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nickngregCSI
Title: Don't Fence Me In
Chapter: 30 000 Feet, and Back to Earth (1/?)
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: A follow-up to The Return of Old Crazy Hair, in which Greg takes up the Stokes' offer of Christmas at their ranch.
30 000 Feet, and Back to Earth
High in the air, 30 000 feet off the ground to be precise, Greg Sanders stuck his tongue out at the little girl who was hanging over the seat in front of him.
Giggling, she mirrored the gesture. Her Supergirl barette glinted in the sun coming through the window which Nick Stokes sat against, absorbed in the book on extinct bird species which Greg had given him as an early Christmas present (despite his protestation that all presents had to remain unopened until the actual Big Morning itself).
Upping the ante, Greg stuck his fingers in his mouth and stretched out his lips as far as he could and gave her a garishly elongated grin.
She looked at him blankly, not knowing whether to be amused or horrified; then smiled slyly, stuck her own fingers in her mouth, and gave him the same evil smirk back.
Greg laughed, and she laughed back while waiting for him to make the next move.
He pushed his thumb under his nose to squash it flat and waggled his fingers. She clapped appreciatively and hung herself slightly upside down to send it back to him.
The challenge was on, although it wasn’t a fair one seeing she was much smaller than him and therefore capable of twisting herself into strange positions while still seated in economy class. Aware of her inquisitive eyes upon him, Greg shifted about in his seat, while wondering if there was any way in which he could get his head below his knees without accidentally kicking his partner in the head.
Finally distracted by Greg’s wiggling and the little girl’s laughter, Nick tore himself from reading about the dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis, or Tasmanian Emu, to raise an eyebrow at Greg’s antics.
“Uh, G, what are you doing?”
Slightly flushed, Greg sat upright. “Playing.”
Nick smiled at the little girl, then looked back at Greg. “Somehow, I don’t think a tin can five miles up in the air is the best thing to use as a playground.”
“He’s such a spoilsport.” Greg sighed theatrically to the girl.
“I’m not!” Nick said defensively as the kid sized him up, as if she was confronting a moustache-twirling villain. “Believe me, he’d thank me if there happens to be air marshals on this plane.”
“Nick,” Greg whispered to him, “that line of argument is not going to work with someone who’s under five.”
“Oh.” Nick opened his book again.
“And you’re the one who has nephews and nieces. You should know how to deal with kids.”
Sensing that her new friend’s attention was now taken by someone else, the little girl frowned and disappeared back behind her seat.
“Well, you know yourself I haven’t had much experience with them.” Nick admitted, sorrowfully. “I live in a different state to them, so I really only see them on the holidays I make it back for. I’m really just some strange guy they see occasionally who looks kinda like one of their parents.”
Greg leaned back in his seat, his knees hurting from the pressure forced upon them by having to fold his long legs into unnatural positions in order to fit in their seating. “And you’ve missed half of the holidays ever since we got together.”
“Well, that happens to anyone in a relationship, doesn’t it?” Nick shrugged. “You have to divide the families up so nobody gets hurt.”
They both fell silent as they thought of their past couple of years together. Where Greg’s family had opened up their homes and lives to Nick, his own fear had stopped him from returning the favour with Greg. The fact that their first couple of Christmases had been spent away from each other tore him apart on reflection; their first proper Christmas together only came when they both decided to plead work duties and stayed in Vegas, holing up in Greg’s apartment for the duration of the season. Then it was only a matter of months before Walter Gordon had come along to disrupt their lives, and in a strange way also improve it dramatically.
So much so that the Stokes now knew about them as a couple, and extended an invitation to Greg for Christmas as they did with all their children’s partners. They had already been mulling over going to Greg’s parents in San Francisco, but this invitation was too much to decline. In fact, it had been Greg’s parents who had told them to not even consider turning them down.
“You have both been here for Easter and for Greg’s birthday.” Greg’s mother had told Nick on the phone one night. “As much as I would love to have you for Christmas, let your family see you and Greg together and accept him into it.”
Both he and Greg knew she was right. So Texas it was, and now they were on their way.
“You’re nervous.” Nick said matter-of-factly, as Greg chewed on one of his fingernails.
“You following the evidence, Stokes?” Greg raised an eyebrow.
