Title: Delayed Gratification
Author: DarkDreamer56
Archive: If you want it, ask please!
Rating: T
Pairing: N/S
Disclaimer: Don't own them, I just like to pretend I do sometimes…
Spoilers: through Pirates of the Third Reich (6x15)

A/N: I got this idea after watching Pirates of the Third Reich, and I just had to run with it. It became a little bit longer than I originally intended, but that seems par for the course right about now. I also used this to kind of explore the relationship we've seen between Nick and Sara this season. Things have seemed a bit, well, almost stiff between them, post Gum Drops, and I guess this is my attempt to explore that. This is dedicated to Julie, whose awesome stories inspire me when I'm stuck on my own, Claire, my partner in smuff, who I hope is enjoying her rugby tournament in New Zealand, and Kate, who's reviews always make me smile:) And thanks to everyone who takes the time to read my stories, it means so much to me!

It's funny; you don't strike me as the delayed gratification type

Nick shook his head as Warrick's earlier statement rang in his ears. It was a hell of a lot more complicated that the simple statement his coworker and friend had made, but tonight, after the horrible, torturous case they had worked, Nick wanted nothing more than to get lost in her; her eyes, her warmth, her body. He smiled as he pulled into his driveway and realized that he wouldn't have to call her and persuade her to come over. She'd left the lab the same time as he did, but he had detoured to the hospital, and been detained there by Catherine for another hour or so. When it was discovered that Lady Heather had taken Sneller into the desert, Greg and Warrick headed out to help process. Catherine had told Nick to go home and get some sleep, considering he was well past the back end of a double, and no one had seemed particularly inclined to call Sara in. Nick was happy about that, but he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of anger at everyone's assumption that it would upset Sara to see Grissom with Lady Heather. And he hated that another part of him wasn't quite sure that it wouldn't upset her.

Nick dropped his keys on the table near the door, peeking into the living room and finding it empty. When he heard noise coming from the kitchen, he smiled, figuring Sara was foraging for food. He always teased her about her grocery habits; he hardly ever found anything in her apartment other than saltines, carrot sticks, and Ben and Jerry's. He felt some of his doubts slip away when he found Sara bending over in front of his stove, clad in a pair of his boxers and a tee shirt, her hair damp and clipped up. Nick took a minute to appreciate the view, and by the time his gaze settled somewhere that wouldn't earn him a slap and a blush, Sara had noticed his arrival.

"Hey." Sara smiled, pulling off two oven mitts after she set the casserole dish on the cooling rack set up on the counter. "I figured you'd be hungry after shift, so I heated up the rest of that lasagna from last night, or was it the night before? How long did we work?" Sara shook her head. "Anyways, I didn't really want to head home after shift, I didn't think you'd mind coming home to some food, and after all of that eyeball stuff, I just really wanted to shower, but I forgot that I didn't grab a change of clothes from my locker, I hope this is okay…" Sara rambled on as her fingers played with the hem of the shirt she was wearing, an endearing trait that Nick noticed usually appeared when she was nervous. They had been slowly trying to readjust the boundaries of their relationship since it had ventured into romantic territory, and Nick had to admit that finding Sara cooking in his kitchen after shift, in his pajamas, was a pretty good sign.

He grinned, closing the distance between them as he trapped her between him and the counter. "I don't mind, you can come over anytime, and you don't have to promise me food either. I just wish that you'd have waited for me before you took that shower…"

"Hmm, that was a lot of fun," Sara murmured as their lips drifted together. Nick wrapped an arm around her waist, caressing the material covering her back. If it hadn't already been his favorite tee shirt, the sight of his faded gray LVPD shirt clinging to Sara's curves would have converted him there and then.

They traded several long, slow kisses, and when they finally pulled away, Nick was in no hurry to let her go; if the way Sara nestled her head into his clavicle and wrapped her arms around his neck was any indication, she wasn't looking to go anywhere either.

"Today was a rough one…" Nick wasn't quite sure why he had said it aloud; it was plain as day that Zoë Kessler and the other victims had been tortured horrifically, and that the investigation had affected the entire team in one way or another.

"How're you doing?" Sara's voice was barely a whisper as her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Nick pulled her closer, reaching up to unclamp the claw from her hair, releasing it in damp waves over her shoulders. "I'm alright." Sara sighed and then Nick felt her lips press several kisses into the skin right above the collar of his shirt. She didn't say a word, but Nick could tell she didn't buy a word of it. This time he sighed as he dropped the clip onto the counter. "Alright, I'm better now that I'm home. I was prepared to lure you over here with the promise of Girl Scout Cookie ice cream."

