Title: Union
By: Tiffany F
Pairing: Horatio/Speed & Speed/Greg & Horatio/Speed/Greg
Rating: AO
Summary: There's a conference in Nashville. Horatio and Speed attend and Horatio gets a surprise that shoots all his plans of a seduction out of the water. PWP. Not mine, don't own them, don't claim them and certainly make no money from these.

Horatio resisted the urge to beat his head against the desk. He’d expected more of a fight from Speed when he informed his trace expert that he was going to the conference in Nashville but the younger man had just smiled and asked when they were leaving. Horatio had never seen Speed so, well, happy about the thought of leaving his cave/lab for any reason. His team had the same dedication to the city as he did and they all hated the thought of leaving for any reason but Horatio had seen almost a bounce in Speed’s step as he left his supervisor’s office and made his way back to the trace lab.
 
Puzzled, Horatio had followed as silently as he could and stood outside the door and listened to the conversation in the trace lab. Speed had gone right to the phone and dialed a number from memory.
 
“Hey, it’s me,” Speed said. “Did I wake you up? Sorry, I’ll make this quick; H just told me that I’m going to the conference in Nashville. Yeah, I know you are. I’ll call as soon as I know my room number. Go back to sleep and I’ll talk to you on-line later. He is. I suppose we could try but I don’t know how well he’d take it. Okay, we’ll talk about it when we’re together. I know, me too. Bye.”
 
From the sound of things Speed had a girlfriend he’d been keeping hidden from the team. With a sigh Horatio turned and went back to his office to plan out the rest of the trip, minus the seduction he’d been hoping to pull off.
********************
 
The first night at the convention center was filled with registration and the usual socials. As a lab supervisor Horatio was forced to attend and was actually glad he did as his friend Mac Taylor was also at the convention. The pair snuck out and got dinner and played catch-up for a few hours and agreed to try and find each other the next day to make some of the more boring lectures tolerable.
 
When Horatio got back to the hotel he unlocked his door and made his way silently into his hotel room, noting that the door linking his room to Speed’s was open. With a small sigh Horatio went to close it and froze at the scene in the other room.
 
Tim Speedle was lying naked on his bed wrapped around another man, their hips moving slowly as they kissed almost lazily. Horatio watched as Speed’s hand moved along the other man’s long, lean back; tracing over some faint scars. The younger man, Greg- if Speed’s moans were anything to go off of – pulled back and grinned down at his lover. It was all Horatio could do not to moan aloud as Speed rolled onto his back, arms out to the side. Greg grinned down at the dark haired man and leaned in to kiss along Speed’s neck, taking care not to leave any marks that would lead to questions the next day, and slowly mouthed down across Speed’s chest and spent some time lapping at and gently sucking on his nipples.
 
Horatio’s hands went to his own shirt and he quickly unbuttoned it letting the light blue garment fall to the floor. His right hand ran back up his chest to his own nipple and teased it gently as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.
 
Greg was now kneeling in-between Speed’s spread legs licking his erection slowly. Speed moaned deeply and spread his legs farther apart as his hips thrust up looking for more friction. Greg chuckled and wrapped his lips around the tip of Speed’s leaking erection and started sucking as he reached for the lube that had been left on the bed next to Speed’s hip. He carefully coated a finger and slid it into Speed’s ass. It apparently wasn’t enough for Speed so another was added and Greg started to stretch his lover slowly and carefully.
 
Almost without noticing Horatio undid his slacks and stepped out of them and his boxers, his hand wrapping around his aching erection and stroking in time with the thrust of Greg’s hand into Speed’s ass. He bit his lip to keep from moaning as Greg rolled on a condom, slicked his own erection with lube and moved Speed into position on his hands and knees.
 
Speed’s head fell down between his arms as he was breached, pushing back against Greg trying to get him in deeper. Greg stilled his lover as he pushed the rest of the way inside and paused for a moment before he started thrusting. Speed started pushing back almost immediately, working against Greg as the younger man leaned in to try for a kiss. When it didn’t work he took one hand off of Speed’s hip and wrapped it around his lover’s cock, stroking in time to his thrusts.
 
Still unseen in the doorway Horatio’s hand matched the hard strokes into Speed’s body. He wished it was him on the bed with his trace expert, pulling those moans from Tim’s lips, feeling the tight heat wrap around him as he brought them both to completion. Horatio bit his lip, tasting blood, as he came; slumping against the door. Any noise he made was muffled by the twin cries from the next room. Feeling guilty, Horatio turned and made his way to the bathroom – not noticing the twin brown-eyed gaze watching him as he went.

It took Horatio a long time to fall asleep after what he had seen in Speed’s room. He’d wanted to be with the other man for so long but put off making any sort of move because he hadn’t been able to tell that Tim was even remotely interested in guys and now Horatio felt like he had lost something important, something that would have made him whole. Normally he slept on his back taking up most of the bed but that night he curled up under the blanket; almost as if he was trying to hide from the world, even if it was just for a little while.
 
Even after he fell asleep he wasn’t sure he was actually asleep as he could hear muted voices talking close to him even if he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Horatio wanted to, he wanted to know who the voices belonged to and what they were talking about because he knew, deep down he just knew that it was vitally important that he know the outcome of the conversation.
 
The warmth when he finally woke up the next morning surprised him but, as he didn’t normally sleep balled up under the blankets like a cat, he figured that the mini-cave had captured his body heat and was keeping him warm. Until he stretched and encountered skin next to, around and behind him. Horatio froze in place, eyes still closed, and cast his mind back over the previous evening. He’d been to dinner with Mac, came back to the hotel, watched Speed in bed with a young man named Greg, showered and crawled into bed – definitely alone. With a small moan Horatio realized he hadn’t shut the door that linked his hotel room to Tim’s and, looking back on the events of the previous evening, Speed had to have left the door open for a reason.
 
“It should be obvious, H,” Speed said as warm lips pressed against the back of his neck in a soft kiss.
 
“Speed?”
 
“Who else would it be?”
 
Horatio sighed and rolled over, looking up into amused brown eyes. “I could still be dreaming,” he said. “Last night has a decidedly dream-like feel to it.”
 
Speed leaned down and kissed Horatio, lips moving and tongue darting out to taste until Horatio’s mouth opened for him and it darted inside. Horatio’s right hand came up to cup the back of Tim’s head as the kiss deepened but pulled away when he felt Speed’s erection pushing into his hip. “No, Tim,” he said.
 
“Why not?” Speed asked kissing around Horatio’s ear and down his neck. “I saw you last night, H. From your reaction it’s pretty obvious that you want me.”
 
“You’re with Greg,” Horatio said moving from the warm embrace and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Does he even know you left the door open last night so I’d see the two of you together?”
 
“It was his idea,” Speed said. He sat up and wrapped himself around Horatio again. “I met him a little over a year ago at a conference in Vegas and we hooked up. We decided to be semi-committed, as much as we can be living in two different cities, and get together whenever we can. I sent him a team picture and he’s been infatuated with you ever since. I admitted that I’ve always been attracted to you and we started talking.” He kissed along Horatio’s shoulder slowly. “And we knew we had to make the first move, H. You liked what you saw last night, let us do more with you.”
 
“Tim,” Horatio said softly. “I’ve wanted to have you in my bed for as long as I can remember but I don’t know if I can share you with anyone else. I care deeply for my partners and there’s a lot of emotion wrapped up there.”
 
Speed shifted around and pulled Horatio back until the older man was lying on the bed. “Horatio, you have one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen,” he said. “You care for people who need you, hell, you care for people who don’t need you or who need you and don’t know it. However you want to wrap up that sentence the bottom line is you care deeply for everyone and I can’t imagine it being any different with a lover. Greg knows I’m here. He knows what I’m doing and, trust me, he’d like to join in but if you tell him no then there’ll be no hard feelings. Just think it over and let us know before the conference ends, okay?”
 
Horatio nodded and pulled Speed’s head down to kiss him again. “I’ll think about it,” he promised.

When Mac found Horatio the red-headed lieutenant was in the very back of the hotel’s café staring into a mug of coffee that appeared to be cold and untouched. He winced and ordered two cups of coffee before sliding into the booth next to Horatio. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly.
 
“Have you ever wanted something so badly that you could almost taste it?” Horatio asked in reply not looking up. “Only to find out that you can have it but there are some strings attached.”
 
“Talk me through it, H,” Mac said. “And yes, I have and can tell you in two words; Danny Messer.”
 
“You and Danny?”
 
“And Don Flack,” Mac replied with a grin. “I won’t give you the details of how it came about but he and Donnie decided that they wanted me for Christmas one year and then decided that they were never going to give me back. We’ve been together for three years now and through a lot but are stronger for all the problems we’ve faced.”
 
Horatio sighed and looked back down at his coffee. “Speed,” he whispered. “I want him so bad, Mac. I thought that this would be my chance; both of us away from Miami, a chance to go out to dinner and talk, maybe take our relationship to the next level but I found out he’s already dating someone.”
 
“That would explain the sadness in your eyes but I think there’s more to it than what you’re telling me,” Mac said. He carefully took the cold mug of coffee out of Horatio’s hands and replaced it with a fresh one. “It’ll help if you drink that.”
 
“When I got back to my room last night I found the door between mine and Speed’s rooms open,” Horatio continued just as softly. “He was in bed with a young man named Greg and they were so perfect together. I didn’t realize it was a set-up until this morning when I woke up and Speed was in bed with me trying to seduce me. He told me that Greg’s interested in me too and they want me.”
 
“Okay, so I can see several outcomes here, most of them good, but it all depends on what you want to happen,” Mac said. “Do you want me to outline them or have you already run through them yourself?”
 
“It’s not that easy, Mac,” Horatio sighed.
 
“Do you have a problem with three guys being together?”
 
“No.”
 
“Well, do you have a problem sharing Tim with someone else?”
 
“No.”
 
“Then I’m not really seeing the problem here, Horatio.”
 
“I told Speed that I tend to care too much about my lovers,” Horatio said softly. “And I just know that if I open myself up to Greg, open myself to the possibility of loving him as well, that I won’t be able to stand it if he’s in another city. I don’t want to make him have to leave his lab or his family and friends but I just don’t think I can stay sane if I do this.”
 
Mac sighed. “Have you talked with both of them about this?” he asked.
 
“Not yet, I’m still trying to work things out in my own mind,” Horatio replied. “Speed just wants me to let them know by the end of the conference so I still have a couple of days.”
 
“I think you should talk with them,” Mac said. “Danny, Donnie and I spent weeks talking, well, after our first night together, and getting everything set up just the way we wanted it. I’m like you, H, I tend to care too much about my people and I worried that I was going to smother them and drive them away. I was scared to even think about opening myself to such a relationship because they’re both younger than I am, Don by quite a lot, and I could see them getting tired of me and leaving to be together.”
 
“So how did you deal with it?”
 
“We just fit,” Mac replied. “We work well together, we balance each other out and I think they’ve both settled down a little more for having me around them. I know I’ve definitely loosened up since we got together.”
 
“Do you really think that talking can solve everything?” Horatio asked.
 
“In the long run, yes,” Mac grinned. “But there’s just something so satisfying about pinning one of your lover’s to the bed and ravishing them to make a point. And who knows, maybe Greg doesn’t like Vegas, wants to leave and would move to Miami to be with you guys. You won’t know until you talk with them, Horatio.”
 
“Do you think I should be so nervous?” Horatio asked.
 
“Probably not but it’s a big step,” Mac said. “I’ll be around if you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on if this doesn’t work out for you.”
 
Horatio grinned. “Thanks, Mac,” he said.
********************
 
Greg and Speed had decided to skip out on the lectures that day and were holed up in Greg’s room talking. “So he really pushed you away this morning?” Greg asked.
 
“Yep,” Speed replied. “He said that its because we’re together but he also mentioned caring for people and I think I know what he was trying to say.”
 
“Which is?”
 
“That he won’t be able to let you go once he lets you in,” Speed said. “This is the man who keeps tabs on kids he helped out over ten years ago. Horatio watches out for everyone whether they know it or not and I think that’s going to be the biggest problem we face.”
 
“So I guess just tying him to the bed and driving him crazy is out of the picture,” Greg said.
 
“At least for now,” Speed commented. “Although that is a hot picture, thank you very much. Horatio Caine with black leather wrapped around his wrists securing him to the bed.”
 
“And a black leather cock ring around his erection,” Greg added as he started to kiss along Speed’s neck. “Both of us on the bed with him, touching his and driving him crazy before we claim him for our own.”
 
