Summary: A sweet interlude on a snowy day.
Category: Romance, PWP
Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers/Warnings: none.
Notes
Disclaimer

Horatio Hornblower slept the deep, contented sleep of the truly righteous and the truly exhausted. Cocooned beneath a nest of blankets, he drifted through lovely dreams filled with glorious sea battles, only to be rudely awakened by a sudden shaking and the familiar, but currently unwelcome, sound of Archie Kennedy´s voice.

“Horatio! Look!"

He rolled over, trying to ignore the interruption. He was so warm and comfortable and his dreams were so pleasant – King George III had just knighted him as a reward for capturing a French seventy-four single-handedly – but Archie was most insistent. Horatio felt his shoulder jostled again, this time with greater force, and then Archie called his name again, his voice slightly shrill with excitement and growing impatience.

“Horatio! Wake up!"

Horatio sighed then opened his eyes to see Archie grinning down at him, eyes bright with anticipation. Horatio felt a moment of disorientation as his eyes skittered past Archie´s face to the whitewashed walls beyond before memory seeped into his sleep addled brain. They weren´t aboard ship, but were back home - his home – in Kent, paying a long overdue visit to Horatio´s father. When he´d announced his plans to use their extended shore leave to return home, Archie had volunteered to accompany him. Startled but gratified by the offer, Horatio had suggested hesitantly that Archie might prefer to visit his sister in London. Archie, however, had merely smiled and said he had a yearning for the quiet of the countryside. That had caused Horatio to look at him askance. Archie had never been one to pine for rusticity, he well knew, preferring the bustle and diversions of the city life. But Archie, much to Horatio´s unspoken relief, would not be swayed. He had merely smiled and pronounced that he´d better see to his dunnage, clapping Horatio´s shoulder in passing before he vanished into his cabin to suit action to words.

And so it was that they found themselves in Kent, the recipients of a welcome that would have made any prodigal envious. If there had been a fatted calf somewhere about, Horatio suspected that it would have been spitted and crackling over a fire in short order. Horatio was pleased to note that the welcome was not limited to him alone. Dr. Hornblower, who was of a taciturn nature – a quality he shared with his son – had greeted Archie warmly and Mrs. Appleby, their housekeeper had adopted Archie on the spot. She had pinched Archie´s cheek, much to Archie´s embarrassment, declared him far too thin and had proceeded to stuff them both full of freshly baked rhubarb pie, muttering all the while about naval fare and the shamefulness of starving growing boys. Neither he nor Archie had had the heart to point out that they weren´t exactly boys any longer and had stopped growing some years before. Nor did they have the opportunity since every time they opened their mouths, she was plying them with some home made treat. In the end, they simply endured the coddling with good grace.

The past two days had been pleasant as Horatio had shown Archie around the village where he´d been raised. The weather had been cold and the air had held a crispness to it that indicated snow. The sky, however, had remained a vibrant, crystalline blue that belied all other portents of foul weather.

Until last night.

“Horatio! Come look!" Archie cajoled as he ruthlessly pulled aside Horatio´s blankets, exposing him to the chill of the room. Horatio hissed as he felt the cold air against his bare legs and glared up at Archie, wondering why he didn´t seem to be freezing as well, seeing as how he was clad only in his nightshirt as well.

“Horatio!" Archie tugged at his arm. Horatio swatted his hand away and sighed, knowing that Archie would not relent until Horatio had complied. Besides, he was fully awake now, so he might as well see for himself what Archie was making such a fuss about.

Horatio padded over to the window where Archie was standing, wincing as his bare feet made contact with a patch of cold floor. Archie pulled the curtain aside with a flourish and an almost maniacal grin.

Horatio stood and stared out the window agape.

The first snowfall of the season had arrived.

The snow was falling heavily and from the look of things had been doing so for the better part of the night, blanketing everything in a layer of snow.

He turned to look at Archie who was smiling like a small boy on Christmas morning. “C´mon!" he said, nudging Horatio with his elbow. “Get dressed so we can go outside."

Horatio frowned, uncertain as to whether he wanted to endure the cold when he could simply curl up in a chair near the fire and read. Archie caught the look and nudged him again. “C´mon, Horatio! It´ll be fun!"

