Previous part of Fun.
***
When they'd got back to Gil's place, Gil had gone to get them some drinks...Nick wanted a beer and Gil said he'd have a brandy. Nick had wondered around looking at Gil's CD collection and then at books crammed into a bookcase. There were science books and novels and autobiographies all seemingly randomly strewn together along the shelves and then with more books shoved on top of them. All of them looked well-thumbed and used."Have you read all of them?" Nick wanted to know when Gil bought his beer.
"Yes. Some more than once. Even if I don't enjoy a book I normally read it through...just to see why I don't like it and I can still learn from it. What do you read?"
"Science stuff for work. Bird books. Thrillers. I read the Harry Potter books just because everyone else did. I re-read books that I read when I was a kid. I don't know why...maybe to try and recreate my childhood. I don't know."
"So do I. I don't think I do it to recreate my childhood but because I enjoyed them so much. What's your favourite book of all time?"
"To Kill a Mocking Bird." Nick responded without having to think about it. "You?"
Grissom looked at him. "I cannot begin to answer that...there are so many; but Harper Lee's, yes, it is a favourite."
Nick had taken a swig of his beer. Grissom had given him the bottle and then he'd sipped his brandy watching Nick over the rim of the glass. Nick had smiled and Grissom then leaned forward and gently kissed his beer cold lips. Of course Nick had responded and tasted the brandy. Grissom had pulled back and smiled.
"You want to take this to the bedroom? I'm too old for making out on the couch."
"Yeah. Okay." He'd taken another drink of his beer but Grissom had finished the contents of his brandy balloon in one gulp and then walked off. Nick had looked at him and then decided that he probably wanted him to follow him, so with a smile and a roll of his eyes he did just that. He'd followed him up the stairs and into his bedroom.
He'd been quite surprised, although he'd never imagined what Grissom's bedroom would be like he didn't expect it to be light and airy. He did have heavy duty type black-out drapes at the window but the walls were pale blue...a cool shade...and his bedding was all white cotton. His furniture was light wood...ash, Nick had surmised.
Grissom had put on two lamps beside the bed and started to undo his shirt but then had stopped and walked over to Nick and relieved him of his beer bottle and put it down on the bedside cabinet. And then he'd kissed Nick.
In no time at all their clothing had been dropped on the floor around the bed and then they were on the bed making out. Nick had been on his back and Grissom had given him a thorough work out...starting with his lips and mouth, his face, his ears, his neck and slowly moving down his body.
Grissom had pulled back and grinned at Nick and then eyed up his prize, stroking the soft flesh on the hard erection and then he'd bent forward to capture the head...
"Whoa...no. Stop." Nick had called out with some difficulty but Grissom had pulled back.
"What is it?"
"Condom. No contact without a condom."
"I was going to fellate..."
"...I don't know if you're clean and I'm not exchanging any body fluids with anyone...even you...without seeing a clean test sheet." Nick had rolled away, and taken the opportunity to pump his dick to relive a little of the pressure. "I have condoms in my wallet." He's sat up to look for his pants.
"I have condoms." Grissom had leaned over and pulled open a drawer on the cabinet and pulled out a box and some lube. "Here. Check they're still in date and haven't perished. But, are you expecting me to fellate a rubber?" He'd sounded disgusted.
"That's the idea. You know about saliva and even very small mouth sores." Nick had checked the date on the box and they were okay for a few more months so he'd thought that perhaps Grissom didn't actually get that much action...unless he was careless and didn't use condoms...and if that was the case then Nick had been right to insist on tests.
"Yes, I do. But I have never been stopped from sucking before..."
"...there's a first time for everything, Grissom. I'm clean and I aim to stay that way." He'd grinned at Grissom and Grissom had chuckled.
"Okay. I commend your diligence. I'm still not sucking a condom."
"You can fuck me if you want." Nick had made the offer and he'd seen that Grissom was clearly surprised. "I'm just sensible, man, I'm not a blushing virgin and I'm not some tease...but you've got to be careful...HIV is still out there and all the other stuff."
"You'd let me...on out first date?"
"Sure."
"I'm not going to turn you down."
They'd laughed together. But then things had gotten serious for some time.
Nick had wiped his chest with a damp cloth that Grissom had brought for him from his bathroom.
