"Nick! It's about time you finally joined us," Warrick greets cheerfully. Nick forces a smile and slides into the large booth when Catherine scoots over to make room for him.
"I'm glad you're finally getting over that girl you were with. I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen," Sara informed him bluntly, and Nick just smiles—a real one this time, because he knows Sara didn't mean it to be as harsh as it sounded.
"For a while there, I wasn't so sure either." And there he goes again—laughing off something that isn't funny, but he decides it's okay, because he's talking even though he can smell Greg's cologne, and the fact that he's not looking around to see if he's there is definite progress from where he was a week ago.
When their song comes on the old jukebox in the corner of the room, Nick feels a surge of pride because he does not even have to fight off the urge to cry. He's out with his friends—friends he hasn't been out with for over a month just in case Greg decided to go also, and he didn't even try to read the license plate of the car on the way over here to see if it was he. He's carrying on a conversation better than he has in weeks even with the million little reminders of Greg all around him, and he couldn't be any more proud of the steps he's taken, because these are signs that he's almost over him, and the faster he's over him, the faster he can move on with his life.
The conversation continues between the four of them for another 45 minutes before Catherine announces she needs to get home. "It's been fun guys. It's nice to see all of you at the same time again," she says warmly, gathering her purse and fishing out her keys.
"Yeah," Sara agrees excitedly—happier than he's seen her in weeks, but he has a feeling that the brand new necklace she's wearing has something to do with it. "Now if we could just get Gil to join us…"
Warrick laughs. "Well, I think you'll have the best shot at getting that to happen. But I was kinda hoping Greg—"
Warrick's still talking, but Nick doesn't hear anything else he's saying because he's suddenly standing in the rain with Greg, because that apartment is way too crowded and being drenched in water is a much better option than having a panic attack because the space is so small. And now they're kissing and the rain doesn't even matter anymore, because Greg's lips feel amazing and he's doing things with his tongue that Nick had never even dreamed of. Now Greg's babbling uncontrollably because of his nerves, but Nick doesn't care, and he's listening to every word that rolls off the younger man's lips because he could listen to Greg speak gibberish for hours; he loves his voice so much. And—
"Nick, man, you okay," the sharp thump that Warrick gives his shoulder sends him spiraling back to the diner—in September, not May, he reminds himself—and Warrick and Sara and Catherine are looking at him like he's grown another head.
"I'm fine," he tells them, but none of them look convinced so he resorts back to the same thing he's been doing since Greg left. He smiles and gives a modest chuckle, "Just got caught up in some memories—good memories—I'm fine though," he reassures them, and that seems to be enough because they all begin to walk into the parking lot, one last sympathetic glance gets cast to him before the other three drive away.
Nick sits in his truck for a long time before he can drive again. He didn't expect the memory to hit him so hard, but he really should have been ready for it because it happens every time someone mentions him.
Author's Note: this is my first fic in the Nick/Greg fandom, and I'm hoping I did an okay job. I plan for this story to be four to five chapters long, and I'm almost finished with the second chapter, but I'm in desperate need for a beta, so if anyone's interested, I would really love for someone to take a look at my next chapter before I post it. Thanks!