Chapter Seven – Back to Normal

Waking up to the early morning light pouring in through the window, Nick rolled himself over in search of his boyfriend's warm body, finding himself alone. He pushed back the covers to get up, padding through to the front room where Greg was sat, clutching a coffee mug tightly between his hands as he stared absently out the window to his apartment.

It had been several weeks since the assault in the alley, but the bruises were still there. The events of that night were still there too, racing through his brain every moment of the day.

"There you are." Nick dropped to the sofa beside him, gently combing his fingers through his partner's hair. He touched his hand to his tinted blue cheek, looking into his big caramel brown eyes. "Come back to bed. You need to sleep."

"Can't sleep. I didn't want to wake you up with my tossing and turning all night. You looked so peaceful." He forced out a smile to assure him he was okay. He cupped Nick's chin in his hand, leaning forward's to press a kiss to his lips. "What time do you want to leave for my Mom's?"

"Warrick is comin' over to give us a hand shiftin' this lot over to my place. I've got my shift before that. Should be ready to go about five as long as I don't get held up." He hoped he hadn't just jinxed it by saying it out loud. "Your Mom doesn't mind us gettin' in late?"

"Are you kidding? She doesn't care just as long as we get there." Greg shook his head, ditching his coffee mug to hold the older man in his arms. He rested his head against his shoulder, listening to his heart beating through his chest. "I wish we were spending the weekend alone together rather than with my parents."

"Me too, baby." He rested his chin on the man's head. "We'll be in our own house soon. I can't wait to start decoratin'. We have to decide what furniture to keep. Wallpaper or paint. Then there's carpets. I don't know how many samples we've got layin' around now."

"I never would have pictured myself becoming a home maker with a cowboy." Greg smiled against the man's shoulders, wishing they could move in now. "My Mom was pretty bummed she left without seeing our dream home."

"It's good they did finally leave. I need to get my place sorted so we can put it on the market. I was hopin' to sell it before we moved. At this rate we might end up rentin' it out. Honestly, I thought your mother would never leave after the first three weeks." He giggled softly, smoothing his hands up and down his partner's back.

Greg joined his laughter. "She almost didn't when you hinted at wedding bells in our future. You know you can't joke about that stuff around my mother. She'll call up with information on wedding planners or gay friendly ministers. She might even pick out matching suits for us to walk down the aisle in."

"That's a whole lot more than my mother would do." He stopped to wonder if his parents would even attend their wedding. "My Mama's still duckin' my calls. It used to be my father that did that. It's weird not bein' able to talk to her anymore. She barely even said goodbye to me before they flew home again. She did ask about Christmas again. I guess she's still annoyed that we're goin' to your Mom's instead of the ranch. But hey, we might be hostin' our own Christmas dinner in our place this time next year. Do you think my folks would come?"

"Not if my parents are there. I think my Mom scared your father off after that breakfast." The younger man smirked, pulling back to look into Nick's big puppy dog eyes. "Is that what you really want?"

"I don't want to get my hopes up. They'd never come, even if I asked three years in advance they'd come up with an excuse."

"Your Dad might."

"I hope so." He pressed his lips to Greg's forehead, helping him up from the sofa. "Come back to bed. We've got an hour before the alarm goes off." He held his hand as he led him back to the bedroom, settling against the pillows with Greg in his arms. "It'll get better you know."

"You know that from experience?"

"Yeah. I do, actually." The Texan giggled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Don't you remember talkin' me down from more than a few panic attacks in the middle of the night?"

"All too well." Greg buried his head in the nock of Nick's shoulder. "You'd think I'd be an expert by now." He gave out a soft sigh, tracing the man's heart with his fingertip. "At least you didn't kill someone. I don't know what's worse. The fact that someone is dead is because of me or the fact that every time I close my eyes, I feel like I'm back in that alley."

"Self defence." Nick repeated the phrase he had been saying a lot lately. "You saved a man's life. That kid was gonna bash his brains in with a brick. You did what you had to. In that situation, I woulda done the same thing. Warrick, Sara and Catherine would have too."

"It's still a man's life. If I wasn't your boyfriend, would you still agree with what I did?"

"Absolutely," Nick kissed the top of his head. "The kid murdered a family man. He beat up people on the streets because he was bored. He had no excuse for bein' there in that alley. He could have run off with his friends. He chose to stay and continue the violence. Trust me; the world is better off without a guy like that around. He was still basically just a kid so he'd probably have only served a few years in jail, before he was out hurtin' more people. Once a violent offender, always a violent offender."

