Feeding the Ducks
Nov. 15th, 2019 09:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tgarnslI feel like I'm throwing breadcrumbs here.
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Bush woke with a start to the sound of two bells, long habit convincing him he had overslept. But no, that was an impossibility; yesterday Hornblower had given orders for a three-watch system to be instated, the reason — so he claimed — being that with the long days spent beating back towards England every man deserved as much sleep as he could get. The men were delighted by this sudden largesse, and Bush had been generous enough at the time to believe Hornblower’s motivations were selfless. He was less certain now; Hornblower lay pressed against Bush’s back, one arm around Bush’s waist, as though he could not bear to let Bush go. The thought of it made Bush chuckle, and he reached beneath the blankets to touch Hornblower’s hand. Hornblower stirred with a sleepy grumble and withdrew, rolling over to face the bulkhead, reluctant with his affection even in sleep. But Bush followed him, unwilling to be robbed of comfort just yet, and curled around Hornblower, one hand slipping beneath Hornblower’s nightshirt to touch the warm skin of his stomach.
It was an easy thing to fall asleep again.
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Bush woke with a start to the sound of two bells, long habit convincing him he had overslept. But no, that was an impossibility; yesterday Hornblower had given orders for a three-watch system to be instated, the reason — so he claimed — being that with the long days spent beating back towards England every man deserved as much sleep as he could get. The men were delighted by this sudden largesse, and Bush had been generous enough at the time to believe Hornblower’s motivations were selfless. He was less certain now; Hornblower lay pressed against Bush’s back, one arm around Bush’s waist, as though he could not bear to let Bush go. The thought of it made Bush chuckle, and he reached beneath the blankets to touch Hornblower’s hand. Hornblower stirred with a sleepy grumble and withdrew, rolling over to face the bulkhead, reluctant with his affection even in sleep. But Bush followed him, unwilling to be robbed of comfort just yet, and curled around Hornblower, one hand slipping beneath Hornblower’s nightshirt to touch the warm skin of his stomach.
It was an easy thing to fall asleep again.
