Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, just love 'em!
Afterlife
Greg Sanders sighed as he settled against the man next to him on the sofa. Taking the proffered bottle of beer, he took a grateful swallow. When Nick Stokes's arm settled over his shoulder, he let out another contented sigh.
It had only been a week since Nick had nearly been blown to kingdom come not once but twice, in the same day, and they were both still soaring on the euphoria of being alive and together.
Tonight's case had settled a pall of melancholy over Greg, though. "Do you think she really saw her mom?" Greg asked, referring to the vision Alice had told Nick about when he'd finally found her.
Sensing Greg's mood, Nick pulled his husband closer before answering. "I don't know, babe. All of those drugs in her system..." he trailed off, shrugging uncertainly. "I don't know. She believes she did, so maybe that's enough."
They sat in silence for a few moments, both taking long drinks from their beers. The house was quiet around them. Mid-morning sunlight streamed in through the living room windows, dust motes circling lazily in the mostly still air. The bedroom was the only room in the house where they'd bothered with blackout curtains.
Quietly, as though loathe to break the quiet, Greg murmured, "Do you think there's something after this, Nicky?"
Using a finger under Greg's chin to turn the younger man so they were facing each other, Nick spoke equally softly, "I believe there is, G. He's watching over you right now." Nick didn't have to elaborate on who he was talking about.
"I miss him so much!" A single tear ran down Greg's cheek, to be brushed away by Nick's gentle thumb.
"I'm so sorry we didn't go home at Christmas time!" Nick didn't mean Texas. Here he meant San Gabriel, California. Greg's childhood home had become as much a home to Nick as his own childhood home. Gently prying the beer bottle from Greg's hand, Nick leaned forward and set both dark colored bottles on the coffee table. Settling back on the couch again, he pulled Greg onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger man.
Just weeks after the holidays, Greg's mom had called with the devastating news that Papa Olaf, Greg's grandfather, had died in his sleep. Papa Olaf had always been an active, vital man, and the whole family had just taken it for granted that he'd live forever. His death had come as a shock to everyone, but most especially to Greg.
Greg's arms slipped around Nick's waist, and he buried his face into the hollow of Nick's neck. "I'd give anything to see him again, Nicky!" the words were uttered in a cracking whisper, as a sob overwhelmed the younger man.
Running his hands up and down Greg's back soothingly, Nick said, "I was always taught that when our time is up, we're reunited with our loved ones." Knowing how to bring a smile to Greg's face, Nick said, "You know, Papa Olaf is probably bragging to everyone up there who will listen that he's the reason I didn't get blown to bits twice last week. He's watching over both of us, I know he is!"
That seemed to have the desired affect, as he felt Greg's smile against his neck. "Yeah, that sounds like Papa Olaf." Pulling back somewhat, Greg rested his forehead against Nick's for a moment, gazing into the older man's chocolate brown eyes. "How is it you always know exactly what to say to lighten my mood?"
The skin around Nick's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Because I know you so well, I guess."
Greg buried his face in Nick's neck again, only this time, Nick could feel Greg's silky soft lips ghosting over his flesh. His heart rate jumped and quickened, as Greg's teeth grazed lightly over his pulse point, tongue laving over the reddening skin. Moaning, he tilted his head, giving Greg better access to his neck. His hands wandered over Greg's arms and back, up to his neck and tangled in Greg's dirty blond hair.
Taking a handful, Nick gently pulled Greg back, brought their faces into alignment for a searing kiss.
Now it was Greg's turn to moan, as Nick's tongue invaded his mouth, rediscovering territory unexplored during the long hours of their shift. As Nick maneuvered them around on the couch, so he was laying down with Greg straddling his hips, Greg managed to divest Nick of the blue polo shirt he'd worn that day.
Having had to break their kiss for the removal of Nick's shirt, Greg leaned in and murmured in Nick's ear, "Gorgeous!" bringing a bright flush to the older man's face.
"Handsome," he murmured in response into Greg's neck, moving his hands up under Greg's shirt. Tracing the younger man's toned muscles, up his abs to his chest, rubbing his palms in circles over pert nipples already hard with arousal.
Sitting up, Greg reached over his shoulder and grabbed a handful of fabric, pulling his shirt off and letting it fall to the floor. Nick's hands had gone to Greg's belt, unbuckling it and pulling the buttons of his fly open one by one. As he worked, his fingers brushed across Greg's straining cock, still covered in cotton briefs.