"Tell that to his mother. She's telling everyone I murdered her son in cold blood."

"Mother's guilt." He spoke softly, noticing the frown on his boyfriend's brow. "Well she must have been doin' somethin' wrong to have her son out on the streets beatin' people up. That doesn't come from good parentin'. If you raise your kids right, teach them right from wrong then they know that somethin' like that isn't right."

Pushing himself up from the man's chest, Greg gave the man a curious look. "Do you want to be a father, Nicky?"

"Someday." He patted the man's thigh. "I want more time alone with you first, but I definitely want kids in our future. I'm not picky but I can picture us havin' two or three little Greg's runnin' around one day. Climbin' the walls after a sugar fix. Overtalkin' themselves out of punishment or chores."

"Three?" Greg gritted his teeth together. "Wow, I thought maybe one or two, but three? There's only two of us. It'll be scary if they outnumber us."

The older man chuckled softly. "Are you scared of kids, G?"

"They freak me out a little, especially in swarms like that. I like kids. I can relate to them easier than most adults. At the ranch it was a little overwhelming all those kids running around aimlessly. How are you supposed to keep an eye on that many at once? They're small, clumsy and a bit thick. Most of them don't know that you're not supposed to touch hot things or put your fingers in a socket."

Nick threw his head back in another chuckle, adoring his boyfriend even more. "That's why they have adults to teach them that stuff, G."

"Exactly," Greg moved himself to sit on the man's hips. "And if there's two of us and three kids, how are we supposed to stop them all from doing that?"

After a hefty belly laugh, Nick leant forwards to seal a kiss to his lips. "You're freakin' adorable, G. I can't wait to be a co-parent with you."

"Do you really think I have what it takes?"

"Of course," He broke into a huge grin. "You'd make an amazin' father one day. I can't wait to be a Dad with you. And I know they'll love yah just as much as I do." Snaking his arm around the man's body, Nick pulled him down to the bed beside him, planting a kiss to his cheek. "It'll get easier. I'm kinda an expert on the PTSD front, so you can take my word for it when I tell you it'll get easier. The dreams will stop… eventually. Panic attacks are easier to deal with if you have an adorable boyfriend around." He playfully jabbed his side, sealing a kiss to his lips. "You just have to take it one day at a time and remember to breathe."

"Breathing would be easier if there wasn't a half naked stud on top of me." He smiled at the man. "You know I can tell when you're lying, Tex. I've seen you trying to hide panic attacks and nightmares from me."

"I'm not hidin'… I'm dealin'." He defended himself. "You've gotta admit that I'm better than I was last year."

"Yeah because now you're distracted by me."

"I know somethin' that'll really take your take your mind off it." Straddling his partner's body, Nick licked a playful kiss to his neck, nipping another to his shoulder. "Hey," He caught a tear rolling down his boyfriend's cheek, pressing his lips to its salty trail. "It's okay, Greg. We don't have to do anythin' you don't want to."

"It's not that." He shook his head, wiping away his tears. "I'm such a wimp."

"You're not a wimp. You saved a man's life, riskin' your own in the process."

"Some hero," Greg sniffled. "I almost died."

"Honey," Finding the man even more adorable, Nick lay himself on top of him, holding him tightly in his embrace. "You won't feel like this forever. Believe me; I've gone over everythin' I did with my own freak shows. Remember my stalker? That one kept me awake for months worryin' about everythin' I did to make him think that we could even be friends in the first place. I thought over every little thing, drivin' myself mad with worry. You did what you had to."

Covering his trembling lip, Greg nodded softly.

"You didn't die, baby. You're still alive." He gently combed his fingers through the younger man's hair. "It's a fucked up feelin' I know, but it'll hit you every now and then. You're alive."

"You know, I always wanted to understand the mind of Nick Stokes a little more. I wanted to know what you were thinking or feeling, how I could help you feel safe or anything other than terrified. I never literally wanted to understand the whole process though. This fucking sucks." He snorted out a laugh through his tears, rolling his eyes at himself. "I bet you thought dating men got you out of the water works."

"Hey, I love a good cry." Nick pecked a kiss to his damp cheek. "The ladies aren't the only ones allowed to cry out their feelings, you know. We both have a ton of emotional baggage. Near death experiences and let's face it, we're nuts. You should know that by now, you have to drive me to the shrink's office every two weeks. Even he thinks I'm nuts. Who else would stay in a job like this in a city like this after all the crap we've been through?"

