Title: Easy Once You Know How
By: Clockstopper
Summary: "This shouldn't be easy." Greg whispers. "This part always was." Nick and Greg discuss what went wrong. written as a late birthday gift for my good friend Kelly.
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Genres: angst, romance, PWP, post-ep
Rating: NC17
Warnings: none
A/N: Post 7x04 Fannysmackin' and 7x05 Double-Cross. Follow up story to this fic titled The Dangers of Living, which I haven't posted here, but you can read it there. Okay, so Enjoy.

Easy Once You Know How:

Greg has a sneaking suspicion he's being watched.

He's not sure who's doing the watching. It could be anyone considering they all were looking at him like he shouldn't be there. In the earlier days, Greg would have chalked that up to him being a rookie and everyone being so used to him being in the lab.

He knows that's not that case here. Knows his face still looks bruised, raw and red and the two nuns had given him weird looks before turning away. He knows he didn't have to beg to get out in the field and that only is enough to make him wonder.

Because he would have thought Grissom would have made a big deal about it, but he'd just looked at Greg for a long while before saying okay.

No one really made comments when he got out to the scene. No one had looks shocked or had asked him questions he wasn't ready to answer. He'd been distancing himself, not so much on purpose, but still distancing. Hadn't talked to anyone since except for maybe Grissom and he knows they're all dying to ask how he's doing.

He just had to get out of the lab though because they're bad memories there too. Memories of fires and burning flesh and it's all so boring and mundane on top of everything.

So he had begged. Had pleaded to get back out in the field even if it only meant taking someone's notes and Grissom had agreed.

But now he sort of regrets it because he can feel eyes on him and he knows they belong to Nick. Couldn't belong to anyone else but Nick and he knows all about Nick punching out that guy. Doesn't let himself believe that it has anything to do with him because that's been over for quite some time now.

Sure Nick still cares. Greg thinks Nick would have punched out the guy even if it hadn't been him. If it had been Sara or Catherine or Warrick or Grissom so he can't possibly be special. It couldn't possible mean anything more than Nick's sick of Vegas, has been for quite some time, and he'd like nothing more than to leave to some place that's sunny and crime free... if such a place existed.

But Nick likes his job. Likes it more than most things in the world so Greg knows that Nick would never leave. Knows he's stuck in Vegas like the rest of them and they may not love the city, but the all get a sick little thrill over the rush a new case brings. The mystery it involves and they all get to play Sherlock Holmes for just a little bit as they try to figure it all out.

Still... Nick's eyes on him are a little unnerving and it makes him want to turn to Nick and snap at him. Tell him to stop looking at him, stop watching so closely.

But Greg knows he never will.

~*~

Nick can't help it really.

He's concerned. But more than that he's worried and Greg's out in the field again, going about his business like he wasn't beat up and he doesn't look like someone who just got out of the hospital. He's walking around like his face isn't still bruised and Nick has to wonder why he's even out in the field.

He knows for a fact that Greg's still supposed to be on desk duty, but he guesses that Grissom caved to the whining and now there's Greg, standing at a crime scene looking totally professional and not the least bit jittery.

Nick's been jittery before, after the whole buried alive incident and even before that when he's had guns held in front of his face. Always jumped at the sound of a gun for weeks afterward and he could barely get himself to go underground for more than a few minutes without wanting to throw up.

He's told that it's normal. Something like that happens and your body just reacts that way, even when you don't want it too. So Nick knows it doesn't mean anything if he's a little wired at crime scenes after events like that.

Doesn't explain Greg though.

He knows Greg's tough, was around for the whole lab explosion and the aftermath of that. When Greg's hands couldn't stop shaking even though he wanted them too and Nick knows that was as much about stress as it was about nerve damage.

Greg went right back into the lab though. Bandages all up and down his back and visible from his collar and he went into his lab like it hadn't betrayed him. Like it hadn't exploded while he was still in it.

So he thinks, Greg out in the field two months after everything seems just like him and that fact that it's at his own begging... that seems like him as well.

