A/n: Hello everyone. Lots of love and appreciation to all my supporters. Also, I am starting a new series on request of one shots like this but of Chris and Dwayne when they first started working together. Also on request, trying my hand at a Chris/Sebastian fic. So, if anyone's interested, keep an eye out.

This was supposed to be day 6 and 7 but day 6 was waaay too long and I hated having you all wait so long. Day 7 should hopefully be up soonish.

Disclaimer: I only own like an OC.

Day 6

A light drizzle in the dark hours of the morning slowly turned into a gentle shower. The slight breeze was cool and saturated. The dark of the sky refused to give way to the morning light that would be dawning soon. A lone figure sat out in the elements in the middle of the back courtyard of the office.

His hands rested on his knees while he sat crossed-legged. His head was tipped back so the cold water just flowed down him. Rain could be bothersome and was usually a reminder of horrible times, a reminder of the storms. Though now, those memories had been replaced by better ones. The natural showers now filled him with a sense of joy that he never wanted to leave.

"Chris, Ah didn' let you sleep over jus' to let you catch a cold." Chris snorted in the rain as he twisted slightly so that he was gazing back at Dwayne. He smiled brightly, blinking the water out of his eyes. He spotted his sleepy-looking love leaning against the kitchen door frame. The older man was blinking back sleep as his hair stood up in slumber-induced cowlicks.

Chris could not help the soft laugh that excaped him. The older man was adorable looking, making the younger one's heart flutter. He watched Dwayne shake his head in disbelief. The older man's worry about his health was heartening, the love he felt coming from Dwayne was almost overwhelming.

"A lil' shower ain't hurt nobody." Chris uncrossed his legs and leaned back on his hands as he let his head drop back, watching Dwayne struggle to stay awake with an upside down view. It was near three-thirty on a saturday morning, the older man did not usually get up for a few more hours. Chris felt a bit bad about waking him but the feeling was minor once he saw how sweet the other man looked, "Rain's nice an' light, jus' enjoyin' myself. Ah'll be in in a bit, ya jus' go back ta bed." Dwayne looked at him incredulously when hearing this but nodded slightly. He smiled softly and scrubbed a hand over his face. He looked his companion over, making sure he was not getting too much rain.

"You want me to make you somethin' warm to drink before Ah go?"

"Really? That'd be great. Ah could go fer some nice hot tea 'bout now." Chris laid back on the hard floor as he watched Dwayne. The man moved like a zombie but made the tea without an issue. Chris could not help but find him fascinating. The other man just played such a large part in his wonderful life.

Chris smiled and closed his eyes, hands folded behind his head. His eyes slipped closed, enjoying how his soaked clothes clung to him. He began to hum softly, foot bobbing to whatever tune popped into his head. Only the shivers beginning to quake his body made him begin to think about heading inside. A shudder passed through him as he yawned loudly, convincing him to head inside.

With a soft grunt, he forced himself to sit up. He smiled dumbly and climbed to his feet. He wrung his shirt out as he began to walk towards the kitchen. When he finally looked up, his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.

There were two huge towels folded on the corner of the table. Beside them sat some of Dwayne's running sweats. The love-filled gesture was completed by the two mugs of steaming tea sitting next to where Dwayne leaned against the table in slumber. He was slouched in a chair, head pillowed on folded arms atop the table.

Love swelled in Chris' chest at the sight. He sighed happily as he closed the door. He moved to the table, taking a sip of tea before stripping down to his boxers. He shuddered in the cold slightly as he grabbed a towel and began to dry off. He drank a bit more tea as he wrapped the towel around his waist and stripped down completely out of his wet clothes. He took the second towel and finished drying off before slipping into the clothes left for him.

He yawned and snuggled into the sweats after dressing. He sat down beside Dwayne and slowly finished his own tea. He moaned softly as the hot liquid warmed his chilled body. He smiled blissfully as he reached over, beginning to stroke Dwayne's hair tenderly. The older man mewled sleepily but slowly blinked open pale eyes, gaze sleepy and confused. Chris dipped his head own head so they were eye to eye before he leaned close, nuzzling Dwayne's cheek.

"Time fer bed, Sleepyhead."the words were soft and sweet as Chris urged him awake enough to make it back to bed. He helped the other man stand and walked him to the bedroom, holding him close when he began to doze on their way.