Speed moaned and pulled Greg up for a kiss. “Need you,” he murmured against the younger man’s lips. “Now.”
 
Before Greg could move there was a sharp rap on the hotel room door. Speed groaned as his lover moved away from him towards the door and opened it.
 
Horatio looked up from the ground. “Can we talk?” he asked.

Speed propped himself up on his elbows and stared at his boss. Greg stepped to the side to let the older man into the room and made sure to lock the door behind him. Speed looked closer and realized that Horatio’s eyes were fixed on his erection and shifted his hips a little so it was outlined in sharp relief against his jeans. “H?” he asked softly, running his tongue along his lips. “Do you see something you like?”
 
“Tim,” Horatio whispered.
 
“Go to him,” Greg said in Horatio’s ear. “You know you want to. Go touch him, learn his body.”
 
“We should talk,” Horatio said weakly.
 
“After,” Greg replied. He licked behind Horatio’s ear and pressed up against the older man. “But we understand; we know, and it’s okay. It’s all okay.”
 
Horatio moaned deep in his chest as nimble fingers started to undo his shirt and pulled it off him. His blue eyes were glued to the man on the bed. Speed leaned back and ran his hands down his bare chest watching Horatio the whole time. With a wicked grin Speed undid the button on his jeans and ran the zipper down slowly. Horatio moaned as Tim pushed his jeans down and wrapped a hand around his erection, stroking it slowly.
 
“Go touch him,” Greg whispered again and gave Horatio a little push so he stumbled forward and landed on the bed, only to be quickly grabbed by Speed and pulled into a kiss. Horatio moaned as his mouth was mapped by a very skilled tongue and he slowly began to respond. The same nimble fingers that had taken off his shirt worked on his slacks and pulled them off along with his boxers. Both Horatio and Speed moaned at the sensation of hot bare skin touching hot bare skin and rolled so Speed was on top of Horatio grinding down against him.
 
Greg grinned and quickly stripped off his clothes before joining the pair on the bed. He leaned in and whispered in Speed’s ear. The older man pulled back long enough to nod and then attacked Horatio again, kissing along his neck and chest.
 
“Speed,” Horatio moaned, his fingers tangling in the messy black hair.
 
“Want to feel you, H,” Speed whispered. “Want to feel you in me so bad.”
 
“Please,” Horatio said. He rolled them so Speed was on his back looking up at him with desire blown eyes. Horatio leaned in and took Speed’s mouth in another kiss, this one softer than the others, gentler but no less passionate. He felt hands running over his back and reached out a hand to pull Greg down onto the bed. It was a strange sensation being in bed with not one but two younger men but, even if it was just for the one time, Horatio was going to make the most of it. Greg’s words kept floating through his head. He heard over and over that they understood. That it was okay. They knew.
 
He pulled back from Speed and turned to kiss Greg for the first time. There was a definite difference in them, the taste and textures were very different but Horatio memorized them. He burned them into his memory like he would a new forensics article that he knew he’d need on the job. Horatio would never be able to forget how the young men tasted.
 
While Horatio and Greg were getting to know each other, Speed rolled carefully and reached for the lube and condoms. When he rolled back he studied his lovers as they were wrapped around each other. Horatio with his red hair, fair freckled skin and deep blue eyes that held so much emotion all the time and Greg with his sandy blond hair, spiked with neon green highlights in it, a tan and chocolate brown eyes that could only be compared to a puppy’s. They were such a contrast to the other and looked so good together that Speed felt his mouth watering.
 
Horatio pulled back and looked over at Speed, hungry and ready to pounce. Speed settled back on the bed and opened his arms to let Horatio know that he was willing to do whatever the red head wanted to. Horatio smirked (and Speed had never seen such a dirty look on his new lover’s face before) and went directly for the kill – so to speak. Speed groaned as his cock was enveloped in moist warmth. Horatio’s hands held his hips down as he sucked and tongued Speed’s erection. Then there were two slick fingers pushing against him and Speed finally got to feel Horatio in him, even if it was just fingers preparing him.
 
Greg sat back on his knees, just waiting and watching. He had known that Speed and Horatio would be hot together and he was right. He could also understand the fears the lieutenant had, Greg tended to care a little too much for the people in his life but he also knew he had a second home now – a home in Miami that he could to go when life got to be too much at work. They just had to convince Horatio of that small fact.
 
He watched as Speed rolled over onto his stomach and got to his hands and knees, dropping his head down to rest on his arms and then Horatio was in him, holding still to let Speed adjust to the intrusion and Greg knew that was his chance. He grabbed the lube, slicked a finger and slid it into Horatio’s body. He felt the jerk and held still but leaned in. “Tell me if you don’t want this,” he whispered. “Tell me no and I’ll wait.”
 
“Please,” Horatio moaned.
 
Greg grinned and set about preparing Horatio as quickly as he could while the red head teased Speed with small thrusts, barely moving out of his lover’s body. Then Greg rolled on a condom and got into position behind Horatio. He pushed forward slowly, amazed that Horatio’s body opened to him, until Greg was flush against his new lover. He pulled back and thrust forward setting the rhythm until Horatio was moving opposite him, pushing back as Greg moved forward; Speed moaning softly at the sensation of having two men behind him and Horatio inside him.
 
Horatio’s eyes closed as sensations ran through his body. He could feel himself falling in love with both the men in and around him and tried to fight it. He didn’t want to feel those emotions before they had a chance to talk, to work everything out between them but he couldn’t. Horatio couldn’t and came with a groan. He wrapped his hand around Speed’s leaking erection and stroked as hard as he could and was rewarded with hot, sticky fluid that he ached to taste. Greg stiffened behind him and came as well and the three of them collapsed on the bed in a tangle of limbs.
 
“Sleep, Horatio,” Greg whispered. He pulled back slowly and went to get a damp cloth to clean them up. Between them he and Speed got Horatio into the bed properly and wrapped around him. “Just sleep,” Greg said, carding his hand through Horatio’s messy red hair. “Well still be here when you wake up and we’ll talk about everything then.”

Horatio woke to fingers carding through his hair and figured they were Speed’s as they didn’t feel like the ones that had stripped him or run over his body. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even and regular as Speed and Greg were talking softly.
 
“What happens now?” Greg was asking.
 
“We convince H that this is a good idea,” Speed replied. “If I’m reading this right his biggest fear is letting himself love you because you’re in another city and he won’t be able to take care of you.”
 
“I think it’s more than that,” Greg said. “Tim, I have a confession to make; I haven’t slept with anyone since the last time we saw each other. I’m wired like Horatio. When I love someone I love them with my whole being and it doesn’t leave any room for anything or anyone else.”
 
“That’s not entirely true or we wouldn’t be here,” Speed said. “I’ve been out a few times to keep Eric from getting suspicious but never took anyone home. I realized I’d rather be with you, and H, more than anything else.”
 
Greg sighed. “Do you think Horatio will see where we’re coming from?” he asked. “That we want to be a committed threesome, or as much as we can be with me in Vegas and you two in Miami. I really want this to work out.”
 
Speed grinned. “Why don’t we ask him?” he said. “I know you’re awake, H. You know hiding from us won’t solve anything.”
 
Blue eyes opened and met twinkling brown. “Maybe I was basking,” he said.
 
“Huh?”
 
“No one’s ever treated me like a cat before, Tim,” Horatio smiled pushing into the warm fingers still running through his hair. “And I find that I really like it.”
 
“Hedonist,” Greg grinned leaning down to kiss the red head. “So how much did you hear?”
 
“Enough to know that you understand the situation far better than I thought,” Horatio said. “Greg explained it almost perfectly.”
 
“Almost?” Greg asked.
 
“Almost,” Horatio replied with a small smile. “It’s going to drive me crazy having you in Vegas, Greg. I want to be able to see and touch you every day, know that you’re safe and take care of you but I refuse to make you leave your home. I’ll figure out a way to deal with this.”
 
“There’s always the phone,” Greg said. He kissed Horatio again. “And the internet; we can get web cams hooked up and talk every day. We can visit each other on weekends so we don’t blow all our vacation time at once. We could even learn to use smoke signals.”
 
Speed snorted into Horatio’s shoulder and looked over at Greg. “Smoke signals?”
 
“Hey, if it means we get Horatio in our life then I’m all for it,” Greg said.
 
“I’m here, Greg,” Horatio said, running a finger along Greg’s cheek. “I’m here and I won’t leave until the two of you kick me out.”
 
“That’s so not going to happen,” Greg said. “Right Tim?”
 
“Right,” Speed agreed. “Now we missed dinner so what do you say to ordering room service and watching some boring movie on TV?”
 
Greg looked at Horatio and then over at Speed. “I have a better idea,” he said. He pulled Speed up and over until he could whisper in his ear, both of them glancing at Horatio occasionally. The red head started shifting around at the intensity of the twin chocolate brown gaze that kept falling on him; he had a feeling that he was going to be the starter for dinner and realized that he didn’t mind in the least.
 
He moaned when two mouths attacked him and opened under the dual assault. One hand ran up Speed’s back, the other along Greg’s and both tangled in wild hair. Speed broke away first and started kissing down Horatio’s neck and around to his ear, causing Horatio to whimper into Greg’s mouth. “Hot spot,” Speed whispered with a smirk in his voice and attacked Horatio’s left ear. Greg, who had good hearing, quickly moved to Horatio’s other side and mirrored Speed’s actions. Horatio more or less melted into the bed and went limp under their ministrations. He came back to life when two mouths latched onto his nipples and started sucking greedily.
 
“Please,” Horatio moaned. “More.”
 
He was a little concerned when two evil smirks were directed at him and his lovers moved along his stomach to his erection. “Don’t move,” Speed said and that was the only warning Horatio got before two tongues licked up either side of his cock like it was a popsicle. It took all his will power to stay still on the bed and not thrust up as he was licked and teased until he was finally taken in Greg’s mouth. Horatio’s eyes fluttered closed and his hands found Greg’s head as Speed moved back up and went back to his left ear. Horatio’s body tensed and he came with a cry, unable to warn Greg who swallowed what he could and then spent some time licking Horatio clean before moving up to kiss him again.
 
“What do you want, H?” Greg asked using the nickname for the first time.
 
“Speed,” Horatio replied.
 
The two young men glanced at each other and grinned. Greg moved back off the bed when Tim reached for the lube to start stretching Horatio. While he worked two fingers into his lover Greg dug out the condoms and rolled on onto Speed’s erection and applied lube before shifting around and working on getting Speed ready as well. Greg pushed into Speed’s ass and held still while Speed slowly pushed into Horatio’s body. It took a couple of minutes to figure out a rhythm but when Horatio’s long legs wrapped around both of his lovers and he started moving back suddenly it was perfect. Speed came first, the dual sensations sent him spiraling into his orgasm far faster than he wanted; Greg came next and they both collapsed forward. It was Horatio who rolled them so he wasn’t being crushed under the weight of two men. All thoughts of dinner were forgotten as they curled up together and fell asleep again.

 

Mac was just finishing breakfast when Horatio slid carefully into the booth across from him. He put his coffee down with a knowing smirk. “Well, it looks like you had a successful conversation with Speed and Greg,” he said. “Did you manage to get everything worked out?”
 
“It turned out that Greg and I have more in common than I knew,” Horatio replied. “Both he and Tim understand where I’m coming from before I was able to mention it to them.”
 
“So everything’s okay?” Mac asked.
 
“I’m still not happy at the thought of Greg living in another city and another state,” Horatio replied. “But as I told them it’s my problem and just something I have to deal with in my own way. He’s already muttering about web cams and nightly chats.”
 
“Those could be fun,” Mac smirked.
 
Horatio laughed. “When did your mind get so dirty, Mac?”
 
“Around about the time Danny and Don tied me to the bed, blindfolded, with feathers, chocolate sauce and a cock ring,” Mac replied in a low voice so only Horatio would be able to hear. “Keep in touch, H. I’m willing to help you in any way I can.”
 
“I know. Thanks, Mac.”
********************

~~2 months later~~
 
Judy looked up from her computer to find a tall red-headed man wearing sunglasses, even though it was the middle of the night, standing in front of her desk. “Can I help you?” she asked with a smile.
 
“Please, I’m looking for Greg,” Horatio said taking off his sunglasses. “He’s expecting me, my name is…”
 
“Lieutenant Caine,” a deep voice said from behind him. “What brings you to Vegas?”
 
