Work Text:
The ship rocked gently, almost imperceptibly to those aboard who had grown used to the constant movement over the last few days. It had been some time since they made port, the captains having made the decision to travel north towards Ocracoke. Light filtered in through the windows of the Queen Anne’s Revenge as the sun crept into the sky. Stede Bonnet slowly stirred in the now lavishly appointed chambers.
Stretching in bed, he rolled over and reflexively searched for other bodies in the bed. His arm draped over Edward who snored softly. Stede cracked an eye open, confirming that Izzy had already departed for the morning. The first mate usually woke up well before everyone else to make his rounds on deck. By now they had established a routine and he had no doubt the man would return soon with coffee and tea for the three of them.
He settled back against his pillow and let his eyes close, marveling at the state of his life in that moment. Things with Edward felt rock solid and fully reconciled. There was nothing left in his mind to doubt that he made the right choice by faking his death to chase after the fearsome Blackbeard. If that were not enough, he found an unexpected affection for Israel Hands growing by the day, an affection that was now returned quite openly, all things considered.
Warm with a feeling that had escaped him for years Stede felt tempted to lean over and kiss the still sleeping Ed. Over the past few weeks they had learned through trial and error, and long conversations that Edward didn’t particularly enjoy that type of affection. Neither did Israel. Both men came with enough trauma from years spent in hostile environments. Stede would wait until he was fully awake to lavish attention on him.
His chance came quickly as the door opened and Izzy entered carrying a tray laden with drinks and food. China cups tinkled softly against saucers as he navigated through the doorway to eventually lay the tray down on the desk.
“Good morning Israel,” Stede chimed from the bed, feeling movement beside him as Edward slowly woke.
“Morning,” he replied huskily, glancing around the room. Spotting one of the many robes, he grabbed a dark emerald colored one and slipped it on, pulling the fabric tight. “Forgot how cold it gets up here. We might have picked the wrong time of year to head north.”
It seemed a simple, inconsequential gesture. Afterall, the first mate was likely just trying to get warm, but Stede couldn’t help but beam at him, seeing him voluntarily wearing such a thing. “Green suits you,” he said simply.
Izzy rolled his eyes instinctively, shoulders shrugging as if to shrug off the compliment. He exhaled heavily and looked down at the fabric enveloping his body. “Always liked green,” he said softly, before clearing his throat. It was still early and that was as close as he could get to accepting a compliment. He busied himself with the mugs on the platter, adding sugar and cream in specific amounts to each one. Giving them all a stir he selected one of the cups and brought it over to Stede in bed.
“Thank you my dear,” he said, accepting the cup. He took a tiny sip and closed his eyes, pleased. The first mate was right. Now that he had sat up there was a distinct chill in the air, one he hardly if ever felt in the Caribbean.
“Edward, you awake yet?” From his position in the bed Edward grunted and then rolled over, blinking at both men. Izzy grabbed a second cup and brought it over for the man. “Sugar with a dash of tea,” he teased.
Edward gave him a sour look which quickly lightened, and accepted the cup and saucer after pushing himself up in bed. “What’s the point having nice things if you don’t enjoy them?” Sugar had been such a luxury when he’d been a boy. The fact that he had it every morning, in ample amounts, would make his younger self’s head spin.
“Indeed,” Stede agreed, pleased they could all relish the simple pleasures in life. “Coffee or tea this morning Israel?”
Izzy returned to the table a final time and brought back a larger cup filled to the brim with dark, steaming liquid. “Coffee,” he answered, settling down on the edge of the bed. “Need the energy to deal with those fuckers today.”
“I take it you’re referring to the crew. I believe we’ve already had a discussion on appropriate terminology to use when talking to or about them.”
His brow furrowed with irritation and he took a long sip, buying himself time to think. “Those bastards under your employ?”
Edward bit back amusement and aimed a gentle kick at his first mate’s leg. “Be nice, dickfuck.”
