WARNING: warm and fuzzy fic ahead. Kinda like a PWP without the 'at it like bunnies' part :)
 
 

It was one of those days Nick Stokes didn't know whether he was coming or going. Maybe it was neither. Maybe he was just floating in limbo. At least it felt like it. There was this cottony feeling, the way his eyes itched, his body protested each move, and his bones seemed to creak.
In the last days he had lived off coffee and nuked burritos, as well as a Mars or Snickers bar hastily chewed down while waiting for results on a high profile murder case. A young woman had been found in the VIP suite of the Bellagio Hotel, strangled, raped, and dressed up in garish clothes. Fingerprints had identified her as the personal assistant to a visiting senator, who had taken a weekend off his schedule to enjoy some gambling and shows.
And Grissom's shift had taken over the investigation; all of them. Things were boiling up left and right as the political powder keg was close to explode with revelations after revelations. Not only had the senator had a sexual affair with the woman in question, he had also been about to divorce his wife of fifteen years, who was an alcoholic. The sheriff and the mayor were barking at Grissom's heels and tensions rose everywhere.
Nick was just glad that Gil was such a calm rock in this turmoiled sea. It was this calm that had helped everyone focus and finally get their man – only to have new cases line up. The graveyard shift as operating at their limits and Girssom had ordered them to take days off. Nick, with a solo case that required all his attention, had pushed his off-day ahead of himself. He couldn't just turn his back on a little dead girl that had been run over by some maniac trying to prove to some other hot-head that he had the better car.
Rubbing at his eyes, Nick blinked and tried to focus on the results from Trace. All he needed now was a positive match on the fingerprints and he had his guy. Glancing at the wall clock he sighed. It was already six in the morning and he had a date to keep for nine.
One of his sisters had a three-hour lay-over at the airport and they had talked a few days ago, deciding to meet in one of the restaurants, have breakfast, talk a little. So Nick planned to leave on time at around eight to make it to the airport.
An hour later he had the last results and was one happy criminalist. Delivering everything to O'Riley, he finally signed off at shortly past eight. The sergeant would take care of the rest, book their guy and until the trial, Nick didn't have to think of Suzy Tomacz again, a girl who had been at the wrong time in the wrong place, run over by a street racer.

* * *

By the time Nick got home it was close to one in the afternoon. Janet Stokes and her fiancee were on their way to Boston and he had promised to call more often. He usually did. And he called a lot. Nick was a family man, he loved his sisters and brother, his parents, the whole lot of them, but now and then work got in the way of promises.
Dropping the keys next to his wallet, he went through his mail, then let it drop right next to the keys and wallet. He was so tired, he couldn't read a whole sentence any more, let alone decipher his name on the envelopes. As he walked into the kitchen, he realized he had company. Sitting on the couch of the open living room, Gil Grissom was reading the newspaper, glasses perched on his nose. He was leisurely dressed and had apparently been here for a while now.
"How's your sister?" his lover asked, looking over his glasses.
"Uh, good. She and Todd plan to get married next year. Big party and all."
Gil nodded, then his eyebrows dropped as he looked over the other man. "You had breakfast?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Now get your ass over to bed and sleep, Nicky."
"Gil…"
"In case you think I haven't noticed – I have. Your day off is on Monday. Today's Friday, you're not on call and if you so much as breathe a word of work in the next seventy-two hours, we're going to have a very serious talk, Nick."
Nick gaped at his lover. The whole speech had been delivered so matter-of-factly, it was almost unreal.
"I'm fine," he protested automatically.
"You've been working straight through several cases, all of them not exactly small, and while the rest of the team has already taken their mandatory time off, you haven't. Nick, you're at the end of your endurance." Grissom folded the newspaper and got up, walking over to his lover. "The Tomascz file is closed for you. Now it's up to the court and the jury. Give yourself some time to rest."
A gentle hand cupped his cheek and Nick found himself more than willing to just lean into the warm contact, eyes sliding shut almost automatically. He started to sway a little and a strong arm curled around his waist, keeping him steady.
"Let's get you to bed."
Any other time having his lover undress him would have been erotic, a turn-on, but not today. He got into his shorts and the old t-shirt he used as a pajama top, yawning heavily.. He crawled under the covers as Gil closed the drapes, bathing everything in soothing darkness.
"You gonna stay?" Nick mumbled.
The mattress dipped under an additional weight and Nick snuggled close to the familiar presence. A hand caressed his back and ran through his hair. He sighed softly in pleasure, feeling sleep drag him deeper.

