Title: Accidentally in love
Author: gothikmaus
Fandom: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Category: romance, smut
Summary: After Greg accidentally comes out to Nick, the relationship between them gradually changes. Set after S11E12 "A kiss before frying".
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and all related characters are property of CBS. I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
"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.
"Dude, you're drunk. No more margaritas for you."
"Nonono, hear me out." Greg sat up straight and turned to Nick. "Everything is so much easier with guys. I dated a few, I know what I'm talking about. Like, if you and I were dating, things would be pretty straightforward: you would ask me out, I would say yes, we would go out for drinks and have amazing sex afterwards. Easy."
"Isn't that exactly what you did with her?" Nick asked, amused.
Greg frowned.
"Well, technically, yes. But she didn't really like me, she just wanted to get close to someone in the lab to find out how the investigation was going. And I was so naive I fell for her act."
"You gotta give it to her, she was really good at playing the sweet, innocent teacher," Nick pointed out.
"That's exactly my point: you'd never do that. If you wanted to go out with me, it would be because you like me, not because you have an ulterior motive." Greg paused and looked at him with slightly unfocused eyes. "Right?"
Nick smiled.
"Of course."
"See? Told you everything's much easier with guys." He sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I wish I could just date you. Sure, you don't smell like peaches, but you're the nicest guy I know. Plus, you're pretty hot."
Nick chuckled and shook his head.
"Whatever you say, G."
***
Greg woke up with a pounding headache and a foul taste in his mouth. He tried to roll onto his side, but as soon as he moved, an intense wave of nausea hit him, so he decided it would be wiser to wait. After a good twenty minutes, he was finally able to sit up. As he was trying to find the strength to get out of bed, the conversation from the previous night came crashing back to him.
He had thought having a crush on Nick was embarrassing enough, but accidentally coming out to him like that really took things to another level.
He groaned and flopped back onto the mattress. He was never going to leave his bedroom again.
***
"Hey, G. How you feeling today?"
Greg almost fell from the bench at the sound of Nick's voice.
"Um. Better," he mumbled, not looking at him.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna think any less of you."
"Huh, what?" The twisting in his stomach suddenly had nothing to do with his hangover.
"Drowning your sorrows after falling for the wrong girl. We all did it at least once. And I was the one who insisted you get her number and call her, so I feel partially responsible."
Greg visibly relaxed.
"But you also warned me when I found out she was lying to me, and I didn't listen."
"True. In your defense, she was hella cute."
"Yeah, she was," Greg sighed, a dreamy expression dawning on his face.
Nick patted his shoulder and moved past him.
"You'll be back on your feet in no time, you're the master of shameless flirting. I think at least two girls from day shift have a crush on you, if you're interested." He opened his locker and removed his jacket. "Or you could just stick to dating guys," he added nonchalantly.
"What?" Greg croaked. He didn't dare turn around and look at Nick.
"I don't know how much you remember about last night, but you wanted to convince me that dating men is easier than dating women and used me as a case study. Who knew you had such a clear idea of how our first date would go?"
Greg covered his face with both hands.
"I am so, so sorry. I'm never getting drunk in public again."
Nick laughed and closed his locker.
"Come on, man, I'm sure it's not the worst thing you've done while drunk."
He walked to the door and stopped just before leaving the room.
"But it wouldn't be a problem, you know. If you wanted to date men. I wouldn't judge you."
Greg finally moved his hands away from his face and slowly turned his head, staring at the empty doorway as Nick's words echoed in his head.
***
"Okay. Okay okay okay. He simply told you he has no problem with the idea of you dating guys, which is… good. Yeah, good. He just wanted to let you know he's not a homophobe, no big deal. Okay. Good. Breathe."
Greg was pacing the empty office, talking to himself as he thought back to the conversation he'd had with Nick at the start of the shift. He couldn't stop replaying the whole thing over and over in his head, trying to make sense of Nick's last words.
"Greg."
He spun around. Speak of the devil.
"Hey!" he called, a little too loud.
Nick frowned.
"You okay? You're acting a little weird. Well, weirder than usual."
"Ha! You're a funny man, Stokes."
Nick raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment.
"Come on, we got a case," he simply said, pointing behind his shoulder with his thumb.
"Yes. Right. Let me just, um, grab my stuff. Be right there."
Nick looked as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just shook his head and turned around.
"Hurry up, Catherine's waiting."
Once he was alone, Greg took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Get a fucking grip on yourself, Sanders," he muttered through gritted teeth and walked out of the room.
***
He willingly chose the dumpster. His enthusiasm in volunteering for one of the grossest tasks in the CSI portfolio got him some funny looks, but he knew he wouldn't be able to focus if he had to work with Nick. Luckily, rummaging through smelly garbage provided a nice distraction, and he even managed to find a useful piece of evidence.
