Preface
Talk It Through
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/38033302.
Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Category: M/M Fandom: Our Flag Means Death (TV) Relationship: Blackbeard Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet Character: Stede Bonnet, Blackbeard Edward Teach, Oluwande Boodhari, Frenchie (Our Flag Means Death), Roach (Our Flag Means Death), Lucius Spriggs, Black Pete (Our Flag Means Death), The Swede (Our Flag Means Death), Jim Jimenez, Wee John Feeney Additional Tags: First Time, Stede is nervous, Talk it through as a crew, Crack-adjacent, Fluff-Adjacent, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Enthusiastic Consent, Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst, Relationship Advice Language: English Stats: Published: 2022-03-29 Words: 6,142 Chapters: 2/2 Talk It Through
by Calminaiel
Summary
Lucius thinks it'd be funny for the crew to weigh in on Captain Bonnet's relationship woes.
It goes better than expected.
rating updated to reflect new chapter*
Notes
Still in the Kraken's clutches.
Un-Beta'd. Written in even less time than the last one.
First chapter is NSFW Conversation, second chapter is actual smut.
See the end of the work for more notes
Chapter 1
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Lucius, could you spare a moment for a bit of a heart to heart?"
The young man groaned and gave a pleading look to Black Pete, who quickly busied himself with a length of rope on the ground beside him.
"Of course, Captain."
"Excellent!" Stede beamed, "With me, if you please!"
Lucius closed the door behind him as Stede sank onto his couch, "Lucius, I do hope we can speak in confidence." Stede gave him a knowing glance, before flopping back, lying as though it were the finest fainting couch money could buy rather than a somewhat lumpy sofa on which he'd spent a small fortune. "I don't know if anyone's caught on, but Ed and I… Well, I can't help but think there might be something there."
"Yeah, I think- wait, did you think the two of you were being subtle?" Lucius sounded incredulous, but Stede ignored him.
"I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth with all of this. I daresay you've had a few… dalliances? Am I right in thinking that?" Stede propped himself up on an elbow to see Lucius' raised eyebrow.
"Very astute, Captain."
"I had hoped perhaps I could pick your brain for a bit of insight…" Stede felt his cheeks darken slightly, but he carried on, "Perhaps some pointers that might help me to… woo- or, or perhaps just put my best foot forward, so to speak!"
Lucius' expression remained dubious, "Sorry, you want me to help you bang Blackbeard?"
Stede sat up quickly, scandalized, "Heavens no! I want- well, yes. That is, in fact, precisely what I want your help with."
"Y'know Captain," Lucius' eyes brightened suddenly, his permanent sneer shifting to a wry smile, "I think you probably ought to take your own advice on this one."
"Whistling a familiar jaunty tune can lighten even the most tense of scenarios?"
Lucius shook his head, "When someone is in emotional distress we 'Talk it through…'"
"As a crew…" Stede rose to his feet slowly, "You don't think they'd find it all a bit distasteful?"
"Oh yeah, no. This'll be the highlight of their week. And I think you'll find there are some interesting perspectives out there." Lucius said with a knowing nod.
Stede took a fortifying breath, "Well, I believe it's important for a leader to follow his own advice!" he declared as he hurried out of his cabin and led the way back up to the main deck. "Ahoy, all!"
Several of the crew stopped what they were doing, standing slightly more at attention, though it was honestly not even a majority.
"Thank you all for your rapt attention. I have been beset by uncertainty of late and I wanted to take this opportunity to perhaps solicit some advice."
The Swede looked toward Olu in confusion. Oluwande stepped forward, "Um, okay… What's up, Captain?"
By now everyone had begun to gather around, their attention split between Captain Bonnet and Lucius who was gleefully bobbing on the balls of his feet behind Stede.
"Well, our good man Lucius has reminded me that I have often extolled the benefits of talking through our issues, and now I'd like to do just that."
"You want us to talk it through as a crew… with you?" Wee John asked, clearly uncertain.