The going was slow but Chris found himself enjoying the effort. He opened the bedroom door, kicking it shut once they entered. He guided his friend to the bed. He sat him on the edge and pulled back the covers before helping Dwayne under them. A sleepy Dwayne watched Chris shake the rest of the water from his hair before yawning and crawling under the covers as well. The older man moved to the side slightly, allowing the younger one to snuggle close under the heavy comforter. He shivered slightly as Chris was extremely cold against him but ignored the discomfort when a soft mewl of happiness escaped Chris as he pressed up against Dwayne's side. He murmured softly as he nuzzled his nose under the older agent's jaw, nose dipping to lick at the bite he had left on the other man's neck the night before.

The younger man smirked as Dwayne squirmed slightly but hugged him close anyway, helping Chris settle back in for slumber. The younger man laid there as his best friend wandered back into sleep. He could not help smiling as he listened to the mix of steady breathing and the pour of the rain outside. Everything felt perfect despite all the work worries. He found himself praying they lasted the month, he did not want to give this up.

~*~NCIS~*~

Chris woke an hour later than usual but ignored the clock when he felt Dwayne shift around him. It was their day off until they got a call and he was planning to spend some of it sleeping in. He did not usually sleep in but that was because he did not usually have a reason to. He mumbled sleepily as he shifted from laying on his belly to laying on his side so his chest was facing Dwayne. The older man was still healing so he needed plenty of rest and Chris had every intention of letting him. This gave him silent time to just rest in his love's warm embrace.

He listened to the world outside as he lay there. The rain had stopped and he could hear the usual sounds of New Orleans. The cheery sounds made his mind wander to what they could do for the day. He wondered if Brody and Dwayne would like to have another fishing cookout, they had not done one in quite a while. They could actually invite Doc Wade and the rest of the team as well. He would also ask Percy if she would like to come just to be a gentleman but he doubted she would like to join them for a fish catch and cook.

A soft bleep from Dwayne's phone on the nightstand drew him out of his daydream. He frowned softly and let his head drop back onto the pillow. He did not want to leave the bed or Dwayne's arms but what if the text was a case? They would need to get to work right away. This left him with no choice as he squirmed out of his warm nest. He got to his knees and reached over his sleeping partner to gather up the phone. He grumbled softly and settled back down into Dwayne's embrace.

He blinked in surprise as he unlocked the phone and opened the text. It was from Laurel, saying she had the week off and would be there around midnight to spend the week with her father. The message made Chris frown as his gut twisted. He loved Laurel but having her here meant a confession and a severe lack of time spent alone with Dwayne. They had only just worked things out and now he was going to lose "budding relationship" time with the other man.

He sighed and shook his head, he could not believe himself. This was Laurel, both men's treasure. She always came first for both of them and that was not going to change now. Plus, she was a young woman with a life and friends, so he would still have plenty of time with Dwayne to himself. His frown turned into a smirk at this. He was so stupid to worry over something like Laurel coming home, he was losing his mind.

"Jus' what you frettin' over in tha' brain o' yours?" The question was soft and rough with sleep but chris mewled in reply as fingers brushed through his cropped hair. His eyes slipped shut in bliss as heat traveled south. He whined softly, making sure he faced away from Dwayne; the older man was freaked out enough about this relationship and did not need that worry added on.

"Oh, nothin'. But, big surprise fer ya though." He smiled and reached back, brushing his fingers through the cowlicked silken silver.

"An' tha' would be?"

"Gotta text from Laurel, she's comin' ta stay the weak with yu." He looked back in time to see Dwayne's face light up. The sight was beautiful and Chris would treasure it.

"Really? Tha's wonderful. What time she comin'?"

"'Round midnight, said she had some thin's ta take care of first." Dwayne hummed softly and nodded at this, pressing his nose to Chris' hair. He felt happy and relaxed, his friend in his arms and his daughter on her way home. What more could he ask for?

"Hey, King?"

"Hmm...?"

"Ah was thinkin'. Ah don' gotta go to see the kids 'til this evenin'. Think we could 'ave a lil' catch and cook taday? Maybe call Brody an' the res' of 'em too." Chris nibbled his lip as he stared into the sleepy pale eyes. His pulse picked up the longer he stared and jumped to another scale when Dwayne's smile grew and he nodded. Both men knew everyone was frazzled with the case and needed to relax to get their heads back around it.