Nick smirked. “If you were a cartoon character, your knees would be knocking together and a river of sweat would be forming around your ankles.”
“Ha ha, Mr leaned in too far to shake my father’s hand and almost knocked him unconscious with your big lunk head.”
Nick laughed at the uncomfortable memory. “Well, now you know what not to do.” He reached down and took Greg’s hand.
It still surprised Greg when Nick showed such overt public displays of affection. Although they never wildly and passionately kissed each other or were all over each other like other couples could be in public, Greg knew that it was just because that was the way Nick Stokes was; and that even if his partner was a woman he would still be pretty reserved. But ever since Nick’s parents had visited them in Vegas (the same disastrous time he had dyed his hair a bright red to prove an argument that he was still the same old Greg), Nick had been much more comfortable holding hands, hugging outside the privacy of their home. He had even once surprised Greg with a kiss at the airport to welcome him home when he had returned from a conference in New York.
“I have more to be worried about.” Nick continued. “I mean, being the baby of the family, I always get most of the ribbing. And now I’ve brought someone home… they’ll all be on the warpath to embarrass me.”
Greg smiled. “You’re lucky.”
“Lucky?” Nick snorted. “They’re going to humiliate me.”
“Because they love you.” Greg reminded him. “I always wonder what it would have been like to have siblings. I mean, I’m lucky in so many ways… but then I think about how you would have grown up… it would have been mad and insane and yet so cool.”
“Well, when you’re a Stokes, you’re a Stokes for life.” Nick smiled down at him. “There’ll be no getting away from them once they take you in. Ask all my brothers-in-law and Sally.”
Greg bit his lip. “I hope so.”
“They’ll love you. And if they don’t, I’ll beat the crap out of them.”
Greg finally laughed. “That sounds like a family Christmas to me!”
“The only ones to really worry about will be Gray and Laura.” Nick said, his face momentarily darkening. “I mean, you’ve already spoken to the others on the phone.”
Although Gray had visited Vegas while Nick was still in hospital, he was only able to stay two days because of work. Greg had only seen him from a distance as he left Nick’s room one night on his way to the elevators. He had immediately guessed who he was as he looked like Nick, except taller and with more angular features. When Nick had finally told his parents about him and Greg, he hadn’t heard from Gray and only managed to speak to his machine except for the one time when Gray had actually picked up, only to be fobbed off with a promise that he would call him back later.
It had hurt Nick deeply, as he idolised his older brother. He wasn’t hurt on exactly the same level when he received the cold shoulder from Laura as well. It was a good sign at least that both of them had confirmed to come back to the ranch for Christmas, even while aware that it would be Greg’s first visit.
“Shall I call him Graham when I first meet him?” Greg suggested evilly.
“Only if you really want him to hate you. He’s been Gray ever since he was five.”
“Well, he better be nice to you, that’s all I’m saying. I’ve been learning Muay Thai, remember.”
Nick chuckled, and tightened his grip. “Lucky me, to have you on my side.”
“If you’re being snarky, I am going to bust some moves on you when we get off this plane.”
Nick leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Oh, then I’m definitely being snarky.”
Greg’s resulting smile could have been seen from the ground.
---------------------------------
Their flight was delayed in a holding pattern over the airport, which only added to their nervousness. By the time they collected their bags and headed out to the concourse to look for Nick’s parents, it was an hour past their scheduled arrival.
“I can’t see them anywhere.” Greg said, looking around and over the crowd of people who were meeting, greeting and farewelling in a noisy throng.
“They would have waited for us. They must be here somewhere.”
White Christmas was being pumped through the airport speakers, an ironic choice that Greg mused upon especially as Texas hadn’t seen a white christmas since 1926 (he had been googling Texas on the net in an effort to try and find out more about his destination).
Nick’s attention was drawn to a tall man in sunglasses who had folded himself into a row of chairs. His long legs were sprawled in front of him, and people were having to step around them to continue on their way.
Greg glanced at what was distracting Nick, and immediately felt his stomach drop when he recognised the man he had seen briefly at the hospital almost a year before.
“Isn’t that?” Greg asked, not even completing his question.
“Yeah.” Nick said stiffly. “It’s Gray.”
