Insomnia

Warrick stared down at his sleeping lover and couldn't help but smile. Asleep, Gil looked a lot younger, even with the beard. The glasses were gone and stress lines erased as if by magic. There was still a little pinch to the middle of his brow, but that was normal after a tough case. The older man had practically fallen into bed mid-argument with him and been out cold a few seconds later.

"He still asleep?"

Looking over at his other lover as Nick entered the bedroom again, Warrick's smile broadened into a grin as he answered softly, "Yeah. Out like a light."

Nick climbed slowly onto the bed and curled up against Gil, stretching one arm over the older man's chest and a leg over both of Gil's. He nuzzled at their lover's throat, but all Gil did was sigh deeply and turn his head to Nick's, not waking.

Chuckling lightly, Warrick observed, "A bomb could go off before Gris would wake up."

"Something like that, yeah," Nick agreed through a yawn. "You going to join us?"

Warrick shook his head, holding up the tech journal he'd brought to the bed. "Gonna play catch up first."

Smiling, Nick warned, "Don't stay up too late. The boss'll have a fit if you oversleep and are late. Again."

"Close those gorgeous eyes and shut up," Warrick ordered, never losing his grin.

Nick mock saluted and closed his eyes. There was a long, deep sigh where Nick seemed to just melt against Grissom and it was only moments before both of his lovers were sound asleep. Warrick shook his head in loving amusement as he contemplated the two men, both so different but both so very vital to his life.

Nick had been his lover for over a year now and he knew the other man as well as anyone could be known. They were friends and comrades, almost the same age with a lot of the same interests. People had thought there was more going on with them a lot longer than there had been. Grissom though, well, that was still pretty new, not more than a month old. He'd expected to feel jealousy when he saw them together, but he didn't. Not even the first time.

No, a strange kind of balance had been added when Gris had come into their hearts and their bed. He and Nicky weren't exactly known for their patience and foresight, even though they were good CSI's, they just didn't have the life experience that Grissom did. And Grissom, well, he seemed to have been given a new lease on life. Even Brass had made a few comments here and there over the last couple of weeks about Gil's ‘chipper' attitude.

Dropping the journal on the floor with a soft thunk, Warrick turned to a much more interesting thing: watching his lover's sleep. It wasn't anything he would give up for the world, even after such a short time as a triad. Nothing was going to pull him from his lovers, not while there was breath in his body.

* * * *

"You look like something that the cat threw up."

Sara's amused observation made Warrick grimace and answer, "Late night."

"Hope she was worth it," Sara needled, grinning.

Thinking back to the night he'd spent watching his lovers curled together, sleeping, Warrick agreed, "Definitely worth it."

"But he's still going to get some real sleep tonight, aren't you, Warrick?"

Damn. Busted.

Glancing over at Grissom, Warrick managed a fairly innocent expression as he replied, "I sure plan on it, boss."

Grissom didn't look all that convinced, but changed the subject with, "Sara, there's a DB over at the Paramount that needs your attention. Cath and Nicky are already there."

"Team effort?" Sara questioned, curious.

Nodding, Grissom answered, "High profile. I'll be keeping an eye on your progress, but Catherine's in charge."

She nodded and left the locker room.

Warrick held up his hands in surrender. "I couldn't sleep! It's not like I planned to stay up or anything."

Gazing at him shrewdly, Gil observed, "You've been an insomniac the last few days. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Nope," Warrick answered. "Everything's cool. Just not tired."

Grissom was openly skeptical at that and said, "Sara's right, you do look terrible. You need to get some sleep, so I want you to go home."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Grissom, come on, man!" Warrick protested.

"I can order you, but I'd rather not."

Seeing that Grissom wasn't going to budge, Warrick snapped, "I can go home, but that isn't going to put me to sleep, damn it! This isn't something I control!"

Thoughtful now, Grissom asked, "So it's happened before?"

"Yeah," Warrick admitted, scowling. "It'll go away, it always does."

"Is there a pattern?"

"No."

"Warrick, really, if there's anything..."

"I don't need to talk about anything."

It was an impasse as blue eyes stared into gray, searching. Finally, Gil sighed and conceded, "All right. You can help me on a rape case. For some reason, people find it easier to talk to you anyhow."

Warrick managed the obligatory smile at Gris' humor attempt. He followed the other man out of the locker room, thinking,

* * * *

Gil jumped when his office door banged open, hand going to his suddenly rapidly beating heart as he stared at a wild eyed Nick. Alarmed, he stood, exclaiming, "What is it?"