"Sure, Chris. That sounds mighty fine." Dwayne reached around Chris and grabbed his phone, checking the time, "Most of them shoul' awlready be up. You go set the table for breakfast an' Ah'll make some calls. If'n they can't make it, you an' Ah'll still go." Chris nodded in happy agreement of this and leaned close, stealing a tender kiss before squirming out of bed. He winked at Dwayne and snatched up his own phone. He grinned brightly and headed for the stairs, all morning "issues" forgotten somehow in his love-struck rush.

Dwayne hummed softly as he lay back in bed as he watched Chris go. His eyes slipped closed in contentment, he had forgotten how nice a bed warmed by two bodies rather than one felt. It somehow felt so right and wonderful despite his fears and discomforts. His heart felt full, his body warm and cozy, and his spirit felt fulfilled. He had not felt this wonderful since before the problems with Linda. He just prayed this one did not slip away too.

He shifted on his back so he could fully relax during the calls. A small hiss escaped him as he moved, his sleeping sweats suddenly noticeably tighter and rather uncomfortable. He was taken a bit by surprise. He had not woken up like this and it definitely had not gotten like this while talking about Laurel. No, it had happened just now, with the kiss and the wink from Chris.

Dwayne whined softly and collapsed back into the mattress as he gave a frustrated sigh, this had not happened for some time. He tried to ignore his heated anatomy as he focused on his phone. He did not have time to deal with this right now. He shifted uncomfortably under the comforter as he began to dial, needing to change his focus.

~*~NCIS~*~

Chris hummed happily as he set the table. He grinned, an adorably sappy love song was stuck in his head. The song was perfect for him and Dwayne, straight down to the verse where one of the singers says they are from Alabama. Playing it in his head just made him jovial to the point of almost being bubbly.

He was singing slightly off key in his joy as his phone rang. He put the coffee on and happily snatched up the communication device. He caught sight of his brother's caller ID as he picked out mugs. He joyfully answered as he grabbed a mug.

"Hello, mah Brother! Goood mornin'!" He cooed out to his older sibling, spinning in his socks on the hard floor.

"Oh, hello Sweetheart! Oh, it's so good ta hear yer voice!" The world suddenly stopped at the sound of the familiar female voice on the other end of the line. His pulse shot up and his guts turned to ice.

"M-ma?"

"Oh, Chrissy! You sound so happy-!"

"Ma?"

"-We jus' can't wait ta see ya!" Chris fearfully tried to get a word in through his mother's happy unending chatter. Her using Cade's phone meant she, and probably her new boyfriend, were in town. Which meant seeing him and Dwayne!

The world felt like it was crashing down around him, much like the mug that just slipped from his hand. The internal cold grew as his own fear consumed his mind. He could barely recognize that his mother was calling his name in worry through the phone. Despite this, he did not start to come back to reality until he felt strong arms embrace him from behind as someone took his phone away. He looked up in a daze to find a worried Dwayne holding him close.

"H-hello, Chris, Sweetie? Yu awlright?" Mrs. LaSalle's voice was drenched in worry as it echoed through the phone. Dwayne frowned and put the phone to his ear as he silently kissed Chris' hair.

"Mrs. LaSalle? Dwayne Pride, sorry about that. Christopher jus' had a bit of an accident with a coffee mug at the office."

"O-oh, Dwayne, thank God. Is he awlright?" Chris shook his head at this, still in a daze as Dwayne nuzzled his hair soothingly.

"Yes. 'e's jus' fine, Ma'am." The older man frowned in worry as Chris began to shiver, "We're jus' sittin' down to breakfast an' one of the mugs was still a bit wet from bein' washed an' slipped out of his hand. He's jus' cleanin' it up."

"Oh, awlright. Sorry to bother you boys hard at work," Dwayne could hear a snort from Cade in the background, the older brother obviously having figured out Chris' new relationship, "Ah jus' called to say we'll be stoppin' by later to say hi."

"Not a problem, Mrs. LaSalle. Chris an' Ah are havin' a cookout with some work friends. We'd love for you an' yours to join us."

"Really? Well, that'd be wonderful. Chris has told me so much about those two lovely ladies you work with an' Ah'd love ta meet them." There was another snort from Cade, "Sorry. Ah don' know wha's gotten into him."

