Fanfiction: Horatio Hornblower (G)
Title: S is for Storm
Pairing/Characters: William Bush, Archie Kennedy; Bush/Côtard, Horatio/Archie
Rating: G
Fandom: Horatio Hornblower
Word Count: 735
Spoilers: For Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, and Duty.
Summary: William Bush had never minded sailing in a storm.
Notes/Warnings: Written as a sequel to C is for Côtard, Y is for Yearning, E is for Eager, A is for After, L is for Leave, I is for Inn, T is for Tangle, M is for Morning, R is for Return, F is for Fear, D is for Discussion, and H is for Hammock. No beta.
S is for Storm
William Bush had never minded sailing in a storm. He relished it, in fact. The struggle to keep the ship afloat when the very sea seemed ready to drag her down was one he always enjoyed. Until this night, he'd never minded if he would be dragged to the depths or not. To be sure, it would have been hard for his sisters to lose him, but now there was another who would miss him if he happened to be lost at sea: André Côtard. Though they had not parted on the best of terms, William knew that the Frenchman would still mourn if he was lost at sea.
"Deck there!" Styles' shout distracted William from his thoughts. "Ship boat!"
Archie responded to the shout. "Where away?"
"4 points off the larboard bow!" Despite the driving rain, Styles pointed to indicate which way he meant.
They all moved to look in that direction, peering through the rain. "Couldn't be the Grasshopper's people, Sir. Not this far north!"
"Well, whoever they are, Mr Bush, we must go to their aid," Hornblower called back over the rain, having peered through his telescope at the boat they could just see struggling through the heavy surf. "Mr Kennedy, launch the quarter boat!"
The second lieutenant responded promptly, though Bush could have sworn he saw exasperation in Kennedy's eyes. "Aye-aye, Sir!"
"Mr Prowse! Take us to windward!" Horatio gave his next command without waiting for Archie to finish obeying the first one, not that they had time for that anyway. "Get her under our lee!"
The ship's master obeyed quickly. "Aye-aye, Sir!"
The first lieutenant watched from the ship as the quarter boat made its slow way towards the unknown ship boat, aware of the tension in his captain at his side. They both knew that even a capable swimmer was apt to drown in stormy seas. Hornblower could easily lose Kennedy to the sea this night. Bush wondered how either man managed with the constant threat of loss hanging over their heads. Not to mention the threat of Article XXIX. Still, there was no denying their happiness in being together, regardless of the threats to tear them asunder.
William was pulled from his thoughts when Horatio dove into the water to save the woman, who'd been swept into the sea by a wave just as she was attempting to climb into the quarter boat. Thinking quickly, he turned to address the men still on the ship. Before he could say a word, Jack Hammond stepped forward. "I can swim, Mr Bush."
"Good man, Mr Hammond." The first lieutenant gestured to one of the other midshipman. "Mr Orrock, come help me tie a rope around Mr Hammond."
"Aye-aye, Sir!" Charles Orrock worked with William to tie the rope around his fellow midshipman.
Once it was in place, Bush nodded to Hammond. "Just get the captain to hold on to you, Mr Hammond. We'll do the rest."
"Aye-aye, Sir." Jack nodded back and glanced briefly at the other midshipman before turning to dive into the water, striking out to where Hornblower was just reaching the woman.
The first lieutenant spared a moment to look for the quarter boat and was relieved to see that it had reached the Hotspur and Henry Wellard was helping their new passengers aboard. He returned his attention to the swimmers just as Hammond reached the captain. Once he was sure all three were safe, he gestured to the ratings waiting to pull them in. They nodded and began to haul on the rope, slowly drawing them in.
Archie was waiting with William by the time Horatio, Jack, and the strange woman had been safely pulled aboard. Though Hammond and the woman disappeared below without complaint, Hornblower resisted, "I'm needed here."
"No, Sir." Archie glared at his lover. "You've been pulled, dripping wet, out of the ocean and need to go below and warm up before you catch a chill. Mr Bush and I can manage without you."
"He's right, Sir." William wouldn't have dared talk back to any other man, but he knew Horatio and that he could be reasoned with. "You won't be any good as a captain if you catch a cold."
Glowering, the captain gave a harrumph and finally disappeared below. "Thank you, Mr Bush."
"You're welcome, Mr Kennedy." The two lieutenants carried on the business of steering the ship through the storm.
