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Thank you madysoncurrier, vivalavidaa, Jessi84, Wolfsong98, daxy and tbsavafob for the reviews.

Announcement: I am no longer posting SWASWT on . I just haven't been getting any views there. There is a link to my DeviantArt on my profile page. An announcement explaining the problem has been posted there, it was the last deviation I uploaded, so it should be easy to find.

Announcement: Go visit the SWASWT blogspot. It feels unloved.

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.

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Chapter Eight: The Bow And The Badge

The cold mountain air howled past the cabin as the storm blew on. Horatio closed his eyes and listened to the tempest as he stepped into the bedroom. The only light came from the soft glow of a little lamp sitting on the nightstand. It was so peaceful and so innocent. Horatio smiled and blushed slightly, feeling a little dirty for what he knew he would be doing to and in the environment.

Stetler followed Horatio in, closing the door quietly behind him. He stood there in silence, his mind absorbing all that had just happened. He wanted desperately to experience sweet release with Horatio, but he knew that just to get this far this quickly was more than he could have possibly hoped for (although he did).

Horatio looked around the room, shyly, and with his back to Rick. It had been so many years since he was in a relationship with another man, and never has that man been anyone like Stetler. He felt such an attraction to him, it almost felt too strong.

Stetler walked up to Horatio, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing the back of his neck. Horatio moaned slightly at Rick's touch, he felt so secure.

"Rick," Horatio started gently, "This feels… I… I just don't know".

Rick pulled back from Horatio and stepped around until he was facing his new lover. He took one of the redhead's hands gently in his.

"What's wrong?" Rick asked.

"It feels strange to me, I mean, I barely know you," Horatio admitted shyly.

Stetler bit his lip in thought, he knew Horatio was right. He himself didn't feel that way because he has delved so much into Horatio's past during his off hours. Working for the IAB opened up a lot of doors for him regarding other people's secrets. He knew that Horatio had lost both his parents when he was just a young man; he also found reports of abuse against the redhead's father. Rick knew that whenever Horatio flies under the IAB's radar he comes back looking like the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders. At least that was how he was when he came back from Rio. It is a shame, Rick thought, that such a noble man has to hide. He blamed himself for part of Horatio's secrecy, up until now nobody expected him of turning a blind eye to the lieutenant's actions that took him above the law.

Horatio didn't know it, but Rick knew of every suspect he had been rough with. Stetler had watched him go out of his way to protect victims' families and witnesses. He had even seen him go far enough to make it look like he was involved in a romantic entanglement with several female suspects. But he did nothing more than log this information into the back of his mind and hope that nobody else knew what he did.

But he would still be lying if he said that he didn't feel anger and jealousy throughout all this. His position at IAB made him one of the least trusted people on the force. Stetler had watched as Horatio do nothing to stop the lab's turning against him. If he only knew all the favors I do for him, Rick often found himself thinking, then he'll be sorry for what he's doing to me. But by far, the worst thing he watched was Horatio taking various women from the lab and from the cases home with him. He cursed how easy these women were and wanted to expose the other man so many times for this action. Sometimes he was sure that he only didn't because his own investigations would be questioned. Horatio's marriage to Marisol broke Stetler's heart, although he knew that he probably would never have a chance with the man he loved. He cursed himself often for such selfishness and jealousy, but that didn't stop such emotions from consuming him whenever he got too close to Horatio.

Rick sat down on the bed, leading his lover down next to him and hoping that Horatio will never know what just flew though his mind. He swung his leg up onto the mattress to face the other.

"What do you need to know?" Rick whispered gently, turning the redhead's chin towards him.

"Well," he began, mimicking Stetler's position, "I know you work for IAB, I know you lived in New York, I know you love me, and I know you are an excellent chef". Rick blushed slightly and the mention of his cooking. "But…I know there is more to you. Nobody's all work and love with no play".

Stetler rolled his head back and looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think of what to say that would be worth mentioning.

"Let's see," He said finally after a long pause, "…I play the violin". Horatio cocked his head in interest, so Rick went on.

"In fact, when I was in high school I was torn between law enforcement and music. At the time all I wanted to do was get out of small-town Oklahoma and into the big city. I visited New York once when I was younger, my father had business out there and he invited my mother and I to tag along and see the sights. We couldn't really afford to see any performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, but we were able to see it in a tour. It was so breathtaking, with all the gold and crystal and velvet. Before I saw it I was convinced that the arts had been forgotten, lots of music classes in my school district were being cut. I just thought that nobody cared anymore".

Horatio smiled at Stetler, he had forgotten how immersed in culture he was in New York. He didn't often think of all the people who didn't grow up listening to the people in the apartment down the hall sing the great works of Puccini. He always seems to forget that not every city had a place like Greenwich Village or Times Square. When he was in college he visited his friend's home in northern Wisconsin, he lived in a small town. It was quaint, but Horatio could never see himself living there.

