Nobody Knows It But Me
Ch 7
Things don’t go as planed…
Nick/Greg
No spoilers or warnings.
Yeah, I own them just like I own the moon. :P
Nick listened until he could no longer hear Greg walking down the gravel drive. He threw the book across the room and cried into his fists. Greg obviously didn’t want to be near him. He was willing to walk who knows how many miles to get away from Nick. That tore Nick’s heart apart again.
Greg walked down the gravel drive fighting the tears. How dare they strand him with Nick. They know how he feels about Nick, so how could they?! They knew he had trouble hiding how he felt at work, so they *had* to know that Nick would realize it with them stuck out here together. And Nick had no clue why they had been stranded together, so it wasn’t like he had wanted this. When he got his hand on Sara and Hodges he would…. Greg kicked dust and cursed.
After about a half hour he had quit cursing, even under his breath, and was just listening to the crunch, crunch of the dirt & gravel drive. He was watching his feet scuffle along.
After walking almost an hour, he still hadn’t reached the main road, but then he really wasn’t in a hurry. It was getting dark. He had just crossed the small bridge over the ditch at the end of the drive when he heard a crack of thunder. He froze. He knew how fast storms come up in Nevada. And how quick they can make the terrain dangerous. And then Greg realized he didn’t even have a jacket. He sighed in defeat and hung his head against the cold rain drops that had started falling. He turned and headed back to the cabin.
Halfway back to the cabin he saw a flashlight ahead. It was Nick, his a jacket on, walking to meet Greg. When Nick reached Greg he could see Nick was carrying his coat carefully rolled up so the inside wouldn’t get wet. Nick handed him his coat and took his flashlight and kit wordlessly.
He nodded toward the jacket and said, “Found it in the bedroom, along with a duffel bag of your clothes.” He looked away as Greg shimmed off his wet shirt. “They left me stuff too,” he said as he turned off Greg’s light and put it in the kit.
Greg put his jacket on, zipped it up and turned the collar up against the rain. He tossed his shirt over his shoulder, shoved his hands into his pockets and started back to the cabin. Nick fell into step with Greg and said, “I started a fire.”
“G.. good,” stammered Greg, still shivering with cold.
Nick maneuvered the flashlight to the hand with the kit and put his free arm around Greg shoulders. He said, “You’ll be warm soon. I’ll even make soup… if we have any that is,” he added with a laugh.
“We do. I saw some cans in the cabinet,” said Greg trying not to think about how close Nick was to him. “Think we have anything to make grill cheese sandwiches too?”
“I’ll check first thing,” answered Nick. Then he slipped in the mud. He fell. He tried to hold the kit up so it wouldn’t get muddy but unfortunately that caused him to land hard on his other wrist. The flashlight went rolling into the ditch and the kit fell onto the muddy road anyway.
“Nicky!” Greg had tried to catch him, but Nicky had pulled Greg down as he fell.
“Off. Me. Please,” grunted Nick.
“S… sure! S.. Sorry!” Greg scrambled up. “Are you okay?” he asked as he reached to help Nick up.
Nick handed him the kit and slowly stood up. He cradled his right wrist. “Aw, man. I think I sprained my wrist.”
~~~~~~~~~
They reached the porch with no more incidents. They stood there a moment trying to decided what to do about being covered head to toe with mud.
Greg looked at Nick. “We could just go on in…”
“It’s not our place, G. We can’t go mudding up someone cabin...”
Greg took off his shoes and started taking off his muddy coat.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m cold and I’m not staying out here all night. Not when you promised me a fire and a hot meal. *You* don’t want mud tracked in, so the mud stays out, therefore the clothes stay out,” said Greg as he dropped his coat. Greg was cold and dirty and on top of that mad at himself because Nick was hurt because of him. At least he was too upset and cold right now to be hard, but he caught Nick’s blush in the porch light before he had turned his head. It made him smile to think that Nick was being a gentleman even though he had seen Greg before. But he was really cold. He shucked off his pants as quickly as he could and went inside.
Nick had turned his head when he realized Greg was stripping. He removed his most muddy clothes, thankfully his shirt was clean under his coat. He left his muddy pants and coat beside Greg’s and followed Greg inside.
Greg was not in the living room. He figured he must have went to the bedroom to get dressed. Nick was cold, but he went to the kitchen. He found a can of tomato soup and a loaf of bread and some sliced cheese. He started the soup heating and put the bread into the toaster. While it was toasting he found a frying pan and butter. He was just melting the butter when Greg spoke behind him.
