nickngreg | Falling Up Part 3 (Reply)

Title: Falling Up
Rating: This part is PG
Warnings: None
Summary For Part 3: Greg is the master of surprises
Spoilers: None for this part

AN: Thanks for the comments on the first two parts! PS- I'm using an icon made by Anuminis :)

First two parts found here

Part Three – When In Paris…

It had been almost a week since Nick went on his date with Greg and the latter had yet to mention plans for a second. Actually, it felt like they had never gone on a date to begin with. They still joked around and acted like friends when Nick brought samples to the lab or when they were in the break room. It was like nothing had changed. While Nick couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he had been quietly dumped, he was glad that things weren’t awkward between them.

At the end of the day Nick went to the locker room and the moment he opened his locker he knew it had been broken into. Nothing had been stolen; instead the intruder left stuff behind. A bunch of balloons came popping out of the locker with a teddy bear and a note attached to the bottom of their strings. The bear had big brown eyes and shaggy blond fur, except on its head where someone had cut away some of the fur to make it look the bear had a mohawk. The bear was also wearing a handmade lab coat with a little nametag that read “Sanders.” The note, written in slightly chaotic handwriting, simply said “My place at 9am.”

“What’s all this?”

Nick visibly jumped. He didn’t know that Catherine was in the locker room, let alone that she was hovering over his shoulder. She saw the bear, but didn’t get a chance to read what the note said before Nick shoved it in his pocket.

“Sorry to scare you there, Nick,” she apologized as she patted his shoulder. “Hmm, a gift from Greg? What did he do wrong that merits him stuffing balloons into your locker and leaving you a teddy bear?”

“Nothing,” Nick muttered as he shook his head. “Greg’s done nothing wrong.”

“Then what’s this all about? Are you guys in the middle of a prank war? Though this doesn’t seem like Greg’s usually MO.”

All Nick could do was shake his head again. “I’ve got to get going. Bye, Catherine.”

He left Catherine, though it was clear from the look on her face that she was confused and a confused Catherine meant that she was going to start poking around for answers. Normally he would come up with something that would satisfy her, but he couldn’t come up with a good explanation that didn’t involve the truth and that wasn’t something he was ready for yet.

He was fifteen minutes late getting to Greg’s apartment. Instead of telling Greg why he was late, the first thing out of his mouth was, “The bear looks like you.”

“That was the point,” Greg smirked as he let Nick inside. “This way you’ll always have me around.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

The lab tech grabbed his chest dramatically and put a hand to his forehead as if he were about to faint. “Oh Nicky, you wound me!”

“You’ll live.”

Nick suddenly felt uncomfortable, unsure which direction this whole situation was supposed to be heading. He opened his mouth to speak, but Greg beat him to it.

“I know, I know, I didn’t call or say anything after our first date. I’ve been so busy thinking about what I’d do next.” Greg took a breath and continued to talk, “I mean, I know you had fun last time, but I think you’ll really, really like this. That’s still no excuse for not saying anything earlier; I just wanted to surprise you though. You were surprised, right?”

Nick didn’t answer. He started wandering around the apartment a little, looking at the small details he missed before. “How did you get into my locker?”

“Oh, I’m just good with locks,” he grinned, then it faded into a worried look. “Is that all right? I didn’t mean to make you upset if that’s what …”

“I think I’m going to put the bear on my couch, so when I watch TV it’ll be like you’re there,” Nick interrupted. He wasn’t even looking at Greg; he was busy looking at the pictures hanging on the wall, so he completely missed the giant smile on Greg’s face and the light in his eyes.

“Are you hungry? I made breakfast. Why don’t you go out on the balcony and I’ll bring out the food.”

Nick went to the sliding door that led out to the small balcony at the back of Greg’s apartment. He found it strange that a sheet was covering the sliding door and that it was hung from the outside. Opening the door and ducking under the sheet, Nick almost ran into the little table and chairs set up on the balcony. He turned to look at the sheet and saw that on it was a beautiful picture, in pastel colors, of the Eiffel Tower and the scenery surrounding it. His jaw dropped a bit and he sat down on one of the chairs.

Greg made a few trips to bring out the food and dishes. On his last trip he came out with a beret on and a pot of coffee. He finally sat down and leaned down to turn on the CD player Nick didn’t notice before. The soft hum of the violins that came from the CD player made him think of Gil, but it didn’t last long because Nick’s attention became focused on what was in front of him for breakfast; the crepes, fresh fruit and whipped cream.

“Okay, I couldn’t afford to take you to France, which would have been the ultimate second date, but this is almost just as good, right?” Greg fiddled with the white table cloth for awhile before pouring Nick a cup of coffee. Nick could tell from the smell that it was Hawaiian Blue.

“This is just as good as France.”