* * *

Grissom watched his lover fall asleep, never ceasing his gentle caress. He had been shocked to see the deep lines in the handsome face when Nick had come in, the dark circles under his eyes, no longer hidden by the sunglasses, and he wondered why he hadn't seen the signs of exhaustion earlier. The answer was easy and terrifying in one: he had been too caught up in his own cases, and the fall-out of the murdered assistant of Senator Henley-Smith. While his team had gone on to new cases, each one after another taking days off to recharge their batteries, he had made sure everything went smoothly with the evidence. Tiny details, all coordinated with the police, the judge and the district attorney, and he had been too absorbed to notice that Nick was slowly burning out.
He brushed through the short strands of hair and smiled sadly. Grissom knew he could forget the world around him, but he had never ignored his lover. Never.
They had the whole weekend now, including a whole Monday for Nick to get back his strength. And he would make up his deficiency in the matters of care and attention.

* * *

Nick slept for twelve hours straight. He didn't wake once, but when he did, his bladder informed him it was about time. The night stand clock told him it was past noon and after a long, hot shower he felt better than in days. More awake, more alive, though still tired.
Walking into the living room he found he was alone. A note pinned to the kitchen fridge told him that his lover had gone out for the essentials, including lunch, and Nick smiled slightly. Grissom and shopping… his lover hated shopping with a passion. He knew it was necessary, but he didn't like it anyway.
Nick made himself some coffee and ate a cereal bar, looking around his home. He had bills to pay, letters to answer, mails to check, and everything looked rather like a tornado had struck. Well, it was a way to keep himself busy until Gil returned.

*

It was how Grissom found him – deeply absorbed in his bills and paperwork, filing paid bills away, making little mountains of papers, chewing on a pen. The laptop was on, showing his email account. When Grissom closed the door, Nick looked up and gave him a wide, dimpled smile.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself."
"Fought off the housewives in the grocery store?" Nick teased.
Grissom grimaced and put down the shopping bag. "It was bad enough."
"Had a wrestling contest over some bagels?"
Nick's brown eyes were dancing and he gave a splutter of laughter as a bag of chips was thrown at him.
"I see you're more awake than yesterday," Grissom commented dryly.
"Yeah, well… sleep helped."
The older man started to unpack the paper back, then walked over to where Nick was shuffling some more papers.
"Lunch?"
"Sure. Whatcha got?"
Grissom made a beckoning motion with his finger and Nick rose, curiously following him.
"Spinach lasagna!" he exclaimed, grinning. "From Al Fredo's!"
It was his all-time favorite pasta restaurant and while not exactly cheap, it was the best he had ever tasted. He caught Grissom and kissed him, smiling at his lover.
"Thanks."
Grissom just smiled and caught another kiss, one hand stroking over Nick's back. "I'll heat it up. Set the table?"
"Consider it done."

*

Nick gave a contented sigh, interlaced fingers resting on his stomach. The TV was on, running a documentary, and he listened to it, lazily watching the images flicker over the screen. A hand was caressing his head, stroking his hair, and he snuggled deeper into the warm hold of his lover, who was totally engrossed in the program. Nick smiled fondly.
Lunch had been great but the TV cuddling on their comfy couch was even better. It was three in the afternoon, the sun was high in the sky, life happened outside, but he couldn't care less. This was their day, their weekend, and while he usually went to hike, meet friends, paraglide or do something else, this weekend was as slow and lazy as they could make it.
He dozed off after some time, coming around to the aroma of coffee and the absence of the warmth he had felt next to him before. Opening his eyes he discovered Gil walking over from the kitchen, carrying two mugs. It was just past four, so he hadn't slept more than an hour.
"Coffee?" his lover offered, smiling.
"Yeah, thanks. Must've dozed off." He smiled slightly as he sat up, yawning.
"Your body still needs it. You need it."
Nick shrugged and sipped at the hot, black liquid. He watched Grissom over the rim of his mug, took in the relaxed, completely off duty appearance, the casual clothes, the faint smile. Yes, there was a lot he needed. His friends, his family, his job, food, sleep, air to breathe…. And Gil Grissom. He needed this man most of all, aside from the bare basics without no one could survive. But this man was his lover, his partner, his friend, his balance. He had found him and nothing would ever make him give up what he felt when Gil was there.
He loved him. Plain and simple.
Finally Nick set down the mug and rose. Grissom looked up, a quizzical expression in his eyes and Nick just held out his hand.
It was taken, the expression still there.
Nick brushed his lips over Grissom's, pulling him close. The mouth underneath his lips opened and tongues brushed against each other. Nick's fingers quickly found their way underneath the dark shirt, touching bare skin, caressing and teasing it. Grissom moaned softly in appreciation and Nick began to maneuver them toward the bedroom. His hints were eagerly taken and Grissom kicked the door shut behind them.