“Hello, Warrick,” Horatio said shaking the other man’s hand. “I’m here to talk with Greg if he’s not busy.”
 
“I’ll show you where he is,” Warrick grinned. “Judy, can you get a visitor’s badge for the lieutenant here?”
 
“Thank you,” Horatio said with an answering smile.
********************
 
Greg had the music turned up and was dancing between his primary computer and his work station when he felt eyes on him. It wasn’t an uncommon event as he tended to dress a little wildly and played loud music while he was working but the gaze that fell on him now almost seemed to be undressing him. It was such an intense and personal feeling that he paused, turned around and met the deep blue gaze of his oldest lover from Miami. With a large grin Greg skidded out into the hall and slid to a stop in front of Horatio. “When did you get in?” he asked. “I wasn’t expecting you until closer to morning. How was the flight?”
 
“Easy, Greg,” Horatio replied with a smile. “Things cleared up a little sooner than I thought they would and Speed convinced me to take an earlier flight out so I could see your lab.”
 
“Oh yeah, come on in,” Greg said. “I’m in the middle of running some samples for Grissom so if you don’t mind waiting about half an hour then I can take you on the tour and introduce you to everyone you don’t already know.”
 
“That’ll be fine,” Horatio said. He settled into a desk chair in the corner of the DNA lab. “I brought a book to read.”
********************
 
In a way Horatio is nervous. It’s the first time he’s been alone with Greg, completely alone, since the convention. Before they always had Speed with them and, deep in the back of his mind, Horatio wondered if he and Greg could manage as just a couple without the added dimension of Speed’s presence. He’d talked with Mac a couple of times about his feelings and realized that it was deeply important for each member of the group to feel connected to each other, not just relying on the tri-dynamic of the relationship. Mac had spoken about how much he loved to just lie in bed and hold Danny after a hard case and his time spent cooking with Don. And he added that Danny and Don had a fierce competition going on the basketball court and both loved baseball and hockey. Horatio knew that he and Speed had connected and also that Speed and Greg had a connection that ran deep. Now he hoped that he and Greg would be able to find a similar connection because he didn’t think he’d be able to handle it if the two younger men weren’t in his life.
 
“You’ve been staring at the same page for the past ten minutes, H,” Greg said softly as he rolled to a stop next to his lover. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
 
“I was just thinking about us,” Horatio said equally as softly.
 
“And that made you frown?”
 
“In a way, I suppose,” Horatio said. “I was thinking about something a friend told me and was wondering if it would happen here or not.”
 
“Well it’ll probably be better if you tell me, H,” Greg replied with a small smile. “I’m not a mind-reader despite what many of my co-workers might think.”
 
Horatio couldn’t help but smile at that. “Why do I get the feeling you drive everyone around here more than a little crazy some nights?” he asked.
 
“Because he does,” a strange voice said. “Greg, do you have those results for me?”
 
“Oh yeah, Gris, they’re right here,” Greg said. He picked up a folder and handed it to his boss with a flourish. “They might not be what you were expecting though. The DNA on the knife was female, not male, and there’s no familial match to the suspect you already have in custody.”
 
Grissom made a tisking sound with his tongue and walked out without another word. Horatio watched him go and then turned to the younger man. “Is he always like that?”
 
“Nope, some nights he’s worse,” Greg grinned. “Gil Grissom is not a people person. Now, tell me what’s weighing so heavily on your mind.”
 
“Do you worry that we might not be able to do this?” Horatio asked.
 
“Is this your way of saying you want out?” Greg asked in reply.
 
“No Greg, god no,” Horatio said firmly. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I love you so much it hurts that you aren’t in Miami with us. I just worry that we might not be able to connect one on one and Speed is the only thing keeping us together.”
 
“Don’t worry about it,” Greg said with a smile. “I promise you we’ll be able to find something other than sex to keep us interested in each other for the next forty years or so.”
 
Horatio laughed. “Then I look forward to learning,” he said.
********************
 
Greg’s apartment was small but decorated nicely and definitely a home. Horatio spent some time looking through the younger man’s movie and music collections and noted a few that he had in common. Maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as he was expecting to find common ground with his wilder lover.
 
Lean arms wrapped around him from behind. “How about I show you the best room in the house?” Greg asked nibbling on Horatio’s left ear knowing that was a hot spot for the red head. “And we can get comfortable on the bed.”
 
Horatio turned with a smile and leaned in to kiss Greg. The younger man was equal in height to both Horatio and Speed so it was easy to just tilt his head and capture Greg’s mouth with his own. Greg started walking them backwards only to trip over the coffee table and the men fell on the sofa in a tangle. Horatio snorted and pushed up to make sure Greg was okay. “I thought you said the bed, Greg,” he smiled.
 
“Bed, sofa, same thing,” Greg replied. “I just rearranged in here and guess I don’t know my way around in the dark yet.”
 
“The hazards of fashion,” Horatio teased.
 
“Yeah, but everyone is getting into Fung Shui,” Greg said as Horatio stood and offered a hand to pull him to his feet. “Besides, it gave me a chance to get rid of one hideous looking table. Come on, bed’s this way.”
 
Horatio enjoyed walking behind Greg as it gave him a chance to admire the view and his eyes were drawn once again to the faint scar lines on Greg’s back when he took off his shirt.
 
“They’re from a surfing accident,” Greg said as he started to unbutton Horatio’s blue dress shirt. “I wiped out and got raked over some coral.”
 
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse,” Horatio commented running his hands along Greg’s smooth skin. “It may be too early to say this, Greg, but I do love you. I could feel myself falling in love the first time you touched me and I tried so hard to fight it only because I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to live with you in another city. But I gave in because, in the end, it felt so right.”
 
Greg smiled softly and leaned in to kiss Horatio. His hands dropped to his lover’s belt and slacks while Horatio’s warm hands ran along Greg’s back, tracing lines along the skin. Slowly Greg moved them until they were next to the bed and then pulled back, stripping off his jeans and boxers before flopping down on the bed. “I want you,” Greg said.
 
Horatio’s eyes glanced around the room, spotting the condoms and lube on the bedside table. He snagged both and tossed them onto the bed. Greg’s eyes were focused on him as he slowly undid his black slacks and let them pool at his feet and slid his long fingers into the waistband of his boxers and slowly slid them off.
 
“Missed you,” Greg said. He reached out and pulled Horatio down onto the bed and rolled so he was on top. Horatio’s hand cupped the back of his head and pulled him down into a heated kiss. One kiss slowly melted into another and then another until Greg jumped a little when Horatio’s other hand ran along his ass teasing him. He broke off with a moan and pushed back.
 
“I need both hands,” Horatio said softly. “But how do you want to do this?”
 
“Decisions, decisions,” Greg teased as he pressed soft kisses along Horatio’s neck and collar bone. “On my back.”
 
“Then I need to be able to move,” Horatio said with a warm smile. There was just something so basic about Greg that made him relax and made him happy. He couldn’t imagine not having the younger man in his life.
 
“Hey, quit mooning at me and get to work,” Greg said nudging Horatio with his foot. “I haven’t got all day y’know.”
 
“What if I want to take all day, Greg?” Horatio asked as he slid two slick fingers into Greg’s body to start preparing him. “What if I want to tease you and take you up only to back off and start again, move you closer and closer to the edge but not let you fall over until you’re so strung out that you can’t even talk to me anymore? All you can do is moan and beg for me to let you come. Let you have the climax that you can almost taste you’ve been waiting for it for so long. And then I’ll let you rest and start again. And again until we’re both so exhausted we can’t move from the bed for two days.”
 
Greg moaned deeply at the pictures his lover was painting in his mind and had the briefest thought that Speed had never mentioned how good Horatio was at dirty talk. He’d have to share that little tidbit with their other lover. Horatio added more lube and slid three fingers in, pushing them deep and moving them firmly. Greg’s moans got louder and more frequent as he started to move back against Horatio’s hand.
 
“H, now,” Greg said as his moans turned to panting and he tried to move faster.
 
“No,” Horatio almost purred. “Not yet, Greg. Soon.” He slowly pulled his fingers out and rolled on the condom, slicking it with lube. He shifted into position and slowly sank home, pushing in slowly so he wouldn’t hurt Greg.
 
Both men groaned at the contact and Horatio stilled to let Greg adjust to the intrusion. Greg shifted around so he could wrap his legs around Horatio’s waist and pulled him in for a soft kiss. “You can move,” he whispered. “You’re not going to hurt me.”
 
Horatio smiled down at Greg and pulled back just as slowly and thrust forward again. And pulled back. And moved forward. He was moving so slowly that Greg thought he was going to go insane if he didn’t get some friction soon. He’d never thought that Horatio would have such a sadistic streak to him and decided to take measures into his own hands – so to speak. Greg tightened his legs and pulled Horatio forward at the same time he tried to reach between them to stroke his cock. “That’s mine,” Horatio said batting Greg’s hands away. “Just feel, Greg. Close your eyes and feel me moving inside you, taking you, owning you.” He somehow managed to keep his thrusts slow and even, so much so that Greg was starting to wonder if Horatio was even human when his lover shifted his angle and Greg’s back arched as his prostate was hit dead on. The red head smirked and started to move harder but no faster until Greg’s head fell back with a moaning cry and that seemed to make something snap in Horatio’s actions. He started thrusting harder and faster and reached between them to wrap his hand around Greg’s erection and stroked it firmly.
 
One touch was all it took and Greg came with a long cry of Horatio’s name and fell back onto the bed a pile of sated mush. Horatio braced his hands and kept moving, his thrusts becoming more and more erratic until his head dropped and he came, biting his lip to muffle his own cries.
 
“Damn, H,” Greg panted as he nuzzled Horatio’s neck. “I think it’s a good thing I have the next few days off.”
 
“Why’s that?” Horatio asked. He pressed a kiss just below Greg’s left ear.
 
“Because we’re not leaving this bed until you teach me how to do that.”

 

~~4 months later~~
 
Greg stirred and grinned when he felt strong, familiar arms around him. His lover from Miami, one of his lovers, had arrived just as he got off shift the night before and they’d spent the morning relearning bodies before collapsing together and falling asleep. And now Greg had to go to work. He’d had the weekend off but one of the other DNA techs had caught a nasty flu bug and Greg’s name had come up. Speed had been understanding and said that he’d read in a corner while Greg was working but Greg still felt bad that he had to work when Speed was in town.
 
“You can make it up to me,” Speed muttered. He blinked a few times and finally managed to focus on Greg’s face. “The next time you come out to Miami you can let H and me tie you to the bed and we’ll call it even.”
 
“You got those cuffs we were talking about?” Greg asked.
 
“H did. Apparently he knows the owner of one of the more upscale adult stores in Miami,” Speed replied.
 
“He does?” Greg asked.
 
“It turns out that Horatio knows a fair number of rather colorful characters in Miami and won’t tell me exactly how he met them,” Speed said with a grin. “I’ve thought about tormenting him into the truth but don’t think I can pull it off by myself.”
 
Greg snickered, looked at the clock and groaned. “I’ve got to get ready,” he said. “Are you sure you want to come sit at the lab all night? You’re more than welcome to stay here, sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”
 
“I want to be able to spend time with you, Greg,” Speed said. “And I can always curl up in the car and nap if I have to.”
********************
 
While Greg was busy working on three different cases at once Speed took the opportunity to walk around a little and see some more of the lab. The night shift knew that he was a friend of Greg’s and there for the night so no one questioned him as he moved around the halls. There was no question that the Vegas lab was different than the Miami lab and, if Speed was forced to choose, he’d pick his lab every time. Despite the glass walls that created a semblance of airiness there was still a sense of being shut in. And Speed didn’t really like it.
 
As he passed the layout room he heard two voices talking and paused when his lover’s name came up. “Greg Sanders?” a woman’s voice asked.
 
“Hey, leggo my Greggo,” a soft drawl answered. “He’s a CSI wanna-be; please.”
 
Speed took a deep breath, hurt at hearing his lover dismissed so casually by a man he considered his best friend as Speed recognized the drawl; it was Nick Stokes. He blinked his eyes a few times and made his way outside before pulling out his cell phone. “Hey, it’s me.”
 
“Tim?” Horatio’s sleepy voice sharpened instantly. “What’s wrong?”
 
“I just needed to hear your voice,” Speed said as he sank down on the curb. “And some advice. I don’t like this place, H. I don’t like it at all.”
 
“Where are you?”
 
