nickngreg | A little offering from someone too long silent

It's been a very long time since I've written any Nick/Greg, unfortunately, but I couldn't let the festive season pass without gifting my beloved beta with a little something about her most favourite boys. This story actually comes in two parts, and I'm posting them together because you really do need to read both of them.

Title: Surcease of Pain
Author: Liriel
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I borrowed Nick and Greg because they're pretty and they play well together. All else is mine. (well, I don't own Grissom, Catherine, or Papa Olaf either... or Warrick, although seriously, I want to claim him, since the originators didn't take good care of him. *pokes them*)
Summary: Greg hurts, Nick cares. From the prompt words 'shadow, snatch, telephone' given to me by my darling beta

catlover2x

A/N: Written for my beloved

catlover2x as a very small belated 'Christmas/New Year/You fucking rock!' gift.

The sounds of the city were a muted murmur coming in the half-open window with the breeze that belled the heavy curtain. The soft noise was so familiar, it would have only been noted by its absence.

Greg rolled over in the bed and buried his hands beneath the pillow, cradling his aching head with the cushioning down between hands and head. He wished Nick was there to give him one of his superlative neck rubs. But with the team one man down due to his incapacitation, it would be hours yet before Nick made it home.

Deciding he couldn't wait another hour to take more pain relief, Greg dragged himself upright. His shoulders hunched and he flinched with each throb of his head as he shuffled down the hall to the kitchen.

The lasting legacy of his beating by the gang of thrill-seeking teenagers was debilitating migraines that struck at least twice a month, sometimes more often, depending on his level of stress. Greg figured he was probably only a hair away from being forced onto disability.

Fumbling with the lid of the child-proof cap, Greg managed to get the bottle open and shake two pills into his hand. He winced at the clatter of the water running into the sink as he got himself a glass of water to wash them down. Leaving the glass half full of water and the open bottle of pills on the counter, he shuffled back to the bedroom, craving the cooler air of the room that had been shrouded so it was as dark as a cave.

Gingerly lying back down, Greg tried to take slow, steady breaths, willing the throbbing in his head to lessen enough to allow him to sleep. Finally the second lot of pills began to take effect and he slipped into a fitful doze, his drowsing mind flitting from memory to memory, with Nick the center of everything.

*

Nick quietly opened the front door and slipped inside, closing the door with an almost inaudible 'click' behind him. He toed off his shoes and padded down the hall, a black shadow in the deep gloom of the hall.

Not wanting to disturb his lover, Nick cautiously peered around the frame of the doorway, smiling tenderly as he saw Greg curled onto his side, hugging a pillow to his chest. Silently he moved over to the bed and stood there watching Greg sleep until the muted ringing of the telephone intruded.

Biting back a muffled curse, Nick flew out of the bedroom and down the hall, reaching out to snatch up the receiver before the ringing could wake Greg.

“Stokes,” Nick said softly.

“Nick? It's Grissom.”

“Hey, Gris,” Nick whispered, wondering why Gil was ringing him when he'd only just left work half an hour ago. He couldn't possibly want him to come in and do another shift, could he?

“Why are we whispering?” Grissom asked.

Nick couldn't hold back a chuckle. “Well, I'm whispering so I don't wake Greg up. I don't know why you are.”

Grissom joined in the laugh at his expense. “Probably because you were whispering. Have you ever noticed that in conversation, the two party's levels of speech will match quite quickly?”

“No, I never noticed that,” Nick replied, glad Grissom couldn't see the way he was grinning at the odd comment.

“You should take note the next time you're talking to someone,” Grissom said seriously. “But that's not why I rang. I've finally gotten approval for two qualified CSIs from LA to fill in for the next two months.”

“That's good,” Nick said, “Maybe Greg will stop worrying so much now that he's leaving us short-handed when he gets a headache.”

“Nick... take Greg away,” Grissom said somberly. “You both need the break. Greg still hasn't fully recovered from the bashing, and now with the situation with Warrick... You both need time away.”

“What about you, and Catherine?” Nick protested. “We all need time that we don't have to deal with Warrick being gone.”

“Catherine and I will take some time when you're back,” Grissom said. “Right now it's more important for Greg to have the time off.”

“Don't do this to him, please,” Nick whispered, afraid that this break would be just the beginning of the move to push Greg out of the force.

