New York State of Mind

Edit as of 8/08/07 I'm running through all my chapters and trying to fix my horribly butchered timeline. Unfortunately, I didn't lay out the timeline until today, and I just now noticed the "one edit per day" thing. So... this is gonna take a while.

All right, all right. I may have lead you people on. The first chapter was *supposed* to be about Flack getting it on with Mac and Danny, but a bigger plot-bunny muscled it aside. Mac’s been a real asshole, I’m sure you can agree. So now Horatio is stepping in to show Mac the error of his ways.

Yep, Horatio Caine, from CSI: Miami. If anybody can get through to Mac, it’s him. By the way, timeframe’s still just after CSI: NY’s “Corporate Warriors” episode. In Miami time… it’s before Season 3.

In my own twisted little world, although NY piloted near the end of Miami season 2, I think the NY pilot should really have been somewhere near the end of NY season 1, and midway through Miami season 1. Just because I don’t like the Miami season 3 opener so close to “MIA/NYC Nonstop.” Mac and his team were still there before Horatio found them, so what the heck.

I know, I know, I hate messy timelines, but that’s the way it’s going to be, so there. Tim Speedle > Ryan Wolfe.

Wolfe’s not bad, he’s just… not Speed. *shrug*

By the way, I’ve got a CSI Miami fic in the works, called “Keeping the Faith,” that’ll explain how I think Lost Son should’ve gone down. It's still incomplete as of the initial posting of this chapter, but I just thought I'd let you know, I'm working on one.

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. It was a bit of a pain, but only because there were so many situations I wanted to throw at them but I wanted to stop the chapter before it hit much longer than 30-ish pages (?!), and at the same time all the scenes had to nicely run together and I wanted everything to sound accurate. I’m the kind of writer that does research, even for mindless smut, because I can’t stand mistakes. :D Let me know how I did, please?

That, and just the thought of Mac and H going at it gives me the good kind of goosebumps.

This chapter’s warnings: M/M, D/s, bondage, toys, oral, anal, some alcoholism, and roofies

This chapter’s pairings: Horatio/Mac

Some people stay far away from the door
If there's a chance of it opening up
They hear a voice in the hall outside,
And hope that it just passes by

Some people live with the fear of a touch
And the anger of having been a fool
They will not listen to anyone
So nobody tells them a lie

I know you're only protecting yourself
I know you're thinking of somebody else

Someone who hurt you, but I'm not above
Making up for the love
You've been denying you could ever feel
I'm not above doing anything
To restore your faith, if I can

Billy Joel – "An Innocent Man"

The phone was ringing.

Danny jerked awake, grumbling. He yawned and stretched, arm coming in contact with another warm body, and he suffered a moment of complete disorientation before remembering what had happened the night before.

The phone was ringing.

Danny looked over at Mac, who was only now beginning to stir from the harsh shrilling of the telephone. Danny realized that they’d rolled over during the night; now the Italian was on Mac’s side, the side with the little loud plastic demons on the nightstand.

The phone was ringing.

The Italian turned and glared at it, irritated that it was trying to wake up Mac, and reached over for it. “H’lo?”

A pause. “Detective Taylor, please,” a familiar voice rumbled pleasantly in his ear, and Danny froze. Oh shit, he thought, I just answered Mac’s phone… He glanced at the clock, eyebrows to the ceiling. By a swing-shifter’s definition, it was obscenely early.

“Who’s callin’, please?” Danny responded, trying to be polite in light of the fact that he may have just seriously screwed up. What the hell was he thinking, answering Mac’s phone?

“Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Miami-Dade Crime Lab.” Another pause. “Is Detective Taylor available?”

“Yeah, just a sec.” Figuring it couldn’t get any worse than it already had, Danny moved the receiver away from his head and turned to shake Mac’s shoulder with his other hand. “Mac,” he hissed. Nothing. “Mac,” he tried again, shaking a little harder, and Mac finally grumbled and stirred.

“Danny…?”

“Phone. It’s that Lieutenant from Miami.”

“Lieutenant Caine?” Mac was instantly awake, and he spread both arms and stretched, dropping one but leaving the other out in a silent request for the phone. Danny passed it to him and scooted back, letting Mac move a bit closer to the receiver. Bedside phones didn’t need a long cord. “Taylor,” Mac spoke crisply into the handset, sounding as though he’d been up for hours. “What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”

“I was calling to inform you that I’ll be flying up to New York sometime late this afternoon. I was wondering if you wanted to sit down and catch up with each other before I’m due in court tomorrow.”

Mac thought about that one. “As far as I’m aware, Lieutenant, you’re not due to testify in any of my cases.”

“My old cases, not yours. And it’s Horatio.” The voice chuckled. “My continuance has finally ran its course, so I’ll be staying for at least a few days.”

“I see. And call me Mac.” The Marine tilted his head to one side and the other, working the kinks out of his neck. “When does your flight arrive?” Without being asked, Danny reached for the nightstand and handed Mac the pen and paper that lay in the drawer, then stood and headed for the bathroom. “All right, I’ll have someone pick you up if I can’t make it.”

By the time Danny was done, Mac was sitting with his legs over the side of the bed, the phone in its cradle and the Marine studying the notes he’d just written. When Mac glanced up at him, blue eyes met hazel, and Danny froze.

“Hey,” the Italian said nervously.

“Hey,” Mac replied blandly. Neither of them moved.

“Sorry ‘bout that.”

“About what?”

“Me answerin’ your phone like that. I just didn’t want it to wake you up; I don’t know what I was thinkin’.”

Mac sighed and shook his shoulders, little pops sounding up and down his spine. “It’s all right, Danny, just don’t let it happen again.”

Danny wilted a little. “Sorry, chief,” he offered, and instantly wanted to kick himself. SO the wrong thing to say.

Mac lifted a stern eyebrow at him. “Danny…”

“Sorry.” This time it came out as almost a whimper. “I’m really sorry, Mac. Won’t do it again, I swear.”

Mac looked at him for a moment, then sighed. “It’s okay, Danny.”

Danny took this as an invitation to sit on the bed, near to but not in contact with the Marine. “Thanks for last night,” he said finally, laying a cautious hand on the broad shoulder.

Mac looked at him. “Thanks for what?”

“Well, for the food. And for puttin’ up with me.” He sighed; this was coming out all wrong. “Thanks for lettin’ me stay the night, Mac. Means a lot to me.”

Silence reigned, just long enough for Danny to feel extremely uncomfortable. “Danny, it was nothing,” Mac finally said patiently. “I couldn’t send you home, in the state you were in.”

The hand slipped from Mac’s shoulder. “Yeah, nothin’, right,” Danny mumbled, and suddenly wished he were clothed. “I guess I, uh, better get ready for work. I’ll run by my place, get a fresh set of clothes…”

“Danny, you live halfway across the city.”

The Italian gave a too-casual shrug. “Eh, I got time.” Not looking back, Danny stood and moved to the living room and pulled on the same clothes he’d been wearing last night. The same clothes that Mac had pulled off of him, before—

“Stop it,” Danny growled to himself. Clothed, he grabbed his duffel and undid the lock and chain on the doorknob. He’d pulled the door open when the memory hit him, again. He said my name… Danny shook his head to clear his thoughts, closing the door behind him, wishing it were that easy.

The cab and the subway trip seemed endlessly long to Danny. He also felt like the cabby was hitting every pothole he could find, on purpose. All that paled in comparison to what had happened that morning. He didn’t want to talk about it; he didn’t even want to think about it. All he wanted was to get home and change clothes.

He almost revised his opinion when he opened the door to his apartment. It was small, a bit messy, but it was home, with no Mac around to impress or to disappoint. Letting his duffel drop to the floor, Danny had to fight the overwhelming urge to fall into bed fully clothed, facedown of course and with his head buried in the pillow. Just call in sick… he didn’t think he had it in him to face Mac.

“Why should I worry about it,” Danny snarled suddenly to the empty room. “As long as we’re wearin’ our badges, I’m just another CSI to him. He won’t even look at me unless we’re off the clock.” Stupid rule of Mac’s, Danny thought. It was the Marine’s ‘failsafe,’ that they wouldn’t do anything to endanger their careers or embarrass the lab or disgrace the badge. Privately, Danny thought it was just Mac’s way of chickening out of anything beyond sex.

Danny sighed and glanced at his watch. If he moved now, he’d still be on time for work, so he decided to just bite the bullet and get it over with. Messers didn’t hide, anyway. He changed his clothes and headed out the door, back to the subway.


Mac furrowed his brow at the closed door; it wasn’t like Danny to just walk out without saying goodbye like that. Maybe he was coming down with something. Glancing at the clock, he realized that it was earlier than he’d thought. He’d have plenty of time to go for a run and grab some breakfast.

He took his first shower of the day, then slipped on a t-shirt, jogging pants, and sneakers. It was a bit warm to wear the jacket that went with his pants, so he tied it around his waist. His wallet, keys, phone, and badge—but not his gun—in his pockets, he headed off on his usual three-mile run.

It surprised him, how much he was looking forward to seeing Horatio again. He’d first met the Lieutenant when he had tracked a brutal murderer—named Davy Penrod—from Miami to the Washington Heights, where he’d murdered an undercover cop. Horatio had flown from the southern tip of Florida all the way to New York to chase the man, having promised a suddenly orphaned Miami teen peace of mind.

Horatio was savvy, reliable, extremely intelligent, and an all-around damn good cop. Who knew, maybe he could help Mac figure out why Danny was acting so moody. Not that the Marine was going to tell Horatio about Danny, not that way. Maybe just use the “someone I know” ruse. No need for Horatio to know that he, Mac, was sleeping with one of his subordinates. One of his male subordinates.

Mac couldn’t really word it, why he slept with Danny. Sorry, make that screwed Danny. Everybody had quirks, and Danny was perfectly accepting of those quirks. Originally they’d started seeing each other in order to get those quirks out of their systems… but society’s views on the relationship created almost as much stress as the sex relieved.

He thought about what had happened last night—or early that morning, depending on how you looked at it. Had that really been him? Holding Claire’s beach ball, crying in Danny’s arms? What in the hell had happened? Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. He had to keep himself and Danny from getting too attached to each other, before it started causing problems at work. He’d be damned if he let a personal relationship disgrace the badge, or the lab.

Carefully indexing it and putting it away somewhere in the filing cabinet in his head, Mac cleared his mind and just kept running.


Hours later, Danny and Sheldon were just putting the wraps on their unusual case when Danny’s cell phone rang. He managed to hide a wince when the callerID showed Mac’s name, cursing silently as he flipped it open. “What’s up, Mac?”

