Disclaimer: I don't own CSI and characters created for that show. But now I've got the season 4 DVD, YESSSS.
Dinner had been somewhat uneventful. Although Nick had noticed Sara's sudden coolness, he didn't mention it to her. They had pleasant conversation, and laughed about the "flaming salmon". After Sara did the dishes, at her insistence, Nick proposed that they watch a movie, he'd gotten a few new DVDs that they could choose from. Sara chose a horror movie entitled "Darkness Falls". She half- heartedly hoped that it would be scary enough to make her have to clutch Nick, so she'd have another excuse to touch him. She instantly felt guilty for the not-so-pure thoughts she'd been having about Nick. Was it just chemistry, or something more? They settled down comfortably with a couple of beers; Nick sitting with his back against the armrest, and Sara leaning against his chest. Expecting at least some level of scariness, they didn'tpredict that they'd be laughing throughout the whole movie. But that's exactly what happened.
"Geez Nick! The "Toothfairy" is supposed to be some horrific monster? Who comes up with these stories anyway?" Sara was chuckling. Nick was still laughing heartily at the movie's feeble attempts at visual effects.
"Haha...when she's flying...haha...you can see the wires!" Nick grabbed his stomach as he cackled. Sara walked to the DVD player and popped it out.
"Let's watch the discovery channel, I heard there's a special about whales...
An hour later, both Nick and Sara had fallen asleep. The mating habits of male Humpback whales was just a bit on the boring side. Nick was sprawled over two thirds of the couch, with a hand wrapped possessively around Sara's middle. His hand also had the dual purpose of holding her off the floor, considering only half of her was on the couch. Her head rested on Nick's legs, and the rest of her was hanging over the edge of the couch. Nick stirred in his sleep, his dreams had suddenly smelled of strawberries. He yawned and tried to sit up. It was then that he noticed Sara lying on top of his legs. No wonder my legs are numb. He thought with amusement. He slowly extracted himself from under her and headed for the bathroom. Nick still had to take a shower, hopefully, when he was finished she would still be asleep, he didn't want to wake her up. Her face was peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful in repose. He smiled when he heard her snore a bit. As he pushed the bathroom door shut, the smell of strawberries overwhelmed him. God, he could smell her everywhere. He turned on the hot water and immersed himself under the relaxing spray.
A few minutes later, he was feeling mellow and refreshed. Sara was still sleeping half on and half off the couch. He sighed and walked over to where she was sleeping. He nudged her a bit, he didn't want her to sleep on the couch the whole night anyway. She stirred and grumbled something. He poked her in the ribs, and still asleep, she swatted at him. Nick sighed again and picked her up, as easily as a flower, and carried her to the guest bedroom. He tucked her under the sheets and bent down to plant a tentative kiss on her forehead. She suddenly grabbed Nick's hand. "Stay." She murmured. Nick tried to dislodge his hand, but she held it in a viselike grip. Nick grinned contentedly and lay down next to her. I'll just stay a few minutes. He told himself. Before he even knew it, he'd fallen deeply asleep, with Sara clasped tightly to his side.
Sara awoke to the sound of the alarm clock. She checked the time; still had an hour before shift started. Good. She sat up and realized Nick had his hand around her waist, he had snuggled up closer to her during the night. Her face flushed. That's why I felt so warm last night...
Nick grunted a bit and sat up, rubbing his eyes slowly.
"Morning Sara."
"Hey Nicky. Sleep well?"
"Yup, and I'm sure you did too, wouldn't even wake up with half of you falling off the couch."
"Wait, how did I get to the bed then?" Sara was puzzled. She hadn't been sleepwalking had she? And then the most important question came up. Why was Nick sleeping in the same bed? Her mind hadn't even registered it when she first woke up, but her mind was definitely awake now.
