Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Maybe Stede shouldn’t be surprised that a very intoxicated Ed forgot he had left the key to his flat under the doormat, but he still lets out a long-suffering sigh when he hears Ed’s voice whining through the letterbox. 

“Mrowww, Stedeeeee,” Ed hiccups. “How could you leave me out here, a sad little kitty – hic – all alone. Meow.” 

Stede muffles a giggle. He’s so cute. 

“Meowww. Ugh.” There’s a thud, a brief moment of silence. “Stedeeee, your doormat is so itchy.” Another pause, then louder, like his face is pressed up right against the letterbox.. “Hic, I’m itchy for dick, Stede! YOUR DICK!” 

Face burning, Stede finally throws open the door to find Ed collapsed on his doormat. 

“Come in, you ridiculous kitty.” 

Chapter Text

Look, Lucius supports whatever these weirdos get up to, but the amount of times he’s approached Ed’s studio and overheard Ed and Stede fucking around is getting a bit excessive, even for him.

“C’mon Stede, get it in my mouth!” There’s a pause, then some giggling. “You missed the mark there, babe.”

“I’d like to see you do any better,” Stede replies snottily.

Okay, sue him, Lucius is curious! With mild trepidation, he sticks his head round the doorway just in time to see Ed throwing a jelly baby towards Stede’s wide open mouth. It bounces off his cheek and drops onto the floor to join the slightly concerning amount of jelly babies already scattered across the studio.

Maybe Lucius will come back later.

Silly Stede by Baby Kraken, as usual 🥰💜💙

Chapter Text

Stede walks briskly towards the skatepark, chai latte in hand and a probably unreasonable amount of anxiety rising in his throat. It’s 8am — half an hour later than he usually arrives — and he has no idea if Hot Skater Boy will have already left or not.

He reaches his bench overlooking the skatepark, gazes down the hill and sighs in relief. Hot Skater Boy is still there, riding up and down the ramps as always.

Like he’s sensed Stede’s presence, Hot Skater Boy glances over straight at him, and his lips stretch into a wide, beautiful grin.

Stede returns it with a shy smile half-hidden behind his cup. God, he needs to do something about this crush soon, or he’s going to combust!

Chapter Text

It’s a beautiful day.

Seven PM and the sun is still shining, the sky blissfully clear overhead. Sitting at the foot of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom with a homemade matcha latte to enjoy.

And of course, Ed, straddling his lap and kissing down his neck, soft pink petals decorating his gorgeous curls. A graze of teeth, then he bites down and sucks an indulgent bruise into Stede’s skin.

A breathy moan escapes Stede’s lips, his fingers jump up to weave in Ed’s hair. He giggles when Ed whines at the tug.

Like this, he is truly content.

Chapter Text

The engine is warm against their legs where they lean against Ed’s parked motorcycle, overlooking the sprawling fields below. It’s golden hour, and Stede’s hair glows like there’s a halo of light around his head. Maybe he’s an angel. Ed would believe it.

They’re sharing a bag of fizzy sweets between them, exchanging sugar-sticky kisses and even sweeter love-drunk glances. The next sweet Ed picks is a ring, and he looks at it for a long, thoughtful moment before holding it out to Stede with a shy smile.

“Will you, Stede Bonnet, promise to kiss me every day for the rest of forever?”

Stede’s face turns beautifully pink as he nods furiously. Even though they’re giggling as Ed slides the ring onto Stede’s finger, when they make eye contact, there’s a genuine vow there.

Forever. Yeah, that’s exactly what Ed wants.

Chapter Text

Stede is losing his mind, and it’s all Ed’s fault.

It’s hot today, at least by British standards. So hot that not only is Ed skateboarding on shorts, but he’s also stripped off his tank top, leaving Stede with a mouth-watering view of his chest glistening with sweat. Stede has a delirious vision of licking him, right in the crease where his neck meets collarbone.

And his legs, fuck. He has such gorgeous, long limbs. Stede needs them wrapped around his head.

