Catherine looked over to Nick and Greg, who were drunk, both smiling brightly at each other, laughing at slurred words that she couldn't quite understand. She rolled her head back forward, licking her lips and taking another sip of her drink.
The three had gone out to a bar after getting off work early, after a long, tedious case. Grissom had given Nick, Greg and Catherine all the night off after finishing their case and after the trial. Grissom was just being generous, but wanted them back again tomorrow, hard working as usual.
Catherine knew they would all have to go home soon, giving the bar was almost empty as it was close to closing time. The bartender, washing out a glass with a white, clean rag, looked up to Catherine.
"How do you stand it?" The bartender asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Stand what?" She asked him, looking to him as he washed the glass. The bartender shook his head towards the laughing couple, looking back to her as he turned around put up the glass. She laughed, and shrugged as he turned back around, adding a simple "I don't" with her laugh. The bartender laughed too, leaning against the bar.
"That works too," the bartender said with a wink and a smile, giving a little laugh as he turned back around to reach for something Catherine couldn't see. She laughed gently to herself, pursing her lips as he gave a little nod, swiping away her bangs from her face.
Something clicked open and she looked past the laughing Nick and Greg to a door, which the manager stepped out of.
"Ladies, gents," he said with a sweet smile. "No need to rush you, but we're closing in five minutes." She nodded and Greg and Nick laughed at each other drunkenly, staring at each other like they were bewildered by something.
She put up her drink and looked to Nick and Greg, the manager closing the door as he stepped back into the room, the bartender putting up his cloth and putting on his jacket as he walked to the door. He then turned back to Catherine.
"You all have a nice night," he said, smiling at her as she wished him the same, then closed the door behind him, walking off in whatever direction he had. Then, she turned back to Nick and Greg. They were watching each other, but turned to Catherine.
"We have to go, you two," she said and they nodded drunkenly but affirmatively. Thy hopped down, arms swung around each other for support or simply kicks and giggles, which was close to what they were doing, minus the literal kicks. She hopped down after them and led them out the door to her car, knowing she'd have to drive them home. She hopped in the drivers seat, the two hopping into the backseat one after another, still practically arm in arm.
She titled her rear view mirror so she could see to what was behind her, somehow catching the watchful Nick and loving Greg buckled together. She raised and eyebrow, tilting her mirror to see more of them, but still see what was behind her car. Nick was sitting closest to the window, arm wrapped around Greg, hand on Greg's head, and his head on Greg's, which was on Nick's shoulder. They had their eyes closed and looked like a couple after a depressing fight they had with each other. Catherine squinted at the thought.
About a few minutes later, she pulled up into Nick's driveway. She looked back in the mirror, catching something in the corner of the mirror, other than the calm street behind her car. She raised her arm, tilting the mirror to catch what it was in the corner. She felt her heart skip a beat, thinking she had two guys kissing in the backseat.
Nick was laying down now, Greg sprawled over him. They were still buckled together, kissing deeply. She thought it was just drunk kisses, until they deepened the kiss, using their tongues now, until Greg pulled back and moaned as Nick kneed Greg's obvious bulge in his pants.
She couldn't help but watch for a few minutes; she had two truly gay guys making out in his backseat. After a few minutes, the two men shirtless, Nick tried to slip Greg's pants off and that's where she drew the line. She didn't want to watch two guys- two colleagues- two friends- having sex in her backseat!
..::XXxxXX::..
Catherine pulled into her driveway, cutting off the ignition. She turned the mirror back to where Nick and Greg were, thinking of how close they had come, not seeming like just drunk love anymore, knowing that Greg had gotten out at Nick's apartment with him. She something wadded up in the backseat and squinted, not able to see exactly what it was.
She popped open the door, hopping out and closing the door as she opened the door to the backseat. She lifted up a thin, black material. It was Greg's shirt. She looked down to the floor, catching something else. She picked it up. It was a deep gray shirt- Nick's shirt. She pursed her lips, thinking of the questions she would have to give Nick and Greg the next day.
..::XXxxXX::..
Catherine came slowly into the locker just a minute or two behind Greg and Nick. As she walked in, she caught Nick and Greg laughing at something she couldn't hear. She bit her bottom lip between her teeth, clenching the two folded shirts in her hands. Walking up to them, she held the shirts up.
"Care to explain?" She asked, looking at them seriously. She saw Nick swallow hard.
"How did you… get those…?" Nick asked, glancing away from Greg to her, knowing they were the shirts they had worn last night.
"You left them in my backseat," she said firmly, still holding them up to Nick and Greg, but neither reached up to grab them. They looked to each other quickly, both swallowing hard.
"How much did you… see?" Greg asked, scraping his teeth quickly once or twice against his bottom lip after he asked.
"Nick almost had your pants off," she said, her voice still firm and stern. "You two have some major explaining to do." She said, sitting down on the bench behind them, the two shirts on her lap. Nick and Greg sat down on the bench next to her, side by side, both of Nick's hands clasped around Greg's. Right now, Greg and Nick were both glad that no one else than them and Catherine were in the locker room. "How long has this been going on for?"
