Disclaimer: You know me. I own everything, I control everything, my word is everybody's command... OF COURSE NOT!!!
Author's Note:
Well, I think this could hardly be considered angsty. And to those of you
who have actually asked, sorry but this will be a triangle. There'll be
a lot more N/S, but we should be seeing plenty of Grissom in all due time.
Sorry for the delay but I
tried to re-arrange my updating schedule according to Snickers Day. J
If you want info on future updates, just ask and don't review anonymously
(or at least leave an e-mail addy behind).
I would like to thank sweet
like chocolate, oOoOo, Nadiah, Chaos, Tanya,
candaceFABULOUS, Rachael, @Hockey_Gurl@, Lisa,
MissyJane, Sara Grissom, skyler, cRaZyPiXiE,
asd, FREAK!!, Gray Duck, chimaera-104, forensicsfan
and Agent Rouka for your comments and thoughts(which doesn't
release you from your reviewing duty, k?).
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Chapter 5: Dry Spell (Withdrawal)
It certainly looked like the weather knew nothing about timing. Middle of November and it still felt like it was a hundred degrees in the shade.
For the first time in forever, Nick was actually glad to be working the graveyard shift.
The cooling effects of the shower he had taken before going to work were wearing off. His cotton T-shirt was starting to stick to his skin, and for a moment he wished he could go to work wearing his trunks.
Grissom would be royally pissed, but he knew for a fact Sara wouldn't mind at all.
Sara.
Things were back to normal between the two of them. Fortunately they had been spared the gut wrenching cases for the last few weeks. Which meant that the amount of time they spent together had been drastically reduced.
Reduced to the time they spent together at work.
Coffee breaks had become ritualistic, and they had vowed to have breakfast after the shift at least once a week.
Their friendship had improved and when they were by themselves she was no longer short with him. She smiled, a lot. They talked about anything and everything, and although she was still reserved it was different somehow. Like they shared a secret connection that no one could touch.
He had no doubt whatsoever that she would go to him if she needed him, because he wouldn't hesitate to look for her either.
The actual problem was that they hadn't needed each other in quite a while.
And it was driving him crazy.
Nothing even remotely similar had ever happened to him before. He had always found Sara attractive and it had never interfered with his work, let alone his ability to reason in her presence.
He wasn't obsessed, he wasn't a pervert, he wasn't *that* needy.
But now he hadn't slept well for the last couple of days and when he did he ended up needing a cold shower anyway.
Blame it on the heat wave, right?
He had even considered showing up at her door the way he had done so many times before. He could also picture her kicking him out of her house half a second after making a move.
Feeling bad suddenly looked great, being narrowed as his only option.
For the time being, the air conditioning of the crime lab was doing wonders for his sanity.
Until some psycho loony freak decided to go on a killing spree by Lake Mead and Grissom told him to ditch his current case, pack his kit and hop into the backseat of his Tahoe.
'Where everybody is waiting', he had said.
Warrick was with Brass at the scene trying to keep the officers from contaminating what little evidence there might be. Even Greg had been called in. Their boss was driving; Catherine was, as usual, on the passenger's seat.
Sara was crushed beside him.
She just sat there, offering him a small smile but otherwise looking just as uncomfortable and sweaty as he was. She shifted slightly and her arm accidentally brushed his side.
He cursed under his breath. It was bad enough to have her leg rubbing his. Overcoming the memories was already enough challenge for him. Her now familiar smell was numbing his senses.
His karma was catching up with him, he knew.
Having her so close was killing him.
And now the air conditioning of the car was doing nothing for him.
His coworker's Tahoe was a welcomed sight and he decided he was riding back with him. There was no power on Earth that could convince him to share a close space with her until he found a way to keep his hormones in check.
Jumping out of his boss' car wasn't very subtle, but nobody seemed to mind.
The crime scene perimeter was huge and he voluntarily started to work on one of the bodies. His eagerness did look suspicious to Grissom who raised an eyebrow before assigning the rest of the tasks.
Physical distance didn't hurt his goal of keeping her out of his mind, and the gruesome nature of the crime proved to be an effective - and certainly welcomed - distraction.
For about five minutes.
He sighed, and rubbed his eyes at the sight in front of him. She just had to go and process the only body anywhere near him. Sometimes he wondered if she knew what she was doing to him.
Other times, he wondered if she did it on purpose.
"Want a hand? I'm done taking pictures." He heard from behind.
"Wouldn't mind one, War." Whatever it took to make him focus on the job.
"You OK, man?"
Well, there were many possible answers. Explaining to his coworker that the heat made him horny wasn't one of them; let alone elaborate on the subject of his lust.
"Just a little tired."
"Don't worry, I hear the day shift is going to take over the case so we might be able to go home soon."
He smiled weakly and absentmindedly kneeled over the dead body. Home. Alone. Not the ideal scenario, but at this point he was sure that she would smack him hard in the head if she knew what he was thinking. With all due reason.
