Title: We May Have a Problem
By: msmaggs
Pairing: Nick/Greg & Gil/Sara
Rating: R
A/N: Catherine finds some disturbing information about Greg when she downloads his crime scene photos. This is a oneshot - taking place right after The Case of the Crossdressing Carp
And because everyone has different sensitivities - Nick/Greg serious slash possibilities. GSR mentioned.
Summary: Catherine finds some disturbing information about Greg when she downloads his crime scene photos and brings her concerns to Grissom. What happens when Nick finds out he's the secret Greg's been keeping?

***

"Gil..." Catherine rapped on his office door. "We may have a problem."

"What did you do now?" he droned.

"It's not me, it's Greg," she huffed, walking into his office waving a file. "Don't look so shocked."

"But Sara called from the ER and said he was fine. Just a dozen stitches and a tetanus shot." He had received an earlier phone call reporting that Greg had sliced open his finger at the scene while handling a piece of glass.

"I replaced Sanders on the case," Catherine began. "I picked up his camera and finished snapping photos while Nick dropped evidence markers. When I got the film back..."

"Get to the point, Cath, I've got a pressing matter to attend to." The image of his new bride lounging naked on their honeymoon bed caused an uncontrollable rise in his khakis two minutes earlier. "I was just on my way out."

Opening her folder, she said, "Tell me if you see anything wrong with these evidence photos Greg snapped before he cut his finger."

Gil sifted through them. "A photo of a man's ass, a footprint impression, a photo of a man's ass, a beer bottle, a photo of a man's ass..." his brow furrowed as he continued to recite his findings, "a matchbook, a photo of a man's ass."

"Not just any ass," Catherine interjected, "it's Nick's. Apparently Sanders takes a photo every time Nick bends over and drops a marker."

"Why would Sanders want photos of Nick's ass?" He knew people sold odd things on Ebay, but he couldn't imagine Nick's non-celebrity ass fetching much of a price.

"Isn't it obvious?" Leaning in, she used her mentor's words, "The evidence never lies, Gil. A guy doesn't photograph another guy's ass unless he wants the guy's ass and by want, I mean it in the carnal sense the word." Shaking her head, she sighed, "I wondered why Sanders liked to handle his own film. Mystery solved."

Removing his reading glasses, Gil said, "I don't know what to do about this."

"And normally you're so good at handling personnel problems." She rolled her eyes.

"This behavior can't continue, Catherine. It's a waste of Lab resources to photograph Nick's ass."

"I know a few women around here who would strongly disagree with you," she laughed, "they'd say it was good for morale to plaster the ladies' room stalls with the photos."

"Griss!" Nick greeted his boss from the door. "I'm headin' out." When he saw his coworker's scrambling to hide what they were studying, his curiosity flared. "What's goin' on?" When they both gave different answers, his paranoia kicked into overdrive. "It's about me, isn't it? Or is there another top-secret project you're cuttin' me out of again? Why don't you guys ever include me in this stuff? Is it grudge or do really think I'm corn-fed hick from..."

"Enough!" Catherine waved him over. "We're looking at the photos Greg snapped at the crime scene before cutting his finger. I'd actually love your opinion on them."

"It's about damn time I get some respect around here." Dropping his bag, Nick marched over to Grissom's desk. "I'm just as smart and professional as y'all. What the hell...that's my ass in every other picture."

"I guess the bumpkin really does know his ass from his elbow, Gil."

"Greg was takin' pictures of my ass at the crime scene?"

Catherine struggled not to laugh, "Was your ass by any chance a suspect?"

Gil redirected the insanity, "Every time you dropped an evidence marker it appears he snapped a shot."

"What do you think about that, Nicky?" Catherine raised a brow and tried to read Nick from his many tells.

"It's uh..." Nick picked up one of the ass shots. "I'm a little surprised to be honest." He cleared his throat. "And um...a lot embarrassed."