As soon as they arrived back at the lab, he made a beeline for the locker room: he felt dirty and disgusting and just wanted to take a shower and change into clean clothes. When he shut his locker, he noticed Nick standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was smiling, and Greg could swear he was looking at him… fondly.
"What?" he asked, trying not to panic.
Nick pushed himself off the wall and walked closer. Greg wished he'd never asked.
"You brought something back from the scene," Nick said, and raised a hand to Greg's hair. He gently plucked something out of it and held it in front of his eyes. It was a flower.
"Think we should bag this and file it together with the rest of the evidence?" Nick asked, amused.
"Ha ha. It's probably contaminated anyway," Greg replied, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt.
Nick studied him for a few seconds.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Jeez, why do you keep asking me that? I'm good, I promise. But I really, really need a shower right now. I smell like…"
"A dumpster?" Nick suggested with a smile.
Greg gave him his best unimpressed look.
"Hey, man, you volunteered," Nick added, holding up his hands in a calming gesture.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to smell like garbage for the rest of the day. So if we're done here…"
Nick stepped aside, and Greg rushed toward the showers.
***
Nick looked wrecked. He was standing in front of his open locker, the overhead lights accentuating the dark circles under his eyes and making him look pale and gaunt. He had been awake for more than 24 hours, refusing to take a break until they had finally cracked the case, and now the lack of sleep was taking its toll.
"You're not driving in that state."
Nick started and turned around. Greg was standing just a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest and a serious expression on his face.
"I'm fine, Greg."
Greg snorted.
"Yeah, right. You can barely keep your eyes open. Do you want to cause an accident?"
Nick wanted to reply that he was perfectly able to operate a car, thank you very much, but Greg looked adamant. And he had to admit he was tired. Too tired to argue, anyway.
"Fine, I'll call a taxi."
"No need, I can give you a ride."
Nick opened his mouth to turn down the offer, but another look at Greg's face told him it would be useless. He shut his locker and followed him to the parking lot.
They had been in the car for less than ten minutes, when Greg noticed Nick was extremely quiet. He looked over to the passenger seat and saw the Texan had fallen asleep, head tilted to his left and lips slightly parted. Greg had to force himself to look away and keep his eyes on the road for the rest of the ride.
As they reached Nick's home, Greg parked in the driveway and turned off the engine. Nick was still asleep, breathing evenly and looking much more relaxed than when Greg had found him in the locker room, and Greg was tempted to just let him rest. But he knew he had to wake him up so he could get some real sleep.
"Nick. Hey, Nick, we're here."
Nick didn't even stir, so Greg placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. Nick finally opened his eyes, blinking a few times against the light, and gave him a small smile, his expression still soft and mellow from the short nap.
Greg felt his heart squeeze almost painfully in his chest. In that moment, he realized with full clarity just how much he would enjoy waking up every day to the sight of Nick's sleepy smile.
"Hey." Nick yawned and sat up. When he looked out of the window and saw where they were, he gave Greg a sheepish grin. "Sorry for falling asleep on you. I guess I was more tired than I thought."
"No problem," Greg replied, glad his voice didn't betray his inner turmoil.
Nick unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car, turning back to Greg once more before closing the door.
"Thanks for the ride."
Greg nodded.
"Go get some sleep."
He watched Nick carefully as he walked to the front door and fumbled with the keys. Once he had closed the door behind him, Greg grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and smacked his forehead against his knuckles. He was in deep shit.
***
Greg had missed clubbing. When he had finally been promoted to CSI, he had made the conscious decision to change his lifestyle: he didn't want to be called out again for being late or unprepared on a scene, and he certainly didn't want to be sent back to the lab. More than anything, he wanted prove that Grissom hadn't made a mistake when he had given him a chance. He had to choose between being the wild kid who listened to loud music, wore crazy shirts, and flirted with anyone who crossed his path, or being a responsible adult, a professional, someone the team could rely on. Becoming a CSI had been his dream, one he had worked hard to achieve, so he had chosen the latter.
Sometimes, especially at the beginning, he had longed for the pulsing beat, the throng of people, the exhilarating feeling of dancing so close to someone it could almost be considered foreplay. But he had told himself it all belonged to the past: he had moved on, he didn't need it anymore. He still went to concerts every now and then, but that was it.
Standing at the bar that night, a drink in his hand and music blasting in his ears, felt oddly liberating. It was a new club, not one of his old haunts, and he didn't know anyone, but he felt perfectly at ease, like being back in his element after a prolonged hiatus. He scanned the crowd, eyes lingering on the people around him. He wasn't there just to dance. He asked himself for the umpteenth time if he was doing the right thing. He had been asking himself the same question the whole night: while he was standing in the shower, as he put on a pair of pants so tight they looked painted on, when he looked at himself in the mirror one last time before grabbing his car keys. He didn't have an answer.
