A note from the Author: if you are enjoying this story, please let me know! I also welcome your input of course. I would like to know that people are reading it! Thanks, Rob.
This story is a complete work of fiction and all characters are copyrighted to CBS and or Universal Studios. This is in no way a representation of the sexuality of the actors or the characters.
This is about the CSIs Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes but will tangentially involve several other characters from the show. I'm not sure exactly where this is going to go (aside from the obvious, a romance between Nick and Greg). I may jump around in time somewhat (e.g., flashbacks), and I'll try to stick more or less to the themes of the series and reference a few episodes, but no promises... it's obviously a parallel reality, though even on the show those two seem very friendly.
Bios of the main characters can be found in previous chapters.
Special guest actor (not the fictional character; though of course this actor has been fictionalized, and in fact I play a little fast and loose with his timeline) this episode. Same disclaimer applies.
Nick and Greg, Chapter Seven
Greg's gaze went to the floor. "I'm almost positive his real name is Mitchel Musso, he's an actor and singer on the Disney Channel."
"You watch the Disney Channel?!" Nick said a little too loudly.
Greg rolled his eyes. "Sometimes."
"Well, I've never heard of him."
"He's not THAT famous. He's kind of teen-girl famous."
"And so you know who he is?" Nick smirked.
"You're just going to keep rubbing it in, aren't you?" Greg scowled.
"Yes." The CSI grinned then.
"Fine!"
"Well, it makes sense he gave us a fake name. Disney being squeaky clean; he doesn't want it to get out he was sharing a suite-and I guess a bed-with another guy. So, I guess the ID is fake, and nothing else in the wallet but cash. Do you recognize the... body?"
"No."
"Anyway, we'll get the key-card records, surveillance videos. We need to see how the perp got in-assuming of course it's not your Mitchel guy. I'll talk to the manager about that and start processing the scene."
"I don't think he could do this, but it's just my intuition. So what can I do?"
"This is gonna get complicated. Obviously we need accurate information for our investigation; we need this guy to give us a statement, without any pressure if possible and before he lawyers up. Okay. I want you to go sit with him and try to talk to him; he might relate better to you than me or the unis. Also at some point we are going to need his clothes. I'm gonna call Grissom and ask what we should do. Obviously the guy is a witness after the fact at least, to either a suicide or a murder, and we want him to talk. Archie will check the surveillance and go through the key-card records. And I'm sure this kid doesn't want to come down to the station if he can avoid it, because then Brass is going to want to hit him with the fact that he gave us fake identification. So just talk to him, try to draw him out, but you need to keep your objectivity. Don't blurt out right away that you know who he is. Got it?"
Greg let out a big sigh. "Got it boss." Then he smiled tightly. 'I get to be useful! Don't blow it Greg!' He walked over to the young guy. "How are you doing?"
The youth looked up angrily. "My friend is dead, how do you think?" He was visibly shaking, his eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot from crying. Greg could not help but notice but even then the kid had beautiful hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry. My name is Greg, I'm with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Do you mind if I sit?"
"No, sure. How long will this take?"
"That kind of depends on you. We need as much information as possible for the investigation. You say you came back from the casino and just found your... friend in the bathtub like that?"
"Y-yeah, he said he was tired and was going to go to bed early; we had a, uh, late night last night. I wanted to play a little longer. I should have come up with him. He didn't seem depressed or anything!"
"Is it possible that someone else went up to the room with him?" Greg asked as gently as he could.
The youth looked angrily at him. "No! It was just the two of us staying here alone. We're... he would not have brought a stranger up."
Greg considered his options and decided to take a risk. In a lower voice he said "I'm gay, man. I can see there's only one bed. He was your boyfriend? No wonder you are so upset."
The guy looked uncertain for a moment then started to break down. "We'd been together a year, this was our anniversary weekend! He would never have cheated on me! I should have gone to the room with him but I just wanted to play a couple more rounds."
Greg pulled him into a hug and let him cry. 'Jeeze he's a lot younger than me and he was already having a one year anniversary with a guy; I guess they grow 'em up fast at Disney.' "I'm so sorry. I have someone I'm close to and I can understand. But unfortunately we have to investigate this. Either he took his own life or someone murdered him, and we need to get to the truth."
The young man looked up. "Murdered? Who would kill Jason, or why? But I don't know why he would kill himself either! This is so fucked up."
