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About an hour after they had pulled into port, once all of the docking procedures had been completed and the crew were wrapping up their final preparations to take the dinghy into town, Ed heard the unmistakable sound of Stede’s footsteps behind him before a warm pair of arms encircled his waist. He melted into his embrace with a contented sigh, breathing in the soft scent of Stede’s cologne as he rested his chin on Ed’s shoulder and planted a lingering kiss on the side of his face.
“Have you been looking forward to this as much as I have?” Stede said, his voice rumbling low in his ear, sending the most delicious shivers throughout his entire body.
“Mmm, probably more, honestly,” said Ed, resting his hands atop Stede’s and turning to drop a quick smooch on the tip of his nose.
Stede had a surprise evening planned for them when they got to port—he’d told him the night before as they were settling into bed, and Ed had been so excited that sleep had eluded him for another hour. Fortunately, Stede had been there to help him pass the time in an exceedingly pleasant way.
Ed loved surprises. Particularly when Stede was the one behind them. He could not help but be delighted by the immutable fact that Stede liked to do things for him—plan things for him—simply because he loved him and wanted to make him happy. Ed was more than happy to oblige him, charmed as he was by his thoughtfulness.
He had watched with amusement and mounting anticipation all day as Stede had puttered about above and below deck, gathering supplies, muttering to himself, and shooting increasingly pleased looks Ed’s way whenever he caught his eye. Now that the hour had arrived, Ed was practically levitating with excitement.
“I don’t see how that’s even remotely possible,” said Stede, squeezing him tighter with a positively wolfish grin that immediately sent Ed’s thoughts racing to all the right places.
“Sounds like I’ll just have to prove it to you then, won’t I?” said Ed, taking full advantage of their proximity to roll his hips just so, pulling a soft little gasp from Stede.
“Well, if you must, you must,” said Stede deliriously, burying his nose in Ed’s hair.
“CAPTAINS!” Wee John boomed from across the deck.
A bucket of ice water wouldn’t have been as effective at jolting them back to reality. They leapt apart with a start and whirled towards Wee John.
“What?” they shouted back in unison.
Ed took note of the expectant look on Wee John’s face and felt a pit form in his stomach, dragging his hopes for his original evening plans down into it. Familiar alarm bells were jangling in the back of his head—he was forgetting something.
“Are you ready to go or not? We’re about to shove off.” He jerked a thumb back towards a dinghy full of visibly impatient pirates.
“Go? What do you mean ‘go’?” asked Stede indignantly. “Go where?”
“To shore?” said Wee John slowly.
Oh. Oh no. Ed remembered what it was now. But from the bewildered look on his face, it was clear that Stede did not.
“Why on earth would we do that?” Stede demanded.
“Last week, you said that when we got to the next port, we’d all go out for drinks. And sandwiches. And then more drinks.”
Ed bit down hard on his lip to keep from laughing at the borderline murderous expression on Stede’s face as his undoubtedly dim recollection of the evening in question came floating back to him.
“...I did say that, didn’t I?” Stede ground out as politely as he could muster.
“You did, yeah,” said Wee John, his expression hovering somewhere between apologetic and wickedly amused.
“Mm,” Stede hummed through tightly-pursed lips. “Just one moment, please?”
Stede grabbed Ed’s sleeve and tugged him around to face away from Wee John, taking a couple of paces forward before stopping, looking up to the heavens, and sighing as wretchedly as Ed had ever heard him sigh.
“Shit,” Stede said, careful to keep his voice low. “I can’t believe I forgot about the bloody sandwiches.”
“I can,” Ed chuckled. “You were pretty deep in your cups that night. It was adorable, actually. If it makes you feel any better, I forgot too.”
“Well, a drunk promise is still a promise,” said Stede miserably. “God, Ed, I feel awful. I had a whole evening planned for us!”
Ed took one look at Stede’s stricken face and felt any lingering disappointment evaporate—there was absolutely no way he could feel worse about the turn the evening was taking than it was obvious that Stede did.
“I know you did,” said Ed, rubbing his back in what he hoped was a soothing way. “Been watching you run around here all day. It was very sweet of you.”
“There was going to be wining and dining,” Stede pouted. “And some other things!”
“What kinds of things?” asked Ed with a cheeky little wiggle of his shoulders. Stede glared crossly at him, too committed to his bad mood to be so easily swayed.
“Sexy things, Ed! Obviously!” Stede huffed. “Fuck, this is a nightmare.”
“Hey, no it isn’t,” Ed insisted. “It’s just a change of plans. That’s all. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Kind of feels like it is,” Stede mumbled sadly.
“I know, love,” Ed said, rubbing his back some more. “But it's not.”
“You’re obviously under no obligation to come along if you'd rather stay on the ship,” said Stede. “You could stay in tonight, relax, have some snacks, drink some—”
“Stede,” Ed held up a hand to halt him. “Do you honestly think I want to have a romantic night in…without you?”
Stede blinked at him. “It does sound a bit silly when you say it like that.”
Ed wrapped his arm around Stede’s shoulders and pulled him close, looking down into his face. “Drinks and sandwiches and more drinks sounds like a great way to spend an evening together. Even if it wasn’t what you had originally planned. Yes?”
Stede gave him a soft, begrudging smile and nodded.
“And anyway,” Ed said, moving his lips to the delicate shell of Stede’s ear. “It’s not like whatever you have set up down there won’t still be here when we get back, eh?”
“I suppose that’s true,” Stede admitted, a pretty flush coloring his face, “although we should probably blow out the candles before we go.”
Ed spun Stede around and gripped him by his shoulders, thunderstruck.
“You left lit candles unattended on a wooden ship?” Ed demanded.
Stede blinked at him guiltily. “I thought we’d be right back.”
Ed sighed. “Yeah, that…that makes sense. Still probably not a great idea though.”
“CAPTAINS!”
“Holy shit, the pipes on that man,” Ed muttered, clapping a hand to one ear. Stede stifled a laugh and Ed knew everything was going to be okay.
“Yeah, we’re coming, keep your trousers on!” Ed shouted back.
“I’ll go snuff the candles,” said Stede, raising a hand to Ed’s cheek and stroking it softly with his thumb. “Don’t let them leave without me, okay?”
Ed caught Stede’s hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. “Okay.”
Stede dropped his hand and headed toward the cabin door.
“Hey Stede?” Ed called after him. He stopped and turned to face him.
“Thank you,” said Ed. I love you.
Stede smiled back at him like he could read his mind.