AN: Gotta stop watching those late night repeats on Spike TV. Not! Woke up to the idea of Nick pulling Greg into the stairwell, and this is what played out.

Don't own 'em, just love 'em.

Greg's POV

Greg was walking down the hallway on his way to the break room when he felt a hand reach out of a doorway and pull him inside the opening. "Shhh, Greg." Nick whispered urgently.

Greg was felt himself being pushed up against the wall of the stairway with his shirt still twisted in Nick's grasp. He stayed quiet, not sure what was happening, but knowing he could trust his co-worker implicitly.

He was suddenly aware that Nick's body was close, very close. He hadn't moved since pulling Greg into the stairwell. The arm that belonged to the shirt-entwined fist rested on his chest and Nick's body rested against his, covering his right side, Nick's right leg planted between Greg's own.

Nick's appeared to be listening at the closed door. Greg could feel his warm breath against his cheek, tickling the fine hairs at the base of his ear. Without moving his head, he shot a sideways glance over at the dark-haired man, taking in the strong jaw line and intense focus on the door. His eyes dropped to the mouth so close to his own and he fought a shudder.

Focus, he told himself, don't do something foolish. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall behind him. "Nick…."

"Shhh."

He felt a more forceful current of air waft past his cheek and ear, actually shifting some carefully styled hair in the process. The movement caused him to clench his hands into fists, as he struggled to retain his composure.

He didn't dare move. Any movement would bring friction and more contact with the hard body that was resting against his own. He wanted to daydream about what could happen if he had the guts to raise his hands to Nick's body so dangerously close, but was afraid if he let down his guard at all that he would act upon that daydream and ruin the reality.

Oh, shit! He realized that while he was mentally fighting the urge to put his hands all over his co-worker, the rest of his body had a mind of its own. Greg felt a familiar ache begin in his groin and 'Little Greggie' began to awaken.

He tried to think of anything that might quell the sweet urge, but could only focus on the warm body touching his in all the right, or at this point, wrong places. There wasn't much time left, maybe only seconds before Nick would become aware of the situation. Greg opened his mouth to say something, but Nick was faster.

"That was a close one, Greggo," he said as he let go of Greg's shirt and stepped away from his body.

Greg opened his eyes and looked at the dark-haired man with questioning eyes.

"Ecklie."

"Aww, Ecklie. Thanks for the save, Nick," he gulped. "I was hoping for an Ecklie-free shift and I only have another hour to go." Greg shifted his body away from the wall and the other man. He struggled to make eye-contact, knowing that if he didn't it would look strange.

Nick chuckled. "W e all hope for an Ecklie-free shift, G. I think we're safe now." He opened the door and looked both ways in the hall to confirm his suspicions. "Yep, we're good to go."

As he stepped into the hallway he turned back to Greg. "How about breakfast after shift? My treat."

"Yeah, that sounds good, Nick. I'll meet you in the locker room in an hour," he responded, still trying to get his traitorous body under control.

Nick smiled at him and continued through the doorway. Just before the door closed he thought he heard Nick say, "It's a date."

Nick's POV - Thirty minutes earlier

He caught himself walking back and forth in front of Greg's lab all night. It had been a slow shift, which was unusual. Nick didn't have an excuse for visiting the lab tech, although he was trying hard to find one. He kept hoping that the young blond man would look up as he passed the windowed lab, but every time he passed Greg's gaze was on his computer screen or the backlog of evidence from the day shift.

Nick missed the connection and the witty banter of the DNA tech. It was something he looked forward to and seemed to crave. He wandered to the break room and sat down on the couch with a disgruntled sigh. He didn't notice the dark-skinned man sitting in a chair off in the corner.

"Just ask him out, Nicky."

Nick's head snapped up and around towards Warrick. "Uh, what?" Yeah, that's brilliant conversation, thought the startled man, wondering what his partner had deduced from his actions.

Green eyes crinkled as Warrick smiled at his best friend. "Just ask the man out already. You've danced around him for way too long, Nicky. Ask him out while there's still time. You wait around too long and he may find someone else."

"'Rick, I don't know what you're talking…."

"Give me credit, man. I'm a damn fine investigator. I've been looking at the evidence for a long, long time. You're making yourself and everyone else around here crazy. It seems the only two people who can't put the evidence together on this shift are you and Sanders. Ask the man out."

