***

Thank you Jessi84, vivalavidaa, daxy, and tbsavafob for the reviews.

I do not own or claim to own CSI: Miami characters. I do not own or claim to own CSI: NY characters. This is fanmade and I make absolutely no profit off of this. I do this for my own amusement.

***

Warning: this chapter contains material intended only for mature audiences… erm… more so than the other chapters.

***

Chapter Twenty-One: Such Sweet Sorrow

The cream in Rick Stetler's coffee made lazy smoke-like patterns across the cup. He held it gingerly in his hands as he watched Horatio pour his own. The smell of the food before him mixed with the mountain air. He breathed it in as he let his eyes get lost in Horatio's gorgeous image; his fiery red hair and his sky blue eyes. It was a banquet to Rick.

Horatio looked up at Rick; he seemed so peaceful and content. He smiled at his lover, sitting there watching him.

"Thank you for ordering breakfast," Horatio said, focusing in on his food.

"Anytime," Rick whispered.

Horatio's eyes darted up at Stetler, sipping at his coffee. Rick looked back over at Horatio, his eyes shining.

Horatio got up off of the desk chair he had set up opposite Rick and joined his lover on the bed. He brought their lips together, kissing him deeply and passionately. They nuzzled for a few moments before Horatio spoke.

"I can't begin to tell you how much I have missed the sound of your voice".

"I'm sorry, Horatio".

"No… no… Rick you have nothing to apologize for".

"Well…" Stetler murmured, "I… I know what Mac saw me doing to you. And I can't help but thinking… Horatio… You'd tell me if I get too rough with you, right?"

As he spoke he opened Horatio's shirt, eyeing over the wounds he made on his lover's chest. He kissed one of the deeper ones lightly. Horatio winced at the slight pressure Rick gave him. He stroked Rick's short, brown hair; cuddling him gently.

"You haven't hurt me, Rick-"

"-but you'll tell me if I do?"

Horatio smiled as he got up and sat down at his breakfast again, taking a sip of his coffee. He thought for a few seconds before he responded.

"I will start worrying… if you ever bring in weapons".

"Don't worry," Rick smiled, "I wouldn't dream of it".

"And can you go easy with my chest? Let that get close to healing before you scratch it open again".

Rick timidly looked away before he nodded in agreement. They ate the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence, both wondering how long their charade will be able to play out.

***

It had been hours since Rick had left Horatio's room and they had gone their separate ways. The redhead was now several thousand feet above the farms of the Midwest, on his way to Miami. Horatio sat comfortably in his airplane seat, listening to his Zune and flipping though Sky Mall.

"Well, that's useless," Horatio mumbled to himself as he paged though the catalogue.

The college student sitting next to him had fallen asleep with his head in the window. Horatio had slowly been moving the other man's carryon luggage and sprawled out limbs as close to the walls of the aircraft as possible. He absently sipped at the scotch the stewardess had set down in front of him, smiling at the taste.

In all honesty, the scotch itself wasn't of that high a quality. But it didn't take much to remind him of Rick and the nights they had spent together. He could never want to forget a moment of what had happened to them in that little cabin.

Horatio's mind was pulled out of its drift as a blur walked past him, throwing a used napkin on his tray table. He had half a mind to chuck it back at the blur until he noticed the writing on it.

As you face the back of the plane: the right lavatory, join me in 3 minutes.

Horatio bit his tongue as he tried to suppress a grin, he knew that handwriting anywhere. It was the same that he had seen in every other margin of countless reports. He pocketed the note and turned his Zune to Beethoven's Fifth, which was about three minutes long.

As he listened to the timeless chords play out before him, alluring images of Rick flashed though his mind. The thought of his lover waiting for him in the back of the plane, getting hot and bothered was a little much for him. He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to hide the growing bulge in his pants. His palms had begun to sweat; he had never joined the mile high club. He began to hope for the first time on the flight that the young man next to him would refrain from awakening, he didn't want anyone to see how steamy he was getting.

His seat buckle was already off and the tray table stowed by the time the final chords played. He quickly turned off the player and stuffed it in the pocket of his already incredibly tight pants. Horatio's face was slightly flushed as he moved swiftly to the back of the plane, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible.

Timidly, he knocked on the door to the lavatory. Rick opened it, for a moment pretending to just be done with his business before backing up so Horatio had room to get in. Horatio managed to close the door behind him, he really had no idea how cramped it would be in the small washrooms with two people.

"Horatio," Rick purred, the lust evident in his voice.

"Rick," the redhead acknowledged. Under any other circumstances, he would have pinned his lover to the wall with a bruising kiss. And as much as Horatio wanted the two of them to just have each other, he knew that he had to acknowledge something that was bothering him.

"I want you," Stetler cooed, stroking his lover's hair.

"Are you sure?" Horatio whispered, his brow furrowed slightly in concern, "I mean… with all that's happened… you don't have to do this, you know".

