Title: The Love On My Face (1/4)
Author: Emono
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas
Rating: PG-16
Pairings: Nick/Archie, faint Grissom/Greg
Series: Photoshop Series
Summary: Archie sees something in himself.
Beta: gil_follower
Warnings: Evil Hodges, sorry if Archie's a little OOC
Disclaimer: *le sigh* CSI has too many lawyer for me to even attempt to mess with, there is in fact a 50ft high wall around CSI with armed sentries every 20ft
Author Note: This was the weirdest daydream to have at school
Nick stood quietly in front of the old refrigerator in the break room, eyeing his brown-bag lunch sitting behind a fermenting, oozing substance in a Petri dish. The Southerner gagged slightly, making a face. Grissom needed to learn to keep his experiments out of the fridge and back in his office, the fumes coming off of it couldn't be good for his food.
His poor lunch…oh well, everyone for himself to the vending machine.
Just as he was about to close the door, a scuffle sounded behind him. Freezing like a rabbit who just spotted a weasel, he cocked his head and listened.
"Give it back, Hodges" that was Archie, and he sounded a little passed pissed.
"You mean this?" there was a click, then the other man snickered "This that you left in my lab?"
"It was an accident" Archie bit out "I was in a hurry, and that's mine, not the lab's. So give it back!"
"So impatient" Hodges was taunting him now "If you had a little more patience, you would still have your silly toy."
"It's not a toy" the A/V specialist nearly whined "It's a retractable, spring-based USB cable/insert. I just got it, so hand it over!"
"Gimme-Gimme never gets."
"Give it back to him, Hodges" Nick closed the fridge, throwing the Trace expert a hearty glare. There in the tech's hand was a wound up cable, at the end a USB insert. Hodges clicked it right in front of Archie's face, the silver of the device folding into it's thick plastic shell before appearing again with another click.
"Fine" Hodges snuffed, annoyed at having his fun ruined "Keep your tech crap out of my Trace Lab, Johnson. Catch, Stokes."
Nick's reflexes were quick, he snatched the coil right out of the air before it had a chance to unwind. Archie smiled gratefully, taking a step towards the field agent. What the man didn't expect was that Hodges was cruel, and couldn't pass up an opportunity to express his strange humor. The Trace Expert stuck out his foot, catching Archie mid-step.
The raven haired man stumbled gracelessly, staggering right into the senior CSI. Nick didn't catch him in time, so Archie hit his knees hard against the floor. The momentum sent him right into the CSI's legs, he instinctively reached up and balled his fists in the man's loosely fitted jeans. There was a pregnant pause, Archie looked up at Nick from his position on the floor in surprise. The Southerner seized his arms, helping the lab tech to his feet.
"Thanks" Archie managed to choke out, giving a small smile.
Nick replied with a brief grin of his own, "Anytime."
Then the Southerner glared at Hodges over the A/V specialist's shoulder, eyes narrowed to see Hodges far to their left. The Trace expert shoved something into his pocket, smiling innocently (insert eye roll here.)
"Quit being such a bastard, Hodges" Nick spat, slipping the raven haired man his USB chord "You want suspended? 'Cause I've been begging for a reason to co-sign the papers. One word to Griss, he's been waiting for it."
"No harm, no foul" Hodges held up his hands defensively, the corner of his lips twitching dangerously "I'll just be on my way now."
They watched him leave, step quickened like he had something important to do.
"You ok?" Nick's voice caught Archie's attention, he turned back toward he man and nodded "If he gives you anymore trouble, tell me, 'kay? Him doing this to you is no different from me harassing Greg."
This made Archie smile, "Don't compare me to Sanders."
They shared a laugh, then parted ways.
Later, as Archie was cleaning up all the audio tape Catherine had left for him, his personal computer pinged. Rolling over and tapping a few keys, his e-mail inbox flashed up on his laptop. There, blinking dully, was a new message…from Hodges…titled "To You, W/ Love."
Archie scowled, muttering, "At least spell 'with' all the way."
