The End – The Beatles
The lab and the gunman felt the air tighten in the shot's wake. Horatio could barely stand as Rick's body fell back against him, large and trembling hands grasping at his clothes. Everyone watched in complete silence as he slid onto the floor in a heap at the lieutenant's feet. Deep red life spilled onto the floor, Rick coughing and shaking. A scuffle came from one direction, shouts came from another, Ryan's voice from another; Horatio knelt down in the center of the confusion.
Rick's eyes opened and looked up as he felt Horatio touch the side of his face. His weakening heart skipped a beat as he felt pale hands pull off his tie and gently open his shirt. In a trance, he watched Horatio's lips, they mentioned something about Kevlar. Over his own pain he heard "you took a bullet for me".
Calleigh and Eric were shouting questions at him, but Horatio couldn't hear them. He was focused on every detail of Rick's face, the younger man looking almost serene. Lips were moving only slightly, but quickly and repetitively. Horatio put his ear to them.
"I love you".
Horatio sat there, not sure what to make of that. Shaking and his face turning pale, Rick coughed; the blood speckling on Horatio's shirt and the side of his face. Not positive of what else to do, the redhead leaned down and gently brushed their lips together. He let the younger man kiss him.
Someone shouted something about the EMTs. Horatio looked up. When his eyes went back to Rick, he had already passed out.
"Don't," Horatio whispered. "It's not your time".