He felt her smile against his skin before she kissed him again, this time along his jaw line, right below his ear. "Bringing out the big guns, hmm?"

"You're worth it." Nick let his statement hang in the air for a moment, planting a kiss on the top of her head as he rubbed slow circles at the small of her back. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, I just needed to shower. Glad you're home now."

"Sara…" Wendy had mentioned the odd conversation she had had with Sara when it was discovered that the eyeball found was not Zoë Kessler's, and it had worried Nick.

Sara lifted her head up to look at Nick briefly. "Baby, I'm fine, really."

Though he couldn't help but smile a little at the endearment, Nick was still worried. "Wendy told me about your conversation earlier."

Sara's brow furrowed for a moment, and then Nick saw when a flash of realization hit her. She shook her head. "Nick, that was nothing…"

Nick knew that it wasn't nothing, but he also knew that it wasn't the time to get Sara to try and open up about it. Why her mind always jumped to sexual assault, he wasn't sure, but he had his suspicions, and he knew that it wouldn't be an easy conversation for either of them to have. And it probably wasn't a good idea to even attempt that conversation when they were both exhausted, especially since he still hadn't mentioned the developments in the case since she had left work.

"Are you hungry?" Sara asked softly, trying to disentangle herself from Nick. Nick kept a firm hold though, drawing her back into his embrace.

"Maybe later," Nick murmured, capturing her lips. Right now, the need for her outweighed his need for food. When Sara snaked her arms around his neck again, deepening their kiss, Nick figured she was okay with the change in plans and slid his hand underneath the hem of her shirt and up the bare skin of her back, taking pleasure in the shiver that seemed to run up her spine with his touch.

It wasn't long before Nick was guiding them into the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind them before they tumbled onto the bed.

Awhile later, they lay together spooned underneath the comforter, Sara's deep and rhythmic streams of breath hitting Nick's chest at even intervals as her hand traced a line between his pectorals. Nick found his thoughts returning to Warrick's statement as Sara sighed softly. Nick would be the first to admit that the past few weeks of their relationship were in no way an example of practicing restraint; their relationship had become fairly physical early on, but from their first kiss, Nick had always let Sara set the pace. They had never gone any further than what she was comfortable with; Sara had just seemed to be more comfortable going further in their burgeoning relationship than Nick had originally expected. Not that he was complaining.

Still, Nick realized more than most exactly what it had taken to end up with the beautiful woman peacefully curled up against him. And as he'd always known, she had definitely been worth the wait. He had been attracted to Sara pretty much from the moment she showed up in Vegas, but at first there was nothing more between them than flirtatious banter and a fast growing friendship. It had taken Sara awhile to get her footing with most of the team, but Nick had no problem accepting her once he realized that it wasn't Sara's fault that she had been brought in to investigate Warrick. She was beautiful, she was sharp, and she was a damn fine CSI. And, if the rumors circulating the lab were true, she was strictly off limits.

But the more Nick worked with her, the closer they became, and Nick found himself wondering what it would be like to be more than Sara Sidle's friend. At first it was only a fleeting thought, something that came to him when they were processing a mundane crime scene, or one of the things that ran through his head as he was trying to fall asleep, but it was there.

In the back of his mind, Nick always knew that nothing could come of it; it was always assumed that if Sara were to ever date anyone from work, it would require Grissom to pull his head out of his ass. She seemed incapable of seeing anyone but Grissom in that light, so Nick resigned himself to the occasional fantasy and flirting with her at work.

And then Hank had come along. As much as Nick entertained thoughts of breaking the jerk's nose, first because he showed up with his weak stomach and pompous attitude, somehow winning Sara over anyways, and then because he broke her heart, using her to cheat on his longtime girlfriend, one good thing did come out of that disastrous relationship; for the first time, Nick had seen Sara take a serious interest is someone besides Gil Grissom, something that Nick hadn't really thought was possible. At first, Nick was a little jealous that Sara responded to Hank in a way that she had never responded to him before, but then Nick realized that he hadn't exactly pursued her the same way Hank had.