“You look like Tom Cruse in ‘Risky Business’,” laughed Greg. Nick turned quickly and dropped butter on the floor. He had been using his left hand since his right hurt.
“Oh, Nick!” exclaimed Greg. “I’m sorry I startled you. Here let me finish that and you go get some warm clothes on.” Greg took the butter knife from Nick and shooed him out of the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nick showered and dressed in sweats while Greg finished cooking their meal. They both moved to the rug in front of the fireplace to eat. Greg watched Nick carefully avoid using his right hand. He put down his sandwich and said, “Here, let me see that,” He carefully reached for Nick’s wrist. It had a large bruise starting on the underside.
“I think it landed on a rock or something when I fell.” said Nick going back to eating.
“I am so sorry!” said Greg looking at the floor.
“Why?” asked Nick around a bite of warm grilled cheese.
“Cause it was my fault. You wouldn’t have been out there if it wasn’t for me walking off like I did. Heck, you wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for me….”
“What do you mean?” Nick waited for Greg to answer.
Greg realized what he had said. He tried, but couldn’t come up with a lie. “Uh…Nothing.” he went back to eating, keeping his eyes on the floor.
Nick was suspicious now. “What do you mean I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you?” asked Nick puzzled. “G, did you plan this?” Was this a plan of Greg’s just to be alone with him. Nick didn’t dare hope that. Did he?
“No! Honest!” said Greg looking Nick in the eye for a few seconds before blushing and looking down again.
“Then what did you mean?” whispered Nick.
Greg suddenly wished he had found something stronger than coffee when he was cooking, but there was no alcohol in the cabin.
“Um… do you think it will quit raining anytime soon?” Greg looked toward the window.
“I don’t know,” answered Nick automatically. “G, please tell me what you meant.” Nick cringed inwardly at how close he was to out-n-out begging.
“I’m real sorry. I didn’t know they planed this. Really.” whispered Greg. He picked up his empty bowl of soup and coffee cup and went to the kitchen.
Nick followed him with his empty bowl and the plate the sandwiches had been on. “G? What are you talking about? You said this was your fault, but you didn’t know they planed this. Please, Greg. Tell me what’s up?”
Things don’t go as planed…
Nick/Greg
No spoilers or warnings.
Yeah, I own them just like I own the moon. :P
Nick listened until he could no longer hear Greg walking down the gravel drive. He threw the book across the room and cried into his fists. Greg obviously didn’t want to be near him. He was willing to walk who knows how many miles to get away from Nick. That tore Nick’s heart apart again.
Greg walked down the gravel drive fighting the tears. How dare they strand him with Nick. They know how he feels about Nick, so how could they?! They knew he had trouble hiding how he felt at work, so they *had* to know that Nick would realize it with them stuck out here together. And Nick had no clue why they had been stranded together, so it wasn’t like he had wanted this. When he got his hand on Sara and Hodges he would…. Greg kicked dust and cursed.
After about a half hour he had quit cursing, even under his breath, and was just listening to the crunch, crunch of the dirt & gravel drive. He was watching his feet scuffle along.
After walking almost an hour, he still hadn’t reached the main road, but then he really wasn’t in a hurry. It was getting dark. He had just crossed the small bridge over the ditch at the end of the drive when he heard a crack of thunder. He froze. He knew how fast storms come up in Nevada. And how quick they can make the terrain dangerous. And then Greg realized he didn’t even have a jacket. He sighed in defeat and hung his head against the cold rain drops that had started falling. He turned and headed back to the cabin.
Halfway back to the cabin he saw a flashlight ahead. It was Nick, his a jacket on, walking to meet Greg. When Nick reached Greg he could see Nick was carrying his coat carefully rolled up so the inside wouldn’t get wet. Nick handed him his coat and took his flashlight and kit wordlessly.
He nodded toward the jacket and said, “Found it in the bedroom, along with a duffel bag of your clothes.” He looked away as Greg shimmed off his wet shirt. “They left me stuff too,” he said as he turned off Greg’s light and put it in the kit.
Greg put his jacket on, zipped it up and turned the collar up against the rain. He tossed his shirt over his shoulder, shoved his hands into his pockets and started back to the cabin. Nick fell into step with Greg and said, “I started a fire.”
“G.. good,” stammered Greg, still shivering with cold.