End
Pairing/Characters: William Bush, Archie Kennedy; Bush/Côtard, Horatio/Archie
Rating: G
Fandom: Horatio Hornblower
Word Count: 735
Spoilers: For Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, and Duty.
Summary: William Bush had never minded sailing in a storm.
Notes/Warnings: Written as a sequel to C is for Côtard, Y is for Yearning, E is for Eager, A is for After, L is for Leave, I is for Inn, T is for Tangle, M is for Morning, R is for Return, F is for Fear, D is for Discussion, and H is for Hammock. No beta.
S is for Storm
William Bush had never minded sailing in a storm. He relished it, in fact. The struggle to keep the ship afloat when the very sea seemed ready to drag her down was one he always enjoyed. Until this night, he'd never minded if he would be dragged to the depths or not. To be sure, it would have been hard for his sisters to lose him, but now there was another who would miss him if he happened to be lost at sea: André Côtard. Though they had not parted on the best of terms, William knew that the Frenchman would still mourn if he was lost at sea.
"Deck there!" Styles' shout distracted William from his thoughts. "Ship boat!"
Archie responded to the shout. "Where away?"
"4 points off the larboard bow!" Despite the driving rain, Styles pointed to indicate which way he meant.
They all moved to look in that direction, peering through the rain. "Couldn't be the Grasshopper's people, Sir. Not this far north!"
"Well, whoever they are, Mr Bush, we must go to their aid," Hornblower called back over the rain, having peered through his telescope at the boat they could just see struggling through the heavy surf. "Mr Kennedy, launch the quarter boat!"
The second lieutenant responded promptly, though Bush could have sworn he saw exasperation in Kennedy's eyes. "Aye-aye, Sir!"
"Mr Prowse! Take us to windward!" Horatio gave his next command without waiting for Archie to finish obeying the first one, not that they had time for that anyway. "Get her under our lee!"
The ship's master obeyed quickly. "Aye-aye, Sir!"
The first lieutenant watched from the ship as the quarter boat made its slow way towards the unknown ship boat, aware of the tension in his captain at his side. They both knew that even a capable swimmer was apt to drown in stormy seas. Hornblower could easily lose Kennedy to the sea this night. Bush wondered how either man managed with the constant threat of loss hanging over their heads. Not to mention the threat of Article XXIX. Still, there was no denying their happiness in being together, regardless of the threats to tear them asunder.
William was pulled from his thoughts when Horatio dove into the water to save the woman, who'd been swept into the sea by a wave just as she was attempting to climb into the quarter boat. Thinking quickly, he turned to address the men still on the ship. Before he could say a word, Jack Hammond stepped forward. "I can swim, Mr Bush."
"Good man, Mr Hammond." The first lieutenant gestured to one of the other midshipman. "Mr Orrock, come help me tie a rope around Mr Hammond."
"Aye-aye, Sir!" Charles Orrock worked with William to tie the rope around his fellow midshipman.
Once it was in place, Bush nodded to Hammond. "Just get the captain to hold on to you, Mr Hammond. We'll do the rest."
"Aye-aye, Sir." Jack nodded back and glanced briefly at the other midshipman before turning to dive into the water, striking out to where Hornblower was just reaching the woman.
The first lieutenant spared a moment to look for the quarter boat and was relieved to see that it had reached the Hotspur and Henry Wellard was helping their new passengers aboard. He returned his attention to the swimmers just as Hammond reached the captain. Once he was sure all three were safe, he gestured to the ratings waiting to pull them in. They nodded and began to haul on the rope, slowly drawing them in.
Archie was waiting with William by the time Horatio, Jack, and the strange woman had been safely pulled aboard. Though Hammond and the woman disappeared below without complaint, Hornblower resisted, "I'm needed here."
"No, Sir." Archie glared at his lover. "You've been pulled, dripping wet, out of the ocean and need to go below and warm up before you catch a chill. Mr Bush and I can manage without you."
"He's right, Sir." William wouldn't have dared talk back to any other man, but he knew Horatio and that he could be reasoned with. "You won't be any good as a captain if you catch a cold."
Glowering, the captain gave a harrumph and finally disappeared below. "Thank you, Mr Bush."
"You're welcome, Mr Kennedy." The two lieutenants carried on the business of steering the ship through the storm.
End