87 Birds - Chapter 4
Title: 87 Birds
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet
Rating: R
Words: 31,800
A/N: 87 Birds was written for the Our Flag Mean Death Big Bang 2022. Please see Chapter 1 for more notes.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime, thanks so much for reading!
For a week, the reunited crew of the Revenge had kept a low profile to avoid the English. During Izzy’s brief stab at leadership, the stores had been restocked with some supplies, minus half their cache of rum that Calico Jack had drunk before Stede and Ed’s capture and conscription into privateering.
The resupply was the only good thing Izzy had done in Ed and Stede’s absence. The rest had nearly gotten him thrown overboard.
With a load of rations filling their stores, the Revenge could stay in the open sea indefinitely, dodging the English as necessary. Stede and Ed could avoid recapture. They had time.
Although Stede quickly forgave Ed for his transgressions with his belongings, the collective members of the crew were not as immediate in their understanding. The time together on the open sea gave Ed an opportunity to settle things with the crew.
But Stede had the question of how Ed would handle Izzy.
Stede suspected that Ed had fallen to Izzy’s influence in a moment of weakness during his own absence. Where once the first mate admired Blackbeard, idolized him even, that perspective had waned when Stede came into Ed’s life. His antagonism had apparently come at the most inopportune time. He now had a missing toe to show for it.
Izzy would have happily ended Stede’s life without a moment’s notice when Stede returned to the Revenge. After a week on the same ship, nothing had changed.
Ed’s solution to the dilemma was to keep Stede and Izzy as far apart as possible on the waves of the Caribbean. He achieved this by naming Izzy captain of The Adventure, as reliable a ship as any in Blackbeard’s fleet.
Izzy stewed for four days and three nights over the promotion.
“If the crew mutinies, that’s on you,” Ed had told him. “You’d do well to take a page from Captain Bonnet’s book. He seems to have earned the respect and admiration of his crew.”
Stede beamed to learn that Ed thought highly of him and his management of the crew again. The praise meant the world to him.
Izzy groaned, “But, boss-”
“I won’t hear of it,” Ed said. “You’ll command the Adventure as if your life depended on it. And you’ll treat your crew fairly if you want to keep the rest of your toes.”
Izzy scowled as he brushed past Stede and clambered belowdecks, presumably to pack.
“And no more spewing,” Ed said under his breath.
“I worry that we won’t be rid of him so easily,” Stede said, as he watched Izzy storm away.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Ed said, sipping his afternoon tea from a chipped cup. “I need to give him something to do. He’ll enjoy commanding the Adventure.”
“I do hope so,” Stede said, after making sure Izzy had vanished into the cavern of the lower deck, “for all of our sakes.”
Since his return to the Revenge, Stede fretted that he and Ed had hardly reconciled beyond what words they shared on the night when Stede told him he loved him. They had barely shared a second kiss that lasted half as long as their first, although they sometimes fell asleep together. They rested on the same straw mattress that filled the alcove in the captain’s quarters, with Stede murmuring apologies to Ed for making him believe that he had been abandoned.
Stede hated to think about the effect that Izzy had on Ed. It was bad enough that Ed believed Stede had lost his affection and respect for him when he left him on the dock at the Privateering Academy. But to think that Ed lost Izzy’s respect, after so many years of pirating together, all because Ed became enamoured with Stede… it had to sting.
Stede was hardly worth it.
At first, Stede thought Ed would want to accompany Izzy to the Adventure to try to make further amends with him. He paced across the deck of the Revenge, worried about what might happen to Ed if he were to absorb the bad vibes that surrounded Izzy. But in the end, Ed spent only an hour on the Adventure when they pulled alongside it to deliver the ship’s new captain. Whether they parted amicably, Ed didn’t say.
Things changed for the better after Izzy’s departure.
Stede liked to think that Ed had become himself again.
As the days passed, their intimacy grew. Shared meals and fleeting touches filled the gaps that had opened up when Ed and Stede were apart. Helping Ed tend to his hair with fragrant soaps and soft touches earned Stede a gentle smile, but little more. He convinced himself that it was best to show patience and give Ed time, despite his longing to rekindle their romance and show Ed how much he loved him. He even considered using his body, if Ed would allow it. Stede couldn’t ignore the way something warm unfurled in his belly whenever they were close. Or the way his eyes lingered on Ed’s lips, whether he was speaking or not. Stede could not ignore any of it for very much longer.
They embarked on a few easy raids, mostly to try to replenish some of Stede’s belongings that had been cast into the sea. The French merchant ship yielded the comfy sofa. Another raid secured a few books, but they were written in Spanish. Still another raid provided the galley with a nice set of Delftware teacups that were barely chipped.
The raids began to mend Ed’s relationship with the crew. A new respect had been established. Conversations about whales and weaponry, that had been interrupted, resumed where they had left off. Ed even came up with a plan to befriend Lucius again. Apparently the two had been in league for a time during Stede’s absence. Until Izzy interfered.
Stede overheard them on the deck one day when a cloudless blue sky met the infinite sea stretching out before the Revenge. Days of fine sailing weather lay ahead of them.
“Look, mate,” Ed began, as he gazed onto the open water. “I know it was wrong for me to shove you off the deck, but if anyone would know how devastating a break-up can be, it’s you.”
“That may be so,” Lucius said, cautiously peering over the rail. “I’ve broken my share of hearts, even had to get a restraining order a time or two.”
“Restraining order?” Stede interjected after overhearing the two. “What’s that all about?”
“It’s when you hire a thug from the Republic of Pirates to keep your ex away from you. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that with you two,” Lucius said, patting Stede on the shoulder and making flirty eyes at Ed.
“I was just asking the boy if he might have some spare time to spend teaching me to read,” Ed said, leaning against the rail. “Isn’t that right, Lucius?”
“Oh, yes, well, of course I’d be honoured,” Lucius stammered, clutching his journal to his chest.
Stede looked from Lucius to Ed and back again.
And back again.
Stede knew full well that Ed could read. Before their capture by the English, they had spent many nights in Stede’s cabin, drinking brandy and reading Shakespeare’s sonnets aloud to each other.
Ed’s expression gave nothing away, so Stede played along.
“But of course,” Stede said, clearing his throat. “I must admit I’m very happy to see you two getting along. But the problem I foresee with this plan is that the only books in our library are written in Spanish. I don’t suppose they’d be much help to you.”
“No, I don’t speak Spanish,” Lucius said. “I don’t suppose Jim would-”
“No!” Ed insisted. “Jim is more talented with a dagger than with literature.”
“That’s quite true,” Stede agreed. “I have an idea, though. Why don’t we raid an English ship and hope that they have some novels to spare. Naturally, I wouldn’t expect them to have as extensive of a library as I once had, but there’s bound to be something you could work with.”
“That would be brilliant,” Lucius said. “But aren’t the English going to be after you two?”
“That was nearly a month ago,” Stede said. He’d do anything to meet with Ed’s approval again, and this ruse bordered on a fuckery. If Ed could win Lucius’ trust again, by pretending to learn to read from him, Stede was all in. “Surely they’ve got bigger fish to fry by now.”
“Yeah, mate,” Ed interrupted. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”
“Nonsense,” Stede said. “You need something written in English to practice with, and I’m happy to offer the crew’s services in your quest. They’d be thrilled to participate in another raid. We’re pirates, for God’s sake!”
And so it was settled.
Stede gave Buttons orders to head for the trade routes and keep an eye open for an English merchant ship that looked like it carried a literate crew.
~
Stede could hardly believe that the plan for the raid had come together only a few days earlier. He scrambled onto the mattress, dragging the pink dressing gown with him. The rest of the crew had done what they could and left him alone with Ed.
Ed had been bundled from head to toe in clean sheets and dressed in a fresh nightshirt. A cool cloth rested on his forehead, but his skin burned like fire beneath Stede’s palm.
Stede stretched out beside Ed. He burrowed into the mattress and rested a hand on Ed’s chest.
“Oh my darling,” Stede whispered. “You need to get well.”
Ed’s chest rose and fell slowly beneath Stede’s palm. His limbs vibrated uncontrollably, a shiver running through him.
