Love of a Lion
Title: Love of a Lion
Eglantine_br
Word Count 450
Rating g
Love of a Lion
He surfaced through the viscous cover of sleep. His mouth was dry, his eyes were itchy. His eyes opened, this was the inn. The shadows were gray, dawn just started, he thought. The shutters were closed, Horatio could not hear the wind, he had no sense of the weather, but it mattered little today. They had the room to themselves, they had been been up half the night. Sleep had come, finally, like a crowbar to the head.
They had not rolled apart as they sometimes did. Archie was sprawled half across Horatio, his mouth soft on Horatio's collar bone. His thigh was entangled with Horatio's. It was one of the loveliest parts of Archie, one he thought on sometimes when he was alone, the heavy muscle there, and the pale skin, dusted with gold. It was a leg such as a young lion might have, if lions were men. And it felt good to be warm God knows. But just now--
“Hey.”
“Nggh.”
“Archie?”
“What?'
“My foot's asleep.”
“Sorry.”
“Ow!”
“What!”
“Now you have your elbow on my hair.”
“Well damn it Horatio, If your hair did not creep across the bed as you slept-- “
This was Archie, awake now. He woke all at once, always, with all his formidable powers of argument ready for use. His eyes, from four inches away were belligerent, alert, and very blue. It was Horatio who was slow in the morning, silent by preference until halfway through the morning watch.
“My hair does not--”
“It does so. There, is that better.?”
“Hmm--”
“Oh come here.”
The foot was coming back now, with blood unimpeded by Archie Kennedy. The feeling was at once painful and silly. Grimly Horatio wiggled his toes. Archie drew him close now, and it was warm. He heard the tiny chime of Archie's watch. No hurry-- plenty of time. Archie was rubbing the life back into the thigh, letting hands say what words would not. Horatio supposed that his femoral artery appreciated the apology.
This was not eros, there would be time for that later though. He yawned.
“Go back to sleep.”
“All right. Think I will, I--”
Another yawn, deep and shivery. He felt Archie yawn in response. Archie's heart just under his ear, steady and brave, blue and golden. It was a lions heart, he did not think Archie knew that though. Well, maybe he would mention it when he was more awake. It would make more sense then, it would...