Archie´s bright smile faded and was replaced by a gently pleading look. Horatio wavered, torn between Archie´s obvious enthusiasm and his own craving for comfort, but it was an unequal battle. He could never refuse Archie, not when he turned those beseeching eyes upon him. Horatio shook his head.

“I shall meet you downstairs."

Archie beamed at him and bounded from the room like a puppy. Horatio shook his head again, hoping he would not regret his compliance.

By the time Horatio came downstairs, Archie was already seated at the kitchen table, tucking enthusiastically into the breakfast that Mrs. Appleby had placed before him.

“Good morning, Mrs. Appleby," he greeted as he took a seat at the table.

“Mornin´ Master Horatio," she said as she placed a plate heaped with eggs and ham before him. He eyed the quantity a bit warily, but it smelled so tempting, he was diving in before he even gave it conscious thought.

“Your father´s left already," she informed him as she poured him some coffee. “He went to the Hawkins farm to see the missus. He thinks today might be the day."

“I thought the baby wasn´t due for another week?" Horatio asked around a mouthful of eggs, recalling a conversation from two nights previous.

Mrs. Appleby shrugged her shoulders. “Don´t rightly know. But your father seems to think the baby might come today and has a knack for knowin´ such things. I wouldn´t be the least bit surprised if he comes home tonight with a chicken under his arm and a smile on his face."

Horatio nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

“She´s as big as a barn, she is, and looks ready to drop the wee thing at any minute, if you ask me," Mrs. Appleby continued. “And after nine months of carrying that baby about in her belly, she´ll probably be relieved." She turned to look at Archie. “More eggs, Master Archie?"

Horatio smiled behind his coffee cup at the warmhearted address. She had well and truly taken Archie to her bosom and Horatio knew that he could abandon all hope of ever being addressed as ‘Mr. Kennedy´ by Mrs. Appleby. But true to form, Archie took her indulgence in stride and gave her his brightest and most winning smile. “Yes, please."

She beamed down at him, clearly gratified by his healthy appetite, before piling more food upon his plate which Archie consumed with obvious gusto.

“Master Horatio?"

Horatio blinked, surprised to realize that he had polished off his own breakfast without even noticing. He was about to refuse but then looked up at Mrs. Appleby´s earnest, hopeful expression and crumbled. “Yes, please."

Horatio turned his attention to his plate, studiously ignoring Archie´s amused look. For an officer in His Majesty´s navy, Horatio was a remarkably soft touch. He really needed to learn to be more resolute. But casting a quick glance up and Mrs. Appleby´s doting expression and Archie´s smiling eyes, Horatio knew that today was not going to be that day.

Sighing softly, Horatio finished his breakfast.

[][][]

The world was white.

Horatio stood and slowly turned, his eyes tracking across the pristine expanses of newly fallen snow stretching as far as the eye could see and breathed in the chill along with the strange stillness that blanketed the countryside along with the snow.

It was snowing still, a gentle fall of snowflakes that descended in lazy, erratic patterns. Giving in to a sudden impulse, he stuck out his tongue just as he´d down as a boy and felt a snowflake settle there before melting. He smiled, feeling warmth glowing inside despite the cold that surrounded him and permeated his skin through the layers of wool that covered him.

Although Horatio did not consider himself to be of a poetic temperament, he could not help but admire how something as simple as snow could change the world so. The familiar landscape became strangely ethereal and the gnarled branches of barren trees, so unprepossessing in the winter months, took on a fey quality when decked with garlands of white, the mundane transformed beneath the alchemy of winter.

Horatio´s musings were brought to an abrupt halt when something impacted rather forcefully against the back of his skull. His hand shot up to his head to feel ice crystals and wet hair even as he turned upon his assailant. Archie was standing perhaps fifteen feet away, grinning back at him like a loon, utterly unrepentant. Horatio glared at him as he attempted to brush the remnants of the snowball from his collar, even as melting snow began to trickle down the back of his neck making him shiver. Still smiling and holding Horatio´s gaze, Archie crouched down and began to form another snowball.

“Archie!" he warned. “Don´t you da…"

The rest of the sentence was cut off as another snowball collided with the side of Horatio´s head, the sound of impact nothing compared to the squeal of laughter coming from the other man.