“Roach says if the fever doesn’t get under control by tomorrow, you may be irretrievably damaged,” Stede said, his lips brushing against Ed’s hair that had been pulled back from his face. “He means the damage will be to your thick skull, you nut.”
He imagined that Ed would chuckle at that, but Ed was as silent as ever.
“I can’t lose you, darling. Not when we were so close to having the life we wanted together,” Stede pleaded to Ed and whatever gods would listen.
Ed slept, unhearing, unseeing.
“Neptune?” Stede mused. “That’s a good one, isn’t it? God of the sea, if we’re talking about the Romans. Poseidon, if you favour the Greeks. Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red, opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams, turns into yellow gold his salt green streams. But neither Neptune nor Poseidon will make a damn bit of a difference if you can’t ever read about them again.”
Stede tried to keep the tears from falling from his eyes. He tugged the pink dressing gown upward to fill the spaces between his body and Ed’s.
Ed hadn’t opened his eyes for hours. His forehead burned hot like a coal from the fireplace, and yet he still shook from the chill.
“You can’t leave me, darling. You need to fight off the infection. You need to be strong,” Stede said. “As strong and as lovely as I know you are.”
Stede wanted to scream. This was all his fault. What was he thinking- raiding an English ship? There were so many ways this could have gone wrong, but this was the most wrong of all. How could he have been so stupid as to not have foreseen something like this happening? He didn’t deserve a man like Ed. He’d be lucky if Ed ever spoke to him again- and that was if Ed lived! He was so stupid with his stupid ideas and his stupid plans and now Ed’s life was in danger and there was no way to turn back the clock to the time when Ed was whole.
~
Stede put the finishing touches on the final details of the upcoming raid.
Buttons set his sights on the English merchant vessel as it made its way across the Caribbean from Barbados to Puerto Rico. It had left port after refilling its stores with fresh water and the catch of the day. The trade winds would carry them west, and the Revenge would not be far behind.
After checking in with Buttons, who assured him that they wouldn’t catch up to the English ship before morning, Stede retired to the captains’ quarters. Ed waited for him there.
Since Izzy’s departure, the pair had been enjoying a brandy together in the cabin each night after the evening meal with the crew. It was almost like old times. This night was no different, except that the raid of an English ship would commence in the morning.
Stede vibrated with enthusiasm. Of course he’d be happy if some of his books were replaced, but his real joy came from Ed and Lucius being on friendly terms again. Stede could hardly blame Lucius if he held a grudge after being cast into the sea, but the resolution of their disagreement was made even more sweet by Ed’s humility and renewed concern for the welfare of Stede’s crew.
Stede’s guilt still pecked at him.
Ed never would have thrown Lucius overboard if Stede had joined him on the dock at the Privateering Academy, so Stede believed he was to blame for the incident in the first place. If only he hadn’t foolishly run back to Barbados.
Lily-livered…
At least some of the situation was behind them now. With Izzy gone and the crew reunited, he could get back to reconnecting with the one person who really mattered to him. That very person occupied Stede’s every hopeful thought, as well as his personal quarters.
Ed flopped down onto the sofa they had raided from the French merchant a week earlier. He settled into the corner with his legs stretched out and his boots dangling in the air.
Stede handed Ed a tumbler of brandy and took his place on the opposite side of the sofa. He had stripped off his jacket and waistcoat, a rose and cream ensemble, storing them neatly in the auxiliary closet, which, to Stede’s great relief, had remained somewhat intact during their separation.
“Cheers,” Ed announced, leaning over to tap Stede’s tumbler with his own.
“Indeed,” Stede said. He had come to enjoy this unwinding at the end of the day with Ed. He sipped the brandy and let the smooth taste of it fill his senses.
“You’ve got everything arranged for tomorrow?” Ed asked.
Stede slipped off his shoes, placing them neatly side by side on the scuffed floor beside the sofa. “As much as can be done ahead of time,” Stede replied, after a moment for thought. Plenty could go wrong in a raid, but everything seemed to be in order.
Ed nodded in approval.
“It’s quite exciting, don’t you think?” Stede asked, moving to tuck his legs underneath him as he got comfortable.
Ed shrugged. “Not much different than any other raid, except your objective is a little weird. No valuable loot to speak of.”
Stede gasped out a breath of brandy. “That may seem true for a seasoned pirate like you, but some riches can’t be found in the diamond mines. Some are found in the words of the great philosophers and storytellers of days gone by.”
“Whatever, mate,” Ed said with a gleam in his eye. He raised his glass and took a gulp of brandy.
A flush of warmth invaded Stede’s chest and he could not help but smile.
The moonlight slipped through the half-windows that were still in need of repair. Along with a few logs that had burned low in the fireplace, the room took on a dim glow. Stede might have even called it romantic.
“That was very kind of you, earlier,” Stede said, nudging Ed’s boot with his stockinged foot.
“What’s that?”
“The way you told a little fib to Lucius to make him think he was helping you.”
Ed struggled to kick one boot off. He let it drop to the floor. “A little bit of fuckery can go a long way,” he said.
“Can I help you with those?” Stede asked. He didn’t wait for Ed’s answer before setting his drink on the floor and helping Ed tug his second boot off and unfasten his brace. He knew that Ed’s left knee bothered him for time to time and he was happy to offer whatever help he could.
“I knew it would please you if I made nice with him,” Ed said, reclining back and settling his feet beside Stede’s. “I’m glad my effort wasn’t wasted.”
“Kindness is never wasted,” Stede said. He was touched that Ed had given so much thought and consideration to his feelings about Lucius. “I’m glad that you found a way to befriend him again.”
“It was time I did,” Ed mused, sipping his brandy. “I may have mentioned that he tried to be helpful to me when you were… away.”
“You did, as I recall,” Stede said, remembering that awful day when he returned to the Revenge. How Ed had looked so forlorn.
“I shared some thoughts with him,” Ed recalled. “I had him write down some lyrics I composed. I asked him more for his insight on the matter and I’m glad I did-he still has no idea that I can read and write. I turned the lyrics into a sad song that I sang for the crew.”
“Oh, Ed,” I’m so sorry I never got to hear it,” Stede said. It never ceased to amaze Stede when Ed shared so much of himself with those who would listen. For all of his life, Ed had put on the mask of a fearsome pirate, when inside he surely craved moments of tenderness and the caress of fine silk against his skin. Stede was honoured when Ed shared bits of himself so openly with him, of all people. Stede would never dare to be bold enough to let his own guard down, yet Ed did it on the regular with those who mattered to him.
“It’s good that you didn’t,” Ed said. “You would have hated it. It wasn’t a cheery song.”
“We’ll leave it at that, then,” Stede said, “but I’d be willing to bet you have a lovely singing voice.”
“Nah, mate. You’re imagining things,” Ed said, a faint blush rising to his cheeks.
Stede looked away. He was certain that he’d love to hear Ed sing some day, if Ed would do him the honour. Ed’s speaking voice, with its deep rumble, filled Stede’s every daydream. A light shiver ran through him as his cock stirred. “Is it getting chilly in here?” He looked toward the fireplace, its logs burning low.
“I’m fine,” Ed said, draining his glass.
“More brandy?” Stede asked.
Ed waved his hand in a motion that meant he could do either with or without another refill.
Stede rose from the sofa and padded across the room to the fireplace. He considered grabbing the pink dressing gown that he had left in the alcove, but decided to silently place another log on the fire instead. As he returned to Ed, he pulled the tails of his cream-coloured shirt loose from his breeches. He hoped that the shirt would cover the evidence of his inappropriate thoughts. Besides, the hour was getting late and comfort took precedence over formality in the privacy of his own quarters. Leaning down to reach the decanter of brandy, he topped off both his and Ed’s tumblers.
“I don’t want you to feel like you need to participate tomorrow, if you’d rather stay back,” Stede said, settling into his corner of the sofa. He knew that Ed preferred just being Edward, rather than Blackbeard, these days.
“Someone’s got to look after you, Captain Bonnet,” Ed replied, nudging Stede’s stockinged foot with his own.
Stede felt warm all over. “Well, that’s very kind of you, Captain Teach,” Stede said, hiding his smile behind his brandy.
