Keeping the Faith

I don’t know why, but I feel the need to apologize for all the WAFF steaming from this chapter. The character moments feel right to me, so that’s why I went ahead and wrote them, but… doing fluffy moments isn’t something I dabble in too often. I usually don’t like mushy moments, but at least Horatio has his head screwed on straight, now. Figuratively.

And by the way, the character Leon is based on a friend of mine, and I couldn’t do the character without the first name, at least. That’s not his last name. And to all the Leons out there, I mean utterly no disrespect. This was not meant to be a satire. It’s just the way some people are. And hey, at least he’s honest. :D

This chapter’s warnings: M/M, oral, anal, angst, WAFF

This chapter’s pairings: Horatio/Speed

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

FIVE MONTHS AFTER SHOOTING

The rude blaring of the alarm clock pulled Horatio from the peaceful oblivion of sleep. Out of habit, he reached out to slap the offending appliance as quickly as possible to avoid jarring Speed awake. He preferred other methods for that task.

He glanced at his lover. Speed lay on his right side, facing Horatio and showing no signs of wakefulness. He was slightly curled up, one fist bunching the bedsheets under his chin, snuggled down like a child with a thick comforter on a cold winter night. It was still late summer, but apparently the heat didn’t bother him.

Horatio took a moment to simply look at his lover. Speed typically looked unshaven and calm, but there was a certain appeal to the unguarded, peaceful look on his face. Horatio smiled as Speed twitched and made a grumbling noise in his sleep, rolling onto his back, and the smile grew as the familiar sounds of snoring began to emanate from his slumbering bedmate.

Still smiling, Horatio slipped carefully out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom, answering nature’s call. When he’d finished and washed his hands, he emerged back into the bedroom to see Speed back on his side, his arm now stretched out like it was searching for Horatio’s presence. The redhead wore a tender expression as he reached into the nearby chest of drawers for a pair of boxers, idly dropping them on the bed.

“H?” came the sleepy moan, and Horatio turned to see Speed almost fully on the redhead’s side of the bed, one eye barely cracked open.

“Good morning, Speed,” Horatio said smoothly, climbing onto the bed and crawling toward the brunette. He placed a gentle kiss on the younger man’s cheek and knelt up to fiddle with the curtains over the head of the bed. Far in the distance, he could see the edges of the sun beginning to peek over the horizon.

Speed grunted and pulled the sheets over himself. “Damn morning people,” he muttered.

“Oh, come on, Speed. You used to work these hours, remember?” Horatio chided gently. When Tim didn’t respond, Horatio lowered himself back down to cover his hidden lover with his body. “Speed…”

A string of noises came from underneath the fabric, which Horatio managed to translate as “Just five more minutes?”

Horatio chuckled. “Don’t make me come in there.”

Speed’s good hand emerged from the tangle of cloth, clearly giving Horatio a one-finger salute. Horatio regarded it for a moment before it disappeared back to where it had come from. “Is that a challenge?”

The warm lump under Horatio shifted, trying to wriggle the redhead off without too much effort. The attempt was largely unsuccessful, and Horatio retaliated by slipping a hand under the covers, fishing around until he located Speed’s neck. He played his fingers on the soft hairs at the nape, and Speed squirmed and tried to burrow further underneath the cloth. “H…” came the petulant whine.

Horatio slid over until he was perpendicular to his lover’s body, sliding his other hand into the warm cocoon and locating Tim’s stubbled cheek, giving it a teasing little pinch. Speed growled and tried to shift away again. Horatio followed him, this time lifting the covers enough to get his head underneath. Speed started bitching about the invasion of cold and light when Horatio’s mouth found the younger man’s ear and gave it a chiding nibble, and the bitching shifted to his new irritations.

“Dammit, H… why do I let you do this to me?” Speed grumbled as he finally allowed Horatio to pull the covers down to his chest, the redhead kneeling next to him.

“Because you love me?” Horatio responded, his face the very picture of innocence and sincerity.

Speed looked at him for a long moment, and yawned. “You play dirty.” He shifted and stretched, scratching his neck. “And yes, I do love you. Happy?”

Horatio smiled and bent down for a kiss. “Being allowed to wake you up every morning is a joy in itself, Speed. You know why?”

“Why’s that?”

Horatio’s second kiss lasted a bit longer. “Because it means that you slept beside me last night.”

Speed’s face softened. “That’s one way to look at it.” He returned the kiss, his good hand reaching up to gently cup the back of his lover’s head. “But honestly,” he started as they broke apart, “does the term ‘cruel and unusual’ mean anything to you?”

Horatio gave one of his rare laughs as he sat up. “I could have pulled back the sheets and turned all the lights on,” he suggested dryly. Speed flipped him off again and rubbed the grit out of his eyes. “Don’t tempt me.”

Speed tossed the sheets away from him with all the enthusiasm of a man headed for the gallows. “I will never understand morning people,” he grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed and massaging his bad shoulder.

Horatio noticed, of course. Speed had been allowed to remove the brace a couple of weeks ago, and he’d started physical therapy. Movement was extremely limited and somewhat painful, more the result of muscle atrophy than from the injury itself. “Is it bothering you?” he asked softly.

“Not really. I just keep sleeping on it funny, that’s all.” Speed tilted his head from side to side, working out the kinks as well as a few pops from the joints—and that was all popping joints was, really, just releasing air bubbles in the cartilage—and stared at the little table on his side of the bed. Regretfully he reached for the sling and nestled his arm in it, sliding the strap over his head. The physical therapist had given him a stern warning to wear his sling for most of the day, and only remove it when it was absolutely necessary or to go to therapy.

Horatio reached over to lay his hand on his lover’s shoulder in a comforting gesture, before climbing off the bed and heading for the closet. He chose the day’s clothing, gathering the garments over his arm and going for the bathroom with Speed not far behind. They stood there, watching each other, before Horatio chuckled. “I’m not turning the shower on until you flush the commode, Speed, so don’t bother standing there waiting for me.”

Tim scowled. “Spoilsport,” he muttered as he stood over the toilet and took care of business. When he was finished, he glanced over at Horatio who still stood there. “You’re no fun,” Tim grumbled as he flushed.

“I beg to differ,” Horatio said in mock-protest as he started the water running. “I’m plenty of fun.”

Speed regarded him for a moment. “I know a lot of people that would disagree with you on that one, H.” He turned to the mirror, wondering if today would be his once-a-week shave, when a wave of water crashed over him. “The hell?!” he yelped, turning to see Horatio ducking behind the shower door and setting the sprayer back on the wall bracket. “Oh, no you didn’t!”

He stomped carefully back over to the toilet, trying to avoid going down on his dignity while crossing the wet tile floor and he gave the handle another jerk, forming a vindicated smile at the startled shout from the other side of the shower doors. “Having fun, H?” he called, speaking loud enough to be heard over the running water.

“Plenty,” Horatio replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm, the morning’s enthusiasm having dropped noticeably.

Speed stared at the slim figure, silhouetted through the frosted glass of the doors. He could probably count on one hand the number of people who knew about this side of Horatio and still have fingers left over. The concept of Horatio being playful in the mornings just didn’t seem to fit with his ‘public personality,’ but he could be downright mischievous. It gave Tim a comforting feeling, knowing that he was one of the chosen few that was allowed to see this facet of the redhead.

“Hey, I’m gonna start breakfast, okay, H?”

“All right. Be down in a few minutes.”

Speed paused in the bedroom to slide on a pair of boxers and sweatpants before padding downstairs. As always, he took a moment to reflect on how much he liked the place. It was big—but then, there really wasn’t any such thing as a mid-sized home in Miami. Everything was either tiny, cookie-cutter suburb style, big, or palatial. He’d often wondered why Horatio had such a big home all to himself, before deciding why not? The guy could afford it. Another part of it was probably Horatio keeping up with appearances.

Not that H was the follow-the-crowd type of guy; just the opposite, in fact. Horatio had a big house for the same reason that he dressed the way he did. Casual, elegant, and enabling to mix more easily with the general populace of the city. People with money tended to lean closer to other people with money, and Miami was indeed a city ruled by People With Money.

And besides, as much as Horatio tended to deny himself the pleasures of the material world, there was something about coming home to a good-looking house that tended to brighten a bad day.

Horatio’s house reminded Speed of the crime lab, in a way. Not with the honeycomb interrogation rooms or the fluorescent lighting that sometimes made one feel as though they worked in a fish tank and interrogated suspects in a beehive. No, it was a smooth modernistic structure of steel and glass, except here much of the flooring was done in hardwoods and stone.

