I recently had a moment of insanity and ended up with a fic. Everyone does eventually, right? Since it's not likely to happen again, I thought I'd post it here and get some feedback. I don't write, so I don't have a beta. I apologize in advance for the mistakes you are sure to pick up on. Let me know where I went wrong.

Title: Making It Work

Pairing: Nick and Greg

Rating: PG

Chapter One

Greg Sanders was a flexible kind of guy. Adaptable. So even though Nick gave him very little to work with, he was determined to make their fledgling relationship work. It’s what he was good at, figuring things out, making them work. Relationships shouldn’t be all that different, he reasoned. It was proving to be a much more difficult task than he had bargained for.

He’d known going in that Nick Stokes was a private man. He didn’t share personal tidbits of his life with his friends from work. Greg had been surprised when Nick had asked him out for coffee that first time. So surprised that he had almost refused. His assumption that Nick wanted to vent about working with Catherine yet again was completely off the mark. For once in his life, Greg didn’t mind being so very wrong. Still, he didn’t expect it to turn into a date. Clearly, that is what Nick intended it to be, though. He had pulled out Greg’s chair, much to Greg’s amusement. He had handled the ordering, which had Greg puzzled. He then paid the check. Okay, then. It was definitely a date. Nick even walked him to his door, thanked Greg for going with him, and then said the sweetest words Greg could ever remember hearing.

“Can I see you again?”

Before the butterflies had a chance to settle, Nick was already going on about how none of their co-workers could know about them. How it would hold them both back in their careers. How difficult it would be to have others in the department privy to their sexual preferences.

Before Nick had paused for breath, Greg was getting angry. It was unreasonable, he knew. After all, he hadn’t known Nick liked guys, so obviously it was important to Nick to keep it that way. He knew that Nick was a private person. He knew. Greg didn’t care. He was a flexible kind of guy. But, he didn’t know if he was flexible enough to hide something so important to him. Something he’d wanted for so long. Maybe, he rationalized; Nick would grow more confident and open as things with them developed. He could only hope.

“Yes,”

Nick stopped in mid-rant. “Yes?”

“Yes, you can see me again. Yes, we can keep things quiet for now. Yes.”

“Oh, “ Nick breathed. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes”

That was the end of conversation for a long moment. Greg felt the butterflies come flitting back, bringing all their little friends with them. His heart beat wildly, and he knew he must be beet red. He didn’t care if Nick saw the effect he was having on Greg. He was a flexible guy, he wasn’t too proud to admit he wanted Nick…had wanted him for so very long.

“Can I come in for a while?”

Greg knew where they would end up if he agreed. He knew for him at least, there would be no turning back after that step had been taken. Nick wasn’t giving him a lot to work with. He was more than a little afraid that he was in over his head. He opened his mouth to tell Nick no, that it was too soon.

“Yes.”

Chapter Two

The evening had progressed pretty much as Greg had envisioned it once he invited Nick in. It really could end up only one way.

“Do you want more coffee?” Greg asked.

“No,” Nick advanced toward Greg, “I just want more you.”

And wow, that was cheesy. But Greg was flexible. He could work with cheesy…maybe feed Nick a few lines for later days spent together. At this point, he was really hoping for more days together.

By now, Nick had his hands on Greg’s hips. Big hands. Long, strong fingers. Was it hot in here? Why was he having trouble catching his breath? Oh. Nick was sucking on his neck. God. More.

“Show me your room, Greg.” Really. So cheesy.

“Yes.”

……………………..

The alarm seemed unusually loud when it startled Greg awake. He made a hasty grab for it before it woke Nick. Where was Nick? A moment of confusion followed before he made out the sound of the shower running. Okay. He really wished he’d cleaned the bathroom, just like he wished he’d changed his sheets and picked up his dirty laundry before letting Nick see the state of his bedroom. It was more than a little embarrassing. If he wasn’t so tired and pleasantly sore he’d straighten up a little while Nick was otherwise occupied. Instead, he rolled over and let his eyes drift closed. He’d deal with it all later.

