Title: Boo
By: Monkey Dom
Pairings: Horatio/Speed
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did, I wouldn't be so bloody poor.
Summary: Speed buys a puppy.

***

It was Timothy Speedle's day off and he was determined to do all his shopping and housework while he could. After buying a new suit for Horatio, Speed decided to walk towards the food court for lunch. Looking through the windows of each store, he stopped dead in his tracks as the face of a very fluffy beige puppy stared back at him through the pet store glass.

"Hello," he said. The puppy tilted her head to the side in a very familiar way. Speed had to buy her.

He asked the girl at the counter if he could hold the puppy.

"You wanna see that one?" she asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Yeah, why?" Was she actually asking him that? What would she care? A sale is a sale.

"No one wants to see her. She just sits in that corner and watches. Lonely dog dude." The little puppy was reminding him more and more of Horatio.

"Well then, I guess I'm changing that today aren't I?"

The girl rolled her eyes and opened the display case. The puppy jumped slightly and crept towards the edge of the cabinet warily, her eyes locked onto Speed.

"Did you wanna hold her or what?"

"Yeah… Yeah I do."

As soon as the small puppy was placed in his arms, Speed was in love. "I'll take her."

"Really?!" The girl was genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, you have a problem with that?"

"No way man, I get a raise now."

After he paid for the puppy, a bed and a few toys, Speed took one look at the girl and said, "You need to work on your customer service kid." before storming out, the puppy locked tightly in his arms. She was silent the whole car trip home, barely moving.

When they were through the front door of Speed and Horatio's house, Speed placed her on the hardwood floors and watched as she investigated everything she saw, taking in her surroundings. He noticed how nervous she was, jumping at the slightest noise.

"I think I'll call you Boo," Speed said to her as he entered the kitchen. Boo kept wiggling her way between Speed's feet.

"Hungry are you?" Speed watched as finally Boo's tail thumped on the floor in excitement.

He smiled and found some chicken in the fridge and placed it on a plate for her. Boo just stared.

"You want me to heat it up? Picky much?" After sticking the chicken in the microwave and placing it back on the floor, Boo ate it up in record time. Speed stayed in the kitchen, fixing his own dinner so that it would be ready by the time Horatio got home.

A few hours later, Horatio finally stumbled through the door. The case had been bad. A father had beaten his eight year old son to death after the child had told a teacher what was happening at home. Horatio had been ready to throw the man through the interrogation room glass before the confession had come forth. He hated these cases. He could remember learning that exact lesson after telling a priest what was happening to him. But Horatio had lived through that lesson and never made the mistake again. He could remember when Raymond was taught the same lesson, could remember his little brother's screams before Horatio and his mother had spent the next three days by Ray's bedside in the hospital.

Sighing and attempting to shake the memories from his mind, Horatio noticed that the TV was on, but Speed was nowhere to be seen. Horatio was walking forwards to turn off the TV when he heard a small groan from the couch. Turning, he saw a small puppy stretching her tiny paws, looking very much at home.

Speed came into the living room to see a very tense Horatio staring at the couch with a strange look on his face.

"I bought a dog," Speed stated.

"I can see that." Horatio still wasn't moving.

"Is… is that okay?" Speed asked, slowly moving towards his lover.

"It's fine." Horatio's eyes had flicked towards Speed, sending a warning to stop all movement.

"You don't like her?"

"It's not that."

"Then tell me what's wrong! I've never seen you like this." Speed moved to grab Horatio's arms and turned the older man to face him. Horatio lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Nothing's wrong," he mumbled.

Speed lifted Horatio's chin, forcing him to look into Speed's eyes. "Bullshit," He said. After a few seconds Horatio sighed and let his head drop onto Speed's shoulder. Shocked, Speed just held him until Horatio was ready to talk.

"I had a dog when I was a kid," Horatio whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Did it bite you or something? Is that why you don't like Boo?"

"No, he didn't bite me. He was a good dog."

Speed noticed something in Horatio's voice that he did not like one bit.

"What happened to him?" Speed asked, knowing that he wouldn't get an answer. "This has nothing to do with your childhood dog does it?"

Horatio abruptly pulled away and sat on the couch. Boo immediately jumped onto his lap and snuggled in, sensing his distress.

"What happened at work?" Speed asked, taking a seat next to him.

"A father beat his son to death with a baseball bat."

Oh fuck. Double fuck. Speed pulled Horatio down until they both lying on the couch, Horatio's head resting against Speed's chest.

"Shhh… it's okay," he whispered into Horatio's soft red hair.

"He killed my dog."

"Your dad?"

"Mmhmm."

Speed lay there, holding onto Horatio tightly as Boo walked up Speed's chest and curled up between them. Trying to ignore the sounds of his old dog being kicked to death, Horatio reached out and smoothed down Boo's hair, gaining a small sound of approval from the small dog.

Speed smiled, "So, you like her?"

"Yeah… Boo? You named her Boo?!"

***