It was also rather bare. Sure it looked nice enough, with comfortable leather seats and more steel-and-glass furniture in the living room, pictures on the walls, but the general décor seemed to strike Speed as something of an afterthought. He figured, Horatio had known that a certain spot on the wall needed some artwork, and had plucked a piece from a bin at random. Not to say that the artwork was cheap; it wasn’t extravagant, either. It just seemed to be a placeholder. At least Horatio hadn’t gone the way of most Miami socialites and made his house look like it just came out of a magazine. There was some personality here, but not much.

Before Speed had moved in, Horatio had all but lived at the crime lab, going home only to sleep, eat, shower, and do what laundry that didn’t have to be taken to the dry cleaners. Nowadays, Horatio actually seemed to enjoy coming home.

Home, Speed mused. Is this my home? Horatio had welcomed Speed with open arms when the younger man had first moved in, but Speed still couldn’t shake the feeling that this was still Horatio’s house and Speed was just staying there. Sure he loved the place, and loved being near Horatio, but he supposed he’d never really finished moving in. To him, you were done moving in when the place looked and felt like home.

That’s what I’ll do today, Speed decided. I’m going to rearrange some things, at least. He headed for the kitchen and popped some bread into the toaster as he began rummaging around in the fridge for ingredients. On the countertop, the coffeepot finished its scheduled task, steam wafting from the carafe.

“Hey, Speed?” Horatio came down the stairs, shrugging into his dress jacket. His hair was still slightly damp, and Speed raised an eyebrow. Horatio always finished drying his hair.

“What’s up, H? You want pancakes for breakfast?”

Horatio shook his head ruefully and held up his cell phone. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain check on that. I just received a call.” He clipped the device to his belt and sighed. “Looks like I’m getting started early today.”

Speed gave a disappointed sigh. “Duty calls, I guess. At least take some toast and coffee.”

“Thank you.” Horatio came over and wrapped his arms around his lover in a strong embrace, letting the scent of the younger man overwhelm him and trigger the responses in his brain that the redhead registered as comfort. “Love you, Speed.”

“Love ya, H.” They broke apart and Speed reached for the toast, which had just popped up, wrapping the slices in some paper towels. Speed handed them to his lover with a quick kiss. While Horatio juggled the hot towels, popping the partial contents of one of them into his mouth, Speed pulled a small Thermos from the dishwasher and filled it with good, strong coffee. “Go get ‘em.”

Horatio gave a friendly wave as he headed out, pausing at the gun safe hidden in the foyer closet to get his badge, gun, and CSI ID. “See you tonight, Speed,” he called as he walked out the door.

The door shut, and Speed was alone. This was the part he hated more than anything else in the day. He now had to wait until Horatio came home, wondering what kind of cases he was working on, or if anyone was taking shots at him.

The solution, as Speed always figured it, was to stay busy. That, and wait for H to call whenever he broke his concentration long enough to eat something. And today Speed had decided that he was going to mess with Horatio’s house. Popping more bread in the toaster, Speed put back the pancake mix and instead went for the milk, digging around in the cabinets for a bowl, spoon, and some dry cereal. Hey, just because he was a damn good cook didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a bowl of Lucky Charms every now and then.

Horatio had remarked once that Speed had picked them up just because there was a redhead on the box. Speed had snorted but given no other response. The thought made him smile now as he put the milk up and brought his bowl and toast into the living room, then went back for coffee. First things first: breakfast and the news. Then he’d get to work on the house.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

“Speed, I’m home!” Horatio called as he closed the door behind him. CSI that he was, it took him no time at all to notice that something was different. He thought for a moment, looking around, and it hit him: the painting on the wall, the one that held sway next to the hooks for keys, above the table for his out-the-door things, the painting was different. Horatio’s brows furrowed as he took in the picture. It wasn’t the Miami Beach that he was used to. Instead, it was a shot of the Miami skyline at sunset, with just enough light to perfectly silhouette the tall buildings dotted with lights.

Eyebrows raised, Horatio stowed his gun in the closet’s gun safe and moved further into the house. As he rounded the corner to the living room, he noticed another change. Instead of an aerial photo of the Everglades, it was a… coat of arms? Stepping closer, he realized that there was a near-matching picture of a different coat of arms next to it. He stared at them for a moment before picking out a different name underneath each picture. The names were, he realized, the ancient Gaelic versions of what he now called Caine and Speedle.

Horatio’s curiosity was definitely piqued as he stepped into the living room. “Speed…” he started, and stopped.

Some of his old artwork still remained, the ones he’d actually liked. Others had been changed in favor of photos. One he recognized as the glittering Las Vegas Strip, at night. Another, the New York skyline on a sunny day. Cities, full of people and possibilities, rather than the placeholder landscape pictures so common to Miami.

And it wasn’t just the wall art. There was a new rug under the coffee table. Not the one that had barely any wear on it; no, this one he recognized from Speed’s apartment, with plenty of foot traffic evident on it… not to mention a few well-repaired stains. There were more knick-knacks on shelves and tables, random items that didn’t match and had no value other than sentiment. Some he recognized, some he did not.

Horatio decided that, for some oddly comforting reason, he liked the change. “Speed?” The man in question popped his head up from where he’d been doing something behind the couch; he stood there, looking almost sheepish. “Speed, did you do all this?”

“Uh-huh. I, uh, hope you don’t mind, H.”

Horatio could only stand there, looking at the change that had come over his house. Where it had looked clean, functionally stylish, and quite un-lived-in, it was now… occupied. There was a definite indication that someone used this residence as more than just a place to sleep and do laundry. “It must have taken you all day to do this.”

“Pretty much, yeah. You, uh, you like it?”

Horatio blinked. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Speed shifted from foot to foot, almost petulant. “Because I dug through some boxes in the attic to find something to decorate with? Like that one over there?”

Horatio blinked and followed his lover’s gaze to the mantel of his fireplace—what did he need a fireplace for, anyway? It was Miami, after all, but it had come with the place—where he could see a very old photograph of Speed, his mother and father, and a much younger brother that he thought he’d heard Speed refer to as James, mounted in a battered-looking frame on one end. In the middle of the shelf was a group shot of the Miami-Dade day shift, with Horatio in the middle and the group arrayed around him. Speed had cleverly managed to be standing next to Horatio during the snapshot, and the two had arms around each other’s shoulders in a friendly, platonic way. It had been platonic, back then.

On the other end of the shelf, the photo from the attic that Speed had referred to, was a blurry picture of nine-year-old Horatio and his mother, and a young Raymond. The sight of her face, and his brother’s, made Horatio’s breath catch in his throat. “I thought I lost this photo,” he whispered.

Speed shrugged, still looking a bit guilty. “Well, I found it. Do you mind that it’s there?”

Horatio was transfixed by the images on the shelf before him. “Of course I don’t, Speed.”

Speed coughed and stuffed one end of the dust rag in his pocket—and that’s what he’d been doing, actually—and stepped closer to his lover. “You know, I could probably work on that picture. Sharpen up the image a little, brighten the color.” He ducked his head a moment. “Maybe fix your teeth?”

Horatio’s mouth twitched at the ancient image of himself, grinning back at him with a gap-toothed smile. Absently he reached up to his own mouth, touching a fingertip to the fake tooth. It had taken quite a bit of his mother’s savings for her son to get the replacement, especially at that young of an age. It had been the combination of a skateboard, a dare from his brother and some friends, and an unexpected break in the concrete that had resulted in that toothy grin.

Horatio finally looked at Speed, who was still standing there with big, watery eyes like he’d done something wrong but wasn’t quite sure what. “Speed… thank you. It’s fine the way it is, but thank you.”

“So… you’re not mad at me? That I went through your stuff?”

“Why would I be?”

Speed shrugged. “I don’t know, I just… It’s your stuff, and I’m just staying here, and—“

“Speed,” Horatio interrupted firmly, stepping to his lover and placing gentle hands on his shoulders, “you live here, too. This is our place, you understand?”

Speed’s eyes glittered, and he ducked his head. “You got it, H,” he said softly.

Horatio understood what was going through his lover’s mind, and wrapped him in a firm embrace. Speed seemed a bit startled at first, but he quickly warmed to it, hugging back. When they finally pulled away, Horatio moved to capture Speed’s lips.

Speed sighed happily. The kiss was warm and sweet, and tender, and everything he’d hoped for in Horatio’s response. The redhead’s thin lips danced across Tim’s unshaven mouth, loving the younger man’s stubble as much as he loved his responsiveness. It was all part of the package that some benevolent being had decided to send to Earth under the name of Tim Speedle, and Horatio treasured it.

