Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 Stede Bonnet has always had a fixation with History. 

 When he was just a little boy, he loved to get his shovel and bucket and dig anywhere he could. The beach, his mother's garden, the sandbox at his school. He could spend hours digging away, treasuring every single thing he found, even the chicken bones. It really was his favorite activity, besides reading, of course. Stede always had a book on him. He grew out of fiction quickly, tending to go for the historical ones. He loved to read about knights, saints, and especially pirates. That boy had a thing for piracy, for sure. Not the killing and maiming, but... the liberty it comes with. 

 When Stede finished highschool, much to his father's dismay, he chose to major in History. He also, to his mother's wishes, proposed to Mary, his then-girlfriend turned highschool sweetheart. She was a painter. Stede loved to see her pieces, wishing to someday evoke those kinds of emotions in his own work. Going to college was easy for Stede. He loved to learn, and didn't have to worry about money, as his father paid for everything. Naturally, he got married as soon as he graduated, and had a job as a teacher as soon as he got back from their honeymoon. 

 The thing about teaching is... he dreaded it. Abolutelly hated it. Not because he didn't like to teach, per se, nor disliked the kids, none of that. But the system? That was a tough pill to swallow. He hated to give his students tests, for he didn't believe that could measure how smart they were whatsoever. But he had to. And he hated it. So he did what he, as a person with old money, thought was the best choice: went back to college. He didn't consult Mary when making this decision, which he regrets now, because she was already pregnant with their first daughter (Alma, lovely little girl. Loves pirates just as much as her dad.) and he should've been by her side. But alas, Stede Bonnet went back for a second round. 

 During his second time around, Stede majored in Archeology, and got minors in Paleonthology, Museology and Restauration. Having a History degree actually helped him cut some of the classes, which is always great. When he graduated again, only a little past three years after initiating (because he's insane and took as many classes per day as he could), Mary was pregnant with their second son (Louis, a sensitive soul just like his father. Afraid of pirates, but that's ok) and Stede knew better than to leave his wife alone, so he took some remote work. 

 Turns out he also loved to write! And write he did, publishing a bunch of articles in many renowned magazines in the field. Stede Bonnet made quite the name for himself. He wasn't as well-known as other peers in his field, like Edward Teach, his personal idol when it came to all archeology related articles, but still, his name held quite the weight. Being able to work from home was actually perfect, because Mary had her time to, you know... be an artist? Honestly, Stede was not the best husband, in the sense of having no idea as to what his wife did all day. He hasn't gone into her studio in years now. He didn't have the time, was his excuse. But he loved to be with the kids when they came back from school, and they loved to play with him as well. That is until one particular day, a Wednesday to be exact. 

 - Stede, we need to talk. - Mary said, still wearing her apron, with colorful paint splattered all over it. She actually had to fake-cough three times to get him to look up from his magazine issue. She could see it had something to do with pirates, judging by the cover. 

 - Can this wait a little, Mary? I'm in the middle of something right now. - He answered.

 - It's actually important. - She said, growing impatient by the minute.

 - I'm sure it can wait ten more minutes? - He tried.

 If Stede were paying attention, he'd see that Mary was very angry. Mad, even. If he looked up, he would realise she has never been this angry before. Fumes coming out of her ears and all, just like a cartoon. Well, at least not to his face anyway.

 - I want a divorce. 

 Suddenly, Stede was very aware of what was happening. Mary wanted a divorce. He knew their marriage was not in the best shape, but could she have been that unhappy? And not said anything??? I mean, he was unhappy, but he thought it had more to do with him as a person rather than with their relationship. Well, Stede Bonnet was not exactly emotionally smart. 

 He didn't try to fight it, though. Something about it just made sense to him. He was relieved, even. Now he could focus on his researches. And his kids, too. Obviously, the kids come first. But he found the act of moving to his studio apartment very... lonely. He wasn't used to being all by himself. He felt very lonely with Mary, sure, but at least the kids made a bunch of noise. 

 - I hope someday you'll be able to understand why this had to be done. - Mary said, while he was getting the last of his things out of the house. 

 It was also the day he got an e-mail about a new position that had opened in the Royal Navy Museum. Chief of the History Departament. 

