Nick always seems so clueless, and when he's not clueless he's making all these assumptions...with that in mind this popped into my head.
Chapter 1
Greg bounced down the hallway throwing his arm around the unsuspecting CSI. "Hi." A sweet kiss was pressed to Nick's cheek followed by a sloppier one.
"Hey G, what do you want?" The question was dangerously close to being rude but was softened by the sparkling brown eyes and bright smile.
"When I'm around why do you always think I want something?" The smile that followed did nothing to dissuade Nick's suspicion.
"Because you always do." Greg nodded but instead of answering he wrapped his arms around Nick's neck and pecked him on the lips. His arms slid down grasping Nick around the shoulders and he buried his face into the juncture between neck and shoulder.
"Awww you missed me didn't you?" Said in a teasing tone, a soft smile followed and strong arms snaked around a thin waist. Nick walked forward allowing Greg to slowly walk backwards, until they reached the break room at the end of the hallway.
Sara glanced up and rolled her eyes. The two men, who acted more like little girls when with each other, were huddled in chairs squashed into the corner. They had been nearly attached to each other since they had started going out, at first it was adorable but as the weeks passed it was becoming sickly sweet.
"You two need to get a room." Looking down at her papers she heard soft whispers and couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, I have to go." Grabbing her trash and tossing it into the small garbage can she exited in search of Grissom to demand he do something about the two love birds now swapping spit behind her.
"Nick?" Nick turned at his name an eyebrow raised in answer. "How, uh, how's the case going?" Nick smiled the sparkle in his eyes back, "you wouldn't believe how close we are..." Greg watched his boyfriend's body language, deflating at every excited movement. Nick's hand ran through his hair his arms flailed around trying to explain how close they were. Interrupting Nick's stirring reconstruction of the crime scene using straws and a cup of coffee, he stuttered out the one thing he had been waiting to ask since the day began.
"You like your job right?" A pointless question but he couldn't let Nick get suspicious. Nick looked at him incredulously.
"I love it, why are you asking?" His eyes glazed over with a concerned look. Greg laughed nervously.
"If something came between you and your job, a problem maybe," He paused looking at his hands. "And as long as it was there you couldn't keep it, your job I mean. Would you ignore the problem, you know, get rid of it?" His gaze swept the half made straw crime scene as he waited for an answer.
"Yeah, I would give up anything for my job. It is my life." The sound of a beeper rang through the quiet room Nick looked at it gave a brief smile and a quick kiss to the shell shocked lover not noticing the white knuckles or downcast eyes. "I got to go babe it's Catherine." Greg nodded turning his head away staring blankly through the glass door. Nick left on his way to meet with the other CSI while Greg sat frozen. Only when Nick had disappeared from sight did Greg move, he stood from the chair an unreadable expression on his face and slowly, reluctantly made his way along the hallways finally ending up at the door of Conrad Ecklie.
Chapter 2
"So what did you decide?" Greg was silent so he pushed onward. "Is Nick keeping his job?" The younger man's head shot up a look of pain crossed his features.
"Uh yeah so what do you want me to do?" A look of resignation had planted its seeds of destruction.
"Anything I want that was the deal." Ecklie slithered around his desk and spoke quietly into the man's ear.
Greg backed up as far as possible only stopping when glass prevented him from moving any farther.
"What? No! I can't do that are you out of your mind!" Ecklie smiled at the look of panic on Greg's face.
"What? You love him? Can't let him go? Well does he hold his job in higher esteem then you?" Flinching, the ex-lab rat nodded slipping out of the room holding back tears.
"Nick, can I talk to you?" A whisper so quiet it didn't have a chance to bounce off the walls and return to the two set of ears listening; Greg was shocked that Nick turned to him.
"Hey Greggo, what do you want?" The tears returned blurring Greg's vision, he answered in turn.
"When I'm around why do you always think I want something?"
Nick looked up with a smile, "Because you always do." Greg walked up to the bench and sat down next to the other CSI. He grabbed Nick's face pulled it towards his own and lost himself in the kiss that followed. When Greg drew back he scooted to the edge of the bench ignoring the shocked look Nick gave him and spoke as clearly as he could manage.
"I think this needs to end." He swallowed the lump in his throat knowing in the back of his mind it wouldn't go away. "This relationship just isn't working. We both know it, why cause each other unwanted pain?" He prayed Nick wouldn't say anything. Silently take the rejection and walk away. He was never that lucky though, and picked a hot tempered partner, who sat shell shocked in front of him as his life crumbled away beneath him.
"Yeah go ahead just leave. As if this relationship meant nothing. Yeah it wasn't worth it was it? Just something to be tossed away?" The longer Nick spoke the stronger his accent became. By the time the last word was spat Greg was hard pressed to figure out what was being said. Instead of fighting and arguing Greg nodded allowing the angry man to yell and pace all he wanted. "Did you use me all this time? Your personal sex toy? When you got frustrated we would just hop in bed no strings attached?" Nick took a deep breathe turned to Greg and in a tone that stopped Greg's heart he uttered their parting words. "I guess I'm glad, it wasn't really worth it anyway." He turned and strode out of the locker room, leaving Greg to break down in his own personal hell. Fully knowing how appreciative Nick would be if he knew that Greg was saving his job.
