A/N: Happy thoughts to reviewers.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Horatio was having a case of déjà vu. This was the second time in 24 hours that he found himself on Yelina's doorstep. The only difference was that Horatio was a lot more nervous this time around.

"Uncle Horatio?" Ray Jr. gave him a funny look. "It's the spaghetti, isn't it?"

Horatio tried to stay serious. "Would you think less of me if I said yes?"

Ray thought about it for awhile. "No, not really." He led Horatio into the living room. "Mommy, Uncle Horatio's here."

Yelina was sitting on the couch. "Hi."

"Hi."

Ray Jr. looked between the two. "So can I go?"

"Yes. Have fun and be good."

Ray Jr. whooped and kissed his mother's forehead. "Te quiero Mama. Bye Uncle Horatio." He grabbed his overstuffed backpack and ran out the front door.

Yelina smiled at Horatio's confusion. "His friend is having a video game sleepover tournament."

"You let him walk?"

Yelina shrugged. "It's just across the street."

Horatio sat next to her.

"You haven't slept have you? Maybe you should rest." Yelina suggested. "We can talk later."

She had just put the ball in his court.

"No." Horatio didn't want to put this off anymore. "I...I need to know something."

"Okay."

"When you…" No that's not right. "Um." He took a deep breath. "You remember…what I used to think?"

Yelina would never forget but she was not going to make this easy. If he wanted to do this he would have to go all the way. "Remind me."

He smiled. Horatio was expecting that. "That if you hadn't met Raymond first, that we…" He didn't really know how to finish that sentence. Horatio hoped she would understand.

Yelina nodded. "I get it, it's complicated."

"It doesn't have to be."

She looked at him.

Did I just say that out loud?

"What did you say?" She had heard him, but she wasn't sure she believed him. Horatio had taken one step forward before, and then took three giant steps back.

"Things don't have to be complicated." He repeated.

Yelina furrowed her brow and looked away from him.

Horatio scooted closer to her. "Yelina," he turned her face to his. "I need to know …what you see when you look at me."

Her face softened. "I see you, Horatio." She stroked his cheek. "And only you."

Horatio nodded. "Okay." He whispered.

The hand that had turned Yelina's face to him had found its way to her neck. Horatio wished he could say that he had lost control. That he wasn't acting on his own accord. But that would be a lie. Horatio was entirely in control of himself and the situation. Yelina was letting him touch her like this.

That realization made Horatio cautious. He needed to be careful, but Yelina was making that difficult. She kept looking from his eyes to his lips. Horatio knew what she wanted. It was taking everything in him not to take her lips with his. Horatio wanted to take things slow, do this right.

But when Yelina quickly licked her lips, he knew he was done for. Horatio slowly leaned towards her, giving her plenty of time to stop him. Yelina met him halfway.

Their lips brushed lightly, just a taste. The brief contact skyrocketed Yelina's pulse, and Horatio felt it. He pulled her hair away from her neck and gently kissed it. Her eyes fluttered shut as Horatio trailed kisses from her neck to her jaw line.

He stopped when he reached her chin. "Yelina." She opened her eyes. "I love you." He whispered against her lips.

She kissed him with a passion she didn't know she possessed.