"Captain's having some relationship trouble and I thought we could all offer our input." Lucius clarified for everyone, "But, I mean, that's only if you think you have something to offer him…"
Everyone immediately began clambering for a good spot on the deck, crowding around and piping up with random pieces of advice until Stede held up his hands, "Please, please! Let's not sacrifice all decorum!"
"Why don't you tell us what your problem is and then we can see if anyone has any helpful ideas?" Frenchie said with a sidelong glance at Lucius who was nodding, looking very pleased with himself.
"Of course! An excellent idea, Frenchie. Well folks, I'm not sure if anyone has noticed a certain… interest brewing between myself and Ed."
Everyone nodded, and Stede hesitated a moment, looking taken aback, "Ah, yes, well…" He cleared his throat before continuing, "I find myself wanting to pursue… something further with Edward, but if I'm honest I don't quite know where to begin."
"You want us to give you tips on how to… seduce Blackbeard?" Black Pete looked thoroughly scandalized, but before he could protest Olu spoke up-
"Captain, what is it that you like about Blackbeard?"
Stede's brow furrowed, "I suppose quite a lot of things… His bravery, his sense of humor, his enthusiasm… his hair?"
Several of the others were nodding and Olu smiled, "Have you told him that you like any of those things?" Stede shook his head, "Well, I don't think you can go wrong with telling someone what it is you like about them." He glanced toward Jim, who stiffened up a bit, but haltingly returned his smile.
"Very well, is that something I should just tell him when he comes back?"
"No, Cap'n!" Buttons cried out, "You have to set the right mood!"
Frenchie nodded, "Yeah, that's the sort of thing you want to say over drinks. Or dinner."
"I see! A splendid meal, perhaps another cake!" Stede beamed.
"Hold on, Captain…" Olu was shaking his head, "Didn't you two burn down a ship last time you tried to have a nice dinner?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way…"
The Swede nodded along, "Ja, you will scare him away if you are too fancy."
"Too fancy?"
Jim groaned, "Venga! You want him to be impressed, but you don't want him to feel uncomfortable. You don't want him to feel like you two are so different, si?"
Stede nodded slowly, "No, no I don't want that. So no dinner?"
"Have you two already fucked?" Black Pete asked bluntly and several of the crew whipped their heads around to gape at him. "What? It's not an unreasonable question!"
Stede was certain his face was bright red, but he emphatically shook his head, "No! We haven't… well we haven't been at all intimate with one another. Yet."
Several oooh's broke out amongst the crew and it took a hardy smack by Jim to the back of Roach's head to get everyone to settle down.
"Captain," Jim shook their head, "Do you know he likes you back?"
"He- He what?" Stede stuttered, looking at the sea of nodding heads in front of him. "And how could you all possibly know that?"
"Um, because we have eyes." Lucius scoffed, "I mean, you two are not subtle."
Stede had to force himself to close his gaping mouth, "Well, frankly I'm shocked that no one thought to tell me!"
"We thought you knew." Wee John shrugged.
"It was quite obvious." The Swede said apologetically.
"Oi- okay that isn't helpful." Olu sighed, "Captain, when he gets back, you should take him to your cabin. Ask him how his day was, then maybe tell him that you missed him…"
"Don't be afraid to use your body." Pete raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"You think I ought to ask him to dance?"
"Absolutely not." Lucius said firmly, "Not that that wouldn't be totally hilarious and adorable, but probably not what you want from this moment."
Suddenly, Buttons was right there in Stede's peripheral vision and he started at the unexpected appearance of the odd man, "Cap'n, do you know about the leg touch?"
"Oh no." Olu muttered as Buttons slid closer to Stede, slowly reaching out and laying his hand on Stede's crossed leg.
"Okay, but it definitely shouldn't be that creepy." Lucius insisted, pulling Buttons away from the captain as he took his place at Stede's side. "You tell him how you missed him and you just gently rest your hand on his calf like this." Stede felt his breath hitch as Lucius maintained eye contact, his hand lightly tracing a pattern along the captain's silk-adorned calf.
"You have to read the room for stuff like that." Olu warned, "It could be way too aggressive for some people."
"You think Blackbeard hasn't-" Lucius began, but shrieked in surprise mid-sentence as a dagger wedged itself into the mast by his head.
