A/N: Sorry it took so long. xD R/R pleaseee.


Chapter 3

Greg woke up with his head buried into his pillow, his eyes caked with sleep. He wore his clothes from the day before, now wrinkled and smelling of sleep. His face felt dry and glued together, and he remembered the previous night. Greg's pillow was still wet with the hurricane of tears that flooded from his eyes, and he knew it was the salty water that made his face react as it did.

He knew why Nick affected him the way he did, he just refused to admit it. What happened to all those years crushing on Sara? Doesn't that count? On occasion, he had snuck a few peaks of Warrick's ass or Nick's lips, but he thought those were just hormones. But when he had his first wet dream about Nick, Greg knew something was up. He couldn't admit that he was attracted to men, so he buried it deep down inside it, where he knew no one, including himself, could find it.

Just thinking about the dream made his heart beat faster and blood rush to his head. Ever since he was little, Greg always had a rather dirty mind. Something about sex just fascinated him. He rarely spoke of it, but studied it as a teen. Greg internally called himself a pervert, but at that moment in time he really just didn't care. With the dream suddenly back into his mind, all of the forbidden fantasies seeped in through cracks of his composure.

Greg knew he was in love with Nick, he couldn't deny it any longer. It was hurting him and Nick and everyone else. He had tried to ignore the looks he received as he walked through the halls of the lab, how conversations just seemed to stop when he entered a room, but he felt like a deer in headlights. Like someone, no matter who, always oversaw his actions. Like someone knew the thoughts floating around in his head. Greg couldn't take it anymore.

He took determined steps towards Nick's hospital room, disregarding his throbbing and aching heart, for he knew that Nick didn't love him. He knew he had to get over it, and the faster he did it, the better. As soon as he told Nick, he could begin his own recovery. Doubt and guilt had plagued him for too long. He was tired of trying to hide it; although it was easy when Nick wasn't around. When he was? Greg could barely hold onto his flashlight because of his sweaty palms and his mouth wouldn't form any words.

Greg palmed the door nob and walked into Nick's room, breathing heavily. What he saw angered him. Nick was sleeping. He couldn't be sleeping. He had to be awake, to hear Greg say he loved him. He just had to be. Greg started to lose his momentum and slowly backed away from his coworker, almost making it out the door when Nick awoke with a start, groggily calling his name.

"Greggo?"

The young CSI gulped, closed his eyes, and turned, "Hey, Nicky. How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Nick's smile was enough to make Greg pool onto the floor. "I really needed the rest."

Greg pulled up his familiar chair and pushed it closer to Nick's bed. "That's great, Nicky. I'm so glad you're feeling better. We're missing you like crazy at work."

Nick shrugged, but smiled. "Honestly?"

"Would I lie to you?" he gulped, sick of his lying facade. As the other man shook his head, Greg began to feel like he was being ripped apart at the seams. "Actually, I would."

"Greg, come on, be serious."

"No, Nick, I have something I have to tell you. It's really important."

"Is it about the lab? Did something happen?"

He shook his head and contemplated how he was going to explain it. "No, nothing happened at the lab. I... I've had a revelation."

Nick gave him a questioning look. "About what, Greggo?"

"Well, about myself. And you."

"Do tell."

Greg gulped again, and replied, "I've realized that... that you mean a lot more to me than I ever thought you did. After your kidnapping, I went out of my mind with worry," at this point, Greg had stood and was pacing around the room. "And I began to think to myself. 'Why do I care this much? Sure, I mean, he's a big part of my life, I've known him for six years, but this doesn't explain why I can't sleep at night or why I can't seem to keep any food down or why every thought that goes through my head is about you or where you are or how you're feeling or what you're doing." Greg paused and scratched his neck. "And then I thought, maybe, like, you really did mean more to me than a friend would. Than a brother or a father or cousin would. But, what you mean to me equaled the love a husband has for his wife." Nick's jaw dropped in shock, but Greg started again. "And then I said to myself, 'But, Greg, come on, man. You like girls. And even if you did like guys, you wouldn't be attracted to Nicky. Because you work together and it'd get weird.' But then I started to notice how different it was when you weren't here and how much it hurt me to have you say to me that you wanted me to leave." He rested his head against the wall, not facing Nick. He fought for the right words and hit his head against the plaster. "I-I don't know how to explain it. I get this fleeting, almost bubbly feeling whenever I'm around you, Nicky. I'm getting it now, just being here. I can't concentrate on the crime scene when we're together, or when I used to process evidence for you. I'd always do yours first because... because I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you, Nicky." Greg turned around and was not shocked by Nick's stunned face. He placed a hand over his own heart and gripped it, digging his fingers into his chest. "Up to my eyes."

For a long while, Greg stood holding his heart as Nick looked from east to west, almost as if he were trying to look for a way out. He didn't know what to tell Greg, he didn't know how to say anything to him after his confession.

"No."

"Pardon?"

"No. No, no, no, no. I-I'm not like... that, Greg. I don't-I don't like men. I-I don't like you. In that way. I mean, you're a nice guy, but no. I'm not... I'm not weird. I like girls." Nick continued to babble about how he wasn't weird or unnatural, never once saying the word 'gay'.

It hurt Greg more to that he wasn't weird, like him, come from Nick's lips, than it did to hear that Nick held no romantic feelings towards him. To hear such an insult come from such a sweet, caring man just didn't feel right. But Greg stood there and took it, letting his tears fall onto his jacket, not bothering to try and hide it.

With a last sniffle, Greg turned and walked to the door, and said, "I'm sorry, Nicky."