Then there was the question of whether or not Nick wanted to pursue her. Nick had given some serious thought to the question, certainly more thought than he had with the past women he had asked out. He was definitely attracted to her, he suspected the same on her end as well, but Nick wasn't exactly looking for a serious relationship and he wasn't sure it was a good idea to try to initiate a casual office romance with someone he'd have to see everyday if things went sour. Were a couple dates and a possible hook up really worth ruining a friendship that had become so important to him?

Sara shifted slightly next to him, letting out another soft sigh and bringing his thoughts momentarily back to the present. She grasped his hand, turning over on her side and bringing his hand with her, so that his arm was draped over her abdomen. Nick pulled her closer, her back flush with his chest, before he buried his head against her bare shoulder. Now that he had had a taste, Nick knew that he could never go back to the days before he woke up with Sara snuggled up next to him. It was hard enough on the few days that they did have to spend apart, and as Nick ran his palm over her abdomen, he came to the stark realization that if he had acted on his initial feelings for Sara, he might have missed out on everything they had together now. He certainly hadn't been ready for a serious relationship back when Hank came into the picture, and he wasn't certain that Sara had been either, despite Hank. There would have been no way to keep a casual relationship from blowing up in their faces and ruining their friendship.

It was during the Nigel Crane fiasco that Sara and Nick reached another turning point in their relationship. Nick hated to connect something so good with something so horrible, but it was after he stayed with Sara for several days while his house was being repaired, that Nick started to think that a relationship between the two of them could be something serious, and something that he was ready for.

Hank hadn't been particularly pleased that Sara had invited Nick to stay with her, even offering up her bed for his broken ribs while she slept on the couch, a fact that Nick was a little ashamed to admit pleased him somewhat; Nick had always enjoyed watching Hank squirm. He had heard the two arguing while Sara thought he was asleep under the influence of Vicodin. Hank had had some choice words about the situation, but Sara had let him know in no uncertain terms that she didn't care a bit about what he thought, and that if he couldn't understand what it was like for her to see Nick lying in that hospital bed, and then see him standing in the middle of the crime scene in his own living room, all within a few hours of each other, then maybe he should forget about calling her again. Even through his Vicodin filled haze, Nick was in awe at the sincerity and tenacity in Sara's voice.

Hank muttered some sort of an apology before leaving, but what stands out the most that night is Sara coming in to check on him. Nick pretended to be asleep, not wanting to let Sara know he had heard what went on, and not really having the strength or inclination to really talk anyways, but he felt her sit gingerly on the bed next to him. She fussed with the covers a little, pulling them further up his shoulders and whispering his name. When he didn't answer, she brushed the back of her fingers across his cheek, mindful of the cuts and abrasions. She whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay," and pressed a quick, but meaningful kiss to his forehead. Nick wasn't expecting the tear that hit his forehead, and the sniffle as the door closed behind her.

It was a side of Sara that Nick had never seen before. Sure, he knew that they were friends, and that she cared about him, but he had never expected her to be that shaken by what had happened to him. He'd seen Sara emotional before, but it was usually about something at work, and Nick wasn't sure exactly what to think. Whenever she was around him after that, she was the same old Sara, though she did watch him a little more carefully when she thought he wouldn't notice.

It was a few weeks before Nick let himself acknowledge that he was beginning to fall for her. The Nigel Crane incident had left Nick a little more serious, a little more cautious, but it had also changed his perspective on his relationship with Sara. They still had their fun flirty banter, and the easiness of working together and hanging out, but now Nick knew that Sara was among the few people outside of his family that he could count on for anything. It seemed that she cared deeply for him, and Nick couldn't help but wonder if that could translate into a romantic relationship between the two.

So Nick began his patient waiting game, first waiting through Sara's relationship with Hank, something that actually lasted quite longer than Nick would have ever wagered on, and then through her subsequent heartache and burying herself back into her bubble where Grissom was the safest person to have feelings for. Nick had often thought of telling her how he felt, of seeing where things would go between them, but he always held himself back. Sara wasn't ready for that kind of declaration, and he didn't want to sabotage their relationship before it ever had the chance to turn into something more.

If only Warrick knew the chance that had presented itself, two years before any kind of romantic entanglement developed between Nick and Sara, he would be choking on his words. It was right after Susannah Kirkwood had been murdered, and Nick had taken Sara out to try and get her mind off of it. They had ended up back at his place, both having had a little more to drink than was probably wise. Sara had become a little more cuddly than Nick was accustomed too, and his inhibitions were low enough that he was considering seeing what she might be open to, to hell with the consequences.