But that doesn't mean Nick can help staring.

He doesn't want to, but every time he catches just a tiny glimpse, he has too. Has too stare Greg right in the face and he knows he's not the least bit subtle about it. Knows that he's probably obvious about it because even Warrick makes a comment and it's not like him to be like this.

Warrick's been watching him closely since the whole punching incident and, even though he understands, he doesn't want Nick going off the deep end again. So he watches and Nick doesn't really think he has too.

Knows that even though it's pretty corny, the only reason he punched that guy was because it had been Greg. They were picking up evidence on a case that involved Greg and Nick let it get personal.

Because he cares about Greg for reasons that go beyond the co-worker ones and the friend ones. Remembers what it used to be like and he misses the used to be a lot more than he thought he would.

It's been awhile, took awhile to get it to work and Nick never thought he'd be the type of guy who made up to break up, but that's what it was like with Greg. It'd be fine, but then it wasn't and Nick remember never being totally sure why.

But they made it work for a little while. Six months of togetherness where there weren't any fights and they went home together everyday. Six months of soft touches and secret smiles and Nick remembers it like it was yesterday.

He has no answer as to why it ended. Wonders if Greg ever thinks about it because he knows he does. Thinks about it every time he's alone and missing Greg and he wonders what it would be like if he reached out again. If Greg would tell him no and there are parts of him that want Greg to say no and parts that want him to say yes.

It's been months though, close to a year and Nick thought maybe there might have been something when Brass got shot, but Greg distanced himself from that as much as he could and not because he doesn't like Brass.

Nick wonders if he had reached out then, if he would have been strong enough to deal with Greg getting hurt better or worse. He's pretty sure it would have been worse because he remembers they explosion. Remembers who they were together and Nick couldn't do anything, couldn't fight anyone and it tore him up inside.

Nick hadn't pushed away though, that time. It had been Greg, picking fights and pushing until Nick just left and Nick hates that he let Greg do that. That he wasn't strong enough to stop him from pushing.

Nick has a sinking feeling that he let him.

"You're staring again."

"What... oh... sorry. I didn't..."

"It's cool. Gotta wonder about Sanders myself. Maybe he's taking on a little more than he can handle." Warrick says.

Warrick knows about the last time. They all pretty much know about the last time even if Nick never told them and it all goes hand in hand with that not subtle thing.

"He can handle it." Nick says.

"That why you're watching him like a hawk?" Warrick says sarcastically.

Nick rolls his eyes.

"I'm just looking out for him."

"Right, you keep telling yourself that."

~*~

Greg opens his locker after another long shift. They hadn't really needed him again and Grissom had thought that the morning was enough field time for Greg so he was stuck back at a desk.

He opens his locker and pulls out his jacket. Is about to close his locker when he sees a piece of white paper taped inside. He'd be a little weirded out by that if he hadn't known that almost everyone has everyone's locker combination.

Pulls the paper off of the door, unfolds it and reads it.

My place, after shift.

It's not signed, but Greg knows that handwriting so it's not like it's a secret. Sighs and stares at the note for a few more minutes trying to figure out what it's not saying.

"What's that?"

Greg looks up to see Sara going through her locker, interested look on her face and he manages a fake smile.

"Note from a secret admirer. Guess chicks really do dig scars."

Sara rolls her eyes at him and sighs.

"Seriously?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"It's a note."

"From a secret admirer?"

"More like a not so secret admirer."

It takes a few seconds before she pieces it together and Greg thinks she's getting better at noticing life around her that doesn't involve the crime lab.

He remembers telling her, because it was so obvious that last time. They couldn't stop laughing and touching and yeah things had been a bit strained but Greg likes to think they were almost there. On the cusp of real couple-dom and he's kind of pissed that it didn't last.

Shows her the note because she's going to pester him until he does anyway and she reads it quickly and looks up.

"Nick."

"Yup."

"What's it like a booty call?"

Greg smiles.

"It's never been a simple as a booty call when it comes to me and Nick."

