Title: I Will Survive
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Steve McGarrett
Fandom: CSI: Vegas/Hawaii Five-0
Rating: PG-13
Table: writers_choice
Prompt: #482, Survivor
Author's Note: Spoilers for the CSI: Vegas episodes Play With Fire, Fannysmackin', & A Kiss Before Frying.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Steve McGarrett, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Greg walked idly along the beachfront, trying not to look around him. He didn't want to live the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, or being afraid to enjoy simple pleasure like a walk on the beach, because of one bad experience that wasn't likely to happen again.

Wo Fat and his henchmen had to know that he and Steve would be better prepared for another sneak attack, so it was doubtful that they'd try to grab him again when he was walking on the beach. But he was carrying a gun with him everywhere now, just in case.

He still didn't really feel comfortable about having a gun with him, but Steve had insisted, and Greg wasn't going to go against his boyfriend's wishes. He privately thought that Steve was a little carried away with worrying about his safety, but he wasn't going to point that out.

After a while, once it became clear that Wo Fat wasn't going to send any goons after him in the same way for a second time, Greg was sure that Steve would calm down. But for now, he would carry a gun -- and if he had to use it, then he wouldn't hesitate.

He'd gotten used to carrying a gun when he was a CSI back in Vegas, and he still had the legal right to do so here in Hawaii. But he hadn't thought that he would still need one, he told himself with a sigh. Obviously, he'd been very wrong about that.

If he had to carry a gun and watch his back to be with Steve, then that was something he'd just have to get used to doing, he told himself firmly. Because he wasn't giving up his relationship with Steve, no matter what kind of threats might come his way in the future.

He would survive, no matter what happened. Now that he had started a new life here in Hawaii with Steve, he wasn't about to let anyone, especially not some criminal, get in the way of his happiness. And he would not only survive, he would thrive, Greg told himself firmly.

He had survived traumas in Vegas that hadn't been easy to get over. There had been teh explosion in the lab that could have killed him -- and then that horrible beating he'd taken from that gang of thugs who had gone around the city beating people up and even killing them for "fun."

And then there had been that crazy woman he'd had such a brief infatuation for, the one who had set him up to be killed without a second thought. Greg's lips twisted into a wry smile; that had been the incident that had finally pushed him into being honest about the fact that he preferred men.

If he hadn't done that, then he might never have found the courage to cut the ties with Vegas and come here to Hawaii. He would have kept on pretending that he was attracted to women, kept trying to fix his relationship with Nick, and hidden that relationship from the world.

Nick had been okay with them hiding, Greg thought with a sigh. He had wanted things to keep going the way they were, with the two of them pretending to be straight and telling the world that they were "just friends." He had wanted everything to stay with the status quo.

But Greg hadn't been willing to do that. He had wanted to be out and proud, to declare that he was in love with a man and not feel that he had to be ashamed and hide that fact. And then when Nick had begun to treat him as though he wasn't important, that straw had finally broken the camel's back.

But he had survived, Greg reminded himself. That had been the worst thing that he'd thought could possibly happen to him; feeling that his lover didn't see him as a priority in his life had hurt more than being beaten by that gang, more than being burned in the lab explosion.

It had been a pain that had attacked his heart, not his body. But he had survived. He had gotten past it, and that pain was now in the past. He had been lucky enough to find a man who would never hurt him, a man who was proud of him and would stand by his side.

Steve would never treat him the way that Nick had, always putting work first and making it very obvious that Greg would never be the top priority in his life. Steve was a completely different kind of man; he had dropped everything to come to Greg's aid when he'd been kidnapped.

Would Nick have done the same? Greg very much doubted it; he would have been worried, but he wouldn't have wanted anyone to know about their personal relationship. Nick wouldn't have moved heaven and earth to rescue him the way that Steve had.

He had come through a lot, and he'd survived it all, Greg told himself with a small smile. If anything else were to happen to him in the future, he would manage to survive that, too. He always had been good at keeping his head above water, even in the worst situations.

He'd thought that he might die when he was being beaten by that gang, but he'd survived it -- and that had been the worst thing that he'd ever been through, at least in the physical sense. He hadn't been nearly as terrified then as he'd been when he was in Wo Fat's clutches.

He hadn't actually seen the man who was such a threat to Steve, but he'd heard Wo Fat's voice. He knew that he would never forget that voice -- if he ever heard it again, it would make him feel small and helpless, just as he had when he'd been tied up in that warehouse.

Just the memory of those hours sent a shudder through his body; he could feel the short hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Greg stopped in his tracks, turning his head slowly to look behind him. He didn't know why, but he could swear that he was being watched -- and followed.

But he could see no one the beach who looked threatening in any way -- the only person there was Steve, walking towards him with a smile on his face. Greg returned the smile, holding out his hand as his boyfriend approached, feeling safe and protected.

He would always feel that way when Steve was around, he realized. There was something about Steve that inspired confidence, that made him feel as though he could relax, that he could always count on Steve to have his back, no matter what might happen in the future.

They hadn't been been prepared for what had happened before; they had become complacent, lulled by their happiness at being together into feeling that nothing could happen to destroy that happiness. They knew better now; they would never take being together for granted again.

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked, his voice very soft. Greg could hear the concern in his words; at one time, he might have felt a little annoyed at anyone who sounded so worried about him, but now, he treasured that protective tone in Steve's voice. It proved that Steve truly cared for him.

"I'm doing okay," he said, giving his boyfriend a smile and squeezing his hand gently. "I've been through a lot, but I'm still here. I will survive, no matter what happens." He squeezed Steve's hand again, twining their fingers together, luxuriating in the physical contact.

"I wish I could have stopped it from happening," Steve murmured, his tone filled with regret. "But I couldn't, and I've got to accept that. I just hope you can forgive me for not having your back when I should have. I know we've been over this already, but --"

Greg shook his head, raising his free hand to press his fingertips against Steve's lips. "You did the best that you could do," he said softly, hoping that Steve would believe him. "And I'm still here, Steve. I survived. Largely thanks to you rushing in like the cavalry to save me."

Was it his imagination, or did a slight blush actually color Steve's cheeks? "I wish I could have gotten there quicker," his boyfriend whispered, shaking his head. "Or that I could have stopped them from taking you in the first place. I should have protected you better."

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen," Greg told him, shaking his head. "Nobody could have. You did what you could -- and you got me out of a bad situation. Nobody could have done more than you did, Steve. And I love you for it."

"I love you, too," Steve said softly, lifting Greg's hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles. "I'm not much of a white knight on a charger, but I do my best." He smiled and kissed Greg's hand again, his lips lingering on the other man's skin in the softest of caresses.

"You're enough of a white knight for me," Greg whispered, mirroring Steve's gesture with his free hand. "A lot more of one than I probably deserve." He laughed softly, squeezing his lover's hand. "Does this mean that we get to go riding off into the sunset together?"

Steve laughed, disentangling their hands to slide an arm around Greg's waist and pull him close. "I think we should walk," he said, obviously trying to keep a straight face as he spoke. "It'd be a lot safer, considering the way I drive. Or so the rest of my team tells me."

Greg couldn't help laughing along with his boyfriend as they resumed walking along the beach. He had never felt so close to anyone before; his heart belonged to this man, as well as his body and soul. Wherever Steve led, he would follow -- no matter how dangerous that path might be.

Whatever was in store for them in the future, even if being with Steve led him into danger, he would survive it. And their relationship would survive as well, growing stronger every day, Greg told himself firmly. The two of them would not only survive, but thrive. He would make sure of that.

***