Title: Out of the Woods
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Fandom: CSI: Vegas
Rating: R
Series: 1) The Word Is Out, 2) In the Light of Day, 3) Property, 4) Flames of Hell, 5) Bottles and Broomsticks, 6) At the Killing Edge, 7) Into Your Arms, 8) Uncharted Territory
Author's Note: Mentions of rape/torture.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Greg Sanders or Nick Stokes, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Nick glanced over at Greg with a concerned frown as he pulled his truck into the garage; he had brought a fluffy pillow for Greg to lean back against so that his burns wouldn't be too irritated, but he knew that the ride from the hospital hadn't been comfortable.

He had tried to take the smoothest roads he could, to avoid jolting Greg too much. But he'd been able to tell, from the younger man's silence and the pained gasps that had escaped him every once in a while, that the painkillers were wearing off far too rapidly.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked softly as he opened the door, knowing that Greg would deny he was hurting even when he was asked directly. "I'll have you inside in a few minutes, then you can lie down and relax for the rest of the day."

Greg nodded, a pained frown between his brows. "It .... hurts, Nicky," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I don't want to complain, but .... I think they should have given me more painkillers. I didn't think it'd be this hard to get out of bed, even on the first day."

"It'll get easier, babe," Nick promised, hoping that he was right. After all, Greg couldn't keep hurting like this forever. The pain had already lessened considerably from how bad it had been the first couple of days after they'd rescued him from Shane's clutches.

At least, that was the impression that Greg had given him. It could be that the younger man was trying to make everyone around him feel that he was all right when he really wasn't. Nick sighed inwardly, wishing that Greg would trust him enough to be honest about how he was feeling.

But he couldn't blame Greg for having trust issues, could he? Look at what Shane had done to him. Greg had trusted his boyfriend to love and protect him -- and all that Shane had done was mistreat him. It was no wonder that Greg had developed a mistrust of people.

Still, it hurt to know that the young man who had once seemed so carefree had become so secretive and afraid. Nick was determined to change that; he wasn't going to let Greg live the rest of his life in fear. He wanted the Greg he had always known to come back, front and center.

He missed that happy-go-lucky boy he'd first met when Greg had come to the lab; he missed Greg's smile, his ready laughter. He missed the easy camaraderie they'd always had. And he missed the openness of their close friendship.

They were moving beyond friendship now, into something much more. Something that he'd always had at the back of his mind, but had been afraid to ask for. Now that they seemed to be inching towards what he had craved for so long, Nick wasn't sure that it was the right thing to do.

The last thing he wanted was for Greg to think that he was simply going to take Shane's place in his life, to be some kind of demanding monster. No, he told himself firmly as he closed the door and went around to open the passenger side. Greg would never think that.

Greg knew him too better than that. He had to know that Nick would never make unreasonable demands on him -- and that Nick would never hurt him. He'd kill himself before he would even think of doing anything that could harm Greg in any way.

He knew that Greg probably wanted to get out of the truck by himself, but he was tired of watching the man he loved cause himself needless pain by not letting anyone help him. This time, Greg was going to accept his help whether he wanted to or not.

He'd had a hard time getting into the truck when they had left the hospital, but he'd refused to let Nick help him. Nick had winced just watching him -- and he'd had to pretend that he hadn't seen the tears of pain in Greg's eyes when he'd finally settled himself in the front seat.

As Greg began to make his way slowly and painfully out of the high cab of the truck, Nick reached in to wrap his arms around the young man's waist. Greg opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it as he was lifted out of the truck and held against the warmth of Nick's body.

"You don't have to help me do everything, Nicky," Greg whispered, lifting his head to look at Nick. "I've got to get used to moving around again, y'know. I've been in bed on my ass for too long. I'll end up forgetting how to do anything if you keep coddling me."

"I'm not coddling you, babe," Nick objected, not wanting to take his arms from around Greg's slim waist. "I'm just helping you. I saw how hard it was for you to get into this thing. I should have helped you then, but I was being stupid. I'm not doing that any more."

