Title: Breathe
By: Ericalynn
Pairing: Nick/Warrick
Rating: PG
Summary: Drabble based upon “Breathe” by Greenwheel.

He played the fool again. Smiling while he’s breaking, choking and forcing every painful breath in and out of his lungs. He functions, barely, when he’s alone. And to the world, it looks as if he’s fine, a happy mask so firmly set in place he sometimes forgets it isn’t appropriate to smile all the time.

He fingers the cell phone in his pocket, thumb hovering over the second key. He knows who it will call, knows the rush of love and relief and anger and lust and every emotion between that will crash over him at the sound of his voice. But he also knows what it will do to Warrick.

His smile falters a bit at the thought. He can’t put Warrick through that, he asked for time and time is what Nick would give him. Despite everything, he still loved Warrick and wanted nothing more than to be safe and at home in his arms once again.

And not for the first time since Warrick left did Nick curse the miles between them.

With a deep breath and a smile, he moved on.