He had felt a growing restlessness lately, and things were getting out of control. He had been able to ignore his attraction to Nick for years, so why was it so difficult now? He hadn't been with a guy in ages; maybe it was just an itch he needed to scratch. Maybe if he just got it out of his system, things would go back to normal.
As he took a sip of his drink, a man caught his eye. He was tall and dark-haired, well-built but not too buff. And he was looking right at Greg.
Greg smiled and raised his glass in a toast before bringing it to his lips, eyes never leaving the stranger's. The man's expression shifted slightly and he walked towards him.
"Hi," he said when he reached Greg, voice barely audible over the blaring music.
"Hi."
Up close, Greg could see that the details were all wrong: the man's eyes were blue (or maybe green, it was difficult to tell in the low lighting), his hair was a bit longer than he had initially thought, and his jawline was definitely not the right shape.
Greg stomped on those thoughts before they could go any further. He had gone to that club to forget about Nick, and he had been lucky enough to catch the attention of a hot guy. So why couldn't he shake the feeling that he was doing something wrong?
***
Greg didn't get much sleep after leaving the club, which had been the plan all along, but his little escapade hadn't solved his problem. The sex had been good, really good, but as he lay in bed afterward, sated and relaxed, he caught himself daydreaming, wondering what it would be like to share a bed with Nick. He glanced over at the man lying next to him, and it was alarmingly easy to imagine Nick in his place, a soft smile curving his lips as he looked at Greg with sleepy eyes.
After trying in vain to fall asleep, he just lay there until the guy (Tom? Ted? He wasn't really sure) woke up. Greg lied about having to work in the morning and the guy just smiled and leaned over for a kiss. He gave Greg his number before leaving, saying they should meet up again sometime, and Greg agreed, knowing full well he would never call him. After the guy left, Greg took a long shower, hoping it would help him relax. It didn't work. He only managed to fall asleep in the afternoon, and when his alarm clock went off a couple of hours later, he cursed and wished he had never set foot in that club.
***
"You look awful," Nick commented as Greg walked into the locker room. "Aren't you supposed to come back refreshed and energized after a night off? You look like you didn't sleep a wink."
"I had a bit of a rough night," Greg replied as he tilted his head to the side, grimacing as he heard his neck pop.
"Good rough or bad rough?" Nick inquired.
Greg shrugged and reached for his locker.
"Just rough."
He didn't meet Nick's eyes, afraid his friend would immediately know what had happened if he looked at him. Which was a ridiculous thought, but Greg was running on too little sleep and too much caffeine, and he didn't want to take any chances.
"Come on, someone left donuts in the break room." Nick patted his shoulder and walked out, leaving Greg alone with his thoughts.
***
In the following days, Greg dove into work, trying to keep all thoughts of Nick away by focusing on processing scenes, cataloging evidence, following leads. They didn't get paired up together, which was very unusual, but Greg sure wasn't complaining. Whenever they were back at the lab, he kept their interactions to a minimum, and all but fled out of the door the moment his shift ended. He felt bad for avoiding Nick like that, his friend had done absolutely nothing wrong, but he didn't trust himself around him.
By the end of the week, he was feeling more like his usual self, so when Catherine invited everyone to breakfast, he gladly accepted. As they all sat around the table, eating and laughing and teasing each other, Greg sneaked a glance at Nick. The Texan looked tired but happy, amused at something Raymond had said. As if sensing his gaze, Nick looked up and caught him staring. He gave him one of his radiant smiles, and Greg's breath caught in his throat. He returned the smile and quickly averted his eyes, grabbing his cup of coffee and bringing it to his lips.
They fought over who had to pay as usual, and Greg was once again extremely grateful for being part of such an amazing team. And if he had to fight against a silly crush on one of his coworkers, well, there were worse problems to have. He would just need to wait until it faded away.
As if on cue, he heard Nick call out his name.
"Yeah?" Greg replied as he turned around.
"Hey. I haven't seen you around much this week."
"Yeah, I was always paired up with Sarah or Raymond."
Nick nodded.
"I was wondering... Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Um. Can we go to my place? I don't want to talk about it here."
Greg frowned. He had rarely seen Nick look so nervous.
"Of course. I'll meet you there."
He stared after Nick as he walked to his car.
***
"You want something to drink? I'm afraid I don't have much to offer, I didn't have time to go grocery shopping lately." Greg thought Nick sounded even more nervous than earlier. He joined him in the kitchen just as he was opening the fridge. "I have beer and soda."
"Beer's fine."
Nick grabbed two bottles, opened them and handed one to Greg. They walked to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
"So, what's the big secret that needs to be discussed in the privacy of your own home?" Greg asked, going for a cheerful tone to lighten the mood.
Nick didn't answer at first, taking a long swig of beer instead.
"You know what you told me that night, after the whole mess with your stripper girlfriend?" he eventually asked.
"Burlesque dancer," Greg automatically corrected, and Nick smiled.
