Previous part of Where You Are.
***
Chapter 22: The Things We Do for Love"I can't believe last night really happened." Tightly spooning Sara's warm, naked body, Gil replayed the memory over and over again in his mind…
"Melvin's ready, Griss," Greg assured his jittery boss whose reputation had been damaged by last place finishes three conferences in a row. "This is his race, I know it. He's not going to let us down. I can see it in his beady little eyes."
"I sincerely hope you're right, Sanders." Grissom had no faith in the roach that had consistently placed in the bottom three at every time trial back at home.
Still buzzed from her sugar and rum binge, Sara watched the two bug nuts obsess over the race and used her camera phone to capture the geekfest so she could share the insanity back at the lab. "This is definitely one of those things that you have to see to believe. I can't believe you let him turn you into a bug freak, Greg."
"Do you hear the crowd, Sara?" Greg watched hundreds of college students and fellow Forensics colleagues cheering, holding up their cocktails. "This is the closest I've ever been to sports glory. I'm psyched Griss let me co-roach coach even though I'm not an Entomologist."
"Yes, you really are lucky," Grissom slapped his employees back. "I never let Catherine, Warrick or Nick do this with me." He inspected Melvin's lane on the track one last time to ensure it was free of debris. "This is it." He wished he could hold Sara's hand.
"Ready to lose, Grissom?" Ben Casteel had an unlit cigar hanging from his mouth, so he could dash outside and fire it up in celebration of his fourth consecutive win.
"Care to put some money on the line?" Grissom asked with a hefty dose of feigned cockiness.
"A c-note says your Madagascar is mincemeat."
"You're on." Grissom narrowed his gaze. "Melvin will wipe the floor with Zeus's ass."
"Please step back behind the yellow line!" Monica Shemway announced into the microphone. "We are ready to race. Good luck, Roach Coaches!" She blew her starter's horn and yanked down on the lever that opened the race gates. "And they're off!"
"Go, Melvin!" Greg shouted and clapped. "Too bad Nick's sleeping through all the excitement."
"Go! Go!" It took only seconds for Grissom to turn red in the face from his overzealous cheering. "Melvin's in the lead! GO!"
"Okay, fine, when in Rome." Sara shook her head and joined in the cheering, "Go, Melvin! Win! I don't want to listen to your coaches whine if you don't!"
"He's gonna do it, Griss!" Greg anxiously watched the roach he had nurtured and trained scurry for the finish. "Yes! Yes! I told you so, didn't I? That's two things going my way in the same day! Holy shit! I should play the lottery!"
"HA! Take that, Casteel!" Grissom blasted his smug Entomology colleague who was cursing like a sailor. "Your streak is over!" He held out his hand. "And you owe me a hundred bucks."
Slapping the bill in his nemesis's palm, Casteel snapped, "Cleveland in August."
"I'll be there."
Peering over Sara's bare shoulder, Gil admired the big blue ribbon hanging on Melvin's tank. "I owe you, pal." Recalling last night's victory celebration, his lips eased into a satisfied smile. "I owe big."
"Way to go, Coach Grissom!" Sara gently coaxed her still injured man onto the bed. "You won the race and now you're going to get the girl." After drinking celebratory champagne in her on top of her rum spree, she had no problem putting on a show.
"Where did you learn to strip, Sara Sexy Sidle?"
Unable to keep a straight face, she burst out laughing, "Nick gave me lessons when we got here. He's had hundreds of girls strip for him, so I trusted his tips. Why? Isn't it working?"
"Oh it's working, I assure you." Gil reached down to tug off his belt. "But I know you CSI types need to see evidence, so…here you go."
"Is that a giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach in your boxers, or are you happy to see me?"
"There's only one way to tell…get real close and see if it hisses when you touch it."
"Ha!" Sara did as directed. "Mmm…be honest, what has you more turned on, me and my body, or your roach win?"
"It's a tie."
"You're a real freak, you know that?" Sara smothered his lips with a celebratory kiss. "And you're all mine, every freaky inch of you."
Gil laughed with his mate who was deftly helping him shed his clothes. "Shh, let's not forget who our neighbors are."
I can't believe last night really happened, was the first thought that entered Nick's mind when he woke at six in the morning and found himself on top of the comforter next to Greg who was burrowed under the hotel bedding snoozing soundly. With a quick lift of the beige velour blanket that had been tossed over him during the night, he verified that he was fully dressed except for his shoes, which he assumed Greg had yanked off at some point. "Good," he breathed out.
Curiosity getting the best of him, he stealthily peeked to see if Greg was naked and was relieved to see that his bedmate was wearing a grey t-shirt and blue striped pajama bottoms. But did we kiss? He remembered being close, shockingly close. A part of him wished the whole night was a blur, but unfortunately, Valium, unlike excessive alcohol, didn't cause blackouts and brain fog. He remembered it all…
The big confession…
I want you. I want you on Catalina Island, in Vegas, all the time, generally, romantically, in every sense of the word.
The romantic silliness that felt ridiculous now without Valium in his veins…
Are you like askin' me to go steady, G?
The overwhelming urge for contact…
Do you still want that hug?
The insecurity that had swamped him when he remembered that it wasn't Greg's first experience too…
You ever feel as good in another man's arms?
How relieved he was upon hearing Greg's confident reply…
Being with you is light years away from every other guy combined.
The possessiveness that came out of nowhere…
I won't be amused if I catch you flirtin' with another guy.
With his eyes closed, he drifted deeper into the memory. Soon he could feel Greg's warm, eager body rubbing against his and the delightful sensation of fingers laced in his hair. He could smell Greg's cinnamon scented breath and feel its warmth on his parted lips. "Mmm." But try as he might, he couldn't remember their mouths connecting or the sensation of their first sinful kiss, the one that would change his status from 'closeted guy successfully denying all urges' to 'active homosexual with a reserved spot in the eternal hellfire'. Did I pass out after it happened? Or did I pass out during? Or was it right before and I'm still not technically actively gay yet? Opening his eyes, he tossed off the blanket covering his body and when he saw the erotic trip down memory lane had produced a bulge in his Levis he laughed at himself. Oh you're actively gay, pal, there's your evidence right there. A teeny, tiny part of him wanted to pounce on Greg and make it official the old fashioned way, so all doubts would be removed once and for all and the obsessing could end. A smooch could be a silly misunderstanding, but a hot and heavy lovemaking session would be impossible to explain away as accidental. After all, you could honestly trip over your own two feet and kiss a guy when you bumped into him, but sex…not so much. He chuckled while slipping out of bed to handle his urge in the shower instead.
When his feet hit the floor, he saw a piece of paper had been slipped under the door. The curious CSI padded over and picked it up for further inspection.
Loverboy G -
Was last night exhilarating for you too?
Come see me in the morning.
I'll get you nice and relaxed
before your big presentation.
Use the key and slip into bed.
I'll be the guy with the
Massive hard-on for you.
Your Dream Man, Jeff
Nick ripped the covers off his slumbering bedmate. "I can't believe you, Sanders!" He had just risked everything to pursue a relationship that went against all he had been taught and words like foolish, stupid, and ridiculous didn't begin to describe how he felt. "It hasn't even been twenty four hours!"
"Wh…what's going on?" Dazed and confused, Greg scrambled to sit up in bed, and when he saw Nick looked ready to kill, he panicked, "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Nick snarled, "For a supposedly monogamous, committed guy, you sure as hell didn't waste any time screwing around behind my back."
"What are you talking about?" It was like waking up in the Twilight Zone.
"I'm talking about this, you son of a bitch!" Nick shoved the paper in Greg's face. "I found that under the door just now with a room key. I can't believe you! I can't believe anything of this!" He backed away from the bed, on the verge of explosion. "I must have lost my god damn mind!"
"No! No! This isn't what it says!" Greg yelled in fear and frustration as he waved the note and jumped out of bed. "It's…"
"Don't come near me!" Nick raged, feeling humiliated and disgusted with himself. "Stay away!" He grabbed his duffle bag. "Just let me get my shit and escape this queer nightmare from hell!" When Greg rushed forward trying to grab his arm, he threw a glass at the wall, hoping it would startle him and send a clear message. "Stay away or I swear I'll break you next!"
"Give me two minutes to explain. Please!" Greg pleaded, Jeff once again about to ruin his life. "I know you're completely off balance from coming out, and it's left you totally vulnerable and insecure, that's why you're not thinking rationally, but deep down you have to know I'm not this kind of guy! If this note was true, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to kill me, I'd hand you the gun! You're risking your family's love and support to be with me and if the thanks you got for all that was me screwing around on you, then yes, I'd be the biggest ass on the planet, but it's not true, and I'm not that kind of guy. I bared my soul to you last night. I told you what you mean to me and I wasn't lying." When Nick turned his back, he urged, "Please take a deep breath and think like a CSI. You know you can't rely on one piece of evidence to tell you the whole story, not even when it looks highly incriminating. Let me give you the rest of story."
After fighting off the urge for to be with Greg for years, Nick was stunned to find himself suddenly terrified of losing the very thing he had been trying desperately not to have. "Two minutes!" he barked with his back turned and his eyes watering. Certain he was losing his mind, he fell silent and waited for everything to be right again.
"Thank you." Tears welling in his eyes, Greg said, "He's a DNA guy from Seattle and my ex-roommate from grad school. I've told him to go to hell multiple times, but he's not taking no for an answer. You can knock on Grissom's door and ask him if you don't believe me, he saw him giving me a hard time and I told him the whole story. You can ask my mother. I called her yesterday to tell her how upset I was that Jeff was here ruining my first conference."
"Why is he talkin' about last night?" Nick interrupted, masking the emotion in his voice.
"He's talking about the roach race. Melvin won." His voice shaking, Greg said, "If you had any idea how much I hate this guy…what he did to me...he beat me within an inch of my life because I was young and stupid one day ten years ago and told him I loved him when he wasn't ready to hear it, but now he's here expecting to laugh that off and fall into bed and he calls it me playing hard to get when I tell him I wouldn't touch him if he was the last man on Earth. Last night I had to walk back here with Sara and Grissom, because he's a strong guy and I was scared to death he'd jump me on the dark path and rape me. If I don't give him what he wants, I just feel like he's going to try and take it, I've been terrified." Tears falling from his eyes, he clutched his head. "I can't believe he's ruining what I thought would be a great day. Actually I can, because two steps forward, ten steps back is the story of my pathetic life."
When Nick turned, he found Greg crying into his hands. "I'm sorry." His own tears releasing at the sight, he dropped his duffle bag. "I'm so sorry."
"Do you think they're alright?" Sara whispered to her equally concerned significant other. She and Gil had been snuggling in bed when the yelling started next door. "They sounded just like my parents."
"It was probably all a big misunderstanding." Holding Sara's trembling body, Gil tried to soothe her, "The last thing I heard was Greg yelling for two minutes to explain. Nick's a hot head and Greg's a talker. I'm sure they worked it out. It's been quiet for about five minutes now."
"Look at me," Sara vacantly said when she caught her reflection in the mirrored closet. "I'm seven years old and hiding in my room again. The only difference is I'm holding you instead of a stuffed animal. I'm hiding in my room waiting for evidence that he didn't kill her this time."
"You're shaking." His heart broke for the little girl in his arms and the woman who still suffered from the trauma two uncaring parents inflicted on her while only thinking of themselves. "I love you, Sara." The words wouldn't take away the pain, but maybe they would help.
"Why?" she asked, feeling incredibly unworthy of the sentiment so much of the time.
"Because you're Sara." He brushed her hair from her eyes. "I suppose I could tell you a list of things that you do that makes me feel compatible with you or attracted to you, but I'm a romantic. I like to think that true love is above a mundane explanation. That it's an innate feeling two people have for each other. It's deep and ethereal and can't be adequately summed up with words, it has to be experienced and felt. Like how you can describe a sunset at The Grand Canyon in detail, but it's really not the same as being there and watching the light play over the ridges while a hawk swoops by. Loving you is like being at The Grand Canyon at sunset…magical."
"That was beautiful." Sara watched her man holding her in the mirror. "And just yesterday, Terri Miller called you an emotional retard."
His mouth edged into a smile. "Well, the emotionally challenged are often misunderstood."
"I'm so sorry," Nick reiterated ten minutes later after Greg finished telling him the painful details of his relationship with Jeff. "I must be losin' my mind. I can't believe I thought you…"
"It's okay, it's behind us." Greg smiled to assure him that all was well again. "You had the rug pulled out from under you when your legs were already wobbly. Seriously, you just came to a conclusion about something life changing that you've been analyzing for decades. That's a huge deal, and you put all your trust in me. Your reaction to finding that letter was intense, but completely understandable under the circumstances."
"I threw a glass at the wall." Nick pointed to the remnants on the floor. "I was shakin' and yellin', and I threatened you, all over a guy's note. Jeeeeez, what the hell is wrong with me?"
"I have a theory." Greg's smile expanded. "I think you realized that you're crazy about me and it rocked you to the core."
"Oh you do, do you?" Nick averted his eyes while laughing. "I'm certainly crazy, that's for sure."
That's a yes! "Soooo…we had our first argument before we had our first kiss, and we already know that we can work through a crisis. That's kinda comforting, doncha think?"
"Yeah." Stepping closer, Nick lowered his voice to a paranoid whisper, "So we didn't um…you know…last night?"
"Kiss?" Greg shook his head.
Relaxing from the sight of his buddy's familiar, lovable smile, Nick chuckled, "When I woke up this mornin' I remembered all this goofy stuff I said last night thanks to the Valium, and I recalled bein' in your arms, but I couldn't remember a…"
"You can say it, I know you can."
"Kiss," Nick cracked up.
"Yeah, you passed out while puckering up, so I tucked you in bed for the night. I figured we'd pick up where we left off in the morning, but…boy was I wrong."
Still feeling guilty, Nick moved beyond his comfort zone and took Greg's hand. "Let's start the day over."
"Let's." Gazing into the emotionally-charged eyes of his partner of less than twenty-four hours, Greg sweetly said, "Good morning, Cletus."
"Mornin', G." Suddenly in a panic over what might occur next, Nick blurted, "I have nasty morning breath."
"And there's perk number one of dating a guy. All that preening and sanitizing that we do for chicks isn't as critical. We're men, a little odor doesn't bother us." Greg happily informed his mate, "Perk number two…I'm not a one hundred pound waif. If you want to put a little muscle behind a kiss, or some other action, feel free, I won't break. Not that I don't like things gentle, I do, I enjoy a hefty dose of tenderness in my relationships actually, but should a more animalistic mood strike, we don't have to hold back worrying about offending each other's feminine sensibilities." Enjoying the flustered look on Nick's face, he continued, "Which leads me to perk number three…I have the same parts as you. That means I know how they work, what they enjoy, and I'm not afraid to closely interact with them. I don't think anything negative about the male anatomy or its output, which you'll never hear me refer to as gross, icky, sticky, and/or nasty. After all, it would be like hating part of myself, right?" He winked. "Those are just three of the perks, but I think it's enough to keep your mind busy for a while."
"Uh huh," Nick gulped. "More than enough…yeah." His desire on the rise, along with the crotch of his Levis, he found himself once again staring at Greg's parted lips. "I gotta pee." And take another Valium.
"Perk four!" Greg yelled as his uptight love interest hustled for the bathroom. "You can leave the toilet seat up!"
"Did you forget I was here?" Sara needled her etiquette-challenged man when she returned to bed. "You didn't put the toilet seat back down."
"Sorry." He tossed the USA Today he had found outside the door and pecked Sara's cheek. "You'll be happy to know that I brushed though. Maybe you'll reconsider and give me a good morning kiss now."