Sara looks a little shocked, but doesn't say anything. He knows their past makes it sound like nothing but a long string of booty calls, but it really wasn't like that. In the beginning maybe. Helping Nick out because of the stress of the cases and Greg just liked being there.

But it morphed into something more, it always did and Greg thinks that's why it was always so hard to walk away.

"Really. Are you gonna go?"

"I have no idea."

"If it's any consolation... he's been genuinely worried about you."

"I know that. It's never been a question of feelings."

Sara looks confused and raises an eyebrow.

"Then what has it been a question of? If the feelings are there... and you're compatible. And it's not just a booty call. Then what's the problem."

Greg sighs and rubs his forehead, careful of the still tender skin on his face and he looks up at Sara.

"I honestly don't have an answer for you."

~*~

Nick paces around nervously. He hates that he can't get his hands to stay still and he hates that he even left that note in Greg's locker. He almost hopes Greg doesn't read between the lines. Thinks that it's just them getting together like they've been doing since Greg's attack. That Nick's just trying to fulfill his need to know that Greg's okay.

But this is Greg and Greg knows him better than most people. Reads him almost easily and he'll know in the shortness and the carefully picked words what Nick means.

He's not asking for sex, that much he knows, but beyond that he doesn't have an answer.

"Hey." Greg says when he answers the door.

He walks past Nick into Nick's house and sticks his hands in his jacket pockets. Looks over at Nick expectantly and Nick shuts the door. Looks over at Greg and smiles.

"Hey."

"So..."

"Um..."

"You asked me here."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Greg nods his head like he knew that before he stepped foot inside the house. Knew that Nick had no idea and still doesn't.

"I figured."

"I just..."

"Look we..."

They're both facing each other, bodies mere inches apart and Greg takes a deep breath and Nick looks into his eyes. Sees uncertainty and worry and despair and interest and a little something that Nick thought died a long time ago.

Puts his hand on Greg's forearm and Greg leans in. Looks up at him, eyes a little shocked and Nick understands that.

"This shouldn't be easy." Greg whispers.

"This part always was."

"I didn't come here to have sex with you."

"I didn't ask you to come here for sex."

"Then what did you ask me here for."

"I already told you I didn't know. That hasn't changed in the last thirty seconds."

"If it's because of these bruises..."

"Of course it's because... I mean it's not all, but... I've just been thinking. About you... about us... and I just... I realized that there are still some... gaps, you know."

Greg swallows harshly and nods.

"Yeah, I noticed. We never really bothered to fill them in."

"I think... I mean I think they should be. Because when you got hurt... I lost it."

"I know."

"No, I really... I lost it. All I could think about was how... angry I was at everything. Grissom for giving you primary and the cops for not being better back up and you for being so stupidly brave."

Greg pouts a little at that and Nick shakes his head.

"I'm sorry I just... I would have done it myself, but I was still angry at you."

Greg nods like he gets it. Like if they're roles were reversed he'd feel the same way and that makes Nick feel a little less crazy.

"It wasn't anybody's fault though. It just happened." Greg says.

"I know, but I thought... the bad stuff happens. It's happened to you." Nick says.

He feels like he's not saying this right and he pulls Greg closer, doesn't really know that he's doing it, but Greg doesn't seem to mind. Chest to chest and Nick wraps his hand around Greg's waist and rests his head on Greg's shoulder.

"Yeah, it has. It's happened to you though." Greg says, his hand landing on Nick's back.

"Never thought... I mean I guess I knew it bothered you..."

"It more than bothered me."

"Yeah, I guess I knew that. You just didn't..."

"I didn't let it show. I know, but I... we were over and I didn't want to get sucked in again not after... not after we don't even know what went wrong."

Nick pulls away a little and stares Greg in the face.

"What do you think went wrong?" He asks.

He has to know. Has to ask Greg because maybe Greg knows. But Greg's brow furrows and he pouts a little and Nick knows that he doesn't.

"I guess it's a mystery."