The gentle rise and fall of the waves softened the sharp edges of Stede’s excitement for the raid. Between the calm sea and the brandy, he hoped he and Ed would get a good night’s sleep.
“Now it’s too warm in here,” Ed said. He leaned forward and slid his arms from his leather jacket. The red silk that Stede had returned to him peeked from the jacket’s breast pocket. Ed draped the jacket over the arm of the sofa.
Stede noted that he wore his purple undershirt beneath it all. Purple definitely brought out the silver in Ed’s hair and in his beard which was growing in nicely. Even if Ed had wanted to dispense with the fearsome ‘scourge of the seven seas’ image that he projected, he did look handsome with his beard framing his face.
“Do you want your hair pulled back into a braid?” Stede asked lazily.
Ed gathered his hair in his hands and pulled it back from his face. “Do you think I should?”
“It will keep it out of your eyes, if you get caught up in the action tomorrow,” Stede said. He set his tumbler on the floor. Bending one knee along the back of the sofa, he patted the space between his legs. “Come over here.”
Ed set his tumbler on the floor and knee-walked along the sofa until he could turn and settle between Stede’s legs.
“There we are,” Stede said, running his hands through Ed’s hair. “I wish I thought to bring a brush over here.”
Ed reached backwards with one hand and pulled at the tie that had held his hair in place. Most of his hair had fallen loose over the course of the day, so it came free easily.
Stede took the hair tie from Ed and set it on the sofa beside him. He stroked Ed’s hair, the silky strands passing between his fingers.
“Your hair is so soft today. Did you wash it?” Stede asked.
“Took a dip in the sea after lunch. I may have stolen some of your hair oil to tame it when it dried,” Ed replied.
“You’d never have to steal anything of mine,” Stede said, nudging Ed’s hip with his knee. “Whatever I own is yours to share.”
Ed hummed. The weight of his warm body grew heavy against Stede’s chest. His hand drifted to rest on Stede’s stockinged ankle, his fingers lightly caressing the cream silk.
Stede’s heart raced. His hands hadn’t stopped moving in Ed’s hair. They gathered thick hanks of it and worked the tangles out of the ends. The last thing Stede wanted was to give his arousal away, but the feel of Ed’s fingers on his ankle both grounded him and set his heart alight. The brandy and the glow from the fireplace emboldened him.
“Ed?” Stede bravely asked.
Ed grunted and turned his head as much as his position allowed.
Stede was grateful that he didn’t have to face Edward head-on, as the flapping wings of a thousand tiny birds raced around his chest. “Do you think you might ever kiss me again?”
Without warning, Edward leaned forward, his hair slipping through Stede’s grasp. He clambered over the sofa cushions and turned to face Stede where he sat wedged into the corner of burgundy velvet brocade.
Stede mourned the loss of Ed’s warmth against his chest, but it was soon replaced by Ed’s hands that smoothed over his loosened shirt and gripped at his shoulders.
Ed advanced cautiously, as if he were ensuring that he was not mistaken.
Stede lowered his gaze to Ed’s lips as they closed in. When they touched, Stede’s eyes drifted shut. His hands slid beneath Ed’s arms, roved up his back, the purple shirt rough beneath his fingertips. He wondered why Ed suffered so with such a coarse article of clothing against his skin when Ed deserved the finest of silk and cashmere from the far-flung corners of the globe.
Ed moaned contentedly as Stede’s mouth opened under his.
Ed tasted of salt and sea, brandy and whiskers. Stede stayed close, committing to memory every tickle of Ed’s beard, every catch of Ed’s black fingernails as they scratched across his billowy shirt of the finest linen.
“I didn’t know,” Ed said as he drew back to catch his breath. “I didn’t know if you still wanted me. I’ve done some terrible things.”
“Always, darling Ed,” Stede whispered, blinking back tears. “I’ve always wanted you.” He felt the rough scratch of whiskers against his smooth cheeks and chin as Ed moved in to kiss him again.
Despite the splash of the waves against the hull, the world had gone silent beyond the space that encompassed both of their bodies.
Stede closed his eyes and kissed Ed again, his lips feeling for the shape of Ed’s mouth against his. He shivered when the warm wetness of Ed’s tongue reached out to trace at the seam between his lips. Stede opened his mouth to let Ed slip his tongue inside.
Ed’s hands never stopped in their movement, soothing Stede like he was a ship caressed by the tide.
Stede let his own tongue venture out, tentative and nervous about kissing Ed in a manner that he hoped would feel good to him, until he realized that no such thing existed.
Everything about their kisses felt good because it was them doing the kissing.
Stede pulled back and kissed the tip of Ed’s nose. “There you are,” he said when Ed opened his beautiful brown eyes again. For a moment, Stede feared that Ed would flee, disappear from sight, never to return, except in the memory of the kiss they just shared. When Ed remained, Stede could not keep the grin off his face.
Ed kissed him again and Stede’s blood sang, although he had done nothing to deserve this. He recalled their first kiss with fondness. Ed still made Stede happy, even after all they had endured while they were apart. Stede grinned like an idiot.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for you to feel like yourself again,” Ed said, pulling Stede close. “I’ve been so worried that I hurt you permanently.”
“You could never hurt me as much as I know I hurt you,” Stede said, a whisper against Ed’s cheek.
Ed shook his head. “I destroyed your things. I treated your crew with cruelty.”
“It’s alright,” Stede whispered. Even if damage had been done, everything was better now. Everything was perfect. He became ever conscious of his cock that had grown hard in his breeches. The thickness of it pressed against Ed’s leather-clad thigh.
“I think this thing with Lucius,” Ed started with a grin, “I know it’s silly, but I think it’s a good step toward getting things back to the way we left them on the ship when we were taken by the English. He didn’t deserve to be tossed overboard.”
“Yes, yes my darling. You’re absolutely brilliant,” Stede said, wanting Ed’s mouth on his again. Since when did he ever complain about Ed doing too much talking? Especially when he had the privilege of hearing Ed’s lovely voice as it whispered in his ear.
“And now, we’re going to go after the English to replace some of your books,” Ed said, nuzzling his nose against Stede’s chin. “I don’t know. It feels like we’ve gone full circle, yeah?”
“Or at least we will tomorrow,” Stede replied.
“Tomorrow,” Ed sighed melancholically, pressing his mouth against Stede’s neck.
“What is it, darling?” Stede asked, his brow furrowed and his voice full of concern.
Ed rested his head on Stede’s shoulder. He gazed longingly at Stede, his warm hand stroking his chest. “Tomorrow will be another new beginning.”
“That’s very poetic of you,” Stede said, meaning nothing more than a compliment.
Taking Stede’s hand and tracing a finger over the rough callouses on his palm, Ed said, “I once asked Lucius what I should do about feeling so low, after you were gone. I didn’t want to let go.”
“No darling, of course not,” Stede said. He couldn’t imagine the pain Ed suffered, thinking he was abandoned and unloved. He thanked God that Lucius was there to listen to him at his lowest point.
“I thought I would just curl up into a ball and die,” Ed’s voice broke. He shifted closer, fitting himself more thoroughly into Stede’s lap. He played with the ties that fastened Stede’s shirt.
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Stede said, his fingers still caressing Ed’s hair, soothing his brow.
“Lucius told me that life might not end. It could just begin again,” Ed said with a nod. “And now it has begun again. Do you believe that?”
“He’s a wise boy, that Lucius,” Stede said. “I think life can always begin again, if we let it.”
“I think I’d like that,” Ed said.
“I would love that,” Stede said, full of love for this beautiful man who never hesitated to share the secrets of his heart.
“I love you,” Ed murmured, mouthing kisses to the side of Stede’s neck, his cheek, his lips. “I’m so glad I didn’t kill you.”
“As if you would have,” Stede said with a laugh.
“No, I could never,” Ed said pressing soft kisses to Stede’s chest, where he had cleverly unfastened the ties that held Stede’s shirt closed.
Stede groaned when Ed’s beard fluttered against his chest. The sensation of Ed’s mouth finding his pale nipples went straight to his cock.
Ed shifted off the sofa, a foot touching the floor.