A brilliant smile lit up Greg’s face and the lab tech started talking like he did on their first date. He explained that the sheet had been a gift from one of his friends and that he had the rest of the set stuffed in his closet. Greg prattled on about how he wasn’t sure if French people ate crepes for breakfast, but he liked them a lot and thought that Nick would enjoy them as well. It was that or French toast, which Greg did not like at all. Either way, Greg felt that a French themed breakfast was in order, because what place was more romantic than France? Maybe Italy, but he had no idea what they ate for breakfast and didn’t think pasta would’ve made a romantic breakfast.

Then Greg started asking Nick questions and the Texan was feeling uncomfortable again.

“Have you ever been to Europe before? Actually, where have you been? What’s Texas like?”

“I’ve been to a few states, mostly for conferences. And Texas is … Texas.” He didn’t want to talk about it and was trying to think of away to change subjects. That’s when he remembered about Papa Olaf. “Have you ever been to Norway?”

That was apparently the right thing to say, because the next hour and a half was dedicated to Greg talking about Norway. He went on about everything from his family to the history of the country itself. Nick half listened to the lab tech, finding it easier to simply just enjoy the sound of his voice than to concentrate on the words. And like the first time, Greg’s animated each word with a motion of his hands and arms and occasionally his feet.

By the time they had finished and cleaned up breakfast it was almost time for lunch. They both knew that the date had to end so they could get to sleep before the next shift at work. Greg walked Nick out to his car, insisting that it was only proper, even though Nick commented that it kind of made him feel like a girl.

This time, Greg didn’t lean in at the end of the date. Nick was about to leave, he opened the driver’s side door and then he made his mistake. He looked at Greg.

Nick was the one to lean in and he brushed his lips against Greg’s, who in turn pressed his warm lips gently against Nick’s. Neither of them moved to deepen the kiss, but it was a little while before they broke apart. They stood close together, Greg’s hands settled on Nick’s waist, while his hands clutched the lab tech’s upper arms.

Greg brought his face closer to Nick’s and the Texan’s heart fluttered a bit as he thought that Greg was about to kiss him again. Instead his lips were close to Nick’s ear and he whispered, “I’m a little bit taller than you.”

“What?”

“I’m a little bit taller, don’t worry, most people won’t notice,” he grinned.

“No, we’re the same height,” Nick was in denial.

“Just a wee bit taller. Don’t worry about it.” Greg happily kissed Nick’s cheek even though the Texan was giving him a dirty look.

In his slight irritation of being shorter than Greg, Nick got into his truck and was about to slam the door, but Greg caught it before it could close. The lab tech quickly swooped in and stole another kiss from Nick. The Texan sat there shocked for a second and then just smiled in response. He said goodbye and as he was pulling out of his parking space he caught a glimpse of Greg dancing his way back to his apartment with the beret still on his head.

The entire drive back, Nick couldn’t stop grinning. His heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn’t stop thinking about the breakfast he shared with Greg. He had to admit that it had been the most romantic gesture he had ever received in his life. And Greg didn’t push for anything, even when they kissed Greg didn’t deepen it. He had allowed Nick to set the pace, obviously learning his lesson from their first date.

When he got home, Nick placed the Sanders bear on his couch, just like he said he would.

“I heard that a first kiss took place this morning.”

Nick could only chuckle. Of all people in the world, he was sure that Sara Sidle would be the last he’d be discussing his love life with. But she was the only person who knew about him and Greg, and she wanted details in exchange for her silence, or at least that’s what she told Nick when they hopped into the SUV at the beginning of their shift. She was driving them to a crime scene an hour outside of the city, so they had the time to chat.

“I also heard that it was the best first kiss in the history of all first kisses.” Sara didn’t receive a reply, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the smile on Nick’s face and that was enough for her. “Catherine was also asking about you two earlier. She wanted to know if there was anything going on between you and Greg.”

“What did she mean by that?”

“She wanted to know if you two were romantically involved. She knows that Greg is bi, but she was little unsure about you. Just to let you know, I told her I didn’t know anything and that it was probably Greg just being Greg. She seemed to buy it.”

“Thanks.”

“You know, if you and Greg are going to continue this relationship, he’s going to want tell people. And when I say people, I mean everyone.”

Nick’s entire body seemed to jerk at the word relationship and his heart began to flutter like it did when Greg whispered to him in the parking lot that morning.

However, Sara misinterpreted Nick’s reaction and sighed a bit. “I know, I’m getting ahead of myself. I think Greg will wait a bit before asking you to join him in informing the world that you’re gay, but only Greg can touch.”

Nick wondered if things would last long enough for Greg to confront him about coming out. He was waiting for Greg to get tired of him and to move on, but from the way Sara was talking it seemed the lab tech already had the future in mind.

Sara then switched the topic to work. “How about a pre-crime scene guess of who done it? Our vic was found by his wife and was shot multiple times in his own bed. I’m going to say the wife, probably found him cheating on her with some cute blonde with a big chest.”

“I’m going to guess the wife as well. But I think she found him in bed with his cute, gym instructor male lover.”

Sara laughed so hard she made the car swerve bit in its lane.

To Be Continued...