Nick waved a piece of paper in the air and shouted, "They're fucking assholes! I can't believe they would do this! I'm going to go down there and give them a piece of my God damned mind! How could they do this!?"

Jaw dropping at the fury his normally complacent lover was spouting all over his office, Grissom strode across the room and closed the door, not wanting the passers-by to get any more of an earful. From there, he gripped Nick's shoulders and demanded evenly, "What. Happened?"

Taking a breath, Nick thrust the paper at him and growled, "Look for yourself!"

Gil took the paper and uncrumpled it. It was a handwritten note in precise, printed writing.

Gil's heart beat hard in his chest as he took in the date at the top. It was dated just before Warrick's bout of insomnia. His soul ached as he realized that Warrick had been struggling with this all alone. His parents had rejected him because he had a white lover, and he wouldn't even turn to said lovers for help and comfort. Sighing, Gil turned to Nick and said, "This explains everything. I wonder if they saw him with me or you?"

"Does it fucking matter?" Nick snarled, still pacing, eyes glinting with fury.

Half-smiling at the depth of emotion stirred in his young lover, Gil shook his head and answered, "Morbid curiosity is all. Where did you find this?"

"It was in the trash at home. The garbage bag split open when I was taking it out," Nick answered, clearly trying to get hold of himself. "Gil, what're we going to do?"

Gil crumpled up the paper and tossed it accurately into the barrel beside his desk. "We're going to show Warrick that he's not alone anymore. Whether he wants to be, or not. Come on, Nicky."

Relieved, Nick nodded and fell into step beside him.

* * * *

Nick was so agitated on the ride to Nick's apartment that his knee didn't stop bouncing the whole way. Gil found it endearing, but irritating at the same time and so finally clamped a hand on the errant limb to stop it. Nick shot him a sheepish look and apologized, "Sorry."

After pulling into the driveway, they both climbed out of the car and headed inside. As expected, Warrick was awake and watching sports on the television. He looked surprised at their entrance and straightened up. "Hey guys. Nicky, where'd you disappear to, man? And I thought you were working today, Gris?"

Gil sat on the sofa beside him and said, "I was. Nicky came to see me because he found the letter from your parents."

Stiffening, Warrick glared at Nick, demanding, "Snooping now?"

"The bag split, Warrick," Nick snapped.

"Easy guys. This isn't a battleground," Gil stepped in hastily. He knew how their tempers could get wound up really fast and didn't want that to happen. Hurt, angry words were impossible to take back. "Warrick, why didn't you just come to us about this? Nick's pretty hurt about that, and so am I, to be honest. I thought you trusted us?"

Warrick sighed and answered, "I do, really, but...this isn't something either of you can help with."

"How do you know?" Nick asked, hurt lacing his voice.

Wincing, Warrick stood and moved to Nick, pulling him close and holding on tight. "Because I do, baby. I'm sorry, but it's just how I'm built. I have to process this on my own."

Nick sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around Warrick, holding on just as tight. Gil watched them for a moment, then stood and joined them. Rubbing his hand up and down Warrick's back, he said quietly, "You can process all you want, Warrick, but if you don't express your findings, you're just going to keep all that emotion blocked up and it'll explode one day. We could be casualties, our relationship, to that kind of resentment. Nick and I both know how much your family means to you."

Those incredible gray eyes looked at him and Warrick offered a wobbly smile as he replied, "You and Nick are my family, Gris. My father came to see me after one of my cousins saw me with you down at the Collins' crime scene. Remember how you were?"

Gil did remember. It had been a horrible case that had struck a particular chord with Warrick, though he had as yet to tell Gil why. He'd brought the younger man outside to get some distance from the gore, taking him to the alley beside the apartment building. Warrick hadn't thrown up, he'd just folded into Gil's arms while Gil did his best to hold him together.

"Anyhow. My Father came to see me at work, beginning of the week. He didn't say much. Just asked me when I was going to settle down with a good woman and come back to God. I knew he wasn't going to listen to anything I said about this being for real and forever and right, so I just said never. He gave me such a, a sad look, Gris, like I'd crushed him with that answer, and then walked away without saying a word."

"Oh Warrick, I'm so sorry," Gil whispered, continuing the rubbing motion and moving even closer so that he pressed up against the taller man.

A short, bitter laugh escaped Warrick as he observed, "I don't know what pissed him off more. That you were white, that you were older than me, or that I was defying him again. All of it, I guess. I've been a disappointment to him for a long time now."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Nick replied, not moving from the circle of Warrick's arms.

Warrick kissed his temple and answered, "Hurts like a mother fucker, baby, it always does."