"Oh, I carried you. No big deal. You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you, and I doubt I could've done that anyway. You sleep like a rock." Sara snickered a bit at this comment. "And when I got you to the bed, I just...lay down for a second. I was really tired, and I guess I fell asleep. Are you angry?" Sara shook her head and got up. Nick withdrew his arm quickly, realizing that his hand had strayed to her slightly exposed abdomen.
"Uh, you can have the bathroom first Sara. I'll get breakfast." Nick offered. Sara smiled a bit sheepishly.
"Nick, you've been doing too much. You really don't have too..."
"But I want to." Nick stared at her with soft eyes. Sara averted her face at the tender gaze, not missing the hurt expression on Nick's face. She felt bad, but had already begun her emotional retreat back into her "Sara shell". She plucked her toothbrush from her bag and headed to the bathroom. Nick followed her with his eyes and huffed in frustration. Am I doing something wrong?
Nick and Sara arrived to shift ten minutes early, but Warrick, Catherine, and Greg had gotten there way ahead of them. They had to review the game plan. Warrick would be in charge of extracting information from Nick, which would be easy considering how open Nick was about Sara. Greg had the slightly harder task of decoding Sara's cryptic signals. The three of them watched Sara and Nick interact in the break room after assignments had been handed out. They looked amicable and very relaxed around one another. A good sign. Sara walked over to the coffee machine and grabbed a mugful, sniffing it cautiously. Thankfully, it was Greg's Blue Hawaiian, a real treat. Nick left the break room when Warrick appeared in the doorway, they had a breaking and entering to take care of, fairly straightforward. He waved to Sara and sauntered out. Sara gave a small wave and returned to her coffee. Greg took this opportunity to approach Sara.
"Hey Sara."
"Hi Greg." Sara was in a great mood, especially thankful to Greg for sharing his unparalleled coffee with the rest of the team. Greg noticed how happy she was and perked up a bit. He still had a crush on her, but even a blind person could see that Nick and Sara were perfect for each other. Who am I to get in the way of true love? He reasoned.
"So...how's your week been?"
"Oh, it started out pretty bad. Locked my keys in the car like, three times in one week. Then the water got all messed up my apartment. The plumber's on vacation and he won't be back 'til next week. He's the only decent plumber in a fifty mile radius..." Greg had to suppress a smug smile at her "water problem".
"And now?"
"It's been...good." She smiled, lost in her thoughts. Her far away look hadn't escaped Greg's scrutiny, and he smiled. She likes him.
"So how's life in an apartment without water?" He asked innocently, even though he knew full well where she'd been staying. Sara colored a bit and answered,
"Well, Nick was kind enough to offer up his guest room. It only for a few days! And um..." She was feeling really flustered now.
"Has Nick been a gentleman? Nothing kinky going on right? Hehe." Greg lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Of, of, of c-course!" she sputtered. Sara recovered and looked at Greg strangely. "What's with the interrogation?" Now it was Greg's turn to be flustered.
"Nothing." He said it a bit too quickly. Greg took this as his cue to back down a bit. From what he could see, Sara felt something for Nick at least. That was a start. Sweet.
Meanwhile, at Nick and Warrick's crime scene, the two CSIs were having a surprisingly candid conversation about Sara.
"So she's staying over?"
"Yeah...water's all messed up..." Nick trailed off. Warrick stuck a fiber into a bindle and looked up at Nick.
"Why do you sound all wistful?"
"You know how I feel about Sara."
"You're crazy about her."
"I knowwwww." Nick moaned miserably. Warrick furrowed his brow.
"Then what's wrong?"
"It's just, whenever I feel that our relationship was kind of moving over into romantic territory, she kinda backs down. I'm probably doing something wrong."
"Nick man, Sara's really sensitive and a little unsure of herself, you've just got to keep your patience. Believe me, things will definitely be improving. Just be you." Nick nodded, unconvinced. He didn't see the playful shine in Warrick's eyes.
TBC...Reviews, of course, are always welcome! They make me write better...heehee.
