Exposed - 6/24
Author: Daniela
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Greg/Grissom
Rating: PG13
Category: Angst, Humor, Romance
Series/Sequel: Breaking the Ice
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I love them dearly.
Summary: A new lab worker gets the picture.
Warnings: Pre - Slash
Feedback: Yes, please. It's the icing on my cake.
Email: daniforblue@yahoo.de
Beta: Isha, Monika
Word Count: 1550
Released: June 2003
Revised: February 2021
"Have you seen the new guy who started working yesterday?" Catherine asked Gil out of the blue. They had collected the evidence in the recent murder case and were on their way back to the lab. The sun was already rising competing with the artificial lights of Las Vegas.
"What? Who are you talking about?" Gil murmured, slightly dazed due to having worked twelve hours straight.
"I'm talking about the new guy working in the lab. Michael... something... I forgot his surname. He's one handsome piece of ass." She leered.
"Not my concern how the man looks, Catherine, only how he's doing his work."
"Yet some of us are concerned about his looks."
"Yeah? Who do you have in mind?"
"Well, everybody's favorite lab boy has fun flirting with Michael. I always suspected he's more into men than women. Thanks to Michael he's not hiding it anymore."
Gil was caught off guard by different feelings. Surprise. Dismay. Curiosity. He resisted the urge to pump Catherine for more details. "Greg's flirting only becomes a problem when it's affecting his work. In that case he's gonna get into trouble with me. His sexual orientation is none of our business."
"Right." Catherine smiled just like Mona Lisa.
Gil expected her to say more but she didn't. He wondered if Catherine knew he was into men too. She was a smart woman. But even if she knew she had never said a word. Certainly, he had suspected that Greg was as gay as he was. All the flirting around with all the women in the lab was never serious. He was never approaching a goal. Gil had always tried to avoid seeing Greg as an attractive man. He regarded him rather as a boy than a man. The reason was clear. He was Greg's boss. Relationships at a workplace always got you into trouble. Though recently he had become careless and let his guard down. I asked Greg to play chess with me. I teased him about how athletic his body is. I told him about my mother's deafness. Stupid, right? And now this. Did Catherine imply he was attracted to Greg and therefore concerned about the new guy? And was he? Oh well. Greg let him feel a great deal. But Gil never intended to pursue these feelings. That would be inappropriate. Crazy even.
Yet when they arrived at the lab, Gil couldn't resist to check up on Greg's recent actions. He fetched the collected evidence from Catherine. "I'll take these to the lab myself."
"That's fine by me." Catherine winked at him.
"Go and get some sleep," Gil grumbled and took flight to avoid further teasing. Well then! He already heard Greg from a distance. As always, he was talking nonstop. The next second, Gil saw the guy, Greg was talking to and he had to admit, Catherine was right. Tall, dark hair, handsome face, broad shoulders, athletic legs, about thirty years old. The man looked like a fantasy came true. Not mine though. "Sanders! Wasting time again? Why am I surprised?" Gil flew into Greg's face.
Greg flinched. His upbeat speech was cut off. Sanders! Not Greg! That's never a good sign, is it? But why's Grissom so angry?
The handsome man flashed Gil a smile. "Good morning! I'm Michael Andrews. I was transferred from San Francisco. You must be Gil Grissom."
Gil couldn't get around shaking hands with the guy. He had some manners after all.
"I just showed Michael around," Greg recovered. "That's all. What have you figured?"
Michael took a step back, eyeballing the two men like the fox in the henhouse.
That look put Gil over the edge. "What have I figured? Do something you get paid for. Now!" He tossed Greg the samples with the evidence.
"Sure... sir!" Greg caught the pieces by chance and immediately rushed off like a scolded kid.
"I'll get back to work," Michael said, and walked away in the same direction.
Gil stayed behind, unsettled as well as pissed at himself. What's happened, for heaven's sake? What's it about Greg that makes me lose my nerve in such an ungraceful way? Remorse as well as shame descended on him. Greg didn't do anything wrong. I had no actual reason to dress him down. He was just talking to a newcomer. He shook his head and walked to his office. It's been a long time since I acted like such a fool. Oh god. Don't think about that. Don't.
