Title: Amor vincit omnia

Summary: AU. When Gregorius, a Servant for an influential Senator, is thrown into the life of Nikolai, the greatest gladiator in Rome, their lives and the Roman society around them are cast into turmoil. Nick/Greg slash.

Warnings: Suggestions of dub-con

Disclaimer: CSI is not mine, neither are the chapter titles

Chapter 5/10

A/N: Rating has increased

Chapter V: All Else is Dust and Air

Greg was moving boxes in the kitchen storeroom when Archie rushed in.

"Greg?" Archie shouted, his breath wheezy. "Have you heard how Nik is?"

Greg put down the box he was carrying.

"What?" Greg asked, confused, "he was a bit angry yesterday, but I thought he'd calmed down."

"No. I mean from the fight. He was injured." Archie clarified.

If Greg had still been carrying the box he would have dropped it. He'd never considered that Nik might get injured in a fight, or even lose it! The Great Nikolai had never lost, why would today be any different?

"Did he lose?" Greg asked quietly.

"He won," Greg's heart thudded back to life, "but got injured. They had to call Al to the arena." Greg's legs failed him and one knee fell to the floor. This wasn't happening, his brain couldn't comprehend it. He'd only just met Nik and now he might get taken away.

"Greg? Are you all right?"

Greg nodded absently. No, he screamed in his head, he wasn't all right. Nothing was all right. Nik wasn't all right. He needed to know. He needed to find Nik, make sure he was alive, and that he was going to stay that way.

Greg pushed himself to his feet, "I have to find him."

He walked passed Archie as though he wasn't there, he vaguely heard Archie say good luck.

He ran through the Senator's grounds as fast as he could. The hallways and courtyards were a buzz with chatter. People were contemplating, speculating as though Nik was a character in some theatrical performance. He's a real person, Greg wanted to shout, a real person with real people who care about him. He'd heard that Nik had chopped off his own arm, one girl was mourning that he had scratched his handsome face, an elderly man said that he had been stabbed through the heart. Greg almost ran into a wall upon hearing the latter.

His heart beat wildly in his chest, pumping adrenaline through his veins. He reached the courtyard of Alberto's chambers and ran straight into a mass of people gathered outside. He tried to push his way through but a guard grabbed his arm.

"Is Nik in there? Nikolai?" Greg corrected himself.

"Yes." The guard answered, not relinquishing his grip.

"I need to see him."

"You can't." The guard simply shook his head.

"But, I have to, I need to know how he is, if he'll live. I need to tell him… to tell him… see him, make sure he's all right, that he'll live, that I'm going to see him again." Greg waffled.

"Nobody can go in. You need to get out of here."

"No!" Greg tried to squirm out of the guard's grasp, but another guard grabbed his other arm.

"No, let me through!" Greg yelled. The guards ignored him; they dragged him away and out of the courtyard.

"I have to see Nik!"

The guards gripped tighter, bruising his upper arms.

"Stay out." The guard said as he let go and shut the courtyard door.

"But…" Greg said into thin air. "I need him."

His legs lost all strength and slumped beneath him. He leaned back against a pillar. How had Nik become to mean so much to him in such a short amount of time? He didn't know, he only knew that his life was brighter, happier, more worthwhile, with Nik in it. He didn't want to go back to life without him.

After a while of staring into nothingness he got to his feet and walked aimlessly. He ended up by the door to his and Archie's room. Nobody was in.

He went in, wanting to feel alone and clear his head. He laid back on his cot and let a single tear drop from his eye.

Archie burst in, breaking Greg's reverie.

"Did you find him?" Archie asked.

"Yes. They wouldn't let me in, though." Greg said, resigned.

"I've been asking around." Archie offered, "I didn't find anyone who was at the fight, though, and most people just seemed to be making theories up."

"Yeah." Greg nodded. "I've heard a few. Thanks."

He appreciated Archie's attempt to help, even if it had been unsuccessful.

"He'll be fine, he's Nikolai."

"He's only human." Greg countered.

Archie kept Greg company and tried to calm him through his hourly manic, babbling sessions of panic. Until a guard knocked on their door.

"Gregorius, you're needed."

Greg was escorted out. He knew better than to ask where they were going, the guards always ignored him.

His nerves tingled as he realised they were headed to the gladiators cells.

He's alive.

….

Nik lay still on his cot; movement didn't hurt him as long as he moved in the right way, mainly not agitating his ribs. He'd taken several blows to his ribs and a knife to his side. The bleeding had been superficial, the knife hadn't penetrated anything important, but it had taken time for Alberto to get the blood flow to stop.

He heard footsteps outside his cell and the lock on his door undone. He hoped it was Greg, needed it to be Greg, he would make the pain so much easier.

Greg slowly edged into the room and Nik let out the breath he'd been holding. Greg caught sight of him and ran to his side, kneeling down and taking Nik's hand in his. Greg would never know what that meant to him.

"Oh, thank the Gods you're alright. They wouldn't tell me anything." Greg said frantically. Nik's skin tingled as Greg brushed his hand over Nik's cheek.

"You were worried?" Nik asked, hoping his voice came over as inquisitive rather than the desperate need he felt for this man to care for him.

"Yes, I was hearing everything and I didn't know what to believe." Greg chewed on his lip. "I thought you might be dead and I didn't know what to do." Greg looked down bashfully.

Nik wanted nothing more than to pull Greg to him and kiss those beautiful lips. He couldn't, not after what Atwatus had been putting Greg through, he'd never do that to him.