“Danny, how is your case progressing?”

“Well, me and the good Doctor here just put our guy on ice.” Hearing the reference, Hawkes looked over, shrugged, and went back to the paperwork.

“Good. I need you to go pick up the Lieutenant from the airport in about an hour and a half.”

“Sure thing,” Danny said, sounding cheerful despite the pained look on his face. “Beats smelling like fish.”

Mac chuckled. “Good job on that one, to both of you. And don’t forget about Lt. Caine, Danny. He and I have dinner reservations at 6.”

“Yeah. No problem.” Danny’s voice was flat as he and Mac hung up. Dinner reservations? Mac never took him to dinner. Granted, the Marine’s cheeseburgers were hands-down the best in the city, but still…

Danny stared at the papers in front of him without really seeing them. What was he, to Mac? Honestly? A coworker with benefits? Surely not a boyfriend; that required way too much emotional effort. Danny fumed to himself, one leg twitching absently.

“Trouble in paradise?” Hawkes’ smooth tones interrupted his thoughts.

Danny glanced over. “Not really somethin’ I wanna bring to work, eh?”

Hawkes flicked an eyebrow, his warm brown eyes giving away nothing. “Say no more.”

It took Danny a minute to realize what Hawkes had just asked, and how he’d responded. A man of Sheldon’s intelligence should have no problems putting together what it meant… but when Danny flicked his eyes over, the good Doctor was still buried in paperwork. Danny’s leg twitched nervously.

Screw this, he thought to himself. “Later, Hawkes. I gotta pick up a guy from the airport.”

“Have fun.” Sheldon didn’t even look up.

Danny frowned at him for a second, wondering if Mac was making him paranoid, before he stood and grabbed the papers for filing. He’d think about it later.

Some people see through the eyes of the old
Before they ever get a look at the young
I'm only willing to hear you cry
Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am

Some people say they will never believe
In a promise they hear in the dark
Because they only remember too well
They heard somebody tell them before

Some people sleep all alone every night
Scared of taking a lover to bed
Some people find that it's easier
To hate than to wait anymore

Billy Joel – "An Innocent Man"

Horatio Caine stood in the swirling mass of people inside the airport terminal, a duffel over his shoulder and a pair of sunglasses in his hand. It hadn’t been all that long since his last trip to the Five Boroughs, and he was hoping that he would actually get a chance to enjoy himself this time. Memories floated through his mind with every wave of air that filtered into the terminal, not all of them pleasant.

“Hey, Lieutenant?” The thick New York accent caught Horatio’s ear, and the redhead turned to see a familiar face weaving through the tight airport crowd.

“Mr. Messer,” Horatio greeted in his usual friendly growl, and Danny ducked his head. “And it’s Horatio, please. I suppose you’re my ride?”

“You suppose right. Call me Danny. Car’s this way.” Horatio nodded and slipped on his sunglasses, following the young man towards the late afternoon sunlight.

There was something about the Italian that made Horatio furrow his brow; he was walking a bit stiffly, he looked tired, and that accent… “Danny?”

“Yeah?”

There was a lot that Horatio wanted to ask, but only one way to ask it right, so he settled for, “Are you all right? You look like something’s bothering you.”

That could be taken in several ways, but thankfully Danny thought Horatio was referring to his mood, rather than the delicate way he was walking. “It’s nothin’.”

“If it were nothing, it wouldn’t be bothering you, now would it?” Horatio pointed out. Silence reigned for a long time as the redhead followed the Italian through the surging crowd.

It wasn’t until they reached the parking lot that Danny finally answered him. “Personal problem,” he spat out.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. My, ah, other half has a real stick up the ass, ya know?”

Interesting choice of words, Horatio thought with a chuckle. “I know the feeling. Makes you feel a bit used, doesn’t it?”

Danny coughed and looked at the redhead, whose face was blank and whose eyes were covered by those damn sunglasses. “Danny, you have to stand up for yourself. If you think you’re getting railroaded now, just wait until the next time they walk over you, and the next time, and the time after that.”

Danny stared at him for a long moment. “You’re good, ya know that?”

The Miami man smiled broadly. “It’s a gift.”

“So,” Danny said impulsively, “how am I supposed to stick up for myself if this person never gives me an opportunity? I mean, we hardly even talk, we just kinda…”

“Screw?”

The Italian cackled bitterly. “Yeah, pretty much. You know that joke, about the panda? ‘Eats, shoots, and leaves?’” Horatio nodded. “Feels a lot like that, ‘cept it’s a different kinda shootin’.”

“And I take it you’re wanting a little more?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah. I just want ‘em to know, I’m not just a pretty face, eh?” He sighed. “I don’t know why I’m sayin’ all this to ya, I mean…”

“It’s perfectly all right, Danny. I know exactly what you’re going through, and I have a fairly good idea of who you’re talking about.”

Danny stumbled, half-glanced over his shoulder.

“It’s a he, isn’t it? You say ‘other half’ and ‘this person,’ which in my experience is only done whenever someone doesn’t want to reveal gender. And the only reason a male would do that when referring to his significant other is if that person is also male.” Horatio was carefully neutral, lowering his head enough to stare at Danny over the rims of his shades. “No, don’t try to explain it. You are who you are, and you like what you like. No reason to try to justify it to anyone else.”

Danny was feeling reckless now. “So you’re okay with gay cops, then, eh?”

Horatio stopped, and Danny slowed and glanced back at him. Horatio waited until Danny had halted and turned to him before the redhead reached out and put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. The hand was warm and strong, the grip understanding and reassuring. “I’m more than okay with it, Danny.”

That threw him. “You… like guys, too?”

“Not exclusively. I prefer people; gender is just part of the package.”

Danny smiled without really knowing why. “That’s good, ya know that? I like that. I’m the same way, actually. I like a nice girl every now and then, but then guys like you come along, and I kinda forget about the girls.”

“I take that as a compliment,” the redhead smiled graciously, and the two began moving again. “Have I earned the right to ask you something?”

“Ask away. SUV’s right over there, by the way.” He glanced over. “What’s up?”

Horatio thought about the best way to phrase it. Finally he just flat-out asked. “Have you told Mac how you feel? About the way he’s been treating you?”

Danny tripped and nearly walked into the side of the vehicle. Righting himself, he stabbed the key into the rear hatch lock and asked, “How the hell… I mean, what makes you think it’s Mac?”

“You know exactly why I think that. That was you on the phone this morning, wasn’t it? At Mac’s apartment.” Danny went silent, and Horatio continued as he stowed his bag. “You only had to lean over to wake him, which means that you were in his bed.”

“I, I—“

“Don’t lie to me, Danny. You don’t want to get in the car, because you don’t want to sit down. He’s a bit rough, isn’t he?” Horatio closed the hatch and gave him another one of those piercing, over-the-shades looks.

As if to prove a point, Danny unlocked the SUV and climbed roughly into the driver’s seat, maintaining a stony mask and yet unable to hide the flash of pain that crossed his face. Horatio said nothing, just climbed into the passenger seat.

Rather than start the car, they sat there in silence, until Danny finally spoke up. “How’d you know it was him?”

Horatio chuckled. “As I said, I recognized your voice, and saw the way you were walking. That, and I saw how you looked at him the last time I was up here.”

Danny stared at him for a long time. “I take it back. You’re not good, you’re scary.”

“I’m experienced, Danny. And it bothers me, the way he’s been treating you. He’s a good man, and so are you, and his complete and utter disregard for your feelings just—-“ Horatio stopped, making an effort to relax the fists he hadn’t even realized he’d made. “It reminds me of myself, not too long ago, and the person I nearly lost because of that insensitivity.”

Danny chewed on that one for a while. “Another he, huh?”

Horatio ducked his head, his fair Irish heritage keeping the blush at bay. In his mind’s eye, he saw a figure tangled in the redhead’s bedsheets, snoring. A figure with scruffy black hair and deep brown eyes, a stubbled jaw and a voice that always sounded like he’d just rolled out of bed. “You spoke to him on the phone, when I was here working on the Spellman and Hanover murders.”

“Davy Penrod, I remember that sick bastard,” Danny muttered darkly. “Then, that guy I talked to, workin’ with that fingerprint, that was—“

“Mm-hmm.” Horatio nodded. “His name is Tim.”

Danny suddenly had a new respect for the Miami CSI. “You’re his supervisor, too, and you and him are…?”

“We are. For nearly six months now.”

Something passed between them, something that instantly made Danny feel like he could trust this man. “I was wonderin’, Lieu—I mean, Horatio.”

“Yes?”

Danny took a gulp of air. “Think you could talk to Mac about him and me?”

“About what?”

“Well…” Danny sighed and lifted his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose briefly. “I noticed that he has some, ah, issues with closeness and stuff, and he’s still not really over his wife, and he respects you and all, and—-“

Horatio held up a hand. “All right, I get it. You think he needs to just sit down and talk with someone, other than you. Take some weight off his shoulders.”

The New Yorker took a breath, held it, let it out. “Yeah.”

The redhead eyed him for a moment. “Anything else you want me to talk to him about?”

Danny scratched the back of his head. “I’d say some things, but I figure you already know what I’d say.”

“You want me to talk to him about the way he’s been acting towards you. About how he treats you when you’re together.”

The Italian sagged into the seat. “Yeah. Think you can do it without sendin’ me up a creek?”

“I think I can do that, yes.” Horatio removed his sunglasses, giving Danny a good look at the shocking blue eyes, eyes that at that moment seemed to spill over with warmth and compassion. “I’m glad you came to me with this, Danny.”

“I just hope I didn’t royally screw up,” Danny half-moaned as he finally started the engine.

“I promise that you did not, Danny. In fact, I’m sure it would be much worse if you hadn’t. I’ve had… experience dealing with this sort of problem before.”

There was just… something about the blue-eyed redhead, Danny thought, that made you feel better just by looking at him. His eyes could be angry or kind, happy or sad, but they were honest, the kind of honesty that instantly made Danny want to trust him. Whatever the problem was, Horatio would take care of it. It was just the kind of person he was. Right now, Danny had a problem, and he knew instinctively that Horatio knew exactly what was wrong. “Hey, thanks,” he said quietly after a while.

“It’s no problem at all.” Horatio took a deep breath; now came the awkward part. “Danny… do you and Mac have certain… boundaries, between you? Tell me about the two of you; every bit of information helps if I’m going to handle this properly.”

“What, you mean like what we do and don’t like, or if it’s only with each other, or if it’s stuff we don’t talk about, or what?” Horatio nodded at each, and Danny took a breath. “He’s been on top every time, so far, and I don’t know that I’d feel right tryin’ to top him. We don’t talk about us very much. Like I said, he’s still not over Claire.”