Title: Don't Fence Me In
Chapter: 30 000 Feet, and Back to Earth (1/?)
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: A follow-up to The Return of Old Crazy Hair, in which Greg takes up the Stokes' offer of Christmas at their ranch.
30 000 Feet, and Back to Earth
High in the air, 30 000 feet off the ground to be precise, Greg Sanders stuck his tongue out at the little girl who was hanging over the seat in front of him.
Giggling, she mirrored the gesture. Her Supergirl barette glinted in the sun coming through the window which Nick Stokes sat against, absorbed in the book on extinct bird species which Greg had given him as an early Christmas present (despite his protestation that all presents had to remain unopened until the actual Big Morning itself).
Upping the ante, Greg stuck his fingers in his mouth and stretched out his lips as far as he could and gave her a garishly elongated grin.
She looked at him blankly, not knowing whether to be amused or horrified; then smiled slyly, stuck her own fingers in her mouth, and gave him the same evil smirk back.
Greg laughed, and she laughed back while waiting for him to make the next move.
He pushed his thumb under his nose to squash it flat and waggled his fingers. She clapped appreciatively and hung herself slightly upside down to send it back to him.
The challenge was on, although it wasn’t a fair one seeing she was much smaller than him and therefore capable of twisting herself into strange positions while still seated in economy class. Aware of her inquisitive eyes upon him, Greg shifted about in his seat, while wondering if there was any way in which he could get his head below his knees without accidentally kicking his partner in the head.
Finally distracted by Greg’s wiggling and the little girl’s laughter, Nick tore himself from reading about the dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis, or Tasmanian Emu, to raise an eyebrow at Greg’s antics.
“Uh, G, what are you doing?”
Slightly flushed, Greg sat upright. “Playing.”
Nick smiled at the little girl, then looked back at Greg. “Somehow, I don’t think a tin can five miles up in the air is the best thing to use as a playground.”
“He’s such a spoilsport.” Greg sighed theatrically to the girl.
“I’m not!” Nick said defensively as the kid sized him up, as if she was confronting a moustache-twirling villain. “Believe me, he’d thank me if there happens to be air marshals on this plane.”
“Nick,” Greg whispered to him, “that line of argument is not going to work with someone who’s under five.”
“Oh.” Nick opened his book again.
“And you’re the one who has nephews and nieces. You should know how to deal with kids.”
Sensing that her new friend’s attention was now taken by someone else, the little girl frowned and disappeared back behind her seat.
“Well, you know yourself I haven’t had much experience with them.” Nick admitted, sorrowfully. “I live in a different state to them, so I really only see them on the holidays I make it back for. I’m really just some strange guy they see occasionally who looks kinda like one of their parents.”
Greg leaned back in his seat, his knees hurting from the pressure forced upon them by having to fold his long legs into unnatural positions in order to fit in their seating. “And you’ve missed half of the holidays ever since we got together.”
“Well, that happens to anyone in a relationship, doesn’t it?” Nick shrugged. “You have to divide the families up so nobody gets hurt.”
They both fell silent as they thought of their past couple of years together. Where Greg’s family had opened up their homes and lives to Nick, his own fear had stopped him from returning the favour with Greg. The fact that their first couple of Christmases had been spent away from each other tore him apart on reflection; their first proper Christmas together only came when they both decided to plead work duties and stayed in Vegas, holing up in Greg’s apartment for the duration of the season. Then it was only a matter of months before Walter Gordon had come along to disrupt their lives, and in a strange way also improve it dramatically.
So much so that the Stokes now knew about them as a couple, and extended an invitation to Greg for Christmas as they did with all their children’s partners. They had already been mulling over going to Greg’s parents in San Francisco, but this invitation was too much to decline. In fact, it had been Greg’s parents who had told them to not even consider turning them down.
“You have both been here for Easter and for Greg’s birthday.” Greg’s mother had told Nick on the phone one night. “As much as I would love to have you for Christmas, let your family see you and Greg together and accept him into it.”
Both he and Greg knew she was right. So Texas it was, and now they were on their way.
“You’re nervous.” Nick said matter-of-factly, as Greg chewed on one of his fingernails.
“You following the evidence, Stokes?” Greg raised an eyebrow.
