Yep, this ship again. Because I love it, that's why. Don't fucking judge me. 

This one, however- will be different. 

Why? Read to find out why. I'm not writing this to tell you everything in the beginning-... 

Anyway, all to expect from this is heavy swearing- and maybe smut (it's skipped over but there is small mention, to be fair it was only skipped to save time). But I don't know. Lmao-... 

~Story Start~

August 1, 1805... 

Clark stretched, humming softly as the afternoon sun shined on him. It was warm, peaceful, kind...

Soft beams of sunshine came through the canopy of leaves that covered Clark as he tried not to drift to sleep. Deciding it'd be better to just stand and walk around, he heaved himself onto his feet, stretching his arms and popping his back. The man glanced around, looking for his lover, Lewis. They had gone off early in search of various new specimen to document, and Clark had slacked off to rest. 

He had only rested his eyes for a few minutes, yet he had already managed to lose Lewis. Clark puffed his cheeks, looking around for signs of the man. Emerging from a bush, he smiled softly once he got a clear sign that Lewis was still around. 

Two barks came ringing into the air, and a laugh found its way out of the redhead's lips. "Seaman! How are you buddy?" He questioned, watching the Newfoundland dog bounce over in his direction.

Clark laughed, kneeling down to greet the pup. "Heya, buddy! What'cha got there?" He questioned, taking a bundle of wildflowers from the dog. "For me?" 

The dog responded with a bark and a wagging tail. 

Clark was about to stand back up after petting the dog when a voice caused him to freeze in place. With a quick glance up, he knew who's voice he had heard. 

"SEAMAN! Get back here you mongrel! Give me those flowers back! I still need to catalog that specimen-!" The frantic voice called. 

Running over was no other than Meriwether. The male's running pace soon turned to a walk as he stared at Clark. 

"Meri!" Clark greeted, getting onto his feet, still holding the flowers. 

"Billy..." Meri exhaled, "thank you for taking those from Seaman... But... Could I have them back now?" 

"You mean you didn't send Seaman to give me these pretty flowers for my birthday?" 

Lewis paused for a long moment, his face going a slight shade of pink as he covered it with a hand. "No-... But you can keep them if you so desire- I can just go find more-" 

"You know, Meri... This gift is a lot more intimate than the attitude you're putting forth." 

"They're flowers-!!" Lewis argued, face deepening in shade. 

Seaman barked, nudging at Clark. Clark laughed, patting the dog's head as he moved towards Lewis, wrapping his arms around the male's shoulders. Lewis smiled softly, turning to face William. 

"Okay, maybe I sent Seaman with the flowers-" He chuckled. 

"I thought so! You are just adorable!" Clark chuckled, placing a kiss on Lewis's lips. They both leaned in slightly, Clark leaning forward, Lewis leaning back. Lewis lost his footing however, bringing the both of them down into the patches of flowers. 

They had been on the mountains for a majority of the day, Clark having killed a mountain sheep for food. So, they were glad to be down around the fields currently. 

The two men had laughed as they rolled to either side, spreading out in the grass areas. 

Seaman ran over as the two men parted and barked. The Newfoundland began to lick Lewis's face, panting from the rising temperatures. 

The two eventually stumbled to their feet, hearing footsteps. Seaman growled, ears pinned back as the figures emerged. To their relief, it was only a couple of men from the crew. "Captain Meriwether Lewis... Captain Clark... There's a situation back at camp-" 

"What sort of situation-?" Meriwether questioned. Clark frowned, hoping that this wouldn't spoil his birthday plans. 

"Well, just come to camp. It's easier to explain once we get there." One man spoke, urging the two further. Lewis sighed, nodding as he took Clark by the wrist, pulling him along. 

"I'm sorry- I was expecting to be in the fields a lot longer..." 

"It's no problem, Meri! Honestly. Think about it. At least it wasn't like that time in... What was it... May of 1804? The whole incident with the Tavern Rock Bluff- or was it a cave...?" 