 Not exactly confident, he applied anyway. Being responsible for the whole museum sounded like enough of a challenge, but he didn't have anything to do anyway. Once again, the loads of credentials under his name made getting the spot easy. And truth be told, it felt good to be in control of something for once in his life. 

 Now, an year after the day his world did a backflip on him, Stede was on a better place mentally. He and Mary were able to become really good friends, actually better than they had been their whole lives. Oh, and she had a boyfriend! Doug was a cool guy and the kids liked him enough, so that was cool. I guess. Stede remained single, though. Too busy with work. And not at all wanting to meet new people. He never got anything more than a date. Mary said he was looking in the wrong places, whatever that meant. She said it's not her place to tell him what she meant by that, too. 

 But he was... well, content. Not exactly happy, but not sad either. Content. 

 What gave him a lot of joy was his work. He was able to assemble an amazing team of professionals to help around the museum. 

 The first person he hired was Lucius, recently majored in queer literature (he said it was very important to point that out) and also had an amazing hand for social media, thus being in charge for all of the museum's posts. Then, came Pete, former dig site worker turned gemstone master. This guy knew his minerals. His team also had Frenchie, music major, the only one who could touch all the instruments they had, even though Stede really wanted to play the harpsichord. Roach, as he is known, specialized in old cuisine, always bringing some baked good he made following some 300 year old recipe from the museum's archives. Swede (his name is actually Sven, but the nickname kind of stuck) majored in Nordic History and Artifacts, and he made sure their exposition was very well-researched. John was the guy you had to go to if you wanted to restore any kind of fabric medium from the archives, from clothes to dolls. He was also very good at nitpicking on Stede's fashion choices, alongside Lucius. Nathaniel Buttons was their taxidermy guy, and also their bird guy. He had two seagulls named Karl and Olivia. Oluwande mastered in African History, choosing to focus on the dinasties across the continent. He got the museum to do a whole exposition about it, too, and that was very very popular amongst the public. Last but not least, the new addition to the team was Jim, majored in Latin American History and also lover of weapons, being responsible for all the deadly stuff they had archived. If you didn't know them, you'd say they're scary and probably prone to biting, but that wasn't true at all.

 Oh, and all his crew was queer. Except Stede. That was totally a coincidence. 

 It was just another Friday when Stede was called on Nigel Badminton's (his boss and former board school bully, because life is full of surprises) office. That was weird, since things usually got handled by e-mails. He didn't have to knock twice, though. 

 - Baby Bonnet! - Ah, there it is, the nickname he was never going to be able to forget. 

 - Hello Nigel, what can I do for you today? - He replied, not exactly liking this interaction. Choose your battles, Stede. You're the one who decided to work here in the first place. 

 - Well, you see. I just got a call from one of our investors! Mr. Hornigold, you might be familiar with his name. - He was. This guy put a whole lot of money into the museum. His team all made bets because this can't not be a money laundering scheme. - Well, he just bought a lot of land. He wasn't planning on turning it into an archeological dig site, but while he was prepping the terrain, he noticed the carcass of a very old ship. So, naturally, he wants us to send our best team. I figured since you like pirates that much, you would do. 

 Stede couldn't even be mad at the fact that Nigel basically told him he wasn't good enough. He could work on a ship! Maybe a real pirate vessel! This was his dream come true, he just couldn't say no!

 - Of course I'll go. Nigel, thank you so much for this opportunity. - That felt weird to say, Stede thought. But alas, it was true. 

 - Good, so go and choose the best people for the job on your team, then. - His head was spinning. Pete had to go, obviously. Oluwande was also a precious asset, and Frenchie might be needed too, old ships tend to have instruments for the sake of entertainment. It was barely the middle of the day but this was already the best day ever. 

 He was about to leave and freak out in his cabinet when Nigel proceeded to tell him something that would change the course of the whole task. 

 - Oh, almost forgot. You'll be working alongside Edward Teach. 

Chapter Text

 Edward Teach never really thought he'd live past eighteen. 

 His life was hard as is. They didn't have much money at home, and honestly, Ed's dad was a bastard. Growing up in an abusive household sure does take a mental toll on a child. After he died in a work-related accident (Edward didn't really care. He was glad, actually, because that meant his mom was finally free, and that's what mattered to him.), his mom had to take double, even triple, shifts to make ends meet. He wanted to help, but she made him promise to just focus on school. To have a better chance at life, his mom said. 

