Title: Chase the Nightmares Away
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: CSI: Las Vegas/CSI: Miami
Rating: PG-13
Table: Angst, mission_insane
Prompt: 4, Deprived
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Ryan Wolfe, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Ryan awoke with a start, feeling disoriented, wondering what had yanked him out of sleep and back into the real world. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was Greg who had awakened him; his boyfriend was tossing and turning, crying out his name.

Turning, Ryan pulled Greg into his arms, hoping that the touch would wake his boyfriend and bring him out of whatever nightmare had him in its grip. But it apparently wasn't going to be that easy; Greg thrashed in his embrace, arms flailing, his cries growing louder.

"Ryan!" The name was an anguished cry from the depths of Greg's soul; Ryan held his boyfriend more tightly, pressing his lips to Greg's forehead, then his cheek, murmuring his name. When that didn't work, he grasped Greg's shoulders, shaking him gently.

"Greg, wake up! It's just a nightmare, baby. It's me, Ryan. I'm here, babe, I'm here. Come on, Greg, wake up!" His voice grew louder; he shook Greg harder when his lover didn't wake after a few seconds. "Come on, Greg, snap out of it. It's okay, baby. Wake up."

After what seemed like a very long time to him, Greg's dark eyes snapped open, and his boyfriend stared up at him unseeingly. He blinked, as though he didn't recognize Ryan for a moment, and didn't quite realize that he was safe in his lover's arms.

"Greg, what's wrong?" Ryan asked, keeping his voice soft and steady. Greg had obviously just suffered through one of those horrible nightmares that didn't let go easily; the last thing he wanted to do was make his boyfriend feel worse with a lot of unnecessary questions.

"I .... I ...." Greg couldn't catch his breath; he wrapped his arms around Ryan's neck, pulling his boyfriend closer against him, his body trembling uncontrollably as Ryan gathered him into his arms. He rested his cheek against Greg's hair, crooning, whispering soft words.

"It's okay, baby, I'm here .... Greg, there's nothing to be scared of," he whispered, stroking Greg's back, holding him close with one arm. "Shhh, baby, it's okay." He had no idea what to say; he just wanted to chase the nightmare away and calm Greg down.

He sat there for what seemed like a very long time, with Greg wrapped in his arms, rocking his lover back and forth and crooning to him. When Greg's tears had finally stopped, Ryan still didn't let him go; he simply held on to Greg, moving a hand up and down his back.

"What is it, baby?" he asked, keeping his voice very soft and gentle. "Was it another nightmare?" He was sure that it had been, but he wanted Greg to talk about it; that was the best way for him to face those fears and keep them from attacking him again.

Greg nodded, gulping as he pulled back slightly and looked at Ryan. He raised a hand to wipe the tears from his face, but they were still streaking down his cheeks; as soon as he wiped a few away, more came to replace them. He simply couldn't hold them back.

"It was awful," he whispered, shaking his head, gulping back more tears. "I-I woke up and you were j-just .... gone. I don't know where. J-j-just g-gone." The tears began again, as though he couldn't hold them back; Ryan tightened his arms around his boyfriend, trying to soothe him.

"I'm not gone, Greg. I'm right here, baby," Ryan whispered, feeling tears rise behind his own eyes, trying to blink them back. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay right here with you, for the rest of our lives. And even beyond that. I'll always be with you, Greg."

"I-I know," Greg managed to gasp before he buried his face against Ryan's shoulder again, the tears coming hard and fast. Ryan gulped, closing his eyes and holding Greg closer, letting his own tears slide down his face and into Greg's hair.

What would he do if he was deprived of the man he loved? He didn't know how he could go on living if he lost Greg; just the thought was so horrifying that he couldn't deal with it. He couldn't let that thought grow in his mind; he didn't want it to take root in his consciousness.

A life without Greg would be no life at all. Before he'd met the love of his life, he might have thought that he could be happy with just his work -- but now that he'd known what it was to experience the bliss of being loved, he knew that he could never live without that feeling.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay," he whispered, wishing that he could find some way to soothe Greg's fears. But he had the sinking feeling that he would never be able to do that; Greg might always be plagued by these nightmares, dreaming of losing what was most precious to him.

They sat there for what seemed like a very long time to Ryan, their arms wrapped around each other, Greg's body trembling in his arms. When his boyfriend's tears finally quieted, becoming no more than soft sniffles, he shifted position slightly to lay Greg back on the pillows.

Ryan bent over his boyfriend, gently stroking Greg's hair back from his face, gazing into those fathomless dark eyes. "I'm never leaving, Greg," he whispered, the words coming from his heart. "No matter what the nightmares tell you, I'll always be here."

Greg nodded, reaching out to slip his hand into Ryan's. Ryan squeezed his lover's hand gently, bending down to press a gentle kiss to Greg's parted lips. At least he seemed calmer and less agitated now; the nightmare, and the fear it had brought with it, seemed to be receding.

What would he do if he was deprived of these moments of closeness with Greg? Ryan pushed the thought away as soon as it coalesced in his mind; he wasn't going to lose these moments, and he didn't need to think about the possibility of that happening.

Nothing was going to happen to either of them; he was going to be right here by Greg's side for the rest of their lives, holding him and loving him. They had both searched for their other half for a long time, and now that they'd found each other, they weren't letting go.

They would never be without each other. Even if they weren't by each other's sides every moment of every day, they were still together, never far away. They would go through life being this close; Ryan had no doubt that they would spend all of their lives growing even closer.

Nothing was ever going to deprive them of each other, Ryan told himself firmly. Not Greg's nightmares, and not any situation that life might try to throw at them. He would stay by this man's side forever; nothing could ever induce him to leave.

He was here for the long haul, here for the rest of their lives. He would never let go of Greg, no matter what those nightmares might try to tell him. Whenever Greg needed him, he would be here, through good times and bad, chasing the nightmares away.

Ryan settled down on the pillows again, pulling Greg into his arms and holding him close. It would take a while for them both to fall asleep again, but when they did, he intended to be holding Greg close in his arms, showing him that he was safe, loved, and never alone.

***