“I’m in the parking lot of the Vegas lab,” Speed replied. “Greg had to work after and I came along with him and I’m glad I did because I just got an insight into the workings of this place and I don’t like it.”
 
“Is Greg in any danger, Tim?”
 
“I don’t think so, H, at least not physical,” Speed said. “But I wonder about his co-workers here.”
 
“Tell me what happened,” Horatio said. “Lay it out for me, Tim, just like you would part of a case. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”
 
Speed sighed and ran a hand through his hair before laying out the situation and conversation he’d overheard along with his impression of the tone of voice used. “It was like they were totally dismissing his input, H,” Tim said. “They don’t value his knowledge because he’s different. Because he wants to be in the field doing some good and help people. And I don’t know if he knows it or not.”
 
“And you don’t want to bring it up incase he doesn’t,” Horatio sighed. “Tim, it might be better to let him know what you heard so he knows the truth. I tried hiding something important from Yelina and ended up hurting her in the end.”
 
“I know you’re right, H, but I don’t want to hurt him.”
 
“You won’t be,” Horatio said. “You’re going to be the messenger and Greg will know that. He’ll be hurt but you’re there to help him work through it.”
 
Speed jumped a little as arms wrapped around him. “I think Greg’s been eavesdropping the whole time, Horatio,” he said. He handed the phone to his young lover.
 
“Hey H,” Greg said as he flopped down next to Speed. “So what are you guys talking about that has Tim so serious?”
 
“He’ll tell you, Greg,” Horatio replied. “Just know that I love you and you have a home here with Tim and me any time you want it.”
 
“I knew that,” Greg said. He leaned against Speed. “So this isn’t something that we should be talking about here at work, huh?”
 
“I wouldn’t,” Horatio said. “I trust you, Greg, but you’re like me and you feel things deeply. You’ll need time to figure out what’s going on and how you feel about it and the lab is not the best place for that. Trust us until you get off shift and are home again. In fact, call me when you get back to your apartment and we can turn on the web cams and talk this out.”
 
“Okay, love you H,” Greg said. “And Tim loves you too.”
 
Speed snickered as Greg closed his phone and handed it back. “Horatio wants us to link up to him when we get back to my place,” he said. “Tim, is it bad?”
 
“Not in the sense you’re thinking,” Speed sighed. “I overheard something I probably shouldn’t have but am glad I did. Because now we can deal with it.”
********************
 
The sight of the familiar red hair and blue eyes looking at him from the computer screen made Speed feel better. He hadn’t been looking forward to the conversation with his younger lover but, having Horatio there, he knew things would eventually be okay. Even if he had to steal Greg from Vegas and take him to Miami.
 
“So who is going to start?” Greg asked from the sofa. He’d stripped down to a pair of boxers and was resting full length on his back facing the computer. Speed was sitting in the desk chair and it was obvious that Horatio was in his home office.
 
“I was walking around the lab and heard Nick Stokes talking with a woman,” Speed said. “I didn’t see who it was but the voice was soft, almost melodic.”
 
“That’d be Catherine,” Greg said. “Sara is the only other woman on shift and her voice is kinda grating if you know what I mean. So what would Nick and Cat be talking about that could upset you so badly?”
 
“You,” Speed said. “Or rather, dismissing you. Greg, I’ve never heard such a tone used before and they were talking about you. I wanted to go in there and beat Nick’s head against the table a few times to try and knock some sense into him.”
 
“What’d he say?” Greg asked softly.
 
Speed stood and went over to his lover. “He called you a CSI wanna-be,” Tim said just as softly. “And then said ‘please’ as almost a snort. It hurt me, Greg, to hear them talking about you like that. Nick was minimizing everything you’ve talked about, what you want to do, and I wanted to hurt him for doing it.”
 
“Greg, I wish I was there so I could hug you,” Horatio said. “There’s no excuse for anything like that and if you say the word I will be on the next flight you.”
 
“No, H, there’s no need,” Greg said sadly. “I’ll be okay.”
 
“Hey,” Tim said tilting Greg’s face up. “Don’t hide from us, Greg. Don’t ever think you have to pretend when we’re around.” He leaned in and kissed Greg softly. “Come on, let’s go to bed and just cuddle, okay? H, talk to you later.”
 
“Take care of him, Tim,” Horatio said. “Greg, call me any time if you need me.”
********************
 
For those who worked night shift noon was like midnight and that was when Greg woke up. He could hear the words in Nick’s soft drawl and knew that Speed wasn’t lying to him. But he didn’t know why Nick, his best friend, would say something like that. It didn’t make any sense.
 
“Hey, you want to talk?”
 
“I’m just trying to figure this all out,” Greg replied. He shifted around and pillowed his head on Tim’s shoulder. “Am I really that bad a judge of character?”
 
“I don’t think so, you picked me and H,” Speed said. “There are times, Greg, and I know you know this, that people speak without thinking about how their words are going to be taken or even that someone else might hear them. You could ask Nick what he was thinking when you go to work tonight.”
 
“Do you think he’d tell me the truth?”
 
“You know him better than I do. Do you think he’d tell you the truth?”
 
“I don’t think I know him at all,” Greg replied with a small sigh. “You’ll be there when I’m talking to him.”
 
Speed tightened his arms. “Just try to keep me away.”
********************
 
“Hey Nicky, can I talk to you alone for a minute?” Greg asked when Nick came into the DNA lab the following night. Speed was in a corner, out of the way, with a book in his hands.
 
“Sure,” Nick said. He glanced towards Speed, obviously confused.
 
“When you were talking with Catherine last night, after I told you about a study I’d read, you called me CSI wanna-be and more or less dismissed me out of hand,” Greg said softly. “You’re supposed to be my best friend, Nick. Why?”
 
“You were in the hall?” Nick asked, face paling slightly.
 
The look combined with the words told Greg all he needed to know. “Never mind,” he said, shoulders slumping. “I’ll have this done for you as soon as I can.”
 
“Greg,” Nick said taking a step forward.
 
Speed didn’t even look up from his book. “I think you should leave, now,” he said coldly. “Greg has work to do.”
 
Nick looked at the scruffy man in the corner and then back to Greg with a sigh. He shook his head and left. Speed put his book down, walked across the lab and put his hand on Greg’s shoulder. “You gonna be okay to work tonight?” he asked.
 
“Do I have a choice?” Greg asked in reply. “You’re here, Tim. That helps a lot.”
 
“You know we’re never more than a phone call away,” Speed said.
 
“Yeah, I know.”

 

~~6 months later~~
 
Horatio and Speed were lying curled around each other when the doorbell rang. With a small frown, as neither man was expecting company, Horatio slipped on a pair of jeans and made his way to the front door. The sight that greeting him was enough to make his heart beat faster. The third member of their family was standing on the step. Horatio’s keen blue eyes took in everything and he pulled Greg into the house, locking the door behind him. “What happened?”
 
“Don’t hug me, H,” Greg said quickly. “There was an accident in the lab and my back got kinda burned.”
 
“Greg,” Horatio said softly. He put his hands carefully on his youngest lover’s hips and pulled him in for a soft kiss. “Tim’s in the bedroom. Come on, let’s get you settled.”
 
Speed looked up from the book he was reading when Horatio returned with Greg in tow. “Hey, I didn’t know you were planning to hit town, Greg,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
 
“I got hurt at the lab and my only thought was to get to you two,” Greg said. He toed off his shoes and climbed carefully onto the bed, settling down on his stomach and using Speed’s chest as a pillow. “It was bad, I mean totally nightmarish. One minute I’m analyzing something and the next I hear and weird noise and then, boom, I’m flying through the windows and out into the hall.
 
Both Horatio and Speed had been to visit their lover in Vegas and knew that his DNA lab as basically a fish bowl. “Greg, let me see your back, please,” Horatio said sitting down on the bed next to the others.
 
“I can’t,” Greg almost whispered. “I can’t because it’s so messed up that you won’t want me around anymore.”
 
Speed ran his fingers through Greg’s wild hair and tilted the younger man’s head up. “Greg, marks on your body don’t matter to us,” he said softly. “Just as long as you’re still alive and with us that’s all that matters.”
 
“Really?” Greg asked in a small voice.
 
“We promise,” Horatio replied. He leaned in and kissed Greg. He slowly ran his tongue along Greg’s lips and, when the younger man opened to him with a soft moan, dove in to relearn his lover’s mouth and taste.
 
“We will always love you, Greg,” Speed said.
 
“I’m sorry,” Greg whispered. He kissed Horatio again. “I shouldn’t have doubted you but everyone’s been walking on eggshells around me, treating me like I’m going to break or go crazy or something. Or they’re wondering what I did to cause the explosion because it has to be my fault because it was in my lab. I know it wasn’t my fault because I was working across the lab replicating some cells for a DNA comparison.”
 
“We know, Greg, we know you’re too careful to let something like this happen,” Horatio said softly. “But we’ll be able to help you heal better if we can see your physical injuries.”
 
“Tomorrow?” Greg asked snuggling back down against Speed.
 
“Do the dressings need to be changed or any sort of medication applied before you go to sleep?” Horatio asked.
 
“Just pain killers and they’re pills,” Greg replied.
 
“Then let’s get you out of your jeans and settled for the night,” Speed said glancing up at Horatio.
 
The red head nodded his agreement and reached around Greg’s waist to carefully unbutton, unzip and peel off the baggy denim. Then he went to the bathroom for a glass of water, found the pills in Greg’s bag and handed both to his injured lover. When the two younger men were settled he crawled in behind Speed and wrapped his left arm over them both and they all slowly drifted to sleep.
********************
 
Of the older men Horatio was the lighter sleeper and a small noise jolted him awake not an hour after he fell asleep. Speed was soundly asleep next to him but when he pushed up on his arm Horatio could see that Greg was having, not a nightmare, but definitely a bad dream. He moved slowly and carefully from the bed and knelt down on the other side so he was facing Greg. Horatio reached out slowly and ran a finger along Greg’s face. “Hey,” he whispered. “Greg, wake up for me, okay?”
 
Sleepy brown eyes fluttered a few times and then focused on Horatio’s concerned face. “Hey.”
 
“Are you all right?” Horatio asked. He stayed where he was, slowly running a finger along Greg’s face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
 
“It’s just a dream I’ve been having since I was in the hospital,” Greg replied.  “Warrick and Catherine were the only ones to come to see me and Cath only came back the second time to let me know she’s the one who caused the explosion.”
 
“Greg, did you and Nick ever talk about his comment?” Horatio asked.
 
“He apologized,” Greg muttered. “I just let it drop because I didn’t feel like dealing with it on top of everything else going on out there right now. I dunno, H, its like the lab is falling apart and no one can do anything to stop it.”
 
“Greg,” Horatio said softly but with meaning behind it.
 
The younger man tried to smile. “I just to go work, do my job and head home again,” he said. “I don’t like to call attention to myself anymore so the music is off, my crazy shirts are in the closet and, even though Grissom is letting me out in the field a little, I’m still trying to keep a low profile.”
 
Horatio didn’t like the sound of what his young lover was going through. And it hurt him to think that the wild child he loved so was being buried because other people just couldn’t deal with it. He shifted around and leaned in to kiss Greg softly. “It sounds to me like you need a change, Greg,” he said gently. “And I happen to know a day shift that’s searching for a DNA tech.”
 
“There are still glass walls though,” Speed’s voice joined the conversation.
 
Greg jumped and rolled over carefully. “How long have you been awake?”
 
“From about the time you were telling H you’ve stopped wearing those absolutely hideous shirts,” Speed teased leaning in for his own kiss. “Seriously, Greg, if you’re having to change to suit your workplace then it’s not good and you need to do something about it. You have more style in your left hand than most of your Vegas co-workers do in their whole body and you shouldn’t have to hide that for any reason.”
 
“Tim’s right,” Horatio said. “We’re not going to press you into anything, Greg, but I would consider it an honor if you’d consider moving out here, into our home, and joining the team at the Miami lab.”
 
“Not to mention the fact that you could steal him away from under Grissom’s nose,” Speed snickered. “Hey, don’t look like that Greg. You’re a prize both in and out of the lab. Just don’t let anyone but H and me know about the second part of that though. I don’t want to have to be beating women and men away from you with a stick.”
 
Greg snickered and rolled onto his stomach. “Thanks,” he said. “H, the bandages need to be changed. Do you mind?”
 
“Of course not, Greg,” Horatio said. “Did you bring more with you or do I need to head to the store?”
 
