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When Stede heard the floorboards creak from somewhere down the hallway, he looked up sharply from the book in his lap. He held his breath as his ears strained to hear the source of the movement, hoping it was not his father. After several minutes of silence, it didn’t appear that anyone was awake so he happily went back to reading.
Stede loved his bed; it was cozy with soft sheets and a large quilt made by his mother with huge, overstuffed pillows that were perfect for leaning against as he read. He felt safe and secure. He’d even become adept at reading in the moonlight so the candlelight wouldn’t lead anyone to his room.
He poured over a new poetry collection, a gift for his sixteenth birthday from the local book shopkeeper. Stede adored it; he’d already read the book cover to cover four times in the few short days he’d had it.
Stede could forget the abuse of his father and classmates and escape to the safest place he knew. Books. Words.
Nothing bad would ever happen to him here.
With cold dread, Stede looked in the bathroom mirror to see his large eyes and pale face reflected back at him. His stomach was tied up in knots, making him feel nauseated. From this moment on, he’d never be alone in bed again.
Mary was waiting in what was now their bedroom in the house Stede’s father had gifted them. He was finally married; not for love like he’d wanted, but he was married.
Splashing cold water on his face, Stede tried to steady his nerves. His knees remained locked in place no matter how many deep breaths he took.
He should be excited at the prospect of sharing a bed with his new wife. Instead, he was terrified. All he wanted to do was curl up under the covers and wish the world away.
But he had a wedding night to attend to.
With heavy feet, Stede left the ensuite to find Mary sitting rigidly against the headboard, equally pale. Her fingers worried about the edge of the sheets. She looked up with a start when Stede politely cleared his throat.
“I’m…finished…in there,” he said dumbly.
If possible, Mary’s face got even paler. “Okay,” she squeaked.
Stede came around to the other side, slowly climbing into bed. The sheets were unfamiliar and the pillows lumpy. The top blankets weighed heavily on his body along with his ‘marital duties.’
The two of them lay there in silence, the only sound being their nervous breathing. They stared at the ceiling, walls, anywhere; anything but at each other.
Finally it was Mary who broke the silence. “So, should we—?”
“Yes!” Stede answered, voice pitched high and tight as he turned to face her. “Yes, um, er. I’ll—”
The whole affair was awkward and almost perfunctory; like they were going through the motions. Stede didn’t know how to describe what they just did. It certainly wasn’t making love; not like in his beloved novels. It definitely wasn’t fucking if the descriptions by his peers were anything to be believed.
No, that felt like…nothing he’d ever heard of.
They both stared at the ceiling again, righting their night clothes under the covers. Thankfully Mary hadn’t wanted to completely undress.
“Are you okay?” Despite the inner turmoil he was feeling, Stede did care about Mary’s well being.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m all right.”
“Do you need anything? Water?”
After she shook her head, they both stared nervously at each other.
“Well…” Mary began, before hastily adding. “Good night.”
“Good night, my dear,” Stede replied, clumsily.
Mary blew out the candles on her bedside table, plunging the room into darkness. She thankfully turned her back to him, leaving Stede to his thoughts.
The horrid realization hit him that this was his bed from now on.
He no longer had a refuge.
Throughout the years, Stede did everything he could to make their bed feel better: different mattresses, new sheets, better pillows.
But nothing ever worked.
He constantly found himself in tears, mostly before bedtime. Nothing he did could bring back that feeling of safety and warmth that he once had.
The first night on the Revenge was a joy in every sense of the word. Stede released a huge sigh of relief as he settled into the nook. The ocean sparkled under the silvery moonlight. He had a nice cup of tea by his bedside and his copy of Much Ado About Nothing in his lap. He fell asleep almost instantly, for the first time in years.
“Really, I must insist you stay here,” Stede told Ed once Roach had left the cabin.
On the sofa, Ed gingerly pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Nah. It’s alright, mate. I can make it to my room.”
“You’ve just been stabbed! By me! The least I can do is have you stay in my bed."
“Been stabbed a dozen times,” Ed groaned, his hand over the now bandaged wound. “Always recovered just fine.”
Ed's stubbornness made Stede frustrated. Why wouldn't he accept Stede's offer? Then he came up with an idea. "I have a very nice cashmere blanket you can use, but only if you stay here."
Stede could tell he hit the mark as Ed frowned in thought. Finally he relented, “I suppose a blanket wouldn’t hurt…”
“Splendid!” Stede clapped his hands together. “Let me get you some nightclothes.”
