Title: Homecoming
Author: Aeon Cole
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Slash (Is that even a warning anymore?)
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Horatio/Speed, shades of Horatio/Yelina
Table: #4 Hope
Prompt: #11 Truth
Word Count: 1400
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: Yelina returns to Miami to find that some things have changed.
Author's Note: My Spanish isn't great, but I felt that the conversation between Yelina and her mother should take place in their native language. It just made sense. There is translation with each paragraph. And please, no making fun of me if my Spanish grammar isn't perfect. ; )
888
"She what?!" Tim exclaimed. He was standing in front of Horatio who was sitting on the sofa in the living room with his head in his hands.
"Tim, calm down," Horatio said looking up. "It was nothing."
"Horatio, she hit you. That's not nothing," Tim replied.
"She was upset and angry. It was instinct, that's all," Horatio said trying to calm his partner down. "Besides," he added. "It's not the first time I've been slapped by a woman."
Tim raised an eyebrow. He was about to say something then thought better of it. "You can tell me about that later," he said. "What happened today?"
Horatio took a breath. "She kissed me," he said.
"Excuse me?"
"She kissed me," he repeated. "And don't look at me like that. I didn't kiss her back."
Tim let his head drop. This wasn't the time for jealousy. He sighed and sat down next to Horatio pulling him into a hug. "Sorry, just tell me what happened."
"My brain turned to mush," he said. Tim gave him a quizzical look. "Verbal diarrhea. The words just spilled out before I knew what I was saying."
Tim pulled back and looked Horatio in the eye. "What did you say exactly?"
Horatio sighed. "Right after she kissed me I told her that we couldn't do this because I was gay and was with someone."
Tim looked surprised. "You didn't?"
Horatio nodded. "Afraid so." Seeing the look on Tim's face he added defensively, "Well, I've never had to tell anyone before. I had a plan, really. But when she kissed me…"
Tim pulled Horatio closer to him trying to lend some comfort. "Well at least you didn't say anything about the hot monkey sex," Tim said with a smirk.
"Not funny," Horatio replied.
"Sorry," Tim said as he kissed Horatio's temple. "What do you want to do?"
"I want to talk to her. But I think I need to give her some time to cool down."
888
Yelina stormed into the house and went straight to the room her mother had set up for her, closing the door. She slumped down on the bed. 'I can't believe I hit him,' she thought. 'I can't believe I was so wrong about him.'
There was a knock at the door and her mother peeked in. "¿Cuál es incorrecto mi niña?" ("What's wrong my child?)
Yelina looked up at her mother. "¿Has leído mal siempre totalmente una situación?" ("Have you ever completely misread a situation?")
Yelina's mother sat down on the bed next to her daughter and placed an arm around her shoulder. "¿Qué sucedió con Horatio?" ("What happened with Horatio?")
The younger woman sighed. "En dos años él no habló con mí sobre fechar cualquier persona. Pensé…" ("In two years he never said anything about dating anyone. I thought…")
"Y pensaste que él seguía siendo solo," her mother said softly. ("And you thought he was still single.")
"Mama él es invertido," she whispered." ("Mama, he's gay.")
Her mother smiled at her. "Pero él es Horatio inmóvil. El mismo Horatio que has conocido y que has cuidado siempre para," she said. ("But he's still Horatio. The same one you've always known and cared for.")
Yelina sighed knowing her mother was right. "Necesito hablar con él pero estoy asustado que él estará enojado." ("I need to talk to him but I'm afraid he'll be angry.")
The older woman shook her head. "Él es Horatio. Él podría nunca estar enojado con ti," she said reassuringly. ("He's Horatio. He could never be angry at you.")
"Necesito darte una cierta hora," she said. "Mama lo golpeó cuando él me dijo." ("I have to talk to him. Mama, I hit him when he told me.")
Her mother gave her a stern look. "No esperar demasiado largo tu motivo y el de tu hijo," she said as she got up to leave. ("Don't wait too long, for your sake and your son's.")