"I understand. And the first thing we need to know is who you are, really." Greg said it almost before he realized. He was taking a huge risk, but he was hugging the young guy and hoped it would pay off.
"You know you I am." He said it more as a statement than a question.
"You're Mitchel Musso aren't you?"
Mitchel looked up to meet Greg's eyes. "Yeah. Please, this has to be on the down low. And, uh, you're a little old for Disney Channel, aren't you?"
"Just for the record, you are Mitchel Musso?"
In answer, the young man fished around under the mattress and pulled out two wallets. "Yes. Here. The other one is Jason's. He's-was--just a regular guy I met one day at a coffee shop; he didn't even know who I was, which was great. Jason liked me for me, not because I was famous. We started going out. Disney was even okay they said as long as we kept it secret. You'd be amazed how many Disney guys are gay."
"Probably not. Mitchel you are only eighteen? I see Jason was 19. So you had a fake ID saying you were Brady King, 22. You were drinking and gambling illegally."
"Yes, yes, arrest me if you want. I don't care about that now. Who would want to kill Jason? And make it look like he killed himself! I know he would not kill himself, when he left he was happy, just a little tired. He kissed me on the cheek right there in the casino and said he would see me upstairs in a little while." The young man covered his face with his hands.
"Did anyone see him kiss you? Is there someone who might do something to hurt you indirectly?"
Mitchel raised his head up then with a horrified look on his face. "Someone who would kill Jason to get at me? Oh god. No, god I hope not. No one I can imagine. I don't think I have any enemies. Not a lot of people even knew about Jason and me."
"Maybe a rabidly jealous fan, a stalker?"
"I... I have had a few stalker fans. Mostly guys-no offense."
"None taken. Any chance any of them could have seen you with Jason?"
"I guess it's possible. But after we were going out for a couple months I told him who I was-he freaked out a little-and explained how we had to be careful. He was cool about it, he said he wondered why I was usually wearing a cap and sunglasses when we were in public. Poor Jason, he was kind of clueless, but that was one of the things I liked about him, he was smart in some ways but so dumb in others. So after that we mostly got together at my place and ordered out, or I wore disguises when we went out. You'd be amazed where people would recognize me, even with my shorter hair, we could not go anywhere in public."
"But you didn't wear one tonight."
"Yeah for some reason at the game tables in Vegas, people leave you alone. I guess it helps that it is 21 and older only, and the guys tend to leave me alone more than tween girls. They just... look."
"Does that bother you?"
"I guess there's looking and 'looking.' I've seen gay guys grab their buds and say 'oh wow there's Mitchel Musso!' and that's flattering. But there are guys who stare and follow me around. That's creepy."
"See any of the creepy ones tonight?"
"No actually, and I feel like I've kind of gotten a sense for it. I can feel them watching me. There actually were a few older women too, by older I mean 20's I guess-older for my fan base. God, I can't believe Jason is dead!"
"And I guess normally you would have friends traveling with you, like a 'posse', but since this is kind of a 'secret' life, there is no one else who knows you are here."
"My manager, she knows everything. It's part of her job now to keep my relationship under wraps. I... I don't even know what to do now, who I can call."
"Well, we are going to need an official statement from you. We don't need to go down to the police station if you can give one here with a witness, since you are legally over 18. We're sensitive to your need for privacy. Maybe we can get a nearby room here, because CSI is going to need to process the scene. And we'll need your fingerprints and DNA, just so we can eliminate you as a suspect in the investigation." Greg kept a friendly arm around Mitchel's shoulders, 'Wow he's just as cute in person as he is on tv. I wish I didn't have to meet him this way. Poor kid. If I lost Nick... I'd just die.'
"Sure, I'll cooperate in any way I can."
Meanwhile out in the living area, Nick was on the phone with Grissom. "So Greg may be able to get the kid to talk; if we drag him in he's gonna lawyer up like nobody's business and not tell us anything, if he really is this Disney celebrity Greg thinks he is."
"Brass is tied up across town and can't get there for hours. It's a little unorthodox but if Greg can get him to talk, all the better, then you take the official statement with Greg as the witness. Just keep a close eye on Greg, Nick. He's not an official field CSI yet. I'm making him your responsibility. Keep Greg safe. He's not experienced with this sort of thing."
There was something about the way Grissom said it that sent a funny shiver down Nick's spine. "You got it boss, I'll keep Einstein out of trouble."
