Disclaimer: If it's familiar to you, it doesn't belong to me.

A/N: For now this is a one chapter ficlet, but if I can stretch out a few ideas I have, I might extend it.

"Would you go out with me?"

Unsure if he heard correctly, Nick stared at her for a second to process what she had just said before giving his calculated reply. "Huh?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "If you didn't know me, and you met me in a bar or wherever the hell you go to pick up women, would you ask me out?" she elaborated.

"Uh…"

Sara glared at him, getting impatient. "It's not a hard question."

"Uh, I guess so." He wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't want her to think he was lying to avoid offending her. Because he wasn't. But he hated hypothetical questions. Sometimes they were just as bad as the 'do these jeans make me look fat?' questions.

"You guess so?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"You guess so." This time it was a statement rather than a question. She crossed her arms and cocked her head.

He gave her a defensive look. "What? Why?"

"Hey Warrick, would you pick me up if you met me in a bar?" she asked him as he walked into the break room.

"Sure," Warrick replied without hesitation as he headed for the coffee machine.

Sara turned to give Nick a look.

"How do you know he's not just saying that?" he challenged.

"Well at least he knows how to make a girl feel good," she smirked.

Warrick looked at Sara and then at Nick before turning back to Sara. "Why?"

"One of my cousins for some reason called me this afternoon, one I haven't seen in years, and one that doesn't even really know me that well, and she had the nerve to tell me that the reason I'm still single is because I'm 'not approachable'." She made quotes in the air with her fingers as she slumped into the seat across from Nick at the table. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Nick opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted before he could.

"Warrick, 419 at Sal's Jeweler, in Henderson. I'll meet you there," Grissom handed Warrick the assignment slip.

"Yes sir," Warrick gave Grissom a mock salute before heading out.

"You two have a floater," Grissom turned to Nick and Sara.

"Lake Mead?" Sara was hopeful, eager to get a case outside of the city for the first time in weeks, eager to escape from the garish casinos, bright lights, and crowds of bizarre and twisted people that Vegas lured in, so bizarre and twisted that she was sometimes glad she was never "approached" by any of them. Both male and female.

"No. But still a lake. In a golf course. Desert Hills Country Club," Grissom replied.

Sara let out an exasperated sigh as she snatched the slip from him. "Am I never getting out of this city?" She left without waiting for Nick.

Grissom looked at Nick, who only raised his eyebrows in confusion as he too walked out.

Nick reached the parking lot and found Sara sitting in the passenger seat of her Denali. He opened the driver's side door and climbed in, waiting until they were on the road before speaking.

"If it's any consolation, I think you're very approachable," he said, staring straight ahead at the long line of cars in front of him.

"It's not really, but thanks," Sara lied as she turned to look out the window so Nick couldn't see the smile she failed to completely swallow.

Nick caught Sara smiling and couldn't help but smile himself. He hoped she knew he wasn't lying for her benefit.

They drove the rest of the short distance in silence, quickly processed the scene, and headed back to the lab. After logging in what little evidence they had, their first stop was DNA.

"Hey Greggo," Nick greeted as he and Sara walked in.

"It's your lucky day. Blood and hair." Sara handed Greg the samples.

"Gee, thanks. It feels like I hit the jackpot," he deadpanned.

"Aw, cheer up man." Nick gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Hey, I know what'll make you feel better." He turned to Sara. "Why don't you ask him what you asked me and Warrick earlier?"

Sara shot Nick her trademark glare, knowing what kind of reaction she would get from Greg and not really in the mood for fun and games.

"Ask me what?" Greg looked at Sara excitedly.

"Nothing. Page us when you've got something." She turned and quickly left.

"Ask me what?" Greg turned to Nick.

"Maybe later," he smiled apologetically as he went to chase Sara down. "Hey, hey, slow down, Speed Racer," he jogged down the hall to catch up with her. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? If I knew it would upset you that much I wouldn't have said anything."

"I'm not upset," she snipped, staring straight ahead as they continued walking.

Nick let out a playful scoff. "Hey, you said it yourself. Your cousin doesn't even know you that well. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Can we just drop it? We have a case to work on."

"Okay, fine," Nick replied, knowing she was right.

They got to work, but only one of them was able to completely forget about the whole thing. And it wasn't Nick. Their case was tough and he of course gave it his undivided attention, but Sara's earlier hypothetical question was still lingering in the back of his mind.

--------------------

Nick walked into the locker room, exhausted and looking forward to a good morning's sleep. However, he knew it was the sight of her rather than just sleep-deprived, brazen stupidity that encouraged him at that moment to act on his impulse to ask her what he knew he wanted to ask her all along.

"Would you go out with me?"

"Nick, cut it out. It's not funny anymore." Sara slammed her locker and glared at him, not amused by the fact that he was apparently mocking her.

"No, seriously." Nick looked at her with a straight face.

Sara's smirk somewhat faded when she realized Nick wasn't joking. "Huh?"

"Would you go out with me?" Nick repeated as he took a step toward her.

"Like on a date?" Sara's voice registered a bit of shock and skepticism. Sure, they hung out a lot, just the two of them, but it was always just as friends. Co-workers. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nick smiled. "Yeah."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"You. And me. On a date." She was still having trouble grasping the idea. Granted, the two had flirted shamelessly for years, and granted, she had to admit she more than enjoyed it, but it was all harmless play. Just a little fun between friends. Wasn't it?

"It's not a hard question," Nick teased, feeding her the same line she had given him earlier.

Sara knit her brow in sudden realization. "Just because Warrick lied to make me feel good, doesn't mean you have to ask me out to prove some kind of point."

"I'm serious, Sara." He gave her a gentle smile as he took another step toward her.

"Oh." She could only manage a whisper, the proximity of Nick's body to hers for some reason causing her to temporarily lose her voice.

Nick tried to look into her eyes, but found them staring at his lips. Without giving it a second thought, he leaned in to gently kiss her. Only after Sara reached out to brace herself against her locker when she felt her knees buckling did she start to kiss Nick back. But as soon as she did, Nick pulled away.

"So is that a yes?" He looked at her.

Sara could only nod.

He smiled as he turned for the door. "Good. We'll save the rest of that for later then."