"Think nothin' of it, Ma'am. We'll see you at the cookout. Ah'll text Cade the address a little later."

"Splendid. See you then." There was a quick goodbye as both hung up. Dwayne quickly pocketed the phone and pulled his shivering love close. He pressed soothing kisses to his hair and rubbed circles in his back.

"Chris, talk to me. What jus' happened there?" His reply came as a whimper as Chris pressed his nose against Dwayne's throat, hiding. Dwayne was growing in worry by the second, this was so unlike his friend.

"Chris, look at me." He gently lifted Chris' chin and pressed a tender kiss to his quivering lips. Chris' scared eyes slowly opened as Dwayne asked to deepen the kiss with a slight brush of his tongue. The younger man complied in surprise but took refuge in the tender, non-intrusive meeting. The loving spark that accompanied it eased his shaking slightly.

"ready to talk?" the soft, worried question was spoken after a moment. Chris whined softly in reply, sucking Dwayne's lip before nodding. He hid against Dwayne's throat again but spoke.

"ah don' wanna see 'em." The reply took Dwayne by surprise, Chris loved his mother.

"why? You haven' seen your mother in ages."

"King, she and her new man are from Alabama, born an' bred."

"Your point, Love?" Chris looked up at this, he loved when Dwayne called him love. Sadness dulled his eyes as he kissed the older man once more for strength.

"Dwayne, Alabama, God bless 'er, waited so long to legalize gay marriage that they awlmost broke the law. Mos' folks are still fightin' it, mos' hate it. Mah ma and her new beau are sweet as can be but they don' fall far from the Alabama tree." He gently cupped Dwayne's face, letting his fingers brush over the soft morning stubble. He loved how the silver shimmered in the morning light, "Ah don' wan' them makin' me feel dirty fer lovin' mah best friend." Dwayne smiled sadly at this and nuzzled against the hands cupping his face.

"They love you, Chris, it's going to be awlright." He cradled the younger man close, stroking his spine, "Even if they get upset, they'll still love you. Ah'll still love you. An' we don' even have to tell them right away if you don' want." He urged Chris to hug him, just comforting the younger man. Chris clung to Dwayne and nodded weakly. It was one thing to come clean to Laurel like they were planning but a whole different thing to come clean to a mother and her partner that were both raised in prejudice against the subject.

"Your mother and her boyfriend love you very much, Chris. You've been a great son, very accepting and kind. They should accept you as well, Cade does." Chris looked up in shock at this, "Don' look at me, Ah only told Loretta. the boy figured it out on his own." Chris settled slightly at this, glad to not have to lie to Cade now.

"Wait. Ya told Doc Wade?"

"Yes." Dwayne sighed and looked away, "Yesterday. Ah needed her to help me figure out a few things. She helped me get into the right mindset for our talk last night."

"Oh. Ah'm so sorry, King. Ah ne'er meant to be such a bother." Chris dipped his head, feeling dejected. He had been so happy before that phone call and now it was all going to hell.

"Hey, no, don' get like tha'." Dwayne kissed his hair and pulled him over to the table, away from the broken mug,. This was just not the week for Dwayne's poor mug collection, "Chris, you're not a bother. This was jus' all a little sudden an' Ah needed to get mah head on right. She helped me do that so now Ah can be here for you, for us." He sighed and sat Chris down before kneeling in front of him, much like Chris had done a few days ago. He lovingly rubbed his friends arms and kissed away the tears of frustration that were starting to form in Chris' eyes. He hugged the younger man close and soothed him gently.

"We're fine now, you an' Ah. We're helpin' each other and learnin' together. Jus' like Linda an' Ah when we first got together. Frustration's jus' part of the formula." He nuzzled Chris' cheek, making the frown slip into a small smile, "We'll get through it but do you know what we really have to focus on taday?"

"n-no, what?"

"Seein' if Brody's terrible fishin' skill has improved any." The two looked at each other very seriously before Dwayne lost the battle and grinned, causing Chris to snort at the terrible joke as he wiped his eyes.

"yeah, yer righ', King."

"Good. Now clean up this mess while Ah get breakfast ready." Dwayne gave him another kiss and gently petted his hair. The older man grimaced as he started to stand, the hard floor not good on his knees. Chris quickly helped him up, hugging him before fetching the broom. Both were determined to revive Chris' good mood.