“Ed!” Stede looked over, scandalized, and sighed heavily. “Well no wonder he’s using that kind of language if that’s the example you’re setting. You can’t be calling people—”
He grinned excitedly. “Can’t be calling them what, dear? Say it.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose Stede exhaled slowly, trying to mentally prepare himself. “Dickfuck. You can’t be calling people dickfucks,” he managed, barely above a whisper.
Izzy let out a bark of laughter, watching his captain go scarlet. His shoulders shook as he did his best to stop laughing. Edward on the other hand made no effort to hold back and laughed heartily at his partner’s discomfort with the word.
“Sounds almost nice coming from you,” he said after a minute, grinning over at the blond.
Stede frowned but then let his expression soften. “It’s a horrible word. And more importantly, not one we should be using to refer to someone we care for.”
Izzy composed himself and attempted to be serious, for once not eager to upset anyone. “What do you want me to call them then Stede?”
He considered the question for a minute before answering. “Your esteemed crew mates.”
The first mate rolled his eyes and took another sip of his coffee. “Fucking stupid, but fine. I need energy to deal with… my esteemed crew mates. Lots to do today.”
“Lovely. Thank you Izzy. And if it isn’t too detrimental to your plans, I was hoping to borrow Lucius for a special project. Do you think you can spare him?”
He snorted and nodded. “Yeah, I can spare lover boy.”
“Hmm, speaking of, I’m glad you said that—”
“Oh god, what?”
“Black Pete has filed a complaint. Seems he doesn’t like you referring to Lucius by that name,” Stede said after a brief pause. Edward dissolved into another fit of laughter, throwing his head back.
Izzy blinked several times and then finished his coffee. “He’s filed a complaint?”
Stede nodded. “It’s nothing serious, nothing to be concerned about. Honestly, I think he’s feeling a little jealous. A little sensitive.”
“I don’t have any interest in the boy like that,” Izzy protested, already feeling himself withdrawing. He’d opened up a little, developed enough of a rapport to have a stupid little nickname for someone on Stede’s crew and now he was having complaints filed against him.
Stede set his cup of tea aside and reached out to wrap Izzy in an embrace. “I know. I know. It’s silly. Perhaps there’s something else you could call Lucius.”
“Oh, I’ll think of something,” Izzy grumbled. “I’ll think of something for Black Pete. Stupid fucker.” He closed his eyes and held his breath for a few seconds before relaxing into Stede’s embrace. “Sorry,” he mumbled after a few seconds.
Stede gave him a tight squeeze before pulling back to press a kiss to his cheek. “You are forgiven Izzy. I’m so proud of you.”
Izzy had to remind himself the sincerity was genuine, not a cruel joke. He pulled away and nodded. “I can spare Lucius.”
“Wonderful!”
“What are you doing with him?” Edward asked curiously, ripping his gaze away from Izzy. He still didn’t understand how Stede seemed to calm him so easily.
Stede flushed, staring down at his hands intently before glancing over towards Edward. He reached out and tentatively traced the large snake covering his arm. “Well, honestly, I was thinking that if I’m a real pirate, it might make sense to start looking the part. I was going to see what Lucius could draw for me.”
Edward looked faintly surprised before offering a warm smile. “You want to look like me?”
He shook his head quickly. “No! Not that there’s anything wrong with the way you look. I’m rather fond of your appearance. I don’t think I want anything quite so… extensive as what you have, but it seems like I should have something. Something to fit in with the rest of the crew.”
Edward leaned over and pressed a kiss to the blond’s lips. He tilted his head and then gazed back towards Izzy. “You know… Iz did a lot of mine.”
Stede looked surprised, turning to look at Izzy curiously. “I didn’t realize you were an artist!”
“I’m not,” he replied thickly. “Not really. I can just kind of copy designs.” He shrugged and looked over at Edward, remembering all the marks he had made on his skin. “I don’t think your boy has the stomach to do ink, but if you get him to draw something I can do it for you. If you trust me.”
“Israel, of course I trust you. I’ll have Lucius draw something up.”
“What do you want to get?”