Archie was already making another snowball, but Horatio was determined that this time he would be met with an answering volley. Crouching down, Horatio hastily formed his own makeshift artillery. He stood and hurled his missile with all his force, even as another projectile came hurtling in his direction. Horatio twisted aside so that Archie´s snowball merely clipped his shoulder rather than impacting squarely with his chest. His own missile, he was displeased to note, had missed the target entirely. Growling, Horatio made another snowball. This time, he managed to wing Archie, but Archie´s aim was truer and he caught Horatio in the shoulder, making him stagger backwards. His heel caught on something and Horatio could feel himself overbalancing. His arms flailed as he tried to remain upright, but to no effect. Horatio instead found himself in the thoroughly undignified situation of sitting on his arse in the middle of a snow bank.

Archie laughed, slapping his thighs in amusement. “Oh God! Horatio! Your face!" he managed to get out before being rendered speechless by mirth once more.

That was the final straw. Horatio pulled himself to his feet and launched himself at Archie. Archie was not so far gone that he didn´t recognize his imminent danger. His smile was replaced by a sudden look of alarm and then he was running as fast as he could through the heavy snow, barely suppressed giggles trailing after him.

Horatio raced after him, his boots throwing up plumes of snow as he went. Under normal circumstances, Horatio´s longer legs would have given him the advantage in such a contest of speed, but the snow slowed him down, making him slip and almost fall on more than one occasion. Of course, Archie was similarly hobbled, so they were evenly matched in principle, save for Horatio´s determination to wreak his revenge upon the impish Archie.

Archie led him a merry chase, weaving a wild path through the snow. Horatio steadily gained ground upon his opponent, but still Archie remained just out of reach. Finally frustrated beyond endurance, Horatio lunged at Archie, tackling him and sending them both tumbling head first into a snow bank. Horatio gleefully shoved snow beneath Archie´s collar as Archie writhed and twisted beneath him, laughter now mingled with breathless protests and random invective.

Archie managed to twist himself about so that he was no longer sprawled face down in the snow, but he was unable to dislodge Horatio who continued to pin him in place.

“Horatio!" he gasped out, still laughing helplessly. “Let go!"

“Not until I´ve had my revenge!" he replied, shoving a handful of snow down the front of Archie´s jacket making him gasp and squirm even more.

Horatio felt flushed and dizzy, his body strangely warm despite the snow that surrounded them and which continued to fall lightly upon him. He looked down at Archie, his face damp and flushed, nose pink from the cold as snowflakes caught in his eyelashes and sparkled in the weak sunlight. Archie smiled at him, his breath coming in heavy gulps and then something in his expression changed, becoming inscrutable beneath Horatio´s gaze.

Horatio felt himself drawn forward. The tip of his nose brushed against Archie´s; it was damp and cold like his own. Archie´s eyes widened, perhaps in surprise, perhaps in alarm, lips parting as if in prelude to speech, but no words came forth. And before Horatio could lose his nerve, he leaned down and kissed him.

Horatio could not have said why he did so, but in that moment the impulse to kiss Archie had been so powerful to would sooner have given up breathing than refused to surrender to it, so surrender he did. Archie´s lips were chapped from the cold, much like his own, but they were soft and yielding and molded to fit his own with surprising ease. Horatio pressed his lips more firmly against Archie´s and felt them part beneath his determined assault. He felt the tip of Archie´s tongue brush against his lips and Horatio found himself surrendering a second time as his own lips parted in invitation.

Horatio felt Archie´s arms slide around his back, drawing him closer. Cold fingertips grazed against the bare skin of his neck and made him shiver. It was a strange sensation, this mixture of hot and cold, the scorching heat of Archie´s mouth capturing his while the pristine snow embraced them, cradling their bodies in frigid softness; the exquisite touch of icy fingers fuelling an unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome warmth low in Horatio´s belly. Trapped within the two extremes, Horatio didn´t know whether he would burn to ash or die of cold and in that moment he didn´t care.

Archie moaned into his mouth and Horatio found himself deepening the kiss as he pressed even closer against the warm body trapped beneath his own. Finally, and with no small amount of reluctance, Horatio broke the kiss. He pulled back, drawing away from Archie so he could better see his face. With the loss of the other man´s heat, a wary chill began to steal through Horatio and with it the sudden, distressing fear that he´d made a terrible mistake. He swallowed sharply as his eyes scanned Archie´s visage. Archie looked utterly befogged, eyes wide and mouth gaping in shock. His cheeks were stained deep pink though Horatio wasn´t sure if the cause was embarrassment, arousal or a mix of the two.

