Home of Greg Sanders Slash Fiction
by Buffyangel68
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9:55 A.M.: THE APARTMENT
"Greg. C'mon. Time's gettin' short, now. Greggo?"
Nick leaned one hand on the closed bedroom door and sighed. Greg had woken up early that morning, immediately showered and dressed and then disappeared into the seclusion of his room. He had yet to show his face, even refusing breakfast when Nick offered. "Greg, don't do this, damn it. You said you'd try..."
"I'm allowed to change my mind."
"She's not gonna just go away."
"I can't, Nick. I'm sorry..."
Nick opened his mouth to continue the argument, but the expected knock on the door interrupted him.
"That's Cynthia. We're not done with this, Greg. I'll be right back, okay?"
"Don't hurry."
Frustrated, Nick strode to the door and opened it, admitting the petite, older brunette who had seen him through after his confrontation with his stalker and whom he trusted more than anyone except his family and closest friends. Despite this trust, however, he knew what he was in for when she saw his cast, so he embraced her only with his good arm, tucking the injured limb behind his back. The ruse didn't keep him out of trouble for long.
"Hey, Cyn. Thanks for comin'."
"How could I deny you anything? It's good to see you, Nick, but... what's with the one-armed hug?"
"Huh? Nothin'." He lied, moving back a step
"Nicholas. Show me."
Nick grumbled under his breath and produced his injured arm. Cynthia gasped and instantly moved in to examine it.
"You devious... You never said a word! When did you do this?"
"The hospital ER that first night. When I found out they drugged him with GHB, I... punched the wall a couple times."
"How bad is it?"
"Bad enough to get me a month's leave, but that's only 'cause I got stupid and then heroic *after* the first time they put the cast on."
"I heard about the second part on the news. Explain stupid."
"Some creep at work was bad-mouthin' Greg. I kinda... beat the guy down so he'd shut up."
"Nick! Was he seriously hurt?"
Nick mumbled and half-turned away. "Excuse me. Try that one more time."
"I busted up his jaw... a little."
"I see we have some remedial work to do concerning your anger issues."
"I don't have any issues with my anger. It works for me. You're the one who kept tryin' to tell me I had to find a positive way to release it an' the firin' range didn't count..."
"Okay, halt. You and I *will* pick this up later on, but old battles can wait. I'm here to help Greg today. Where is he? I thought you said..."
"He's holed up in his room. Won't come out, no matter what I do or say. Yesterday, he was on board, I swear. I don't know what happened."
"He's scared. Perfectly normal response to a stranger invading what he considers a haven from the outside world."
"Hang on, lemme try once more. I just got an idea that'll get him to come runnin', guaranteed. Greg! C'mon out here an' meet Cynthia! Greg, you either get your butt in this livin' room now, or I throw your entire stash of miniature peanut butter cups down the disposal!"
The bedroom door flew open and Greg appeared at last, scowling fiercely at his housemate.
"You wouldn't dare. You don't even... know where they are."
"Second cabinet left of the sink, behind the Tupperware."
Greg paled. Nick grinned and moved to stand in front of him, holding out his hands palm up. Greg completed the circuit, gazing up at Nick with terror shining in his eyes. "I know you're scared. So am I, but I'm not givin' up on you... or on us." He stated quietly. "I've only told four people what happened to me. My own folks don't even know, Greg..."
"You're willing to do this for me?"
"For you an' the future we could have someday... yeah, I'm willin'."
Greg shot a quick peek at Cynthia then looked back to Nick.
"I don't know her. I just... I realized that and I lost it. Anybody I didn't know really well before this happened... feels like a huge threat. I'm sorry..."
"No, I'm sorry I yelled an' I'm sorry I threatened your chocolate fix. I swore I wouldn't push you... I was wrong to get so gung-ho about the whole thing. You don't have to do this."
Greg stole a slightly longer glance at the woman waiting by the door.
"How did you meet her?"
"After the Nigel Crane thing went down, a friend recommended her. I was seein' her regular for a good long while."
"That was a rough time for you. She... she helped?"
"Got me sleepin' without pills, worked through the worst of my fear with me... yeah, she really helped."
"Okay. Just tell her not to sit too close... and not to touch me, at first anyway. Maybe later..."
"I can do that. You go find a comfortable place. I'll tell her the rules an' we'll be right with you."
Greg glanced longingly toward his safe corner in the kitchen. Nick laughed softly. "Anywhere but there, bud. I don't know how long Cyn can stand to sit on the tile."
Greg moved off to sit on the couch and Nick re-joined Cynthia. "Two things. First; wherever you sit make sure there's plenty of space between you an' second; hands off."
She arched an eyebrow at him and grinned.
"Those sound like protective boyfriend guidelines."
"They were his rules! We're not like that, Cyn."
"Once more with feeling."
"Okay... we're not like that *yet*."
"So this is about healing for both of you, with the hopes of building a relationship."
"Yeah."
"But you're also doing this for yourselves, right? If you're only starting counseling because the other one wants you to..."
"No. No way. There's stuff in my past... I didn't tell you the last time around."
"Something nasty, I take it."
