Archie Kennedy clambered cheerfully down the stairs from the deck and swept into the wardroom of the Renown with what was almost a dramatic flourish. Considering his recent near-brush with death, first after his rash decision to join Horatio in blowing up the fort, and then their rather…unorthodox means of escape, he was flushed, grinning, and exuberant – or perhaps it was just that his adrenaline had yet to wear off. Either way, he was beaming.
"Mr. Bush," he said with a grin and a nod to the second lieutenant already sitting at the table. "All right, I hope?"
"Miraculously so," came William's response, his external dampness not stopping his tone from being as dry as always. "Though there seems to be no need to ask you the same, as you are clearly quite pleased with yourself."
Archie flushed slightly, and his returned chuckle was more subdued. "Just grateful to be alive," he tells him, sinking into a chair. "For… all of us to be." His weariness from the day's events -- from the fort's attack at dawn to the recent near loss of not only his own life, but Horatio's -- briefly betrayed itself across his own face before the grin returned.
"Well, I'm glad to hear you're grateful for something," Bush countered in what was almost a chiding tone as he took a sip from the glass sitting in front of him. "I would certainly hope that you were something /other/ than self-satisfied after nearly throwing a man off a cliff like that…"
Archie snorted. "Oh yes, I am quite sorry about that..."
"Like bloody hell you are." He was smirking slightly.
Archie just grinned in response, and the two fell into comfortable silence. The blond lieutenant leaned back in his chair, his thoughts beginning to drift, but even then his cheerfulness did not abate. He wasn't sure what it was – certainly nothing he could put his finger on – but atmosphere that had been tense and dangerously uncomfortable for months seemed to be finally relaxing with relief. "You know, Mr. Bush, he suddenly heard himself saying, "I think the worst might just be behind us."
William raised an eyebrow. "I certainly hope you haven't forgotten about Kingston," he told him quietly, but Archie merely laughed in response, shaking his head.
"They're going to be so busy discussing Horatio's heroics at the fort that they're not going to take the time to work through the details of what may or may not have happened to the captain." He was beaming again, this time in much the way that a brother, perhaps, would when proudly describing an adored sibling's exploits. "Besides, I have a good feeling, and I haven't had one of those in a long time."
"A good feeling?" William tilted his head to the side slightly, his practical mind unimpressed, but the fact of the matter was, Archie's grin was infectious and he soon let out a chuckle, his eyes twinkling. "To a much brighter future, then, Mr. Kennedy?"
Archie laughed in return. "And about damned time."
"Mr. Bush," he said with a grin and a nod to the second lieutenant already sitting at the table. "All right, I hope?"
"Miraculously so," came William's response, his external dampness not stopping his tone from being as dry as always. "Though there seems to be no need to ask you the same, as you are clearly quite pleased with yourself."
Archie flushed slightly, and his returned chuckle was more subdued. "Just grateful to be alive," he tells him, sinking into a chair. "For… all of us to be." His weariness from the day's events -- from the fort's attack at dawn to the recent near loss of not only his own life, but Horatio's -- briefly betrayed itself across his own face before the grin returned.
"Well, I'm glad to hear you're grateful for something," Bush countered in what was almost a chiding tone as he took a sip from the glass sitting in front of him. "I would certainly hope that you were something /other/ than self-satisfied after nearly throwing a man off a cliff like that…"
Archie snorted. "Oh yes, I am quite sorry about that..."
"Like bloody hell you are." He was smirking slightly.
Archie just grinned in response, and the two fell into comfortable silence. The blond lieutenant leaned back in his chair, his thoughts beginning to drift, but even then his cheerfulness did not abate. He wasn't sure what it was – certainly nothing he could put his finger on – but atmosphere that had been tense and dangerously uncomfortable for months seemed to be finally relaxing with relief. "You know, Mr. Bush, he suddenly heard himself saying, "I think the worst might just be behind us."
William raised an eyebrow. "I certainly hope you haven't forgotten about Kingston," he told him quietly, but Archie merely laughed in response, shaking his head.
"They're going to be so busy discussing Horatio's heroics at the fort that they're not going to take the time to work through the details of what may or may not have happened to the captain." He was beaming again, this time in much the way that a brother, perhaps, would when proudly describing an adored sibling's exploits. "Besides, I have a good feeling, and I haven't had one of those in a long time."
"A good feeling?" William tilted his head to the side slightly, his practical mind unimpressed, but the fact of the matter was, Archie's grin was infectious and he soon let out a chuckle, his eyes twinkling. "To a much brighter future, then, Mr. Kennedy?"
Archie laughed in return. "And about damned time."