As if sensing Stede’s turmoil, Ed glances over and winks at him with a cheeky grin. The tease, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Chapter Text

Every Easter holiday that Elsie Teach has spent with her son has been a joy, but she thinks this one might be her favourite.

On Easter Sunday morning, she’s sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee and a hot cross bun slathered in jam when she hears the thump of footsteps down the stairs and giggling in the hallway. The door swings open, and two voices call out to her, “Morning, Mum!” “Good morning, Elsie!”

Elsie looks up at Ed and Stede in the doorway and beams. Oh, they just make the sweetest pair, she can’t handle it! To her delight, they’re both wearing the matching pairs of bunny ears she gave them yesterday, and they look so adorable that she wants to cry. Stede is especially charming in his glasses and Easter jumper, patterned with brightly coloured eggs and happy yellow chicks.

“Eddie, your boyfriend is too cute! Look at him!” She coos. Stede’s face turns rosy, his blush only deepening when Ed presses a loud smooch to his cheek.

“I know, Mama, he’s the cutest,” Ed says smugly. He squeezes Stede’s hip, then wanders over to the counter to inspect the hot cross buns next to the toaster. “Millionaire’s hot cross buns? Oh fuck yeah, this is my shit.”

Stede peers over his shoulder and reads off the label, “‘With Belgian milk chocolate chunks and rich fudge pieces’, wow it’s like they were made for you.” Even with his back to her, Elsie can hear the amused smile in his voice. He picks up the other packet of hot cross buns. “I think I’ll go for the classic fruity ones.”

“‘Extra fruity’, it says,” Ed points out as he sticks a couple of the millionaire’s buns onto a plate. Elsie doesn’t miss him tearing off a particularly chocolatey chunk and popping it into his mouth before he grabs a knife to slice them in half. “Just like you, babe.”

Stede snorts. “Indeed, it's a title I wear with pride.”

“As you should.” Ed’s tone takes on a teasing edge and he bats his eyelashes over at Stede, a smirk curling on his lips. “I like a bit of extra fruit.”

Elsie has to muffle her laugh into her coffee as Stede chokes and bats Ed’s arm, his cheeks flushing pink again. It’s an ongoing theme with him; as soon as they’re in her vicinity, any vaguely suggestive comment that Ed makes has Stede blushing like he’s an innocent maiden and not the boy who posted a possessive post-sex selfie with Ed on his Instagram story the other week.

Once they’ve toasted their hot cross buns, they join Elsie at the kitchen table. It warms her heart just how naturally they gravitate towards each other, pulling their chairs close enough that their shoulders brush and intertwining their fingers loosely atop the wooden surface whenever their hands are free. It’s an easy sort of comfort between them, born out of a love that is evident in every glance, every touch and every word that they share.

They’re happy together. It’s everything that Elsie has ever wanted for Ed; for him to be happy, safe and loved.

With Stede, she knows without a doubt that he is.

Chapter Text

Stede doesn’t look at Ed as they leave the silent study area. Ed has the decency to feel a bit guilty for getting him kicked out, but it’s difficult to form any coherent thoughts past Stede’s adorable pout, rosy cheeks and those goddamn glasses.

When they reach the stairwell, instead of heading to the ground floor, Ed pulls Stede through another door and between some bookshelves in a less crowded part of the library.

“Ed, what are you doing?” Stede hisses before Ed can say anything. “I was studying, and now you’ve gotten us both kicked out today just because you, what, hate my glasses? There was no need to have such a loud reaction–”

“Stede!” Ed interrupts him, because what the fuck, he’s jumped to the most incorrect and ridiculous conclusion. “Babe. I don’t hate your glasses. I’m sorry for ruining your study sesh, but you look so fucking hot in them. Think my brain just stopped functioning there and then.”

Stede blinks at him, blush only darkening. His glasses have slipped down his nose a little bit and Ed is about to explode with the abrupt, intense need to bite him.