"Sorry, burlesque dancer. Anyway, remember the conversation we had?"
Greg sighed. He had hoped the topic wouldn't come up again.
"Yeah, I do. And I'm really, really sorry. I was drunk and heartbroken and should've kept my big mouth shut. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable."
"No, it's not that. I was just wondering... Do you actually... like guys?" he added, carefully weighing each word.
Greg studied him.
"Why?"
Nick shrugged and glanced away, trying to look nonchalant.
"Just wondering," he replied, raising the bottle to his lips again.
Greg knew there was something else. Nick was too tense, trying too hard to make it sound like a casual, friendly conversation, when it was obvious it was anything but. Greg wanted to know what was going on, and there was only one way to find out.
"Yeah, I do."
Nick looked back at him.
"You never mentioned it before. You always talk about girls."
"I like both. It's called being bisexual."
Greg could swear Nick was blushing.
"And... Have you always known you like both?"
"I guess. I think I realized I wasn't totally straight in high school. When I got on the chess team there was this guy, he was in senior year, and I was a little obsessed with him. At first I thought it was just admiration, but then one night I had a very vivid wet dream about him and understood it wasn't just a case of hero worship."
Nick didn't say anything, just nodded and stared straight ahead. Greg leaned forward and put his beer bottle down on the coffee table.
"Nick, what's all this about?" he asked, turning towards him. A sudden doubt crept into his mind. "Do you have a problem with me liking guys?"
"No," Nick replied without hesitation, turning around and holding Greg's gaze. "It's just that... I think I like both too," he added, looking away again. G
reg was flabbergasted. Of all the answers he was expecting, that one had never even crossed his mind.
"You... think?"
"There was a guy in college, we played baseball together. I caught him checking me out a few times, but instead of feeling uncomfortable I was... thrilled. I started fantasizing about making a pass at him, waiting until everyone else had left the locker room after practice and pushing him up against the wall. I'm sure he wouldn't have stopped me."
"But you didn't do that, did you?"
Nick shook his head.
"We were both frat boys, we couldn't risk it. So I told myself it was just a phase, something I'd grow out of. And I still liked girls, so it was easy to push it to the back of my mind." He took a sip of beer and went on. "Then I got into law enforcement. In Texas. You can imagine the kind of comments I heard on a daily basis." He gave Greg a small, sad smile. "Every now and then a guy would catch my eye, but I simply avoided him and focused on my job. I didn't have much time for dating, anyway. And then I moved to Vegas. I thought things could be different here, I mean, it's Sin City, right? Anything goes. And I didn't know anyone, I could make a fresh start and be free to experiment. But it just... never happened."
"You just need to find the right person. It's not easy to open up when you had to repress your feelings for so long."
"Or maybe it was just a phase after all."
"I don't think so, and, deep down, neither do you," Greg said, as gently as he could. "You wouldn't have told me all this otherwise."
Nick sighed.
"I don't know, I just... I needed to tell someone, I guess. And after that night, I thought I finally found someone who wouldn't judge me. But you were drunk, and I wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol talking or if you really were, you know..."
"Bi."
Nick nodded.
"Well, that was the alcohol talking, I wasn't planning on coming out like that, but I'm glad my drunken babbling eventually encouraged you to talk about this. How do you feel?"
"Surprisingly relieved."
Greg smiled.
"Good." He reached for his beer bottle and raised it in a toast. "To drunken confessions."
Nick smiled back and clinked his bottle against Greg's.
***
"Nick, Greg, well done on that double homicide case," Catherine said as she entered the break room and headed straight for the coffee pot.
"Thanks, Cath. It's always nice when criminals are sloppy and leave fingerprints and DNA traces all over the place," Nick replied, looking up from the report he was going through.
"Yeah, it makes our job so much easier," Greg added.
"You both pulled a few doubles this week, why don't you call it a night? We can handle things without you for the next couple of hours."
"I hope you're not gonna change your mind later, because I'm turning off my phone."
Catherine smiled, knowing full well Nick would never do that.
"Go. Enjoy the time off."
As she left the room, Nick shoved all the papers back into their folder and stood up.
"I don't know about you, man, but I'm gonna accept Catherine's offer and head home," he said, stretching his back.
"Yeah, that sounds nice," Greg commented.
He followed Nick out into the corridor and waited for him as he dropped the report on his desk.
"Actually, how tired are you?" Greg asked as they walked into the locker room.
"Not much, to be honest. Why?"
"You feel like grabbing a drink before going home? There's a place I'd like to show you."
Nick pulled on his jacket and shut his locker.
"Lead the way."
***
"Well, fuck me."
"Hi, Charlie."
"Greg! Where have you been, man? It's been years. I thought you'd gone back to California."
"Nah, just busy with work and stuff."
"Stuff, huh?" Charlie asked, giving Nick a once-over. "Pretty hot stuff, from what I see. Good for you."
