Extremities Challenge: It was a Dark and Stormy Night
Title: It was a Dark and Stormy Night
Author: mylodon
Rating PG
Word Count 606
Challenge: Extremities
“It was a dark and stormy night. Captain Hornblower walked his deck with calm authority, reassuring his men and instilling a confidence that had waned in them as the clouds lowered. Suddenly-”
“Suddenly the pirates came. I know. They always do.” Horatio sounded distinctly displeased at the thought.
“But you like this story.” Archie sighed in exasperation. “It’s always helped, in the past, when you’ve woken and can’t get back to sleep again.” He ran his hand across his lover’s furrowed brow. “Especially when we get to the bit where Captain Hornblower falls upon the pirates, kills several with his bare hands, saves the life of his handsome first lieutenant-that’s me, in case you’ve forgotten-then takes the pirate ship in to Valparaiso as a prize.”
“Yes, I do enjoy that part.”
“Then there’s the episode where you get made Lord Hornblower for your services to keeping the seas free of pirate scum. That always makes you happy.”
“It does.” Still Horatio sounded grumpy.
“And what about the bit where the Captain and his incredibly handsome first lieutenant get to spend some well earned leave together? Don’t you get excited when they finally hmphphm?” Archie prised his lover’s hand from over his mouth. “Don’t we like to hear that part anymore?”
“Of course I do. It’s just that...”
“Yes?”
“My feet are freezing. I can’t concentrate on anything, they’re so cold.”
“Oh, that’s what it is.” Archie chuckled. “I thought somebody had left a block of ice in the bed. Put them on mine.”
“I tried that, when you were reading your book by the lamp’s light. It didn’t help. That book must be good, though, because you didn’t notice.”
“I did, actually, but I hoped they’d go away. Which they did.” Archie fumbled under the covers. “Your hands are perishing, too. What have you been up to?”
“Standing on deck freezing my articles off, as usual. All those supplies to be laid in and me to supervise it. While you idled your time away on shore errands.” Horatio’s voice, grumpier by the minute, had descended into a hiss.
“I did not. If Captain Pellew sees fit to trust me with the most delicate of tasks, one that require diplomacy and a light touch, then who am I to argue?” Archie rubbed his lover’s hands then made an investigation of other parts. “This remarkably prominent object is cold, as well.”
“Leave my nose alone! I wish I could warm that on you, too.”
“Feel free. I do admire your proboscis. In fact, all your extremities are worthy of praise. Especially this one.”
“Oh. Oh.” Horatio’s voice descended through several tones.
“This one isn’t cold. In fact I’d say it was positively glowing with warmth. Blooming. Flourishing. Throb-hmphphm.”
When Horatio broke from the kiss he’d used to shut Archie up, he murmured, “Do be quiet. Or none of my extremities will be making contact with any of yours.”
“That would be the best way of warming you, certainly. Friction. I seem to remember being taught about it somewhere. ‘The resistance encountered by an object moving relative to another object with which it is in contact.’ Doesn’t sound as good as it feels.” Archie proved his words with an appropriate scientific demonstration.
“Oh yes. Quite right.” Horatio’s voice was now hoarse to the point of breaking. “And I’ll add some learning of my own. ‘Cold hands, warm heart’. That’s what my godmother used to say.”
“She was right. Your heart is warmer than any other part of you. And only I get to experience it.”
Archie sighed happily, then let friction to get to work.
Author: mylodon
Rating PG
Word Count 606
Challenge: Extremities
“It was a dark and stormy night. Captain Hornblower walked his deck with calm authority, reassuring his men and instilling a confidence that had waned in them as the clouds lowered. Suddenly-”
“Suddenly the pirates came. I know. They always do.” Horatio sounded distinctly displeased at the thought.
“But you like this story.” Archie sighed in exasperation. “It’s always helped, in the past, when you’ve woken and can’t get back to sleep again.” He ran his hand across his lover’s furrowed brow. “Especially when we get to the bit where Captain Hornblower falls upon the pirates, kills several with his bare hands, saves the life of his handsome first lieutenant-that’s me, in case you’ve forgotten-then takes the pirate ship in to Valparaiso as a prize.”
“Yes, I do enjoy that part.”
“Then there’s the episode where you get made Lord Hornblower for your services to keeping the seas free of pirate scum. That always makes you happy.”
“It does.” Still Horatio sounded grumpy.
“And what about the bit where the Captain and his incredibly handsome first lieutenant get to spend some well earned leave together? Don’t you get excited when they finally hmphphm?” Archie prised his lover’s hand from over his mouth. “Don’t we like to hear that part anymore?”
“Of course I do. It’s just that...”
“Yes?”
“My feet are freezing. I can’t concentrate on anything, they’re so cold.”
“Oh, that’s what it is.” Archie chuckled. “I thought somebody had left a block of ice in the bed. Put them on mine.”
“I tried that, when you were reading your book by the lamp’s light. It didn’t help. That book must be good, though, because you didn’t notice.”
“I did, actually, but I hoped they’d go away. Which they did.” Archie fumbled under the covers. “Your hands are perishing, too. What have you been up to?”
“Standing on deck freezing my articles off, as usual. All those supplies to be laid in and me to supervise it. While you idled your time away on shore errands.” Horatio’s voice, grumpier by the minute, had descended into a hiss.
“I did not. If Captain Pellew sees fit to trust me with the most delicate of tasks, one that require diplomacy and a light touch, then who am I to argue?” Archie rubbed his lover’s hands then made an investigation of other parts. “This remarkably prominent object is cold, as well.”
“Leave my nose alone! I wish I could warm that on you, too.”
“Feel free. I do admire your proboscis. In fact, all your extremities are worthy of praise. Especially this one.”
“Oh. Oh.” Horatio’s voice descended through several tones.
“This one isn’t cold. In fact I’d say it was positively glowing with warmth. Blooming. Flourishing. Throb-hmphphm.”
When Horatio broke from the kiss he’d used to shut Archie up, he murmured, “Do be quiet. Or none of my extremities will be making contact with any of yours.”
“That would be the best way of warming you, certainly. Friction. I seem to remember being taught about it somewhere. ‘The resistance encountered by an object moving relative to another object with which it is in contact.’ Doesn’t sound as good as it feels.” Archie proved his words with an appropriate scientific demonstration.
“Oh yes. Quite right.” Horatio’s voice was now hoarse to the point of breaking. “And I’ll add some learning of my own. ‘Cold hands, warm heart’. That’s what my godmother used to say.”
“She was right. Your heart is warmer than any other part of you. And only I get to experience it.”
Archie sighed happily, then let friction to get to work.