“You think– really? I didn’t– aren’t they a bit, I don’t know, I didn’t think they really suited me–”

Ed cuts Stede off with a searing kiss that leaves them both breathless by the time they part.

“They really suit you. Fucking obsessed with them. Please wear them more.” Ed clears his throat, continues more nonchalantly and privately relishes in the little smile that tugs on Stede’s shiny, reddened lips. “I mean, y’know, if you want. Up to you of course.”

“Alright. If you think so, I’ll trust your judgement.”

Chapter Text

The photo booth is Ed’s suggestion, but Stede is a romantic; he can’t pretend he hasn’t fantasised about exactly this. Squishing into the booth with his special someone, half in each other’s laps, smiling and giggling as the camera flashes.

Ed holds him close and kisses his cheek, and Stede’s face is rosy when he pulls away. He’s grinning and throwing up a peace sign in the next, then Ed laughs right beside his ear, “Let’s do a silly one”. With no other warning, Ed whips off his cap and plops it on Stede’s head, smooshing their faces together and sticking his tongue out cheekily. And what can Stede do other than kiss him about it? He twines his fingers in Ed’s hair, gently tugging, and Ed moves with him, cupping his cheek in one hand and clutching the back of his neck securely with the other.

The printed photos are perfect. Stede can’t get over how happy he looks, how happy they look together. How absolutely smitten Ed’s gaze is, like Stede is the centre of his whole universe, his feelings written crystal clear on his face. Stede gets it, because it’s exactly how he feels about Ed too.

Chapter Text

Ed has really nice arms, Stede thinks dreamily. He’s wearing a tank top, as he usually does, but it feels a bit more targeted today.

After having a picnic beside the Grand Canal of Versailles, they decided to rent a rowboat out on the water. Ed was very insistent that he should be the one to row; all Stede had to do was sit there and look pretty with his parasol and enjoy the view, Ed would take care of the rest.

Stede is certainly enjoying the view, but it isn’t the one that Ed meant. No, Stede’s gaze is fixed only on the flex of his muscles, the captivating way that his snake tattoo undulates with each stroke, the sheen of sweat down his neck and chest.

On second thoughts, this is exactly what Ed meant, isn’t it? There’s a smug little smile tugging at the corners of his lips – the greedy menace, he’s captured Stede’s attention all for himself, beautiful scenery around them be damned.

“Oh, whoops.”

Stede completely misses how, but all of a sudden Ed is wet. His white tank top is soaked, the fabric turned almost see-through as it clings to his skin, and Stede cannot tear his eyes away from his pierced nipples visible underneath.

“Might as well take this off.” Stede can hear the smirk in his voice even when he isn’t looking at Ed’s mouth. Before he can react, Ed is stripping off his top and dropping it onto the bench beside him.

On the handle of his parasol, Stede’s grip turns white-knuckled. The tank top left very little to the imagination anyway, but now that the full expanse of Ed’s bare chest is revealed, Stede is almost drooling. His eyes track the water droplets sliding down his skin to his nipples, the metal bars glinting in the sunlight. And further still to the waistband of Ed’s shorts, far smaller and tighter than they have any right to be. Stede wants to chase the water with his tongue.

It’s because of this that it takes an embarrassing amount of time for Stede to notice that they’re just… not going anywhere. He’s starting to feel a bit dizzy, which might be from a combination of the sun’s heat and staring at Ed’s arms and nipples, but he shouldn’t be this light-headed.

Stede glances up and, ah. Well. That explains a lot.

“Darling?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Um, are we supposed to be going in circles?”

“Uh.” Ed’s hands, outstretched, momentarily freeze. “Yeah? ‘M just warming up before we go down the canal proper.”

“I see.”

“...”

“...”

Stede fidgets with the parasol handle, glancing away. “Can we start going down the canal now? I’m getting a little dizzy.”