"Understandably so," Grissom replied, while wishing he had thought to do the same thing with Sara years ago. "We won't be discussing this beyond these walls, I assure you."

"Can I keep one of shots?"

"Sure, it's not evidence," Catherine confirmed, "Well, I think it's evidence of Greg's feelings for at least one part of you, but it's irrelevant to the case."

"How many times a day do your eyes slip below Warrick's belt, Cath?"

"I'll shut up now."

"Nick, do you want to handle this with Greg?" Gil prayed the answer was yes, so he could shirk his supervisory responsibility yet again and rush home to have sex with Sara...twice.

"Yeah, I'll handle it." Nick nervously tucked the photo in his messenger bag. "I'm sure there's an innocent explanation for him doin' it. You know Greg," He jittered a smile, "that guy always has some crazy side project goin' on. Like the book about old Vegas that he's workin' on with your mom, Cath. He's probably doin' some study on the crease mark patterns on Levis or somethin' like that." Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he hurried for the door. "See ya, Tuesday."

"Bye," Catherine watched her friend hustle down the hallway and then turned to Grissom. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Since Gil was thinking about Sara's head bobbing between his thighs, he confidently replied, "I really doubt it."

"From the way he got flustered and bolted out of here, I think Nicky was excited to have confirmation of Greg's feelings."

"Either that or he's going to kill him for staring at his ass."

"You're so unromantic." Catherine stood and flicked her hair. "How does Sara put up with you?"

With a twinkle in his eye, he stood and reached his keys. "There must be something special that makes it worth her while."

"Uh." Noticing the bulge in her co-worker's khaki's, Catherine choked on her laughter, "Apparently so."

Gil quickly placed his coat in front of his crotch. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tell the wife I said hi!"

Stunned, he said, "You know we ran out and got married?"

Catherine led the way out of the office. "Hodges told me."

"How did he find out?"

"I don't know how he knows half of the stuff he knows." She shivered, "And I'm honestly too scared to find out."

Greg's Apartment

Peering through the peep hole of his front door, Greg was stunned to see Nick on his doorstep. "One minute!" he yelled while rushing to check his appearance in the reflection of the oven door. "Coming!" A little loopy from the Percocet he was taking to dull the throb in his slashed hand, he tripped over his discarded sneakers and slammed his face into the wall. "OW"

"G?" Nick panicked on the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Rubbing his cheek, he opened the door. "I tripped over my sneakers and crashed my face into the wall."

"You look really out of it."

"I doubled up on Percocet when the stuff they used to numb my hand wore off."

Nick held up a grocery store bag. "I bought you some snacks in case you were hungry and were in too much pain to go to the store."

"Thanks." The smitten CSI cracked a huge smile. "I can't believe you came all the way here to bring me snacks."

"Well, there is somethin' else." Nick pointed inside, "Are ya gonna invite me in?"

"My place is a wreck, but yeah, come on in. Make yourself at home. Take it all off...uh..." Greg flustered, "I mean your shoes...take off all of your shoes, because I'm anal about the carpet staying clean."

Glancing around at the floor covered in tossed clothes, shoes, and beer bottles, CSI Stokes said, "Anal is a good segue for why I'm here."

"Uh..." Greg broke into an anxious laugh. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"I'm here to discuss these photos you took of my posterior region last night." Nick held up the one he had swiped. "There are two dozen just like 'em back at the lab."

"So busted." Greg dropped his gaze to the floor. "I forgot to take my camera with me to the ER."

"Why are you takin' pictures of my ass, G?" Nick set the bag of groceries on the counter.

"Would 'because you have a really hot ass' be a bad answer to you?" Greg chuckled while praying he wasn't about to get killed by a redneck homophobe. "And would it make things better or worse if I followed up that answer with 'and I can't take my eyes off your hot ass when we're working together, because I've been crushing on you for years'?" Stepping back as Nick walked forward, he blurted, "I have an alternative explanation if that one isn't appealing." He begged, "Please don't hurt me."

