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“That was a bit of fun, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, mate, always is,” Ed replied, slinging his leg over Stede’s and cuddling in close.
“No, not that. Well, yes, I mean, also that .” He pressed a kiss to Ed’s forehead. “But I was referring to drinks at the pub. It was nice to be amongst proper maniacs again, if just for the evening.”
Ed hummed in agreement. They had gone into town to give themselves a bit of a reprieve from their own cooking. Domestic life as innkeepers was taking them a bit more time to adjust to than perhaps either had anticipated. They were certainly happy, but neither of them had quite managed to ascend to Roach’s level of expertise in the kitchen, and there really only were so many meals of toast and marmalade one could stand. So, dinner in town it was. While they generally did their best to keep a low profile amongst the residents of the village, they had found themselves that evening sharing a table with some old shipmates of Ed’s from way back who were passing through. These were the guys who worked in the galley and mended sails and tended to the munitions. They were pirates by virtue of working on a pirate ship, but they weren’t the type of hardened crew Ed had been sailing with at the end of his career. They entertained Stede with stories of Ed’s early days, when he barely knew a clove hitch from a bowline. They raised their glasses in a toast to Izzy. They slapped Stede on the back for bringing down Ned Low. And then they got around to asking just how The Gentleman Pirate had found himself in the company of the great and mighty Blackbeard.
“Funny story, actually,” Stede had said. “I’d been gut-stabbed…” and he continued to tell the tale of Ed finding him bleeding out on a Spanish vessel after being betrayed by Geraldo. It was the tale as Stede knew it, and he always got a twinkle in his eye when he shared it. Maniac. Even now, lying in bed, intertwined, Ed could tell he was absolutely glowing with pride at being snatched from the claws of death by none other than Blackbeard himself.
“I mean, just imagine it, Edward,” he was saying. “But for a simple twist of fate, I’d have been in the gravy bucket.” He wrinkled his nose.
“Basket.”
“Right, basket.”
“Wasn’t fate.”
Stede furrowed his brow and looked down at Ed. “Whatever do you mean?! Of course it was fate! One errant tide and your ship could have been miles away and you’d never have found me and I’d be dead and we’d never have ended up here in our lovely inn.”
“Nah, mate, I mean, it wasn’t fate that brought me to that ship. I’d been trackin’ ya for weeks.” Ed yawned and nestled his head against Stede’s chest, suddenly feeling shy at the admission.
“Tracking me?! Why on earth were you doing that?!”
Ed mumbled something into Stede’s chest. “What was that, darling?”
“Ya know why,” he said more clearly, though still in a whisper.
“I really don’t, Edward.”
“Yes ya do. Told ya the first day we spent together. You were a lunatic and I liked it. Like it.”
“So you were just going about the Caribbean chasing lunatics?”
“No, jus’ you. Heard about your fancy boat. Heard about ya raidin’ fishermen. Heard about ya takin’ on an English crew and livin’ to tell the tale. Then ya ran aground and bested Izzy in the jungle.”
“Forest.”
“Forest, right. Anyway, Izzy was fit to be tied but I refused to steer course away from ya. When I saw ya take Geraldo on board, I figured trouble was soon to follow. Jackie really does have the shittiest taste in men.”
“What about the Swede?”
“Focus, love. So, I could see through my scope that ya’d been stabbed--”
“Gut-stabbed.”
“Right, gut-stabbed. So I executed a brilliant plan to come to your rescue. Besides, I told ya then and there I’d heard of ya. While ya were bleedin’ out on the deck.”
“Well, yes, I remember. But it’s one thing to think I’d been making a reputation for myself and quite another to learn you’d been following me!”
“What’s the difference?”
Stede huffed. “Well, it makes me wonder just how many foolish things you’d seen me do and I was completely unaware.”
Ed chuckled. “You’re not foolish, Stede. Ya had style. Have style. I was a goner before I ever boarded that Spanish ship. And then I saw ya up close and that was that.”
“I must have looked like a raw chicken, Edward.” Stede groaned.
“Yeah, but in, like, a sexy way.”
“Oh stop it. Ed, you’ve heard me tell that story a dozen times. Why have you never corrected me?”
“Ya get so excited when ya tell it. ‘s cute.” Ed booped Stede on the nose.
Stede swatted his hand away. “Do not boop me, Edward. I’ve been telling our story all wrong and you’ve just let me.” Stede was on his way to a full pout.
“Stede, love, come on. Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’m…I don’t know what I am.” Stede sighed.
“You’re The Gentleman Pirate. The only man who could bring Blackbeard to his knees,” Ed waggled his brows at him. That earned him a giggle.
“I suppose it is flattering, when I think about it. The fearsome Blackbeard, chasing after me like a lovesick teenager.”
“Hey.”
“Just an absolute smitten kitten, seeking out the Cream of the Caribbean.”
“Hey!”
“I may have been landed gentry, but you would have been thrilled to be granted entry!”
Ed gave Stede a pinch to his waist and received a lovely squawk in response. Ed turned his body to hover over him. “Settle down, you.”
“No, I shan’t. The more I think about this, the more I’m delighted to know the real story.” Stede grinned up at him.
“Not mad I ruined all your fancy notions about fate?” Ed asked, his lighthearted tone tinged with guilt.
“No. I think I understand now. It was something bigger than fate that brought us together. Something better.”
“What’s that?”
“Love, Edward. It took us both a long time to see it for what it was. But I think love was there from the very beginning.” He reached up his hand to swipe an errant strand of silver hair from Ed’s face and tuck it behind his ear. “Don’t you?”
Ed swallowed around a lump in his throat. “Yeah, reckon I do.” He dipped his head down and their lips met in a passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart, Ed shifted them so that he was wrapped around Stede, Stede’s back pressed close against his chest. He nuzzled his nose into Stede’s curls. “Love you, Stede,” he whispered.
“I know, Ed,” Stede replied. “I know that.”