Fic: Afterwards, Chapter 1/2 (CSI, Nick Stokes / Greg Sanders)
Title: Afterwards, Chapter 1/2
Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Nick Stokes / Greg Sanders
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
Notes: Set after Fannysmacking (Season 7)
CSI Las Vegas Main List
“Can I come in?”
“Why not….” Greg groaned and moved to the side to let Nick into the apartment.
“How are you doing?”
“What do you think?” Greg gave him a long look. The bruises on his face had gone from dark blue to gray-ish green.
“Okay, dumb question. You still coming back to work next week?”
“Probably. I got my final evaluation with the shrink on Friday.”
“That’s great.”
Neither one of them said anything for a while. Silence got longer and more awkward.
Finally Nick cleared his throat and walked into the living room.
“Sorry I didn’t come and see you before. I thought you’d probably want to get comfy without people around.”
“I got out of the hospital three days ago. How long do you think it takes to get comfortable?”
“Sorry. I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome.”
“Is that why you came to see me once when I was in the hospital?”
“I had to work.”
“So I heard. I guess one time is an improvement. After the explosion you didn’t come to see me at all.”
“I was busy!”
“Everyone was busy. Cath came, and Warrick and even Grison. Half the people of the lab came to see me but you were too busy.”
“That was years ago.”
“Okay, let’s forget that. Why are you here?”
“I just…. came to see you.” Nick shrugged and blushed.
“Right…. I forgot.” The grin on Greg’s face was anything but cheerful. “Once a week. Sorry, but we’re closed for maintenance.”
“I didn’t come here for sex.”
“Really? That’s the only reason you’ve come here before.”
“That’s unfair.”
“Is it?”
“You…. That was our agreement. Nothing too serious.”
“Agreement? You dictated it. If I remember correctly, your exact choice of words was: Take it or leave it.”
Nick didn’t try to deny it. He just stared at the floor like a sulking kid.
“So…. I’m little bit too bruised right now for that. You came all the way here for nothing.”
“I didn’t come here for that.”
“Then why? You never hang out here just for my lovely company. When we’re done you usually get dressed and escape as fast as you can.”
“Greg-”
“But if you’re that desperate for some action, you could do what you’ve done before. Hire a hooker.”
“G, you’re out of line-”
“That wouldn’t really be very different from our agreement. Except that you have to pay for it.”
“What the hell is going on with you?!” Nick’s patience collapsed and the volume of his voice jumped up. “You went through a horrible ordeal, but why are you so damn hostile? I didn’t beat you up!”
“No. You didn’t. You just hurt me another way.” Greg seemed to switch from angry to exhausted in few seconds. “You hurt me for a year and I couldn’t do anything about it. Just like I couldn’t do anything when they…. I can’t fix that, but I can put an end to this.”
“Greg, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t come here again. You said “take it or leave it”, so I’ll leave it. I waited a year for your to come to your senses.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do mean that. If I have to be alone, I wanna be all alone.”
Nick took a deep breath. “Did you mean what you said?”
“What do you mean?”
“That I hurt you.”
“Yeah. I know you would hurt anyone on purpose, but you hurt me anyway.”
“I thought you had fun too.”
“I did. For a half an hour a week.”
“I didn’t…. I mean…. You said you have feelings for me. What kind of feelings?”
“Nothing that matters now.”
“It matters now.”
“No. It doesn’t. You know…. I wasn’t even surprised when you showed up at the hospital that one time. Catherine said she would drag you there. Being there because you wanted to didn’t really fit into our whole arrangement.” Greg made a show out of making quotation marks with his hands. “But it would have been nice if you had been there.”
“I didn’t…. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to come. It was painful seeing you like that.”
“Painful? For you?” Greg busted into a near hysterical laughter. “I get beaten up and it’s painful for you.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. I honestly don’t. That sounds like your trying to come up with some touching excuse. You can’t use that excuse when you use people like that.”
“I didn’t use you! You never said anything!”
“I wanted you anyway I could have you and you took advantage of that.” Greg leaned against the wall. “I wanna get some sleep, you know where the door is.”
“I’m not leaving yet.”
“Don’t worry, I wont say a word about this at work. Now go.”
“I didn’t mean that, I’m not leaving until we settle this.”
“I’ve already settled it. It’s over. Bye bye.”
“Just like that?”
“Why do you have to make things harder than they have to be?”
“Because you can’t dump me like that!”
“I’m not dumping you. I can’t dump you because we haven’t even really been together. We had sex for a year, that’s all.”
“That’s not all!”
“Nick.” Greg`s tone had gone from exhausted back to angry. “I just wanna take my meds and go to bed, and your starts in half and hour. Leave.”
Nick glanced down at his watch. “We’re not done here. I’m coming back after my shift.”
“Don’t bother.”
“Don’t you bother trying to avoid me. If you don’t let me in, I’ll kick the door down.”
He marched out before Greg had time to object.
Chapter 2/2