Chapter Text
Blackbeard surveyed his ship from the quarterdeck. The deck below was buzzing with activity, his crew working industriously under his watchful eye. They had raided a Spanish merchant vessel that morning and sorting through the spoils had turned in to an all-day affair. Blackbeard smiled grimly. It was hard-won plunder, but the venture was profitable enough to be worth it. Uneven steps creaked across the planks as Izzy joined him at the rail.
“A good haul, captain. From my estimates we have enough silks and spices to cover our expenses this month thrice over, even with the extra compensation for our dead and injured,” Izzy said. He handed Blackbeard a worn ledger, which the captain barely glanced at before handing it back. “It’s all in there. The capitán was meticulous in his records, I’ll give him that. Pity he didn’t put the same effort into his swordplay,” Izzy sniggered.
“Merchants never do,” Blackbeard sneered. “So soft. But that works to our advantage, doesn’t it?” He turned to face Izzy, “Looks like we need to head back to port earlier than we thought. The sooner we offload this shit, the sooner we can get back to hunting, eh?”
“Aye, captain. Shall I set our heading to the Republic of Pirates, then?”
Blackbeard nodded. “Step to it, Mr. Hands. Full sail. Languishing on this ship for days is boring. You don’t want me to be bored, do you, Izzy?”
“No, sir,” Izzy smiled. “We’ll make quick headway, captain, you have my word – “
“Captain!” a crewman called from the forecastle. The man was one of the new hires, and Blackbeard had never bothered to learn his name. “There’s a boat heading this way! Starboard side!”
Blackbeard frowned. “A boat?” He replied, vaulting over the railing to land on the main deck.
“Yes, sir! Looks like . . . a dinghy? Two, maybe three people on board. I don’t see any sails on the horizon, so I think they’re out here alone!”
“What kind of fucking maniac takes a dinghy out on the open ocean,” Blackbeard muttered, making his way to the starboard side.
The boat in question was maybe 400 yards away and getting closer. Blackbeard could see the shapes of two men at the oars, and another standing at the bow making frantic motions at his ship. He pulled a spyglass from his breast pocket to get a better look. He instantly recognized Oluwande and Roach, their expressions wary as they rowed towards the Revenge. Both men looked the same as last he saw them, trapped on an island and fading slowly into the distance. As he watched they exchanged a significant glance, before flicking their eyes back forward. Despite their obvious discomfort with their destination, neither man faltered in his measured strokes.
And there, standing at the bow and waving with both hands, was –
“Stede?” Ed whispered.
As opposed to the other men, Stede looked . . . different. He was dressed in simple trousers and a white blouse that was open in a wide V across his chest. His hair was not in its usual coif, and was instead slicked back over the top of his head. It felt strange to see him out of his colorful frippery, which didn’t make sense. After all, when Ed had first truly met the man, he had been stripped to the waist and sweating out an infected gut wound. And when he’d last seen him, Stede . . .
Blackbeard heard Izzy step up behind him and lowered the spyglass with a curse.
“Is that . . . fucking Bonnet?” Izzy asked incredulously.
“Seems like it,” Blackbeard scowled.
“What do you want us to do, boss?” The boat was close enough now that Blackbeard could hear Stede shouting, though he couldn’t make out the words. “Roll out the cannons? Or would you prefer to give them a more personal death?”
“I don’t want to fucking kill him, Izzy,” Blackbeard snarled.
“Oh, so you want to talk, then? Discuss your feelings?”
Blackbeard shoved Izzy away. “I don’t discuss my feelings, Izzy, I’m fucking Blackbeard!”
“He shows up, and suddenly you’ve gone all soft again,” Izzy taunted. “I give it two days before you’re back to wearing frock coats and telling everyone to call you Edward. ‘Oh Edward, would you like a story? Oh Edward, can we play pirates? Or maybe we can go back to your cabin and fu – ‘“
Blackbeard reared back and punched Izzy in the face. The first mate slammed into the deck, propelled backwards a few feet by the force of the blow.
