Chapter Six - Achy Breaky Heart

Waking to the morning sun pouring in through the window, Greg brushed the sleep from his eyes, feeling the weight of something against his chest. It took him a moment to realise that the weight was coming from another being. He brushed his fingers back through their hair, dropping his jaw slightly as he saw the face of a certain gorgeous Texan against him. He still had his eyes closed, filling Greg's nostrils with his delicious musky scent.

His lips cracked into a wide smile as he remembered the events of the night before. They were both still fully clothed, disappointing him a little, but at least they didn't rush into anything so soon into their relationship.

He estimated that this was date number six, almost number seven.

Number one being the coffee shop, where they talked for hours and hours about anything and everything. Number two was the spare movie tickets that Nick just happened to come across. The movie wasn't that great, but he actually held his hand in the darkness of the theatre and didn't freak out about it. Three and four were a little harder to remember. He knew that number three was in a new bar on the furthest edge of town. Nick was still nervous that they might get found out by their co-workers, so they couldn't go anywhere local. He remembered they had a blast playing darts and snooker though. Two sports that he had never even played before.

After that things were a little hazy. He couldn't even remember where number four was, but there was definitely alcohol involved.

"Seven." Greg smiled to himself, remembering that date number six was their sticky southern fried chicken date. They spent the whole night licking the delicious sauce off their fingers at the new barbeque shack in town, making date number seven last night's date. Nothing special just pizza and beers at Greg's apartment with a rental movie that they barely watched. He didn't know what time they made their way into his room last night, but the fact that Nick actually spent the night with him was progress.

"Stop starin' at me, G. I can't sleep if you stare at me." The older man suddenly shifted himself, his voice barely a whisper. He rolled himself over onto the bed beside Greg, embracing his bed mate in his arms. "What time is it?"

"I don't know." Greg pulled away just enough to turn his alarm clock to face him. "Eight." He reported, relaxing back in his partner's arms. He could definitely get used to this. He had never been in a relationship where his partner just wanted to snuggle rather than jump his bones. Come to think of it, he had never spooned with another guy before in his whole life, especially not with all his clothes on. "Don't you have to get to work?"

"No, I'm on lates this week." He yawned widely, wrapping his arms a little tighter around Greg's waist. He rested his chin on his shoulder, breathing in his delicious scent. He had always dreamed of doing something as innocent as spooning his boyfriend, but he had always been too scared to even look at another man. Greg was the only one he felt safe with and the only one he had ever considered to be boyfriend material.

"I'm sorry my idea of a date turned into pizza and a crappy movie."

"I'm not." Nick shook his head, giving the younger man in his arms a wide smile. "Your idea of a date turned into the best one yet. My ideas always send us out in public where we can't even look at each other without me worryin' that someone from the lab will find out. I don't know why you put up with me, G."

"Because I like you." Greg rolled himself over onto his side, looking up into the eyes of the man he adored. "In fact, I like, like you a lot, Tex."

Nick's gorgeous smile spread wider. "You like, like me? What are you in the third grade?"

"Maybe." He returned his smile, propping himself up on his elbow beside him. "I like you a lot. Always have... I just never realised how much until now. Besides, something tells me that you're worth the wait. I don't want to push you into anything that you're not ready for. Every step in our relationship, no matter how small is important to me. This one being the first night you slept over and the first morning I get to wake up beside you. Today also marks our four month anniversary. It's exactly four months ago today that I first kissed you in the locker room."

"Is it really?" Nick couldn't even remember the date that happened. He remembered the moment perfectly, but he couldn't remember what day of the week it was, let alone the date. "Darn, I didn't get you anythin'."

Greg cracked a smile, shaking his head as he looked into the man's eyes. "You could kiss me now. We can mark the event with our first morning kiss. I mean, if you like, like me too?"

The older man looked a little hesitant about initiating anything more intimate than spooning, but he managed to work himself up to it, sealing an innocent school boy kiss to his lifelong crush's lips. Once he got a taste for his lips though, he had to kiss him again, wondering what he was so worried about. They were both fully clothed grown men and he trusted Greg to respect his wishes. He didn't know of any other guy that would wait so long just to be able to kiss their boyfriend.

Greg truly was one of a kind.


Putting his arm over his eyes as the sun poured in through the window, Greg moaned softly, praying for just a few more minutes of sleep. He pulled the pillow out from under his head, tossing it towards the window. It weakly hit the centre, before it crashed lifelessly to the ground. He rolled his eyes, dropping his head back to his mattress, just as the buzzer to his front door started going off.