Little electric jolts ran through Greg's body with each touch of Nick's fingers to his fabric covered length. Humming in pleasure, he rocked his hips into Nick's hand, an open invitation for the older man to continue his explorations.
Nick's hand wiggled into Greg's briefs, inside of still snug jeans, searing a path over supersensitive flesh before wrapping firmly around Greg's shaft. "Is this what you want, baby?" he asked teasingly.
The nearly unbearable pleasure left Greg incapable of comprehensible speech. The best he was able to do was a moaned, "Mmm hmm."
Greg's growl of frustration, when Nick removed his hand from Greg's pants, made Nick chuckle. "Let's get the rest of our clothes off, G."
Rolling to the side, so he was in the slight space available between Nick and the back of the couch, Greg managed to shimmy out of his jeans and briefs. Impatient, he batted Nick's hand aside and tackled the fly of the older man's jeans for him.
When Nick had managed to rid himself of his jeans and boxer briefs, Greg settled back over him. He leaned over and began to place open mouthed kisses over Nick's well muscled chest.
Pressing his head back into the couch, Nick let out a low whine as Greg's tongue laved flat over his right nipple. Greg then teased it with the tip of his tongue, before moving on to the other one.
Nick's hands were tangled in Greg's hair, gently tugging him up for another dizzying kiss.
This time it was Greg who moved away, pulling a keen of need from Nick.
Greg turned on the couch, draping himself over the armrest opposite from where Nick was to rummage around in the side table drawer for the lube they stashed there. Just as he found it, he felt Nick's weight settle over him. Nick's right hand traveled the length of Greg's arm, and grabbed the lube from the younger man. Meanwhile, his mouth had latched onto Greg's neck, sucking a mark at the juncture of the younger man's neck and shoulder.
Feeling Nick's leaking cock slide along his crack, Greg arched his back and pushed back into the older man. Reaching back, he grabbed Nick's hip and pulled him impossible closer.
They were so close, Greg didn't know how Nick managed to get his hand between them, but the next thing Greg knew, he was feeling Nick's lubed fingers sliding into him.
Twisting his head, Greg captured Nick's mouth in an awkward kiss. Their teeth clashed and Greg narrowly avoided smashing Nick's upper lip between their teeth.
When they broke the kiss apart, Greg uttered the first words spoken in what felt like ages, "Now! Need you in me, now!"
Greg's head sank down to rest on his arms, which were resting on the couch's armrest. The removal of Nick's fingers caused him to hiss in protest.
Nick's sweat dewed chest pressed against Greg's scarred back, as the older man slowly pushed past the tight ring of muscles into Greg's most private place. When he was fully seated, Nick pressed his cheek against the area of worst scarring, and wrapped his arms around Greg's waist.
As one hand stroked Greg in time with his thrusts, Nick set up a gentle roll of his hips, pushing as deeply into his lover as he could.
Moving his free hand from Greg's waist, Nick trailed it down Greg's arm again, twining their fingers together. He pulled Greg up, so the younger man was now sitting on his lap, and held their intertwined hands tightly across Greg's chest.
The change in position made Nick's cock brush repeatedly across Greg's prostate. Greg's fingers tightened painfully on Nick's, but Nick didn't mind. He loved that he could evoke this reaction from Greg. Even after years of being together, he was still the one to drive Greg crazy with desire. And he knew that he would continue to be able to bring pleasure to Greg in the years ahead. When their time on this Earth eventually came to an end, he knew they'd be together in the next life, whatever that might be, because soul mates belonged together.
Greg's, "Oh, Nicky!" combined with the warm splash of the younger man's release over his hand cause Nick to fall over the edge to his own release. For several minutes after they'd come down from their orgasm induced highs, Nick held Greg to him, whispering nonsense words against the long healed scars he knew by heart.
It was Greg who finally moved, standing carefully on shaky legs, pulling Nick up with him. "Let's go shower and go to bed," he murmured quietly, fighting back a yawn.
Nick pushed Greg gently towards the hallway, voicing an equally quiet, "I'll be right there. Let me clean up the couch so we don't have a mess to clean later."
He watched as Greg shuffled away, and thought to himself that yes, he did indeed believe there was something waiting for them after this life, because the thought of not getting to spend eternity with his Greg was just not worth contemplating.