“Oh Ed,” Stede cried out as Ed slid to his knees. He had never felt so naked, his legs splayed wide around Ed’s torso while Ed’s rough tattooed hands roamed over his chest and lower to his belly before they squeezed his thighs. His cock, unmistakably hard, strained against the fabric that still protected his modesty.
Ed pressed his hot mouth to Stede’s breeches. His tongue laved the seams at Stede’s inner thighs, leaving a damp mark as proof of his presence on the fabric.
Stede squirmed, desire rushing through him from head to toe. His face went red with embarrassment at how utterly inappropriate his behaviour was for a gentleman. Whatever would his father think? Whatever would the Allambys think about Mary’s husband, a father of two children? Stede berated himself for thinking about his parents and former in-laws at a time like this.
Ed’s warm brown eyes were half closed with lust when his hands went to the waist of Stede’s breeches. He raised an eyebrow and hummed softly, questioning whether Stede wanted him to proceed.
Panting with arousal, Stede gave no argument. Instead, he silently scolded himself for enjoying the sensations in his belly, sensations that came from Ed manhandling him as he tugged Stede’s breeches down his freckled thighs.
Ed tossed the breeches onto the floor atop his leather jacket that had slid off the arm of the sofa. “Gorgeous,” he muttered, eyeing Stede’s cock, swollen red and dribbling ridiculously onto his belly, “just like I knew you would be.”
“Edward,” Stede gasped. He shoved the back of his hand into his mouth and bit down to keep from crying out.
Ed placed one hand on each of Stede’s knees and gently coaxed them further apart. They may as well have been shoved to opposite corners of the room, for all that Stede felt so utterly exposed. No one had ever seen this much of his soft gentlemanly body at such close range, not even Mary, with whom he had produced two children. In those proceedings, Stede and Mary both remained mostly clothed. Stede always closed his eyes and tried to think of how pleased his father would be that he had done his duty and produced an heir. When Alma was born first, Stede shuddered at the thought that he would be required to mate with Mary again. Whatever was happening between him and Ed during this evening on the high seas… it was nothing like what took place with Mary.
Without so much as a warning, Ed shoved his hands beneath Stede’s rump and pressed his entire torso into the space made between Stede’s thighs. He kissed Stede again, his mouth full of passion.
Stede groaned at the feeling of Ed’s hard cock. The leather of Ed’s trousers could not hide his intentions. All reminisces of producing a child in service to Stede’s lineage went right out the partly-repaired windows.
Ed broke the kiss. He slid down the length of Stede’s body, giving a little wince when his knee hit the floor.
Stede bit down on his bottom lip in sympathy at the thud. Pearly droplets of slick leaked from Stede’s cock in anticipation of whatever Ed planned to do with him. Although he was certain that Ed was far more experienced than he, Stede was willing to sign on to whatever Ed had in mind, no questions asked.
Ed recovered from the twinge of pain that had afflicted his knee. He hooked a thumb underneath the red garter that held one of Stede’s stockings up. Grasping the end of the ribbon between his teeth, he tugged it free. The satin slipped from its eyelets and hung from Ed’s teeth.
“My God, Ed,” Stede cried. “You devil! You know perfectly well what you’re doing to me.”
Ed grinned and propped himself up on one elbow. His eyes never left Stede’s as he reached back to gather his long silver hair into a bundle that he tied out of his way using Stede’s garter.
“Unfff,” Stede cried. The sheer pleasure of being at Ed’s whim brought him nearly to the brink of spilling. He fought to keep his hands off his cock because he was sure he would explode at the slightest touch.
Ed leaned forward and pushed the loose stocking down Stede’s shapely calf. He gave a little bite to the inside of Stede’s knee. The use of teeth brought Stede back from the brink. Ed shifted so his mouth hovered warm over Stede’s balls, while his calloused palm firmly groped Stede’s cock.
“My God, Ed? Is this something all pirates do?” Stede babbled. “No one has ever done this to me before.”
“Yeah, mate,” Ed said with a soft smile, pausing in his ministrations, “I could have guessed.”
Stede tutted, complaining, “Now you’re just patronizing me-” but his words were cut off when Ed took his cock into his mouth.
Ed hummed as he steadied Stede’s cock with one hand while he slid his mouth along its length.
Stede’s toes curled from the sheer pleasure of having Ed’s mouth on him. Never had he imagined that he would be party to an act of such impropriety, nor that it would feel so heavenly. He moaned helplessly at the delicious contact.
“You’re so bloody adorable,” Ed said, when he pulled away to take a breath.
“I’m not,” Stede pleaded despite arching up to get more friction, the tip of his cock catching in Ed’s beard. He knew he was not adorable. He had been told so for his entire life.
“You are, Stede,” Ed whispered, his voice rough. “You’re everything.”
I’m nothing…
With his eyes half shut, Stede blushed at the realization that Ed had worked one of his hands into the front of his own leather trousers. The fastenings hung open revealing Ed’s cock clamped inside his own fist. Stede’s fingers pushed into Ed’s hair, pulling it loose again. He begged, “Don’t stop, Ed. Please don’t stop.”
Ed swallowed him down again and again, his hands stroking them both as his mouth metered out a generous amount of pleasure.
Stede flailed helplessly, completely at Ed’s mercy. “I… need… I… I… need.…” he stuttered.
In the dusky light of the captain’s quarters, Ed pulled his mouth off Stede’s cock. His hot breath washed over its glistening tip. “It’s fine, love,” he panted breathlessly. “Just tell me when you’re going to come.”
“Oh, God,” Stede cried, tugging at Ed’s hair which had been pulled free of its makeshift tie. He opened his eyes to catch a glimpse of his own cock in Ed’s mouth and he knew he would never forget the sight of himself sliding between Ed’s lips, Ed’s warm brown eyes upon him in a haze of lust. Never would he forget this, for however long he lived.
The wet sound of Ed’s mouth on Stede’s cock and the pounding rhythm of Ed’s hand as he jerked himself may have been the only sound above the waves of all the Caribbean.
Stede’s blood boiled with lust. He could not think beyond Ed’s mouth and the way his eyes took Stede in completely, unhesitatingly, despite his ungentlemanly state. Fulfilling Ed’s request, he cried out, “Ed? God, Ed… I’m arriving!”
Ed drew off and blurted out a laugh, but he continued to stroke both Stede and himself.
Stede covered his eyes with his hands. He felt the hot splatter as it struck his belly, his chest, his chin. A ragged breath escaped his throat as he shuddered pleasantly, murmuring nonsense.
Ed’s hand slipped off Stede’s cock. He braced himself on Stede’s hip and climbed back onto the sofa and into the space between Stede’s legs. He soon followed Stede in his bliss, groaning as he painted Stede’s chest with his release.
Stede opened his eyes when Ed fell on top of him, their sticky mess spreading like marmalade between them.
“Oh, Ed,” Stede gasped. “I never…”
Ed pressed a finger to Stede’s lips. “I know,” he whispered.
“Is it supposed to feel like this?” Stede asked, biting down on Ed’s finger.
“I think so,” Ed whispered, his voice bathing Stede in a cocoon of warmth.
Stede sighed and slumped into the cushions, his limbs sprawling across the velvet.
Ed reached up to shuck off his shirt. His elbow connected with Stede’s chin, for which he murmured an apology.
“That was marvellous,” Stede said, his eyes glazed with the aftereffects of their lovemaking. If he never moved from this spot, he could die a happy man.
“We need to get you to bed,” Ed reminded Stede as he used his shirt to wipe the mess from Stede’s belly and chest before standing and turning it on himself. “You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
Stede reluctantly let Ed pull him to his feet. Only then did he notice that he still had one stocking on. The second one, missing its garter, had pooled at his ankle. He pulled Ed in close.
“Can we do this again?” Stede whispered. Despite his satisfaction, he couldn’t get enough of Ed’s skin against his own. He hitched his stockinged leg around Ed’s hip.
Ed reached for Stede’s thigh to support him and keep him from losing his balance after the brandy and the roll of the ship threatened to knock him off his feet. “As often as you’d like,” he said. He kissed Stede again, a promise of what could come in the rest of their days that would follow.