"No..." He held his hands over his eyes, groaning softly as it continued to buzz. "No... I'm not home... go away." He prayed for it to stop, but whoever it was didn't take the hint.

The buzzer continued its obnoxious sound for the next few minutes, not showing any sign of quitting.

Throwing back the covers from his chest, Greg reluctantly rolled himself over onto his stomach, feeling a cold spot on his mattress from the ice cream. He sighed softly from the memories of last night, wishing Nick had stuck around long enough for him to at least get a hug.

He crawled out of bed, grabbed his jeans off the floor and quickly made his way off to the door.

"Oh, it's you." He sighed, seeing his former boss stood out in the hallway. The chiselled jaw, jet black hair and baby blues used to make his heart flutter, but now they were just a constant reminder that he had cheated on Nick with a man that he loathed. They didn't exactly establish any rules when they parted ways, but it felt like cheating, especially now that he knew Nick had been waiting for him all this time.

Why did he ever have to meet Michael Carter?

"What are you doing here?" He finally asked.

"What's the matter, catch you at a bad time or something? Nice to see you too, Greg." Michael raised the box from his hands, presenting them to the younger man in front of him. "You forgot to clean out your locker, so I hauled your crap all the way over here for you."

Greg reached out for the box, taking a look inside. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the junk, giving the older man a confused look. "Yeah, because I simply couldn't live without half a packet of Kleenex. A newspaper from last year. One odd sock... oh and a petrol receipt."

"You could at least be a little more grateful." Michael presented him with a slight smile, awkwardly stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Okay, so I wanted an excuse to come and see you. You didn't exactly give me time to say goodbye. You handed in your notice while I wasn't even there, then you disappeared the week I was scheduled to teach in California. You didn't leave me with a whole lot of options, Sanders. You're starting to make me feel as though I did something to make you leave."

Greg ditched the box on the floor, ushering him inside. He pushed the door shut behind him, smiling at the memory of Nick pushing him against it, devouring his lips. While Michael was poking around, Greg grabbed himself a t-shirt from one of the boxes, quickly guiding his arms through the holes.

"So this is the dump you left me for?" Michael turned to face him, presenting him with a slight smile. He looked a little disappointed that he had covered himself up, but his eyes quickly travelled to his bare legs.

"How'd you even find me?" Greg asked, putting himself behind the counter.

"Your mother gave me your address." He turned his attention back to the apartment now that his favourite attributes of Greg's had been hidden away. "You've been here two weeks already and you haven't unpacked yet? What the hell have you been doing?"

"Yeah, well I've been busy with work." Greg made a mental note to yell at his mother later for telling an ex where he lived. "It's not that bad, really." He turned for the kitchen, eager to make himself a coffee. "You want one?" He shook the tin of coffee in his direction, watching the man turning his nose up at it. He didn't appreciate his taste in coffee. He didn't even drink the stuff. Come to think of it, he didn't appreciate a lot of things about Greg. His hair, flamboyant wardrobe and his taste in music.

Nick was right, he had changed into someone he wasn't in order to get someone to like him. He never had to try so hard with Nick. He liked him exactly how he was. He was the only one he could really be himself around.

"How's the lab here treating you then?" Michael appeared beside him, resting his hands against the counter, his eyes travelling across the younger man's figure. "Your position is still open in San Francisco. Haven't found anyone to fill your shoes yet."

"That's a lie." Greg smirked, replacing the coffee tin to cupboard above him. "Georgia texted me already. She said my new replacement is completely incompetent and not much of a conversationalist, but he's easy on the eyes." He glanced up at his former boss, catching a slight smile spreading across his lips. "I see that you agree. Exactly how many of your employees have you seduced?"

"Nah, he's way too young for me. His hair styles are worse than yours when you first joined us. He's still a bit green too."

Pushing the man aside for his comment, Greg made his way over to the fridge, grabbing the milk from the door. He felt tempted to throw him out right there and then, but his mother taught him manners, even when the guest was an unwelcome arrogant arse.

"I'm not going back." He put it bluntly.

"Because the setup you have here is so sweet?" Michael raised an eyebrow at him. "What's Las Vegas got that San Francisco doesn't? Besides a nicer apartment for one thing. This place is like a cupboard. Hookers live better than this. It's a dump."

