Chapter Eighteen: Future Plans
Anxiously checking the time on his watch, Nick nervously bit his lower lip, wondering why the flight was so late. He really wanted to spend some time with Greg before he left for good, making him feel guilty, because it was his son's first day back. "Daddy! There's another one." Tayla called from the large window, pointing up to the airplane coming in for a landing.
"Yeah, I see it, baby." He smiled towards her, gently rocking Willa in his arms. As he looked between the two little girls that were completely dependent on him, Nick started to realise that Greg was right. Even now, after everything he had been through, he was still putting his feelings for Greg above anything else.
"Is Bradley on that one?" His daughter returned to his side. "How much longer?" She turned her father's wrist, looking at the time on his watch.
"I don't know, baby. Samantha said her flight was scheduled to land around half nine." He looked at his watch for himself, realising it was almost half past ten, and his girls should be in bed by now. "Come sit down again." He moved the baby blanket from the chair beside him, helping her onto it. "I'm sure it'll be here soon."
"Daddy, you look sad." His intuitive little girl whispered.
"I'm not." He assured her, adjusting Willa in his arms as she started to squirm. She soon started to cry against his shoulder, probably wanting to be curled up in her bed fast asleep, rather than in a stuffy waiting area of the airport.
"Why did you cry after Uncle Greg left?" She queried, making her father look round at her surprised. "Did he make you sad? Mommy used to get sad like that, after you dropped me off and left the house. She used to cry in her room."
Nick looked at her even more surprised, as Miranda had been the one who decided on the two of them getting a divorce in the first place. Nick had told her he would have been happy to work things through with her, but she insisted on the divorce, thinking it would have been better for everyone involved.
"Daddy." Tayla poked him in the side. "Were you sad like Mommy used to be?"
"No, baby." He shook his head, not wanting to explain the fact he was gay to her in front of all the other strangers around them. "I wasn't sad like your Mommy used to be. Greg... he told me that he was leavin' town and work for a while, and I... I don't want him to go."
"So ask him to stay." She suggested, wondering why grownups always had to make things so complicated. "He can sleep in my room."
Nick smiled at her, wishing it could be that simple. "I don't think he'd fit in your bed, but I'm sure he'll be grateful for the offer."
"Daddy, if someone fell out of the airplane, what would happen to them?" She randomly changed her line of questioning, seeing another airplane going past.
"You can't fall out of one of them." Nick assured her. "There's seatbelts, doors and sealed windows. It's impossible to fall out."
"But... what would happen if they did?" She curiously asked him.
"Eh... why don't you go and look out the window again?" He suggested, not wanting to answer her question, for fear of what he might say. Tayla gave out a soft sigh, before she slipped off the chair, skipping towards the large window ahead of her.
"You have beautiful girls." A woman suddenly spoke up. Nick looked around for where the voice was coming from, spotting a woman in her mid-fifties, flipping through some fashion magazines in front of her. "How old are they?"
"Eh... Tayla's seven." He pointed towards her, before he looked down at the sleepy girl in his arms. "And Willa's nearly one."
"They're beautiful." She smiled at him. "I have three sons, and five grandsons. I've always wanted a little girl. I was hoping that my next grandchild would be a little girl, but he was another little boy. Ten pounds exactly. My daughter in law is flying over with him tonight. He's nearly three years old now. I haven't seen him since he was born..."
"Daddy, I see Bradley!" Tayla interrupted the over talker, hurrying towards her father.
"Okay." Nick lifted Willa higher in his arms, so he could collect up the baby bag and things he had beside him. He almost missed the days when he was a bachelor, mostly because he hated carting around the extra luggage that came with kids. "C'mon then." He ushered her along, giving the woman a smile as he walked past her.
"There he is!" Tayla slipped her hand into her father's, tugging him along behind her.
Samantha pointed her son in the right direction, smiling at the sight of Nick with his two little girls. Just a few weeks ago he was a single bachelor, living for himself and his career, but now his life had been completely overrun by his two little girls. She even noticed a wet baby vomit stain down the side of his shirt, something the old Nick wouldn't go out in public with.
"Hi." She greeted him with a smile. "You coulda taken these girls home."
"No, it's okay." He shook his head, pulling Bradley into his arms, glad to see him up and around, rather than in a hospital bed. "You two okay?" He adjusted Willa as she started slipping, making sure he could see Tayla, as she was always wandering off.
"Apart from the lack of sleep." Samantha nodded, playfully ruffling her hand through her son's hair. "I couldn't sleep the night before, knowin' we were goin' on one of those things, then I couldn't sleep on the plane. That stupid flight attendant kept givin' me more drinks, so now I'm a little tipsy and headachy too. He fell asleep as soon as we were in the air though." She indicated towards her son. "I don't know how he does it. I can never sleep on those things, ever since I was little. Let's go get our bags."
Nick smiled at her, wondering why he attracted people who over talked so much. He thought back on all of his previous relationships, realising that every one of them either nervously over talked, or just talked and talked, until someone shut them up.
In Greg's case, it was the adorable trait that first got him hooked on the man. A trait he was starting to miss already.
