Title: You And Me

Author: Aeon Cole

Rating: FRT

Warnings: Slash

Fandom: CSI: Miami

Pairing: Horatio/Eric

Spoilers: Resurrection

Word Count: 710

Summary: Eric can't sleep.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: There was way too much Horatio/Eric slashy-ness in the episode for me not to do this.

ooo

Eric was lying in bed. He couldn't sleep. He'd tried counting sheep, tried reciting the periodic table, he'd even tried counting the spots on the ceiling tiles. But the events of the past two days were too fresh in his mind and they kept rolling over and over every time he closed his eyes.

ooo

The news hit him like a punch to the gut. He couldn't breathe. He had to turn away from the others for a moment. They'd just been together two nights before. They had plans for dinner that very night. He couldn't wrap his brain around it. Horatio Caine was dead. His mind raced. This can't be happening, he thought. Everything was still too new.

He didn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Wolfe had to be lying. Horatio couldn't be dead. He needed to get back to the morgue so he could see for himself but at the same time he couldn't just walk out on the investigation. How would that look? Besides, no one else knew. He would have a hard time justifying why he was running off to convince himself that his brother-in-law was dead. If he could say they were lovers, that would be different but not what Horatio would have wanted. For the moment he had no choice. His time would be better spent trying to figure out who'd done this.

ooo

Eric's temper flared when he looked out the lab window and saw that it was Wolfe on the phone. He was fuming when he ran out into the hallway and grabbed him. He was ready to pound him into dust thinking he'd actually had a hand in Horatio's death. Then he heard him say the words he'd been praying for. "He's not dead."

Once he'd calmed down enough to let himself believe that Wolfe was telling him the truth, he was hurt. He didn't understand how Horatio could let him think he was dead, not after Speed. So when he was finally able to see Horatio he had to ask, "Why Wolfe?" He tried not to sound as hurt as he's felt or as jealous but he was sure he'd failed miserably. Horatio's answer satisfied him for the moment. Horatio didn't want Eric to get hurt if things went bad. Eric took that to mean that he cared more about what happened to him than what happened to Ryan. He could accept that but he knew they would need to talk further.

ooo

Eric was ready to give up on sleeping when he felt a warm body roll over in the bed and curl into him. Then he felt an arm land softly across his chest.

"What's the matter, Eric? Can't sleep?" Horatio asked a bit groggily. Eric shook his head. Horatio propped himself up on his elbow and laid his hand on Eric's chest. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know I hurt you."

Eric gave him a sad smile. "I know you're sorry. It's just that every time I close my eyes…" He paused for a moment having to compose himself. "I really thought you were dead, H."

Horatio pulled the younger man into his arms. "I am sorry," he said again more softly this time as he ran his hand lightly over Eric's back. "But the potential for things to go bad was too high and I wasn't going to risk your career like that." He felt Eric nod into his shoulder. "Besides, you're a terrible liar."

Eric looked up at him. "Really?" he asked. Horatio nodded. "I've never had a problem lying in an interrogation, have I?"

"Lying to your friends is different, Eric. Your nose twitches and you don't make eye contact. Dead give-a-way, I'm afraid," Horatio explained.

"Huh, I never realized before," Eric said resting his head back down on Horatio's shoulder.

Horatio smirked. "Marisol pointed it out to me one day," he said.

Eric blew out a breath and shook his head. "Figures."

Horatio pulled him closer. "Come on; let's try to get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning."

Eric yawned and closed his eyes. "You and me, H," he muttered. And this time, with Horatio's arms wrapped protectively around him, he finally drifted off to sleep.

Fin