"I know you will Nick, that's why I let him go in the field with you. Try to follow procedures exactly, especially if this is a celebrity."
Nick went back in the bedroom to find Greg sitting close to the huddled young man and them talking in low voices. He had a strange pang of jealousy seeing Greg like that with a cute young guy. He signaled that he needed to talk to Greg. But as the tech got up, Mitchel grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"I just want to say, I trust you okay? Please for Jason's sake and mine I hope you have been straight with me."
Greg looked the cute actor in the eyes. "I have been totally honest to the best of my knowledge. Sometimes as things change it can get out of our control; we're not the cops, we are just investigators. But I promise I will the best I can for you."
"Thanks man."
Nick and Greg went out into the living area. "How's it going?" Nick asked in a low voice.
"He is who I thought. He's a wreck. He came here alone with his gay boyfriend. Not a trick; he said they have been together a year. He's agreed to prints and DNA, and to give a statement. I think we should move fast, though I hate to take advantage of him. I asked him about possible jealous stalkers and he said he didn't know of any. But in certain circles he is very famous."
"Good job Greggo."
"Oh and I suggested we get a nearby room, and told him we had to have the clothes."
Nick smiled. "You have been thorough. Grissom would be proud. But, uh, be careful. It looks like he's getting kind of attached to you and that can be trouble for us later."
Greg gave Nick a quizzical look. "Really? Attached to me? He's a kid!"
"Just... be careful. I sometimes make the mistake of getting emotionally involved in a case, and I can tell this kid can be charming when he wants."
"Okay boss. You're not... jealous are you?" Greg smiled at Nick.
"Of course not... oh are you pulling my leg?" Nick grinned back.
When they returned, Mitchel was just hanging up his cell. "The hotel said they have a room next door they can put me in; they're sending someone up with a key card."
"Great Mitchel." Greg smiled at the star. "Mitchel this is Nick Stokes, he's a CSI and he's in charge of processing the scene here. I can take you into the other room to change."
"Hi Mitchel, now I just need to get a DNA sample if you could open your mouth for me, and I need to swab the inside of your cheek. Great, and I'll need to get your prints to eliminate you, and see if we can pick up evidence of this other person."
The key arrived and Greg went with the youth to the other room, bringing a jumpsuit for him.
"Nick is your boyfriend isn't he?" Mitchel asked out of the blue when they got in the room.
Greg's jaw dropped. As usual, he was caught totally off-guard. "Uhhh..."
"It's cool; it's not obvious or anything. Both of you guys are totally masculine. He's a hot dude man. A little old for me normally, but he's a really handsome guy. He seems really nice too."
"How did you know? We haven't... we haven't been together that long."
"In my business you learn to 'read' people really fast. It's sink or swim in Hollywood. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I saw how he looked at you: affection, even protective. He really cares about you. And you looking at him like... well." Mitchel smiled and shrugged. "You make a great couple man."
Greg felt himself blushing. "Um, thanks, it's only been, well, not long, but we have been friends for years."
Mitchel nodded and looked at the floor. "That's great man. Just... keep each other safe. Don't let him go. He's a one in a million, I can feel it, you guys are meant for each other."
"I hope so. Anyway, here's the jumpsuit. Sorry, I need you to put this on for now until they look through the suite."
"Oh great. Underwear too? I can't get clothes from my room?"
"No sorry it's part of the crime scene. And yes, underwear too. I can leave you alone."
""It's okay, we get used to undressing in front of people." Mitchel peeled down his pants and underwear. Greg could not help glancing, the guy had an amazing muscular smooth ass with cute dimples on the sides of his cheeks.
Mitchel pulled up the coverall and threw off his shirt, zipped up just past his navel and handed it all to Greg.
"Thanks, I appreciate you being so cooperative Mitchel. As soon as they process the scene you can get your things."
"Yeah thanks. I am gonna lie down now, ok?"
"Sure yes I understand. Just stay here."
"Uh, will someone be here with me? Man, I am kinda... scared. I mean, someone maybe killed my boyfriend! Normally I have security just at a taping, and now I have nothing because I am gay."
Mitchel, either a police officer or I will be here in the room with you if that is what you want, Or we can have an officer posted outside."
"I'd prefer you, though I saw you don't have a gun. Just... anyone. I don't want to be alone."
"Mitchel I'm sorry."
"I walked in to see my boyfriend dead and covered in blood, do you know what that is like? I loved him! Maybe if he had not dated me he would still be alive. It could be my fault!"