~*~NCIS~*~

Still cold and slightly wet from the morning rain, the day did little to ruin the cookout. Surprisingly, Percy had accepted the offer and was a relatively good sport about the fish slaughter. Chris' family had yet to show up and everyone was having a good time.

"Geez, Girl, Ah've seen newborns cast better'n that!" Chris jabbed playfully at Brody's ribs as she gasped in mock horror. Percy scoffed behind them as Brody stuck her tongue out and playfully shoved the rod into Chris' hands. She raised an eyebrow at him, arms akimbo.

"Alright, Catfish King, you try." He grinned brightly at her invitation.

"Awlright. Let a pro show you, Sister." He puffed out his chest and got into position, missing the playful look that passed between his sister figures. Both girls leaped at him as he was casting, pushing him into the water. Their laughter rang out as he hit the water with a splash and a surprised yelp. They were still giggling when he surfaced, the glare in his eye lacking luster due to the grin starting to crawl onto his face. He shook the water from his short hair as he began to laugh.

"Awlright, awlright, Ah git it. No more complainin' when Ah'm out numbered."

"Darn straight!" The girls called out in unison.

"Ohkay, now git me out of here before Ah'm gatorbait." The girls snickered as they knelt down and each reached out a hand to him. He smirked at them as he grabbed their hands. He leveraged his feet against the legs of the dock and used his superior upper body strength to pull them in with him. He laughed softly at the glares he got, guarding his face with his hands as they splashed him.

From where he was cooking, Dwayne happily watched his team play. He was a bit worried about their health but could not help but smile at the sight of Chris happy again. His chest unconstricted slightly as he saw Chris climb out and pull the girls out. All three were soaked and dripping but were rescued by the ever awkwardly prepared Sebastian. The young scientist had brought an abundance of towels and quickly handed them out to his friends.

"You've done a lot of good with them, Dwayne." He looked to his side and smiled at Loretta as she looked up at him from her chair. She held out her hand and he lovingly held it. their fingers linked as they watched the group.

"It was a group effort, 'retta." He sighed softly as he sat down in a chair next to hers. He took a short breath as he looked at their hands. He smiled tiredly and shook his head, eyes closing.

"What's wrong? Did the talk not go well?"

"Actually, it was great. We worked a lot out an' came to a few compromises." He leaned back and squeezed her hand, "He's scared, Loretta. His mother and her new man are comin' an' he's scared of bein' rejected. Ah've chased away some of the fear but it's still a shadow on his mind." Loretta frowned softly as she listened. Her heart ached for their young Christopher. The man did so much for so many and now his own heart had backed him into a corner. Her gaze fell on the young agent, watching him lecture Brody on how to fish properly and playing with C.J. as Sebastian talked with Danny.

"He's a good child, Dwayne. Even is he loses his first family's respect as he fears, he will never lose this family's love."

"Ah know. Ah jus' fear what'll happen if'n comin' out to them goes bad."

"All we can do is help an' guide him. His family will come around, we jus' need to be there for him." A shout of excitement suddenly pulled their attention to the group of younger people. They smiled at the sight of Chris holding Brody bridal style, a fish held up triumphantly by a fishing line in her hand. the others clapped proudly as Sebastian took a picture of Brody's first catch. The group looked so happy, away from the worry and fear of the case. Their little family perfect and happy.

"Well now, that looks like quite the catch your Chris has there. The fish looks good too." The sudden unfamiliar voice from behind made the two look back. They spotted Cade, his mother, and her boyfriend, Callihan; the speaker. The older LaSalle brother smiled shyly at Dwayne, standing up straighter when the older man greeted him kindly. Dwayne quickly got to his feet, walking over to the new group and greeting them.

"Hey, King! Look wha' our lil' Brody caugh-!" Chris stopped his happy exclamation as he saw his family. He froze, Brody and the fish still in his arms. He had carried them over to show the group's older members. Brody blinked in worry at her work partner as she felt him stiffen. She quickly tried to defuse the situation by offering her non-fishfilled hand to Chris' mother.

"Hello, you must be Mrs. LaSalle." She swallowed thickly, trying to figure out what was wrong with Chris, "I'm Meredith Brody, I work with your son Chris."