"You okay?" Samantha looked up at him. "You seem kinda out of it, and you can't be tired, because you're a night person."
"Yeah, I'm okay . . . and I haven't actually slept in two days. Workin' nights then bein' a parent durin' the day doesn't give me much time to sleep." He pointed out to her, ushering the children along beside him.
"Are you okay though?"
Nick shook his head. "Greg's leavin'." He spoke softly, seeing the concerned look on her face. "He told me today. I don't know where he's goin' or how long for, but he's leavin' tomorrow mornin'."
"Oh, Nicky." She placed her hand on her heart, watching Tayla showing Bradley her bracelet ahead of them. "And you just found out? Well, aren't you gonna try and convince him to stay or somethin'? You should be over there, tryin' to convince him to stay with you. You still love him, don't you?"
"Yeah . . . but I kinda agree with him. He said he's leavin' for me, so I can focus on the kids. He said that I prioritise him over everythin' else, so he's leavin' to remove the complication."
Seeing Nick struggling with the baby in his arms, Samantha stopped him from walking, taking over for him. "It's easier if you hold her like this." She showed him, placing one hand beneath the baby, holding her against her side. "She won't slip as much, and it's easier on your back, especially as she gets bigger."
"How do you know how to hold a baby? Yours hasn't been a baby for a while now."
"Well, since my dream career went down the toilet when I was pregnant with your baby, I did a few night courses on child care. When Bradley turned four, I got my first job at this day care place, for all those workin' mothers. They dumped their babies on us for a few hours, so we could deal with their dirty diapers, vomit and all sorts, while they worked. But it didn't turn me away. After that, I started up a temporary day care in my mates flat, until Bradley started school. Then I was a teacher's assistant for the second graders. See, I'm not as useless as you think. I have had jobs over the years."
"I never thought you were useless." Nick smiled at her, collecting hers and Bradley's luggage for her, while she was carrying the baby. "So, what was your dream career?" He asked her, leading the way towards the exit.
"Well, when I was ten, I wanted to be a police officer. But when I was twelve, I woke up one mornin' to find all these officers on our front lawn. The neighbour's parents were always arguin'. We could hear them through the walls all the time. Anyway, this one mornin', there was this woman amongst all these officers. I don't know what happened to the parents, but this woman was escortin' the children out of the house. These children looked really terrified. I thought she was takin' them away from their parents against their will at first, but I asked my mother about it, and she told me that it was her job to keep them safe. I found out a few days later that the father had stabbed their mother to death, and that woman was takin' the children away from that horrible life that they were born into."
"You coulda just said social services." He smirked. "Not everythin' requires a long drawn out story, Sam."
"Alright then, how'd you know that you wanted to become a CSI?" She queried, stepping out of the double doors into the cool air outside.
"I didn't. My Dad wanted me to work at the DA's office with him. My mother wanted me to become a lawyer. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I liked science in school, but I liked sports too. I got into college on a baseball scholarship, and I picked criminology because it looked interestin'."
"That's a bit borin'." Samantha frowned at him, reaching for Nick's car keys from his jacket pocket. "I always thought it would have been a great story or somethin', but that's just borin'. At least Greg had a story, even that friend Sara of yours. I wasn't very impressed by Catherine's story though."
"You just don't like beautiful, strong women." He smirked, loading the bags into the back of his car, before he took the baby off her hands. "Bradley, you mind sittin' in the middle?" He ushered his son towards the car, as there was a baby seat on one side and a booster seat on the other. Bradley shook his head, climbing into the middle of the car, while his mother helped Tayla into her booster seat.
"You're gonna need a bigger car, especially if you keep havin' more kids." Samantha chuckled; making sure the child was safely strapped in. "You're not plannin' on havin' anymore, right?"
"No. I kinda lack the body parts to have anymore anyway." He smiled at her, climbing into the front seat of his truck. "And there's no way I'm buyin' a bigger car either. I love this truck." After double checking everyone was strapped in, he started his car, driving everyone back home, so he could get them into bed.
"Daddy, where's Bradley's Mommy gonna sleep?" Tayla curiously asked him.
"Samantha's gonna have my room, and I'll sleep on the couch." He explained to her.
"You don't have to do that Nicky, it's your bed after all. I can take the couch." Samantha assured him.
"I don't mind." Nick shook his head at her. "I changed the sheets for you already. I don't mind sleepin' on the couch for a while. I can put Willa in the front room with me, so she won't wake you up." He looked round as she started to cry, pointing Samantha towards the bag at her feet. "Can you grab her pacifier?"
Samantha reached into the bag, searching through the diapers and things, before she found a pink pacifier. She gave it a quick wipe with one of the baby wipes, before she handed it to her son to give to the baby. The pacifier drowned out her cries but didn't stop them, as she was tired and wanted to be in her bed.
"We'll be home in a minute, sweetie." Nick assured her, checking on his other two children in the rear view mirror. Tayla was looking out the window beside her, singing to herself, while Bradley was playing a game on his new cell phone. "So, how long you recon you gonna stay for?"
