Title: Above the Clouds
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Post-ep for the S7 CSI: Vegas episode "Fannysmackin'." This isn't part of my ongoing Greg/Nick series, just a one-shot idea I had that the muses begged me to write.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Nick Stokes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Nick's footsteps slowed as he moved down the hallway of the hospital, approaching the room that Greg was in. He had been warned that Greg was in bad shape, and he was afraid to see how his lover looked. He didn't think he would be able to hold back his tears.

Everyone knew about his relationship with Greg by now; they had given up trying to hide their feelings for each other long ago. Even Ecklie accepted it, and reluctantly let them work on the same shift. They had proved that they could handle doing so.

It was hard not to let his emotions get in the way when he thought that Greg could be going into a situation that could put him in danger, but he always kept quiet about it. His boyfriend wanted to work as a CSI; he loved his job, and Nick wasn't going to hold him back.

But he still couldn't help worrying about Greg, probably more than he should. This time, it seemed that his worries had been proved horribly correct; Greg hadn't been a CSI for all that long, and he'd gone right into a situation that people with much more experience would be wary of.

Greg hadn't backed down from what he'd felt was his duty. He hadn't waited for backup, and possibly let a gang of hoodlums beat an innocent man to death. He'd tried to stop the brutality -- and had ended up being a victim himself because of his bravery.

Still, Nick couldn't help feeling proud of his lover. Greg wasn't the kind of man to let injustice pass him by without trying to do something about it; while other CSIs might have hesitated, Greg had jumped right in, at great cost to himself and his own safety.

He hadn't seen Greg since the attack; he had wanted to come directly to the hospital, but Grissom hadn't let him. His boss had seemed to think that he needed to have a little time to collect his emotions, that being with Greg wasn't the best thing for him.

Maybe he was right, Nick thought with a sigh. He would have been far too emotional, and Greg was already dealing with so much. He didn't need to have his boyfriend going crazy, even though Nick felt bad that he hadn't been there to support his young lover.

But he would be there now, he told himself firmly. He would stay with Greg, no matter how much time he had to take away from work, or what other people might think. He wasn't going to let his boyfriend spend a night in the hospital alone.

He should have been the one to go to Greg, not Sara, he thought angrily, his footsteps picking up speed as he approached Greg's room. But it was too late to think about that now; he was here, and Greg had been made as comfortable as possible after his ordeal.

Would Greg be angry at him for not being here earlier? Nick didn't think so -- but he was going to find out in a few moments. He took a deep breath before he opened the door of his boyfriend's room, not sure of what he would see, but steeling himself for it to be bad.

For a moment, he almost didn't realize that the person lying in the bed was Greg. He was so badly beaten that Nick could barely see his face; what he did see was bruised and swollen to the point where that face didn't even resemble the man he loved.

But it was Greg lying in that bed -- his sweet Greg, the young man he loved with all of his heart and soul. With quick steps, Nick made his way to the bed, sinking down beside Greg and taking the other man's hand in his own, holding it to his cheek.

"Baby ...." Nick's voice broke on the word; all he wanted to do was take Greg in his arms and hold him, rock him like a baby and tell him that everything was going to be all right. He wanted to cry, to turn back the clock, to make all of this never have happened.

Greg turned his head to the side, looking away from him. Nick could see tears making their way slowly down Greg's cheeks; he couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around the young mand and pulling Greg into his embrace.

He had no idea if he was aggravating any bruises on Greg's body; he couldn't see under the hospital gown the other man was wearing. But at the moment, nothing seemed more important than for Greg to be in his arms, to be held, and to know that he was loved and protected.

Fine job he'd done of protecting his lover, a little voice in the back of Nick's mind whispered. If he had gone out with Greg, then his boyfriend wouldn't be lying here in a hospital bed; he wouldn't have been beaten nearly to death by a gang of worthless punks.

Greg's body was shaking in his arms; he was sobbing, holding onto Nick, his thin arms wrapping around Nick's shoulders, clinging to him. Nick wanted to give in to his own tears, but he managed to keep most of them back, even though a few escaped to trickle down his face.

"Don't look at me," Greg sobbed, averting his face from Nick's gaze. "I look horrible. I don't want you to see me like this, Nicky. I don't want you to think I'm .... ugly." His thin body was shaking in Nick's arms; his voice barely audible.

"Oh, baby ...." Nick wanted to burst into tears himself, but he managed to keep his voice steady when he spoke. "Greg, nothing could ever make you look ugly to me, baby. Those are just bruises. They'll go away before too much longer."

