Title: Catch My Fall
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: NC-17
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.

***

Greg huddled in one corner of the couch, not looking up when Nick entered the room. He sat down beside Greg, taking his young lover into his arms, letting Greg lean against him. He closed his eyes as Greg curled up against him, trembling in his embrace.

Nick wanted nothing more at that moment than to blast that bastard Shane out of existence, to wave some kind of magic wand and erase every horrible memory that Greg had of him. He should have known that this would happen, that Shane would come back into their lives.

It had been too much to hope that someone so evil would leave them alone. Shane apparently still thought that he had some kind of claim to Greg, and those black, dead roses had been a sign that he didn't mean to let Greg go as easily as they'd thought he would.

"He's never going to leave me alone," Greg whispered, his voice barely audible. "He's going to haunt me until he gets what he wants, Nick. And it's not going to be easy to catch him. He's too good at hiding himself. We could be looking for him for years."

"It's not going to be that long," Nick muttered through clenched teeth, tightening his arms around Greg. "He's going to make a mistake before too much longer, Greg," he said softly, wishing that he didn't feel so murderously angry at the moment.

Did he really believe what he was saying? Nick asked himself. So far, Shane had been smart as to how to avoid the police. He'd managed to get to their front door and leave those dead flowers without anyone in the neighborhood seeing him, and he hadn't left a trace.

Nick had talked to every person who lived nearby, and he'd been more frustrated than ever when he had finished. No one had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary; nobody could recall a man leaving those flowers on the front porch. It was as though Shane had disappeared.

If only the bastard would disappear right out of their lives, he thought, his anger rising within him. The last thing Greg needed was to have his ex-boyfriend harassing him. He had enough to deal with, and Shane still terrified him. Just the mention of his ex could make him tremble.

Nick didn't blame him at all, not after what Shane had put him through. It was a miracle that Greg hadn't completely fallen apart, but this young man was stronger than he looked. Nick was proud of his strength, proud of the fact that Greg wasn't hiding himself away in fear.

"I want you to make me forget he ever touched me," Greg whispered, raising his head from Nick's shoulder to look up at the other man. "Make love to me, Nicky. Make me forget him. Make me forget that I ever knew him. I need you to make me forget."

Maybe he should hesitate, Nick told himself. Maybe he should tell Greg that this wasn't the right time for them to make love, that sex wasn't going to make him forget all that had been done to him. But he couldn't say the words, couldn't find it in his heart to deny Greg.

The truth was, he wanted to make love to Greg. He wanted to try his best to erase every memory of Shane from Greg's mind and body, wanted his boyfriend to push away all of those horrible memories and replace them with pleasant ones.

"If that's what you want, baby, then that's what I'll do," Nick whispered, turning slightly to push Greg down on his back on the couch. He was glad that the velveteen cushions were wide and comfortable; he'd never made love on this couch before, but he was sure they'd have plenty of room.

"I feel like I'm falling," Greg whispered, tears coming into his eyes, "and I don't know when I'm going to hit the ground. I need you to catch my fall, Nicky. I need you to promise me that you're not going to let me hit the ground too hard. Promise me you'll catch me."

"I promise, baby," Nick said softly, the words catching in his throat. He had thought that Greg was getting past all that Shane had done to him, but apparently, he had been wrong. He could hear the fear in Greg's voice, and he wanted to banish it forever.

It only took him a few moments to tug Greg's t-shirt over his head, his own quickly following suit. Nick lowered his head to trail a line of fiery kisses down Greg's throat to his bare shoulder, then down to his chest, nipping gently at each small pink nipple.

Greg squirmed under him, obviously wanting more than just those lips on his flesh. "Be patient, baby, I'll give you what you need," Nick whispered, moving his hands down Greg's slim body to tug at the zipper on his jeans, then to slide the fabric down those long, slender legs.

Within moments, Greg was naked under him, and he was unzipping his own pants. Being skin to skin with Greg, with no physical barriers between their bodies, always made a thrill of anticipation go through him; he would never cease to be aroused when their bodies touched.

Greg's arms were around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss, one that took his breath away. When he could raise his head and catch his breath again, Nick reached for the drawer in the table by the couch, opening it and fumbling inside for a moment.

