![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
gregisamazing.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
nickngregTitle: One Year, Two Mismatched Men and Three Million Dollars
Chapter: 7/? (Previous chapters are found here)
Rating: PG-13
As the normal lunch-hour arrived Greg decided that he was going to duck away from his friends and the building, instead deciding to spend it outside away from everyone else, instead settling himself down at the fountain outside. Normally his lunch hour would be spent gossiping with his friends, flirting with Archie and talking about things he didn’t care about; but this wasn’t a normal lunchtime. He knew his friends would be gossiping about him, he couldn’t flirt with Archie and there wouldn’t be a conversation- just stagnant silence.
He sat watching the water of the fountain that never actually had a purpose, until now. He took his shoes off and dipped his feet into the cool liquid, watching as the water distorted everything else, how he wished that it would distort his reality. His food lay forgotten beside him as he watched the water, finding the silence of the air actually pleasant as it stopped the barrage of questions he couldn’t answer.
“Greg!”
He sighed, recognising the voice as Sara’s, enjoying the fleeting moment of freedom away from the reality of the world. He could hear her hesitating by the entrance of the building, feeling the stare of her eyes upon his back, able to visualise the stance she was taking. Greg decided not to answer in the hope that she’d give up and go back inside and enjoy her lunch with Grissom and Hodges and deciding on what they’d tell Wendy when she’d got back off holiday.
“Don’t pretend you can’t hear me, come back inside or I’ll come and join you.” She threatened. “Fine then.”
He could hear the echo of her shoes against the concrete and the gritting of her teeth coming closer until the sounds were right beside him as Sara sat beside him, facing the building rather than the water like the was.
“If you want to tease me about it, just do it and go back and enjoy the rest of lunch.”
“Tease you?” Sara laughed slightly, “I don’t tease you.”
Greg looked at her sceptically.
“Okay, I wouldn’t tease you about this. I’d tease you about a lot of things: your hair, your sense of style, your childishness.” She listed them all on her fingers, trying to remember what else she had teased him about in the past. “But trust me; I wouldn’t tease you about something like this. Your marriage is important to you, we can all tell that, it’s just come as a little surprise to the rest of us.”
Greg remained quiet; deciding to let Sara talk, maybe shed some light onto their reaction. She was, after all, one of his best friends and had always found comfort in talking to her. She was the only person to know about his relationship with Archie before they had decided to ‘come-out’; she was the first person to know about their problems; she was the first person to know a lot of things about him.
“I mean, when you admitted about your relationship with Archie, remember how Grissom, Hodges and Wendy had reacted… I knew about it though… I knew about your on-off relationship with him but I didn’t know about this other person… It shocked me more to think that you hadn’t told me about it.”
“You didn’t tell me about Grissom.”
Sara cringed; she’d know that it would be used as ammunition against her in this battle.
“I’m sorry, that was wrong of me considering we’ve told each other everything until now. I guess we both had a little trick up our sleeves that we weren’t telling each other about huh? I was planning on telling you, honestly, it’s just we’re in the early stages, I don’t want to jinx it.”
“Early stages?” Greg finally looked up at her, his face in a frown of confusion.
“Yeah, as in we went for dinner on Saturday night together. I think it went well, he did say we’d have to do it another time.”
“Wow, how on earth did you manage that one?”
“I don’t know, I guess it was after the cuts… Seeing so many people with the ends of their jobs, to Grissom that would be the end of everything important in his life, but all those redundant people had families to go back to. If Grissom did end up in the next cuts, everything he’d ever worked for would be gone and so he decided to make something else work and asked me out to dinner.”
“So those cuts did some good after all.”
“Yeah they did. So now I’ve told you, you’ve got a choice whether to tell me or not about your partner. And before you ask, no I’m not going to go and tell anyone about this- not even Grissom.”
-------------
Warrick hadn’t come near him since he’d told him he was married, which left Nick to wonder whether he’d just lost his best friend. He couldn’t understand why he’d taken it so hard, or why he was being ignored for it because in his opinion he’d done right in telling his friend about it. If he wanted to he could have kept the marriage a secret and not honoured his best friend with the knowledge of his partnership.
Lunch normally meant they’d have an hour gap whilst the other trainers worked the hour and then had theirs later. Nick, Warrick and Catherine had always tried to arrange it so their lunches fell around the same time so they could head to the café for food.
Today, however, Nick didn’t feel much like eating with the two of them. In fact, he didn’t feel much like eating at all and decided that he’d rather spend his hour toning himself. It was something he always did when he was angry at himself, it took his mind off the world around.