Nick smirked. “If you were a cartoon character, your knees would be knocking together and a river of sweat would be forming around your ankles.”
“Ha ha, Mr leaned in too far to shake my father’s hand and almost knocked him unconscious with your big lunk head.”
Nick laughed at the uncomfortable memory. “Well, now you know what not to do.” He reached down and took Greg’s hand.
It still surprised Greg when Nick showed such overt public displays of affection. Although they never wildly and passionately kissed each other or were all over each other like other couples could be in public, Greg knew that it was just because that was the way Nick Stokes was; and that even if his partner was a woman he would still be pretty reserved. But ever since Nick’s parents had visited them in Vegas (the same disastrous time he had dyed his hair a bright red to prove an argument that he was still the same old Greg), Nick had been much more comfortable holding hands, hugging outside the privacy of their home. He had even once surprised Greg with a kiss at the airport to welcome him home when he had returned from a conference in New York.
“I have more to be worried about.” Nick continued. “I mean, being the baby of the family, I always get most of the ribbing. And now I’ve brought someone home… they’ll all be on the warpath to embarrass me.”
Greg smiled. “You’re lucky.”
“Lucky?” Nick snorted. “They’re going to humiliate me.”
“Because they love you.” Greg reminded him. “I always wonder what it would have been like to have siblings. I mean, I’m lucky in so many ways… but then I think about how you would have grown up… it would have been mad and insane and yet so cool.”
“Well, when you’re a Stokes, you’re a Stokes for life.” Nick smiled down at him. “There’ll be no getting away from them once they take you in. Ask all my brothers-in-law and Sally.”
Greg bit his lip. “I hope so.”
“They’ll love you. And if they don’t, I’ll beat the crap out of them.”
Greg finally laughed. “That sounds like a family Christmas to me!”
“The only ones to really worry about will be Gray and Laura.” Nick said, his face momentarily darkening. “I mean, you’ve already spoken to the others on the phone.”
Although Gray had visited Vegas while Nick was still in hospital, he was only able to stay two days because of work. Greg had only seen him from a distance as he left Nick’s room one night on his way to the elevators. He had immediately guessed who he was as he looked like Nick, except taller and with more angular features. When Nick had finally told his parents about him and Greg, he hadn’t heard from Gray and only managed to speak to his machine except for the one time when Gray had actually picked up, only to be fobbed off with a promise that he would call him back later.
It had hurt Nick deeply, as he idolised his older brother. He wasn’t hurt on exactly the same level when he received the cold shoulder from Laura as well. It was a good sign at least that both of them had confirmed to come back to the ranch for Christmas, even while aware that it would be Greg’s first visit.
“Shall I call him Graham when I first meet him?” Greg suggested evilly.
“Only if you really want him to hate you. He’s been Gray ever since he was five.”
“Well, he better be nice to you, that’s all I’m saying. I’ve been learning Muay Thai, remember.”
Nick chuckled, and tightened his grip. “Lucky me, to have you on my side.”
“If you’re being snarky, I am going to bust some moves on you when we get off this plane.”
Nick leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Oh, then I’m definitely being snarky.”
Greg’s resulting smile could have been seen from the ground.
---------------------------------
Their flight was delayed in a holding pattern over the airport, which only added to their nervousness. By the time they collected their bags and headed out to the concourse to look for Nick’s parents, it was an hour past their scheduled arrival.
“I can’t see them anywhere.” Greg said, looking around and over the crowd of people who were meeting, greeting and farewelling in a noisy throng.
“They would have waited for us. They must be here somewhere.”
White Christmas was being pumped through the airport speakers, an ironic choice that Greg mused upon especially as Texas hadn’t seen a white christmas since 1926 (he had been googling Texas on the net in an effort to try and find out more about his destination).
Nick’s attention was drawn to a tall man in sunglasses who had folded himself into a row of chairs. His long legs were sprawled in front of him, and people were having to step around them to continue on their way.
Greg glanced at what was distracting Nick, and immediately felt his stomach drop when he recognised the man he had seen briefly at the hospital almost a year before.
“Isn’t that?” Greg asked, not even completing his question.
“Yeah.” Nick said stiffly. “It’s Gray.”
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