Finally they broke apart, looking at each other. Horatio’s blue eyes were warm and caring. “Now, Speed, what else did you do to our house?”

Speed gave another sheepish grin as he pulled out of Horatio’s embrace. “Remember that suggestion you made, about ‘my’ room?” Horatio nodded; he’d mentioned to his lover once that one of the guest rooms should be set aside as Speed’s, with a little décor and at least a few clothes in the drawers, in case the pair should ever have guests that were unwitting as to their hosts’ relationship. “Well, I did it.”

“Let’s see.”

Speed led the way. He’d chosen the upstairs bedroom that was two doors down from the master bedroom, the one with the better view of the street. He’d tacked up a few photos, put a few books and assorted knick-knacks on the shelves, and generally made the room look like a hotel room that had been lived in for roughly a week: not quite the tenant’s, but having been occupied long enough to have its own personal flavor. From what Horatio could tell, Speed had turned the room more into a private study than personal sleeping quarters.

Even the bed looked a little rumpled. “I took a nap in here,” Speed explained. “And I think I’ll use this as a study, and let you have the main one. I know you want us to share everything, but personal experience tells me that too much togetherness can be a bad thing.”

Horatio couldn’t help but agree. He also liked the room; it was the one place that had tossed out the house’s elegant-modern look in favor of a science geek with a fondness for rock music. It really was Speed’s room.

“I like it,” Horatio said firmly. “You even put up those posters from your old place.”

Speed rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I didn’t think you’d like them in the living room.”

Horatio chuckled. “No, I hate to say that I probably wouldn’t. Now, what else did you do?”

They began to make their way back downstairs. “I sorted the books. I remember telling Tripp thanks for putting them up in alphabetical order by author, but…”

“No need to explain,” Horatio interrupted smoothly. There was something distinctly odd, and a bit irritating, to have lived with seeing books by Horatio Alger—for whom his mother had named him—nudged so close to Speed’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Compendium. “I’m glad you did it.”

“Me, too.”

They reached the foot of the stairs. “Anything else you want to show me, Speed?”

“Nah, you’ve seen pretty much everything.” Speed pulled the rag back out of his pocket and swiped it over a table. Suddenly he stopped, turning to look at Horatio with an expression on his face that the redhead couldn’t read. “Tell you what, I’m going to take a shower. There’s somewhere I want to go with you.”

Horatio tilted his head. “Is it a surprise?”

Speed ducked his head. “Yeah, it kinda is. But you’ll like it, I promise.”

Horatio nodded. “It’s a date, then.”

He couldn’t miss the look on Speed’s face, like a child who had just been told that he’s being taken to get some ice cream. They had been real homebodies lately, but that was understandable with Speed’s injury and with the views of society in general. Tonight, Horatio decided, they were getting out of the house.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

“I still can’t believe I convinced you to wear that.”

“Hmm?” Horatio glanced over at Speed, who sat in the passenger seat and had barely stopped staring at him.

“That outfit. The only times I’ve ever seen you out of a suit are at home or at the club.”

“Or naked.”

Speed grinned. “Or naked. But you know what, H? You should dress down more often.”

Horatio flicked a glance at his casual jeans and battered old sneakers. He wore a white T-shirt covered with an old, slightly cracked black leather jacket that he hadn’t seen in years; Speed had found it hiding in a closet. “I don’t see what’s so special about it. Matter of fact, it feels a bit odd.”

Speed snorted. “Like I said… you live in suits. Which is kinda ironic, considering where we’re going.”

“How’s that?” Horatio asked reasonably, one eyebrow raised, but Speed offered no explanation; he simply gave turn-by-turn directions.

“Leon’s?” Horatio read the sign over the door as he pulled up to the classy-looking building in downtown Miami. He couldn’t recall ever being here. He looked over at Speed, who had put on some tight jeans and a t-shirt after his shower, leaving the arm sling at home.

“Yeah, Leon’s an old friend of mine. Besides,” and here Speed looked down, as though blushing. “I wanted to get you something.”

As they walked to the door, Horatio could clearly see Leon’s products in the window: men’s suits. “He’s a tailor?”

“One of the best. Don’t worry, H, you’ll enjoy this.”

“Enjoy what? Speed, I have plenty of suits, as you pointed out earlier.”

“Yeah, but not by this guy.” Speed held the door open. “Trust me. I may not look it, but I know good quality when I see it. Besides, he won’t say anything about us because he’s—“

“Hel-lo, hel-lo, welcome to Leon’s!” A male voice trilled from behind racks of clothing. Stationed at the front cash register, a teenage girl perched on a stool and pointed with her nail file at the man wading between two mannequins to emerge before them. Horatio observed a slim, well-dressed Caucasian with bleach-highlighted hair down to his collar, a goatee, and pale green eyes. A cloth measuring tape hung around his neck, and Horatio observed a pincushion seemingly strapped to one shoulder, and a few other tools of the tailor’s trade. “I am Leon, how may I—“ he stopped abruptly, staring at them, then suddenly clapped his hands together and jumped up and down, all but squealing. “Ooh, Timmy Speedle! How are you? It has been too long!”

Speed stepped forward and allowed himself to be wrapped up in a torso-only hug from this man. “Hey, Leon, how you been?” Speed asked.

“Oh, I have been super, I have been fantastic, and I have not heard from you!” Leon put his hands on Speed’s biceps. “Just where have you been hiding, young man?”

“With me,” Horatio put in mildly, and Leon turned—and his jaw dropped.

“Ooh, Speedy, is this…?”

Speed smiled. “Leon, this is Horatio. H, I’d like you to meet Leon Tambler, the best tailor you’ve never heard of.”

Leon flounced over and stuck a hand out, palm down, and Horatio shook it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, good sir,” the blond said firmly. With Horatio still holding his hand, Leon turned to Tim. “Speedy, he is cute!!!”

“Leon…” Speed took on a pained, yet still proud, expression. Horatio caught his eye and mouthed ‘Speedy?’ Speed shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. Apparently everyone was on a nickname basis with Leon. “Leon, we’d each like a suit.”

Leon placed his hands together and bowed slightly. “Well, you have definitely come to the right place. You have my gratitude for allowing me to use such exquisite canvases upon which to weave my masterpieces.”

Glancing at the redhead, Speed figured Horatio’s forehead must have been cramping from being held in check, restraining his incredulous look. “Leon, please don’t embarrass him,” Speed begged. “I’m not in the closet anymore, but he is.”

“And so he frowns on public displays of affection.” Leon pooh-poohed the idea. “I know who you are, Horatio, I’ve seen you on the news. But do you have any idea just how many men in this city are in your shoes?”

One of Horatio’s eyebrows broke free and raised itself high. “I can’t begin to guess, Mr. Tambler.”

Leon winked at him. “Aren’t you a gentleman?” he said with a smile that was entirely too self-satisfied. “More than you think, but Leon doesn’t kiss and tell.”

Speed came to the rescue. “H, he’s saying that your secret is safe with him. And I’ve never heard of him breaking confidentiality. That would kill his client base, at the very least.”

Leon nodded emphatically. “I do not advertise. If you want an original suit from me, I have to know who sent you.”

Horatio smiled at the man’s cleverness. “So your clientele is expanded entirely by word-of-mouth, and at the same time you’re privy to their dirty little secrets?”

Leon sniffed the air and batted away the foul odors of such base accusations. “You, sirs, are in the care of Leonardo Tambler, an artist who turns men into works of art. Leon knows all, Leon sees all, and Leon tells no one. Now, if you’ll follow me, gentlemen?”

Leon led the way to the fitting room, which included a small raised platform and several mirrors as well as swatches of cloth pinned to the walls. “Let’s do the sexy redhead first,” he said with perfect seriousness. Speed choked on absolutely nothing, and Horatio couldn’t hold back a bark of laughter. Leon turned to look at them, one eyebrow raised. “Did I say something funny?”

Speed just grinned and shook his head. “You never change, do you, Leon?”

“Now where would the fun in that be?” Leon tilted his head and smiled back, and sent a positively flirtatious look at Horatio. “Hey you, Mr. Blue-Eyes. Strip for me, please?”

Horatio sent an incredulous look at Speed, who was trying very hard—and failing—to keep a straight face. “T-shirt and boxers are fine, H.”

Leon pouted. “Speedy, don’t ruin my fun!”

