Disclaimer: I don't own them. I didn't create them. And I don't profit from them. I would, however, enjoy having coffee with George.
This is in response to a challenge and is for my fellow Snickers.
Nick Stokes was suspended by a rope halfway down the longest tunnel of a popular Las Vegas water slide inspecting a pair of bullet holes on either side of the tube. Almost as soon as the water park had opened a patron had left the top of the slide in perfect health, but upon her exit from the tube, it became apparent that she had suffered what had ended up being a fatal gunshot wound. The water supplying the slides had been shut off and now Nick was taking measurements of the holes and preparing to take a few photos for their investigation.
He pulled the digital camera out only to find that the battery was low and refused to take any pictures in the hot humid conditions within the tube. Muttering a few choice swear words under his breath he yelled up to his partner on this case. "Sara!"
She poked her head over the top and looked the twenty or so feet down to where Nick was. "Yeah?"
"The damn battery is low. Can you get me your camera?" It was a hot day and the temperature inside the tube was becoming a bit stifling. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Day shift had already been swamped with several other cases so he and Sara had been called out to work this case.
"Yeah." Sara called out.
A moment later, Nick heard a thud and then glanced up as he saw Sara rappelling down to him. He silently groaned. All he needed was Sara and a confined space in this kind of heat. As it was, working with her the last few months had been increasingly difficult because of the attraction he'd developed towards her. He felt a whack against his head.
"Sorry." Sara's voice was sheepish. "I didn't mean to kick you in the head."
"At least I've got a hard hat." Nick quipped as she slid even with him, handing him another digital camera and knocking her body into his in the process; she seemed oblivious as Nick gritted his teeth.
Sara looked at the holes for a moment. "It looks like the water washed away any blood evidence from the holes."
Nick furrowed his brow for a moment. "There might be something on the outside." He grinned at her. "What do you say we take a little section of the tube back to the lab? Maybe Bobby D can give us an idea of the caliber."
"You've measured the trajectory haven't you?" Sara smirked at him in an effort to keep from smiling. Nick was notorious for taking samples that were much larger than necessary and she had a feeling that this would be no different.
He grinned. "Sure have. It puts the shooter in the parking lot. PD is getting us the surveillance video footage to review."
"We're going to have to climb the outside to make sure we get the right section." She suddenly realized just how close together they were in that tube and she could feel her heart rate accelerating. She felt her cheeks flush and she hoped Nick would think it was because of the heat and that he couldn't tell that she was attracted to him. She'd been fighting the feeling for months, and now in this confined space, she was having a hard time ignoring it.
"Alright then, let's get out of here." Nick grinned at her.
Instead they heard a strange noise and then someone yelling. "Look out!"
Nick and Sara looked at each other and then up and then back each other before water began cascading down on them. Nick sputtered. "What the hell?"
"It's water, Nick." Sara deadpanned as she clung to her rope.
Nick rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the information, Captain Obvious."
"Hey, this isn't my fault." She protested as water continued to cascade down on them.
Nick shook his head. "Well we might as well ride it down."
Sara's eyes widened as Nick reached over and unhooked her caribeener from her harness, and let out a loud curse word as she slipped down the tube. "I'm going to kill you, Nick!"
He chuckled, waited a few moments and then released his own, sliding down the tube and into the pool below where a glaring Sara stood at the edge of it dripping wet in her coveralls, her hard hat floating on the water. He glanced at her quizzically. "What?"
"If you haven't noticed, I'm soaking wet." As the words tumbled out of her mouth she realized how preposterous her statement was. He was equally wet and as she watched him climb out of the pool, water dripping from his hair and coveralls as they clung to his body, she was struck by how damn cute he was in his current state. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.
Nick smirked at her and flicked water from his fingertips at her. "So am I."
The manager of the water park jogged up. "I don't know what moron did that, but I'm really sorry."
Nick raised his hand and smiled. "It's all good, man." He gestured towards the tube. "We need to get that section with the bullet holes back to the lab."
The manager looked a bit worried. "You need to take out a section?"
Nick nodded. "It's evidence."
"I'll get Ken the maintenance guy to help you out." The manger looked at them quizzically. "You want me to get you some towels or something?"
Sara smiled and looked at the man's nametag. "Jack that would be great. Thank you."
He grinned at Sara and jogged off towards the office.
Nick glanced over at Sara and chuckled softly. "That guy would probably bring you Silly Putty if you asked him."
Sara blushed a little and then smirked. "I wasn't going to refuse a towel, especially if we're stuck wearing wet clothes for a while."
Nick raised an amused eyebrow. "At least it's a hell of a lot cooler."
