Disclaimer: I own nothing (although I imagine owning Stephen would be quite an experience). All belong to Patrick O'Brian, who must be turning in his grave.
Note: For all the lovely people who review my FanFiction, because I owe you something, big time. Thanks for all your support.
"What fond and wayward thoughts will slide
Into a Lover's head!"
- Wordsworth, "Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known"
AN INOPPORTUNE ENTRANCE: PART 3
When Jack gazed upon Stephen, he saw something that was infinitely subtle and complex. Stephen's powers of intellect were beyond him, he knew. The good doctor could not direct the movement of the ship or discipline the men, but he knew wonderful things: far greater things than Jack could ever know.
The doctor entered the room, and Jack smiled quietly to himself as new thoughts blossomed. So too, he mused, did his friend bring complexity to their own unique relationship. Stephen was endowed with hidden powers of seduction. A searing-hot touch or a whispered word could have the captain on his knees in seconds. Sometimes he felt as if he were a youth again, marvelling at the charms of his lover.
"What is it, Jack? Will you deign to tell me what is so immensely amusing?"
"Nothing, my dear, just thinking."
Stephen ran a hand over the cabin window-ledge, lines of worry forming furrows in his pale brow. "The men are restless, Jack."
"So am I."
"That is not what I mean. They know that Killick has seen something. In fact," – slender fingers etched a pattern on the sill – "I fear he may have told them. I have heard whispers."
"Nonsense!" Jack rose, indignant, cheeks flushed at the very thought. "He'd do no such thing. Why, the man fusses over you – and over me too, for that matter."
Stephen sighed. "Then perhaps they are whispers, nothing more." He let himself be consoled, reassured, while his mind slipped away. What was he hungering for? Some deeper melody played inside his heart. His devotion to Jack was absolute, but his abhorrence of their situation was more powerful still. Always imprisoned on this floating ark, always surrounded by insistent voices and lewd gazes that grated unpleasantly against his desire. He could not deny that, sometimes, such a close proximity brought the pleasant thrill of danger. He had engaged in desperate, wild encounters: adrenaline pumping with the fear of being caught, hands tangled in the captain's hair. But now that they had tasted exposition, he longed for safety.
"Tell me, Jack, is there any chance of us stopping over in the next week?"
"No; none whatsoever. And I know what you are thinking, Stephen."
"What is that, pray tell?"
But the twinkle in Jack's burning blue eyes spoke the answer for him.
"Is privacy so much to ask?" Stephen persisted. He said it with such an endearing tenacity that Jack's heart leapt, and threatened to burst out of his chest with longing. In that one raw moment, he felt he had never wanted anything so badly.
"It's true: we are in need of supplies. Tell me Stephen..." Jack unconsciously twirled a lock of yellow hair, "what would you do for a stopover?"
"Oh!" The doctor got to his feet with unhurried gravity. "Is this blackmail, then?"
"Perhaps. Are you so averse?"
"Well, that depends on the conditions."
The hint of a repressed smile played at the corners of Jack's mouth. "Just tonight," he said roguishly.
"Jack, you have had me many times. And I you. So will you kindly tell me what this is all about?"
The smile was no longer held back. "If you were to assent, to give me this one night at my will, I will repay you with many nights when we are in port."
A long moment stretched eternally as Stephen weighed both sides of the proposal. "All right," he said slowly, but before the words were even out of his mouth Jack was upon him.
The captain's hands worked swiftly at the buttons of Stephen's shirt. Each one was slid from its loop hastily, as if symbolic of Jack's intent. A damask scarf was unwound from Stephen's neck with insatiable rapidity. Huge hands slid downwards and disrobed the doctor. Stephen, still standing, gasped as Jack ran his fingers over his intended destination.
"That feels – " ...His words were cut off by a kiss, fleeting but powerful, as Jack let his own frenetic energy guide him. How he enjoyed their nights together. But to have Stephen at his mercy – completely under his control, susceptible to his touch – why, that was paradise itself.
The doctor no longer fought for control. He had given in, letting Jack bring him unashamedly to the floor. The captain straddled his friend, took a long look into his pale eyes. He stroked Stephen again; this time harder, more deliberate. The resulting moan plunged Jack into a new heaven.
"Jack!"
He pushed harder. "What?"
Stephen let out a long, ragged breath. "Will you... will you enter me?"
No... not yet. He wanted to see his friend's face: lips parted, eyes wild with pleasure. He stopped Stephen's question with another kiss, his tongue probing and darting inside the doctor's mouth.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Sir!"
The sound came from outside the cabin door.
"Sir!"
More thumping on the door. Jack paused, intertwined with Stephen on the floor. The call came again.
"Do NOT enter." Jack's voice resounded in the silence that followed. He was still deep inside Stephen.
"Sir – one of the men, sir – he's violent ill, sir – needs the doctor. We was just wondering where the doctor was, sir."
Upon hearing this, Stephen's lips formed a silent plea.
"The doctor is indisposed. He will be out to assist in ten minutes." Jack sighed as footsteps drew away from the cabin door, fading slowly.
Stephen drew himself up, savouring a last kiss as he reached for a pair of breeches. Jack ran his tongue along the doctor's neck, tasting his own ardour, feeling his own urges aroused once more. He groped for words, but could not find the eloquence to say just what he meant. "Stephen – "
"I know, I know."
"You promised me this one night."
A wry smile cracked the doctor's face. "Subject to the requirements of the service, Jack."
"I think the service will be requiring quite a lot from you later tonight."