He hadn't thought that Greg would feel like this; he hadn't expected Greg to be worried about what he would think about how he looked. He didn't care how Greg looked; his lover was alive, and safe. That was the only thing that mattered to Nick.

"Shhh, sweetheart," he whispered, cautiously moving a hand up Greg's back, hoping that his touch wasn't hurting the slender, fragile man in his arms. "You don't have to worry about anything, baby. You'll look more like yourself in a few days. I promise."

The words to a song came into his head, a song that he hadn't heard in years, but one that had always appealed to him. It was a melody that ran through his head whenever he was upset, or feeling down, one that had always cheered him.

He began to hum the tune, then sang some of the lyrics softly. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly ...." His throat tightened on the words; the lyrics seemed to fit Greg's situation far too accurately for him to go on.

"I d-don't know if I can ever fly again, Nicky," Greg whispered, his voice breaking on the last words. "What if Grissom n-never trusts me again after this? I fucked up. I should have waited f-for backup. I could have gotten that guy k-killed -- and myself, too."

The urge to cry was even stronger now; Nick had to swallow hard to push back the lump that rose to his throat at Greg's words. His boyfriend wasn't thinking of his own aches and pains, what that worthless scum had done to him; he was thinking of the man whose life he'd saved.

He hated to think of Greg having self-doubts after he'd done one of the bravest things that Nick could possibly imagine anyone doing. He had thrown himself into the path of danger to save a life; in Nick's eyes, Greg had flown higher than anyone he'd ever known.

Not many people would have had the strength to do what Greg had done; too few CSIs would have been willing to put themselves into so much peril to help an unknown victim. But Greg had done so without any hesitation, and Nick was sure that his lover didn't regret his actions.

Nick knew that the Greg he'd always known was still there, under the bruised and battered surface. The Greg who wasn't afraid to spread his wings and fly high, the Greg would could face any challenge. That side was there, under the surface, just hidden by what Greg had suffered through.

"You'll fly again, baby," Nick whispered, holding Greg more closely against the warmth of his body. "What you did tonight saved a life. You're a hero, Greg. Nobody blames you for what happened. You were the victim here. You did nothing wrong."

Greg nodded, holding on to Nick more tightly. Nick wasn't sure that his boyfriend believed what he was saying, but he would reiterate those words to Greg as many times as he had to. He wasn't going to let Greg go on feeling that he'd made some kind of mistake.

"I don't want you to see me looking like this," Greg whispered, not raising his head from Nick's shoulder. "I don't want you to have to look away from me. I --" He choked on the words, the last one coming out on a sob as the tears overtook him again.

"Baby, there's nothing wrong with how you look," Nick whispered, trying his best to keep his voice strong and steady. "To me, you'll always be beautiful. Those bruises are going to fade away -- and they're nothing to be ashamed of. They're proof of how brave you are."

"I don't feel brave," Greg whispered, his words sounding defeated, dispirited. "I just feel .... beaten. Like I was stupid to even think I could do something to help. I should have just waited. I wouldn't be here now if I had. And you wouldn't have to deal with all of this."

"If dealing with this means having you with me, then it's my pleasure to do it," Nick told his boyfriend, gently stroking Greg's back. "I'm proud of you, Greg. I don't know a lot of people who would have done what you did tonight. You saved a life. You should be proud, too."

Greg didn't answer him; Nick could feel hot tears on his neck where Greg face was pressed against his skin, but he didn't move to wipe them away. He wanted to let Greg cry himself out, to get it all out. He was going to be here for his love, whatever he might need.

He began to sing softly again, the words of the Beatles' song coming to his lips more easily than any other words could. After what seemed like a long time, Greg began to relax in his arms; finally, he lifted his head and pulled back slightly to look at Nick.

Nick raised a hand to place gentle fingertips on Greg's lips; his gaze locked with Greg's, his heart breaking at the uncertainty and fear he read there. Leaning forward slightly, he brushed his mouth tenderly across those parted lips, the kiss a gentle promise for the future.

"You'll fly again, baby," he whispered, his own eyes filling with tears that he blinked back. "You'll spread your wings and soar up over the clouds. And no matter what, you'll always be beautiful to me. Your wings might be broken now, but they'll mend. I promise."

He wasn't sure if Greg believed him at the moment, but that didn't matter, Nick told himself as he reached out to brush away the tears from his lover's cheeks. Greg would fly above the clouds again. And Nick would do whatever he could to make sure that he did.

***