“Oh.” Ed blinks. “Yeah, soz, of course we can.” He continues rowing, and as difficult as it is, this time Stede pays attention to how they’re moving.

After another minute or so, Stede pipes up again. “Ed?”

“Mmm?”

“Do you want me to row instead?”

“What? No, it’s fine, I’ve got this. You just keep sitting there and looking pretty, remember?” Ed winks at him. “And you’re doing a fucking great job of that, baby.”

Stede giggles, both a little flustered and amused by his ridiculous insistence. “Edward, we’re still going round in circles. I rowed back in high school, I can do it.”

Ed pouts, and coupled with the beret he’s wearing, it’s a scene that Stede is incredibly familiar with. “Just gimme another minute, I can do it. I can do anything.”

“I know you can.” Stede shakes his head fondly. “But maybe it’s time to let me take over? I can give you my parasol and you can sit and look pretty? You’re also very good at that.”

Even though he huffs dramatically, Ed finally relents with a petulant, “Fine!” and grumbles as they switch seats. Stede hands him the parasol and takes hold of the oars.

The view is perfect like this, too. Ed is too cute sulking under the lacy ruffles of the parasol, but as Stede starts rowing, there’s something very satisfying about watching his gaze fall hungrily to Stede’s arms.

The Versailles gardens are full of winding pathways and an endless forest of bushes. Something tells Stede that as soon as they get off this boat, he’s going to be dragged away to the nearest hiding place to be devoured.

Chapter Text

Ed is having the worst day in the history of all days ever. 

How could Stede neglect him like this! How dare he tell him, “Ed, I’m sorry but I can’t concentrate on studying like this, could you go somewhere else if you’re not going to work, please?” He might as well have spat in Ed’s face! To make matters worse, he’s ignoring every text Ed sends him from his spot on the floor just round the corner. Damn him for being such a good student. 

Ed grabs the Sulking Beret from his bag and shoves it onto his head with a petulant huff. Then, he leans back against the bookshelves, arms crossed and lips pushed into a pout. Fine! He’ll wait! Stede owes him so many kisses later for this.

Chapter Text

Today is the day. 

It’s been the most chaotic three years of Stede’s life, but he’s made it. Squished on a seat amidst a crowd of other students in his faculty, dressed in a black robe and square cap, waiting for his name to be called to go up on stage and collect his degree. Graduation day. 

Ed and his Mama are sitting somewhere behind in the guest section. Since Ed’s in a completely different faculty to him, his graduation was last week. Stede took his second guest ticket then, sat with Elsie and cried right along with her as they watched Ed receive his certificate. 

Having the two of them here for him today makes him choked up all over again. Unsurprisingly, his parents don’t care enough to attend – and frankly, he doesn’t want them here – so he was left with two guest tickets to do with as he pleased. 

Asking Ed to come was a no brainer, of course his Person would be there. The second was a little more difficult. He was contemplating asking Lucius, but when Ed talked about Elsie coming to his graduation and how he’s glad she and Stede will have each other to cry on (a cheeky comment, though not an incorrect one), Stede couldn’t stop thinking. Elsie has been more of a parent to him in the past few months than his own have in his entire life. If she wanted to be there, it would mean the entire world– the whole damn universe to him. 

Obviously, she said yes. They, she got teary that Stede wanted her there, which made Stede teary, which set Ed off as well. Once, Stede would have been deeply embarrassed at crying in front of people. He isn’t anymore. 

That being said, he’d prefer not to start sobbing on stage with a crowd staring at him. The tears just about remain at bay as he shakes hands with the Presiding Officer, then walks down the steps to take his certificate. Finally. 

However, the moment he spots Ed and Elsie outside and is swept into a crushing hug, he starts blubbering. 

“I’m so proud of you, little lion,” Elsie praises him, kissing the top of his head. When she releases him, Ed grabs the lapels of his robe and plants a kiss soundly on his lips. Whispers three precious words in the breath between them. Stede cries harder, and pulls him back in again. His lips are damp and taste of sugar and salt. 

