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"Achoo!"
Ryan tensed and turned around to look at Horatio. His lover had, as usual, entered the break room without making a sound and nearly scared Ryan to death with his sudden sneeze.
"Achoo!"
Horatio grabbed a tissue from the box on the table and blew his nose. Ryan continued just staring at his lover.
"What?" Horatio asked, as he slumped down in a chair.
Ryan handed the redhead a cup of coffee and sat down across the table from him. It was still early in the morning and no else from the team was at work yet. It was going to be another busy week as they were short of two members. Calleigh was on maternity leave and Eric had taken two weeks of paternity leave to spend time with their son William during his first days in the world. He had another week left at home before he came back, but even then they were one person short. So Horatio had the job of finding a temporary replacement for Calleigh and he had a few good candidates.
"Achoo!"
"Oh, for god's sake stop sneezing!" Ryan exclaimed, feeling his OCD creeping up on him.
"I can't. My nose is itching and I think I might have a cold."
"What was your first clue? The runny nose, your feverish body or your bloodshot eyes?" Ryan asked.
Horatio rolled his eyes and reached over to grab the younger man's hand, when he it jerked away.
"Don't give me the bug." Ryan warned.
"Afraid to get a cold?"
"I hate being sick. I hate it more than you do and that's saying something." Ryan said.
Horatio shrugged and coughed. Ryan slowly slid his chair further away from the table and Horatio rolled his eyes at his lover. It was no secret that anyone sick had to stay far away from Ryan, especially since he had been puked on by William a few days earlier. He hadn't become sick, but he had been hysterical about getting a stomach bug. In certain periods of time Ryan's OCD would get a bit worse and other times it was barely noticable.
"You should go home." Ryan said.
"Absolutely not."
"We can manage without you."
"Ryan, we have three murder cases, a rape case, two robberies, one attempted murder and we still have evidence left to process from the bombing case a week ago." Horatio said, "I can't leave."
"You have paperwork to take care of too."
"Ugh, don't remind me." Horatio groaned.
The door opened and Walter walked in, he sneezed and Ryan glared at his friend. It was the cold season and for once Ryan Wolfe was not sick; he intended to keep it that way.
"Good morning." Walter said.
"Morning." Horatio said.
"Don't go anywhere near me today." Ryan said.
Walter grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to his boss. He looked at Ryan and then at Horatio, whom just shrugged.
"Afraid to get a little sick?" He teased.
"Not afraid, just really not in the mood to have a cold." Ryan said.
"You're afraid." Walter smirked.
"Am not."
"You are."
"I am not!"
"Yeah, right."
"I am not."
"You are.
"Not!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Boys!" Horatio exclaimed, "It's too early in the morning to listen to you two argue about if Ryan is scared or not."
"You are like a little girl sometimes." Walter grinned.
"H! Defend me!" Ryan whined.
"Walter stop teasing Ryan and Ryan stop whining." Horatio said and then sneezed again.
"I'm going somewhere people are not sick." Ryan mumbled and left the room.
Ten minutes later he found out that basically everyone was sick except for him. He was looking out over the island cubicles at the homicide department and everywhere he heard people coughing and sneezing. He told himself to be brave and stop being a chicken so he went over to Frank's desk.
"Hey Ryan, what can I do for you?"
"We need to go over our murder case." Ryan said, "And stay as far away from me as you can; I don't want to get sick."
"Afraid of a little cold, huh?" Frank smirked.
"I am not afraid." Ryan muttered.
Frank just chuckled and pulled out some case files.
-I-
Natalia looked at Ryan. Ryan looked back. They were going through a murder crime scene from two days ago again to see if they had missed anything. The only thing left to do was to search was the dumpster outside the club where the victim had been murdered.
"As a senior officer I can order you to get in that dumpster and search for vital evidence." Ryan said, which wasn't a lie.
"Yeah, but as a man you should do it and not force a woman to get her new shiny shoes dirty." Natalia said.
Both of them were hoping not to be the ones having to search through the dumpster; it was never a part of the job anyone wanted.
"We have shoe protection for that kind of thing and body suits." Ryan said.
"You are so dead after this." Natalia sighed and looked at the overfilled container.
There was food everywhere and dirty clothes, kitchen utensils and dead animals. Not to mention the smell was almost unbearable.
"Oh pretty please Ryan? I went dumpster diving last time."
"Yes, but that was on a case with Walter not me."
"Please." Natalia begged and gave Ryan her most innocent look.
Ryan sighed. He thought he was immune to looks like that after being together with Horatio for so long; lord knew that man could make even the toughest people weak at the knees with his innocent puppy-eyes and sweet face.