 That was also when Ed was going through his goth phase, shoplifting black mascara with Izzy (his best friend, despite everything) and trying his hardest to straight his curls in order to give himself a fringe. He was depressed, hormonal, and because being a teenager is never enough punishment, he was also bullied. Being brown, indigenous and a first generation immigrant was enough for society to rule him out. He should've quit school. He should've hit back. Made them pay. But he didn't. Because he promise his mom he'd be a good boy, study and maybe, just maybe, he could be someone. He now realizes that he was also super fucking suicidal. 

 In true goth fashion, when Ed wasn't studying, he was hanging out with Izzy and Jack in the town's cemetery, getting drunk or high with whatever cheap stuff their pocket money could afford. It was fun, actually. Very peaceful, quiet, calm. Eeverything his homelife hasn't been for the past years. Dead people can't scream and hit others. Edward liked to be surrounded by dead people. He used to go to the cemetery alone too, just to think. He'd spend hours upon hours dwelling on his thoughts, breaking a flower vase or two depending on his mood (not very respectful, he knows. But teens are dumb). Oh, and he also didn't mean to become some sort of a graverobber. That just happened naturally. 

 Actually, it was Jack's idea. They all used to hang around when funerals were happening, trying to steal the free food offered in services. That means they've seen too many strangers' bodies and got a pretty good idea of the wealth of those around. Truth be told, it was a cemetery made for the rich. The graves were massive, some even had two stories, fancy staircase and everything. The thombstones were not trying to deny it either. It started pretty small. A watch or a gold chain, something easy to take from a coffin. It wasn't supposed to be more than that. But then, of course, it became a whole scheme. They would wait until all the family was gone to scrap the metal off the thombs, to sell it for cheap. After a while, they started to get bold: using multiple sources, they would break into the graves to seek whatever goods were left there. Jewelry, rosaries, crosses, anything that would make profit. Yes, it was illegal, still is, but the thrill of it all got to Ed. He was good at being a thief, and as long as his mom didn't know about it, he didn't feel like stopping either. The first times, his conscience got heavy. He didn't want to disrespect the dead like this, it was against everything his mom and his culture had ever taught him. But those were mostly white old folks. And rich. It was kinda like Robin Hood, just more... morbid. 

 It was a random Tuesday when it happened. Izzy wasn't there, for some reason Ed didn't really bother to know, it was just him and Jack. Their "business" (if you can call it that) were going just as it always did. Until it wasn't. He first heard the sirens, then saw the lights. The police was here. And before he could say anything, or even panic, Jack had fled the scene. He was gone, and Edward Teach was alone again, but in real fucking problem this time. 

 He refused to talk to the officers. Better safe than sorry, he thought. They were growing rapidly angry at him for that, too. So much so that one of them hit him in the back of the head, but Ed didn't even flinch. It would take a lot more than that to scare him. They noticed that, too, because they chose to hand him to a social worker. 

 You see, he was a minor, so they couldn't hold him for the night, nor be too violent. At least if they wanted to keep their jobs, he thought, so the social worker was a safe bet. Well, as safe as it could be, anyway. And truth be told, she was a lovely old lady, Ed will give her that. He just didn't wanna talk to someone who could potentially put him into the system. 

 - Honestly, if this wasn't illegal and also a huge disrespect to the dead... - She started, while typing out something on her old computer - ...I'd say I'm impressed. It's not easy to break into graves, anyway. You would make a great archeologist. 

 She was probably just trying to be nice, but that night, laying on his make-shift bed, Ed thought about it. He had no idea how he was going to make it work (or how to hide community service from his mom for six months), but he was going to become the greatest archeologist the world had ever seen. 

 Edward decided to focus more on school. He needed to get a scholarship to some college, whichever would have him. He also cut Jack from his life, and maybe it's harsh to say this, but he didn't miss him one bit. This actually helped him to find his pace, realising that the actually liked to study, and was also pretty damn good at it.

 - You really think it's gonna be doable? - Izzy asked him, while Ed lit up a cigarette right after school. He was worried, because the last thing he needed was to bail Edward out of jail, and that was a close, scary call. 

 - 'S doable. - He said - Just not easy. 

