PART 9

By Lizard

Horatio inhaled the familiar salty damp air, holding it within his lungs for a prolonged moment before releasing his breath. After an absence of almost three months, he was back where he belonged. At sea. On the Indy. With his ship-mates and his captain. And especially with a completely recovered Archie by his side. Horatio turned his gaze from the rhythmic waves he had been contemplating and glanced at the darker entrance leading to the midshipmen's mess where he knew his friend was at present addressing the other men. Instantly an image of that familiar smiling face materialised before his mind's eye. The cheery grin soon dissolved to an expression so dark and delicious that Horatio had to squeeze his eyes shut for a second and shake his head to dispel it. Even after almost three weeks since their encounter in that Spanish prison, Horatio could still hardly believe he had witnessed such a look of lust upon his friend's face. Lust that was directed at *him*. And that he had *responded* to.

He had been so preoccupied in dealing with Hunter, keeping the morale of his crew alive, worrying about the despatches he had given to that actress Kitty Cobham, he had not had the opportunity to think about that...that *kiss* until now. Were he willing to be truthful, he would have to admit that he had embraced those distractions with open arms, searching for anything to busy his mind and keep him from thinking about Archie. Feeling silly and ashamed at his lack of will power, Horatio decided that enough was enough, letting his train of thought run loose at last. He relived once again that feeling of intense pleasure that had tightened his chest at the first touch of warm lips upon his own. The slightly tickling sensation of Archie's palms moving smoothly over his neck...

Taking in a quietly shuddering breath, Horatio opened his eyes to squint at the reflected sunshine on the surface of the waves before him. Was there any point in denying that he had enjoyed his friend's ministrations? Any denying that he, Horatio Hornblower, found a member of his own sex attractive? Always one to despise self-delusionment, he fiercely told himself the truth. I like Archie. I liked him kissing me. I wanted to kiss him then, and I still do now. The rational part of his mind consistently berated him, telling him he was a bloody fool to consider such a course of action. It is against the Articles, for God's sake! What if you are caught? You would be put to death! *Death*! Are you listening to me? For Archie's sake, for your sake, forget this folly and be satisfied with the one taste of heaven you had. It will have to do. But for all his inner struggle, it was the rarely mentioned emotional side of our hero that was dominant.

Archie wants you. You want Archie. If you are careful you will not be caught. Think upon it, Horatio, the voice whispered wickedly in his head. Already five-and-twenty and your sexual experience amounts to two meagre kisses. So what if he is a man? You have admitted so many times before that one must make the most of one's resources. His mind shied away from this cold, almost remorseless outlook upon the situation. His feelings for Archie were not merely sexual. What about that deep-rooted friendship? That bond they had? Surely that amounted to something. He dared not imagine *what* it could amount to, so alien were the feelings of confusion swirling in the pit of his stomach. The swirling sensations soon began to take on another guise as they headed downwards. Horatio remained outwardly calm, but his hands gripped the side of the boat tightly, the edge of the wood biting painfully into his palm, as he tried hard to control his wandering thoughts. Finally he came to a decision and, whipping his hands from their grip, he determinedly walked towards the entrance of the midshipmen's mess, preparing for what was likely to be one of the hardest confrontations of his life.

**********

"Mr. Kennedy," said a voice from behind.

Archie turned and automatically stood stiffly when he saw his friend Horatio looking almost sternly at him. Ever since he had so stupidly kissed his friend on the lips, he had been unable to keep a straight face when in close proximity.

"Might I have a word with you." A pregnant pause. "In private." Archie's heart immediately began thumping frantically in his chest at the words, even as he told himself not to be such an emotional little girl. He looked away for a second before focussing on Horatio's face.

"Yes, of course, Mr Hornblower." He inclined his head to invite his friend to lead the way, looking away from that dark, handsome face. Both men swallowed nervously, though neither saw the other do so. After a short walk, they reached a small storeroom, the thick layer of dust on the floor indicating how little it was used. Horatio had passed this room several times whilst briskly walking about the ship. In agitation, he turned to see Archie's reaction to his choice. To his dismay, his friend promptly sneezed upon his opening the door. Smiling weakly as his friend grinned from behind his handkerchief, he shut the door, plunging them into musty darkness save for the small porthole on the opposite wall. Leaning his hand momentarily to ensure the door would not blow open from some rogue draught, he drew in a deep breath and began,

"Archie, I...I would like to speak with you about..." his voice catching, Horatio hastily swallowed and licked his lips. "...about what happened during our imprisonment in Spain." He turned his face anxiously up to Archie's face, but the meagre light cast deep shadows from his eyes downwards; he made no response, bar a slightly harsher intake of breath. They stood awkwardly in the silence, Horatio desperately willing his friend to break it. But Archie merely stood, frozen, forcing Horatio to do the running. Clearing his throat, he continued,

"What you did, what *we* did...I...I liked it, and I want...what I mean to say is, I would *like* it very much, if we..." Horatio cursed silently as his voice caught in his throat again. "...if we continued such...activity." He cringed inwardly at the ridiculous term. Why can you not just tell him clearly? A kiss. Lots of kisses. And more, whatever more was to be had.

A cold sweat began to dampen Horatio's back and make his shirt stick unpleasantly. A shot of trepidation gripped his chest as Archie still refused to reply. All he did was lift the corner of his lips in a tiny smile of...what was it, amusement? Irony? Disdain?

"To what might you be referring to, Mr Hornblower? I could not quite capture your meaning due to your excessive pausing." A sudden grin accompanied this, taking away any hint of scorn in the question. But Horatio was not comforted. Clenching his fists in frustration and rising panic, he blurted out,

"The kiss, Archie. The kiss! I want you to ki--"

Before he could finish that forbidden demand, Archie lunged at him, pushing him hard against the wall behind them. Horatio winced slightly, but the pain did not concern him as his whole body tensed in anticipation. A brief pause as they looked intensely in each other's eyes. Archie flicked his gaze down to those full lips, seized his friend by the shoulders and pulled him towards him. There mouths collided almost accidentally, but Horatio was quick to take advantage. He slipped his hands around Archie's face and dug his fingers into the thick blond hair, uncaring of the disorder this would cause to his friend's appearance. He pressed his mouth down harder, trying to imprint the feeling into his brain. Archie parted his lips slightly and Horatio blindly followed suit, slipping his eyes closed. A shock of sensation darted through him as something warm and wet teased the inside of his lower lip. Breathing in deeply through his nose, Horatio opened his lips wider, squeezing his eyes shut more tightly as he finally got a taste of Archie's mouth. The unfamiliar flavour was strange yet incredibly delicious, and he welcomed it, pressing his friend's head closer to try and gain more access.

Archie's hands slipped down from his shoulders to rest on Horatio's chest, pressing his fingers forward to feel the lean muscles. He greedily slipped his tongue in to touch Horatio's, his mind dulled with lust and exhilaration. Both men emitted a tiny groan of pleasure as they tasted each other, completely oblivious to the sounds of the crew stomping down wooden steps outside to reach their mess room for lunch. A sudden clanging clatter resounded as someone knocked over a nearby metal bucket. Archie's eyes sprang open and he pushed away, sucking in the stuffy air of the storeroom in breathless gasps. Horatio did likewise, and both men stared at each other, waiting for their chests to stop heaving, hunger still clouding their wits. An unspoken understanding passed between them with their eyes. With a final appraising glance down Horatio's figure, Archie headed towards the door and opened it. He looked back; a slight twitch about his lips and a faint raising of one eyebrow confirmed it.

Horatio watched the door close to behind his friend's back. They would meet again. Tonight.

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