DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything on the TV.

TITLE: The Best View ( for lack of better things to call it. I'm open to better suggestions)

PAIRINGS: Nick and Greg. That's slash, people. Be forewarned.

SUMMARY: Pre-slash. Nick thinks Archie has the best view in the lab...yeah, nothing really happens in this story. :p

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, this isn't my usual style, but I was trying to shatter this damn writer's block I have, and the plot (or lack thereof) had been floating around in my brain for a while. Expect some or all the characters to be OOC...except maybe Archie since he's not on the show enough to have a character.

Anyway, without further blathering on my part...

THE BEST VIEW

It might have been the heat in the lab, or maybe the heat in his head from the virus plaguing his body, but at that moment, Nick was sure that Archie Johnson had some kind of mystical power that bent Grissom to his will, or otherwise, he was the luckiest man in Vegas.

As Nick stared out the solid glass walls of the AV lab, across the pristine white hall and into the DNA lab directly opposite, he envied the man sitting next to him with a passion that he was sure was boiling out of his pores in a thick, green steam. And somewhere in the back of his mind, his scientific side whispered that that wasn't physically possible, but that voice was buried beneath images far more interesting and beautiful than anything his inner scientist had to say. Images that he hoped would float around in his mind forever, so that he could savour every moment for the rest of his life.

Nick smiled to himself as he watched Greg slide across the smooth lab floor in his office chair, grinning brightly as he handed Sara a sheet of paper from the Mass Spec., and thought that Archie definitely has the best view in the whole lab.

And he knew he should be watching the video footage from the crime scene and listening to whatever the hell Archie was going on about, but how could he when Greg just got out of his chair, stretching his arms over his head as he loosened the muscles in his back made tight from hours of processing evidence. And now, he was bending over in seemingly slow motion to retrieve a mini stereo from under his desk, giving Nick a perfect view of his ass, and he had to fight to keep himself from tilting his head to the side to get a better look...

"...Nick? Nick!"

His world suddenly snapped back into focus. Greg was back to moving at a normal speed and Archie was calling his name. Nick shifted his eyes away from the DNA lab and finally noticed that the tape was paused and that Archie was looking at him strangely.

"You alright, man?" Archie asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Nick nodded, trying to smile reassuringly. "Fine, I'm fine. I was just...thinking."

Archie raised an eyebrow at that, but still nodded, accepting that at face value. "I was just saying that Sanders made some of his magic coffee. You want any?" he asked, already shedding his navy blue lab coat and heading for the door.

"Uh...yeah, thanks Arch," Nick said, already floating off into his own world again, because now Greg had his music on and was dancing around the lab...at least, he imagined that there was music on. He couldn't hear anything because the AV lab was virtually sound proof when the doors were closed, which was any time Archie had sound evidence to process, like now, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was the fact that Greg was head banging like mad, generating more and more heat in his slim body on top of the heat from the lab, and Nick couldn't figure out how he could stand all that heat, especially with that heavy lab coat on. He was already melting from just watching him.

Nick stifled a groan as Grissom walked into the DNA lab with a pile of evidence bags in his hand, switching the music off as he went, if the way Greg suddenly froze was any indication.

He was mentally cursing Grissom for interrupting his private little show when he suddenly realised that this was even better, because now Greg was standing still long enough for him to see the red flush of his skin and the sheen of sweat on his brow.

And it seemed like time slowed down again as a particularly large drop of sweat rolled past Greg's hairline, over a smooth pink cheek, (that Nick imagined was incredibly soft under the salty water) then dripped off his jaw onto the small patch of skin on Greg's collar bone that peeked out of his bright blue shirt.

Nick almost wished he were that sweat droplet, skimming over Greg's skin, taking in his taste, his scent. Nick imagined that Greg would smell like that Blue , Nick."

Archie's voice suddenly cut into his thoughts, along with the sweet scent of Greg...'s coffee.

Nick blinked, looking down at the coffee cup Archie held under his nose. Taking the cup in both hands, he smiled his thanks at Archie as he settled in his chair once more.

"Though now that I think about it, maybe hot coffee isn't such a good idea what with the lack of AC, plus all the heat from the equipment," he commented, taking a sip from his own cup. "When are they gonna fix that, anyway?"

Nick shrugged, breathing in the coffee. As he glanced back at the DNA lab, watching as Greg flipped the tail of his shirt up and down to generate some kind of cooling breeze, giving Nick a glimpse of the smooth skin of his abs underneath, he thought that personally, he couldn't care less when they fixed it. In fact, he wouldn't mind if they never did.

"...find anything yet?"

Nick jumped as Grissom's voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. His head snapped to the side and he stared at his boss with slightly glazed eyes, and somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that the coffee cup in his hands was dead cold.

"Uh..." he answered, brilliantly.

"Nicky? You alright?" Catherine asked, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her thumb brushed against his neck and she jerked away, moving her hand to his forehead. "Nicky, you're burning up. Maybe you should go home."

"Nah, I'm fine, Cath," he said, promptly launching into a coughing fit.

Grissom watched him intently. "Still. We can't risk you contaminating the evidence."

"That's why I'm in the AV lab. Nothing to contaminate in here," Nick argued.

Archie snorted, hiding a knowing smile when Grissom looked at him curiously.

"Nevertheless, Nick, you should go home and rest. This feels like at least 102 degrees," Catherine said, pulling him out of his chair. "We'll finish the case for you. Go home."

Nick rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway.

"I don't think he should be driving," Archie put in helpfully. "He's been zoning out all night, someone had better give him a ride."

Catherine and Grissom both checked their watches, while Nick glared at Archie, who was smirking slyly at him.

"I still have two hours left of shift. How 'bout you, Gil?"

"Three."

Archie made a big show of checking the clock on the wall.

"Well, Greg's usually off around now on Thursdays."

They all looked across to find that Greg was indeed packing up his stuff.

Catherine patted Nick's shoulder and said, "I'll go get him," before scurrying over to the DNA lab.

And Nick knew he should stay focussed on the room he was standing in, especially since Archie was watching him with that annoying knowing, and somewhat amused, smirk again, but he'd somehow lost conscious control of his eyes and they wandered back towards the DNA lab.

Greg glanced quickly at the AV lab, then turned back to Catherine and nodded, shrugging off his lab coat.

Catherine smiled and said...something. Nick couldn't really be bothered with what Catherine was doing because now that the lab coat was off, Nick could see half a toned bicep and a whole forearm, and the increase in skin was sucking away what little concentration he had left, even though it wasn't on a particularly sexy body part.

Now Greg was walking across the hall towards him and running a hand through his messy hair, and if Nick closed his eyes, he could almost feel that hair brushing against his face, tickling...his...nose...

He sneezed so hard he thought his eardrums would explode and his brain would fly out through his eye sockets, and it would figure that that would happen when Greg was right in front of him.

"Whoa-ho! You sure he's gonna survive the drive home?" Greg asked with a joking smile. "You know, Sanders Taxi Service isn't covered for any deaths in transit."

Greg grabbed Nick by the arm and dragged him out of the room. When he got to the door, he turned back, pointing an accusing finger at Archie. "Don't think I didn't notice that you stole my coffee just now."

Archie grinned. "Then next time, don't steal my ice-cream."

"I'm telling you, that was Sara!"

Archie raised a sceptical eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

Greg rolled his eyes at him. "Fine." He narrowed his eyes and scowled good-naturedly. "Touché."

And as he pulled Nick through the door, Nick could swear he saw Archie mouth, "You're welcome" at him.

Well, you know the drill. Tell me what you think. Good? Bad? Ugly?