A/N: Okay I'm pretty excited about posting this, but I'm also pretty nervous. I'm a long-time fan of the Hornblower series, and as someone who reads almost exclusively historical fiction I'm terrified of being historically inaccurate. I haven't read the books (Currently in the middle of the Mr. Midshipman Hornblower audiobook), so I apologize for glaring historical errors and anything I may have gotten wrong about the ~Hornblower universe~. Also, I am 26 years old and I don't know how to use a semicolon and I am at peace with that fact, just warning you now.
At the sight of the glowing red cannonball so close to where they stood, Lieutenant Bush went almost into a frenzy, immediately stripping his jacket and ordering Kennedy and Hornblower to do the same in hopes of blocking the hole from which seawater flooded into the brig. As the water rose quickly over their feet, nearing their knees at an alarming pace, the three men grew increasingly more anxious. Horatio bounced and was almost pacing in their confined space; Archie's eyes darted in a panic around the small cell, searching for anything that could get them out of their trap. Bush's voice strained as he yelled for help through the barred door above them in frantic hope that someone would hear him.
Kennedy caught Horatio in a glance and fixed his attention on his friend. In Horatio's eyes, Kennedy could see logic and strategy trying to fight down fear as he scoured his thoughts for a solution. Archie ripped his gaze away from his friend to see that Bush was still occupied with shouting through the grates and grabbed at Horatio, pulling him close and out of his thoughts. Archie paused for a second, acutely aware of the swelling of nerves in his chest, but he couldn't wait. The water was rising higher and Archie's instincts took over. He pressed his lips into the Third Lieutenant's, finding them cold and salty from the seawater splashing around them. To Archie's pleasant surprise, Horatio did not pull away, not immediately. They were torn from their embrace by the chill of water lapping at their stomachs. The clang of the grates above caused a wave of relief that washed over them as they realized they were to be saved from drowning as prisoners.
Archie jumped as his eyes opened to find Horatio hovering over him, a concerned expression on his face. As he realized where he was, his face fell grimly.
"I wasn't having a fit, was I?" Archie's voice rumbled low in his throat. He didn't believe he'd been having a fit since he didn't feel cloudy like he normally felt after them, but the distressed look in Horatio's eyes made him worry.
"N-No, Archie," Horatio sighed, almost smiling, "just a bad dream I think."
"Mm," Archie's eyebrow twitched as he pondered the thought. Horatio lit the lamp that resided between their two bunks.
"The worst of it is over, you know," Horatio offered, for their only orders were to sail for England. Even Horatio who lived to see white sails billowing in a fair wind on the open ocean was looking forward to shore leave, finding himself in need of time to process the tragic events that took place in their most recent posting. Archie knew it was true, but he was plagued with incessant thoughts of vulnerability and fear that he had gone too far for his friend. The two of them were left alone in their cabin, as Bush had moved into the Captain's quarters upon being given command of the Justinian on her voyage back to England. He had been too overcome with his excitement at his new station for sleep and so offered to take the first watch, leaving the other two young officers time to get some much-needed rest.
"I know… But Horatio-" Archie's voice stopped. He didn't know what he could possibly say about how he was feeling, shame overtook him.
Horatio's eyes searched Archie's face below him, hoping for a glimpse into what was happening inside his nervous friend's mind.
"The-when we were trapped in the brig," Horatio realized. Archie's eyes flashed up at Horatio, the nerves rising to his chest once again. "You...kissed me," Horatio hesitated as he strung the words together.
"I don't know what came over me," Archie tore away from Horatio's gaze. After a moment, his face softened. "I suppose I was afraid we were going to die, and I didn't-I didn't want to…" his words faltered. He looked back and was lost in Horatio's stare, unsure if anger lay behind it or, Archie hoped, the same things he felt for his friend.
"Archie…" Horatio sighed. The corner of Archie's mouth twitched to a small smile at the sound of Horatio saying his name in that familiar tone. "I'm-" Horatio inhaled rather sharply, "I'm glad you did it." His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Archie's eyes looking up at him, the color of the sky on a cloudless day, his suntanned skin illuminated by the candlelight.
Horatio was lost in the pools of blue looking up at him longingly. Archie propped himself up on his elbow, shortening the distance between him and his shipmate. He took Horatio's hand in his own, which was regrettably growing more clammy by the second, but feeling a rush of calm as their fingers intertwined. He tilted his chin upward and his lips brushed lightly against Horatio's, their breaths dancing across each other's skin. At that slight touch, Horatio's rigid frame melted into Archie who fell back under the weight of his friend.