“You know, I’m not entirely sure yet,” Stede admitted. “I will say I don’t much fancy skulls and daggers and the like. Not quite my aesthetic.”
Edward smirked and grabbed Stede’s arm, pushing the sleeve back before tracing along the delicate, unmarked skin of his forearm. “What about a heart… and a banner that says ‘DICKFUCK.’”
Stede pulled his arm back and gave Edward a playful slap on the hand. “I am absolutely not getting that permanently carved into my flesh. I was thinking perhaps an anchor? Something associated with a ship. And it can say… never sink.”
Izzy’s face wrinkled and he bit his lip in a bid to keep quiet.
Stede noticed. “What is it? You don’t like that?”
“It’s a fucking anchor. Sinking is its one job,” he said, trying to infuse a morsel of kindness into his words. It was not something that came easily.
In the way that only he could Stede smiled and laughed at himself. “You’re right of course. That wouldn’t make sense. Well, I’ll come up with something.”
“Want me to send the boy down here when I see him?” Izzy queried, standing up from the bed. He shrugged the robe off his shoulders and draped it neatly over the back of a nearby chair.
“That would be lovely.” Stede reached out, grabbing his hand. He pressed a quick kiss to it. Izzy felt his insides turn to goo, face burning hot. He leaned down and kissed Stede’s forehead. Then, with a slight hesitation he leaned further put a gentle hand on Edward’s chin, lifting his head up to place a kiss on his lips.
It felt strange to be so open and affectionate, especially with Edward. Stede invited that kind of closeness, but Izzy still had work to do to tear down the walls he’d built between Blackbeard and Edward. It helped that when he pulled away Edward was grinning at him. Before anything else could be said, he turned and walked out of the room with a purpose.
He could still feel heat in his face when he made it up on deck. More of the crew had turned out now and he set about giving orders for the day. Lucius was nowhere to be seen, so he settled into a long conversation with Buttons regarding the coast line they were about to encounter. The pair poured over several maps, Izzy outlining various islands and difficult to navigate areas.
Finally, closer to lunch than breakfast, Lucius emerged from below deck. Izzy waved him over, leaving Buttons to the maps. “Heard I upset your boyfriend,” he said by way of greeting.
Lucius tilted his head slightly, lips quirking into a smile. “Which one?”
Izzy rolled his eyes at the reply. “Course you’d have to ask that.”
The scribe’s eyes lit with mischief. “I think you might be in that same boat with me Mr. Hands.”
He paled slightly, jaw tightening. Dammit though, the boy was right. He felt a surge of anxiety over his current situation, fear that the rest of the crew gossiped. There was suddenly no doubt in his mind that he was regarded as a joke. Lucius’ hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him from his thoughts.
“Izzy, it’s fine. You really think anyone cares?” he asked, gesturing vaguely. The man shook his head after several seconds. “Now, which boyfriend did you upset?”
“Pete.”
Lucius chuckled and nodded. “Right. Yeah, he’ll get over it. Just, you know, maybe be respectful of me on deck. Go back to calling me Mr. Spriggs? Wouldn’t want anyone thinking you like me.”
Izzy’s eyes narrowed. He felt certain it was a joke, but couldn’t be absolutely sure. “Fine then. Mr. Spriggs. Captain Bonnet wants you down in his room.”
“That who you were calling daddy last night?” he asked innocently. “My room’s right next door ya know.”
Reflexively Izzy grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close in what he hoped was a threatening gesture. Lucius didn’t seem phased. “Shut your fucking mouth,” he hissed, glancing around to see if anyone else had heard.
“Oh Izzy… I didn’t actually hear anything. Just had a hunch. I thought you might call him that.” He winked and pulled away before sauntering below deck, leaving Izzy both bemused and embarrassed. The other man had an uncanny knack for getting under his skin. He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake the encounter off. He forced himself to turn his attention back to the job at hand.