“Everything is in my bag,” Greg said. “I don’t have to wear them much longer, just until the blisters heal over and everything is closed. The doctors don’t want anything infected.”
 
“How have you been doing this at home?” Speed asked running his fingers through Greg’s messy hair. “It can’t be easy to reach your own back.”
 
“Yeah, Catherine still feels guilty about everything and she’s a mother,” Greg said. “She’s been helping me out before I go on shift. I think she’d pay for surgery to get rid of the scars if I asked but I’d never do anything like that because she’s a single mother trying to raise her daughter and work as second in command at the lab.”
 
Horatio caught Speed’s eye and smiled. He could tell just by the rambling that Greg was feeling better and would eventually be okay. With a wink and nod towards Greg Horatio rummaged through the duffle bag they’d dumped by the dresser the night before to get the ointment and bandages needed to treat the burns on Greg’s back. When he turned back to the bed Speed had Greg’s t-shirt off and had moved them around so the younger man was lying half on top of him and it was hard to tell who had control of the open-mouthed kiss they were involved in. Horatio just stood and stared for a moment before shaking his head and tending to Greg’s wounds as efficiently as he could considering that the younger man had shifted around and was now lying between Speed’s spread legs. He didn’t have the heart to ask if the doctor had cleared him for sexual activity and moved to get the lube.
 
“Greg,” Horatio whispered, nipping gently at the soft neck in front of him. “You get to choose what you want.”
 
“Both of you,” Greg replied with a moan.
 
Speed and Horatio made eye contact and Horatio shook his head. “Greg, your back is too injured to take a risk with,” he said. “We are not going to hurt you. But we could put the cock ring on you and you could take us both.”
 
Greg’s eyes glazed over at that comment and Speed started laughing. “I think he likes the idea, H,” he said.
 
“Then that is what we’ll do,” Horatio replied. As Speed was still pinned to the bed, now being stretched and prepared, Horatio shifted off the bed and moved to the dresser drawer where he’d hidden the things he’d bought from Artie. He handed the cock ring to Speed and reached for the lube to start stretching himself.
 
“It’s a good thing you guys have such a big bed,” Greg said. He took the lube back from Horatio for a moment and ran his hand along his erection. “Because I get to see both of you stretched out.”
 
A faint flush colored Horatio’s face and both younger men laughed for a moment. The only time he blushed was around them. Speed doubted anyone at the lab even knew Horatio could blush because he was always so in control at work. “Greg,” Speed said shifting his hips pointedly.
 
“Yeah,” Greg said softly. He moved into position and all three men moaned as he slid home, Horatio’s blue eyes fixed on his lovers even as he worked to prepare himself for Greg. The younger man’s eyes fluttered closed as he started to move in Speed. It was obvious to Horatio that Speed had to keep reminding himself not to grab at Greg’s back or wrap his legs any higher than waist level and the red head was impressed that Speed could hold a coherent thought in his mind while Greg was thrusting into him.
 
Speed came quickly, considering that he and Horatio had been making love when Greg arrived less than six hours before and Greg moaned and thrust sharper, trying to come. Horatio reached out and touched Greg shoulder with a smile. The younger man paused, his eyes wild but focused and he slumped forward for a moment before pulling carefully out of Speed’s ass and, with some help from Horatio, shifted over between Horatio’s spread legs. Horatio ran his hands up Greg’s arms and pulled him down for a kiss. Greg moaned deeply and thrust forward, a little sharply, and swallowed Horatio’s cry as he started to move. Speed rolled onto his side to watch his lovers but also so he’d be able to reach between them to undo the restraint when it looked like Horatio was close. He also had to keep Horatio’s arms and legs away from Greg’s back and snickered to himself at his lover’s lack of control. So much for the calm and collected lieutenant. When Horatio’s moans changed tone Speed leaned in to join the kiss and snaked his hand between his lovers to the clasp on the cock ring, popping it open just as Horatio’s climax hit. Greg pulled back, cried out and came as well. Then he slumped down, Horatio catching him easily.
 
“Greg, have you lost weight?” Horatio asked rubbing Greg’s arms.
 
“Maybe a little,” Greg replied. He snuggled down and closed his eyes.
 
“Tim,” Horatio said.
 
“Yeah, I’ll get a washcloth,” Speed grinned. “I don’t think he’s going to move for the rest of the night.”
 
“He’s not heavy,” Horatio said. “I think we need to keep him with us for a while, Tim.”
 
“Should we just kidnap him?” Speed asked from the bathroom. “No one out there knows where we live and we could hide him away until he gets the job at the lab.”
 
Horatio sighed. “No. As much as I’d like to, this needs to be done properly and it has to be Greg’s choice,” he said.

 

Gil Grissom looked around his office with a small sigh. The lab just didn’t feel right without the crazy music or Greg’s upbeat attitude. Things hadn’t felt right for a while but Gil just didn’t know how to fix it.
 
“Dr. Grissom,” a soft voice but serious voice said from the doorway.
 
He looked up to find Lieutenant Horatio Caine from Miami looking at him. Or at least Gil assumed Horatio was looking at him; the other man had a pair of sunglasses on. “Lieutenant, what brings you back to Vegas so soon?”
 
“I’m here to deliver a letter and also collect all of Greg Sanders’ belongings,” Horatio said.
 
“What?” Gil exclaimed.
 
Horatio handed a sealed letter to the Vegas supervisor and left the office, moving like he owned the lab. Gil was a little shocked; he’d never met anyone who had such a strong aura of confidence and control as Horatio Caine. He shook his head to clear it and opened the envelope in his hands.

**Dr. Grissom,
 
Please accept my official letter of resignation effective immediately. As I have far more than two weeks of vacation and sick leave on the books I am not returning to the lab again. Lieutenant Horatio Caine will be coming to Las Vegas to pack up my belongings and bringing them to me in Miami. I do not feel comfortable in Vegas or the lab any longer.
 
My apologies for leaving you short-handed but Thompson, the DNA technician filling in for me, is normally fill in and will be able to pick up my shifts. He knows what he is doing and will fit in well with the rest of the night shift.

Greg Sanders**
 
Gil didn’t know what to think. He’d noticed that Greg had been quiet of late but had put it down to the explosion and his recovery. He stood up sharply and made his way as quickly as he could to the locker room. “What if I won’t accept this?” he demanded of the red head.
 
“You would force Greg to return to a place he doesn’t feel comfortable in?” Horatio asked softly. “You would force him to return to a place that is slowly killing him?” He tucked two bags of coffee beans into the box sitting on the bench behind him. “Then you are less of a man that I thought you were.”
 
“He hasn’t said anything to me,” Gil said.
 
“Have you given him a chance?” Horatio asked finally turning to look at Gil. His sunglasses were off and his blue eyes were hard. If he’d been in Miami his team would have been running for cover. “Did you visit him in the hospital after the explosion? Did you notice how his coworkers have been treating him? Did you even notice how much Greg has changed in the past four months or are you only interested in the evidence, Dr. Grissom? What means more to you; your people or your cases?”
 
Gil blinked a few times. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had dared to talk to him like that. “What exactly are you talking about?” he finally snapped. “And why do you care so much about Greg anyway?”
 
“You supervise but you don’t see,” Horatio replied. “Greg no longer feels that his input and contributions are listened to or even taken seriously by his coworkers. He tells me that he has been shot down so many times that he has stopped talking unless directly spoken to. Greg has been coming to work, going home again and feeling no joy in his work.”
 
“So why hasn’t he said anything to anyone?” Gil asked. “And you didn’t answer the second part of my question.”
 
“Who would he tell, Dr. Grissom?”
 
“I would think Nick as they’re best friends,” Gil said.
 
Horatio snorted and tucked a pair of sneakers gently into the box. “I think you should speak with your team, Dr. Grissom, and find out what they really think,” he said. “Do you know if Greg kept CDs in the DNA lab or not?”
 
“I don’t.”
 
“You probably don’t want me poking around in there,” Horatio said. He slipped on his sunglasses and picked up the box. “Could you have someone check for me while I take this out to my car, please?”
 
“And if I refuse?”
 
“Then I’ll call Greg and ask him,” Horatio said. “But I’d prefer not to wake him up if I can avoid it. He’s having bad nightmares and needs as much sleep as possible. I am not here to fight with you, Dr. Grissom, but I will if I have to. I’m not going to let anyone hurt Greg again.”
********************
 
Nick sighed and looked up at Greg’s apartment. Grissom had told him that Horatio Caine was in town packing up Greg’s stuff and that Greg wasn’t coming back to the lab and demanded to know what the hell was going on. Deep down Nick was afraid that he was the reason that Greg was leaving the lab. Ever since he’d called Greg a CSI wanna-be and the nick-name had spread through the lab no one had taken him seriously. But Nick didn’t know that it had gotten so bad.
 
The door opened after his third knock and he was face to face with the Miami Lieutenant. Nick didn’t quite know what to think as he’d only met the other man briefly and, even then, had felt like he was being studied. Now, however, the gaze had intensified times ten.
 
“How may I help you tonight, Mr. Stokes?”
 
“He told you, didn’t he?” Nick asked in reply.
 
“Told me what?”
 
“Greg; he told you about my stupid comment that your CSI overheard,” Nick said. “Why was he even in the lab in the first place?”
 
Horatio tried hard not to roll his eyes and stepped back to let Nick into the apartment. His own team was nosy, but nowhere near as bad as the Vegas group. He wondered if it had anything to do with what Greg had been telling him; the unofficial competition between Warrick and Nick to solve cases, the underlying romantic tension between Grissom and Sara and Catherine trying different ways to obtain a supervisory position. And Grissom more or less ignorant of it all. A CSI team wouldn’t work well together unless they were as close as a family who trusted each other to the core. Horatio was the first to admit that his team wasn’t perfect and had issues but he also know without a doubt that the instant one of them was in trouble or hurt the others would be there for them until everything was fixed.
 
“Stupid comments, Mr. Stokes, stupid comments often contain the most truth,” Horatio said. “And sometimes even our deepest feelings on a subject no matter how loathe we might be to reveal them otherwise.”
 
“That sounds like something Gris would say,” Nick commented as he flopped onto the sofa.
 
Horatio tilted his head and looked at the younger man. “Do you need me to be more plain?” he asked.
 
“I think I got it.”
 
“You are supposed to be Greg’s best friend,” Horatio said as he carefully wrapped a picture frame. “How is it you didn’t notice how much Greg’s been hurting since you called him a wanna-be?”
 
“And you did?”
 
“I did,” Horatio replied. “I noticed it the night it happened and have been in touch with him every day since to ensure the pain didn’t get worse. Sometimes I’ve sat up with him at night for hours when he’s had a nightmare and can’t sleep. The only reason I wasn’t at his side the moment he woke up after the explosion is no one called me. I found out when he arrived in Miami a week after he was released from the hospital.”
 
“Why?” Nick asked obviously puzzled. “Why would Greg just fly to Miami like that?”
 
Horatio sighed. He knew that Greg hadn’t told any of his co-workers about their relationship, for obvious reasons, and he wasn’t sure how Greg would feel if I told them. “If you can’t figure that out, Nick, then you’re not much of a CSI,” Horatio finally said.
 
He continued packing Greg’s movies and CDs. His young lover had said all the furniture could be left except for the two bedside tables and bedroom dresser that had belonged to his grandfather. Horatio had already made arrangements to have everything shipped to his house in Miami and just had to pack it all up.
 
“Greg’s not gay,” Nick said after roughly fifteen minutes of silence broken only by Horatio’s work.
 
“And what exactly do you base that particular observation on?” Horatio asked.
 
“He dates women,” Nick replied.
 
“When was the last time Greg was on a date?”
 
“I’m not sure,” Nick said. “But he’s always talking about women and looking at swimsuit magazines.”
 
“Nick, Greg and I have been together for six months,” Horatio said gently.
 
Nick sprang up and found himself pinned firmly against the wall, arms behind his back. “You do not want to do that, Nick,” Horatio said. “That is the last thing you want to do tonight. I want you to leave and think about what I’ve told you. And if you ever want to make things right with Greg then come to Miami and talk with him. But if you are just going to hurt him more then I’m telling you right now to stay away or you will have me to deal with.”

 

Nick was amazed. The Miami Lieutenant didn’t look like he had any muscle on him and yet Horatio had managed not only to pin Nick but had him completely restrained.
 
“Now here’s what I want you to do, Nick,” Horatio said softly. “I want you to walk out that door and think very hard on what you’ve learned here tonight. You’ve already made one mistake with Greg and I assure you that you do not want to make another.”
 
