Title: untitled
By: herm42
Pairing: nick/greg
Rating: pg
not my characters
Summary: Missing scene.

Nick sat in the break room at the head of the table with an as yet untouched cup of coffee in front of him. Greg walked in already high on his twelveth cup, apparently, whistling what could have been the Misfits or Pat Benetar. Nick wasn't sure.

"Hey!" Greg chimed. "You're here. Sara said you might be in today."

"Yep. Gotta get back on the horse."

Greg grinned and straddled a chair to Nick's right and Nick shifted uncomfortably.

"Grissom give you a hard time about coming back so soon?"

"No, not really." the thought actually warmed him a little, the things Grissom told him over the phone. He read his lips, he told Nick. And he knew he had said some fucked up things while he was in that box. He remembered going absolutely insane. He remembered talking to Grissom, even though he didn't know he was watching. 'You never dissapointed me, Nicky.' That was probably the only reason he had had the courage to come back.

Nick got up and Greg was strangely silent. He went to the fridge and got some milk for his coffee, which would likely need warming up at this point. He stirred it in, not really looking at the swirl of white in the black or the little crust on the mouth of the milk jug. Nick didn't see much these days, he was always listening though. Ever since being in that box when there was nothing to see but the gun in his hand, but even less to hear, he had sort of shut off some of those senses. He didn't feel much either. He didn't want to feel the ants anymore. He didn't want to see the gun in his hand anymore, so he paid attention to the things he could hear now. They comforted, even the tiniest sounds of his spoon on the bottom of the porcilain cup and the plastic *snick* of the cap going back on the jug told him he was back and he was fine, no matter what his mind would make him see and feel and relive.

"So...how are you feeling?" Greg was standing right in front of him against the counter. He hadn't noticed him get up.

"I'm ok. Hangin' in there."

"Yeah."

There was a silence in which Greg simply looked at him expectantly, like he was waiting for Nick's head to explode.

He did have at least one thought to share that Greg might appreciate. "You know. When I started this job, I never imagined it would be so...traumatizing," he said with a half smile. He could do that. He was ok. Things could start to return to normal, and they did when Greg returned the smile and squeezed quickly Nick's wrist which had been resting on the counter, still a little sore.

"Yeah. Been there man," he said. "And I've got the scars to prove it."

"Shyeah. So will I."

Greg frowned and took Nick's square chin in the web of his thumb. His hand was cool against Nick's face. "Nah. Those'll go away," he said, examining the bite marks still on his cheeks, and then he took Nicks hands in his, turning them over to look at the bruises there as well.

Nick swallowed hard and Greg squeezed his hands. Nick was sure his heart was hammering, but lately, everything that he might not have been brave enough to attempt before, seemed as easy to surmount as, well, an ant hill. "Greg."

"Hm?" He looked up from his exam.

"Can I..."

"Yes."

Nick paused. "What?"

"The answer is yes."

"But you don't know what the question is."

"Doesn't matter. I know the answer is yes."

"How?"

"Process of elimination. I can't think of a single thing you could ask me to do that I wouldn't say 'yes' to."

He chewed on that for a second with a smirk. He wondered if Greg had any idea what he was saying and felt a little swell of potential pride should he manage to shock the hell out of Sanders with his inquiry. "O...k. Well, do you want to know what the question was then?"

Greg's eyebrows went up. He rolled his hand in the air for a second to physically draw comprehension out of Nick. "Yeees. I thought we'd established that. Yes." He grinned.

"Will you please stop that?" Nick said with a frustrated chuckle. Why was he making this so hard?

Greg opened his mouth a couple of times, but he realized he couldn't say a thing and Nick had to laugh out loud.

"You realize you're making this very difficult, right?"

Greg grinned. "Yes!"

He sighed. "I was going..." and Nick lowered his voice to just above a whisper, "...to ask if I could kiss you."

Greg didn't look even slightly surprised. He just kept up the grin, but leaned in a hair closer and whispered, "You already have your answer."

A small smile spread across Nick's face, and his senses started working again for the first time in weeks. He leaned in and took Greg's upper lip gently and shallowly between his own. They traded once, and then parted to meet eyes again. Nicks arms and face were vibrating.

"Any other questions?" Greg asked him quietly, and then spared a glance to the window to make sure they weren't being observed. Nick compulsively did the same.

"Um. Not right now. But, uh...definitely later. I'll have some more. Questions, that is."

"Yes you will."