"You wanna tell me why the hell you have a split lip?" Frank asked Horatio.
Horatio sighed and didn't answer at first. When Charles had hit him the night before he had caused his lower lip to split. Horatio knew the team had to be going crazy wondering what had happened. Ever since Horatio and Ryan had come home the night before, the younger man had refused to sleep or eat. He had cried and spent the night on the back porch. Horatio had been with him the entire time. He understood that as much as Ryan had expected his parents to reject him, he had hoped that they had changed. He had had an ounce of hope in his heart and it had been crushed in just seconds. Seeing his lover heartbroken was not easy for Horatio and he wanted to show Charles what happens when you hurt someone that he cares about.
"Not very talkative today, huh?" Frank said.
"I got in to a little fight." Horatio said, "Tell me about the body?"
Frank changed the subject to work. A female body had been found in the glades. Shot to death in execution style. Horatio found it hard to focus on work. He wanted to be with his lover who was still in his beach house on the porch. But instead of being with his lover Horatio had to work. He also hoped to get some sleep before his son came home.
He really wanted to give Kyle a good welcome back greeting and if he was tired and cranky it wouldn't work. Horatio hoped with every fiber in his body that Kyle wouldn't react the same way Charles and Melinda had when he found out the truth.
"No gun was found." Frank said, "Where is Ryan by the way?"
"He said he felt sick so I told him to stay home." Horatio said.
Frank nodded. Recently the Texan had started to see things he had missed for the last two months. He saw the special looks that Ryan and Horatio gave each other, but he didn't want to say anything until he was certain it was real and not in his imagination. He did hope that Horatio had found someone to love, because he really deserved it and needed it.
-I-
Ryan sighed deeply. He really needed to get out of the lounge chair and do something else. He couldn't just sit on the porch all day. He was hungry but didn't feel like eating. The thought of food almost made him vomit. He hadn't expected that he would be so heartbroken from his parents' rejection. He had known that they would hate him, yet he had wished and hoped with all of his heart that he would be proven wrong.
God, he was so stupid!
After finally getting out of the chair; Ryan decided to go home. He would come back soon, but there was something he had to do. Ryan felt he had to pack up his things from his apartment and leave to live with Horatio. He knew the red head wouldn't object even if moving in after two months might seem fast for some people. And even though it was probably something the two of them should decide together.
When Ryan got home he found some empty boxes and bags. He started packing all of his clothes, books and other stuff that he could use. It took a while longer than he had expected and he only had two hours left before Horatio would come home from work when he was done packing everything he felt he wanted and needed with him. Left was the furniture and pictures of his parents. With some help from his neighbor Philip he carried the furniture down to the landlord, who took any chance he could get to make an old piece of chair, table and so on look like new. Soon only some photos of Ryan with his parents were left. He took them with him and went to the nearest trashcan.
"If you can't accept me then I don't want you in my life." Ryan said with a heavy heart.
He threw the photos in the trash. It was something he had to do no matter how much it hurt. When he was done he gave the key to the landlord and went back to Horatio's beach house or what Ryan felt was home for him too.
He got back just before the shift ended at the lab and so Ryan started carrying his boxes and bags inside the house. There wasn't much to carry. It had taken much longer to pack everything down then it would be to unpack it.
-I-
An unsolved case was never good. The female victim from this morning's crime scene turned out to be the one who had killed the family at the Hilton Hotel. Whoever had hired her had also killed her and who that was, was unfortunately still a mystery. Her death would remain unsolved. She was still even a Jane Doe.
"Excited about seeing Kyle again after so many months?" Calleigh asked her boss on their way out of the lab.
"Yeah! I'm looking forward to having him home again." Horatio smiled.
"Is he staying permanently?"
"Yes, he said he had enough of the military life and the war." Horatio said.
Calleigh smiled. The team liked Kyle because he brought out the best in Horatio; he made him smile and laugh more. Kyle had also grown a lot in 3 years, from a troubled teenager to a stable and happy young man.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Horatio." Calleigh smiled, "Bye!"
"Bye."
Horatio got inside the hummer and drove home. On the way home he was thinking about how exactly he should tell Kyle that he and Ryan were dating. He was also thinking about how to comfort Ryan. He hated seeing his boyfriend so upset.
