Fanart, Fanfiction and Fangirling

Finally! I've been working on this ficlet for months, but it never sounded right. Part of the problem was that I wanted to try my hand at case fic, because what's the point of writing CSI fanfic if you don't throw in a murder every now and then? But as I'd never written a crime story before, I didn't really know what I was doing.

This is obviously not a real case fic, it's way too short, but it's a little different from what I usually write and I'm glad I was finally able to finish it. And yes, I'm posting it today because it's Eric Szmanda's birthday. :3



Title: My favorite distraction
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG (just for the mention of blood)
Summary: Nick can't crack a case. Greg volunteers to help.
A/N: Inspired by the following prompt by creativepromptsforwriting:

"Don't you have better things to do?"

"Not really. You're kind of my favorite distraction."

...

Nick groaned, frustrated. He had studied all the photos, read all the notes, double checked all the test results, but still something didn't add up. He rubbed his temples and sighed.

"You look like you need a break."

He looked up and saw Greg lean on the door frame, the bright pattern of his shirt standing out sharply against his immaculate lab coat.

Read the rest on AO3

Here's a little Nick/Greg ficlet for Valentine's Day. I was supposed to post it earlier, but January was crazy and February hasn't been much better so far, so it took me longer than I thought.

Anyway, here it is, short and sweet.



Title: Tell-Tale Heart
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13/Teen
Summary: Nick's cranky when he's hungry
A/N: Inspired by the following dialogue response prompt by creativepromptsforwriting:

"Your heart is racing."

"Could you please take your hand off my chest?"

...

"Come on, G! Get out of that shower and let's get breakfast. I'm starving," Nick called out, pacing up and down the room.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get the smell of rotten food out of your hair?" Greg replied, voice barely audible over the sound of the running water.

"You could try wearing a cap next time you go dumpster diving."

"And ruin my carefully styled locks? No way."

Read the rest on AO3

It's done! The Nick/Greg fic I started almost 4 years ago it's finally finished! I got this idea when I first got into this pairing in 2021, and it was actually one of the first Nick/Greg fics I wrote, but I got stuck so many times I was starting to lose hope I would ever finish it. But now it's finally done. And what better day to publish it than Eric Szmanda's birthday?



Title: Accidentally in love
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Summary: After Greg accidentally comes out to Nick, the relationship between them gradually changes. Set after S11E12 "A kiss before frying".

"But she smelled so good," Greg whined, pouting. He downed what was left of his drink and sighed. "How can someone who smells so good be so evil?"

"You really liked her, didn't you?" Nick asked, offering him a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah."

He slumped forward over the table, resting his cheek on top of his crossed forearms, and ran a finger down the empty glass, leaving a clear trail on the condensation. He looked miserable. Nick patted his back before grabbing his beer bottle and raising it to his lips.

"Maybe I should just stick to dating guys."

Nick almost choked on his beer.

Read the rest on AO3.

Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't have anything planned for today, but a few days ago I got inspired and went back to a ficlet I had started a while ago and never finished. It's silly rather than romantic, but it's better than nothing, right? I might even write a smutty sequel, stay tuned.



Title: Professor Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Greg likes Nick's new look.
A/N: Inspired by this gif.

...

"I like the new look, it gives off sexy professor vibes."

Nick looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Greg was standing in the doorway, looking at him with a little smile.

"Is that a new kink of yours?" he asked, amused.

"It can be," Greg answered, walking into the room. "Oh, professor Stokes, I really don't want to fail this class. I'm willing to do anything to improve my grades. Anything," he added, stopping next to him and leaning a hip against the table in what Nick was sure was supposed to be a seductive pose.

He shook his head.

"You're such a freak."

Read the rest on AO3.

Challenge #3

In your own space, talk about a fannish opinion you hold that has changed over time.

I didn't know what to write at first, then I remembered how I got into the CSI fandom a few years ago. I was going through a very stressful period at work and started watching CSI reruns as a way to relax. (Yeah, I found a TV show about people getting murdered relaxing. It was a stressful period.)

Anyway, at first I just enjoyed watching the show and wasn't interested in the fandom side of it. Then I started thinking Hodges and Wendy were cute together and looked for fics on AO3, but only found a handful. I read a couple of Grissom/Sara fics, but that wasn't really my thing. Then I saw there were A LOT of Nick/Greg fics. And I clearly remember thinking "What? No, they're just friends!" (Oh, sweet summer child...)