"Not helpful." Jim warned.
"Good heavens!" Stede flung up his hands, "Let's all take a deep breath together, okay? In… and out…. in … and out… Does that feel better? Jim ?" Stede raised his eyebrows in Jim's direction and they sighed in resignation.
"What do you have so far?" Frenchie asked.
"Right," Stede cleared his throat. "I'll welcome him back to the boat, take him to my cabin, offer him a drink?" fortified by their nods of approval he went on, "I'll ask him about his day-"
"And listen." The Swede interjected. "If you ask the question you have to listen."
"Yes, of course!" Stede nodded, "I'll listen to him tell me about his day, I'll say something like, 'our day at sea was empty without you'."
"Woah!" Several hands flew up and Stede stopped abruptly.
"I hadn't settled on the final wording yet," he grumbled self-consciously.
"Don't try to be too flowery, yeah?" Wee John reminded him. "Words, too."
"Right, okay. So I'll just say, 'I missed you while you were gone today'?" Stede looked uncertain, it felt a bit pedestrian, but he supposed he hardly needed to put on airs for Ed.
"Better." Olu nodded.
"Right, so 'I missed you while you were gone" and then I can try the leg touch if the mood seems ripe for it?"
Lucius smiled, obviously surprised at how well this was going, all things considered.
"And then what?"
"And then you just go with the flow, man!" Roach said incredulously. "If he wants to get down and dirty you have to decide what you want to do!"
"Oh goodness, down and dirty doesn't seem like it's on the table." Stede felt himself blushing once more.
"It definitely can be on the table." Pete said to a chorus of groans.
"Look," Lucius said with a surprising gentleness, "You don't have to go any further than you're comfortable with, but I'm pretty sure he'd be down for anything at this point."
"Anything?"
"Have you ever seen a penis?" The Swede asked, setting off a cacophony of responses by the crew. Until Stede raised his hands for quiet.
"Other than my own, it's been quite some time. And certainly not in the same… context."
"Okay-" Lucius began, but Pete spoke up before he could finish. "You touch yourself, right?"
Lucius groaned, "Fucking hell, Pete are you serious?"
"No, it's a good question." Jim piped up, "If you know what you like, that's a good place to start."
Stede was beginning to feel as though he'd gotten in over his head, but he'd rarely seen the crew so engaged, and certainly not without a single mention of mutiny.
"It's hardly appropriate to discuss such things," Stede began meekly, but he caught Olu's expression, one that clearly said that Jim was right. "Fine, yes. Yes, I've sharpened the old sword a few times."
A smattering of groans and laughter made Lucius smile- "It's the same idea, a bit backwards, but it's always okay to ask what he likes!"
Pete nodded vigorously, "You can be sexy about it, too."
Lucius put a hand on Pete's shoulder, "Let's not expect miracles. If you ask him what he wants you to do, then you can decide if that's something you're into. If it is, just ask him to show you how he likes it." He shrugged, "Unless it's a blowjob, and then just keep your teeth out of the way."
"Oh God." Olu looked mortified, but Wee John nodded vigorously. "And don't be afraid to use your hand and your mouth."
Roach nodded as well, "It's okay to go slow, but too slow just gets frustrating."
"Got it. Not too slow, no teeth, supplemental hands are okay." Stede felt as though he was preparing for an examination. "I have fathered several children, so I do know how the basics work… is there anything else I need to know?"
Lucius hesitated, "I'm not going to make any assumptions, but there are two sides to this… do you know which one you'd want to… sample?"
Stede looked a bit befuddled until Buttons leaned in, "Do you want to bugger him up the arse or do you want him to bugger you?"
"Oh my, well, I hadn't thought about it." Stede said, shifting a bit as he avoided everyone's eyes.
"You have, though." Lucius said simply.
Stede snapped his gaze to Lucius who just shrugged, "Well, I suppose I may have given it some thought. Just in passing."
"Well?" Jim said impatiently.
"I.. I'd be open to trying either. I-" Stede hesitated, hanging his head "I'm a bit nervous about… about one side of the equation."
