Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Rating: NC-17
Category: POV, PWP
Summary: The clothes make the man *what*, exactly?
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, much less these fine characters (if you know where I could buy them, please let me know *g*). I refuse to make any money off them in any event, so please don't sue me.
Notes: It's *all* Cori's fault this time. 'Sure, I'll start an all H/A list if you write a PWP. No problem.' Three drafts and a lot less hair on my head later.... *ahem* Thanks to kaly, Becky (who's never even seen HH but helped me work out the technical difficulties), a certain nameless lurker, Ruth, and of course Cori, the person to blame for it all.
Spoilers: The Wrong War


The Clothes Make the Man...
by Nicole D'Annais
Copyright 2001


I waited with patience, or at least as much patience as I could muster, until the hallway outside Horatio's cabin was clear. Days of waiting had already taken their toll, waiting while he was off getting new clothing and no doubt dining with the captain and meeting important people and doing all the things a future admiral had to do.

But he had returned. Not only had he returned, he had stepped into the wardroom in perfectly tailored clothes that showed him off to every advantage. It had taken every bit of control I had not to drag him out of the room. I would be quite surprised indeed if half the men present had not suspected something between us after that little dance. The attraction hit me so strong it was hard to believe others could not see.

And I could not allow others to suspect. So I waited. Luckily, it was not one of the busier areas of the ship, or I mightn't have had the fortitude to bide my time. Not that anyone would be very surprised that I was entering Horatio's cabin, but with what I had planned, it was probably best if no one realised I was there.

There are certain sounds that are difficult to mistake for anything other than what they were.

Horatio was hovering over his sea chest as I entered the room, neatly tidying away his new uniform, no doubt. I smiled for a second, but quickly wiped that look off my face. Amusement was *not* the atmosphere for what I had in mind, at least not with so little time. "That was quite a performance."

He turned a quizzical look on me. "Performance? I'm not sure what you mean."

"In the wardroom a few minutes ago," I answered as I locked the door. I shrugged my coat off my shoulders and took a step towards him, taking in the fit of his breeches. The tailor certainly did know his job. "I've seen great actors who could not manage such a commanding entrance."

"I merely walked down the stairs," he replied, but the sudden flick of his tongue across his lips belied the innocence of his tone.

I dropped my coat beside his bed, taking the two steps forward that brought me close enough to touch, if I so desired. And I did, my fingers itched for it, but not quite yet. "It's all in the *way* you walk, Horatio." The last button was undone on my waistcoat, which then joined the coat. I tugged on the string to my shirt as I circled my prey in a close imitation of my actions in the wardroom

This time, however, there was no audience.

"And how is that, exactly?" His voice was a little hoarse, and I hid a smile at the tell-tale sign.

"Something in the hips, I believe. A bit of a swagger."

He laughed. "You should know something about that. You walk like...."

I stopped, my mouth nearly touching his ear as I breathed deeply. He smelled wonderful. "Like?"

"Like sex," he said quickly, the hoarseness even more obvious.

Now it was my turn to laugh--laugh and enjoy the shiver that went through him as my breath hit his ear. "I'd have said the same about you."

"Perhaps," he said, turning to meet my eyes, our lips so close it was nearly torture, "it is in the eye of the beholder?"

"Perhaps," I agreed softly. I yanked my shirt over my head and threw it in the direction of the other clothes. A second later I pulled him close, my lips hard and demanding as they covered his.

His fingers dug into my back, leaving marks I knew from experience I'd have to cover with my shirt for a week. I pushed back harder against his hands for a moment before driving him back a few steps to the wall, pressing my body hard against his, feeling his arousal, grinding my own against it. His hands began to roam, up my back, into my hair, back down again to pull our hips even closer.

I pulled back, or as far back as his grip would allow. The motion pushed our hips against each other, and I could feel his erection against my own again, harder this time. "You're overdressed, Lieutenant."

"Is that so, *Acting* Lieutenant?" His voice was low and hot, vibrating through me, straight to my groin.

I nodded, my hands climbing slowly up his chest, unbuttoning his waistcoat along the way. "This coat should definitely go." I pulled both sides of the coat and waistcoat down at once, but stopped when they were hanging from his wrists. He moved as if to push it off, but I stopped him. "Leave it."

"But I can't move my arms."

"I know."

I grinned as I pulled his head towards me again. Kissing Horatio was an experience, one I never tired of. There were times I could just look at his mouth, those full lips with that sharp point in the centre of his upper lip, and I would find myself in a most uncomfortable situation.

As if those lips weren't enough temptation, there was the way he tasted. Nothing else on earth tasted as good as Horatio Hornblower. There was no part of him I had not tasted, tongued, bit or otherwise tried to devour, and my fondest wish was to visit all of them as many times as possible.

I started the familiar journey, tearing myself away from his lips to trail a wet line over his chin, down his neck, stopping to nibble at the sharp angles of his Adam's apple before trailing down to the cloth barrier of his shirt. "Can't have that getting in the way," I muttered, jerking the annoying neck cloth off and tugging at the drawstring of the shirt with my teeth, just to see the reaction on Horatio's face.

