Part 2 - I Noticed, from Nick POV. Still a Nick/Greg slash piece, so if you got this far you probably figured that out by now, if not, if this isn't your thing, don't read it.
Thanks so much for the reviews everyone, I'm so glad you enjoyed, hope you like this part as well!
Disclaimer: They still don't belong to me, but if that changes, you'll be the first to know
This wasn't how it has supposed to be, he thought to himself as he walked out of the locker room by himself after telling his lover goodnight from the Crime Lab instead of in their bed . After everything it took for them to get to this place, in their careers, in their lives, this wasn't how it was supposed to be.
I had always watched him from afar, never getting too close, never letting him catch on that I really took him seriously, actually noticed him. He was always trying to prove himself to everyone, showing off his intelligence to whomever would listen to his presentations after his findings. No one seemed to treat him with the respect that he deserved, either brushing him off like an annoying little brother, or making him feel like he was failing them when the evidence he processed wasn't what they were hoping it would was. But I always noticed, but I would never let on. I took up for him but he never knew, for some reason I always felt protective of him, but I convinced myself I would do that for any of my friends. His intelligence always surpassed my expectations, but he wasn't supposed to be smarter than us, he was too young and too immature to be nothing but a "CSI Wannabee", but I was wrong. We all falter in the field one time or another I tried to tell him, but for weeks after that first trip into the field, I could see the defeat in his eyes, his enthusiasm deflate for what he felt was a failure, but what I saw was a young man becoming something more than anyone thought possible, and I noticed a change. No one else seemed to, but I always noticed him, but I would never tell. I would just notice quietly from afar, daring to flirt and laugh, let him know he didn't have to prove himself to anyone, especially me, I always noticed him, I thought he knew.
I remember the day the world came crashing down on me literally. I had seen Greg in the Lab not five minutes before as I walked into the AV Lab when the floors and walls shook around me and I felt the heat streak from across the hall. When I gathered my thoughts and realized what had happened, I ran out of the room to see orange and yellow dance around the lab. The loud alarm system and water splashing in my face brought me out of my shock, and I saw Sara on the floor, but when I saw her staring at something, I followed her gaze and what I saw shook me to the core. Greg lay there on the floor, and all I could see was glass all around him that sparkled like glitter from the flames of the fire, and it was then that I realized.
There were those long days and nights at the beginning, when he was in so much pain, but never gave in to it, never complained, because he knew it could have been worse, he knew he could have died. He never asked for help or pity, so I would just sit up with him, and watch TV or play video games to help keep his mind off of the burns. He never knew why I was doing this. I began to come to think of my place as a home with Greg there instead of just a place to sleep in between shifts. I got to know another side of him I only thought I knew before, and quickly realized I never wanted him to go.
I remember the day he tried to leave. I prepared myself for it, knew it would come. He had his pride and didn't want to be a burden on me, he hadn't yet realized. I watched as he grabbed the last of his things and I couldn't do it, I couldn't let him go, I went to him and reached to touch his newly healed skin on the back of his neck and begged "Please don't go, I know now", and I slowly leaned towards him for the gentle first kiss, and when he kissed me back, I knew then, he now realized I always noticed him. Thank God he stayed, and our new life together started. Slowly at first, but we had all the time in the world I thought. I didn't know life could get much better. Didn't know true happiness until then. We would come home together and either take nice, long, hot showers together, and I would always gently and every so lovingly wash Greg's back, I always loved taking care of Greg. Or there were those mornings that we were both so tired that all he and I could manage to do was fall in bed together and sleep wrapped up in each other all day.
They all began to notice then. He worked extra hard doing two jobs that normally one person couldn't do. He finally started earning the respect he deserved from the rest of the CSI's. He had to work twice as hard as a normal trainee, playing catch up while also being our Lab Tech. The strain had started to show, the confusion on his face at how cruel the world could actually be when he emerged from behind the Lab and out into the field full time. But that made coming home together all the better. We all watched with awe as the young, loud, and sometimes obnoxious "know it all" lab tech became a CSI, something no one thought he was capable of, sometimes not even me, but once again, he proved us all wrong. People always had a way of underestimating Greg, but he always showed us.
But now that had all changed. We were forced to work apart now. No more lazy morning showers or breakfast out before we came home. And I don't think that I will ever get used to coming home to an empty house, alone. I still haven't gotten used to it being this dark when I leave work, and I don't think I'll ever get used to leaving the warm bed with Greg still in it, with the sun still up when I have to leave, and I don't want to have to get used to that feeling. The nights at home now by myself are so quiet. They remind me of my life before, before that horrible accident that somehow changed both of our lives for the better. They remind me of what I had been missing for all of those years, and almost make me long for nights when I could wander the halls and look into the DNA lab hoping to get a glance at Greg either being all serious and professional analyzing evidence, or the more flirtatious Greg that I knew as well dancing around the lab to some music that no one could name. At least back then I didn't know what I was missing, at least back then I could fool myself into thinking that Greg was just another friend, just someone who always dreamed big but never had the heart or the will to get what he wanted. But now all of that has changed, I know exactly what I'm missing, and what I'm missing the most was probably out at another nameless murder with Grissom and Sara, while I sit there alone in the dark. But now Greg is all over the house, his things, his clothes, his presence, just him, and I miss him.
As I lay here staring at the ceiling, I can't help but feel bitter, this wasn't fair, not after all of these years of hoping and waiting, and then finally having it all, just to have it taken away from you by someone who was just on a power trip from a promotion, throwing his weight around to prove a point that no one cared to here about, but we were all paying for now.
"Damn You Ecklie."