There’s a promise of the future in that kiss. A future that they’ll shape together. 

Stede can’t wait.

Chapter Text

The pretty blonde ballet dancer is sitting on the bench overlooking the skatepark again.

It’s a different bench – a different skatepark – but the scene is still intimately familiar. Stede sits with his chai in one hand, book in the other, innocently pretending that he isn’t watching Ed zip around the ramps below.

They don’t come to the skatepark as much as they used to, now that they’ve moved to London and are both working. Stede needs to be at work in an hour, in fact, but they couldn’t resist starting the morning of their one year anniversary like this. A mirror of their first meeting, the day their lives become intertwined forever.

Ed was fully prepared to act it all out again down to every detail, but Stede was quick to veto him falling off his skateboard.

“You’re not purposefully injuring yourself, Edward!” He had chastised. Ed pouted.

“But baby, for the nostalgia!”

“That is not a good reason for you to get hurt.”

“I was barely hurt at all, I’ll be fine–”

Stede cut across him, levelling him with an entirely unconvinced stare. “Oh, so you won’t start sulking and whining for me to take care of you?”

Ed scoffed. “No,” he lies, like a liar.

Anyway. Technically he could “accidentally” fall off his skateboard – in such a way that he wouldn’t really get hurt – but maybe it’s best to avoid the ensuing Stede lecture. Probably.

(Stede is really hot when he gets riled up and uses his Captain Voice though. Ugh.)

Regardless, the feeling of Stede’s eyes fixed on him as he shows off a bit is more than enough to send a thrill through his body. Ed pauses at the top of a ramp to glance over at Stede. They make eye contact and Stede beams at him, holding his cup up in a “cheers” motion. Ed grins back and, with a wink, sets off again down the ramp.

It isn’t much longer before Ed is skating over to the edge of the concrete and hopping from his board to walk across the grass. For all he likes showing off for Stede, he likes being able to kiss him even more.

Stede puts his book aside as Ed approaches, then his expression morphs into one of shock when Ed “accidentally” trips and falls to his knees in front of him.

“Help!” Ed cries dramatically, unable to hold back the cheeky smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Pretty Ballet Boy, I’ve fallen for you and I can’t get up.”

Though Stede rolls his eyes, the fondness in his expression is devastatingly soft as he slides off the bench to join Ed on the grass.

“Are you alright?” He asks, an echo of his first words to Ed a year ago.

“I’m hurt.” Ed lets out a loud, fake sniffle. “There’s only one thing that can heal me.”

Stede knows exactly where this is going, Ed has no doubt, but he still plays along, exclaiming theatrically, “Oh Hot Skater Boy, what can I do to help?!”

“Kiss me.” Ed looks up at Stede through his lashes, batting them at him just a bit. “A kiss from my Pretty Ballet Boy would make everything better.”

“‘Yours’, hm?” Stede asks playfully, already leaning in, hands cupping Ed’s cheeks.

“All mine,” Ed whispers in the breath of space between them before Stede is kissing him soundly.

It’s as soft as their very first kiss, but now so much more sure. Their lips move together with practised ease, the warmth of Stede’s mouth and the taste of his tongue slipping alongside Ed’s so familiar that kissing him feels just like coming home.

When they break apart, neither of them go very far, Stede’s hands still gently caressing Ed’s face as they pull back just enough to gaze into each others’ eyes.

“Happy anniversary, my love,” Stede says, and even after so many months, the endearment still makes Ed’s heart flutter.

“I love you,” Ed says, because that’s all he can think right now; he’s overflowing with how intensely he feels for Stede, the bright and brilliant and enduring love they’ve nurtured over the past year. Stede’s smile grows. Fuck, he’s so beautiful, Ed will never get over it no matter how long they’re together.

“I love you too,” Stede responds easily. And of course it’s easy; nothing has felt more right than what they have right here, the unspoken promise to love each other every single day for the rest of eternity.