 He knew it was going to be hard, and also going to be a hell of a challenge, but he was determined. And Edward Teach never runs away from a good challenge. 

 By the end of his last year of school, his dedication payed off. Edward got a scholarship. He was going to master in Archeology. His mom cried that night. Things were finally going to get better. 

 Edward had to take a part time job at a pub to be able to afford transportation and nourishment, but man, he was happy. He never thought he'd live past eighteen, and now it's been a year since his birthday, he was at college, with Izzy by his side (well, not really, because he was studying administrative management, but nonetheless, he was still there), making most of life with the time he had. And between studying and working, all the time he had left was spent partying. It only took him one date and a few trial-kisses to figure out that Edward Teach, not happy with being already hated by society, was also gay. And a proud one, at that. Because if people would already give him the stink eye, what's one more thing to piss them off? 

 To move towards his goals, Ed decided it would be smart of him to start publishing his articles on those student magazines that colleges provide, just to test the waters. And he liked it a little bit too much. Soon enough, the whole Archeology departament knew about this weird guy, with some tattoos, who had a raw talent towards researching stuff and put them on paper. He became much more involved in the community, and that earned him a bunch of credit to his name. Also earned him a bunch of one night stands. People get turned on by smart, handsome guys. 

 After graduating, he got an offer to do a paid internship for one os his professors. Dig some dirt, catalog what he found, the standard. That's how he met Benjamin Hornigold, a megalomaniac with too much money to spend, with some sick interest for archeology. Hornigold paid his student debt, funded his researches, paid for him to get more specific qualifications, got his articles published, and more importantly, gave him the reins of the situation. 

 - So, what you're telling me is that you basically got yourself a sugar daddy who will fund whatever project you've got your name on? - Izzy asked, shocked. - And you want me to work for you?

 - Yeah, pretty much it. - Edward invited Israel to grab lunch because Hornigold made him an offer: he'd get to have his on archeological team, free to work on whatever site they wanted, as a way to invest some of his money towards academic property, if he could promise to cater to some of Hornigold's own quests and puzzles. Of course he said yes. He, most frankly, owned him a great lot, after all the money put towards Ed's career. 

 - Fuck it, I'm in. You need someone to hold your head on your shoulders. 

 That's how ten years after his graduation, Edward Teach became a renowned name in the business. He worked around the globe, alongside Izzy, Ivan and Fang, the guys he handpicked to be part of his crew. His schedule was crazy cramped, because every college who offered Archeology as a major wanted him to give special lectures, tedtalks and whatnot. He wasn't Hollywood level fame, but was treated like royalty whenever he was close to a museum. It paid well, and he managed to buy himself an apartment. He even had his own office! That also meant that, when his mom passed, he got her a fancy grave, on that very cemetery that started it all, because it was the least he could do for her. 

 One day, a rather monotonous one at that, Izzy barged into the office, pissed. He was always pissed. Short people are closer to hell, so that makes sense, Ed thought. 

 - The fuck happened, Iz? - The man asked, not really troubled, because Israel Hands was the king of overreacting and Ed would go insane if he followed his emotions with the same enthusiasm. 

 - Hornigold bought some plot of land. To make a mall or whatever. But now they found remains of a ship, and he wants you to lead the excavation. 

 - Cool, yeah. I can do that. - He replied. It has been a while since Ed did anything besides lecturing, so that was actually exciting. 

 - You can't, Edward. You literally have no free time for the next four and a half months. 

 - Fuck, 's that true? - Izzy rolled his eyes, because of course his boss wouldn't mind to check his own schedule. Of course. - Cancel it, then. I'm going digging. 

 - I can't do that. 

 - You can, Izzy. - He said, getting up from his chair to wrap his arm against his old friend. - You're the one who booked everything, you can cancel. 

 - Edward...

 - Ivan, Fang! Y'all wana dig some dirt? - Ed screamed at his mates, that were busy cleaning up some old plates and whatnots for a private collector, because that's the kind of cool stuff they do now and get paid a lot for. 

 - Yeah, boss! - Fang answered.

 - I guess. - Said Ivan.

 - Then digging it is! - If Izzy could get swallowed by the floor, he would've. Ed can be a hassle to work with sometimes. The security of his job, well, of Hornigold funding his job, made him reckless, and it was always up to Izzy to fix whatever mess his friend made, be it in terms of professional or personal matters. 

