sunburned | (no subject)

Laurence nodded somewhat distractedly, his eyes and mind almost entirely focused on the paper before him. By all rights what he was calculating ought to have made sense, he had over eighteen years' experience at sea to support him, yet nothing was right and attempting to solve that problem was unfortunately occupying him rather thoroughly.

"For the love of God, Laurence," says Granby, more exasperated than angry, reaching out to pluck the piece of paper out of Laurence's hands altogether, tucking it into his sketchbook for safe-keeping. Laurence's inability to see what was in front of him was perpetually infuriating.

"Enough. I want you, I mean to have you - my shoulder is fine and I have waited long enough."

Laurence grabbed futiley for his sheet of equations, regarding Granby sternly when it seemed unlikely to be returned. He had been about to chide the other man for childishness when his last remarks drew him up short.

"Very well. When we return we may--"

"No," said Granby, mildly enough, but pushing himself off the deck and offering Laurence his hand. "Now, if you please."

"Now?" Laurence took the hand out of habit, though he rose mainly of his own accord. He glanced at their surroundings, certain he had misheard. "It will not take us long to return, John. If you will simply wait a little longer--"

"No, Will," said Granby again, shaking his head, keeping Laurence's hand in his and leading him towards the door leading to the small cabin. "I have plans and there's no point in resistance."

Some measure of breeding in Laurence continued to protest at the impropriety of doing what Granby surely wanted at that time of the day. But he did not offer any real resistance, letting himself be led along by Granby with a somewhat overwhelmed expression upon his face. "And may I know of these plans?"

The cabin was perfectly serviceable - a bed, a locker - not big, but big enough. Once they were through the door, Granby stepped in and pulled Laurence to him, pressing a kiss against his mouth.

"I meant what he said," he said, quietly. "And I feel that I nearly lost it, Will. I feel that very keenly. And I would like to have you. Entirely." He shrugged. "Or have you have me, more likely."

He returned the kiss well enough, on firmer ground (so to speak) there. Though once again, it was the time of the day far more than the location that bothered him. But the kiss had only served to reassure him that, yes, he wanted this a great deal too.

Their hut was fairly isolated, but it seemed to Granby that they'd never had so much privacy. Which was perfect, as it happened. His fingers pushed into Laurence's hair, tugging slightly, holding him to it.

The hold on his hair hardly seemed necessary as Laurence was more than content to continue kissing Granby. The change in location did make some difference, removing nearly all chance of their being discovered and freeing Laurence from a great deal of the anxiety that he usually felt in such moments. If anything he let the kiss run a bit deeper and more heated. It had not truly been so long since the last time they had been together in such a manner, not considering how long he had gone on his own before, yet it already seemed an unbearably long span of time.

Still kissing, unwilling to pull away for even a second to make things easier, Granby's hand dropped to Laurence's buttons, starting to fumble them open. Nudity was no longer such a rarity; they shared a bed, after all. Still, he had a powerful need in him, right then.

Laurence made a low groan into the kiss, one small bit of restraint lost. After a short while, he reached down to assist the other man's fumbling, knowing that both Granby's impediment and his impatience could, more often than not, prove harmful to his clothing. And with more hands working the task would only go more quickly.

He loved it when Laurence made sounds like that; it showed how much things had changed during their time together.

With Laurence's help, his shirt was soon out of the way and Granby bent his head, pressing a kiss against his bare chest.

As soon as his own shirt was out of the way and, regrettably, discarded in a corner, Laurence was free to focus on Granby. His first plan had been divest him of his own shirt, but as the focus of the other man's shifted, his mind shifted away as well. "Lord, John-- It has been some time."

He kissed his way back up Laurence's neck, mouth lingering just below his ear for a moment. His hands were resting against Laurence's waist and he pulled him in, smoothly, pressing their hips together.

"It has," he said.

It had indeed and through his customary blush, Laurence was entirely too aware of what his body thought of the proceedings. Clearly it was only a small portion of his mind that objected to the time of day. He smiled fondly, running his fingers back through Granby's hair, happy to simply have him back once more.

"Oh, God, Will," he murmured, lips still against Laurence's skin, his hand grazing over bare skin to rest against his arse, thumb stroking against the fabric of his trousers.

"I would like to," he said, quietly. "I know we haven't before but..."

"What would you like?" he asked, still holding Granby close to him, unwilling to let go and give up that closeness after what had happened. Even when he could be almost maddeningly confusing when he spoke so despite knowing that Laurence often did not follow him.

Had it been Priestly or Little or any number of others, he could have thought of the words - all of them coarse. Not with Laurence, though. Instead, he settled for another kiss, a deep kiss, hungry. He rocked his hips forward against Laurence's again, fingers digging into the muscles of his arse.

"Come to bed," he murmured.

Laurence nodded, matching Granby's hunger as he returned the kiss. As usual, Granby seemed to know precisely what he wanted before he could even put it into the proper words. "Of course," he said, moving closer, though with the cabin's small size it would not be a very long walk to the bed itself.

When the backs of his knees hit the bed, Granby sat down abruptly, pulling Laurence's trousers open and leaning in to press an open-mouthed kiss against his bare belly, sucking lightly at his skin.

At that Laurence audibly bit back another groan. His hands remained in Granby's hair, lightly holding him, but not pressing. Never pressing. "I do not know what I would do, John-- If you left--"

Something in his chest fluttered, his stomach dipping when Laurence said that. It was more of admission than the other man had ever made before. God, he loved hearing it.

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised. "If I can help it, if I can ever help it, Will, here is where I will be."

He shifted, threading his fingers with Laurence's, gently tugging him back onto the bed, over him.

Laurence followed him willingly. It wasn't until he had almost lost Granby on the island that he realized just how much what they were doing meant to him. He wasn't even able to properly put it into words, yet there it was, unlooked for, unexpected, but more appreciated than he could ever say. "Thank you."