Title: The Honorable Thing
Author: Terabithia
Pairing: Horatio/Ryan
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: CSI the characters and locals etc are the property of CBS and Alliance-Atlantis Communications.
Spoilers/Warnings: Well I mention a certain someone is dead and gone but I think we all know that now. Other then that there's little m/m kiss… if you don't like that what ARE you doing here?
Author's Notes: This was quickly edited by myself and Keikimo but very possible there's still a few typos running around. Someday I'll remember how to write long stories I swear I will.
Summary: Horatio does the honorable thing.

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Wolfe was in the locker room. He'd been there for a while; Horatio had been aware of it and keeping track of how long. Now he'd decided it had been too long, and it was time to go check on his newest team member. He'd seen the stress building up in the young man for a while now. He'd kept an eye on it ready to step in if it seemed to get beyond what Ryan could handle. And today it seemed to have done just that.

In the locker room he found Ryan with his head in his hands. It seemed he'd been right to worry. It was time to help the new criminalist work this out. But the PD was hardly the place to do it; and in his current state of mind Horatio doubted Wolfe would be interested in talking or listening.

With efficient movements he gathered up Ryan and his belongings and lead him out of the PD. He took him to a comfortable little bar he knew and started a tab. H subtly urged a few drinks into the younger man. Then, when he seemed to have calmed a bit Horatio started talking. He already knew much of Wolfe's stress stemmed from the timing of his arrival in the team. It had been too soon after they lost Tim. Even Horatio himself would have rather waited longer to fill the position, but there just hadn't been a choice. But now he knew it had been the right choice. He didn't say any of those things to Ryan. He told him instead that no one expected him to fill Tim's shoes. A little comparison was unfortunately unavoidable. But that he shouldn't let it get to him, instead he should work at making his own place on the team. Because no one would ever be able to replace Speedle. Not the very best CSI in the world simply because that person still wouldn't be Speed. There was simply no way to compete with a memory. They didn't want or need another Speed; they needed Ryan Wolfe working to the best of his abilities.

After all that and a few more rounds of tequila. Ryan finally started talking, telling him all his fears and worries. H just kept up with his comforting. With the truth. Until some of it seemed to sink in. Horatio could only hope the young man wasn't too drunk to remember it.

Hours later he helped a stumbling and considerably more cheerful Ryan Wolfe into his apartment. Leaving him on the couch to go in search of water for the other man in the hopes of easing the hangover that was sure to find Ryan when he woke up tomorrow. Finding a tall glass and filling it with cold water he returned to the man now sprawled on the couch. Getting him upright he managed to get a few glasses of water into him. Next he dragged the young man to his feet and told him to go to bed. The couch was too short for him to possibly sleep comfortably on it. Ryan stared at him for a moment as though he hadn't heard a thing Horatio had said. Then suddenly he closed the distance between them with an awkward kiss. Barely a kiss really, just their mouths pressed together.

Horatio froze for a second. He knew he should pull away, he really should. But he'd been watching the young man since his arrival on the team. Not just keeping track of his stress level but admiring as well. But as the good supervisor he'd filed Ryan under the heading 'look but don't touch' and left it at that. But now here he was right there, their lips touching. His famous control faltered and he allowed himself to deepen the kiss. Ryan's mouth was soft and willing and opened for him in moments. And he got his first taste of Ryan Wolfe. Sweet and tangy… and mixed with tequila. The last taste brought back his control. As much as he might want this, Ryan was drunk. He drew back slowly; he meant to move faster he just couldn't seem to make himself.

"Go to bed Ryan. Sleep it off. If you still want to do that once you're sober. Then we'll talk." With that he turned the young man around and gave him a gentle shove towards the open bedroom door. Then turned and walked out the door. He heard the door click shut behind him, turned to be sure the door had locked. Then all but fled. He'd done the right thing. What his honor demanded. Yet there was a little voice in head demanding he turn right around go back to Ryan's apartment to finish that kiss properly.

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