A moment later Stede returned with two night shirts. “The fabric is nice and light so you shouldn’t get too hot.”
“Ummmm…thanks.” They stared at each other before Stede realized Ed would probably need help changing.
He felt his cheeks flush with warmth. “Do you…require any assistance?”
“Nope! No!" Ed answered quickly. “I can do it!”
“Lovely.” Stede gestured to the ensuite. “I am going to get myself ready and give you some privacy."
Stede took his time with his nightly hair and skin routine to give Ed privacy. He didn’t understand why he was nervous. They’d exchanged clothes the first day they’d met. Stede helped him prepare for the boat party. Why now were his insides fluttering? Why could he still feel a flush on the back of his neck?
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Stede chalked it up to leftover adrenaline from their sword fight.
He came out to find Ed had the nightshirt on, but was bending over awkwardly to pick up his pants. Stede didn’t know why, but his mouth went dry and there was a tingling in his groin.
“Allow me,” Stede said as he rushed over, He removed the garment from the floor and carefully folded them over the back of the sofa. “Let’s get you set up.”
Stede fluffed up a couple of the large pillows before gently guiding Ed down the mattress. “There we are. How’s that? Are you comfortable?”
“Yeah, just great. This is…thank you.” Ed slowly swung his legs onto the bed . "I still feel bad for takin' your bed. There should be enough room for both of us…if you want?"
"I'll be able to keep you from falling out!" Stede replied happily. He went around the cabin, blowing out all of the candles.
Without a second thought, Stede climbed in beside Ed.
“If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know,” Stede told him.
Stede could see Ed’s throat working in the moonlight. “You’re a good man, Stede.”
Turning on his side, Stede faced the interior of the cabin. For a brief instant, he was reminded of how he and Mary slept. Only tonight was different.
Ed’s body heat was comforting and he smelled of leather and tobacco and something distinctly Ed . Stede checked if he had a book in his lap, but no…Ed was the only other object in his bed. So why did he feel the warmth he hadn't felt since…? As his eyes started to close, part of Stede’s brain realized he felt relaxed and safe with Ed by his side.
Ed’s breathing slowed and soon turned to gentle snores. Slowly, Stede fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Stede came home with a renewed vigor.
He wasn’t going to bring anyone to shame. He was going to be a good and Godly husband and father. Any feelings of wanting to escape, well, he was just going to have to push down. At least he didn’t have to attend to any more “marital duties.” After the birth of Louis, he and Mary had tacitly decided not to pursue those any further. But he could keep up appearances as a loyal husband.
He’d indulged in fantasy long enough, Stede firmly vowed as he got ready for bed, even though he kept thinking about Ed and the beach.
He slid in next to Mary’s scowling face, under sheets far too scratchy and that did not smell like Ed.
“His name is Ed.”
Stede could not describe the relief in that moment; of finally putting a name to the big, important feelings he had. He could feel the instantaneous acceptance and support from Mary in her warm hug.
When Mary pulled back, Stede said, “Thank you for everything.” He stood up, gesturing to the door. “I’m going to the guest room.” He gently squeezed her hand. “I’ll think of something to fix all of this. You deserve to be happy.”
“So do you,” she said earnestly.
He gently kissed her forehead before taking a candle and leaving the room.
Stede’s mind spun relentlessly with thought: how could he remove himself from Mary and the kids’ daily lives and, yet, make sure they were taken care of? How would he go about finding the Revenge ?
How would he go about finding Ed?
A rush of complex emotions swirled around when he thought of Ed. Stede hoped Ed had found the ship or perhaps had gone back to the Queen Anne . It seemed almost impossible to know where to start his search or how long it would take.
But Stede loved him; he loved Ed. And he would spend the rest of time looking for his beloved and begging for forgiveness.
It was the only time Stede could remember falling asleep in his staid, drafty home feeling hopeful.
“Ya comin’ to bed?” Ed asked without preamble.
The only sound on deck was the sails flapping in the breeze. Stede felt his throat work several times, the words stuck there. He’d just finished reading the crew a bedtime story when Ed gruffly beckoned him to follow.
The last few weeks since he and the deserted crew’s return to the ship had been tumultuous to say the least, especially when Lucius had revealed himself to be hiding in the walls. "Talking it through" proved to be quite an ordeal as everyone wanted to air their grievances which had led to yelling, tears, and sometimes overt threats. But now the crew seemed to be taking tentative steps towards forgiving both Ed and Stede.