"Oi-" Olu's voice was gentle, but firm, "You do not need to be ashamed about that. It's okay to be nervous."
"It is?"
"'Course." Lucius nodded, "Everything takes practice, right?"
"Maybe the first time you should bugger him. Since that is more comfortable, ja?" The Swede suggested.
"Yeah. That's a good idea." Pete said firmly. "You can try it the other way when you're not quite so nervous."
"What if he's not interested in me doing… that." Stede said with a slight grimace.
"Again, we can't know for sure, but I suspect he'll be interested." Lucius said with a sly smile.
"You think so?" Stede suddenly had so many questions he wanted to ask.
"Captain!" Buttons called out, spyglass in hand.
Stede leapt to his feet feeling a panic rising up within him, "They're back?"
"Not far off, Captain, they'll be here in the next few minutes, I'd wager."
"Oh, maybe I should do this another day." Stede said anxiously, twisting his hand into his fine jacket.
A chorus of dissent rang out and Stede felt a hand on his shoulder. Lucius stood next to him, the expression on his face easily the friendliest the man had ever seen on him. "You're gonna kill it. Seriously. And this is the hard part, once you're on the same page you guys can fuck like bunnies all over the ship."
"Not all over-" Olu clarified quickly, "Actually, just in your own quarters."
"Well, I am the captain." Stede said with a hint of cheekiness that he couldn't actually feel beneath the nerves.
"One more time!" Lucius said quickly.
Stede nodded, bracing himself, "Invite him for drinks, ask about his day, listen, tell him I missed him, leg touch- if appropriate - ask what he wants, decide what I want, no teeth, yes hands, slow is good, too slow is bad." He looked at the nodding faces before him. "You are all fantastic, did you know that?"
Lucius smiled. "We did, actually."
Just then they heard the telltale sound of the rope ladder and Buttons helped Blackbeard, Izzy, Fang, and Ivan aboard.
Izzy looked around at the assembled crew and shook his head, "Have you all just been standing around here since we left?"
Ed ignored him and determinedly made his way across the deck to where Stede was standing. "You won't believe some of the shit we had to deal with today."
Catching Lucius' eye across the deck, Stede took a fortifying breath and looked into Ed's deep brown eyes, "Sounds like you've had quite the adventure! Fancy a drink in my cabin? You'll have to tell me everything I missed."
Chapter End Notes
Thanks for reading! Please leave kudos and comments to let me know what you think!
I could definitely be persuaded to write a second chapter if there's interest (it'd up the rating to E).
Chapter 2
Chapter Notes
okay, you're all amazing! Thank you so much for the tidal wave of love. This chapter is a bit longer, and raised the rating, as promised.
Un-Beta'd, as usual. Hope you like it! I have more in store for these fools in love.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Something had changed, Ed knew that much.
The moment he'd set foot back aboard The Revenge he'd felt it, the way the crew kept shooting furtive glances his way, the way they'd all been gathered on deck- Izzy attributed it to laziness, but he somehow felt like he'd walked in on a serious discussion. He was curious, but not curious enough to want to spend any more time with Izzy and the others. As he'd come to accept, all he really wanted was to sit quietly with Stede, basking in the eccentric man's unique positivity.
"You won't believe some of the shit we had to deal with today." He grumbled as he approached Stede. But there was something different here, too. Stede looked unusually determined, as though he'd just made an important decision. For a brief moment Ed felt a sinking fear that Stede was going to ask them to leave. Great. He's finally grown tired of being watched like a creature in a zoo.
"Sounds like you've had quite the adventure! Fancy a drink in my cabin? You'll have to tell me everything I missed."
That… wasn't what he'd been expecting. Inviting me in for a drink? It seemed unusually formal, especially given their rapport of late. His eyes narrowed and he felt himself suddenly on alert for danger.
"Right, yeah… a drink sounds good." He smiled his most winning smile and glanced back at Izzy, hoping to catch his eye, see if he could get a second opinion on the situation. Of course, Izzy was too busy berating the crew of The Revenge to notice Ed looking his way. Typical. What's the fucking point of him?