Speed walked over to Horatio, who still looked unsure, and led him to the tailor’s little platform. “C’mon, H,” Speed reasoned as he slid the redhead’s leather jacket off, “don’t tell me you’ve never been fitted for a suit before.”

“Of course I have, just not…” Horatio stopped when Speed began unbuckling his pants, and shot a quick look at Leon. “Speed, let me—“

“H,” Speed interrupted firmly and cradled his lover’s face with both hands, and mashed their lips together firmly. Horatio’s eyes closed despite his reservations; Speed was rarely so demanding, and at times like this, it was all the redhead could do to simply hold on for dear life. He opened his mouth and let Speed’s tongue dive in, his hands sliding around his lover’s waist despite himself. Speed let go of Horatio’s head and went back to work on his jeans, and finally the weight of his phone and belt and the contents of his pockets sent the unbuttoned, unzipped denim puddling to the floor.

“That is the hottest thing I’ve seen all week,” came a voice, and Horatio snapped back out of instinct. Leon was standing there, all but drooling. Seeing the reaction he’d provoked, Leon’s eyes widened and he raised his palms. “Oh, no need to stop because of little old me, Horatio.”

Speed stepped forward again, putting his arms around his lover’s neck. Seeing Horatio’s look, Speed gave a sly grin. “Told ya. Leon doesn’t care.”

“Leon cares very much!” the tailor countered. “Leon wants to see it again!”

Speed gave his old friend a dirty look. “Unless you’ve got Jeremiah hidden somewhere around here to take the edge off, that’s a no. I’m not letting you walk around all day with images of me and H dancing through your head. If you catch my drift.”

Leon waved dismissively. “Oh, I’ll get him to erase all those images tonight. Bend me over the couch, and—“

“Leon!” Speed coughed. Standing between them in his next-to-nothings, Horatio’s face nearly matched his hair, and Speed knew that it took a lot to make the redhead lose his composure like that. “I asked you not to embarrass him.”

Leon actually looked apologetic. “Sorry, Speedy.”

Speed started to step off the pedestal, stopped, and turned to look at his flame-red lover. “You know, H, I think this is the first time in a while that I’ve seen you blush.” He leaned in closer, his eyes darkening. “I also think that it’s making me hard as hell.”

Horatio couldn’t stop his eyes from flicking down to Speed’s pants, where there was a noticeable bulge. He looked back up at his lover, becoming slightly aroused himself. “Does it, now?” he whispered.

“Uh-huh.” Speed’s eyes were smoldering darkly as he leaned in again for another kiss. “But I’ll take it all out on you later tonight.”

Horatio tilted his head and closed his eyes, glorying in the feel of Speed’s hands sliding around his waist to grab two firm handfuls of his ass. His breath hitched; he was definitely getting turned on, despite the audience. Where had this boldness come from, he wondered? It was strange, and at the same time so wonderfully familiar.

Suddenly Speed drew back. “Be good, H, and I’ll take you clubbing next week,” he said softly, and memory came flooding back to him. By clubbing, Speed meant going to Club Deviate… Mistress Pamela’s place. Of course had felt strange; it had been almost half a year since their last visit.

It was with a sigh of regret that Speed broke contact and stepped off the little pedestal, making a ta-dah! motion with his hands. Leon eagerly hopped up to the redhead, and Horatio prepared himself for the worst.

To his surprise, Leon didn’t do half of what Horatio had expected. Despite the man’s obvious personal preferences, he was entirely professional when it came to taking Horatio’s measurements. During the most recent occasion in which Horatio had been fitted for a suit, the man measuring him had seemed embarrassed to have his hands so near his client’s crotch. Leon had no such problems, but he didn’t linger, either. He was quick, efficient, and focused.

Physically focused, anyway. Leon’s mouth was going a mile a minute, chattering about (apparently) some old friends of Speed’s, and who was dating whom. For his part, Speed chattered right back. This puzzled Horatio; he’d never known Speed to be the chatty type. It was probably a subconscious effort to keep up with the tailor and his litany of names of people Horatio had never heard of.

No, not names. Nicknames. Leon had called Tim ‘Speedy,’ so these other names must be real people as well. Smart, preserving reputations when setting up blind dates. Leon was truly a genius when it came to the male mind. And apparently the male body, judging by the way Speed kept looking at Horatio with such anticipation.

Leon finished collecting his measurements and entered into a huddle with Speed. This huddle was odd, because they were both staring straight at Horatio, striking poses of deep thought and consideration. Horatio stood bemused as he caught snatches of suggestions about color, cut, and even the type of fabric. It wasn’t until the two began to get in a heated discussion about the light-absorbing and refracting qualities of silk versus satin that he coughed. “Gentlemen, I’m still standing here.”

“Good, H, just hang on a sec.” Speed was quick, and sounded a little irritated. For his part, Leon was getting a bit huffy himself. Horatio recognized that this was a battle of professionals, the trace-expert CSI versus the tailor, and took a step back.

Finally they came to some sort of compromise, and Leon was all smiles again. “Your turn, Speedy,” he said with a suggestive arch of the eyebrow, and Speed gave a lopsided grin. He yanked his T-shirt over his head as Horatio stepped toward him carrying his own clothes.

Horatio leaned to Speed’s ear. “So, are you so knowledgeable about fabrics because you learned it from him, or you’re trying to keep up with him?” Speed could only snort and shake his head as his jeans hit the floor. He stepped on the little pedestal and spread his arms, bare-chested, and Leon went to work. The tailor started at the right wrist for a point of reference and quickly traveled up the arm, but when his gaze landed on the shoulder, he halted mid-sentence.

“Speedy… what is that?”

Speed followed his gaze to the bullet-hole scar on his joint, surrounded by all the surgical scars. “Oh… I got shot.”

Leon’s hand flew to his mouth. “Shot?! Just like that?! Speedy, you could have been killed! Oh, why’d you have to go into such dangerous work?” he moaned worriedly, flapping his hands. Horatio imagined that the tailor couldn’t have been more frazzled if Speed had suddenly started bleeding.

“Speed saved my life, Leon,” Horatio cut in quietly. “And I took down the one that shot him.”

“Good,” Leon snarled with uncommon vehemence. Then his expression changed. “And I suppose Speedy’s been living with you while he recovered, and he hasn’t bothered to move out yet?” His face changed, going from anger to that sly, smug look from earlier, and Horatio blinked. He looked at Speed, who just tilted his head.

“That’s correct, Mr. Tambler.”

“So, Leon,” Speed cut in, “you could say that getting shot was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Something crossed Horatio’s face, something that wasn’t humor. For just a split second, Speed saw a man in the grip of desperate sorrow, staring at him. Then the mask slipped back into place and Horatio chuckled. “I suppose I can see how you could see it that way, Speed.”

Leon was finally persuaded to finish taking Speed’s measurements, but unlike the previous time, he didn’t ask Horatio’s opinion. Apparently he already had some ideas for Speed’s suit, and Horatio wasn’t about to get in his way. As Speed dressed himself, Leon finished scribbling down some more notes, and flipped his book closed. “Gentlemen, I can have them ready in a few hours.”

“Hours?” Speed’s muffled voice came from inside his shirt, and his head finally popped out. “Leon, that’s a rush job even for you.”

Leon waved it away dismissively. “We’ve got a new sewing machine, and I have a couple of aspiring apprentices working part-time for me.”

“And they never come out of the back room, huh?” Speed gave Leon a knowing grin, but the tailor refused to take the bait.

“They never see the clients. And if I ever find any evidence that they’ve been getting down on the clock, they’re fired and blacklisted.”

Horatio blinked. “Evidence?”

Leon winked at him. “Speedy and I have learned things from each other. I started to teach him about fabric, and he introduced me to black lights.”

Horatio shot a look at Speed, who looked innocently back. “What? It’s not like it’s a trade secret or anything. Just an exchange of information.”

Horatio just shook his head and smiled as he finished redressing himself. When they were all decent, they wandered out into the main room. “I’m paying, Leon,” Speed said firmly. Leon arched his brow, flicked his eyes between them, and scribbled something else in his little book, then tore it out and instructed him to give it to Miranda, the girl at the front counter.

While Speed was paying, Horatio hung back to talk to Speed’s old friend. “So, how well do you know Speed?” he asked softly.

Leon shrugged. “I’ve known Speedy a while. He’s a sweetie, and really smart, but sometimes he gets a little too intense, if you know what I mean.”

