Talk To Me

Author's Note: Uh, yeah. Not much...little angsty, little fluffy, but isn't that how most of my work goes? If you don't know what pairing this is, you don't know my work...and since there's a lot of you, I'll tell you. SLASH, Greg/Nick

Disclaimer: Once more, CSI, NOT MINE...dammit...

***

Greg Sanders held his breath when he heard the front door open from the bedroom he shared with his boyfriend, Nick Stokes. Greg hated that a small part of him fear Nick, but the CSI had been, well, moody lately. Nick hadn't hit him or anything, but still.

After he heard the door close, Greg quietly stood and snuck into the living room. He stood in the mouth of the hallway, every muscle in his body tight, ready to sprint back to the safety of the bedroom. "Nick?" He loathed how small and frightened his voice was. A grunt and the opening and closing of the fridge was the only answer the lab tech got. Greg cautiously, slowly, crossed the living room and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. Nick held a beer in one hand and was flipping through the mail with the other. Greg swallowed hard before speaking in a trembling voice. "Nick, we have to talk," Another grunt. Greg fought the urge to scream: "Stop grunting, dammit! You're an intelligent man, so stop acting like a neanderthal and tell me what's wrong!" Instead, he simply said quietly: "Will you please tell me what's wrong?" That weak, scared tone was back again. There was an excruciating silence before Nick said: "Nothing," He never looked at Greg. The lab tech considered letting it go, but then he remembered how they had been sleeping on opposite sides of the bed, backs to each other, the space between them seemingly growing wider every night. Before that, they had always slept right in the middle of the mattress, Greg using Nick's chest or torso as a pillow, their legs intertwined, arms about each other. At that time, they couldn't even keep their hand off each other during a shift. Nick would always find some reason to go to the DNA lab, and he would always touch Greg, whether it be a hand on his back, or their shoulders together as Greg explained some results. Many times, on break, they would steal away into a closet or to the roof for a few moments of passion, and that usually helped them through an hour of separation. Now, Nick always sent someone else to the lab, and was usually nowhere to be found during a shift. Now, Nick seemed to consider Greg's very existence an insult. "Nick, please, just talk to me," His voice was stronger this time. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Look, Greg," Nick slammed the beer down, making Greg jump. "Just let it go," The CSI pushed past him and headed for the hallway on the other side of the living room.

"No," Greg grabbed Nick's wrist, somehow more daring than he felt. Nick spun around. "I will not let it go, because I care about you-uh!"

Greg was cut off by a fist to his gut. He released Nick's wrist and dropped to one knee, clutching his screaming stomach, tears rolling down his face. "That's the problem!" Nick screamed, tears evident in his voice. "You care about me! I don't deserve you, Greg!" The lab tech looked up at him, his confusion hidden by an accidental mask of pain. "You could've died in that explosion, and I couldn't protect you," His voice was a little calmer this time. "You deserve someone who can protect you,"

"I don't want someone who can protect, Nick. No one can protect me in the lab," Greg stood, the pain subsiding. "I want you, Nick,"

This time, the physical attack was a slap to the face. "Stop that! Stop saying stuff like that!" Greg calmly, sadly, turned back to Nick. "I don't want you," Nick said firmly, his eyes meeting Greg's.

"I love you, Nick," Greg replied quietly. This small statement rocked Nick to his very core, but he didn't allow that to show.

"Well, I don't love you," This time, it was Greg who lashed out with a slap. Nick's head remained turned sideways, eyes wide, jaw slack, much like Greg had been only a moment ago.

"Stop it, Nick," Greg's voice was tear-filled, but calm. "It's not gonna work," Nick turned back to Greg, mouth still agape. Greg shook his head sadly. "Stop it," After a long, painful silence, Nick grabbed Greg and kissed him passionately, longingly. One hand plunged into his soft, spiky hair while the other wrapped around his waist. Greg's arms snaked around Nick, drawing their bodies together. When their kiss finally broke, they had found their way into the bedroom. Nick gently sat Greg down on the edge of the bed and kneeled before him, working on the buttons of his shirt while Greg tugged Nick's tee shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. Greg's shirt soon joined it on the floor. Nick captured the younger man's mouth again with his own and led his lover back toward the pillows. They drew apart again after a while, the CSI holding himself over Greg with one arm while the other hand stroked the lab tech's side. Greg held Nick's face in both hands.

"I love you, Greg," Nick said gently, almost apologetically. Greg smiled softly.

"I know," Greg wrapped his arms around Nick's neck, pulling his lover closer to himself. "I need you inside me, please," Greg whispered into his ear.

Nick's hand slid across Greg's hard stomach to the button on his jeans. "Anything for you, Angel,"

***

Author's Note: So, whatcha think? Good? Bad? Well, don't just sit there talking to your computer screen! Review and tell me!

Over 'n out, Damion Starr.