"Are you staying here the night? I can take you home in the morning...if you want to go home now I can call a cab."
"I'll stay then if you don't mind. You can make my breakfast for me." He'd smiled at Grissom who'd raised his eyebrows at the suggestion.
"I can buy you breakfast at a diner on your way home."
"You don't do breakfast?" Nick really had been quite shocked.
"I have coffee."
Nick had laughed. "Coffee will do just fine. I can make you a breakfast if you take me home."
"I'll hold you to that."
In the middle of the night Grissom's cell had woken them up. Grissom had been called into work.
Nick had started to get up. "I'll get a taxi..."
"Stay in bed. If I'm not home you'll have to get one, just pull the door closed behind you. If I do get home I'll still hold you to the breakfast. I like pancakes." He'd said over his shoulder as he'd gone into the bathroom and Nick had vaguely heard the shower start as he'd drifted back off to sleep.
Grissom had arrived back home when Nick was in the shower. He'd called to Nick.
"Still up for breakfast?"
"Sure."
"You want a coffee...I can smell that you've found my coffee machine."
"Thanks." Nick had finished his shower and grabbed a towel. "What was work about?"
"Decomp. Beetles. They wanted a time line. They need another bug man besides me."
"No one would want it..."
"...why not?"
"Because you're too much of a hard act to follow."
Grissom had laughed quite heartily. "Smokescreens and mirrors, Nick. That's all. Coffee coming up." And a few minutes later as Nick had dressed in his clothes from the night before; Gil brought him a steaming mug of coffee.
"I should have taken the time to fold my clothes...I look like I just picked them up from the floor."
"You do."
"Thanks." Nick had laughed; he should have known that Grissom wouldn't make nice and pretend.
Fifteen minutes later they were on the road to Nick's condo. Once inside he'd changed into some old jeans and a tee shirt and found out the ingredients for pancakes.
"Bacon and eggs? Sausage patties?"
"Yes to everything." Grissom had waited patiently as Nick had cooked their breakfasts. Nick had given the flatware to Gil.
"Here. Make the table. Sauces are in there." He'd nodded towards his refrigerator and Grissom had gone about his task.
Not long afterwards they were eating that breakfast. Coffee, orange juice and toast together with the food Nick had cooked.
Grissom had eaten every morsel off his plate and then sat back. "That was the best breakfast I've had in a long time."
"Good. You want dessert now?"
"Dessert? After breakfast?"
"Me."
Grissom had chuckled. "I missed that. Of course I want dessert."
***
But the strange thing was that they were having fun. He hadn't expected it. Not with Grissom.
He was a very interesting man and he entertained Nick with stories about this and that...facts about something or observations. And what were lectures at work were long and involved conversations out of work that they both appeared to thoroughly enjoy.
The sex was very good and about ten days after they first slept together they‘d gone to a rather discreet clinic Nick knew about to get blood tests. Nick hadn't pressed Gil to get one; Gil himself had decided that he was desperate to suck cock. The results would take about another ten days.
Nick had also found that keeping the secret at work was much easier than he'd imagined. He'd realised that it was very satisfying to know something that no one else did. That Gil was gay and his lover. At every twitch from Sara, every territorial stance from Catherine and every, besotted with Grissom, Greg moment, Nick would smile to himself and repeat in a sing- song voice in his head...if they knew what I knew...
It all had gone horribly wrong on their third anniversary. Three weeks that was. Nick had picked up his test result envelope. They wouldn't give him Grissom's result, which was fair enough, they were confidential. Nick had called Grissom at work and told him to collect his envelope from the clinic on the way over to Nick's condo. He'd said that he would but he sounded odd to Nick. He'd never called him at work before and it just crossed Nick's mind that maybe someone else was in his office with him. Sara, he'd thought and laughed.
They were having take-out at Nick's place. Thai. He'd had the menus out waiting for Grissom. When the knock on his door had come, about two hours after Nick had expected it, he'd opened it with a grin.
"You might have called...I'm starving hungry..." Nick had known immediately that there was something wrong. Grissom looked different...he didn't know how...but he wasn't the same man he'd been with the day before. He had his envelope in his hand. Jesus, Nick had thought, bad news...
