Title: Exposed
Author: Daniela
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Pairing: Greg/Grissom
Rating: PG13
Category: Angst, Romance
Series/Sequel: Breaking the Ice
Disclaimers: CSI and its characters belong to Anthony Zuiker and CBS broadcasting company. The author makes no profit and no infringement is intended.
Summary: A new labtech gets the picture.
Warnings: Pre - Slash
Feedback: Yes, please. I will appreciate all constructive criticism.
Email: daniforblue@yahoo.de
Released: June 2003

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"Have you seen the new guy?" Catherine asked Grissom on their way back from a Crime Scene.

"What? Who? What are you talking about?" Grissom responded confused.

"I´m talking about the new guy from the lab. Michael....something...I forgot his surname. Very pretty. Very handsome. In my opinion, utterly stunning." She leered.

"Catherine, please, I have absolutely no interest in his looks, only in his abilities at work."

"Some of us are more interested in his looks."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Well, our good boy Greg is obviously flirting with Michael a lot. I always suspected he is more into men, than women. And now, he doesn´t hide it anymore."

Grissom was caught off guard by different feelings.

Surprise. Dismay. Curiosity.

He felt a great urge to squeeze Cath for more details, but he resisted. "Yeah. Whatever. It'll only bother me, when it´s affecting Greg´s work. Then he gets in trouble. His sexual orientation is none of our business."

Catherine smiled very peculiar. Just like Mona Lisa.

Grissom waited, expecting she´d say more, but she didn´t. He felt uncomfortable. Sometimes he would like to know, if Cath knew he was into men too. She was a smart woman. But even if she knew, she never mentioned it to him. He never talked about it either. Certainly not. On the other side, he suspected for a long time Greg was gay. All that flirting around with all women at the lab was never serious. He acted too obvious, too kind. Never approaching a goal. But, his obvious affection for Nick was different. Greg and Nick were very good friends, but Nick was definitely straight. And Greg had to know it.

Grissom himself had always tried to avoid seeing Greg as an attractive man. He didn´t even see him as a man, rather as a boy. For a good reason and his own safety. He was his boss. He was telling himself over and over, relationships at a workplace always get you into trouble.

But recently, he knew, he was becoming soft and careless. At first, he had asked Greg to play chess with him, second he had teased him about how athletic his body was and finally he had told Greg about his mother´s deafness. Why? He didn´t know for sure, but then, he didn´t want to think about it either.

Cath´s allusions let him lose his poise a bit. Did she imply he was attracted to Greg? And was he? Well, Greg let him feel something. That was for sure. But Grissom never intended to live out these feelings. That would be inappropriate.

The moment, they had arrived at the lab, Grissom fetched the collected evidence from Cath, telling her, he would bring it to Greg himself.

"Sure, if you'd like to," Cath remarked a little taunting.

Grissom felt embarrassed about his urge, but he couldn´t help it. He wanted to see Greg. Now. He could hear Greg´s voice from some distance. He was talking nonstop, like always. Then he saw the guy, Greg was talking to and he had to admit, Catherine was right. Tall, dark hair, handsome face, broad shoulders, athletic legs, about thirty years old. He looked like a dream came true.

Grissom joined them and snarled at Greg without even thinking: "Sanders! Wasting time again? Why isn´t that a surprise to me."

Greg whirled around, his speech was cut off immediately. Sanders! Not Greg! That was never a good sign, was it? Greg looked puzzled, because he didn´t understand. Why was Grissom so angry?

The new lab worker was smiling very appealing. "Hello, my name is Michael Andrews. I´m new here. I was transferred from San Francisco. You must be Gil Grissom."

Reluctantly, Grissom shook hands with him.

In the meantime, Greg found his voice again. "I was showing Michael around. Nothing more. What have you figured?"

Michael was pretty surprised about Greg´s last question. He sensed a peculiar tension between Greg and his boss.

Noticing Michael´s astonishment, Grissom overreacted. "What have I figured out? I will tell you. Do something you get paid for. Now!!" He handed him the evidence, he had brought.