 - Another thing, boss. You'll be working with some guy named Stede Bonnet. 

Chapter Text

 Stede’s office was certainly something. To be fair, his father has never let him decorate his own room, and when he was sharing a house with Mary, he had to compromise on certain things. Now that he was living alone and had his own office, he could finally decorate it however he wanted, which meant no cohesion whatsoever and a lack of an aesthetic.

 It looked like he stole all the pirate themed stuff from the museum’s archive and stuffed it in one room. He kinda did that, but also bought a bunch of memorabilia, such as fake skulls, maps, he even commissioned a mini vessel called ‘The Revenge’! Hung on the wall from across his desk sat a painting Mary gave him. It was a lighthouse, “for you to find your own way”, she said. He also put up his articles that he was most fond of and the interviews he felt made him look better. It was a small room, yes, but he loved it. His children loved it too, so bonus points. 

 Right now, Stede was going around in circles, trying to make sure he had everything he was going to need so they could hit the road. Various shirts to match his mood and the weather, check. His shovel, check. Work journal, check. His favorite brandy, because what if he needs it and there's nowhere to buy it near the site, check. Phone charger, check. Laptop, check. 

 - You’re gonna make yourself sick if you keep this up, Stede. - Said Lucius, with his trusty clipboard in hand, standing on the doorway. He never lets anyone see what's in the clipboard though, so it might as well be just a bunch of dick sketches. 

 - Oh God, Lucius! - Stede’s hand was laying on his chest, on top of where his heart is supposed to be. - How long have you been watching me?

 - Long enough to see that you’re spiraling. 

 - I’m not spiraling! - He was, in fact, spiraling, but Stede didn’t have much of a reputation left, so he tried to not lose the rest. 

 It’s just that this is his first work-related trip alongside his team and Stede needs everything to go smoothly because God knows that this man has an abnormal capacity to bring bad luck into places. Lucius sighed.

 - You’re lucky I’ve decided to tag along with you. 

 - What? - He was supposed to stay and keep everything back here in order, Stede recalled. 

 - Someone’s gotta make good use of the minivan Badminton got. 

 Oluwande, who was passing with a crate of things to put inside the car, rolled his eyes.

 - It’s supposed to be for our equipement. - He said. 

 - I can fit in there too, besides, Jim already said they’re more than happy being in charge. 

 At that moment, Jim showed up by the door, giving them a reassuring smile. With everything in motion, off to the road they went, as adventure awaits!

 Traffic was light, thank God, and as it turns out, Oluwande knows how to work the gps like a pro. Because Stede did not forget to check the way to the digging site. Absolutely not. The sky was awfully clear, his crew was awfully loud and Stede was awfully nervous. Mary had told him it would be a great way to network, meet new people, engage in meaningful conversations about stuff he really cares about, and she was right, but God forbid Stede Bonnet to be positive about anything in his life for a change.

 - Do you think Edward Teach will remember me? - Asked Pete, and everyone sighed. Apparently they worked together some time ago.

 - Knock it off, Pete. - Oluwande said, still focusing on the gps, fidgeting with his ring. Stede was secretly hoping that Edward would remember Pete so it would be less awkward. 

 Soon enough, with a little more banter, there they were. It was a big site, with makeshift acomodations and one historical one in the middle, which didn't look like it could fit all of them. The ground was beaten up, there were big construction machines everywhere and some tape to mark off where they were supposed to work on the ship, that he couldn't see yet, but one thing at a time, right?

 - So! - Lucius clapped his hands. - According to the e-mail they sent out yesterday, we have about... one hour! Until our guide comes to... guide us!

 - And do we have to wait in the van or can we walk around? - Asked Frenchie.

 - I'm assuming we can mingle? No one said we couldn't. - Lucius answered, already opening the van door, and Stede really thought about just staying behind, but everyone was looking at him for directions now.

 - Shall we mingle, then? - He said, not really confident, but soon they were all off to explore. So Stede went closer to the tapes, begging for a sneak peak of the vessel. In truth, he just felt like walking around a bit, trying to calm down his racing thoughts. 

