Title: Pretending to Sleep
Disclaimer:I don't own these characters, and CBS/Alliance Atlantis/Jerry Bruckheimer does. Good for them.
Rating: G, PG...doesn't really matter.
Note: I decided to try a Sara POV, since I had the privilege of thinking for Nick in two of my stories. I thought it was harder to use her as the first person though (probably cause I'm under the impression that if there are any amorous intentions between them, they mostly stem from Nick). Hope it doesn't show =)
I snuffled, and shifted. Inside, I was a bundle of nerves, and it was getting difficult to pretend I was sleeping.
I hadn't been feeling like myself earlier on in the shift, and since it was a slow day, I had decided to sit on the lounge room couch for a while. As I sat there, alternately staring at the ceiling and dozing, Nick had come in, holding part of a donut in his mouth, and a stack of case files. He nodded at me before he sat down beside me, but made no acknowledgement of my presence otherwise. And somewhere along the line, I must have fallen asleep. But after my head came in contact with something hard, my eyes snapped open. I had hit Nick's shoulder. My first reaction was to jerk my head away and apolgize profusely. But something about his lack of surprise to the situation made me stay still, at least temporarily. He gently placed an arm around me, and continued reading his files. He didn't seem to think that there was anything out of the ordinary at all. I knew for a fact that Nick could get a little too charming for his own good. Maybe I was reading too much into it. If I had fallen asleep on Warrick, he probably would be doing the same thing. But I got the feeling I was enjoying this too much. After a couple minutes, I felt him put down his folders and shift, and I knew he was trying to get a better look at me. He rested his head on mine, and he sniffed my hair.
"You smell good." he whispers, jumping to the quite reasonable conclusion that I was still asleep, and wouldn't hear him. I had to supress a smile. Men and scented shampoos. I had never met one that didn't like 'em. I had a similar observation about him anyway. He smells incredible, possibly the effects of some high end light cologne. He tightens his hold on me and loosely ruffles the ends of my hair. I could feel him staring, and I hoped that I wouldn't suddenly flush a bright pink as I moved slightly to lean more of myself on him. All the things you can do when the other person is unsuspecting, I think to myself. Almost rolling my (closed) eyes at my audacity, I let out a small moan, and grin as I feel him suddenly stiffen up. He finally sighs in defeat, of I suppose, whatever he was trying so hard to fight, and drops a kiss on my head.
"Well well well. What do we have here?"
"Shut up, Greg. You'll wake her up." I could tell Nick was fighting back a smile. Even when repeating a phrase, the same person will sound slightly different if they're saying whatever they are the second time with a smile.
Greg lowers his voice and affects a snarky tone, "But you're getting her to sleep with you. I'm excited."
The door opens and shuts. "Who's sleeping with Nick?" I hear Warrick say, and silence falls immediately afterwards. Apprently choosing to refrain from saying anything too sarcastic, Warrick simply says "Its the end of shift. You might want to get her up so you can both go home."
I feel Nick shaking his head. "I can't do that. Look at her. She looks so peaceful." I suddenly got a mental image of both Warrick and Greg zooming in to examine my face in great detail.
"Your call. But I'd do the same thing. See you tomorrow." I hear Warrick's footsteps as he leaves the room.
"So you will tell me tomorrow, you know, if you happen to get luck-"
"Greg. Leave." Nick cuts him off before he can finish, and I hear the sounds of retreat.
I could almost see Nick's indecision as to what exactly he should do with me, although I suppose it's anyone's guess exactly what he was thinking.
"I'll never get another chance to say this." I hear him mumble. Then, to my ear: "Sara, you're beautiful." Now it was my turn to stiffen, but I didn't stay that way for long. He was gently shaking me. "Hey...hey. Shift ended 5 minutes ago. Want to head home and get some sleep?"
I plastered what I hoped looked like a sleepy expression on when I opened my eyes. "Uh...yeah." I feign confusion. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About an hour."
"Sorry about that. You couldn't get any work done then...with me sleeping and everything." At least I could apologize truthfully, even if I had to put on an act to get it out.
"No, no, I really didn't mind." There really wasn't anything I could say to that. I got up and picked up my bag from the end of the couch. It had been a warm day when I left the apartment, and I hadn't brought anything with me, like a jacket, that I would need to go to my locker to get. I walked to the door, and turned back at him. He hadn't moved from where he was on the couch.
"Thanks, you know, for-" I fiddle with my car keys.
"Honestly, its fine." He interrupts me, which is just as well, since I didn't really want to elaborate. In hindsight, the whole situation had seemed kind of awkward.
I opened the door, and paused. I just had to say it. "Hey Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"About what you said...you're not so bad yourself, you know?" I grin and him, and leave the room, stealing just one more glance at him, a muted expression of shock on his face.