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet
Rating: R
Words: 31,800
A/N: 87 Birds was written for the Our Flag Mean Death Big Bang 2022. Please see Chapter 1 for more notes.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime, thanks so much for reading!
For a week, the reunited crew of the Revenge had kept a low profile to avoid the English. During Izzy’s brief stab at leadership, the stores had been restocked with some supplies, minus half their cache of rum that Calico Jack had drunk before Stede and Ed’s capture and conscription into privateering.
The resupply was the only good thing Izzy had done in Ed and Stede’s absence. The rest had nearly gotten him thrown overboard.
With a load of rations filling their stores, the Revenge could stay in the open sea indefinitely, dodging the English as necessary. Stede and Ed could avoid recapture. They had time.
Although Stede quickly forgave Ed for his transgressions with his belongings, the collective members of the crew were not as immediate in their understanding. The time together on the open sea gave Ed an opportunity to settle things with the crew.
But Stede had the question of how Ed would handle Izzy.
Stede suspected that Ed had fallen to Izzy’s influence in a moment of weakness during his own absence. Where once the first mate admired Blackbeard, idolized him even, that perspective had waned when Stede came into Ed’s life. His antagonism had apparently come at the most inopportune time. He now had a missing toe to show for it.
Izzy would have happily ended Stede’s life without a moment’s notice when Stede returned to the Revenge. After a week on the same ship, nothing had changed.
Ed’s solution to the dilemma was to keep Stede and Izzy as far apart as possible on the waves of the Caribbean. He achieved this by naming Izzy captain of The Adventure, as reliable a ship as any in Blackbeard’s fleet.
Izzy stewed for four days and three nights over the promotion.
“If the crew mutinies, that’s on you,” Ed had told him. “You’d do well to take a page from Captain Bonnet’s book. He seems to have earned the respect and admiration of his crew.”
Stede beamed to learn that Ed thought highly of him and his management of the crew again. The praise meant the world to him.
Izzy groaned, “But, boss-”
“I won’t hear of it,” Ed said. “You’ll command the Adventure as if your life depended on it. And you’ll treat your crew fairly if you want to keep the rest of your toes.”
Izzy scowled as he brushed past Stede and clambered belowdecks, presumably to pack.
“And no more spewing,” Ed said under his breath.
“I worry that we won’t be rid of him so easily,” Stede said, as he watched Izzy storm away.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Ed said, sipping his afternoon tea from a chipped cup. “I need to give him something to do. He’ll enjoy commanding the Adventure.”
“I do hope so,” Stede said, after making sure Izzy had vanished into the cavern of the lower deck, “for all of our sakes.”
Since his return to the Revenge, Stede fretted that he and Ed had hardly reconciled beyond what words they shared on the night when Stede told him he loved him. They had barely shared a second kiss that lasted half as long as their first, although they sometimes fell asleep together. They rested on the same straw mattress that filled the alcove in the captain’s quarters, with Stede murmuring apologies to Ed for making him believe that he had been abandoned.
Stede hated to think about the effect that Izzy had on Ed. It was bad enough that Ed believed Stede had lost his affection and respect for him when he left him on the dock at the Privateering Academy. But to think that Ed lost Izzy’s respect, after so many years of pirating together, all because Ed became enamoured with Stede… it had to sting.
Stede was hardly worth it.
At first, Stede thought Ed would want to accompany Izzy to the Adventure to try to make further amends with him. He paced across the deck of the Revenge, worried about what might happen to Ed if he were to absorb the bad vibes that surrounded Izzy. But in the end, Ed spent only an hour on the Adventure when they pulled alongside it to deliver the ship’s new captain. Whether they parted amicably, Ed didn’t say.
Things changed for the better after Izzy’s departure.
Stede liked to think that Ed had become himself again.
As the days passed, their intimacy grew. Shared meals and fleeting touches filled the gaps that had opened up when Ed and Stede were apart. Helping Ed tend to his hair with fragrant soaps and soft touches earned Stede a gentle smile, but little more. He convinced himself that it was best to show patience and give Ed time, despite his longing to rekindle their romance and show Ed how much he loved him. He even considered using his body, if Ed would allow it. Stede couldn’t ignore the way something warm unfurled in his belly whenever they were close. Or the way his eyes lingered on Ed’s lips, whether he was speaking or not. Stede could not ignore any of it for very much longer.
They embarked on a few easy raids, mostly to try to replenish some of Stede’s belongings that had been cast into the sea. The French merchant ship yielded the comfy sofa. Another raid secured a few books, but they were written in Spanish. Still another raid provided the galley with a nice set of Delftware teacups that were barely chipped.
The raids began to mend Ed’s relationship with the crew. A new respect had been established. Conversations about whales and weaponry, that had been interrupted, resumed where they had left off. Ed even came up with a plan to befriend Lucius again. Apparently the two had been in league for a time during Stede’s absence. Until Izzy interfered.
Stede overheard them on the deck one day when a cloudless blue sky met the infinite sea stretching out before the Revenge. Days of fine sailing weather lay ahead of them.
“Look, mate,” Ed began, as he gazed onto the open water. “I know it was wrong for me to shove you off the deck, but if anyone would know how devastating a break-up can be, it’s you.”
“That may be so,” Lucius said, cautiously peering over the rail. “I’ve broken my share of hearts, even had to get a restraining order a time or two.”
“Restraining order?” Stede interjected after overhearing the two. “What’s that all about?”
“It’s when you hire a thug from the Republic of Pirates to keep your ex away from you. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that with you two,” Lucius said, patting Stede on the shoulder and making flirty eyes at Ed.
“I was just asking the boy if he might have some spare time to spend teaching me to read,” Ed said, leaning against the rail. “Isn’t that right, Lucius?”
“Oh, yes, well, of course I’d be honoured,” Lucius stammered, clutching his journal to his chest.
Stede looked from Lucius to Ed and back again.
And back again.
Stede knew full well that Ed could read. Before their capture by the English, they had spent many nights in Stede’s cabin, drinking brandy and reading Shakespeare’s sonnets aloud to each other.
Ed’s expression gave nothing away, so Stede played along.
“But of course,” Stede said, clearing his throat. “I must admit I’m very happy to see you two getting along. But the problem I foresee with this plan is that the only books in our library are written in Spanish. I don’t suppose they’d be much help to you.”
“No, I don’t speak Spanish,” Lucius said. “I don’t suppose Jim would-”
“No!” Ed insisted. “Jim is more talented with a dagger than with literature.”
“That’s quite true,” Stede agreed. “I have an idea, though. Why don’t we raid an English ship and hope that they have some novels to spare. Naturally, I wouldn’t expect them to have as extensive of a library as I once had, but there’s bound to be something you could work with.”
“That would be brilliant,” Lucius said. “But aren’t the English going to be after you two?”
“That was nearly a month ago,” Stede said. He’d do anything to meet with Ed’s approval again, and this ruse bordered on a fuckery. If Ed could win Lucius’ trust again, by pretending to learn to read from him, Stede was all in. “Surely they’ve got bigger fish to fry by now.”
“Yeah, mate,” Ed interrupted. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”
“Nonsense,” Stede said. “You need something written in English to practice with, and I’m happy to offer the crew’s services in your quest. They’d be thrilled to participate in another raid. We’re pirates, for God’s sake!”
And so it was settled.
Stede gave Buttons orders to head for the trade routes and keep an eye open for an English merchant ship that looked like it carried a literate crew.
~
Stede could hardly believe that the plan for the raid had come together only a few days earlier. He scrambled onto the mattress, dragging the pink dressing gown with him. The rest of the crew had done what they could and left him alone with Ed.
Ed had been bundled from head to toe in clean sheets and dressed in a fresh nightshirt. A cool cloth rested on his forehead, but his skin burned like fire beneath Stede’s palm.
Stede stretched out beside Ed. He burrowed into the mattress and rested a hand on Ed’s chest.
“Oh my darling,” Stede whispered. “You need to get well.”
Ed’s chest rose and fell slowly beneath Stede’s palm. His limbs vibrated uncontrollably, a shiver running through him.