"Almost a year…" Greg said, his hands shaking gently, afraid Catherine would blab to someone.
"Does anyone know about this?"
"Only us," Nick answered, holding Greg's hands firmly in his, looking to Greg, catching his gaze quickly, then looking back to her.
"When were you planning on telling everybody?"
"When we're ready…" Nick answered, pausing shortly to look down at his hands, then up to Greg.
"Hopefully soon," Greg answered, his gaze in Nick's. Then, they both looked back to Catherine.
"You two almost had sex in my backseat," Catherine added, giving them a concerned glare.
"I'm sorry… we were probably drunk," Nick said.
"I don't remember anything at all," Greg said, and Nick gave a nod, saying that he didn't recall either. Catherine rocked back, around, then sat forward again, licking her lips. She didn't know what else to say. She handed them back their shirts.
"Here," she said as Nick took them with a gentle grasp. "You might need them sometime."
She said, then stalked towards the exit of the locker room, already prepared for her work day. At least now she had something off her shoulders. She, somewhere in her heart, wished Greg and Nick luck, even though she didn't say it aloud. She knew automatically they wanted her to keep quiet about it, wait until they were ready. In the doorway she paused and turned around, Greg and Nick's gaze shifting from her to each other then back again. She winked, letting them know she would keep it secret until they were ready.
..::XXxxXX::..
Nick sat quietly, waiting for the interrogation to start, biting his bottom lip gently. Grissom sat across from him, impatiently tapping his foot. Greg sat behind him, their chairs turned back to back. Greg lolled his head back, laying his head down on Nick's shoulder, giving him a little kiss to the cheek without Grissom's notice, and then rolled his head back up.
They hadn't told anyone at the lab about their relationship, except for Catherine who had figured it out on her own, but let little, subtle, loving hints for each other when they knew no one was watching.
So, here they were, awaiting the interrogation of Mitchell O'Malley for a double-homicide of a homosexual couple.
A cop opened the door to the interrogation room, followed by Brass, another cop and O'Malley. O'Malley was seated across from Nick, Greg and Grissom, Brass sitting down next to Brass. Grissom looked to Nick and Greg, and Nick nodded, standing up and walking out of the interrogation room, followed by Greg. Apparently, now, Grissom didn't want them there anymore.
As the interrogation began, Nick stalked up to the one-way window, looking into the interrogation without anyone's notice, except for Greg, who was standing next to him.
O'Malley stared at the wall, the one-way window, which Greg and Nick were standing behind.
Much later…
The interrogation was now over, O'Malley confessing to the crime with evil laughs of hatred and disgust. The couple he had killed was his sister and her girlfriend, among many other homosexual couples he confessed to killing. Each time he mentioned them, he motioned to Greg and Nick, staring at Grissom though, saying things he shouldn't have been able to say.
"You see them?" O'Malley said. "You see those faggots? Those freaks of nature? They deserve to die, like all those other who are like them. They all deserve to die, horrible, painful deaths together." He said to the straight faced Grissom.
"You're being recorded," Brass interjected. "You'd best watch what you say."
"I've seen lots of faggots," O'Malley continued. "All those idiots, just like those two you have hidden away behind that wall; listening into this conversation, watching my every move together." O'Malley said, and Nick's fingers interlaced with Greg's, Greg squeezing his hand tightly in his as O'Malley looked to them. "I know they can see me, and I want them to hear this conversation, and may it be burned and etched into their minds. May you burn in hell!" O'Malley shouted at them, getting deeper into words that Nick and Greg didn't want to hear. They turned away from the interrogation room's one-way window, Nick's hands up against Greg's face, wiping away his tears. Greg was covering his ears, swaying along with Nick and he rocked them back and forth slowly.
They weren't going to listen to O'Malley's words any longer.
"First off," Grissom started, and large amount of anger portrayed in his voice instead of his actions. "My CSI's have nothing to do with this. Second off, curse words aren't in your Miranda rights, so you have no right. You killed two women, homosexual or not, and that's also against the law." Grissom explained.
Now, Grissom turned to the one-way window as O'Malley was led out of the interrogation room.
..::XXxxXX::..
Nick watched Greg silently, now closing his eyes as he pressed Greg up against him tightly.
"Nick…" Greg mumbled, not looking up to Nick. Greg was curled up against Nick's chest, head on Nick's arm, tucked in against Nick's chest, one hand clenched into a fist on Nick. Nick mumbled his question. "I was thinking of what… he said…" Greg uttered, and Nick knew he was talking about- O'Malley. "I was thinking that he was right." At this, Nick's eyes opened immediately. His heart stopped pounding in his chest. "We are… "faggots."" Nick's heart began pounding slowly now, knowing what Greg meant now.
"But…" Greg looked up to Nick now, looking at him longingly. "If that's what I have to be called when I'm with you… then… so be it." Greg said. "Because I love you."
"I love you too," Nick said, maneuvering his head to kiss Greg. As he pulled away, Greg curled up again against Nick's chest, hearing his heart beat again. "With all my heart…" Nick added as Greg fell asleep against him.
"Happy birthday…" Nick mumbled as he fell into sleep. The clock now tolling midnight.