After all, what was wrong with him anyway? They were just friends.
Friends that occasionally slept together.
"I'm done here!" Catherine yelled. Grissom nodded to her and motioned the coroners to move.
"These bodies are all yours gentlemen. Nick? Warrick?"
"Done too." His partner answered, eyeing him strangely.
It looked like he was about to say something, but he just frowned.
"What the --?"
A few seconds later it was pouring, and not for the first time he wondered what the hell was wrong with the weather.
Somebody tossed him a body bag and he did his best at covering the body until the paramedics brought a gurney.
He stood up taking in the scene before him.
Sara was right there, soaking wet. Her hair was dripping, and the sight made his heart skip a beat or two.
His perception of the reality around them was becoming blurry.
Sensing his scrutinizing gaze she turned to meet his eyes, and its impact struck him like a lightning. He could feel the rain on his now clinging clothes; he knew he was supposed to feel cold and miserable, yet he could have sworn the temperature around them had risen.
Maybe she wasn't as oblivious as he had thought.
"Sara!"
Suddenly both of them were very aware of the fact that they were the only ones still standing there, under the wrathful eye of Gil Grissom.
She just turned around and moved quickly towards the vehicle without giving him another look. He started to move as well, but as soon as she got into the passenger's seat they drove away.
He was riding with Warrick after all.
"Just in time, huh?"
Nick blinked twice before shutting the car's door.
"What?"
"We finished processing the scene just in time." Catherine elaborated with a small smile. "We got all the evidence."
Not exactly what was in his mind. Flooding his friend's backseat, he was finally feeling cold and miserable. She had been sucked back into Grissomland.
Just in time. As usual.
The ride back to the lab wasn't as long as it had seemed before, but not short enough. She was gone and so was Grissom.
Now he was sure to go home and try to convince himself that the unusual weather was the cause of his inner turmoil.
"Nick!"
"Yeah." He turned. He had forgotten Greg had actually been on the field with them.
"Here." He said, handing him a small piece of paper that had his name scrambled on it. The handwriting was familiar.
Of course. Greg had ridden back with them.
Meet me in 30, my place.
Sometimes even Gil Grissom was too late.
**************
"I think it would be safe to say our friendship is officially ruined."
She laughed from the other end of the bed. It didn't look like the rain would stop anytime soon.
"Ruined?" He crinkled his nose. He hadn't felt that good in a long, long, long time.
"Casual sex doesn't ruin friendships?" She teased, disbelieving. If there was any truth in her statement, she couldn't bring herself to care.
"Look at it this way," He explained while propping himself on his elbow. "Now we are more than friends, we are partners in crime. That *has* to be stronger."
She chuckled animatedly, enjoying the feeling of his hand caressing her leg.
"I wouldn't know about that, but I'll take your word for it." She smiled. "After all you are the expert."
The smile became a bemused one as she felt the pillow hit her head slightly.
"Hey I resent that comment!" He protested mockingly.
It didn't prevent the pillow from flying back and hitting him.
"I'll have you know that contrary to popular belief, I don't sleep around." Sara had to soften at his cute pout and the slight hint of hurt in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, but it's not my fault. I'm not the one with a reputation."
Nick sighed, and the smile forming in his lips suddenly acquired a mischievous glint.
"Well, not that kind of reputation anyway..."
If there was something she couldn't resist, it was a declaration as vague as that, especially when it referred to her.
"Hold that thought." She commanded as she moved quickly back to his side. He shifted, making room for her, and she leveled herself to meet his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"
For whatever reason, she found herself asking him that a lot lately. The good news was that she actually had a genuine interest in his answers, and he always seemed eager to elaborate.
"It means I could go tomorrow, stand on the break room table and tell the world we're having sex no strings attached, and no one would ever believe me."
He couldn't help but brush away a strand of hair that threatened to fall into her face. Feelings or no feelings involved, she was still beautiful.
And she loved the attention.
"Your point being?" She asked slightly distracted by his touch.
"You're the good girl. Kind of uptight if you ask me..." Both of them smiled, but the good natured fun didn't save him from a well deserved slap in the arm.
And his hand was now caressing her sides.
"You're the kind of girl my parents would love." He whispered. "Which makes me think you're only doing this to piss Gil off."
She rolled her eyes, but didn't move.
"How come everytime I sleep with you we always end up having some awfully deep heart-to-heart talk?"
"How come the only time you ever change the subject is when I start talking about Grissom?"
Feelings or no feelings involved, he still needed to know where they stood. She smiled, acknowledging his right to an answer.
"Grissom is never going to find out about this." She stated.
"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow, and she nodded. "How can you be so sure?"
She smiled and pushed him causing him to lie entirely on his back before rolling on top of him again.
"Because I'm done being the good girl."
- END OF CHAPTER FIVE.
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Written by Mary S.