He swallowed again. “Archie?" he essayed at last, horrified at how tremulous his voice sounded in his ears as he waited for some kind of response.

Archie stared up at him with wide blue eyes and stunned expression and then his slack mouth began to curl slowly upwards into a genuine smile as the look of surprise became one of wonder. And then Archie was laughing.

“You have the most deuced sense of timing, Mr. Hornblower."

Horatio blinked. That wasn´t quite the response he´d been expecting. “Archie?"

Archie was shaking his head, a wry smile on his face. “Only you would undertake a seduction in a snow bank."

“I…" he began then ground to a halt.

Archie reached up and ran his fingertips along Horatio´s jaw. “I don´t mind," he hastened to reassure Horatio, “it´s just that my arse is frozen solid and other bits of which I´m equally fond are in danger of dropping off." He leveled a provocative look at Horatio and lowered his voice to a husky purr. “Would you like to help me warm them up?"

Horatio could feel the heat rising in his cheeks – and in another portion of his anatomy - at Archie´s proposal. He leaned down and kissed him again sharp and quick before rising to his feet. He extended a hand to Archie who clasped it within his own and let Horatio haul him to his feet.

He didn´t let go of Archie´s hand, but rather gave it a quick tug. “C´mon."

Archie followed Horatio´s lead. “Where are we going?" he asked.

“You´ll see," was all he said.

Horatio led them back in the direction of his father´s house but took them in a path towards the far side. He let go of Archie´s hand and walked the length of the wall slowly until he found the spot he was looking for. Crouching down, he began to sweep away the snow to reveal his prize.

“Horatio?"

“Root cellar," Horatio explained, as he pulled the door open. He turned to look at Archie who was gazing worriedly towards the side of the house.

“What if Mrs. Appleby decides to come to the root cellar looking for something?"

“She won´t, not while it´s snowing at any rate. The damp and cold bother her rheumatism." Archie still hesitated so Horatio grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle tug. “C´mon."

It was dark in the root cellar, but thankfully Horatio knew were the flint and steel were kept and it was relatively short work to catch a spark with the oakum tinder and light the lantern that sat on the barrel near the entrance. Lighting in place, Horatio closed the door to the cellar, blocking out the cold and snow and giving them as much privacy as they were apt to have anywhere at Dr. Hornblower´s home.

The cellar was small and cramped, but Horatio led them towards the back where several barrels provided a bit of a screen should anyone venture down. Horatio set the lantern on top of one of them, spread his greatcoat out across a bare patch of the packed earth floor and sat down on top of it. Taking his cue, Archie spread his own coat on the floor before settling at Horatio´s side.

Now that they were safely tucked away, Horatio found his earlier boldness replaced by uncertainty as his habitual reserve began to reassert itself along with his common sense. There were a hundred reasons why this was pure folly, but when he turned to look at Archie at last, he realized that none of them truly mattered. Archie smiled at him, not the provocative, smoldering grin that he´d worn while gazing up at Horatio in the snow, challenging and teasing in equal measure, but a sweet, hopeful smile tinged with yearning. Horatio reached over and brushed wet tendrils of hair from Archie´s brow, the skin cold and damp to the touch, then let his fingers trail down the side of Archie´s face, along his jaw, before he cupped Archie´s chin in his palm. Taking a deep breath, Horatio leaned in and kissed Archie again.

Archie met him halfway, his lips still curved into a smile. This kiss was less desperate than those they shared in the snow, but there was no denying the underlying hunger as they shared breath and the warmth of their mouths with one another. Archie´s arms slipped around him, pulling their bodies close to ward off the chill that surrounded them and when he leaned back to lie against their spread cloaks, Horatio followed him down without hesitation, unwilling to relinquish his hold on the other man for even a moment.

