CSI: Still Need You: one shot

Greg parked his car in the driveway of the pale yellow house and sat in the driver's seat for a few long moments, flashing back over the day and the case. Nick had been acting odd the night before. All through their quiet dinner he'd felt Nick's eyes on him but he'd checked himself in the mirror later and he looked fine. He still wasn't sure twelve hours later what had been wrong, not that he'd thought to ask. He smacked his forehead for that one. He should have asked. But really, it was probably due to the fact that he had to work while Nick got to stay home and relax. Life wasn't fair. Tonight, of all nights, they should have gotten off together. He sighed. Did Nick even know what day it was? Apparently Grissom didn't.

And neither did those who created crime scenes for him to process. How could life be so unfair? He felt so drained he was sure he'd sleep for a week if given the chance. His case had hit close to home and made him hate the world, made him want to crawl underneath a rock and never come out, hiding in his warm safe bed under the covers. Why were people so cruel in the world? The images of that little girl in the park crashed into his head. He saw determination on her face. She wasn't scared. She was brave, standing up for what she believed in. Against a mob. But he couldn't get the thought out of his head that she could have been his daughter.

He rested his head on the steering wheel and sat for awhile longer, too afraid to get out of the car, afraid that if he got out he would see more crime, more people being killed for who they were or who they knew.

His car door opened and he jumped in his seat, nearly bumping his head on the roof.

"You ok?"

He looked up into his favorite set of dark brown eyes full of concern.

"Hey, Nick," he said, and he was surprised to find his voice in a whisper.

Of course Nick didn't know what day it was. The world was conspiring against him today.

"Come," Nick held out his hand, his voice was warm and comforting. "We can sit on the porch and you can tell me all about your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad night. Ok?"

Greg took the hand gratefully and let Nick pull him out of the car and up onto the large porch. Nick took the fleece blanket off the swing and sat down, wrapping it around Greg when he sat beside him. It was still early enough in the morning that the sun hadn't fully risen and it was still chilly. Greg snuggled up to Nick and rested his head on his shoulder.

"So, you wanna tell me about it?" Nick asked, wrapping an arm around him.

"It was awful. I thought about switching cases, but I couldn't do it. I had to see it through to the end. That little girl in the park... she was only nine years old, Nick. Only nine. Beaten to death. And you know why? She was defending her parents."

"What do you mean?"

"She... she was so beautiful... I couldn't help but think... I mean, she could have been our little girl. And what if she was?"

"She had two fathers," Nick confirmed.

"They weren't there. They were at home two blocks away, thought she was in bed, sound asleep. But someone at school told her a group of protesters were going to meet in the park. She went to try to put sense into their heads. And failed. The other kid only told her cause she knew she would go. It was a set up. She was set up to die, and she was only nine years old. Her parents are devastated. Talked about moving away already... I just don't see how people can be so uncaring. It wasn't her fault she had two dads instead of a mom and a dad."

"It's no one's fault, Greg. You know that."

"I know. But if there hadn't been so many of them, I would have kicked their asses. Someone should have done something for her, gotten them back for what they did."

"Now you're only turning yourself into one of them, baby. It's ok. You got the guys, that's what matters. You just need to find a constructive way to get out your frustrations, that's all."

"I did find a constructive way to get out my frustrations. It's just that he didn't come to work with me last night."

"I'm sorry. Griss gave me the night off. What was I supposed to do?"

"Follow me in to work anyway?" Greg turned to face him. "You could have kept me company." He gave him a sad puppy dog look.

Nick smiled and gave him a quick kiss. When he pulled away Greg went with him, attacking his lips with his own.

"G, we'll freeze together if you keep that up!"

"It's not that cold out here. Besides that wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? And hey, if you think it's that cold out here, why are we out here and not in there?" He pointed toward the house.

"Alright then, let's go inside. I just wanted to enjoy some of this fresh air, you know? I've been stuck inside all night. Haven't left the house at all."

Greg sighed. "Complain, complain, complain." He giggled, trying to push away the feeling that Nick really didn't know what day it was.

Nick got up without a word and pulled Greg to his feet and toward the door. He let him in first, his right hand on the small of his back, almost pushing him inside. Greg stopped just inside the doorway, his eyes growing wide at the sight before him. The house was dark except for the million candles Nick had lit around the livingroom, and the two on the kitchen table which had been moved into the center of the livingroom near the fireplace. Two places had been set along with two glasses of wine and a vase full of red roses.

Greg stared, unable to move, as strong feelings rose up within him and crashed into his heart, taking his breath away. Nick had remembered after all. He'd remembered. And then Nick was right behind him, his arms around Greg's waist holding him close, his chin resting on his shoulder. He was holding out a single red rose.

"You didn't think I forgot, did you G? I wanted to surprise you. Happy anniversary, honey."

Greg slowly turned to face him, his eyes beginning to mist over, until he couldn't see Nick anymore. He felt his hand covering his mouth, but didn't remember putting it there. And his hand was shaking. Both hands were shaking. And then his knees were going weak and he was falling, and he couldn't even cry out.

A pair of strong arms caught him before he hit the floor.

"Greg?! Greg, are you ok? What's wrong?" Nick's worried voice floated to his ears.

Greg swallowed the lump in his throat and reached up to clear his eyes as Nick helped him into a chair. He blinked, finding Nick kneeling in front of him, a panicked look on his face, bordering on terrified. The feelings that had overwhelmed him were still there, still in his heart, and he didn't want them to go away as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Greg?" Nick's voice was soft and concerned.

"You're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life, Nicky. And it just... it just hit me all of a sudden. You're still just as beautiful and wonderful as you were when we first met. You're still everything I want in my life. You're still everything I need. It's been ten years, and I still need you." He sniffled. "I don't mean to be a wreck after you've done so much, but I love you to pieces."

Nick moved to kiss him. "Awww, but you're my special wreck and I love you too," he whispered.

"And this..." Greg motioned to the candle-lit room and the table set for two. "This is just gorgeous. I can't believe you did this."

"You thought I forgot, didn't you?"

Greg nodded. "I'm sorry. I never meant to doubt you. I shouldn't have."

Nick laughed. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't say anything before you left last night either, you know."

"Now I'm really sorry. How can I make it up to you?"

"Kiss me, love me and need me forever, have a candle-lit breakfast with me, and make love to me after."

A smile slowly spread across his features. "I think I can manage that. And part of your request comes naturally anyway, so you didn't even have to ask."

"What's that?"

"The needing you and loving you forever. There's no off switch to either of those. Though, I'm really not sure why you had to ask about the breakfast. And especially about the kissing and the sex. Ten years, and I thought you knew me better than that!"

"Hey come on, G! First of all, you know I've got the same problem you do. I don't have an off switch to the needing and loving you forever thing too. And you were the one who asked how you could make it up to me. That's all I require. Plain and simple. Besides, I was trying to be all gentlemanly and romantic and you had to go and kill the mood."

"I did not kill the mood!"

"Yes... yes, you did."

"Would you just shut up and kiss me already? I've got a romantic breakfast to get to and dessert is not going to wait forever."

He was so overwhelmed by everything Nick had done and everything Nick was to him, that he had to close his eyes and do his best to hold back the remaining tears as he swallowed the lump that had returned to his throat. He felt Nick's warm lips brushing his tears away from his cheeks, then kissing the tip of his nose before finally capturing his mouth and consuming him. He knew what true love felt like and nothing else in the entire world could make him any happier.

A/N: Meh, not to thrilled with the way it came out, but I'm sure some of you will like it anyway, so enjoy and let me know what you think.