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The Captain was patrolling the grounds, as he did every evening. Free time was given to all soldiers from 2000 hours until lights out, which most used to socialise, write letters to family and so forth. However, the Captain didn't exactly have any friends at Button House, and none of his family would want a letter from him. Hence why he'd taken to a daily evening stroll.
He shivered slightly - it had been a warm September day, but he was now regretting his choice to leave his army jacket in his office. He bit his lip, crossed his arms and carried on with his patrol. The sky was clear, and the moon was shining brightly. It was a few days until full moon, the Captain deducted as he looked up at the light source. It really was a beautiful night.
There was just one thing that could make it even better.
The Captain shook his head - now was not the time to go down that train of thought. He would prefer those thoughts never entered his head, but he had not found a successful solution for keeping them at bay as of yet. So instead, he saved them for the wee hours of the morning, when he was alone and there was no chance of him giving anything away.
"It's a cold night, sir," a voice called from behind him, the exact voice he was trying so hard not to think about. The Captain snapped his head round, to be met with the figure of his Lieutenant. His hair was slightly dishevelled, as if he had been running a hand through it. There was a cheeky grin plastered on his face, the moonlight highlighting his cheekbones and casting shadows on the far side of his jaw.
He looked stunning.
A slight cough brought the Captain out of his stupor. He was met with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow from his Lieutenant, which made him realise that he had been staring. He blushed and looked down at his shoes, annoyed that he had allowed himself to be caught.
"Like what you see, sir?" His lieutenant asked cheekily, moving to stand beside him. The Captain frowned.
"Careful, Havers, that sort of language could lead you to prison."
"You'd never," Havers replied, not quite as certain as he had clearly tried to sound. The Captain looked at him momentarily before flicking his eyes away.
"You're right, I would never."
They stood there in silence, one that wasn't inherently awkward but not entirely comfortable either. A sudden gust of wind blew past the Captain, making him shudder. Before he knew it, a jacket was being laid upon his shoulders. He turned, confused, to ask Havers what he was doing but the words died in his mouth as he realised their proximity. Havers caught his gaze for a split second before looking away.
"You looked cold, sir." Havers shrugged, moving away. Before he could get very far, however, the Captain grasped his arm in a brief moment of bravery.
"Sir?" Havers whispered quietly. The Captain's brain seemed to catch up with his body and he quickly let go of the lieutenant's sleeve, desperately trying to forget what his forearm felt like underneath.
"I apologise, Lieutenant, that was out of line." The Captain coughed, looking away. He raised his gaze back to the moon, decidedly not looking at the man standing beside him.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Havers asked with a concerned tone to his voice.
"Perfectly tip top, what could possibly be wrong?" The Captain replied in a rush, not moving his focus off the glowing orb above them. If he squinted, he could make out the so called 'man in the moon' everyone always talked about. He wondered if there would ever be a human up there.
"Oh, I don't know, how about there's a war on? You haven't received a letter from family since we've been stationed here..." The Captain looked round, frowning. How could Havers know that?
As if reading his mind, the lieutenant added,
"I'm the postman around here, I'm observant." The Captain nodded curtly. Havers continued.
"I hear pacing from your room in the early hours of the morning, you've looked paler than normal the last couple of days and oh yes, you've been avoiding me, your own lieutenant, and to be frank with you I am fed up with you staying a repressed man, not sharing your problems with anyone, not even me. Why won't you bloody talk to me??" The Captain looked up at this, Havers seething as he stared straight back. The gaze was too intense for the Captain, and he looked back down at the grass.
"My problems aren't important." He muttered under his breath.
Clearly not quietly enough, as Havers replied,
"They are to me." The Captain raised an eyebrow, but didn't lift his head.
"Well they shouldn't be."
"Why's that, hmm?" Havers threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "Why's that? Who are you to decide what is and isn't important to me?"
"I'm your commanding officer." The Captain snapped, finally bringing his gaze up to his lieutenant.
"I'm simply a man in authority, nothing more. I'm not important, my problems neither." The Captain grimaced, realising that he'd already divulged more than he had meant to.