"Please. I…" Rick turned his face away. He wanted to suppress what happened between him and Mac; to suffocate the memory. He knew that nothing he could do would change the past, but he could at least pretend it could. What Mac did to him made Rick fear that he had forgotten what it was like to truly make love. He wanted to remember. He needed to remember. He felt that he would go mad if the feeling stayed with him any longer. "…I need this now".

As gently and cautiously as possible, Horatio dug his erection into Rick's hip.

Rick slowly unzipped Horatio's pants, freeing his straining cock. Horatio moaned quietly as he felt his lover fondle him gently. Every movement was brushing away their concerns about the past, if just for a little while. Stetler ran a finger up the length of the vein, watching intently as Horatio shivered. He wrapped his fingers around Horatio's shaft and rubbed his thumb over the tip, smearing the pre-cum all over the redhead's cock. Rick pulled Horatio close to him and whispered into his ear.

"I want to fuck you, will you let me?"

Horatio nodded and shoved off his boxers, turning around and bracing himself against the door. Rick lubed himself up with the antibacterial soap from the soap dispenser and slowly slipped his pulsating member into Horatio's sweet ass. He pulled their bodies flush together, gently thrusting into Horatio.

"Just don't be too rough," Horatio whispered as he rested his head on Rick's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Rick whispered, kissing Horatio's cheek as he gave a lover a reach-around. Horatio moaned, biting his lip to keep from screaming with the feeling of such intense stimulation. The two moved slowly, the sound of the jets drowning out their heavy breathing and soft moans.

Rick gave the base of Horatio's cock a gentle squeeze as he came into the redhead. Horatio whimpered, wanting desperately to cum with his lover. Not letting go of Horatio's shaft, Rick turned him around.

"I'm sorry, H," Rick whispered, tucking his spent cock back into his pants, "but we can't afford to miss any of this clean-up".

Horatio's heart was pounding as he watched Rick fall to his knees and take his entire cock into his mouth. He came hard down Rick's throat, watching through half-lidded eyes his lover swallow everything and then lick him clean.

Rick pulled Horatio's clothes back around his waist, tucking him in and zipping him up. He stood back up to feel Horatio run his tongue over his lips. Stetler gave into the assault and let Horatio's tongue massage his own. Their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed for a long moment before both burned with the need for breath.

"Are you alright?" Horatio whispered into Rick's neck, panting softly.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me".

"Rick… I… I didn't…" Horatio trailed off, not quite sure what he was asking or how to ask it.

"No," Rick cooed, shaking his head, "You're just what I needed".

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. I love you, Horatio".

"I love you too. Which is why I worry that-".

"-Please," Rick cut him off, "I… let's… I'd rather not talk about it right now".

"Alright. I'm sorry," Horatio apologized.

"It's okay".

The two lightly kissed each other again, Rick checked his watch.

"We gotta get out of here before the stewardess gets onto us".

Horatio nodded in agreement, stealing one last kiss from Rick.

"See you around the lab," Horatio whispered.

The two men adjusted their clothing, making each other presentable before they turned and stumbled out of the lavatory. Rick quickly rushed down the aisle and quietly plopped down in his seat. A stewardess cocked an eyebrow at Horatio, who felt the blush creep up the back of his neck. He flashed her an innocent smile. She shook her head and waved him back to his seat, where he filled his head with music until the plane touched down in Miami.

***

Horatio wearily walked past the security checkpoint at Miami International, plane rides always seemed to take a lot out of him; this one for different reasons. Horatio smiled to himself as he thought about Rick, remembering the feeling of lips against flesh.

"Well you look happy," a familiar voice said.

Horatio looked up and saw Eric Delko standing there, his arms full of gifts from the department, most boxed chocolates. Horatio eyed them hungrily as his smile broadened.

"What's all this?"

"Word spreads fast here, H," Eric smiled, "Yelina told Ray Jr. that you had to spend a night with Stetler. He told Kyle, and Kyle… well… Kyle told the whole lab. We bought you sympathy gifts".

"Aww," Horatio cooed, "You didn't have to do this".

"You deserve it," Eric said, handing his boss a sickenly adorable and plushy teddy bear. To Horatio. From Valera, read the bow around its neck, I know this little guy will be a preferable roommate compared to Stetler. Welcome back!

"Aww," the redhead repeated, although at a slightly higher pitch.

Eric laughed and he led Horatio down to the baggage claim.

"I hear Mac was there too," Eric chirped as he watched Horatio pull his suitcase off the conveyor belt.

Horatio nodded, biting his lip to keep himself from telling Eric just what he thought of Mac after last night. "He's doing well," he finally said.

"The car's just outside," Eric said, leading Horatio to the doors, "You'd be happy to know that Calleigh took good care of the lab while you were out".

"Anything major and requiring my concern?"

"Nope, everything was quite under control," Eric grinned, opening the back of the Hummer and stuffing Horatio's presents and suitcase in it. "So… Horatio… we're all curious; how bad was Rick?"

"Eric," Horatio said with a gentle sigh, "he was a slice of absolute hell".

"I suspected as much," Eric nodded, turning the ignition and driving Horatio home.