Title: Long Cold Nights
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Danny Nagano
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
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 Danny Nagano, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

He hated not being able to sleep.

Greg sighed softly, turning over and punching his pillow. Danny was back on the golfing tour, and it seemed like ages before he would be home again.

He hated being alone like this. He hated getting into this cold bed, when he should be sharing it with Danny, and it should be filled with warmth and love.

He knew that it had been right to let his boyfriend go on that tour, and they were making things work despite being apart for most of the week, and Danny only being able to fly back to Vegas on weekends. But Greg still wished that there was some way for them to be together all the time.

The nights were the worst, he thought glumly, sitting up in bed and swinging his long legs over the edge. He leaned over, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he looked down at the floor. He was behaving like a spoiled child, he told himself firmly. He couldn't hold onto his boyfriend like a security blanket.

But it was just so hard to get used to not having Danny around. The time that they'd spent together had made him feel that they'd never have to be apart, when that wasn't true at all.

He missed Danny so much more than he'd realized he would.

It wasn't just being alone in bed. It was getting through the hours at work knowing that he wouldn't be able to see Danny when he went home, knowing that he'd be alone.

There was always the phone, of course. That was more or less how they were making do these days. Greg always tried to sound upbeat and happy whenever Danny called; he didn't want his lover to feel guilty, or to feel that he had to drop out of the tour and come home.

He was going to let Danny do what he loved, and trust that his boyfriend would come back to him just as much in love with him as when he'd left.

But it was so hard sometimes, when all he wanted was to have Danny's arms around him, to snuggle into that embrace and know that he was loved and wanted.

The bed was so cold without Danny in it, Greg thought with a sigh. He never would have believed that he would miss having someone sleep beside him so much.

He'd been alone for a long time before Danny. He had never minded sleeping alone then; he'd always felt that it was his lot in life, that he would never find someone to fill his bed, much less his heart. He had resigned himself to being a single man, to always spending his nights solo.

When Danny had come into his life, it was as though light and warmth had flooded in with him. Greg had known that he would never have to feel cold again.

He hadn't counted on missing Danny this much when he was away.

He could get through the time without Danny at work. He had cases to focus on, people to talk to, and he wasn't thinking about his lover all the time.

And he could even get through the time that Danny was away when he was out doing things, like going to the grocery store, or doing his laundry, or even watching a movie.

It was the nights that were the hardest time to get through -- the long, cold nights, when he wanted Danny beside him, wanted to sink into the warmth of his lover's arms, the passion of his kiss. It was the nights when he missed his boyfriend the most, and couldn't wait for him to come home.

It was impossible to put the bereft feeling into words; he couldn't describe the loneliness he felt when Danny wasn't here. He'd never thought he would feel like this over anyone.

He'd never expected to fall in love. But he had, and he had to admit that the pros of it far outweighed the cons, even if right now it felt like the cons were winning out.

Sighing, Greg got to his feet, heading towards the kitchen. He doubted that he'd be able to sleep; he would make a pot of tea and try to settle down with a good book.

But somehow, he didn't think he'd remember anything he read.

***