Title: The Art of Not Knowing (and the damage it can cause)
Author : slashxyouxup
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG13
Summary: Post Grave Danger. Greg hadn’t planned for the team to find out like this, hell, he’s not sure he planned for them to find out at all.
Warnings: Minor spoilers for Grave Danger.
Disclaimer: Writer’s lie – just like your parents.

Greg hadn’t planned for the team to find out like this, hell, he’s not sure he planned for them to find out at all. He and Nick had only discussed it a few times before now. They knew they’d have to come clean someday, whenever that was, but for the past year they liked having their own little secret, those special looks and smiles which no one else could possibly interpret. They liked to keep themselves in the dark and yet here they are, thrust in to the light.

Greg had managed to keep himself together for so long, playing the part of ‘concerned friend’ so damn well he deserved an Oscar, a really fucking big one. It was just that last moment which tripped him, those last few terrifying seconds where he thought he’d lost the love of his life. He managed to stay relatively calm seeing Nick’s face emerge from beneath the dirt, he even backed off and let Grissom do the talking for a while as he blasted the ants away with the fire extinguisher. But when they lifted the lid after learning the box was lined with explosives and Nick let out a guttural cry, that all changed. As Grissom attached the clip to Nick’s belt, Greg slid down the small dirt hill to Nick’s side. Grissom looked up, ready to yell at Greg and tell him to back the hell off, but then he noticed the tears dripping on to Nick’s shirt, and the hand stroking the side of Nick’s face. “Greg,” Nick croaked through dry cracking lips.

“Shh,” Greg cooed, “I’m right here, baby. Right here, I promise.” Someone shouted off in the distance. The digger was ready, it’s jaws now full of freshly torn earth.

“Greg,” Grissom said, though he had to say it again, and sternly, before Greg looked at him. “We’ve got to get Nick out now.” He nodded and followed Grissom out of the hole. He hardly noticed the bemused looks from his co-workers who had apparently been watching from the outside of the grave.

Greg’s heart stopped and the world froze as the dirt was dropped. Greg was terrified Nick wasn’t going to come out, that it wasn’t going to work and that he was going to lose the most important thing in his life. But then Nick did emerge, catapulted from the heap and landing on the ground as the grave blew earth high in to the air. Greg’s heart began to beat again as he ran towards him.

Grissom helped to make Greg step aside as they got Nick on to the stretcher and began to wheel him towards the ambulance. Greg was back at his side like a shot as Nick was loaded in, climbing in to the ambulance after him, closely followed by Grissom. Sitting quietly near the foot of the gurney Grissom watched as Greg grabbed at Nick’s arms and hand, crying and whispering, “I’ll never leave you again, never again,” over and over like the saddest sort of mantra.

And that’s how everyone found out. Greg took the majority of his vacation time in one big bulk so he could stay at the hospital with Nick. Whenever the others visited they said nothing of what they now knew, just talked with Greg about Nick’s progress and asked Nick if he was alright at least three times per visit. No one said anything to Nick’s parents, which they were both thankful for. God knows how upset their friends would be if they found out both Nick and Greg’s parents already knew.

Greg sat by Nick’s side like a loyal dog, wagging his tail every time Nick managed to smile. He was there through every moment of hospital tests, there when Nick was released and there through most of Nick’s days off. He practically lived at Nick’s place anyway, not that anyone else knew that of course. He cleaned Nick’s house, did his laundry and cooked all his meals. He made sure Nick took the right medication at the right times and held him through every terrifying nightmare, clinging so tight no matter how loud Nick screamed.

That’s how they got here now and today’s the day, the day Nick goes back to work. Greg’s here too. He drives them both to the lab, holding Nick’s still somewhat bruised hand the entire way there. “I feel like we’re about to walk in to the lion house,” Greg admits sheepishly. Nick smiles softly and kisses Greg’s hand. It’s amazing how those light brown eyes can be so calming to Greg, so reassuring and beautiful.

“We’ll just take it as it comes,” Nick says simply.

Greg feels like the whole world is watching them as they step through the automatic doors. It’s as though the phones stop ringing and all work ceases to exist for just a few seconds. When the people carry on with their daily routine, Greg sighs in relief. Nick touches his elbow softly and smiles. Grissom comes power walking down the hall, two case files in one hand and his kit in the other. He gives one to Nick and the other to Greg. “Nick, you’re processing a car with Warrick on the Jane Doe case. Greg, you’re with me on the strip,” he orders before continuing up the hall and out of the lab. Nick looks to Greg and shrugs.