"Bored of me already?" Samantha giggled softly. "I don't know exactly. A friend of mine is gonna sell the house for us. Nathan's moved in with one of his friends. He's only got another year left of Highschool, so he wanted to stay in the area." She glanced over her shoulder at Bradley, before she suggested, "We could always find a place here in Vegas. I bet this market is expensive though."
"You can stay with me for as long as you like. I really don't mind."
"You can't sleep on the couch forever though. I'm gonna have to find somewhere more permanent. Not too far from you though." She assured him, catching her son sighing in relief in the mirror. "You still live in the same neighbourhood?" She looked out the window. "I thought you'd have moved by now."
"Nope." Nick shook his head, pulling into his driveway. "I like this place. It's served me well over the years."
"Well, it's still a bachelor pad. No place to raise a family. Did you get rid of that pool table yet?"
"Yeah, Warrick's got it." He climbed out of his truck, helping Tayla and Bradley out of the car, before he lifted the crying baby girl into his arms.
Samantha grabbed for the keys from his hands to unlock the front door, giving the house a curious look. It wasn't what she expected to see, but it wasn't as bad as Nick's college bedroom, when she first met him.
"Place looks alright." She complimented him, ushering the children inside, while Nick carried the bags and things in. "Could do with a new lick of paint, maybe a brighter, woman's touch too, but it's okay." She smiled round at her son. "So, where's your room then?"
Bradley pointed down the hall towards his room, glad to finally be back home with his father again.
"Pyjamas on Tayla, I'll be in to tuck you in soon." Nick pointed her through to her bedroom, while he carried Willa through to his own room, getting her ready for bed too. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." He whispered to the crying baby girl, feeling guilty for keeping her up this late.
"So, are you gonna go over and see, Greg?" Samantha suddenly appeared beside him. "This might be the last chance you have to see him and express your undyin' love for him."
"No, because Bradley just got back, and Greg told me to stay here. If I go over there, I'll probably just beg him to stay, but I want what's best for him." He explained to her, lifting Willa into his arms again. "There's clean towels in the bathroom. Help yourself to anythin' in the kitchen."
"I can watch the kids." Samantha suggested. "When Bradley's asleep, he won't even notice that you're not here. Neither will Tayla or Willa . . . and it's probably the last time you're ever goin' to see him . . . so you have to go and see him."
"And say what? Safe trip, send me a postcard? I don't even want him to go. If I go over there, I know I'm gonna convince him to stay, then I'll feel guilty, and he'll probably end up resentin' me. It's better if I just let him go, and it's really none of your business anyway." Nick added, carrying Willa away to the front room, putting her in the travel cot so she could finally sleep.
"Daddy, there's a spider in my room!" Tayla suddenly shrieked.
"Hang on, I'll be right there." He called back to her, pressing a kiss to Willa's forehead. He hurried towards his daughter's room to help her out, finding Samantha already in there, squashing the spider against the carpet with her shoe. "I usually just toss them out the window, Sam."
"I used to do that, then they kept comin' back in somehow. It's like that story about that snail, I can't remember how it goes, but you get what I mean." Samantha winked at him, before she left the room to dispose of the dead spider.
"You all ready for bed, sweetie?" Nick lifted his daughter into his arms, giving her a big hug, as he carried her over to her bed. Sweeping back the covers from her bed, Nick pressed a kiss to her forehead, before he set her down.
"Daddy, who were you and Bradley's Mommy talking about?" His daughter asked him, clutching Goober tightly in his arms.
"Greg. And you can call her Sam, sweetie."
"Why?" She immediately asked. "Is he still leaving? Why does he have to go?"
"Well, it's kinda like a holiday, but he's not sure when he's comin' back." He tucked her into bed, carefully folding the clothes she had dumped on the end. "He's leavin' tomorrow, and I'm not sure when I'll see him again."
"Where will he go?"
Nick gave her a shrug. "I don't know, baby." He touched a kiss to her forehead, giving her a warm smile. "Good night, sweetie. Sweet dreams."
"G'night, Daddy." She smiled back, whispering, "I'll really miss, Greg."
"Me too." He agreed with her, slowly climbing to his feet. "Night." He waved from the door, clicking the light off and leaving the door half open, before he turned towards Bradley's room next door. "Hey bud, you want me to help you unpack?"
Bradley shook his head from his bed, holding a photo against his chest.
Nick clicked his bedroom door shut, carefully taking a seat on the bed beside his son. "Did you want me to get you somethin' to eat?" He suggested. His son shook his head again, clasping his hands together over the photo on his chest, as if he was trying to protect it or something. "What's that?"
Bradley slowly turned the picture, showing his father the photo from his first birthday. Bradley was sat in his highchair with a party hat on his head, with his parents stood either side of him; wide smiles on each of their faces.
"Your first birthday." Nick smiled, taking a closer look at the picture. "You still had blonde hair then." He smirked, playfully ruffling his hand through his son's dark brown hair. "I think by the time you were five, your hair started to get darker, just like mine did."
"You had blonde hair?"