Greg wanted to answer with Nick! But he didn't want either one of them to know about each other. It would feel like his worlds had collided, sending everything into chaos.

"What does your mother think about you being back here? I can't imagine she's too happy about this dump you're shacked up in."

"Why don't you ask her yourself? She already gave you my address without asking me first. I'm surprised she didn't already dish out personal details of my life to you." He snipped.

"Hey, I can't help it if mothers adore me." He presented the younger man with his shit eating grin. "I never exactly had one growing up. You don't know how lucky you are to have your mother around, supporting everything you do. Calling you every freaking day. Interfering in every moment of your life." The older man paused a moment, shaking his head as he realised how annoying that would be. "On second thoughts, you can keep her. It's about time you grew a pair and told her to stop interfering in your life and get one of her own."

Greg immediately scowled at the man, remembering why he decided to end things between them in the first place.

He was a jerk.

After stirring milk into his coffee, Greg ditched his spoon in the sink, taking a quick sip of the delicious liquid. His head was already starting to pound from the night before, but he was still buzzing from his night out with his long lost love.

"C'mon Greg, come back with me. There's nothing for you here."

"There's everything for me here. All my friends are here. My friends that are more like a family to me." He pointed out to him. "We're not together anymore. We haven't been together in... months and I prefer it that way. You have shitty bedside manners."

"Hey, you didn't seem to mind my bedside manners a few weeks ago."

Greg whipped his head around, furious that he would even bring that up again. It was embarrassing enough falling for his old tricks again, but the fact that he had the nerve to kick him out the morning after really stuck the knife in his back, only to twist the knife in deeper a few weeks later when he casually mentioned the fact that he had an STD.

"Did you seriously just come all this way to beg me to come back with you?" Greg snapped again, eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.

"Hell no, I have a meeting with your supervisor." Michael examined the apartment a little closer, afraid to touch anything in case he caught anything. "We're attending a conference together in a few months time. Since I can't get him on the phone, I thought I'd see him in person."

"And here's me thinking I was important to you." Greg sarcastically remarked, searching around for a clock to see the time. The sun was still up in the sky, confusing him a little. He was on the day shift back in San Francisco. He still couldn't get used to working while the sun was no longer in the sky. "You should probably get going if you want to catch him in a good mood. He doesn't like being interrupted during a case."

"Move in with me." Michael surprised him.

"What?" Greg couldn't think of anything to say. He dropped his jaw in surprise, hoping he had imagined it, but Michael looked as though he was waiting for a response. "You're kidding, right? I must be still drunk. Can you run that by me one more time?"

"I said move in with me."

"Yep... that's what I was afraid you said." The younger man sucked in a sharp breath, hoping it was just a joke, but he couldn't hear the punch line. "Why?" He raised an eyebrow at the older man. "You don't even like me. I certainly don't like you."

"I'm asking you to move in with me, aren't I?" Michael stuffed his hands in his pockets, standing in front of the younger man. "You haven't exactly said no, so can I take that as you'll think about it?"

"No. I don't want to move in with you." Greg couldn't help but smile, shaking his head at the man. "That's a pretty weak last ditch effort for a relationship that was just... friends with benefits at best. I don't love you. You don't love me either. The only time we spend together is in your bed or working. That's not a relationship." He carried his coffee over to the sofa, crashing against the cushions. "Frankly, I would hate to see how you treat people that you actually like."

"Oh c'mon Greg, what are you like six years old? Who gives a crap about love?" Michael followed him in. "You can't deny that we're good together. You constantly ask me where we're going, but the moment I try to make any kind of commitment to you, you run off to another city."

"I deny it." Greg kept his smile up, putting his legs up on the sofa beside him. "I stopped asking you for any kind of commitment when I dumped you. You didn't exactly put up much of a fight when I did either, so don't pretend that you care." He reminded him. "I want a relationship. A real loving, love to the moon and back, can't live without each other relationship. I can't have that with you."

"There's no such thing, Greg. You're living with your head in the clouds."

"There is such a thing." He smiled dreamily, thinking about Nick. "You just have to look hard enough. Of course it might be too late for you, what are you late forties by now?"

"Thirty nine, if you must know. Don't put me out to pasture just yet." He pushed Greg's legs off the sofa, taking a seat beside him. "C'mon Greg, come back with me."

"Why are you trying so hard to make this work? It's not as though we have anything really going between us." Greg gave him a confused look. "You don't even like me. You don't like anyone that much. You gave me an STD!" He reminded him. "I've never had an STD in my life."

