"I'm very sorry 'bout that scene. That was absolutely not what I had in mind" Warrick felt a hand on his shoulder. He did not start; he had heard the familiar steps coming up from behind.
"Yeah. Was damn irritating to see the two of you quarrelling like this." Warrick glanced up, watching his friend sit on the bench besides him.
"It was a surprise for all involved as I see it. Who would have thought that the two of us would end up fighting over you."
"Fight over me?" Warrick was honestly surprised. He had not judged the situation as this, although the words had been clear. The green-eyed man snorted. "So, who won? Bear with me I'm a bit slow, it seems."
"Depends on you, huh?" again the hand was placed on his shoulder. A gentle touch that felt so good, soothed his troubled soul.
"Oh, I do have a word in this? Thank you." Warrick said sarcastically.
"Warrick, don't act like a child. Besides, I don't think Catherine had anything to lose at all. Neither did she intend to win anything when she came around."
Warrick looked over at Grissom, searching the man's blue eyes, "So...?"
It was obviously that Warrick wanted Gil to come around, but the supervisor couldn't make himself do so. Like so many times in his life he found it too hard and too difficult to let down his defenses, to allow somebody else to see his true self.
"Well, that's what I wanted to tell you. Before Catherine left she told me she came along to end it. I thought you deserve to know." Grissom readied himself to leave the scene. Part of him wanted so badly to tell Warrick what he felt, but the part that was in control wouldn't allow it.
By the time Gris stood Warrick realized the man would never admit anything on his own behalf.
"Gil?" a tentative test to call his supervisor by his first name. Warrick watched the other man stop without turning back, "You didn't make this long walk to say just this, did ya? Gil, talk to me!" Warrick was nearly desperate. This was now or never and he knew exactly.
For a long time Gil Grissom stood motionless, nothing of his outward demeanor hinting at the inner turmoil. As he had said to Cath, he had always waited too long. Maybe this was the sole chance in life he had not to be too late? He would be rejected, he knew and that scared the hell out of him. But for once he needed to be honest, didn't he?
"Please, Gil. Why'd ya come here?" Warrick's hand laid on Gil's shoulder as the younger man stood closely behind the stout figure.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." Warrick blinked. Did he say that? He was counseling his supervisor? Had the world turned completely upside-down now? Then Grissom turned around and the sight nearly floored Warrick: eyes dark with emotion, jaws working in the attempt to speak. Who could claim to have seen Gil Grissom like this? But this was not about some competition. This was about – life.
"I have always been too late, you know?"
No, Warrick did not, but he simply kept listening, anxious to stop the ragged flow of words forever.
"Even with you, Catherine had been faster and so much bolder. When I came over to your place, I really wanted to make sure you were OK, nothing more. I did not want to interfere. Anyway: I –" the man paused. The next two words took all his courage, maybe even more he had.
"You don't need to say it, if you can't. I know. I can see it." Warrick's voice was a gentle whisper.
"Can you?"
"Yeah. You allow me to see it." Warrick reached out to cup Gil's cheek. Gil flinched a bit, not used to such contact but then closed his eyes.
"It's just that I'm not stable enough for a relationship. You know that like no-one else." The regret and sadness in Warrick's voice were plain to hear.
"This will never be over, Ricky." Gil's said matter-of-factly. But the endearment made it clear how much he felt for his protégé.
"I can't have a relationship like this. I would ruin it, hurt you... I must fight this harder and bring it to an end."
"Addictions never end. You will always have to fight. You are strong, you are making it. And where you falter I will catch you." Gil understood Warrick's reasoning. If he could not convince the younger man he would be able to live a happy life despite the demons that would always wait for a weak moment, Gil would have lost Warrick here and forever.
Warrick's eyes lost their focus as his mind raced. He had always admired the grounds Gil walked on, the man's word was his gospel and there was nothing like Gil's curt words of praise now and then. For years he had denied his feelings for the older man. After all, Gil was his boss. Would it work out? Would he really be strong enough?
"I'm scared." The dark man finally admitted.
"So am I. Why don't we fight our demons together?"
EPILOGUE
Later that day Warrick and Gil sat on Warrick's sofa. Although they were close there was still a hand's span free space between them. Warrick would not push Gil. The man would make the next move when he was ready, Warrick was certain of that.
"And you really let that fat spider walk your chest?" Warrick said incredulously.
"It feels great. When you're a good boy, I might let her walk on you." Gil grinned. He felt very much at ease. He had been a bit afraid Warrick would have wanted more than he was ready to give but found he had been wrong. Ricky was very perceptive and would accept the fact Gil needed time to adjust and open up.
"I'll behave. Promise" Warrick raised a hand to vow.
"I hope so."
"Gil?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can I say it?"
"Please!"
"I love you."