“Roach says if the fever doesn’t get under control by tomorrow, you may be irretrievably damaged,” Stede said, his lips brushing against Ed’s hair that had been pulled back from his face. “He means the damage will be to your thick skull, you nut.”
He imagined that Ed would chuckle at that, but Ed was as silent as ever.
“I can’t lose you, darling. Not when we were so close to having the life we wanted together,” Stede pleaded to Ed and whatever gods would listen.
Ed slept, unhearing, unseeing.
“Neptune?” Stede mused. “That’s a good one, isn’t it? God of the sea, if we’re talking about the Romans. Poseidon, if you favour the Greeks. Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red, opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams, turns into yellow gold his salt green streams. But neither Neptune nor Poseidon will make a damn bit of a difference if you can’t ever read about them again.”
Stede tried to keep the tears from falling from his eyes. He tugged the pink dressing gown upward to fill the spaces between his body and Ed’s.
Ed hadn’t opened his eyes for hours. His forehead burned hot like a coal from the fireplace, and yet he still shook from the chill.
“You can’t leave me, darling. You need to fight off the infection. You need to be strong,” Stede said. “As strong and as lovely as I know you are.”
Stede wanted to scream. This was all his fault. What was he thinking- raiding an English ship? There were so many ways this could have gone wrong, but this was the most wrong of all. How could he have been so stupid as to not have foreseen something like this happening? He didn’t deserve a man like Ed. He’d be lucky if Ed ever spoke to him again- and that was if Ed lived! He was so stupid with his stupid ideas and his stupid plans and now Ed’s life was in danger and there was no way to turn back the clock to the time when Ed was whole.
~
Stede put the finishing touches on the final details of the upcoming raid.
Buttons set his sights on the English merchant vessel as it made its way across the Caribbean from Barbados to Puerto Rico. It had left port after refilling its stores with fresh water and the catch of the day. The trade winds would carry them west, and the Revenge would not be far behind.
After checking in with Buttons, who assured him that they wouldn’t catch up to the English ship before morning, Stede retired to the captains’ quarters. Ed waited for him there.
Since Izzy’s departure, the pair had been enjoying a brandy together in the cabin each night after the evening meal with the crew. It was almost like old times. This night was no different, except that the raid of an English ship would commence in the morning.
Stede vibrated with enthusiasm. Of course he’d be happy if some of his books were replaced, but his real joy came from Ed and Lucius being on friendly terms again. Stede could hardly blame Lucius if he held a grudge after being cast into the sea, but the resolution of their disagreement was made even more sweet by Ed’s humility and renewed concern for the welfare of Stede’s crew.
Stede’s guilt still pecked at him.
Ed never would have thrown Lucius overboard if Stede had joined him on the dock at the Privateering Academy, so Stede believed he was to blame for the incident in the first place. If only he hadn’t foolishly run back to Barbados.
Lily-livered…
At least some of the situation was behind them now. With Izzy gone and the crew reunited, he could get back to reconnecting with the one person who really mattered to him. That very person occupied Stede’s every hopeful thought, as well as his personal quarters.
Ed flopped down onto the sofa they had raided from the French merchant a week earlier. He settled into the corner with his legs stretched out and his boots dangling in the air.
Stede handed Ed a tumbler of brandy and took his place on the opposite side of the sofa. He had stripped off his jacket and waistcoat, a rose and cream ensemble, storing them neatly in the auxiliary closet, which, to Stede’s great relief, had remained somewhat intact during their separation.
“Cheers,” Ed announced, leaning over to tap Stede’s tumbler with his own.
“Indeed,” Stede said. He had come to enjoy this unwinding at the end of the day with Ed. He sipped the brandy and let the smooth taste of it fill his senses.
“You’ve got everything arranged for tomorrow?” Ed asked.
Stede slipped off his shoes, placing them neatly side by side on the scuffed floor beside the sofa. “As much as can be done ahead of time,” Stede replied, after a moment for thought. Plenty could go wrong in a raid, but everything seemed to be in order.
Ed nodded in approval.
“It’s quite exciting, don’t you think?” Stede asked, moving to tuck his legs underneath him as he got comfortable.
Ed shrugged. “Not much different than any other raid, except your objective is a little weird. No valuable loot to speak of.”
Stede gasped out a breath of brandy. “That may seem true for a seasoned pirate like you, but some riches can’t be found in the diamond mines. Some are found in the words of the great philosophers and storytellers of days gone by.”
“Whatever, mate,” Ed said with a gleam in his eye. He raised his glass and took a gulp of brandy.
A flush of warmth invaded Stede’s chest and he could not help but smile.
The moonlight slipped through the half-windows that were still in need of repair. Along with a few logs that had burned low in the fireplace, the room took on a dim glow. Stede might have even called it romantic.
“That was very kind of you, earlier,” Stede said, nudging Ed’s boot with his stockinged foot.
“What’s that?”
“The way you told a little fib to Lucius to make him think he was helping you.”
Ed struggled to kick one boot off. He let it drop to the floor. “A little bit of fuckery can go a long way,” he said.
“Can I help you with those?” Stede asked. He didn’t wait for Ed’s answer before setting his drink on the floor and helping Ed tug his second boot off and unfasten his brace. He knew that Ed’s left knee bothered him for time to time and he was happy to offer whatever help he could.
“I knew it would please you if I made nice with him,” Ed said, reclining back and settling his feet beside Stede’s. “I’m glad my effort wasn’t wasted.”
“Kindness is never wasted,” Stede said. He was touched that Ed had given so much thought and consideration to his feelings about Lucius. “I’m glad that you found a way to befriend him again.”
“It was time I did,” Ed mused, sipping his brandy. “I may have mentioned that he tried to be helpful to me when you were… away.”
“You did, as I recall,” Stede said, remembering that awful day when he returned to the Revenge. How Ed had looked so forlorn.
“I shared some thoughts with him,” Ed recalled. “I had him write down some lyrics I composed. I asked him more for his insight on the matter and I’m glad I did-he still has no idea that I can read and write. I turned the lyrics into a sad song that I sang for the crew.”
“Oh, Ed,” I’m so sorry I never got to hear it,” Stede said. It never ceased to amaze Stede when Ed shared so much of himself with those who would listen. For all of his life, Ed had put on the mask of a fearsome pirate, when inside he surely craved moments of tenderness and the caress of fine silk against his skin. Stede was honoured when Ed shared bits of himself so openly with him, of all people. Stede would never dare to be bold enough to let his own guard down, yet Ed did it on the regular with those who mattered to him.
“It’s good that you didn’t,” Ed said. “You would have hated it. It wasn’t a cheery song.”
“We’ll leave it at that, then,” Stede said, “but I’d be willing to bet you have a lovely singing voice.”
“Nah, mate. You’re imagining things,” Ed said, a faint blush rising to his cheeks.
Stede looked away. He was certain that he’d love to hear Ed sing some day, if Ed would do him the honour. Ed’s speaking voice, with its deep rumble, filled Stede’s every daydream. A light shiver ran through him as his cock stirred. “Is it getting chilly in here?” He looked toward the fireplace, its logs burning low.
“I’m fine,” Ed said, draining his glass.
“More brandy?” Stede asked.
Ed waved his hand in a motion that meant he could do either with or without another refill.
Stede rose from the sofa and padded across the room to the fireplace. He considered grabbing the pink dressing gown that he had left in the alcove, but decided to silently place another log on the fire instead. As he returned to Ed, he pulled the tails of his cream-coloured shirt loose from his breeches. He hoped that the shirt would cover the evidence of his inappropriate thoughts. Besides, the hour was getting late and comfort took precedence over formality in the privacy of his own quarters. Leaning down to reach the decanter of brandy, he topped off both his and Ed’s tumblers.
“I don’t want you to feel like you need to participate tomorrow, if you’d rather stay back,” Stede said, settling into his corner of the sofa. He knew that Ed preferred just being Edward, rather than Blackbeard, these days.
“Someone’s got to look after you, Captain Bonnet,” Ed replied, nudging Stede’s stockinged foot with his own.
Stede felt warm all over. “Well, that’s very kind of you, Captain Teach,” Stede said, hiding his smile behind his brandy.