Greg nearly crawled of the locker room, hunched over his arms wrapped around his stomach protectively. He slunk through the halls allowing his shoulder to drag along the glass windows. He flinched when Catherine came stomping up beside him. He turned his head away and bits of water flew from his hair onto the window as she yelled at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" wedging himself tightly against the window he tried to ignore Catherine's angry words but failed. "You break up with Nick and then what...? I saw you kissing Ecklie!" Greg's body shook so hard in repulsion that his head knocked painfully against the wall behind him. He jerked back when Catherine grabbed his arm and weakly tried to pull away desperate to get away. He didn't want to be touched by anyone especially not a rough touch. It simply reminded him of the possessive grip Ecklie used on him when they were alone together.
"Please let go." Catherine glared at him ignoring the soft plea. She strode down the hallway until they reached Greg's old lab. Nick sat on one of the rolling chairs staring through a microscope his eyes almost crossed.
"Look at him." She hissed in Greg's ear, "he says he has a hard time sleeping doesn't have an appetite, it disappears day by day. He's slowly wasting away and it's your fault."
That was weeks ago and Nick was slowly healing. Greg on the other hand was disappearing slowly and painfully. He barely spoke, ate no meals unless forced to by Ecklie and that wasn't the only thing Ecklie was forcing on him. Greg would come to work not being able to sit, instead standing and shifting uncomfortably, no one noticed, or even cared for all he knew. He was a ghost and no one was going to save him.
"Hurry up Greg!" Harshly spoken Greg followed the orders straining his frail body until the heavy box inched its way along the floor. "Did you not hear me?" In his ear this time he moved away from the arms that grabbed at the box. He had become increasingly nervous around people wary of brushing against anyone jumpy at the slightest contact. He had become reclusive in his ways preferring to work alone. He was not so lucky on this case. He was stuck in the lab with non other then his ex-boyfriend who was the least forgiving of the entire crime lab.
For the past three weeks every person in the lab had been angry with him some ignoring others purposely tripping him or causing him harm. With his failing body bruises were harsh against pale skin and he took to wearing long sleeves to hide the memory of not only hostile co-workers but of his vengeful lover. Ecklie's hands were printed onto his skin staining his wrists a dark purple along with his sharp hipbones.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled when Nick called his name. "I'll take this to DNA" Running from the room with evidence bag in his hands he was stopped by familiar arms. Greg bypassed the angry fingertips reaching for his body rational fear stirring in the pit of his stomach. "Please don't touch me." whispered this time. It did nothing to deter the other man. Greg cried out as strong fingers forcefully grabbed his wrist. He twisted only to let out a yelp when the grip tightened.
"Not a word." He watched with a lack of feeling as his eyes met those of the CSI he was working with, he could see a layer of turmoil cover the gaze but his disinterested mind assumed it was based on the fact he was taking evidence with him and Nick obviously didn't trust him to deliver it safely. In a last attempt to do right by his one and only love he broke away from the other man and sprinted towards DNA he could already feel the punishment he was going to get for disobeying Ecklie but ignored the stabbing pain in the small of his back instead concentrating on loosening his grip on the bag. He gave Mia a brief smile and then ran from the DNA straight into the chest of his enemy.
"What are you doing?" The look on Ecklie's face was murderous so Greg shrugged his shoulders as he was dragged away, the tight grip molded to his bruises, before he was pulled into Ecklie's office he caught one final glimpse of Nick his face filled with anger and Greg sighed a few tears escaping his eyes. Why couldn't he do anything right. He lowered his head as Ecklie closed blinds destroying his view of the outside world. This was going to hurt and he needed to compose himself for the painful punishment.
It was nearly 30 minutes before Greg stumbled out of the office limping along the hallway. He didn't bother hiding his injuries knowing Nick wouldn't care; he hadn't for the last few weeks why now.
"Sorry about that did you find anything?" Nick looked up in surprise. That was the longest string of words he had heard from the man in days. He turned to Greg and dropped the brush he was holding.
"Greg?" The man looked up and then glanced down only to find traces of blood on his leg. He groaned in surprise as the leg gave out forcing him to hold on to the edge of the table which in turn made him cringe when pressure was put on his injured wrist. Crying out he fell backwards holding his breath as he waited for the inevitable pain of the floor catching his body. He was surprised when strong but gentle hands caught him instead and he smiled thinking of every cliché story when the prince would save the princess. His mood plummeted when he realized Nick was simply relying on his instinct to break the fall. This wasn't some fairy tale and Greg would never be the princess saved by her knight in shining armor.
Nick held onto the tiny body gently, afraid it would break. Every bone jutted out making Greg almost painful to hold. He rested the small body against his chest the head lolled on his shoulder eyelids retracted showing glazed over coffee colored eyes. Nick easily slid the baggy pant leg up revealing a nasty cut probably reopened.
"Greg? What happened?" The body of Nick's ex-lover tried to pull away but he barely had any strength left. "Greg can you hear me?"