Nick looked at his hands that were clenched on his knees. "What if you're wrong, 'Rick? I don't think I could work alongside him if I tried and was shot down. I want it to be true, but this isn't only my personal life here, it's my professional life, too." He lowered his head and moved his hands to cover his face.

Warrick nodded in agreement. "Well Nick, it appears we need a confession of sorts, doesn't it? We need to find a way for Greg to admit he has feelings for you, without it being obvious."

Brown eyes sought out the green eyes of his friend. "And just how are we going to do that, oh brilliant investigator? Pass him a note that says, 'Do you like me? Circle yes or no.'"

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky. I said a way that was not obvious. Are you feeling the need to go back to junior high?" Warrick laughed.

Nick chuckled along with his friend and then stopped suddenly. "Not junior high, 'Rick. I'd just like to feel…."

The senior investigator jumped to his feet. "I've got it, Nick. You need to feel if he's attracted to you and here's how you're going to find out."

Nick's POV - Present time

He stood in the stairway with the door open just a crack and listened. He heard his best friend call out, "Hey Greg, there's a fresh pot of coffee in the break room just calling your name. I found your stash of the good stuff and you better get there before the pot is empty."

Nick stood at the doorway fighting his racing heart as he heard quick footsteps and a voice coming down the hall. "Damn it, I thought I had it hidden better…"

It was time. Nick swung the door open at just the right moment and twisted his hand into the front of Greg's bright colored tee-shirt, pulling the young man into the stairwell. He pushed the young man up against the wall, pinning him with his own body, and trying desperately to dampen the feelings burgeoning within him.

"Shhh, Greg." Nick whispered urgently.

He held the position, not daring to look at the object of his desire, but breathing in his scent like a diver dying for air. He felt the warm chest under his arm rising and falling quickly as the young man tried to regain his equilibrium after the abduction from the hallway. Because Greg had been startled, Nick knew he couldn't use his breathing as an indicator of arousal, but the older man allowed himself a brief moment of hope that there was a basis of want in that gulp for air.

Nick tried to clear his brain. He was a trained investigator and he needed to focus on the evidence. His eyes remained on the door, not wanting to distract his mind from the feeling of Greg's body touching his. The right sides of their bodies were aligned from shoulder to groin, his right leg planted between Greg's.

He sensed, rather than felt, Greg's eyes on his face and felt the young man shudder. He smiled inwardly at that small piece of evidence.

"Nick…."

"Shhh." The response came out more forcefully than intended, as he fought to stay in control of the situation. He needed more evidence before making any decisions.

He felt a slight relaxing of the body under his and stole a quick look at the face so close to his own. The look on Greg's face almost stole his breath away. Eyes closed, it was a look of concentration, but laced with want. Another piece of evidence, although one that might not hold up in court.

Nick watched Greg bite his lower lip and raise his chin slightly, as…..

Oh, yes! There it was, the definitive piece of evidence that he had been waiting for, hoping to find. He felt Greg's lower body begin to stir against his own thigh. Oh, sweet Jesus.

He watched Greg's mouth opening to say something, but Nick was faster.

"That was a close one, Greggo," he said as he let go of Greg's shirt, stepping away from his body.

Nick's gaze remained on Greg as the blond opened his questioning and lust-filled eyes.

"Ecklie," the older man murmured, his eyes not leaving the face in front of him.

"Aww, Ecklie. Thanks for the save, Nick," Greg gulped, lowering his eyes. "I was hoping for an Ecklie-free shift and I only have another hour to go." Nick felt Greg shift his body away from the wall and his own frame.

Nick struggled for composure and chuckled. "We all hope for an Ecklie-free shift, G. I think we're safe now." He opened the door and looked both ways in the hall to confirm his suspicions. "Yep, we're good to go."

As Nick stepped into the hallway he turned back to Greg. "How about breakfast after shift? My treat." He held his breath hoping for the answer he craved.

"Yeah, that sounds good, Nick. I'll meet you in the locker room in an hour," Greg responded, his breathing still ragged.

Nick smiled at him and continued through the doorway. "It's a date," he said out loud, not sure if he was confirming it for Greg, or himself.