"One of those gaps we didn't bother filling?"

Greg's quiet for a second, frown deepening and he sighs.

"Pretty huge ass gap if you ask me."

Nick laughs a little at that.

"Yeah... it is... think we should fill it."

"I think we're obligated to."

"Okay... so... what went wrong?"

"Well it obviously wasn't the sex."

Nick glares at him a little for that, but Greg just keeps smiling and he can't really stay mad for too long when Greg's smiling like that.

"Wasn't that we weren't compatible."

"Could've been the communication thing. We kind of always sucked at that." Greg says thoughtfully.

He's picking at something on Nick's shirt and it's a little distracting. Nick realizes they're still pretty close, arms wrapped around each other and he wants to put distance between them, but feels like he can't.

"Yeah."

"The whole not admitting feelings thing."

"I always knew how you felt." Nick says.

Greg looks up at him, eyes a little shocked and he sighs.

"I guess I always knew too, but... it wasn't enough. People like to hear it."

"Yeah, but I don't think that was our communication problem. We never... we never talked about the things that bothered us." Nick says.

"I'm pretty sure we did a lot of that talking. That's where all the fights came from."

Nick sighs.

"We should have done it before it got to that point."

"You're admitting that we should have talked more. You with the closed mouth."

"Yeah. I guess... I needed to listen more."

"So, what we need to do is open our mouths and clean out our ears. Why does that seem awfully simple?" Greg asks.

"Because you're over simplifying it." Nick answers.

"Oh, well..." Greg trails off, his hands still on Nick's back, but now he's rubbing and it's getting to a whole different level of distraction.

"Greg." Nick whispers, his voice a little breathy.

"Did you really not ask me here for sex?" Greg asks.

"No, I didn't ask you here for sex."

"And yet I feel compelled to have sex with you." Greg says, smirk on his face and Nick gulps.

"Greg..."

"You want it."

"Yeah, but it want solve anything."

"Maybe I don't want it to."

"It's never been that easy."

Greg licks his lips and smiles.

"Yeah, I know, but... I still... I want it. Don't you think I deserve it? I mean I was always there for you."

"Greg, you don't want to..."

"Yeah I do." Greg says pulling Nick closer.

He hesitates briefly before he kisses Nick, lips pressing against lips and Greg's hands are still on his back.

He wants to push away, should push away because this isn't what they should be doing, but he can't because it's Greg. So he just goes with it, kisses Greg back and holds him close.

"You'd just go with this." Greg says when he pulls away, lips still touching, but they're not kissing.

"If it's what you want."

"It's not what you want."

"I want what you want."

Greg moans and pulls Nick closer again. Kisses Greg again and his hands go under Greg's shirt, feeling the warm skin there and Greg pulls away. Flash of pain showing on his face before he shakes it off and tries to kiss Nick again.

"You okay?" Nick asks.

"Yeah, just... face is a bit sore."

"Maybe we should..."

"You stop now and I swear to God I'll kill you." Greg says.

Nick laughs a bit hysterically and leans in again. Doesn't kiss him, just leans and sighs.

"We'll go slower."

Greg nods.

They go slow, kisses slow and hands caressing patterns on skin and soon they're walking towards Nick's bedroom, a walk they've done before without looking and clothes gets lost on the way.

Make it to Nick's bed and they're both naked and hard and panting and Nick gently pushes Greg onto the bed. Get's on himself and lays on top of Greg.

His hands touching smooth skin, pushing Greg's legs apart and Greg just lets him. Kisses him as he fumbles for the lube that's still in the dresser drawer and the condoms right next to it. Pushes into Nick's fingers when he gets done covering them in lube and presses them against Greg's opening.

He hurries a bit, pushes one in and pushes a little before he's pushing in another. All the while Greg just pushes back takes him in and it's not long before Nick's trying to rip open the condoms, hands shaky and slippery before Greg takes it out of his hand.