They were silent for a few minutes, offering mute, physical comfort. Finally, Gil suggested, "Let's sit down."

"I've got a better idea. Let's go to bed," Warrick countered.

Gil smiled back and said, "Sounds like a plan to me."

"What if I don't want to go to bed?" Nick mock-complained.

Lifting an eyebrow, Gil suggested to Warrick, "Death by tickling?"

"Sounds good to me," Warrick agreed.

"Oh crap!"

Gil laughed as Nick bolted for safety...in the direction of the bedroom. Warrick, of course, was hot on Nick's tail, and Gil followed at a more leisurely pace. He watched them wrestle on the bed, emotions charged as the play turned to love and Warrick pinned Nick to the mattress, arms over his head. They kissed passionately and for a long time, Gil watching from the sidelines. It was a well rehearsed dance, the way they kissed; erotic and comforting at once. Different each time, but the same, too.

Warrick ground down on Nick, both of them panting and groaning as they got even more into it. It was as if they couldn't even be bothered with removing their clothes, they were so desperate to be together. Far from feeling left out, Gil pulled his shirt off and tossed it into the hamper. The rest of his clothes soon followed and he lightly stroked his cock, watching his two young lovers devour each other on the bed.

Seeing the way Nick shook and arched in Warrick's arms was such a turn-on that lust and love mingled freely in Gil. His cock ached hard as he played with it, knowing it wasn't yet time to join them. Sometimes, a triad only worked when there was one-on-one time and Gil wanted this to work. He and Warrick had an understanding about Nick, and shared their own emotions that were growing ever deeper. But Warrick's feelings hadn't yet transformed into love and Gil wasn't sure it ever would.

Still, they had a good, solid relationship of caring and respect and friendship, not to mention great sex. Even if Warrick never fell in love with him, Gil knew that he was loved and it was enough.

"Oh God, oh fuck, Warrick, please, please fuck me! Please!" Nick moaned.

Warrick shook his head with a chuckle and answered, "Never baby. I'm just gonna love you real hard though. Hey. What're you doing way over there?"

Summoned at last, Gil arched an eyebrow, pointing out, "I'm the only one naked. I figured I'd wait until you two realized that."

Identical and somewhat comical dismay surfaced on both young men and Gil chuckled as they hurried to remedy that situation. Crossing the room, he was on the bed just as they finished tossing clothes all over the place. Nick fell into his arms, lying mostly on top of him and stealing his breath in a deep, intense kiss. Groaning as a strong hand gripped and stroked his cock, Gil's eyes closed to better feel the sensation.

They opened again when Nick groaned in such a way as to tell Gil he'd been penetrated. The soft, rhythm slap of balls to Nick's ass confirmed it and Gil resumed the kiss, tweaking Nicky's nipples to add to his lover's pleasure. Additional fingers rolled his balls, causing Gil to see stars, gasping in surprise. He'd forgotten about Warrick's long arms, but knew the feel of his lover's fingers on him by touch alone.

There were several minutes of intense pleasure where Gil barely hung on, determined not to come alone. With Nick braced on his chest as Warrick made love to Nick from behind, and both of his lovers fondling Gil's cock and balls, it was difficult to keep himself in check, though. It seemed an eternity before Warrick shouted in release and sealed himself to Nick in one final thrust that shook all three of them. Nick spurted over Gil a moment later and then Gil let himself come, exploding over two sets of hands gone slack.

There was a slow, sideways fall, neither man wanting to crush Gil, which he appreciated. Nick might have a thing for being weighted down, but he definitely did not. He grinned at Nick's blissed-out expression and combed his fingers through sweaty hair, greeting softly, "Hi."

"Hey," Nick replied, yawning.

Pushing onto his elbow to look behind Nick, Gil saw that Warrick was already down for the count, a dark arm flung over Nick possessively, one leg thrust between Nick's, and still lodged inside Nick, and sighed in relief. Laying back down, he said, "Warrick's out."

Nick dreamily shared his smile and stated emphatically, "It's about time."

With a chuckle, Gil replied, "Definitely."

"You look way too awake, man," Nick mumbled, clearly fighting and losing his own battle with sleep.

Leaning in for a short, sweet kiss, Gil promised, "Not for long. Get some sleep, Nicky."

Nick nodded through another yawn and closed his eyes, still pressed tight against Gil as his breathing deepened into that of sleep. He touched another kiss to Nick's forehead and settled in for a long night of his own insomnia. The good kind where he could just watch over his lovers and think about the good things life had in store for them, not the bad.