Nik hadn't realised he'd drifted off into his own thoughts until he felt soft, moist lips over his own. He looked up into Greg's eyes, eyes that stared openly into his. He'd never felt so raw, so at the mercy of someone else. He wouldn't lead Greg into this, the choice was all Greg's, Nik would give him anything he asked for in a heartbeat. The contact had left a tingle on his lips that he craved, but he couldn't take it, it was Greg's to give. He stared into the eyes of the man who's torn his life in two, who'd broken down his barriers without even trying. Who'd shown him he could find happiness in a life full of death and rage. Time froze as he drank in the sight of the most exquisite creature he'd ever known.

Nik panicked as those eyes closed, only for his heart to surge and his own eyes to close when Greg's lips met his once again. The kiss was slow and soft, more sensuous than Nik had known was possible. Greg's tongue licked a line of fire across his lips; Nik opened them without a second thought. Their tongues slid together and melted as one. The kiss grew hotter, needier with every second as they explored each other's mouths. Nik drifted into oblivion, he'd known there were a lot of things missing from his life but he'd never known it would only take one man to make his life complete. As Greg's tongue delved deeper into his mouth Nik longed to keep him close forever, once he'd tasted such happiness he could never let it go.

Nik groaned as they broke apart.

"I…" Greg started; Nik could tell he was searching for the right words. Nik reached with his arm from his good side, and cupped Greg's cheek tenderly, encouraging him to go on. "Today, I thought I might never see you again, and I didn't know what to do. I would have given anything for one more moment with you." Nik could see the sincerity in Greg's eyes, "Tonight is ours."

Greg climbed around Nik to lay on the cot beside him, resting gently on Nik's good side.

Nik leaned in to capture Greg's lips in another kiss, softer this time, savouring the taste of the other man. Nik wanted to remember every moment, to learn the contours of Greg's mouth off by heart.

Greg's hand gently caressed Nik's chest, moving slowly as he traced the muscles, before moving down his body and beneath his tunic. Greg touched Nik's hardening erection and Nik felt it pulse through his body. Nik wanted nothing more than to go further with Greg, and he felt sure Greg wanted that too, but he had to check, he didn't want any doubts or regrets that would spoil this night.

"You don't have to." Nik said gently.

Greg smiled, "I know, I want to."

"Good." Nik said, and leapt onto that mouth again, capturing Greg's smile.

Nik caressed Greg's buttock and pulled him closer, the hum of Greg's moan tingled through his nerves. Greg leaned away and reached down to pull his tunic over his head. Nik stared at the beauty of the creamy, soft skin now on show. He ran a hand over Greg's chest, feeling the ripples of the slender, toned body.

Greg pushed Nik's tunic up and lightly kissed his lower abdomen. Nik wanted to move, wanted to touch and feel Greg's skin under his fingers, he wanted to arch his back into Greg's lips, but he couldn't, his body couldn't take the pain, he fought hard to keep still. As though sensing the contest going on in Nik's mind Greg lightly placed a hand on Nik's bandaged ribs.

"Don't move." He ordered gently.

Nik was unprepared when Greg dipped his head and took Nik's cock in his mouth. A low guttural moan escaped his lips and his toes curled with the need for more. Nik stared as Greg's soft, pink tongue licked into the slit of his cock before pursing his lips and wrapping them around the head. Greg's eyes, big, round and sparkling, connected with Nik's before his took Nik's length into his throat. Nik involuntarily jerked his hips at the warmth encapsulating his cock, he didn't care that it strained his side, the pain was worth it.

Greg reached between his own legs as he sucked and nipped lightly with his teeth, sending Nik dizzy with pleasure.

Suddenly the warmth was gone and Nik wanted it back, his eyelids, that had slid shut as his senses over road them, came open. He watched as Greg manoeuvred his legs to straddle Nik's thighs, lined himself up and smirked before he sunk onto Nik's cock. Nik's mind fried there and then as heat and tightness filled him with such pleasure he didn't know was possible.

Greg sat fully impaled on Nik's cock. "Am I hurting you?" He asked breathily.

"Gods no."

Nik moaned as Greg rolled his hips. His eyes slid into the back of his head when Greg lifted his hips and sunk back down. Nik drifted to a world where only he and Greg mattered, the only two living beings of any consequence, as Greg built a steady rhythm riding his cock. Every touch of Greg's hands sent sparks through his nerves; every twist of his hips sent ripples of pleasure through him, his cock throbbing with the need to come. He reached out his good arm and grabbed until he felt Greg's hand within his. "Going to…" He began as Greg clenched his muscles and Nik came inside him. Greg followed suite, spurting over Nik's chest.

Greg sat as the waves of pleasure died down and Nik's breathing came back under control. He slowly slid off Nik's cock and leant down to rest beside him, placing a kiss on Nik's cheek. "I'm sure you get told all the time how beautiful you are, but you are, you know?" Greg asked.

"Nobody's ever said it and I've felt they meant it, or cared if they did, until you." Nik said truthfully.

Nik turned his head and smiled as he faced the man wrapped to his side, he kissed Greg gently on the lips before Greg snuggled into the crook of his neck and his breathing evened out into sleep.

Nik looked at the beautiful face of the man lying in his arms. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Greg's forehead.

"I hope your mother forgives me." He whispered gently.

"She should blame you," he reasoned with himself as he traced a line down Greg's cheek with his finger. "You stole my heart Greggo."

Nik continued to stare until his eyes were claimed by the sleep calling him.

TBC…