No disappointment there, either. His eyes widened, his breath left him in a rush, and his tongue ran over his lips several times. I caught it between my own lips, sucking on it just a little, ending in a kiss before returning to the opening of his shirt. I did not want to remove everything--we were short on time, and he had never been able to dress as fast as I could. Besides which, it was that uniform that had caused this impromptu seduction in the first place.

This time I couldn't hide the smile as I thought of the perfect solution. Kissing him again, I pulled his shirttail out of his breeches. I broke the kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head until the tail was tucked behind his neck. The arrangement left him bare to the waist in front, yet barely able to move his arms.

Perfect.

My fingertips teased his nipples, hardening them instantly, but I spared only a moment to tongue them before moving on. No time for drawing this out, unfortunately, however much I wanted to throw him on the floor and stay there for hours. His eyes were closed, and they closed even tighter as I teased him through his breeches. I watched his face as my hand dipped below the waistband to graze his cock; at the first touch his mouth fell open, and his head landed against the wall with a thud. His eyes flew open when I removed my hand, and he stared at me as I kneeled in front of him, my eyes holding his even as I undid the buttons keeping the rest of him from my sight.

The buttons conquered, I pushed his breeches down around his ankles and turned my eyes to his cock, jutting straight out at my face, begging for my touch. Such a rare and precious gift--yes, there is no shortage of such appendages, but to be entrusted like this, and by one who means so much.... I touched it gently, reverently, with just my fingertips, and heard a faint rip as Horatio strained against the clothing that held his arms. I could feel him intentionally relaxing until I closed my hand around the base of his erection and licked the very end just once.

Just once was enough to undo all of his attempts to relax. He strained again, eyes open and fixed on me as I looked up. The wordless pleading I saw there hit me right in the gut, enough to hasten my actions. I kept my eyes locked with his as I sucked on the tip of his erection, my tongue circling the outer edges of the hard flesh and teasing the slit in the centre.

His head hit the wall again, but his eyes remained open and fixed on me, as if nothing could break that gaze, and I revelled in the power I felt in being able to do this to him. He was breathing heavily through his mouth, his face flushed, his eyes wild, and I knew that all through the briefing in Pellew's office, and for days to come, I would look at Horatio and see him this way. It would be torture, and it would be the best part of my days.

To know that he was mine, and that it went both ways, was headier than any spirits I'd ever tried.

I took him in deeper, revelling in how his lids lowered until they covered half his eyes, leaving just enough open for him to watch. He'd stopped struggling against his coat and was rocking slightly as I slid my lips up and down, slowly, just fast enough not to completely torture him.

He tasted different here than anywhere else; well, stronger, really, more than different. The taste and smell were addictive, like an opiate--no, more than addictive, more like a necessity to me, nearly as important food and water at this point.

Ridiculous, really, to be that much in need of something so dangerous and, as a result, difficult to have. It was given readily enough when it could be arranged, but as we were on a small ship crammed from end to end with men, privacy was not easily won. But easy or not, it was not something I was prepared to give up.

My eyes were still locked with his, and the fire there was my undoing. My hands moved from the base of his cock, one to steady his hips as I slid my lips down further, slowly taking him as far as I could until I swallowed him completely. My other hand moved down to stroke myself through my breeches. I was so close just from touching him, tasting him, that the rough wool moving against my cock was maddening. I could feel every fibre of the fabric as Horatio exploded, eyes closing as his head hit the wall again with a crack, and he shouted, just once, a sound I hoped could be accounted for by the knot he'd probably have on the back of his head later.

I lapped at his softened cock a few times almost without noticing, lost in my own pleasure as I came. A noise outside the door brought me back to myself, and I realised I was sagging on the floor, half-dressed, when we had to be in the captain's quarters in minutes. I rose unsteadily, my body tight against his, grateful for the wall that held him up and thus allowed him to support me. His mouth was still open, breaths coming in slowing gasps, and I covered his lips with my own. I felt him push against his coat again, then surrender to his inability to hold me. My hands were in his hair as I kissed him deeply before placing a few soft, light kisses on his lips, and then I moved away.

By the time he opened his eyes, my shirt was in order and I was pulling on my waistcoat. He stared as if I'd taken leave of my senses. "We're not done yet."

"Senior officers in Pellew's quarters, remember? We have," I checked my watch, "three minutes."

He blinked; clearly he'd forgotten all about the captain's orders. "But I wanted to--"

"You'll have the whole meeting to think about that, now, won't you?" I said with a grin as I slipped out quickly before anyone would be able to see him in his state of undress.

The grin stayed firmly in place until I was knocking on the captain's door. I'd barely taken a seat when Horatio rushed in, the flush on his face easily explained by his haste to get to the room. He hid his distraction well enough, but I could see in his eyes that his mind was not entirely on the captain's words.

Perhaps this time I would not have to wait days after all.

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END

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