He set up the bench, looking around at the other people that were there trying to loose weight or get fit, and he felt slightly out of place. That wasn’t unusual now, he felt like an alien everywhere he went, just he’d never imagined to be alienated by someone he trusted so much with.
He began the regime of making his muscles burn to forget the anger that raged on inside. Since a young age he’d done it, deciding to bury himself in something he enjoyed rather than feel the anger and frustration out on someone else.
“Nick, man, can I have a word?”
He pushed the weights up, sitting himself up but avoiding Warrick’s steady gaze.
“Look, if you’re here to ask me to lunch with you and Cath, I’m not going, so you two can totter off alone.” He snapped, the anger coming out. “If you don’t mind I’m working out.”
“Cath’s working through lunch so she can get home and go to parent’s evening with Lindsey. I want to talk to you somewhere outside the prying ears of everyone else. Lunch is on me.”
Nick looked at his friend questioningly but thought better than to refuse the offer, although he’d be ordering the most expensive thing he could find on the menu just for the sake of it.
----------
“I can’t believe I’m doing this, I swore to myself I wouldn’t tell anyone so I could avoid the gossip.”
“I wouldn’t gossip about you, the whole purpose of our lab is to gossip about those people outside of our click.”
“True, but Hodges can’t help himself sometimes.”
She nodded in agreement, taking a bite out of her sandwich, as Greg splashed the water with his feet whilst still avoiding his food and anyone apart from Sara.
“I want to be honest with you Sara; I’ve totally gone against my normal type.”
“A woman?” Sara asked before she could help herself. She’d known about Greg’s preferences since he started working there, but she’d seen few women and more men.
“No,” Greg laughed, thanking the stars that hadn’t happened… He’d find the scenario very, very difficult if that had been the case. “Just not anything like Archie,”
“Oh, you have a picture?”
That was something Greg hadn’t thought about, photographs the real proof of anything. He hadn’t got a photograph of Nick to prove his existence or even a memory of the wedding. She was bound to ask him questions like that one day; they’d both have to find out so they were ready for it.
“No, I left them all back at our apartment.”
“You’ve already moved in together? Wow, you guys had it all sorted out didn’t you?”
“You could say that.”
“So go on, tell me all about him.”
Greg shifted uncomfortably, recalling the previous night and the game they’d both participated in.
“Well first off his name is Nick and he works at a gym downtown. We met in a bar a couple of months back when Archie and I were just starting to go through our bad patch and you know he was someone to talk to. We both just decided to meet up every once in a while when either of us were going through a rough patch, became good friends and all that. Basically Archie and I were going no where and we were both fed up of trying to find the perfect partner who could be our friend and a carer and a connection and have a strong attraction too. We both realised that in each other we’d found exactly who we were looking for all along…
He’s Texan, athletic, muscular, very handsome, strong defined features, rich brown eyes and black hair although it could be really dark brown you never can tell.”
“Very nice.” Sara said appreciatively, glad that her friend had found someone he’d fallen in love with and someone that put that wistful look back in his eyes, but she couldn’t help but feel familiar with the person he was describing- but she could pin-point why. “What’s he like?”
“Well, he’s protective and he’s chivalrous like your typical knight in shining armour. Yeah, that’s how to describe him… He’s just like all the knights in the tales you hear about. Defend the weak, fight for honour… Although he does have a bit of a temper on him.”
“You’ll be amazed to find how many of them actually do.”
-------------
The waitress smiled at her usual patrons that were sat in their normal booth in the corner but were without the third of their normal party. Today it was just the two men, Nick and Warrick if she remembered rightly; undoubtedly they were going to order their normal a steak sandwich and a grilled cheese sandwich. Both men were tense, she could sense it as she sashayed her way over to the table with the usual drinks.
“Afternoon boys,” She said politely placing the glasses down in front of them both. They both mumbled something in response, neither smiling like normal more of a sombre mood had settled around them. “You having the normal?”
They both nodded and she tottered off, wondering what had caused such an odd mood to appear between the two friends. She’d just leave them to it, unless they started fighting, in that case she’s have to remove them both from the premises.
“Look, earlier on I didn’t mean to be off about you getting married or anything. It was just a bit of a shock to the system.”
Nick didn’t say anything, didn’t even move or acknowledge what Warrick was trying to say. Instead he watched the blue Nissan speed down the street at some obscene and illegal number.
“There was me talking about maybe getting married and you were already one step ahead and were already married! You could have told me man!”
“I wasn’t planning it.” Nick snapped his voice low and threatening. “It just happened; at least I had the decency to tell you. I didn’t even have to do that.”
“How could you not plan a wedding?! You just decided on a drunken night to get married to a total stranger and when to a 24-hour drive through? Somehow I know that wouldn’t happen to you.”