"You're still going on about that."

"You don't care about my feelings." Greg added another point. "Why would you want to spend more time with me?"

"Because... I've never made anything work. I feel like if I let you go, it's going to be the biggest mistake of my life." Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, Michael dug out a spare key, placing it in Greg's hand. "I got you a key cut to my place. My cleaning lady doesn't even have a key. Doesn't that show you that I want to make this work? I'm not your boss anymore, Greg. You can even stay and work here if you want. Long distance might work out with us."

"You don't get it." Greg shook his head. "It doesn't matter that you're not my boss anymore. Even if you were, I still wouldn't move in with you. I don't want to be with you."

"Why?" Michael looked so confused.

"You treat me like garbage for one thing. You always have to be in control of every situation and you're a bully. When I need you, you're nowhere to be seen, but when you need me, I'm always there for you. You dumped every crap case on me when you were in a bad mood and you always go running to my mother when I do something wrong. On top of all that, you always criticise me. Nothing I ever do is good enough for you."

"That's crap, when have I ever criticised you?"

"My hair. My clothes. My mother. This apartment. You don't even realise that you're doing it, which makes it worse." Greg argued back at him, taking a quick sip of his coffee to calm himself down. He really needed to vent, but he didn't want to take it all out on him. "We don't make each other happy. Moving in together would be a huge mistake."

Michael rested his elbows against his knees, giving out a soft sigh. He knew he was right, but it still hurt to lose him. "Not even if I marry you?"

"Are you kidding?" Greg chuckled softly, shaking his head at the man. "Marriage is for breeders." He directly quoted the man. "You don't want kids or to get stuck with one person for the rest of your life. You told me that yourself on our first night together. I understood that and I get it, but it's not what I want. I thought it was... but I want everything in a relationship that you told me I couldn't have. If I marry you... what's in it for us besides being stuck with someone that we don't like a whole lot in the most unhappiest marriage known to man?"

"You want someone that can commit to you, right? I'm offering you the chance to live with me and marry me. I'm a Lab Supervisor, soon to be Director. You can't marry someone more successful than that."

Greg rolled his eyes, throwing his head back against his sofa cushions. "You don't get it. I want love. Butterflies in your stomach, heart pounding, palm sweating love. I want to be with someone that I can see a future with. Someone that actually likes me. Someone that I can grow old with, experience life with. So what if you have money and a successful career, you're a total jerk. You make me feel like crap when we're together. Let's face it, when we're in public, you're embarrassed to be seen with me. What kind of future is that? You don't marry the jerk."

Michael pursed his lips together, breathing in a deep breath. He gave the younger man a nod in agreement, reaching out for his key that was still in his hand. "Well, can't say I'm all that disappointed." He sighed softly, cracking a smile. "By the state of your apartment, I've probably saved my cleaning lady some grief. I guess I can give her the key now."

"You trust her with a key?"

"Not really. The crazy old bat replaced my porn stash with the bible a few months back. She still won't tell me what she did with my Geeks and Jocks magazines. I still have that picture of you from the our first night together though. That'll work." He gave the younger man a cheeky smile, before he pushed himself to his feet. "You know if you're still single by my age, look me up."

"You'll probably have a toy boy on each arm in ten years."

"Maybe." Michael stared at him for the longest moment, before he leant down to his level to steal a quick kiss from his lips. Very quick, thankfully. Greg didn't want anything to ruin the memory of last night with Nick. "Hey, you can still come visit me. When you've got an itch that needs scratching or one day when you get lonely. Day or night, I'm always available." He gave him a cheesy grin, before he straightened up.

"That's gross." Greg wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, hating the taste of the man now. He tasted bitter like betrayal.

"Hey, I'm gonna stop by the lab later, see what your Mr Grissom looks like now. See if he's a good enough reason to let you go."

"He is. I'm sure he'll remember you too." Greg climbed to his feet, ditching his coffee mug on the floor, so he could escort the other man to the door. "Thank you for the box of... junk from my locker. I don't know what I'd do without it." He remarked, pulling the door to his apartment open for him.

"Hey you might need the Kleenex now that you don't have me around." He made a gross hand gesture.

"Very thoughtful." Greg glared back, putting his back to the door. He willed him to just walk away without saying any awkward goodbyes, but Michael stayed put in his doorway, looking at him as though he was never going to see him again. "You know this is why I tried to avoid the awkward goodbye thing back in San Francisco. I hate goodbyes."

