CSI: Braden Sanders-Stokes: Tradition is for Traditionalists

Summary: Braden has no date for the prom and is feeling a little lonely when there's a knock at the front door. Braden is seventeen in this, the sixteenth chapter.

"You could have asked her out, you know," Nick reminded his son. "As a friend, I bet she'd have gone with you."

Braden sat on the couch staring at the tv, watching Animal Cops. His sad expression, however, gave away his true feelings.

"It's the prom, Da. You don't invite just anyone."

"Sure you can. These days," Greg pipped up as he leaned over his laptop, sitting opposite him.

"Are you ever gonna finish that novel Dad?"

"I'm still trying to get the forensics evidence right for the time period. You have no idea how much I wish they had DNA testing available in the sixties!"

"When I was your age," Nick continued with the original topic, as he leaned in the doorway. "You had to have a date to go. A real date. You couldn't go with a friend."

"Who'd you go with?" Greg asked, his curiosity obviously piqued. "I bet it was an amazing hunk." He grinned.

"Not in Texas. No. I didn't go."

"You didn't?"

"I couldn't. I wasn't dating a girl, G. And taking another man to the prom would have gotten us both killed for sure."

"All too true," Greg's somber expression lifted from his computer and he stared off into space.

"They wouldn't really do that. Would they?"

Nick sighed. "We've come a long way in terms of hatred and fear, but not that far."

"Kris is going with Dave. They seem really close. You know? No one seems to mind too much. That I can tell anyway. And Jimmy's going with Violet. That leaves me. And I'm ok with it. Honest. I don't need to go to the prom. I'm like you, Da. I don't need it."

"I went with Amanda," Greg said quietly.

Both Nick and Braden turned to look at him and waited for him to elaborate.

"She was my best friend at the time. She knew my deepest secret, and wasn't afraid to go with me as my official date. I wasn't seeing anyone, secret or otherwise. And you know what she told me? At the end of the night... she told me... that I... I had to promise her," Greg's voice cracked slightly, his expressive brown eyes shining. "That I wouldn't keep hiding. She told me that when I got the chance, I had to get out there and be myself. For her."

"G?" Nick moved across the room to sit beside his husband. He put a gentle arm around him and drew him closer.

"She died. Two weeks later. The cancer just wouldn't let up. But at least she'd had one good time before the end. You know?"

"Oh, G."

No tears fell, but the pain was evident in his eyes, his voice, his hand moving to hold Nick's arm.

"She's ok now. And I know that. I'm happy for her. I was able to give her the time of her life for that one night, and she gave me the freedom to be myself. If I hadn't made that promise, I never would have been able to ask you out."

"I'm glad you made that promise."

In the following moment of silence there came a slight, hesitant knock on the front door. Seeing that his fathers were in an emotional state that might be best left undisturbed, Braden got up to see who it was.

Nick looked up when his son opened the door. He couldn't see who it was, but he could feel the shock and surprise rolling off Braden in waves.

"Hi," came a familiar, shy voice.

"Hi."

"Can... can I come in?"

Braden stood aside, his limbs moving as if he were a robot, and a beautiful woman entered the room. Nick was instantly reminded of the small five-year-old girl, standing in a corner of the roller rink, too afraid to come out of hiding, until Greg had reminded Braden what it was like to be alone and scared in a crowded room.

Greg lifted his head from Nick's shoulder to take in the beautiful moss green, floor-length dress, complete with white gloves, pale green high heels, and her blonde hair done up in curls falling around her face.

She held out a small corsage of flowers to Braden. He gently took them, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I'm sorry," she finally said, her voice quiet. "I didn't mean to disrupt your night."

"You're... you're not... at all."

"My parents don't even know I'm not at home. I hope you won't tell them."

"I won't." Braden turned to his fathers.

Greg had moved to the edge of the couch, his own memories now long forgotten.

"We won't say a word, Patty."

Nick held his breath.

Patty, the once shy girl, turned her full attention to their son. "Um... I have two tickets. If you want to go? To the prom. I mean. To the prom. If you want to..." She sighed in frustration, looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. "Braden, I have two tickets to the prom, if you would go with me."

Braden coughed then, surprise written allover his face as he took a step back.

"I... well... I would love to... but I don't have a tux... or anything."

Greg was standing and crossing the room in an instant. He grabbed Braden's arm and began dragging him upstairs.

"Dad? Dad, what are you doing?"

Greg didn't grace him with a response.

Nick's gaze flipped from them to Patty, still standing in the open doorway, and back to the men before he remembered his manners. He muted the tv and offered the girl a seat.

"Oh, you don't have to mute it just for me. I mean, this is a good episode." She gingerly sat down on the other end of the couch looking around the room. But before Nick could respond, she spoke again, "I hope you don't think I'm... being too forward... if that's the right term. I just..."