But when he moved his wireless mouse over the link and double-clicked, he became speechless. A picture came up on the screen, obviously taken from a cellphone by the shape of it. He didn't know whether to be angry, break down, or recoil in shock. Dark eyes raped the picture, looking for any signs that it was edited…no, it was definitely authentic. He couldn't look away, he was transfixed.
It was from earlier, no doubt. The picture showed him on his knees in front of Nick Stokes, a still-shot straight from the first moments of a gay porno. Archie saw himself on his knees, fists clenched in the CSI's jeans like he was begging for it. That look on his face…a love-akin shine in them, mized with some weird admiration. But that couldn't be right, you can't see emotion in people's faces. Or…could you? Cause he had never seen that look in his own face before. But he had seen that look on Greg's face when he looked at Grissom, and everyone knew Sanders was completely in love with the entomologist.
Nick's face said something, something he hadn't seen before. The Southerner's lips were quirked into an almost lecherous grin, staring down at…well, himself like he was just waiting for it. 'It' being, of course, sucking him off right there in the in the break room. Where anyone could pass by, walk in and see them…
Archie flushed darkly, glaring at his hardening cock.
"No, no way" Archie hissed quietly "You can't…we can't like Nick. You got that? He's a co-worker, my friend, and straight. Do you want to get hurt?"
His cock gave a weak twitch, then went limp. Archie grinned to himself, who said he had no control over his libido? Master, steel control…the Zen Master of Control. A certain icon on the screen caught his eye, flashing. Next to it were the words 'Forwarded Seven Times', colored red and damning. He broke out into a cold sweat, getting up from his chair and stumbling to the doorway. He clung onto the frame, hanging out of the lab and looking around desperately.
Catherine and Warrick were in the hall, both looking down at their cellphones in bewilderment. Catherine looked up first, brow creased as she waved her phone at him, as if asking 'What the hell is this?' Warrick snickered to himself, catching the lab tech's eyes and giving him a thumbs up. Archie paled, darting down the hall. He passed the Print Lab, hearing the high trill of Sara's cell…alerting her she had a picture to look at.
Greg was in his lab, gaping at the picture on the screen. Archie was all but sprinting, but the quick brunette was out of the DNA lab in a second to seize him by the arm. Archie tried to pull away, but the boy was insistent.
"Johnson-"
Archie wretched at his arm harshly, "Let go of me, Sanders."
Greg's eyes were pleading, "Archie, if something happened, you can tell me. Did Hodges-?"
"There's no time" the raven haired man blanketed the hand on his arm "Later, Greg, ok?"
Greg nodded, releasing him. Archie was gone in a moment, turning the corner and practically running into his boss's office. He twisted the knob, opening the door just enough to slip inside. Grissom was sitting quietly at his desk, his glasses firmly on the bridge of his nose. He was filling out a report, aware but not alarmed by the lab tech's presence. Archie peeked through the blinds, then locked the door.
"Grissom?" Archie turned to face the man, approaching his desk and leaning on it heavily "Gil, please…"
"Archie" Grissom removed his glasses, staring up into the concerned face of his A/V specialist "I assume you're here about the picture Hodges decided to circulate?"
"Gil, it's not what-"
But Grissom held up a hand, silencing him effectively. Archie kept his lower lip clamped between his teeth, head bowed.
"Calm down…" Gil gestured softly "Then tell me."
Archie took a few deep breaths, nodding slightly, so when he spoke again he sounded balanced, "Hodges tripped me in the break room, straight into Nick. Hodges took a picture at the wrong moment, nothing happened."
Grissom leaned back in his seat, hands steepled in front of him, "But you love him?"
Archie paused a moment too long, "Of course not!"
The older man grinned, "Little liar."
The raven haired man locked their eyes, silently agreeing, "…how'd you know?"
"I studied that picture, for authentic reasons of course, and I'm not an idiot" Grissom slipped back on his glasses, smiling secretly "Love…right there on your face, for anyone with eyes to see."
Archie sighed, was he so obvious?
"Well then" Grissom didn't break their gaze "What do you plan to do about it?"
"Honestly?" Archie's eyes now held a degree of heartache "Nothing."
Gil nodded solemnly, "So be it."
TBC