Ah, there it was, the tube of lubricant that he always kept there. He had always meant to move it into the bedroom, but he never had -- and now he was thankful that it had remained where it was, because he had no intention of taking Greg with no lube.

It only took him a few moments to prepare Greg; his boyfriend was already eager for his touch, spreading his legs and arching his back when Nick pressed a finger inside him, quickly followed by another. Within seconds, Greg was moaning and squirming under him, demanding more.

"Make love to me," he panted, his voice soft in Nick's ear. "I need you, Nicky. I want you to block out every time he ever touched me. I want to think about what you feel like. I want to know that I belong to you. Please. Make me forget."

"I'll do my best, baby," Nick promised, raising himself slightly on one elbow to look down at Greg. His boyfriend's lips were parted, his cheeks flushed, his hair tousled; Nick didn't think he had ever seen Greg look so incredibly beautiful -- or so infinitely desirable.

Lifting the younger man's legs slightly, he positioned himself against Greg's entrance, gripping those slim hips and hoping that there wouldn't be more than a quicksilver second of pain for his lover. Closing his eyes, he thrust his hips forward, gasping as he did so.

No matter how many times he made love to Greg, he would never cease to marvel at how tight the other man's body was -- slick and hot, like a velvet glove that had been made specifically for Nick to slide into. Making love to Greg felt like home.

He didn't move for a few moments, giving Greg time to get used to being filled. In spite of the precautions he always took every time they made love, Greg was small and tight, and he knew that it would always be a little difficult for him to accustom himself to Nick's girth.

After a few moments, he cautiously pulled his hips back slightly, then thrust into Greg again. The young man beneath him moaned and tightened his muscles around Nick, making him gasp with pleasure, his body wanting to thrust again, harder and deeper this time.

But he wasn't going to do that, he told himself sternly. He was going to take his time and be gentle, make love to Greg in every sense of the word. There would be no rush; this wasn't a race, and there wasn't a finish line that he needed to cross.

Within seconds, he had worked up a slow and steady rhythm; Greg's hips rocked in rhythm with his thrusts, their bodies connected just as their hearts were. Greg's arms were around his neck again, pulling him down for yet another kiss, snatching the breath from his lungs.

Greg's long legs wrapped around his waist, those slim thighs pressing against his sides, tightening with every thrust of his hips and urging him on. Nick knew that he was already approaching the point of no return, but he wasn't going to let himself go until he knew that Greg was satiated.

Nick could feel Greg's trembling intensify; he knew that his lover was as close to the edge as he was, and he was determined to make Greg come first. He thrust into the other man's body again and again, harder and deeper, wanting to lift Greg to impossible heights.

In only a few seconds, Greg's legs tightening around his waist, a cry breaking from his lips. Nick gave up trying to hold himself up, wrapping his arms around Greg's slender waist and letting himself go; his cry joined his boyfriend's as they both fell from the clouds to the ground.

Nick slowly let himself slide from Greg's body, turning over onto his side and cradling the younger man in his arms, pressing soft kisses to Greg's lips, his cheeks, his forehead. He hoped that his boyfriend felt as sated as he himself did; he was shaken by the intensity of their passion.

"I asked you to catch me, and you did," Greg whispered, his words muffled against Nick's shoulder. "I always knew you would, Nicky. Any time I fall, I don't have to be scared of hitting the ground. I know you'll always be there to catch me, whenever I need you."

"Always, Greg. Always," Nick murmured, one hand moving down Greg's back to pull the other man closer to his body. "I'll always catch your fall, whenever you need me to. And I'll always be here. You'll never be alone again, baby. I promise."

Greg smiled up at him sleepily, then rested his head against Nick's shoulder. A few moments later, Nick could feel his boyfriend's body relaxing in sleep; he smiled and held Greg closer, not wanting to let him go. He didn't mind sleeping on the couch tonight.

All he wanted to do now was to keep the promise he had made to Greg; to be there always, to catch him whenever he fell. He intended to keep that promise; he was absolutely sure that he could, no matter what might happen. That promise would always be his first priority.

Whatever might happen in the future, he would always be there for Greg, to protect him, to catch his fall. Now that he had made that promise, nothing would keep him from fulfilling it. Nick closed his eyes, letting himself drift off into sleep, that promise burning on his lips and in his heart.

***