"I got the envelope...here." He'd given Nick the envelope but it was unopened. Grissom had stepped into the condo and pushed the door closed behind him but he hadn't moved away from it.
"I've been thinking, Nick. I think we've run our course. I don't want to get involved with you...no, I mean with anyone. It's not you; it's me. I don't do this..." He'd taken his right hand out of his pocket where he'd put it after relinquishing the envelope, and had indicated the two of them, then he'd put his hand back in his pants pocket. He'd looked ultra-casual to Nick. "...partner, relationship, whatever it is. I'm no good at it and it's best it stops before it begins."
Nick had thought, but it's already begun, but he said. "Okay. Thanks for letting me know."
Gil had nodded and looked away from Nick, unable, Nick could see, to keep eye contact. So Nick had opened the door again. "Guess I should have had a bowl of cereal while I was waiting."
"I'm sorry. Work. And then the clinic."
"You'd better have this back." Nick had offered the envelope back to him.
"No. You keep it. I know what it'll say." He'd spoken as he was leaving the condo.
"Bye."
"Bye."
Nick had closed the door and looked at the envelope and then he'd taken his own unopened envelope and put them both into a drawer in his computer desk.
Only Catherine, at work, called him on his mood. "What's with you, Mr Cheerful...not?"
"Nothing."
"Like I said, not."
"Actually, Catherine, I've been reflecting on the vicissitudes of my life in relation to work and colleagues and whether I'm justified in making such sweeping assumptions about the detritus we deal with day in, day out."
Catherine was standing perfectly still, staring at him with her mouth slightly open. "You're kidding, right?"
"Yeah, I am." Nick had grinned and felt okay for the first time in some days. Nothing much had changed and there was no sense in being maudlin.
"Nicky! I thought you'd been sleeping with Grissom for a moment." And she'd laughed, as did Nick, although he of course knew just how ironic her statement was.
It was nearly a month later that Grissom had sent Nick to Desert Palm to process an assault victim and he'd met Matt.
Nick did like having fun...that's what he'd said. And he'd been doing all the things he'd liked doing to have fun. The clubs, the dinners, the sex. Matt was a good looking guy and they did go well together...Nick had seen other man watching them when they were out and about. They went well together.
Except that Nick wasn't having fun. He'd been having fun with Grissom but hadn't quite realised while he was with Grissom since it had all been so different...they'd had dinners together and they'd talked endlessly for hours and hours. They did have a shared background with their work, but it was more than that. And the sex wasn't just good...it was great.
Nick had known exactly what the problem with Matt was...he just wasn't Grissom.
After Grissom and Matt had dumped him he'd decided that he'd better take a bit of a sabbatical from the gay life he was leading. Keep a low profile and regroup. A bit of celibacy never hurt anyone and he could pick up some of his hobbies again.
It had been a long time since he'd been out looking for birds to shoot...with his camera. He would hike and take dozens of pictures and then come back and sketch some of the birds. Sometimes he would use pencils and other times watercolours. Then there was his carpentry. He would devote himself to finishing the dolls house...he wanted his parents to have it so that all the girls (and the boys if they wanted) could play with it when they visited. A kind of Uncle Nicky legacy.
So that's what he did.
Catherine regularly asked about Matt and Nick decided to pretend they were still an item but that Matt was real busy. He would announce their separation in due course...but just not yet.
It was five weeks before he found himself being driven by Grissom out to Henderson in a heavy storm with gridlocked traffic. Grissom hadn't been avoiding him any more than he'd avoided Grissom, but they'd maintained a work only relationship. There'd been no breakfasts together with the team. One or the other had always found an excuse and no one seemed to notice or perhaps, more likely, no one actually cared.
***
"I wish I'd stayed in the lab. This weather, this traffic, is seriously fucking with me." He was tapping his steering wheel, impatiently. Nick knew that Grissom rarely swore at work even though he used profanities quite liberally out of work.
"Is it a two man job?"
"Brass seemed to think so. He asked for three. But he'll have to do with us...if we ever get there.
"I reckon we're worth three when we put our minds to it." Nick smiled trying to lighten the mood and it worked, Grissom laughed.
"You could be right there, Nick, yes." They stayed quiet for a few more minutes and then Grissom turned to Nick.
"How's Matt?"
"Don't honestly know. We broke up."
