Title: Wasted
By: it-glitters
Pairing: Greg/Nick
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Series: 1) Bewilderment, 2) Take Me Home, 3) Cynics, 4) Blood Spatters, 5) Hello Mr. Sanders, 6) Hitting The Wall, 7) Capable Of Murder, 8) The Good Boy, 9) Crying Shame, 10) As I Lay Me Down, 11) Stoic, 12) You Tell Me, 13) Mother, Mother, 14) A Simple Smile, 15) Good Enough, 16) Smack, 17) Let Me Be The One, 18) There Isn't A Manual, 19) Call Me Magic Mama, 20) The Bus Stops in Suburbia, 21) He Needs You, 22) You're Not Really OK, 23) It's Not Always About Me
Summary: Nick and Warrick discuss things.

***

Nick went directly to the interview room, where he saw Warrick through the two-way mirror – pacing back and forth clearly agitated.

Nick turned to the officer who was watching. "Turn off the sound on that thing, will you? No one needs to hear this – he hasn't been charged with anything." The officer did as he was told and Nick went in.

Warrick took one look at him and then threw a punch. Given his level of intoxication, he missed Nick and stumbled into the wall. The officer from outside rushed in. Nick gave him a brush off. "We're old friends, don't worry about us – go get a cup of coffee." The officer gave him a confused look. "This guy is one of us – he's just having a rough night – he's not going hurt me, so just go get a cup of coffee and come back in fifteen, twenty minutes, kay?" The officer nodded slightly, and then left hesitantly.

"Rick, talk to me. What's going on."

"You and your little fag boyfriend," he slurred.

"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about – did you just call Greg and me fags?"

"I needed to talk to you and you were too busy fucking his ass."

"I know you and Greg aren't the best of buds, but you know that Greg was raped fairly recently, right? And I gotta warn you Rick, I don't care how drunk you are, or how good of friends we are, you call Greg a fag or anything else again and I'll break a chair against the back of your skull." Nick was trying to keep cool – but part of him was just aching for a fight.

"Great, you and Greg are together. But what about me, man? You and me – going out for the ladies, hanging out – now you got Greg. You never thought to tell me anything?"

"I never thought it mattered. I didn't think that you had a problem with the two of us being together."

Warrick ignored him and continued on his tirade. "And then, then man – I held your fucking hand when they took Greg. Telling you not to loose hope – that we'd find Greg. When I need your help – where the hell are you? Not answering your damn telephone, that's for sure." He was gesturing wildly and moving around the room.

"Rick, I'm sorry – it's just that this thing with Greg – it's so bad – you didn't see it, but I did. I saw him getting raped – I saw the man who did it die. What the hell did you want me to be? I don't know if you've all noticed it but I've barely fucking managed to keep myself together. And I only manage to do that for Greg. Do you know the fucking guilt I feel everyday? If I hadn't taken him home that night – if I hadn't chose that particular time to show him how I felt – they wouldn't have touched him. They took him because he was with me – do you understand what that does to me, Rick? Can you get that through your head? It's like I fucking raped Greg!" His faced was red and his hands were drawn into fists. One word from Warrick and he would snap, he knew it.

"And if I hadn't won that coin toss I would have been in the box instead of you!"

Nick tried to think about how to react – Warrick was drunk and his thoughts were all over the place. "If you needed help, I told you to let me know. I just need time to process things, dammit. I'm not a fucking superhero. You gotta give me time – you're still my friend, and even if Greg and I weren't together, Greg would still probably be the most important thing right now. Not to say you're not important – but you're dealing with what-if's and could've beens. Greg lived through it."

Warrick seemed to come to his senses. "Shit, what have I done. I never meant it like that – I just thought that I would be happy with Tina and you and I would still be..."

