Hazardous Situation
Summary: Nick's late for work. NickGreg.
A.N.: This is my author's note...for now. And now the stories finished, this is still my author's note.
Nick didn't need to open his eyes to know he wasn't alone. He could feel the heat of the body next to his. He could feel the dip in the bed. He could feel the arm pressed against his chest. The signs were all there. But he couldn't bring himself to move. Wouldn't move until the nameless face next to him had packed up and left.
And as though a stronger force answered his call, the man occupying his bed sat up and within minutes, Nick heard his front door close behind.
Nick didn't care much for goodbyes. The man, Scott, was just another person he'd picked up in the bar he was in last night so he could just get some action seeing as his love life had taken a backseat in his life lately.
Scott wasn't the person he was hoping to share his bed with, but Scott was good enough. He was cute, in a baby-faced kind of way. And although he didn't have any of the qualities that a certain wacky lab tech had, he was perfect in every other way. But Nick didn't want perfect...he wanted the lab tech.
He opened his eyes, and surveyed the mess that was his room. Well, he couldn't really call it a mess, but seeing as he hadn't tidied it in a week, yes, it was a mess.
Nick groaned as he sat up and rubbed the ache in his neck. Without bothering to put any sort of clothing on him, Nick took a deep breath and stood up, walked into the kitchen and flipped the coffee machine switch.
Coffee: a CSIs best friend.
CSI...work...Nick glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. He was late for work...again. Damn, Grissom's gonna have my ass, Nick thought running back into the bedroom and towards his bathroom. He took an extremely quick and boiling hot shower before running back into the bedroom and throwing on the first clothes he came to. He slipped the t-shirt over his head and made sure the fly in his dark slacks was done up - he'd already made the mistake of walking around work with his fly open once this week; he didn't need to do it again.
By the time he got back into the kitchen, the coffee was done and Nick guzzled down the scalding liquid, minus sugar and cream. Nick cringed at the bitter coffee before slipping the mug into the sink and running around his house, putting shoes on, grabbing his keys and jacket, making sure the alarm was on before finally leaving his house half-an-hour after he had woken up.
-.-
When he got into work, Nick didn't expect to see half of the Police Department blocking the entrance and guys in biohazard suits walking through a makeshift corridor in and out of the building. Nick caught up with Brass hanging outside.
"What's going on?" Nick asked, no longer caring about being late, though he might have to change his mind later.
"Lab and everyone inside are under quarantine until further notice..." Brass looked around, finally realising Nick was there. "Hey, aren't you supposed to working in there right now?"
"Yeah...I overslept," Nick informed him, pulling out his cell phone and calling Warrick's. "Warrick, what the hell happened?"
"Oh, man, it was a nightmare. A body was found under a bridge in Henderson. David was taking samples and sending them up one by one when he realised there was a biohazard situation. Whole lab's been quarantined; no one is allowed in or out, except the guys in suits. You're lucky you were late." Warrick sounded scared and slightly worried.
"How are Catherine and Sara holding up?" Nick asked, watching some guys walk out of the corridor with biohazard containers in their hands.
"They're okay. Grissom got us looking over case files and catching up on reports so we're out of the way."
"And Greg...?" Nick knew Warrick would ask questions about Nick's interest in Greg, but he didn't want to answer any right now, he just wanted to hear how Greg was. "How is he?"
"He's shaking like a leaf, but overall he's okay. Do you want to talk to him?" And Nick was shocked that Warrick was staying quiet. Must be in shock, Nick assumed quietly.
"Sure."
Nick wanted patiently as Warrick handed his cell phone off to Greg. And the seconds it took felt like hours.
"Hey Nick," Greg greeted warily. Nick could hear doors opening and could only assume that Greg was going somewhere quieter. "Where are you?"
"Outside. I overslept," and Nick thought that was starting to become an excuse now.
"I suddenly wish I'd overslept too." He heard Greg pull out an office chair and let out a sigh. "It's just so scary. They're going through the building; collecting samples and things like that. In about an hour they're gonna go around the building and start to guide people out."
"Well, I'll be waiting here..." Nick could feel his heart starting to race and blood thrash around his head. He shouldn't be scared, but all his friends and the objection of his affections were inside that goddamn building and there was nothing he could do about it!
There was a silence on the other end of the line. Nick could only assume, seeing as he couldn't see Greg's face, that Greg didn't have anything to say to that. But, Greg must have found something to say, because his voice came flittering over the speaker.
"Thank you." And the reply was so simple and sweet that Nick smiled.
"I'll talk to you soon. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay," Greg replied, voice cracking silently.
"I mean it, Greg. Anything." Nick hung up the phone, no longer being able to hide his emotions. He wiped the tears away that threatened to fall and turned his back on the lab, sitting on one of the steps. Brass sat next to him.
"Hasn't this taught you anything Nicky?" Brass asked softly. Nick just looked at him blankly, more tears clouding his sight. "You can't predict the future, so you may as well live in the moment..."
Silence descended on everyone, especially Nick, to a point where it was only Nick and his thoughts.
Brass is right. I have to tell Greg. Whether he returns my feelings or not, at least he'll know that I love him and can't live my life without him.
"Nicky..." Brass caught his attention and gestured to the opening doors of the lab.
Out came Archie, Bobby and Hodges. Not long after, other lab techs and the receptionist followed. The doors closed and were taped up again. Nick sighed.
-.-
True to his word, an hour after Nick had hung up on Greg, the doors opened and Warrick, Sara and Catherine were the first out. As soon as Nick was spotted, the girls ran over to him and hugged him.
"You're late for work," Sara joked, "Grissom's gonna kill you."
"Right now, I don't care." He hugged them again and then hugged Warrick. "I'm glad you're okay, man." Warrick clapped his shoulder and pointed to the door. There was Greg, leaving the building behind. He spotted Nick and smiled brightly.
Nick didn't care that the whole lab was watching. He didn't care that half of the law enforcement was there. All he wanted was Greg in his arms and damn anyone who'd stop Nick from getting what he wanted.
Warrick stepped out of Nick's way and smiled. "Go get him," he saw Warrick whisper. Nick nodded.
There was fifty feet between him and Greg...and those fifty feet could have been miles for all he cared. One minute he was fifty feet away, the next they were standing five feet away and staring at each other adoringly.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked, twiddling him thumbs nervously in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Nick, I have to tell you something." Greg took a few steps closer. "Being in there...scared me...and I started to think. What if I never saw the sunshine again? What if I never spoke to my parents again? Those thoughts terrified me...but not as much as the thought of never seeing you again."
Nick grinned before looking at the floor. When he looked up at Greg again, the same smile was reflected in Greg's eyes and Nick pulled Greg to him.
"I love you," Nick said quietly, just loud enough so Greg could hear and no one else. "I love you so much."
He pressed his lips against Greg's and put his hand behind Greg's neck to keep his head in place. Greg thread his arms around Nick's waist and held on tight as the kiss turned more and more passionate.
"I love you too," Greg said breathlessly, resting his forehead against Nick's and sighing contently.
-.-
Only hours before, Nick was wondering when sex stopped being enough in his life. Now he knew the answer.
Sex stopped being enough when he met Greg. And meeting Greg was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.
THE END - Ta-da-da-da!