"It might be easier if you sleep with me one last time." Michael gave him a cocky grin. "C'mon, I've got time. I slept with all my other ex boyfriends before we broke up."

"Not even if you were the last man on earth." Greg pushed him away slightly, motioning for him to leave again.

Before Greg could stop him, the older man suddenly leant forwards, pinning him to the door as he assaulted his lips. He shivered as the older man slid his arms around him, holding him tightly in his embrace. He could feel himself getting sucked back into the void of Michael Carter, quickly pushing him away from him, before all traces of Nick were out of his system. He put his back to his front door, holding the man at arm's length, just as another visitor appeared beside him.

Warrick.

Greg immediately felt his cheeks flushing with blood, realising the other man had seen the whole thing. Did everyone know where he lived?

"Hey... Sanders." Warrick awkwardly cleared his throat, looking more than a little uncomfortable about what he had just seen. He didn't even know that Greg was gay, making him wonder what else he had been hiding from him.

"Hi." Greg gave him an awkward smile, sensing he should introduce the man who had just been kissing him. "Uh... this is, Michael."

"Carter. Michael Carter." The man introduced himself, shaking the other man's hand. "Warrick Brown, right? I saw you present your last paper in Long Beach last year. Interesting theories. Hey if you're ever looking for a change of location, you're always welcome in San Francisco. We could use some more open minded CSIs on our team like you." He reached into his jacket pocket, placing a business card in the man's hand. "With Greg no longer in the picture, the team is short one at the moment. Might as well get your foot in the door. I gotta get going. I got a meeting with your super today. Hey Greg, call me when you need me."

Michael presented a shit eating grin in his direction, nodding to the other man as he turned to leave.

"Sorry to interrupt." Warrick stuffed the business card into his pocket, watching the other man disappearing in the elevator. He turned to look at Greg, unable to look into his eyes anymore. "Uh... we've got work to do, so get your stuff. I figured you'd need a ride, since your car is sitting at the lab."

"Thanks. I'll be one minute."

Leaving the door open, Greg hurried back to his bedroom, grabbing his sneakers and wallet. He searched around for his keys, chuckling to himself as he made his way into the front room, digging them out of the box full of packing peanuts. It only took him a minute or so to find them, before he was out the door with Warrick for one of the most awkward car rides of his life.

He literally couldn't wait to get to their crime scene.


After escaping yet another argument between himself and his mother, Nick made his way off to his son's school, waiting out the front with all the other parents. He removed the sunglasses from his face, still feeling the effects of his hangover, but it was all worth it in his mind. He actually managed to get a few winks of sleep in last night, avoiding the nightmares that usually came with.

He hooked his sunglasses on the collar of his t-shirt, watching the other parents making their way inside, finding a group of parents they knew to catch up with. He had met a few of them, but not well enough to remember their names.

The overly excited woman who could be heard from every point on the playground was unmistakable as Hazel's mother. He first met Hazel and her mother when he left Evan at day care for the first time. Only for an hour as his first test run of leaving his baby boy with strangers, still one of the most heart breaking moments of his life. Since then, Hazel and Evan had got into the same pre-K, Kindergarten and now first grade classes. He didn't exactly get on with Sonia, Hazel's mother though, so he stayed put in the background, watching her bragging about Hazel's latest accomplishments to all her friends.

Apparently her daughter was taking ballet classes, gymnastics, dance, horse riding and violin lessons. Nick couldn't believe his ears, the child was only six. He was still struggling to find the time to get his son some swimming lessons.

Nick turned as he heard someone shout 'hello', not recognising the severely pregnant woman at all, so she couldn't have been talking to him. She passed right by him, rushing to greet her friends who all looked so happy to see her out and about.

Watching them from a distance, Nick felt envy seeping into his veins. He never even knew about Evan until it was too late. He never told any of his friends. He never got to introduce any of them to his baby once he was born. He had always wanted children. Evan's birth and existence should have been celebrated, not hidden away like a dirty little secret. He wished he could place all the blame on his parents, but he agreed to go along with it all, leaving Evan in the dark about where he came from and who his real parents were.

Evan didn't even have any extracurricular activities, but the other kids seemed to have fully booked schedules. He didn't even know the names of his son's friends. He had kept his whole life hidden away like he didn't even exist.

How had he become his own father?


Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought.

Enjoy your weekend!

~ Holly