Horatio had an idea. Speed had a fairly laid-back personality, and more than once he’d reprimanded his not-quite-lover-at-that-time about his dress code, but Speed had never listened. He figured that he’d let the brunette get away with it because of his entirely professional and incredibly tidy work ethic. Even Horatio had to shrug and say What the hell every now and then.

But there were times where Speed gave something his attention so completely that he tended to tune out everything else… kinda like when they went clubbing.

“It reminds me of you,” Leon continued. “You look like you just get so focused sometimes, you ignore the rest of the world.” He paused, and looked the redhead up and down as though seeing him for the first time. Something changed in his demeanor, and suddenly it occurred to Horatio that Leon was quite a bit smarter than he let on. “He really loves you, you know.”

Horatio nodded, a little embarrassed at the sudden revelation. Leon gave him a disarming smile. “I won’t say anything to anyone else, which is probably why Speedy brought you here in the first place. I’m like an honorary big brother, since I was the first person in Miami to know that he liked men, and I introduced him to a few. He wanted to bring you by so I could meet you.”

Horatio ducked his head. “And let you know that he finally caught the big fish?”

Leon snorted. “So I could finally see the look on his face whenever he looked at you. That look lets me know that I did what I set out to do, which was find a man that made him happy.” He looked at the redhead sternly, unafraid. “You break his heart, and I will find you.”

Horatio looked at him with absolute seriousness. “Mr. Tambler, Speed has my complete attention, I assure you.”

Leon smirked. “Good.” The mask slipped back into place, and Leon was his energetic, too-friendly self again. “Want to get him a present, since he’s getting you one? I know just the thing…”

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

“So, we’ve got a couple of hours until Leon says the suits will be ready,” Speed said as the exited the shop. “What do you want to do until then?”

Horatio shrugged. “Why don’t we get something to eat? And I’m buying.”

Speed returned the shrug. “I know a place a couple of blocks up the street. Quiet, good food.”

“Sounds good. Lead the way.”

They strolled casually up the street, watching life go by. Horatio found himself possessed by an overwhelming urge to hold his lover’s hand, but he forced it back down. It hurt, it truly did, to have to deny himself contact with Speed while they were in public.

Thankfully the walk was not a long one, and they soon arrived at the quaint little restaurant. It was a locally owned place that specialized in Italian food—Speed’s favorite—and Horatio held the door open as they entered. Inside, it was busy but not annoyingly so, their presence noticed but able to avoid scrutiny by the bustling early-supper crowd.

They were approached by the waitress, who gave a friendly smile as she led them to a booth near the back, the table covered by a red-and-white checkered cloth. They sat across from each other, and she handed them their menus as Horatio ordered a wine and Speed requested a soda. One of them had to drive home, after all, and Horatio was staunchly opposed to drunk driving. She left and returned with their drinks, giving them time to order before disappearing amongst the occupied tables.

“So, how did you meet Leon?” Horatio asked casually, sipping his wine.

Speed gave him a look. “I know what you’re thinking, H. I met Leon when I first moved to Miami. He was one of the first people in this city that I told that I didn’t like girls.” He took a sip of his own drink. “We went out a couple of times—and yes, we slept together, before you ask—but I think it was more his way of just reassuring me that I wasn’t alone.”

“How do you mean?”

“It’s like…” Speed furrowed his brow, thinking. “It’s like, Leon’s the type of guy that has someone that he’s really in love with, but he’s also kinda like a mentor to guys still in the closet. He lets ‘em know that it’s okay to like guys, and a lot of times he’ll end up setting up dates between clients.”

Horatio took the news calmly. “Does his boyfriend mind that he does this?”

Speed smiled. “They’re partners, actually. I attended the ceremony. It’s not a legal marriage, but it’s still a public declaration. And by the way, his partner is one of his ‘success stories.’”

Horatio smiled at that. “So who did he end up setting you up with?”

Speed shrugged. “A couple of casual dates, but nothing that really lasted. It wasn’t until I started working at the crime lab that he noticed I didn’t have much interest in dating anymore, and he asked me why. And you know what I said?”

Horatio had a feeling that he knew what was coming, but he still wanted to hear it. “What did you say?”

Tim’s smile was wistful, his eyes far away. “I said that I had a hopeless crush on my boss.”

Horatio smiled and ducked his head. “That’s sweet, Speed, but don’t tell me that you remained celibate until the first time we slept together.”

Speed made a what-do-you-take-me-for face. “Of course not. I still went on a few dates that Leon set me up with, and a couple that I got on my own, but I was never really into them.”

Something clicked in Horatio’s mind, and he chuckled. “So that explains the remark that Leon made, about you and older redheads.”

Speed’s ears started to turn red. “You managed to catch that one, huh?”

They were pleasantly interrupted by the return of the waitress, who took their orders and whisked their menus away. They filled the wait time with idle chatter, trying to avoid staring at each other too much. It was difficult, being seated across a table from someone that you couldn’t wait to get your hands on. Speed tried not to think about it; it was making him hard again, and they were in public.

Roughly an hour and a half later—they’d taken their time eating, and even ordered a bit of light desert—they made the short trip back to Leon’s. To their surprise, he’d completed their order in record time, and couldn’t keep the smug look off his face as he handed each of them a bundle of garments on hangers that were obscured by opaque dry-cleaning bags. He led them to the back again, to a pair of adjoining fitting rooms, demanding that they try them on. The lovers looked at each other with raised eyebrows, deciding to humor him.

Horatio shucked off his jeans and sneakers and set them aside, then pulled off his jacket and yanked his t-shirt over his head. Nearly naked, he lifted the bag carefully away from its contents and managed to restrain an appreciative whistle. This was definitely quality merchandise.

His suit was a dark charcoal color, thankfully not the silk or satin that Speed and Leon had been discussing. No, the lining was satin, a dark red color. His shirt was a brilliant blue that managed to match his eyes perfectly. All in all, it looked a lot like what he usually wore.

It wasn’t the colors that made the suit interesting, it was the fit. It was made for him, and it perfectly accentuated the slim shoulders and narrow hips. It didn’t hug his ass too much, for which he was grateful; he could still wear it in public. Horatio was amused to note that it fit his crotch perfectly, too.

Horatio lifted his voice slightly, feeling slightly absurd at how loud it seemed when muffled only by the curtain. “Leon, I’ve gotten mine on.”

“Me, too,” Speed seconded.

Leon looked between the two curtains and couldn’t contain his grin. “Okay!” he said gleefully, clapping his hands together, and the two men slid open their respective booths and stepped out. Upon finally seeing each other, they halted.

“Wow.”

It was impossible to know which of them said it, or if they both had. Both of them took on a slack-jawed, slightly glassy-eyed look as they drank in the sight of each other.

Speed’s suit was something else: a light, tawny color that reminded him of the fur on a golden retriever dog, and cut more in the manner of a three-piece suit. The shirt to go with it was white, and Speed couldn’t hold back a grin as Horatio took in the sight of his lover’s shirt buttoned almost all the way to the collar, leaving the top two undone. Almost as an afterthought, he’d buttoned only the top two on his suit jacket, letting the rest of it flap loosely around his hips. The jacket was long enough to cover his ass almost completely, which was a good thing: Leon had made the fucker pretty damn tight in that area. Not exactly thread-popping tight, but close.

“Leon, it’s perfect,” Speed whispered.

“Agreed,” Horatio whispered back, unable to tear his eyes from the younger man.

Leon actually giggled. “Mission accomplished,” he cooed at the two of them. “Now, you two go have a nice night,” he said smugly, making shooing motions as they gathered their street clothes and headed out of the shop.

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

Horatio and Speed could barely keep their eyes off each other on the way home. It was amazing, the effect of well-fitting clothing on bodies that they knew so well. Once inside the house, Horatio barely paused long enough to lock the door before they dropped the bags with their street clothes and found their way into each other’s arms. They’d learned things about each other today, and it just felt right to be so near each other, for both to truly appreciate the man of his dreams.

A slow urge had been building within Horatio ever since his private talk with Leon, and now he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to show Speed just how valued he really was. And so there they were in the foyer of their house, lips locked and their hearts blazing with passion.

Finally Speed broke apart with a gasp. “Wanna go to the couch and make out like teenagers?” he asked with a sultry smile.

Horatio surprised him by shaking his head. “No.”

Speed’s eyes started to pout. “No? What do you mean, no?”

“I don’t want to just make out, Speed. I want to make love to you. In our house.” Horatio’s eyes held an intensity, a light in them that Speed had only seen once: the same look that had been there when the redhead had invited Speed to move in, and reassured the younger man when he’d started protesting. The look said ‘you’re beautiful, I want to protect you, and I love you.’

