. Nick couldn't honestly say that he was protesting. Greg's kisses... they were the best kisses in the world and just being that close Greg was making him a little dizzy.

Visions of Saturday night fled through his head as Greg's tongue pushed into his mouth and Greg explored every crevice of his mouth. He'd been really worried about Greg. Genuinely worried. He couldn't push Greg off of him. Not even because his break was over. Not even because they were in the parking lot of the crime lab and anyone could see them. He just pulled Greg closer and continued to kiss him.

After minutes that seemed like hours Greg pulled away. He rested his on Nick's forehead and took a deep breath.

"I thought you wanted to remain professional." Greg said.

"Well, you basically dragged me out of there. I mean could you be anymore caveman Greg?"

"Yeah sorry about that. I just... I needed... Tell me why I do this job?"

"What?"

"Just, give me the reasons as to why I do this job. Are there even any?" Nick let a worried look cross over his features.

"Greg, you do this job because you love it. You always tell me that you love it. That you get a rush from solving a crime. That you like helping people and stuff like that. What... what happened on this case?"

Greg sighed.

"It doesn't matter..."

"It does if it has you questioning your life. Greg you were questioning whether or not your job was worth it. You love your job."

"I know... I just needed some reassurance that I'm doing it right."

"Greg, you're the best CSI the lab has."

"No, Sara is the best CSI the lab has. Grissom is the best CSI. Hell Catherine and Warrick are before me."

"Aren't you always telling me that I'm the best. In a lab filled with great lab techs, each great at their own field, you always say I'm the best. So why can't you believe me when I say that you're the best?" Nick asked.

Greg smiled.

"You know the right things to say to cheer me up. You're really good at that. It was just a hard... case. When I get some sleep my head will be clear."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, though Grissom might still be a little angry at me."

Nick scowled. "Why?"

"Well you noticed that this is your turtleneck. A bit big on me if I do say so myself. Anyway, I borrowed it- I hope you don't mind- because of your little love bites." Greg said with a smirk on his face.

"What?" Nick said in a confused tone.

"Your love bites... well it was just the one. You gave me a hickey... Nicky." Greg said laughing a bit.

"What!?... No I didn't. I... I would remember... I don't remember sucking on your neck."

"I'm thinking it was in the shower. See I told you that us taking a shower together would have been bad, but then you had to go all 'aww shucks' on me blushing by just merely mentioning the thought of us showering together and I just had to jump on the idea. Don't remember much accept for the hand job. You know you're just full of surprises, Nicky." Greg said.

Nick was blushing. He couldn't help it.

He remembered the shower. He remembered asking Greg if he wanted Nick to scrub his back. Greg had graciously accepted and they had ended up showering together. It was more kissing and heavy petting than actual showering and Greg had gotten hard. To be honest, Nick had gotten pretty hard himself, but Greg had to leave so Nick wrapped his hand around Greg's cock and pumped it until Greg was screaming and coming.

"I still don't remember giving you a hickey. I bet you're..." Nick stopped when Greg pulled down his turtleneck and showed Nick the hickey. It was a little purple with mostly red surrounding it.

"Oh... yeah okay I guess... I still don't..."

"Nicky, I think I'm going to take Brass's word and say that us not really remembering when it got on my neck means that it was really good." Greg said.

"Brass knows?"

"He pointed it out. He knew it was you."

"So, the PD doesn't... the don't..."

"Nick, they all pretty much like me over at the PD. I don't think us being together will be too much of a problem. And I'd like to see them try and talk about it."

"You like being all macho man don't you?"

"Just a little bit. Anyway, I should probably get home and take a shower. You probably have to get back to work. That comedian's death looks interesting." Greg said taking a deep breath.

"It is. And I do... have to work, but..."

"Yes?"

"Do you really have to go home? I mean we wear the same size and all and... well I'd kind of like to get home and have you there." Nick said in a nervous tone. Greg rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You swear to me that that's not a routine. That you're actually this shy and nervous." Greg asked. Nick blushed.

"Sorry, if you don't want..."

"Of course I want! Why in the hell wouldn't I want? You're bed is way my comfortable than mine. And it smells like you... and I like your house better than mine. Besides, I want to be there to live out all your little fantasies."

"Greg."

"Okay, okay, I shouldn't get you all hot and bothered when you have to go back to work. That wouldn't be right."

"Yeah, you're right. It wouldn't be right. You get to go home and I have to go back to the lab and work."

"Oh poor little Nicky. All hold up in the lab when he has better things he'd rather do." Nick smiled and Greg kissed him on his nose.

"You like doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Kissing me on my nose."

"Oh, well, yeah."

"I like it. It... I don't know some how it's more intimate than... anything else." Greg kissed him on the nose again and Nick's smile widened.

"Seriously though. I should go. I'll see you when you get home... where's your extra..."

"It's in my car. Here," Nick said as he pulled a key off of his key chain. "Take these. I'll use the ones in my car. So... see you later."

"Yeah, later. Get back to work." Greg said as he moved away from Nick.

He walked to his driver door and took one last look at Nick before getting in. Nick moved away from the car and watched as Greg pulled out of his parking spot and pulled out of the parking garage. Nick sighed and looked at his watch. There was only... three more hours until the shift ended. Nick sighed again.

It was going to be a long three hours.

Chapter 8

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