"Oh! Wonderful to meet you, Dear." the older woman happily took her hand, shaking it. Callihan smiled and shook her hand as well, introducing himself.

"So, sweet thing, are you that little sweetheart Cade told us Chrissy has?" Brody looked slightly shocked at this. Her eyes shot to Dwayne, he looked slightly crushed but hid it extremely well as he nodded to her subtly. Brody felt suddenly as cold and slimy as the fish in her hand but forced a grin and nodded, trusting her boss.

"Y-yup! That's me." Chris' eyes widened at this, his mother smiling brightly, and Brody found herself glad the others were too far to hear, "But please, keep it quiet. It's still an experiment. We haven't told the others yet, don't want to get their hopes up." She pleaded softly, trying to ignore the shock on Cade's face, anger on Loretta's, and lastly the dejected look in Pride's pale gaze before he looked away and sat down again.

"Oh, yes, of course, Dear." Dwayne listened to Chris' mother promise. He sat there shakily, limbs antsy and his stomach a bit queasy. He knew Chris had seen his nod so the younger agent would play along but Dwayne felt ill. It was not until this point did he realize how much he had come to love Chris in this new intimate way and how much he loved having his heart owned by the younger agent. How his heart ached as he watched Chris hold Brody awkwardly, it was for the best to keep Chris safe of possible prejudice. Chris smiled as his mother kissed his cheek. He swallowed thickly and set Brody down. He shakily took the fish from her, and tried to act normal.

"Ah'm sorry, but Ah forgot the ice chest for the fish in the truck. King, can ya help me fetch it?" He plastered a fake grin on his face as he turned to Brody, "Could ya be a dear an' get them some drinks while Ah put yer fish on ice?" He got a quick nod from her as Dwayne stood up. He ushered the older man and the fish to the parking area, away from the rest of the LaSalle clan. Both men were silent as they walked together, though once the fish was on ice things changed drastically.

Chris suddenly shoved Dwayne against the side of the truck, careful to not hurt him, and kissed him hard. The kiss was deepened instinctively by both, the need to revive the bond that the lie had damaged overtook them. Dwayne's own tongue happily engaged with Chris' while the need outplayed the discomfort. The discomfort was there but quickly forgotten in Dwayne's need to let himself reconnect with the younger man. Chris whined pitifully as they broke apart, listening to Dwayne gasp for air as Chris lovingly attacked the other man's throat with kisses. The older man shuddered pleasantly as Chris nipped and kissed skin hidden by the shirt collar before licking up his throat to nuzzle the silver behind Dwayne's ear.

"Ah'm sorry, so sorry." Chris pressed close as he apologized to his love. His fingers stroked through Dwayne's hair lovingly. He had seen the older man's face when Brody told the lie, the look had broken his heart.

"Why're you sorry, Chris?" The question was confused and concerned.

"Because Ah was too much of a coward to tell her the truth." Chris slumped against him but Dwayne gently raised his chin.

"Chris, you weren't a coward. You would have told the truth but Ah saved you the heartache. Ah jus' couldn't stand the thought of you fearin' ridicule when you should be enjoyin' seein' your family." Chris smiled sadly but sweetly before kissing Dwayne again. He kept it passionate and tender but not intrusive. He growled softly and sucked Dwayne's lip before chuckling, pressing closer when he felt a part of his love's anatomy harden and press against him through their clothes. Chris felt very much the same from the kisses and emotions but his core temperature was still too low from his swim for his body to act on it.

"Nice ta know yer happy to have me around." Chris kissed him again, hands on the other man's sturdy hips. If it had been any other love they would both be in the backseat of his truck by now and it was killing him slightly that they were not but on another hand the wait was rather nice, "One of these days Ah'll be able ta help ya out." He hummed and nuzzled under Dwayne's jaw, fingers carding through the other man's hair. Dwayne squirmed awkwardly, face flushed at the fact that Chris could feel what he was feeling. He found himself half mortified and half wanting Chris to fulfill his promise now. Though, that was not going to happen until Dwayne got his mind and body to work together.

Chris watched his love pant softly from the contact and more than likely discomfort. Chris longed to help but dared not set off Dwayne's comfort control over all of this. It felt good to know he could arouse his love and left it at that. Chris kissed him tenderly before pulling away, hand continuing to stroke through the silky silver. He smiled softly and held Dwayne's hand, just sharing the moment with him. He looked longingly at the other man before letting him go sadly. He grabbed the ice chest and nuzzled Dwayne one last time before the two walked back towards the group.