"Mitchel you can't think that way. You did not kill him. You just loved him. Someone else was the sick bastard who killed him."
"But if I had been here... "
"He might have killed you too."
"God this hurts so much! Poor Jason, he didn't deserve this. He was just this sweet guy who liked me!"
"Stop it!"
Mitchel grabbed onto him then and started sobbing onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry! I don't know who else I can let this out to!" His whole body shook as he forced out the words. "You understand! What if someone killed Nick and you found him dead?"
Greg felt a horrible chill go down his spine. Of course the thought had occurred to him; Nick worked in the field and though the CSI's were not supposed to be in the line of fire, most were trained to use a gun and they wore kevlar jackets. Nick had had a gun pointed at him at least once that Greg knew. The image of Nick lying in that bathtub though... Greg shuddered.
He felt Mitchel's head on his shoulder; the kid seemed small and fragile. There was something strange... he was comforting this young guy but he was also very attracted to him. He'd seen in movies where a man and woman started out like that and it turned to passionate sex and he'd think, oh come on, but now, he realized this was how it happened. Mitchel was massaging his back.
'Oh my god is this eighteen-year-old Disney star coming on to me!? He's a freakin' fantasy come true, except he's a poor traumatized kid. Damn he's cute though. I'll never be able to look at Disney Channel the same way again.'
"Um, Mitchel, maybe you need to rest."
"Please don't leave me alone." Mitchel clung to him.
The orange coverall was still unzipped low, and Greg saw Mitchel's smooth defined chest. Mitchel took his hand and guided it in...
"Dude, what... what are you..."
"Greg, don't leave me alone. I'm so scared."
"Mitchel, please, why are you doing this?"
"Jason's gone! I'm alone! What am I going to do! I never thought I would find a guy to love and now someone took him away!"
"Mitchel, dude, you are only eighteen, you have your whole life ahead of you. I don't want to sound callous but you and Jason were really young, do you really think you would have been together forever?"
"Mitchel frowned then. Well, how about you and Nick?"
"We're even worse, I was in denial till my 20's and I came out to Nick hoping he would be a friend about it and he suddenly realized he liked me... that way. He grew up in Texas. I'm not even sure why he likes me."
"Oh, he likes you. But yeah, he sure does not trip the gaydar. Just that swagger in those jeans, oh man, I bet the ladies just die. You blip a little once in awhile, but I think it's more because of your vocabulary. You're obviously really smart." Mitchel kept hugging Greg in a way that was needy but also kind of suggestive.
Greg furrowed his brows at this kid who was more than a dozen years younger than him, who was analyzing his intelligence. Greg Sanders, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford, was being casually socially rated somehow by this kid who stars on some Disney pop show. Fuck, the kid was right.
Greg had been told the exact same thing before. 'Greg don't use such big words, you sound like a snob, or some people think you sound gay.' So when did sounding intelligent equal sounding like a snob equal sounding gay?
Well at least Nick had never said anything about his word usage. Or for that matter, never asked him what a word meant. But Nick did watch Science Channel... he wanted to be sure to watch that series with the cute Brit Particle Physicist about the solar system cuddled up with Nick...
Then he thought, wow I am already in my early thirties; women are hearing their clocks winding down. Damn Nick is near forty isn't he? Though he sure does not look it. Greg never even thought about the fact that Nick was in his late 30's and never had a serious relationship. While Catherine had a teenage daughter. Warrick was a player and Grissom was a cipher.
"Mitchel, you are handsome, I am sure you are rich, and we know you are popular, and you can go undercover if you need to. I think if you really want to, you will find someone else."
"But, but, just last night, we were... I was never with another guy like I was with him.
"I promise I will be right down the hall. There will be an officer right outside the door. He has a radio, and if you just yell, I will be here in a few seconds. No one can get past him, I promise okay?"
"Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, you know."
"Hey I'm just sorry I met one of my fantasy guys under such unfortunate circumstances." 'OMG I can't believe I just said that.' "Nick and I will be back in soon to get your prints and official statement, okay? For now try to rest."
Greg watched as the teen star smiled, then crawled under the covers and basically assumed the fetal position.
'I wish I could do something. Why would anyone kill his boyfriend like this? He's just a kid, barely 18. And damn he's cute. Got to stop thinking about that.'
Nick sprang to his feet when he heard the knock at the door. He was there in a few half running steps and threw it open.
