Displaced

Outside the solace Revelle was finding in his shower, Horatio was being helped into his condo by a tall latino man younger than himself. Adam stood behind his boss, ready to aid him if he needed it, and more than half hoping to see the mysterious woman H. h  ad almost died to save. They walked in, Horatio moving slowly, deliberately, not allowing himself to show any hint of pain, all the while quickly assessing his living quarters. No sign or sound of the girl, and his heart fluttered with faint panic as he leaned into the kitchen and didn't see her there either. Adam, however, spotted the clear bag on the counter with shoes and clothing wadded inside of it, and picked it up with a little grin as he noticed how thorough the girl had been, including her undergarments, as the black lacy bra peeked out between the shoes. He turned and waggled it to his boss, who nodded silently.
'So where's this damsel in distress, H? Think she took off?'
'Not without her clothing, I don't think so Adam.'
Adam didn't notice the little twinge that crossed his employer's features, but as they moved out of the kitchen and back into the stark living room he did notice something move in the dark hallway. The white of a wrapped towel emerged first, then as she moved cautiously forward, one hand on the wall as she leaned to see better who was there. Adam raised an eyebrow with a grin forming on his lips as he appraised the towel clad young woman, and motioned with his head for Horatio to look around. He did, those sorrowful eyes landing directly on her, and a smile stole across his face. The raven haired young woman sauntered casually down the hallway like she wasn't wrapped in only a towel, and every stitch of her clothing wasn't dangling from the young man's hand. A small smile played across her lips, silently appraising the younger associate of her savior, but her gaze didn't remain on him for very long. Horatio drew her focus like a tractor beam, and she found herself returning his concerned gaze. He was standing freely, although stiffly, arms at odd angles at his sides, gingery head tilted slightly as he watched her.
'This is Agent Delco, Miss Arden. Thank you, Adam. You can go now. I'll see you tomorrow.' He held her gaze, but spoke to the young man currently ogling at her. Adam made a slight face, as if to protest, but quickly sobered himself with a nod.
'The doctor said you should take a few days off... Miss Arden, nice to meet you. Make sure this guy doesn't come to work tomorrow, okay?' He grinned wolfishly as he stuck out his hand for hers, obviously having his own ideas on how she would accomplish that. One hand held her towel in place as she took the offered hand with her other, returning the smile halfheartedly, with a glance at Horatio. He watched with the same baleful, wizened expression, and she would have been upset to know that he was thinking she'd seemed interested in Adam. The young man thought he was such a lady-killer anyway, why wouldn't she be?
With a fleeting glance over his shoulder and a smug smile on his lips, Adam tucked the bag of clothing under his arm and departed, leaving Horatio to study the still wet girl standing awkwardly before him. He smiled suddenly, with a swift intake of breath as if suddenly remembering that she needed something to put on.
'Are you okay? Why don't you follow me, and we'll find something for you to wear until Adam finishes with your clothes, okay?' He searched her face as she nodded silently, and moved carefully down the hallway. She hovered slightly behind, watching for any instance that she might be needed. As Horatio labored with each step, wheezing softly to himself, she spoke up quietly.
'Does it hurt?' He paused, leaning against the jam to the door of his room as he pushed open the door and groped for the light switch, then stepped in and turned around to appraise her.
'Yes... I don't think I can bend down to look through the drawers, but if you find anything you like in the dresser, it's yours.'
She chewed her lip, eyes filled with worry, but she knelt by the drawers as he pivoted slowly around, politely looking away so she could shed the towel and dress without his observance. She smiled at his back and tossed the towel on the edge of the bed, shivering as cool air met damp flesh, and rummaged through the drawers. Finding a pair of boxer shorts and a button up long-sleeved dress shirt with a large stain on the shoulder that looked suspiciously like blood, she wriggled into them quickly and stood up with a small breathed, 'Okay..' He didn't turn back around, and she looked at him again, to see that he was staring at the photos on the other dresser. She frowned gen ¤tly and laid a hand on his arm, then walked around him deliberately. Horatio looked down at her almost lovingly, the smile finding grimly pressed lips somehow, lifting a hand to push her hair from her face, fingertips brushing her bruised cheek gently, suddenly stammering the steady beat of her heart within her chest. She was sure he was going to lean down and kiss her, and the thought was appealing, she realized. Instead, he frowned, and searched her eyes, then winced suddenly in pain.
She grabbed his arms as he swayed, his teeth gritted in a grimace, and guided him backwards to the bed. 'You should be lying down.. let me help you, or you'll hurt it more. Did they give you any drugs to take for the pain?' She admonished softly, and aided him as best she could, but he still hissed as he slid back to lean on the pillows. Face filled with concern, she sat on the bed by his knees, drawing her own legs up underneath herself, and laid a hand on his leg. He looked at her through eyes slitted in pain, his breath slightly labored. 'You could have died, Lt. Caine...' Like he didn't know. But a grim smile turned the corners of his tightened mouth, as he retorted, simply.
'Horatio. So could have you, Miss Arden.'
She nodded in sage agreement, a rueful chuckle escaping her lips. 'Revelle. And you're right, I suppose. So I owe you my life, then. Can I redeem my voucher by getting you anything? Hungry? I can cook...' She stopped as he laughed softly, a gravely, throaty sound that she liked.
'There's no food in my kitchen. You might have noticed that I'm not completely moved in yet... Actually, I don't eat at home much. To be honest, I'm not very hungry... but I am quite tired. If you'll help me up, I'll get some blankets and bunk on the floor... you sleep in the bed...' He trailed off as she laughed and shook her head.
'Oh, I don't even think so! You've been shot and you think I'm going to make you sleep on the floor? Those painki qllers must be really affecting your brain!' She shook her dark head at him, and he couldn't help but smile at her, and conceded.