"Ugh," Greg groaned, wiping away the last of his tears. "I'm gonna cry at our wedding. I know it. I blame you, Stokes. Before you came along, I could count the times I cried in a year on one hand."

"Hey cryin' is good. Showin' emotions is good. It means you're still alive."

"Oh yeah, did your shrink teach you that?" He playfully tickled the older man's sides, sniffling back his tears. "I believe you were on your way to do something, Tex." He motioned down. "Please continue."

Nick threw his head back in laughter, propping himself up on his elbows either side of the man's head. "I love datin' a man. After a good cry, you're always ready for sex." He stole a kiss from his lips, kissing his way down to his navel. He felt Greg's fingers weaving through his hair as he approached his target, losing himself in the fantasy of being with the man of his dreams for the rest of his life.

"I thought you hated this time of year." Nick remarked upon entering his supervisor's office, spotting the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree on the desk behind him.

"Oh," Grissom turned to look at the reminder of Sara. "It… it was a gift." He spun to face the younger man, noticing the file in his hands. "Is that the prints from our scene?"

"No, Mandy is my next stop. This is the autopsy results on vic number one. Doc Robbins confirms they were hacked up after they died. He also found an implant on this guy. He traced back the serial number to a John Ellis. He had testicular cancer four years back and got an implant for the missin' ball." Nick dropped the results in front of his boss, watching the man searching for his glasses to take a look. "No ID on the second vic yet. Hopefully Mandy will have somethin' on their prints."

"Alright, let me know."

"Is that from Sara?" Nick noticed a postcard on his desk.

"Oh… yes," The man quickly moved it out of reach, before any of his nosy employees got their hands on it. "She's visiting her mother in San Francisco. She needed some space from the lab, a chance to clear her head." He wanted to ask how Greg was dealing with the aftermath of what happened, but acknowledging their relationship now meant he'd have to take a more hands on approach around the lab. He had avoided pairing them up or putting them on the same case ever since he found out, which was easier since Greg was still on light duties, but if Ecklie found out the truth, he'd want to separate them across shifts which never ended well.

"Alright," Nick backed away out of his office. "I'll let you know as soon as I have anythin'."

"Thanks, Nick."

Leaving his supervisor staring at the postcard from his beloved, Nick made his way across the hall, easing open the door to the print lab. "Hey, Mandy. Have you got anythin' from those prints I gave you yet?"

"I do, but you'll have to earn it first." She swiped the file off her desk, giving the man a grin. "C'mon, sing it dude."

Cracking a smile, Nick stepped further into the lab, letting the door close behind him. He thought no one would speak to him after they found out the truth. A few detectives and deputies had been extra quiet around him, but the majority of the lab crew still treated him like the same old Nick. "Oh, Mandy," He started belting out the chorus to Barry Manilow's song Mandy. "Well you came and you gave without takin'. But I sent you away. Oh, Mandy…"

"That's enough." The woman giggled, giving out a soft sigh. "Always nice to hear your sweet Texan twang singing my name. At least for one last time. I don't think Greg would approve of you singing love songs to me anymore." She handed over the file from her hands. "Got an ID on both your victims. John and Michael Ellis. They were doctors at Desert Palms. And brothers."

"Brothers. Thank you, Mandy." He leant forwards to peck a kiss to her cheek. "I'll always have time to sing your name."

Mandy felt weak in the knees. "Get out of here." She gave him a playful push towards the door. "You better not break Greg's heart. He's a role model around here. Lab tech to field CSI. If you break his heart, you might find yourself at the bottom of everyone's to do list."

"I won't break his heart." He gave her a promise, backing out the door. "Thanks, Mandy."

"Mr Stokes," A young lab tech appeared in front of him, a green strip running through his spiky black hair. "I have something that might be of interest to you."

"Uh… Floyd, isn't it?" He recognised him from Greg's description.

The kid gave him a toothy grin, ushering him across the hall to the DNA lab. "First of all, I just want you to know that I have total respect for you and I would never do anything to jeopardise our working relationship." He positioned himself between one of the lab tables for safety from the rumoured hot head of the lab, before he continued. "I know we don't know each other that well, but I thought you should know that I gave my number to your boyfriend in hopes of going out on a date. He shot me down. He's so cute you could instantly forgive him, right? His hairs so cool and he's kinda dorky in an adorable way…" Floyd cleared his throat, realising he was getting off topic. "I just want you to know that I won't try anything like that again and I hope you guys will be very happy together."