"Alright, alright. But you owe me big time after this." Ryan groaned and put on the body suit.
"I'll give you my mother's recipe for chicken soup; guaranteed to keep you healthy." Natalia smiled, "And not get any sick bugs."
"Really?"
"Yeah, why do you think I haven't had a cold for the last four years?"
"Natalia I love you." Ryan said and happily jumped down the dumpster.
Horatio walked up Natalia and told her about what the neighbors to the club had said.
"Walter is inside the club processing the bathrooms. But he and I will need to move on to that murder at Little Havana in a while." Horatio said.
"Okay. Ryan is looking for evidence in the dumpster."
"You got him to do it by offering to let him have your mother's recipe for chicken soup, huh?"
"Yes, it has kept you healthy until you stopped taking it this year." Natalia said.
Horatio sneezed and smiled sheepishly at her.
"Well, no offense to your mother but..."
"It tastes like shit, I know." Natalia chuckled.
"I wouldn't use those words, but yes." Horatio grinned and then sneezed again, "However, I am now willing to have some of it."
"I'll call her and see if she can bring some for lunch." Natalia said.
"Nat! I love you! I just found what looks like a second murder weapon and guess what; it's laying in a pile of dog shit." Ryan exclaimed.
"And you love me for that?"
"No!" Ryan growled, "Dammit, why did I agree to this?"
Natalia and Horatio chuckled. Horatio then had to leave with Walter.
-I-
Horatio was in his office talking to state attorney Rebecca Nevins. She had come by with some rather disturbing news and it would most likely make Horatio's nightmares return. Although, he had known for a long time that eventually this day would come.
"When does the trial begin?" He asked.
"Two weeks." Rebecca said, "I don't expect it to last very long; the evidence is solid and no jury in the world will set Patrick Yates free."
Horatio nodded. Patrick Yates had a good lawyer, but anyone was a fool if they didn't admit the fact that Rebecca was one hell of an attorney too. She was good at her job and Horatio didn't doubt that she would win the case. What was troubling him were the testimonies.
"I have to testify." He said.
"Yes, and Ryan and Kyle too."
"I don't want to put my son through this."
"He's already given me to the ok to do it." Rebecca said.
"You talked to him before me?"
"No, he came to me."
Horatio sighed and slumped down in his chair. Rebecca knew it would be hard for the lieutenant to testify as the victim of a crime, but he needed to do it. She was certain she could win without anyone testifying, but it would make it a weaker case.
"I'll talk to Ryan." Horatio said.
"Do that." Rebecca said, "It's going to be fine."
"Yeah." Horatio said, not sounding convinced.
Rebecca turned to leave just as the door opened and Kyle appeared. He greeted Rebecca and when the woman had left, the young man sat down in the guest chair across his father. He knew the redhead would ask why he had talked to Rebecca without Horatio's consent. And as much as Horatio wanted to protect Kyle by keeping him from testifying, he was also proud that his son would do it.
"Dad, I knew you would try and stop me so that's why I talked to her before you could." Kyle said.
"And you didn't tell me about it?"
"I knew how you would react." Kyle said.
"I don't like that you have to take the stand and be questioned by Yates's lawyer." Horatio said.
"I know. But you never back down from doing what is right and neither am I." Kyle said, "I want to see that man behind bars and my testimony will help to make sure he never gets out."
"Do you realize that it will be tough? That Yates's lawyer will ask you questions that you might not want to answer in front of a court room filled of people?" Horatio asked.
"Yes and I am ready for it."
Horatio smiled and patted his son's shoulder. He knew he had to realize that Kyle wasn't a boy anymore. He was a young man and an adult. He had to make his own choices and no matter how much Horatio want to protect him he couldn't control Kyle's life.
"It'll be okay, dad." Kyle smiled.
Horatio nodded and then sneezed. Suddenly the door was pushed open and Ryan looked furiously at his lover.
"You gave me the bug!" He exclaimed, "I got a runny nose and I'm sneezing!"
Kyle bit his lower lip to keep from laughing as Ryan gave his father a tongue lashing and all Horatio could do was to stare at his younger lover.
"Natalia's mom's chicken soup didn't work and now I have a cold too." Ryan growled.
"You have to eat more than two spoons of that soup."
"I ate two bowls of it." Ryan whined, "Dammit, I'm sick."
"It could have been anyone here giving you that bug."
"No, it's you. I don't kiss anyone else here." Ryan mumbled, "Stupid redhead."
"I love you too Ryan." Horatio smirked.
Kyle burst out laughing as Ryan just pouted at his father. Sometimes it was just too hilarious when two grown men acted like kids.
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