Title: The Dangers of Easter Egg Dyeing
Author: DarkDreamer56
Archive: If you want it, ask please!
Rating: PG-13…I mean T…I've got to get used to this new rating system
Pairing: N/S
Disclaimer: If they were mine, oh the possibilities…but alas, I'm relegated to fanfic to satisfy my urges.
Spoilers: none that I can think of
A/N: This is in response to a challenge from Julie. I'm sorry it took so long to post, but can I at least get points for doing it (though chocolate is better than points….) Enjoy, and let me know what you think in a review!
Sara couldn't help but chuckle at the sight that met her on the other side of Nick's doorstep. He had invited her, along with Warrick and Greg, over to watch the Duke/Michigan State semifinals game on his big screen. She had been excited at the chance to spend some quality time with the guys, and basketball was one of the few sports she didn't mind watching. Still, Nick clearly was not ready for company.
He was an amalgamation of practically every pastel color Sara could think of. One of his forearms was streaked purple, while the other was completely green. His hands were both orange, and Sara was almost certain that she could make out a blue hand mark on each side of his face.
"Experimenting with body paint? Because if I'm interrupting…"
"Funny girl," Nick retorted as he ushered her into the house. "Actually, one of my sisters is in town, and I watched my niece while she had some meeting. Thought I would have a chance to relax and clean up with she watched a Disney movie…"
"And she had other plans?"
"Maddi wanted to dye Easter eggs. That face…how could I say no?"
Sara threw her bag down on the couch and plopped down next to it. "Has Uncle Nicky wrapped around her finger, huh?"
"She gave me that look, you know, the one you give me when I get the last chocolate bar out of the vending machine, or when you want some of my coffee."
Sara scoffed. "I don't give you any look."
Nick let out a huge guffaw. "Are you kidding me? My sisters could learn a thing or two from you, and I haven't been able to say no to them since I was about three."
Sara quirked an eyebrow at him as she tried to suppress a blush. "So are you saying that I have you wrapped around my finger?" This was definitely an interesting revelation to her. She had been harboring some not quite friendly feelings for Nick on and off since she had been called to Vegas almost five years ago, and the past few months had definitely been an on again phase. They had always flirted, but now Sara wondered if maybe she wasn't the only one with feelings.
Nick just grinned in reply, leaving her wondering and headed into the kitchen. "I figured I had more time to clean up and grab a shower before any of you guys got here."
Sara pushed herself up off the couch and followed him into the kitchen. "I can get this if you want to take a shower." She tried to crush the feelings that wet, naked images of Nick were producing in her mind, by studying the kitchen. It looked like a Crayola factory had exploded on Nick's kitchen table. Egg dye was dripping down the side of the table onto the floor, where Sara noticed several hard boiled eggs had landed. At least Nick had the foresight to put down some newspapers before disaster had struck.
"You don't have to do that, I'll get it," Nick replied, but Sara was already pushing him towards the hallway. Nick put up a weak protest, but soon Sara was scrubbing the table while the shower ran.
Nick had cleaned up most of the mess, so Sara only had to finish up the table and pick up the newspapers and stray eggs. By the time the water stopped, Sara had the kitchen finished, and was lounging on the couch, going through a stack of envelopes from her purse.
She jumped when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. Turning around, she found Nick standing behind her, clad in a pair of jeans and a towel around his neck. He chuckled and threw the wet towel at her. "Whatcha doing?"
Sara rolled her eyes and threw the towel back at him, trying not to stare at his bare chest. "Just going through some of my mail. I always grab it and stuff it in my purse, and then forget about it."
"I always pictured you as being on top of everything," he teased, "Anything good?" Nick peered over her shoulder as she flipped through the stack.
She paused when she found a postcard nestled in amongst her phone bill and credit card offers. She turned it over, curious to see who would be sending her a postcard from Mozambique.
"Hey Sar! Wish you were here. Oh, and there are no women giving birth in trees. Call you when I get back to the States. Love, Nora. What the hell is that about?" Nick queried with a bewildered look taking over his face.