Grissom´s intense disapproval silenced Greg effectively. He took the pieces and rushed off like a scolded kid.

Michael, now a bit concerned, mumbled: "I'll go back to work," and left just a second after Greg.

Grissom, standing alone in silence and looking guilty, was angry. At himself. Why had he lost his control so unnecessary? Why did he act this way? Oddly enough, he felt remorse.

Greg was furious. How could Grissom talk to him like that? Even if he was his boss. After all these years, he worked here. And what it made worse, it happened in front of the new guy. The very attractive new guy. Greg felt ashamed and angry.

Suddenly, Michael was standing next to him. "I´m sorry, if you have trouble because of me."

"Nonsense! We just talked. I don´t know, what´s Grissom´s problem."

Michael eyed Greg very closely, then asked boldly: "Are you sleeping with Grissom?"

Greg almost fell off his chair. "What!?!? Are you nuts?! How could you THINK something like that?!"

Michael grinned cheerfully. "Well, you were flirting with me all day. I thought, why not, he´s cute. But then Grissom showed up and I realized at once, I have no chance."

Greg was out of words. He stared at Michael before he finally stammered: "I...I´m n...not sleeping with Grissom."

"But you want to, because you have a crush on him."

"That´s not true!!!" Greg shouted bewildered. Then shut his mouth. He realized, how suspicious his excitement made him.

Michael didn´t say anything else. He waited patiently.

After a while, Greg confessed quietly: "Nobody noticed it until now. I hope so. It´s useless, anyway. Grissom has no interest in me at all..."

"That isn´t true. I guess, he overreacted so intensely for one reason. He was jealous."

"Don´t talk such nonsense. There is no way, I'd ever believe you."

"I got around a lot. You can take it from me, the man is jealous."

"Jealous of what? Grissom isn´t interested in me."

"Why not? You are young, good-looking, smart and you share the same interests, because of your work."

Greg was completely bewildered. "Are you serious?"

"Sure. I have to go now. Will you tell me, how our boss is in bed, if you manage to get him there?"

Greg was speechless again. Finally, it broke out of him: "I'd never tell."

Michael laughed out loud, turned around and left the lab.

Half an hour later, Greg went to Grissom´s office, the result papers in his hand were visibly trembling. He was much more nervous as usual. As he reached Grissom´s office door, he stopped and took a few deep breaths, before he knocked and stepped in. "I get your results, boss."

"Put them on the desk," Grissom replied, without even looking at him.

Grissom´s cool behavior discouraged Greg, but he remained on his place. "I wasn´t neglecting my duties." His voice sounded sullen.

"Never mind! It wasn´t my intention to talk to you like that."

"You believe me then?"

"Of course. Why shouldn´t I?"

"So, are we good?"

"Yes Greg, you can forget about it."

Greg sighed very relieved. "Thanks. Now I´m glad."

"I can understand, when you are interested in Michael. Your private life is nobody´s business. But in the lab, keep it low."

By this totally surprising comment, Greg got confused so much, he blurted out: "I have absolutely no interest in Michael. He isn't my type!"

Now, Grissom was perplexed. "I didn´t ask you that."

Greg stuttered baffled: "I - I - have m - much work to do." He flounced out of the room.

Grissom smiled amused about the fast escape. This guy was just incredible. He always managed to get under his skin. Again and again Greg made him to jump out of his shell. Very few people succeeded at this, but Greg was one of them. So, Michael wasn´t his type. Who would it be? Probably Nick. Certainly Nick. What a pity Nick wasn´t gay. Stop thinking about this, Grissom told himself, it doesn´t matter to you, does it? Grissom shooed away all private thoughts and continued to write his report.

Greg lolled at his desk and felt still ashamed. Certainly, he was glad, Grissom wasn´t angry at him anymore. But his comment about Michael had been so odd. Grissom never commented private things. His own thoughtless reply had been so stupid. He almost had blurted out the truth: "Grissom, you are my type! Nobody else." Today, he had stumbled from one embarrassing situation to another. He wouldn´t allow, something like that ever happened again. But for now the deed was done, the whole day had been a total disaster.