“Greg.”

“Mff” Greg struggled to open his eyes.

Nick was sitting on the side of the bed, dressed and obviously ready to leave.

“I have to go. Grissom called me in early. I’ll see you at the lab?” Nick sounded apologetic. He gave him one of his patented “aw shucks” smiles to seal the deal.

“Yeah, I’ll be in later.” Greg smiled back. He couldn’t help it. Nick leaned down and gently kissed Greg’s smiling mouth.

“You look good in the morning.” He whispered into Greg’s ear.

“I look good all the time, Stokes. You’re just noticing? I’m hurt!”

“Yeah, you look it. Drive carefully, okay? I have a vested interest in your health now.”

One more killer smile, and Nick was gone.

Greg was pretty interested, too. He was a flexible guy, adaptable. He could see adapting his life around Nick’s without any reservations. Yeah. He was definitely in over his head. Now he needed to decide if that was a bad thing.

Chapter Three

Nick invited Greg to dinner on their next mutual day off. Greg privately wondered how they were going to stay a quiet little secret if they kept going out in public. The nice restaurant he found himself in was certainly public. People were smiling at them as they were seated. Nick was all Alpha-male. Doing all the things dating men did to gain the right impression. Everyone watching knew they were a couple…and there were a lot of people watching.

Eventually, even Nick was going to notice what a spectacle they were. Not that Greg was going to do anything to call it to his attention. No, not going to. Still, it made him more than a little nervous. He wasn’t ready for it all to hit the fan.

He wouldn’t ask. Wouldn’t.

“How do you think we’re going to stay under the radar holding hands like this?” Shit. He’d asked.

Nick looked startled for a moment, frowning at Greg as though he was speaking a foreign language. It made the little wrinkles around his eyes deepen. God, he was gorgeous.

Slowly, Nick moved his hand away, giving Greg one last regretful squeeze.

“I guess you’ve got a point there.” Nick’s accent thick as honey.

Damn. Damn. Damn his inability to keep his thoughts to himself. He got nervous and spouted…it’s what he did. The evening had been so good up until now. Already, he could read the retreat in Nick’s eyes. Greg was a flexible guy. There had to be a way to salvage the night before the mood was gone for good.

“Well, hello. I’m really surprised to see the two of you here.”

“Sara.” Greg squeaked. No salvaging the evening now. Now he scrambled for a way to salvage the whole relationship. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s not what you think!” Nick sputtered at the same time. He jumped up, throwing some bills on the table and a casual sounding “see you, Greg” over his shoulder as he rushed out of the restaurant before Greg or Sara had a chance to react.

“Nick!” He was gone.

Damn.

Chapter Four

It wasn’t until Greg felt Sara staring at him that he remembered her. He had been so intent on Nick’s retreating back that everything else had faded into the ether.

“Want to tell me what that was about?” Sara asked, with the look that declared she’d wait all night if she had to.

“No.”

Greg left Sara staring after him and headed out into the night. He stopped short, realizing at last that Nick had left him without a ride home. His Jetta was waiting for him in Nick’s driveway.

“Damn.”

He debated going back to the restaurant and calling a cab. But in all probability Sara was still there, staring out after him. He wasn’t up to facing her again, so he started walking. He was sure that any minute Nick would appear, full of apologies for leaving him behind.

After walking for the better part of two hours, Greg was less sure. He stood beside his car, looking up at Nick’s dark windows, fairly sure now that Nick had no intention of coming after him. He debated for a moment going up and knocking, but instead he unlocked his car and got in. He leaned his head against the steering wheel, trying to reign in his hurt and anger enough to get the car started.

“Damn.”

The drive home was mercifully short. He could still taste the wine from dinner, and the lingering sweetness of Nick’s kiss. He headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth. That would erase the last remnants of what he had wanted for six years. God didn’t that thought just suck. He caught sight of himself in the mirror. He looked just as devastated as he felt. It wasn’t reassuring. On his neck was the fading mark Nick had given him that first night. It was too much.

