Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf.
This is based on a song by Cosmo Jarvis called Gay Pirates. Look it up. It's sad and wonderful at the same time.
Warnings: Violence. Mentions of past sexual abuse, but nothing graphic. Also, main character death.
When Stiles decided he wanted to see the world, there was no changing his mind. He was prepared to brave anything, be it the land or the sea, so long as he got away from his too big house and too small family.
After his mother died, his home felt empty. His dad tried, he really did, but Stiles was an excitable boy and couldn't always be tamed to his father's liking. Finally, the day Stiles turned 18, his father gave him permission to go, just so long as he promised to come home and visit eventually. Stiles laughed, hugged his dad, and then set off.
Two years later, Stiles finally began to regret his decision. The boat he'd been recruited to after going through basic training with his friend Scott's father, who was a retired seaman, was too small and constantly smelled of rotting wood. The walls leaked whenever they hit a particularly large wave and the bunking spaces were crowded. He seldom got a good night's sleep. He would rather have walked the plank into the churning waters and never come back than spend another day on that damn boat.
Then Derek came when they had their first raid. Suddenly the sun was warmer and the sea was crystal blue and the rotting smell went away and was replaced by a musky smell of sea mixed with something so completely Derek that it made Stiles never want to be away from him. Something told Stiles that Derek felt the same way, so he kissed him late one night, the boat rocking beneath their feet and the sounds of the crew playing music on the deck. It was sweet and unexpected, and the two men were inseparable from that moment on.
Unfortunately, one of the crewmembers that had always disliked Stiles's attitude, Jackson, learned of their relationship and revealed it to the rest of the crew. They weren't happy.
"You wear 'em all day with no complaints, or that pretty boy o' yours is gonna pay." Jackson whispers in Stiles's ear, handing him a pair of sandals with shards of glass sticking out of the bottoms. Stiles looks him in the eyes, never wavering, and shoves his feet into the shoes. Jackson smirks and releases the scruff of Stiles's shirt.
It isn't the first time he's been "punished" for being in love with Derek. They've beaten him in the past, kicking and punching and making him bleed and he always crawls into bed with bruises that Derek comes and kisses away in the early morning.
The punishments usually happen on the deck for all the crew to see, but there've been instances with singular mates. They hold him down and tear into him and those are the nights when he crawls into Derek's bed and makes him do more than kiss the pain away. He makes Derek mend him and take away the dirty feeling. Derek's not like the rest. He goes slow and careful and makes sure it's as good for Stiles as it is for him and on the nights when it's all too much, he brings Stiles to the peak without getting himself off and then holds Stiles as he cries. He's gentle and caring and it's always exactly what Stiles needs after a night of abuse. Derek's always there.
Stiles looks down at his already bleeding feet and winces. He's just about to climb the stairs from down below when a whisper catches his attention.
"Stiles!" Derek calls from beneath the stairs, near some barrels of gunpowder. Stiles hobbles over to him, throwing himself against the larger man and kissing him fervently. Derek feels the slide of tears from Stiles and pushes back, holding him at arm's length. "What did that wretch say to you, my love?" He asks, and Stiles shakes his head.
"I'm fine." He assures, holding Derek's hand to his cheek and inhaling deeply.
"We best go above." Derek mumbles, wiping at a tear track with his thumb. Stiles closes his eyes and nods slightly, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Derek's for a quick moment before he's gone, hobbling away. Derek follows soon after; making sure none of the crew sees them leave the bunk at the same time.
It's too late though, because as soon as he steps foot on the deck, he's grabbing from behind. His arms are pinned behind his back by a larger mate and another stuffs a rag in his mouth to stifle his protests so Captain can't hear them. He looks around and notices Stiles on the ground, holding his stomach.
"This is what 'appens when you don't listen, me bucko." Jackson is yelling as he kicks Stiles in the side. The smaller man lets out a shout of pain that sends a chill down Derek's spine. He fights against the man pinning his arms and frees one of his hands. He swings the free arm around and punches the crewmember in the face, ducking away as a spray of blood comes from his broken nose. He runs across the deck and pushes Jackson away.
"Stiles," He says worriedly, and the man lifts his head to smile weakly at Derek. He's yanked backward as Jackson approaches.
"Tie that one up." Jackson commands, and a few of the mates follow, grabbing a rope and tying Derek's arms behind his back around the mast. By them time they're done rustling around, the crowd of crewmen has moved positions to make a half circle around Derek, Stiles and Jackson in the middle.
"Flog 'em!" A burly voice rings out from the crowd and Jackson smiles. He grabs the collar of Stiles's shirt and rips it in two and then throws the boy to the ground. He lands on his arm and cries out as the cold and wet boards shock his skin. A whip is thrust into Jackson's hands and he makes eye contact with Derek before bringing in down onto Stiles's back.
The scream that comes from Stiles's mouth is almost inhuman, ripping through the night air. It rips through Derek as well, who struggles against his bonds with anger in his eyes.
"Stop!" He cries, wiggling against the ropes and looking away as Jackson continues hitting Stiles, leaving large, red cuts down his back.
"You'll be next, Derek," Jackson yells forcefully, bringing the whip down with such ferocity that Stiles arches off the ground, a silent scream in his throat and tears streaming down his face.
