Can't be helped

The plane was packed full… but that didn’t come as any sort of surprise to either of them. The two men made their way to their assigned seating with little to no trouble. Settling in relatively quickly, Nick looked out of the window to the wing of the plane. Smiling he sighed happily. It wouldn’t be very long at all until he was back home. It was all he could think about since they’d checked out of the hotel. Energy was pulsing through him in his excitement; he was practically vibrating with it. Though, he did his best to keep it under his hat, as it were. No need to have Grissom asking unnecessary questions, after all.

They’d just taken off; Grissom had his eyes glued to the book he’d brought along. You’d have never suspected that he wasn’t actually reading, save for the fact that he suddenly spoke, which he was want to do from time to time. “So when did you and Greg happen, Nicky?” He nearly spat out the water that he’d just taken a sip of in his surprise. He struggled to form words and failed for a long moment.

As it happened the only cognizant reply he’d been able to muster had been a “Huh?” Gil must have found it rather funny, because he chuckled lightly as he closed his book and set it in his lap. Lifting his free hand to remove his glasses, he turned to Nick with a small half smile and laughter in his eyes.

“You didn’t think you could hide it from me for long did you? I mean sure… people have tried, but there isn’t much that gets by me. I thought that you’d have learned that by now.” And still, his tone was nothing short of amused. Nick swallowed and looked down, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Well… Not… Not long. What happens now?” It was the only thing he could think of to respond with. There was no point in denying it. It wasn’t in him to try. Greg wasn’t something that he was going to hide, from anyone. Gil tilted his head to the side and regarded the CSI level three for a long moment.

“I suppose that would depend on the two of you. Technically, there is no need to file a report at this time. It isn’t as if you’ve submitted any formal paperwork on it and honestly, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of work, I don’t care.” A frown stole over Nick’s face, confusion apparent in his expression. Gil opened his book and returned his glasses to his face. Ending the conversation with, “Everyone deserves to be happy, Nick. Who am I to tell you two otherwise?”

The rest of the flight passed without either man speaking again, save for Gil asking the stewards for a drink of water. A mere two and a half hours had passed, and Nick was in his Denali, headed for home. All the while, he wondered if he should even mention the conversation with Gil to the other man.

On the one hand, Grissom had said that there was no need to report it, that he’d turn a blind eye to the whole thing. But Greg should have a say in this, right? A relationship involved two people after all. What if Greg wanted to be open about them? There were changes that would surely happen if that were the case. They’d have to submit it formally to Gil, who would then have to report it to Ecklie. Then one of them would either be removed from Grave or would have to leave the Lab entirely.

That was the very last thing that Nick wanted, though. He loved his job and the people he worked with. Knew that Greg felt the same, too. The younger man had worked his ass off, to get where he was now. Pulled several doubles and balanced training duties with his lab work to the point of near exhaustion. There was no way that Nick could ask him to give up on all that he’d worked for.

A sigh left him as another thought occurred to him. Were they even serious enough for a conversation like this? They hadn’t been seeing each other for long at all… A flash of memory… Their time in his shower, the conversation, Greg’s words about wanting to be his... A wide smile flitted over his lips. Yeah, this wasn’t just a fling. This was real. And damn but if that didn’t make him smile wider.

That smile stayed in place when he pulled into the driveway and spotted Greg’s car right away. He parked and hurried inside, dropping his overnight bag and kit just inside the door, wandering down the hall and into his room. He couldn’t wait to curl up with Greg. Just thinking about it had his shoulders relaxing. His body still ached a bit from all the traveling and lack of a proper nights sleep. Creeping silently into his darkened room, the blackout shades were drawn. He pulled off his shirt and moved to unbutton his jeans when he noticed something.

Greg wasn’t in bed. But it was the middle of the afternoon. He should be here, sleeping… Frowning, he moved towards the bathroom. The light was off. He checked the kitchen and the living room, nothing. Even the guest bedroom was empty. Scrubbing a hand through his hair, he pulled out his cell phone and had just begun to dial his number when the front door opened. He nearly laughed when Greg almost tripped over his kit. He did laugh when he noticed the turtleneck that he was sporting.