A Little Bit Longer
Summary: Nick and Cath pretend for a few hours. NickCath fic if it wasn't obvious.
"Breakfast? Sure Nicky, I'll meet you in the break room after shift." Cath strode out of the layout room Nick was currently occupying.
He finally took a breath. It had taken all of his courage to ask Cath to breakfast with him, even if it was as friends. He finished off the report of his case he was doing and packed up his work. Nick took the familiar steps to the break room and saw Cath waiting there, cup of coffee in one hand, girly magazine in the other.
"Hey Nicky," she said as Nick opened the door.
"Hey babe," Nick replied. Nick saw her shudder as he called her 'babe'. He smiled slightly.
"You ready?" she asked. Nick nodded. "Good, I was starting to die of starvation." She chuckled. "Let's go."
Nick let her link arms with him as they walked down the corridor. Heads turned but Cath didn't care about the looks she was getting; she was going on a breakfast date with Nick, making her the happiest she'd been for a while.
As they pulled up to the restaurant in Nick's Denali, Cath sighed. "Nick, what are we doing?"
He looked bemused. "Having breakfast."
"No, I mean, what are WE doing?" She emphasised 'we'.
"Having BREAKFAST." He mocked her.
She realised Nick didn't understand what she was trying to say so she showed him.
Cath leaned over from her passenger seat and gripped Nick's shirt. "Let me show you." She pulled him to her and kissed him; not hard and full of desire, but soft and passionate. "Now, do you understand me?"
"Yeah. I get it loud and clear." He coughed softly and smiled. "So ask me again?"
She sighed. "What are we doing?"
It was Nick's turn to lean over. "Giving into desire." This kiss was completely different to the last. This one was full of desire, want and need. As they pulled apart, breakfast was long forgotten. Nick started up the Denali and drove towards his place.
They barely made it up the drive and into his house before kisses were being exchanged and clothes tossed hap-hazardly. Nick swept Cath up into his arms, and he carried her to his bed. Laying her down, he kissed her senseless.
They made love for what seemed like an eternity. Cath sighed as she fell into Nick's outstretched arms. He laughed lightly as he tightened his grip around her body.
"That was…wow," Cath said, tracing circles on Nick's chest.
"Yup." He kissed her on top of her head before continuing, "You know we're going to have to talk about this, don't you?"
"I know, but not right now."
"Cath, we can't put it off. It's going to get harder." He stroked her back lightly, exploring every curve of her back. He kissed her on top of her head again.
"Nick, let's pretend it's just me and you, and it can stay like this forever; even though we both know it can't. Let's just pretend for a little bit longer."
"I think I can do that," he tried not to let his voice crack, but it did towards the end.
Cath rolled onto her side, with her back to Nick. She felt him spoon behind her and she sighed. She let the tears that threatened to fall, slid down the side of her face into her hair. She closed her eyes and succumbed to her body's tiredness.
When she woke from her restless sleep, Nick wasn't at her side. Being Nick's place, he couldn't have gone far. "Nick?" she called.
"I'm in the kitchen."
Cath dressed quickly and followed the smell of coffee brewing, finding Nick where he said he was. He had his back to her, staring out of his kitchen window. Nick's shoulders were slumped and he was sipping coffee.
"Back to reality?" she said, defeat evident in her tone.
Nick turned to her. She saw the track marks of tears on his cheeks and the bloodshot marks in his eyes. Cath knew they were for the same reason she had tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. "I suppose."
"Before I go, I just want you to know; I don't regret last night. Not in the slightest." She stepped to him and kissed him quickly before turning on her heel and fleeing the house.
The walk back to her home took a long time, but she welcomed the fresh air and the space. She didn't want to face her sister right now, so she opted to phone her and ask her if she could take Lindsey to school when she got in.
She opened the front door and stumbled into the living area. She heard the beeping of her answering machine and pressed 'play'.
'Hey Cath. It's Nick. Call me to let me know you got in OK. One more thing; I don't regret it either.' She grabbed the nearest pillow and sobbed into it, not bothering to silence her cries of 'Nick'.
Work started that night, and never has Cath been greeted with such solemn looks of 'hello'. She got to the break room and asked Warrick what was up.
"Nick's gone. Left Grissom a message this morning." Warrick sipped his tea and put his arm around Sara who was trying not to cry.
"Does anyone know why?" she asked, though she could already guess why.
"No. Just left a message saying instead of working out his notice, he's chosen to take some of his saved vacation time," he choked.
Cath didn't want to hear anymore, running out of the break room and back to her Denali. She drove to Nick's place as fast as she could. Without killing the engine, she climbed out of her car and ran to his door.
"NICK?" she shouted through the door. "NICK?"
She tired the door handle and found it was open. Cath stepped in and walked through all the rooms. Nothing was left.
Cath opened the door to the bedroom and stepped in. All that was left was the mattress with a piece of paper on top. Letting curiosity take-over, she picked it up.
'Goodbye Cath,' was all that was written.
END