The gentle rise and fall of the waves softened the sharp edges of Stede’s excitement for the raid. Between the calm sea and the brandy, he hoped he and Ed would get a good night’s sleep.
“Now it’s too warm in here,” Ed said. He leaned forward and slid his arms from his leather jacket. The red silk that Stede had returned to him peeked from the jacket’s breast pocket. Ed draped the jacket over the arm of the sofa.
Stede noted that he wore his purple undershirt beneath it all. Purple definitely brought out the silver in Ed’s hair and in his beard which was growing in nicely. Even if Ed had wanted to dispense with the fearsome ‘scourge of the seven seas’ image that he projected, he did look handsome with his beard framing his face.
“Do you want your hair pulled back into a braid?” Stede asked lazily.
Ed gathered his hair in his hands and pulled it back from his face. “Do you think I should?”
“It will keep it out of your eyes, if you get caught up in the action tomorrow,” Stede said. He set his tumbler on the floor. Bending one knee along the back of the sofa, he patted the space between his legs. “Come over here.”
Ed set his tumbler on the floor and knee-walked along the sofa until he could turn and settle between Stede’s legs.
“There we are,” Stede said, running his hands through Ed’s hair. “I wish I thought to bring a brush over here.”
Ed reached backwards with one hand and pulled at the tie that had held his hair in place. Most of his hair had fallen loose over the course of the day, so it came free easily.
Stede took the hair tie from Ed and set it on the sofa beside him. He stroked Ed’s hair, the silky strands passing between his fingers.
“Your hair is so soft today. Did you wash it?” Stede asked.
“Took a dip in the sea after lunch. I may have stolen some of your hair oil to tame it when it dried,” Ed replied.
“You’d never have to steal anything of mine,” Stede said, nudging Ed’s hip with his knee. “Whatever I own is yours to share.”
Ed hummed. The weight of his warm body grew heavy against Stede’s chest. His hand drifted to rest on Stede’s stockinged ankle, his fingers lightly caressing the cream silk.
Stede’s heart raced. His hands hadn’t stopped moving in Ed’s hair. They gathered thick hanks of it and worked the tangles out of the ends. The last thing Stede wanted was to give his arousal away, but the feel of Ed’s fingers on his ankle both grounded him and set his heart alight. The brandy and the glow from the fireplace emboldened him.
“Ed?” Stede bravely asked.
Ed grunted and turned his head as much as his position allowed.
Stede was grateful that he didn’t have to face Edward head-on, as the flapping wings of a thousand tiny birds raced around his chest. “Do you think you might ever kiss me again?”
Without warning, Edward leaned forward, his hair slipping through Stede’s grasp. He clambered over the sofa cushions and turned to face Stede where he sat wedged into the corner of burgundy velvet brocade.
Stede mourned the loss of Ed’s warmth against his chest, but it was soon replaced by Ed’s hands that smoothed over his loosened shirt and gripped at his shoulders.
Ed advanced cautiously, as if he were ensuring that he was not mistaken.
Stede lowered his gaze to Ed’s lips as they closed in. When they touched, Stede’s eyes drifted shut. His hands slid beneath Ed’s arms, roved up his back, the purple shirt rough beneath his fingertips. He wondered why Ed suffered so with such a coarse article of clothing against his skin when Ed deserved the finest of silk and cashmere from the far-flung corners of the globe.
Ed moaned contentedly as Stede’s mouth opened under his.
Ed tasted of salt and sea, brandy and whiskers. Stede stayed close, committing to memory every tickle of Ed’s beard, every catch of Ed’s black fingernails as they scratched across his billowy shirt of the finest linen.
“I didn’t know,” Ed said as he drew back to catch his breath. “I didn’t know if you still wanted me. I’ve done some terrible things.”
“Always, darling Ed,” Stede whispered, blinking back tears. “I’ve always wanted you.” He felt the rough scratch of whiskers against his smooth cheeks and chin as Ed moved in to kiss him again.
Despite the splash of the waves against the hull, the world had gone silent beyond the space that encompassed both of their bodies.
Stede closed his eyes and kissed Ed again, his lips feeling for the shape of Ed’s mouth against his. He shivered when the warm wetness of Ed’s tongue reached out to trace at the seam between his lips. Stede opened his mouth to let Ed slip his tongue inside.
Ed’s hands never stopped in their movement, soothing Stede like he was a ship caressed by the tide.
Stede let his own tongue venture out, tentative and nervous about kissing Ed in a manner that he hoped would feel good to him, until he realized that no such thing existed.
Everything about their kisses felt good because it was them doing the kissing.
Stede pulled back and kissed the tip of Ed’s nose. “There you are,” he said when Ed opened his beautiful brown eyes again. For a moment, Stede feared that Ed would flee, disappear from sight, never to return, except in the memory of the kiss they just shared. When Ed remained, Stede could not keep the grin off his face.
Ed kissed him again and Stede’s blood sang, although he had done nothing to deserve this. He recalled their first kiss with fondness. Ed still made Stede happy, even after all they had endured while they were apart. Stede grinned like an idiot.
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for you to feel like yourself again,” Ed said, pulling Stede close. “I’ve been so worried that I hurt you permanently.”
“You could never hurt me as much as I know I hurt you,” Stede said, a whisper against Ed’s cheek.
Ed shook his head. “I destroyed your things. I treated your crew with cruelty.”
“It’s alright,” Stede whispered. Even if damage had been done, everything was better now. Everything was perfect. He became ever conscious of his cock that had grown hard in his breeches. The thickness of it pressed against Ed’s leather-clad thigh.
“I think this thing with Lucius,” Ed started with a grin, “I know it’s silly, but I think it’s a good step toward getting things back to the way we left them on the ship when we were taken by the English. He didn’t deserve to be tossed overboard.”
“Yes, yes my darling. You’re absolutely brilliant,” Stede said, wanting Ed’s mouth on his again. Since when did he ever complain about Ed doing too much talking? Especially when he had the privilege of hearing Ed’s lovely voice as it whispered in his ear.
“And now, we’re going to go after the English to replace some of your books,” Ed said, nuzzling his nose against Stede’s chin. “I don’t know. It feels like we’ve gone full circle, yeah?”
“Or at least we will tomorrow,” Stede replied.
“Tomorrow,” Ed sighed melancholically, pressing his mouth against Stede’s neck.
“What is it, darling?” Stede asked, his brow furrowed and his voice full of concern.
Ed rested his head on Stede’s shoulder. He gazed longingly at Stede, his warm hand stroking his chest. “Tomorrow will be another new beginning.”
“That’s very poetic of you,” Stede said, meaning nothing more than a compliment.
Taking Stede’s hand and tracing a finger over the rough callouses on his palm, Ed said, “I once asked Lucius what I should do about feeling so low, after you were gone. I didn’t want to let go.”
“No darling, of course not,” Stede said. He couldn’t imagine the pain Ed suffered, thinking he was abandoned and unloved. He thanked God that Lucius was there to listen to him at his lowest point.
“I thought I would just curl up into a ball and die,” Ed’s voice broke. He shifted closer, fitting himself more thoroughly into Stede’s lap. He played with the ties that fastened Stede’s shirt.
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Stede said, his fingers still caressing Ed’s hair, soothing his brow.
“Lucius told me that life might not end. It could just begin again,” Ed said with a nod. “And now it has begun again. Do you believe that?”
“He’s a wise boy, that Lucius,” Stede said. “I think life can always begin again, if we let it.”
“I think I’d like that,” Ed said.
“I would love that,” Stede said, full of love for this beautiful man who never hesitated to share the secrets of his heart.
“I love you,” Ed murmured, mouthing kisses to the side of Stede’s neck, his cheek, his lips. “I’m so glad I didn’t kill you.”
“As if you would have,” Stede said with a laugh.
“No, I could never,” Ed said pressing soft kisses to Stede’s chest, where he had cleverly unfastened the ties that held Stede’s shirt closed.
Stede groaned when Ed’s beard fluttered against his chest. The sensation of Ed’s mouth finding his pale nipples went straight to his cock.
Ed shifted off the sofa, a foot touching the floor.