“I guess I’ll see you later,” he says, waiting for Greg’s smile and nod before turning to walk deeper in to the lab. Greg sighs and spins back around, heading in the opposite direction.


“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Warrick jumps at Nick as soon as he steps in to the lot.

“Uh, good to see you too, Warrick,” Nick replies as he pulls on his blue rubber gloves. Warrick narrows his eyes.

“Don’t bullshit me, man. Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Sanders? How could you not tell me?” Not looking Warrick in the eye Nick begins to prepare the fingerprint powder.

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, “I guess I just wasn’t ready.”

“How long?” he asks, leaning against the open door of the silver BMW. Nick side glances him.

“We hooked up a few times over the years, but we’ve been exclusive for about a year.”

“A year?” Warrick says, his voice getting louder. “You’ve been in a relationship for a year and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“It’s not like that,” Nick tries to reason, “it’s not just being in a relationship, it’s who I’m in one with. I wasn’t ready to let anyone know yet.”

“So all those Super Bowl weekends you cancelled, you were with him?” Nick doesn’t like the way Warrick says him, but he’s shaken and angry so Nick lets it go.

“Sometimes,” he replies quietly, downing the brush and turning to face his friend. “Just please try to understand, man. Try and see it from my side. I didn’t know how you’d react. Look at how you’re reacting now!”

Blinking and shaking his head a little, Warrick’s jaw sets. “I’m angry because you didn’t tell me,” he says lowly, “not because you’re with a guy. It doesn’t matter to me if you date guys or girls.”

“Really?” Nick really wants to smile.

“If Sanders makes you happy, then the main thing is that you are happy,” he says honestly.

“Wow,” Nick says, “that’s, uh, that’s really sweet, man. Thank you.” At the risk of feeling like a totally girl Nick finally smiles. Warrick huffs a laugh and pushes Nick’s shoulder.

“Get outta here, man.”

Unfortunately, not everyone is as forgiving as Warrick. Nick gets a lot of short answers from everyone. Even Hodges blanks him, well, more than usual anyways. Greg’s not having anymore luck either. Sera won’t even look at him, let alone talk to him. When he goes to hand her some evidence bags, she blanks him and turns to walk away. Grissom gives Greg a sympathetic look, the same kind Papa Olaf used to give him whenever Greg got in trouble as a kid, and takes the evidence bags himself. “Thanks, Greg,” he says, “I’ll see you back at the lab.” Greg watches him walk after Sera before turning and walking back to the car.

“Please tell me you still like me,” says Greg as he enters Wendy’s DNA lab. She eyes him curiously for a few moments before continuing with her work.

“I’ve never not liked you, Greg,” she says, “but if you ever withhold a good gay love story from me again, that may change.” She smiles up at Greg and he laughs with relief.

“Thank god,” he sighs, pulling up a stool and collapsing on to it. “I’m sick of getting the cold shoulder today.”

Just then Mandy scoots in to the lab, blue coat whipping behind her as she slides in to the spot next to Wendy, peering over a slumped Greg. “Finally!” she exclaims. “I thought you were going to be out in the field forever. Now, I want the whole story from top to bottom, all the juicy details.”

Wendy’s eyes light up. “Ow, details!” she grins, leaning forward on to the desk.

Greg quirks and eyebrow. “Are we really going to girl talk?”

“It’s the least you can do,” Mandy states, “now spill. Let’s start with the first time you kissed.”

“Ow, lets!” Wendy parrots excitedly.

“Uh, ok.” Greg agrees a little unsurely. “We went to breakfast together and - it just felt right, I suppose. We talked for hours, he drove me home and we kissed.”

“Who made the first move?” Wendy asks.

“Me.”

“Thought so,” Mandy nods towards Wendy. She then looks back to Greg. “Continue…”

Greg could pretend to be annoyed, but he’s more highly amused and actually pretty glad to have someone to tell this stuff too. “So I kissed him, thought he was going to totally freak out but then he invited himself in for coffee.”

“Oh ‘coffee’,” Wendy winks. “Wait, you put out on the first date? You slut.”