"Uh huh, not really bright like yours, more of a mousy blonde. I was born with blue eyes like you too." He looked up into his son's dark brown eyes, realising that their eyes were almost completely identical now. "My brothers and sisters were born with black hair, that slowly got lighter as they got older, but I was born blonde. My dad always thought that the hospital had given them the wrong baby."
"Granddad never liked me."
"It wasn't because of you, bud." Nick assured him, slipping his hand into his son's. "To tell you the truth, I don't think he ever really liked me either. I wasn't the perfect son he always wanted. He has this ideal reality of what the people in his life should be like, and if we don't meet his standards, he cuts us out of his life. But it's nothin' you did, and you shouldn't care anyway. You're surrounded by people who really love you for who you are. You don't need him."
"Dad . . . why didn't you ever marry Mom?" Bradley queried, clutching his father's hand tightly in his own. "Even after she had me . . . didn't you want to be with us?"
"I wanted to be with you more than anythin'," He brushed his fingertips through his son's hair, looking him in the eye, as he explained, "As much as I love your mother, it didn't feel right to marry her then. We hadn't known each other that long, and we didn't want to tie each other down. Marriages that start with a baby, usually end in divorce, and we didn't want to do that to you. We were still just kids ourselves when you came along . . . we were tryin' to do what was best for you."
Bradley nodded in understanding, before he leant forwards to wrap his arms around his father's shoulders. "I think I'd have liked it better if my parents were married though." He whispered against his neck.
"I wish it coulda been that simple, kiddo." Nick clutched him tighter, pressing his lips to his son's forehead. "Thinkin' back on it now, I wish I had."
"What about Greg?" He asked, having questioned his mother about the man on their flight over, curious to know more about his relationship with his father. "You wouldn't have met him."
"Without me, he'd have probably of found somebody better though. Someone who could be there for him more." Gently smoothing his palm up and down his son's back, he suddenly felt a tear in his eye at the thought of never meeting Greg. "I love you, kiddo. I'd do anythin' for you."
"I love you too."
"You want me to find your pyjamas?" Nick suggested, indicating towards the time on his watch. "You've only just got out of hospital, you need your sleep." He pointed out to him, sensing an argument coming on. "I'll be back to check on you in a minute, bud."
"Dad, I'm not a kid anymore. I can get into bed by myself."
"I know." Nick smiled at him from the door. "Brush your teeth too. I'll be back." He bumped into Samantha in the hall, rolling his eyes at her as she held out his car keys to him. "I'm not goin'." He snatched them back. "It's better if I just let him go."
"Nicky, I like you, so don't take this the wrong way." She warned him. "You're a moron. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have even found somebody like Greg? I don't understand why you can't just go over there to at least say goodbye to him. Do you really want to leave things like this?"
"My personal life isn't up for discussion." He stopped her there. "Greg's made his decision, and I agree with him. Do you need any more pillows or anythin'?"
"Nope." She shook her head.
"I'll let you use the bathroom first then." He pointed her through. "Good Night, Sam."
"Yeah, have fun sleepin' on the couch." She smiled at him. "Do you have work tomorrow?"
"Not until eight... pm." Nick pointed out to her, checking on Willa in the front room. She was now soundly sleeping, sprawled out on her stomach in the middle of her crib. He looked up to make sure that Samantha was gone, before he took a seat on his couch, flipping his shoes off.
Once Bradley was dressed in his pyjamas, he brushed his teeth, saying goodnight to his mother, before he made his way into the front room. "Hey, Dad." He dropped onto the sofa beside him. "When Mom gets a new place, can I stay here with you? Mom's already had me fulltime for the past thirteen years, can't I stay with you until I'm eighteen?"
"You're plannin' on leavin' us when you're eighteen?" Nick knew that it was expected of most kids, but he didn't want to let him go, even though it seemed like a long way off at the moment.
Bradley responded with a shrug, leaning against his father's side, as the man put his arm around his shoulders. "So, can I? I don't think it's really fair that Moms always get to keep the kids anyway. Dads are way better."
"Oh you think so?" Nick chuckled softly, pulling his son closer against him. "We'll think about it, okay. If your mother buys a place in the city, you'll get to see me even more though. It won't be the same as it was when you were back in Dallas."
"I hate it when grownups say, 'we'll think about it'. It's just an easy way to let kids down. Just the same as 'we'll see' or 'maybe next time'."
Nick playfully tickled his son, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm serious about this one though. You think I liked havin' you millions of miles away from me? When you were little, it was easier to ship between the two of us. Your mother had you for the school year and I had you for the holidays, but as you got older, your mother wanted to take you on holiday with her and..." He stopped himself from saying the man's name, looking into his son's eyes beside him. "There's no way I'm lettin' you out of my sight now. If your mother moves . . . I'm goin' with you."
Bradley tilted his head across his father's shoulder, giving him a curious look. "Really?"
"Well, me and your sisters." He added, indicating towards Willa across the room.
"Technically, she's only a quarter sister." Bradley pointed out to him. "And Tayla's only a half."