"Mmm." She snuggled up to him. "Ow!"
"What's wrong?"
Rubbing her beard-burned chin she pulled away. "Your stubble just seared off two layers of my flesh."
"Sorry." He felt it for himself. "Doesn't seem that bad to me."
"I'm a woman," she sighed, "I have thinner skin."
His romantic efforts thwarted again, Gil droned, "I'll go shave."
"Did you forget I was here?" Greg teased from the other side of the bathroom door.
"I'm takin' a dump, Sweetheart," Nick joked. "I'll be with you shortly."
"Sucks only having one bathroom in the morning."
"You could come in and pee in the shower, that's what me and my brother always did growin' up."
"And kill the romantic vibe we have goin' on? Fat chance!" Greg turned when he heard a knock on the door. "Doh! I forgot to tell you that Jan and Dave are coming to see my presentation this morning. I didn't think they'd be here this early though. Stay hidden if you don't feel like dealing."
"No, I'll be right out, I'm just washin' up."
"Cool!" Greg hurried to answer the door. But when he flung open the door, instead of his mother and father, he saw Jeff holding a Krispy Kreme bag.
"I hope classic glazed is still your favorite." The muscle bound jock lowered his Ray Bans. "Miss me?"
"Yes, please come in." Greg waved him into the room and shut the door.
"Someone's eager this morning. What do you want first?" Jeff winked. "Breakfast or me? Or would you rather eat the donut off me?"
"Hold that thought." Greg walked over and knocked on the bathroom door. "We have company. It's the guy I told you about, Mr. Doesn't Understand the Word No." Nick had asked for him to point out Jeff at the conference, so he was relieved for the opportunity to settle things beforehand.
The bathroom door flew open a second later.
"You were serious about being with someone?" Jeff stood staring at the menacing man marching towards him.
"All six times I said it, yes."
"Would you go grab us some ice, G?" Nick postured in front of the bastard who had beaten his buddy to a pulp ten years ago.
"I'd love to." Greg snatched the bucket and dashed out of the room.
Nick spoke through a sarcastic smile, "I've heard a lot about you. None of it good, most of it despicable. Greg told you he was with someone. He told you to leave him alone. You didn't listen to him, but maybe you'll listen to me. Leave. Greg. Alone. That means don't talk to him, don't slip him notes under the door, don't watch him, don't come within fifty feet of him at any time, am I clear?"
Laughing off the accusations, Jeff said, "Look, Greg can be such a girl. He gets hysterical. I don't know what he told you, but…" When the man grabbed his testicles and squeezed with a vice grip, Jeff frantically gasped for oxygen.
"I was stalked once, I didn't like it. I don't like people who invade other people's space." Nick tightened his grip. "I was abused once, I didn't like it. I don't like people who physically hurt others to make themselves feel good. You're a stalker and an abuser, which means I don't like you. Greg's mother spoke to your wife and she told her that you used to knock her around. Wife beaters make me sick. This is for her too." Nick squeezed harder still. "You may intimidate Greg, but you sure as shit don't intimidate me. I've had guns in my face. I've killed people in the line of duty. I've been kidnapped and brutally tortured and lived to tell the tale. I'm beyond intimidation and I have a gun and know how to use it. I know how to dispose of a body without gettin' caught too." He snarled, "Are you hearin' me yet?" When the gasping man vehemently nodded, he released his hold. "Good. I'm glad we have an understanding." Smiling, he patted Jeff's cheek. "Just one more thing." While still grinning, he punched him in the gut and when the pig doubled over clutching his stomach, he kicked him to the ground. "Unless you want more of the same, don't show up at Greg's presentation this morning."
"I…I won't."
"Wise choice." When Greg returned with the ice a minute later, Nick yelled, "Leave the door open, G. Our guest was just leavin'." He yanked Jeff to his feet and dragged him to the door. "Thanks for stopping by and sorry to hear about your tummy ache. He told me he's gonna have to miss your presentation, G."
"Shucks," Greg played along while falling a little deeper in love with the man who just defended his honor.
Nick handed the bastard the bucket. "Ice your balls and maybe they'll only swell to the size of melons. Now let me hear you tell Greg goodbye forever."
"Goodbye forever," Jeff whimpered as he waddled out of the room.
"Yes!" Greg exclaimed as he slammed the door. "The reign of terror is over!"
"Hell yeah, it is."
A dozen emotions washing over him, Greg stood speechless, gazing at Nick.
"Yeah, you won't hear from that asshole again. God, that was fun." After a wink, the cocky Texan delivered one of his favorite lines, "Who loves ya, Baby?"
"You do." Breaking his promise not to initiate physical contact, Greg cupped his savior's face. "Sorry," he breathed out, before crashing his lips into Nick's and savoring the sweetness he had been dying to sample for years.
Stunned by the unexpected advance, Nick broke the kiss and shoved his aggressor away. "What the hell, Sanders?" Panting, he watched his buddy wipe his moist lips with the back of his hand. "I wasn't…" Lunging forward, he crushed his mouth against Greg's, kissing him with a ferocity that he'd never unleashed on a woman. It was really happening, he was kissing a man. "No," he growled when they finally came up for air. "This isn't…" But instead of finishing his protest, he smothered Greg's lips again, urging them open, and invading his eager partner's wet, hot mouth with a wild, grateful tongue. For a sin, it felt heavenly. That confused him, but eventually he stopped caring.
Pinned against the wall by Nick's muscular body while being devoured by his ravenous mouth, Greg loved the crazy swirl in his stomach. He loved being consumed. It was really happening, and it was surpassing every fantasy by a mile. "So good," he gasped when Nick's tongue momentarily retreated. One gulp of air and they were at it again. He knew there would be plenty of tender kisses later, but for now he let Nick attack his mouth with the savage intensity of a man who had stumbled upon water after wandering the desert parched for decades.
"Sorry," Nick breathed out when he finally relented. "I couldn't stop." Nothing had ever felt that real before, that visceral.
"Do you hear me complaining?" Greg sweetly replied as they panted in harmony. "When was the last time a kiss felt that fantastic?"
"Never," Nick admitted, his mind too overwhelmed to speak anything but the truth.
"Same here."
"My lips are killin' me."
"My tonsils are sore," Greg teased. "You kept bumping into them. And now do you understand why I was perfectly okay with sex not being our first activity?"
The two men were clutching each other's faces and laughing together when they heard a knock on the door.
"Honey, it's Mom!"
"Two minutes, okay!" Greg broke into a naughty smile before whispering, "This is so high school. I'm in my room with a boy and my mommy's gonna see my hard on and know I was fooling around."
"I had the opportunity to fool around in high school," Nick confessed, happy to have someone to finally tell. "Bobby McMartin, a guy on the freshman football team with me. I was too scared when he asked me. I didn't trust him. I thought he was trickin' me. It wasn't until a few years later, when I found out he was caught gettin' it on with a guy in the locker room that I knew for sure he had been serious. I remember bein' pissed that I didn't trust him, but then relieved, because he caught so much shit for bein' queer."
Caressing his partner's cheek, Greg lovingly said, "I'm thrilled that I got to be your first. I've never been anyone's first anything." Lust replaced by love, he tenderly brushed his kiss-swollen lips over Nick's. "Thank you for letting me."
"Thank you for breaking your promise to always let me make the first move."
"Sorry."
"Do you hear me complainin'?"
"You're in there foolin' around with Nicky, aren't you?" Jan shouted through the door.
"She knows?" Nick panicked, once again uncomfortable.
"I called her last night," Greg informed his partner. "You said I could tell them." Stepping away, he said, "Okay, I need to summon my anti-boner thought."
"I use dead puppies, what do you use?"
"I use dead puppies too!" Greg replied, certain it was another sign that they were a perfect match.
"Good Lord, my arms are full of stuff, Gregory! You're a grown man, I'm not going to ground you for having a hard on, just open the damn door!"
"My family talks very casually about sex," Greg explained when he saw Nick's shocked reaction to his mother's words. "You'll get used to it."
"I don't think I will."
"That's what you said about kissing a boy, but we both know you're counting the minutes until you can do that again, Cletus." Greg winked before reaching for the knob, "Ready?"
"Ready!" Gil emerged from the bathroom freshly showered, shaved and brushed. "The toilet seat is down, the sink is whisker-free, there are no toothpaste globules anywhere on the counter, and I'm happy to report that the bathroom fan works like a charm."
"Am I high maintenance?" Sara asked while lounging on the germ-free sheets she had brought from home.
"Not at all," Gil lied while slipping into bed. It was a lot to go through just to get some lovin', but she was worth it. "Good morning, Honey."
"Morning." She eagerly brought her lips to his. "We only have time for a quickie now."
Gil replied through a perky smile. "Darn."
"Get together for a picture, boys!" Jan directed. "I'm starting a new scrapbook titled, 'Greg - The Gay Years'."
"I'm not even showered, Jan," Nick pointed out, thoroughly unnerved by being openly gay in front of her. "Greg's still in his jammies."
"I like real pictures, not posed ones." The anxious mother motioned for her son's boyfriend to get to it. "Chop chop, the breakfast I brought is getting cold."
While he wanted to run screaming from the room, Nick moved closer muttering, "The things we do for love."
"I heard that," Greg said, happy that he had.
"Good." Nick smiled as he draped his arm around his partner's shoulders. "Is this gay enough for you, Jan?" he was able to joke. "Or should I grab a bottle of Evian from the mini-bar?"
"Ooh! That would be perfect, yes!"
"She's serious," Greg laughed, "This is so 'Senior Prom Meeting the Parents', isn't it? In all its nightmarish glory."
"What's that banging?" Jan asked, lowering her camera.
Returning with a bottle of Evian, Nick chuckled, "That would be our boss gettin' it on with his dirty little mistress in the next room."
Jan walked over to the paper-thin wall and shouted, "Way to go, Mr. Grissom! Show these kids that sex over fifty is fabulous!"
Gil froze in mid-thrust.
"You're stopping?" Sara whispered, "Why? They can't see us."
Glancing down, Gil sighed, "I know, but my boys got stage fright."
***
Chapter 23: Power Trips"It's a gorgeous morning," Gil remarked before pecking Sara's cheek. "I like to take a brisk walk and get my blood flowing before lecturing. So, while you shower and get ready, I'm going walk the hotel path by the bay."
"You need a little break from me, huh?"
"I get Cabin Fever when sharing a small space with people, even loved ones," he reassured her. "Even on family vacations as a boy I needed to spend some time alone every day. It's not personal, it's just my personality."
"Have a good walk," she said with a smile before disappearing into the bathroom. Once again he was leaving her, but at least it would only been minutes, not weeks this time.
When he stepped outside, Gil filled his lungs with cool, salty air. He hadn't been completely honest with Sara. While he did enjoy a good dose of solitude daily, it was her that he really needed to get away from for a while. After living alone for most of his adult life, living with Sara was a huge adjustment, one that he was still getting used to back home in twenty-six hundred square feet of space. The four hundred square foot hotel room they were currently crammed into was starting to feel a little tight.
It wasn't that he didn't love her. After the vulnerability she exhibited this morning listening to the fight he loved her more than ever. No, it wasn't about love, it was about space, and as much as he adored her, he couldn't stand her in his space all the time. This was his conference, his hotel room, and she wasn't supposed to be here complaining about toilet seats and morning stubble. He had been looking forward to the time alone, time to read and quietly contemplate life, and while he loved Sara and her romantic surprise, he couldn't help but mourn the loss of solitude he had been looking forward to for just a few days in his life.
With two hundred yards between him and his significant other, Gil's breathing relaxed. "Much better."
"It's a gorgeous morning," Nick remarked to Jan after peering out the window. "Hey, while Greg's in the shower and gettin' ready, would you mind if I took a walk by the bay? Or do you want the company?"
"You need a little break from me, huh?"
"No, no, not at all," Nick politely lied. "I had a really tough case yesterday, that's how I ended up out here, I'm on stress leave. Long walks are therapeutic for me."
Handing her son's boyfriend a water bottle, Jan smiled, "Hydrate while you walk, it helps rid the body of toxins and that will give you an overall sense of wellbeing."
Taking the bottle, Nick winked. "You're such a Californian, Jan."
"When you get back, I'll whip out my travel acupuncture kit for a treatment and then fetch you a sprout shake." Chuckling, the loving mother said, "Have a good walk, sweetie. I'll let Greg know where you went when he gets out of the shower."
"Thanks." Waving the water bottle, Nick made his escape.
It wasn't that he didn't like Jan, she was great, a wonderful person, and she loved her son unconditionally. Jan wasn't the problem, it was her being in the room when he wanted to be alone with Greg. After living his entire life without a boyfriend, now that he had one, he wanted to enjoy him. But now she was here. She broke up our first kiss! Well, technically the first round was over, so it's more like she prevented a second round. He could still taste Greg in his mouth. I can't believe I kissed him. That was wrong, so wrong, and so good, so incredibly good. Hot is what it was. The hottest kiss ever. Wearing a Cheshire grin he strolled the path feeling sixteen again, but this time, instead of forcing himself to live out his brother's teenage dreams of making it with loose, big-breasted girls, he was allowing himself to be the teenager he was born to be. I wonder if he's in the shower thinking about me like I'm out here thinking about him? He was allowing himself to muse about things he used to punish himself for pondering. Would we be showering together this morning if Jan hadn't shown up? It sounded phenomenal in theory, but he knew he would have panicked if the opportunity had presented itself. I said slow. Slow is good. It's what I need. Loving a man felt innate and unnatural at the same time and he wasn't ready to up the intensity just yet. But damn that kiss was hot!
With two hundred yards between him and his significant other, Nick's breathing quickened. "This sucks."
His Catholic guilt kicking in, Gil stopped walking and turned to look at the hotel in the distance. I'm an idiot. I have a beautiful, intelligent woman soaping herself in my shower and I'm out walking alone. He knew there were many fifty year old men who would kill to be in his shoes; many single nerds attending the conference would too. I should march back there and jump in the shower with her, that's what I should do.
Even though he was certain that returning to the room and joining Sara was the romantically right thing was to do, he walked in the opposite direction shaking his head.
His Bible Belt sensibilities kicking in, Nick stopped walking and turned to look at the hotel in the distance. I'm goin' to hell. My best friend is soaping himself in the shower and all I can think about while I'm walking is how I'd love to be there washin' his back. He knew there were many gay men who would kill to be in his shoes; many who wouldn't consider their actions the least bit sinful. I should march back there and tell Greg I'm sorry, but I can't live a homosexual life, that it's something that will cost me my family and I've changed my mind, yeah, that's what I should do.
Even though he was certain that returning to the room and ending the relationship would be the Biblically right thing to do according to his parents, he walked in the opposite direction smiling.
When she stepped out of the shower, Sara noticed that her toiletries had taken over the small bathroom counter, and Gil's were now crunched in a corner. I'm smothering him. He didn't go on a walk, he ran screaming from the room to escape me and my stuff.
Stepping out of the shower, she sighed. I shouldn't have come. She grabbed her robe from the hook where she had left it. I'll leave after the presentation.
When she stepped into the steamy bathroom, Jan yelled to her boy in the shower, "I have to tinkle, sweetie, so stay in there and keep the curtain closed."
"Mom!" In the middle of taking care of some pressing business himself, Greg spoke in a heated whisper, "I really doubt my boyfriend's prim and proper Southern Debutante mama has ever taken a leak in the bathroom while he's in the shower. He's going to think we're more insane than we already are."
"Having only one bathroom stinks." As she dropped onto the toilet she waved her hand in front of her face, "What did you eat last night, honey?"
"Why did I have to be born to abnormal parents?" he lamented while staring at his unresolved problem.