He let go of Nick’s arms and stepped back. Nick spun around but Horatio was already back across the room packing as if nothing had happened between them.
 
“What was it?” Nick asked.
 
“What?”
 
“You said I already made one mistake with Greg,” Nick said. “What was it?”
 
Horatio looked over slowly. “You broke his trust, Nick,” he replied softly. “Don’t break his heart too.”
********************
 
In Miami Greg and Speed ate dinner on the back deck and then curled up together in one of the large deck chairs. “Do you think I’m making the right choice, Tim?” Greg asked.
 
“Yes,” Speed replied. “I think that if your old lab has become so bad that you can’t do your job to the best of your ability then something needs to change.”
 
“I probably could’ve talked with Grissom.”
 
“Would he really have listened to you?” Speed asked. “And then taken the time to fully address your concerns and made sure that things got better?”
 
“At first,” Greg admitted. “He would have kinda listened and started talking with people until a case distracted him.”
 
“And that’s a problem, Greg,” Speed said. “The shift supervisor is there to make sure everyone is working up to their full potential but also to help and address concerns when they pop up. From what you’ve been telling me no one has ever noticed there was anything wrong, let alone tried to do something about it.”
 
Greg sighed and cuddled closer. “I thought they were my friends, Tim,” he said softly. “What does that say about me?”
 
“It says that you’ve got a big heart and think of your friends as family,” Speed replied. He kissed the top of Greg’s head gently. “I know it’s scary to come to a new city, new job and new co-workers but H and I’ll be there the whole way.”
 
“Will you tell me a little about everyone so I’ll be ready to meet them?”
 
“Sure,” Speed agreed easily. “Our ME is Alexx Woods and she’s not a woman to cross,” he started. “But she’s also the team mother and I promise that she’ll adopt you the minute she sees you and then if anyone dares mess with you they’ll have to answer to her first.”
 
“A bit like a mother wolf?” Greg asked.
 
“Times ten,” Speed replied with a small smile. “I promise you’ll love her. Our ballistics expert is Calleigh Duquesne and she’s dedicated to the team and the lab. She can get intense at times but just call her on it and she normally backs off. And the last member of the team is Eric Delko.”
 
“Your best friend.”
 
“Yep, but Eric and I clash quite a bit too,” Speed snickered. “I think it has something to do with my black humor and naturally sarcastic nature.”
 
Greg snickered too. “You dark and sarcastic?” he asked. “Never.”
 
“Seriously, Delko’s a good guy and works hard,” Speed said. “He knows cars and is our diver. And then there’s me for trace, you for DNA and Horatio keeps us all in line.”
 
“What about detectives?”
 
“There’s Horatio’s sister in law, Yelina,” Speed said. “She’s a widow raising a young son so Horatio helps her out whenever he can. She tried to start something with him once but she’s been seeing Rick Stetler, our local IAB creep lately. And our other primary detective is Frank Tripp. Think of a six-foot plus bulldog in a suit with a bad tie and you have Frank.”
 
Greg’s snickers turned to laughter and he buried his face against Speed’s neck for a moment to get himself under control. “So do you think I’m going to fit in?”
 
“Yeah, you will with no problems,” Speed said. “And I can’t wait to see their reactions to your crazy shirts.”
 
“I don’t know that I can be like that again, Tim,” Greg sighed. “There’s a part of me that just screams wild child but more and more it’s being overruled by the part that says to keep my head down and stay as hidden as possible.”
 
Speed tilted Greg’s head up for a soft kiss. “It’ll vanish as you get used to Miami,” he said. “Trust me.”
 
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Greg said. He shifted and rolled so that Speed was under him and grinned down. “I just wish Horatio was home.”
 
“I’m sure he’s having fun terrorizing everyone in Vegas,” Speed said as he ran his hands up under Greg’s shirt, mindful of the bandages. “There’s a good reason we tell people not to piss off the red head.”
 
“But a pissed off Horatio is so hot,” Greg said.
 
“Do you want everyone to know that?” Speed asked.
 
“Nope,” Greg replied. He leaned down and caught Speed’s mouth just as it opened for a reply and took advantage of the open invitation to slide his tongue in for a taste of his lover.
 
“We could go inside and call Horatio,” Speed panted. “He might not have packed up your computer yet. We could turn on the web cams and have some fun.”
 
Is Speed hadn’t been so concerned about his lover’s mood swings and mental attitude he would have been insulted at how fast Greg popped up and headed into the house and the phones. Instead he just chuckled, picked up his cell phone from the deck under the chair and followed Greg inside. One day soon Speed was going to convince his lovers that sex on the deck, or the beach, was a good idea.
********************
 
Horatio was just about to start working on unhooking and packing Greg’s desk top when his cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and flipped it open without checking the display first. “Horatio.”
 
“H, tell me the computer is still hooked up and able to run,” Greg said breathlessly.
 
“I was reaching for the first cable when you called,” Horatio said. “What’s Speed doing, Greg?”
 
“He’s got me on the bed doing something, oh lord, wicked with his tongue,” Greg panted. “We thought you might like to sync the web cams and play for a while before you finish what you’re doing there.”
 
“I think that’s a good idea,” Horatio said. He could feel the blood rushing to his cock and shifted a little. “Will you be able to last until I get online, Greg?”
 
“Probably,” Greg moaned. “Tim, slow down, H is getting ready to join us. We’ve already got our end hooked up and ready to go.”
 
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Horatio said. He cursed silently as the computer took what seemed like forever to boot and then the three tries it took to get the web cam operational. But finally Horatio was rewarded with the sight of his two lovers on their bed in the master bedroom at Horatio’s house. Greg was on his back, legs and arms spread with Speed kneeling next to his left hip, tongue and lips dancing over Greg’s stomach.
 
“Greg, how’s your back?” Horatio asked.
 
“Tim put extra padding on it,” Greg replied. He thrust his hips up trying for more friction. “I wish you were here, Horatio. I can’t wait to have both of you in bed with me again.”
 
Horatio sighed and settled back in the desk chair. “So what are you guys planning to do for me?” he asked.
 
“You want us to perform?” Speed asked.
 
“Why not?” Horatio ran a hand up under his t-shirt and let a finger slowly circle his hardening nipples. “Seeing as I can’t touch either of you, which is hardly fair by the way, I think that it’s only right that you put on a little show for me.”
 
Speed looked directly at the camera for a moment and then down at Greg. “He wants us to perform,” he said in a tone he normally reserved for the lab when someone asked him a stupid question. “I didn’t think he was that kinky.”
 
“You haven’t looked in the toy drawer recently, have you?” Greg snickered.
 
“Do I want to know?” Speed asked.
 
“Probably not now,” Horatio replied. “So Greg, why don’t you get Speed on his back and slowly work down his body. See how many of his hot spots you can find as you work down his neck and chest, slowly.”
 
Greg glanced at the computer and winked, knowing only Horatio would be able to see it. He’d never had a chance to fill Tim in on exactly how good Horatio was at talking dirty and wondered if the other man had had a chance to learn it himself.
 
Horatio smiled and undid his jeans, letting his erection out into the moderate cool of the night. He focused on the sight of his lovers on the bed and leaned back in the chair. “I wish I was there with you both,” he started. “On the other side of you, Tim, joining Greg as he kisses and licks down your body. Hitting all your hot spots, lingering on them just long enough to drive you crazy without causing you pain. To be able to taste your skin, the salt tang of it as Greg and I slowly drive you higher and higher, not letting you climax, backing off any time the pleasure gets to be too intense, giving you a chance to cool down before we start up again.”
 
Speed moaned and only just managed to focus on the web cam. “When did you get so good at that?” he asked, one hand tangling in Greg’s wild hair while the other tried to wrap around his erection.
 
“Greg, get his hand,” Horatio cautioned. “Very naughty, Tim. We’ll have to restrain you when I get home. Tie you to the headboard and work your body slowly, much more slowly than Greg is right now. Take his cock in your mouth, Greg, and suck it gently. Don’t let his hips move yet. Don’t you just love the feel of his mouth on you, Tim? Greg is so good at this; his mouth is so hot and wet. You look so good spread out like that for me. Did you remember the lube?”
 
The youngest of their group held it up in his left hand without breaking the rhythm he had established for sucking on Speed. Horatio bit back a laugh but made an approving sound in his throat. “Very good, Greg. Start getting Speed ready for you.”
 
Speed bit back a choked moan as Greg’s slick fingers slid into him. “Greg,” he managed.
 
“Yeah?” Greg asked leaning in.
 
All Horatio could hear was some whispering that sounded much too coherent for what his younger lovers had been doing a moment ago. And he knew he was in trouble when two pairs of deep brown eyes gazed into the camera.
 
Speed shifted around so he was lying at a 90 degree angle to the camera. He pulled his legs up, braced his feet on the mattress and tilted his hips as best he could. Greg slicked the lube over his erection and leaned forward to kiss Speed as he pushed forward, slowly sinking into Tim’s body. Horatio moaned as he watched his lovers come together so perfectly and wrapped his hand around his now aching erection as Greg started to move. He wished he was there in the bed with his lovers, able to feel them as they moved together so perfectly. Horatio’s hand slowly sped up as he watched Speed’s hips start to move in a counterpoint to Greg’s thrusts.
 
Greg froze and came with a cry, his head thrown back, eyes shut as he thrust into Speed’s body. Tim finally managed to wrap a hand around his erection and stroked as fast as he could until he climaxed as well. Greg fell forward onto Speed’s chest and leaned in for a kiss.
 
The sound of a loud thud and some cursing drew their attention to the computer. “Horatio?” Greg asked.
 
“Damn desk chair,” Horatio’s voice came up from the floor.

After Horatio picked himself up off the floor and glared down his snickering lovers he settled back at the desk with as much dignity as he had left. “Nick stopped by earlier tonight, Greg,” he said. “And he wasn’t all that happy when he learned that we were in a relationship.”
 
“What happened?” Greg asked from his position curled up next to Speed on their bed.
 
“I told him to think about what he’d learned and basically kicked him out of here,” Horatio replied. “I’m almost done packing your things, Greg, and should be home by this time tomorrow.”
 
“I’m taking him to the lab tomorrow to finish his paperwork and we’ll get him set up in the DNA lab,” Speed said. “And introduce him to Alexx.”
 
Horatio smiled. “I wanted to be there for that,” he said. “Because I know she’ll adopt him on sight.”
 
“I already warned him about that,” Speed said kissing Greg’s neck softly. “I think he’ll fit in well with the rest of us.”
 
“Take care of each other for me, please,” Horatio said. “And I’ll see you tomorrow. I love both of you.”
 
“We love you too, H,” the two younger men chorused.
********************
 
Gil sat at the head of the table and looked at his team. Catherine, Sara and Warrick looked puzzled and Nick looked guilty. “We’ve lost a valuable member of this team,” Gil said. “And I want to know why.”
 
“What are you talking about, Gil?” Catherine asked.
 
“Greg Sanders has resigned and left Vegas,” Gil replied. “Citing among other reasons that he no longer feels that his coworkers take him seriously and the lab has become uncomfortable for him.”
 
“How can anyone take Greg seriously when he runs around in those goofy shirts playing that stupid music and acting like a goofy kid?” Sara asked.
 
“Not to mention butting into cases where he doesn’t belong,” Catherine added.
 
“Greg was hoping to shift to the field,” Gil said seriously. “He asked me not to tell anyone about it until it was official because he didn’t want anyone giving him hints or clues. He wanted to do it on his own and I respected that because all he wanted to do was expand his view and help others.”
 
“How did you find out about all this anyway, Gil?” Catherine asked. “I haven’t seen Greg all night or for the past week or so.”
 
“Lieutenant Horatio Caine brought the letter in when he came to collect Greg’s belongings,” Gil said.
 
“What’s Lieutenant Caine doing messed up in all this?” Warrick asked obviously puzzled. He glanced over at Nick. “And you’re awful quiet over there, Nicky. Did Greg ever mention anything to you about wanting to leave the lab?”
 
Nick shook his head. “Greg and I haven’t been talking much lately,” he said. “Gil, can I talk with you alone for a minute, please?”
 
“Sure, Nick,” Gil said. He picked up the folders he’d been reading while waiting for his team and walked down the hall towards his office. He wasn’t as blind to the goings on in his lab as people thought he was but the events of the past couple of days had blindsided him.
 