There was Greg, hands in pockets looking sheepish... and so cute. "I'm sorry I'm so late. Grissom..."
But Nick pulled him inside, slammed and locked the door. "It's okay G." He pulled Greg into his arms and just hugged him tight. "Baby you're cold!" He felt Greg shiver.
"Y-yeah it's chilly out this morning. Oh Nick..." Greg wrapped his arms around the CSI and held him as tight as he could. "Every time we're not together I think maybe I dreamt this."
"I missed you too, babe." Nick slid his hand up and down Greg's back, felt the tension start to ease. "Do you want anything? Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm okay, I ate early this morning. Maybe we can eat in a little while. Um, can we, can we just hug for a couple more minutes?" He shivered again.
"Of course Greggo. I'll warm you up." Nick pulled Greg back a bit and smiled. "And I need to get you a key so you can just come in."
"R-really?" Greg was taken aback. For some reason Nick giving him a key to his house meant a lot. "I don't want you to give up your privacy for me."
"Oh stop, we had that talk." Nick smiled. So, anyway, are you okay after your first 'field mouse' excursion?" Nick put his arm around Greg as they walked further into the house.
"Yeah, after I got over the shock of seeing that poor kid dead in the bathtub." Greg couldn't suppress a shudder. "I hope I was able to help some."
"I thought you did great, you were a big help with the witness. Grissom seemed happy from what he said to me, and you know how cryptic he can be. Anyway the kid's body is in autopsy and the lab has what we collected at the scene.
"It's so sad. That actor kid is always kind of goofy and funny on television, and there in the hotel he was totally different. I can't believe he's only eighteen and he'd already been with that guy for a year."
"Greggo, come here." Nick grabbed his slim lover gently but firmly, running his hands over his lean back.
Greg sighed. "God that feels so good, you feel so good." He whispered. He felt Nick's warm breath on his neck, and the tension slipped out of him.
Nick kissed him gently, just tenderly, not like he wanted anything, just to show how much he cared about the guy he was holding. "If it's okay, you wanna get in bed?" Nick asked tentatively.
"Yeah."
They silently went to the bedroom and undressed. Nick sensed that Greg was emotionally drained and not up for any kind of fun, and he was happy to just be supportive. Hell, he loved just spooning with sweet Greg. They climbed in bed and that's exactly what Greg did, scooting his back to Nick and was almost purring as Nick put his strong arm around the tech.
"Thanks for understanding man, I just, I dunno, I just wanted to be here and have you hold me just like this."
"Greggo, I would not want to be anywhere else. I'd be happy to just hold you all night." He kissed Greg lightly on the back of the neck. "I love this sensitive side of you. When we're in bed together, you are so... vulnerable."
"I am so fucking lucky." Greg mumbled, and squeezed Nick's hand.
"No man, I'm the lucky one. If you hadn't come out to me, we wouldn't be here together like this. You were the brave one Greggo."
Greg actually furrowed his brows at that one. It was true, sort of. Though his coming out to Nick was as a friend. He thought that dinosaurs were more likely to walk the earth again before Nicky would have planted a kiss on him like he did... oh fuck that was so incredible. Greg actually moaned out loud against his will.
"Um, G.?"
Greg could not contain a little giggle. "I'm sorry, I was thinking back to when I came out to you and you kissed me."
"And that was funny?" Greg couldn't see Nick's expression since he was behind him, but he thought he sensed annoyance.
"Not funny as much as awkward, and I never thought in a million years you would kiss me, not in my wildest dreams. Well, maybe in my wildest dreams..."
"Oh so it was a good memory."
"Are you kidding me!?" Greg spun around in the bed to see Nick smiling. "Are you teasing me?"
"Maybe a little, I'm sorry, G." Nick grinned even wider and ran his fingers over Greg's chest. "Come here baby." He pulled Greg to him and they snuggled together under the covers, skin to skin, sometimes kissing, sometimes just hugging.
"I bet you wish I was more muscular." Greg said suddenly.
"No, actually, I don't. I have been admiring your lean body for a few years now and I think it is just fine. And by the way, you have a really cute little ass."
Greg felt himself blushing. 'God does he really mean that?'
"Yes I really mean it, oh and you know you are fucking cute as hell, especially when you smile? My parents are going to love you." Then Nick pulled him into a long kiss.
Hearing that was almost better than the kiss. Well, almost.
End of Chapter Seven.