Series Note: "Omega-version": This series is very thinly knotted in the Omegaverse because I wanted Horatio and Archie to be Mates. There will be no actual Omegas in this verse. Betas will have absorbed some Omega attributes. There will be no mentions of Knots or Heats (sorry). It will focus on Horatio/Archie's love/companionship under the constraints of Navel/life aboard a ship in the events of "Mutiny" & "Retribution".

a/n: So I watched Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues (for the first time): Mutiny & Retribution and I just couldn't get Ioan Gruffudd and Jaime Bamber as a pairing out of my head. This is part of my "Comfort" series, the first. Enjoy.

Tag: Mutiny.

Summary: Horatio and Archie try to plan for a way to make the future a more stable thing.

Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Includes: Omegaverse, Slash, Mates, Alpha/Beta, Minor Spoilers,

—
Horatio Hornblower
The Adventure Continues:
Mutiny!
—

Cosiness:
Warm, comfortable, snug, friendly and intimate.

"Do you remember when we almost drank Plymouth dry after we received our orders to serve under the Captain Sawyer?" Horatio murmured fondly, seated closely to his Mate at the window bench in the wardroom, a moment of private allowance between them.

Archie grinned. "That wasn't the only thing we did in excess at the news," he laid a hand on the Alpha's knee and slowly trailed it up his thigh, before pushing inside his thigh and brushing against the Alpha's crotch deviously.

Horatio cleared his throat and raised a dark brow. "Careful, Lieutenant." He remarked coolly. "You're bordering on inappropriate conduct."

"Ah." Archie's brows flickered in response, his blue eyes bright. "My apologies, sir."

But when Archie went to retract his hand, Horatio wrapped long fingers around his wrist, preventing him. "You are too wicked for a distinguished officer, Archie." His hand ran up to his elbow, grasped lightly. He prompted the Beta closer.

Archie immediately moved, curling more contently against his side, laying his head on Horatio's shoulder. "Someone has to prompt a reaction across this face before it turns to stone," he cupped the curly-haired man's cheek, turning his face down towards him as he traced his sharp cheekbone. "And only the most mischievous things appear to do the job." He looked into his Mate's brown eyes, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"I only reveal my true self to you." Horatio teasingly brushed the hair behind Archie's ear, "There's no need for jealousy."

"Heh." Archie let out a scoff of surprise. "Now who's too cheeky for his station?"

Horatio gave a light chuckle and leaned back against window, his fingers distractedly brushed up and down Archie's clad shoulder. Archie watched the side of his face, his Mate's brown eyes gaining a faraway cast as his thoughts drew back to what had prompted their conversation in the first place.

"If only we knew what kind of Captain he really was," Archie muttered spitefully under his breath.

"We couldn't refuse orders," Horatio reminded, "We would have been court marshalled and hung to death. And where would that leave us?"

"Not contemplating it this far down the road." Archie replied to the rhetorical question wryly.

Horatio straightened from the window. "Do not speak such things!" he hissed.

Archie sat back from his Mate indignantly as well. "Such things need to be spoken!" he hissed back. "What he is, is beyond eccentric; what happened with that boy had been cruel and purposeful. I could see that you wanted to act then-"

"You speak too freely, Archie!" Horatio growled, standing up. "And even if such a thing were true..." his jaw clenched in remembrance. "You stopped me."

"I was scared," Archie admitted, shame-faced. He ducked his head and tried to turn away, but Horatio wouldn't let him. One hand on his shoulder, the other cupping his left cheek, lifting his face back up.

"It's a good thing you did," Horatio whispered. "Otherwise we would have been killed for 'black, bloody mutiny'. Even if you did not join me-"

"I would have!" Archie promised desperately, gripping his wrist as tears shone in his blue-eyes.

"You would have joined me, because you are mine." Horatio's thumb delicately traced his name's initials scarred on the Beta's upper left cheekbone, proclaiming him the Alpha's. "I could not stand you being taken because of something I did."

"And do you think I could just stand by and let them take you away from me forever?" Archie demanded. "You are mine just as much as I am yours!" his right hand gripped the Alpha's left shoulder, under the cloth of which lay his bite mark, connecting them forever. "I would di-"

Horatio cut him off with a harsh press of his lips to the other's trembling ones. He didn't want to think of his Mate dying, didn't want him to speak the words. "That's not going to happen." He swore, pressing their foreheads together.

Archie shook his head against his. "If things continue on like they are... we can't just ignore it anymore, Horatio."

"You speak of treasonous things, Archie." Horatio sighed tiredly.

Archie pulled back slightly. "He is not right in his mind, Horatio. And he has chosen to fixate on you. He despises you and will twist the regulations into his favour."

"Then I will endeavour not to step into his thoughts," Horatio said.

Archie shook his head helplessly. "You could try, but we both know you won't be able to help yourself. You'll do something, say something, without meaning to or not."

"Am I that hopeless?" Horatio couldn't help but muse.

Archie gave an unbidden smile. "That and so much more. But that's what you have me for." He squeezed his shoulder. "Always."

Horatio's thumb brushed against his marked cheek. "This mark already has you under a shadow of suspicion in his eyes..."

"I'm not going to just leave you." He shook his head, nuzzling into his hand.

"No," he agreed. "I've always been stronger with you." Horatio cupped his Mate's head with both hands. "We must tread very carefully, Archie. We must do this right."

"If there is such a thing as correct mutiny," Archie huffed at the prospect and got a glower in response.

f

—
Horatio Hornblower
The Adventure Continues!
—

Sorry if things seem a little misshapen from one fic to the next. I actually started off the series with the ending, then weaved my way back and forth to the beginning. Don't worry, there will be more to come! I will be updating periodically.

Continued in: "CONSOLE" ...