Another grin. "We shall see."
Note: For all the lovely people who review my FanFiction, because I owe you something, big time. Thanks for all your support.
"What fond and wayward thoughts will slide
Into a Lover's head!"
- Wordsworth, "Strange Fits of Passion Have I Known"
AN INOPPORTUNE ENTRANCE: PART 3
When Jack gazed upon Stephen, he saw something that was infinitely subtle and complex. Stephen's powers of intellect were beyond him, he knew. The good doctor could not direct the movement of the ship or discipline the men, but he knew wonderful things: far greater things than Jack could ever know.
The doctor entered the room, and Jack smiled quietly to himself as new thoughts blossomed. So too, he mused, did his friend bring complexity to their own unique relationship. Stephen was endowed with hidden powers of seduction. A searing-hot touch or a whispered word could have the captain on his knees in seconds. Sometimes he felt as if he were a youth again, marvelling at the charms of his lover.
"What is it, Jack? Will you deign to tell me what is so immensely amusing?"
"Nothing, my dear, just thinking."
Stephen ran a hand over the cabin window-ledge, lines of worry forming furrows in his pale brow. "The men are restless, Jack."
"So am I."
"That is not what I mean. They know that Killick has seen something. In fact," – slender fingers etched a pattern on the sill – "I fear he may have told them. I have heard whispers."
"Nonsense!" Jack rose, indignant, cheeks flushed at the very thought. "He'd do no such thing. Why, the man fusses over you – and over me too, for that matter."
Stephen sighed. "Then perhaps they are whispers, nothing more." He let himself be consoled, reassured, while his mind slipped away. What was he hungering for? Some deeper melody played inside his heart. His devotion to Jack was absolute, but his abhorrence of their situation was more powerful still. Always imprisoned on this floating ark, always surrounded by insistent voices and lewd gazes that grated unpleasantly against his desire. He could not deny that, sometimes, such a close proximity brought the pleasant thrill of danger. He had engaged in desperate, wild encounters: adrenaline pumping with the fear of being caught, hands tangled in the captain's hair. But now that they had tasted exposition, he longed for safety.
"Tell me, Jack, is there any chance of us stopping over in the next week?"
"No; none whatsoever. And I know what you are thinking, Stephen."
"What is that, pray tell?"
But the twinkle in Jack's burning blue eyes spoke the answer for him.
"Is privacy so much to ask?" Stephen persisted. He said it with such an endearing tenacity that Jack's heart leapt, and threatened to burst out of his chest with longing. In that one raw moment, he felt he had never wanted anything so badly.
"It's true: we are in need of supplies. Tell me Stephen..." Jack unconsciously twirled a lock of yellow hair, "what would you do for a stopover?"
"Oh!" The doctor got to his feet with unhurried gravity. "Is this blackmail, then?"
"Perhaps. Are you so averse?"
"Well, that depends on the conditions."
The hint of a repressed smile played at the corners of Jack's mouth. "Just tonight," he said roguishly.
"Jack, you have had me many times. And I you. So will you kindly tell me what this is all about?"
The smile was no longer held back. "If you were to assent, to give me this one night at my will, I will repay you with many nights when we are in port."
A long moment stretched eternally as Stephen weighed both sides of the proposal. "All right," he said slowly, but before the words were even out of his mouth Jack was upon him.
The captain's hands worked swiftly at the buttons of Stephen's shirt. Each one was slid from its loop hastily, as if symbolic of Jack's intent. A damask scarf was unwound from Stephen's neck with insatiable rapidity. Huge hands slid downwards and disrobed the doctor. Stephen, still standing, gasped as Jack ran his fingers over his intended destination.
"That feels – " ...His words were cut off by a kiss, fleeting but powerful, as Jack let his own frenetic energy guide him. How he enjoyed their nights together. But to have Stephen at his mercy – completely under his control, susceptible to his touch – why, that was paradise itself.
The doctor no longer fought for control. He had given in, letting Jack bring him unashamedly to the floor. The captain straddled his friend, took a long look into his pale eyes. He stroked Stephen again; this time harder, more deliberate. The resulting moan plunged Jack into a new heaven.
"Jack!"
He pushed harder. "What?"
Stephen let out a long, ragged breath. "Will you... will you enter me?"
No... not yet. He wanted to see his friend's face: lips parted, eyes wild with pleasure. He stopped Stephen's question with another kiss, his tongue probing and darting inside the doctor's mouth.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Sir!"
The sound came from outside the cabin door.
"Sir!"
More thumping on the door. Jack paused, intertwined with Stephen on the floor. The call came again.
"Do NOT enter." Jack's voice resounded in the silence that followed. He was still deep inside Stephen.
"Sir – one of the men, sir – he's violent ill, sir – needs the doctor. We was just wondering where the doctor was, sir."
Upon hearing this, Stephen's lips formed a silent plea.
"The doctor is indisposed. He will be out to assist in ten minutes." Jack sighed as footsteps drew away from the cabin door, fading slowly.
Stephen drew himself up, savouring a last kiss as he reached for a pair of breeches. Jack ran his tongue along the doctor's neck, tasting his own ardour, feeling his own urges aroused once more. He groped for words, but could not find the eloquence to say just what he meant. "Stephen – "
"I know, I know."
"You promised me this one night."
A wry smile cracked the doctor's face. "Subject to the requirements of the service, Jack."
"I think the service will be requiring quite a lot from you later tonight."
Another grin. "We shall see."