"No, he's not... We're not..."
"You sure? He seems just your type."
"We're just friends."
"Friends, huh? So you don't mind if I go for it?"
Greg glared at him and Charlie laughed.
"Relax, man, I'm just messing with you." He turned to Nick and extended his hand. "Hi, sweetheart, I'm Charlie."
"Nick." He took the bartender's hand and shook it. "You do realize I was standing right here while you two were talking about me, right?"
"Yeah, I know. I just like to rile Greg up. He's adorable when he blushes."
"Behave," Greg warned him.
Charlie gave him a little smirk.
"So, what can I get you two gentlemen?"
"Do you still have that amazing craft beer from Oakland?"
"Some things never change, huh?"
Greg shrugged.
"And you, sweetheart?" Charlie asked Nick.
"The same. Let's see how amazing this beer is."
"Coming right up."
When Charlie came back, they picked up their glasses and sat down at a table.
"Sorry about Charlie, I forgot he can be a little..." Greg trailed off, gesturing vaguely and trying to find the right words.
"Don't worry, I've had bartenders hit on me before," Nick said. "They just don't usually have a beard," he added with an amused glint in his eye.
Greg smiled and felt himself relax. As far as gay bars went, The White Rabbit was the friendliest, most laid-back place he had ever been to, but he still wasn't sure how Nick would react. Sure, he had said he wanted to be more open about his sexuality, but Greg didn't want to overwhelm him. So seeing him there, sipping his beer with a pleased expression on his face, flooded Greg with relief.
"This is nice," Nick said, glancing around. "Very different from what I expected."
"What, did you think I'd bring you to a BDSM club for your first outing into the seedy gay scene?"
Nick looked down at his glass and brought it to his lips, not meeting Greg's eyes, and Greg wanted to kick himself for his lack of tact.
"Sorry. I tend to forget this is a whole new thing for you."
Nick shook his head.
"It's okay. I should actually thank you for helping me, I would never have come to a place like this on my own. There's a lot I've been missing out on," he added with a smile, and Greg felt his stomach flutter.
"Don't even mention it. I kinda missed this place, so it's no big deal," he replied, grabbing his beer and taking a long swig, hoping the low lighting would hide the blush he could feel spreading all over his face.
Over at the bar, Charlie looked at them with a knowing smile.
***
"Don't even think about it."
Greg could barely recognize his own voice. He saw Nick slightly incline his head towards him out of the corner of his eye before the Texan shouted his reply to what was obviously a ruse. His heart was hammering in his chest, but his grip on the gun was steady, finger ready to pull the trigger.
He was going to protect Nick.
***
Back at the lab, Greg pushed the door of his locker shut and sat down on the bench. He couldn't really say he was sorry Jason McCann was dead, not after everything the little bastard had done, but he had been just a kid after all. If circumstances had been different, maybe...
"Hey, you ready to go home?"
Nick's voice brought him back to the present. He nodded briefly, not looking up.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just thinking about the case."
"It was tough, huh?"
'More than you can even imagine.'
"You would've accepted, wouldn't you? If I hadn't stopped you, you would've walked right into that damn kid's trap."
"Greg..." Nick started, but Greg's pointed look effectively shut him up. "Yeah, okay, I might have considered the possibility of negotiating with the little punk."
Greg sighed.
"Nick, you need to stop putting yourself in danger like that."
"I was just trying to help him. I mean, he was guilty and needed to pay for his crimes, but he didn't have to die like that."
"No, he didn't. But you can only help someone if they want to be helped."
Nick sat down on the bench next to him.
"You're right, but you know me: I think everyone deserves a second chance."
"And that's what worries me," Greg responded, looking down at his feet. What if Nick tried to help the wrong person one day and no one was there to stop him? He couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
Nick placed a hand on his shoulder and Greg looked up at him.
"Good thing I have you watching my back then," Nick said, and his smile took Greg's breath away.
"Just don't push your luck: I won't always be around to save your sorry ass."
Nick's smile widened and he patted Greg's shoulder before standing up.
"I'll do my best."
***
"Don't you feel great after a nice workout?" Nick asked as he put the dumbbells back on the rack.
"No," Greg replied, sitting down heavily on a bench. "I feel like I was run over by a truck. Repeatedly."
Nick turned around and grinned.
"It's gonna be worse tomorrow."
Greg threw back his head and groaned.
"I hate you."
"No, you don't," Nick said as he sat down next to him. "And you'll thank me in the long run."
"Right now I just wanna die."
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
Greg glared at him, but Nick's smile only grew wider. It was hard to stay mad at him when he was sitting so close, his sweaty T-shirt sticking to all the right places and that damn smile lighting up his whole face. Greg's eyes were drawn to Nick's lips, which looked rosy and plump and... He realized he was staring and looked away, hoping Nick hadn't noticed.