“Mind how you talk to me, Izzy Hands, unless you want to wake up missing another toe,” Blackbeard growled, looming over the other man.
Izzy rubbed a hand over his face and smirked. “Yes, boss. What do you want us to do, Blackbeard?”
Blackbeard turned back to the railing. The boat was only 100 yards away, now. He could see the smile on Stede’s face when the other man noticed his presence.
“I don’t know,” Ed muttered to himself. His emotions were a conflicted jumble that roiled through his stomach. He wanted very badly to speak to Stede, to confront him and ask him why. Why had he left, was it all just a game, did he know how much Ed . . . But he was Blackbeard, and Blackbeard didn’t care about any of that.
“Let them board the ship,” Blackbeard called, “I have some things I’d like to say to Mr. Bonnet.”
“But captain – “
“That was an order, Mr. Hands. I will not be disobeyed!”
Izzy nodded silently, though he didn’t bother to hide his distaste. Several of the newer crew members paused in their work to look between them, but they quickly resumed their labor when Blackbeard growled at them. He kicked the ladder over the edge of the ship and started pacing restlessly, forcing himself not to check on the dinghy’s progress.
A few minutes later there was a thump as the dinghy bounced against the hull. The ladder rattled against the ship shortly after, as someone started climbing on board. Blackbeard kept his attention fixed on the planks in front of him as he paced.
“Ed!” Stede called as he shuffled onto the deck. “I – “
“What the fuck do you want, Bonnet?” Blackbeard asked flatly, refusing to look at the other man.
There was a pause, and more shuffling by the railing. Out of the corner of his eye, Blackbeard saw Roach and Olu cautiously step on board behind Stede. Ed felt a pang of guilt at their nervousness and quashed it ruthlessly. Blackbeard didn’t feel guilt.
“Ed,” Stede began again, “I think we need to talk.”
Blackbeard opened his mouth to reply, but Izzy cut in before he could respond. “His name is Blackbeard you little shit. Remember that, or we’ll see how well you survive being stabbed a third time. And this time, I won’t be missing those important bits, mark my – “
Blackbeard rounded on his first mate with a snarl. “Did I say you could fucking talk, Izzy?” He stepped forward until their noses were almost touching.
Izzy took a step back, a flash of fear in his eyes. “No boss, I – “
“Fuck off, Izzy. Go check our inventory against your fucking ledger.”
“I’ve already done that, captain – “
“Well, fucking do it again! If there’s a bolt missing, or if we’re even one ounce of saffron short when we make port, it will be on your fucking head!”
Izzy took another step away and nodded sharply. “Aye, captain,” he said stiffly. Izzy sneered at Stede one last time before making his way back towards the hold. He shouted irritably at the crew as he walked past, and the men shied away from his renewed black mood.
Blackbeard sighed and finally allowed himself to look at Stede. The other man was watching him intently, a cautious smile playing over his lips. Behind him Olu and Roach had their hands on the knives at their hips, eying Blackbeard suspiciously.
“You want to talk, then fucking talk,” Blackbeard spit out. He crossed his arms and glared at Stede with as much menace as he could muster.
“Ed, please,” Stede took a step forward, apparently unintimidated by his behavior, “I was hoping we could speak privately. I have so much to tell you.” Stede laughed quietly. He reached out a hand to grab Blackbeard’s, a hopeful expression on his face.
Blackbeard jerked away before he could make contact, and Stede’s face fell. Blackbeard knew that he should tell him to fuck off, that their association was over, and enemies was all they could ever be. There was no place in the life of a pirate for gentleness like Stede’s. He had to tell him, had to get him as far away as possible.
Blackbeard hesitated, locked on Stede’s crestfallen expression, and the pleading in his eyes.
“You have five minutes,” Edward snarled, whirling away and marching towards the captain’s cabin. He didn’t look back for the other man’s response.
A few seconds later, he heard quick footsteps as Stede scrambled to follow him.