"When I came back from that trip I knew that I would do anything to go back there. I studied hard, but I practiced even harder. I was pushed by my family to be a cop, like my uncle and grandfather and his father before him …and so on. My father was the black sheep in the family, he went into teaching. He taught chemistry to the freshmen at the local university. He was the one who gave in and drove me to Huston so I could audition for Juilliard".

Rick looked up and watched Horatio's eyes widen at this. He smirked at the reaction, no matter how many times he told the story to no matter how many people; it never ceased to amuse him. He couldn't understand why, whenever he looked in the mirror he always saw an artist. The veil of IAB seemed to have taken a bit of that air away from him, at least to strangers.

"I didn't get in, you must understand, but I came close. Oh God, I could almost taste the sweet success as I walked out of that final audition. But I guess I wasn't enough, they must have already had plenty of violins in their symphonies. Nevertheless, I still was able to get back to NYC. And I thought that there would be nothing that could ever make me leave".

Rick stopped and looked into Horatio's eyes, that brilliant shade of blue that never fails to draw a pathetic sigh from him. Horatio blushed and turned away, realizing that if it wasn't for him Rick would still be back in New York, probably hanging around the Lincoln Centre. He looked apologetically into Rick's eyes, not quite sure of what to say.

"When we get back to Miami," Stetler said quietly, "I would love to play something for you".

Horatio smiled again and ducked his head; he was flattered and a little embarrassed. He used to sing tenor in various choirs, which was about it. But he was always complimented for his voice. Still, he always felt a little shy to admit that he never really familiarized himself with music.

Rick chuckled quietly to himself. He secretly loved to watch Horatio do that particular motion, it makes him look so fragile yet so protective at the same time. Stetler reached up and slowly ran his fingers through Horatio's gorgeous red hair. The other man looked up, his crystal blue eyes shining beautifully. Stetler sighed happily.

"Oh Horatio," Rick whispered gently, "You're so beautiful. You've never failed to take my breath away".

Although Rick was burning with desire and wished to just throw Horatio down onto the mattress and give him a soul-searing kiss, he knew he had to calm down. His lover was already a little uncomfortable, he could see that. So he simply took Horatio's hand and kissed it lightly.

The redhead, getting tired and sensing that the day would end rather anticlimactically, leaned in and kissed Rick, sweeping his tongue through the other man's mouth. His hands pulled at the hem of Rick's shirt before they slipped under it and ran over his chest. Rick laced his fingers in Horatio's hair and gently rested a hand on his lower back.

The two men tongue wrestled until they were both in desperate need for air. They rested their foreheads together as they both breathed heavily. Horatio was the first to recover.

"You know, Rick," he breathed, "I think you were correct in your earlier assumption… we are going too fast". He saw the mild look of frustration on his lover's face and realized how much of a tease he could be. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise".

"Why wait," Rick whispered against Horatio's lips and he moved in again.

Horatio propped himself up with one arm as the other held Stetler close to him. Stetler couldn't keep his hands off of the redhead, groping and caressing him until he needed to break the kiss and gasp in some much needed air.

He looked down into Horatio's eyes, they were half-lidded, but not with lust. It was obvious from the way Horatio moved little and dropped his head slightly. He was tired.

"You're sleepy, aren't you?" Rick asked with a soft smile.

Horatio nodded, blinking hard as he tried to force himself to stay awake. He made a soft moan, almost apologetic in nature.

"Then I shouldn't push you to do much more, it is getting quite late anyways". Rick looked at his watch; it was 10, which meant it was around midnight back in Miami. Considering that day shift has to report at 6 am and that most have to wake up before five, that meant that Horatio usually got to bed around 9. No wonder he was tired.

Horatio nodded again, a little upset that the feeling of fatigue caught up to him so quickly. Rick leaned in and kissed the redhead on the cheek.

"Go to sleep".

Horatio leaned in to return the favor. "Good Night," he breathed against his new lover's cheek before closing the distance with a sweet kiss.

Rick stood up, pulling Horatio with him. He led the other man to the opposite bed and watched as he stripped down to his boxers. The redhead looked up, smiling shyly at Stetler, before he lay down on the soft, warm bed. He pulled the covers around him and buried half his face into the cool pillow. He hadn't felt so safe and so happy in the longest time. He closed his eyes, wondering what will happen when they have to go back to the hotel; or Miami for that matter.

Stetler beamed down at Horatio before he turned off the light. He stood there in the darkness, listening as Horatio's breath grew slow and steady. Cautiously he turned and searched for his bed in the darkness.

He pulled off his clothes as he crawled onto the mattress and under the covers. He brought the pillow close to him again, wishing that he was holding Horatio instead. His body sank into the receiving bed and he sighed happily.

"Good night, Horatio," Rick whispered to his sleeping companion, "I'll see you in the morning, bright with the day".