"How about we grab some pizza on the way to my place? My treat."
Nick was looking expectantly at him and Greg didn't have the heart to say no, even if the only thing he wanted to do was go home and faceplant in bed.
"Okay. But go shower first, you stink."
Nick grinned again and slapped Greg's shoulder playfully.
"And you smell like roses." He stood up and reached out a hand to help him up. "Come on, you'll feel better after a nice, warm shower."
***
Greg sighed and leaned back against the sofa cushions.
"Feeling better?"
"Much better. There's nothing a good, greasy pizza can't fix."
Nick smiled at him, the kind of smile that reached his eyes and made them crinkle, and Greg felt his own lips curve upwards. He was sure he must have a hopeless, smitten expression plastered on his face and glanced away. Hiding his feelings was becoming more and more difficult, and Nick wasn't stupid, he was going to catch on sooner rather than later. He knew he should stop hanging around him so much outside of work, but he didn't want to give up on their time together. He knew he was being selfish, but some days, the prospect of spending a couple of hours with Nick after work was the only thing that kept him going.
"You okay there, buddy? You look awfully pensive."
Nick's voice brought Greg back to reality.
"Yeah, sorry, I spaced out a little. I think that's my cue to go home and get some rest," Greg replied as he stood up.
"Wait!" Nick called out.
Greg stopped and turned toward him.
"Before you go, there's something I wanted to tell you."
Greg sat back down and waited. Nick looked strangely nervous.
"I... I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me in the last months."
Greg didn't need to ask what Nick was referring to.
"Hey, that's what friends are for, no need to thank me."
Nick shook his head.
"No, really, you changed my life. And I'm not exaggerating. I mean, you even took me to a gay bar," he jokingly added, and Greg couldn't hold back a smile.
"We can go back whenever you want. Just a heads-up, I think Charlie might have a little crush on you."
"Well, I'm flattered, but he's not my type," Nick replied, smiling back. "But that brings me to the other thing I wanted to tell you. I... There's a guy I've liked for some time, and I think I'm finally ready to tell him."
Greg felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He just sat there, unable to talk, unable to move, unable to even blink, static noise filling his ears and erasing everything else around him. Nick was... Nick was going to... He thought he might vomit all over Nick's sofa. He knew he should be happy for him, for the huge progress he had made in such a relatively short time, but the thought of him with another man sent a wave of nausea through Greg. He could feel the sickness rise from his stomach, could taste the bile in his mouth.
"That's... great," he managed to croak out, hoping Nick wouldn't notice how his voice quivered. "Let me know if I need to give him the shovel talk," he added, trying to hide the pain behind his usual humor.
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Nick replied with a smile.
Greg felt a pang in his chest, as if ice-cold fingers had wrapped around his heart.
"He must be pretty special, huh?"
He forced the words out of his mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was sit there and talk about the lucky bastard who had won Nick's heart, but he couldn't just leave, not after Nick had trusted him with something so important. He just had to grit his teeth and face the music. And if he was going spend an hour or two sobbing into his pillow once he got home, well, no one had to know.
"Very special."
Nick's smile turned even softer, eyes crinkling in that adorable way they always did when he was truly happy, and Greg knew he wouldn't even make it home: he was sure he would start crying his eyes out as soon as he left Nick's driveway.
He glanced away, unable to look at him any longer, and bit the inside of his lip, hoping the physical pain would distract him from the pain in his heart.
"Greg?"
He almost jumped when Nick gently placed a hand on his knee. He turned around and saw Nick look at him with an uncertain expression.
"Please, tell me I haven't been reading the signs wrong."
Greg looked down at Nick's hand, then up at his face again.
"The signs?" he asked, dumbly.
Nick took a deep breath, his expression turning serious, almost solemn.
"It's you."
Greg just blinked at him, not daring to hope yet.
"Me?"
Nick gave him a small, nervous smile.
"Who else could it be?"
"You... You like me?"
Nick nodded.
"I've liked you for an awfully long time. I wasn't going to tell you, I was just going to wait until it passed, like I always did whenever I liked a guy." A veil of sadness darkened Nick's eyes, and Greg's heart ached at the thought of all the times Nick had suppressed his feelings because he thought he wasn't allowed to act on them. "I thought I'd gotten over it, but then that night happened, and I couldn't think of anything else."
He paused, studying Greg and gauging his reaction. Greg, on the other hand, just stared at him, at a loss for words.
"And I know you didn't really mean to come out like that, but I'm glad you did, so I could come out to you too. It felt so good to finally have someone to confide in, and you've been so supportive, I couldn't have asked for a better friend. But I also think there's more than friendship between us. So here I am, hoping I'm not making a total fool of myself," he finally added with fake nonchalance, when Greg knew he must be a bundle of nerves.
Greg realized he was gaping and snapped his mouth shut.