Havers' gaze softened slightly. He took a few steps towards the Captain.
"Never, ever say that you're not important." He commanded.
"And why do you care so much? Let me ask you this: why are you standing here with me in your free time, rather than socialising with the other soldiers? I'm just your CO. Why do you care about me?" The Captain shouted.
"Bloody hell, Teddy, it's because I love you!"
Both men froze, the weight of the declaration hitting them both. Havers clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. The Captain gasped in shock, the end of the sentence hitting him like a battering ram.
"Shit, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean for that to slip out, I... shit..." Havers stuttered out an apology. The Captain interrupted him with a whisper.
"Did you mean it?"
Havers stopped his rambling, looking the Captain in the eyes for the first time since his declaration. The Captain gulped when he saw what was in Havers' eyes. Fondness, adoration, and undoubtedly, love.
"Yes, I meant it. I'm not taking it back, not ever." Havers breathed, his voice barely carrying over the wind. The Captain nodded, still deciding how to respond.
His decision was made for him, however, as Havers turned to walk away, and that would simply not do. The Captain reached out, more on instinct than any conscious thought, and wrapped his hand around his lieutenant's forearm. He gently tugged him forwards, until they were merely inches from one another.
"Sir?" Havers whispered tentatively, not wanting to break the moment. The Captain summoned all the courage inside of him, and leant forwards to gently press his lips against Havers'. It was barely more than a brush of lips, but it send a shock wave down the Captain's spine, and he gasped, pulling away.
"I... uh..." The Captain stuttered, searching for the words to describe his feelings to Havers. He never was any good with personal matters.
Havers didn't seem to mind, as he gently cupped the Captain's face with his hands.
"It's okay, you don't have to find the words right now. It's been a long day." Havers stroked his cheek with his thumb.
"I apologise, I'm not exactly... experienced, with... well, any of this." The Captain admitted, blushing and dropping his gaze to the floor.
Havers slowly ran his fingers through the Captain's hair, causing him to shudder.
"It's okay. If we never pass this stage, it's okay." He pressed a soft kiss to the Captain's forehead.
The last remaining walls around the Captain's heart broke. Hearing that reassurance, that Havers would accept him no matter the stage they were at, made him happier than he had ever been. He returned for another kiss, this one more forceful than the last. Havers responded in kind, tugging the Captain's head backwards. This elicited a gasp from the older man, which allowed Havers entry to his mouth. He sucked on the Captain's lip before pushing him against a tree trunk, keeping him there with one arm. And didn't that make the Captain feel hot under the collar. Strong arms was his one weakness.
Well, apart from everything else about Havers.
They parted some time later, both panting. Havers removed his jacket from around the Captain's shoulders, throwing it on the ground. He removed the Captain's tie with ease and started nipping the skin underneath. The Captain gasped, arching his head backwards to give Havers more access. As he kissed on the Captain's pulse point, the Captain roughly pulled his head back up to meet his, diving in for another passionate kiss.
"Good Lord," the Captain breathed as they pulled away for air.
"Are you certain you've never kissed anybody before, sir?" Havers smirked.
"Call me Teddy. I love it when you call me Teddy." The Captain blushed, embarrassed at the admission, but it was worth it when Havers leant towards him and whispered in his ear,
"You're a bloody good kisser, Teddy."
He leant backwards again.
"However, I would rather not have our first time be out here." The Captain bit his lip, a sheepish look on his face.
"I, uh, I don't... have those desires, if you see what I mean. It's not you, God knows it's not you, I simply... it's not for me." The Captain explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Havers leant forwards, pecking the Captain's lips.
"Oh, Teddy, that's perfectly okay." He ran a hand through the Captain's hair.
"However, I would still love it if you would accompany me tonight." The Captain nodded, and leant in for another long kiss, unable to resist.
They settled down in the Captain's quarters, Havers wrapping an arm and a leg around the Captain. The older man leant back, nestling into his lieutenant's chest. The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was a soft kiss to his nape and a quiet,
"Goodnight, Teddy."