Title: A Little Respect
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Table: Holiday Non-Bingo, tv_universe
Prompt: 22, Siblings
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.

***

Why was the thought of finally meeting his boyfriend's family making him so nervous? Greg looked into the mirror and frowned a he ran a hand through his hair.

Nick had already assured him that he wouldn't be meeting the entire family yet, just some of his siblings who had decided to come to Vegas for the Christmas holidays.

But meeting two of Nick's brothers, and a sister, was enough for him.

If he had to meet Nick's parents, he'd probably be so nervous that he'd make a complete idiot out of himself. He wasn't so sure that he he wouldn't do that just with siblings.

He wanted to meet Nick's family, Greg told himself firmly. He was just nervous about it, that was all. Anyone would be, if they'd heard as much about these people as he had.

He knew that Nick's family were overachievers, and that none of his other siblings were gay. They didn't look down on Nick for his sexual preference; they supported him, and they would accept whoever he decided to be with, as long as that person made Nick happy.

Greg knew that he made Nick happy; he didn't doubt that for a moment. What worried him was his past, and how much Nick's family might or might not know about it.

He also wasn't sure that they were going to like the idea of their beloved brother dating someone he worked with, who was only a lowly lab rat, at that.

If he was a CSI, he'd have stories to tell them about his field work, maybe even stories that also involved Nick. But he doubted they'd be interested in hearing about his work in the DNA lab.

Greg took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders.

He shouldn't think of himself as being a "lowly" anything, he berated himself. He was a success at what he did. He was the youngest person to ever run the DNA lab.

Not just the youngest person in the Vegas crime lab, but in any crime lab, he reminded himself. He was good at what he did, and he was respected by everyone in his field -- including the CSIs. They might tease him a lot, but they knew that he was good at his job and that they could count on him.

It was good to feel respected by his peers, good to know that there were people who had his back and who cared about him. They'd proved that when Shane had kidnapped him.

The people he worked with were his best friends, and they meant the world to him. Though for some reason, he hadn't been able to confide his nervousness about meeting Nick's family to anyone.

He felt that all of his friends would laugh at the fact that he was nervous, and tell him not to worry. They were probably right, but he couldn't help being worried. He wanted Nick's siblings to see him as a fitting match for their brother, to see him as someone who would enhance Nick's life.

it didn't really matter. They lived so far away -- most of them weren't even living in Texas, where Nick was from, any more -- but they were still close to their brother.

And because of that, Greg wanted them to be close to him, too.

He wanted to make a good impression. He wanted his boyfriend's family to like him, and more than that, he wanted them to respect him.

Respect was one thing that he'd never had from Shane, and it was something that he would never again feel that he didn't deserve from the person he was with, or from anyone.

He would have that from Nick's siblings, he told himself firmly. There was no reason for them not to show him a little respect; after all, he was the man who their brother had chosen to be with.

Greg stepped back from the mirror, running a hand through his tousled hair one last time to smooth it down. It was time for them to go pick up Nick's brothers and sister from the airport, get them to their hotel, and then take them out to dinner after they had checked in and freshened up a little.

He was sure that things were going to go well. There was no reason for him to be nervous. After all, there was no reason whatsoever for Nick's family not to like him.

Turning, he made his way out of the bedroom and into the living room where Nick was sitting on the couch, thumbing through a magazine while he waited for Greg to get ready.

Nick looked up with a smile, tossing the magazine aside. "Ready to meet the siblings, baby?"

Greg laughed softly, taking Nick's hand as his boyfriend stood up and they headed for the door. "As ready as I"ll ever be," he said, feeling less nervous with Nick by his side.

There was no reason to be worried about this, he told himself again as they walked out to the car. But he was still going to keep his fingers crossed and say a little prayer, just in case.

***