 It was first time he would be doing ground work like that, and for some reason unbeknownst to him, it was getting on his poor nerves. He feared not being able to work there, disappointing everyone on his crew, giving his bosses a reason to mock him (not like they needed one, they never did, but still). He was very out of it, truth be told. Just walking around aimlessly, looking for some sort of epiphany. That is until he tripped on a rock, because of course something like that would happen to him, and in that moment Stede felt like he was going to have the most stupid death ever, falling hard on the same rock and cracking open his skull, probably. 

 But then he felt hands on his body. Someone was holding him, preventing his face to fall flat on the dirty floor. 

 - Easy there, mate. - The figure said, with a raspy voice, tight grip on Stede's arms, who was too embarassed to look up and see who the owner of such a unique voice is. But he had to, even if it was to apologize for being a terrible walker. And that was one hell of a view, if Stede ever knew one. 

 His hair was long and curly, graced with the most beautiful grey highlights, that also were present on his beard, just like he was sprinkled with salt and pepper. His skin was the prettiest golden brown, Stede could see. And the sun shining behind them made it pop even more, which is always a plus. The guy had a bunch of tattoos, and it complemented him, he thought. It kinda looks like one cohesive art piece that enthralls you and you're unable to look away. And Stede looked up, to catch his eyes. And nothing ever prepared him to the intensity of the eyes of the mystery man that saved him from the pain of a ridiculous death. They were the most exquisite pair of eyes, so full of emotions, full of life. The man groaned and that's when Stede saw he had a knee brace, which catapulted him into recomposing himself to not put any more weight on the other man's leg. That's when realisation downed on him. It wasn't just a "mystery man", nuh-uh. Stede had been catch by Edward Teach. That was more than enough to shake him lifeless. 

 - You alright in there? - Edward (Mr. Teach? Sir? Captain?) asked him, and Stede was speechless. Because holy shit, that was THE Edward Teach and Stede was just... a dork. Apparently. Not exactly eager to jump into conclusions here. 

 - Yes. Sorry, I didn't want to... Pressure... Knee? - He said, not entirely sure if the words ever found their way out of his mouth. Stede could feel his cheeks burning with embarassment. 

 - Heh, 's ok. - Edward said, almost scoffing, a playful smile gracing his face. - Should we go back? It's almost time for the guided tour. - Stede agreed, nodding his head slightly.

 So they went back, walking side by side, not saying a single word. Stede could hear their steps, and he was trying very hard not to appear in front of his crew as red as a tomato. Not sure if it actually helped, because every single one of them, when their eyes met Stede's, looked shocked, to say the least. Oh well. 

 The guide was a woman in her twenties, pink hair, eyebrow piercing and a scorpion tattoo on her neck. She gave them an overall view of the site, nothing far from what Stede had managed to see by himself, besides a few key places, like the kitchen, for example. They can store anything they want there, and also cook, but breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided by Hornigold's team and they'll let everyone know when it's served by honking a big loud siren, she had said. 

 - The auxiliary team - Stede didn't like when people called his team that. They were all important in their own fields. But he knows it's a tecnicality. - will stay in the cabins. - Ah, so that's what they're calling them! - They're all equiped with bathrooms, so there's no need to leave them in the middle of the night.

 Everyone seemed pleased, at least on his team. Edward's was... odd. There was a guy that was just happy to be there, it looked like. Another one who didn't seem to care much and one particular guy that looked so done with everything, it was kinda scary. He noticed Stede starring too, and in almost like a small angry dog fashion, kinda forwaded his body to adopt an intimidating position, only softening when Edward himself put his hand on the man's shoulder. And yeah, maybe Stede was thinking about how tight would Edward be holding the man, just as tight as he held me so I wouldn't fall? Who knows! Who cares! Not Stede. Not at all. 

 - And here it says that Edward Teach and Stede Bonnet - they both looked up when their names were called - will share the suite on the main house, if that's ok? Per Hornigold's orders...

 Frenchie was laughing hard, and Lucius had a grin on his face that scared Stede. What were they plotting? And why was the little angry man much more angrier now? 

 - Fine to me. - Edward had said, going through all the motions of winking to Stede, who couldn't help but blush again. His cheeks had a life of their own. 

 - I'm fine with that, too. - Was all he could say.

 - Great! So, everyone can get their bags and settle down, work starts first thing tomorrow morning! - The guide said, leaving them to unpack.

 This was going to be interesting.