title: better things
by: parkagirl
fandom: CSI: Vegas
pairing: nick/greg
rating: pg
spoilers: Play With Fire

***

Every so often Greg finds himself forgetting that there are good things in his life. He gets so caught up in work, in making people happy and providing services for his colleagues, that he forgets what it's like to be happy. Not that he's unhappy, because he likes his job, but more that he forgets that other things outside of work exist.

His apartment, for instance. He hasn't really seen it in a week. He works, goes home, eats, and then goes to bed. And sometimes he forgets to eat. It's been this way for the past month. Ever since he spent a week in the hospital. Ever since his lap was blown up. Ever since he and Nick went out to dinner.

He thinks that his defining moment should be the lab, but he's refused to let it. Instead, when he's working too hard, he thinks about that dinner. And how, for a few hours, they both forgot about work. He's found himself thinking of it as a date. The kind of thing he used to do, before he decided he wanted to be a CSI. When he used to have what passed of a life.

And so, to remind him that there are other things, happy things, he thinks about Nick

But he hasn't really talked to Nick in a week, about the same amount of time that he's been missing his apartment. They haven't avoided each other; they've just been working. Hard. Harder than he has recently, harder than he's used to. He doesn't know if it's the job or if he's trying to impress. He can't seem to remember who he wanted to impress anymore. So he just stops talking to people.

No one notices, so it doesn't bother him, except when he thinks about it. Which isn't often, because of the work. And it's a twisted circle that he's oddly grateful for. Until there's a break in the work and he looks around the lab and notices that there's no one around. Everything is quiet. He checks his watch and thinks that it's weird that no one is around. Then he hears a knock on the door behind him. He jumps slightly and turns around.

It's Nick.

He bites his lip and wonders why he's acting shy again. He thought he'd gotten past that. He swallows, "You got something for me?" He asks.

"Sort of." Nick almost smiles.

"What?"

Nick walks into the lab, the door swinging shut behind him. "What're you doing now?"

"Waiting for someone to give me something to do." He's trying to look past Nick, it's not working.

Nick looks surprised. "You're out of work?"

Greg nods, finally relaxing. "It's weird, you know? I was just getting going and suddenly nothing."

"Maybe it's a sign."

Greg arches his eyebrow. "A sign?" He repeated.

"Yeah. I just finished a case, you seem to be done for the day …" Nick trails off and for a moment Greg thinks Nick looks nervous.

"Ah. A sign that we can both go home."

"That's not what I had in mind."

"Oh?" Greg bites his lip again, but this time it's to stop himself from smiling.

"Yeah."

Greg tries not to bounce up and down on his heels, "Such as?"

"Uh. Movie. Dinner." Nick pauses for a moment. He runs a hand through his hair, "Something that doesn't require us being at work."

Greg finally looks at Nick and grins, "Yes."

Nick blinks, "What?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Nick smiles, "Okay then." Pause, "Get your stuff."

"Okay." Greg says and watches Nick walk back out into the hallway. He grins to himself as he cleans up the lab.

It was just a week. It might be more than just a date. But now he remembers that there are better things that work. The way Nick's face crinkles when he smiles. The way his stomach flutters when Nick smiles at him. And the way they both tease each other without really trying. The fact everything about the two of them seems awkward, but natural in a weird sort of way.

Those are the things that make him forget about the lab and forget about work. As he shuts off the lights, he remembers that there are better things than the lab. And, maybe he didn't realize it first, though maybe Nick knew -- maybe that's why Nick stopped in the lab tonight, but most of the things that make him happy, they involve Nick. And that's is why he doesn't care if he sees his apartment tonight.

***