Title: Touch
Author: gothikmaus
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Category: hurt/comfort, ficlet
Summary: Greg hadn't realized just how much he had craved physical contact.
A/N: This ficlet was inspired by a discussion I had with Peanut_Booi about touch-starved characters.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and all related characters are property of CBS. I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
Greg was shaking. He didn't know how long he had been sitting on the bench, staring straight ahead and trying to gather enough strength to get up and take a shower. It should be easy, just some basic actions he had done so many times before, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"You all right there, Greg?"
He barely turned his head in the direction of the voice. Nick was standing in the doorway, the frown on his face accentuating the lines on his forehead.
Greg opened his mouth, but he couldn't utter a sound. His teeth started chattering.
Nick was at his side in an instant.
"What's wrong? Are you sick?" he asked as he sat down next to him. He put a hand against Greg's forehead to check his temperature, and a small gasp escaped Greg's lips.
Nick's frown grew deeper, his eyes scanning Greg's face for signs of discomfort. His hand moved to Greg's shoulder, and Greg gritted his teeth.
"I'm... fine."
The words sounded strained even to his own ears.
"You're obviously not fine. D'you want me to call someone?"
Greg shook his head.
"No. Just..."
He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what his problem was, just that he was utterly exhausted, couldn't stop shivering, and felt like he wanted to crawl out of his skin, curl up in a dark corner and just lie there for a while.
Suddenly Nick's hand was on the back of Greg's neck, and Greg couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through his body. He reached out, fingers gingerly clutching Nick's T-shirt, and leaned forward slightly. Without saying a word, Nick pulled him towards himself, keeping a hand on the back of his neck and wrapping his other arm around his shoulders.
Greg sighed and went limp against Nick's chest. That felt... nice. More than nice: it felt amazing. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing. In. Out. Easy.
He hadn't realized just how much he had craved physical contact. He had been single for so long, he couldn't even remember the last time he had been touched, apart from brief hand shakes or fleeting shoulder pats. His last relationship dated back to his lab rat days, and he hadn't gone on a date in ages: all his free time had been consumed by training, reading, trying to absorb as much information as possible to make sure he would pass his proficiency. And ever since his final test, he had been focusing on work, wanting to prove Grissom hadn't made a huge mistake in allowing him to become a CSI. He didn't want to screw up and be forced to crawl back to the lab with his tail between his legs.
But now all the stress of the previous months was apparently catching up with him and he was on the verge of having a mental breakdown in front of Nick.
"Feeling better?"
Nick's voice was so close Greg could practically feel it vibrate through him. He nodded.
"I... I was just about to take a shower. I sort of spaced out a little."
Nick withdrew slightly, not letting go of him, and studied his face. Greg had never noticed how dark his eyes were, and he suddenly realized he was very, very close. His own eyes darted downward, just in time to see him lick his lips.
"Why don't you take that shower and then we'll go have breakfast? You look like you could use some greasy food," Nick said, looking at him with an intensity Greg had never seen directed at himself. "And after that, you go home and have a nice, long sleep. How's that sound?"
That sounded fantastic. As if on cue, Greg's stomach growled, but he didn't move. Sitting there with Nick's arms wrapped around him felt so good, he never wanted to get up from that bench again.
"Well?" Nick prodded, his fingertips gently massaging the base of Greg's skull.
Greg barely suppressed a whimper.
"Y-yeah."
Nick smiled, and Greg had to physically refrain himself from doing something monumentally stupid, like leaning forward and kissing those inviting lips.
Nick slowly pulled back, hands lingering on Greg's arms before moving away completely. Greg immediately missed them.
"I'll wait for you in the break room."
Greg stared speechlessly after him as he walked out. Only when he was alone did he manage to stand up and head towards the showers, thoughts of a beaming smile over a plate of bacon and eggs filling his mind and giving him a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with food.
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June 2022