"Really?" Grissom did sound surprised.
"As a matter of fact he dumped me." Nick admitted.
"He did? Oh."
Nick laughed. "Not having much luck, recently, so I'm resting."
"Why did he...sorry, it's none of my business."
"No, it's okay. Said we weren't having much fun." Not entirely truthful, he knew, but good enough for Grissom's ears.
"I'm surprised you...he...seemed very happy when we met."
"Yeah, well, it didn't last." Nick suddenly became annoyed for no apparent reason and he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He wished he'd kept his mouth shut. However, whether Grissom sensed his change in mood or whether he'd heard enough, Nick didn't know, but that was the end of the conversation.
The rain, almost on cue, started to ease and almost automatically the traffic started a faster crawl. In minutes they were up to forty miles an hour and on their way. Brass was right...it was a big job, three murders involving an intricate family bust-up. But then so was Nick...the two men approached it all methodically and efficiently and worked well together for over ten hours.
When they were finally lab bound in bright hot sunshine Grissom made a decision.
"First diner. Stop. Coffee. Food."
"That's the best decision you've ever made." Nick had said it innocently but he was aware that Grissom glanced at him, momentarily taking his eyes off the road.
"Are you questioning my decision making?" He spoke quite curtly.
Nick was taken aback. "No. Just joking, man."
"Oh." That was all Grissom said until they came to a diner and he pulled onto the lot.
Nick really couldn't care less about Grissom's little hissy fit but he decided to keep his mouth shut.
They did talk a little over breakfast but only about the case and they each drank about a gallon of coffee. They still had hours of work ahead of them when they arrived back at the lab.
Back on the lot Nick offered to drive and Grissom jumped at the offer. "Would you mind? After eating I do have a propensity to sleep. Not really conducive to driving."
Nick smiled and took the wheel but thought that he'd never known Grissom sleep after eating when they were...together. It was obviously an excuse to prevent further conversation. In the event he didn't sleep but rarely spoke and it didn't seem that long before they were back at the lab setting about detailing their evidence and checking things out. It was a seventeen hour shift by the time they left. They were due back in work in six hours.
Nick made it back to work that night with five minutes to spare but as soon as he walked into the lab he knew there was something wrong. There was an atmosphere. He saw Catherine and the rest of them in Grissom's office.
"Hey. What's going on?"
"Hey, Nicky. It's Gil; going home this afternoon he was involved in a crash..." Nick thought his legs were going to give out as Catherine continued. "...his truck was rolled over by an eighteen wheeler that didn't, couldn't, stop at a red light..."
***
"He's good; would you believe a few cuts and bruises and no broken bones but his truck was totalled. He's lucky."
"Wow. Yeah. Okay." In truth, Nick felt a little shaky and Catherine noticed.
"You okay? You look as if you're going to faint."
"I'm okay. Shock. I was with him all day. You just never know...do you? Is he okay does he need any help?"
"He says he's good. Just aching all over, said he'll probably be in tomorrow or the night after...he'll see how he goes."
"That's good."
"I'm going to go over after shift, see if I can do anything for him...cook, or anything." Sara piped up in her most compassionate voice...except that Warrick, Greg and Catherine started laughing. Nick just looked at her incredulously.
"What?" She was indignant now.
"Cook? You?" Warrick was wiping tears away.
But Sara did have the balls to laugh at herself. "Microwave meals, okay?" She smiled but Nick sensed she was feeling victorious...she was going to get into Grissom's house.
Luckily for him Catherine added her thoughts on the matter. "I would be very careful about doing anything for him without being asked, you know how private the man is and if he's feeling sore he'll be bad tempered, the last think he'd want is you...or anyone else...fussing round him. You should call him first."
Sara hesitated. "If I call him, he'll say he's okay and that he doesn't need me."
"And if he says that then you know he doesn't need you...or anyone else." Catherine was being unusually diplomatic. "He's not badly injured at all, just shaken."
"Yeah, okay." Sara sulked off and Nick knew that she would visit Grissom despite what anyone said.
"Work. You finishing off that murder?" Catherine asked Nick.
"Yeah, got a couple of hours at least, but it's all routine stuff."
"Okay. Try not to work over...you need your rest, we'll take up the slack..."
"Thanks, Catherine."
