Disclaimer: I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them. I would, however, love to shave off George Eads' horrible mustache.
Author's Note: This is for Ashley and Mel.
"Do you make a habit of answering the door dressed like that?" Sara had a smirk clearly etched on her face with a single eyebrow raised as she took in the appearance of her very masculine coworker wearing nothing but a pair of Texas A&M boxer shorts and sporting a mustache that made him look like a 70's porn star.
Nick did his best to swallow a smile, albeit not too successfully, as he took in the appreciative expression on Sara's face. "The airline lost my luggage and I didn't get to my laundry before I flew to Dallas."
"And that's all you have?" Sara was definitely not complaining about Nick's fashion woes because it afforded her a view of him that she was thoroughly enjoying.
Nick let out a knowing chuckle. "Well when you pull that many doubles the week before a vacation, let's see how many clean clothes you have...besides, I wasn't exactly expecting company."
His grin told her that he didn't mind her company at all, and from the way his eyes trailed down her figure, Sara was picking up that perhaps he thought she was a little bit more overdressed than he'd like her to be. "I could go." She was openly ogling him but found that the whole picture was marred by the unsightly hair growing above his upper lip.
"I didn't mean you had to leave." Nick had been in Dallas attending a forensics workshop and then visiting his family for the last two weeks and while he was gone, he realized that he missed Sara a little too much for someone who was supposed to be just his friend.
"Oh, so you'd like me to stay then." She still hadn't told him why she'd stopped by; she wasn't even sure why except that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him while he'd been gone and she'd taken a detour past his house on her way home from work to reassure herself that he'd gotten home ok.
Nick didn't answer her question he just crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at her curiously. "So what brings you by anyway?" He hoped that she wasn't delivering a message from the lab asking him to come in early; he was at least an hour away from having any clean clothes.
Sara suddenly felt flustered, but she tried to keep her demeanor calm, cool and collected. "I happened to be running an errand near your place on the way home from work and I noticed that you were home." As lame sounding as her explanation was in her own ears, she sincerely hoped that Nick bought it since there weren't any stores within an eight block radius of his house and she had clearly gone out of her way to stop by.
Nick saw right through her. "An errand, huh?" A grin spread across his face as he realized that she must have purposely stopped by.
Sara knew she'd been caught. "Is it a crime to come see a friend when they come home from a trip?" Nerves were swirling in her stomach as she considered that she wasn't sure where to go with this conversation without completely giving herself away.
Nick quirked an eyebrow at her. "So you missed me then." He was grinning at her.
"What if I did?" She wasn't ready to lay all of her cards out quite yet, but hinting might get him to show a few of his.
Nick took a step towards her. "Well, then I guess I'd have to say that I missed you too." He could feel an air of electricity between them and his grin widened.
The wiggling of the mustache caused Sara to wince a little and her eyebrows shot up. "Can I ask you a question?" Her gaze was fixed just above his lips.
"Sure." Nick would have sworn that she wanted to kiss him from the way she was staring, and he was finding that it was making him a little excited; maybe a little too excited considering his current attire.
"What is that thing under your nose?" It wasn't that Sara disliked facial hair; she had actually seen Nick with a smattering of scruff before and found it extremely sexy. It was just that this mustache was a little untamed and resembled one that her brother had pasted on for Halloween one year.
"Huh?" Nick was thrown for a moment and then he smiled sheepishly as he realized that she was referring to the mustache that he'd grown quite by accident in Texas. "Oh, this." Nick pointed at the furry looking caterpillar of a mustache.
"Yeah...so what made you think that was a good idea?" She couldn't help but smirk at him as she waited for a response and taking the opportunity to notice the well delineated muscles of his chest staring at her.
Nick scoffed at her, a smile belying his supposed indignation. "I had a freak beer drinking accident."
Sara snorted out a laugh as she looked at him in disbelief. "A what?"
Nick stepped towards her and parted the mustache so she could see the cut that was healing quite nicely. "My older brother wasn't paying attention and elbowed my bottle of beer right into my lip...couldn't exactly shave over the stitches."
Sara didn't think before she reached over to brush the hair from his mustache back from the cut, as she gave it a much closer inspection, her brows furrowing in concern. "It looks like it's healing up pretty well." She looked up at him and realized just how close they were standing to each other and she couldn't help but smile.
"So you don't like it?" Nick's voice was slightly husky as he considered just how much he wanted to kiss her right then as her fingers brushed over his lips as she pulled her hand away from his mustache.
Her lips twitched up at the corners. "Not so much." Although if she was honest with herself she would have to admit that it wouldn't stop her from kissing him.
Nick decided to take a chance. "But you like me." His voice sounded more confident than he felt as he noticed a flash of panic in Sara's eyes.
Sara stuttered. "Uh, we're friends." But she was definitely having more than just friendly feelings for him and her eyes kept going to his lips as she unconsciously wet her own.
Nick could see right through it and he stepped a little closer to her, his hand with a mind of its own slipping up and cupping her cheek. "Then I probably shouldn't do this." He did it anyway and as his lips softly touch hers, he could tell that she didn't mind one bit.
Sara whimpered a bit at the soft strength in his lips and quickly responded to his kiss. Her voice was thick as they pulled apart. "I guess we can't be friends anymore." All she could think about was the fact that she wanted to kiss him again.
"I guess not." Nick's lips crashed into hers and his arms snaked around her waist as he pulled her closer. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, but if he was he certainly didn't want to wake up.
As they pulled apart again, Sara whispered huskily with an impish smile on her face. "I guess since we're not friends anymore that must be a frog in your pocket."
Nick snorted out a laugh. "I don't have any pockets, Sar." He knew exactly what she was referring to and he found it extremely amusing.
"So I guess you're really glad to see me then." Sara didn't think that she'd care if Nick never let go of her at that moment.
"I'd love to show you just how much." Nick's voice sounded like raw desire and as he kissed her again, he could tell that she was feeling the same way.
It was much later as a very sated and satisfied Nick and Sara lay all tangled up his comforter; his Texas A&M boxers lost somewhere in the living room, and Sara's clothes leaving a trail all the way to his bedroom; Sara fingered the mustache adorning Nick's face. "So when do you think you might be able to shave this thing off?"
The End