Nick tried to suppress his smile, taking a step closer to the nervous young man. "Floyd, do you actually have somethin' case related for me?"

Floyd nodded, reaching for the report on his bench. "Blood work from your vics. Both of them have heavy traces of a drug in their system that's commonly used for date rape. Rohypnol." He handed it over, watching the man thumbing through the results. "So, about the other thing…"

"Hey we're cool, man." He lowered the report, giving the kid a look. "But if you try anythin' with him again, just know I'm comin' for you."

Floyd gulped hard.

With a smile plastered across his lips, Nick turned for the door, ready to present the evidence to his boss. He overheard a pair of familiar voices echoing down the hall, taking a few steps closer to investigate.

"Pork chop, perfectly cooked on the grill, served with this honey dew sauce. Mm," Warrick purred at the memory of its juicy flavours caressing his tongue. "I should have taken Tina there when we were still talking. After a meal like that, anyone would be up for negotiating custody."

"She still giving you a hard time on that?" Catherine poured herself a coffee, smiling at Nick as he stepped through the open door. "Hey Nicky, do you fancy a brew?"

"No, thank you. I'm good."

Warrick cleared his throat, continuing his story to fill the awkward tension in the room. "Tina's still going for sole custody with no visitation. She's trying to claim I'm an unfit parent because of the job that I do and the hours that I work."

"That's bullshit." Catherine shook her head. "Eddie tried to claim the same thing with me, remember? There's no way that will hold up in family court."

"At least you actually knew who Lindsey was when you went through all of this. I've only seen my son three times in two years. He's already talking and walking around, without a clue that he has a father out there who loves him."

"I guess that's one good thing about your situation." Catherine motioned towards their silent colleague. "No lengthy custody battles over kids."

"Greg and I want kids." Nick enlightened her.

"Really?" Catherine squeaked. "And you've discussed this with Greg?"

"Yeah." He smiled seeing the confusion on both of their faces. "Why is that so hard to believe? Do you think that because we're two men we shouldn't have kids?" He feared he was about to hear a long lecture from them about how kids needed a mother and a father. His eldest sister's voice echoed through his head, yelling at him that it was a perversion to even suggest such a thing. He didn't have the right to raise children because of his lifestyle choices.

"No," Warrick snapped him out of his fears, giving Catherine a glare. "No one is saying that. I think you'd be a great father. You're practically a father already, Nicky, just without any kids of your own."

"I think so too." Catherine piped in, quickly backtracking her earlier statement. "I was more surprised that Greg would agree to such a commitment. He tries to get out of dealing with big responsibilities around the lab all the time. He just doesn't seem like the type who would want to be a parent to kid that needs a lot of love and attention."

"He's not the same goofball he was who used to dance in the halls with latex gloves on his head." He assured them both. "He's really grown up these last few years. We're plannin' our future together and kids are a big part of that future. We're really serious about each other."

"Deadly serious, I told her you were moving Greg into your place later." Warrick shot Catherine a look. "And she promised not to go blabbing it to the lab gossip this time."

"I swear I didn't mean for it to get out like that." Catherine held up her hand to swear. "I will do whatever I can to make it up to you guys. I'll even be a surrogate if you want some sprogs of your own to fight over."

"Thanks, Catherine." Nick gave her a smile. "But I don't think we're there yet. We'll let you know when we wonna rent out your uterus. Greg's got his heart set on a football team of kids." He teased the woman as he backed out of the room.

"Not a word." Catherine snapped at Warrick, suddenly feeling a pain in her stomach at the thought of holding all those babies for nine months. She wished she could take it back, but what if he took it as a sign that she wasn't comfortable bringing a gay man's baby into the world.

With a heavy sigh, Catherine left the break room, dreading the future strain on her uterus.

Dropping a handful of books into the box beside him, Greg winced from the pain in his shoulder, holding his hand against it as Warrick and Nick returned to grab more boxes. "Hey, you made it down the stairs with the table then? I packed up my bedroom stuff. I ran out of tape for the boxes though so hold the bottom and top." He gave them a cheeky smile, leaning back as Nick bent down to his level.

Warrick quickly hurried through to the bedroom, still not comfortable with seeing his two best guy friends being intimate with one another. He stumbled over a box in the doorway, kicking out a framed photo of Nick hugging Greg in his arms. His eyes were so full of love and the embrace looked so natural between them, proving that they really weren't rushing into this decision.