"Are you sayin' you're hot for my ass, G?" Nick stated without emotion as he approached. "Are you sayin' you've been workin' with me for years and hidin' the fact you were lustin' after me? What else were you doin'? Sneakin' peeks of me in the locker room? Were ya watchin' me sleep in my boxers when we shared hotel rooms at conferences and workin' away from the lab?"

"If I say yes are you gonna kill me?" Backed against his refrigerator, Greg gulped and waited for the first blow.

"Am I gonna kill ya if you say yes?" Nick halted six inches in front of his co-worker and shook his head. "No, I'm not gonna kill ya, G." Bringing his lips within an inch of his shocked buddy's he whispered, "Would 'I'm gonna kiss you like I've been wantin' to kiss you for years' be a good answer?"

"Yes," Greg squeaked, the anticipation almost killing him. "Definitely."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Nick weaved his fingers in his friend's hair.

"Why didn't you?" The warmth of the Texan's cinnamon-scented breath drove him wild.

"I wasn't sure."

"Neither was I." Greg placed his undamaged hand on his best friend's hip. "About that kiss you mentioned."

"You mean this one?" Closing his eyes, Nick brought their mouths together in a tantalizingly progressive kiss...first a gentle caress of the lips, followed by a slow parting, and a tender meeting of two tongues that had been longing to get acquainted for years.

"Yeah, that one." The drugged man wasn't sure if it was the meds or the kiss making him euphoric, and he didn't care. "Would you be interested in kissing me again?"

"Yeah," Nick slipped his arms around the body he had wanted to touch so many times. "Definitely." He grazed his lips over Greg's. "I'd kinda like to kiss you a lot, since I've been fightin' the urge for a while now."

After the make out session of his dreams, Greg asked, "Would it be totally wrong for us to fall into bed?"

"Why would it be wrong?" Nick posited with a gleam in his eye. "We're certainly not strangers. We're friends."

"Great friends."

"The best of friends." Nick dipped his hands under the sweatshirt blocking his access to Greg's oh-so-kissable chest. "I'm not seein' anyone. Are you?"

"Not since 2005. And to be honest, even then...not really."

Bringing their foreheads together, the usually responsible man said, "So, we're single, we're best friends, and we're totally, completely, hot for each other. I can't think of a reason why it would be wrong to fall into bed, can you?"

"Honestly...I think we'd be crazy not to." Greg started walking them in the direction of his bedroom. "Insane actually."

"Certifiable. Although you are under the influence of pain medication." Nick tossed his sweater and then focused on relieving his future lover from the confines of his sweatshirt. "I wouldn't want you to wake up and think I took advantage of you."

Watching the Texan's 501s and boxer briefs hit the floor, Greg stammered, "If...if it'll um...make you feel better, I'll sign something absolving you of all guilt."

"How about we just shake on it." While shaking right hands, Nick undid his buddy's zipper with his left. "Since you're down one hand, I'll help you out of these."

"You're such a generous guy," Greg replied while gaping at his friend's growing anatomy. "It never did that when I peeked in the shower."

"That was no easy task with you four feet away naked."

"Ditto."

"Do you have a preference?" Nick asked, while savoring the first-time excitement building between them

"You." The answer was as steady as Greg's gaze. "You're my preference." After a lusty kiss, the versatile man panted, "You can have me any way you like...just have me." Glancing over at the mussed bed, he realized he hadn't expected company. "Ignore the porn and the toys. I was bored and high, who wouldn't, right? I promise you any old DNA you encounter is mine."

"I can't believe we're doin' this," Nick stated after tackling his best friend to the mattress.

"Me either...but I'm thrilled that we are." Shivering from the first kisses to his chest in over a year, Greg confessed in his dorkiest voice, "I haven't been with anyone since the beating."

"Considerin' the variety of toys, I figured as much."

"If it's not good for you," the geek anxiously asked, "Will you still be my friend in the morning?"