When Horatio got home he hadn't expected there to be four boxes in the hallway or music coming from the living room. Classic Rock; Ryan's favourite type of music.
"Ryan?" Horatio asked.
"Oh hi, I um… don't be mad, but I took the liberty of moving some of my stuff here. I gave my apartment key to the landlord and uh…"
"You moved in?" Horatio asked surprise.
"Yeah." Ryan blushed, "I know I should have talked to you about first."
"Yes you should." Horatio said, "I could have helped you pack."
Ryan grinned and pulled Horatio in for a kiss. Ryan then told his red headed lover what he had done to the photos of his parents and although Horatio didn't think of that as a way to solve anything; he supported Ryan in his decision.
"If that was something you had to do then I support it." Horatio said, "Do you think you will ever talk to them again?"
"No." Ryan sighed, "If they want to be a part of my life they have to contact me."
Horatio nodded and looked at the clock.
"Kyle will be here in two hours. We should wait with dinner until he arrives." Horatio said.
"I'm sure he'll be hungry." Ryan smiled, "I know something we can do until he gets here."
Horatio saw the lust in Ryan's eyes and moaned softly as he was dragged towards the bedroom.
"Ryan wait, don't you think we should talk about yesterday?" He asked.
"Why?"
"Because your heart got crushed by two people who should love and protect you no matter if you're gay, bi or straight." Horatio said.
"I don't want to talk about it. I've done a lot of thinking and I'm not going to let it crush me." Ryan said, "Yes, I still am heartbroken, but… I refuse to let it pull me down anymore."
Horatio nodded and pulled Ryan in for a kiss.
-I-
The last thing Kyle had expected when he came home was to find his father in bed with another man and not just any man, but Ryan Wolfe. Kyle decided not to wake the two men up and instead he went up to his room to unpack and change in to more comfortable clothes. As he did this he had time to think. He had always suspected that his father might be bisexual or gay. Horatio was the kind of man who could love anybody no matter the gender. Kyle smiled and went back downstairs when he was done. He was happy that his father had found someone. Kyle had only met Ryan a few times, but he seemed like a nice guy.
"Kyle?" Horatio exclaimed.
He had just gone up to get dressed and heard someone up on the second floor. When he had exited the bedroom he had been surprised to see his son in the kitchen. Until he saw what time it was and realized that Kyle had been home for thirty minutes already.
"Hi dad!" Kyle smiled, "I uh, came to find you and boy was I surprised."
"Kyle I uh…"
"It's okay dad. You're my father and that means that as long as you are happy; I am happy." Kyle grinned, "I have a lesbian friend dad, did you really think I'd hate you because you're dating another man?"
"Well, of course I feared that." Horatio said and then sighed in relief, "Are you really okay with it?"
"Yeah of course! You and Ryan huh? For how long?"
"Two months. He moved in with me today." Horatio smiled, "I really love him."
"I'm glad you do. You make a cute couple." Kyle grinned, "You're bisexual right?"
"Yeah of course, otherwise I wouldn't have dated your mother and you wouldn't have been sitting here today." Horatio chuckled.
"And Ryan is…"
"I'm gay." Ryan said from the doorway as he joined father and son by the kitchen table.
"Well, I just got one thing to say." Kyle grinned, "If you hurt my father Ryan I will kill you."
"I wouldn't dream of hurting him." Ryan smiled and grabbed hold of Horatio's hand.
Kyle was truly glad to see that his father was happy with Ryan.
"Great! I'm starving so why don't we order some pizza?" Kyle suggested.
"Sounds great." Horatio said, "I'll pay."
"Now H…"
"Ryan, I will pay." Horatio said.
"It's not fair. You paid last time." Ryan said.
"I can pay." Kyle suggested.
"No!" The two older men said in unison.
"I will pay Ryan." Horatio chuckled.
"Okay fine! If you insist." Ryan smiled.
"You can pay me back later." Horatio whispered in his ear as Kyle grabbed the phone to make the call.
"Oh, I will." Ryan smirked.
The trio spent the rest of the night talking about everything that had happened in the past two months. It was the beginning of their formation as a family.
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