Rips it open with his teeth and Nick has to close his eyes after that. Has to think about anything other then Greg's warm body and what it's like to push inside, to fuck him. Feels Greg's hands on his cock, unrolling the condom and he shudders a bit.

Gets with the program long enough to spread some lube on his cock before he's pushing in, Greg wrapping his legs around his waist and he keeps pushing until he's all the way inside.

Looks down at Greg and sees Greg look back up at him, eyes wide and dark and his breath coming in short pants. Rolls his hips a bit and Greg's eyes flutter, but stay open and Nick leans down and kisses his lips softly before he pulls out and pushes back in again, thrusts hard and Greg moans a little.

It's surprisingly easy, though Nick had a feeling it would be because it's him and it's Greg and this part was always easy. They never got this part wrong even when they got other parts wrong. This sweet press of smooth skin and against smooth skin, wet kisses being past back and forth and Nick's cock in Greg's ass or the other way around. They've always gotten that part right.

Feels Greg's hands on his back, fingernails leaving half moon indents on his back and Nick just doesn't care because his hands are on Greg's hips, holding just hard enough to bruise a little. He knows Greg won't care, doesn't care because he's moaning and thrashing and asking Nick for ‘more' and ‘harder'.

So Nick gives it to him, hard brutal thrusts and Nick can tell by the way Greg's practically yelling that they're hitting his prostate. Feels Greg's hand leave his back and he knows exactly where it's going. Bats it away from his cock and Greg pouts.

"Mine." He says, not quite sure why, but it works because he's only got his hand on Greg's cock for maybe a minute, possibly just seconds before Greg's coming.

Long warm spurts that coat Nick's hand and maybe a little of Greg's stomach and Nick stops for just a few seconds. Let's Greg ride out the waves from his orgasm before he thrusts again. Greg still warm and soft beneath him and moaning with each thrust.

He doesn't want to stop, doesn't ever want to stop thrusting into Greg and he knows that's impossible, but it's what he wants. Feels Greg pull him down a bit, hands on Nick's back and his lips on Nick's ear.

"Come on, baby, come for me." Greg whispers into his ear, hot tongue tracing the outline of Nick's ear.

"Don't... I..." He can't really form any coherent thought.

He's surprised he gets that much out, but Greg's tongue is still on his ear and he's still whispering things like ‘come on' and ‘let go' and it's just too much. Greg's all around him and he comes after a few thrusts, moaning loudly and Greg's mouth on his ear the whole time.

"Not to sound pissy, but... you're crushing me." Greg whispers after long minutes in the afterglow.

Nick silently rolls over. Pulls Greg too him until Greg's head is resting on his shoulder and Nick's nose is in his hair.

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"The crushing."

"Hmm... I can live with a little crushing if it's the result of mind blowing orgasms."

Nick laughs a little at that and so does Greg.

"And I'll just be the first one to point out how screwed up we are and how this is probably a bad idea given our track record."

It's not something Nick wants to talk about. Not when his limbs feel heavy and he feels sleep and Greg's in his arms. He knows they'll have to talk about it eventually. Knows that sex doesn't solve anything and it's quite possible this'll end up like every other time.

He doesn't want it too and he knows he never wanted it too, but he thinks they might have a chance this time. That they might actually get it right this time around. Thinks if they don't he's not entirely sure what he'd do.

"Will you stop being such a pessimist."

"Sorry, just... I don't want this to be..."

"You think I do?"

"No." Greg says, his voice low and small sounding.

"Good, because I don't."

"Yeah, but..."

"But nothing. This doesn't solve anything. I know that. We still have something between us. Good, bad, whatever it's there and it's not going away. Us denying it ain't going to make it any better. We... we have to try. I... I have to try."

Greg's quiet for a long time before he sighs, snuggles closer to Nick and sighs again.

"I get that. I have to try too." He says.

"Good... so... then... we're trying."

"Yeah. It's not going to be easy."

Nick smiles and pulls Greg closer until he's lying halfway on top of Nick, his body warm and soft and pliant.

"Nothing in life that's worth having is easy."

FIN