~*~NCIS~*~

Loretta watched as Brody twisted the truth just enough while talking to Mrs. LaSalle to make the fib believable. She shook her head,she was thankful Brody was such a good friend with the boys to protect Chris. Her attention was drawn off the two woman though as a very shy Cade sat next to her. She smiled softly at him and offered him a cold soda.

"You feeling awlright, Sweetheart?" She asked softly as he thanked her for the soda.

"Why did they lie? Ah was sure mah baby brother picked Pride, not miss Brody."

"Quite the tricky question, Child." She sighed softly and took a drink of her tea, "Yes, he did choose Dwayne but this is all so new for Christopher and he's scared of your mother hating him due to Alabama's anti-gay roots." Cade blinked slowly at this, old eyes filling with sadness at the truth to be found. He was not sure on his mother's view but found himself worried as well.

"He deserves ta be happy, they both do. Chris saved me, an' Pride made it happen. Ah owe them e'erythin'."

"You love your brother very deeply. Be sure to remind him of that. It jus' might let him come clean before that poor girl digs the hole for the three of them any deeper." She pointed at Brody, makin' Cade chuckle softly.

"Yeah, yer righ'. Thank you, Doctor Wade. Yer all good people, good friends. Thank you for watchin' out for mah brother."

~*~NCIS~*~

Chris groaned slightly as he collapsed into the soft arm chair in Dwayne's room. It was late evening now and he was exhausted. He had just gotten back from the children's hospital and barely escaped his mother's dinner invitation. It was heaven to see her again and the cookout earlier that day had been wonderful despite the huge lie hanging over his head. He was still stressed from the week and just wanted time alone with Dwayne.

He stretched out in the chair as he listened to the shower. He had already made himself known so not to spook the other man. The sound of the water was calming, soothing as it lulled him towards slumber. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with Dwayne in his arms but it was too early for bed. the two of them still needed dinner. Despite this, he started to doze.

He mewled in slumber, Dwayne's room was cozy. The warmth cradled him and soothed the ache in his bones. He felt like a napping cat, even leaning into the hand stroking his hair. It took him a moment to realize it was happening before his eyes blinked open. He smiled sleepily at Dwayne as the man continued to pet his hair.

"Chris, beds are for sleepin', not chairs." Chris simply yawned cutely in response to the statement. A rumble echoed in his throat as he pulled Dwayne into his lap. The older man flushed and swallowed nervously, never having been the one to straddle a lap before.

"Ah know but then Ah couldn' hold ya like this." His hands settled on Dwayne's hips, rubbing them gently. He looked up and smiled, "yer beautiful. The water in yer hair makes the silver shine like tinsel." Dwayne's eyes widened and his face grew hotter. He had been called a lot of things over the years but never that. He gasped softly as Chris pulled him even closer, a whimper escaping as stiffening parts of their anatomy brushed together through their clothing.

Chris happily watched Dwayne's eyes slip shut and his head dropped as the older man gasped softly. The sight was lovely and enticing, making Chris want to do countless things to his best friend. Watching Dwayne get lost in the sensations made the future look very promising. Chris experimentally rolled his hips forward as he claimed Dwayne's lip with his own. The move earned him a long, low moan from the other man as the movements were returned in less intensity. Chris' pulse quickened with arousal and joy that Dwayne was slightly more open to things since their talk, more willing to try as long as they had their clothes on still. Chris was bent on rewarding him by gently breaking the kiss and turning his attention to Dwayne's throat.

Chris nipped at the skin, then licked and sucked the tiny bites. He held the other man's hips gently in place as he moved his own forward slowly. Dwayne lovingly nuzzled his hair as Chris continued to kiss Dwayne's throat, the older man suddenly dipped his head and claimed Chris' mouth and opening his own. Chris hesitantly did the same, making sure this was what his friend wanted, and was pleasantly surprised when Dwayne's tongue timidly entered his mouth and explored. Chris moaned happily, hips still moving when their pleasure bubble was sadly popped by a soft giggle.

