Tim watched the beams, cast by the lights of the hummer cascade
over him, as it pulled up next to his car. The engine stopped, the door
shut, but Horatio's approaching foot steps were to faint to be heard
against the steady sigh of the ocean. H sat himself beside the young
man and neither spoke a word. Lazily studying the horizon with tried
eyes, Tim breathed deep and teased himself with the idea that he might
end up spending the night on this beach with Horatio. A swarm of overly
erotic thoughts made his pulse quicken, until the rational side of his
mind shook some sense into him. It was one thing to express to a friend
that you don't want to be lonely, it was quite another to explain how
you want them to ease your loneliness. Eventually, Caine gave Tim a
nudge upon seeing the empty bottle in the sand.
"You drink that whole thing?" His words were far more curious than disapproving.
"No.", was Tim's inital response, soon followed by a more detailed version of the truth. "Well...most of it."
"Good thing you didn't try to drive."
"Couldn't have, if I wanted to." Tim sighed, "I locked my keys in the car."
"Rough day." H rose and offered his hand. "Me too." The words were so faint Tim scarcely heard them. It made him wonder if he was meant to hear them or if Horatio had spoke them only for his own ears. "I'm glad you called. C'mon I'll take you home."
Tim looked up at the tall, handsome redhead, extending a hand before him. Sometimes Tim believed he was in love with him, but the mere idea seemed the fantasy of a hopeless romantic. Tim didn't exactly have a reputation of being gutsy or bold when it came to his feelings, but he'd always promised himself that someday, if he had the right moment, he'd take his chances with Horatio. Speed took the offered hand and H hoisted him to his feet, steadying him as he stood.
"Easy." H chuckled, "Think you can make it to the car?"
"Ya, I can—"Were the only words Speed managed, before he'd stumbled over his own sandy feet. "Maybe not." He admitted. Horatio simply smiled, hung Tim's arm over his shoulders and hooked his own arm around Tim's waist.
"No problem. I'll get you there."
City lights flickered on the windows of the vehicle as they moved through the streets in silence. Neither spoke but every so often one would check the other with a sidelong glance, as if to make sure they didn't just say something. Speed was waiting, hoping Horatio would speak, as the silence bored into his mind making the situation reek of tension.
"Your apartment key locked up too?" Horatio spoke to break his train of thought, and Tim breathed relief from the stillness. H had not been thinking about keys. His cluttered head was having trouble focusing on anything since he'd handed over his ring, without batting an eye. It wasn't exactly something one could easily take back. Caine fought to rationalize why he'd given it all up so readily. Maybe it was purely for the chance to help a friend. Maybe it was for Tim.
"One is. I keep a spare outside the door though." Both men fell back into silence wishing that conversation could have taken up a bit more time. Tim might have been drunk but he didn't have to be sober to see something was off about Horatio. He seemed forcedly calm, as he poured all his focus inward. His mood backed up his assertion of having had a bad day, and made Speed eager to know what was eating at him. "What happened?"
"What?" Horatio stirred as Tim's voice woke him from thought.
"What happened? You said you had a bad day too."
"Oh." He paused, forgetting he had mentioned it. "Just umm, I suddenly took a big step in a new direction." Tim watched as H sighed, drew his hand through his hair and returned it to its place on the steering wheel. Nice hands, Tim thought, before noticing a distinct tan line on his ring finger.
"H?"
"Ya?"
"Where's your ring?"
"It's... it's broken."
"You drink that whole thing?" His words were far more curious than disapproving.
"No.", was Tim's inital response, soon followed by a more detailed version of the truth. "Well...most of it."
"Good thing you didn't try to drive."
"Couldn't have, if I wanted to." Tim sighed, "I locked my keys in the car."
"Rough day." H rose and offered his hand. "Me too." The words were so faint Tim scarcely heard them. It made him wonder if he was meant to hear them or if Horatio had spoke them only for his own ears. "I'm glad you called. C'mon I'll take you home."
Tim looked up at the tall, handsome redhead, extending a hand before him. Sometimes Tim believed he was in love with him, but the mere idea seemed the fantasy of a hopeless romantic. Tim didn't exactly have a reputation of being gutsy or bold when it came to his feelings, but he'd always promised himself that someday, if he had the right moment, he'd take his chances with Horatio. Speed took the offered hand and H hoisted him to his feet, steadying him as he stood.
"Easy." H chuckled, "Think you can make it to the car?"
"Ya, I can—"Were the only words Speed managed, before he'd stumbled over his own sandy feet. "Maybe not." He admitted. Horatio simply smiled, hung Tim's arm over his shoulders and hooked his own arm around Tim's waist.
"No problem. I'll get you there."
--------------------
City lights flickered on the windows of the vehicle as they moved through the streets in silence. Neither spoke but every so often one would check the other with a sidelong glance, as if to make sure they didn't just say something. Speed was waiting, hoping Horatio would speak, as the silence bored into his mind making the situation reek of tension.
"Your apartment key locked up too?" Horatio spoke to break his train of thought, and Tim breathed relief from the stillness. H had not been thinking about keys. His cluttered head was having trouble focusing on anything since he'd handed over his ring, without batting an eye. It wasn't exactly something one could easily take back. Caine fought to rationalize why he'd given it all up so readily. Maybe it was purely for the chance to help a friend. Maybe it was for Tim.
"One is. I keep a spare outside the door though." Both men fell back into silence wishing that conversation could have taken up a bit more time. Tim might have been drunk but he didn't have to be sober to see something was off about Horatio. He seemed forcedly calm, as he poured all his focus inward. His mood backed up his assertion of having had a bad day, and made Speed eager to know what was eating at him. "What happened?"
"What?" Horatio stirred as Tim's voice woke him from thought.
"What happened? You said you had a bad day too."
"Oh." He paused, forgetting he had mentioned it. "Just umm, I suddenly took a big step in a new direction." Tim watched as H sighed, drew his hand through his hair and returned it to its place on the steering wheel. Nice hands, Tim thought, before noticing a distinct tan line on his ring finger.
"H?"
"Ya?"
"Where's your ring?"
"It's... it's broken."