“Anything else?”

“Well… there’s this one guy we work with, we’ve kinda talked about both of us wanting to jump him, but we don’t know if he’s up for it. As far as I know, it’s not really a strict ‘just me and him’ kinda thing.”

Horatio processed that. “And how would you feel if Mac slept with someone else?”

Danny blinked a bit, going stiff. “I don’t really know. I mean, as long as nobody gets hurt and I know it’s goin’ on, I think I might be okay with it. Just as long as Mac comes back to me.”

“And on the other hand, if the situations were reversed, do you think he would feel the same way if you slept with someone else, as long as he knew about it and you came back to him?”

Danny sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. “I don’t know, I really don’t. He doesn’t let much out; that’s the problem. He’s still kinda mad at me for answerin’ his phone this mornin’.”

“Then we’ll say that for now, that’s a no, and you’re off limits. Just to be on the safe side.”

That threw Danny for a loop. “What?”

Horatio chuckled again. “Tim’s the same way. As long as he knows about it and no one gets hurt, and I come home to him, he’s fine if I want to spend the night with someone else. Just as long as both of us remember who we belong to.”

“You…” Danny’s mouth went dry. “You wanna sleep with Mac?”

“If it’s all right with you. I think it will help to open his eyes.” The redhead looked reassuringly at the younger man, a plan starting to form in his mind. “Just go home tonight, Danny, all right?”

“Why?”

“You’ll just have to trust me. I’ll deal with Mac, and I give you my word that I will not hurt him.”

Danny blinked owlishly. “What are you going to do? What if things go wrong with you and Mac? What if this whole thing…” his voiced cracked, and he clenched the steering wheel tightly.

“What if this whole thing goes down the tubes?” Horatio ventured levelly. Danny swallowed and nodded. “You know what, I want you to let me worry about that right now, okay? I’ll take care of it.”

“Promise?” Suddenly Danny seemed small and childlike, throwing a desperate glance at Horatio and daring to hope that this would all pan out, despite the odds.

Horatio nodded. “I promise.” He reached over and laid a reassuring hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

Danny took comfort in that touch, feeling the weight hovering around his shoulders but not completely dragging him down. The Italian let out a nervous laugh, suddenly feeling better. “Nice to be able to tell somebody else, eh?”

“I know the feeling,” Horatio agreed. “Now, let’s discuss you and Mac.”

I know you don't wanna hear what I say
I know you're gonna keep turning away

But I've been there, and if I can survive
I can keep you alive
I'm not above going through it again
I'm not above being cool for a while
If you're cruel to me, I'll understand

Some people run from a possible fight
Some people figure they can never win
I know that this is a fight I can’t lose
The accused is an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am an innocent man

Billy Joel – "An Innocent Man"

Mac was right on time as he entered the hotel dining room. Glancing around, his gaze was drawn by the sight of a familiar redhead waving at him. Mac stepped over to the table and shook the man’s hand as he rose. “Horatio, good to see you.”

“And you, Mac.” Horatio gestured to the table, where a white wine was already chilling and a covered breadbasket let off steam. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering for you. I didn’t eat much on the way up here.”

Mac smiled as they sat. “Long flight, huh?”

Horatio sighed good-naturedly. “Stuck between the chatty businessman and the crying baby.” Mac winced and reached for a roll.

“Can I pour you a glass of wine, Mac?” Horatio asked as he nibbled on his own bread.

Mac gave a polite shrug. “Maybe later. I don’t drink very much, especially in public.” Horatio nodded at that, picking up his untouched glass of ice water and moving it to Mac’s side of the table. Mac gave a brief smile of thanks, taking a long drink and gasping quietly at the chill that sloshed down his throat. It was hot today.

Horatio stared intently at him. “So, how have things been since the last time I was here?”

“Everything’s pretty much the same,” Mac replied, and gave an enticing glance. “Danny had an interesting case this morning. Death by swordfish.”

Horatio flicked his eyebrows at that. “This I have to hear.”

The redhead listened intently as Mac told him the story, how the man had been impaled on the fish, then how Danny and Sheldon had had to track down the murder weapon before it became dinner. Horatio paid just as much attention to how Mac talked about Danny as he did to the story. There was no faint smile, no personal pride in the young CSI, just the intriguing oddity of the case. The Miami man sighed to himself. Probably the only person that knew Mac was sleeping with the Italian was Danny himself, and ‘sleeping’ was obviously a term Mac used loosely. Typical 100% closet case.

“So how is Danny?” Horatio asked casually when Mac had finished.

Mac furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? He’s the one that picked you up from the airport, isn’t he?”

“He was, but I wanted your opinion.”

Mac smelled a trap. “I’m not sure I follow you.”

Horatio decided to forge on ahead, eyes burning into Mac’s. “You know what I mean, Mac. He could barely sit down. You need to be a little easier on him next time. You could end up really hurting him, give him more than just a sore rear end.”

Mac went rigid, silent. Finally, “He told you.”

“Or I figured it out on my own,” Horatio countered levelly.

Mac’s eyebrows came together, forehead tensing. “He talked to you. He told you about us.”

Horatio tilted his head. “And what if he did?”

The Marine’s fists clenched. “How could he—“

“Because you and I are in the same boat, my friend.” The calm tone of the redhead took a bit of wind out of Mac’s sails, and he stared at his guest in confusion. “Let’s just say that it’s not as uncommon as one may think, that a crime lab supervisor may take one of his male subordinates to bed with him.”

Mac’s jaw went slack. “You—“

“His name is Tim Speedle, he’s my trace expert, and he’s been living with me for a month and a half. We've been sleeping together for nearly six months.” Horatio paused and lifted his glass, hard blue eyes boring into Mac over the rim. “I love him dearly.”

Mac sputtered as Horatio took a casual drink and set the glass back down, toying with it. After a while, the Marine tired of trying to come up with a good explanation and took another drink of his water, idly wondering where the food was.

“Nothing to say for yourself?” Horatio’s voice was deceptively calm, but Mac saw through it.

“I don’t need your advice, Horatio.”

“Don’t you? Mac, I’ve only once seen a young man that bitter, and I didn’t realize how much he meant to me until I nearly lost him.”

“Your trace expert?” the Marine asked dryly, arching a brow and buttering another roll.

Horatio nodded sadly; it still depressed him. “He’s been shot twice, in the line of duty… both times, right in front of my eyes. It’s a miracle he lived through the second shooting.” Mac noted the faraway look in the redhead’s crystal blue eyes as he took a long swig of his wine. Suddenly Horatio set the glass down, reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out a long leather thong with a silver ring tied to it. “This ring is sized for Tim’s finger, and he wears one sized for mine. The only times we wear them on our fingers is when we’re at home, together.” He looked at it for a long time before slipping it back under his shirt.

“So, how many people know about you and… Tim, was it?” Mac asked, humoring him. At the same time, seeing such a look in Horatio’s eyes bothered him. The haunted look of a man who had nearly seen the death of someone he loved.

“It’s Tim. Since you’re probably referring to ‘how many people at work know about us,’ honestly, it’s not that many. We keep our work lives and our private lives separate. Now, a few may suspect something at work, but the only people that we’ve confirmed to being a couple to are those at a certain club we frequent.”

Mac stared incredulously at him. “You two go out together? As a couple?”

“As I said, only to a certain club, where we’re met by people of similar, ah, persuasions.”

Mac drummed his fingers on the table. “I’ll bite. What kind of club?”

“The kind of club where you’re on one end or the other of a short leather leash and a long leather bullwhip.”

Mac blinked, shell-shocked. It may have been all these startling secrets being hurled at him, but he was starting to feel a little light-headed. And where was the food?

“It’s actually rather liberating,” Horatio said calmly, watching Mac put his elbow on the table, lean his head in his hand. “To be in such a club, I mean. To just enjoy the acts in a safe and controlled environment. Tim gets jealous that I get asked to top others so often.”

Mac couldn’t believe he was hearing this. He also felt like his head weighed a thousand pounds as he took another shaky drink of water.

“You all right, Mac? You don’t look so good.”

Mac’s eyes were unfocused. “I… I don’t know.”

“Tell you what, we’ll get you up to my hotel room for a while, all right? Let you lay down, get whatever it is out of your system.” Mac didn’t have the energy to protest as Horatio moved to him, helping up.

A waiter walked up to him. “Sir, is everything all right?”

“He just had a little too much to drink,” Horatio said casually. “I’ll be taking him back up to his room, number 725? Please have the wine sent up there, as well.” He and Mac began shuffling to the elevator, the Marine being too out of it to notice a strange man catch Horatio’s eye, who nodded slyly, and the man slid to Mac’s other side and supported him as the bell dinged and the doors opened.

The brushed steel doors closing on the lobby were the last things Mac saw before everything went dark.

You know you only hurt yourself out of spite
I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight

That's your decision, but I'm not alone
Anybody I know
If there's a chance of resurrecting your love
I'm not above going back to the start
To find out where the heartache began

Some people hope for a miracle cure
Some people just accept the world as it is
I'm not willing to lay down and die
Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man
Oh yes I am an innocent man

Billy Joel – "An Innocent Man"

When Mac came to, it was slowly, like he was gradually slipping out of a deep sleep. He was warm, and at the same time, a cool breeze washed over bare skin.

Wait, bare skin?

Slowly his eyes opened, fighting what he soon recognized to be a sedative. It was dark, wherever he was. No, make that dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the tabletop lamps sitting on available surfaces. He was in the bedroom of a hotel, with the bed behind him and a chair and table in front of him. It was Horatio’s hotel room, he realized, recognizing a dress jacket draped over the chair, the Miami-Dade police badge clipped prominently to the breast pocket. It was then that he realized two things: he was half-naked, and he was tied up.

A gamut of thoughts flooded through his head, but he forced them down, taking stock of his situation. His wrists were locked in soft leather cuffs, lifted straight above his head, from both of which trailed a gleaming metal chain that reached up to the ceiling, where he noticed some sort of box into which the chains fed. At the top of the box, the chain was wrapped around one of the beams of the ceiling.

Another draft brought his attention to the fact that he’d been stripped of everything but his pants, boxers, and dog tags. The carpet was soft and plush under his feet, and he realized with some surprise that although his weight had been dangling completely from the restraints, they hadn’t hindered circulation in the slightest. Mac froze as he realized that his gun and shield were missing from his belt, and his eyes drifted around, finally spotting them on a dresser next to the Marine’s keys, wallet, and phone.