“Nick, I'm not doing this to force Greg into a disability retirement,” Grissom said seriously. “I'm trying very hard to avoid that, even if it means I lose two of my best men for two months. I want Greg back on the team just as much as you do. But unless he has a chance to get away from all the stress and finally come to terms with everything that has happened in the past year, you and I both know it's not going to happen.”

Nick sighed heavily. “You're right,” he said finally. “I just... it's killing me to see him struggling so hard and not be able to help him.”

“You are helping him,” Grissom replied quickly. “Don't think for one minute that your support isn't helping Greg, Nick. He'd already be on a disability pension if he didn't have you.”

Nick swallowed against the knot of tension in his throat, his eyes bright with tears he wouldn't shed. He wanted desperately to help Greg find a way through the maze of emotions, but most of the time he felt completely helpless and unable to find the words to express his love and admiration for Greg and the way he was coping.

“Take him away, Nick,” Grissom urged quietly. “Take him away so he can find his way back.”

“I will,” Nick promised. “Thanks, Gil.”

“The only thanks I need is to have you both back on the team in two months time,” Grissom said firmly.

*

Nick peeked around the edge of the doorframe, smiling apologetically and entering the room properly when he saw that Greg was awake. “Hey,” he said softly, “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Greg said, blinking drowsily. “Head hurts, Nicky.”

“I know, babe. Want me to give your neck a rub?” Nick gingerly sat on the edge of the bed and cupped Greg's cheek with his hand.

“Don' wanna move,” Greg mumbled, turning his face into the comforting touch.

“How about a cool cloth?”

“Mmm,” Greg hummed, hovering on the edge of sleep but reluctant to drift off now that Nick was home.

“How many painkillers have you taken today, G?” Nick asked, his brow creased with concern. Normally Greg wasn't quite so incoherent, even when the migraine was at its worst.

“Dunno,” Greg slurred, “Di'n' work.”

“Fuck,” Nick cursed softly, mindful that Greg's hearing would still be ultra-sensitive. He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Greg's forehead, then got up, intent on finding out if he had to call an ambulance for his lover. A drug overdose, even if accidental, wouldn't look good in his file.
“I'll be right back, babe.”

Greg moaned quietly, missing the warmth of Nick's presence.

Nick frowned when he entered the kitchen and saw the half empty medication bottle, with a number of pills scattered over the countertop. He scooped up the scattering of tablets and then poured the contents of the bottle into his hand, counting them off as he returned them to the small container.

With the last pill returned to the bottle, Nick sighed with relief. It had been a new bottle when he left for work; Greg had taken more than he should, but only by one dose. That didn't require medical attention. Nick would just make sure all the drug was out of his system before he gave him any more.

When Nick returned to the bedroom he found Greg in the same position he'd been in when he left. He quickly stripped down to his boxers and got into bed behind his lover, wrapping his arm protectively around Greg's waist and cuddling against him. He pressed a loving kiss to the back of Greg's neck when he felt the other man relax into the embrace almost as if he'd been waiting for Nick to come back before really giving in to the sleep he needed.

*

Greg snuggled into the warmth that surrounded him, reluctantly surfacing from the deep sleep that had held him in its grip. He smiled drowsily when he realized Nick was curled against him. Nick must have come home while he was asleep.

Greg was sorry to have missed the chance to discuss the night's work with Nick, but very glad that there was only a faint twinge of pain left over from the migraine he'd thought was going to kill him.

“How are you feeling?” Nick's voice was low and Greg was relieved to find that the sound didn't make his ears flinch.

“Better,” Greg said, turning so he faced Nick. “Thank you for not waking me up when you came home.”

“You did wake up when I came home,” Nick said, stroking his hand up Greg's back to brush lightly over his scars.

“I don't remember,” Greg said sheepishly. “I guess I didn't make much sense at all, did I?”

“Not a whole lot,” Nick grinned.

“At least I'm better today,” Greg said, running his fingers over the smooth skin of Nick's chest. “I should be able to go to work tonight.”

“Well, about that,” Nick said reluctantly, a bit concerned about how Greg was going to take the enforced break. “Gris rang just after I got home last night.”

“He didn't want you to go back in, did he?” Greg reached up to stroke the fine lines that graced Nick's face, hating how tired and worn his lover had been looking lately.

“No. He... he gave us both two months off, G.” Nick ducked his head, waiting for the explosion.

“Two months?” Greg said quietly.

“Yeah. He finally got approval for two CSIs to come in and cover for us for two months.”

“But... two months, Nicky. Am I... I'm going to be fired, aren't I?”