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Well, that's a first," Nick commented with a smile, and Greg felt all the tension that had gripped him leave his body.
He covered Nick's hand with his own.
"I thought I was doing a pretty good job at hiding my feelings. I know how difficult it was for you to open up about that part of yourself, and I didn't want you to think I was betraying your trust or something."
"Looks like we've both been pining like hopeless teenagers."
The comment brought a genuine smile to Greg's face. He started absently rubbing his thumb over the back of Nick's hand, and Nick leaned toward him.
"May I?"
Greg nodded, eyes fixed on Nick's mouth as the other man licked his lips and slowly closed the distance between them.
The touch was light at first, a mere brush of lips, but it was enough to make Greg's whole body vibrate. He had been waiting so long for it, so fucking long. He parted his lips and sighed into the kiss, Nick pressing himself closer and cupping Greg's cheek with his free hand. Someone moaned, Greg wasn't sure who, and he felt Nick pull back.
When he opened his eyes, Nick was looking at him like he had never seen Greg before, eyes huge and a light blush coloring his cheeks.
"Is this okay?" Greg asked
Nick nodded.
"You want to stop?"
Nick shook his head.
"No."
Greg was only too happy to be pulled into another kiss. He placed his hands around Nick's waist, relishing the small gasp that escaped Nick as he bit down on his lower lip. He ran his palms up and down Nick's back as the kiss deepened, and felt Nick's hand leave his knee and slide slowly up his thigh. He pressed forward, needing to be closer, and Nick reclined back. Greg couldn't hold back a moan as he found himself lying on top of him.
"Just... Just tell me if you... want to stop," he mumbled in between kisses.
He couldn't get enough of Nick: the way he sounded, the way he tasted, the way he trembled and arched beneath him. Greg pulled back from his mouth and kissed his way down his throat. He fumbled with the buttons of Nick's shirt with shaky fingers, then just grabbed the fabric and pulled it out of his pants, too impatient to unbutton it properly. He slid down and kissed the exposed skin of Nick's stomach, and Nick gasped.
"W-wait," Nick panted, and Greg reluctantly stopped.
"Changed your mind?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too disappointed.
"No," Nick answered. He sat up and grabbed Greg's hand, getting them both to their feet and guiding him into the bedroom. "I want to do this right," he added, stopping next to the bed.
Greg smiled.
"You big romantic."
Nick looked a little embarrassed, and Greg leaned closer, framing his face with both hands and kissing him softly.
"How do you want to do this?"
Nick shrugged.
"I trust you."
Greg didn't rush this time, slowly unbuttoning Nick's shirt until it was fully open, then running his fingers down Nick's chest, exploring his skin before finally pushing the garment off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Nick mirrored Greg's actions, and, once they were both standing shirtless in front of each other, he placed his hands on Greg's waist and leaned in for another kiss. Just as things were starting to heat up again, he withdrew and turned around, grabbing the quilt and pulling it back. Greg took a step forward and pressed himself against Nick's back, wrapping his arms around him and placing a kiss to the side of his neck. Nick put up no resistance when Greg gently maneuvered him around and pushed him onto the bed, ending up lying on top of him again. He cupped Nick's cheek with a hand and slowly ran the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip before leaning down and kissing him again, enjoying the way Nick ran his hands up and down his back, getting more confident with each caress.
He eventually pulled back and slid down Nick's body, leaving a trail of kisses down his chest and stomach and stopping only to unbuckle Nick's belt and unzip his fly. Nick lifted his hips, watching Greg as he pulled down Nick's pants and underwear and removed his socks.
"Fuck, Nick, you're so hot. I don't know where to start."
Nick opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his throat as Greg placed both hands on his hips and ran them up his sides, making him gasp.
"Ticklish?" Greg asked, a tiny smirk curving his lips upward.
"N-no," Nick stuttered, voice sounding strained.
Greg didn't buy it for one second, but decided to let it slide. He leaned down and pressed his lips gently against Nick's, relishing the small moan that escaped Nick's mouth. He let his right hand wander down Nick's torso and across his belly, before wrapping his fingers around Nick's cock.
Nick gasped again and threw his head back into the pillow, eyes shut tight.
"Relax, baby," Greg whispered in his ear, before sliding down his body. He stopped only when he reached Nick's crotch, looking up briefly and smiling at him before placing a tiny kiss on the tip of Nick's dick.
Nick let out a garbled sound and Greg raised his head slightly, glancing up again. Nick's face was flushed, teeth biting into his bottom lip as he breathed heavily through his nostrils. Greg licked his lips and took the head of Nick's cock into his mouth.
"Fuck!" Nick's hands reached out of their own accord, grabbing tightly onto Greg's shoulders.
"Ssh, it's okay. I've got you," Greg murmured against his skin, running his left hand soothingly up and down Nick's thigh. He kissed his way down to the base of Nick's cock then licked him with long strokes, before taking him into his mouth again, deeper this time.