"Not at all," Nick said, hoping to ease her fears and nervousness. "I don't believe in traditional gender roles."

She smiled, then, if a little faintly. "My parents think you have to have a boyfriend ask you to the prom. An official date, or something. You guys are cool. I wish my parents were like you and Mr. S."

"Well, your parents are cool too. But you're welcome here anytime, you understand?"

"Thanks," she said, her shyness melting away a little bit more with each exchanged word.

"Now, you damage this in anyway... your father will kill you. You understand?"

Nick heard Greg's stern voice from the second floor, and he had to wonder just what on earth his husband was talking about. But then he heard footsteps on the stairs and the men returned. The jeans and t-shirt he'd been wearing had been replaced. Nick easily recognized the vintage tux Braden now wore and understood what Greg had been saying as his mind transferred him back eighteen years ago. He'd been standing in front of their family and friends, facing the man of his dreams wearing that same crazy tux from the 1960's era, saying two words he'd been dreaming about telling Greg ever since they'd first met, 'I do.'

Braden came down the stairs in the tux, the vintage shoes Greg had also worn that day, and his hair done up in short spikes, no doubt a quick creation of Greg's. Patty's corsage had been pinned to the jacket.

Patty and Nick both stood up together.

"You look amazing," she said, her smile brilliant.

"Um... thanks? And... you too." It was obvious Braden was a little nervous just like Patty, but inside, Nick could tell the teenager was beaming.

"Get together, you two. I want pictures."

Greg ushered the couple over to the fireplace and began snapping pictures as they stood almost a foot apart from each other.

"Now, you take good care of my boy, you hear me?" Greg wagged a finger at her with a glint in his eye which brought out a thin blush across Braden's cheeks.

Patty laughed. "Don't worry, I will, Mr. S."

"How did you get here?" Nick asked. "Do you need a car?"

"I've got my car, we're covered."

Patty's confidence seemed to be growing as the minutes passed and Nick couldn't help but feel proud of her.

"You drove? In those heels?"

Greg grinned, letting out a loud guffaw. "He's never been in drag before," he mock whispered to the young couple.

Nick quirked an eyebrow at his husband. "When were you ever in drag, G?"

Greg sighed a dramatic sigh. "Those sure were memorable days."

"When we get back... you'll have to tell us all about them." Patty smiled. "But we really do need to be going."

"Don't stay out too late!" Nick called as they made their way down the front walk to her car parked along the curb. He sat back down moments later. "Wow... I can't believe that just happened."

"Me neither."

Nick watched as Greg turned off the tv and moved to the stereo on the other side of the room. While he fiddled with the dials and chose a CD he reached over to the wall and turned down the livingroom lights.

"G? What are you doing? I thought you were gonna work on your novel."

"Forget the novel. Tonight, there are more important things to be doing."

"Like?"

Slow music began to quietly fill the room. Greg returned to the couch, but he didn't sit down. Instead, he held out his hand to Nick.

"Dance?"

"What?"

"I want you to dance with me. This is our prom. Right here, just the two of us. Dance with me."

Nick reached out and took Greg's hand in his own. As he stood, Greg pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. Together they circled the room, the music filling him and letting him go. He rested his head against Greg's shoulder, feeling the other man's hand slip over the skin just above his shirt collar and up into his hair. The warmth of Greg this close felt good. Felt wonderful. Like coming home. This was where he belonged and if this night would never end, he would die a happy man.

"Thank you..." he whispered into Greg's ear.

"Don't thank me, Nick. We should do this more often."

They continued to circle the room, slow dancing to the music Nick was hardly paying attention to.

"You know... sometimes I think this is all a dream." He held Greg closer, tighter, not daring to speak louder than a whisper least his voice ruin the moment. "Just a dream. I mean... how could it be real? How could you be so real to me? Maybe I'm hallucinating. But I love you so much. I don't want to stop."

Greg lifted Nick's chin and their eyes met for a brief moment before he was granted a tender kiss.

"Then don't. I'm not going anywhere."

A/N: If you're looking for a fantastic book about gay history in America, you need to check out the book called Gay America: Struggle for Equality by Linas Alsenas. I just finished reading it last week, and it inspired part of the conversation in this chapter. It was an interesting and informational read all in one. The movie Angels in America also inspired part of this chapter, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Great performances by an all-star cast who will make you laugh out loud, and then cry, and make you think about life, all at the same time.

Also, because WMTDB is not accepting new posts for a short while this chapter will not be posted (duh) on that site until it's completely back up and functional. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't check it out if you've never been before. It's the home for The Love fans everywhere, and you need to see it. At least for now, the fanfic archives are still up, so you can go read great stuff that doesn't get posted to this site, and still post reviews. And, when it's fully functional, there should be photos, videos and other things posted there too! Sweet huh? Go check it out! www(dot)nickandgreg(dot)com.