Gil heard the door shut behind Nick as he was putting the files away. “What’s on your mind, Nick?”
 
“I think most of this is my fault, Gil, and I don’t know what I can do to make it right at this late date,” Nick said as he sank into a chair. “I was joking around with Catherine and called Greg a CSI wanna-be and that CSI from Miami, Speedle, overheard me. He told Greg and, even once I apologized, things just weren’t the same between the two of us. I went to Greg’s tonight on my lunch break and talked with Lieutenant Caine and learned some things I don’t know how to work into my world view.”
 
“What do you want me to do to help you, Nick?” Gil asked.
 
“I just wanted to let you know the answer to your question,” Nick replied. “Greg leaving the lab is my fault.”
 
“If you were just joking around, Nick, why didn’t you tell Greg that?” Gil said. “And apologize for your words.”
 
“I did but things just weren’t the same between us after that,” Nick sighed. “And then I guess Catherine used the nickname for Greg around someone else and it just spread through the lab. Then suddenly no one was willing to take him seriously no matter what he was talking about and there was the explosion and I don’t know what happened. Caine told me that Greg went out to Miami almost as soon as he was out of the hospital.”
 
“Greg was shaken by the explosion,” Gil said. “Did you go to see him in the hospital, Nick?”
 
“No,” Nick said. “I don’t think anyone from the lab did other than Catherine and Warrick when they were questioning him about what happened. I just feel like if I could talk with Greg one more time I could make it all better.”
 
“Or it could all be made worse,” Gil said. “From the contents of the letter Lieutenant Caine brought to me tonight Greg has actually moved to Miami although I don’t know if he’ll be working there or not. What does the evidence tell you, Nick?”
 
Nick sighed. “The evidence doesn’t always work when you’re dealing with people, Gris,” he said. “And I don’t know how I could convince Greg to listen to me.”
 
“That’s for you to work out, Nick,” Gil said. “But I will say if this team is going to rebuild and learn to trust each other again we’re all going to have to mind our words and think about what we say.”
 
“Sound advice, Dr. Grissom,” Horatio said from the doorway. “But if a team is built on trust and family values from the start then problems should be easier to resolve. Greg wanted you to have this.”
 
He handed over a framed picture of the night shift. “And I’ll say good-bye to you both,” Horatio said. “Learn from your past mistakes, Nick, but don’t let them consume you.”
********************
 
It didn’t take long for Greg to get his paperwork done, have his picture taken and have a lab coat issued to him. Speed stayed with him for the whole thing and then took him around the lab, introducing him to everyone and getting him a locker. The last stop on their journey was the morgue and Alexx Woods.
 
“Alexx,” Speed called as he pushed the door open. “Hey Alexx, are you here?”
 
“Tim? Are you okay?” Alexx asked as she came out of her office. “Who’s this?”
 
“This is Greg Sanders, our new DNA analyst,” Speed said with a grin. “And he’s part of Horatio and my family too.”
 
Alexx smiled and came forward. “You look like you need a good meal and some rest, sugar,” she said as she tilted Greg’s head to the side. “And maybe a week resting on the beach. Timmy, what have you been doing to him?”
 
“Nothing I’ll admit to here,” Speed said with a snort. “His old lab exploded with him in it, Alexx. Greg went through a window and spent some time in the hospital.”
 
“And no one took care of you after that, baby?” Alexx asked. “You come with me and we’ll get you some good food and let you rest for a little bit before you get back to work.”
 
Greg was a little overwhelmed. “I’m fine, really,” he said. “You don’t need to do anything special.”
 
“I wouldn’t argue with her, Greg,” Horatio said from the door. “I really wouldn’t. And as it will take until tomorrow to have your paperwork and the like processed you can’t actually work today.”
 
“Horatio Caine how could you let something like this happen to such a sweet boy?” Alexx asked.
 
“I’ve done my best to help him out, Alexx,” Horatio said. “But I did bring a lunch I think ever you would agree is healthy and nourishing. It’s in the break room, that is if Eric and Calleigh haven’t eaten everything.”
 
“Like I’m going to let that happen,” Speed said. He hurried out the door towards the break room. Horatio chuckled and looked over at Greg.
 
“He and Eric have a running competition going,” he said. “Come on, Greg, you’re looking a little overwhelmed with everything. Do you want to go home?”
 
“Can I stay here and talk with Alexx for a while?” Greg asked.
 
“Sugar, I’d love it,” Alexx replied with a smile. “You can tell me about anything you want to.”
********************
 
When Horatio got up to his office he found Speed there waiting for him with two plates of food. “I didn’t think Alexx was going to take to Greg like that,” Speed said. “I hope he’s not scared off.”
 
“I think that it’ll take some time and love, but Greg will heal here in Miami,” Horatio replied. “And Alexx will be one of the best to help him do that. You know better than I how she mothers everyone on the shift and never tells anyone anything she’s been told.”
 
“So what happened out in Vegas?” Speed asked.
 
“Nick feels sorry for what he did but still doesn’t know how to fix it,” Horatio said. “I don’t know if we’ll see him or not.”
 
“I won’t be heartbroken if we never do,” Speed said.
 
“There are wounds that only time can heal and those that people must aid,” Horatio sighed. “And I think that Greg suffers from the both. We have to love him, Tim. That’s the best thing we can do right now.”

“Now, what did you want to talk to me about, sugar?” Alexx asked once she and Greg were alone.
 
“I’m just a little overwhelmed and H and Speed are so positive I’ll fit in,” Greg replied. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just a little too sensitive to things now.”
 
“Greg, honey, I don’t know much about you but I can see that you’re just like Horatio in a lot of ways,” Alexx said. “So I’ll tell you the same thing I told Timmy when he came here and was nervous. Get to know everyone at work and then broaden your horizons to friendship with them away from work if you can. Calleigh and Eric are both very friendly and care deeply about the people they work with. This team is a family and we really do take care of each other.”
 
“I had a couple bad things happen at my lab back in Vegas,” Greg admitted. “And it probably was because I do tend to feel things deeply and I probably over-reacted to a very simple comment but it did hurt.”
 
“Do you want to tell me about it?” Alexx asked. “You might feel better and having a fresh perspective on things never hurt anyone.”
 
Greg grinned, he liked Alexx. “Why not,” he said. “And it’ll give me something to do until the others are ready to go home.”
 
“I’m going to have a talk with Horatio about making sure you eat, sugar,” Alexx said. “You need to put on about ten pounds.”
 
“Yeah, I haven’t been eating well because of all the stress at my old lab,” Greg sighed. “I’ll probably do better now that I’m here and you’ll be telling me that I need to lose weight.”
 
“I’ll hold you to that,” Alexx said with a warm smile.
********************
 
“So did you have fun talking with Alexx?” Speed asked as the three men drove home that evening.
 
“Yeah, I really did,” Greg replied. “You were right, she’s a mother hen.”
 
“Alexx called me not long after you left the morgue,” Horatio commented.
 
“She told me she was going to do that,” Greg said. “She’s worried about my weight. I told her that I’m sure I’ll be putting on weight now that I’m here with you two.”
 
Horatio smiled. “We’ll have to see,” he said. “But I think a couple weeks of Tim’s cooking will put closer to fifteen pounds on you.”
 
“Hey H, pull off here,” Speed said. “Greg and I have a surprise for you but we need to get out of sight first.”
 
“What are you two thinking about now?” Horatio asked.
 
“There’s an abandoned building that we can park the Hummer in and we don’t have to worry about anyone seeing it or us,” Speed replied with a smirk. “And then we’re going to talk about putting the back seat down and seeing how easily the three of us can fit in the back.”
 
The red head groaned at the images that started to run through his head. He had never even thought about trying to make love in the Hummer before and wasn’t sure what would happen as they hadn’t used condoms in a while and the thought of anyone going through the Hummer with an ALS sent chills down his spine. Speed caught his expression. “We brought protection, H,” he said.
 
“For us or the Hummer?” Horatio asked.
 
Greg glanced over at Speed. “Who does he love more, us or the Hummer?”
 
“I don’t know that I’d want to try and figure that out,” Speed replied. “Come here, Greg.”
 
“What are you thinking about?” Greg asked. He slid across the back seat and pressed up against his lover. Greg wrapped his arms around Speed’s neck and nuzzled his neck softly.
 
“We might as well get started and Horatio can join us whenever we get to the warehouse,” Speed replied. He pushed against Greg’s shoulders until they were lying across the back seat and claimed his lover’s mouth in a deep kiss. Horatio groaned at the noises that were coming from behind him and wanted to swear because he couldn’t see his lovers and wanted to badly. He knew the place Speed had chosen for their experiment and debated driving faster to get there.
 
Out of view Speed and Greg were locked together as they struggled to get their shirts off. Speed was wearing a dress shirt so the buttons were relatively easy to get open but Greg’s t-shirt was another matter. Finally Speed pulled back just long enough to push Greg’s shirt off and then dove in again, this time latching onto one of Greg’s nipples, pulling a deep moan from his slightly younger lover. Greg’s fingers ran through Speed’s black hair, messing it up while trying to hold him in place at the same time.
 
Darkness fell inside the Hummer as Horatio pulled into the warehouse and drove into the darkest corner he could see. Then he killed the engine and turned in his seat quickly, keen blue eyes searching out any glimpse he could catch of his lovers. He could see Greg’s paler skin as a shadow but that was all.
 
“Is there a problem, Horatio?” Speed asked in response to the low growl from the front seat.
 
“I can’t see either of you,” Horatio replied.
 
“Did you take your sunglasses off?” Greg teased.
 
“Of course I did,” Horatio said. “Out, both of you.”
 
The three lovers got out of the Hummer, the younger two stood wrapped around each other while Horatio set things up inside. Horatio still wasn’t too sure about how they were all going to be able to fit in the back, let alone move enough to do anything, but he was growing more willing to try the more he saw Speed and Greg together.  And seeing that his younger lovers were almost totally involved with each other, Horatio slipped off his suit jacket and shirt, placing them carefully in the front seat of the Hummer. He then climbed into the rear section and slid off his shoes, socks and pants, leaving him in just his boxers and feeling more than a little self-conscious. “Tim,” he said.
 
Speed managed to pull away from Greg long enough to see that Horatio was already undressed and in the back of the Hummer. “When did you strip?” he asked, puzzled.
 
“Just about the time Greg had his hands down your jeans,” Horatio replied dryly. “Are you going to join me and explain exactly how this is going to work out?”
 
Greg climbed in next to Horatio, pushed him down and straddled his hips. “We’re just going to have fun,” he said leaning down to kiss Horatio.
 
Speed stripped down to his own boxers and put his clothes in the front seat with Horatio’s before joining his lovers in the back, shutting the door behind him. He looked over at his two lovers moving together, Greg having shifted down so he was lying full length along Horatio and decided that if they did this again it would have to be somewhere with more light so they would all be able to see each other. With a soft snort Tim leaned in to try and undo Greg’s jeans and slide them off so they were all more or less naked and then they could get to the fun.
 
He and Greg had talked about how they wanted to take Horatio in the Hummer and how they could best go about it but now that they were there it seemed like it would harder than they had originally thought. Even if all three of them were on their sides pressed together there wouldn’t be enough room for them to really move; and they did tend to get a little active in bed. The worst part about it was the side panels where the rear wheels sat. Tim knew that if any of them touched it with the wrong part of their body things would be over very quickly.
 
“Now explain how we’re going to do this,” Horatio said as Greg kissed down his neck towards this chest.
 
“Very carefully,” Speed replied. “Roll up on your side, H.”
 
“Easier said than done,” Horatio grinned. He grabbed Greg’s hips and bucked a little, rolling them both onto their sides. Greg kept rolling and grumbled when he bumped into Speed’s knee.
 
“We should’ve measured back here first,” Speed commented. “Greg, do you want front or back?”
 
“Back,” Greg grinned. He kissed Speed and clamored over Horatio’s body. Together the two younger men got Horatio’s boxers off, and their own, and settled in as best they could with their lover. They kissed over him for a minute, running their hands along his body as best they could before breaking apart and focusing on him.
 
Greg produced the lube from somewhere and squeezed some onto his left hand before handing it over to Speed. He slicked two fingers and slid them carefully into Horatio’s relaxed body. Horatio moaned as long talented fingers started to stretch him carefully. Speed took Horatio’s hand and poured lube into the palm of his left before rolling onto his side to encourage Horatio to start stretching him as well. Horatio grinned and carefully pushed two fingers into Speed’s body. Horatio moaned softly when Greg’s mouth attached to his neck and started sucking gently as he added a third finger. The red head added a little more lube and slid three fingers into Speed as well, wanting them all to be ready at the same time.
 