"It already is mornin', G." Nick winked, "we work nights. Of course we'll still be friends, don't be ridiculous. It's just sex."

"Is it? Is sex all you want?"

"No. No, not at all." Blanketing his best friend and lover's trembling body, he confessed, "The heat I'm feelin' isn't just because I'm about to get laid...it's backed up by feelings I've had for years. When I saw those photos today and I figured out you felt the same way..." Gliding his hand over the heated body beneath him, he shared, "When you find out the guy you're crazy about is nuts about you, I think it's the most natural thing in the world to want to rip off every inch of clothing and work out those emotions the way nature intended. We're scientists after all...we can't deny the call of the wild within...and wild is exactly what I am about you."

"To summarize," the dork who was never lucky in love, said, "this isn't just a booty call then, and I'm not just another notch on your bedpost."

"No, this was most definitely a booty call," Nick confessed, "in that I was hopin' I'd come here and tell you how I felt and we'd end up doin' somethin together, but it's not a one night stand. I guess I'm askin' for an exclusive booty call contact with you...with future options for more...much more. Is that good enough?"

"Honestly, that's the sweetest deal anyone's every offered me," Greg giggled from the drugs and the love. "There's a bottle stashed under one of the pillows...easy access when I need to indulge in some self-satisfaction, but condoms are in the nightstand. I'm sure you'll have to blow the dust off the wrapper." He laughed from nerves and because he was having fun.

"I hope to hell they're not expired." Nick lunged for the drawer. "Like I didn't bring four of my own."

"Four!"

"It doesn't seem like it at work lately, but I still have some optimism left inside me."

"I think I know which part of you houses the residual optimism," Greg teased. "It's looking mighty confident and why shouldn't it? Clearly, I'm a sure thing." When he saw Nick grab the bottle as directed, panic suddenly seized him. "Don't hurt me," he blurted before gulping air.

"Trust me," Nick winked, "I know how to do this right, G." He softened his voice to a sexy whisper and caressed his cheek. "I don't cut to the chase, and when I get there, I like to go slow to start."

"No," the skittish lover gave a nervous laugh. "I'm not talking about the sex. In bed, I can handle anything you throw at me. I'm talking about out of bed. Don't hurt me." Vulnerability flickered in his eyes. "I've been broken apart once this past year, I really couldn't handle anything shattering."

"If you know one thing about me, G." Nick steadied his eyes on Greg's. "You can trust me...with your life every night in the field...and with your heart every day." Snuggling up to his side, he playfully swirled his fingertips over the chest rapidly rising and falling in front of him. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." With tears in his eyes, the man who had been afraid to be touched since the beating, requested what he really wanted, "Make love to me. Make me feel something, because I've been numb since that night. Make it just sweet enough for me to know you care, and just rough enough for me to know I'm alive."

Wiping his best friend's tears with his thumbs, Nick murmured, "It'll be okay. Really."

"I'm still so messed up. The bones are healed, the scars are fixed, but..."

"You won't be afraid forever. The first year is the hardest, but I'm doin' much better now."

"You're not going to leave after, right? Does this booty call variation include waking up together?"

"Nightmares?"

"All the time."

Nick cracked a loving smile, "Your bed is way more comfortable than mine. I was just thinkin' – I hope he wants me to spend the night."

"It's only noon."

"I know."

Greg's fears started melting. "Okay." Afraid he'd blurt 'I love you' if he stared at the Texan's dreamy eyes any longer, the broken man closed his lids and waited for his soul to revive. "That's nice...really nice." His body was in expert hands while his heart and mind took comfort knowing it was a trusted friend breathing life back inside of him. "Yeah..." Every kiss fired a neuron and every touch awakened a patch of flesh. "Feels so good," he whimpered, remembering what pleasure was like.

"Turn around, baby," Nick softly urged, trying to find the perfect balance of tenderness and passion requested.