“No, Greg, you're not,” Nick hastened to reassure his lover, feeling the way Greg trembled against him. “Gris wants you to get better, so that you don't have to go on disability. He said we both need the time away. It's been a hell year, G. I'm feeling completely worn out.”

Greg immediately abandoned his anxiety and pique at being forced to take a leave in the face of Nick's obvious exhaustion. He brushed his lips over Nick's. “You've been wearing yourself out, babe. Trying to make up for Warrick not being there, and then when you get home, you can't relax either because who knows when I'll get another headache. I think this break will be good for you... for both of us,” Greg admitted the last rather reluctantly. “I'm not dealing with everything too well, Nick. I don't want to be a burden on you, but it seems like the more I try to push things away, the more headaches I get.”

“You can't push it away, Greggo,” Nick said firmly. “I think we'll both be better for some time away from it all. It's hard when every time we go into work... Warrick...”

“I know,” Greg agreed. “It's like you keep waiting for him to walk around the corner and make some smart-ass comment. But he's never going to walk through the corridors any more, is he?”

“No,” Nick agreed, his voice tight with emotion.

Greg tightened his arms around Nick, unashamed to let his lover see the tears he shed for their fallen comrade.

Nick stared at Greg for a long moment, watching the tears streak Greg's cheeks, then he buried his face against Greg's neck, his body shaking with the emotions he finally felt able to release.

Greg held Nick tenderly, letting him express his grief, shedding his own tears for Warrick, and for all the difficulties they'd been through in the past year. He wanted to take Nick away, some place completely different from Vegas, where they'd both have the opportunity to grieve and heal.

When Nick's tears had stopped and he lay quiescent in his lover's arms, Greg spoke firmly, “I want to go see Papa Olaf, Nick. I think... it'd be good for both of us.”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, his voice raspy with the aftermath of the emotions he'd released. “Yeah, let's go see Papa Olaf, G. We need his practical sense and humour right now.”

“Tomorrow,” Greg agreed. “Today we're going to stay in bed and just be together, glad that somehow we've managed to survive and that we're still together.”

Nick nodded his agreement. They'd get through this pain, together.

*end*

Title: Healing
Author: Liriel
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: G
Disclaimer: A story about fictional people, ergo, not true
Summary: At the end of their two month imposed break.

Papa Olaf stood at the window and watched the two men playing in the snow like children a quarter their age. He smiled when Greg got a faceful of snow and launched retaliation by leaping at Nick, bearing him to the ground where they rolled together, each trying to stuff snow down the neck of the other's coat. Olaf could hear their shouts of laughter through the closed window as they tussled together.

The scene was a far cry from when the men had first arrived. Neither his grandson nor his partner had held the energy within them to muster enthusiasm for even deciding which television program they would watch for the evening.

It was time. Time for them to return to the life they had chosen. The wounds they'd carried had healed, leaving behind scars that would fade but never completely disappear. Knowing he wouldn't have to prompt them to the realization at all, Olaf moved to the kitchen to make hot chocolate to warm the men up when they finally tired of burying each other in snow.

Later that night, the two men moved as one, reaffirming their love and commitment to each other, finding their completion together. Then they lay entwined, neither willing sleep and miss a moment of the peace that filled them.

“It's time to go back, isn't it?”

“Yes.”

“Better?”

“With you beside me, always.”

“Together.”

“Forever.”

Greg snuggled closer to Nick, his eyes sparkling in the uncanny light of the wintry landscape that filled the room. He hadn't had one headache in over a month. It was hard to believe that something as simple as accepting the emotions of the previous year's events could have such a positive effect. He was eager to get back to Las Vegas, eager to get back to work.

Nick brushed his lips over Greg's messy hair, smiling as he remembered the way they had played in the snow like ten year old boys without a care in the world. He'd needed this break. Needed to have some time where he didn't have to think about anything but himself and Greg. He was ready now, ready to go back and take up the mantle of responsibilities once more, knowing that Greg would be with him, every step of the way.

Papa Olaf sat at the living room window, enjoying the quiet stillness of the night and the way the moonlight threw the signs of the earlier snow fight into sharp relief. He was proud of his boys. They hadn't been conceited enough to think they could handle their difficulties on their own. They had grown tremendously in the past two months. Now they knew how to recognize the signs that indicated they were not coping and Olaf knew that both men would not hesitate to call for help, should the need arise once more.

Content that Nick and Greg would now have the strength to move forward, Olaf pushed himself to his feet and made his slow way to his own bed.

*end*