Lewis shivered at the memory. "I was close to death that day... I thought for sure I was gone the moment I had felt my foot slip..." 

Clark sighed softly, thinking back to the day. He was certain he had lost Meriwether...

'May 23, 1804

Lewis found himself climbing the sturdy rocks of Tavern Rock Bluff on the south bank of the Missouri River. Below, there was no more to catch him than the rough, rocky, unforgiving grounds. This hadn't once crossed Meriwether's mind. Well, actually it had. He just blocked away the fear that encased him.

So, before he talked himself out of it, he had began to scale the bluff, Seaman nearby as he did so. 

Each step had been carefully placed, and skillfully set to make sure that nothing would go wrong. And it hadn't. 

Now only a tad bit over 20 feet over the bluff, Lewis could feel his adrenaline pumping. He paused for a moment, catching his breath, trying to find a sturdy piece to step up to.

Feeling around, the man found a ledge, and he quickly went to heave himself onto it. Something wasn't right though. Meriwether felt his grip loosen, and his stomach dropped as he once again tried to regain his grip. 

He fell backwards. 

A panicked bark rang out from the Newfoundland, as he jumped back in forth, watching as Lewis fell. Clark had glanced over, an audible gasp escaping his lips as he froze in fear. "MERIWETHER!!" 

Lewis's instincts kicked in, and he knew that he was falling fast. It all felt like slow motion, however... The trees slowly coming back into view, his heartbeat pounding, the glance of the rock in front of him. He was doomed, there was no turning back time. 

At about 20 feet, he grabbed his knife, digging it into the side of the bluff, stopping himself. Heavy breathing followed as his heart began to pound. 

Clark wasn't there to save him that time, nearby, but not close enough. He could've been a dead man. 

Clark, once he saw the struggle, hurried over. He stared at Meriwether who was climbing back up, and he covered his face, taking a couple shaky breaths. 

"Lewis! Are you alright!? You should get back down from there before you get hurt!" 

"I'm fine, I'm fine!  It was no more than a minor slip up..." Lewis called down to the man, once again resting on a ledge. 

Clark sat back against a tree, trying to shake off the fear that was now prominent in his mind. He looked at the man that was still climbing, watching carefully this time. A couple of the other men had also gathered to watch Lewis climb. 

When Lewis got to the peak he desired, he called down to Clark, smiling. 

Clark sighed, smiling back up at the male. "How does it look up there, Meri?" 

"It's spectacular!!" Lewis called, staring over the glorious sights. He felt it was worth the whole situation.' 

Clark looked towards the ground. "You had scared me a lot... I'm glad what I feared would happen didn't... You caught yourself... How long was the fall- 15-16 feet?" 

"More along the line of 20..." Lewis corrected. He glanced over to the redheaded captain who seemed to be grimacing. "Are you alright-?" 

"If I had been paying closer attention-..." 

"The same would've happened."

Clark sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He blamed himself for it, it's true. That's why he sticks so close to Lewis most of the time. 

Lewis noticed the male's silence and he turned to him. "Would you like anything today? Last year, you seemed particularly... fond of what you could get. What was it... a saddle of fat venison, an elk fleece and, what was it..." 

"Bevertail (Beaver tail I think??)." Clark chuckled softly. 

"Ah yes! You had all that cooked for you. And a dessert of... I remember the cherries and plumbs... Was there anything more with that-?"

"Cherries, plumbs, raspberries, and grapes. Though, I suppose I'd have to look back at my journal." 

"You wrote about it-?" 

"Well, yes... The muskeetors as well. Annoying little things were something else..." 

Lewis smiled fondly at the male. "Mosquitoes?" 

"That's what I said." Clark smiled.  

The two men leading gave each other a glance, perking a brow over the two captain's behavior. Two, normally stern, men were talking as if they were simply friends catching up.  But they were blind of the true feelings each of the men had, and their true affections towards one another.

Lewis was just trying to make this birthday enjoyable as the last one Clark experienced. Yes, they had eaten sheep, and it was an amazing meal, but apparently something's going on now at the resting point. Or as the lads called it, camp. 