Bending down, Warrick returned the photo to the box, trying to be happy for his friends that had been lying to him for the last two years. He knew they only did it to protect themselves from small minded people, but it still hurt.

"Hey Greg, you haven't labelled any of these boxes." Warrick carried the box through to the front room, securely holding the bottom and top to keep the contents from spilling out. "How are you going to find anything?"

"Greg has a system." The control freak in Nick hated the system, but he knew it was just his boyfriend's way. "Put that one in my truck. Anythin' from the bedroom or bathroom goes in my truck. The rest of it can in the U-Haul van, so I can put it straight in the garage on the other end."

"Alright." Warrick nodded, leaving them to it.

"I saw that." Nick noticed Greg wincing for a second time. "I told you not to lift anythin' heavy."

"It's fine." Greg rotated his shoulder, hearing it click as he did. "I finally got my cast off. It just needs some work to get back into the swing of things again. Help me up." He reached his hands out for Nick's, giggling softly as he whisked him straight to his feet. "Is Warrick okay with all of this?"

"Honestly, I think he's glad to have somethin' else on his mind other than Tina and this custody battle over their son." Nick dropped the last of the books into the box at his feet, following Greg back into the bedroom. "I don't know about you, but I'm kinda gonna miss this place. I lost my virginity in this apartment." He reminded him, not ashamed to admit it anymore.

Greg giggled softly, dropping to his empty mattress on the floor. "Don't let Warrick hear you say that. He'll probably plug his fingers in his ears and run screaming from the room." He scooped up his shoes from the floor, dropping them into the empty box by the window. "I think my apartment manager will be happy to see the back of me." He grabbed the last sneaker from his bedside table, dumping it into the box, driving the control freak mad.

Nick dropped to his knees in front of him, placing his hands either side of him. "I'll miss this place. There's a lot of memories here. Our first time together. First time I slept beside someone I loved. First time I told someone I loved them. First lover's tiff." He grinned against his lips. "It's almost a shame we have to leave."

Excitement filled the younger man's eyes. "Think of the fire place."

"Mm," He purred, joining their lips for a kiss. "I can't wait to spend our first night in our new house. This escrow can't close soon enough. It feels like we've been waitin' months already." He leaned in closer. "Once we get the place sorted out, we can set a date for our weddin'."

"I can't wait." Pulling the man into his arms, Greg closed his mouth over Nick's, teasing his tongue into his mouth. He had the man practically on top of him as Warrick walked back into the room, anxiously clearing his throat to let them know he was there. "Ugh, you're such a buzz kill, Rick." Greg giggled softly, flopping back against his mattress. He watched his boyfriend quickly climbing to his feet, still a bit anxious about the PDAs in front of his best friend.

"I'll take that one." Nick grabbed the box from the floor. "The mattress can go in the truck. I'll be back to help you with it. Don't let him lift anythin'." He motioned to his boyfriend.

"A'ight." Warrick waved him off, bending to pick up the last box from the bedroom. "So Sanders," He climbed to his feet, keeps the flaps closed with his hands. "Marriage?"

"You heard that, huh?" Greg scrambled to his feet, pushing the box of his shoes away from the bed. "Don't tell anyone that if you value your friendship with Nick."

"I won't."

"You mean like the rumour of us kissing?" He shot him a look.

"That wasn't me." He assured him. "I talked to Cath about it over dinner and she mouthed off to Mandy. Next thing I know, the whole lab was talking about it. I never meant for it to get out like that. At least now I know who I can trust with my secrets." The man smirked, stopping in the doorway. "You really kept this quiet for two years?"

"Yeah for Nick's sake. He didn't think any of you would understand. His parents weren't exactly welcoming in the beginning. His brother still cracks jokes at his expense. He didn't want to lose his friendship with you too."

"He won't." Warrick gave him a nod of assurance. "Nick and I have been close for years. Yeah, I was pretty bummed to find out that he had been lying to me the whole time. I thought I knew who he was. I never had any real family or close friends growing up. Nick wasn't only my friend, he was my brother. I thought I could depend on him."

"You can. He's still the same, Nick."

The older man nodded slightly. "My Grandma used to say that it's the people you trust most in the world who can hurt you the most. I can see that Nick is happy with you. He hasn't been the same since the whole thing with the coffin, but around you… he's like the regular Nick old again. You're a good catch, Greggo. I know you'd never break his heart."

"Not intentionally." He assured the man.

"And you really love him?"

"With all my heart." He sounded like a dreamy teenager, putting a smile on Warrick's lips.

