Time
Summary: There's always more than one way to tell time, and it's an added bonus when it's on your side.
By: Greg's Lab Assistant
Disclaimer: In all honesty, I think it's way to sappy, but then again I question all of my work. First posted Nick/Greg. Others on the way. Forgive any grammar mistakes I may have missed. I own no part of CSI and am in no way associated. But I can still dream.
Nick glanced down at his watch, which broke some hours ago, and sighed. He'd just finished up a double homicide and was watching the suspect get towed away. He had about fifteen minutes left in his shift and decided to check with Catherine and see if it was okay to call it a day a few minutes early. Passing the break room, which contained Warrick and waving a good-bye to the said man, Nick arrived at Catherine's door and-even though it was wide open-knocked, being a gentleman.
"Cath?" Nick asked from the door way.
"Nicky, hi! Great work on that double today, I think we had it solved in record time! That'll show Grissom!" She smiled, ever the competitor. Nick flinched at the mention of Grissom and his team; the team that held someone dear to Nick.
"Yeah. Uh, hey, Cath? You think I can head home a few minutes early? I can start on the paperwork early tomorrow." Catherine looked up at the clock while Nick, however; did the best he could to avoid glancing up at the thing.
"A few minutes, Nicky? You've still got ten minutes left, but you did a great job today so I guess so." Catherine smiled. She knew Nick hated Ecklie for breaking up the team, but she would never tell him that she kind of played a part in it too. She loved all those she worked with too much to let them know the whole truth. Besides, everyone hated Ecklie, so why not let him take all the blame?
"Thanks Cath, you're the best." Nick flashed one of those smiles he used when he got results that worked in his favor.
"Damn straight, Stokes." She laughed, and Nick laughed on his way out of her office.
Nick walked out to the parking lot where his Tahoe awaited. He hopped in the front seat, turned on the ignition, and drove out of the parking lot and into the busy streets of Las Vegas. During his ride, Nick never once looked at the clock. He didn't have too. Once he got home he noticed that the house looked empty, but Nick smiled because he knew better. He knew from the empty feeling his home gave off that it was one o'clock, give or take a few minutes and seconds. He opened the door and quietly removed his shoes. He was walking into the kitchen-placing his keys on the counter and looking through the mail-when he noticed a five foot ten inch and one fifth lump on his couch. Nick grinned at the large lump and, for the first time since his shift started, looked up at the clock. One o'clock on the dot. He knew that the lump-identified as Greg-always fell asleep around one because that's when all of the soap operas came on. Nick knew Greg hated them with a passion. Nick knew a lot of things thanks to Greg. He always knew how Greg's night went, without asking him, because Greg would talk about work in his sleep, or how he knew when Greg was getting ready to leave for work because Greg always made dinner for Nick right before he left. Some people told time by the clock, but Nick told the time by Greg. Greg was his personal clock, and an amazing one at that. Greg would always sleep while Nick was at work and then spend from the time Nick got home until the time he had to leave with Nick, even when Nick would fall asleep. Greg would still be right there. Nick smile a grin that split his face in half, and sent up a quick prayer of thanks for the wonderful person Nick recieved. Working two different shifts was hard, but somehow Greg managed to spend as much time with Nick as possible and still do his job. And Nick still hated Ecklie, but sometimes would silently thank him for how things worked out. When the team was split, Nick stopped the flirting and told Greg outright and he recieved the one thing he wanted for almost five years. And although it didn't seem like it; time was on their side. And they had all the time in the world. Nick moved over to Greg's sleeping form and planted a chaste kiss on top of Greg's forehead-after pushing out the even more scattered spikes.
"Mmmm..." Greg shifted a little, "I love you."
Nick always knew that there was more than one way to tell time, and he knew that he had found his favorite way. In that moment, just like Nick's watch, it seemed like time had just stopped. Stopped just for them. Nick knew, and he knew Greg knew, that despite whatever came their way, despite the years, months, days, and hours that flew by, they always had time for each other. Maybe not by everyone else's watch, but this wasn't everyone else's watch. This was their watch, and it said they could take forever if they wanted. They were in Time's favor, and Time was in theirs.