As his patient partner prepared his body, Greg worked on his own mind...trying to push past the post-traumatic stress disorder and not fear the fleeting pain he used to crave. "Oh!" He appreciated that Nick didn't warn him, because he would have tensed and maybe even balked.

"You okay?"

Greg nodded and reached back to grip his gentle lover's thigh. "I will be," he breathed out. "Don't stop."

Spooning and caressing the obviously troubled man in his arms, Nick was overcome with a feeling he had never experienced before in bed, or anywhere else...love. "Tell me if it's too much."

It was too much too fast, but it was also too late and too good to say anything but, "More." Recalling how much he loved sex and everything associated with it, Greg finally breathed a little easier.

"Feel good?" Instead of tensing, the shaky man in his arms was suddenly groping and bucking.

"So good."

Nick flooded with relief when the hesitant body below him finally ignited, but a minute later Greg was begging him to stop. "What's wrong?" He retreated immediately, not wanting to push if it wasn't feeling right.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out." Smiling, Greg tossed his feet on Nick's shoulders. "I just wanted to see your eyes." He licked his lips. "And kiss you." Once again he fought the urge to scream 'I love you'.

"How's this?" Nick asked when he resumed, stretching for kisses and drilling his gaze into the wide brown eyes below him.

"Perfect." The thrilled man's grin spread. "Oh wait...were you asking me about the sex? Fantastic."

Nick bit back the words he wanted to share, because it seemed crazy to be feeling them so quickly. Was it quickly, he thought. Technically this moment had been 8 years in the making. "G..." he grunted after ten glorious minutes of mind-blowing sex and soul-reaching kisses.

"Me too," Greg gasped, giving into the love and ecstasy.

Greg's Bathtub

"Careful now." Nick inspected the tape around the plastic bag he had placed over Greg's bandaged hand. "Make sure you don't get it wet or bang it while gettin' in. Just ease in and rest against my chest."

The tenderness brought an overwhelming amount of reassurance to the man who had been too afraid to love or be touched for a year. "I'm so glad I paid for the upgrade to a Jacuzzi tub apartment."

"I'm lovin' it too."

Resting his bagged arm over the edge of the tub, Greg snuggled into the embrace being offered.

"How do you feel?"

"It's starting to throb a little, but that painkiller I just popped should kick in soon."

"I didn't mean your hand." Nick pressed a kiss to his lover's cheek. "I meant what happened between us just now."

"You actually have doubts about how I feel? Did you go temporarily deaf or something?" Greg laughed from the belly. "I thought I made it really clear, especially in that last thirty seconds. I thought I even said..." He clammed up.

"Said what?"

"Tomorrow is your day off and I'm out for at least a week with this hand."

Adoring how ineptly his bathmate changed the subject, Nick started to soap their bodies. "You wanna go somewhere? Do somethin' special?"

Closing his eyes, Greg sighed, "I want to stay right here with you."

"We'll prune pretty bad if we stay in the tub until Tuesday."

"You know what I meant."

"I'd love to stay." The sated man rhythmically painted swirls of soap on the body he was clutching. "Will you lend me a pair of underwear and a toothbrush?"

"Hey, if I let you have my ass, what won't I share?"

"True. Very true." Nick couldn't stop grinning. "For the record, I'll let you have mine whenever you want it...my toothbrush that is, not my ass." He riotously laughed, "Just kiddin', honey." After a reaching around for a smooch, he quietly said, "You have an all access pass to the ass you've been paparazzi'ing or any other part of me you wanna explore."

"I have a mental list actually."

"Now that I really think about it, there is one part in particular. I have this thing about toes..."

"You like your toes sucked?"

"Noooooo." The thought of it made Nick's stomach churn. "Bestiality, bondage and toe sucking are my lines in the sand. Animals are man's best friend and nothin' more. As you can imagine, I have a problem with being held against my will."

"No doubt."

"And toes have freaked me out since I was a kid, but I have no idea why. Clowns too...so, don't dress up as one and jump me."