Greg was running down the hallway, fuming. How could Grissom talk to me like that? Even if he's my boss. After all these years I have worked here. In front of the new guy. The attractive and witty guy.
"I'm sorry that I caused you trouble." Michael had followed him in a short distance.
"My ass! We just talked. I don't know what Grissom's problem is." He hurled himself in a desk chair and barely kept the thing from tilting over.
"Well... I can only guess..." Michael put his hands into his pockets, smiling like a sly dog. "Are you sleeping with Grissom?"
"What?!" Greg tilted backwards again and almost toppled over. "Are you nuts?! Why do you think that?"
Michael shrugged. "Well, you were flirting with me all day. I thought, why not, he's cute. But then Grissom showed up and I realized I have no chance."
Greg gawked at Michael, while his feet crashed to the floor.
Michael didn't let him off the hook. "Whatever... come on, spill the beans!"
"I... I'm n-not sleeping with Grissom," Greg murmured, then flushed.
"But you want to because you have a crush on him."
"That's not true!" Greg hissed, still fighting with his balance. Idiot! Keep your hair on!
"Hey. All right. I'm not pushing you." Michael stepped closer and patted his arm.
Oh boy. This feels good. Still, he shied away. "Nobody noticed until now," he whispered, sagging into the chair. Shut up! "It doesn't matter anyway. Grissom isn't into me..."
"Yeah, right! He overreacted for one reason only. He was jealous."
"No way. You're talking shit."
"I got around a lot. You can take it from me, the guy is jealous."
"Jealous of what? Grissom isn't into me."
"Why not? You are young, good-looking, smart and share similar activities because of your work."
"Are you serious?" Greg was stunned out of his wits.
"Sure. Unfortunately, we can't trash the touchy subject out because I'm late for duty already. I can't wait to hear though how our boss is in bed, if you ever get him there."
"That's enough." Greg jumped to his feet and shoved him. "Beat it!"
"Such spirit," Michael cheered. "Our boss doesn't know what he's missing."
His laughter on the way down the hallway vexed Greg some more. He's just leading you on. No way Grissom is into you. Gee! Get a life!
Half an hour later, Greg had to go to Grissom's office. Patches of sweat were damping his lab coat under his armpits and the papers in his hands were rustling that's how nervous he was. He even stopped in front of Grissom's office door to take a few deep breaths. Come on. Chill! It's routine. You did this uncountable times. He knocked and stepped in. "I got your results, Grissom."
"Put them on the desk," Grissom replied, not looking at him.
"I wasn't neglecting my duties," Greg said, shuffling his feet.
"Never mind. I was out of line talking to you like that."
"You believe me then?"
"Of course. Why shouldn't I?"
Greg exhaled. "So, we're good?"
"Yes, Greg, you can forget about it."
"Thanks. That's a relief." He turned to the door.
"Your private life is nobody's business. Just keep it low in the lab."
"I wasn't flirting with Michael." Greg jerked to a halt and turned back to look at Grissom. "He's not my type."
Grissom looked flabbergasted. "Uh... I didn't say that did I?"
"I - I - have much work to do." Greg flounced out of the room.
Gil smiled about the fast getaway. Incredible. He always succeeds to get under my skin. If Michael isn't his type who then? Probably a guy like Nick. Yeah, but Nick isn't gay. So, who is it? Not Hodges. Perish the thought! Hey. It doesn't matter to me, does it? He shooed away private thoughts or longings. Right. I shouldn't mull over it then. He continued writing the report about the recent murder case, though with a quirky smile.
Greg lolled at his desk. Grissom's comment about Michael puzzled him. Grissom never commented on private matters. His own thoughtless reply had been so stupid. He had almost blurted out the truth. Grissom, you are my type! Nobody else. Greg snorted. Grissom's reaction to such a confession was beyond his grasp. Gee! I dare you. He giggled.
"What's up?" Nick leaned over his shoulder.
Shit! Does he always have to sneak up on me. "Uh... just a joke I've heard today," he said, fetching a piece of paper.
"Let me guess. The new guy told you."
He nodded. "No time to tell you though. I have a lot of work on my hands and Grissom doesn't like to be put on hold."
Nick smirked. "Never giving up on being number one, right?"
"Tell me about it."