Now that he knew where he was and what state he was in, he was free to ponder what Horatio had in store for him. Was he going to be raped? Beaten? Killed? No, that didn’t seem like Horatio’s style. He knew the man to be a good cop, so Mac honestly had no idea what the redhead had planned. All he could do was wait.

Which wasn’t long. Presently he heard a toilet flush, and the bathroom door opened. Horatio stepped out, and Mac’s jaw dropped.

Like him, Horatio was barefoot and shirtless, except instead of dog tags, Tim’s ring hung from the leather thong around his neck, framed by the sparse red curls and small dirt-brown nipples. Unlike Mac, who was still in his dress pants, Horatio was wearing something that looked more like jogging pants, burgundy with a white stripe down each leg, with metal snaps clearly visible down both legs. Designed to allow the wearer to peel them right off, Mac noted. The redhead’s hair was damp, just showered. The biggest difference, in Mac’s eyes, was a dark strip of cloth binding the man’s wrists, giving him about two feet of reach between hands.

“Horatio?” Mac asked carefully. The man seemed lucid, but you could never be too sure. “What’s going on?”

The slim Irishman tilted his head. “Oh, I’m just going to have a little fun at your expense,” he said cheerfully. If this guy's crazy, he's doing a very good job of hiding it, Mac thought.

“Are you going to kill me?”

Horatio burst out laughing. “Of course not, Mac. I won’t do anything to hurt you.”

“So why the restraints?”

“Because it’s more fun that way, sometimes.” Horatio looked at him calmly, giving a small shrug.

Mac shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “I feel dizzy, thick-headed.”

“Well, considering that I slipped something into your water, that doesn’t surprise me.”

Mac’s jaw dropped, anger turning his eyes nearly black. “You drugged me?!”

Horatio shrugged again. “More or less. Flunitrazepam, more commonly known as Rohypnol. Not enough to put you down for very long, considering your health and body mass.” He stepped to the nearby table and lifted a glass of wine, taking a small sip. Casually he flicked his blue eyes to his captive, who tested his bonds and glared at him. “You won’t be able to break those.”

Mac stilled, beaten but not broken. “So what are you going to do to me?” he snarled.

“Nothing you don’t want me to,” Horatio replied, and Mac’s brow furrowed. “I’m not a rapist, Mac, and I’m not a kidnapper. Any time you want me to stop, I will.”

“So… what is this, exactly?”

“Call it an assisted epiphany.” Horatio stepped over to the window, peering unconcernedly through the curtains. “I’m going to show you exactly what you’ve been doing to Danny.”

“Which is?”

Horatio’s face darkened as he turned and set the wineglass down. Stepping over to the captive Marine, he glared at him before lifting his arms and whipping his cloth restraint behind the man’s neck, jerking his head forward until their foreheads nearly touched. “You’ve been using him, Mac.”

Mac started to stutter an angry reply when Horatio twitched his wrists, jolting Mac’s head slightly and silencing him.

“You’ve taken from him what you’ve wanted, and given him nothing in return, and all he wants to do is love you. You’re using him, and you know it.” Horatio’s growl matched his gaze, and Mac fell silent. “So I am going to do the same to you. Danny told me that you’ve always been on top, but that will be different here. I am going to top you, Mac. I’m going to open your eyes to what Danny feels, and help you figure out what you really want.”

Mac only looked at him, sullen and angry, and Horatio slipped his wrists back over Mac’s head to release him. It was when Horatio moved back to his wineglass that Mac spoke up. “Do I have a choice?” he asked with no small amount of sarcasm, and Horatio chuckled.

“You always have a choice, Mac. In fact, in a few minutes I will give you a choice. I will ask a question to which you will respond ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ I will let you hear your options before you decide.” He took a sip and settled on the chair, watching him. “I will ask you if you want to stay. If you say yes, then I will give you my word that I will stop whenever you want me to, I won’t do anything unless you want it, and I won’t hurt you. I’ll just give you an experience that you will never forget.”

Mac considered that. “And if I say no?”

“Then I will release your restraints, keep you company until the drugs wear off, and I will take you home.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. It’s not about domination and controlling someone else, Mac. It’s about trust, and controlling yourself.”

Mac was silent.

“Now, I ask you: Do you want this?”

The Marine’s face was hesitant. “Tell me more, first.”

Horatio shook his head. “That wasn’t what I asked you, Mac. Yes or no?”

Mac thought hard. He thought about Danny and what Horatio had said, and he thought about the situation he was in right now, and Horatio’s offer. And finally he said, “Yes.”

Horatio smiled. “I thought so.” He took another sip of wine and set it back down, rising. “First, we will learn about trust.” He moved to a nearby duffel bag that Mac hadn’t noticed and began rummaging through it, talking as he did so. “Do you and Danny have a safeword?”

Mac’s brow furrowed.

Horatio’s mouth twitched disapprovingly before he explained. “A safeword is a method of ensuring that no given scene will go past a participant’s comfort level. Some people like the idea of a struggle, of fighting back, so relying just on the word ‘stop’ would only confuse some tops. A safeword is a guarantee: any time you say it, I will stop what I am doing instantly, I will release you, and I will take you home.”

“Why did you ask if Danny and I had one? We don’t do any of this, with restraints and chains.”

“It’s something everyone should have. Judging by the way Danny was walking, you can be pretty rough, Mac, and he needs to be able to stop you.” Finding what he was looking for in the bag, Horatio stood and moved back over to his captive-turned-student. “You’re bigger than he is, Mac. You’re stronger. It’s a safe wager that you’re unaware of your actions when you hit a certain point in a session, am I right? He needs to be able to at least bring your attention to the fact that he isn’t comfortable with what you’re doing.”

“He’s never asked me to stop, before, and he’s never complained about it afterward.”

Horatio’s voice took on a hint of bitterness. “Would you stop, Mac, if he asked you to? And why would he ask you to stop, when he walks on eggshells wondering if the slightest screwup will finally make you kick him out? He puts up with it because he’s scared of you leaving him, and that’s not healthy.”

Mac considered that for a while. “I guess I have been pretty rough on him,” he admitted finally.

“Yes you have, and not just physically, either. You fuck him and then send him home? That’s not a relationship, Mac, that’s just cruel.”

The brunette’s shoulders sagged as much as his bonds would allow. “You’re right, you’re absolutely right.”

Horatio regarded him for a moment, then stepped past him to the bed. Restrained as he was, Mac realized that he couldn’t turn all the way around. He couldn’t see the redhead, and that bothered him. “Relax, Mac,” the comforting growl came from behind him. “For your first lesson, I will give you your safeword, and that is the word ‘safeword.’ Say it, and I’ll stop whatever I’m doing.”

Mac tilted his head. “’Safeword?’”

“Mm-hmm. Now are you just making sure you have it right, or do you honestly want to stop?”

“Oh, no, I was just making sure I had it right.”

“Good. You can come up with a more creative one later, but for now it will be the word that I will respond to. Now,” and here he moved back into Mac’s field of vision, hands empty. “We’ll start with something easy.”

Mac watched as the redhead poured some wine into an empty wineglass and brought it over to him. “Mac, I am going to hold the wineglass while you drink from it. You will trust me, that I will not try to choke you or drown you and that I will watch you and make sure that you’re comfortable. Don’t move your head or your mouth; all you have to do is swallow. If you’re having trouble, jerk your head back. All right?”

Mac nodded; seemed simple enough.

Horatio reached one hand up, gently grasping Mac’s chin. Stepping slightly to one side, the redhead’s other hand brought the glass to Mac’s lips. The glass tilted, and the chill liquid rushed into the Marine’s mouth. He swallowed a sip, realized that he was getting even more, swallowed harder, and began to panic. It seemed silly in retrospect—drowning in a wineglass, my GOD—but instinct was kicking in and Mac knew that he had absolutely no control over the situation. He swallowed more, faster, and got a big air bubble to go along with it.

“Easy, Mac,” Horatio half-growled, half-soothed. “I didn’t think you wanted to get drunk.” With that, the redhead eased the tilt of the glass, and Mac was able to take comfortable sips. “Breathe. Take it slow.”

Soon Mac drained the glass, and Horatio stepped back. “Not bad. I apologize for going a bit fast at the start. Want to try again?”

“Give me a minute. Like you said, I’m not out to get drunk.”

“A minute you may have, but I insist that we do this again until I get it right. A good top knows his sub’s limits and how to predict his reactions, and I want you to enjoy this.”

Mac eyed him levelly. “You take this whole thing seriously, don’t you?”

“I do.” Horatio paused to pour Mac another glass of wine. “Because this situation with you and Danny has touched a nerve. You see… Tim and I were the same way, in the beginning. Just having sex for the pure hell of it, then going our separate ways.”

“So what changed?”

“That,” Horatio said with a tight smile, “is between me and Tim.” He stepped back over, bringing the wineglass. “Ready?” At Mac’s nod, the redhead raised the glass again. This time the process was easy, and Mac began to relax and simply sip, trusting his teacher to take care of him.

“You’re a fast learner, Mac. You’re starting to understand what it really means, to trust someone.”

Mac gave him a lopsided grin. “So what’s next, ball gags and floggers?”

Horatio laughed. “I don’t think you’re ready for that, yet. No, you’re going to have one more glass of wine.”

Something ticked in Mac’s brain. “Why are you insisting on getting me drunk? You trying to get me to loosen up?”

“So to speak. I want you to relax mentally as well as physically.” There was something Horatio wasn’t telling him, but before he could ask the redhead just repeated, “Trust me, Mac.”

Mac sighed and they repeated the exercise, the Marine downing the entire glass without incident.

“So now what?” Mac asked as Horatio set the glass back on the table. A faint fuzzy feeling was beginning to spread through his brain, bringing a small measure of calm and comfort with it.

“Now that we’ve established a small measure of trust between us, I’m going to learn what makes you tick.” The redhead stepped slowly over to him, putting hands on his shoulders. “Anything you want me to know about you, or are you going to make me find out for myself?”

“Didn’t Danny tell you everything?” Mac asked with a small amount of sarcasm.

Horatio eyed him calmly. “Danny told me many things, but firsthand experience is far more valuable.” He reached out and tweaked a nipple on Mac’s chest; other than a startled twitch, there was no response. “Not much feeling in those, is there?”

Mac gave a small shake of his head.

“How about here?” The hand on Mac’s smooth chest moved up, the thumb ghosting lightly over the scar just below the Marine’s left clavicle, and Mac twitched again. Horatio tilted his head. “It’s not as sensitive as you think it is, Mac. Scar tissue rarely is. You only think it’s sensitive because it’s also an emotional wound, and a place rarely touched even by your own hand.” He leaned forward and pressed a tongue into the patch of pale flesh, and Mac couldn’t stop a groan.

