-Have A Little Faith In Me-
Okay, yet another kind of angsty fic. Started a while ago, recently finished. Ugh, I've rewritten the ending to this story several times ad out of the three or four attempts, this was the best version. I'm still not entirely pleased with it. I hope you enjoy, anyway. Oh, CSI isn't mine. Nor is the song, which belongs to John Hiatt. Special thanks to KilMeKisMeLoveMe.
When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me
Nick ducked, barely avoiding the 'Encyclopedia of Forensic Science' as it flew past his head, colliding with the door he had just walked through. The book clattered to the floor, his eyes traveling from the airborne weapon to his lover standing on the other side of the room.
"What the hell was that for?" He shouted, urging his heart to return to a normal rhythm.
Greg simply glared daggers at him, refusing to answer, he drummed his fingers against the second volume of the series, warning Nick that he was still armed. "You know damn well what that was for." He ground out through clenched teeth.
The Texan crossed the room, hesitantly reaching for the heavy book, though Greg wouldn't release it. "G, what are you talking about?"
"Don't treat me like I'm oblivious to everything, Nick! I'm a C.S.I. just like you. We're trained to figure stuff like this out." He scoffed, rather insulted. "I -know- you've been screwing around on me!"
Nick gaped, blinking several times. He opened his mouth to reply, shutting it a second later, too stunned to reply. "You… you think I'm cheating on you?" He finally managed, his hands on Greg's shoulders.
Greg pushed him away, moving to the opposite side of the room, trying to keep some distance between them. "Damn it, I know you have! You're never here when I get home, you always come running in with the stupidest excuses I've ever heard. I can tell you're hiding something from me."
"I'd never do that to you!" Nick protested, once again approaching the younger man. "You're everything to me, I could never cheat on you. Not ever, Greg."
"Then what the hell have you been doing if you're not out getting some action?" Greg demanded, an accusatory finger pointed at his lover.
And when the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
And have a little faith in me
And…
"I can't believe you think I'm cheating on you…" Nick still stood rooted to the spot, staring in astonishment at the other. "I really can't."
"Stop making excuses and tell me! Why? Who?" Greg had tears streaming down his face. He'd wanted to be proven wrong, but thus far Nick had offered nothing to make him believe the contrary. "Is it someone from the lab? Someone else? A girl or a guy? Do they love you?" He rambled off a bazillion questions, all of which made his head spin.
The Texan was angry now. "Gregory! I'm not fucking cheating on you!" He roared, trying desperately to get this through his thick-headed lovers skull.
"Right. Explain the weird behavior, then. Explain to me why you're too tired to do anything anymore. Explain why you're never around, Nick." Greg folded his arms over his chest, a sign that he was distancing himself from the other as much as possible without simply bolting from the room.
"You wanna know why?" Nick snapped, digging something from his back pocket. "Fine. This is why." He flung the folded paper at his lover, before retreating from the room.
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Greg stared at the paper lying on the floor in front of him for several minutes after Nick left before he actually dared to pick it up, carefully unfolding it.
"Damn it." He closed his eyes upon reading the document. It was the deed to a house. Apparently, their house. All that was missing was his signature. "God, what the hell did I do?"
He grabbed his jacket and slid on his shoes, and for some odd reason the book he'd been clutching in his fingers since their argument started, and headed toward the door, trying to decide where he should look first.
When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here darlin'
From a whisper start
To have a little faith in me
There was no sign of Nick at Warrick's, or Catherine's, or anyone else's place. Nick's old college buddy, Scott, hadn't heard from him either. He hadn't called off work, so he hadn't gone back to Texas. Which left Greg completely out of ideas as to where the older man could be hiding out. He found himself sitting in his car cursing himself for being such an idiot.
"Where are you, Nicky…?" He was about thirty seconds away from checking the hospitals and such when another idea hit him. He pulled the folded paper from his jacket pocket, reading the address on the deed.
1672 Mayfair Place. 5 minutes away from the crime lab (I just picked a random street around the actual LVPD Crime Lab).
His hunch had been right, too. He spotted Nick's car parked outside of the house.
"Thank God…" He sighed with relief, throwing the car into park and sprinting up the walk. "Nick?" He called, poking his head in the door.
And when your backs against the wall
Just turn around and you will see
I will catch, I will catch your fall baby
Just have a little faith in me
"Understand now?' The Texan's voice behind him caused Greg to jump. "It was supposed to be a surprise."
"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry I didn't trust you." The younger hung his head in shame. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"I'd never cheat on you, Greg. Not ever." He was still glaring, but he'd dropped the invisible barrier keeping his lover on the opposite side of the room. "I've been helping to fix-up the house. It was a mess when we started like a month and a half ago. That's why I've been tired."
Greg but his lip, looking around the room. "I'm such a fucking idiot." He could have kicked himself for his earlier mistrust. "I… ugh, brought this." He dug the second volume of the 'Encyclopedia of Forensic Science' from the bag he'd unconsciously slung over his shoulder at some point during his trip here. "If you want to throw it at me?"
The Texan smiled softly, shaking his head. "Tempting, but no."
"I'm really, really, sorry, Nicky…" Greg whispered quietly. "I… Paranoia kinda got the best of me. I'm just… waiting for something to go wrong and wreck all of this. It's like it's too perfect and sooner or later it'll get yanked out from under us."
"Baby…" His anger at being accused of sleeping around faded away when he saw the expression on his lovers face. He took the few steps between them quickly, pulling Greg into his arms. "Don't worry. We've made it through all the other stuff. An argument is nothing, okay?"
The younger sniffled, head resting on Nick's shoulder. "Yeah, I know… I'm still sorry. I know you wouldn't cheat on me…"
"Shh." Nick whispered, a soothing hand running through the others hair. "Come on, let me show you the house."
Greg nodded, smiling softly when familiar strong arms wrapped around him and steered him toward another room.
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Upon completing the tour of the two-story townhouse, three if you counted the basement, Greg was absolutely stunned. Nick and the few workers he'd hired had indeed been working hard to get the place back in shape, and looking amazing.
"We should be done by next week. I was gonna tell you on your birthday." Nick explained, leaning against the wall in the basement that still needed to be painted, it was currently a sickening shade of green.
Greg hung his head, sliding down to sit on the basement steps. "I'm sorry I ruined it, Nicky."
The Texan moved to sit beside him, an arm draped around his shoulders. "Hey, it's alright. You can help out now." He smiled. "And part of your birthday present is still a surprise, at least."
"I don't deserve it, whatever it is." He sighed.
"When you said you felt like this was all going to just fall apart… I knew how you felt. After all the shit we've been through over the last few years, I understood. But, this can work if we don't look for ways it won't. We'll fight sometimes, sure, everyone does, but we can get past that, too, okay?"
"Nicky…" Greg leaned against his lover. "Thanks…. For everything."
"Anytime, love." Nick stood, pulling the other to his feet as well. "What do you say we go back home and get started planning out our move?"
"Okay." The younger threw an arm around Nick's shoulder, as they climbed the steps of their new home, ready to start planning out the future.
Well, I've been loving you for such a long time, girl
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend
cause for us there is no end
And all you gotta do is have a little faith in me
I said I will hold you up, I will hold you up
Your love gives me strength enough
So have a little faith in me