He shook his head, sodden curls sending a spray around him before falling back to frame his tanned face and dark eyes. He sniffed. "It's raining."

"So I gathered." Archie laughed and set his book aside, easing off the bed to move closer to Horatio, though he kept his stocking-clad feet well clear of the puddle amassing at Horatio's boots. "You're drenched."

"It wasn't supposed to be raining." He shivered slightly, the heavy wool of his wet uniform jacket offering no warmth. "It hit halfway here." He shivered again, his fingers slipping and sliding on the buttons of his coat, his skin blanched white. "They didn't want to let me in."

"Oh, Horatio." Archie shook his head and moved closer, not caring about the water as he brushed Horatio's hands aside and began unbuttoning his coat for him. "You could have taken shelter."

"No," Horatio's voice barely broke a whisper. "I wanted to be here with you."

Archie eased Horatio's jacket from his shoulder and let it fall to the floor, despite Horatio's soft protest. "I'll try to be flattered when you catch your death of cold." He tugged Horatio's shirt from his breeches. "We have three days."

"Not if I'd waited out the storm," Horatio informed him with cool logic at distinct odds with the slowly warming lips he pressed to Archie's neck above his collar. "Three changes to two quickly enough. Too quickly by half."

Shivering, Archie smoothed his hands beneath Horatio's shirt, feeling the flat, hard plane of his stomach, the sharp delineation of his rib cage. Horatio's breath gusted across Archie's neck in a sigh of sharp pleasure and he pulled away, taking his shirt off and dropping it on top of where Archie had let his jacket fall.

"Wet," Archie whispered, his eyes closed as he sought out Horatio's mouth, their lips brushing across one another's. "Damp and chilled, Horatio." He ran his fingers across Horatio's chest, the movement hardening the tips of Horatio's nipples. "Come let me warm you."

"Archie." Horatio's mouth claimed Archie's, one of his hands fisting in Archie's hair where it fell loosely at his neck, the other skirting under his untucked shirt to the warm mat of hair that covered Archie's chest.

Archie slid his arms around Horatio's waist, fingers curling against the thick fabric of his breeches, as he opened his mouth to Horatio's kiss, sucking hard on the warm, wet tongue that breached him. He groaned, his fingers flexing and contracting, pulling Horatio closer as he backed toward the bed.

They broke apart gasping, Archie quickly divesting himself of his shirt as Horatio bent to remove his boots, tugging them off and tossing them aside to begin unbuttoning his breeches, divesting himself of breeches and stockings and small clothes quickly before moving in on Archie again, pushing him to the bed to strip away what remained of his clothes.

Rivulets of wet rain ran from Horatio's hair down his neck, dripping down and pooling on Archie's chest as Horatio's mouth moved along the column of his neck. Horatio's damp, dark curls clung to Archie's chin like little tongues as he made his way to Archie's ear, breathing hotly as he bit down on the tender flesh of his lobe.

"I am so very wet, Archie." His words caused Archie to shiver beneath him as their bodies slid together, Horatio lowering himself, pressing his hard length against Archie's. The sticky wet heat of skin clinging in sharp contrast to the cool dampness beneath Archie's hands as they moved down Horatio's back to his hips, bringing their bodies closer.

"You are that, Mr. Hornblower," Archie agreed breathlessly, as he ran a single finger along Horatio's hip bone, following the sharp line before diverting to the warm hollow between them, finding Horatio's heavy cock and sheathing it in his fist. "You taste of rain and salt." Archie began moving his hand slowly, his mouth on Horatio's shoulder, licking and sucking the damp skin. "Like the sea on my tongue."

"Is that what you wish on your tongue, Archie?" Horatio chuckled low and slipped free of Archie's grasp, sliding down his body, his teeth leaving a trail of red marks on Archie's pale skin. "For I have a very different taste in mind."

Archie opened his mouth to respond, his words lost in a groan as Horatio's mouth closed around him, wet heat surrounding his shaft. Archie grasped at the sheets beneath him as Horatio pulled back, his hand wrapped around Archie's cock, exposing the slick head to the slide of his tongue. Archie caught his breath and closed his eyes, his head falling back as Horatio's lips tightened around the ridge, sucking hard at the sensitive flesh.

Swallowing hard, Archie fought to control his body, struggling against the overwhelming need to thrust up to Horatio's lips, feel his whole length slide along Horatio's tongue. The pounding of his pulse echoed in his ears as Horatio transmuted Archie's desire to action, taking Archie's shaft deep, his lips and breath warm against the tangle of hair at the base, damp from perspiration and desire.

Archie groaned again, his fragile grasp of his control failing as Horatio's tongue pushed hard against the underside of Archie's cock, the hard motion timed with the thick pressure of suction as Horatio pulled back to the tip, his teeth just barely grazing Archie's skin. Shuddering hard, Archie thrust up into Horatio's mouth, his body moving of its own accord. Horatio's hands settled on his hips, holding Archie down as he shifted, moving over him, the shift of angle and pressure wringing another groan from Archie's parched lips. His tongue darted out to wet them and he sank his teeth into it as Horatio's hand slipped down, sliding along the plane of Archie's hip to curve down to cup the heavy sac beneath Archie's cock, squeezing the tensed flesh lightly.

"Oh…God." Archie pressed his fist to his mouth to hold back his cries, even Horatio's strong hand not enough to keep him against the bed. His hips jerked and he came, burying the hot rush in Horatio's throat, collapsing back on the bed with the softest of whimpers, his whole body shaking.

Horatio slowly crawled up the length of Archie's body, his still prominent arousal heavy against Archie's thigh. "There now, Mr. Kennedy. I think you are nearly as wet as I."

"I should venture to say, Mr. Hornblower," Archie's voice was light and breathless, his smile sated and mischievous all at once, "that I enjoyed my experience far more than you."

"Well then, I think it only fair that you rectify that." He nuzzled the hollow beneath Archie's ear. "Don't you?"