The manager returned a few moments later with an apologetic smile. "They're from the lost and found but they're clean."
"Thanks, man." Nick took a towel and then chuckled softly as he noticed flutes and other musical instruments printed all over it. Sara's towel was no better. It had pigs all over it.
Once they'd dried off somewhat, and the piece of the waterslide was brought down, they headed back to the lab to check in their evidence still quite damp.
As the pair headed to the locker room for dry clothes, Nick glanced over at Sara. "You want to pick this up at the beginning of shift?"
She nodded. "Yeah, otherwise I think we'll be pulling a triple." Sara wrestled her duffle bag out of her locker and set it on the floor before shutting the locker. "I think I'm just going to change when I get home. The AC is out in my Denali."
"Want me to give you a lift home?" Nick asked as he closed his own locker.
"Uh, sure." Sara furrowed her brow. "But Nick, it's kind of out of the way for you, you're going to backtrack and you're not going to get very much sleep."
"Would you mind if I crashed on your couch then?" Nick asked before he thought about how his words sounded.
Sara raised an eyebrow in response.
"You're going to need a ride back in. If you let me crash on your couch, I won't have to drive out there twice." He reasoned that it was simply because Sara needed a ride, not because she was incredibly attractive and he hadn't been able to get his mind off of her all day.
Sara nodded before she could rationalize why this might not be a good idea. "Uh, sure, that sounds fine."
"Let's roll then." Nick turned and headed out the door with his duffle bag in hand.
Sara grabbed her bag off of the floor and followed him, not realizing until they were almost out the door of the lab that she hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of his butt. She tried to keep the smirk off of her face as she realized that it was going to be a very long day with him sleeping on her couch.
When they arrived at her apartment, Sara turned towards Nick and gestured towards the hallway. "I'm just going to take a quick shower to get the chlorine out of my hair. Make yourself at home." She didn't take long and when she reappeared, she was clad in a tank top and a pair of shorts, toweling her hair.
Nick was standing in her kitchen sipping a glass of water. "You don't have much in your fridge, Sidle." There was a teasing tone in his voice.
Sara rolled her eyes. "I'm all out of beer if that's what you mean. I have diet soda"
He chuckled. "I'm more of an iced tea man, but thanks." He set the glass down on the counter. "Would you mind if I grabbed a shower?"
She shook her head. "Uh, no go ahead."
He headed down the hall towards her bathroom. He'd been gone just a few minutes when he reappeared in the kitchen clad in just a towel. "Uh, Sara?"
She looked at him wide eyed, unable to keep her thought from turning carnal. "Uh, yeah?"
He had a sheepish expression on his face. "Is there something I'm missing about your shower? The knob doesn't seem to want to work."
She smirked at him, still staring at his bare chest and the way the towel was slung low on his hips, leaving little to her imagination. "Uh, let me show you, it's kind of weird how they installed it."
He followed her into the bathroom very aware that she'd been staring at him and wondering if perhaps she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He watched as Sara reached in turned the shower on.
"See, this piece here is what turns it on, but it won't move unless the water is on." She turned around to find herself face to face with Nick.
"Thanks." Nick smiled, wanting very much to kiss her at that moment, but keeping himself in check instead.
"I'll just leave you alone." Sara licked her lips and slipped out of the bathroom, heading into the kitchen to get herself a glass of ice water to try and cool down. She had just finished drinking the water when she heard Nick behind her. As she turned around, she almost dropped the glass as she stared at him.
"Uh, I forgot to bring my bag in there with me." He grinned at her, his hair wet and tousled, the towel wrapped around his waist.
Sara turned to grab his bag and at the same time hoped that the color in her cheeks would dissipate. "Let me get that for you." She turned to hand him the bag and couldn't get her eyes off of his chest as he took the bag from her. She glanced up to find him staring at her.
Neither one of them moved for a moment and then before she could process another coherent thought Sara grabbed the sides of Nick's face and pressed her lips against his. Nick's bag dropped to the floor as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.
The next coherent thought that either one of them had was tumbling onto Sara's bed.
"I thought I was supposed to crash on your couch." Nick quipped trying to catch his breath as his hand pulled at her tank top, trying to get it over her head.
Sara smirked at him, tugging at the towel which was still around his waist. "The bed is far more comfortable."
Nick chuckled and tossed her tank top onto the floor. "This is one hell of a first date." He leaned down to kiss her, his hand moving to the hem of her shorts.
As his lips moved to her neck, Sara voice was breathy. "Better not be the last."
Nick's lips vibrated against her neck as he laughed. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes for a moment. "I have a feeling this is the first of many."
"Good answer." Sara grinned at him as she tossed the towel onto the floor. "Now shut up and kiss me."