This Is the Last Time

Rating: It's okay.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters!

Summary: "I wish everybody knew what's so great about you."

A/N: So this is a CSI fic... since I haven't written in forever. The story idea credit belongs to Remoob1513. They came up with the idea and I just wrote it! Sorry for any grammar mistakes! Also, listen to This Is the Last Time by The National. It helped me write this!

It had started out innocently enough, one night when he had asked her out on a harmless date. She had agreed reluctantly, but only because she couldn't remember the last time she had been out on an actual date. She took him up on his offer to get a few drinks after their shift ended and was a bit skeptical as they approached the bar he had decided on. Greg had insisted that it would be fun… and to her surprise, it was. It was a casual pub with dim lights and pictures of the bar's regulars hanging from the walls. There were a few pool tables occupied by slightly drunk college kids with cigarettes hanging between their lips and the bar was packed with people just getting off of work, like them.

Greg had pushed through the crowd of people that hovered by the bar and grabbed her hand instinctively, pulling her with him so she could order herself a drink. She ducked under his arm when they finally reached the bar top, and scooted in front of him so her back was pressed lightly up against his chest. He craned his neck to the side to be able to see her face and asked softly in her ear,

"What do you want to drink? It's on me. All of it."

"Greg, I'm perfectly capable of buying my own drinks."

"What's the point of me asking you out on this date if I let you pay for your drinks, then?" He pulled his wallet out form his back jean pocket and slipped a credit card from its pouch. "So what's it going to be? Vodka? Tequila? Whiskey?"

"A beer," she answered back with one of the smiles only a few people were ever fortunate enough to see. A smile that told him, 'You know better than to ask me that.' He nodded and pounded his hand against the bar counter.

"Two Budweiser's. Bottles," and slid his credit card across the bar to the man now holding two cold, tall beers. Greg accepted the drinks and handed one to Sara.

They settled into one of the empty booths on the other side of the bar, away from the people and the noise. There were a few televisions muted, playing sports highlights that were begging for his attention, but instead he raised his bottle up in the air, offering up a toast.

"To a fun and eventful date." She tapped the neck of her beer to his and together, they both took a long sip of the beer. "So Sara…" His boyish features were strikingly attractive tonight; the way he tilted his head down and looked up at her through his eyelashes as if he were almost too shy, the way he grinned at her as she took more and more drinks from her beer, how he had spiked his hair up in the Greg-like fashion…

"Greg," she tested his name on her lips, earning another smile from him.

"Why'd you agree to go on this date with me? Why now?"

"Honestly?" He nodded, nursing more and more of his beer to catch up with her. "I thought it was time to have a little fun. And who better to do that with than you?"

The night had progressed quickly, with both of them loosing track of time so effortlessly. Beer after beer, she felt herself loosening up around him, smiling and laughing more, leaning into him whenever they went back for more drinks at the bar, clinging onto his arm as he stood there ordering more beer, whispering into his ear that the blonde across the room was checking him out… She knew deep down that none of this was really her, not what Greg was used to seeing. But the alcohol was making her brave, and Greg didn't seem to mind it one bit. The night had finally come to an end and before they knew it, the bar was emptying out.

"Come on… I'll take you home," he had wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back to his SUV, where she climbed into the front seat. He buckled her in and walked over to the driver's side, started the engine, and was off into the night.

"Did you have fun?"

She hiccupped. He laughed.

"That's a dumb question. Look at me. This is the first time I've been this drunk in… years."

"No way. You're drunk?" That earned him a playful slap on the arm. "I can't wait to tell the guys this."

"Greg!"

"I'm kidding, Sara. I would never." He reached over to pat her on the leg for reassurance, and when he went to pull his hand away, she covered it with her own to keep it on her thigh.

"Thank you for tonight, Greg. You don't know how badly I needed this."

The trip back to her apartment had taken less time than she thought, and before she knew it, she was unbuckling her seat belt and reaching for the door. There was no denying that she had fun with Greg tonight. There was something about him… just being with him made her feel alive, made her forget about all her troubles. The alcohol was making her bounce the ideas back and forth in her head. He was a good friend, a best friend, really… but could he be any more than that?