Speed swallowed, eyes stinging with unexpected tears. “I’d like that, H. I’d like it a lot.”

Horatio held out his hand, and Speed took it. Somehow their eyes never left each other as they made their way through the living room and up the stairs. It wasn’t until they reached the master bedroom, with the door closed, that they broke contact. Horatio opened the door and showed Speed inside, one hand on his lover’s lower back. The hand stayed as the redhead closed the door behind him, and Speed turned to face him.

They moved close enough that their lips brushed, and the soft contact sent an electric tingle straight down to Speed’s toes. Arms slid around waists, up backs, worshipping and caressing as Speed pressed himself more fully against his lover’s chest, savoring everything. The smell, the feel, it was all Horatio, all the one he loved with every fiber of his being.

Speed lifted one hand to rest gently behind Horatio’s head, threading his fingers in the soft copper locks. Horatio gave a soft growl as Speed’s fingers brushed the so-sensitive skin on the back of his neck and he opened his mouth slightly, his tongue running slowly on Speed’s lips. Speed opened his own mouth just a little, enough for the older man’s tongue to slip inside. Horatio tilted his head for a better angle, his tongue exploring his lover’s mouth, and Speed gave a quiet moan and allowed himself to be so lovingly conquered by the sensations coursing through him.

Finally they broke apart, and Horatio indicated to the younger man that he should stand still as the redhead took a step back, slipping Speed’s sport coat lovingly off slim shoulders and laying it carefully on the cushions. The shirt was next, Horatio paying special attention to every button.

Speed just stood there and basked in the attention, at being the subject of the older man’s considerable mental focus. Horatio undressed him slowly, tenderly, as though unwrapping a gift from a dear friend. And in a way, he was. Speed lifted his arms so Horatio could slide the undershirt over the younger man’s head, revealing the dark curls covering a surprisingly muscular torso. Speed wasn’t what one would consider ‘buff’ by any accounts, but he was no couch potato, either. Speed referred to his slightly pauchy belly as his ‘padding.’ It made Horatio smile as he sank slowly to his knees, bending to untie his lover’s shoes.

Horatio moved slowly and deliberately, undressing his lover, his Speed, until the younger man stood completely naked. When he was so, Horatio stood and kissed him again, and there was considerably more passion in Speed’s response. “I love you, Timothy.”

Speed blinked suspiciously gleaming eyes. “Love you, too, Horatio.” Like the look in the redhead’s eyes, this was the only time that Horatio had ever called him Timothy, and it made Speed’s heart leap. Slowly he repaid the favor, undressing Horatio and laying the clothing carefully aside.

It was when they stood, clad only in the scent of each other, that Horatio held up a finger. “Just a moment, there was something I wanted to do.”

He stepped away from the brown-eyed man, fishing in his coat pocket for something. Finding the small box, he turned back to his lover. “Leon suggested these, while you were picking up the suits.” He opened the box. Inside were two identical silver rings, each with a thick leather cord looped around the steel. “One is sized for me, Speed, and one is sized for you.” He inserted a finger into the smaller of the two, lifting it out of the box. Inscribed on the inside of each were their names. “This is the one sized for me,” he explained, closing the box and setting it aside, lifting it to slip it over his lover’s neck.

Speed blinked and cleared his throat. “H… thank you.” He eyed the ring for a moment, and reached for the box. He didn’t have Horatio’s occasional flair for the dramatic, so he simply lifted it over his lover’s head and made sure it was carefully centered amongst the red curls on Horatio’s chest. “I guess this one is yours.”

Horatio gave him tender look as they embraced again, running worshipping hands along naked flesh. Finally Speed gave a tug toward the bed, and Horatio smiled into the kiss as they managed to make their way to it, still firmly attached. Finally they reached it, and Speed let himself fall backward onto the mattress, Horatio right on top of him. They shimmied further up the mattress until Horatio could slide a pillow under the younger man’s head, stroking his hair and staring into his eyes. The look was beginning to make Speed blush until Horatio lowered his head, running kisses along the stubbled jaw, down his windpipe, making a little trail of cool amidst the heat they were both creating.

His tongue forged a path through the forest of dark hairs on the younger man’s chest until he stumbled upon a nipple, and he pressed his lips against it, sucking softly, making the brunette squirm and sigh. He bathed it in attention, licking and kissing it, finally leaving it alone to run his tongue up the crease between Speed’s pectorals until he reached the dip in the collarbone, right below the windpipe. He pressed his lips softly to the vulnerable skin before retracing his path back down the younger man’s chest, changing directions to locate the other nipple, and Speed hissed and squirmed some more.

Speed spread his legs invitingly, and Horatio gave a silent chuckle as he lowered himself until he was resting comfortably, abandoning the nipple and licking down his lover’s chest even as his slim hands found both hardened buds and massaged them softly. Speed writhed and moaned as Horatio slid down, his tongue finding the younger man’s navel, rimming the tiny orifice.

Speed’s hands reached for him, trying to tug him back up, but Horatio shrugged gently out of the grip. “Just stay there, Speed,” he murmured enticingly.

Speed’s hands flopped back onto the covers. “Well, I can’t just lay here,” he whined.

“Sure you can,” Horatio affirmed as he felt the tip of Speed’s erect cock nudge his chin, and he lowered his head to give it a gentle lick, and Speed moaned again. Horatio pressed his lips against the head, his tongue finding a tiny glistening drop of precome, and he lapped it up eagerly, tonguing the slit in the hopes of finding more. Speed made a warbling noise as Horatio sucked him farther in, the head sliding past the redhead’s teeth and finding a wonderful haven in Horatio’s warm, wet mouth.

Speed was in heaven as Horatio bathed his cock with his tongue, finding all the places that made the younger man’s toes curl. He looked up and saw the blue eyes bobbing over his erection as Horatio took him lower and lower, until the redhead had to consciously close the epiglottal valve over his brachial tube, opening all the right passageways as he welcomed Speed so far into his throat that the younger man could feel his cock bending slightly. He froze, pleasure overloading all other nerve centers in the brain, before Horatio slid back and released him with a gasp.

“Jesus, H, that was great,” Speed panted. Horatio could only flick his eyes up at his lover and run his tongue in broad streaks up the brunette’s straining member, having found the intense pleasure that came from going down on the younger man. He wrapped his hand around Speed’s length and buried his nose in the lightly furred sac at the base of his lover’s cock.

Horatio cupped his hands under Speed’s ass and raised it slightly, sucking both of the soft orbs into his mouth, and Speed groaned and shifted, planting his feet on the mattress and lifting a bit higher into the air. Horatio took the hint and released his lover’s sac with a gentle sucking noise, pausing to tug gently on the sac with his teeth before running his tongue underneath it. Speed made a definite whimpering noise as Horatio ran a teasing tongue over his perineum, the younger man’s fists balling up in the sheets. And Horatio went lower.

Speed raised an eyebrow, centering more of his weight on his upper back as Horatio continued to fold him up, supporting his ass with both hands as his rear was literally lifted into the air. Speed hooked his legs over his lover’s shoulders for support, his cock jutting up toward the ceiling. Suddenly he hissed and gave a loud, unashamed moan as Horatio’s tongue found his entrance.

Horatio reveled in the flavors that he found there; sweat, semen, a bit of himself, and the heavy, musky male smell, all of it covered with Speed’s smell and it triggered sensations in Horatio’s brain that could only comprehend companionship, love, and lust. He buried his face between his lover’s legs, seeking more of that exquisite aroma, and Speed bunched his fists in the covers and howled.

“Easy, Speed,” Horatio murmured loud enough for the younger man to hear. He leaned back carefully, his hands sliding Speed’s legs off his shoulders and letting them lower slowly back to the bed. “I want this to last.”

“H, please…”

“Shhhh…” Horatio’s face was gentle as he knelt between his lover’s legs, letting a finger run slowly up the younger man’s straining cock. “Just enjoy it. We have all the time in the world.”

“H,” Speed groaned. “You know foreplay drives me insane.”

“But I like foreplay,” Horatio insisted, bringing a finger to his mouth to wet it, and the sight made Speed groan again.

“Fuck the foreplay, H. Fuck me instead!”

Horatio chuckled at his eager, needing lover. “Hush, Speed, you’ll ruin the moment.” His now-wet finger lowered slowly to Speed’s entrance, and Horatio toyed with the tight ring of muscle as he used his other hand to brace himself to hover over the younger man, their faces inches apart. “I want to take my time loving you tonight. Please?”