“Oh Ed,” Stede cried out as Ed slid to his knees. He had never felt so naked, his legs splayed wide around Ed’s torso while Ed’s rough tattooed hands roamed over his chest and lower to his belly before they squeezed his thighs. His cock, unmistakably hard, strained against the fabric that still protected his modesty.
Ed pressed his hot mouth to Stede’s breeches. His tongue laved the seams at Stede’s inner thighs, leaving a damp mark as proof of his presence on the fabric.
Stede squirmed, desire rushing through him from head to toe. His face went red with embarrassment at how utterly inappropriate his behaviour was for a gentleman. Whatever would his father think? Whatever would the Allambys think about Mary’s husband, a father of two children? Stede berated himself for thinking about his parents and former in-laws at a time like this.
Ed’s warm brown eyes were half closed with lust when his hands went to the waist of Stede’s breeches. He raised an eyebrow and hummed softly, questioning whether Stede wanted him to proceed.
Panting with arousal, Stede gave no argument. Instead, he silently scolded himself for enjoying the sensations in his belly, sensations that came from Ed manhandling him as he tugged Stede’s breeches down his freckled thighs.
Ed tossed the breeches onto the floor atop his leather jacket that had slid off the arm of the sofa. “Gorgeous,” he muttered, eyeing Stede’s cock, swollen red and dribbling ridiculously onto his belly, “just like I knew you would be.”
“Edward,” Stede gasped. He shoved the back of his hand into his mouth and bit down to keep from crying out.
Ed placed one hand on each of Stede’s knees and gently coaxed them further apart. They may as well have been shoved to opposite corners of the room, for all that Stede felt so utterly exposed. No one had ever seen this much of his soft gentlemanly body at such close range, not even Mary, with whom he had produced two children. In those proceedings, Stede and Mary both remained mostly clothed. Stede always closed his eyes and tried to think of how pleased his father would be that he had done his duty and produced an heir. When Alma was born first, Stede shuddered at the thought that he would be required to mate with Mary again. Whatever was happening between him and Ed during this evening on the high seas… it was nothing like what took place with Mary.
Without so much as a warning, Ed shoved his hands beneath Stede’s rump and pressed his entire torso into the space made between Stede’s thighs. He kissed Stede again, his mouth full of passion.
Stede groaned at the feeling of Ed’s hard cock. The leather of Ed’s trousers could not hide his intentions. All reminisces of producing a child in service to Stede’s lineage went right out the partly-repaired windows.
Ed broke the kiss. He slid down the length of Stede’s body, giving a little wince when his knee hit the floor.
Stede bit down on his bottom lip in sympathy at the thud. Pearly droplets of slick leaked from Stede’s cock in anticipation of whatever Ed planned to do with him. Although he was certain that Ed was far more experienced than he, Stede was willing to sign on to whatever Ed had in mind, no questions asked.
Ed recovered from the twinge of pain that had afflicted his knee. He hooked a thumb underneath the red garter that held one of Stede’s stockings up. Grasping the end of the ribbon between his teeth, he tugged it free. The satin slipped from its eyelets and hung from Ed’s teeth.
“My God, Ed,” Stede cried. “You devil! You know perfectly well what you’re doing to me.”
Ed grinned and propped himself up on one elbow. His eyes never left Stede’s as he reached back to gather his long silver hair into a bundle that he tied out of his way using Stede’s garter.
“Unfff,” Stede cried. The sheer pleasure of being at Ed’s whim brought him nearly to the brink of spilling. He fought to keep his hands off his cock because he was sure he would explode at the slightest touch.
Ed leaned forward and pushed the loose stocking down Stede’s shapely calf. He gave a little bite to the inside of Stede’s knee. The use of teeth brought Stede back from the brink. Ed shifted so his mouth hovered warm over Stede’s balls, while his calloused palm firmly groped Stede’s cock.
“My God, Ed? Is this something all pirates do?” Stede babbled. “No one has ever done this to me before.”
“Yeah, mate,” Ed said with a soft smile, pausing in his ministrations, “I could have guessed.”
Stede tutted, complaining, “Now you’re just patronizing me-” but his words were cut off when Ed took his cock into his mouth.
Ed hummed as he steadied Stede’s cock with one hand while he slid his mouth along its length.
Stede’s toes curled from the sheer pleasure of having Ed’s mouth on him. Never had he imagined that he would be party to an act of such impropriety, nor that it would feel so heavenly. He moaned helplessly at the delicious contact.
“You’re so bloody adorable,” Ed said, when he pulled away to take a breath.
“I’m not,” Stede pleaded despite arching up to get more friction, the tip of his cock catching in Ed’s beard. He knew he was not adorable. He had been told so for his entire life.
“You are, Stede,” Ed whispered, his voice rough. “You’re everything.”
I’m nothing…
With his eyes half shut, Stede blushed at the realization that Ed had worked one of his hands into the front of his own leather trousers. The fastenings hung open revealing Ed’s cock clamped inside his own fist. Stede’s fingers pushed into Ed’s hair, pulling it loose again. He begged, “Don’t stop, Ed. Please don’t stop.”
Ed swallowed him down again and again, his hands stroking them both as his mouth metered out a generous amount of pleasure.
Stede flailed helplessly, completely at Ed’s mercy. “I… need… I… I… need.…” he stuttered.
In the dusky light of the captain’s quarters, Ed pulled his mouth off Stede’s cock. His hot breath washed over its glistening tip. “It’s fine, love,” he panted breathlessly. “Just tell me when you’re going to come.”
“Oh, God,” Stede cried, tugging at Ed’s hair which had been pulled free of its makeshift tie. He opened his eyes to catch a glimpse of his own cock in Ed’s mouth and he knew he would never forget the sight of himself sliding between Ed’s lips, Ed’s warm brown eyes upon him in a haze of lust. Never would he forget this, for however long he lived.
The wet sound of Ed’s mouth on Stede’s cock and the pounding rhythm of Ed’s hand as he jerked himself may have been the only sound above the waves of all the Caribbean.
Stede’s blood boiled with lust. He could not think beyond Ed’s mouth and the way his eyes took Stede in completely, unhesitatingly, despite his ungentlemanly state. Fulfilling Ed’s request, he cried out, “Ed? God, Ed… I’m arriving!”
Ed drew off and blurted out a laugh, but he continued to stroke both Stede and himself.
Stede covered his eyes with his hands. He felt the hot splatter as it struck his belly, his chest, his chin. A ragged breath escaped his throat as he shuddered pleasantly, murmuring nonsense.
Ed’s hand slipped off Stede’s cock. He braced himself on Stede’s hip and climbed back onto the sofa and into the space between Stede’s legs. He soon followed Stede in his bliss, groaning as he painted Stede’s chest with his release.
Stede opened his eyes when Ed fell on top of him, their sticky mess spreading like marmalade between them.
“Oh, Ed,” Stede gasped. “I never…”
Ed pressed a finger to Stede’s lips. “I know,” he whispered.
“Is it supposed to feel like this?” Stede asked, biting down on Ed’s finger.
“I think so,” Ed whispered, his voice bathing Stede in a cocoon of warmth.
Stede sighed and slumped into the cushions, his limbs sprawling across the velvet.
Ed reached up to shuck off his shirt. His elbow connected with Stede’s chin, for which he murmured an apology.
“That was marvellous,” Stede said, his eyes glazed with the aftereffects of their lovemaking. If he never moved from this spot, he could die a happy man.
“We need to get you to bed,” Ed reminded Stede as he used his shirt to wipe the mess from Stede’s belly and chest before standing and turning it on himself. “You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
Stede reluctantly let Ed pull him to his feet. Only then did he notice that he still had one stocking on. The second one, missing its garter, had pooled at his ankle. He pulled Ed in close.
“Can we do this again?” Stede whispered. Despite his satisfaction, he couldn’t get enough of Ed’s skin against his own. He hitched his stockinged leg around Ed’s hip.
Ed reached for Stede’s thigh to support him and keep him from losing his balance after the brandy and the roll of the ship threatened to knock him off his feet. “As often as you’d like,” he said. He kissed Stede again, a promise of what could come in the rest of their days that would follow.