title: a short span of time
by: parkagirl
fandom: CSI: Vegas
pairing: nick/greg
rating: pg
spoilers: season five
disclaimer: the characters are not mine, they belong to cbs, etc.

***

They are both rushed and Greg thinks that they're always rushed. Always running behind. Except that Nick keeps doing little things, like all of the laundry or the dishes immediately after whatever meal they've eaten together.

And now he's suggested paper plates and it's all too orderly for Greg. He misses the old Nick, the one who didn't mind a few dirty clothes. Who was okay if they didn't get to house cleaning right away. But now the house is spotless and Greg wonders if Nick sleeps.

He knows that's not quite true, because Nick crawls into bed almost as soon as he gets home. Not that that means anything, because sometimes Greg does the same and then, once Nick leaves, doesn't sleep.

But the house is still too clean and everything is still too nice and Greg doesn't like it. He doesn't like who they've become because it's not them. He's always tired, he knows Nick is and this can't be the way it's supposed to be.

He blinks sleepily, knows he should get moving, but Nick is sitting in front of the couch, cross-legged and Greg can't stop himself from reaching out, fingers along Nick's throat, pressing lightly against skin. Nick's eyelids flutter and he turns.

He leans forward, mouth covering Nick's and he kisses him.

Nick twists and he's on his knees, kissing Greg back. They move faster, faster than Greg really means to, but they don't get much time any more. Nick is pulling at Greg's pants, tugging them down, but it's not working. The blanket is twisted between Greg's legs and they both end up on the floor, Greg on top of Nick.

Greg almost laughs, but Nick's kissing him again, it's frantic and he misses Nick. Misses him so much that he feels like he'll never be happy again. Except Nick is right there, pushing him back onto the floor. Nick, on his knees and lifting Greg's shirt, mouth against Greg's stomach.

Greg lifts his hips as Nick pulls his pajama pants down, tugging them off. Nick ducks his head, mouth sliding over Greg. It's hot, it always is, but Greg misses the way things used to be. He loves oral sex, loves it either way, but he misses real sex. He misses fucking and waking up curled around Nick. He misses not thinking, not wondering if they're going to be late, what he has to do during the day.

He almost misses the days when the most he worried about was whether Grissom would get mad at him for listening to music in the lab. When he looked forward to working because it meant he'd get to spend more time with Nick.

Now he just longs for the few minutes between shifts when he and Nick can make out like kids hiding from their parents.

It's over too fast and Nick is kissing him again. Greg slides his hand between them and it makes him want to cry in frustration; as all he does is jack Nick off. It's not enough and they both know it.

Nick's hurried 'I love you' follows Greg to the shower. When he's ready to go, Nick is already asleep.

***