“Is he ready?” Greg asked, breath ghosting over Horatio’s still wet skin, sending shivers through his body.
 
“Tim?”
 
“I’m ready,” Speed replied, panting a little. He braced his hands against the side panel as Horatio slowly slid into his body. Once Horatio was plastered up against Speed’s back, Greg pushed into Horatio’s body and they all lay there for a moment, enjoying the sensation of being joined. Greg finally gave in and pulled back, thrusting forward, nudging Horatio a little deeper into Speed’s body. Speed cried out and pushed back against Horatio trying to get him to move. Horatio grinned and pulled back the same time Greg did and paused when Greg thrust forward, wanting a counter-rhythm to what his youngest lover was using.
 
It took a couple of moves but they finally fell into a more familiar pattern of movement, Greg thrusting forward as Horatio pulled back and then Horatio moving forward as Greg pulled back. Speed kept his hands against the cool plastic barrier in front of him, not wanting the tip of his cock to come into contact with it. He cried out as Horatio’s slick hand wrapped around his erection and started stroking it. Horatio leaned in and kissed Speed’s neck softly, biting down a little as his climax started. Speed moaned at the heat flooding him and came as well. Greg grabbed onto Horatio’s hips to hold him in place and kept moving. He finally moaned as he came too.
 
Horatio was the first to stir. “Who came up with this idea?” he asked kissing Speed’s neck gently.
 
“We both did,” Speed replied sleepily.
 
Greg managed to push himself up on an elbow and leaned in to kiss Horatio. “Don’t tell us you didn’t like it,” he said.
 
“I did, but I can feel my legs cramping,” Horatio said. “Not to mention we still have to drive home.”
 
“And we can do it all over again once we’re there,” Speed said. “You drive, H. I’m going to sleep.”

 

**Three Months Later**

Nick stood under a palm tree and watched the scene in front of him. Greg was sitting at a picnic table near the Miami Dade Crime Lab eating lunch with a dark-haired man. Nick smiled when he saw the crazy shirt that Greg was wearing along with jeans and sneakers. He wondered if Greg was back to the more outlandish “wild child” he had been before the explosion at the Vegas lab. Nick knew he’d have to go over and talk with Greg sooner or later but he really wanted to get the lay of the land first. And to do that he had to observe.
********************
 
Horatio was in court all day but it didn’t stop Speed and Greg from meeting for lunch just like the lovers did every day they possibly could. If the weather was good they would eat outside. If it was bad then they either ate in the break room or Horatio’s office if they wanted to be more alone. The younger men had debated going to the court house with lunch for Horatio but Speed had called Frank – who was also testifying in the case – and learned Horatio was still on the stand. So Speed had gone to find Greg and they went outside to enjoy the sun.
 
Greg had taken to Miami, and the day shift, like a fish to water, almost literally at times as he had started surfing again. It had taken some time but he’d finally started to open up, wear his crazy clothes and play music while he was working.
 
Both Calleigh and Alexx had taken Greg under their wing; Alex as a son and Calleigh as a brother, and word was out that they’d hurt anyone who even thought about messing with Greg. And as he slowly told them about the things that had happened in Vegas only Horatio was able to keep them from flying west and slapping everyone.
 
The mental picture of Calleigh and Alexx cowing the entire night shift in Vegas had left Greg in tears he’d laughed so hard. And that really was the turning point for Greg. He’d morphed back into the more outgoing man Speed and Horatio had both fallen in love with.
 
Greg and Speed were talking about the latest forensic journal, and Horatio’s article in it, when Greg suddenly paused, his eyes locked on something across the street.
 
“What’s wrong, Greg?” Speed asked.
 
“Nick’s across the street,” Greg replied. He started to grin. “Make that Nick’s across the street with Alexx and Calleigh walking towards him.”
 
“You’re kidding.”
 
“Nope.”
 
Speed stood and quickly joined his lover on the other bench. “Where’s a video camera when I need it?” he asked.
********************
 
Nick really didn’t know what to make of the situation when he realized Greg had spotted him. Then he got really confused when Greg looked like he was about to laugh and then his lunch companion, who turned out to be Tim Speedle, suddenly moved from one bench to the other so they were both facing him.
 
“Excuse me, but are you Nick Stokes?” a female voice with a soft southern accent asked from behind him.
 
Nick turned and found two women standing on the sidewalk just off to his left and slightly behind him. “Yes ma’am,” he said.
 
“I’m Calleigh Duquesne, one of the day shift CSIs and this is Dr. Alexx Woods our ME,” the blond said. “May I assume for a moment that you’re here to talk with Greg?”
 
“Yes ma’am, I’m hoping to,” Nick said with a smile. “But I don’t know if he’s going to want to talk with me. I guess I’m just trying to work up my courage to go over and say hi to him.”
 
“May I give you a small piece of advice,” Calleigh asked.
 
“Please,” Nick replied. “At this point anything will help.”
 
Alexx put her hand on Nick’s arm with a smile. “If you hurt Greg again, Mr. Stokes, they won’t find your body,” she said.
********************
 
Speed almost started laughing when he saw the look on Nick’s face just after Alexx leaned in to talk to him. “Oh, momma Alexx just delivered her smack-down in her sweetest voice,” he said.
 
“I haven’t heard that one yet,” Greg replied. “I dunno, Speed, I guess I do feel a little bad for Nick. I mean he did come out here to talk with me, that’s gotta mean something doesn’t it? I seriously doubt that he came out here to try and hurt me again.”
 
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Speed said. “Do you think we should go over there and save him from your guardian angles? He can have Horatio’s sandwich.”
 
Greg nodded and stood up. He checked the driveway and jogged across the street. “Hey Cal, Alexx, its okay guys,” he said. “I’ll come talk with you later, okay?”
 
“Are you sure, sugar?” Alexx asked.
 
“Yeah,” Greg replied with a smile. “It’ll all be okay.”
 
Nick waited until he was alone with his friend. “Wow, what’d you do to get those two on your side?” he asked more than a little stunned.
 
“Just talked with them,” Greg replied. “Come on, Nick, Tim says there’s a spare sandwich if you’re hungry. We’ve still got half an hour left on our lunch break.”
 
“I’d really like to talk with you alone,” Nick said as he followed Greg towards the picnic table.
 
“That isn’t going to happen,” Speed said. “You need to understand a couple of things, Mr. Stokes. The first is that Greg is part of our family and we look after our own very closely. The second is that if you say anything that upsets Greg or me you’re not going to be welcome back here ever again.”
 
“Okay, now hold on a second, I’m confused,” Nick said. “Lieutenant Caine told me that he and Greg had been dating for a while and that’s why he was there to pack up Greg’s things. But why are you so protective of Greg, Speedle?”
 
Speed glanced over at Greg who nodded. “There’s something that we keep hidden from most people,” Speed said. “And that’s the simple fact that Greg and I were dating before Horatio came into the picture.”
 
Nick glanced between the two men and noticed how close they were sitting. “Oh man,” he said. “Greg, what in the world?”
 
“You can’t choose who you love,” Greg said. “And if you’re going to start judging me on this, Nick, then you’re a little late and I’m just going to turn you over to Calleigh and tell her that you hurt me again.”
 
“A little harsh don’t you think?” Speed asked.
 
“I could send him to Alexx,” Greg replied.
 
“Good point.”
 
Nick really felt like he was missing out on an inside joke. He didn’t know how to fit the idea of Greg sleeping with two men into his world view. Then he blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. He really didn’t need that visual popping into his head.
 
Speed snickered. “Are you okay, Mr. Stokes?”
 
“I just saw something I really didn’t need to,” Nick replied.
 
“What?” Greg asked.
 
“You three twisted up together on the bed,” Nick said.
 
Greg and Speed glanced at each other and then back at Nick. “With or without handcuffs?” Greg asked. 
 
Speed snickered as Nick started sputtering. “I guess that was a little too much for him,” he said.
 
“Look, Greg,” Nick said. “I really just wanted to come here and tell you how sorry I was for everything. I shouldn’t have been running my mouth like I did but it seems like everything has been working out for you. I miss you at the lab but I can’t really feel bad when I see how happy you are here. I haven’t seen you like this in a long time, Greg.”
 
“Is the lab as bad as I remember it?” Greg asked.
 
“Worse,” Nick replied. “You got out of there just in time, Greg. I don’t know what’s going on.”
 
“I’m happy here,” Greg said with a smile at Speed.
 
“Gentlemen.”
 
“H,” Speed said, “Frank said you were going to be on the stand until the middle of the afternoon if not later.”
 
The red head sat down next to Greg and leaned in to grab a sandwich from the cooler on the table. “The defense finally caved and asked for a plea,” he said. “I’d like to think it was based on my evidence but I can’t be sure. So, Mr. Stokes, what brings you to my city?”
 
“Your city?” Nick asked.
 
“His,” Speed and Greg chorused.
 
“I came to apologize to Greg,” Nick said. “I can tell how happy he is here. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what you told me, lieutenant, and I wanted to apologize to you as well. My reaction was based on faulty information and biases that I’ve been considering ever since.”
 
“It always pleases me to know that people are thinking,” Horatio said with a small smile. “Greg?”
 
“He’s telling me the truth,” Greg commented with a smile. “I think I’m picking up your talents, Horatio.”
 
“I didn’t need that image either,” Nick said rubbing his eyes again.
 
“Tim?” Horatio asked.
 
“We told him,” Speed replied.
 
“Yeah, and he’s been getting visuals ever since,” Greg added with an evil grin.
 
Horatio leaned in. “Has he come up with the three of us in the living room with the Twister mat, the olive oil, the black leather cuffs and the cock rings?”
 
The lovers looked over at the sudden sputtering. Greg hit Nick on the back a few times. “I guess we shouldn’t talk about our sex life around Nicky,” he said.
 
“And we probably shouldn’t tease when he came to Miami with the best of intentions,” Horatio added. “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your beliefs and be willing to reconsider and rethink them for a friend. I thank you for that, Mr. Stokes. Gentlemen, I have to get back inside. Are we still on for tonight?”
 
“We sure are,” Greg said with a grin. “I made sure to get the whipped cream and chocolate sauce.”
 
“And the sprinkles?” Speed asked.
 
“We’re kidding, Nicky,” Greg said.
 
Horatio snickered, put the wrapper of his sandwich back in the cooler and walked off towards the lab. Speed and Greg glanced at each other and watched Horatio. “I wish he wouldn’t wear the jacket with that suit,” Speed commented.
 
“No kidding,” Greg agreed.
 
“Uh, guys,” Nick said.
 
“Sorry,” Greg said.
 
Speed started cleaning up their lunch. “How long are you in town for, Mr. Stokes?”
 
“A couple days,” Nick said. “I’ve never been to Miami before so I thought I’d take in some of the clubs and just relax for a while. I wasn’t kidding when the lab is getting pretty bad.”
 
“What do you think, Tim, should we take him around?” Greg asked.
 
“Uh, no offense Greg, but I don’t think we’d be going to the same clubs,” Nick said.
 
“Hey, just because we’re gay doesn’t mean that we can’t do some of the clubs that’ll be fun for you,” Speed said.
 
“Yeah, we can take you to the hottest clubs in town,”
Greg said. “And I totally promise we’ll behave ourselves the whole time too.”
********************

**Two days later**
 
Horatio was on the bed when Greg and Speed got home from taking Nick to the airport. He was glad that his young lovers had come to an understanding with Nick and all seemed to be getting along. It was especially good news because now he wouldn’t have to stop Calleigh and Alexx killing the young Vegas CSI and hiding his body because he hurt Greg.
 
“Hey,” Greg said from the door to the bedroom, “I thought you were going to be at the lab all day.”
 
“I came home early,” Horatio replied. “I can read paperwork just as well here and I can there and this is a lot easier on my back. Did you and Tim get Nick to the airport okay?”
 
“Yeah,” Greg said. He pulled off his shirt and climbed onto the bed with his older lover. “I’m really glad he came out to see me, Horatio.” He snuggled up with a sigh.
 
“I am too,” Horatio said. He set the folder down on the bed next to him and wrapped his arm around Greg. He pressed a kiss to the messy hair. “Where’s Tim?”
 
“Right here,” Speed said. He held up a couple of things. “And I brought the chocolate syrup.”

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