"Same difference." Nick shrugged. "You all have the same father. That's all that matters." He checked the time on his watch, looking down at his son in his arms. "You should get into bed, buddy. It's gettin' late." He lifted his son to his feet, leading him down the hall to his bedroom.
"Do you promise?" His son asked. "You'll really move with us?"
"I promise." Pulling Bradley into his arms for a hug, Nick carried him towards his bed, sweeping his covers back to set him down. "Good Night, bud. I love you."
"G'night. I love you too." Bradley adjusted himself against his pillow, closing his eyes as his father pressed his lips to his forehead. Nick tucked the covers around him, turning the light out as he left the room. He checked on Tayla down the hall, before he returned to the couch in the front room, keeping a close eye on the time.
When she awoke to a strange buzzing sound, Samantha pushed back the covers of Nick's bedding, taking a look at the clock on his bedside table. She couldn't believe it was nearly three in the morning, it felt as though it was still the middle of the night.
Looking towards the door, she caught sight of a flickering light in the hallway, figuring that Nick had fallen asleep in front of the television.
She climbed out of bed, adjusting her uncomfortable pyjama bottoms, before she made her way towards the front room. As she figured, Nick was fast asleep on the sofa, with the television still on the discovery channel on mute. She smiled to herself as he hadn't changed in years; he was still fascinated with animals, especially birds.
"Hey." Nick suddenly stretched his arms out, giving out a wide yawn. "Did I wake you?"
"No." Clicking the television off, Samantha perched herself on the coffee table, watching the sleepy man in front of her. "I can't sleep lately anyway. You know, after the police talked to Bradley the second time, the detective pulled me aside to talk. She told me that they talked to Nathan, Gary's son. Nathan was six when Gary first..."
"You mean?" Nick struggled to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Gary... and his own son?"
"Uh huh," She nodded, clasping her hands together in her lap. "Nathan was fifteen when I first met him. He was a quiet boy, used to cling to his sister whenever she came over. I thought that was a bit strange. There's ten years between Nathan and Natalie, I never thought that they would be that close. Just like you and your brother, you two hated each other."
"We didn't always." He shook his head. "Why didn't Nathan ever tell anyone? I understand why Bradley didn't, he's still just a child, but Nathan's eighteen now. He could fight back."
"That's the thing." Samantha spoke softly, slowly lifting her gaze to meet Nick's. "Nathan told them that his father stopped . . . after Gary married me. He thought it was over . . . that he had finally escaped his nightmare. He didn't know about Bradley. When I went back to the house to pack the last of our things, Nathan apologised to me. They must have told him about Bradley, and he was blamin' himself for what happened."
Nick held his stomach as he felt it churning, not sure what to say. He couldn't help but think that it was somehow Nathan's fault. He wasn't a child like Bradley, he could have told someone. A child could easily be manipulated into keeping quiet, but a teenager knew the difference between right and wrong.
"What?" Samantha asked, seeing the look on his face.
"Nothin'." He shook his head, running his fingers through his tousled hair. "I was just thinkin' . . . maybe I shoulda married you like my father said. We get on pretty well, you never know, we coulda been celebratin' thirteen years of marriage by now."
Samantha shook her head. "I don't think so. We get on pretty well, because we're not in a forced relationship. We had a one night stand years ago. Since then, we've been more like brother and sister. Forced intimacy would ruin what we have, and Bradley would be the one to suffer. Kids always want their parents together, its natural, but it doesn't always work out. And the kids are always the ones to suffer. Look at what happened between you and Miranda, Tayla was the one to suffer there."
"It seems like everyone around me suffers."
"I didn't mean it like that." She reached her hands out for his, looking him in the eye. "You can't change your sexuality, Nick. You love Greg, everyone around you knows that. Like I told you before, guys like Greg don't come around very often . . . and you're gonna let him go. I've always thought you were a pretty amazin' guy yourself . . . but you're stupid to let him go. After everythin' that's happened, I thought that you'd want to hold onto the good in your life even more."
"Greg wants to go. He'll resent me if I make him stay."
"You could at least go and say goodbye to him." She suggested, brushing her thumbs across the backs of his hands. "I think you'll regret it if you don't. Don't you have enough regrets on your mind?"
"What about...?"
"They're all sleepin'." She insisted, helping him to his feet. "They won't even notice that you're gone. Now would you go," She pointed him to the door. "Even parents need love. The kids don't want an unhappy father after all. They need you focused, but you're not goin' to be with this on your mind. Go." She gave him another push towards the door. "I can handle the kids. I've been a fulltime parent a little bit longer than you, and I did always want a little girl."
Nick gave her a smile, before he grabbed his keys off the side. "Thanks, Sam." He pecked a kiss to her cheek, hurrying out the door to his car.
Opening one of his eyes as he heard a ringing sound, the sleepy young man rolled towards the other side of his bed, grabbing his phone from the bedside table. "Hello?" He murmured, closing his eyes against his pillow again.
"Hi... I'm sorry, are you sleepin'?"