He hated crying. It made his nose stuffy and his eyes grainy and he just wasn’t going to wallow in his pain. He wasn’t. He was a flexible kind of guy. He’d adapt. He always did.

“Sniff.”

He didn’t want to adapt. He wanted to curl up in bed cry himself to sleep. Damn Nick Stokes. Damn him. After treating him like some kind of girl all week, he didn’t care enough to call and see if he’s made it home all right. He really wanted to bury his head in his covers and cry himself to sleep.

So he did.

Chapter Five

Nick looked awful. A tiny part of Greg was kind of glad for that, but mostly it just made him sad. The dark smudges under Nick’s eyes, the laugh lines that had been so fetching just two weeks ago now just added years to his face and lead to Greg’s heart.

Greg was tired. Tired of trying to get Nick to talk. Tired of avoiding Sara’s concerned questions. Tired of pretending he knew how he was going to survive this. Because the truth was, he was in way over his head. It was beginning to affect his work. He suspected it was affecting Nick’s, too. Grissom must have some clue. He’d kept them apart as much a possible, working mundane cases. Greg would thank him, but they were supposed to be a secret. Did that mean even now? He wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to be the first one to talk.

Nick was coming towards him, face buried in some report in his hands. If he didn’t move or say something, he’d run right into Greg. Greg’s feet suddenly refused to obey his panicking brain, and his voice caught in his throat.

Thud. “Ow”

“Oh, hey. Sorry…” Nick stopped in mid-apology when he saw whom he had knocked over.

Greg looked up at Nick, voice still trapped in the vise of his emotions. Nick looked so defeated. Greg’s treacherous eyes pricked with tears.

Nick reached down, grasping Greg’s hands to pull him upright. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” he whispered. “So sorry.”

“I’m fine. Just a little fall. No worries.” Greg brushed off his backside, backing quickly away. “I have a car to process. I’ll see you around.”

“No, Greg. Wait!” Nick called after him.

Greg paused at the bend in the hall.

“What?” Okay, that came out a lot harsher than Greg meant. The tension was killing him. He just wanted to get away before the tears started in earnest.

“I didn’t mean just now. I meant about the restaurant. With Sara. About just leaving you hanging. Not calling. About everything, Greg! I’m just so damn sorry!” Nick practically sobbed. Again, he seemed oblivious to the eyes around them. Greg really didn’t want to go there again.

“Don’t you people have work to do?” Techs fled from the unexpected vehemence in Greg’s voice. Hey, he was a flexible guy. He could do bitchy and authoritative when it was called for. He was adaptable, after all.

Walking slowly back towards Nick, he searched the other man’s face for clues as to how to continue.

“Where do we go from here, Nick? What do you want?”

“I want to start over. I want to wake up and find I’m still in your bedroom. I want…” words seemed to fail him. His chin dropped to his chest, shoulders slumped in sorrow.

“I want you,” he finished, barely audible.

“Nick. Everyone’s going to know now. There’s no taking any of this back. Are you going to be able to live with that? Or are you going to run away from me again? I can’t go on like this. I need to know where I stand.”

“I can hack it if you just forgive me! Give me a chance to show you I can be the guy you want…you deserve!” God, he was so earnest. Nick seemed pretty sure of that statement, at least. It gave Greg a little flicker of hope.

“Don’t promise me what you can’t give, Nick. Please”

“I promise I’ll work to make everything right. I promise not to let anything get in-between the two of us again. I’ll put you first…” Again he trailed off, seeming to realize the absurdity of what he was saying. This wasn’t a romance novel. Real life just wasn’t like that. They weren’t like that.

“I can promise to try, Greg. To try every damn day. It’s the best I can give. Is it enough?”

Greg’s little flicker of hope was burning like a brush fire.

“I can work with that,” he stated with the first real smile in two weeks. Nick still wasn’t giving him a lot to work with, but he was a flexible guy. He was pretty sure he could make it work.