This one's short, but I wanted something between the last chapter and the next one.

Scared

"Horatio," his lover said as he followed him through the MDPD crime lab, "Why won't you answer me?"

"I'm busy, Jethro," the redhead responded as he grabbed a case file from the hand of a CSI as they crossed paths. "If we don't find this man he's going to blow up another Marine base, you know that."

"Horatio, it's a really simply question. Just yes or no."

"Jethro, I don't think you understand how complex of a question this really is."

"Sure I do. Don't you remember that I'm the master of failed marriages?"

"Then don't you think it would be best to look at this situation from a logical standpoint?"

"How am I not?" the silver haired man asked.

The redhead sighed as he glanced over the Trace and DNA results.

"Jethro, I didn't have what you had after Marisol died," he said as he continued his path through the lab. "I didn't have dozens of crash course weddings and relationships."

"So you're saying that since I've been married four times and had seven failed relationships with girlfriends that I'd be fine adding number five?"

"No, I'm saying you're bolder than me in the relationship department," the redhead said. "You know what you want and you go after it."

"While you sit on the benches during the homecoming dance and watch everyone else have a good time," the silver haired man said with a sigh.

The redhead stopped and suddenly kissed him. It was passion filled and made the silver haired Marine's knees grow weak for a moment. It ended as abruptly as it had begun. The older man's heart pounded in his chest and he looked deep into the redhead's blue eyes.

"I love you, Jethro," the redhead quietly said. "I don't want to ruin what we have by getting married too soon. I want to take this at the pace we've been going at. Yes, I'm scared to get married again. I've only ever been married once in my life, and that lasted eight hours before someone took her away from me. I just don't want to ruin our love."

A small smile crept across the silver haired man's face. He gently touched his lover's cheek and slowly nodded his head.

"Ok, Horatio," he almost whispered, "I'll wait. When you're ready to get married you just say the word and I'll get down on my knee."

The redhead smiled and wrapped his arms around his older lover.

"Thank you, Jethro," he whispered.

"I'm sorry if I was making you feel rushed by insisting that you answer me," the silver haired Marine said as they walked through the lab again.

"It's alright, I know you were feeling anxious."

"So where to now, boss?" the NCIS Agent inquired.

"Well it seems both Abby and Ryan agree that we need to go back to the original scene and check it out again."

"Coverall time again?"

"Indeed it is."

They walked into the locker room and were shocked when they found the young NCIS forensic specialist and the MDPD CSI together. Their arms were entangled as their lips hungrily pressed against each others. They gasped and turned to see the two older men staring at them. The silver haired man began laughing and shook his head as he walked towards the redhead's locker.

"Well this explains why you wanted to come down to Miami so badly, Abby," he chuckled as the redhead opened his locker and pulled out their coveralls.