Nick snorted, wondering how his friend could actually dismiss what happened as ‘something that wouldn’t happen to him’, was he truly thought of as safe?
“Here you go.” The waitress set the plates down between the two men that were bickering and disturbing the people in neighbouring booths. The men were still tense and the air was electric as they eyed each other up over the table. “You need anything else just call me over. Enjoy.” She waltzed away, watching the men cautiously, she did not want a fight on her hands.
“So what Warrick? It’s done now, I’m married, you’ve just got to accept that fact and move on.” Nick said, still eyeing the other. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”
There was silence again, as the two mulled over what they’d said to one another. Nick wouldn’t have deliberately avoided telling his friend about a milestone in his life but there was no way he could have in the scenario. Warrick didn’t mean to make such a big deal about it, but it had affected him more because he’d just told his friend about his marriage plans and he’d been completely avoided in Nick’s!
“I am happy.” Warrick said through a mouthful. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you found some girl right for you. I just wished you had told me.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. Otherwise I would have told you.”
“So when am I going to meet her?”
Nick paused for a moment, considering whether to be honest or not. Would Warrick ever meet Greg unless they were introduced? Would Warrick stop socialising with him if he thought he was gay? What would be better for all of them?
“I’ve got to be honest; you’re not going to meet her…”
“How come?”
“She doesn’t exist.” Nick admitted knowing he was tempting fate; Warrick was looking at him confused. “It’s not a she… It’s a he.”
Nick cringed and looked out of the window again; waiting for Warrick to punch him or get up and walk out of the door- it was inevitable.
“Still, I will have to meet the guy, what’s his name?”
“Greg.” He answered slowly, realising that his best friend wasn’t actually stunned or sickened by the revelation. Nick grinned and so did Warrick, their normal friendly conversation returning once more. The waitress smiled, relaxing in her seat, disaster averted.
---------
It wasn’t out of choice that Sara participated in yoga; it was all because of her doctor and psychiatrist. Her doctor had advised that she participated in a sport to help her fitness as well as building a stronger immune system and when she had complained about it in a therapy session her councillor said that a physical activity that was also proven to be very relaxing could do no harm.
Sara hated professionals.
She put the last of her clothes away into the locker and headed to join the other members of the group. They were an odd group; a few house-wives that did the class to get away from their homes, a few professionals that were there to unwind after work and a few women that were there to keep themselves flexible because it was good for business- if Sara didn’t know any better she’d swear that the teacher had been one of them at one point.
“Afternoon ladies.” The teacher smiled at her class, opening the door to the yoga/dance studio. “Everyone go get yourself a mat and we’ll do some warm up stretches before starting.”
Sara was probably the least enthusiastic student of the class; she found that it was a waste of time, she’d much rather put the lesson time to some good use by working or meeting up with Grissom. She wasn’t exactly enthused by the teacher either; her physique and her demeanour completely rubbed Sara up the wrong way.
“Okay then, if you’d just copy me.” She directed, stretching herself out and watching as her class attempted to copy her (with little success) “And hold the position for ten seconds.”
The class made her feel like a young pre-schooler again, being directed in crude movements and even being counted for, made her feel young and incompetent again and that was another reason she didn’t like the teacher being so downgraded like that.
“Good, now the other side.”
Replicating the move on the opposite side and Sara decided not to argue with the teacher, instead just following her simple instructions and copying her every move. Yoga didn’t exactly require mental focus, that’s probably why she disliked it so much, it was just simple.
Why yoga? Why didn’t I do something else, maybe kick-boxing or something? Didn’t my psychiatrist say to avoid martial arts and any violent sports because I need to relax and keep my temper low? Hmm, he has no idea what it’s like to do yoga… He probably sees it as an opportunity to be tranquil but it just makes me angrier being patronised by the dancer turned instructor. Ergh, this is beyond boring. I wonder if they allow men in this class… Heh, that’d be interesting, I’d get Greg, Wendy Grissom down here to keep me company and laugh at their pathetic attempts at yoga- then again Greg has a husband to get home to and he wouldn’t want to spend time at the gym.
Wait, didn’t Greg say that Nick worked at a gym? He did! I wonder which one it is, could it be this one? That’d be interesting. Okay, so Greg said he was Texan- that accent shouldn’t be too hard to pick out around here, black hair, brown eyes, athletic… He shouldn’t be too hard to find if he’s here.
Why don’t I ask her? I mean, staff should know each other. If I just ask if Nick’s here and say I’m a friend of his I should be able to get to talk to him and introduce myself.
“Into the crane,” She said smiling at her class as they all tried to remember how to do it. Sara knew the exact stance, could recall all of them… She just couldn’t do this specific one.