"Yes, we're so awful, your father slaved to afford the best schools for you while I gave you a happy home life and here we are in Long Beach to watch your first presentation and welcome Nick with open arms instead of being more normal and spending the day at a country club bitching to our friends that our only son isn't a successful plastic surgeon and married to a woman." Gathering a wad of toilet paper, the hurt mother snapped, "Poor Greg!"
"I'm going to wear down my loofa trying to scrub off all that guilt you just flung at me. You really missed your calling as a Catholic." Greg laughed, "Stay, pee all you want! Scare off my boyfriend of less than twenty-four hours." Read me porn while I finish whacking off!
"Nicky's not even here," she informed her boy while flushing the toilet, hoping to scald him.
"AH!" Greg bolted back from the boiling water.
"Oops."
"You did that on purpose." Greg rolled his eyes. "And why isn't my boyfriend here? Did you drive my boyfriend to run screaming from the room?"
Grinning as she dried her hands, Jan asked, "How many times are you going to say boyfriend during this conversation, sweetie?"
"After not having one for so long I like the sound of it."
"I may have made him a tad uncomfortable," she said, deciding to torture her ungrateful son.
"What did you do? Spill it!"
"Well…you know your health is paramount to me, honey."
"Uh oh."
"Since being actively gay is all new to Nick, I wanted to make sure that he was well equipped to treat you right."
Greg's eyes bulged and he gripped the shower rail as his knees grew weak.
"I presented him with a jumbo box of condoms, the Idiot's Guide to Great Gay Sex, and a Pleasure Starter Kit that I bought online from the Gay Boy Mall. Have you been to that website? There are a lot of interesting toys nowadays." After a giggle, she said, "Thank goodness I remembered to mention that all lube isn't created equal. The poor repressed Texan didn't realize that while KY is nice for a woman, it's better to use something a little more durable when making love to a boy." Following a second, more riotous giggle, she said, "You could choose your bead color when ordering the kit and I told Nick I picked purple because it was your favorite and I figured you'd be on the receiving end."
"I can't believe you!" Greg grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist and threw back the curtain. "He's probably red-lining it back to Vegas. He was totally freaked and shaking from our first kiss. We're taking things slow, very slow. I can't believe you! The guy can barely handle the fact that he's gay and you gave him beads and god knows what else is in that kit. Oh my God! What's next? Gerbils for Christmas?" The most upset he had ever been with her in his life, Greg screamed, "Did it ever occur to you that I may not want beads up my ass, Mom? And please don't tell me how much you enjoy that activity, because I'm at my squick limit for the day thankyouverymuch!" Dropping onto the bed, he whimpered, "All I want is a normal sex life with a nice boy without my mother involved in the process, is that too much to ask? I'm serious, Mom, you went too far with the jokes this time. This is sensitive territory and you..."
"Aww, honey." In a sympathetic voice, she replied, "I know it's a sensitive territory, that's exactly why I wanted to make sure he had lube and knew what to do with it. Your bottom was always so delicate. As an infant, I had to change your diaper hourly and use extra-strength rash cream or you'd chafe. I told Nick that and gave him the name of cream that worked best should you get a little red, because certain creams only made matters worse for you." As her mortified son scrambled for his cell phone, presumably to call Nick, she yelled, "Gotcha!"
"What?" Clutching his head with one hand, he panted, "You weren't serious?"
"No, so you can stop having that heart attack now."
Bitch! He crashed onto the bed gasping for air. "I think you missed your calling as an actress too."
"That was payback for calling me abnormal."
"That's funny, because I think it's proof positive that you are abnormal." He placed his palm on his hammering heart. "I'm surprised that you didn't wait until I was yelling into the phone 'Don't worry, I don't want beads up my ass, Nick' before you said 'gotcha'."
"I almost did," she snickered, "but I'm not that evil." Wearing a satisfied smile, she trotted over to grab her purse. "I have to meet your father at the marina in twenty minutes, and I've tortured you enough for at least a few hours. I bought you a few new ties to choose from for your big day, I displayed them on the dresser for you." After a quick smooch to his cheek, she headed for the door. "I'll see you at the University, Sweetie."
"Not if I see you first!" Bitch!
When Nick saw his boss strolling down the path toward him, he waved, "Hey, Griss! I'm surprised you have energy to talk a walk after all that action I heard comin' from your room this mornin'."
"You do realize that if you can hear what's going on in my room, I can hear what's going on in yours, right?"
"Oh." Nick whirled around to focus on the boats in the water.
"Sara was very worried," Gil quietly remarked. "After nine years together, you know I rarely get personal, but for her sake I'm going to ask…is everything okay between you and Greg?"
"Uh…how much did you hear exactly?" Nick asked, his stomach knotting.
"Everything you screamed in a jealous rage, what sounded like a glass breaking, and then Greg begging you to listen to him for two minutes."
"Oh. Is that all?" Nick lifted a hand to his face, covering his eyes and cringing. "Yeah, we're okay. Great actually. Greg's ex-roommate slid a note under the door that had me a little concerned. I broke the cardinal rule of the job, Griss, I jumped to conclusions without all the evidence."
"Well…all bets are off when your own heart is on the line." When he saw Nick squirming, Gil used humor to diffuse the awkwardness, "Don't worry, what happens outside of Vegas, stays outside of Vegas, and you know me, Nicky…I would never think less of someone for living the way they were programmed to live. I respect you personally and professionally and that's not going to change, no matter how bad your taste in men is." He continued the tease, "Warrick I would understand, but Greg?"
"I appreciate the levity, I do."
"Good, and I sincerely hope you won't be uncomfortable around me for too long."
"Thanks, Griss. I'll try, but I'm still uncomfortable around me, so…don't take it personal." Nick gulped the lump in his throat. "I'm not comin' out to my family. Other than Greg's parents and you and Sara, I don't want anyone to know. Not Warrick or Jim, and especially not Catherine."
"You have my word."
"I know I can take your word to the bank, so…" Nick breathed a little easier.
"And what about the incident at work yesterday?" Grissom switched to supervisory mode. "How worried should I be?"
"It's too soon tell. I've honestly just pushed the job out of my head while I get a handle on my personal life. I have a week until I start PEAP, but I don't know, Griss…I may not be able to go back, at least not in the field. I can't tell if it's the city or the people in it gettin' worse, or if I just can't handle the evilness all of a sudden, I don't know." Shaking his head, Nick shared, "Jim and I talked a bit. He thinks maybe I should switch into a lab job for a while, but I'm not sure that my ego could handle that."
"We could always say it's a physical issue," Grissom suggested. "Like a back injury for example," he spoke from personal experience. "If I don't clear you for fieldwork, you can't leave the lab."
"That could be an option, yeah." Nick took a seat on a nearby bench. "Greg wants to take me to Catalina Island for a few days on his family's boat. His dad brought it in this morning, he's prepping it as we speak. Greg thinks a little time away with lots of fresh air and no stress will help me clear my head. He's gonna ask you about skippin' out on the last two days of this conference." He quietly said, "It's really embarrassin' to say this, but…could you let him? I think it would really help to relax a bit before I have to report to my PEAP counselor, because if I show up the way I feel now, I'm pretty sure after a few minutes of pickin' my brain, Henry will say I need to quit LVPD for good."
Taking a seat, Gil nodded, "Tell Greg he doesn't have to ask, consider it done. He can leave as early as tomorrow if he'd like, because after presenting twice today, we're just guests."
Finally able to make eye contact, Nick smiled at his mentor, "I really appreciate the help."
"Good, now maybe under the same rules of absolute confidentiality, you can help me." Sitting back, Gil sighed, "I know it's not quite apples to oranges, because as I understand it, you and Greg were living together only as friends until…well, assuming from what I heard this morning, until last night, right?"
After clearing his throat, Nick replied, "Yeah, but we're um…in the very early stages of our relationship."
Gil winked. "Luckily, the sexual part of my relationship is the one area I'm not having any difficulty with, so I don't need you to speak from experience there. No, it's the other parts I'm struggling with, particularly the dynamics of cohabitation. You never lived with anyone before either, right? College roommates aside."
"Right."
"Since you and Greg moved in together on the same day as Sara and I, tell me…how are you feeling about sharing your home with someone twenty-four/seven? How does it feel having their stuff mingling with your stuff and not being able to come home and just be alone for a while?"
Watching a large sailboat drift by, Nick replied, "So good that I had to come here because I missed it." He shook his head. "I can not believe I'm sayin' this stuff out loud to you, but what the hell, right? You already heard my jealous boyfriend blowup, so it's not like I have any pride left." He chuckled, "Plus I took a Valium after Greg's mom arrived. Man, that woman is a piece of work."
"Tell me about it," Gil droned.
"Right, right," Nick chuckled, "she was cheerin' you on."
"Getting back to my question," Gil redirected.
"I apologize in advance if you get a cavity, but I'm a romantic who wears his heart on his sleeve. Life is one big country song to me, the more emotional the lyrics the better."
"I prefer instrumental music," Gil replied through a smile. "To continue your analogy, I guess I find life is often more beautiful without words."
"Then you could never live with Greg, let me tell you." Nick sighed, "But I'm glad I do. To answer your question, I love everything about havin' him there. I like sharin' my life with him. Havin' him around to bounce things off of when I need someone's ear. I love coming home with him after shift, or if we're workin' different nights, I love havin' him home when I get there, even if he's sleepin', it's just nice not to be alone. I like havin' him there when I wake up too, and not just because he makes great breakfasts, because it's nice to start the day with someone. It's good to have someone sendin' you off into the world and knowin' they'll be thinkin' about you while you're gone…and how much they'd miss you if God forbid you never came home." His voice cracking, he said, "There was no one waitin' at home for me that night I was kidnapped. It's not the same thing as people worried about me, I knew there were plenty of people who cared, but there was no one who was gonna have to come home to an empty house and miss me…no one sittin' in bed night after night starin' at my empty pillow with tears in their eyes." Smiling as he bit back his tears, he said, "Almost losin' my life when I hadn't really lived it, let's just say that I'm happy for everythin' I'm gettin' right now and the annoyin' stuff seems really inconsequential when lookin' at the big picture."
Gil remained silent, absorbing the powerful words.
Glancing over, Nick said, "Maybe that's the difference, Griss. You haven't spent quality time in a coffin, and you haven't come close to losin' Sara to know what you'd be missin' if she suddenly wasn't there. Maybe whiskers and hair in the sink still matters to people like you, because you've been lucky."
"You heard us arguing about that this morning, huh?"
"Yeah," Nick cracked a brilliant smile. "Here's the conclusion I came to yesterday. Life's short as it is, and there are psychos out there tryin' to make it even shorter. What the hell am I waitin' for?"
Grissom nodded, finally getting the point.
"We have people who care about us, Griss. We're the lucky ones, damn lucky."
"Are you ready to end this conversation and make the trip back to our rooms?"
Nick jumped off the bench. "Walk? Hell, I'm ready to run."
As they hurried down the path, Grissom said, "I'm going to order Greg to leave the conference after today."
"So we're not next door listenin' to you and Sara?"
"Yep." Gil hurried as fast as his bad back would allow. "Tell Greg we'll meet in the lobby in exactly fifteen minutes."
Nick pulled his trusted pack of bubblegum from his pocket and joked, "I'll put gum in my ears, so you don't have to hold back, Romeo."
After drying her hair, Sara began packing her toiletries. I shouldn't have barged in on his conference. He loves these things. He's like a rock star when he attends them. Sighing, she picked up her bottle of KY. One of these days we'll have a successful getaway.
With her toiletry bag in hand, she walked into the bedroom wearing the robe Gil had bought for her after she started spending the night at his place a couple of times a week. Maybe we shouldn't have moved in together at all. Maybe it's too much for him. Maybe he needs his solitude, or is too set in his ways.
She decided to wait and discuss it when he returned home rather than create tension for him at the conference. Tossing her toiletry bag in her open suitcase, she knew it was the right choice. He doesn't want me here, he's given me a bunch of signs. Staring at the bottle with its safety seal still firmly intact, she shook her head.
"Sara!" Gil called out when he burst into the room. "Thank you for coming here and surprising me." He yanked her in his arms. "I'm a lucky, lucky guy." When he saw that she was holding a bottle of lubricant, he took it as a divine sign. "I have fifteen minutes and you have KY, which will compensate for a reduction in foreplay time. What do you say?"
After struggling to remove the industrial strength safety seal, she handed over the bottle with an encouraging smile. "Go for it, Romeo."
When Nick saw Greg sound asleep on the bed wearing only a towel, he rushed over. "G! What are you doin', man?" He grabbed both hands, yanking his buddy to his feet. "You have to meet Griss in the lobby in fifteen minutes and you're not dressed, and you slept on wet hair, so it's all messed up in the back."
"Oh!" When Greg's hands flew to his head, the towel slipped off his hips. "Oops. Remember, it's chilly in here." He crouched down to reclaim his towel while Nick laughed his ass off.
Nick hurried to the closet for the suit bag he had seen hanging in there. "You fix your hair, I'll grab your clothes."
"Thanks!" Greg rushed into the bathroom. "Perk five…you both know how to knot a tie properly!"
After spreading out the clothing on the bed in order, so his partner could easily throw on the pieces, Nick pulled a pair of boxers from Greg's suitcase and found some dark socks. "Which one of these Mama's boy ties do you wanna wear, G?"
"You pick."
Nick selected the one he liked best of three and moved to the mirror to tie it.
"Awesome." Greg tossed his towel and raced through the line of clothes.
When he turned around with the pre-knotted tie in hand, Nick checked the clock. "Seven minutes to spare."
As Nick slipped the tie over his head, Greg asked, "Ever play Seven Minutes in Heaven?"
"No."
"Wanna some time?"
"Maybe." Nick smirked while slowly sliding the knot into place. "How do you play?"
"It's a teenage party game. Two people are locked in a dark room together for seven minutes. It's a kissing game, but if you were lucky, you got treated to a little heavy petting."
"I think I might like to try that sometime. Maybe in Catalina." Nick pushed the knot of the tie into place.
"So, you're into bondage, huh?"
"Too tight?" Nick chuckled as his buddy pretended to gasp for air. "For the record, no, I'm not into bondage or any of that squick found at Lady Heather's Palace of Poor Taste."
"Me either." Greg sweetly laughed, "I know I've joked about a lot of stuff at work, but I wasn't speaking from personal experience."
Nick winked. "We all suspected as much."
"Yeah, I figured." As his OCD-prone boyfriend continued to obsessively adjust the tie, Greg said, "I bet this knotting a tie thing feels pretty good to a possessive guy like you."
"It does actually." Finally satisfied with his handiwork, Nick removed his hands. "Good thing I have a Valium in me, or I'd have the wood to prove it."
"Me too. I took a half per Griss's instructions, so I would appear relaxed while presenting."
Nick craftily phrased his newest concern, "Is my need for possessive tie knotting going to a problem for you?"
Sliding his hand into Nick's, Greg said, "When my almost fiancée broke up with me in college, she said she could never marry me because I wasn't man enough for her."
"That had to hurt." Nick winced, thinking of how it would feel to be on the receiving end of such a bash. "I didn't know you were close to getting engaged once."