***
Two days later they were anchored off a small island. Edward, Izzy, and some of the other crew had found themselves there a few times, especially when the need to lie low arose. Most of the crew had gone ashore leaving Izzy and his captains aboard the vessel. The three of them were cloistered in their room, the first mate carefully studying the image that Lucius had drawn.
Edward stood behind him, looking down at the design. He nodded in approval. “Suits you.”
Stede gave a nervous smile, working his shirt off to expose his upper arm. He settled on a chair and looked at the others apprehensively. “You think you can do it justice?”
“Iz can do it, no problem,” Edward said quickly. “You sure you want to? You can change your mind,” he added gently.
Stede hesitated and then shook his head firmly. “No. I want to do this. I’m ready,” he said, eyes shifting over to the first mate.
Izzy nodded and sat down in a chair near him. He’d worked to carefully prepare the ink and had a variety of items laid out, including what now seemed to be a preposterously large needle. He could see Stede’s gaze lingering and he reached out a comforting hand. “It’s nothing. Just a little prick.”
“How many times have you been stabbed by now? It’s a little prick. Just like Izzy. You can handle it.”
Stede frowned and glanced up at a grinning Edward. “Dear, I think you meant to say ‘just like Izzy said.’”
“I said what I said.”
Grumbling, Izzy swatted at Edward. “Dickfuck.”
“Hey! Come on now, no need for that language.” Stede shot them both a stern look before turning his attention back to Izzy. “I’m ready. I’m sure.”
He nodded, picking the needle up and dipping it in the ink. “We can take a break when you need to. Just let me know.” He shifted a little in his chair and glanced back at the drawing from Lucius before placing a hand to stretch the skin on Stede’s upper arm. Drawing a steadying breath he brought the needle down, pressing ink into previously unmarked skin.
Stede inhaled sharply, eyes jamming shut before they fluttered open with a hint of confusion. “Oh. Was that it?”
“Yeah. Just need to do that about a thousand more times,” Izzy replied, bringing the needle skin several more times in quick succession. Not hearing any protest he continued, hyper-focused on the task before him. He lost track of time, but when he was perhaps halfway through the design, he could feel Stede squirm beneath him.
Instantly he stopped, glancing over at the man. “You need a break?”
Stede exhaled once he realized he’d been holding his breath. “No, I’m fine. Just a little tender is all.”
Izzy frowned and turned to Edward. “Come hold his hand,” he instructed, jerking his head towards Stede.
“A little moral support, sure.”
“I’m sorry,” Stede mumbled, looking down as Edward grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. “I suppose I’m not quite as tough as I thought.”
“Well, we can’t all be Blackbeard,” Edward said with a wink, moving to kiss Stede.
Izzy rolled his eyes. “You fucking cried when I did the snake.”
“Well, that was fucking massive!” Edward protested, showing off his arm. “Look how fucking big it is!”
Stede managed a soft laugh, face brightening. He gave Edward’s hand a squeeze. “Go ahead Izzy. Let’s finish it. I think I can make it without tears.”
“Bastards,” Edward grumbled, though he couldn’t hide his fondness for the two men.
Izzy adjusted his hold on the needle and resumed his work. Stede’s arm remained still, though he held Edward’s hand tightly, and towards the end he screwed his eyes shut. When he heard the needle fall to the table, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at his arm.
The skin was red, angry, streaked with excess ink and small amounts of blood. Izzy gave it a careful wipe, eliciting a hiss despite the tenderness of the gesture. “How does it look?” Stede asked, voice edged with concern.
Edward dropped his hand and moved to view the new mark. He clapped a hand on Izzy’s shoulder. “Well fucking done mate.” Eyes shining, he looked at Stede. “You’re a proper pirate now.”
Immensely pleased, Stede moved his arm, staring down at the freshly laid ink. After much discussion and several designs, he was happy with the one they had settled on. The black anchor stood out against his skin, adorned with a single rose. “Thank you,” he said softly, reaching out for Izzy’s ink-stained hands.
The man gave a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, guess you are a proper pirate now.”
Stede beamed, the ache in his arm all but forgotten at the affirmations from the two men he loved most.