Title: Appreciate You
By: mickeylover303
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Words: 1409
Summary: In which Mia thinks she comes to an understanding but really doesn't, and Greg is romantic enough to share his blanket because he's creating a history between them.

***

 

Mia mentally prepared herself for the words that would be coming out of Greg’s mouth; the telltale sound of the slight hitch in the man’s breath telling her he was opening his mouth.


 

“You know, Mia…”

 

“Not that I even asked or even want to know.”

 

“For a first date—”

 

“Greg...”

 

“—that’s not really a date in any shape or form whatsoever,” he recovered quickly, “this is going pretty well.”

 

Mia crossed her legs, placing her hands on her thighs and rubbing her palms against her jeans.   “As long as we’re clear on that,” she said carefully, almost slowly with the intent to make Greg understand something they both already knew. “I can’t afford for you to get anymore ideas.”

 

Greg nodded accordingly even though he knew Mia wasn’t looking at him to see it. But he could still imagine her eyes narrowing at him, the slight wrinkle of her brow and the slight upturn of the corner of her lip that he couldn’t help but find endearing. “Right,” he agreed somewhat unconvincingly, a teasing note in his voice.

 

“Never mind the fact that I’m sitting next to you on your blanket,” Mia added quickly, already anticipating the inner workings of Greg’s mind.

 

“While I’m supine and vulnerable next to you?” Greg scoffed, waving a hand carelessly in her direction. “Didn’t even cross my mind.” He wriggled his toes, almost regretting not wearing any socks as his felt the breeze on his feet. “It’s all just a part of me trying to help ease the tension that comes along with being the new guy – I mean, girl–”

 

“Girl?”

 

“Woman,” he corrected himself, “in the lab.”

 

“With just the two of us?” Mia asked sceptically.

 

“Under the stars in my backyard no less, Ms. Dickerson,” Greg reminded her, smirking as she gently shoved his shoulder. “But remember I could only extend the invitation.”

 

Mia placed her elbow on one knee, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.  “And I had to be the one to accept it, right?”

 

Greg narrowed his eyes in warning as he sat up to face her, using his elbows to prop his sudden movement. “See,” he said as he pointed a finger at Mia, “now you’re starting to sound like Sara.”

 

“That’s...interesting.” Almost caught off guard, Mia wasn’t really sure what to think about the comparison despite the fact that Greg was intending it to be more along the lines of a complaint rather than a compliment. Despite only working under Grissom for a short time, she believed she knew Greg fairly well even if she couldn’t claim the same for Sara. But Mia could tell there was some kind of almost less than healthy, functional relationship between the two of them.

 

Never mind that neither of them seemed too bothered by it…or anyone else around them for that matter.

 

Greg shook his head, clicking his tongue in mock disappointment. “If you could call it that, but that’s not always a good thing…especially if you’re picking up so many of her bad habits in such a short period of time.”

 

“So you say,” Mia replied, far from convinced by Greg’s argument and still unclear as to what it was she did that made her remind Greg of Sara.

 

“It’s true. Really,” Greg said, emphasising his point with wide eyes that seemed almost wider with the backyard light shining from behind him. “And before you know it, you’ll be turning into her. Maxing out on overtime and confining yourself to the lab–”

 

“Where I would be regardless.”

 

“With no social life and little human interaction outside of yours truly,” Greg finished, shamelessly placing his hand on his chest. “And maybe Grissom sometimes, or more times than I would like to think.”

 

Mia snorted as she moved to stand, brushing the grass from the back of her jeans as she gazed down at Greg. “As long as Hodges doesn’t rub off on me, I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay.”

 

“Can’t argue with you there. Although,” Greg began thoughtfully, “he did help pay for the pizza...”

 

“Speaking of which, I’m going to head back inside before all the pepperoni is gone.”

 

“And leave me without a kiss goodnight?” Greg asked hopefully, his mouth forming into a pout that on anyone else would seem obnoxious.

 

Mia raised her eyebrows. “You’re cute, Greg...but—”

 

“I know, I know. There’s work and the problem with dating your colleagues. How awkward– ”

 

“Not to mention the fact that you were sharing a house with Nick long before I came into the picture.”

 

 “And of course there’s that,” he said almost absently, delivering a smile that betrayed the tone of his voice.

 

Mia rolled her eyes. “I still don’t understand how Nick puts up with you.”

 

Greg wiggled his eyebrows. “I can show you if you want.”

 

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” she said softly, trying not to let Greg see her smile as she forced a small cough and covered her mouth. “Anyway, the food’s probably gone by now. You coming in?”

 

“Nah, I think I’ll stay out here for a little while. Let you adjust to not using me as a crutch for the rest of the night.” Greg spoke nonchalantly, yet it didn’t stop him from noticing the sudden stillness of Mia’s body.  She paused long enough for him to notice, but not long enough that it made either of them uncomfortable. However, she was quick to retort, and Greg had to question whether or not what he said had affected her at all.

 

“Says the man who tried to hide behind me when Sara came through the door.”

 

“You too will understand one day, Mia. You too will understand.”

 

“Suit yourself. But don’t expect me to get anything for you,” she countered, knowing better than to take Greg seriously as she began walking towards the door. “You better hope Nick already saved something for you.”

 

“You wouldn’t even save a slice for me? Mia, how you wound my heart.”

 

Rolling her eyes once more, Mia stepped onto the porch, the sounds of conversation and laughter becoming more prominent as she neared the door.

 

“Wait–Mia…” Greg stood quickly, nearly tripping over the blanket as he ran up to her.

 

Retracting the hand reaching for the doorknob, Mia turned her head to Greg. “You changed your mind?”

 

“Nick would probably be too busy trying to get his own to save a slice for me,” he said sheepishly. “I didn’t eat yet.”

 

Mia bit her tongue, knowing Nick had already gone through the two boxes of pepperoni pizza and saved three slices with the most pepperoni for Greg. But the expression on Greg’s face almost made her think he was being serious.

 

“But um…about what you said earlier…”

 

Confusion flashed across Mia’s features. “About what?” she asked cautiously.

 

“About me being cute...” He smiled softly, his expression unusually shy, and for a moment Mia wondered if this was part of the Greg that Nick knew.

 

“...I said it in passing,” she agreed, admitting to her words somewhat reluctantly. While her thoughts Greg being cute had more to do with the man’s mannerisms rather than his appearance, she was still surprised and hadn’t realised she even relayed her thoughts aloud, much less to Greg. “But yeah, what’s your point?”

 

“Does that mean that you would go out with me if I wasn’t already with Nick?”

 

It took a minute for the words to process, and even less for Mia to see Greg’s smile to turn into the more familiar leer that she had somehow already become used to. She didn’t waste her time to fumble with some sort of verbal response partly due to how inane the question was, but mostly due to the even more inane grin on Greg’s face.

 

So, Mia could only respond by opening the door, trying to ignore the disappointment that arose somewhere in the back of her mind when the door didn’t hit Greg; especially when the abrupt action didn’t wipe the smile off his face.

 

Yet she couldn’t ignore the fact that as she was retreating into Nick’s house, she was essentially retreating into Greg’s house. And she couldn’t ignore the person following behind her and inevitably, the words coming out of said person’s mouth.

 

But it did make her feel better knowing that Sara was only a few footsteps away.

 

“So…is that a yes or no?”