Continued from here. @resolutevalor
Horatio gave her a warm smile when she apologized to him, not believing there was any need for it. Sure, she went out to a bar with her friends, with the intention of enjoying herself to the fullest, but there wasnât anything wrong with that. She was allowed to have fun, she was allowed to enjoy herself, so long as she remembered to take care of herself, too, and not drive, but she knew that already and she was capable of taking care of herself. Fully. She was also in good hands, surrounded other responsible adults. Rooster, especially.
Although he wasnât the one to bring her home. It was Hangman, much to Horatioâs surprise. But not his dismay. Heâs grown to like Jake after getting to know him a little more, his respect for the other pilot growing, though his arrogance and over confidence was still something that desired work. Or less of it, rather, and Horatio admittedly enjoyed the fact - maybe a little too much - that Hangman was sometimes intimidated by the Lieutenant. Phoe seemed to get a kick out of it, too, especially since there wasnât a lot that could scare or intimidate the arrogant pilot. But the Lieutenant was one of them. He could humble the younger pilot real quick.
However, he was gone by the time Horatio arrived and that was likely due to Phoeâs insistence.
And when she insisted he didnât have to watch this, Horatio remained. He wasnât going to leave. âIâm not going anywhere. Alright?â He reassured her, not at all disgusted about the scene in front of him if thatâs what she was worried about. It wasnât like he hadnât seen someone vomit before. Hell, heâs seen much worse, so it didnât bother him in the slightest. He did, however, move briefly to fetch a wet wash cloth to dab at her forehead with, wiping the sweat and even some of the vomit from her mouth. Her comment about the clams and nerves had him grinning just a little, appreciating that she still retained her sense of humor even while this sick. âNo, it doesnât sound like it, does it?â He chuckled, pulling his hand back when she turned back to the toilet, retching some more.
He hated seeing her like this. Hated the misery she was in, but he knew sheâd start to feel better as soon as it was all out of her system. Then came another apology, though she didnât outright say those words, but she could hear it in her voice. âTonight is special in its own way, I think.â He responded, offering his own humor in an attempt to make her smile, even if just a little, but then his expression became soft again, his hand still rubbing her back. âSometimes things donât happen the way we want them to, and thatâs okay. Just having you here is whatâs important to me.â Whether they had a romantic dinner or not, he didnât care. He just wanted her with him, and her being sick didnât ruin that, he just hated this for her.
When it seemed like she was done, Horatio wiped at her mouth again then reached up to rinse out the rag before wiping her forehead again, then held it there. âSweetheart, I donât want you to worry about my day, okay?â He said, in part because the case was a little rough today and he didnât want to concern her with the details. But more importantly, he just wanted to focus on her. âDo you want to try heading into the bedroom? Or stay here a little longer?â