Title: Mine
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1, 52_challenge
Prompt: 39, Mine
Warnings: on-going series, previous non-con
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 Nick Stokes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Mine.

Was that what Shane had thought every time he looked at Greg? Nick asked himself, a frown crossing his features. He didn't like to think about that; Greg, in his mind, had never really belonged to Shane, because Greg hadn't really wanted to be with him.

Shane had probably claimed that he "owned" Greg, that the younger man was some kind of slave. That would be the way a person like Shane thought; he didn't believe that anyone could be his partner, but that everyone, even the person he was involved with, was beneath him.

Nick hated people who thought that way; he'd never felt that another person could be owned. But there were those who had that kind of mindset; he was just glad that Greg had managed to get away from Shane before he'd fallen into that kind of trap.

Greg would never think like that, either, Nick told himself firmly. He might have felt for a while that Shane owned him, but that was only because his mind had been poisoned by the monster who'd been abusing him. He definitely didn't ascribe to that way of thinking now.

Still, it was hard for him not to think of Greg as somehow being "his," now that they were together. They weren't just lovers; they were close friends, and Nick liked Greg as well as being deeply in love with him. They were more than just lovers.

His heart belonged to Greg, as did his body and soul. He didn't mind feeling that he belonged to the younger man, so it made sense that he should think of Greg as belonging to him. Though, of course, Greg was free to live his own life. He put no restrictions on his lover.

He hated people who did things like that; Greg wasn't his possession, and he had no right to tell him what to do. He knew that Shane had done that, and he wanted to make sure that nothing in his relationship with Greg reminded the younger man of his former boyfriend.

Nick shuddered at the thought that he could possibly be anything like Shane; the last thing he ever wanted to do was to remind Greg of the nightmare of that relationship. Greg already had enough to deal with; he didn't need memories like that hanging around.

But still, it was hard not to think of Greg as somehow being his. He had never thought that he was the possessive type, but since Greg had come into his life as more than just a friend and colleague, he'd been hard-pressed not to see himself in that light.

He'd always loved Greg, but things were so different between them now. Now, he knew that his love had always been returned, and he wanted to make sure that the emotions between them only grew stronger. He wanted to make sure that they would always be together.

With anyone else, he wouldn't have felt so desperate to keep his lover by his side, wouldn't have been so worried about their safety. But with Greg, he felt a protectiveness that he'd never known with anyone else he'd been with, a desire to keep his boyfriend safe at all times.

Of course, he knew realistically that he couldn't always protect Greg. He couldn't wrap his boyfriend in cotton wool and be sure that he was completely safe every second of every day. But he could do his best to make sure that Greg was watched over.

Gradually, Greg was becoming less vigilant, less afraid of Shane popping back up in his life. But then another little "gift" of black roses would arrive -- always delivered when there was no one around in the neighboring houses -- and Greg would be on the lookout again.

Nick hated the thought that Shane could still get to Greg, but there was nothing he could do about that. His boyfriend wasn't going to be put into protective custody; there was no reason for that to happen, not when all the people Greg was closest to were watching out for him.

But it was still worrisome that Shane could be so close, that it seemed he knew just where and how to strike to put fear back into Greg's heart. They had to find him; if they didn't, Nick was afraid that Greg would start to crack under the pressure.

He hadn't shown signs of that, not lately -- but Nick was sure that they were there, hidden under the surface. Greg did a good job of coping, but nobody could but up with that kind of stress and strain fro long and not start to show signs of it, or let it wear them down.

Greg was his; he was going to do everything that he could to keep his boyfriend safe, to protect him in every possible way, and to give him all of the love he could. But that love and protection would only go so far when there was psychopath gunning for Greg.

He had to find a way to get Shane before he got to Greg; Nick couldn't help feeling that Shane was inching closer with each passing day, and that there was going to be a storm unleashed over their unsuspecting heads very soon .He was just waiting for it to happen.

Waiting wouldn't do them any good, he told himself grimly. He had to start being more proactive, to look for Shane before he had the chance to spring at them and catch them unawares. He couldn't keep sinking into this complacency, thinking that it was over and that they were safe.

He couldn't allow himself to stay in that mindset. If he did, then it would be all the easier for Shane to get to Greg; he would end up letting his guard down, and Shane would be watching and waiting for that to happen. He couldn't risk leaving Greg unprotected.

Greg was his -- his to love, his to cherish, his to protect. If it was wrong for him to see his boyfriend in the way, then he didn't really care. Greg was the person he loved most in the world, the one closest to his heart, the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

If that meant that he took the attitude of Greg belonging to him, then so be it. He didn't want to put chains on Greg; he didn't want to make the younger man feel restrained in their relationship. But the way he saw it, Greg didn't just belong to him. They belonged to each other.

If he could look at Greg and think "mine," then Greg could think the same way about him -- and he didn't mind that at all. In fact, he found it rather flattering to know that Greg could look at him and consider him his. It was good to know that he was so wanted.

There was something soothing about being wanted like that, something comfortable. No one else had ever loved him in the way that Greg did; Nick was sure of that. Greg's love had always been constant, even when he hadn't realized it existed.

He wanted to love Greg in that same way for the rest of their lives, with a love that bound them together for all of eternity, their hearts and souls becoming one. He had no doubt in his mind that even after this life was over, he and Greg would still be together.

There was nothing wrong with him thinking of Greg as being his, as belonging to him. Not when he was sure that Greg thought the same way about him. Not when two people shared a love as deep and true as what he had with Greg. That wasn't possession. It was commitment.

He didn't want to possess Greg. He wanted to let his boyfriend spread his wings and fly free, to discover all that life had to offer, and for Greg to let him do the same. But at the same time, he wanted them to have each other to come back to, safe in each other's arms.

That was all he wanted for either of them, Nick thought with a smile. To love, and to be loved. Like that old song said, it was the greatest thing anyone could ever learn. When he thought of Greg as his, it wasn't in a possessive way at all.

It was with love.

***