Greg gasped as Nick bent down to slide one arm behind his knees and pick him up in those strong arms, kicking the door of the truck shut and carrying the young man to the front door. He stood there, a frown on his face, wondering how he was going to get his keys out and unlock the door.

"Maybe it'd be a good idea to put me down while you get the keys," Greg suggested, laughter dancing in the depths of his dark eyes. "Or are you planning to carry me over the threshold like we're newlyweds? I wouldn't mind that, but it's a little premature, don't you think?"

"I might just be doing that one day," Nick murmured, with a meaningful look at the young man in his arms. "And if you think I'm letting you go, then you're dead wrong. Reach into my coat pocket and get the keys out. I think you can unlock the door without twisting around too much."

Greg did as he was told, reaching awkwardly into the pocket of Nick's jacket and retrieving the keys. Within a few moments, he had the door open, and Nick was walking through his living room and down the hall towards the bedroom he'd fixed up for Greg.

"You don't have to do this, Nicky," Greg told him. "I'll be okay at my own place. I might need to have a little help getting around, but people can come over to check on me once in a while. You don't need to take care of me like I'm some kind of invalid."

"You are kind of an invalid at the moment, Greg," Nick said, his tone serious. "You shouldn't be moving around a lot. That's what the doctors told you. And you need somebody to help you with those burns, to change the dressings."

"I know, but I don't have to be monitored and fussed over every second of the day!" Greg complained. "I'm not helpless, Nicky. I know you're worried about me, and I appreciate it, but I don't want to be a burden to you." His voice was beginning to sound panicked.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay," Nick said, keeping his tone soft and soothing. "Greg, it's not like you're going to be here indefinitely -- and not like I don't want you here. And you know that it's not safe for you to be at your place, in case Shane shows up again."

Greg nodded reluctantly, releasing a pent-up breath. "Yeah, that would probably be the first place he'd go to look for me," he admitted, a shiver going through his thin body. "The last thing I need right now is to see him again. He'd probably try to kill me, since he didn't succeed the first time."

"He's not going to be able to get that close to you again," Nick told him, his voice tight with anger. "If he even tries, I'll kill him with my bare hands. Nobody's going to hurt you again, Greg. Nobody deserves what he put you through, baby. I'll never let that happen to you again."

Instead of speaking, Greg buried his face against Nick's throat; Nick could feel the wetness of tears on his skin. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry," he whispered as he entered the room that was now Greg's and gently deposited him on the bed. "Don't cry, baby. It's okay."

"I just feel like you're having to do way too much to take care of me," Greg choked out, his words muffled. "Why are you doing this, Nicky? I mean, I know you care about me and all, but you don't have to go out of your way to take care of me."

"Yes, I do," Nick told him, placing a finger under Greg's chin and lifting the young man's face until they were gazing into each other's eyes. "I'd take care of you for the rest of our lives if you'll let me, Greg. I want to do that. I want you to be here with me."

"I want to be here," Greg whispered. "I shouldn't, but I do. I want to be with you, Nicky. I'm scared that Shane's going to come back for me, and I know that he'd find me if I was at home. In the shape I'm in, I know I couldn't stop him from doing anything he wanted."

"He's not going to have the chance to touch you again, baby," Nick said, wrapping his arms around Greg and pulling the young man close against him. "You're safe here, Greg. Even when I'm at work, there's an alarm system, so there's no way he can get into this place."

"I hope you're right," Greg gulped, raising a hand to his face to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "But you don't know him, Nicky. When Shane wants something, he'll stop at nothing to get it. And right now, he's convinced that he wants me."

"Well, he's not going to get you," Nick vowed, unsure whether he was saying the words more to convince himself than to calm Greg. Maybe it was for both of them, he told himself. He only hoped that he was telling the truth -- because with Shane still out there, they weren't out of the woods yet.

***

Next story in series - Kiss Your Tears Away.

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