Sara's legs were tucked underneath her as she lay practically draped across Nick's side. At first she seemed to be using his thigh to prop herself up, but as her hand drifted inward and a little too close to certain parts of his anatomy than was considered safe, Nick realized that there was something else going on.

Nick knew what that meant, and he was definitely tempted. Years worth of fantasies were running through his head as her hand ventured further. His hand wasn't exactly sitting idly either, as the arm that had started off wrapped around her shoulders in a friendly embrace had now drifted to her waist, where his fingers were caressing the skin just under the hem of her shirt.

Sara sighed softly, and just when Nick was gathering the courage to take things further, Sara leaned over and kissed him. Even with the effects of the alcohol still fairly strong for them both, Nick would have to say that the kiss was definitely ranked in his top three. And if her reaction was any indication, it was pretty high on her list too. Her lips were so soft and inviting, and if this was how she could kiss when she was drunk, then Nick couldn't wait to see what she was like when she was sober.

She was drunk. That thought certainly served to sober him. He took the time to study her as she pulled away momentarily to catch her breath. Her eyes were glassy and a bit unfocused, and while Nick would have like to have believed that it was the kiss that had left her that way, he was pretty sure it was the alcohol preceding it. The worst part of it though, was the pain that could be seen lurking just under the surface. Maybe this was something that she wanted, Nick knew it was something that he wanted, but she was in no state to make that call right at the moment. Nick wasn't going to be next in the long line of guys that had used her, she meant far too much to him to do something like that. Still, it took all of his self restraint to resist when Sara leaned towards him for another kiss.

Nick wasn't exactly sure what to say that wouldn't make it sound like he was rejecting her, and end up hurting her the exact way he was trying to avoid, so he simply smiled and kissed her forehead, telling her that he would be right back. He walked quickly towards his bathroom, planning on giving them both a few minutes apart to cool down. By the time he returned, he still hadn't figured out what to say, but was afraid that if he left her alone any longer she would get the wrong idea. A small smile played at his lips as he realized she was curled up on his couch, asleep. He carefully picked her up and carried her into his room and placed her on his bed, covering her with his comforter. The next morning, Sara either didn't have any recollection of what had transpired between them on the couch, or she was too embarrassed to say anything, but she woke Nick up from his place on the couch with a cup of coffee and a timid smile. He wasn't sure whether the smile was from embarrassment or an effect of the hangover that they were both feeling, but neither brought up what had happened.

So Nick continued to wait. Their kiss had convinced him that there was something to wait for; there was no way that Sara could have manufactured the passion in that kiss, she just needed time to make up her mind. He waited so long, that eventually they were working two separate shifts, and Sara began to fall apart, falling so far into herself that Nick was terrified she would never come back to them.

That was when the guilt hit. Nick saw what was going on with her, what had probably been going on with her since the two of them had pulled that fateful call to the Kirkwood residence, but once they had been split into separate shifts Nick had stopped trying to reach out to her. The worst part of it was, that he still had no idea why he had never tried to help, tried to step in before things got worse; it wasn't as if he had stopped caring about her, and it wasn't that he couldn't see what was happening. He had several bullshit reasons that he had pacified himself with at the time; that Sara didn't need him anymore, that if she had really wanted to talk to him, she knew that she could always come to him. Nick still hadn't forgiven himself for that, even though Sara had told him, several times, that she hadn't been ready to talk about most of what had been going on. But Nick knew that she had been able to talk to Grissom about some of it; it had been the one time that Sara could go to Grissom for something she couldn't rely on Nick for, and it hurt that he hadn't been there for her in the same way.

But then Nick was abducted, and everything seemed to change again. There were new fears, along with old memories and feelings rising to the surface, and Nick was a completely different person than he had been before he had encountered Plexiglas coffins and fire ants. But Sara was there for him the entire time, as if the distance between them had never been there, through nightmares and rambling conversations held huddled on his couch. He was messed up for awhile, and his romantic thoughts about Sara, or about anyone else in general, fell by the wayside as he struggled to figure out how to move on with his life. But life did eventually move on, even with the horrors of the McBride case bringing some of the memories back. Nick was putting his life back together, and he found his thoughts slowly venturing back into familiar territory, but this time with a firm resolve to act on them. Life was too short.

There was only one thing holding him back; Nick did not want a sympathy relationship.

