a/n This chapter dedicated to Libranfate and RiverofSerenity :). And BTW, I still don't own Nick and Greg (sob!)

Puzzled

Chapter 9: On the edge of the precipice...

Nick rested a hand on a hip and took a deep draw from his water bottle as he gazed out over the desert from their cliff-top vantage point, the sun still low enough in the eastern sky to paint shadows across the desert floor. Greg sat a few feet away from him at the edge of the cliff, feet dangling over the edge, the weight of his torso propped on the hands splayed out behind him. Nick's eyes turned to his climbing partner as he took in the sunrise and opted to join him at his precarious seat.

"Thanks for coming out with me, G," letting his legs swing in time with Greg's, shins just touching every third or fourth swing.

Greg's smile flashed brilliantly for an instant, then turned shy as he looked at his feet. "Thanks for inviting me. You know I love an opportunity to show off the skills," he returned with false bravado. "And it's nice to know we can hang out still, you know, after everything…"

Nick smiled an amazingly complicated smile, one that spoke of peace and a bit of fear and confusion and slow realization of several things he was not ready to put a name to, but was starting to understand were there, and that could change everything but it could be so very, very, good. He reached over to flatten Greg's hair where it stood on end, glued in place by rapidly drying sweat. Greg held very still, his water bottle frozen halfway to his mouth in midair, but for his eyes. They shuttered closed for an instant in shock that seemed almost painful, then opened to study Nick from under lowered lids and long lashes. He let his hand drop back down to set the water bottle aside and rest his hand on the thigh nearest Nick, still watching. Nick took a deep, quiet breath and let it out slowly, then gnawed on his bottom lip as he let his hand drop on top of Greg's. Greg closed his eyes again, processing, confused, then extended his fingertips under Nick's and waited. Nick laced his fingers through Greg's and squeezed. Greg's head dropped to his chest as Nick quietly studied the way their hands fit together, running his thumb lightly over the side of Greg's palm.

Greg shivered in response. Then he took action. He carefully scrambled to his feet, dragging Nick with him by their still awkwardly connected hands, turning him until they were facing each other, both afraid to make eye contact. Greg released Nick's hand and laid his hand instead lightly against the other man's neck, his thumb ghosting Nick's jaw. He could feel the pulse jump under his palm, too fast, too strong. He took another steadying breath before looking up to find Nick's eyes tightly closed.

"Nick?" he said softly, barely a whisper, barely a question. Nick's eyes opened slowly to look into Greg's, back and forth, one to the other. So many things made so much sense in that moment. Why he hated it when Greg talked about his dates. Why his own dates always fell flat. Why he'd always been so much more comfortable in Greg's physical space than anyone else's he knew.

He offered another smile to his friend and colleague, this one much softer and much simpler, before closing his eyes, wrapping his hand around the wrist resting against his collarbone, and leaning in to touch his lips to the dry, chapped lips so close by now to his own. After merely a moment, he pulled back to look Greg in the eye, to gauge his reaction. Greg's eyes lit up like stars and his smile shown as bright as the lights on the strip at midnight before he pulled until his and Nick's foreheads rested together.

Greg took a deep breath and let out a long, contented sigh before pulling away with a grin. "Come on cowboy, let's get off this cliff," he said as he hooked up his gear.

Nick smiled broadly and waggled his eyebrows. "Beat you to the bottom!"

Greg cocked an eyebrow at that, trying to decide if the Texan intended the double entendre. Regardless, Greg smirked in response. "You're on."

Half an hour later they were on their way home in Greg's car, Nick sound asleep with his left hand locked around Greg's right wrist. Greg smiled at his friend and looked out the window wistfully. This could be everything he had ever wanted, but it could also end horribly. He couldn't imagine being in the bright sunshine of being with Nick, and then going back to the cold darkness of being without him, working the same shift. It was all a giant gamble, but the payout could be huge. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek as he studied Nick again.

Nick stuttered awake when Greg pulled into his driveway. He glanced at Greg and smiled through his yawn and stretch. When Nick got out with his gear and started towards his front door, he turned as he realized Greg wasn't following him, but stood, arms crossed, leaning against his car.

Nick dropped his gear and went to stand in front him. "Aren't you gonna come in? I've got stuff for breakfast…"

Greg smiled. "I'd like that. But I think I'm gonna pass." He smiled at Nick's disappointment, but wrapped lean fingers around one of Nick's wrists, stroking the pulse point with his thumb. "I need a shower, and I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

Greg smiled at that. He'd expected no less. "I need you to figure out where you want to go from here. I mean, this could be amazing, but if it goes to hell, well, I just don't want to lose what I already have in you."

Nick nodded, eyes serious, teeth sneaking out over his bottom lip in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture.

Greg smiled again. "And if you decide not to, um, pursue this any further, then what happens on a cliff top outside of Vegas can stay on a cliff top outside of Vegas, okay?"

Nick nodded wordlessly, again, and let his eyes drop to his shoes as his brow furrowed.

"I'm gonna cook you dinner, tomorrow night. And if you want, it can be a date. Or it can just be you and me hanging out and watching the game."

Nick shook his wrist loose from Greg's grip to lace their fingers together and squeeze quickly before releasing them and turning on his heel to head for his front door, Greg silently watching him go.

"I'll see you at four tomorrow?" Nick threw back over his shoulder as he put the key in the lock.

"Yeah."

At 3:45 the next day, Greg opened his door to a very clearly nervous Nick, holding a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers. Greg almost bit through his bottom lip in order to not burst out into laughter, but managed a brilliant smile, one that was returned gratefully.

"I didn't know the protocol…."

Greg smiled again. "There doesn't have to be any protocol, Nick. It's just you and me. But I appreciate the gesture. A lot. Um, not to be ungrateful, but I really don't drink wine…"

Nick snickered, relaxing a bit at last. "I don't either. You got any beer?"

They grinned at each other like the idiots they were and Greg took the wine and the flowers and set them aside so he could take Nick by his wrists and pull them around his waist, before dropping his own hands onto broad shoulders. Nick smiled a bit shyly as he bumped Greg's forehead with his own and Greg's hands crept up to the sides of Nick's neck to hold him in place as he sought his lips with his own, Nick answering back, timidly at first, but gradually with more surety, wrapping his arms tighter around a thin waist and crushing Greg to him.

When they pulled back, breathless, a moment later, Greg smirked. "That your answer then? Or do you require more information?"

Nick looked him in the eye. "That is my answer, yes. And I do require more information. But later. Right now I'm starving and you promised me food, and the game starts in ten minutes."

Greg grinned and followed Nick into the living room, wondering what the hell he was going to put flowers in.