"Yeah, and we were supposed to be waiting to have sex until our wedding night, but when I was home helping my mom after my grandparents died, Lacey fell into bed with another guy. When I confronted her, she said she couldn't help it, that he was so aggressive compared to me and made her feel so wanted, that she was blown away by how much she liked feeling that way. She said going out with me was like going out with a fun friend, but going out with him was like being out with a man who could protect her in a dark alley. I was pissed at her for a long time, but now I get it, especially after this morning with Jeff. Watching you handle him for me…I realized that you were the guy Lacey wanted." Grinning, Greg finally got to his point, "Some guys like knotting ties around a guy's neck, and some like to be the guy getting his tie knotted. Although she could have handled the situation better, Lacey was being honest and saving us from a marriage that wouldn't have worked out in the long run. You and I won't need Lady Heather's, because I don't think we'll have any power struggles in our relationship. I think we're a perfect match."
Wrapping his fingers just below the knot of Greg's tie, Nick playfully tugged him close. "Perfect, huh?"
"Yeah, cowboy," Greg spoke against Nick's parted lips while shivering from the feel of a strong hand slipping between his suit jacket and shirt. "Perfect."
Hurrying into the lobby straightening his tie, Gil asked, "What time is it?"
"Relax, you're a minute early."
"Okay." Gil breathed deep, certain that he'd be delivering the best lecture of his life. "I'll certainly be relaxed, that's for sure."
"Speaking of relaxed," she pointed, "here come the boys. From the smiles they're wearing, I'd say there's no trouble in paradise."
"Ready for your debut, Mr. Sanders?" Gil greeted, rubbing his hands together. "How do you feel?"
"Heavenly!" Greg replied. The deliciously slow kisses shared in the hotel room were still sending waves of pleasure through his body. "Perfect."
Uncomfortable in front of their friends, Nick remained silent."Where's your mother?" Sara asked with a smirk. "I heard you yelling at her earlier. Something about not wanting beads in a particular orifice. It all sounded very Oedipus Rex to me."
"Oh!" Walking through the lobby, Greg shook off the heebies. "That was just Jan trying to be funny. By the way, my parents want to take us all out for an expensive dinner to celebrate my first lecture. Are you guys game?"
"Free food?" Sara nodded. "Always."
"Definitely, she owes us," Grissom droned.
"Cool." As Greg passed the registration desk, he saw Jeff in the Check-Out line. "Hey." He nudged Nick. "Look who's leaving early."
"I told you he would."
When his ex-roommate looked directly at him, Greg said, "To quote a country song…thank God for unanswered prayers."
Nick beamed a smile at his buddy. "I knew it, you have been listenin' to my music."
Sara laughed, "He's a little bit country, and you're a bit rock and roll. That's cute."
"No it's not," Nick cringed.
"Get ready, Greg," Grissom warned while puffing out his chest.
"For what, Griss?"
"The glory."
As they stepped through the front doors of the hotel, a bunch of conference attendees broke into applause and chanted 'Melvin! Melvin!'
Grissom dropped his arm around Greg's shoulder. "It's not quite the Superbowl, but it'll do, right?"
Standing behind their guys, Sara and Nick shook their heads, both a little more in love than they were the day before.
Sara smiled at her SIB. "My boyfriend's a geek."
"Yeah," Nick breathed out. Feeling ridiculous and happy at the same time, he admitted, "Mine too."
***
Chapter 24: PerfectStrolling through the main dining room of Parker's Lighthouse, an elegant seafood restaurant on the bay in Long Beach, Sara said, "It was really nice of you to include us tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders."
"It was our pleasure," Jan assured the skittish woman, "and there's no need to be formal, please call us Jan and Dave. After all, I'm only eight years older than your boyfriend."
"That's right, Sara," Nick poked his pseudo-sister and chuckled, "she's only eight years older than your old man. Hey, the food in this place smells fantastic, doesn't it? Dave and Jan, you guys are spoilin' me rotten again."
"Of course we are, dear," Jan took her son's boyfriend by the elbow. "We want you to be happy so you'll think twice about dumping our boy."
"Good job, Mom, keep it up." Grinning wildly, Greg caught Nick's eyes. "And just remember, when they croak, I inherit everything, even the house in Maui. Talk about a sweet retirement home."
"Oh, Gregory, you're such a hopeless romantic." Jan teased, "Don't you think you should at least sleep with Nicky before you start talking about growing old together? What if he's a disappointment in the sack? I took your father out for more than a few test drives before accepting a ring." She quickly sped ahead to speak with the hostess and avoid being reprimanded.
"Oh God, here we go with the sex talk." Nick cringed, "We are drinking heavily tonight, right?"
"Every night," Dave replied. "How else do you think I've managed to stay happily married all these years? At the end of the night, I want you to tell me something, Nick…which was worse, being buried alive and tortured by fire ants or dinner with my smartass wife?"
Greg waved his wallet. "Twenty bucks says it's mom."
Gil whispered in Sara's ear as they trailed behind, "I can't believe she's this tipsy after only two glasses of wine in the lounge."
"I think she's just really happy," Sara replied. "We're not around happy people most of the time. I think this is what they're like when they go out and don't talk about the latest triple homicide."
"Here's your table." Mimi, the hostess, motioned to a six-top on the patio with a perfect view of the bay and The Queen Mary. "Your waiter's name is Alan, and he'll be here to take your drink orders in a minute."
"Thank you, sweetheart," Dave slipped the pretty young blonde a twenty. "You did well. It's the perfect table."
"Daddy's a player," Greg joked in Nick's ear. "He still flirts with PYTs every chance he gets."
"Here you are, darling." Dave pulled out his wife's chair.
Gil quickly mirrored the gentlemanly move for Sara.
"Perk six," Greg rejoiced, "we're men, we pull out our own damn chairs."
When Warrick pulled out her chair, Catherine smiled at the gesture. "Such a gentleman."
"My grandma taught me right," he replied while taking a seat across from her.
He had surprised her with reservations at Japonais, a Contemporary Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi and a variety of delectable entrees including NY strip steak cooked on a hot rock at your table. "And I'm impressed that you remembered me saying I loved this place."
Unbuttoning his jacket, Warrick broke into the smile he knew she loved, "Hopefully it won't be the only impressive part of the evening."
Catherine returned the grin, "It's going to take a lot more than dinner at one of my favorite restaurants for you to end up in bed with me, Mr. Brown."
"I wouldn't sleep with you tonight if you paid me, Ms. Willows." He winked, "I rushed into a relationship with Tina and we all know how well that worked out. No, I'm havin' dinner with a beautiful, intelligent woman and enjoying every minute of her company until I kiss her goodnight on her doorstep. Then, if all goes well, she'll agree to go out with me again, and again…" Taking her hand, he pressed a kissed to the back of it. "And again."
Waving her hand in front of her chest, she said, "Is it the heat coming off those cooking rocks making me hot, or is it you, Mr. Brown?"
"It's me," he confidently replied, "and the knowledge that you can't have me."
Lifting her wine glass, Catherine purred into its rim, "Like I'd let have you if you made a move."
"Oh yeah, yeah, that's it, right there. That's perfect." Enjoying the ambiance and the gorgeous woman sharing his table, Warrick relaxed in his chair. "We're back."
While letting her black lace wrap fall off her bare shoulders, she said, "And the flirting is better than ever, baby."
After watching Mr. and Mrs. Sanders feed each other appetizers, Sara felt compelled to ask, "How long have you two been married?" She couldn't believe how flirtatious they were.
Grissom stopped in mid-sip, wondering why his significant other was interested in marital bliss all of a sudden.
"Thirty-seven glorious years," Jan answered while cupping her husband's chin. "And I think the best ones are still ahead of us, what about you, honey?"
"Absolutely, my dear." Dave snatched a quick kiss from his wife's waiting lips. "I'm semi-retired and getting a re-do in a lot of ways. My wife and I have been traveling and playing, we're finally able to enjoy the spoils that we've worked so hard for over the years, and with Jenni coming to live with us, I'm looking forward to us being actively involved parents again."
Greg choked on his wine. "I'm sorry, when exactly did Jan stop being actively involved in my life? Because just this morning she showed up in my bathroom trying to ruin…errr…run it."
"Stop pickin' on your mom, G," Nick scolded. "My mother's never come to a conference to see me present, hell, it took me bein' buried alive to get her to come to see me in Vegas. Your folks are takin' us out to a wonderful dinner and givin' us the keys to their boat for cryin' out loud. Stop bitchin', you're a spoiled only child and a lucky guy."
"Yeah, listen to your boyfriend, Greg," Jan snipped.
"Uh, Mrs. S," Nick pleaded in a whisper, "could ya not use that term when we're in public."
"I'm sorry, sweetie, I'll be more careful." Jan smiled at the uptight Texan. "Out of curiosity, how long have your parents been married, Nicky?"
After another gulp of the premium wine Dave had ordered for the table, Nick answered, "They'll be celebratin' their fiftieth this year as a matter of fact. My brother and sisters and I are throwin' them a big party at the ranch. We're also havin' portraits done to give them during the celebration, one of us kids together, then all the individual families, and one of the sixteen grandkids, all dressed in red, white and blue, they'll love it."
"Sixteen grandkids," Jan turned bright green. "What a lucky woman."
"Hey, now, you're getting a teenage girl this weekend, so don't whine." Dave slipped his arm around his grandchild-crazy wife and gave her a supportive pat. "It's nice to hear your parents' marriage stood the test of time, Nick. With you and Greg both from stable homes with happy couples as role models, I think you're more likely to value a committed relationship and be successful at maintaining one, don't you?"
"Yeah, definitely," Nick replied, while squirming from discussing his life with Greg out loud. "Could you pass the shrimp? Thanks." Can't talk when my mouth's full!
Sara's spirits sank lower still. If parental happiness is the determining factor for my relationship success, then I'm doomed for sure. Sighing into her third glass of wine, she decided she needed a break. "If you'll excuse me." She stood and grabbed her purse. "I need to use the restroom."
Gil knew exactly why his significant other was retreating.
"I'll go with you, dear." Jan jumped up with her purse in hand.
Sara stared down the bubbly woman. "Why?"
"We're women, sweetie, we always go to the Ladies Room in twos."
"Oh. Right." Sara stepped away from the table. "Thanks for the company."
Gil smiled behind his wine glass, loving his non-girly girlfriend's less than enthusiastic reply. "If you don't mind, I'll use this opportunity to check in with the office." He was craving a little alone time after not having a moment to himself since early that morning. "I'll be back in a few."
"More shrimp for us!" Nick snatched two more for his plate, happy for the Jan-free minutes.
Dave snatched one of the wine bottles. "Who needs a refill?"
"Me! Me!" Greg held out his glass. "My mommy is driving me to drink."
"I know she is, son," Dave topped off Greg's glass. "But humor her, okay? I haven't seen her this happy in years. She's so proud of the great job you did today, and she's thrilled that your personal life is out of the crapper." While filling Nick's glass, he said, "I'm sorry that she keeps making you uncomfortable too."
"I know she doesn't mean to," Nick graciously replied. "She's just happy for Greg and a little crazy, uh…no offense."
"Not at all, you were being generous," Dave laughed, "she's a lot crazy. Which reminds me, she stocked the boat with food and booze, but from the way she was giggling, I'm pretty sure she's left a few surprises that may or may not make you uncomfortable. Consider yourselves warned."
While Nick sat next to him gulping wine, Greg quietly feared that his mother really had shopped online at the Gay Boy Mall.
"I got you a little something too." Using the quiet opportunity, Dave pulled a white envelope from his jacket pocket. "Congratulations on your first presentation, son." He handed over the envelope. "I had tears in my eyes watching you lecture; ask Nick, he was sitting next to me."
"It's true," Nick concurred, "and for the record, I was blown away by how great you did today. You're a hell of a lot better at lecturin' than me. You're a natural."
Greg's entire face exploded into a smile. "That means a lot coming from the two most important guys in my life, thanks."
Placing a hand on his boy's shoulder, Dave spoke from the heart, "Finding out about your paper being published and then seeing you up there today captivating an audience of five hundred has been the ultimate pay-off for me as a father, it was the perfect moment. Thank you for working so hard to make something of yourself. I love you, Greg. I told you that every day when you were a child, but I rarely verbalize that anymore, but please know that I do and I always will. I've never been more proud of you."
"I love you too, Dad." Greg lunged for a hug.
Nick couldn't imagine ever hearing his father say he was proud of him after coming out. "I repeat what I said earlier, Greggo…you're a lucky guy."
"Wait 'til he opens the card," Dave remarked while dabbing his eyes with the corner of a cloth napkin. With great anticipation he watched his son tear open the envelope.
"Holy shit!" Greg exclaimed, forgetting he was in public. "Are you serious?"
"What is it?" Nick asked when curiosity got the best of him.
Greg handed over the bank statement. "An account in my name with a hundred grand in it."
"It's what's left of your college fund," Dave explained. "Since you worked hard and received academic scholarships, I didn't have to spend all of it. I invested the remainder, and was saving it to give to you as a wedding gift, to pay for your honeymoon and to help with a down payment on a house." Dave raised his wine glass, "But then you told me you were gay and living in Nick's townhouse, so I said what the hell, I'm just going to give it to you as a coming out/you got your paper published/early birthday gift. I need to get rid of it for tax reasons anyway." He raised his wine glass and joked, "Squander some of it on fun, and then when you two are ready, use the rest to make my life better by spending it on surrogacy expenses or adoption fees to make Jan a grandma. Just kidding, you don't have to use your money for that, I'll be more than happy to pay for that out of my own pocket to pacify your mother."
Nick had unfortunately just taken a bite of food and began choking.
While slapping his boyfriend on the back to dislodge a shrimp, Greg chided his father, "The poor guy has been out of the closet for forty-eight hours, Dad. We've held hands and talked about maybe getting a dog someday, let's not..."
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Dave snickered. "Damn, too bad your mother missed that one, she'd be proud of me."
"Thank God we're goin' on a relaxin' vacation tomorrow," Nick remarked while waving to the waiter to bring another bottle of wine.
"Speaking of relaxing, Jan made spa reservations on Catalina for you," Dave informed the boys. "The Ultimate Relaxation Package at 'A Touch of Heaven Day Spa'. All the information is on the kitchen table in the boat."
"Kitchen table?" Nick remarked in surprise. "Uh, exactly how big is the boat? In my head I've been picturing it like my brother's."
"What does your brother have?" Dave queried, always one to get a little competitive when it came to his toys.
"He has a nice eighteen foot Sea Ray Sport Boat." When he saw Greg and Dave look at each other and laugh, Nick said, "Let me in on the joke."
"Daddy has a Sea Ray too…a forty foot Sundancer Sport Yacht," Greg boasted on behalf of his toy-obsessed father. "It has a master suite with a wall mounted flat screen TV and a huge shower; a full galley with Corian countertops and oak cabinetry; a great conversation area with leather couches and a big plasma, and a tricked out cockpit complete with mini bar. Did I do her justice, Dad?"
"From the stunned look on Nick's face, I'd say it was more than enough." Dave laughed into his wine glass. "Son, I'm glad he agreed to be your 'you know what' before I gave you your cash and told him about the boat, or I'd be worried he was after your money."
"We're back," Jan cheerily greeted the men. "We had a lovely time bonding over a tinkle."
"Is that right?" Nick asked his SIS, who looked shell-shocked and ready to run screaming from the room.
"Where's Grissom?" Sara anxiously asked. She was hoping he was planning an escape.
"He's checking voicemail." Greg offered a wine bottle to his traumatized co-worker and laughed when she snatched it.
Handing her wine glass to her husband for filling, Jan sweetly said, "In the Ladies Room I asked Sara if she and Gil had any plans to tie the knot someday. She was very evasive. I wonder what that means, hmm?"
"Sara doesn't like discussing her personal life," Nick explained. "Lots of people prefer to keep their relationships private as a matter of fact, like me for example."