Horatio laved the ragged flesh with his tongue, hands moving smoothly up the muscular shoulders, the knotted upraised arms, and back down to the rock-hard stomach. Mac had taken good care of himself since leaving the Corps, Horatio decided, letting his hands slide to the Marine’s lower back and stepping forward, pressing their chests together and letting his tongue run along the collarbone, up the side of the neck, pausing just below the earlobe. Warm lips ghosted along Mac’s jaw, Horatio opening his eyes long enough to gauge Mac’s reaction. The Marine’s hazel eyes were closed, mouth open slightly, breaths an easy sussuss in the redhead’s ear. The broad hands, raised above Mac’s head and locked in those cuffs, hung limply.

Horatio leaned forward, capturing Mac’s earlobe in his lips, feeling one of the muscular legs give a small twitch. “You like this, don’t you?” Horatio murmured, hot breath tickling Mac’s ear, and Mac let out a quiet sigh. Mac’s ear was between the redhead’s teeth, chewing and nibbling without biting down, and Mac’s leg twitched again.

“Do you like this?” One of Horatio’s hands slid slowly down the firm chest, ghosting over the navel and whispering over the Marine’s cloth-covered cock before suddenly grabbing roughly, and Mac hissed. “Hmm? How is that, Mac?”

“Oh, God…” Mac whispered, hips bucking unconsciously as that hand bullied his cock into stiffening, wincing as his pants seemed to grow tighter by the second. Due to Horatio’s little cloth strip, one of the redhead’s hands rested on the Marine’s sensitive hip while the other casually molested Mac’s trapped sex.

“Want your pants, off, Mac?”

Mac bit his lip, nodded. That hadn’t been the response Horatio had been wanting, but it would do, and now both of the slim hands worked at Mac’s belt, popping the button and sliding the zipper down. The hands tugged at the pants, pulling them down, and Mac stepped out of them without being asked. The hands returned, this time grasping the seam of his boxers, and again Mac stepped out of them once they’d gone all the way down to his feet.

A warm pair of lips pressed against Mac’s left knee, both hands on the Marine’s calves as the lips traveled slowly up the thin curls on Mac’s legs. The lips stopped at the inner thigh, and Mac gave a hiss of frustration, spreading his legs invitingly. Horatio didn’t move, though, nipping and tugging gently at the sensitive area, and Mac groaned as the lips pressed firmly down, sucking hard enough to leave a mark.

The lips released after a time, and hot breath wafted over Mac’s aching erection. “Wow,” came Horatio’s voice, and Mac opened his eyes and looked down, seeing Horatio on his knees and eyeing the throbbing shaft. “Danny wasn’t joking.” He leaned forward, and Mac turned his hips slightly in order to line them up, but Horatio suddenly ducked the other way, mouth latching onto Mac’s hipbone, and Mac hissed his frustration through his teeth. Horatio’s hands had moved up, both resting on the backs of Mac’s thighs and just below the curve of his ass, the touch both gentle and firm.

Horatio didn’t mark him again, but let his lips travel slowly up and around to Mac’s navel, tongue dipping briefly in before rising more, Horatio rising to his feet as the lips traveled casually up, up until they found Mac’s collarbone, and the lips left Mac’s chest and kept going up, and Mac craned his neck and captured those maddening lips with his own.

Horatio captured him back, his mouth commanding the kiss, forceful without being too demanding, and Mac parted his jaws enough for the redhead’s tongue to slip through, sliding along the teeth, and Mac opened wider, his own tongue meeting that of Horatio’s, dueling for control, and Mac couldn’t stop a groan.

Horatio was good.

Mac trembled as the pale hands ran smoothly up his sides, down his back, touching here and stroking there, learning his body. Little spots began to dance behind his eyelids, and he broke the kiss and reared his head back, but he only got a lungful before Horatio whipped the cloth behind his neck again, tugging him forward again, thrusting his tongue in Mac’s still-open mouth. This time, his hands began threading through Mac’s hair, and the redhead stepped forward enough to bump against Mac’s straining erection, and Mac’s nose whistled with a close-mouthed gasp.

Horatio still didn’t release him, standing on his toes and inching forward until Mac’s cock found its way between the legs of the redhead’s jogging pants, the obvious bulge there sending shivers down Mac’s spine. When Horatio began rocking his hips back and forth, stroking Mac with little swishing noises, the sensations and the lack of oxygen made the Marine utterly giddy.

Finally Horatio broke the kiss and let them breathe, Mac’s head spinning and his cock still nestled between the redhead’s thighs. “Did you like that, Mac?” Horatio whispered in his ear, and Mac could only blink and try to process what had just happened. All that from just a kiss, and those pants on his cock?

“What else should I do to you?” Horatio mused, eyeing him neutrally, and Mac found himself lost in those incredible blue eyes. He almost didn’t hear Horatio as he leaned forward until their noses nearly touched. “Maybe,” the redhead started innocently, “maybe I should suck on your cock.”

Mac’s jaw slackened, eyes darkening further with arousal. Horatio noticed, gave a sultry smile, and pressed another kiss on Mac’s lips. Mac’s eyes closed, enjoying the soft touch that was so different from the mind-bending assault from earlier, but all too soon Horatio’s lips left his, picking up where they’d left off on his collarbone.

Even though he knew they wouldn’t do much, Horatio paused on his descent long enough to suckle first one nipple, then the other on Mac’s solid chest, and Mac’s breath hitched anyway. Horatio paused, one eyebrow raised. “I thought nipples didn’t do anything for you.”

It took Mac a moment to find his voice. “They don’t do much… but just watching you do that…”

Horatio gave a dark smile. “So you like to watch, do you?” His lips reattached themselves to Mac’s nipple without waiting for a response, and the Marine jumped.

Finally Horatio abandoned the hardened buds, sliding down until he found Mac’s navel, and this time he took extra time licking, sucking, and tonguing the tiny orifice, and Mac couldn’t stop a shiver. Smiling into Mac’s belly, Horatio half-stood, still half-bent and licking Mac’s stomach, and at that angle Tim’s ring followed gravity and hung forward, and Horatio hunched his shoulders until the cool metal touched the head of Mac’s straining erection, and Mac hissed.

Horatio exploited that until Mac was squirming, and eventually he pulled back and sank to his knees, mere inches from the bulging near-purple head. Raising his hands, he placed them on Mac’s hips to hold him still, and leaned in enough to blow hot air on the straining flesh, and Mac groaned. His pelvis twitched despite the gentle hands, and Horatio finally took pity on him, pursing his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the slit, and Mac moaned unabashedly.

Inwardly Horatio was surprised at Mac’s responsiveness considering the man’s nature, before chalking it up to the alcohol and to the fact that he was being teased to within an inch of his life. He opened his lips a bit more, letting Mac slide slowly into his mouth, and the Marine gave another shuddering moan.

Mac’s hazel eyes rolled back into his head as Horatio took every inch of him, the redhead’s nose tickling Mac’s pubic hair. “Jesus, God,” Mac groaned, shuddering as Horatio leaned back before stretching his neck forward again, face buried against Mac’s flesh.

Horatio gave a satisfied moan around Mac’s length, the vibrations making the Marine’s foot twitch. Not only did Horatio give damn good head, but he also *enjoyed* it, enjoyed the noises he was pulling from the panting Marine, and the thought made Mac’s toes curl. No matter their positions, no matter that Horatio was on his knees with Mac’s dick halfway down his throat, Mac knew that Horatio was still in complete control of the situation.

Mac found himself thrusting into that hot mouth, Horatio welcoming him. At first Mac was worried about suffocating the redhead, but Horatio was good, taking half-breaths on Mac’s every outstroke, and Mac saw that Horatio had it under control, and Mac proceeded to rape the redhead’s face, wishing he could run his fingers through that fiery hair.

When Horatio looked up at him, blue eyes locked onto Mac’s hazel ones as they bobbed over Mac’s throbbing hardness, Mac felt his balls draw up and tighten, and he was staring into those eyes as his thrusts sped up and he gave a strangled groan as he came hard, Horatio’s nose pressed flat against Mac’s thin pubic curls, the hot seed sliding down into that welcoming warmth in Horatio’s throat.

Mac sagged into his restraints as Horatio milked every last drop, swallowing around his softening length, and Mac’s legs shook as he felt that eager tongue cleaning his flesh, finally pulling away. Horatio looked up at him and licked his lips, and Mac could only give a tired sigh and say, “Thank you, Horatio.” He caught his breath. “Mind if I lay down for a while now?”

“Oh, I think I’ll leave you there, if it’s all the same to you.”

Mac blinked. “I’d really like to lay down now.”

“Why? I’m not finished with you yet.” Horatio stood slowly, wiping his mouth on his wrist.

Mac stared at him. “I could call safeword,” he challenged.

“Yes, you could, but I had you figured for being able to last longer than one blowjob.” Horatio managed to work a pout into his tone, staring at Mac with those big blue eyes, and for a second Mac was reminded of Danny, gazing up at him with those mournful baby blues, and Mac sighed.

“Maybe I’ll stick around after all,” he relented, and Horatio’s pout disappeared.

“Good. Would you like another drink?”

Mac nodded that he would, and Horatio stood to get it. Once again he held the glass while Mac drank from it, and that warmed Mac more than anything; just standing there, letting Horatio do all the work and just take care of him.

“Now, Mac,” Horatio began as Mac finished the wine and the redhead had set it aside, “are you ready to become Danny?”

Mac furrowed his brows. “How do you mean?”

For an answer, Horatio moved back over to his bag of toys, reaching inside and pulling out a red cylinder. His smile was devious as he strode over to his captive, holding the tube so Mac could read the writing.

“’Clone-a-Willy,’” Mac read aloud, “’Create an exact replica of your…’ oh, you can’t possibly be serious.”

“But I am,” Horatio responded. If his look had been devious before, he was now all but rubbing his hands together and cackling. “I told you, I’m going to show you exactly what Danny has been going through, and that includes being on the receiving end of that cudgel you call a penis.”

Mac blinked, mouth moving. Finally he managed “I can’t believe they actually make something like that.”

Horatio sneered. “Mac, if you’ve thought of it, it’s already on the market and comes in several different colors.” He moved over to the table, uncapping the tube and removing the contents. Muttering to himself, he read the tube and moved to the bar area, scrounging around until he found a good-sized plastic cup. Filling it with a bit of water, he carefully opened one of the pouches from the tube and poured the powder into the water, mixing thoroughly with a plastic spoon he’d found. When it was properly dissolved, he poured the mixture into the tube and strode over to Mac.

