Without You

Author Lolly4Holly / Beta: NickandGregNumberOneSlashFan

Chapter Ten: Dinner with the Folks

"Which tie do you wonna wear?" Nick asked holding up a tie in each hand for Greg.

"I don't know, the blue one kinda goes with my shirt, but I like the silver strips on that one. You pick Nicky." Nick looked at the ties in his hands then picked the one with silver strips, tying it around Greg's shirt collar for him. "Do you know Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer, Nicky?" Nick shook his head. "They were TV's first male gay couple to kiss on American daytime TV."

"What made you bring them up?" Nick asked, smiling.

"Coz their first kiss was when Luke was tying Noah's tie for him." Greg grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What's the show?" Nick asked, adjusting the tie around Greg's neck.

"As the world turns." Greg smiled looking at Nick's lips. Nick turned down Greg's shirt collar then held Greg's chin in his hand as he kissed him softly. Nick slowly broke the kiss resting his forehead against Greg's. Greg licked his lips looking up into Nick's eyes.

"How was that G?"

"Much better then Luke and Noah's." Greg grinned. "I love you Nicky."

"Love you too baby." Nick rasped in a sexy Texan accent, while he ran his hands between Greg's shirt fabric, against his silky smooth skin. "Don't worry tonight will be fine." He assured him.

"Are we talking about the dinner or after?" Greg asked, licking his lips cheekily.

"Well I didn't have anythin' planned G, but if you're not too tired I'm sure we could find somethin' to do."

"You're on cowboy." Greg winked, grabbing his suit jacket off the back of a chair. "So Nicky." Greg asked facing him. "How do I look?"

"Sexy, like I wonna rip that suit off you right now." Nick rasped, pulling Greg against his fully aroused body.

"Nicky, you'll crease my shirt." Greg giggled.

"Sorry . . . you just look so gorgeous." Nick smiled, looking into Greg's eyes.

Jade loudly cleared her throat, leant against the door frame.

"You know you could knock?" Greg suggested to her.

"Knockings overrated I prefer a good throat clearing." She grinned. "Besides doors open." She pointed out to them.

"She's got you there G." Nick laughed, grabbing his suit jacket.

"Mom send you up to get us?" Greg asked, curiously.

"No Papa O, he said out of everyone downstairs I was the one most likely to not throw up over whatever I saw up here." She teased, through a grin.

"That's evil." Greg scowled, checking his appearance in the mirror one more time. "Ready to go Nicky?"

"I don't know I feel as though I'm about to meet the in laws..."

"Well technically you are this is like the pre-in law banquet. It's okay to change your mind at this one." Jade teased.

"I'd never change my mind." Nick smiled, looking at Greg.

"Jade are they coming yet?" Jean shouted up the staircase.

"Don't say that." Papa Olaf hissed at her, while he silently chuckled.

"Oh gross dad." Jean cringed, pushing her father away. Nick, Greg and Jade stood at the top of the stairs, exchanging awkward looks.

"You're taking Papa O." Jade told Nick quickly, as they the three of them walked off down the stairs.

"Wow don't they look handsome." Nana Olaf smiled, then looked at her husband in a cardigan, old shirt with coffee stains down the front and an old pair of jeans that clung to him in all the wrong places. "Can we go now? I'm starving, I have to eat four hours before I go to sleep otherwise I mess myself..."

"Nana, Too Much Information." Greg yelled at her, even though it was too late everyone already heard it. Greg looked round at Nick seeing the uncomfortable look on his face. "If we're taking Papa O, you're taking Nana." Greg told Jade.

"Okay, but you're taking your mother. Nana, Danny boy come on." Jade ordered, marching for the door. Dan watched Jade walking out the door then gave his wife a smile.

"We'll see you there then Nick." He waved.

"See yah Dan." Nick waved back.

"Huh guess we're stuck with each other." Papa Olaf smirked, looking at his daughter.

"I call shotgun." Greg shouted already running for the door.

"How do you put up with him?" Papa Olaf asked Nick.

"A lot of Love and Patience." Nick smiled, following his eager boyfriend out the house.