"You know what, Rick? I'm done. Greg and the rest of the team are out to dinner and I'm missing it because you decided to get drunk and harass Tina. I come to help you and you call me a fag and you insult the man I love. I'm done. I really, I just can't. I want to be your friend – but friends have to be there for each other. If you want to still do that – have a cup of coffee – sober up, then apologize to Tina. Go home, go to bed, and then come see me and Greg. You said that you wanted what he and I have – well come see what we have." Nick closed the door without looking back at Warrick and drove back to the diner to be with Greg.

....

They all were excited to see Greg – especially the Sara and Gil, since they hadn't seen him since the hospital – and then Archie, who hadn't seen him since before the attack. Archie stared at him and let an awkward silence hang.

Greg was about to say something when he felt Archie throw his whole body at Greg. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

It took Greg a moment to adjust to Archie's touch, before he could react and return the hug. Mama Stokes already could realize Greg's facial expression, and could tell that he was uncomfortable, so she pulled Archie back.

"Don't go knocking the air out of the poor child," she chided gently.

"Sorry," he turned to Greg, "Sorry."

"No, man, I think maybe Nick's mom is a little overprotective of me right now."

Everyone began to make their way to the corner booth, but Greg and Jillian hung back.

"Thanks for knowing," he whispered to her.

"You'll get to see I'm very protective of my kids."

....

When Nick arrived at the diner everyone was already eating. Greg was sitting at the end of the wrap around corner bench – Nick knew his mother had to have put him there – Greg would have been uncomfortable in the middle.

"Let me in," he told Greg – he expected that Greg would get up and let him slide in. Instead, Greg just moved in closer to Catherine.

Nick took the seat and Greg turned to face him. Nick pulled him in for a deep kiss, which was broken by the collective "awwws" of the group. Nick rested his head on Greg's shoulder, completely forgetting that they were out in public until the waitress cleared her throat and stared at them.

"Can I get you something?"

"Um, sure." He hastily opened his menu and tired to pick something.

Greg pushed his plate toward Nick. "You finish mine. The medicine's are making me a little sick and I don't want to waste it."

Nick looked back at the waitress. "I guess coffee will do it."

"And could you bring some milk for his stomach?" Jillian interjected. The waitress nodded and went to get their drinks. She turned her attentions back to Greg. "Do you need to go home, honey?"

"No, Mama, I'm alright, it comes and goes." It was the first time he had called her Mama and a huge smile broke out across her face.

Greg felt Nick lean into him. "You're not doing the brave face thing again are you?" he whispered.

Greg turned into him, "No, I really am having a good time. It'll pass. You'll be the first to know if it doesn't." He rubbed his hand over Nick's, to reassure himself as much as Nick.

"Okay."

....

At the end of the meal everyone began to disperse and head to work. Grissom pulled Nick aside.

"I talked to Brass – he said he called you about some problems that Warrick was having."

"Yeah, my guess is he can't come in tonight. You'll probably be needing me to come in, then?"

"If you can. I don't know if you got any sleep."

"I've worked on less."

"I'll see you at work then."

He watched Grissom climb into his own car. Nick walked over to his mom and Greg. "Sorry guys, I gotta go into work. I can drop you off at Greg's before I go in."

Greg looked at Jillian. "Mama, do you think we could have a minute."

"Sure, I'll wait in the car." She wandered off and left them alone.

"Nicky, what happened with Warrick?" He took Nick's hand into his own.

"He got drunk, nearly got arrested."

"Why?"

"Lot's of reasons, I suppose."

"So, why did you come here? Why didn't you stay with him?"

"He needed something that I couldn't give him right then. Only he could fix the mess that he made." He looked at Greg, who looked like he was going to fall down where he stood. "I'll tell you about it later. You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm a little tired, and I think my pain meds are wearing off."

Nick looked at his watch. "Shit, I forgot – you were supposed to take them, like an hour ago."

"Me too, I don't think we meant to stay out this long."

"C'mon, let's get you home."

***

Next story in series - Chemical Reaction.