Carelessly Horatio grabbed Mac’s dick with his free hand, stroking, and Mac’s eyes half-closed before the Marine forced them back open. “I’m not doing this,” he growled.

“Then call safeword.” Horatio’s tone gave the challenge. When Mac didn’t reply, the redhead suddenly dropped to his knees and took the Marine deep into his mouth. Mac gave a startled groan as his erection roared back to life at Horatio’s expert ministrations. The redhead had been toying with him earlier; now he was all business, and his goal was swiftly coming to fruition. When Mac was squirming, Horatio released him and leaned back, aligning the tube and its squishy contents with Mac’s length. Mac tried to buck backwards but it was too late, and suddenly he was engulfed in what felt like icy mud.

Mac yelped at the cold. “How the hell do you expect me to stay hard for this?” he demanded, when Horatio merely tilted his head and flicked a tiny switch on the bottom of the tube. Mac yelped again as the clammy goop began vibrating around his cock. “You gotta be kidding me,” the Marine grumbled even as he tilted his head back, eyes closed.

“Oh, this is only the beginning,” Horatio leered at him before turning his eyes to his wristwatch. All Mac could do was stand there with slowly warming sludge vibrating around his length, and eventually his hips started to twitch. All too soon, Horatio slowly and carefully slid the tube away from Mac. Biting his lip at the loss of stimulation—and pleasantly surprised to not see any remnants of the muck clinging to him—Mac could only watch in curiosity as Horatio moved back to the table.

Tearing open the second pouch, Horatio poured tan-colored syrupy goo into the tube, then picked up a smaller ivory cylinder and positioned it carefully in the middle. “Is that what I think it is?” Mac said cautiously.

“If you think it’s a vibrator, you’re correct,” Horatio said with a dark smile, and the smile grew when he noticed Mac’s natural length give a twitch. Horatio stared at the tube, intent on his work and glancing at his wristwatch, Mac watching with a scientist’s natural curiosity. Finally Horatio nodded to himself, grasping the knob that was the vibrator’s speed control with one hand and the tube with the other, pulling slowly.

Mac couldn’t believe his eyes; in the redhead’s hand was a perfect replica of the Marine’s erect dick, right down to the pattern of veins. Horatio stepped over, holding it so Mac could get a good look. “That’s incredible,” he whispered.

“It’s Latex-based, actually.”

“Really.”

He was stalling, and Horatio knew it. Mac had never really given thought to how big he was. One of the little oddities of life, the redhead thought. He’d seen slim men with slim dicks, short men with short dicks, rake-thin men with very tall dicks, and now here was Mac, roughly 5’9” with a six-point-five inch dick, one that had to be at least two inches in diameter. A powerfully-built man with a powerfully-built cock.**

“It looks bigger up close, doesn’t it?” Horatio said with a chuckle, turning it this way and that.

“It does,” Mac admitted. The closer it got to his mouth, the more he wanted to rear his head back.

“Mac, how tall is Danny? 5’8”, maybe?”

“Sounds about right. Just an inch or so shorter than I am.”

Horatio held the rubber dick right in Mac’s face. “And he takes every inch of this every time you fuck him.”

Mac blinked. “And now you’re going to make me take it, too.”

Horatio chuckled. “Mac, I’m not making you do anything. You’re here of your own free will, remember? Trust me, if I was topping you with the proper equipment, in a proper club, and you’d been properly trained as a sub, you wouldn’t even be making eye contact with me without my permission. And you would be calling me ‘Master.’” He lowered the toy, stepping close and using his three-inch height advantage over the Marine to its fullest. “Do you want me to completely dominate you? Or do you want me to continue as we have been, as a favor from one friend to another for the sake of healthy bodies and healthy relationships?”

Mac stared at him. “People call you Master?”

Horatio ducked his head. “I take it you don’t want me to dominate you, then. Shame, with that body and with your experience with following orders,” and here he let his gaze run over Mac’s exposed flesh like a man eying a horse for sale, “you would make a fine slave.”

The redhead had to fight back a smile at the look that crossed Mac’s face. “I’m good, thanks.”

“So,” Horatio began almost conversationally, “let’s give you a good hard fucking.” Mac blinked as Horatio simply looked at him, considering, judging him. “And I think I know the best way to do it.”

Mac watched as Horatio brought his right hand to his left wrist, fiddling with something, and the dark cloth slipped away from the skin. He repeated the process with his right, and suddenly the redhead was holding the long strip in his hands. “Mac, I think I’ll blindfold you.”

Mac’s mouth went dry. “That’s okay, I’m fine.”

“No, no, I think this next scene will work out better if you can’t see what’s coming.” Horatio lifted the cloth, aiming for Mac’s head. Mac twitched to one side or the other, but the redhead stayed with him, waiting for that moment when the Marine was still. Finally the moment came and Horatio’s wrists snapped forward, until Mac ducked around it. “Hold still,” Horatio growled, trying again.

“Hey!” Mac protested as he tossed his head, trying to prevent the inevitable. Finally Horatio stood back and glared at him, hands on his hips.

“Mac, how many times must I tell you?” he chided gently. “I. Will. Not. Hurt. You. If you want out, all you have to do is call safeword, remember?”

“I know, I just… I hate being blindfolded.”

“Oh?” Horatio cocked his head. “When was the last time someone blindfolded you?”

Mac’s mouth opened but no sound came out. Honestly he’d never been blindfolded before, but he knew instinctively that he hated it. “Trust me, Mac,” Horatio repeated. “I truly think you’ll like it, at least for this particular scene. If it distracts you too much, I’ll take it off.”

Mac grumbled, but finally ducked his head, allowing Horatio to wrap the dark cloth around his head, tying it in the back.

The moment Horatio’s hands left the knot, Mac took a deep breath. He’d been restrained, and now he couldn’t see, and he fought down the wave of panic that swept him. No, not panic: discomfort. At least when he hadn’t been blindfolded, he’d been able to see what was coming. But now…

A hand ghosted across his chest, and he jumped. “You all right, Mac?”

“Yeah,” Mac licked his lips nervously. “Just give me a second.”

The hand stayed on his chest, sliding around to the side, so that Mac still had an idea of where Horatio was as the redhead fished on the bed for something. “I want you to do something for me, Mac.”

Mac snorted. “Yeah? And exactly what can this restrained, blindfolded man do for you?”

He heard Horatio snort back, a small rattling noise indicating that batteries were being slid inside something plastic. “I’d like you to warm this up for me, please.” Mac’s brows furrowed, the Marine trying ineffectually to see around the blindfold, when something hard touched his lips. Hard, and rubbery, and tasted like… Latex.

“Now, Mac, I know that you’re going to think it’s bigger than it is, and you’re probably going to have a hard time breathing until you get used to it,” Horatio’s voice purred in his ear. “So what I want you to do is, if I’m going too deep or you need a break, stomp your foot. All right?”

Mac nodded, and the rubber toy nudged his lips again. Taking a deep breath, he opened his lips, letting the tip slide in. He blinked ineffectually, licking his lips, moistening the surface. Dear God, this thing was huge. Was this really him?

When he’d finally gotten the head in his mouth, Horatio held it there for a moment, letting Mac get used to the width. Mac breathed hard through his nose, face twitching. Finally he lifted his foot, stomping once. The rubber dick made a popping noise as it left his mouth. “Everything all right?” Horatio inquired.

“That… that can’t be mine.”

“Oh, but it is.” Horatio nudged the toy against Mac’s cheek. “Want to try again? After all, Danny says that you give one hell of a blowjob. Maybe I can learn a few tricks.”

“After the one you gave me? I—mrrf.” Mac found his words suddenly cut off by the presence of the replica nudging into his mouth. He made little growling noises; the muffled sounds which Horatio could’ve sworn gave a challenging “I’ll show you.”

Horatio held the dildo still, watching as Mac stretched his head out, taking more and more, licking and sucking. There was something about having a dick in his mouth, even a fake one, that flicked a switch in Mac’s brain. He knew he gave good blowjobs; he was proud of it, in fact. He liked to give Danny blowjobs not because he enjoyed pleasuring the man, but because he enjoyed the noises he made. And besides, Mac enjoyed doing things that he was good at.

There was a difference between enjoying something and enjoying being good at something. So now here he was, blindfolded, restrained, sucking on a stiff cock that had no body behind it, nobody he could pull a moan from, and for some reason… he liked it. It was a primitive urge, to want to suck on things, dating back to every human’s first breaths in the world.

Mac found himself getting aroused once again, working his tongue and lips around the rubber rod. Horatio pulled it back a little, and Mac went after it, so Horatio gave some of it back to him. Horatio pulled the toy back and forth, a distance of roughly two inches either way, simulating a man thrusting into Mac’s mouth. To the surprise of both men, Mac moaned around the length.

“You like that, Mac?” Horatio murmured. “You like to suck cocks, don’t you? More than you want to admit.” Mac could only give a muffled groan; this whole night was screwy, so why not just give in to it?

“Now how about I give you something else to moan about?” Horatio purred in his ear, and Mac felt a hand slide down to rest on one finely muscled asscheek. Mac’s hips twitched involuntarily as one finger—wet, Mac noticed—laid itself gently against the tight wrinkled ring of Mac’s anus, and the Marine twitched again.

“I’ll bet that it’s been a while since you let another man fuck you,” Horatio said enticingly in Mac’s ear, that finger pushing gently against the guardian muscle, and Mac surprised himself by pushing his hips back. “Oh, you want it, don’t you? I’ll have to take extra time to loosen you up; that’s quite a large cock you’re about to be taking.” The finger pressed some more, and Mac consciously made the muscles relax enough for the digit to slip inside.

It had been a long time since Mac had let someone else top him, and as the invading finger pushed slowly inside him, Mac began to wonder why he’d stopped. The finger twisted and curled, searching, and subconsciously Mac doubled his efforts on the rubber dick as Horatio’s finger neared that one spot… right… there! The finger brushed against Mac’s prostate, and the Marine’s entire body jerked, the dildo sliding almost completely into his mouth.

“Is that it, Mac? Did I find it?” Horatio gave a dark chuckle in the brunette’s ear as he pressed against the sweet spot again, and Mac gave a muffled moan, pressing backwards, inviting the finger deeper inside. “You want some more?” Mac felt a second finger pressing against his entrance, and under the blindfold Mac’s hazel eyes rolled back into his head.

Mac controlled his wince as the fingers began scissoring, stretching and pulling his sphincter, opening him. “Easy, Mac,” Horatio soothed. “You know that there’s a lot more where that came from. I may have to do four fingers, as thick as that is.” Mac swallowed, the reflex having less to do with the rubber rod in his mouth than with dreading what was coming. “Easy,” Horatio soothed again, brushing against the Marine’s prostate again. “Easy, don’t think about it. They say that ‘the anticipation of pain is far worse than the pain itself.’”