Jan nodded, "Tell me, Nicky…assuming you and Greg want to formalize things, do you think you would like a commitment ceremony with rings and the works? Unless of course those right-wing bastards pull their heads out of their asses and allow same-sex marriages nationwide, then you could have a wedding. I'd love to throw a nice…"
"Mom, would ya stop." Greg answered on behalf of his boyfriend, "We haven't technically even been out on a date yet, so you're getting way ahead of us."
"Me?" Jan needled her son, "You brought up retiring with him in Maui, but I can't ask about a commitment ceremony one day?"
"I was joking about Maui!" Not really.
"Sweetie," Jan spoke to allay her boy's fears, "you and Nicky are already best friends, you share the same values and interests, and you can make each other laugh. You've both said you enjoy living together and have no problems dividing the domestic responsibilities and communicating, those are huge clues that your relationship will stand the test of time."
"They are?" Sara blurted.
"Yes, dear," Jan counseled, "that's why I'm a firm believer in shacking up before marriage. It's not until you live with someone that you truly know whether or not you're compatible. Will their habits annoy you? Will they share the responsibilities with you? Will they be a grump in the morning? Can you stand to be around them 24/7?" She rolled her eyes. "If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say they were sooooo sure they were in love, but then once they were cohabitating with their spouse they couldn't stand having them around all the time or their annoying habits."
Sara's thoughts shifted to Grissom's restlessness and their communication problems.
Jan tossed a smile in her son's direction. "So who cares about dates, Greg? If you can have fun living under the same roof, I assure you, you'll have a blast out on the town. Hell, that's the easiest part of any relationship. You'll find that out when you're on vacation in Catalina this week. Once you and Nicky can check off dating and getting it on, then you'll be 100 percent certain that you're perfect for each other and have what it takes for the long haul."
"More wine, Nick?" Dave poured without waiting for an answer.
"Forget the glass, Dave." Nick half-joked, "I'll just tilt my head back while you pour."
Sara wished she could get a Chardonnay IV drip.
"Sorry I took so long," Gil stated upon return. "Ecklie left me a half dozen messages. What did I miss?"
Sara smiled at her SO. "While you were gone, we determined that Nick and Greg will live happily ever after, but you and me…not so much."
"Who's hungry?" Alan the waiter asked in a sunny tone as he and another server arrived with trays of steaming food.
"Me!" Nick and Greg answered in perfect harmony right before Dave and Jan did the same.
Not me. Sara stared at the two happy, compatible, communicative couples sharing the table with her and her solitude-obsessed, communication-challenged man who had compulsively needed to escape her on a regular basis. Suddenly I've lost my appetite.
"I couldn't eat another bite," Catherine exclaimed while shaking her head at her half-eaten entrée. "What about you?"
Shaking his head, Warrick said, "Not now, but after a stroll through Paris, maybe we'll be up to splitting a dessert."
"Ooh la la." She reached for her purse. "If you'll excuse me, I need to powder my nose."
Remembering his manners, he stood when she did. "Hurry back."
"Count on it."
With a hungry grin plastered on his face he watched her sashay away. "Damn, I don't want this night to end."
"I thought that dinner from hell would never end!" Sara exclaimed upon shutting and locking their hotel room door.
"Shhh." Gil pointed to the adjoining doors. "I wouldn't want Greg to hear you say that. His mother is meddlesome and annoying, but she's not malicious. She's one of those people who wants everyone to be as happily married as she is, so she plays matchmaker and tries to get couples to fall in love a little deeper. And she loves children, so she wants everyone to have them."
"That's what you saw?" Sara couldn't believe her ears. "All I saw was a woman trying to make me feel bad about myself. Someone berating me for my lack of interest in children, and who thinks our relationship is doomed."
Puzzled by the interpretation, Gil removed his jacket and contemplated an appropriate response.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
"I…I'm honestly not sure what to say."
"You're not sure, or you're afraid I'll get upset if you say what you want to say?"
"Uh…" After a long period of painful silence, Gil finally said, "Maybe we should get a dog."
"What?" Baffled by the statement, Sara stood gaping at her cryptic man. "Where did that come from? A dog?"
"A dog is a sign of commitment. It would be our dog. Our first mutual thing and much better than buying a set of dishes together, because you can divide a dish set, you can't divide a dog." Gil proudly supported his idea. "I think a non-dividable dog sends a clear message that I'm in this relationship to stay."
"Oh."
Buzzing from the large quantity of fine wine he imbibed, Gil dropped to one knee and took Sara's right hand. "Sara Sidle, would you acquire a non-dividable dog with me?"
Even though she knew there were many things they needed to discuss and work through, she let herself be swept off her feet by her usually non-communicative man. "Yes, Gil Grissom, I would love to acquire a non-dividable dog with you." The glow of her smile warmed the room.
After brushing a kiss over the back of her hand, he whispered, "I know we're a pathetically dysfunctional couple in comparison to the boys next door, but at the end of the day, please know that I think life with you is…perfect."
"I thought that dinner from hell would never end!" Once they were safely inside their hotel room, Nick locked the door and leaned against it. "Your mother's great, Greg, don't get me wrong, I know she just wants us to be happy, but I'm really glad we're done dealin' with her for a while."
"Trust me, I feel the same way." Removing his suit jacket, Greg stumbled backwards.
"Steady there, lightweight. You drank a shitload of wine."
"So did you."
"I was trying to numb the pain of listening to your mother," Nick replied, the booze evident in his laughter. "Well, it was about that and knowing that we'd be coming back here together…gay…with a big old bed in the middle of the room." He broke into another round of laughter. "I didn't want to deal with that scenario sober."
Greg cracked up while undoing his belt. "Is that your way of saying you drank yourself limp?"
"I believe I might have, yes."
"We agreed to snail's pace slow, so you don't have to be skittish." Greg strolled into the bathroom whistling a happy tune. "Wanna brush with me?"
"Sure." Nick laughed the whole way to the bathroom. "This is all a little surreal, isn't it?"
"Uh huh, but I'm loving every minute of it." Greg fixed his toothbrush and then squeezed a glob of cinnamon-flavored Crest onto Nick's.
"Aww, thanks, Honey," Nick joked through a wild grin.
"Who takes care of you, Cletus?"
"You do, G." Nick brushed in between laughs.
"Perk seven," Greg said with a mouthful of toothpaste before blasting it into the sink. "We're boys, we like spitting." Using his hand as a cup he brought water to his mouth and rinsed.
Nick followed suit and then slapped his brush on the counter. "What now?"
Greg joked, "You gotta pee?"
"No, I'm good."
"Me too." Greg led the way out of the bathroom. "Wanna watch a movie?"
Kicking off his shoes, Nick said, "They have Superman Returns on Pay-Per-View."
"Perk eight, no chick flicks, although I'll admit I like good quality chick flicks."
"I like 'em as long as they have war or stuff blowin' up. Like Pearl Harbor or Titanic. Watchin' the ship break in two was great, but it pissed me off that the girl was so stupid. If she had stayed in the damn lifeboat, I'm sure that Jack coulda saved his own ass. Then they coulda reunited and run off together."
"I remember thinking the same exact thing," Greg said with a smile, certain it was another sign they were meant to be together. "I can't wait for Spiderman 3, what about you?" After stepping out of his dress shoes, he grabbed the remote and tossed it to his partner.
"Yeah, I loved the other two." Nick dropped onto the overstuffed burgundy couch and threw his feet up on the coffee table. "I think it comes out next week."
"It can be our first movie date." Greg's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
After a nervous clear of the throat the Texan warily asked, "Yeah, but…you're not expectin' to hold hands or anything, right?"
"No!" Greg laughed like he just heard the best joke of the year. "Of course not, Cletus. No PDAs ever."
"Okay, good, that's a relief." Nick's jitters returned with a vengeance. "This is couch is comfy. I think I'll sleep here tonight."
Greg stood gaping at the man who had kissed him like he was going off to war that morning. "Is it me you don't trust, or yourself?"
"It's not a trust thing, it's…" Nick dropped his head back on the couch. "Your mom kept bringin' up my family tonight and now I keep hearin' that Bible quote they love to toss around whenever they're goin' on about why homosexuality is wrong. 'If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.'"
"Yeah, and like two paragraphs later, it says you'll be struck down for eating shellfish. Dude, you scarfed at least a dozen shrimp tonight. If you're already doomed from the fish, why not sleep next to me and save your back?"
"I…forget it."
When he saw Nick's tense reaction, Greg sobered, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I don't mean to sound disrespectful about how you were raised or what your family believes. I believe in God, and thou shalt not kill, but I can't support the idea that an all powerful entity is up there making arbitrary rules like 'eat shrimp and I'll kill you', 'dwarves can't approach the altar of God', and 'boys can't love boys'. It's just frustrating for me. We're good people, we really care about each other, and we're helping mankind every friggin' day. I refuse to believe we'll suddenly become evil, vile men if we share the same bed. I've seen more than my share of legitimate evil, vile men and we don't fit the profile, Nick, not by a mile. We're the guys who help lock up the evil, vile men."
"It's like a panic alarm goes off in my head," Nick confessed, feeling comfortable that he could tell his buddy anything at this point. "One minute I'm fine thinkin' about us livin' as a couple in every sense of the word, but then my family's mentioned, or I see someone lookin' at us funny in public, and then suddenly everything seems incredibly wrong again. When we left here this morning I was sure I was fine. This back and forth…I wish it would stop."
"This flip-flopping is hard for me too." Leaning against the dresser, Greg said, "On one hand I feel like I'm helping unburden you, because all the lying and suppressing you've been doing for decades has clearly taken its toll on you, but at the same time, it sounds like I'm trying to convince you to touch me and it's creeping me out. I feel one step away from Chester the Molester sometimes, and that's exactly how I'd feel if you weren't older than me."
"I never even thought of it that way…shit."
"It's okay." Seeing the struggle in Nick's eyes, he took a seat across from him on the coffee table. "It's stupid for me to feel that way. I know I'm not doing anything wrong, because I'm not tricking you or hiding the fact that I want you. I do, I want you in every sense of the word. I've wanted to kiss you a hundred times today since we left this room, have you felt the same way?"
Nick quietly asked. "The Bible really says the dwarf part?"
"Leviticus 21:20. Back when the Bible was penned I'm sure dwarfism seemed highly unnatural, maybe even evil, but now we know it's genetic. It's a natural occurrence, not the devil's work. We're not the devil's work either, Nick, we're the sum of our DNA. We're just as natural a couple as Grissom and Sara." A nervous laugh tumbled from Greg's lips. "After spending time with Grissom and Sara, I honestly think we're a much more natural couple than they are."
"No shit." Nick was grateful for the laugh.
"Okay, think of it this way, if we had both fallen off a ship when we were little kids and washed up on a deserted island, who would have been there to tell us it was wrong to have feelings for one another when we hit puberty?"
"No one."
"Exactly. We would have believed it was what it really is…natural, the way God intended it to be for us. That's how I look at it. You're letting a book of laws written by mortals carry more value than your divine genetic makeup."
"But we couldn't have kids on the island, and then we'd die. If it was natural, then we'd be able to procreate. That's my sister's big argument."
"If a man and woman were stranded, they could have kids, but their kids couldn't have kids together, they'd need other people. That's how you have to look at it, it's not up to one couple to populate the world. And what about a hetero couple who can't have kids or don't want kids? Are they useless? No. Everyone contributes. So we can't make a baby. We catch bad guys, sometimes we catch killers who kill kids, that's our contribution. Lots of gay guys adopt kids and foster kids, a lot of times they even take in kids no one else wants, that's their contribution. Maybe the hetero husband and wife who don't want kids of their own are doctors and they save kids lives everyday, that's their way of helping keep the world populated." Reaching out, he took Nick's hand between his. "You have to think outside the box. If you do, then you'll be able to see that you can still live a very productive, Godly life."
After a moment of silence, Nick vulnerably replied, "You really are smarter than me, aren't you?"
"And you really are stronger than me," Greg's smile returned. "Together though…we're a force to be reckoned with, doncha think?"
"Yeah, I do. C'mere." Nick pulled Greg onto the couch. "I wanna fulfill your number one fantasy."
"Yesssss!" Greg excitedly crashed into his boyfriend's arms. "Snuggling on the couch while we watch TV."
Nick proceeded to order the movie and then tossed the remote aside. "I hope the snuggling lives up to your expectations after you've been obsessing about it all this time."
Resting his head against Nick's shoulder while savoring the arm circling tightly around him, Greg contently sighed, "It already has."
His mouth against his loving partner's ear, Nick whispered, "Thank you for being so patient with me and helpin' me work through stuff. Not just the Bible stuff right now, I mean this morning too, when I was jumping to conclusions. That woulda been the end for lots of people."
"I think you're worth the effort." Greg covered Nick's arm with his and yawned. "Sorry, it's been an exhausting day."
"Yeah, and you drank a lot of wine at dinner, so I don't doubt that you're beat."
"I need to be rested for the trip tomorrow. I don't want to fall asleep at the wheel and crash us into a cruise ship."
"I can't wait to get away. No offense to our neighbors, but I think it'll be much easier for me to relax with you when they're not on the other side of the wall."
"It's gonna be great," Greg replied in groggy voice. "The only thing I'm worried about is you getting claustrophobic inside the boat, especially trying to sleep, because you'll be horizontal in cramped quarters. Do you think that will tweak you? There are windows and skylight so hopefully not, but still, I'm a little worried, because suffering from PTSD during vacation isn't fun."
His fears subsiding again, Nick whispered into his partner's ear, "If I get tweaked, I'll just get a little closer to you, and if I don't get tweaked…" he chuckled, "I'll pretend I do, so I can use it as an excuse to get closer to you."
"Sounds like a perfect plan to me."
"Look at you, you're gonna pass out before the movie even starts."
"Yeah," Greg dreamily sighed.
"Then you better give me a proper goodnight now."
When the exhausted man turned his head, he was thrilled to see a million-watt smile. "Goodnight, Cletus."
"It really was a good night." Nick lowered his mouth, whispering, "First of many."
Greg melted from the slow, sensual pace of the cinnamon-flavored kiss that was the complete opposite of the desperate lustful ones they had shared at the start of the day. "Mmm, I'll be having sweet dreams for sure now."
"Good." Nick returned to Greg's lips for one more taste of the love growing between them. "Night, G." Ten minutes later he realized he was watching the movie alone. "I want you too." Mindlessly stroking Greg's hair with one hand, while the other was draped over his chest, Nick relaxed into the cushions to enjoy the film. It looked odd having his buddy asleep in his arms, but only one word summed up his feelings as he was snuggled up with him on the couch after a long day…perfect.
***
Chapter 25: Step in the Right Direction"Mmm." Greg vigorously rubbed his face while stirring from slumber. My neck hurts. When his eyes fluttered open, he realized he wasn't in bed, but on the couch with his head in a lap. This explains the crick in my neck. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Nick was peacefully snoozing. Even as a drooling mouth breather he's undeniably sexy.
Carefully Greg turned until he was on his back. Keep sleeping, cowboy. It was officially his first time waking up in Nick's arms and he wanted to savor it for a while. We have a big day ahead of us. It was Tuesday, the day they took the boat to Catalina. If all went well, they would be moored off the island's coast by early afternoon and starting their days of R&R bliss. On Saturday they would sadly have to leave their island paradise behind and take the boat to its dock in Santa Monica. Once there, they would pay the ultimate price for borrowing the Sea Ray…an obligatory dinner at the Sanders home with Jan snapping photos and asking dozens of overly intrusive questions. Closing his eyes, Greg was assaulted by a horrific vision of his mother riotously giggling as she excitedly asked, 'How was boy sex, Sweetie? I hope the Texan gave you a chance in the saddle.' Not that he thought they would get that far during the trip, or that he wanted them to. No sex without the L word was his rule now and he was sticking to it, but anything else would be just fine, mighty fine. Uh oh. He felt a familiar twinge shooting through his lower quadrant. Gotta change the subject.
