Nick rolled his bag up the driveway, happy to be home. He'd taken a quick trip to research a possible location, leaving Zak home and pouting. Nick would have loved nothing more than to have Zak join him, but the older man was juggling so many projects and was stretched way too thin at the moment. But that hadn't stopped Zak from calling at least three times a day for "updates on the location", which usually consisted of him complaining about them being apart. Nick smiled to himself. He had definitely missed Zak.
"Hello?" He called as he opened the front door.
"Nick?" Came a surprised voice through the open patio doors. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow?" He heard Zak scramble to his feet excitedly. He smiled as Zak's silhouette appeared in the doorway. He still had bedhead and hadn't bothered to shower from what Nick could tell.
"I thought I'd come home early and surprise you." He said with a little shrug. "Unless of course, you'd prefer I come back tomorrow..."
"Hell no." Zak said with a mischievous grin. "You're staying here."
"Well, get your ass over here then." Nick said playfully. "I got on a red eye for this." Zak's grin grew impossibly wider as he made his way to Nick. Nick met him halfway, wrapping the older man in his arms and bringing their lips together. "What the hell?" Nick said, suddenly pulling away. "Zak, you stink." Zak scoffed, looking hurt and blushing a deep red.
"Well, if I had known you were coming home tonight I would have showered." He whined.
"That's not what I mean." Nick said, seriously. "You smell like cigarettes. Tell me you haven't been smoking, Zak."
"I haven't." Zak said sheepishly.
"Bullshit." Nick said, taking a step back. "If you haven't been smoking then you've been making out with someone who has!"
"Nick. You know I wouldn't." Zak insisted, resting a hand on the younger man's crossed arms.
"Don't lie to me, Zak." Nick warned. Zak exhaled sharply, lowering his eyes in defeat.
"I haven't been smoking." He started. "I had a couple cigarettes this afternoon, but that's it. I swear."
"Why would you do that?" Nick asked. "You have asthma."
"I know." Zak groaned.
"I just don't understand. You wear masks during investigations to protect your lungs and then you come home and fill them with this shit? It doesn't make any sense." Nick said, exasperated.
"It was just a couple. I promise." Zak said.
"I don't care." Nick growled. "That's not the point. You shouldn't have had any."
"I'm sorry, Nick. I've just been so stressed about how much I have going on… and then you weren't here."
"So it's my fault?" Nick scoffed.
"No. No, of course not. I just meant that you usually help keep me calm. And without you here, I just… sort of spiraled." He said, inching toward the younger man. "It won't happen again, I promise." Nick kept a firm lip. They'd had this conversation once before, near the beginning of their relationship and Nick had made it clear that he was not and would not ever be okay with Zak poisoning his already fragile lungs.
"I just don't understand why you'd put yourself at risk. What if you'd had an attack and I wasn't here?" He asked, letting it hang in the air, hoping to make his point this time.
"Nick…"
"Do you have any idea what that would do to me?" Nick asked seriously.
"I'm sorry." Zak said in earnest, wrapping his hands around the nape of Nick's neck and pressing their foreheads together. Nick might have softened if he hadn't still been able to smell the smoke in Zak's pores.
"This can't happen again. I mean it." He said sternly.
"It won't." Zak promised, pulling the younger man in and hugging him tightly.
"You know, there are much more productive ways to relieve stress." Nick whispered gruffly into Zak's ear. He felt the older man smile against his neck.
"Is that right?" Zak asked playfully. "And what did you have in mind?"
"A shower, for one thing. And you gotta brush your teeth. I'm not making out with an ash tray." Nick ordered. Zak chuckled softly.
"I missed you, Nick." Zak said, hugging him even tighter. "And I really am sorry. I know I can be a little reckless sometimes." Nick pulled back, looking Zak square in the eyes and cupping his face in his hands.
"I love you. And I know that recklessness is a part of who you are. But in the future, please just try to remember that your life isn't just yours, it's mine too." Zak smiled softly, nodding his head in silent agreement. Nick brought their lips together, kissing Zak tenderly before pulling away. "That's about all the kissing I can take before you brush your teeth." He said with a chuckle. Zak smiled, grabbing Nick's hand and leading him upstairs.