The mewling sounds coming from Nick's throat shot straight to Greg's groin. His pants were becoming uncomfortably tight and he would have loved to get some relief, but this wasn't about him. He wanted it to be good for Nick, wanted him to lose control. He kept sucking, head bobbing up and down, until he felt one of Nick's hands cup the back on his head.
"G-Greg. I'm... I'm gonna..."
Greg had no intention of stopping. He sucked harder and moved faster, until he felt Nick tense and come into his mouth with a strangled cry. When Nick stopped trembling, Greg pulled back and crawled up the bed, lying on his side next to him.
"You okay?" he asked, running a hand slowly down Nick's arm.
It took Nick a few moments to reply.
"More than okay. That was. Wow."
Greg smiled and moved closer, and Nick noticed he was still wearing jeans, the bulge in his crotch very noticeable.
"You're still..."
Greg nodded.
"Wanna help me out with that?"
Nick reached out, gingerly cupping him through the denim, and Greg moaned, closing his eyes and pushing against him.
"I... I don't know what to do," Nick admitted, but he didn't remove his hand.
"Just keep touching me," Greg said, thrusting his hips forward and into Nick's palm.
When the pressure became too much to bear, he rolled onto his back and opened his belt buckle. Nick stared at him as Greg undid the button on his fly and pulled the zipper down, then pushed his jeans down his hips. The outline of his hard cock was clearly visible through his underwear.
"You don't have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable." Greg's voice snapped Nick out of his reverie. "I can just..." He reached down and touched himself through the cotton.
"No, I wanna do this. I thought about this moment so much," Nick answered. "I even dreamed about it," he added, looking a little embarrassed.
"Did you?" Greg asked, voice low and raspy, and Nick nodded.
"Yeah."
"And in your dreams, what did you do?" Greg went on, hand slipping inside his underwear and closing around his dick.
Nick licked his lips, unable to look away.
"I... I kissed you."
"You wanna kiss me now?"
Nick nodded again, not trusting his voice.
"Well, go on, then. I'm all yours," Greg murmured, giving himself a few lazy strokes.
Nick leaned down and pressed his lips against Greg's. The kiss started off soft and gentle, but quickly turned heated and dirty, both of them panting into each other's mouths. When one of Nick's hands started roaming over Greg's chest, Greg took it and guided it down. As it reached Greg's crotch, Nick's fingers sneaked under the waistband of his underwear.
"Then what, Nick? What did you do?" Greg asked, out of breath, pushing his briefs down his hips.
"I touched you," Nick replied, wrapping his fingers gingerly around Greg's dick and squeezing gently, making him gasp.
"Yes. Please," Greg pleaded, pushing himself up into Nick's fist.
Nick gave a few tentative strokes, which made Greg whimper and squirm under him. Seeing that, Nick grew bolder, his grip getting tighter as he leaned over to whisper in Greg's ear.
"You sound so much better than in my dreams."
Greg's hips bucked up and he clutched at Nick's shoulders.
"Fuck, Nick. Don't stop, please, don't stop."
Nick was fascinated by Greg's expression: his eyes were barely open and his cheeks flushed, lips swollen and shiny from being kissed. Nick's eyes were fixed on Greg's face as he panted and pushed his head back against the pillow, hips lifting to meet the movements of Nick's hand.
"So close."
Nick stroked faster, and in a matter of seconds Greg was screwing up his eyes and groaning, back arching off the bed as he came all over his stomach. Nick gradually stopped but didn't release his hold, and some of the semen dripped down Greg's cock and onto his fingers. Nick stared at his hand, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened, then glanced at Greg's face. Greg was looking at him with heavy-lidded eyes, hair an unruly mess against the pillow. Nick's pillow.
Nick looked away and reached for the nightstand, grabbing a few tissues to clean up the mess they had made. When he was done, he lied down next to Greg without saying a word. Greg pushed his jeans and underwear all the way down his legs and kicked them off, then got rid of his socks, rolled onto his side and draped an arm over Nick's chest.
"Please, don't freak out," he pleaded, voice little more than a whisper.
"I'm not freaking out," Nick replied, placing a hand on Greg's forearm. "I just need some time to process everything."
"Take all the time you need. Just... You know this wasn't just a one-night stand for me, right?"
Nick turned towards him and his expression was so intense Greg almost forgot how to breathe.
"It wasn't a one-night stand for me either."
He pressed his forehead against Greg's and closed his eyes. They lay like that for a while, and Greg wondered if Nick had fallen asleep.
"Will you stay?" Nick eventually asked.
Greg nodded.
"I'd like to."
Nick reached down and grabbed the sheets, pulling them up and covering them both. He lied back down onto his side and kissed him lightly.
"Goodnight, Greg."
Greg smiled and snuggled closer.
"Goodnight."
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July 2025