Time Well Spent by Janis Cortese (NC-17)

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Fandom: HORNBLOWER
Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Author on LJ: cortese
Author Website: Janis Cortese/Recondita Armonia/Carmen Bizet’s Fanfiction Archive
Why this must be read:
It seems to be something of an unwritten rule that every writer in this fandom who works from the Hornblower movieverse must, at some point, write a Spanish prison fic. Janis Cortese has actually written a few of them, but Time Well Spent is by far one of my favorites on this theme. The story is set during "The Duchess and the Devil" in the nebulous period between the return of Hornblower and his division to the prison of El Ferrol and their subsequent release. Horatio and Archie are once again sharing a cell, but now they are fortuitously unencumbered by any additional cell mates. As one might expect, this isolation serves to solidify their friendship and will, eventually, lead them to cross the line into the more intimate realm of lovers. But as is often the case, getting there is half the fun, and how the author charts that development is what makes this story so enjoyable.

The pacing of Time Well Spent has a kind of slow, lazy rhythm to it that underscores the lovely, languorous mood of the piece. El Ferrol is a place out of time, separate from the world around it, and there is a dreamlike quality to the story as a whole that makes it so distinctive. It is a quiet, understated story that warms the heart without falling into cloying sweetness.

Time Well Spent