To both men's surprise Gil pulled Warrick into a long, soft kiss.
"Ditto." Gil murmured.
"Yeah. Was damn irritating to see the two of you quarrelling like this." Warrick glanced up, watching his friend sit on the bench besides him.
"It was a surprise for all involved as I see it. Who would have thought that the two of us would end up fighting over you."
"Fight over me?" Warrick was honestly surprised. He had not judged the situation as this, although the words had been clear. The green-eyed man snorted. "So, who won? Bear with me I'm a bit slow, it seems."
"Depends on you, huh?" again the hand was placed on his shoulder. A gentle touch that felt so good, soothed his troubled soul.
"Oh, I do have a word in this? Thank you." Warrick said sarcastically.
"Warrick, don't act like a child. Besides, I don't think Catherine had anything to lose at all. Neither did she intend to win anything when she came around."
Warrick looked over at Grissom, searching the man's blue eyes, "So...?"
It was obviously that Warrick wanted Gil to come around, but the supervisor couldn't make himself do so. Like so many times in his life he found it too hard and too difficult to let down his defenses, to allow somebody else to see his true self.
"Well, that's what I wanted to tell you. Before Catherine left she told me she came along to end it. I thought you deserve to know." Grissom readied himself to leave the scene. Part of him wanted so badly to tell Warrick what he felt, but the part that was in control wouldn't allow it.
By the time Gris stood Warrick realized the man would never admit anything on his own behalf.
"Gil?" a tentative test to call his supervisor by his first name. Warrick watched the other man stop without turning back, "You didn't make this long walk to say just this, did ya? Gil, talk to me!" Warrick was nearly desperate. This was now or never and he knew exactly.
For a long time Gil Grissom stood motionless, nothing of his outward demeanor hinting at the inner turmoil. As he had said to Cath, he had always waited too long. Maybe this was the sole chance in life he had not to be too late? He would be rejected, he knew and that scared the hell out of him. But for once he needed to be honest, didn't he?
"Please, Gil. Why'd ya come here?" Warrick's hand laid on Gil's shoulder as the younger man stood closely behind the stout figure.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." Warrick blinked. Did he say that? He was counseling his supervisor? Had the world turned completely upside-down now? Then Grissom turned around and the sight nearly floored Warrick: eyes dark with emotion, jaws working in the attempt to speak. Who could claim to have seen Gil Grissom like this? But this was not about some competition. This was about – life.
"I have always been too late, you know?"
No, Warrick did not, but he simply kept listening, anxious to stop the ragged flow of words forever.
"Even with you, Catherine had been faster and so much bolder. When I came over to your place, I really wanted to make sure you were OK, nothing more. I did not want to interfere. Anyway: I –" the man paused. The next two words took all his courage, maybe even more he had.
"You don't need to say it, if you can't. I know. I can see it." Warrick's voice was a gentle whisper.
"Can you?"
"Yeah. You allow me to see it." Warrick reached out to cup Gil's cheek. Gil flinched a bit, not used to such contact but then closed his eyes.
"It's just that I'm not stable enough for a relationship. You know that like no-one else." The regret and sadness in Warrick's voice were plain to hear.
"This will never be over, Ricky." Gil's said matter-of-factly. But the endearment made it clear how much he felt for his protégé.
"I can't have a relationship like this. I would ruin it, hurt you... I must fight this harder and bring it to an end."
"Addictions never end. You will always have to fight. You are strong, you are making it. And where you falter I will catch you." Gil understood Warrick's reasoning. If he could not convince the younger man he would be able to live a happy life despite the demons that would always wait for a weak moment, Gil would have lost Warrick here and forever.
Warrick's eyes lost their focus as his mind raced. He had always admired the grounds Gil walked on, the man's word was his gospel and there was nothing like Gil's curt words of praise now and then. For years he had denied his feelings for the older man. After all, Gil was his boss. Would it work out? Would he really be strong enough?
"I'm scared." The dark man finally admitted.
"So am I. Why don't we fight our demons together?"
EPILOGUE
Later that day Warrick and Gil sat on Warrick's sofa. Although they were close there was still a hand's span free space between them. Warrick would not push Gil. The man would make the next move when he was ready, Warrick was certain of that.
"And you really let that fat spider walk your chest?" Warrick said incredulously.
"It feels great. When you're a good boy, I might let her walk on you." Gil grinned. He felt very much at ease. He had been a bit afraid Warrick would have wanted more than he was ready to give but found he had been wrong. Ricky was very perceptive and would accept the fact Gil needed time to adjust and open up.
"I'll behave. Promise" Warrick raised a hand to vow.
"I hope so."
"Gil?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can I say it?"
"Please!"
"I love you."
To both men's surprise Gil pulled Warrick into a long, soft kiss.
"Ditto." Gil murmured.