“It wasn’t a date,” says Greg, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, over the last several years we hooked up on and off-”

“Whoa, hold up,” Mandy interrupts, “you’ve been withholding man love for several years from all the poor, lonely female lab techs? Do you have any idea how much quicker a twelve hour shift goes by when you’ve got something pretty to look at?”

“I know, right?” Wendy concurs. Greg stares at them, blinking dumbly. “So, how long have you been together officially?”

“A year next month,” he states. “And before you ask, he was the one who wanted to make us exclusive.”

“Really?” says Mandy, surprised.

“Yup,” Greg nods. “He told me he’s never felt so comfortable in a relationship before.”

“That’s so sweet!” Wendy coos before sighing wistfully, “Why do men never say things like that to me?”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Mandy adds. “You gay guys have all the luck,” she says, narrowing her eyes at Greg a little before smiling innocently again. “So, what’s going to happen now? Has Ecklie called you in yet?” Greg’s stomach sinks a little at the thought of that man’s wrinkled, angry face.

He presses his lips together and shakes his head. “I don’t know, I haven’t heard anything.”

Wendy sighs and slips her hands in to the front pockets of her lab coat. “Well, I hope it all works out, Greg. I really do.” Greg smiles and slips off the stool.

“Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.”


Nick’s on his way back from Archie’s lab when Grissom finds him and calls him in to his office. Nick nods and then takes a deep breath before following. He knew this was coming, he just prays to God he doesn’t have to deal with Ecklie anytime soon. That man loves it when one of them screws up.

Grissom sits down at his desk and gestures to the opposite seat. Nick slides in to his office uneasily, settling in the chair and placing the file he was carrying on his lap. He swallows a few times, his throat suddenly dry. Grissom takes off his glasses and bites the end of one of the arms, staring at Nick intently for a few moments. Nick feels uneasy. “How are you feeling, Nicky?” he finally asks.

“Much better, thank you,” Nick answers, shifting in the seat. “Just glad to be back.”

“Good,” Grissom nods before putting his glasses back on. “I suspect you know why I’ve called you in here?” Nick nods slowly. “And what do you think should be done about it?”

“I, uh, I don’t know,” he stumbles. He looks around the room, avoiding eye contact with Grissom until he just can’t take it anymore. “Please don’t fire one of us,” Nick pleads. “We love our jobs, both of us, and we’ve always been professional about things. Our relationship has never gotten in the way of our work and it never will.”

“I know that, Nicky,” Grissom comments quietly.

“I love Greg,” he says slowly, “I’m so in love with him, it’s ridiculous,” he smiles a little. “But I love my job too. Please don’t make me choose, Gil. They both mean the world to me.”

“I’m not going to make you choose, Nick,” Grissom reassures. “Ecklie wants me to put one of you on day shift.” Nick bites at his bottom lip and his eyebrows furrow. “But I take it that’s not what you want either?”

“I work best with the people I’m with now, in this team. I know Greg does too. Plus, with one of us on day shift, we’d never see each other. And that’s not much of a relationship. I promise you, Grissom, we’d never let our personal lives effect our work.”

Grissom laughs slightly. “I’ve heard that one before…” Nick’s face is uneasy and pleading. Grissom sighs and tilts his head on to his hand. “I’ll see if I can’t talk Ecklie ‘round. But it will probably end up with you two never working a case together.”

Nick nods. “I know. Thanks, Grissom, this means a lot to us.”


Greg collapses in to the driver’s seat of the car after what seemed like the longest shift ever. He relaxes back in to the seat and closes his eyes, sighing. Thank God it’s over, he thinks. The passenger side door opens and closes again, and when Greg opens his eyes Nick’s smiling back at him. He leans over slowly and places a soft kiss on Greg’s lips. “Hi,” he says.

Greg wants to touch his lips because he can still feel them tingling. He smiles back and leans up to peck at Nick’s lips some more. “Hey,” he whispers back between kisses.

“How about we get out of here and watch a movie at your place? I’m sick of the sight of mine,” Nick suggests.

“Sounds perfect,” Greg replies.

The lab and everyone inside will still be here for their next shift, and after they’ve rested, eaten, made love and rested some more they’ll come back, make their apologies. Their friends will forgive them, as friends always do, and life will be even more perfect, they’re sure of it.