They burst through the brush where everyone was talking, and Lewis met eyes with Drouillard and Charbonneau, two interpreters, as well as Sergeant Patrick Gass. 

Patrick had injured himself earlier, so Lewis assumed it may be something to do with him. "You alright, Mr. Patrick?" 

The man nodded, so he glanced at the other men. Was it some form of false alarm? 

Clark took a step forward, flexing his shoulders. "Boys, what was all this about? Meriwether and I were trying to look for new specimens... If this is some form of joke, many of you will be punished." 

"No, no... We wanted to say happy birthday, Captain Clark!" Drouillard exclaimed, standing up. 

Clark hummed quietly as the others gathered around, smiling softly. They looked between each other, laughing. 

"Happy birthday!!!" The fellas shouted, pulling Clark in close, ruffling his hair, and practically squeezing him in a hug. Lewis smiled, walking over and hugging Clark with the others, cheering. An odd occurrence from the normally strict, seemingly cold hearted Lewis.  Seeing him smile, cut loose, act as a member of the crew, rather than a captain. For a moment, he was one of them... Simple, happy, Lewis.

Clark laughed, the sudden attention catching him quite off guard. His arms found themselves placed on top of Lewis's, a soft, caring smile tracing his lips. "Guys- I wasn't expecting this-..." 

"Whitehouse and Gass actually had this whole little thing plotted for ya." Charbonneau explained.

Clark glanced at the two men mentioned, smiling. "You two... I figured it would've been something you two had planned." 

Whitehouse gasped, and put a hand to his chest, acting as if he was offended. He laughed however, leaning against Patrick. "Well, I figured a nice surprise wouldn't be all that bad." 

Much like Clark had, Whitehouse had moved into Kentucky, staying there for a majority of his life. He is fairly fond of nature as well, always happy to plop down near a tree, always happy to be around. The brunette was also fairly decent with sewing, often repairing fabrics during the late nights around the fire. (I get this from journal entries and paintings.)

Much like Drouillard, Lewis was quite amazed by the male's abilities. 

Patrick on the other hand simply laughed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Eh, it's always nice to surprise a friend." He spoke. Though his voice was currently calm and collected, the accent he had shown through, assumable that it was over his Irish/Scotch decent. 

As the men started talking and laughing, one member of the Corps of Discovery concentration remained on the captains.  

The youngest of the men, John Ordway, stepped forward, looking between the two captains with a smile. "Feel free to return to your studies! We were hoping to make Clark feel the appreciation we have for him! Sorry if any concerned was caused." 

Clark simply laughed. "Keep an eye on everyone, Ordway. I believe Lewis and I will take you up on that offer. Until it gets too warm and I decide to find a way back into cooler terrain." He joked, nudging the male. Ordway simply nodded, turning and walking back to the other men, talking with them quietly. He was excited to have the command, and that was clear. 

Lewis smiled fondly, looking at Clark. "You've clearly made his day-"

"He was a sergeant. I'm certain commands make him prideful." Clark whispered, pulling Lewis along into the brush. 

Lewis nodded, seeing that as a reasonable explanation. "Well, soon enough, I believe I'll give you the full gift I had planned." 

"Aw, you got me a gift?" 

"Yes, and I really believe you will enjoy it." Lewis chuckled, moving between the trees. They came into the clearing they were at earlier, looking around their legs. Seaman appeared to have stayed back at camp. 

"That little traitor-" Lewis muttered, looking back, eyes scanning the area for his dog. Clark laughed. 

"Half the time, it seems he enjoys hanging out with the men back at camp than hanging out with us during our adventures." The redhead mentioned, ruffling Lewis's shorter, grey hair. (I literally could find no information on what color this man's hair was. I'm just assuming from, well, a painting.) 

Lewis scuffed. "I raised him and he chooses them over me?" 