The root cellar was hardly the ideal location for such an assignation, Horatio was willing to concede. It was cold and damp and the dirt floor was hard and unyielding beneath them, but at least they were out of the elements and had some modicum of privacy. Still, it was not precisely the venue he would have imagined for such a momentous undertaking, had he ever allowed himself to imagine in the first place. Horatio shifted his legs, his foot banging against of the barrels as he did so. He swore softly and Archie snickered against his neck so Horatio kissed him again, a sharp, fierce kiss that smothered his laughter until it was replaced by a low, needy moan.

He felt Archie´s hands tugging at the buttons of his jacket, his waistcoat as they sought to burrow beneath layers of fabric and Horatio found his own hands doing the same to Archie´s garments. Suddenly, there were too many clothes, too many barriers between them and the need to touch bare skin was almost as pressing as the need to breathe. It was too cold to divest themselves of their garments entirely, of course, but the heat rising between them was almost enough to make them forget the cold entirely.

They fumbled with one another´s clothing, their normally skilled fingers made clumsy and awkward by haste and desperation. Horatio tugged at Archie´s stock, pulling the slip of fabric away. He slid the collar of Archie´s shirt aside then nuzzled against his neck where the blood ran hot. Droplets of melted snow still beaded his skin and Horatio chased them with his tongue, making Archie shiver and arch against his mouth unexpectedly. Intrigued by this response, Horatio licked his neck again, the skin warming beneath his tongue, enthralled by Archie´s responsiveness. Suddenly, he wondered what other reactions he could elicit and what other sounds would issue from Archie´s pretty mouth.

He nuzzled at Archie´s neck again and this time he replaced tongue with teeth, nipping almost playfully at the soft skin beneath Archie´s jaw. Archie arched up again, growling his name. Before Horatio could plan his next assault, however, Archie wrapped his hand around the back of Horatio´s neck and pulled him down into a furious kiss that left them both breathless and more than a little dazed.

Horatio gazed down at Archie´s flushed and smiling face, in wonder. He gave a startled squeak as Archie´s hands clutched at his arse, crushing their hips together and sparking a rush of heat that flooded his body and left Horatio gasping and no doubt more than a little wild eyed. Archie looked decidedly smug and Horatio´s eyes narrowed before he leaned down, determined to kiss that smirk off his face and proceeded to do just that.

Archie´s hands continued to press their bodies together and Horatio found himself rocking instinctively against Archie in a rhythm that unconsciously matched the movements of their lips and tongues as they devoured one another. He was hard and aching and he could feel Archie´s cock, hard and hot as it rubbed deliciously against his own, the sensation sending off bright sparks behind his tightly closed eyelids. Horatio´s hands were clutching at Archie´s arms. He needed to be closer, needed to ground himself before he shattered and flew to pieces. He needed more.

Almost of their own accord, his hands moved down and slid between their bodies where they lay crushed together. He began to pull at the buttons of Archie´s trousers to reach heated flesh. Apparently, he and Archie were in complete accord, because Archie´s hands slipped from his bum and began to fumble with the placket of Horatio´s trousers.

It was an awkward operation, made more difficult by their mutual unwillingness to release the other entirely, but they managed after a fashion. Buttons were released, trousers and small clothes were hastily pushed aside, freeing their cocks from the increasingly uncomfortable confinement of their clothing. Horatio shivered as he felt the cold air against his bare arse, but it was a momentary discomfort, soon forgotten, as Archie´s hands returned to press against him, fingers digging into the muscle as he dragged their bodies close.

Horatio moved against Archie in a mindless desperate rhythm. He had no idea what he was doing but Archie was offering neither complaint nor direction so Horatio continued to rub against him. It felt amazing; his nerves flared and sparked with energy as his prick slid against Archie´s. Their hipbones collided forcefully more than once, but surprisingly there was no pain or if there was it was buried beneath the rising wave of dizzying pleasure. Horatio clutched at Archie and kissed him frantically, his tongue thrusting madly into his friend´s mouth in counterpoint to his bucking hips and thrashing legs.

Someone was moaning and Horatio was too far gone to know if it was him or Archie, or to even care for that matter. Archie broke their kiss and pressed his face against Horatio´s neck, his hot breath staining his skin as he thrashed and muttered and whispered Horatio´s name like a charm.