Nick maneuvered the flashlight to the hand with the kit and put his free arm around Greg shoulders. He said, “You’ll be warm soon. I’ll even make soup… if we have any that is,” he added with a laugh.
“We do. I saw some cans in the cabinet,” said Greg trying not to think about how close Nick was to him. “Think we have anything to make grill cheese sandwiches too?”
“I’ll check first thing,” answered Nick. Then he slipped in the mud. He fell. He tried to hold the kit up so it wouldn’t get muddy but unfortunately that caused him to land hard on his other wrist. The flashlight went rolling into the ditch and the kit fell onto the muddy road anyway.
“Nicky!” Greg had tried to catch him, but Nicky had pulled Greg down as he fell.
“Off. Me. Please,” grunted Nick.
“S… sure! S.. Sorry!” Greg scrambled up. “Are you okay?” he asked as he reached to help Nick up.
Nick handed him the kit and slowly stood up. He cradled his right wrist. “Aw, man. I think I sprained my wrist.”
~~~~~~~~~
They reached the porch with no more incidents. They stood there a moment trying to decided what to do about being covered head to toe with mud.
Greg looked at Nick. “We could just go on in…”
“It’s not our place, G. We can’t go mudding up someone cabin...”
Greg took off his shoes and started taking off his muddy coat.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m cold and I’m not staying out here all night. Not when you promised me a fire and a hot meal. *You* don’t want mud tracked in, so the mud stays out, therefore the clothes stay out,” said Greg as he dropped his coat. Greg was cold and dirty and on top of that mad at himself because Nick was hurt because of him. At least he was too upset and cold right now to be hard, but he caught Nick’s blush in the porch light before he had turned his head. It made him smile to think that Nick was being a gentleman even though he had seen Greg before. But he was really cold. He shucked off his pants as quickly as he could and went inside.
Nick had turned his head when he realized Greg was stripping. He removed his most muddy clothes, thankfully his shirt was clean under his coat. He left his muddy pants and coat beside Greg’s and followed Greg inside.
Greg was not in the living room. He figured he must have went to the bedroom to get dressed. Nick was cold, but he went to the kitchen. He found a can of tomato soup and a loaf of bread and some sliced cheese. He started the soup heating and put the bread into the toaster. While it was toasting he found a frying pan and butter. He was just melting the butter when Greg spoke behind him.
“You look like Tom Cruse in ‘Risky Business’,” laughed Greg. Nick turned quickly and dropped butter on the floor. He had been using his left hand since his right hurt.
“Oh, Nick!” exclaimed Greg. “I’m sorry I startled you. Here let me finish that and you go get some warm clothes on.” Greg took the butter knife from Nick and shooed him out of the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nick showered and dressed in sweats while Greg finished cooking their meal. They both moved to the rug in front of the fireplace to eat. Greg watched Nick carefully avoid using his right hand. He put down his sandwich and said, “Here, let me see that,” He carefully reached for Nick’s wrist. It had a large bruise starting on the underside.
“I think it landed on a rock or something when I fell.” said Nick going back to eating.
“I am so sorry!” said Greg looking at the floor.
“Why?” asked Nick around a bite of warm grilled cheese.
“Cause it was my fault. You wouldn’t have been out there if it wasn’t for me walking off like I did. Heck, you wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for me….”
“What do you mean?” Nick waited for Greg to answer.
Greg realized what he had said. He tried, but couldn’t come up with a lie. “Uh…Nothing.” he went back to eating, keeping his eyes on the floor.
Nick was suspicious now. “What do you mean I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you?” asked Nick puzzled. “G, did you plan this?” Was this a plan of Greg’s just to be alone with him. Nick didn’t dare hope that. Did he?
“No! Honest!” said Greg looking Nick in the eye for a few seconds before blushing and looking down again.
“Then what did you mean?” whispered Nick.
Greg suddenly wished he had found something stronger than coffee when he was cooking, but there was no alcohol in the cabin.
“Um… do you think it will quit raining anytime soon?” Greg looked toward the window.
“I don’t know,” answered Nick automatically. “G, please tell me what you meant.” Nick cringed inwardly at how close he was to out-n-out begging.
“I’m real sorry. I didn’t know they planed this. Really.” whispered Greg. He picked up his empty bowl of soup and coffee cup and went to the kitchen.
Nick followed him with his empty bowl and the plate the sandwiches had been on. “G? What are you talking about? You said this was your fault, but you didn’t know they planed this. Please, Greg. Tell me what’s up?”