"Honestly, I completely expected it-" 

Lewis hummed, smoothing his hair back. "So be it." He laughed quietly after, moving forward into the fields before sitting down near a couple flowers, flipping through his journal. Clark watched each movement carefully, walking over and watching as the male sketched. 

They were both wearing lighter clothes, yet the sun beat down. Some simple pants and button-up shirts, simply to prevent overheating. Yes, it was nearing the end of summer, yet the sun was still burning warm. 

Clark knelt down beside Lewis, hands placed firmly on the male's shoulders. "Having fun?" He questioned near the male's ear. 

Lewis nodded, humming a soft response. 

"That's lovely... You're really good at drawing..." 

"I am not, really... Plants are simply... Easier than most things..." 

"What are you talking about? All of your drawings are good-"

"They could be better... I wasn't ever the best with artistic talents, you know? But, if you like it, then I'm sure I must be doing something right."

Clark smiled, tracing a couple fingers under the Lewis's chin, turning it to where they'd make eye-contact. He swiftly connected their lips, both pulling at one another, getting closer and closer each second. 

Clark soon enough found himself in front of Lewis, staring at the younger male hungrily. He has always admired the male, his body, the way his clothes hugged his skin. He was gorgeous in more ways than one. 

Even when they had first met, and began to know each other, Clark adored the way the man looked, regardless of how sinful it was. Oh lord, when Lewis was in uniform, Clark was almost driven to the edge. He's had desires, yet he's been afraid to act upon them, regardless of how long he and Lewis had been together.  

Something, however, drove him over this time. He pinned Lewis back, his head hitting the ground painlessly. Using a hand to hold the male's wrists over his head, Clark used the other to tear away at the male's button-up shirt, some buttons flying off and onto the ground. 

The only reason Clark stopped was when Lewis had whined, mistaking it as a noise of distress. He shot up quickly, losing balance, and he fell back. He propped himself onto his elbows, watching as Lewis rose as well. 

"Clark..." The other male began. 

Ashamed, Clark bowed his head, afraid to look up at the other Captain, his lover. 

"Billy, look at me." 

"Yes, sir?" Clark finally spoke. Catching sight of Lewis, the male's face red, chest visible, shirt drooping over his shoulders, the red-head couldn't help but stare in delight.

Lewis shifted, smirking a bit as the bulge in his pants became more visible. "Tonight, I am yours to do whatever you please with." 

"Is that a promise?" 

"It absolutely is." 

Clark grinned, looking Lewis over again. "C'mere..." 

Lewis stood, walking over to the man. He placed himself on Billy's lap, looking the man over with an eagerness, with lust. 

Clark grabbed the male's waist, pulling him closer, quickly locking their lips together. "I want to make this as memorable as possible... For the both of us~..."  

Lewis smirked, perking a brow. "Is that so?" 

Clark smirked, pulling Meriwether down into a kiss, laying back into the grass, Meriwether's small build against Clark's much larger one.  

To say the least. They enjoyed that dance. 

...

It was much later now, and the two men were relaxing in the grass, staring at the darkening sky. It was peaceful, the evening was. The songbirds songs were beginning to reach their final chorus, the crickets beginning their own. They blended together, singing a harmonious tune with each other, the songbirds slowly fading into the distance. 

Clark chuckled, swatting his hand at a mosquito or two, looking over at Meriwether. The smaller man's shirt was still unbuttoned, Clark's marks obvious against the pale skin of his chest. 

"I do believe I suit you quite well, don't I?" 

"I'd agree." Meriwether laughed, looking over at Clark. He caught the male's eyes, and grinned, leaning in to place a kiss to his lips. The pulled back, a small 'chu' sound following. 

Clark propped his hands behind his head, crossing his legs. His red hair reflected a few rays of the lowering sun.

It was peaceful. 

After a deep inhale of the evening air, Clark turned to his lover. 

"Meri..." 

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the best birthday I've had."

A/N

To be fair, I wanted to write the smut, I just decided to save time by skipping it because I am way behind my writing schedule and I need to get some chapters out. Anyway, thanks for reading! Peace!

(Word count: 3050)