But after a while I got desperate for content and decided to give it a try. I mean, I usually love slash, so why not? And all of a sudden, everything just made perfect sense. I kept reading fic after fic, I just couldn't get enough. (Carolinecrane's account on AO3 in particular was a goldmine.)

Still, I was convinced I wouldn't create anything in the CSI fandom, I would simply limit myself to reading fics, and that would be it. Well, 41 fics, a few WIPs and some fanart pieces later, I can say without fear of contradiction I definitely changed my mind about the Nick/Greg ship and my involvement in the fandom.

I've finally gone back to working on a Nick/Greg fic I started a long time ago but never finished. It still needs work, but I like what I have so far. I want it to be a slow burn kinda fic, which is ridiculous, given my tendency to write almost exclusively ficlets and short stories, but I'm going to try anyway. As I was writing, I remembered there was another ficlet I started in response to a hurt/comfort prompt some time ago that I still need to finish. I think the fic has taken a slightly different direction from the original prompt, I might have to change a thing or two.

It feels good being back to writing Nick/Greg, it's become such a comfort pairing for me.

I also found some amazing Lupin/Jigen fanart on Twitter (or X, or whatever it's called these days, I never use it any more). The account hasn't been updated in a while, but there are a lot of great pics. A lot of them are NSFW, with some humour and angst thrown into the mix, so be careful when you click the link:

https://x.com/thegreatestmass

Yep, I did it again: I drew Greg Sanders wearing a questionable outfit for Lunar New Year. I couldn't decide between the two versions, so I'm posting them both.

( Year of the Dragon )

Challenge #6

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. . Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.



This is just a small detail, something that was probably meant as a comic relief moment, but I think it explains a lot about the character. I'm referring to when we find out that Greg Sanders (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) had his first time when he was 22. In episode 05x05 "Swap Meet", he gives a bunch of used condoms to the new DNA tech, Mia, and tells her "It's like being back in college". Only for Mia to reply that Sara told her Greg had his first time when he was 22. Greg's face falls and he quickly changes the subject.

Especially in the first seasons, Greg was the loud, slightly crazy guy, who would flirt with anyone and know everything about sex and fetishes. But here we find out that maybe he wasn't always like that. If we put this piece of information together with the knowledge that he had to wear awful braces for 4 years when he was a teenager, and the fact his mother never let him play any sports in school for fear of him getting hurt (which is revealed later in the series) we get a good idea of how he must have spent his formative years.

All these little bits of canon convinced me that Greg desperately wanted to belong when he was younger, he wanted to be one of the popular kids, to have sex and relationships, but he had to wait until he was already a young adult to finally experience that. So, to compensate, he did the only thing he could: he researched. He seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge about sex, the kind one gathers from books rather than direct experience. Maybe he read a lot about sex or watched porn so he would be ready for his first time and his partner wouldn't think he was a loser for still being a virgin. And even after years, he still wants people to think he's cool, so he flirts and acts cocky and sure of himself, but, deep down, he's still an insecure teenager who just wants to belong.

I know I'm probably reading waaay too much into such a small and unimportant scene (projecting? Who? Me?), but I like when authors give us such tiny, seemingly insignificant details, that make a lot of sense as part of the bigger picture.

(Can I also mention this particular scene inspired one of my fics? Yes, I can and I will: Twenty-Two, Nick/Greg, rated Explicit/NC-17).

It's December, which means it's time for the Nick/Greg Advent Calendar! These two are still giving me plenty of inspiration, at least for ficlets.

Nick/Greg Advent Calendar 2023 on AO3

I have three WIPs I should be working on, but what do I do? I write a totally unrelated double drabble. *facepalm* I was watching an episode on TV the other day and a certain scene just gave me this idea. I have no word, really, this pairing took over my life. But I'm glad it did, because the summer is just around the corner, and it's going to be just as crazy and stressful as the last two, so at least I have something to distract me and keep me sane.

Title: Little green-eyed monster
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nick's not jealous. He just wants to make one thing perfectly clear.
A/N: Coda to episode 09x05 "Leave out all the rest". I was rewatching the episode and noticed Greg's amused little glance in Nick's direction when Nick tells Greg and Riley to "Knock it off" at the crime scene, after Riley teases Greg about BDSM and hair-pulling. And, well, I get inspired very easily...

"You're cute when you're jealous," Greg whispered in Nick's ear as the Texan was pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Nick put the pot down with a little more force than strictly necessary and turned towards him. Greg was standing very close, an amused expression on his face.

"I'm not jealous, what are you talking about?"

Greg gave him a pointed look. Nick crossed his arms defensively.

Read the rest on AO3.