"Nicky?" Inhaling a deep breath, Greg rubbed his eyes open, trying to wake himself up. "No... I'm... I'm here. Whatsup?"
"I wanted to see you." The older man looked up towards Greg's window, listening to his soft breaths through the phone. "Before you say anythin', I'm not here to convince you to stay. I just... I want to see you. And I'm not puttin' you before the kids, they're all sleepin'. Actually, Samantha was the one who convinced me to come and see you."
After trying to process what Nick had just told him, the younger man asked, "Where are you?"
"I'm right outside. Don't get out of bed if you're too sleepy." He quickly warned him. "I just... I couldn't let you go without a proper goodbye."
"You're right outside?" Greg brushed his fingers through his hair, whispering, "Do you still have your spare key?"
"Only for your apartment door, not the outside one." Nick double checked his keys.
"Look to your left." Greg remembered. "There's a blue flower pot with a crack down one side. The old lady down the hall is always losing her front door key. She hides the spare under the pot."
Nick smiled into his phone, taking a look to his left. He immediately spotted the blue flower pot that Greg was talking about, tipping it slightly so he could grab the key from underneath. "How did you know it was there?"
"Because she told me in the elevator. I think she's told everyone in the building by now. Why do you think I double lock my front door?"
"Because I told you to after my home invasion." The older man smirked, stepping into the elevator, moving his phone to his other ear. "I think I even put that second lock on your door for you."
Greg smiled into his phone, resting his arm over his eyes. "I forgot how much I missed talking to you on the phone."
"It's all we're gonna have soon." Nick spoke softly, slowly making his way towards Greg's apartment door. Using his spare key he kept from when they were dating, Nick let himself into the younger man's apartment, seeing his suitcase already packed by his bedroom door. "You better keep your phone charged; you always used to let the battery run dead when we were datin'." He warned him.
"I promise." Looking towards his bedroom door, Greg smiled as he saw his former lover stood in his hall. He snapped his phone shut in his hand, watching Nick doing the same. "Did you really just come all this way to stare at me?"
"Nope." He leant against his doorframe, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm not sure I trust myself to join you over there."
Another grin spread across the younger man's lips, before he ushered Nick closer towards his bed. Struggling to a sitting position, Greg reached out for his hands, pulling him even closer. "So, what's your idea of a proper goodbye?"
"I don't really know." He shrugged, perching himself on the edge of the younger man's bed, admiring how cute his pillow creased hair looked. "You look tired."
"So do you." Greg responded, pulling Nick onto the bed beside him. He loosened the man's boot laces, flipping his shoes off for him. "You wonna sleep here?" He suggested, gently pushing Nick back to lie across the middle of his bed. He looked at the adorable look in Nick's eyes, before he crawled out from under his covers, moving himself to straddle Nick's hips. "Or was there something else you had in mind?"
"Do you really have to go?" Nick hated himself for asking, it was the reason why he didn't want to come over here in the first place. "I know you said that its just six months . . . but that still seems like too long."
"I'm not going forever."
Struggling to a sitting position, Nick placed his hands on the younger man's thighs, whispering, "Greg, I need you to promise me somethin'." He lifted Greg's hand into his own, looking deep into the younger man's beautiful eyes. "I don't want to make you stay, but I don't want any ifs or maybes, I need to know that you're really comin' back."
"I really am, Nicky. I do have you to come back to after all." He pointed out to him, brushing his fingers through Nick's soft hair. "I'm in love with you. I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you. I told you, I'm not leaving because of you. I'm leaving for me." Bringing their mouths together, Greg gently teased his tongue inside the older man's mouth, re-tasting every corner of his familiar mouth.
Forgetting what he came over to Greg's place to do as the blood started flowing in the other direction of his body, Nick fell back against the bed behind him, pulling Greg down with him. He slid his hands beneath the fabric of the younger man's soft pyjamas, reminding himself of how Greg's firm muscles felt.
Breathlessly pulling back from Nick's lips, Greg's fingers found their way towards Nick's belt, fumbling with the clasp. Once he loosened his jeans, he slid Nick's jacket off his shoulders, dropping it over the side of the bed. Nick followed his lead, carefully unbuttoning the front of Greg's pyjamas, feeling like a kid on Christmas, excited to unwrap his favourite present.
Greg bit his bottom lip, watching Nick's fingertips exploring his stomach. "Are yah still ticklish, G?" He chuckled softly, pressing his lips to the younger man's jaw. "You still have that adorable look in your eyes."
"You know I have sensitive skin there." He seized hold of Nick's hands, moving them to rest on his hips. "I thought I'd be scared to be with you again . . . but it feels right, because you already know my body."
"I do." He touched his lips to Greg's neck, slipping the younger man's pyjama top off his shoulders. "I know every bump, curve, scar... and mole." He swiped his tongue across the tiny moles on Greg's shoulder, joining them together. "I adore every inch of you." He touched his fingertips to Greg's cheek, tracing his jaw line towards his chin. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
Nick pressed his lips to Greg's forehead, panting his warm breath across his face, slowly moving down to kiss the tip of his nose, followed by his lips. He looked into the younger man's eyes; before he touched his lips to his Adams apple, moving down to kiss the soft skin on his chest.