888
Later that evening Horatio sat on the sofa with his legs stretched out absently stroking the little orange cat on his lap. Sensing his distress, Cloe hadn't left his side all afternoon. Tim was at the other end of the sofa, his legs entwined with Horatio's, reading.
The doorbell rang and Tim put his book down. "Stay put," he said with a smile. "I'll get it."
Tim made his way to the door and opened it. He was surprised to see Yelina. She was equally surprised to see him.
She couldn't suppress a smirk. "Tim."
"Yelina," he replied somewhat coldly.
They stood there for a moment without saying anything. Then Yelina looked down and asked, "Is Horatio here?"
Tim nodded and moved aside so she could pass. He pointed toward the living room. "He's in there," he said, clearly not too happy about her being in their house.
Horatio looked up when he heard someone at the entryway. "Yelina," he said as he stood up and placed Cloe on the floor.
The little cat sauntered over to Yelina and sniffed at her feet. Yelina knelt down and scratched Cloe between the ears. She looked up at Horatio and said, "You have a cat."
Horatio nodded and gave her a shy smile. "Her name is Cloe. And technically she's Tim's cat."
Yelina stood up and looked at Horatio. "So, you and Speedle?"
Horatio ducked his head trying to hide the slight blush and nodded. Yelina stepped closer. "I came to apologize. I had no right…"
Horatio took her hands in his. "It was as much my fault as yours," he said gently.
"In all the times we talked over the past two years, you never said anything," she tried to explain. "You always talked about missing us. I just assumed…"
"I know," Horatio interrupted her. "I didn't know how to tell you." He smirked and said, "Obviously I still have to work on my technique."
Yelina chuckled. "Maybe so," she said.
Horatio tugged at her hand. "Let's sit," he said leading her over to the sofa.
Yelina sighed. "Ray never said anything about you being gay."
"Ray didn't know," he said matter-of-factly. Yelina gave him a puzzled look. "I hid who I was from everyone for a very long time. It's only since Tim that I've become more comfortable with the idea."
"I knew I'd sensed a change in you from our phone conversations. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was."
"Also, you should know…" He hesitated for a moment. "Everyone at work knows. We had a case a few months back and it became necessary for Tim and myself to tell everyone the truth."
"Thanks," she replied with a smile. "Now when I walk in on Monday and everyone is whispering around me, I'll know why." Horatio rolled his eyes. "How long?" she asked.
"A year and a half," Horatio answered. "Six months ago we went through a commitment ceremony. Shortly after we bought this house."
"You're married?" Yelina asked. "I can't believe you didn't tell me. Well that explains the look I got from Speedle at the door."
Horatio smirked. "He didn't growl, did he?"
"Not audibly," Yelina joked. "I should apologize to him."
Tim appeared in the doorway and sighed. "Not necessary," he said as he walked to Horatio's side. Then he looked at his partner and said, "And I do not growl." Horatio laughed.
Yelina stood up and said, "I should get back to my son."
A thought struck Horatio then and he asked, "What do we tell him?"
Yelina took a deep breath. "I'll think of something," she said. "But let me worry about that." She gave Horatio a hug. "Do you want to try for coffee again tomorrow? Start over." She looked over at Tim. "The three of us."
Horatio looked at Tim who nodded. "Sure," he said with a smile.
As they walked to the door Horatio recalled something that he had wanted to talk to her about. "By the way, Yelina." She turned to look at him. "It's not urgent or anything, but, I received a package a couple of weeks ago from the New York Archdiocese. Some things from my parents old apartment. I wanted to talk to you about it once you're settled."
"Sure," she said as Tim opened the door. "What time tomorrow?"
"How's ten sound?" he asked.
"Sounds good. See you then," she said as she headed out the door.
After Tim closed the door, he asked, "What was that about?"
Horatio thought for a moment before he answered. "Just a hunch," he said.
Fin