Sara giggled and swatted him with the postcard. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to read other people's mail? She was one of my roommates in college, and the Mozambique thing is an inside joke." Sara sighed as she looked at the front of the postcard again. "I can't believe she actually made it there…we always talked about traveling to exotic places, but I've made it about as far as Vegas."
"Well, you've got to admit, this place is exotic," Nick pointed out, "It's not Mozambique, but there's definitely some interesting stuff to see. Anything else good?"
"Just some bills I have to mail. I'll do it on my way home."
"Do me a favor? I've got a package to mail to my Mom for Easter…'
Sara nodded, smiling at the closeness of Nick's family as he ran into his bedroom. He returned a few minutes later with a pink Ballerina Barbie box, as well as another box and some mailing tape. When he noticed her curious look, he explained.
"My Mom puts together an Easter basket for each of the grandkids, and we all add something for each of our nieces and nephews. I forgot that I didn't send Maddi's with the rest."
"But isn't she here with your sister?"
Nick laughed. "Nope, that's Madison. This is for Madeline. Sorry, hazard of a big family, at some point cousins end up with the same nicknames."
Nick sank down onto the couch next to Sara, sitting a little closer than normal. Or was it just her mind playing tricks on her?
Sara shook her head, trying to rid it of the fuzziness that his nearness and the scent of his aftershave were producing. Part of her wished he would get up and put on a shirt, giving her time to get rid of some of her more carnal thoughts, but the rest of her wanted nothing more than to throw him back against the couch and demonstrate some of her latest fantasies.
It wasn't until Nick poked her in the side that she realized she'd zoned out. She also realized, a little too late, that Nick had discovered one of the more ticklish spots on her body. A grin lit up his face as the knowledge sunk in, and before long, the stack of mail had gone flying and Nick had Sara pinned against the couch.
"Nick! Stop!" she shrieked, trying to wriggle out from underneath him. His grip on her was firm as his eyes clouded over. Seconds later, Sara felt the response his body had to her trying to wriggle free, and before she could process, his lips crashed against hers in a mind numbing kiss. His hands grasped her hips before becoming a little more adventurous, and trailed up her sides before tentatively brushing up against her breast. Sara moaned into their kiss, encouraging him to continue.
His hand had already slid underneath her shirt, intent on removing at least some of the clothing obstacles between them, when the doorbell rang. Sara groaned again, this time out of frustration. Nick broke the kiss between them, leaning his forehead against hers and breathing heavily.
"I could ignore them…"
Sara sighed as Nick shifted his weight so that she could sit up. "They've already seen my car…they'll know we're here, and it won't be a major leap for them to come up with a reason we didn't answer the door."
Nick planted a quick kiss on her lips and headed towards the door. "Another five minutes, and they wouldn't have been wrong."
Sara smirked as she smoothed out her shirt and tried to get her appearance under control. "Let's just hope this game doesn't go into overtime." Nick stopped in his tracks and turned back towards her, a huge smile etched on his face.
"Remind me to kill them later, okay?"
Soon, Sara was squeezed in the corner of the couch with a pillow on her lap, listening to Warrick and Greg talk about the flat tire they had gotten on the way over. Beside her, she could tell Nick was only half listening, distracted by their proximity to each other on the cramped couch. She momentarily lost track of the story when she felt Nick's hand snake underneath the pillow and rest on her upper thigh. She smiled at him and carefully slid her hand underneath the pillow. It was just too risky, with Warrick right next to him and Greg sprawled out on the floor. She entwined her fingers with his, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before trying to disengage their hands, but she was surprised when he wouldn't let go. Looking over at him, he just smiled and offered her the bowl of Easter candy Greg had begun passing around. She grinned back at him and accepted a few caramel kisses from the bowl before placing the bowl on the floor. As she leaned back, shifting her attention to the game, she popped a Hershey caramel kiss into her mouth with her free hand and sighed.
They weren't the real thing, but they would do until Warrick and Greg left.
FIN.
Hope you enjoyed! And the Mozambique inside joke originated in high school. I don't remember how, and I don't remember when, but it's stuck with us ever since, along with some interesting comments on George Clooney and his ER days. But that's for another story….