"Geez, how did Ah not see this coming?" the familiar female voice made Dwayne freeze before his head jerked up, leaving Chris with a bit of metaphorical whiplash. Dwayne's expression was mortified as he locked gazes with his grinning daughter. She snickered and winked at him.

"Laurel?!"

"Hi, Daddy." She smiled brightly at LaSalle and headed into the room, "Don't mind me, jus' wanted to put my stuff away." Chris was caught between being embarrassed and laughing to death. Dwayne was going to kill him for all of this. He watched the older man, currently paralyzed in horror atop his lap, to make sure he was alright. Chris rubbed his hips and soothingly kissed his throat, whispering comfortingly to him. He could only imagine what it must feel like to know your little girl saw you making out and rutting against your best friend.

"So, don't keep me in the dark, LaSalle. When did this happen?" Laurel called from another part of the catacomb-like room. She sounded cheery and excited, not in the least disturbed.

"Oh, not long, Sugarcube." Chris smirked at the nickname. He had not called her it in years, he had given it to her in his awkward first meeting with her and could not think of anything to say until he saw some sugar cubes.

"This is the sixth day." He ran a calming hand along Dwayne's spine as the man whined softly and hid his face against Chris' throat. He was pretty sure Dwayne was more traumatized by this than Laurel was.

"Really? Wow, congrats." She walked back into the room and smiled at them. She came over and kissed her father's hair before heading to the door, "Sorry Ah'm early. Ah'll make sure to call first next time. Ah'm gonna get a snack. Have fun." She winked at a grinning Chris before happily heading down the stairs.

Once she was gone, Chris let out a breath. He kissed Dwayne's hair and stroked his back soothingly. his free arm wrapped around him comfortingly. He was concerned that Dwayne was still hiding.

"King, ya awlright?"

"Chris, mah baby girl jus' walked in on me actin' like a horny teenager. No, Ah don' think Ah'm fine." The mortified words were muffled against Chris' throat as Dwayne pressed closer to him. Chris smiled softly and stroked his soft hair.

"Ah think Laurel's more happy than weirded out. Ah think she's been worried about ya an' this fixed some o' that." He raised Dwayne's chin and kissed him tenderly, "Now, yer lil' girl's about to eat a snack rather than dinner. ya really gonna stand fer tha'?" Chris smirked at Dwayne, who frowned and quickly climbed off Chris' lap.

~*~NCIS~*~

"Dad, really it's fine. Ah think it's sweet." Laurel soothed softly as she snuggled into her father's chest. The arm of the patio chair dug into her ribs but she could care less as she leaned over to hug her father as they both sat in the courtyard. Dinner was finished, Chris was cleaning and Laurel was trying to fix her father, "Ah'm just happy that you're happy, Dad. You've been so upset since the divorce, Ah was so worried. But, seeing you with Chris, you looked to be really relaxed and happy, he obviously was too." She pulled close and squeezed him in her arms. He smiled weakly at her and kissed her hair.

"We were going to tell you normally. Chris has been worried about who finds out but he wanted you to know for sure." He stroked his daughter's hair tenderly, starting to feel better about the awkward situation. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling as she smiled.

"So, this mean Ah'm gonna have two daddies to spoil me now?" She flashed her eyelashes sweetly, trying desperately to make her father laugh to break his anxious mood. Her heart leapt as he smiled kindly at her and chuckled softly. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. She sighed happily, glad that school was closed for the week for meetings.

"But seriously, Dad, is this long term? Because Ah don't think Ah know of anyone that fits better for either of you." Her eyes slipped closed as she settled against his chest. She listened to him hum as he thought over her words.

"We're gonna try, Sweetheart. This is jus' a trial month to see if we fit together."

"You do, Dad. You have for a long time and just none of us saw it."

"Perhaps you're right."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Because you're not the first one to say it. Doc Wade an' Brody have happily given us the vote of confidence."

"then it's official. You're outvoted and have to stick together."

"Well now, can't argue with that logic, King." Father and daughter looked up at the jovial sound of Chris' voice as he walked over to them. Laurel smiled brightly and untangled from her father to wrap her arms around Chris' waist. He smirked happily at Dwayne as he hugged Laurel back. Dwayne blinked as he looked at the two, feel something falling into place in his heart. This felt right and good no matter what that voice of tradition nagged at the back of his mind.

~*~End~*~

A/n: so sorry if Laurel's out of character, still learning her.