Greg fell back against the bed behind him, inhaling a deep breath as Nick's tongue swirled around each of his nipples. Nick trailed warm kisses down the centre of the younger man's chest, stopping as he reached his navel. He smiled as Greg's chest continued to arch up and down through his pleasure, indicating that he hadn't lost his touch.
Soft caresses, delicate whimpers and passionate kisses ensued, until they were both completely stripped of their clothing. Greg tossed Nick's boxers over his shoulder, aligning his body with the older man's, beneath his warm sheets.
"You feel thinner." Nick slid his hands around his partner's warm body, stealing another kiss, before he pulled his body closer against his own. "Have you lost weight?"
Greg shook his head. "Not that I know of. It's been like a year since we last," He wiggled his eyebrows, placing his hands on Nick's hips. "You think you still remember how to...?"
"Yes." He interrupted him. "I don't think I can ever forget how to do that." He chuckled, rolling their bodies so Greg was underneath him again. He reached for the bedside table, going for the supplies Greg always used to keep in there. He noticed that it wasn't as stocked up as it used to be. Greg's bedside draw used to always be fully stocked whenever he came over. Now, he only found one loose condom and a squashed tube of lube, looking as though there wasn't anything left inside.
"I didn't know you were coming." Greg defended himself, grabbing the condom from his hands, so he could tear the wrapper open with his teeth.
"I've missed watchin' you do that." Nick touched his hand to Greg's cheek. "Whenever you used to that before, it sent chills up my spine."
"Really, why?" Greg giggled softly, lifting the covers so he could see what he was doing.
"Because... you look so sexy." Nick shivered as Greg's fingertips rolled the condom into place, coating his stiff appendage in the thin latex. "At this rate, I'm gonna explode before we even get started."
"Anyone would think that you've never done it before, Nicky." The younger man teased him, hooking his leg around Nick's, so he could roll the man onto his back. "Now be gentle with me," He quickly warned. "I haven't done it in a while, so it's gonna hurt. And I remember my first time with you."
"You said it wasn't that bad."
"I was drunk; I didn't feel it until the next day." Greg pointed out to him, squeezing what he could out of the tube of lubricant. "Don't get me wrong though, it was still the best I ever had. It was worth the pain."
"I'm not even sure I want to now." Nick stopped Greg from raising his hips, keeping him planted on his thighs. "How much pain are we talkin' here? And why'd you lie to me about it?"
"To the point where I couldn't sit down right for a few hours, and I did it to protect you. Some lies are okay. Like when someone asks you if they look okay, you say yeah, even though they look like shit."
Nick chuckled again, rolling his eyes at the younger man. "I'm never askin' you how I look then."
"Gorgeous." He responded, playfully sucking Nick's moist lips into his mouth. "Beautiful . . . sexy . . . and positively adorable." He rasped between kisses.
"Why did I ever let you go?"
"Maybe because you were too busy using your upstairs brain?" Greg suggested, making Nick laugh again. "I haven't heard you laugh in ages." He brushed his fingertips down the sides of his former lover's cheeks, admiring the adorable laugh lines in his skin. "I've missed you." He leaned in for an affectionate kiss.
Their mouths still fit together perfectly, as if they were made for each other. He slid his hands down the familiar scars on Greg's back, re-exploring the body he adored. A delicate shiver proclaimed the younger man's body, as Nick's hands moved to the soft clefts of his arse.
"I've missed you too." Nick rasped, holding his body securely against own.
Lifting his hips, Greg braced himself for the pain, surprised when there wasn't any. Instead, he felt overwhelmed with pleasure. With Nick's hands on his hips, Greg dropped his head to the man's shoulder, feeling as though he was on cloud nine from the familiar sensations coursing their way through his body, from the friction between them.
Just like he always used to do, Nick caressed and massaged each of Greg's muscles, roaming his hands across his familiar territory. He missed the feel of Greg's soft skin beneath his fingertips, but most of all, he missed the feel of the younger man's warm body against his own; their hearts pounding as one.
Watching Greg's eyelashes fluttering over his beautiful eyes like the wings of an angel, Nick felt as though he was in heaven, causing a wide smile to spread across his lips. "What?" Greg panted across his lips, arching his chest into Nick's.
"Nothin' baby, I was just thinkin'."
"Uh oh." Greg teased, weaving his fingertips through Nick's hair. "What about?"
"You. I'm an idiot for lettin' you go. People dream of findin' somebody like you their whole lives. I found you, and I let you go." He slid his arm around Greg's smooth body, pulling him closer against his chest. "I'm never doin' that again."
Before Greg could protest, wanting to remind him that he was leaving in the morning, Nick covered his mouth with his own, pulling him in for another tantalizing kiss. As Nick started pumping his hips faster, Greg couldn't help but match his movements, finding their usual rhythm, bringing one another to the brink of release.
After only a few minutes, neither man could hold it anymore. Greg was the first to break, immediately feeling the body beneath him tensing, from his own release. He collapsed against the older man's chest, suddenly missing the feeling of Nick inside of him, as he relaxed his hips.