Meanwhile, Stede had used every private moment he could with Ed to apologize, explain, and grovel. Ed snarled responses, even flat out ignoring Stede’s presence at times. Then he seemed to resign himself to the fact that Stede wasn’t going anywhere. Stede had been sleeping on the deck since he returned to the Revenge , the night sky his only companion. Ed hadn’t so much as asked Stede to have a private conversation, let alone sleep in the same room.
Finally his brain caught up, and Stede slammed the book shut. “Y-Yes.” He felt everyone’s eyes follow him as he walked behind Ed to the cabin. The voices on deck started as soon as the door closed.
When Stede had first seen the empty cabin, he was heartbroken—not for the loss of his things, but the fact that Ed had been so distraught that he’d thrown everything overboard. Seeing and actually knowing how much he’d hurt Ed was a very specific and gut-wrenching type of pain.
He didn’t move from the center of the room, wanting to follow Ed’s lead. Ed disappeared to the auxiliary wardrobe, and returned with a couple of pillows and the cashmere blanket.
Stede’s heart lit anew seeing the items, wondering what else Ed had stashed. But all Ed offered as an explanation was a mumbled. “Kept a few things.” He unceremoniously tossed the items on the bed.
Stede didn’t want to spook Ed with too many questions so he just followed and climbed into the nook with him. Ed immediately threw the blanket over them, and turned to face the window.
“Good night,” Stede tentatively whispered.
“Night,” Ed grunted.
Folding his hands on top of his chest, Stede stared at the ceiling. He was very aware of Ed’s body next to him, and tried very hard to ignore how comforting it was to be close to him again.
“I can fuckin’ hear you thinkin,’” Ed grumbled to the window.
“Sorry.” Stede willed his body to relax with a couple of deep breaths.
“I don’t wanna be angry at you any more,” eventually came Ed’s soft confession. Turning over, Ed regarded Stede with wide solemn eyes. Then his throat bobbed. “But shit, man." His chest heaved with a sob. "I waited all night for you."
Stede gently pulled Ed into his arms. Ed didn’t resist, head falling to his chest. The sound of Ed’s distraught sobs cracked Stede’s own heart in pieces.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Stede murmured into the crown of Ed’s head. “I’m so sorry to have left you like that. You are so very precious to me, Edward Teach."
Ed only cried harder, clutching Stede’s tunic as if he were afraid Stede would be pulled away. Stede continued to whisper sweet nothings until Ed’s body stopped shivering and his cries petered out into the occasional sniffle.
“Can’t do that to me again,” Ed said softly.
“Never ever ,” Stede immediately agreed.
“You don’t want a permanent ban from my restaurant.”
“I don’t!”
“Guess I can still save you a seat,” Ed muttered, but Stede could hear the fondness in his voice. “But only on Mondays and ya hafta to sit by the bathroom.”
“Deal.”
For the first time since Ed fell into his arms, Ed looked up at Stede, only this time with a small smile and his brown eyes shone with hope. “Deal,” he whispered.
Gratefully, Stede pressed his lips to Ed’s forehead. Through an unspoken agreement, they decided to settle to sleep.
Ed burrowed his face into Stede’s neck as he tangled their legs together. Ed was warm and heavy, but his weight was so very welcome.
Stede couldn’t deny that he’d fantasized many, many, many times about making love with Ed. He figured it would come after a grand declaration of love with low candlelight and the moon shining bright over them.
Certainly not in the middle of a hot and humid afternoon after both he and Ed ended up in the ocean during a fishing trip.
They’d taken the dinghy out so Ed could teach Stede how to fish. When Stede’s line had tightened with a possible catch, he’d become so excited that he lost his footing in the boat and fell out. Then when Ed went to help him, Stede had accidentally pulled Ed into the water as well.
“Leave your boots there,” Stede said when they got to the door of the cabin.
Ed nodded. “Good call.” He removed a boot and dumped out a significant amount of water. “I think we brought half the ocean with us.”
“I’m sorry about today,” Stede said miserably as he removed his own waterlogged shoes. “I really didn’t mean to pull you out of the boat.”
Ed just smiled brightly. “Think nothing of it, mate. We still got the fish.”