Whoever came up with these positions spent way too much time around nature.
------------
Sara hung around at the end of the session, pretending that she was just helping out with packing the mats away, because she couldn’t outright go and ask because that’d look suspicious.
“That was good work today.” She remarked, picking up one of the mats and handing it to Sara. “You’re really improving.”
Sara knew that was a blatant lie; she’d fallen over twice and nearly sent some of her classmates flying and she wouldn’t have done that normally. She sensed the opportunity that she had and leapt for it, the worst the teacher could do was ban her from yoga lessons (which would be heartbreaking for Sara).
“I did worse today than normal, I couldn’t really concentrate, I had a lot on my mind.” She took another mat and folded it away. “I was trying to remember where Nick said he’d meet me after work,”
“You’re looking for Nick?” The teacher asked surprised, eyeing her closely. “I’ve heard him mention you actually.”
“You have?” She said shocked, covering it over quickly wondering how Nick even knew her- did Greg talk about her? “Of course you have. Any chance you could show me where he is?”
“Sure, I’m Catherine by the way- one of Nick’s colleagues and a good friend.” She put the final mat into the box, before wheeling it to the wall. “I suppose I’ll take you to him after you’ve gotten changed.”
----------
Sara followed Catherine up the stairs to the staff locker rooms, keeping conversation to a minimum to avoid revealing that she didn’t actually know Nick. There was the typical ‘how do you know him’ to which she responded that she’d met him in a bar a few months back and avoided giving clear answers to anything else.
“Here we go.” She said, stopping outside the closed door. “Nick’s got a ten minute break before his next client, the final of the night. You’re welcome enough to stay around; Warrick would love to meet you. Anyway, I better go, I have a parents evening to get to. Hopefully I’ll see you for next week’s lesson!”
Catherine walked away, Sara mumbling thanks in her wake and waiting for her to disappear back down the stairs before knocking on the door, praying Nick would be in there.
“Come in, I’m decent.”
Sara grinned, knowing that it was definitely a Texan accent that answered her. She took a deep breath before opening the door- her eyes scanning the room for the man Greg had described.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, you can. I’m Sara Sidle, one of Greg’s friends.”
He didn’t react to her, instead he kept his eyes focused on her, obviously trying to figure out whether she was being honest or not. For a few seconds there was just silence between the pair, Sara had only planned this far but hadn’t thought about what she’d say once she’d got this far.
“Ah,” Nick finally nodded, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same to you, before you panic I didn’t come and track you down, Greg said that you worked at a gym and I come to yoga here, coincidence that you work at the same one I come to.”
Silence again, Sara wasn’t sure now what to say, she didn’t know a lot about Nick except he’d helped Greg out during his relationship with Archie, she didn’t know any of his interests or anything more than her friend had rambled on about.
“How do you know Greg?” He asked finally breaking the silence that had settled over them both; Sara was almost stunned to hear his voice.
“We both work together down in lab 34, known him for a couple of years now.” Sara grinned at the memory of Greg’s arrival, fresh and overenthusiastic with the hair cut that was worse than his new one- she wondered if Nick had seen that photograph, if he hadn’t she’d make sure he would.
“You two close then?”
“I would say so. Although I was a little stunned to hear he was married.”
Nick laughed, and Sara couldn’t see what the humour was. Was there something she was missing?
“Sorry,” He said, registering the confused look Sara was giving him. “Everyone seems a bit shocked about it, even we were.”
“Yeah, Greg made it sound as if you didn’t actually realise it either until Friday. It’s nice that he’s found someone though, after all the stuff that happened with Archie I didn’t think he’d find someone else for years, but he has and I’m so glad.”
“Yeah,” He said guiltily, wondering what would happen in 12 months time when everyone realised this had just been a charade.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-08-10 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-10 10:31 am (UTC)I'm glad you are enjoying this story... The next update should be today (if all goes well)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-10 10:32 am (UTC)Thanks for reading and reviewing!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-12 12:06 pm (UTC)I love Greg's way of describing Nick, that sounds like he is very deep into Nick although they are just married for a few months,
no subject
Date: 2007-08-12 12:30 pm (UTC)Oh, the Catherine finding out is certainly... Interesting XD
Thanks for the review and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the fic xD
no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 05:36 pm (UTC)Good chapter, I like how you have brought them closer together... For example Sara doing yoga... with Catherine is the yoga teacher... Its cool.
I'm off to read the rest of the story.... Classic, different twist!
no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 06:58 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading and reviewing.
((And typos get us all.))
no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 07:01 pm (UTC)Have u seen any of the new season yet?