Speed sighed, the expression on his face softening as he took in the calm sincerity of the older man’s face. “All right, H. Love me, then.”

“Thank you,” the redhead whispered as he ducked down for a sweet, simple kiss. Rising, he started to reach for the nightstand and the lube when Speed tapped the bottle against his shoulder. Horatio smiled and shook his head, stealing another quick taste of his lover’s lips even as he grasped the bottle. “One of these days, you’ll appreciate going slow.”

Speed snorted, but the noise quickly became a strained sigh as Horatio’s finger pressed more firmly against his entrance. “H, don’t tease me,” he pleaded softly.

Horatio drew the finger away, fiddling with the cap on the bottle. “Never crossed my mind.” He finally managed to flip the top, his hands trembling with… excitement? Lust? No, love. All the time Speed had lived here, they had fucked fast, fucked faster, hard, dirty, and occasionally tenderly, but he couldn’t once remember just going slow and paying attention to his partner. And that’s what they were, he reasoned as he coated his fingers with the slick substance. Lovers. Partners. He closed his eyes at the sudden burst of sorrow and longing that came from thinking of Leon and his public relationship with Jeremiah.

“H?”

Horatio looked up, seeing Speed staring at him with a curious, tender expression. “You okay, H? You were someplace else for a little bit, and you didn’t look happy.”

“I’m fine,” Horatio said smoothly, tossing his regrets to the back burner. All that mattered was being here, now, with Speed, and letting the younger man know just how much he was appreciated. Loved.

Speed saw through it, as he always did, but he said nothing as Horatio’s slick finger nudged at his entrance again. His face changed to one of intense lust as a single digit slid slowly in, pumping a little, twisting and searching for that one special spot.

He found it, and Speed jerked and moaned. “God, H, feels so fucking good,” he panted, spreading his legs farther and consciously relaxing the guardian muscle, begging silently for another finger. Horatio gave it to him, pumping slowly and twisting, scissoring gently, doing his best to avoid breaking the skin and thus needing a condom. He wanted Speed to feel him.

He fucked Speed slowly with his fingers, only brushing the prostate occasionally, driving his lover wild with the pleasure of penetration and the anticipation of things to cum.

“H… oh, God… so good…” Speed moaned as Horatio worked a third finger inside. He brushed the younger man’s prostate again, and Speed’s face became a mask of ecstasy. “God, H… get inside me, please?”

“All right, all right,” Horatio said soothingly as he withdrew his hand, earning him an outright whine. “Calm down, Speed. I’m just getting ready, all right?”

“H, I need you… fuck, I need you right now.”

Horatio’s face took on a vulnerability that Speed had never seen before as he stared at his younger lover, absently slicking up his length. “I’ve always needed you, Speed,” he whispered softly. The emotion broke through Speed’s cloud of lust, and unexpected tears came to the warm brown eyes as Horatio knelt between his love’s legs, positioning himself at Speed’s entrance. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it,” he continued in a murmur that Speed could barely hear.

There was nothing that Speed could think of to say, so he simply opened himself to his lover, watching him with glittering eyes as Horatio began to push. Small moans and jerks accompanied every inch that Horatio slid into the younger man, until they were joined as closely as human physiology would allow. Horatio lowered himself onto Speed’s body, savoring the feeling of wholeness, of completeness, and Speed reached his arms up to wrap his lover in a crushing embrace. “Love you, H,” Speed whispered into the redhead’s ear.

Horatio basked in the embrace for a moment, lifting his head for another soft, sweet kiss. “H?”

“Hmm?”

“Move, please? I want to feel you.”

Horatio rose to his knees, his hands on the mattress on either side of the younger man’s hips. “And how do you want me to move, Speed?” he asked softly, drawing slowly out and slowly back in.

“Just like that,” Speed replied quickly, surprising him. “I want you hard, H, but go slow. Please?”

And so Horatio went slow as he made gentle love to Speed, delighting in every tiny blessing of friction between them. He stroked his lover’s insides tenderly, worshipping the incredible warmth that gave him so much pleasure, so often. For his part, Speed was used to a harder fucking, so the notion of making love was rather unfamiliar to him. He could indeed get used to this happening every once in a while, being the object of such blazing affection in Horatio’s crystal blue eyes.

Speed recognized the act for what it was, so he made a conscious effort to raise his arms to rest his head on interlaced fingers, giving Horatio full access to his body. “H… touch me, please?”

“Where would you like me to touch you?” the redhead replied in that soothing tone.

“Anywhere. Everywhere.” There was something of a sheepish smile on his face. “You’re right, I like this. Love this. God, you feel so good in me…”

Horatio smiled as he braced one hand on the mattress, his hips rocking in a smooth, steady rhythm as he slid a hand up Speed’s belly, threading his fingers in the tangled curls on his chest, sliding the hand over a shoulder. He caressed his lover’s body as he would stroke a cat, petting here and scratching gently there, sitting back on his heels with Speed’s legs wrapped around him so he could use both hands to whisper the pads of his thumbs over the younger man’s hardened nipples, and Speed moaned at the contact.

“So good, H… fuck, that feels so good,” Speed whimpered. He clamped his insides around his lover, and Horatio had to fight down the urge to let loose and pound the younger man’s brains out. He maintained control and kept up his slow, steady pace.

“That’s it, Speed,” Horatio encouraged. “Let me know how good it feels.” He grasped Speed’s knees as he sat back on his heels, the delicious friction centered mostly on his lover’s prostate, and Speed jerked and groaned.

“Fuck, H…” Speed moaned, his head lolling. He squeezed Horatio again, a sure sign that he was nearing completion, and Horatio bit his lip as he stroked the younger man’s depths.

“Are you close?” Horatio whispered.

“Close,” Speed whimpered back. “So good…”

Horatio changed position to wrap Speed’s legs around him again. He bent down until their chests nearly touched, finding his favorite spot on Speed’s unshaven neck to plant his lips on the flesh that was slick with sweat and hot with the fires of lust. He pressed his thin lips firmly to the surprisingly soft skin, marking his lover, taking the flesh gently into his mouth and bruising it with love.

Speed made a loud humming noise in his throat as one hand threaded fingers through Horatio’s hair, the other making desperate scratches up and down the redhead’s back. “God, H, touch me… please…”

Horatio didn’t answer, but lowered one hand to brush fingers against Speed’s rigid length, rubbing his thumb across the head and collecting the drops of precome. He lifted his hand back to his lover’s face, and Speed took the fingers in his mouth desperately, tasting himself, wanting more. When the fingers were clean, Horatio moved his hand back to his lover’s cock and stroked it slowly, gently, in time with his steady thrusts into the younger man’s depths.

“H,” Speed moaned, “Oh God, H, I’m gonna… I’m…”

“Come for me, Speed,” Horatio urged, pulling back to stare into his lover’s eyes. “I love you, Speed. Come!”

Speed’s entire body went rigid, and he gripped Horatio’s shoulders with bruising force. His head jerked back, eyes rolling, and his toes curled and a high keening noise tore itself from his throat as he came around his lover, cock throbbing and shooting milky white streamers up his chest and on Horatio’s hand. Horatio stared at him, memorizing every movement as Speed jerked and twitched underneath him, babbling incoherently.

Buried as far inside the brunette’s body as he could go, Horatio simply waited until Speed came back to himself. “Oh, God, H, that was incredible,” the younger man panted. “God, I love you.”

Horatio lowered his head for a kiss, which Speed returned passionately. It didn’t last long, though, as Speed was short on air to begin with. “Aren’t you gonna come, H?”

Horatio nodded and bent down to nibble on his lover’s neck again. “I am… I just wanted to see that, first.” He sighed and pressed his lips to the Adam’s apple. “I wish I could stay here forever.”

“Me, too,” Speed whispered, his hands finding Horatio’s head and running fingers through the flame-red locks. “Come in me, H. Please?”

Horatio didn’t answer, he just started moving again. He rose off his lover’s chest to hover over his face. Staring into those crystal blue eyes, Speed read the range of emotions and reactions; the twitches of the mouth and eyebrows, the strain on the forehead, the pure love radiating from those eyes. Slowly at first, Horatio moved in and out of him. Speed fought to keep his eyes open, locking gazes with his lover as Horatio moved faster and faster, giving in to his passion and pounding into the dark heat that stroked him, milked him, welcomed him, loved him.