“But your hair…” Stede gestured to Ed’s soaked mane. “ My hair!” He could only imagine the disastrous state of his own hair. At least Ed had tied his hair back completely in a messy bun that was now sagging down by his neck.
Ed shrugged. “Eh, just means I’ll get a Stede Bonnet hair treatment tonight.”
“We both will.”
“ Yes . Fuckin’ love that hibiscus oil treatment shit.” Stede followed Ed into the center of the room, trying very hard not to notice how Ed’s soaked linen pants clung to his backside.
As he walked, Ed pulled his shirt over his head before he turned to Stede. “You can use the bathroom first if you want; I’ll go to the closet to change.”
The words barely registered in Stede's head as all he could concentrate on was how Ed’s skin glistened in the sunlight; he seemed to glow.
Finally Ed’s voice broke through his reverie. “Stede? Mate?”
“Um, well, we–don’t—you don’t have to–” Stede gestured uselessly to the bathroom door. “You change–we can-change.” Stede swallowed heavily, his heart pounding hard in his chest. “We can – unchange…together.”
Bravo, Stede's very unhelpful brain supplied in his head along with a slow clap.
Ed raised his eyebrows knowingly. “Really? You think so?” He grinned.
Stede nodded dumbly. “Yes. I very much think so. So, so much.” Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Stede’s hands ran over Ed’s back, the skin damp and warm. He never experienced such a need to have his hands and lips everywhere.
Like Ed’s collarbone. As Stede’s mouth traveled down his neck, Ed let out a long groan.
“Ed?” Stede whispered against the delectable skin of Ed's shoulder.
“Wh-what?” Ed stammered.
“My clothes are still soaked and I’m still wearing them.”
Ed’s laugh was joyous and infectious and Stede adored the richness of it. “Well let’s fix that.” He stripped off Stede’s shirt and then steered him over to the bed. They stumbled over their own feet, lips still connected.
When Ed began to lay Stede on the bed, Stede started back. “Wait!”
“What’s wrong?! Are you okay? We don’t hafta–”
“No! No!” Stede rushed to reassure him. “We haven’t taken off our pants yet and I don’t want to soak the bed.”
Ed rolled his eyes in fond exasperation.
“We’ll have to sleep in a wet bed!” Stede whined.
Ed kissed the tip of Stede’s nose. “You are one of a kind, Stede Bonnet, and I love you.”
Ed’s mouth snapped shut, but the words just echoed over and over in Stede’s mind. It was like dozens and dozens of flowers bloomed in Stede’s chest, flooding his body with the most pleasant warmth and happiness.
A joyous smile spread across Stede’s face. He had so much he wanted to say, but all he could get out was, “You do?”
It took Ed a few breaths to answer, and he nodded. “Yeah,” he murmured, gripping Stede’s fingers. “‘Course I do.”
Stede reacted by throwing himself into Ed's arms, kissing him with wild abandon. Ed stumbled back a couple of steps, grunting in surprise. Stede had noticed Ed's bad knee buckled slightly and he immediately drew back.
"Oh goodness, oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that. Is your knee okay?"
But Ed laughed again, tightening his arms around Stede. "It is just like you to be more worried about my knee than my–" He shrugged, not meeting Stede's eyes. "Ya know…that thing…what I said."
"Of course I'm worried about your knee! I've –" Stede cut himself off, realizing he was losing the point of the conversation. "But as for the other thing…" He gently cupped Ed's cheek, silently beckoning Ed to meet Stede's eyes. Ed's eyes were large like a newborn calf, soft and vulnerable.
"I love you too," Stede said softly.
"Yeah?" Ed asked, his tone so hopeful.
"So very much."
This time Stede barely had time to brace himself as Ed kissed him senseless. They stumbled back towards the bed when Stede once again complained, "Wet pants!"
"Yes!" Ed agreed quickly, starting to work on the buttons of Stede's trousers. "Let's lose the pants."
They both kicked their bottoms off in a struggle and climbed into bed naked. The sheets were cool against Stede's skin, but the weight and warmth of Ed's body over him quickly heated Stede up.
Everything became a blur of soft touches and words. They explored each other's bodies tentatively, but with reverence. And when the fiery ecstasy threatened to blur all of Stede's senses, he could still feel Ed surrounding him.
Ed collapsed next to Stede, one arm slung across Stede’s chest. Both were panting, trying to get their breathing under control.