Mac gave a small nod at that, groaning for more than one reason as a third finger wormed its way in, and Mac busied himself with the toy in his mouth. The feeling of being stretched, of all the pressure against that hot spot, was making Mac more than hard and he found himself starting to push back against those fingers. “Adjusting already?” Horatio said with a dark chuckle. “Almost there, I’m going to go ahead and do the last finger, just in case. Easy, here it comes…” and Mac felt that last digit invade him, and his body trembled.

He slowed his subconscious thrusts, relaxing himself as much as he could, fighting back sudden stinging tears as that ultra-sensitive muscle was stretched, feeling little ripping sensations as parts of him were stretched more than others, and finally Horatio’s four fingers were buried almost to the knuckles. “Easy, Mac, I’m not going in any farther. You’re here for a fucking, not a fisting. Easy,” Horatio’s voice calmed him even as the fingers slowly began moving and twisting, finding the Marine’s prostate again.

“Now, here comes the fun part.” Horatio pulled the rubber dick from Mac’s lips, and Mac almost sighed at the loss. “Ready, Mac?”

Mac licked his lips. “Yeah,” he said, voice cracking with anticipation.

“Here it comes.” Mac felt the fingers leave him, to be replaced with the warm rubber tip at his entrance, and he forced himself to relax and to remain perfectly still as the toy slid slowly into him.

“Jesus,” Mac breathed when it was only halfway in, spreading his legs as wide as he could in his current position.

“Not quite there yet, partner,” Horatio chuckled as he moved to stand completely behind Mac, sliding the toy in another aggravatingly slow inch.

Mac groaned as the dildo filled him, stretching him past what Horatio’s fingers had done, and he felt his legs shaking as he finally felt Horatio’s hand curled around the rod, fingers flush against the Marine’s ass. “I’ll give you a second to get used to it,” Horatio told him, and Mac panted as he nodded.

“Here, Mac. Does this help?” Mac felt the toy twist slightly, Horatio’s free hand brushing across one asscheek, and suddenly the dildo came to life, vibrating on a low setting, and Mac couldn’t fight back the moan that rose from somewhere deep inside him. “Oh, I think it does,” Horatio sounded almost smug as he pulled the toy out slightly, pushing it gently back in, and Mac hissed through clenched teeth.

“Don’t fight it, Mac. Don’t fight what feels good,” Horatio murmured, pulling it out another couple of inches, and was surprised when Mac pushed back onto it. “Good man. Take that dick, every inch of it.”

Mac could’ve sworn he felt his feet vibrating along with the rod as he was emptied and filled, emptied and filled again, brushing against his prostate with every stroke, a tingling sensation beginning to settle somewhere at the base of his skull.

Slowly Horatio built up a rhythm, pulling and pushing, and Mac pushed and pulled back. “That’s it, Mac,” Horatio growled in his ear. “Fuck yourself onto your own hard cock.”

Mac groaned and tossed his head, arching his hips backward. Horatio’s free hand slid around his waist, rubbing his front before sliding slowly down, maddeningly slow, fingers pausing just as they reached sparse tangles of pubic hair, and Mac snarled in frustration, bucking his hips up and back, trying to make Horatio’s hand move lower.

“Something you want to say, Mac?” The redhead’s lustful rumble was smug, almost mocking.

Mac curled his lips in a snarl, standing on the balls of his feet, but Horatio’s hand never moved from its place on Mac’s belly.

“Say it, Mac.”

“No…” the word tore itself from the Marine’s lips even as he arched his back, caught between the frustration of Horatio’s hand and the massive rubber dick that pounded into his ass.

”Why not? There’s no shame in begging.”

“I… I don’t…” Mac cut himself off with a wheezing growl, hips thrusting harder.

“Say it.”

“No…”

“Say it!” Horatio’s voice rang with authority and dominance in his ear, and the word ripped itself from his throat.

“PLEASE!” Instantly the infuriating hand on Mac’s abdomen jerked downward, wrapping firmly around the Marine’s nearly purple cock, and Mac threw his head back and howled.

“You’re not coming yet, Mac,” Horatio ordered after a few seconds, pinching at the root and staving off Mac’s orgasm. “Not yet.” His hand slipped off the pulsing cock and Mac nearly whimpered with need, until he felt movement behind and to his side, and suddenly his dick was enveloped in Horatio’s warm mouth even as the dildo continued to invade him from behind.

To make matters worse, Horatio twisted the knob that turned the vibrator on full blast.

Mac went rigid, tight as a guitar string, head back, all muscles in his body clenched tight as Horatio sucked him all the way down to the root and massaged him with his throat muscles and shoved Mac’s rubber rod deep inside as far as it could go, and stars exploded beneath the blindfold and Mac screamed as he came.

He’d never felt such blinding sensations in his life; his cock enveloped deep in the redhead’s hot wet mouth and suckling his come from him, the thick hard rubber that filled him to bursting as it vibrated mindlessly against his prostate, the sheer authority that Horatio had exuded and that Mac had eaten like candy, and Mac’s body shuddered at the over-stimulation, mouth open, eyes tightly shut even through the blindfold. “Horatio,” he started, legs quaking.

“I see it,” the redhead reassured him after releasing Mac’s softening still-wet cock, rising. Swiftly he wrapped an arm around Mac’s waist as his other hand reached high, feeling for the box holding the chains and squeezing in a certain place. Something clicked in the box, and the chains sang as they came free and poured out, Horatio’s arm still raised to catch them before landing on the Marine’s head. Suddenly robbed of his support, Mac sagged into the slim frame, and it was all Horatio could do to direct his fall to the bed, lying on his side.

When Mac was down, Horatio reached behind him and slowly pulled out the vibrating toy, silencing it, and Mac gave a shaky moan at the sudden emptiness. Suddenly Horatio was lying behind him, cradling him, stroking his hair and whispering in his ear. Mac leaned back into the comforting chest, wiry little hairs tickling his back. “Good job, Mac,” Horatio whispered soothingly as he pulled off the blindfold. “Good job, I’m proud of you. It’s okay, just calm down, I’ve got you. You took quite a bit. I’m impressed. It’s okay, just relax.”

They lay there for a few more minutes, until Mac came back to himself. “Want a drink?” the redhead asked, and Mac nodded. “All right, I’ll be right back.”

The warmth from Mac’s back disappeared, and he sighed as he pulled himself farther onto the bed, just lying there and floating in the haze that still clung to his brain. His arms ached with renewed circulation and from being upraised for so long.

Some time later—and how long, Mac couldn’t be sure-—Horatio was back with two glasses of wine in his hands. Mac carefully rose to a sitting position, surprised at the lack of pain in his rear as he took a glass. Idly he glanced at the leather cuffs still on his wrists, still with the two-foot lengths of chain dangling from them, but on a whim decided to leave them on. Horatio, rather than sitting next to him, knelt on the other end of the bed, watching him, half-hard cock twitching slightly.

“What was that?” Mac asked finally.

Horatio gave a tiny smile. “Over-stimulation. And I may have gone slightly too far in; I wasn’t taking your height into account like I should have been.”

Mac’s brow furrowed. “What happens if you go in too far?”

Horatio tilted his head, sighed. “It can be dangerous, to be honest. Cramping the vital organs and tearing the colon are the biggest dangers.” His eyes were stern as he stared at his student. “Swear to me that neither you, nor anyone you know, will ever go that deep unless the person doing it is experienced.”

Mac nodded. Then, quietly, “that was absolutely amazing.”

Horatio’s smile returned in broad form, the red head tilting in a tiny bow. “You’re quite welcome, Mac. But,” and here he moved forward, snatching the near-empty wineglass from the Marine’s hand, “we’re not done yet.”

Mac stared at him, brain still foggy.

“I still haven’t come yet,” Horatio reminded him, shoulders straightening as he once again took the role of dom, of teacher, of top. “Come finish me off,” he commanded.

Mac gave a reluctant growl, flopping onto the bed. His eyes widened when Horatio grabbed his chains and bodily yanked him back upright. “I didn’t say you could rest yet,” he snapped, and Mac’s eyes darkened again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that,” the Marine sneered. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes Horatio’s hand was tangled firmly in his hair, his blazing blue eyes inches from Mac’s face.

“I said finish me off, Mac,” the top snarled, leaning back and pulling the larger man down with him. “Now. Do it.” He gave a pointed tug, and Mac thought what the hell.

Sliding over the redhead’s slim body, Mac’s hands found Horatio’s straining erection, iron hard and throbbing, and Mac leaned down and took it all the way to the base. Horatio grunted, swore, hands twisting in the surprisingly soft brown hair.

Mac’s lips slid up and down the hard length, worshipping it, reveling in the warm firmness that Horatio thrust into Mac’s willing mouth. Which is why it surprised Mac when the hands in his hair suddenly yanked his head back.

“Not like this,” Horatio growled, panting. “Ride me.” Mac started to protest—he was tired, he was a little sore, he needed a condom—but Horatio’s glare made all protests die in his throat. “I said trust me, Mac. I’m clean, you’re clean, and right now I’m telling you to take this dick inside you and ride it like you’ll never see a cock again.”

Mac gave a throaty groan and slid atop the older man. He couldn’t resist; the power, the sheer authority of Horatio’s voice made him weak at the knees. Horatio shifted and moved one hand underneath himself as he squirmed into position. Straddling the redhead’s thighs, Mac aligned himself and slowly dropped down.

Horatio wasn’t nearly as thick as the blunt instrument he’d used earlier, but he still had a bit of length to him, and Mac bit back a moan as he sank as far as he could, impaling himself. In the back of his mind, Mac realized that Horatio’s little lecture with the dildo had served a dual purpose, teaching a Marine a lesson and preparing him for the Miami man’s own length. Right now Mac couldn’t care less; it had been far too long since he’d let another real man inside him, and he lifted himself before slamming back down.

Horatio groaned, hands grasping Mac’s hips, eyes rolling back in his head. “So tight, Mac… so fucking tight, even after… Ride me, dammit,” he hissed, and Mac did just that.

Mac leaned forward, hands on the bedspread on either side of Horatio’s head, rocking his hips as Horatio matched him thrust for thrust, the redhead bucking up as Mac slammed down, pounding each other hard. Horatio was stronger than he looked, pounding into the Marine’s dark heat, and Mac could only revel in the power of the thrusts, throwing his head back and growling as he took every inch of Horatio as deep as he could, over and over.

