Archie fussing is the easy part. Archie has such a nice way about him, after all; a gentleness to his insistence when he nudges Horatio along. It's lovely. It's familiar.

They can almost fall back into a reasonable schedule again. He can actually leave for work, and actually sit in his own seat for dinner. The impulse to shower Archie with kisses doesn't fade much, however. The need to sleep with his cheek pressed to Archie's chest doesn't go away.

He's asked Bush a million times how to do it. He's talked around it at Pellew a dozen times as well. In the end, he can't remember what either of them said and simply stumbles through while he finishes making breakfast.

"May-- I ask you something?"