He never thought that Sara would consciously play with his heart like that, but he was afraid that if he revealed his feelings, she would confuse her own feelings for him with some skewed sense of obligation to make him happy. A lot of time had passed since that night after Susannah Kirkwood's murder, and Nick wasn't sure how much of her feelings for him could be influenced by what happened to him. A few weeks of happiness weren't worth losing her friendship over. Nick would just have to wait a little bit longer, until he was stronger, and Sara could gauge her true feelings about the situation.

Nick glanced over at the now sleeping woman curled up beside him, and he couldn't help but smile. It had taken them so long to get to this place, but Nick wouldn't have changed a thing if it meant he got to wake up with her everyday like this. He got to see a side of her that he had never really seen before. The peaceful, still woman lying next to him was so different from the fiery spitfire he saw in the lab day in and day out. Nick found his thoughts drifting again, this time to the night that changed everything between them.

It was funny, how after all that waiting for the perfect time to make a move, it was Sara to make the first move. Again. Nick had invited her over about a month and a half ago, coaxing her to watch the Cowboys game with him. She had fallen asleep against his shoulder somewhere during halftime, and while Nick enjoyed her proximity, his arm was beginning to fall asleep. He tried to shift slightly so that she wouldn't wake up, but he felt her stir despite his efforts. Nick started to tease her for falling asleep, but his voice caught in his throat as he turned to look at her, her eyes still drowsy, but staring at him in a way that he couldn't quite say Sara had ever looked at him before, and the next thing he knew, her lips were pressing against his. It took Nick a second to process what was going on, but the next thing he knew, they were pulling apart rather reluctantly, and Nick had pushed her back flush against the couch cushion, with his hand halfway up her shirt.

"Should I be apologizing?" Sara asked, rather breathlessly, a fact that caused Nick to unsuccessfully suppress a grin.

Nick glanced down, realizing that his hand was still up her shirt, his fingers dangerously poised to pop open the clasp of her bra. "I think I'm the one that needs to be apologizin' here." His voice was husky, and looking into her eyes, Nick knew that he didn't really need to apologize. They both grinned at each other like idiots for what seemed like forever, before Nick finally sat up, pulling her with him. Something had changed in the air between them, and Nick was pretty sure that things were about to work out for them.

"I've wanted to do that again, ever since…" Sara trailed off, blushing slightly when she realized her admission.

Nick couldn't temper the grin that spread across his face. "So you do remember that night…"

"I was so embarrassed, just throwing myself at you…I was pretty messed up there for awhile Nick, when I woke up that morning, I realized I didn't want to drag you into my mess." Sara directed her gaze downward, tracing the knuckles of one hand with the fingers of the other in a nervous gesture. Nick, still grinning from her first statement, threw his arm around her.

"If I recall correctly, we both had a hand in that kiss…and it was one hell of a kiss."

Sara turned a little bit pinker. "Yeah, it was…but you didn't let it go any further." Sara's voice was devoid of any accusation, but Nick still heard the question behind it. He pulled her a little closer to his side.

"I wasn't going to take advantage of you that way. I know I wanted it, and I was pretty sure that you wanted it too, even without the vodka shots, but something like that…I wasn't gonna risk losing you." Nick looked over at her, wondering if he had revealed too much. Her eyes were suspiciously watery, so Nick tried to lighten the mood. "Even if it meant giving up what I figured would be some pretty incredible sex."

He got his desired reaction as she chuckled softly before speaking again. "What about now?"

Nick wasn't quite sure what she was asking, so he decided to go for humor again. "What? Do I think it would still be pretty incredible….well, yeah." An elbow in his side indicated that wasn't the answer she was looking for. "Seriously Sara. Are you asking me if I still want you? Honestly, yeah, but it's about more than just sex. Or, do you want to know if I'd risk losing you? Well, of course I don't want to lose you, but…is it the same as before?" Nick countered her question with one of his own. Now that it was out in the open, Nick decided to be completely honest. "A lot has happened…aren't things different now? Aren't we different now? Life's just too short Sar…and I think that it's worth finding out what's here." He had to admit, it was a little easier admitting that when he had a pretty good idea that Sara felt the same way as him; there was no way to mistake the look she was giving him for one of sympathy.

Sara's eyes were watering again by the end of Nick's declaration, and before he knew it, her lips were pressed to his again. This kiss was gentler than the first, but just as intense, and full of the promises that Sara couldn't quite verbalize. Things had been serious between them from that point on, both deciding that there was no halfway in their relationship; if they were going to do this, then they weren't going to settle for a casual relationship. Still, they refrained from telling the team, partially to give themselves some time to get used to their changing relationship, and partially because they were afraid of what Ecklie might do; he'd been okay about putting the team back together, but they weren't keen on testing Ecklie's kindness in relation to the graveyard shift, Sara especially.