"The books were right!” Stede huffed, with tears in his eyes. Stede felt Ed grin against his shoulder. “I just mean…that was…that was making love in every sense of the word!” he gleefully explained.
When he felt wetness against his skin, Stede looked alarmingly at Ed, but he hid his face in Stede’s neck. “Yeah…” Ed breathed.
They lapsed into a companionable silence in their cozy little bubble, but then Ed suddenly pushed himself to his palms, as if he remembered something very important.
Ed’s eyes widened as he stammered, "I gotta – can I please…?”
"What?"
"It's just…this 's always been a fantasy…"
Stede didn't know what Ed wanted, but Ed seemed to figure it out for himself. Leaning over slightly, Ed then gently lowered his head as he face-planted right in the middle of Stede’s chest with a long content sigh.
Stede barked out a surprised laugh. "What are you doing?"
"Your tits," came Ed's muffled response. "Knew they were perfect."
Stede felt his cheeks turn red even through a wide smile. "A fantasy?" he squeaked somewhat awkwardly. He could hardly believe anyone, let alone, Ed would fantasize about any part of his body.
Nodding, Ed nuzzled his cheek further into Stede’s skin. “Oh yeah .” Ed then brought his hand to Stede’s other…well, tit. When he gently squeezed it, Ed hummed blissfully. “Soft ‘nd perfectly shaped. Twelve outta ten. Would definitely lay on again.”
An odd compliment for sure, causing Stede to laugh harder. It didn’t deter Ed in the slightest; he merely tangled their legs together and curled his other arm under Stede’s neck. In return, Stede stroked Ed’s back, between the shoulder blades, tracing meandering patterns. When Stede used his other hand to massage the base of Ed’s skull, Ed practically purred, melting further into him.
Even though his eyelids were heavy, Stede wanted to take in every single detail of this moment: the crisp white sheets slung low on Ed’s waist, detailing the hills and valleys of their entwined lower limbs. The pattern of dappled light from the sunshine hitting the waves spilling across their bodies. And most importantly, the warm and heavy pressure of Ed’s body, pressing Stede into the mattress.
Previously, they’d been sharing the bed for weeks, simply falling asleep together every night, and up until then, Stede had never felt more safe and loved in his life.
But now, those feelings had been elevated in a way far beyond any Stede’s dreams. In this very bed, he’d finally experienced truly making love for the first time in his life followed by real, honest to goodness post-coital snuggling.
Kissing the top of Ed’s head, Stede then buried his nose there. Undoubtedly, this bed would forever be his favorite place in the world.
It'd been a long time since Stede had to hide in his bed. Nowadays he had Ed to share with. But every once in a while, he found himself under the covers with the curtains drawn, wishing the world away.
They'd sailed to the Republic of Pirates to fence some goods acquired from raids. Stede had felt better about negotiating skills so he went along with Izzy, Ivan, and Jim to meet with a buyer.
The buyer treated Stede with derision and laughed in Stede's face when informed of his Captain’s status. Of course Izzy didn't say anything, but Jim and Ivan stepped in. The words still stung though. He left the other three to collect the money and retreated back to the ship.
Stede was currently curled up on Ed's side, his scent embedded in the sheets. He had his battered copy of poetry clutched in his hands when heard the door open.
He could tell it was Ed by the squeak of leather pants. Ed stopped by the drawn curtains and said, "Knock, knock."
Smiling, Stede replied, "Come in."
Ed pulled back the mismatched curtains, and warmly asked, "How'd the fencing go, love?"
Stede shrugged. "Izzy did most of the bargaining so it was okay."
Ed sat by his feet, laying a comforting hand on his leg. "Heard the buyer was bein' a prick to you."
Stede picked at a loose thread on the blanket, not meeting his eyes. "Wasn't the first time, won't be the last."
"Actually it will be the last," Ed said firmly, causing Stede to look up. "Ivan punched the fucker after he collected the money. And Jim beat me to Izzy; they let Izzy know they would shove a knife up his dickhole the next time he insulted you.”
It was strange to have people take up for him in such a monumental way. No one had stood up for Stede, at least until he became a pirate. Or cared where he went when he was upset. Eyes watering, he barely got out, "Thank you."
"Of course. There’s still some time before we head out." Ed jerked his head to the book. "You want some company?"
"Yes, that would be–company would be nice."
Grinning, Ed shucked off his boots, leather pants, and jacket, only leaving him in drawers and his shirt. He happily hopped in bed. "Whatcha readin'?"