"Somethin' I never got help for when it happened. An' Greg... he wants his life back; to be able to go to work again and get out in the sun. He loves the water. He misses it, I know he does, but... he's too scared to even watch when somebody comes in the house. He hides in a dark corner in the kitchen 'till I tell him the door is closed an' locked..."
Cynthia reached out and gently squeezed Nick's hand.
"Easy, Nicky. I believe you. You feel like going first or second?"
"I'm not even on the schedule today. Give Greg your full attention. He deserves that."
"Agreed. You are *not* off the hook, though. Understood?"
Nick gave her a playful smile, dropped his chin and intentionally powered up his normally distant drawl.
"Yes, ma'mm."
Cynthia laughed and pinched his cheek. "Good boy. Now get out of here for a while. I noticed a couple laundry bags piled up over by the door. Take some change, go find the complex laundry room and clean some clothes."
"What? I can't. I promised him I wouldn't leave. I can't go."
"You've been his caretaker for how long... almost three weeks?"
"Not by myself. The rest of the team watched over him too."
"But not like you have. I still talk to Grissom occasionally you know. Just to keep tabs on you. He told me how devoted you were while Greg was in the hospital. If you don't take a few hours off, and pretty damn soon, you won't be any good to him or yourself. You need a break, Nick."
"You don't understand... I'm perfectly fine and I swore to him I wouldn't leave his side. He trusts me. He'll think... he'll think I lied,"
"When you first came to me for therapy, what did I tell you?"
Nick's heart twisted as he realized where she was going with the question.
"I wanted to have somebody with me... just for support. You said that for the process to work... you and I had to develop a bond. I was less likely to open up to you if anybody was holdin' my hand, so, at least for the first few sessions, you had to say no. But yesterday you said not to break my promises..."
"You aren't. You and I will explain it to him."
"He won't understand. Damn it, no. I can't do it. I won't let him think I'd walk away so easy..."
"Your whole face says that even thinking about it is killing you. All he has to do is look in your eyes and he'll know the truth. I'm not doing this to be cruel, Nick. It's wonderful that he has you to lean on and turn to, but that dependence will undermine my even getting to know him, never mind any real recovery work. If he turned those big eyes on you and begged you not to make him keep going with the therapy..."
"... I'd give in. I'd let him quit just to stop him feelin' any more pain."
"Exactly. So find the detergent, take the clothes... and go."
Nick's lips tightened and he started at the floor, shaking his head, but eventually he moved off, heading for the bathroom, where he thought he remembered seeing the detergent under the sink. Cynthia walked to where Greg sat waiting and took Nick's usual place in the recliner.
"Cynthia Brodsky. It's good to finally meet you, Greg, though I wish it could be for a happier reason. The way Nick talks about you, I have to admit I've been curious." She said lightly, her smile emphasizing the humor in her voice. ""
"What'd he say?"
"Nothing negative. He and I still talk on the phone, just to keep in touch. We chat about work, about his life and his friends... I can't say for sure, but I think your name probably comes up more than any other."
Greg grinned shyly.
"Yeah?"
"What, you don't think that's true?"
"I'm not his best friend. Warrick is."
"It sounds like grade school philosophy, I know, but it is possible to have more than one best friend."
Greg looked away, blushing a little and mumbled a response.
"That's not the job I'm shooting for..."
Nick returned just then with the plastic jug of laundry soap in his hand. Already looking in that direction, Greg saw him before Cynthia did and he sat bolt upright. "Nick?"
"I... I'm really sorry, Greggo. Cyn wants to talk to you alone this first time... maybe the next couple too, I don't know. I'm gonna go get the clothes done... let you guys get acquainted."
"No!" Greg protested, rising and grabbing Nick's hand in panic, pulling him over to the sofa and into a seat beside him. "No way I can do this without you. You can't go."
"Hey, I went through this too, bud. Warrick fought tooth an' nail to be with me when I started therapy, but Cyn wouldn't let him do it any more than she'll let me."
"Why? I don't understand..."
"You gotta learn to trust her an' open up to her. That'll be easier if... if it's just the two of you."
"Nothing's gonna be easier with you gone!"
Nick pulled away from Greg's grip and brought both hands up to hold the other man's head in place. Greg's first instinct was to fight for his life, but he valiantly shoved it down, frantically clutching the deeper knowledge that Nick would never hurt him.
"Look at me... look at me real good, Greg. I'm not leavin' you. As long as I can draw breath, you'll never be alone. I'm gonna be gone a couple hours at most... then I'm comin' back to you. You hold on to this..." he said quietly, disengaging to press the key to his apartment into Greg's hand. "... an' make a solid start with Cyn, okay?"
Rising, Nick retrieved the soap, backed away and then forced himself to turn and stride to the door. He grasped the straps of both laundry bags at once and hefted them onto his left shoulder.
"Nick!"
"You better get in your safe place, my man. I gotta go."
Nick listened until he was sure Greg was secure in the kitchen then he opened the door and stepped over the threshold, pulling the door closed behind him and leaning on it. He instantly recognized the sudden release of pressure in his chest as a sense of relief, and just as instantly hated himself for the feeling. Scrubbing tears of pain and confusion from his face, he walked off to find the laundry room.
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TBC.....