While forcing himself to change the subject, Greg glanced up and saw Nick's open mouth. God, he's a great kisser. Duh, of course he is, he's had a ton of practice on women over the years. His lips curved into a puckish smile. But none of them rocked his mouth like I did yesterday. Oh man, the look on his face after those ten hardcore minutes of tonsil hockey…he was blown away. He had a neon sign flashing over his head blinking 'I want more!' Greg rolled his eyes. Then my mommy had to show up and kill the mood. Speaking of mood, oops. As he glanced at his crotch, Nick shifted and by the time he was done, his palm was squarely over Greg's zipper. Doh!
Just as Greg was about to slip away, the alarm on his wristwatch sounded and Nick's eyes flew open. "I set my alarm for seven," he anxiously explained. "Um." Maybe Nick won't notice his hand is cupping my crotch.
When Nick saw his hand was cupping his buddy's crotch, he yanked it away.
"I swear I didn't put it there!" Greg nervously exclaimed, fearing it appeared that way. "You moved it there in your sleep and…um…I wasn't even enjoying it." But when he saw his buddy staring at the obvious bulge, he broke into nervous laughter. "What I mean is, I wasn't trying to take advantage, but I'm a guy and it's morning, and I'm pent up, so…" His laughter doubled. "I'm going to stop talking now and grab a shower, a cold one to be specific." He jumped to his feet.
"Hey."
"Yeah?" Still laughing at himself and the situation, Greg stood in front of Nick who was thankfully smiling.
"Just wanted to say a couple of things. First off, good morning."
"Yes, yes it is."
"G…" Nick grinned at the adorable guy fidgeting in front of him. "Breathe for me."
"Breathing." Greg planted his hands on his hips and sucked in a gulp of air. "Okay, what's up? Besides me that is."
"Do you know you even talk in your sleep?"
"Yeah, my mom told me."
"Uh…when exactly were ya sleepin' with your mom?"
"Ha! I've been doing it since I was kid."
"Sleepin' with your mommy?" Nick teased.
"No!" Greg shoved his buddy, sending him back against the couch pillows. "I've been talking in my sleep since I was a kid, ya perv."
As he laughed, Nick couldn't believe how unburdened he felt, it was like last night's heartfelt discussion and tender kiss had made him wake with a new appreciation for starting a life with Greg. "You're telling me I'm the perv?" he snarked, loving every minute of the banter. "I'm not the one bustin' out his pants after takin' advantage of a sleepin' man's innocent hand."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm not the one who's checkin' out his buddy's shockingly large anatomy." Greg turned for the bathroom.
"Careful now…you don't want to be sued for false advertisin'."
Stopping in his tracks, Greg flirtatiously glanced over his shoulder, "Does the word slander mean anything to you?"
Nick deadpanned, "Yeah, but the statement has to false to be considered slander. Do I need to get a ruler?"
"Who are you and what have you done with my uptight Texan?" Greg yelled. It felt like they had been openly together for years. "Not that I want him back. I much prefer this rowdy cowboy, but damn…what happened? Does Superman finally come out of the closet in Superman Returns and since your boyhood hero is gay now you're proud to be part of the team?"
"Yeah, those pretty blue tights he wears are a big clue, huh? No, after last night's talk and sleepin' with you, I woke up a new man." In a great mood, Nick felt like teasing his smartass buddy and walked to meet him at the foot of the bed. "I'm so comfortable I was even havin' a hot dream about ya, but your damn alarm went off before I could finish it." Deciding to continue the tease, he pushed Greg onto the bed. "Maybe I'll finish it now." Keeping a straight face, he swiftly undid his belt. "Don't worry, we won't be late, I'll make it quick."
"Uh…you have a wild look in your eyes, cowboy. It's primal actually," Greg remarked in a jittery voice as he moved towards the pillows. "This hot dream you were having…I sincerely hope we weren't trapped on Brokeback Mountain and you were spitting."
"Ha!" Nick cracked a huge grin. "You know, Sara ran through the whole movie on the drive over, so I finally get that spittin' joke you to like to tell." Loving the look on this buddy's face, Nick dove onto the bed beside him, and said in his best Texas drawl, "Relax, pardner, all I was tryin' to tell you before we started jokin' around was that you said some funny shit in your sleep."
Greg pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. "Good, because it's exhausting to drive the boat standing up the whole time."
"As if I'd do you like some inexperienced hickboy from Wyoming." Nick's ego blurted, "Trust me, I've had plenty of practice and not one of those women had a problem walkin' afterwards thanks to my expert preparation and execution skills, so you'll have nothing to fear when…" He covered his eyes. "Holy shit, I can't believe I just said that out loud."
"Me either! Or that you said 'when' not 'if'. Arrogant much?" Leaning in, Greg teasingly whispered in his suddenly anxious future lover's ear, "This will be new for you, so listen up, stud. I'm not like all the other girls…they may give it away, but I'm making you work for it. You'll need to woo me…I'll need to swoon."
Nick wished he had put gum in his ears. "Please stop talking."
"You brought it up. Look at you…you went from extreme cockiness to extreme vulnerability in ten seconds. Have you ever considered an acting career?"
"Can we talk about the weather now?" Nick whimpered as he removed his hand from his flushed face.
Greg rolled onto his side, propped up on an elbow and unfurled a smile. "Tell me what I said when I was talking in my sleep."
Relieved to be moving on, Nick answered, "You spoke in random thoughts. My favorite was 'Melllllvin…soooo goooood'. If I hadn't known it was the damn roach's name you were moanin', I woulda been jealous."
Greg rolled his eyes. "Could I be any more of a geek?"
Rolling onto his side, Nick propped up on an elbow, mirroring his buddy. "You could wear a pocket protector."
"Would you still want me if I started wearin' a pocket protector, Cletus?"
"I love when you call me that," Nick confessed, immediately stunned by the admission. "Right from the first time you cracked the joke. Do you remember that?"
"Only every word." Relishing the intimacy, Greg shared, "You did that kickass redneck routine complete with the obligatory turkey pot pie demand, and I said 'You're like scary good at that, Cletus'. I smiled all the way to my car, the whole way to work actually. I drove to the lab thinking how the hell can he not know I'm…"
Simmering from the warmth of Greg's irresistible smile, Nick sweetly prodded, "Finish your thought."
"How the hell can he not know I'm crazy about him?"
"He knows now." Their dark brown eyes locked, Nick quietly admitted, "And the feelin's mutual."
Feeling bold, Greg slipped closer, narrowing the gap between them to six inches and asking a leading question, "Are you up for a little adventure this morning, cowboy?"
"You um…you're talkin' about the trip to Catalina, right?" Nick gulped, half-wishing the answer would be no.
No, I wanted you to touch me, but I'll pretend that's what I meant. "Yeah, I can't wait to go." Greg flashed a disarming smile, snatched a kiss and then jumped out of bed. "Gotta get in the shower."
"Mmm." Gil snuggled closer to Sara's warm body. This feels nice. It was one of his favorite perks of cohabitation, cozying up a warm body in bed while not talking. Glancing over Sara's shoulder, he saw she was still soundly sleeping. Even as a drooling mouth breather she's undeniably sexy.
Spooning her tighter, he was grateful that she had accepted his proposal of an 'undividable dog', and believed it was a major step in the right direction. As far as he could tell, the idea seemed to make her happy, especially when he suggested they adopt a dog from a shelter. Although she didn't verbalize it, he knew bringing home a dog that had been unfortunate enough to lose its family and home, meant a lot to a girl who grew up in a foster home. Finally, I hit one out of the park. Thinking of her painful childhood, he snuggled her tight. I've got you, Sara…in my arms and my heart. I know that's hard to believe sometimes, but it's true. One day he'd make her believe him, but first he'd have to fight his way past all the baggage piled up on the path to her heart.
After a few minutes of intense nuzzling, Gil noticed a familiar twinge shooting through his lower quadrant. Uh oh. He knew the only cure was backing away from her invitingly warm body, but he couldn't pull himself away. Just a little while longer.
Minutes later, when his crotch was throbbing and his breathing intensifying, Gil knew he had passed the point of no return; Little Griss was demanding attention. Should I try to wake her? Or do I handle this in the shower? She did go to bed happy, so there's a good chance she'd wake up the same way and be game for a little pre-conference romp. What if I don't wake her and handle things in the shower, but then she wakes up and wants to make love? I won't be up for it and then I'll have to confess to getting off in the shower, or she'll think I can't get it up.
Before Gil could make a decision, Sara was awake and glancing over her shoulder. "Oh, it's you. That's a relief," she droned, "I thought a sea snake had slithered into our room from the bay."
"Sorry," he replied like a busted schoolboy. "What can I say…you're body inspires me to new heights, and there really is something invigorating about sea air." He pecked her lips. "Morning, Honey." He anxiously waited to see if she was in the mood.
Still buzzing from his 'undividable dog' proposal, Sara winked, "Okay, Romeo, just give me a few mintues."
Yessss! "Take your time." But not too long.
After a teasing kiss that she knew would increase his suffering, Sara slipped out of bed. "Be right back."
Once the bathroom door was closed, Gil zipped out of bed and over to his suitcase where he had a spare deodorant and a pack of mints. After tossing an Altoid in his mouth, he checked his reflection in the mirrored closet and immediately regretted it, since a glimpse of his uncovered chest reminded him he only felt sixteen, but was really fifty. He quickly retreated to the safety of the covers and slipped off the navy blue pajama bottoms he had worn to bed, so they wouldn't have to waste any time.
"Sorry," Sara announced when she stepped out of the bathroom cinching her robe tighter. "I had my suspicions when I woke up, and sure enough, it's that time of the month, so…it's a no go."
Gil's heart sank, but unfortunately his desire did not. "I'm sorry too." Shortly after they had become sexually active last year, Sara politely informed him 'I know some women don't mind, but I don't make love when I have my period. I tried it once, but the aftermath looked like a crime scene and I wanted to hurl.' He stayed hopeful though, believe she would offer an alternative solution.
"Shouldn't you be getting in the shower anyway?" She pointed to the clock. "Conference starts at eight-thirty, right?"
"Yeah." When Gil tossed the covers he realized he had already shucked his pajama bottoms. Great, now she'll get to gape at my fifty year old non-hard body and my stiffy.
"G!" Nick called into the steamy bathroom. "Sorry, but…do you mind if I pee while you shower?"
Just like the previous day, Greg was in the middle of pressing business when he was unexpectedly interrupted. "Of course not," he answered, hoping he didn't sound like he had been panting two seconds earlier. "Don't flush though, because I'll get scalded."
"I woulda waited, but you've been in here a long time."
"The massaging shower head in here is great. I'm addicted." Through the curtain, he could see the outline of Nick's body and it only made matters worse. "I um…don't have one of these fancy shower heads in my bathroom at home."
After tossing his shirt, Nick moved to the sink. "I have one in my bathroom, or will it be our bathroom now?" He sheepishly said, "I guess we have to talk about how we're gonna handle everything, huh? Assuming everything goes well this week…though I'm sure it will, because I'm havin' a great time with you and we haven't even left."
Staring at the unsolved problem between his hips, Greg was uncharacteristically not up for a conversation. "It'll take a couple of hours to get to Catalina, can we talk about all that on the way over?"
"Wow." Nick leaned against the sink. "You not wantin' to talk, there's a first."
Greg breathed through his issue while waiting for Nick to leave.
"I think I'll brush and shave while you're showerin' to save us some time." Nick stripped down to his boxer briefs and then reached for his toothbrush. "You better not use all the hot water, G, because I have to shower too, and we need to be on time to meet your dad at the pier. Seriously, if I don't get in there soon we'll end up late."
"Jeez! If you're that worried, you're welcome to join me, cowboy." Surprised by the words that had just tumbled out of his mouth, Greg froze. "Uh…" Facing the temperature knobs on the wall, he let the hot water roll down his back and waited for his buddy's response.
After staring at his reflection in the steamed bathroom mirror for nearly a minute, Nick moved his shaky hands from the counter's edge and tugged down his boxer briefs. The only sounds in the bathroom now were the teeming water and the deafening beat of his heart. Sixty seconds later, he finally took a step toward the shower.
When Greg heard the rattle of the curtain rings, his breath caught in his throat. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtain bunching up as it was gently pushed aside. Shaking from a combination of excitement, anticipation and fear, he reached forward and placed his right palm on the tile wall to steady himself.
Without uttering a word, Nick stepped into the tub and meticulously returned the curtain to its original position. He had entered the bathroom hoping for an invitation, but now that he was in the shower, the situation was daunting.
Greg remained frozen, except for his chest which was rapidly rising and falling. He could feel a pair of eyes burning into his soaked skin and anxiously waited to see what would happen next.
Completely unnerved by the situation, Nick stayed two feet away and kept his eyes locked on his buddy's shoulders, which were surprisingly wide for a non-athletic guy. Watching the hot water rush over Greg's flesh, he struggled to work up the courage needed to move forward in the shower and in his life.
Fearing that eye contact would be too overwhelming for the obviously nervous man behind him, Greg extended his left hand backwards, hoping Nick would clasp it. "Hey…"
"You….you were serious when you said I should join you, right?" Nick asked in a trembling voice. It felt odd to be an uneasy participant after years spent as the confident aggressor.
"God yes." When his hand was gripped, Greg released a grateful moan. "I was hoping you'd follow me in here." In his gut he knew the skittish Texan would bolt if they faced each other, exposing their mutual desire, so he kept his eyes and body facing forward.
Growing up a jock, Nick had spent a tortuous amount of time showering with crushes he couldn't touch; boys he wished he could freely date and kiss. Realizing the wait was finally over, tears of joy formed in his eyes. "I…I want to touch you." Releasing Greg's hand, he lifted both of his and gently placed them on the beautiful shoulders in front of him. A surge of excitement raced through his body as he fulfilled an urge first felt twenty-one years ago.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment, Greg added his second palm to the tile wall to keep his balance. "That feels nice."
Fanning his palms across a man's back was more exhilarating than Nick had imagined. "Your scars." He traced the outline of the largest one with his fingertip. He had seen them from afar, but up close he could feel the pain once behind them.
"I got skin grafts after the lab explosion," Greg answered as his breathing labored. The touch felt so magical, he half expected the scars to be gone the next time he looked in the mirror. "They get a little better every year."
"You could have died that day," Nick whispered, eternally grateful that his buddy had survived to be here for him right now, in this perfect private moment. To show his gratitude, he lowered his mouth to the scar.
A tender kiss pressed to his imperfect flesh had triggered a moan of raw delight from Greg. "No one's ever done that before." It felt incredibly innocent yet intensely erotic.
As the urge to explore the dripping wet body before him grew out of control, Nick lurched away, frightened off by the guttural sounds his actions were inspiring from his partner.
When the pleasure abruptly ended, Greg whirled around. "You okay?" He found a dozen emotions simmering in his buddy's eyes and his body quaking.
"No. Yes. Yes and no…mostly no," Nick panted in reply as he stood in the steamy shower longing for his buddy to be so much more than a friend. "Just a kiss."
Greg complied, bringing their mouths together while keeping their bodies apart. "Like that?"
Nick answered with a nod and parted lips.
Hot water pelting their overheated flesh, tenderness escalated into wet, sloppy kisses as they pawed each other's hair and drove their bodies into a mutual frenzy.
Suddenly Nick's panic returned, "I don't want to..."
"There are lots of other things," Greg panted before their mouths locked again.
