A/N: It's been awhile, hope you enjoy this story will only be five parts. Enjoy! Song is Winner at a Losing Game by Rascal Flatts.

Have you ever had to love someone

That just don't feel the same

Trying to make somebody care for you

The way I do

Is like trying to catch the rain

And if love is really forever

I'm a winner at a losing game

I. Danny Tyler

Greg Sanders can tell you the exact moment he fell in love with Danny Tyler, it was exactly two years to the date after they met. Danny had been his roommate and now as they entered their third year of college Greg knew his feelings for his roommate were changing. Over the summer he had finally found himself when he and his next door neighbor Bobby Marcus found themselves naked and writhing in the backseat of Bobby's truck. The next night he fell into Becky Tyson's bed, the next morning he left feeling unsatisfied and found his way back into Bobby's arms that same day. He went back to college knowing he liked guys; in fact he liked them a lot. When Danny walked into the room all smiles and tanned skin Greg knew he was in deep shit. But he chalked it up to attraction, Danny was a good looking guy and really he did deserve to be oogled. He knew this year was going to be different because with his newfound sexuality busting out he only hoped he wouldn't ruin the only friendship he truly cherished.

"Hey G looking good how was your summer?"

"Good and by the looks of it yours was too."

"Oh yeah." Danny grinned. "Remind me to tell you about the time with the twins."

"Twins?"

"Japanese twins my friend, so how about you, any summer affairs?"

"A few." Did he dare ruin the friendship on the first day back?

"Come on Sanders stop being tight lipped."

"Well there weren't any twins you dog, there was Becky."

"Becky as in the Becky you've been mooning over?"

"The same."

"So just Becky?"

"No…"

"Come on Greg spill to your best bud."

"And uh Bobby Marcus."

"Are we talking about a guy here Greg?"

"Yes, please don't hit me." He backed away fearing his best friend was going turn on him and beat him to a pulp.

"Dude Greg chill." Danny gave him an easy smile that made his heart melt. "My brother is gay and he and his partner have a beautiful daughter, you're cool Greg I swear."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"You don't hate me?"

"Greg you are my best friend." Danny said as he slung his arm over Greg's shoulder. "I could never hate you."

"Good." Greg breathed out. "Or this year was going to suck."

Falling in love with Danny wasn't a gradual thing by far; it hit him at once all of a sudden. Towards the end the year he had become stricken with the flu and missed all his classes and fell behind on an important paper for his AP chem. Class. Danny had taken his notes and finished the paper for him and turned it in on time earning him the best grade in the class. No one had ever done anything like that for him before and when Danny handed him back the paper he wanted to kiss him so bad it hurt. After that it all went downhill from there and everyday he fell harder while Danny dated every girl on campus. His troth was never dry either though and he even managed a fairly steady relationship until Danny's name slipped in the heat of passion. After that he stuck to no strings and one night stands because he was already so in deep that Danny was all he ever thought about. By the time they graduated Danny had a steady girlfriend who wore too much makeup and popped her gum way too much and basically took Danny away from him.

"G, you'll do great in Vegas I know it."

"We'll stay in touch right?"

"Of course you're still my best friend Greg nothing will ever change that not, not Danica and not the distance."

"We've been through a lot."

"That we have G." Danny smiled. "You're smart, smarter than most people and you got hired and we haven't even graduated yet. I respect you Greg, I always have."

"Man Danny if it wasn't for you I'd still be in my dorm studying away, you got me to live."

"Look at us talking like a couple of girls."

"It's been a long four years Danny."

"It's not the end though Greg, it's only the beginning for the both of us." And then they may or may not have shared a "man" hug in which Greg clung to as long as he could before it got awkward.

Three years later Greg was in Vegas as the head DNA technician at the Las Vegas crime lab and Danny was in Arizona working for his dad's construction company. They talked as often as they could, but Greg worked graveyard and was always asleep when Danny called, but email was a blessed thing. Even away from him Greg still loved him, longed for him but he repressed it as best as he could Vegas was good for him and his coworkers were great, but there was no one like Danny to fill the void.

"Hey G." Nick Stokes was the one who started calling him his old nickname, the name Danny had only ever used but somehow it sounded right coming from Nick.

"Hey Nick."

"You're looking a bit restless Greggo."

"I'm all right."

"You're bouncing more than usual.""Ok so my best friend from college is finally coming to see me, we haven't seen each other since graduation."

"That's cool G." Nick smiled and Greg hoped Nick didn't sense just how excited he was over his male best friend.

"Yeah he says he's got something big to tell me."

"And he's coming here instead of calling you."

"He's got vacation time, and he's never been to Vegas."

"When does he get in?"

"Tonight, he's staying at the Stardust."

"Nice, so you got those samples from the Booth case?"

"Not a match to the wife or daughter."

"Damn."

"It is related to the dead husband though."

"Brother?"

"Father.""Father?"

"Father, shit G you just blew this case wide open."

"I try." Greg grinned.

Greg rubbed his eyes blearily as he opened his apartment door.

"Wake up Sanders Danny is here."

"You're early."

"Just give me a hug and tell me how much you missed me." Greg wasn't going to say no to that and after not seeing Danny for three years it felt like home to be in his arms even if it just was a friendly hug. "So Vegas treating you well?"

"Very, I love it, it's a good job and I like who I work with."

"Any romances?"

"Not lately." He wanted to tell Danny that it was all because of him, that he couldn't think of anyone else and that unrequited love was a bitch. "So what's so important that you had to come all the way to Vegas to tell me?"

"Well…" Danny moved to the side and Greg saw the devil herself walking toward them blonder than ever and more orange than the sun, popping her gum.

"Hi Greggy." Her voice made his ears bleed.

"Hi Danica good to see you."

"Did Danny tell you the news?"

"He was just about to."

"We're getting married and you're the best man buddy."

"What? Danny I have to work…"'

"That's why we're getting married here."

"Here?"

"Of course it's Vegas baby!" Danny exclaimed pulling Danica to him. "So are you gonna be the best man?"

"What? Yeah of course I am." Greg gave a big smile, but inside his heart just shattered to pieces. He knew this day was coming, when he was going to have to let go of the dream. He just never imagined it to hurt this much.

If love is really forever

Then I'm a winner at a losing game