Nick made his way to the lab and got his work out to start but then decided to call Grissom. Just being friendly...was what he told himself but he had been very shocked at hearing about his accident. He would like to hear his voice. When he thought that, he hesitated. He was being ridiculous. He didn't need to hear the man's voice. But then he did need to warn him about Sara...it would give him a chance to make plans to foil the attack.
He called Grissom's cell. He answered after three rings.
"Grissom?"
"Nick."
"How you doing?"
"I've been better. Sore, aching, bruised and battered...but in one piece. How are you?"
"Me"? Nick asked, surprised. "I'm fine."
"I'm relieved you weren't in the truck with me, Nicky. I got off lightly, but the nearside, it was completely totalled and if you'd been sitting there..."
"But I wasn't; it's okay." Nick was strangely comforted that Grissom had thought of him. They were silent for a moment or two and then Nick remembered why he'd really called. "I called to give you the heads up...Sara is talking about visiting you after shift to help you."
Grissom paused. "To help me..."
"I don't know, she said cook..."
Grissom started to laugh but stopped. "Don't make me laugh my ribs hurt. Cook? Does she even know what a pan looks like?"
"Warrick called her on it and she amended it to a microwave meal."
"I can do that myself, but..."
"But what?" Grissom had stopped.
"Well, you could cook me a breakfast...your pancake special."
"You want that?"
"I have been injured in the line of work; well almost...I was driving home."
"But I can't turn up there and then have Sara arrive, can I?"
"If you could get here before her...you could drive me to your place. No."
"No?"
"You'll be fucked. You need rest."
"I need to eat. Cooking two breakfasts is as easy as one."
"Okay. I'll wait for your call and just hope you can get here before Sara."
"I'll do my best."
"You always do, you always do."
When Nick ended the call he was positive that he'd done the worst thing he could have possibly have done. If he was trying to get back what they had before then it would only end in disaster. A complete and fucking disaster...
***
"Just leaving the lab. You still up for breakfast."
"I am. But, my muscles appear to have set during the night. The painkillers knocked me out and I slept in a chair since that was the most comfortable I could get but moving just now was hard. I'm going to get a hot shower see if I can get a bit more mobile."
"Maybe you should stay in..."
"...no, I'm looking forward to your breakfast and missing Sara. That's if you're still okay with it?"
"I have no problem, but I don't want to make you more uncomfortable."
"I have to move...it will be better for me. I'll get in the shower and hope that helps. See you in...half an hour?"
"Give or take. Bye."
The drive over was uneventful except for Nick's stomach doing acrobatics. He just had the feeling that this was a really bad idea and he shouldn't get involved...again. But then all it was, was a breakfast with his boss who was sick...and trying to avoid another someone. It sounded lame to Nick's own ears. At the same time Nick couldn't avoid remembering that although he'd called Grissom to see if he was okay and warn him about Sara...it was Grissom who'd invited himself over for breakfast. Yeah. Just like he used to...before... He was pretty certain this was going to turn into a regular can of worms...
He parked up outside Grissom's house and rang the bell. It was some time before the door opened, but Nick guessed that Grissom, correctly as it turned out, was a lot less mobile than he'd intimated earlier. He opened the door and Nick slipped inside. Grissom couldn't stand up straight and was holding his left side. He hair was still quite damp and it looked as if he'd just run his hand through it rather than brushed it as he normally did. Nick smiled at the thought that his curls would be all over the place when it did dry.
"My ribs are only bruised ribs..."
"...I heard they're worse than broken ribs." Nick opined.
"You're not helping." Grissom said but he was smiling. "The shower, believe it or not, has helped and I've just taken one painkiller with a cookie...I'm supposed to have two with food so I'll take the other one at your place."
"Are you sure you're good to go..."
"...I'm just stiff and slow. I'll be okay. You might have to help me into and out of the truck."
"How did you get home from the hospital?"
"Jim...he heard about the accident and came looking for me. I wasn't as incapacitated then, as I am now. I'll be okay. I was lucky you know."
"I know. Come on. You got everything?"
"Could you get my jacket...oh. No, I don't think I could get it on. I managed to slip this sweat shirt over my head but it hurt like hell...and it's about two sizes too big."
"You don't need a jacket. Keys? Alarm? Still the same?"