"Just some poetry . "
"I can tell you love this one," Ed grinned, flicking the well worn cover. "You mind readin' some to me?"
Stede's insides warmed. "Of course." They settled themselves with Ed sitting in front of him and Stede holding the book out so they could both see it.
Stede took Ed through a good bit of his favorite poems when there was a knock at the door, and Ed perked up. "Oooo, that's probably Roach. I asked him to make some tea. I know that always makes you feel better."
Stede leaned down and kissed Ed, could not imagine loving him more. The insistent knock came again. "Are you two fucking?" Came Lucius' voice. "I'm not coming in if you're fucking!"
"No!" Stede said at the same time Ed replied, "Not yet!"
The door opened and Lucius came in and his lips curled. "Gross, even worse." He placed the tray over Ed's lap. "Roach asked me to bring this to you both."
"Finally!" Ed interrupted. "What the fuck took so long?"
"He had to make the cookies you requested," Lucius replied pointedly. "That takes time. As it will take time to wash this," he gestured at them, “out of my eyeballs. No one wants to see this."
"Thank you, Lucius," Ed deadpanned.
With a wave and a tiny smile, Lucius left the room.
"Oooo, look!" Ed said excitedly. "Roach made them snickerdoodles!" He laughed to himself.
Stede could only hear the tingle of sugar cubes in the china cup as Ed counted out seven. Once again, his eyes were filled with tears, blurring his vision.
"Here ya–shit what's wrong?!" Ed said as he tried to hand Stede the steaming cup. "Are you okay?"
Not trusting his voice, Stede nodded. Although between the crying and sniffles, he probably looked like anything but okay.
"Did you not want snickerdoodles?"
"No, it's perfect," Stede finally managed to croak. "It's all perfect."
Ed eyed him dubiously. "You sure?"
"Yes," Stede breathed, getting his breathing back under control. "It's just…I'm in this bed and so are you. I…I don't feel like I've ever been happier."
Nuzzling into Stede's neck, Ed pressed a kiss to the corner of his jaw. "Me too, babe. I love our bed." He wiggled happily. "Even better now that we got cookies."
Ed took a bite of a snickerdoodle before feeding the rest of the cookie to Stede. Of course, Stede was conscious of the crumbs that would inevitably get all over the bed and the absolute nightmare it would be to get the sheets cleaned. But if the price of cuddling in bed with Ed and reading poetry was crumbs in the sheets, well, that was absolutely worth it.
"Now…" Stede said, opening the book again. "Where were we…"
With a warm feeling, Stede looked in the bathroom mirror. The smile he saw reflected back at him had not left his face since this morning. From this moment on, he’d never be alone in bed again.
Well, he hadn’t been alone in bed for a very long time; the matelotage today just made it official.
Stede was married; he was married , he thought happily as he admired the new gold band on his left hand. This time it was for love.
Even though he was physically exhausted, Stede was excited for his wedding night.
Feeling like he was floating, Stede exited the ensuite. “Darling, I’m–” But a loud snore interrupted him.
The sight that greeted him made Stede’s heart ache with fondness: There were rose petals scattered over the bed with Stede’s favorite vanilla candles the only source of light in the room on the small nightstand. Most importantly, there was Ed, tucked under the covers with the fuchsia robe on. And he was sound asleep.
He was not at all surprised. The celebration went well into the night and Alma and Louis had wanted to dance with Ed for most of the time.
Stede couldn’t even bring himself to be disappointed; not with the love of his life in Stede’s favorite place in the whole world. Discarding his jade green robe, Stede crawled on the bed, carefully so as he wouldn’t disturb Ed. When he tucked himself against Ed’s chest, Ed snorted. “Whaz-zat?”
“Just me, my love,” Stede murmured gently.
“Bu’ ‘s ‘r weddin’ nigh’,” Ed mumbled, already nuzzling into the top of Stede’s head. “Waz gonna rock yer worl’.”
“It’s quite alright. We can celebrate tomorrow morning,” Stede whispered, already burrowed so his ear was against Ed’s chest. "Go back to sleep."
Stede felt Ed nod, as Ed’s arm wrapped firmly around Stede’s back. It was mere moments later when Ed’s breathing evened out, and he was asleep once more. For once, Stede did not fall asleep right away. He was mesmerized by the feel and most, especially, the sounds of Ed. It was a music he didn’t realize until this moment that he needed more than air.