Suspicion
by elfin


Hot under the struggling air conditioning, Gil rolled up the sleeves of his thin blue shirt and stretched back in his chair.

He smiled when he saw Nick step into his office, not needing the visual reminder of his lover to replay in his mind's eye their first day spent together last week.  Since then they'd been working flat-out.  But once tonight was over they both had twenty-four hours off.  

Perfect.

Until he saw the expression change on Nick's face.  And just as he was about to speak, just as Catherine stepped in, Nick suddenly yelled at him,

"You couldn't stay away, could you?  Couldn't resist?"  

Stunned, Gil could only squeak, "Nicky?"

But although the volume decreased, Nick wasn't to be silenced.  "I thought I was more than that to you.  Seems I was wrong."

He turned on his heel and left.

Grissom stared after him for a second before switching his attention to Catherine, who for some reason was gazing at him with similar, if muted, accusation.

"What?!  What the hell have I done?"

Catherine nodded at his raised arms.  "Did we get lonely again?"

Completely baffled, Gil lowered his arms and looked at the inside of his left forearm.  The wound there was red, angry and still hurt.  But it had been an accident, why was he suddenly under attack from his team?

"We all make mistakes, Catherine," he told her slowly, confused.  "I'll be more careful next time.  Why would Nick..."

"Mistakes?!"  She shook her head, incredulous.  "Gil, he loves you!  And you blow him off for some woman who...."

"Whoa!"  Gil held up one hand, palm out.  "What wom...."  It dawned slowly and he looked over the rope burn on his arm again, glancing back at her.  "How exactly do you think I got this?"

Pausing herself, realising for the first time that she might have jumped to the completely wrong conclusion, Catherine said uncertainly, "A visit to your Lady friend?"

Eyes wide, Gil stared.  "Lady Heather?  You think I...."  He laughed out loud, one amazed bark of amusement and hurt.  "Oh my God.  That's the level of respect you all have for me?"

Catherine backtracked fast, knowing now that she and Nick were both way out of line.  "You two hit it off, you had chemistry.  She got to you, I saw it, Brass saw it and Nick certainly saw it."

"I know what Nick saw, he told me."

"So...."

"So... what?  You think I got this in some submissive sex act?"

Defensive now, she folded her arms.  "How did you get it?"

"An accident in the garage!  One of the pulleys got away from me and I didn't get out of the way fast enough!"  He stared back, challenging.  "Want me to have Greg test for a DNA match with the rope?"

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she shook her head.  "No.  Gil... I'm sorry."

He released his own bewildered anger and smiled at her.  "So where did Nick go, I wonder?"

~

Lady Heather's expression softened when she opened the door to find Gil and Catherine standing on her doorstep.

Letting the door swing open, she admitted them and they stepped inside, Catherine trying to ignore the background sounds of the house at work while admiring the comfort that Gil seemed to feel here.

"He's in the drawing room," Lady Heather told Grissom specifically.

She led them through into a small, cosy room.  Nick was sitting on the couch, tears sliding over his cheeks, eyes red from crying.

Without a word, Gil went to him, sat on the arm of the couch and wrapped his lover in a close embrace.  "Come on, Nicky."

Nick fell against him, twisted long arms around him and held on tight.  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I know, I know."

Catherine remained in the doorway, but Lady Heather moved to crouch before them, one perfectly manicured hand on Nick's knee.  "Believe that I could never hurt him, Nick.  Gil isn't a masochist, he wouldn't find any enjoyment in pain.  Neither does he get off on his own or another's humiliation."

"But he does come here?"

Gil's head snapped up and he stared at Catherine, aghast.  "How the hell do you know that?"

Nick's head shifted against his chest and Gil glanced down into big, sorrowful brown eyes.  "I followed you one morning."

Instead of the anger they'd both expected, Grissom laughed.  He smiled directly at Lady Heather.  "Remember what you told me about my greatest fear?"  She nodded her understanding.  Tightening his arms around Nick, Gil told them, "I come here for breakfast sometimes.  We talk.  That's all."

"We're supposed to believe that?" Catherine asked, sceptical as she tried not to hear the sounds around her.  

"Believe what you want," Lady Heather said with a shrug.  "But it's the truth.  Gil has a... professional interest in what we do here.  But that's as far as it goes.  He told me about Nick the first time we had breakfast.  Submission, dominance isn't for everyone.  Some people find much more pleasure in equality."

Grissom met Nick's apologetic smile with one of his own before asking.  "And as for following the boss on his mornings off, what the hell were you thinking?"


elfin