“Horatio…yes, Horatio…God," he said over and over again, the sound of his voice like the rasping caress of calloused fingers upon smooth skin. And then Archie was shaking, trembling beneath him, his arms wrapping around Horatio´s lower back with alarming force as he spilled against Horatio´s belly. He whimpered softly then buried his face in Horatio´s shoulder and clung to him like a drowning man to a bit of flotsam as Horatio continued to move and thrust against him. It didn´t take long until the heat in Horatio´s belly exploded and pleasure washed over him like a tidal wave. His vision grayed and he was trembling, almost convulsing in the wake of his release. He clutched at Archie and felt Archie´s arms tighten around him in response, holding him close as his body shivered and quaked and finally fell quiescent.

Horatio felt as weak as a newborn kitten and it took a surprising amount of effort to raise his head from where it rested on Archie´s shoulder, but when he did so he was glad he´d made the effort. Archie was smiling up at him, sweet indulgent expression on his face. Archie reached up and gently brushed an errant fall of hair away from his brow, his touch as gentle as his gaze. Archie began to laugh, a soft, breathy chuckle and Horatio soon joined in almost in spite of himself.

“We are quite the pair, aren´t we, Horatio? A root cellar in the dead of winter and at your father´s home, no less. Not exactly what I would have imagined."

Horatio was a bit startled by the realization that Archie had actually given this thought, enough thought to imagine a time and a place for their…coupling. He frowned, momentarily unsettled by the thought before he decided that it was unimportant. Archie was usually more perceptive about these matters than he was. Besides, it really didn´t matter who led and who followed, so long as they reached the destination together.

“Nor I," Horatio admitted with a small, wry smile. “But it´s ultimately the outcome that matters, wouldn´t you say?"

Archie smiled back. “Yes." He reached up and caressed Horatio´s cheek with the back of his fingers before Horatio captured it and placed an awkward, apologetic kiss against his fingertips. Horatio stretched out alongside of Archie, his hand still cradled in his own. Archie made no effort to free it, Horatio was pleased to note, and instead gave their joined hands a quick tug, drawing Horatio close once more.

They remained like that for a time, hands joined, their legs entwined. Archie shivered and Horatio realized he was doing so as well.

“Cold?"

“Freezing," Archie replied. “We should probably go back inside." There was little enthusiasm in his voice, but they both knew it was the wise course of action. Horatio nodded and rolled off Archie´s side to redress. It was almost as difficult to put their clothing in order within the cramped space as it had been to disorder it in the throes of passion. Horatio offered Archie his handkerchief so that he might wipe the remnants of their spend from his belly. Archie handed it back, his nose scrunched in a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. Horatio tucked it in his pocket, making a mental note to wash it out before Mrs. Appleby chanced upon it.

They rose to their feet as one and retrieved their coats, brushing them off as best they could before donning them once more. Horatio grabbed the lantern and they made their way back to the entrance of the root cellar.

“Wait," Horatio said handing Archie the lantern. He turned to gaze at the contents of the shelves before grabbing a jar and holding it before him like a prize.

“What is it?" Archie asked eyeing the dusty jar.

“Preserves. You have an exceptional fondness for quince preserves."

Archie looked back at him confused. “I do?"

Horatio nodded. “You do now. That was why we came to the root cellar; to fetch some of Mrs. Appleby´s excellent preserves."

Archie nodded at the logic before he turned a frown on Horatio. “Won´t she be cross?"

Horatio shook his head, smiling. “Not at all. She has taken quite a shine to you, ‘Master Archie´."

Archie rolled his eyes and followed Horatio to the door, blowing out the lantern once Horatio had heaved it open.

“Of course," Horatio continued in a conversational tone, “she´ll probably stuff you full of quince tarts and quince jam, but that´s a small price to pay, wouldn´t you agree, Archie?"

That earned him an arch look. “If you think I´ll be eating them alone, you are quite mistaken, Mr. Hornblower."

The snow was still falling gently as Horatio´s head peeked out from the root cellar. For a moment he stood there, letting his eyes fall shut, as snowflakes settled on his upturned face. He turned to look back to find Archie watching him with a quizzical expression.  Horatio smiled at him than leaned in and kissed him one last time.

“Don´t worry, Archie. Come what may, I´ll be there."

With a tug on Archie´s hand, Horatio pulled him back into the snowy countryside, the cellar door dropping closed behind them.

Finis

Notes: A little distraction on a snowy day. Companion piece to "Rumpelstiltskin".