Something was odd about the way Horatio was fucking him, Mac somehow noted. His legs were spread oddly far, and the way he was thrusting, every one of the redhead’s downstrokes was just as hard as the upstroke, as though he was… “You’re not,” Mac gasped, wide-eyed, one hand reaching behind himself, down past Horatio’s sac and to the man’s ass, and to the rubbery, buzzing object protruding from it.

Mac settled down on Horatio’s hips, not moving, one incredulous hand still touching Mac’s replica even as Horatio groaned and rocked his hips, unable to lift the Marine’s weight. “Mac, please,” the redhead hissed. “Make me come, Mac, and you can fuck me.”

Suddenly Mac had an idea, a cruel, cruel idea for how to pay Horatio back for what he’d endured that evening. He lifted himself off the redhead, who stared at him uncomprehendingly, before Mac turned around and sank down again, this time facing away from him. Horatio sighed as he sank back into Mac, and his legs jerked suddenly when he felt the rubber rod in his ass start to move in and out.

“That’s not… what I meant,” Horatio’s voiced was garbled, hands clenching Mac’s hips with bruising force even as he slammed into the Marine even harder than before, legs spread to accommodate the younger man’s hand as he pumped the dildo in and out. They soon found a rhythm, Mac slamming down onto Horatio’s dick and pushing on the toy, then rising off Horatio and pulling the toy out a little. If anything, Horatio seemed to grow even harder.

It was on one of Mac’s lifts when Horatio snarled “Don’t move!” Mac froze, wondering what was going on, then Horatio sucked in a breath between clenched teeth, arched his back, and slammed into the Marine as hard as he could. Mac just hovered there, one finger on the end of the dildo, feeling it twitch as the redhead’s muscles spasmed around it, and Mac could feel the liquid warmth spilling from Horatio’s cock, coating his insides.

Finally Horatio let his hips fall back to the mattress, softening and falling out. As Mac took his cue to climb off, the redhead spread his legs, the vibrator sounding obscenely loud in the sudden quiet. “Pull it out. Slowly.” Mac did as he was told, silencing it and laying it on the bed beside him, and Horatio groaned at the sudden emptiness. “Clean me up,” he ordered quietly, and Mac bent his lips to the sweating, cum-stained belly, licking up every drop of semen. When he was done, Horatio rolled over onto his stomach. “Now,” he said slowly, voice saying he was still in control and Mac knew that he was, “you can fuck me until you come.”

Mac gave a throaty groan as Horatio lifted his hand and pointed to the nightstand, where a foil square and a small tube of lubricant were waiting. He’d known that Mac wouldn’t fuck him without protection, and Mac couldn’t contain a twitch as his cock slowly began to come back to life.

He sheathed himself and slicked up, then realized that Horatio probably wouldn’t need any prepping, and placed himself at the edge of Horatio’s entrance. When the redhead made no move to protest, Mac simply pressed slowly in, and Horatio groaned again. Having been stretched out by the dildo, Horatio was perfectly sized for Mac’s thick length, and in no time at all Mac struck an easy rhythm, the body beneath him giving occasional moans and sighs.

“Come on, Mac,” Horatio said suddenly in a chiding tone. “I know you can give me more than that. I want to see what you’re capable of.” He rose slightly and twisted to look at the Marine over his shoulder. “Now fuck me, just like Danny said you would.”

Mac felt a switch flip inside his head. Leaning down close, he planted his hands firmly on the mattress on either side of Horatio’s waist and pounded into that tight heat like there was no tomorrow. Beneath him Horatio hissed and squirmed as Mac’s piston hips fired, punching the thick cock into the redhead with the rhythm of a finely tuned machine. A haze passed over Mac: all he could see was the body beneath him, writhing and moaning.

Something changed; the fiery red hair softened, becoming bleach-blonde. The body beneath him took on a more ruddy tone, the muscles more defined. Indeed, even the body seemed to shorten, and Mac faltered. When the man beneath him twisted around to look at him, Mac saw the blue eyes and didn’t see Horatio, he saw Danny.

Danny was beneath him, whimpering at the power of Mac’s thrusts, at the raw speed and power of Mac’s animalistic fucking, at the feral growls coming from behind the Marine’s clenched teeth. Mac saw Danny, taking the brunt of his lust. He saw Danny whimper and shed tears when Mac pulled out. He saw Danny squirm whenever he sat down at work, saw the hurt in his eyes whenever Mac just used him like this.

"Fuck me, just like Danny said you would."

Horatio had said that, hadn’t he? Mac couldn’t decide if the willing body beneath him was Danny or Horatio, but he knew that whichever one it was, it would be incredibly sore when this was over with. Mac felt his libido falter; he was tired, he’d already come twice, he was slightly drunk, and he hadn’t eaten since lunch. The blue eyes looking at him, whomever they belonged to, sealed Mac’s fate. With a growl that sounded almost in pain, Mac slowed and came to a stop inside that tight heat, his arms trembling as he lay himself down atop the warm flesh before his strength failed him.

He lay there atop his fucktoy, panting and wheezing. The body waited until he’d gotten some of his strength back. “Mac?”

The voice was Horatio’s, and as Mac looked up, he saw the damp, mussed red hair falling over the blue eyes. “I… I can’t,” Mac wheezed.

“It’s all right, Mac,” Horatio soothed. “Want to pull out now?” Mac gave a tired nod and did just that, both men groaning at the sensations, before Mac was out. With a growl, Mac flopped onto his back, one arm over his eyes.

Dimly he was aware of Horatio peeling off Mac’s condom, give his softening cock a gentle stroke or two before the bed lifted and Horatio’s weight was gone. Footsteps padded across the carpet, and he heard wine splashing into a glass. “Want another drink?” Horatio asked quietly, and Mac gave another exhausted nod.

The bed creaked again, and Mac cracked his eyes to see Horatio holding two wineglasses, extending one. Mac took it, suddenly appreciating being able to drink for himself as he pulled himself upright.

“You don’t have to explain,” Horatio said before Mac could say anything. “I hate to say it, but I wore you out on purpose. So, what did you see before stopped?”

“I saw… I was on top of Danny, instead of you. He was looking back at me and I could tell that I was hurting him. I knew that even after I pulled out, it would still hurt, and he’d look at me tomorrow and he wouldn’t just be hurting physically.” Mac’s voice was dull, his eyes far away. “I’ve been hurting him so badly, Horatio, and not just from having sex with him.”

Horatio nodded. “And what have you learned about yourself?”

“That it’s not just about me.” Mac took a long drink. “It’s about him, too. After hearing you talking about being so open with your Tim, and you being so honest about how you feel about him… I don’t know. I don’t think I can say what you want to hear, what Danny wants to hear. Not yet. But I know that…” He stopped, gave a short little laugh. “I can stop being such a selfish asshole now.”

Horatio allowed himself a tiny smile. “So can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

The redhead’s mouth twitched. “Was it honestly that bad, what I did to you?”

Mac threw his head back and laughed. “No, no it wasn’t. And you’re right, I know exactly what Danny was going through.” He shifted on the bed to prove a point; now that his dick wasn’t hogging all the blood in his body, his ass was beginning to complain.

“So your eyes are open?”

“Wide open.” Mac finished off his wine. “I want to thank you for this, Horatio.”

“It was my pleasure, Mac.” Horatio took Mac’s wineglass and stood. “Now, as soon as I find the keys, we’ll get you out of those cuffs.”

Horatio dug in his bag, found the keys, and unsnapped the locks on the soft leather. “Go get cleaned up, Mac. When you’re ready to go, we’re going to Danny’s apartment. I told him to have dinner ready, and it should be so in about…” he pulled on his watch and checked it, “twenty minutes.”

Mac blinked. “You’ve got this all down to a science, haven’t you?”

Horatio snorted. “Science, art form, call it what you will. I just think you should enjoy the things you’re good at.”

Mac nodded at that, standing and stretching. He headed to the bathroom for a shower, finishing quickly as was his custom. When he came out with the towel around his waist, he heard voices in the living room. Stepping out, he noticed Horatio wearing his jogging pants again, talking in low tones with a man just inside the hallway. Noticing Mac, the man gave a small wave and nod, clapped Horatio on the shoulder, and left.

“Who was that?”

“My backup,” Horatio said as he closed the door.

“Excuse me?”

“He was in the room next door. If this hadn’t turned out the way it should have, I would have called him to come over and help me.”

Mac stood there, dumbfounded.

“In case you attacked me, or I took something too far and you required medical attention. He’s had training as a paramedic.” Horatio gave a sheepish smile. “And besides, all those toys I brought out, those restraints, you think I had them in my duffel and flew here with them? No, Robert is an old friend of mine, from back in the day. I needed a favor, and he provided.” He paused, eying the stone-faced Marine. “He also helped me carry you up here from the hotel dining room.”

“So,” Mac started, crossing his arms. “Does he know who I am?”

“No, he doesn’t, and he doesn’t care either. He also doesn’t know what I did to you or why… but since he packed my little bag of tricks, I’m sure he had an idea.” Horatio gave a placating smile. “Get dressed, Mac. I’ll have a shower and finish putting away my toys.”

As the redhead peeled his pants back off and headed to the shower, Mac began dressing. When he’d retrieved his gun and shield, his wallet, keys, and phone, he sat down on the couch. Suddenly he felt like he needed a bit more to drink. The past couple of hours had given him a lot of information to process. The shower had helped to clear his head a bit, but all the realizations that came crashing in were too sharp for him. He stood and poked around the room until he found the wine bottle.

When Horatio emerged from the bedroom, fully dressed and with his magic bag neatly packed, Mac was on the couch, mindlessly watching TV and with a significant portion of the wine gone. “Do you always drink that heavily after sex? I thought you said you rarely drank.”

“I rarely drink,” Mac confirmed, pronunciation still perfect even if his verbal tempo had slowed. “But you’ve given me a lot to process.”

Horatio sighed and clicked his tongue. “Give me the bottle, Mac. Danny’s probably got dinner ready by now.”

Mac took a last long chug and handed the bottle to the redhead, standing with little difficulty. Horatio and Mac stepped into the hall, locking the door behind them. Pausing at the next room, Horatio knocked and the door opened, and the tall dark-haired Robert opened long enough to take Horatio’s naughty little bag. His eyes barely flicked to Mac. Then they were gone, headed for the one place Mac desperately wanted to go, and to avoid all the same time.

What would Danny say? What could he say to Danny?

Only time could tell.


**Author’s note: No, I have no idea if that’s how big Gary Sinise really is, and I’m not about to ask him, either. This is just for the purposes of this mindless fuckfest, mmkay?