The devil on Nick's shoulder urged him to take hold of his willing partner, but the disgusted angel waving the King James Bible on the opposite shoulder kept him from following through on the desire. "I can't…." Thus far he had managed to keep the majority of his body at a safe distance. "And I don't want you to…"
"It's okay." Being the experienced one of the duo, Greg lovingly whispered in his vexed lover's ear, "We won't have to do anything; believe me, it'll just happen if you get a little closer." Remembering the exhilaration the first time he ever bumped up against another man, he was certain Nick would experience the same blinding loss of control. Weaving his fingers through his whimpering partner's hair he upped the intensity of their kisses while pressing their bodies together. "See what I mean?"
"Yes," it didn't seem like an adequate reply when his world was being rocked, but Nick rasped it just the same. It was like every locker room fantasy he had ever had, rolled up into one intense experience. Overwhelmed and overjoyed, he was quickly pushed to the edge. "G…" Fourteen glorious seconds after brushing his hips against another man's for the first time, with one hand gripping Greg's hair and the other clutching his arm hard enough to leave a mark, Nick experienced a level of ecstasy that no woman had ever been able to inspire.
"Sara…" Gil gasped as hot water from the powerful massaging shower head doused him from above. Yessss. The pleasure was blinding as Sara stood behind him wantonly assaulting his body with her deft hands. Just like that.
The fantasy had been so real, he was surprised to find himself alone when his eyes reopened in the shower. A satisfied smirk edged over his lips. That was hot. After thirty-seven years of experience, to say he was adept at self-fulfillment was an understatement. I think that was a personal best. Grabbing the mini-bottle of shampoo, he sighed with contentment.
"Guess who?" Sara cheerily greeted her man as she shed her robe, threw back the curtain and stepped into the shower, trying desperately to push all fear of athlete's foot and fungus out of her mind. "I was in bed when suddenly had this crazy idea."
Gil's eyes widened to saucers when his lover gripped his passion-weary body with her hands.
Sara deviously snickered in her man's ear, "Just because we can't make love, doesn't mean we can't have some fun together in the shower, right?"
"Right," Gil cringed when he glanced down and saw he was down for the count.
Reaching around, Sara made her big move, but found something very, very small.
"Honey…"
"Don't worry," she supportively whispered, "I'll take care of the problem."
"Actually, you can't." Staring at the temperature controls on the wall in front of him, he confessed, "Because I already did."
"Oh." Sara removed her hands. "You mean you…in the shower."
"Yeah."
Instinctively her gaze turned to her feet which were standing in the pooled water of the tub that drained slower than the shower filled it. Eww.
"I could wash your back," Gil waved the small bar of hotel soap.
"Yay." Sara pushed out a smile and turned around.
Running his soapy palm over her smooth, creamy skin, he thought maybe he'd spring to life, but alas his fifty year old parts continued to snooze. "Do you want me to help you out in any other way?" he queried in a sexy whisper.
"No, that's okay," she sighed, cursing herself for being late to the party.
"Sorry I'm late, Dad!" Greg raced up the small wood pier waving at his father who was checking his watch. "Forgot to set the alarm."
"You had to be exhausted after your big day yesterday," Dave stated as he welcomed his son with open arms. "I'd rather have you rested and alert to drive the boat than on time and sleepy."
"Thanks again for everything last night…what you said, the dinner, the bank account." Greg stepped back from the hug. "And for letting Nick and me use Freyja for our getaway."
"I haven't taken her out in months, so I'm happy she's getting some play." Dave climbed into the boat. "I filed a Float Plan for you and plotted your course. We'll go over it and then do a safety check."
"Is Mom down below?"
"No." Dave winked at his son, "You'll be happy to know that I dropped her at the mall with free-reign on our Platinum Visa card and orders to shop for Jenni. I told her that she tortured poor Nick at dinner last night and I didn't want him to suffer again this morning."
"You rock!"
"I know." Grinning, Dave proceeded to the helm. "Where is Nick anyway?"
"We bought a ton of supplies at Wal-Mart and he's sorting through them in the parking lot." When he saw his father tense, Greg chuckled, "Not those kinds of supplies, Dad. This is a spontaneous trip, so we didn't pack things like warm coats and sweaters for nighttime. There's a bunch of stuff we needed."
"Sorry." Dave laughed with his boy while retrieving the trip plan folder he had stowed. "Okay, have a seat at the helm, Skipper."
Greg tossed his jacket on the companion bench and dropped into the helm seat, excited to be behind the wheel again.
"Hey, what happened to your arm?" Dave grasped Greg by the elbow to inspect the bruising. After a closer look it was obvious the marks were made by someone gripping him with force. "Did Nick do this to you?" After already seeing his son beaten to a pulp twice in his lifetime, his ire was immediate.
Not noticing the marks himself, Greg glanced down for a look.
"Son, if he's hurting you…" Dave pulled in a gulp of air. "I'm not letting you go away with a guy who's abusing you, Greg. I'm still pissed at myself for not busting open Jeff's head yesterday when I found out what he did to you ten years ago for Christ's sake!"
"Dad, no! Nick's not abusing me." Greg jumped out of the chair shaking his head. "Take a deep breath and listen to me, okay?"
Dave did as asked and dropped onto the cockpit's companion bench. "Don't cover up for him like you did with Jeff. Promise me, Greg."
"There's nothing to cover up, Dad. I swear. Nick's not abusing me in any way. Just yesterday he pummeled Jeff and threatened to kill him if he ever hassled me again. He's protecting me, Dad, not hurting me."
"He really did that?"
"Yes." Greg excitedly relayed, "It was the coolest thing ever and within an hour, Jeff was checking out of the hotel to return to Seattle a beaten man."
Dave's appreciation for Nick grew tenfold. "But that bruise looks very fresh."
Greg sweetly smiled at his lovingly hetero father. "Do you remember the morning after our first night in the Maui house? I was a senior in high school and you and I went down to the beach for a swim. You took your shirt off and I yelled 'what happened to your back, Dad, it's covered in scratches?' You told me Mom got a little carried away thanking you for the vacation house."
"I had forgotten about that." Dave burst out laughing. "Didn't I tell you something like 'Let this be a lesson son…study hard at Stanford, so you can succeed in life and one day buy your wife a vacation house in paradise. Then you too will know what it's like to have your back scratched to hell while your grateful wife screams your name."
Nodding at his grinning father, Greg said, "Things work differently between men. Since we don't have fingernails, there's never any scratching, but when we get caught up in the heat of moment, sometimes we forget our own strength, and bruises are just the accidental result of a really good time. We're not even having sex yet, but emotions were running high, and…"
"And now I'm so sorry I asked," Dave gulped down his nausea and pushed out the smile of a loving, supportive father. "It's not that I don't approve or think you're twisted or…I don't want to make you feel bad, son."
"How's this?" Greg laughed, "While you're fully supportive of gay rights and your gay son, at the end of the day you're a hetero man and the thought of two guys together makes you queasy, and the thought of your son being manhandled by a roughneck from Texas gets you totally squicked, so let's agree not to mention that aspect of the relationship ever again."
"I really wish I could be your mother and get all excited about the romance part too, but…" Dave shook his head. "To be honest, what you said sums it up perfectly, yes. Tell me all about Nick kicking a guy's ass to defend your honor, but not what he likes to do with yours. I sincerely hope that doesn't offend you."
"Nah." Greg shook his head. "I feel the same way whenever I see lesbians playing tonsil hockey. Blech."
"See, I don't have a problem with them," Dave laughed at the hypocrisy and then sobered again. "Before we never talk about your sex life again, Greg, just promise me you'll continue to practice safe sex. As I understand it, Nick's slept around quite a bit and women can carry diseases too. You're my only son and I've almost had to plan your funeral twice between the lab explosion and the beating, I never want to do it for real."
"I'm an Eagle Scout, Dad." Greg made the pledge sign. "And I'm sure mom has condoms and lube stashed all over the damn boat."
Dave breathed in the salt air. "Let's start that 'no sex talk' rule right now."
"Consider it done." Greg pulled on his jacket to cover the bruise, and then returned to the helm seat, ready to walk through the plotted course.
"I need a pen." Dave walked over and opened the small drawer to the right of the wheel. "So much for not thinking about sex." He pulled out one of the condoms and read the wrapper. "Hey, I didn't know they made glow-in the dark ones."
"You wanna keep it, stud?"
"Your mother will owe me after a day of shopping with my credit card." Snickering, he tucked it in his pocket. "Okay, here's the plan."
"Hey, Dave!" Nick called out as he walked past the boat holding a Venti Starbucks cup.
"I'll give you boys a second," the uncomfortable father whispered. "Hey, Nick!" It was hard to look him in the eye after all the sex talk. "I was just on my way to the head." He gasped, "That's what we call a bathroom on a boat. There are different terms for things, that's one of them."
Listening to his nervous father, Greg was in stitches.
"Yeah, I know. I've studied up." Nick pointed, "Forward, Aft, Port, Starboard, right?"
"Very good." Dave replied before hurrying below.
"Miss me already, Cletus?" Greg flirtatiously asked from the helm seat.
"Somethin' like that." He pulled the Starbucks coffee from behind his back. "I just wanted to surprise you."
"Cool! Coffee." Greg circled his fingers around the cup "I'd kiss you, but we're in a public no PDA zone."
"Then I'll expect a raincheck," Nick replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"So, everything's okay again?" After their intense shower experience, the anxious Texan had another crisis of conscience, which included a minor freak out and not making eye contact for nearly an hour.
"Yep, everything's great. I'll start bringin' the gear." After jumping off the boat's edge down to the dock, Nick asked, "Hey, why'd your dad name his boat Freyja?"
"My mom named it." Greg stood and leaned over the rail, "Freyja is the Norse goddess of sensual lovvvve."
"Really?"
"Yep." Greg winked. "I think it's gonna be a very interesting four days, what about you, cowboy?" When he saw Nick scurry off to avoid the question, he laughed, "That's a yes!"
"I'm coming back up!" Dave loudly announced.
"Coast is clear, Dad!" When his father rounded the corner, Greg held up his Starbucks cup. "He just ran over here to surprise me with one of my favorite coffees."
"Aww, that's sweet, he's treating you right. Maybe I can get used to the romance part if we take it slow."
"You and Nick both," Greg chuckled.
"So, this coffee," the supportive father asked, "in gay terms is that like surprising someone special with flowers after enjoying a special time together?"
Watching Nick walk down the pier, Greg broke into a glorious smile. "Yeah."
Walking over to Sara, who had saved them two seats in the conference room, Gil said, "I'm glad I got in before they shut the doors."
"Where we you? You were gone forever."
Gil reached into his pocket for the candy bar he had bought. Presenting it, he whispered, "I know how much you like chocolate at this particular time of the month, but the vending machines on this floor were out of your favorite so I ran around trying to find another machine that had one left."
"Aww." Sara's smile brightened the dreary room. "I'd kiss you, but we're in a public no PDA zone."
"Then I'll expect a raincheck." Gil winked and settled in for the presentation, certain that he had just taken another step in the right direction. "I think it's going to be a fun week, especially now that the boys aren't on the other side of the wall, don't you?"
Unwrapping her prized Twix bar, Sara blissfully sighed, "Yeah."
***
Chapter 26: Bon Voyage"I'm ready to do it," Nick whispered to Greg as they stood together in the dimly lit space. His whole body shaking, he was determined to overcome his fear. "I can do it."
"You're sure?" Greg asked, feeling less than confident that his buddy was up to the challenge. "Because I don't want you to freak out."
"I'm sure."
"Okay." Greg walked his trembling friend into the stateroom at the front of the boat. "We'll do it in steps, okay. Get on the bed."
Nick did as told, immediately feeling the low ceiling directly above him closing in.
"I'm shutting the door."
"Okay." Nick licked his lips as his breathing labored and when he heard the door close, he emitted a slight gasp.
"How are you doing, buddy?"
"Great," Nick lied as his stomach twisted and knotted.
"Ready for lights off?"
"Do it." He fisted the bedding, tensing in anticipation of the moment.
Seconds after Greg flicked the switch, Nick bolted up screaming, so he re-lit the room.
Nick pointed and panted, "It's the little emergency lights that popped on."
"Did they make you think of how the lights would suddenly come on in the coffin?"
"Yeah." The claustrophobic man jumped off the bed. "It'll be okay, once I know I can move around and leave when I want to. That's how it's been workin' when I've had to process basements and stuff underground." He glanced up at the skylight. "That opens in an emergency, right?"
"Yep." Greg watched his still-traumatized friend busy himself in the small cabin, trying desperately to acclimate. "Don't feel bad, the stateroom can be claustrophobic to people who don't normally even have a problem. The bed goes from wall to wall and kinda looks like a really tricked out coffin if you think about it."
Walking into the bathroom, Nick muttered, "I'm gettin' cremated when I go, because I have no desire to be in another coffin even when I'm dead."
"My parents are going to be cremated and have their ashes spread in the water in Maui. Because then if one goes before the other, they'll still be able to vacation together. I think that's morbidly sweet, don't you?"
"Yeah."
Now that the claustrophobia test was over, Greg re-opened the stateroom door. "If my folks die together in an accident or something, they've asked me to go to Maui and spread their ashes at sunset while playing their wedding song."
"My folks are goin' in the family plot back home." After inspecting every inch of the stateroom, Nick returned and sat on the bed. "Okay, I'm startin' to think I'll be able to sleep here."
"Cool. And if you can't handle it, we can sleep in the conversation area, because the couches convert to a bed and you can see the exit from there. Worst case, we bundle up and sleep up top, or camp on the beach. It doesn't matter to me, I'll do whatever it takes to make you comfortable, because this trip is all about getting you some R&R before you have to report back."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Nick's breathing steadied. "C'mere." He patted the mattress.
"Uh…" Greg glanced out the door. "My dad's talking to the Harbor Master, but he could be back any minute."
"Shucks, and here I was all ready to rip your clothes off and spit." Nick rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to see if it felt better when you were next to me, ya horny little bastard."
"Sorry." Chuckling, Greg took a seat. "Better?"
"Much." Nick dropped onto his back, and then tugged his buddy down beside him. "I was alone in that coffin, so havin' someone next to me is the ultimate reminder that I'm in a different place. And I sure as hell am in a different place than I was two years ago." He turned his head to be eye to eye with the one person in the world who was actively loving him on a daily basis. "G…"
"Yeah?"
"It really is better with you."
"The claustrophobia?"
"No." Reaching out, Nick cupped his partner's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "Life is better with you."
"Wow." The hopeless romantic's lips curved into a smile, "That is without a doubt, the coolest thing anyone's ever said to me."
"Then you've been underappreciated for far too long, Greg Sanders." When he saw his boyfriend swoon, Nick winked. "You said you wanted to be wooed, well…it started with the coffee and I'm gonna keep it comin'. How am I doin' so far? On a scale of one to ten."
"Eleven." Greg brought his smile to Nick's. "Wanna redeem your raincheck?"
"Mmmhmm." When the tantalizing kiss left him dizzy, Nick quietly said, "Bein' in a relationship really does work the same for two guys, except for the physical part of course. After all these years never havin' a relationship, I can't believe I'm actin' like a goofy teenager with a guy. We're bein' romantic. We're havin' fun. It's like the real deal, just like relationships between men and women. I didn't think it would be like that."
"Why not?"
"Because growin' up listenin' to my dad and brother talk about gay guys, or the shit you hear, I thought it was only about gettin' laid ten times a night without knowin' who you were screwin', not about bein' a couple."
"It is all about sex for plenty of guys," Greg assured with a laugh. "You've never been to a gay dance club on a Saturday night."
