AN: Written for the smoke challenge at ngchallenge. Because smoking is iiiiiiicky.

“I tried,” Greg whined, looking down at the ground with a guilty expression on his face. “I know you hate it and I know you won’t kiss me until I brush my teeth eighteen times, but it’s hard, Nick.”

Nick sighed and reached behind him, pulling a thick stack of computer paper off the table. “This is what you’re doing to yourself,” he said, waving a picture in front of Greg’s face. “Look. Just look.”

“I know,” Greg exclaimed. “I know, and I can’t stop!”

Nick, ever the determined one, kept handing Greg pictures until Greg let out a snort of helpless laughter. “Nick, don’t think I haven’t tried,” he said,. “I went four days last week.”

“Okay, if that’s not working,” Nick said, abandoning the pictures and leaning back in his chair, “do you know how much money you could save-”

“Four hundred twenty one dollars and forty-four cents a year,” Greg interrupted.

“I didn’t want it to come to this,” Nick said after a moment of silence. “George Bush doesn’t support gay marriages.”

“Well, I know that,” Greg said. “Smoking hasn’t made me stupid, you know.”

Nick gave him a look that clearly said he disagreed, but pushed ahead. “The tobacco industry contributed a large amount to his re-election campaign.”

Greg narrowed his eyes. “How large?”

“Substantially large.”

He looked down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand and sighed. “Damn it.” He made to throw them away, then stopped. “Hey Brass, want some cigarettes?”

“Not if Nicky was telling the truth,” Brass said, raising his eyebrows at Greg before disappearing out the door.

“Yeah. Too bad Nick always tells the truth,” he muttered, looking at the pack longingly before throwing them into the garbage can. “You always know just what to say,” he said to Nick. “I don’t have any vices left thanks to you!”