"Hello, welcome to the Blue Coyote Grill." A young blonde waitress said. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Sanders sweetheart." Papa Olaf smiled to her, getting elbowed in the ribs by his daughter. "I was just being friendly." He moaned back to her.

Jean rolled her eyes checking if Nick had changed his mind yet. They already had three squabbles in the car. Once over too much air being blown into the car, making Jean's hair blow around. Again when Papa Olaf wanted the window open again, as the car stank like perfume, then once more when everyone was getting cold, but Nick refused to turn up the heaters as they would be there soon.

Nana, Dan and Jade rode in her car listening to Marilyn Manson being blared out of the speakers, sat plastic sheeted chairs as it was a rental car from work and she didn't want to have to clean it before she returned it.

"Sanders... right this way." The waitress smiled; grabbing a handful of menu's leading them through the restaurant to their reserved table. She watched as the family sat down then handed round the menu's pulling out her notebook to take their drink orders.

"Can I have that seat?" Papa Olaf asked Greg.

"Papa O there's no difference." Greg moaned at him.

"This one has a hard cushion Greggy." He moaned right back. "I'm old, my ass isn't as squishy as yours." Greg rolled his eyes, blushing slightly then traded chairs with him to stop him moaning.

"Better?" Greg asked him. Papa Olaf nodded, looking through the drinks list. Greg looked at Nick with a smile on his face. "Still not too late to change your mind Nicky."

"Yeah it is. I want my free meal." Papa Olaf chuckled.

"Let's have a grey goose Martini." Jean suggested. Nana Olaf nodded in agreement.

"I'll have a water." Jade said leaning forwards on her chair.

"Are you sure Jade?" Nick asked her. "I'm buyin'."

"I never drink during dinner Nick and I'm driving, but thanks." She smiled. Greg's boyfriend defiantly was a keeper.

"Two beers." Greg smiled ordering for his boyfriend too. Papa Olaf smacked his lips together looking through the menu.

"Same." He nodded.

"I'll have a beer too." Dan nodded.

"Okay." The waitress smiled walking away.

"Greg, did yah see the rack on her?" Papa Olaf asked, elbowing his grandson.

"Totally fake." Jade mumbled rolling her chewing gum up into a napkin.

"Dad." Jean scowled at him.

"I can't see a rack of lamb on here." Nana Olaf moaned, looking at her menu. "Am I missing it?"

"There is actually one." Jean pointed to it for her mother.

"Oh no, that's rack of ribs." She complained.

"Gregory where are you going?" Jean asked as Greg climbed out of his seat.

"I was going to the bathroom." He said walking off.

"Greg, your shirts all bunched up at the back." Jean shouted for the whole restaurant to hear, as if he was a child. Greg nervously pulled it down, practically running to the bathroom. Jade covered her mouth with both hands trying not to burst into giggles. "Jade are you all right dear?"

"I'm fine." She gasped, finally able to breathe.

"I think he would have preferred it if you didn't point out his bunched up shirt to the whole restaurant." Papa Olaf scowled his daughter.

"Sor-ry." She said sarcastically. "Is it my fault that I care about my son's appearance? Besides you with your squishy butt comment was more embarrassing."

"Yeah, but you don't have to announce it. I said that for Greg's benefit. I'm sure he'd of preferred a bunched shirt rather than humiliation." He explained to her.

"Excuse me." Jade climbed out of her chair heading towards the bar.

"Having fun Nick?" Dan asked him. Nick nodded seeing Greg slowly walking back through the restaurant, with his head held low. He slumped down in his chair avoiding eye contact with his mother.

"Did you wash your hands?" Greg nodded to his mother feeling even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry sweetie." Jean discreetly apologised. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Well next time how about we just leave my shirt bunched up? I'm 31 mother." Greg informed her as the waitress walked over with the drinks. "Where'd Jade go?" Greg asked looking at the empty seat.

Papa Olaf pointed towards the bar, where Jade was twirling a straw from a drink in her fingers talking to a guy.