By the time Jackson finishes his abuse, Derek's throat is raw from screaming and Stiles is a mess. After realizing that hitting his back wasn't drawing any more screams from the man, Jackson had flipped him over and begun whipping his stomach. Now, Stiles musters the small amount of strength he has left to curl in on himself and cry silently.
"'Ave you learned yer lesson yet?" A crewmember, Peter asks Derek. He ducks his head and nods. "Good, 'cause we'll kill him and we'll kill ya if you even look at 'im again."
They untie Derek, and no matter how much it hurts, he ignores Stiles's mangled body on the ground and runs down to the bottom of the ship. He sits in his bunk, anger boiling out of him until it's all gone, and what remains is sadness.
He's awoken hours later by a rough shove on the shoulder and he almost lands a punch on the person until he realizes it's Stiles.
"Stiles, what are you doing 'ere?" He asks, and the boy shrugs.
"They pissed in my bed." He says simply before his face crumples and he falls into Derek's hold. He pulls Stiles's head to his chest and lets the younger man cry into him until he can no longer. He tries to mind Stiles injuries, but they seem to have been wrapped by someone.
"It was Danny." Stiles states, as if he read Derek's mind. "He's not bad."
They sit in silence for minutes, holding on and hoping the moment never has to end.
"I love you, you know." Derek admits into the darkness.
"I love you too." Stiles responds quietly. Derek presses a kiss to the top of his head and lets the smaller man relax into his chest.
They fall asleep intertwined for the first time, not worrying about being separated in the morning.
Stiles is awoken by the bellow of the Cap'n and the feeling of rough hands pulling him from Derek's warm embrace and throwing him over a strong shoulder. Derek shouts after him, but he too is grabbed and thrust up onto the deck. He and Derek are thrown against the mast. Peter emerges from behind Captain Argent with rope and moves to tie Derek's hands together. He struggles and earns a swift slap across the cheek. Stiles doesn't move when Peter ties his own together. As soon as the man moves away, Stiles wriggles his hands in hope of getting some extra room to possibly undo the ropes, but they're tied tight.
"I hope your ropes aren't as tight as my own, love." Stiles whispers in Derek's ear, but the man just shrugs and hangs his head.
"Peter has informed me that you two're convinced yer in love." Captain Argent says forcefully, stopping all speech by the crewmates.
"Convinced?" Stiles mutters and Argent raises an eyebrow.
"Yes, convinced. Love don't exist for a pirate, let alone love between two men." Argent spits out the last word. He begins pacing, taking his hat off and rubbing the back of his neck. "I hate to do this too, because yer both mighty workers. But I can't have none of this… black magic… on my ship."
He stops pacing and kneels in front of the two men, looking them both in the eyes.
"You'll have to walk." He decides and stands. The crewmates cheer, glad for their ship to be rid of the lovers. Derek's head is still lowered, but Stiles searches the eyes of those in the crowd. He catches Danny's gaze. The man just shakes his head, looking towards the ground, and Stiles knows it's over.
Suddenly, Peter and Jackson are grabbing them and thrusting them to where a board is already set over the edge of the ship.
"You first, boy." Peter commands sharply to Derek, poking him in the back with his sword. Derek climbs onto the board and edges forward, black boots slipping on the water that's gathered. He makes it to the edge, looking over into the churning water before turning backwards to Stiles. They share a look, a silent I love you before he turns and falls.
Stiles jolts forward, but is held back by Jackson.
"It be a shame, boy." Captain Argent says, and Stiles steps onto the board.
"You'll answer to God for this." Stiles commands, and jumps.
The water is cold and salty and some of it goes up Stiles's nose and burns his throat. He fights through it though, going past the shock and going into survival mode. He paddles and swims the best he can against the rough waves, looking for a mop of dark hair.
It seems like he swims for hours until he finally finds Derek, swimming and shouting his name. They manage to make it to each other and grab on tight, using their feet to keep them upwards. Stiles holds onto the collar of Derek's shirt, holding the larger man to him.
"I wanted you." Derek yells over the roar of the ocean, turning so that he and Stiles can look at each other. "I wanted to love you so good. We could have been so happy."
"We can still be happy, Derek," Stiles chokes through a mouthful of water. "We'll get away from here." Derek closes his eyes and a shiver goes through Stiles's body from the temperature of the water.
"Far away." Derek mumbles and Stiles forces out a laugh as he nods. He tries to pull Derek tighter to himself to get more warmth into the other man's body but it's a lost cause.
"We can get to an island. We'll swim and find an island and live happily ever after." Stiles lungs are beginning to burn from the fight of stay above the water. There's a choking noise from Derek and Stiles pulls him as close as he can to will his body to live.
"God, I love you so much." Stiles blurts, laying as many kisses on Derek's face as he can in one breath.
"I'm yours." Derek answers quietly in an exhale.
He never inhales again.
a/n: hey, kids! thanks for reading this! it's my first official teen wolf fanfic so of course it's sterek and it's an AU. what is my life. anyway, i apologize for any typos, inaccuracies, and problems since pirates are hard to write and i don't have a beta. also, this has been posted on my tumblr too so don't be afraid to hit me up there. my url is darrenstoes.
again, thank you so so so much for reading, and hopefully you'll let me know what you think? cool? cool.
love,
max.