"Keys." He pointed to the table where he normally left them. "And yes...eighteen twelve."
"Okay. You start to make your way to the truck."
Nick set the alarm and locked up as Gil made his slow painful way to the truck. He did have to help Grissom up...by pushing his ass. It was his request saying that his ass hurt less than everywhere else. So Nick bit the bullet and pushed at Grissom's ass until he could manoeuvre himself into the passenger seat. He looked exhausted. Nick handed him the seat belt and told him to hold onto it while he got into the driver's seat. He then pulled it around Grissom and clicked it into place.
"It saved my life."
"That's what they're supposed to do. And the air bag."
"All four deployed."
"What was it like...rolling over?"
"Surreal. Like it's happening in slow motion but in reality it's really fast. The noise was the most frightening thing though...that eighteen wheeler trying to stop and pushing the truck around...luckily I was flipped out of the way...if you'd been with me..."
"I wasn't. Don't think about it."
"When I was lying...hanging upside down by my seat belt, more accurately...I thought of you."
"You did?" Nick smiled. "I think I would have been more concerned about getting out."
"I couldn't get out. LVFD had to cut me out...that took nearly an hour. Then four hours at the hospital."
"Busy day, then. I finished up the Henderson case tonight."
"Good. I knew you would."
Nick had eased his truck out into the road and was driving as smoothly as he could. Grissom was in real pain he could tell the way his face was set. They made the journey to Nick's condo and Nick had to help Grissom out of the truck. It was harder than getting him into it but they managed.
"Are you going to be okay with the steps?" Nick suddenly remembered the staircase up to his condo.
"Stairs are no problem, I managed at home. Walking's the real problem." He tried a laugh but his face contorted into a grimace. "Laughing hurts like hell."
"I bet. As soon as we get in, have the other painkiller...I think you need it." Nick was also wondering how the hell he would get Grissom back to his own house. Or did Grissom expect to stay? Was he doing this just to avoid Sara?
Nick settled Gil in an easy chair in his living room...he retrieved a couple of pillows from his bedroom to prop him up.
"How's that?"
"That's good. I'm actually comfortable. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm going to take a quick shower and change, is there anything you want while you wait for breakfast."
Gil thought for a few moments. "No, I'm okay here; but I'll probably drop off to sleep."
"No problem, you heal while you sleep."
"Do you?" Gil asked, surprised.
"No idea, but that's what Momma used to say." He chuckled and left Gil alone while he showered and changed.
As Gil had expected he was fast asleep when Nick got back. He didn't disturb him but went about cooking a breakfast for his patient.
***
"Coming." He went into the living room.
"The smell woke me up...I'm starving hungry but I can't get up...not without you pulling."
"You can eat there..."
"...I don't think it would be a good idea to eat with the food in my lap, I'll be best sitting at the table."
"Okay. Stay there a few minutes longer while I finish up."
"Okay." Nick turned to go back into the kitchen. "Nick?"
"Yeah?" He turned back.
"Thank you for this...it's an imposition, I know...and all because I can't face telling Sara that she doesn't stand a chance." He smiled ruefully.
"It's not an imposition and I don't blame you, really, about Sara. The fallout would be felt around LVPD for years, I reckon." He smiled at Grissom. "Got to get back to the food."
In five minutes it was ready to be served so Nick went back into Grissom and helped pull him to his feet.
He was almost doubled up with sore muscles and bruised ribs. "It's easier sitting down but I've got to make an effort. Especially for your breakfast special."
He sat down at the table and Nick helped him push the chair closer to the table.
"One special coming up."
A stack of pancakes, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage patties and a grilled tomato each. With toast and juice and coffee.
Grissom ate heartily, but slowly, and remembered to take his second pain killer. They didn't talk much since they were both eating. But when Grissom was on his last piece of toast, plastered with marmalade that was bought specially for him when he used to come over regularly, he put it down.
"I'm sorry, Nick."
"Sorry?" Nick thought he was going to get some kind of explanation about him being dumped.
"You're completely worn out and I've made you pick me up, cook me breakfast and now you're going to have to take me home. I didn't think. Really."
"I'm still standing and I wouldn't have cooked you your breakfast unless I wanted to...I'm not a compete pushover..." He laughed. "...and I'll take you home. No worries."