"Thank you sweetheart." Papa Olaf grinned, ogling the waitresses implanted chest. The waitress gave him a sweet smile pulling out her notebook for their orders. "Get his number?" Papa Olaf asked Jade as she returned to the table. Jade flashed the napkin with the number to them then shoved it into her pocket. "I'll have the mixed grill lovely." Papa Olaf said to the waitress, raising his eyebrows making her blush.

"You're like my grandpa, hits on anything that can walk." She giggled. Greg laughed at his Papa Olaf shaking his head.

"Lemon chicken stir fry please." Jean said.

"Same for me." Her mother added.

"Um... the rack of ribs sounds nice." Dan smiled to her.

"Sirloin Steak, no onions." Jade said to her. The waitress nodded then turned to Nick and Greg.

"Um I'll have the Sirloin too, no onions." Nick smiled, looking at Greg. Greg knew Jade was allergic to onions and Nick hated them on his steak.

Greg grinned at how alike they really were.

"I'll have the surf and turf please." Greg said handing her back the menu. The waitress nodded, collecting up all the menu's then walked away.

"What's so funny G?" Nick asked him.

"Nothing." He giggled.

"So Nick why doncha like onions?" Papa Olaf asked curiously, as he knew what his grandson was laughing about.

"I hate the taste of em, especially on steak." Nick explained, looking at the families expressions.

"Jade what's your favourite colour?" Dan asked her.

"Green."

"And you Nick?" Dan asked turning to him.

"Green." He repeated, seeing Greg was laughing even harder. "What's so funny?" He asked again.

"Nothing I swear." Greg giggled, but he wasn't very convincing.

"You think me and Nick are alike?" Jade asked them all. Dan and Papa Olaf nodded watching Greg in his fit of laughter. "State your source?" She asked leaning on the table.

"Well you both fell for Greg for starters." Papa Olaf pointed out to them.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Greg said feeling hurt.

"It's not a bad thing sweetie, he's just being mean." Jean stated, punching her father in the arm. "It would be a treat for anyone to be in love with you. At least you grew out of your acne sweetie."

"Mom." Greg scowled at her.

"It's true he had it terribly when he was a teenager Nicky." She admitted. Greg hung his head in shame, leaning back in his chair. "Then with the braces, you were really the runt of the litter, but now your all grown up and handsome." She smiled.

"Well I had acne too actually." Nick confessed, trying to make Greg feel better.

"Me too." Jade nodded.

"And me." Dan added. "I think we're the better lookers round the table." He grinned looking at Papa Olaf.

"You're not too old to put across my knee boy." Papa Olaf warned him. Dan nodded sinking lower into his chair. Greg smiled looking up at Nick sat beside him.

"So Nicky, tell us more about yourself, I feel we barely know you." Jean said taking the last sip of her Martini.

"Well I'm from Texas..."

"Der." Nana Olaf interrupted, rolling her eyes at him.

"My dad's a Judge, my mama's a lawyer. I have five sisters and one brother..."

"Whoa, whoa... six siblings?" Jean asked. Nick nodded nervously biting his lip. "That is so unfair, do they know about you?"

"Unless they forgot him while he was away." Papa Olaf burst into giggles, but no one else laughed, just gave him a blank stare. "Oh come on that was funny and you know it."

"Not really Papa O." Greg said, shaking his head.

"No they don't know, I'm..." Nick stopped, not wanting to say it in the crowded restaurant. "What else is there to know?"

"What's your sign?" Papa Olaf asked.

"There's a chat up line with a little dust on it." Jade smirked. "You don't ask guys what their sign is Papa O."

"Sor-ry." He said sarcastically. "So Nick what's your plans for our Greg..."

"Food's here." Greg interrupted, desperate to change the subject. The waitress handed round everyone's meals, telling them to enjoy their meals then walked off to serve another table.

"Think she'll tell me what her sign is?" Papa Olaf asked elbowing his son in law.

"Dad behave." Jean scowled.

"Your wife's sitting 3 inches from you." Dan pointed out to him.