'Okay then. But I was lying about the extra blankets. They're all in storage.'
She scoffed and exclaimed, 'What were you going to do? Huddle on the cold floor and bleed through your clothes all night? I swear... How about this? We both sleep in the bed. I think I can trust you to keep your hands to yourself.' She caught the slightly surprised look cross his face, and smiled, shaking her dark head to chase away the lingering thought that wished he would try something. Damp curls were pulling into tighter ringlets, cascading around her face, and Horatio was suddenly struck, not for the first time, by how lovely she was. Had he been a man of lesser morals, or known her more than a few hours or even been less tired.. he might have pulled her down for a kiss. As it was, his eyes lingered on her smile, perhaps delving into a soft core imagination of what her lips might taste like.... as he smiled and brushed a springy curl from her bruised cheek.
'All right... but let me know if you become uncomfortable.' His face, once more, was filled with concern for her well being, worried that she might not like the idea of sleeping with a strange man more as the night when on. She stared at him, then burst out laughing, and giggled even harder at the amazed look on his face.
'Don't worry about me! By 2 am, I'll probably be splayed all over the bed, snoring like a fool... but how comfortable are you going to be? You're not going to sleep in your clothes... you won't get a wink of sleep if your side allows it anyway. C'mon.. I'll help you.' She grinned as his cheeks pinked and he began to protest. Rev's expression softened, growing serious as she laid a hand on his knee. 'Really, you should undress.. I don't care! I won't peek.. promise... if you don't want me to help, I won't... I can go in the other room...' She broke off as he replied, a shock of gingery hair falling down between his eyes.
'I'll need help getting the shirt off... and my shoes. The rest, I think I can get myself..' He pushed himself up with a silent wince, and she scooted forward to lean over his lap, gently pulling the hem of the shirt up to unbutton from the bottom, as he fingered the top ones. Trying to play it cool and uncaring as his shirt was splayed open, and the pale, freckled skin of his chest was displayed, she swallowed, and glanced up at his eyes... and her face flushed at the look on it. It was innocent enough, but she felt that he knew what had just run through her mind, that her fingers ached to slide over his skin, to touch the silken copper hairs and absorb the warmth through the pads of her fingertips. Trying to push the thoughts from her mind, she smiled at him and pushed the collar of the shirt up to help him shrug out of it. After a few seconds of straining, Horatio released a pent up burst of air from his lungs, and panted in pain as he sat back, shaking his head. Her brow furrowed as she drew back, concerned that she'd hurt him.
'No.. I'm sorry Revelle...'
'Rev.' She interjected, and he smiled weakly, then continued.
'I can't... The shirt is ruined anyway... can you cut it off?' She smiled ruefully, and walked up to him on her knees, settling down by his pillow, and nudged him to sit forward for a moment so she could pull the back of his shirt out from behind him. He turned to look at her, and she set her face, and pressed the fabric down over the ring on her right hand, and yanked. A small tear appeared, and she wriggled her finger through it to make it big enough to tear. In two pulls, the shirt had ripped clean up the back, to the stiff collar. It enabled him to slip his arm out, then slide the sleeve down the arm on his bad side. While he did so, she silently admired the fine sculpt of his shoulders, the creamy skin smattered with dusty freckles... and looked away sudde  nly as he turned to her. As she wet her lips, Horatio studied her curiously, wondering vaguely what she thought of him. So much younger than he, the thought wasn't entertained for too long that she might take interest in him. She was youthful and pretty, smart and vibrant, and surely had a life somewhere that he had no part in. But even with his rational mind, his body couldn't help but react to her proximity, which she tried to avoid noticing when she helped him from the bed so she could pull his shoes off.
His fingers moved to the fly of his slacks, and she stole back across the bed, yanking the blankets back so he wouldn't have to bend and fight them, then disappeared out the door. Horatio was left with the zipper pinched between thumb and forefinger, watching the door she'd left through. As he shucked the pants from his hips and leaned back into his bed, the smile that crossed his face was due to the internal relief that he'd changed his sheets, then the sudden humor of having a woman in his bed. Delco would have subtly spread the word around the office by the time he returned to work, and he knew he'd be fielding questioning looks from many, Yilana being one of them.
A raven head with a hand pressed over her eyes peeked back around the edge of the doorjamb, then splayed fingers opened over her face to peer blue eyes between them playfully. His grin widened, and she slunk back around the corner, to flip the lights off and slide into the other side of the bed. With darkness surrounding, Horatio closed his eyes and simply relished the sensation of a warm, leggy body stretching out next to him. A throb stung his heart as he realized how badly he'd missed the basic comfort of sharing a bed, how much better it felt to have that cold void on the left side filled with supple flesh in his old clothing and raven curls spread upon his pillow. For a moment, he allowed himself to literally revel, in Revelle.
She, in turn, tried to make herself as ready to wind down as she could without fidgeting too much to disturb him. His breathing was irregular, she noticed, laying on her back and musing how odd her situation was. She should feel extremely awkward and uneasy about laying side by side with a strange man, wearing his underwear and old shirt, but instead, she wanted very badly to turn on her side and slot herself against him. What was more unusual to her was the soothing calm of feeling like she knew him, and wanted to know more.
Revelle drifted off still on her back, but with her head turned toward him, cheek pressed to his pillow. In the lightless room, Horatio watched her face blindly as it moved in her dreams, allowed the occasional glimpse of her features when lights moved outside the frosted windows of the bedroom. He lay awake wondering about her, with his thoughts continually bumping up against the more painful ones of his dead brother and his coveted wife, only steered away finally by the smooth descent into dreams.