"What's the matter?" Breathlessly panting, Nick brushed his fingers through Greg's hair, looking down into the younger man's eyes. "Usually, you're like an excited puppy dog, now you look... sad."
"I'm not." Greg assured him, pulling the covers across their bodies. "I was just... thinking. Not counting the drug induced rape; I haven't had sex in... nearly thirteen months, maybe more. Do you think it's really possible to become a virgin again?"
"You have too many thoughts." He chuckled softly, pressing his lips to Greg's sticky forehead. "Your virginity is long gone, G. There's no gettin' it back now, baby."
Greg smiled at the sound of the familiar pet name, before he touched his lips to Nick's chin. "I should go away more often. You really know how to send someone off." Trailing kisses across Nick's clean shaven jaw line, Greg stopped as he reached his ear, playfully swiping his tongue across the surface.
"Ew, you know I hate it when you do that." Nick squirmed beneath him, wiping away the stickiness from his ear. "It tickles."
"I know." He mischievously grinned, resting his head against Nick's shoulder. "I just remembered that I haven't done it in a while. When I come back, you might have found somebody else."
"Never gonna happen." Nick shook his head. "I wanted to give you somethin' to come back for, so why would I do that then go off and find somebody else?"
"I already did have something to come back for." Rolling their bodies so Nick was on top, Greg brought their mouths together, smoothing his hands across the man's broad back. He studied every beautiful bump and curve of the man's back with his fingertips, making a memory of it in his mind. "You're still the most amazing lover I've ever been with." He smiled against his parted lips. "It's good to know that you haven't lost your touch after a year."
"Are you really gradin' me on my performance, when you're about to skip town on me?"
Greg gave him a shrug, weaving his fingers through the older man's gorgeously soft hair. "I'm so glad your hair grew back. Why'd you ever cut it in the first place?"
"I forgot how much you love to run your finger through it, or I woulda never cut it."
"This doesn't change anything, you know." Greg spoke softly, squashed between Nick's firm body and his mattress, just the way he liked it. "I'm still leaving."
"I know." Nick nodded. "I didn't come here to change your mind. I came to... be with you. I couldn't live another moment without feelin' your body against mine again. I've never felt closer to anyone in my whole life, then I do when I'm with you."
With his moist lips against Nick's ear, Greg whispered, "That's the most beautiful thing anyone's said to me in a while. Probably from the most beautiful person in the world too." He smiled as he caught sight of the blush creeping into Nick's cheeks. "Do you know how adorable you are?"
"There's not many guys I'd let say that to me and live, G."
"Good thing you love me too much to kill me then." He grinned. "When you dump my body somewhere, it'll probably be a nicer place than the city dump, and you'll probably wrap me in a blanket or something. Keeping me preserved for my mother's sake at the funeral."
"I would never kill you." Nick promised him, sliding his hands towards Greg's hips. "Even if I did, I certainly wouldn't dump your body. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I dumped you somewhere."
"You already dumped me once in this lifetime." Sweeping his fingers through Nick's hair again, Greg gazed into his eyes, whispering, "I forgive you though. I'd rather have you as my lover then nothing at all."
"In that case," Nick removed the college ring from his finger, seeing the shock in Greg's eyes. "Will you marry me?"
Once he finally managed to close his jaw, Greg protested, "But Nicky, that rings a part of you, aren't you gonna miss it?"
"I think I'll miss you more." He slid the ring into place on Greg's finger, smiling as he realised it was a perfect fit. "At least I know that it's safe with you. I don't want you to stay, that'll be selfish, but I need your promise that you're gonna come back."
"Of course I will, and of course I'll marry you." He grinned widely, looking down at the ring on his finger. "I thought you're supposed to wear these rings for the rest of your life though. Won't your college buds kill you for givin' it to me?"
"How are they gonna know? Besides, I've given it to my soul mate. It's still technically with me, and it'll always remind you of me, and the promise you made."
"I do." The younger giggled with excitement, wrapping his arms around Nick's shoulders. He pulled him closer against him, admiring the ring on his finger behind their heads. "I promise I'll come back and marry you, Nicky. I'll never take it off, even if I lose my finger, I'll always keep it with me."
"Consider yourself taken then." Nick warned him. "I've heard stories about the old Greg days. No wild parties or gettin' into the pants of random strangers."
Greg gave him a wide smile, quickly stealing a kiss from his lips. "I'm all yours, baby. Till death do us part."
The slacker is back with another chapter :D Sorry for the wait. Usual excuses, work, Christmas shopping and stuff, but I'm finally on my holidays, so I should have a little more time to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you thought.
Also in the beginning, you may notice that I spelt 'Aeroplane' (the english spelling of the word) as 'Airplane', (how the Americans say and spell it). I didn't think it would look right if I wrote Tayla saying it one way and spelling it another when there wasn't someone talking, so I decided to just use the American spelling of the word.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you thought.
Happy Holidays!
Love and hugs to you all
Holly ; )