Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:Miami or NY.

Spring In The Country

Danny was going to die; he was certain of it. He had managed to survive getting shot at in the subway, getting trapped inside a panic room with a dead body and he had even managed to avoid going to prison for a crime he didn't commit.

But none of them had prepared him for the horror that came with being trapped in a tin can for almost eight solid hours, with no where to go to free himself of the claustrophobic feeling being thousands of miles above ground gave him.

"There's the runway," Tim stated, leaning across him and glancing out of the small window.

Danny expelled the breath he had been holding. "You mean we haven't even taken off yet?" he demanded.

Tim chuckled and patted Danny's hand gently. "You'll be fine," he assured the other man. "Haven't you ever flown before?"

The other New Yorker shook his head. "I've always driven everywhere."

"Sorry, Dan," Tim said. "I don't think we could drive to England. They haven't quite figured out how to build a bridge across such a huge ocean."

Danny let out a small cry when the engines grew louder. "What's that?" he demanded. "That can't be normal, right? I'm outta here." He moved to unfasten his seat belt, but Tim pulled him back down into his seat.

"That's just the engines getting ready for take-off," Tim assured him. "The plane kind of needs those."

Danny still looked sceptical. "You sure?"

Tim nodded sincerely. "I'm positive." He took Danny's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "I don't think I've ever seen you so scared," he commented.

The younger man flushed and leant his head back against the seat. He couldn't explain where the fear had come from, the thought of flying had never bothered him before.

But now, confronted with the actual idea of hurtling through the air with nothing beneath him, fear was starting to rear it's head and Danny wanted to go home, curl up with Tim and pretend aeroplanes didn't exist.

x

Tim glanced at his watch when he heard the pilot's voice announce that they were a few minutes away from making their descent. He couldn't believe how quickly the long flight had gone.

He had spent the entire trip reading the thick volume he had purchased the day before they travelled.

The Miami CSI glanced over at his lover and smiled affectionately. After the take-off, during which Danny had almost crushed Tim's hand, it had taken him almost an hour to calm him down.

Once he was calm, Danny decided that he was going to spend the trip sleeping; which he had been doing ever since.

Tim considered waking him, but then he remembered the vice like grip his hand had been subjected to taking-off and he decided he didn't want to experience that again.

The landing was a lot smoother than most plane journey's Tim had been on and he grinned when he noticed that Danny's hadn't even stirred as the plane touched down.

"Danny," he whispered, putting his hand on his lover's leg and shaking him gently.

Danny's blue eyes flicked open sleepily and he blinked as he tried to focus on Tim's face. "What?" he whined.

"We're here."

The blonde frowned. "Where?" he asked, before his eyes snapped open, remembering where they were. "We're really here? In England? I made it? Alive?"

Tim laughed and unbuckled his seat belt and stood up, groaning as he stretched his legs which were stiff after such a long time of not moving. He frowned when he bumped his head on the compartment above him.

"Come on," he muttered, rubbing his head; he wanted to get of the plane just as much as Danny did. He wanted to be able to move and not feel like he was squashed, but mostly he wanted to breathe in air that wasn't recycled.

x

"This is where we're staying?" Danny questioned, looking up at the small building in front of him.

Tim nodded and pulled their suitcase out of the taxi. He turned to look at the building and grinned fondly. "What's wrong with it?" he asked and Danny could sense the defensiveness in his voice.

"Nothing," he replied honestly. "It's just… smaller than I'm used to, that's all."

Tim laughed and opened the gate, heading down the path towards the door. "That's because you've spent too much time in the big city."

He pushed the door open and entered the house. "Hey!" he called. "Aunt Olivia?"

There was a clattering noise in another room; a few moments later a woman in her early sixties entered the foyer.

"Timmy!" she cried, throwing her arms around Tim and hugging him tightly. "It's so good to see you again," she cooed. She stood back and held him at arm's length. "You're still too thin," she murmured.

Tim blushed and looked down at his shoes. "I'm fine, Aunt Olivia," he whispered, glaring at Danny when he snickered.

"Aunt Olivia, you remember me telling you about Danny," he indicated to his lover who shifted nervously when her gaze turned to him.

"The young man you're courting?" Olivia beamed at Tim's nod. "You're so handsome," she informed Danny, pulling him closer and hugging him so tight she almost knocked the wind out of him.

After what felt like a lifetime, Olivia released him and ran her eyes over him. "You're both so thin," she muttered before turning to her nephew. "Timmy, take Danny upstairs to get settled in and I'll make you a good home cooked meal."

The building was a small bed and breakfast on the outskirts of a small village. Tim lead Danny up the stairs and down a thin corridor to a door marked 'Private'.

"You have your own room?" Danny asked, following Tim into the brightly-lit room.

Tim grinned and dropped his suitcase next to the door. "I spent every summer here during high school and college," he reminded his lover, falling down onto the double bed. "It was either give me my own room, or let me use one of the B&B;'s rooms; which would mean loosing business."

Danny nodded and climbed onto the bed, lying on his side next to his lover and hooking his leg around the other man's.

"You didn't tell me your Aunt knew I was your boyfriend," Danny murmured, resting his head on Tim's shoulder.

"Didn't I?" Tim asked in surprise. "Oh, I thought I had done… sorry," he apologised. "She's the only member of my family I'm still in touch with and the only one that knows I'm gay."

Danny nodded in understanding; none of his family knew about their relationship, or even that he wasn't interested in sleeping with women. He leant up and kissed Tim lovingly and slowly.

Tim groaned quietly and wrapped his arms around Danny, pulling the other man against him and kissing him deeper.

x

He had lost his lover. Danny had seen Tim at lunch, which they had with Olivia on the back porch. He had gone to lie down to try and rid himself of the jet lag he could feel setting in, while Tim remained out on the porch.

But he wasn't there when Danny woke up a few hours later. When questioned, Olivia chuckled and sent Danny down a small path which lead him to a small spot of grass overlooking the valley below; it also lead him to his lover.

"Do you come here a lot?" Danny asked quietly, sitting behind Tim and wrapping his arms around the other man.

"I used to sit in this very spot everyday whenever I stayed with Aunt Olivia and Uncle Albert, before he died," Tim answered quietly, his eyes never leaving the scenery below him.

Danny kissed Tim's neck softly. "What are you doing here?" he whispered, resting his chin on the other's shoulder.

"Nothing," Tim muttered. "Just looking."

The blonde tightened his hold on Tim. "Can we look together?" he asked.

Tim grinned and leant back against Danny's chest. "Yeah," he murmured, putting his hands over Danny's as they lapsed into silence once more, enjoying the view and silence.

The End