Their kisses were clumsy and desperate, but they continued with wanton abandon. The floodgates had been opened, and they were giving in to all of the urges they had stifled thus far. Hands caressing and grabbing, legs wrapping (as Horatio had practically climbed into the swinging hammock), moans escaping, they reveled in the feeling of being together. Horatio ground his bony hips into Archie's, the two of them groaned in tantalizing agony as the feelings of pressure and heat overwhelmed them. Archie's hand meandered to the waist of Horatio's breeches.
"Archie," Horatio breathed as he grabbed Archie's hand, stopping it from its work. Archie recoiled his hand but Horatio held fast. "Archie, what are we doing?"
"I thought you wanted this, Horatio," was the only response Archie could muster.
"I do, Archie, I do." Archie looked up desperately at his friend, dreading the words he was waiting for Horatio to say. "Archie, what we're doing...isn't it-isn't it wrong?" Horatio finally asked.
"It's more common than you might think in some places," Archie mused, recalling memories from his time spent on Drury Lane as a lad.
"It goes against the Articles of War, Archie."
"I know that, Horatio."
After a moment, Horatio spoke again. "This is the first time...the first time I've wanted it so much," he sighed. He shifted to lie down next to his friend; the hammock, which was meant for only one occupant at a time, forcing them close.
"It's the same for me," said Archie, and Horatio's brown eyes flicked up to meet his.
"What do we do?" Horatio's tone was practically pleading, and Archie was struck by his friend's naïvety but was understanding as he realized that being subjected to a military tribunal was probably weighing heavily on the mind of the ever-honorable Horatio Hornblower.
"I can think of something not covered in the Articles of War," Archie said with a smirk. Horatio could feel his bright tone melt away the clouds that were threatening to darken his mood. He became suddenly curious.
"What do you mean?" Horatio asked hesitantly, feeling like he was sailing into uncharted waters. His breath hitched as Archie's hand reached towards the waist of his breeches.
"If you'll allow me, Mr. Hornblower?" Archie stopped as he waited for his friend to answer the question. Horatio nodded nervously, but Archie waited until he mustered a soft "yes" before he continued. He undid Horatio's breeches and pulled them about halfway down, then undid his own. Archie kicked off his own breeches and gestured to Horatio to do the same. Horatio heard him softly mumbling something about "getting them out of the way" and smiled. Archie took Horatio's hand again.
"If you don't like something, you tell me. We can always stop," Archie insisted, taking Horatio's hand. Horatio nodded again, giving a more certain "yes" this time, and a grateful smile for his patient friend.
Archie looked at Horatio with a studious gaze as he pulled Horatio's hand in the direction of his prick, stopping about halfway between them. Horatio reached toward him, moving his shirt out of the way, and took Archie's shaft in his hand. He felt Archie's hand move over his and realizing Archie was guiding him; Horatio fell into Archie's rhythm. He watched as Archie's body tensed and moved with his hand. Archie reached his own hand toward Horatio but Horatio watched as the hand fell away in distraction as he continued to stroke.
Horatio took Archie's hand and brought it to where it had been reaching for. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of Archie's hand encircling him. Their pace slowed as they found a rhythm that worked for them both. As they developed their cadence, they relished hearing the other's breath quicken, the soft thumps of rising heart rates. Archie looked into Horatio's eyes and saw they were dark with lust. Horatio was fascinated by the way Archie's neck moved as he threw his head back. He could feel the tension building, a warm heat pooling in his lower abdomen.
Archie noticed that Horatio's moans were becoming increasingly louder. Concerned that someone would hear them over the ship creaking as she sailed through the early morning hours, Archie pressed his lips to Horatio's, kissing him ardently. That was enough to send Horatio over the edge, and Archie soon followed at the sight of his friend succumbing to passion, the kiss muffling both Horatio's cry and his own.
They held each other, basking in the euphoria of fulfilled desire and finally-spoken feelings. Horatio's curls, freed from their queue, tickled Archie's cheek as he lay nuzzled into Horatio's chest, Horatio buried his face into the top of Archie's head. He found himself feeling drunk on Archie's smell, a captivating combination of sea and sweat. All the uncertainties they felt earlier were melted away and they drifted into sleep, lying together until the bell called them back to their duties as officers in His Majesty's Navy.