"Duly noted." Greg nodded. "I don't own a clown costume, lack of toe sucking isn't a deal breaker for me, and I totally agree with your take on animal play. I'm completely turned off by Lady Heather type squick, but I have to admit I enjoy being restrained by a silk scarf every once in a while."

"I don't have a problem tyin' someone else up," the control freak, chuckled. "I'm all for that."

"We're good then." After their first moment of silence, Greg quietly asked, "But what are we now?"

"Still best friends," Nick answered, tightening his embrace.

"Friends with benefits?"

"I definitely see the addition of sex to our friendship as a benefit, don't you?"

"You know what I mean, Tex."

"Tex...I like that." Leaning to see Greg's eyes, he said, "And I like you...a lot." His eyes anxiously shifted to the tile. "I'm pretty sure it's more than that, but it would be crazy to say it."

"Yeah." Common sense told him it was true.

Lifting his gaze from the tile, Nick nervously asked, "Can feelin' it be enough for now?"

"It can be enough as long as you need it to be."

Placing his fingertips under Greg's chin, he brought their mouth's together. "Thank you."

"But can we call ourselves boyfriends? Because I haven't had one of those in a long, long time and..."

"Yes," Nick loved the geeky smile accompanying the request. "I'll be your boyfriend, G."

"Cool...very cool."

"Now plant one on me like a good boyfriend should."

Their tender kiss of affirmation quickly turned heated and five minutes later, their bodies were fired to a torturous extreme.

"Bed?" Greg panted.

"It's trashed, remember." Nick helped his injured mate out of the tub.

"We've been dating for two hours, so it's time to christen the couch anyway."

When they reached the living room, Greg froze, "We have a problem."

"What?" Nick panicked.

"My couch is covered in dirty clothes, pizza boxes, books, and all my old Vegas research."

"God, you're a geek."

"Yeah," Greg proudly pled guilty. "But in an irresistible way, right?"

Shaking his head at his outrageously happy naked best friend, Nick grumbled, "Fuck it."

Greg's heart sank.

"I am totally fallin' in love with you, G." Grabbing his boyfriend of two minutes and friend of eight years, Nick kissed him like he was going off to war in the morning.

It was nine words instead of three, but Greg had no doubt that CSI Stokes would end up more than just his partner in the field. "We both know you'll be editing out the extra words over time."

"You think so, huh?"

"Floor?"

"Always a solid option," Nick winked.

"Do you like cats or dogs?" Greg asked as they dropped to the rug.

"Dogs, the big outdoor type, so they don't mess up the house. Why?"

"We may have a problem."

"What kind of..." When Nick saw an inch of cat hair on the carpet he cringed, "I'm buyin' you a Dyson for Christmas."

"So, you're already planning Christmas." Greg turned his laughing lover onto his stomach. "Your chest tasted like soap, so I thought I'd explore other uncharted areas." He rapidly kissed his way down his boyfriend's squeaky clean body. "I know you don't like your toes licked, but are there any other parts of your body you don't..."

"Go for it." But after one tortuously perfect swipe of his body, he heard Greg violently gagging. "What the..." Nick glanced over his shoulder and caught Greg frantically wiping his tongue and mouth.

"Cat hair." He pulled the last piece from his tongue. "Must have gotten there when you sat on the floor."

While Greg laughed hysterically, Nick drew one more line in the sand, "The cat goes."

"You haven't even met Mr. Huggles."

"I'm not movin' in with a cat named Mr. Huggles."

"So, you're moving in."

"I never said that."

"You just did." Greg's smile filled the room.

"G..." Nick froze in a moment of pure terror. "Please tell me that somehow it was you who just licked my ass even though you were talkin' and lookin' right at me at the time."

"Doh!" Watching Mr. Huggles trot away smacking his lips, Greg groveled, "I'm really sorry, so sorry. I promise that'll never happen again."

Nick's irritation flared, "I just got rimmed by your god damn cat?"