"You're too nice for your own good. Let people use and abuse you..."
"...no one has ever abused me, let's get that straight. I only do what I want to do, make no mistake about that." Nick was quite forceful.
"I abused you."
"You. No. How did you figure that out, exactly?"
"Used you, dumped you and walked away without a backward glance."
"Man, we only dated for a few weeks."
"Three...weeks. Exactly." Neither man spoke for a few moments and then Grissom spoke again. "I was badly hurt, Nick, a long time ago and I've let that cloud my vision ever since. If I feel myself...falling. Getting involved, I back off. I felt myself being drawn towards you and I couldn't allow myself that luxury. I couldn't. And yet..."
Nick waited a few moments before asking. "And yet, what?"
"This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous."
"Go on."
"In my truck while I was waiting to be freed I thought about my life and who would be there at the hospital to hold my hand and fetch my toothbrush. Sara, of course, would be more than happy to oblige...but she's just a staff member, a colleague, to me. Catherine would visit...and, of course, Jim did come and he hung around. Good friends...but nothing more. There's no one and there hasn't been for over twenty years because I was afraid of being hurt again."
Nick didn't speak because he felt that Grissom had more to say; he wasn't wrong.
"There was only one person whom I thought I wanted...really wanted at my bedside. The one who would hold my hand."
Nick smiled since he knew it was him.
"Would you have come?"
Nick nodded. "Wild horses wouldn't have kept me away...I didn't know about the accident until I got to work."
"Is it too late?"
"Too late?" Nick knew what Grissom was getting at but, what the hell, he had to make him work for it.
Grissom chuckled. "Now you're being deliberately obtuse. You know what I mean and I think I might be in luck. Am I?"
Nick sat back in his chair and looked at Grissom. He wasn't going to roll over, he wasn't joking when he'd said he wasn't a pushover and he was quite capable of calling the shots.
"You're not going to give me a second chance are you? I'm sorry..."
"...hold on, I'm just pausing for effect. You can have a second chance. But it will be the only one you get."
Grissom grinned. "Thank you..."
"...if you get panicky again...talk to me. We can take this slow. I only want a bit of fun...that's what I told Matt...but he told me I only wanted to have fun with you. He wasn't wrong."
"He dumped you because of me?"
"Yeah, right after that breakfast where we met up."
"I like Matt...great intuition."
They smiled at one another and Grissom went to stretch his hand over the table to where Nick's lay but he groaned at the pain. Nick reached for his instead.
"You want to stay here? I can nurse you back to health."
"I would love to. I think I will have to sleep in that chair though...it's very comfortable."
"That's okay. I can sleep on the couch to keep you company."
"There's no need."
"Maybe I want to."
"I'd like that."
"Hey, I've got something." He got up from the table and went to his computer desk. "Our test results." He waved two envelopes at Grissom.
"They're not opened."
"Not much point was there?" Grissom smiled and shook his head. "I'll need to get tested again."
"What for? If you were as stringent with Matt as you were with me I don't see the need. You were, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was." He nodded.
They opened each other's envelope and, as both men knew they would be, they were HIV negative and free of any other STDs. They stared at the results for a few moments before Nick spoke again.
"I've never done bareback...you?"
Grissom nodded. "A long time ago."
"Maybe...you know...when your ribs are up to it..."
Grissom nodded and smiled. "Maybe. That'd be good. When my ribs are repaired. And maybe you could call me Gil?"
"Maybe I could, Gil."
Gil stayed and slept in the chair, propped up with the pillows and cuddled in blankets. Nick did sleep on the couch to keep him company.
At work that night Sara was itching to speak as she walked through the door of the briefing room.
"Grissom wasn't at home when I stopped by this morning."
"And?" Warrick wanted to know.
"He was injured in an accident..."
"...I don't think he was badly injured." Catherine butted in.
"Maybe he heard you were going to cook for him." Greg made Nick laugh since that was partly the truth but Sara scowled.
"Maybe he's got a lady friend taking care of him?" Warrick plunged the knife in...
...and Catherine twisted it. "Or a man friend." She knew.
Their combined efforts shut up Sara and she sat back and immediately adopted her sulking manner.
"Right. Assignments..."
The End
***