"You have?"
"I used to go when I was in Grad school." Greg decided to leave out that his club visits occurred during a rather embarrassing drug use and oral fixation phase of his life.
"You're not gonna want to go to those places now though, right?" Nick asked with trepidation.
"Hell no, I stopped going to clubs when I moved to Vegas. No, I'm done with that scene, and there's really no point if you're not looking to hook up. Besides, if we went, you'd realize that I'm not exactly a prime catch. I don't work out six days a week and my ass is practically non-existent. Even at your age, you'd have no problem trading up."
"Even at my age? What's that supposed to mean? I'm only thirty-five."
"That's ancient in club terms. Over thirty is over the hill." Greg sweetly laughed, "You missed your gay prime, but I'll be more than happy to help you make up for lost time."
"I'm sure." Nick glanced up at the ceiling. "I don't know, the shower is pretty small here," he joked, trying desperately to remain comfortable with the topic.
"Is that your way of telling me to stay away? Or was that disappointment I heard in your voice?" It was the first time he'd said anything since their morning passion and Greg took it as a very positive sign. "Hmm? Is showering with me something you'd want to do again?"
"Maybe."
"That's a yes." Greg snickered, "I think a little frottage fun on the high seas will help you relax, Cletus."
Nick abruptly redirected back to the original topic, "So I guess gay or straight doesn't really matter. People are either monogamous or like to screw around. They either enjoy living alone or like living with someone. Don't want marriage and kids, or dream of having a family some day."
"Yep, but in the gay community, monogamous couples like us take crap from other guys sometimes, because why would we want to give up unlimited sex when it's there for the taking, you know? Some guys will look at you like you're insane, but don't let that bother you, because there are a ton of gay couples out there, you just don't hear about them like you do the sex-machine stereotype. Mainly because a lot of monogamous gay couples are living in straight worlds, like us, and are forced to keep everything on the down low. I think that will change as same-sex unions and gay marriages are allowed and more people come out, but for now, it is what it is." Propping up on his elbow, Greg softly said, "All you have to know is, I only want you and I'm happy, very happy with the way things are going. And yeah," he gave a goofy laugh, "I am a horny little bastard, because I haven't been with anyone in a while and you make me sizzle like an egg on a Vegas sidewalk in July, but I'll be perfectly content grinding with you in the shower until you're ready for more."
Busting at the seams from keeping his feelings in, Nick finally confessed, "That shower was damn hot, wasn't it?"
"Oh yes it was."
"I friggin' saw stars."
"Thank God the hotel had that safety bar in there or I would have fallen down when I blacked out temporarily."
"But to be brutally honest, it was really weird when the moment," Nick quietly laughed, "came. Feelin' and seein' me on you and you on me, that threw me. You're Greggo, we're buds, and suddenly I'm covered in ya…weird, very weird. I was happy to be in the shower, so we could clean up quick."
"I remember my first interaction," Greg smiled at the memory. "Senior year, I went over to this guy's house, Brian Markson, he was in Science Club with me. We went from building a rocket to beating each other off. There's a segue in there somewhere," he laughed. "We were fine in the heat of the moment, but when we realized our hands were covered in each other's spooge, we got totally squicked. So, it's a normal reaction." He shrugged. "Brian and I got over it an hour later when we did it the second time." Laughing harder, he shared, "After that, being science geeks, we'd do it and measure output distance and volume."
"I used to do that jerkin' off," Nick admitted, while simultaneously loving and hating the candid conversation.
"Here's another education tip for the newbie…double the output means double the mess. When interacting outside a water-based environment like a shower, it's prudent for guys to have a couple of towels on hand." Greg rolled over to check the nightstand while his buddy was busy cringing.
"I love that you can just talk about this stuff." Nick squirmed behind his smile. "Because I sure as hell wouldn't be actively askin' questions. If my brother hadn't graphically spilled every detail about his conquests, I never woulda known what to do with a girl either."
Looking into the stocked drawer, Greg sighed, "Just as I suspected, my mommy put a supply of washcloths right here in the drawer…among other things."
"What the hell did your perv of a mother put in there?"
"You're too wet behind the ears yet, boy." Laughing, Greg slammed the drawer shut and shook his head. "No, you've already freaked out once today."
"Now I'm twice as curious." Nick lunged for the drawer.
"No!" Greg threw himself on top of him. "Trust me, you don't want to know."
"I've never had a guy on top of me before." Nick anxiously chuckled, "Not countin' my brother straddlin' me while he beat the hell out of me as a kid. But this doesn't feel too weird since it's not a sex position."
"Uh…you do know guys can do it facing each other, right?"
"Let's add this to the list of conversations I never thought I'd never have." His face starting to flush, Nick shook his head. "No, I always imagined they did from behind. The parts don't line up when you're on top of each other, guy/guy or guy/girl. How would it work?"
"How did you do it with the girls?"
"Doggy style with the experienced ones. With first timers or less adventurous girls, I always did it while spooning, because it's easier for them and it kept me from gettin' carried away."
"Guys do it those ways too, but they do it facing each other when they want to kiss and make eye contact to establish more intimacy…which we now know wasn't a priority when you were with women, so…wow. To answer your question, if a man or woman puts their legs on the guy's shoulders, the right parts line up. The comfort level really depends on the bottom's flexibility, and…"
"Class over for now," Nick pleaded. "I get the gist."
Watching his buddy's squeamish reaction, Greg queried, "All these years, you've never watched any gay porn?"
"No."
"Not even an episode of Queer as Folk?"
"What's that?"
"Sex in the City but with gay guys."
"G, I was desperately trying not to be gay, so I stayed away from anything and everything gay."
"Everything except me," Greg initiated an Eskimo Kiss. "Be honest, you asked me to move in because you wanted to be with me."
"No, I really wasn't thinkin' like that, at least not consciously," Nick answered in a vulnerable voice. "I asked you to move in, because I was scared you were really gonna leave Vegas."
"Thank you for stopping me from making the biggest mistake of my life," Greg remarked as he righted the universe and rolled their bodies until Nick was in the top spot. "Does this feel more natural for you?"
"Yeah, it does. I'll admit it, I'm a control freak."
"It's okay that you like taking control." Greg latched onto Nick's gaze with his eyes. "Because I like being possessed. I like possessive words like…you're mine, all mine." He captured his gaping boyfriend's bottom lip with his mouth and tugged it. "And I love possessive kisses and touches." Dropping his hands on the pillow above his head, he waited for any return of affection.
Feeling his eager partner grinding below him, Nick's body ignited. "You little shit. 'Rick and I would make fun of you when you'd whine about not seein' any action. I used to call you a hapless twit when you started workin' at the lab."
"My how times have changed." Greg shifted his hips and snickered, "This hapless little twit just gave you a boner in seven seconds flat."
"No, you gave me a raging boner in five." Nick's voice dropped to a sexy rasp, "You're one hell of a god damn tease."
"I'm only a tease if I don't follow through."
"Tell me…why are the backs of your hands tappin' against that pillow?"
"They're jumpy." With a seductive edge in his voice, Greg suggested, "You should probably pin them down before they grab you in all the wrong places, cowboy."
"You think that would be a good idea, huh?"
"No, I stand corrected. I think it would be an excellent idea."
Nick slid his palms up Greg's arms and when he reached his hands, he pressed them deep into the pillow. "Like this?"
"That's perfect." Greg sucked in a breath and then slowly released it. "How's it workin' for you, Control Man?"
"Too good." Nick growled on his way to burn a kiss over his partner's lips. Soon he was savoring the mocha-flavored tongue tumbling with his and letting the world around him melt away. "Way too good." Love and desire trumping fear and awkwardness, Nick allowed his hand to drift past Greg's waist for the first time.
"Shit," Greg huffed just as Nick's hand brushed his thigh. "Get off me!"
"What the hell?" Stunned, Nick jumped off the bed. "I thought you…"
"We're in the stateroom, Dad!" Greg called out while scrambling for a pillow to hold. "We're stowing our gear!" Luckily he had heard him coming down the stairs. "Sorry," he whispered to his dazed partner. "Another raincheck."
"See…you're a tease." Glancing down at his crotch, Nick wished he could stow his gear. Instead, he grabbed his duffle bag from the floor and held it in front of his hips.
"Okay, weather report looks great and you're all set to go," Dave cheerily announced as he breezed into the stateroom. When he saw both men had messed hair, flushed cheeks, and objects in front of their hips, he took a deep breath and said, "I was going to say 'have a great time' but I can tell you already were."
Nick died a hundred deaths in that moment.
"Let's go, son." Dave walked out of the room trying to be cool about his boy getting it on with a guy. "I'll help you cast off and then I want to watch you sail The Love Boat out of here without clipping any of the other moored boats."
Nick died a hundred more deaths and slid down the wall to wallow in his embarrassment.
Walking through the boat, Dave said, "I want you to call as soon as you're moored in Catalina, so I can stop worrying about you getting there safely."
"I promise, Dad."
When they reached the deck, Dave patted his son on the shoulder. "Bon Voyage, and I don't just mean the journey to Catalina. I remember your mother and I taking our first vacation together. It's a milestone. I wish the best. Tell Nick I said so too."
"Thanks. I'd hug you, but…" Greg glanced down. "It would be weird."
"Not a problem!" Dave hurried off the boat while his son started the engine. "Alright, wind direction is toward the dock, so what do you do?"
"Cast off the stern line first."
"Good." Dave tossed the rope and waited for the Freyja to ease into position and then he tossed the bow rope. "You're all clear, son. Take her out." He stood on the pier and watched his boy expertly maneuver the boat just like he had taught him.
"Bye, Dad!"
Dave welled up with tears he couldn't explain. "Have a great trip!" He raised his hand, returning the wave. "And be careful out there." He could say it, but he was helpless to make it happen. His boy was grown and on his way to Catalina and a life he didn't quite understand, but would always support at the end of the day. "I love you!"
"Love you too, Dad!"
When Greg could no longer hear him, Dave wistfully said, "I hope Nick loves you." Because it was about time someone loved his boy, who he knew was quirky, but wonderful in a million ways. "Because you certainly deserve a little happiness after what you've been through."
While the boat was still in sight, the worried father saw Nick emerge on deck. "Good boy." A smile claimed his mouth when he saw the Texan walk over and stand behind Greg, dropping his hands on his shoulders. That's right…love him, protect him, support him, tolerate his quirks. I don't care what you do in the bedroom, do all those things and I'll be your number one fan.
The contented father waited until the horizon claimed the boat, and then he strolled down the pier, smiling all the way.
Sara stood in the corner of the buzzing conference room with a serene smile on her face. The second the lecture broke for a fifteen minute recess, the groupies swarmed her favorite Entomologist like bees to honey. They all wanted two minutes with Dr. Grissom and since she had a monopoly on the man's free time, she thought it would be selfish to steal him away. He was a Forensics god and the college students worshipped him. Having been one of the enchanted masses herself a lifetime ago, she easily empathized.
When Dr. Gil Grissom lectured at Berkeley ten years ago, the lifecycle of the blowfly was the topic, but he could have been reading the phone book for all she cared. It wasn't love at first sight, not in the Hollywood sense. It was actually love at first words. She remembered them distinctly. 'We speak for the victims who no longer have a voice'; everything he said after that was blur. She couldn't recall what he was wearing, how long he presented, or the questions he fielded; she just remembered feeling inspired by him in every sense of the word.
After the lecture, he granted her a private lecture over in a coffee in a local java dive. She remembered her fellow students being jealous and how honored she felt to be crossing the campus with someone so austere. He said he asked her for coffee because she asked the most intelligent questions, but once they began dating last year he confessed that it was her beautiful ass, not her beautiful mind that had impressed him. Sitting at corner table in the bustling café, he spoke and she listened. By the time he said he had a flight to catch, she was in love and when he called to invite her to Vegas to work, it took all of two seconds to yell out 'yes'.
The ten year journey had more downs than ups, but somehow they had managed to find level ground and co-exist. That's what they were doing, co-existing together, and while neither was particularly good at it, they loved it just the same.
"Sara!" Gil called from the middle of a crowd. "I know we planned to have lunch at…"
"It's okay," she assured him with a smile. "Educate and inspire the masses over lunch, I'll take a raincheck."
"Thanks for understanding." He winked, happy that his significant other wasn't a bitchy shrew like so many other women he knew.
"Have fun, Professor," she winked.
"Dr. Grissom!" A co-ed waved a paper in the air. "Dr. Grissom, is there any way you could read my paper?"
Listening to the students fight over her man, Sara strolled out of the room, smiling all the way.
"Mom!" Lindsay shouted from the front door. "You got flowers!"
"Flowers?" Catherine zipped out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula.
"Roses," Lindsay said while handing over the vase full of ruby red beauties. "Who'd you do?"
"Hey!" Catherine scolded her obnoxious teenage daughter with a glare. "You stayed home from school sick today, so you should be too weak to be a smart ass."
"I was saving my strength just in case I got an opportunity to harass you. So, who sent the Booty Call Bouquet?"
"Get in bed!"
"Is that what the guy said to you last night?" The girl snarked before running away.
"Teenagers." Catherine droned while plucking the small white card from the vase.
Ms. Willows –
Dinner was great. The food was good too.
Got plans for Friday night?
If not, you do now.
- Mr. Brown
"You're on, Mr. Brown. On fire to be exact." Catherine carried the vase of a dozen long-stemmed roses to her bedroom, smiling all the way.
"We're here!" Greg exclaimed when the Freyja was secured at Little Geiger Cove, a secluded part of the island that only had one mooring spot and a private strip of beach only a kayak ride away. Standing on the deck of the boat he rejoiced, "No people, no parental interruptions, it's just you and me! What do you think about that, Cletus?"
"I kinda miss your mom a little," Nick deadpanned. "Actually, I don't think she was shopping earlier, no, I think she's secretly stowed away waiting to jump out waving the Gay Men's Guide to Great Sex."
"No, but she left a copy in the nightstand drawer for you." Rubbing his hands together, Greg said, "Sooo…what do you want to do now that we're here? Snokel? Kayak? Fool around? Walk on the beach? Head into town? Fool around? Hike? Shop? Fool around? You name it."
"C'mere." Nick yanked Greg close and proceeded to aggressively strip him down to his boxer briefs. "Mmm, perfect."
"You're a little overdressed, aren't you, cowboy?"
"Not really." The Texan swept his eager buddy off his feet. "Get ready, you horny little bastard, 'cause it's gonna hurt."
"Uh…" Two seconds later when Greg hit the chilly Pacific water he got the joke. "Do you have any idea how friggin' cold this water is?"
"Yep." Nick laughed, "It's just what you needed too, 'cause I'm not cashin' in my raincheck until tonight." Leaning over the boat's edge, he laughed at the wet rat swimming to the ladder. "Now get your cute ass up here and get dressed! I wanna go hikin' right now." Grinning, he helped his water-logged love interest on deck.
"What's the rush?" Greg droned while tapping water out of his ears.
"The sooner we go hikin' and get sweaty, the sooner we'll have to come back and take a shower." After a playful swat to the seat of Greg's wet boxer briefs, he winked, "Chop chop, honey. Don't keep your man waitin'."
***
Next part of Where You Are.
- Main CSI page
- The new stories
- Gil/Greg stories
- Gil/Nick stories
- Gil/Warrick stories
- Nick/Greg stories
- Nick/Warrick stories
- Greg/Warrick stories
- Nick/Bobby stories
- Jim Brass stories
- David Hodges stories
- CSI: New York stories
- CSI: Miami stories
- All f/f stories
- Other pairings & threesomes
- Gen CSI stories
- C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation: The Complete Ninth Season