"It could have been worse...he could have licked your toes. And he's a very clean. He licks himself all the time." From the look on Nick's face, Greg knew that latest tidbit of information didn't help matters.

"So you're sayin' your cat probably licked his own ass, before he licked mine? And you think that's funny."

Greg covered his mouth to stifle the uncontrollable laughter.

Nick crashed onto his back and covered his face with his hands, "I'm in love with a frickin' nutjob."

"So, you do love me."

"I never said that."

"You just did!"

"The cat goes," Nick restated, peeking through his fingers.

"Hodges has been saying he wanted to get one. I'll give Mr. Huggles to him."

"You can't give Hodges a cat that licked my ass."

"Why not?"

"It's just wrong on so many levels. If Hodges kisses the cat, it would be like him kissin' my ass."

"Hodges is used to kissing ass, he's been kissing Grissom's every day for five years."

"Ha!" Slapping the hair-covered rug as he laughed, Nick said, "Okay, yeah, I'm totally in love...with the idea of givin' the cat to Hodges."

"You tease!" Greg trailed his boyfriend into the bathroom.

"I'm the tease?" Nick joked as he raced into the still bubbling Jacuzzi tub, "You're the one who cut me off after one lick, pal!"

"One bestiality violation and I'm back to being your pal, not your boyfriend?" Greg sat across from his lover this time.

"You're just lucky it wasn't a toe lick, Sanders, or you'd be bounced all the way back to my geeky sidekick."

After a minute of silent soaking, Greg said, "You so totally love me."

Nick didn't waste energy denying it this time.

"I also have a hedgehog named Spike, seven hermit crabs, a fancy goldfish named Koi, and a Sugar Glider named Gizmo."

"God, you really did need a boyfriend, didn't ya?"

"I didn't have any pets before the beating. It was scary being here alone."

"Did it ever dawn on you to get a dog that could actually protect you instead of a bunch of freaky pets that don't even make noise?"

"No dogs allowed in the complex And my hermit crabs screech."

"There's somethin' to look forward to." Seeing a twinge of insecurity returning to Greg's eyes, Nick patted the water. "Get back over here where you belong."

"Where I belong, huh?"

"You heard me," Nick replied, as he circled his arms around his jittery boyfriend. After a few moments of silence, he kissed the top of Greg's head. "I love this Jacuzzi tub. I love hedgehogs too, a friend of mine had one back in Dallas. I always thought it was really cool, but my mom wouldn't let me get one."

"I'll share my hedgehog with you."

"I could love a guy who shares his hedgehog with me."

"You think so?"

"Yeah." Nick whispered directly into Greg's ear, "Because I already do. I realized it when we were in bed before. I thought maybe it was the sex, but the sex is over and I'm still feelin' the love."

"Me too." Using his one good hand for caresses, he said, "I just hope this isn't all too good to be true."

"Crazier things have happened, G."

"Yeah, like Rick and Yoko," Greg reminded him. "They ran to the chapel after a night of hot sex and look how that turned out."

"Okay then...Sara and Griss. I think they're gonna make it just fine."

"You do?"

"No doubt in my mind."

"Why?"

"Because I found out from Sara that they got together after y'all saved me that night. They went home together, confessed they had been falling in love for years, and ended up in bed for a day. I like to think somethin' good came of that nightmare, so I want them to make it. If they don't, it'll be just one more bit of grief stemming from that bullshit." He pulled in a deep breath. "And let's not talk about that anymore."

"I fell in love with you the night of the bus crash." Closing his eyes, Greg recalled the moment in his mind's eye. "I was in awe of you that night...you were so confident...so steady. I was wreck, you were perfection...you still are in my eyes."

"I'm sure that perception will change once we're livin' together."

"So, we're moving in together."

"I didn't say that." Nick grinned for a moment, then said, "But I am gettin' a little tired of my old place now that I think about it."

Greg's smile returned as he rested easier against his boyfriend's chest. "We're so moving in together."

***