Disclaimer: I do not own NUMB3RS or anything to do with it (characters, episode story lines etc.) and I am not making any profit from this. I just write them for entertainment purposes so please DON'T SUE! (cause I can only pay you in cookiez) Thank you.
Although any characters that you don't recognise and the Charlie/Colby story line (I don't mean the episode story lines) is my own to an extent.

Warning:
Spoilers: 4x07 "Primacy"
Pairings: Charlie/Colby (nothing too graphic or anything in this chapter)

Chapter 1

Charlie Eppes was all but ready to pass out from the days events. Now he was at home drinking some beer and watching a ball game analysing batting averages and the usual.

He was still furious with Don for using Amita as bait. He knew his brother wouldn't let Amita do it at all if she were in any real danger. But still, he had told him he didn't want her doing anymore field work at all. It wasn't too much to ask. He was just so frustrated and didn't understand why she went through with it, without even telling him. Especially, after what happened to Colby.

He was thankful that Colby had been there, at the dam, or else it might have been himself or his girlfriend that ended up swept away with the dam flow. However, he was even more grateful that the Agent was okay.

To make matters worse while driving back to Amita's apartment they got in argument over the subject of why she did it. This did not end well which is why he was alone in the house tonight. Dad was out with friends and said he would probably just stay the night at his friends since he hadn't expected Charlie to be back from Amita's until the morning. Don, well, he really just didn't want to speak to him for awhile.

Deciding that sitting around and getting drunk was not going to solve his problems; he got up and headed into the kitchen. He poured the remainder of his beer down the sink then took a glass from the cupboard and got some water. He placed the glass on the island and grabbed a stool to sit. He saw his cell sitting on the work surface where he had placed it earlier when he came in.

Four missed calls from Don and one from his father which meant five voicemails to go through. Charlie breathed out a sigh. He deleted the one from his father as it was from after the interview to enquire about the Amita and the operation so wasn't that important. The ones from Don he ignored, he'd get back to him at some point tomorrow as the days events had left him rather exhausted.

As he relocated back to the living room he heard a knock on the door. It couldn't be Don because he would have just let himself knowing Charlie wouldn't answer the door to him, certainly not tonight anyway. So he reluctantly pulled himself up off the couch to see who it was.

Standing at the door was Agent Granger. Why would he be here at this hour, it was only eight but the whole team had had a long day particularly the young agent. He expected everyone would be at relaxing or sleeping, which is what he wanted to be doing right now. But he always liked talking to Colby.

"Colby! Hey Come in. What brings you over? I thought you'd be the first person that would be home right now getting some shut eye." Charlie said as he gestured for the F.B.I. Agent to come in. Looking at the man, he'd hardly recovered from nearly drowning.

Granger entered the Eppes residence, walking stiffly. "Yeah, well, I got some sleep at the office earlier before I got on with the growing mountain of paper work on my desk. Your brother has been bugging me for weeks to do it. Plus I still hadn't actually properly thanked you for this morning." as he said this he handed over a grocery bag to mathematician and fell into the sofa. Charlie followed his lead and sat next to him on the settee as he peered in to the bag to see what its contents were.

Charlie laughed, "Beer and chalk." lifting them out and setting the five packets of chalk beside the six-pack. "Well, you can never have too much of both in this house, thanks." he smiled at Colby who was now resting his head on the back of the sofa with his eyes closed.

"No problem, whiz kid. You did save my life today so it was the least I could do." he replied still with his eyes shut. He had thought of going back to his apartment although it hadn't been very appealing as no one would be there to talk. Going back and sleeping was an option though he had already got sleep so he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while yet. Then he smiled a little, "Are you sure you don't work out 'cause I was hardly able to help you pull me out but somehow I found myself on dry land?" opening his eyes and turning to face him.

"I might if you start making them little morning swims a regular thing," Charlie paused to see Colby roll his eyes. He'd been teased enough by the rest of the team. "Plus a little heads up would help as well." feeling like Colby had probably had this conversation with Don, David and Megan he stood up. "So, you want a beer or something?" picking up the bottles of beer. "Since we have plenty of the stuff."

"Nah, I'm driving home. Maybe a glass of water though." as he picked himself off the comfort of the sofa and followed his boss's wee brother into the kitchen.

"There you go." as he handed him the glass of water he requested. They lapped into a comfortable silence.

Colby drained his glass in under a minute and set it down on the counter in front of him. "You'd think, after being in that river you'd have had enough of water for a while." Charlie smirked.

His brother's team mate just groaned. "You're just as bad as your brother, if not worse." he grumbled with his head in his hands.

"Sorry. I'd hate to sound like my brother after all the teasing I've been subjected to by him." He said sympathetically as he slid into the barstool across from the agent.

"Don't worry about it." was his slightly muffled response. Another silence settled upon them. Suddenly Colby lifted his head and looked around the room as if he had lost something. Finally he turned to Charlie's confused expression. "I thought Amita came home with you, where is she?"