She had just managed to move on and forget about Grissom now that Catherine had claimed him, but was it possible to fall for someone again so quickly?

"Hey… I'll help you up there," he whispered, turning off the engine and getting out of the SUV before she could protest. She knew she could manage the stairs and get into her apartment by herself, but an odd wave of security washed over her as he opened her car door for her, helped her down from her seat, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Moments later, she found herself in her apartment and let her keys drop the side table by the door. Greg had stayed behind by the door and was simply content to watch her settle in for the night, knowing she was safe, until he left for his own place.

She had decided that she didn't want the night to end after all, and disappeared into her kitchen. She emerged with two beers in her hand and nodded to the couch in the corner of her small living room.

"One more beer?"

His hands were shoved in his jean pockets as he shrugged. He knew she was probably tired after long day of work, and both of them would have to go back in a matter of hours, but there was something about the way she had kicked off her shoes and fell back onto the couch, inviting him next to her.

"One more and it's bedtime for you."

He took his place next to her and accepted the beer she had offered him. The rest of the night had been sharing the stories of him, Nick, and Warrick… all three of them getting into some type of trouble like three little boys. Laugher filled her living room and before long, the laugher turned into yawning, no matter how hard she tried to stay awake to listen to more of his stories.

"Sara…. It's late. I don't want to keep you up." He had thrown away their empty beer cans and came back to the couch, standing in front of her and holding out his hands for her to take. He gently pulled her from the couch, but she lost her sense of balance and fell against him. He caught her instinctively, wrapping his arms around her and steading her against his chest. "I'm going to go now," he whispered. His face was so close to hers, he could feel the heat coming from her cheeks. He itched to kiss her, his lips twitching at the chance to press against hers, but he refrained.

"Just stay," she whispered back, her head tilting back in an inviting gesture to finally kiss her. Without giving it another thought, he closed the distance between them and let one of his hands that had been resting on her lower back tangle into her hair, cradling her head and keeping her face tilted back so he could kiss her.

The kiss was slow and gentle, their lips testing, teasing, barely touching. It was soft and hesitant, unlike the rest of the kisses she had experienced. It was intoxicating. She felt dizzy standing there, her lips pressed against Greg's and her body almost melting into his. Her own trembling hands slid up his chest, which is when he lost all control at her touch and deepened their kiss, rolling his tongue past her lips and against her own. She gripped the edges of his jacket for support and sighed into his mouth, their hands changing angles desperately to explore more, further into one another.

She pulled back on his jacket, encouraging him to take steps with her as she slowly made for her bedroom. She could feel herself responding to his kiss and growing hotter with every second that passed. Her hands left his jacket just long enough to strip herself of her own clothes as they went through the small hallway to her bedroom. His jacket was next to follow hers onto a trail of clothing that led to her room. He spun sharply and pressed her fully up against the wall by her bedroom, anchoring his hands on her hips to keep her in place and in front of him as he trailed hot kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

It was all she could handle before pushing against his body, reaching behind him to open the bedroom door and push him inside. He stumbled back, catching himself on her bed before she crawled on top of him, straddling his lap and forcing him to lie back on the bed.

He thought maybe he should put a stop to this. She was drunk, he had been drinking… nothing about it seemed like a good idea, but just her touch was driving him to a point of no return. Part of him wanted this more than anything. He had waited so long to have a chance like this with Sara. But the other part of him was throwing logic into the mix and not helping one bit. Almost everyone in the lab knew that Sara was finally starting to get over Grissom and he couldn't help but wonder if this was just another way to help her see past Gil.

He had broken off their kiss long enough to frame her face with both of his hands.

"Are you sure," he asked, out of breath and full of desire.

"I've never been surer about anything else," she responded, working the buttons on her shirt to expose the black lace bra beneath. Greg could feel the blood begin to boil in his veins and could only pray she meant what she said.

A/N: So there's the first chapter! Hopefully I can update soon. It shouldn't be too long of a story, but there are def. a few more chapters coming up! Let me know what you guys think so far! Again, sorry for any grammar mistakes!