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“I would get a tattoo.”
The breakfast table, that had been full of lively conversation, fell to silence.
It was as if someone had painted a portrait of that exact moment, where the revenge crew stared at their captain, gaping.
”What?” Stede asked, eyebrows furrowed, “I think tattoos are quite unique.”
” ‘S not a bad thing, cap,” said Oluwande, “it just… you don’t really seem like the person who’d want one?”
”Well I wouldn’t just get any old tatoo.” Stede huffed, “I’d get a cool one.”
The crew collectively groaned, and if they hadn’t gotten used to their captain’s erratic and borderline crazy personality, they’d probably think he was fucking with them.
But, whether fortunate or unfortunately, they did know him, and perhaps that made it a little worse.
”It hurts like a bitch to get them though,” warned Black Pete, “I doubt you’d be able to make it through the first poke.”
Murmers of agreement followed, and Stede slumped in his chair dejectedly, which they took at their captain finally dropping it.
He didn’t.
In fact, the longing sat in the back of his mind growing stronger and stronger the closer he grew to his crew, to the sea, to pirating, to Ed who had shown up and stolen his heart the moment Stede opened his eyes to meet his for the first time—
It grew until it was painfully hard to ignore.
But there were bigger things to focus on, and he knew he had to do them before he could return to the pleasant little life he’d had with his crew when he first brought it up.
It wasn’t until he woke up, adorned silk night clothes Edward had stolen for him a surprise during one of their raids, with the man in question pressing a soft ‘good-morning’ kiss to the crook of his neck, that he realized he no longer had to ignore it.
The sun was out, had probably risen a while ago with all the noise on the deck.
But there, in the safe tranquility of their shared captain quarters, Stede allowed his mind to wander to that heavily suffocated thought, letting it breathe fresh air once more.
What would he even get?
He wanted something meaningful, something nice.
Something that fit.
But there were so many pieces of him he couldn’t reach, ones he’d given away to his crew, his friends, his love—
And then it hit him, such a simple idea, yet it was so incredibly fitting.
If Stede had a family, it could only be the revenge crew.
Over time, he’d learned that family was not about who’s blood ran through you, but who you would shed blood for.
And if he had to bleed, by god would he bleed for anyone aboard that ship.
”G’morning,” Ed greeted, shifting to press his cold face closer against warm Stede’s skin, “how are ya?”
It made the captain smile, how at peace he felt in his lovers arm.
”Wonderful, darling.” He replied, trying not to cringe at how his voice made it so obvious he had just woken up.
His partner hummed, and the sensation made Stede giggle, which caused both of them to break out in sleepy laughter.
He felt Ed’s eyes close, and they laid together in silence, matching one another’s soft breathing.
“Where would the best place for a tattoo be on me?” He asked, half-alseep, feeling his co-captain gasp.
”You?” He asked, almost scandalized, “You want a tattoo?”
Unlike what Stede had expected, he didn’t have any hint of mockery or ridicule in his voice.
He should’ve expected as much, it was Ed after all, but it was enough to make him fall for the other man all over again.
”I’ve wanted one for a long time, love.” Stede explained, the term of endearment slipping into the sentence subconsciously but making Ed’s breath hitch against his neck regardless.
”I remember that when I was younger, before the boarding school, I snuck a book about pirates into my room. I read about a pirate recognizable just by a tattoo he had on his neck, and the idea stuck to me ever since.”
They shifted, and Stede rolled over so he was facing Ed, who smiled at him and stared like he held the whole world in his hands like he always did whenever Stede spoke about himself.
It made the gentleman pirate’s heart skip a beat.
”That long?” Ed whispered, and Stede nodded, their noses brushing against each other which made them both laugh once more.
”Yes,” Said the captain, grinning through his teeth, “I would draw on myself when I could get away with it. I was covered in doodles during the winter.”
Ed kissed him then, on his forehead, whispering how he loved him.
”It’s going to hurt like hell,” he said, “but I’m sure you can find a tattoo that’ll be worth it.”
Stede leaned in, and Ed sighed softly which made him smile against his lovers lips.
When they parted, he continued.
”I had an idea,” he explained, not missing the way Ed’s eyes were fixed on one particular area of his face when he licked his lips, “that I think might work.”
Ed nodded, and that was his cue to continue.
”I want to ask the crew to make designs. And then… I could pick my favorite, and you could tattoo it on me?”
Ed- no, Edward, assward- burst out laughing.
”What?” Stede huffed, but knew it wasn’t bad laughter.
Ed’s laughter was always pleasant, how could it be bad?
”I just- knowing you, you’re going to end up getting them all.”
”I will do no such thing!” Stede exclaimed.
However, assward was right, and the gentleman pirate suffered the consiquences.
”ow- OW!” He yelped, taking another sip of the rum Lucius had to graciously provided.
“Sorry dear, but you’re the one who decided to get 6 tattoos at once.” Edward sighed fondly.
”How was I supposed to pick?” Stede whined, hissing when his lover continued.
“You’ve got this,” his co-captain said, “now quit being pissy. I told you what was going to happen, but did you listen?”
Stede frowned.
”I don’t know how you know me so well.” He sighed.
”I guess that’s what love does to ya,” he smiled, “now then, onto number two?”
Despite the indecision, and consequent pain, the tattoos came out fucking wonderful.
He knew Ed was talented, knew he’d done a lot of tattoos in his life, but it shocked him just how wonderful they really were when he was finally able to have his own.
Tattoos couldn’t disappear.
They were permanent, irreversible.
The fact that he had ones made by his friends, tattooed by the man he loved—
Well, that just made them even better.
When he woke up the next morning, he was much too tired and his head hurt too much to care about what he was wearing.
Because of that, the crew was greeted with the tattoos right away.
They gasped, realizing that when Stede said that he “would decide when they began”, he hadn’t actually decided on one, and that he’d actually gotten them all.
Edward, who had been planning on being breakfast back for him, stopped dead in his tracks, just staring at his lover, before smiling the most lovesick smile Stede had ever seen.
And if he’d tipped the other man and kissed him senseless, well, that was something only they and the unfortunate witnesses had to know.
After that day, once it was safe to do so, it because a ritual of Ed’s to wake Stede up ever morning by tracing his tattoos.
After the first round, the crew started coming to him with more and more tattoo designs.
Slowly, Stede had become basically their canvas, and every time Stede came to Ed asking for his help he had to bite his cheek to stop from doubling over in laughter.
It became such a problem that even the pirate circle had started gossiping about the gentleman pirates amalgamation of tattoos.
There many stories, all with varying degrees of murder and bloodshed, but Ed’s favorite was the one about Stede getting captured and tortured with tattooing.
”It’s not funny Ed!” His lover cried as his co-captain wheezed.
He couldn’t be mad long, however, or at all if he were really honest.
”It’s just— tortured? Tortured?!” Ed continued to laugh and laugh, “That was the best they could come up with?”
And when Stede glared at him, the man he loved, who was covered in a yellow tinted light that made him glow as if he were simply otherworldly, well…
Perhaps the story wasn’t that bad.
(He still preferred the versions closest to the truth, though.
His tattoos were important to him!
Too bad he didn’t know that a lot of his smaller tattoos were simply designs made by the crew to mess with him.
And if Ed knew, but did it anyways because he knew how happy it made Stede, he didn’t say anything.
Oh well.)