Horatio’s mouth opened to deliver extra oxygen as he slammed into his love, his Speed, and suddenly his face tightened and his eyes closed and he sucked in his breath as he came, burying himself to the hilt as his length twitched and released strands of his seed, coating Speed’s inner walls with himself, marking him. His arms trembled as he hovered over his lover, gasping, twitching with every delicious shudder of his own orgasm until he finally lowered himself into Speed’s welcoming embrace before he collapsed.

“I love you, H,” Speed said again as he wrapped his arms around his older lover, placing a kiss on the damp red hair.

“Love you, too, Speed,” Horatio whispered as he finally came back to himself. He rose to his knees and pulled out his dripping cock, snorting at the sticky warmth that clung to his chest.

Speed grinned at him. “I got you all messy.”

“That you did,” Horatio murmured with a smile. He leaned down to run an eager tongue over his lover’s midsection, cleaning him, and Speed gave a soft smile as he happily ate up the attention.

When it was all up, he started to rise and search for a wash towel when Speed twisted up and tipped him onto his side, then his back. “My turn,” the younger man insisted simply, bending to lick his lover’s chest clean. “I can’t let you have all the fun.”

Horatio didn’t have the strength to argue as Speed bathed his spent cock in the soft warmth of his tongue. When he was declared clean, Speed laid back down. “Now you can get a towel, before I start dripping all over the bed.”

Horatio chuckled and swung his legs over the side of the bed, staggering for the bathroom. When he came back, Speed reached for the towel and slid it underneath his slick rear, wiping carefully. Having gotten as much as he could, he handed it back to his older lover without a word, and Horatio took it back to the bathroom to drop it in the hamper before pausing to use the bathroom.

Padding back to the bed, he saw that Speed had scooted over to his usual side, patting the sheets next to him. Horatio found the suggestion to be an agreeable one and sank down, letting the younger man cover him as he pulled himself into a snuggle, laying his head on the dark-haired chest.

“Thanks, H,” Speed whispered drowsily.

“Thank you,” Horatio replied, wrapping his arms around the younger man’s midsection for a hug as an unwelcome memory flitted across his mind. He shook his head slightly as if to banish it.

Speed noticed, of course. “Something wrong?”

Horatio sighed. “No,” he fibbed quietly.

He couldn’t hide anything from Speed; he should know that by now. “Come on, H, tell me.” Horatio sighed again as he complied.

“Leon, today… he…” Horatio paused, and swallowed. “He reminded me of something. It was a recurring nightmare that I had for two weeks, following the shooting.”

Speed saw his mistake. “H, don’t. Let it rest.”

“No, no, I need to get it out. I need…” Horatio grasped his lover tight, laying his head on Speed’s left side, reassured by the heartbeat. “Speed, in my dream, I saw you go down, and you…”

Speed wrapped his arms around the older man more tightly, stroking the soft copper hair. “What did you see, H?”

Horatio swallowed. “I saw you go down, and you didn’t get back up.”

Speed pressed his lips to the head that lay on his chest. “Did you die, too?”

“No, and that’s the worst part of it. I lived. I had to… to process your body.” His blue eyes stared at nothing, the nightmare coming back. “I watched Alexx do your autopsy. I cleaned out your locker. I went to your funeral. And… I had to keep on going.” His voice cracked, and he closed his eyes tight, squeezing his lover almost painfully. “Without you.”

“I’m right here, H,” Speed whispered reassuringly, returning the embrace. “I’m right here, I didn’t go anywhere. You told me not to, remember?”

The redhead cleared his throat. “You can remember that?”

“Uh-huh. You keep saying that I saved your life… but don’t forget, you saved mine, too.”

Horatio’s only answer was a sigh, and a slight lessening of his grip on Speed. They lay there for some time, thinking, holding each other.

“Hey, H?”

“Hmm?”

“When did it stop? The nightmare, I mean.”

When had it stopped, indeed? Those two weeks had been hell, but one night he’d just gone to sleep, and he hadn’t dreamed a thing. That night, it was—

He had it. “Speed, that was the day I brought you home. That night was the first, since the shooting, that I didn’t have that dream.”

“And you haven’t had it since?”

Horatio squeezed him again. “Not since then.”

Speed squeezed him back, releasing him so one arm could casually stroke his shoulder. “I’m right here, H,” he repeated softly. “Let’s go to sleep, okay?”

“Okay.”

Speed shifted, getting more comfortable. “Good night, H.”

“Good night, Speed.”

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
There’s nothing that I would not do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"

Even Horatio, the master of self-control, had a hard time keeping the smile off his face at work the next day. He was entirely focused at the crime scenes, of course, but every once in a while his eyes would go far away, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was one such time that he was alone in Autopsy, waiting on Alexx to come in and open a drawer for his study, when the woman in question caught him.

“Well, good morning, Horatio.” Alexx looked at him with a mix of amusement, surprise, and… pride? “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you had a very nice night. Little champagne, some soft music, candles?” She winked. “Tall, dark, and in serious need of a shave?”

Horatio ducked his head. “That obvious, hmm?”

She smiled. “Honey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. You and Timmy are good together.”

He lifted his head and smiled back at her, a pure and unguarded smile of true friendship. “Thank you, Alexx. It’s been a long time coming, I know. But you’re right. Like you always are.”

Calleigh came strolling in. She took a single look at her colleagues’ faces and knew that something was up. “What’d I miss?”

Alexx turned to the blonde. “Horatio’s finally admitted that he’s in love,” she said softly and seriously, and Horatio ducked his head again, the tips of his ears noticeably changing color.

Calleigh tilted her head and smiled at him. “It’s about time.” She walked up to him and gave him a friendly squeeze on the arm. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” he whispered.

The two women waited until he’d gotten himself under control. “So,” Calleigh began, “are you two going to go public?”

Horatio sighed. “I want to, Calleigh. I really, truly do. But you know what would happen if I did.”

Alexx clicked her tongue and rubbed his shoulder. “We know, Horatio. Maybe it’ll be enough to get you through it.”

“I know, Alexx, and I appreciate it. I just…” he stopped, uncharacteristically frustrated. “I wish I could tell everyone.”

Calleigh gave a knowing smile. “Somehow I don’t see you as the ‘shouting from the rooftops’ type.”

He couldn’t help a snort at that one. “You’d be right about that. Speed would probably trail a banner from his motorcycle.”

Calleigh grinned. “I can see it now, ‘HC + TS,’ down Ocean Drive in the middle of the afternoon.”

Alexx laughed. They shared the moment for a while, before Horatio coughed. “By the way, he says that I need to invite the two of you over for dinner sometime, now that he’s gotten some of the use of his arm back.”

“I was wondering when that was going to happen,” Alexx murmured with just a hint of disproval, and Horatio ducked his head again.

“We’ve been… sorting things out. Not fighting, more like…” he paused, searching for the words. “More like realizing what had been staring me in the face this whole time.”

“That’s love for you,” Alexx smiled tenderly. “Sometimes it takes a while, and sometimes it sneaks up on you.”

“And sometimes you’re just too blind to see that it was there all along,” Calleigh concluded with mock-sternness, pinching his arm.

“Guilty as charged. Now, before you two ladies start arranging anything, I’d like to get to the matter at hand,” Horatio said firmly. “I believe there’s a young lady in this drawer that needs our help.”

The two women rolled their eyes at each other. “Men,” Alexx sighed.

“Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em,” Calleigh grinned back.

Horatio ducked head again, hearing their banter but not really seeing it. Fixed prominently in his mind was an image he’d never get tired of seeing, one of Speed, tangled in Horatio’s bedsheets, staring at him with eyes full of love.

“Hey, handsome,” Calleigh’s voice cut in, and he blinked. “Earth to Horatio. Jeez, you’ve got it bad.”

“Maybe you should take the day off,” Alexx suggested half-seriously. “I’ll say that you’re sick.”

“I don’t think lovesick is an excusable illness,” Calleigh pointed out.

“True,” Alexx said with a nod. “But he’s fatigued, has difficulty concentrating, abnormal heart rate, and a fever if his ears are any indication.”

Calleigh turned to him. “Maybe you need a little more protein in your diet.”

“Ladies, please,” Horatio sputtered, his face starting to match his hair. “I’m fine. And we have a case to work.”

Calleigh and Alexx looked at each other, and the blonde winked at him. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Horatio managed to concentrate after that, but during the quiet moments that image returned to him, haunting him in the best way possible. It was the first time in a very long time, he realized, that he simply couldn’t wait to get home, and it made him smile.

Home, to Speed.

There is nothing that I wouldn’t do
To make you feel my love

Billy Joel – "To Make You Feel My Love"