So in order to mask their relationship at work, and to keep themselves above professional reproach once their secret was out, the two developed an almost abnormal amount of self restraint when it came to work. They forced themselves to interact in only a professional capacity, even when there was no one around to witness anything they might have said or done. It was hard, but they refrained from touching or engaging in lingering gazes. They wouldn't give Ecklie, or anyone else for that matter, any ammunition to use against them once they finally decided to make their relationship public knowledge. Something that Nick thought would be pretty soon; he wasn't sure how much longer they could hide how happy they were without their coworkers getting suspicious. As it was, Greg had made comments to each of them, separately, on how he had noticed a marked change in them.

"I don't know man…you just seem happy again." Greg had shrugged awkwardly and left his statement lingering in the locker room one morning after shift a couple weeks prior.

Things weren't perfect; they both still had their own demons to deal with. Kelly Gordon's visit, and then her becoming a suspect and her subsequent overdose right in front of Nick had certainly opened up some wounds that he would have rather had left alone. But he had Sara to come home to, and that helped. And though Sara had exorcised a lot of her own personal demons over the past year, there were still cases that got to her, still things that she hadn't quite dealt with yet. But Nick was there for her, ready to listen, or just hold her when she needed it; they couldn't fix each other, but they could support each other when things got to heavy to deal with on their own. It had taken them years to get to this point, but every minute had been worth if it meant that Sara was there, curled up beside him. Nick was pretty sure that the stir of feelings swirling around inside indicated that he hoped to remain in this position forever, but Nick thought it might be a little too soon to let her know.

"Nick…what time did they say we have to be back to work? Make sure to set the alarm…" Sara hardly sounded awake as she spoke, but she reminded Nick of a conversation he really didn't want to have.

Nick buried his head in her shoulder briefly, inhaling the smell of her skin and the lingering scent of her shampoo; she had brought a bottle of hers over with a few other toiletries when she had begun to stay with him more often, and it was one more thing to remind Nick that she was there with him, something that he needed at that particular moment.

"They found him…they found Sneller. Lady Heather took him into the desert…something about a whip, I don't really know." Nick rubbed his face with one hand, subconsciously drawing Sara closer to him with the other. "Warrick and Greg went out to, uh, help process."

Sara's fingers were tracing his lightly. "Well, I know why they didn't ask you to stay, but why didn't they call me back in?"

Nick swallowed once before answering softly. This was the part of the conversation he really didn't want to have. "Uh…they figured it was probably best if you didn't see Grissom and Lady Heather together…"

Sara sighed, wrapping her hand around his. "So I know why they would think that…but why do you?" Nick wasn't quite sure how to respond, but fortunately Sara continued, after turning around in his arms to face him. Her eyes looked up into his as she entwined her fingers with one of his hands. "Nick…this case got to me, it got to all of us in one way or another. And I could have gone and found Grissom afterwards, but I didn't. I came here. I wanted to be with you. And I'm right where I want to be, with the person I want to be with." She paused for a moment, closing her eyes briefly before locking on his again. "Nick, I'm not in love with Grissom, I…I'm…"

He knew what she wanted to say, and he gently placed a finger up to her lips. As much as he wanted to hear those words, and as much as he realized that he wanted to say the same thing to her, it just wasn't the right time. Her eyes were confused as she looked up at him.

"Sara…when we say that, when that happens…I don't want it to be about him. It should just be about us. Nobody else." Nick let out a shaky breath, wondering how that had gone over. He hadn't wanted to discourage her, but he just didn't think that he could handle hearing those words so close to Grissom's name. He knew it was probably stupid, and pathetic, but Sara seemed to understand.

She looked surprised, but a small smile crept onto her face. So she nodded and draped her arm across his chest as she cuddled closer, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. "Make sure you set the alarm, I don't think we're going to get up until we have to today…"

Nick listened to her deep and even breathing while he checked the alarm, and then drew the comforter a little bit higher. The next few hours would be devoted to nothing else but sleep and the feeling of Sara's head on his shoulder. The last thing he remembered thinking before he drifted off to sleep, was how he had definitely become a believer in the incredibly complicated notion of delayed gratification.

FIN.

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