Taken aback by this Charlie looked away from the green-eyed agent and tried to find something interesting on his hands. "Err… She said, she needed some space. We kind of, err… we" stopped by the ring of a cell phone on the counter between both men. Charlie groaned as he lifted it and recognised the name on the screen. "It's the person who caused all this today." as he said this, he flipped the phone open and shut it just as quickly. "Maybe now he'll get the message." he dropped the phone onto the worktop.

"I guess your still mad at Don and things between you and Amita aren't…" searching for a good word. "Great." his understanding gaze on Charlie

"Yeah, he's getting the cold shoulder for the rest of the week." Charlie sighed in frustration. "Me and Amita had an argument today, on the way back to her apartment, it ended with her slamming the door on my face." the ex-solider winced. That had happened to him before and it wasn't funny even though all his friends were in stitches when he told them the story.

"I've been there. I'm sure Amita and you will work it out. She's probably still a bit shaken about what happened today. You two are good together; it would be a shame if you didn't. So make sure you do." Granger added giving his best serious face.

"I was planning on phoning her in the morning to see how she was and if she wanted to have lunch. What about you? You have a girlfriend at the moment?" asked Charlie, wanting the conversation shifted off the topic of him and Amita. He heard Colby snort.

"Come on, you do remember that I am a Federal Agent? Also there was the Triple Agent thing and I was in the Army beforehand. I have no time to have a personal life let alone a love life. My dating history is worse than Don's." Colby looked absolutely shattered at the admit ion, the fatigue evident in his voice.

"No matter how bad it is, no one's is worse than Don's. The amount of dates that he's left at the restaurant for work is just ridiculous."

"Oh really." Colby raised an eyebrow. Don always put in his two cents when Megan and David were teasing him so any dirt he could get on him would be useful.

Charlie had a mischievous grin plastered on his face that mirrored Colby's. "What do you want to know?" He knew Don would kill him but it would be all worth it and he kind of deserved it.

They ended up sitting of the living room floor, talking and drinking. As the end of this traumatic day finally brought a fresh one, it was also this newborn day that saw the beginning of the new strain of entirely new and different problems for these two.

"Wow! It's like, after midnight." Charlie said with disbelief as he pushed himself off the floor onto the sofa.

"Well done, smart guy!" his drinking buddy retorted which resulted with him getting a glare. "Well, you going to call me a cab Eppes 'cause you're the one who started me drinking? And now I'm kind of stranded because of you." sitting down and prodding Charlie at his last comment. Charlie manoeuvred round till he was facing staring him right in the eyes.

"Well I was going to say you could sleep here tonight but since you're starting to annoy me, Granger," Mimicking Colby's earlier action: jabbing the right shoulder. "I think I am just going to go to bed and leave you out on the front porch without your car keys." with that said he began to rise but didn't get that far off the couch when he was tugged back down.

"You wouldn't dare." leaning forwards trying to be the intimidating agent that he was. It didn't work and Charlie just moved forwards so that there noses were nearly touching.

"Try me."

As soon as those words were said the pair crushed their mouths together. They couldn't hold themselves back any longer. Pulling back just an inch before they kissed again, "Maybe I wanted you stranded all along." this time it was a much deeper one. Panting for air by the time they had finished they both opened their eyes and sobered up as they saw each other. They couldn't believe they were doing this. Even more they couldn't believe they liked it. It was too sudden and shocking. They needed to know they were both thinking clearly. They moved apart. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence and avoiding eye contact, Charlie stood.

"I err… better get off to bed. The offer is still there if you want to, you know, stay on the couch." Charlie said awkwardly, still not making any eye contact. He couldn't believe this was happen, he had just kissed Colby Granger, it was probably just the alcohol combined with the stress of everything today. Just something utterly stupid like that.

"Yeah, thanks. I think I err… better." averting his gaze to the floor while he rubbed the back of his stiff neck. This was why he didn't like to drink very often; even reasonable amounts caused him to do idiotic things. He would never make it home now without falling asleep in the cab, hell; he didn't even know how he had managed to stay awake for so long. There was movement then the Agent felt something being dropped onto the seat beside him: a pillow and a blanket.

He muttered a: "Thanks."

And just heard a quiet: "Night." Before that person climbed the stairs.

Charlie pushed the door shut behind and fell face first onto the bed. "What the hell have I done?" asking the pillow quietly.

Meanwhile Colby was lying on the sofa, thinking out loud. "I just kissed my boss's little brother. Oh great!" he whispered sarcastically.

But one thought ran through each of their minds: "I think I like him... I am in so much trouble."

Tomorrow was going to be a long day for both of them.

A.N.- I know that was like 'throw rocks at me' bad and you are free to do so, my muse is just so lazy and this was the 'best' idea I could come up with. As many people have wrote Colby/Charlie Fics and they start from the episode "Breaking Point" but I just thought that it would be different to start from here.

By the by, it is unbeta'd so blame the bad spelling and grammar (yuk :( ) on me.

Although, this is my very FIRST story that I have ever wrote for FF so please don't get the pitchforks and torches out just yet.

If you are reading this then thanks for reading this lame attempt at writing and I hope that you will comment on this and if I get at least a couple of reviews then I might write another chapter although I was going to make this a one shot since I can't write.

So, if you like then review away... :D (I accept the good, tha bad and the down right annoying comments)