Feeling as though a ton of weight had just been lifted off his shoulders, Warrick nodded to the younger man. "That's good enough for me."

"Oh and, when he asks you to be best man, remember to act surprised. It'll crush him if you already know."

"I'm best man?" A bigger smile settled into Warrick's lips. "Who's yours then?"

"Sara, I already asked her. Not a word." He put his finger to his lips, giving the man a smile. He bent to pick up the last box in his room, feeling as though his shoulder had been ripped out of its socket. "Ouch."

"Hey," Warrick ditched the box from his hands, helping the younger man to straighten up. "You're not supposed to lift anything. Is it your shoulder?" He eased him into the chair still in his room. He knew he had dislocated his shoulder during the attack, but he didn't realise how bad it was until he saw the pain written all over the younger man's face. "Shouldn't your arm still be in a sling or something?"

"It's fine… just a twinge every now and then. Don't tell Nick, he's worries too much."

"Now you're keeping secrets from Nick?"

Greg cracked a smile at the man. "It's not like he doesn't know already. The control freak monitors everything I do." He cradled his arm against his chest, giving the man a reassuring smile. "I would never hurt him. Little white lies aren't going to hurt him. They're to protect him. I like to keep his stress levels as low as possible. You know better than anyone how hot headed he is."

"Alright," Warrick turned for the door, picking up the box he had dropped. "Don't lift anything." He gave him a warning, before he left the room to follow Nick down to the truck.

"Yes, Mom." He giggled, pulling himself out of the chair. He let his arm fall to his side, wincing softly as it clicked again. He padded through to his front room, checking around to make sure he had got everything. It felt weird packing up the place. He had lived here for nearly five years. It still felt like home, even packed up in boxes.

"Gettin' a case of nostalgia?" His boyfriend reappeared, placing a hand on his hip as he kissed his neck. "My trucks full up now. Do you want me to drive you to my place? You can start unpackin' some of your things, while Warrick and I shift the rest of this stuff."

"Yeah, I guess I could." He dug out his keys from his pocket, untangling the set for his apartment. "I guess I should pack us a bag each for our weekend away at Mom's too." He noted the time on his watch. "You want to be on the road by five, right?"

"Yeah, we're pushin' it." The man sucked in a sharp breath. "We can still make it. C'mon," He slid his hand into Greg's leading him to the door. He paused in the doorway as Greg pulled back, letting him take one last look around the apartment. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you're not ready…"

"I'm ready." Greg answered, weaving his fingers between Nick's. "This is the apartment of single Greg, trying to prove to his mother that he really can live on his own without burning the place down. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Well today is the day I move in with my boyfriend, only to pack up and move again in a few months… but you get the picture."

"You should write weddin' speeches." His boyfriend playfully teased him. "C'mon, let Warrick and me worry about the rest. I'll even give it a quick clean for your apartment manager."

"He already gave me back my cleaning deposit and he still never fixed the kitchen sink. There's still that damp spot on the ceiling too."

"Would you relax, G?" Nick pecked a kiss to his cheek, sensing his nerves. "Trust me, everythin' will be fine."

"Doesn't it feel like we're doing too much in one go?"

"It feels like that now because we're makin' some big steps," He agreed with him. "But we've been delayin' this for two years. Movin' can be one of the most stressful things you can go through, but we're together so I know we can do it. If you're havin' second thoughts, I can go and have a word with your apartment manager about keepin' you on as a tenant?"

"Way to guilt trip me, Tex." He gazed into the older man's big puppy dog eyes. "I love you. Living with you isn't going to change that. I'm just… nervous about how fast everything is moving. A few months ago, we were just breezing through life. Being with you was my calm after being at work. Now it feels like work is my safety blanket because all of this keeps changing."

"I felt exactly the same way when our friendship progressed to intimacy." Nick boldly admitted to him with Warrick in earshot. "I wanted to backtrack and take it all back so I didn't lose you as a friend, but what we have now is so much more than friendship. I love you. You're my safety net for everythin'. We can do things at our own pace, but I know that it'll all work out because we'll still be together."

Greg wiped away a tear threatening to spill from his eye; giving the man he adored a smile. "You should definitely write wedding speeches."

"I plan to." He giggled, pecking another kiss to his cheek. "Are you ready?"

With a firm nod, Greg stepped over the threshold to his apartment door, bravely leaving that life behind him. His stomach was in knots all the way down the stairs, but he trusted Nick and believed in their future.

Thanks so much for reading!

Have a great weekend.

~ Holly