Title: Tim's Book

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: G

Warning: Implied slash

Fandom: CSI Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Speed

Table: #3 Comedy/Humor

Word Count: 600

Prompt: #1 Laughter

Summary: All Tim wanted to do was read his book.

Disclaimer: Cloe the cat is mine, the rest are not.

Author's Note: This ficlet is for Dino, who I think has been going through Cloe withdrawal. Merry Christmas.

Tim Speedle was a voracious reader. He rarely watched television, preferring to sit in a quiet room with a good book rather than staring at a screen and being fed a story. He could easily spend an entire afternoon in a book store and rarely ever came home from one empty-handed.

He was currently stretched out on the sofa engrossed in one of his recently acquired novels. He'd been sitting there for more than an hour completely oblivious to everything around him when he felt something furry brush against his foot. He unconsciously wiggled his toes, scratching the little cat at his feet.

After a few moments, Cloe seemed to decide that Tim wasn't paying her enough attention and she wandered up his legs only to have her path blocked by the book Tim was reading. She sniffed at the cover then peered around the side. Tim ignored her and kept on reading. She purred loudly in his direction and he tried to hide a smirk. Eventually she opted for a more drastic approach. She walked across his chest, placing herself between him and the book, and took a seat.

Tim huffed. "You want something?" he asked.

Cloe leaned down and sniffed his nose. Tim chuckled and moved her back onto the sofa. He settle in to reading once again but Cloe was not to be deterred. She could be as stubborn as Tim when she wanted to be. She walked up his legs again and this time sat on his stomach just behind the book. She gently pawed at the cover. Tim sighed and tried to ignore her. When that didn't get his attention she pushed her snout under the book and nearly knocked it out of Tim's hands.

"Hey," Tim exclaimed. "Stop that, cat."

But he couldn't help chuckling at Cloe's 'Who me?' expression. Again he shooed her back down to the end of the sofa and was relieved when she settled in and draped herself over one of his legs. Unfortunately his peace didn't last long. He felt her get up from his leg then he felt something pushing at his calf. Momentarily puzzled he glanced over the top of his book and saw Cloe, using her head like a wedge, trying to move his leg.

His first thought was, 'Seven pound cat versus one hundred fifty pound man. I don't think so.' He rested his book down on his chest and looked at Cloe. She stared back at him.

"Do you have any idea of the physics involved in doing that?" he asked her.

Standing in the doorway, Horatio had been watching the entire scene and he started laughing. Tim glanced over behind him at the noise.

"You do realize," Horatio said as he entered the room, "that you just asked a cat about physics?"

Tim shrugged. "I don't think she's going to let me read," he said in a sulking tone.

"Personally, I think she's jealous," Horatio said. "You're paying more attention to that book than you are to her."

Tim sighed and sat up. He used his bookmark to mark his place and set the book down on the coffee table. Cloe purred loudly and jumped into Tim's lap. Both he and Horatio started laughing as Cloe walked back and forth over Tim's legs rubbing herself against his chest. She bumped his chin with the top of her head and purred again.

"Think she's happy?" Horatio asked with a chuckle.

Tim rolled his eyes. "I think she got her way," he answered. "Again."

Fin