"I know." Papa Olaf smiled, patting his wife on the hand giving her a smile. "Lucky for me I can flirt all I like, but at the end of the day this woman is giving me..."

"Hot sauce anyone?" Greg practically shouted to cut off his Papa Olaf.

"That's not hot sauce sweetie." Jean pointed out to him.

"I know." Greg said reading the label. "How about we talk about the weather or something?"

"What that guy's name?" Papa Olaf asked looking at Jade.

"Mark... something."

"I told you to stop dating shit heads."

"For the record he looks like a very decent... shit head." Dan added, looking at the man still sat at the bar. "What does he do?"

"No clue, you don't get into personal stuff while you're asking for a number Danny boy." She grinned at him.

"So when are you going to call him?" Greg asked curiously.

"24 hour rule am I right?" Nick asked her. Jade nodded to him.

"You two even date the same." Greg smirked, rolling his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked him.

"Nick name the last girl you went out with." Greg asked, knowing this would catch him out.

"Tristy... somethin'."

"Need I say more?" Greg smirked.

"Look on the bright side Greg, if Jade was to be yours and Nick's surrogate, if you submit your DNA, you'd still get a kid that's half Nick." Papa Olaf said making Nick and Greg uncomfortable.

"He's only been my boyfriend for three days Papa O."

"I don't wonna be a surrogate." Jade added, suddenly not feeling very hungry.

"Why not dear?" Jean asked her.

"I told you before; I don't do the pregnancy thing. Lasting nine whole months without a cigarette, beer..."

"Or a shag." Papa Olaf added.

"Exactly." She agreed. "No offence guys."

"None taken, we really hadn't discussed kids." Nick said looking at Greg.

"Well time to start boys you're 35 and my son's 31..."

"Men don't have the ticking body clock." Jade interrupted.

"That's why we have mid-life crises." Papa Olaf added.

"Dan wanted kids." Jean argued. Dan grabbed his beer, sinking low in his chair. "You didn't?" She asked shocked.

"Well not exactly, I'm glad we had Greg though, but I never wanted lots of kids like you dear." He finally admitted to her after years of marriage.

"I can't believe you, why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

"You didn't ask." He retaliated.

"New subject." Papa Olaf interrupted. "So how much longer you gonna work at the crime lab Greggy?"

"I don't know? Until I retire."

"Seriously?" Dan, Jean and Papa Olaf said in sync with each other.

"I do kinda like my job." He explained, awkwardly.

"You were ready to quit when you came here." Jean said giving Nick an evil glare.

"Nick didn't do anything mom, I decided myself that I like my job."

"You almost died Gregory, I forbid you to go back."

"I'm 31 mom, I make my own decisions." He told her.

"Daniel, say something." His wife insisted.

"If he loves his job, I can't deny him from working it." He simply told her. "I'm happy for you Greg and I support your decision."

"Thanks dad." Greg smiled.

"I don't." Nana Olaf added. "I hate your job Greg, I hate that you even have a job."

"Someone's gotta do it Nana."

"To Greg and Nick." Dan interrupted, raising his glass as he saw Papa Olaf and his wife about to get into it again.

"Greg and Nick." Everyone joined in.

Nick and Jade helped Greg up the stairs as he was completely wasted. "Thanks Jade." Nick smiled.

"Welcome, see yah Nick." She smiled back walking out the room. Jade watched as Nick sat down beside Greg running his fingers softly through Greg's hair. Jade smiled walking off down the hall.

"What am I gonna do with you G?" Nick whispered softly.

"I'm all yours Nicky." He smiled without opening his eyes. "Sorry about my family."

"Tonight was fun G, don't apologise." He grinned, kissing Greg on the forehead. "Do I get a good night first?" Nick whispered.

"Good night Nicky." Greg croaked.

"Night Greg." Nick readjusted Greg on the bed so he could pull the covers over him. He pulled his shoes off then climbed into bed beside him watching him sleep. "I love you Greg." He whispered softly into his ear.

Please Review

I tried to add as much humour and banter as I could between all the Sanders family characters in this chapter so I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks to NickandGregNumberOneSlashFan for being my beta reader :D