Work Text:
"Ed?"
Stede Bonnet stood in the doorway of what had been his own stateroom aboard the Revenge, his eyes wide. What he saw was a bit startling. Not only had there been some... redecorating done (Stede's mind struggled to find a better description for the lack of furniture and surplus of empty rum bottles that now characterized the Captain's quarters,) in the floor in the center of the room, Blackbeard himself sat straddled atop his first mate Izzy Hands, pinning him to the floor.
"Stede, you're back." Blackbeard looked up toward the door with a smile, nearly hidden by the long hair which hung across his face. Izzy turned his head as well, but his face wore a glare of contempt. Blackbeard turned quickly back to Izzy, and grabbed a hold of his chin to turn his face back up toward Blackbeard's. "Hold still." This comment was directed at the first mate, who was growing visibly impatient at being pinned down.
"What the hell are you doing, Ed?" Stede asked, with a note of rising panic in his voice.
"Giving Izzy a new tattoo." Ed replied casually, as he lined the ink-tipped needle up below the mate's left eye.
"Get on with it, you fucking lunatic," growled Izzy, kicking a heel against the floor in protest.
Stede hadn't taken a step further since he entered the room, and continued to stare at the pair, transfixed. "Doesn't that hurt?" Stede asked, still in disbelief.
"Of course it hurts, it's his fucking face." Ed answered. His eyes squinted in concentration as he pricked the needle into Izzy's cheek again. Izzy might have flinched minutely, but didn't make a sound.
After just a few minutes, Ed sat up and declared, "Done," while Stede continued to stare, wide-eyed.
Blackbeard stood, freeing Izzy, who was on his feet and stalking toward Stede in just a matter of seconds. He paused as he met Stede at the door.
“Imbecile.” Izzy sneered at Stede, as a drip of ink-tinted blood ran down his cheek. Stede recoiled with a grimace as he noted a second X below his eye.
"Izzy." Blackbeard growled, the warning evident in his voice.
Izzy Hands gave Stede another scowl, and left. Stede spun back to Blackbeard, who had closed the space between them as the door closed behind Izzy. “What did you do that for?”
“He deserved it.” Blackbeard answered. “And so do you.”
Before Stede could react, Blackbeard had grabbed him and shoved him down to the floor, pinning in him in the same way he had pinned Izzy. Stede was stunned, this was not how he had imagined his reunion with Ed would go. Blackbeard pulled Stede’s jacket off while he still had the advantage, and ripped away the sleeve below his right elbow.
“What the hell, Ed! That’s my favorite shirt!”
Blackbeard held the needle above Stede’s exposed arm, and asked, “What’ll it be?”
“Ed?” Stede questioned in confusion.
With a grin, Blackbeard got started poking an “E” into Stede’s skin.