Warnings: I do not own CSI or anything to do with CSI except maybe some innocent merchandise! This is post Grave Danger season finale of last season, so if ya haven't seen it, don't read it unless you don't care about spoilers! Mature subject matter and mature language mostly later chapters. If you are against or do not like to read about boys loving on boys, this isn't the story for you.

A/N: This is my first piece of fanfiction ever. Please review and let me know how you like it. I have 2 chapters written and if you like it, I'm more than happy to keep going. Thanks and enjoy my CSI friends. -K

Chapter 1

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Nick couldn't sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep properly since the incident. Every time he closed his eyes he was trapped in that coffin. Claustrophobic and suffocated he would keep his eyes open until sleep forced them shut. Then he would dream. And the dreams were worse.

The next day at work he was dead tired and mentally beat. Psychologically exhausted and slightly nauseous. Greg sat down next to him and frowned.

"Why aren't you eating your lunch?" he asked, his gentle concern ringing clear in his tone.

"Cause I can't eat." Nick mumbled, embarrassed that Greg was seeing him at his worst, seeing him crumble.

Greg searched himself desperately for the right words to say.

"I guess you're sick of people asking you if you're okay?"

"Yeah," Nick said, and he finally looked up from his meatloaf sandwich. "But thanks." he nodded again, staring into Greg's eyes, trying to penetrate his thoughts, but failing. "I'm fine."

Greg nodded and couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't want the moment to end, it seemed too perfect. Neither of them noticed when Warrick entered the break room until they were interrupted.

"Staring contest?" Warrick laughed, clapping a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Doing okay Nicky?"

Nick nodded and weakly forced a smile. Greg's stomach churned. His smile, which had once made his heart melt every time he saw it, was now fake, and sad, even tragic. The same with his eyes.

At the end of the day Nick had just gotten changed and was packing his work clothes. He just sat in the locker room, lost in his thoughts. Everything swirled around in his head, and started a pounding migraine right at his temples. He rubbed them, and started to tear up. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there when he heard his name being called from the doorway.

"Nicky?"

Greg was leaning on the door frame, face fallen and manner reserved.

"Hey Greggo." Nick said, pushing out one of his new manufactured smiles.

"Don't do that. Don't smile if you don't mean it. Don't feel obligated."

Now Greg is standing right in front of Nick, his eyes silently pleading with his troubled friend. The back of their hands touched and Greg let his touch linger as long as he felt he could before withdrawing , but barely. "Have you still not eaten?" Nick shook his head. "Well then come over to my place and I'll cook you dinner." Greg could hardly believe he had let the words escape his mouth and so confidently and casually at that. It was a fairly normal and friendly invitation, but to Greg it was so much more. It took Nick what seemed like forever before he finally opened his mouth.

"You get showered and changed. I'll meet you in the break room, I forgot my water bottle."

He walked away without another look at Greg, and Greg then probably took the fastest shower of his life. Once he was dried and dressed he rushed to the break room, anxiously looking around, as nonchalantly as he could fake. Catherine and Warrick were talking quietly, almost secretively, but as many times as he scanned the room there was no sign of Nick. His stomach fell and then he felt it try to climb up his throat. His thoughts were running a mile a minute and he nearly jumped at the touch of a hand squeezing his shoulder.

"Quick shower, Greggo." Nick said grinning down on Greg. A smile involuntarily washed across Greg's face. This was the most Nick had seemed like him self it a while. It was refreshing, and frankly beautiful.

"Not like I got a hot date or anything" Greg said shrugging and looking flirtatiously into Nick's dark eyes. Nick looked back a little curiously, almost invitingly and raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe you should find one, then."

Gregg laughed and replied, "Nicky, you're the hottest date in town. Come on," he said, guiding Nick out the door, hand placed flat and firmly on the small of his back. He could feel the muscles through his cotton shirt and slowly slid his fingers a little further down to the top of his jeans before letting his hand leave Nick completely. "Just ride with me, and I'll drive you home and pick you up tomorrow." Greg said, knowing this must have sounded a little clingy, but he didn't care. He had been so good and confident that letting something like an over-eager offer slip didn't bother him.

"Yeah, alright." Nick said, shooting a sideways glance at Greg. "Sorry, by the way. About not being in the break room to wait, like I said. But I got the feeling I… I wasn't wanted there. They were talking about something private, I could just tell. So I 'went to the washroom' 'till I saw you coming."

Greg nodded and shrugged. "Wonder what's up."

"I don't know." Nick said, once in Greg's sedan.

They drove the rest of the way home discussing their work days, but Greg made sure to only bring up the lighter things, and keep it that way. Humorous stories of Hodges and Grissom.

"Sorry it's messy," Greg muttered, reluctantly letting Nick in and wished that he'd just cleaned up last Saturday like he'd planned to.

"No biggie." Nick replied, looking around a bit. He had been in Greg's apartment before, but other than when he helped him move in to this place, never for any length of time. Just a quick pop in and out.

"Make yourself at home anyways, Nicky." Greg said, moving a couple books to the shelf that had been lying on the couch. "I'm just going to get started on dinner, you can put on the TV, or… or music if you like."

Nick nodded, and to Greg's pleasant surprise, headed to his CD collection. This means he wants to talk, doesn't it? Greg mused.

"Sorry, I don't have any country" Greg called out, grinning as he put a pot of water on the stove to boil.

Nick laughed, a genuine laugh of amusement and beamed up at Greg. "Just because I'm from Texas doesn't automatically mean I like country, you know."

"But do you?"

"Maybe." Nick said shrugging and unable to suppress a smile. Greg laughed, and joined Nick who was still looking at Greg's many CDs.

"Are you honest to God doing okay, Nicky?" Greg asked quietly. "I know you're brave, and you put up a good front and all that. But shit. How could you be alright?"

Nick's face fell. He stumbled over words for a few seconds and just shook his head, eyes gleaming with what looked to Greg like fear. "I…I haven't really talked to anyone about. About… what happened."

Greg nodded and rubbed his hand up and down Nick's back and Nick started taking deeper breaths, but hardly relaxing. "You don't have to. But it could help. And I'm here to listen." Greg said, as Nick finally raised his eyes from the CDs to look at Greg's warm brown eyes. They stared at each other both searching for the perfect thing to say, neither knowing what the other was thinking. Finally Nick nodded, took one more deep breath.

"I can't sleep anymore." he began.

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