He followed Stede to the gaudy captain's quarters, fighting his usual instinct to grin like an idiot every time he walked in. The man was walking a bit stiffly, but didn't seem to be particularly on guard, nor did Ed see any weapons on him. Maybe he's gonna poison me… he thought, intrigued by the idea. He'd been so content lately, maybe that's what it would take to get him back to his old self… But I don't want to be my old self.
Stede was already bringing two small glasses of brandy over to the sofa and Ed felt his heart skip a beat as that winning smile washed over him like a warm bath.
"So, tell me all about your day!" Stede sat on the sofa, patting the space beside him as he held out the glass for Ed to take.
"Oh, the usual shit. Izzy was fucking miserable and we must've walked across the whole island before we finally found Ragoni's place."
"Sounds terribly exhausting!" Stede looked thoroughly entranced, as though this story was the most interesting thing he'd ever heard. Ed's eyes narrowed slightly once more, he's always eager to hear your stories, mate. Don't read into it.
"Yeah, it was a bit of a pain, but we found him. He didn't have the location, but he knew the name of the ship, so we've got something to go on, at least." Ed shrugged, no longer remotely interested in his own retelling as he watched Stede smile away, a fine sheen of sweat across the blond man's brow. "Yeah, so how about you?" Ed asked cautiously, "Anything exciting happen while I was away?"
Stede took what was clearly a steadying breath and swallowed hard before taking another three sips of brandy in quick succession. "You know, Ed… Edward." He cleared his throat and Ed fought the urge to get to his feet, whatever was coming it couldn't be good, "I have spent the day in thought."
"That's how you spend most days though, yeah?" Ed knew it was a bit mean, but Stede was really freaking him out and if he was going to kick him off the ship, he'd rather the man just come out and say it.
Stede barked out a boisterous laugh that made Ed jump in surprise. "Well, you're not wrong there. But in all seriousness- today… I was thinking primarily about how much…I…missed…you." Ed felt as though he'd been thrown overboard. He could hear a strange roaring in his ears and fought to keep his expression neutral. "While you've been gone, that is." Stede finished, glancing up at Ed through his eyelashes and Ed watched in what felt like slow motion as Stede's well-manicured hand came to rest gently on the couch between them.
Ed slowly looked up from the hand, a clear offering, and met Stede's eyes. Suddenly it all made sense. The crew on the deck giving him strange looks- he must've been asking them for advice, the odd formality in his invitation to his room- no doubt this was his first ever attempt at a seduction. Ed felt a smile creep across his face and he couldn't seem to stop it growing.
"You fucker, I thought you were going to kick me off the ship or something!" Ed punched Stede lightly on the arm, earning him a shocked cry, but the other man fell silent as Ed reached down and covered Stede's hand with his own.
"Kick you off the ship?" Stede sounded scandalized, "What are you talking about?"
"You've been so nervous since I got back, I thought you'd invited me down here to break the bad news!"
Stede chuckled anxiously, "Well, I certainly hope it's not bad news as it turns out…"
"Not bad news at all." Ed tossed his untouched brandy back before dropping the glass to the ground, smirking at the squeak of concern from Stede. He wasted no time, bringing his free hand up to clasp the back of Stede's neck as he leaned in for a kiss. The angle was odd, and Stede was clearly surprised, but after a moment he felt the other man melt into him. Ed guided Stede's hand from the couch onto his own knee as he scooted closer. "So- is this happening, then?"
Stede gasped for breath, his eyes looking wild as his gaze flicked between Ed's eyes and lips. "I'm supposed to ask what you want me to do." His voice was little more than a whisper and Ed laughed out loud at the mental image of the crew discussing Stede's hopeless romanticism.
"C'mere, you." He growled, hauling Stede bodily toward him so that the other man's back was resting against his chest. "There's no rush. Just being near you makes me happier than I've been in… maybe ever."
Stede snuggled closer, Ed's beard a makeshift pillow as he leaned back against the leather-clad chest. "You know, I honestly had no idea you felt this way." He smiled up at Ed, his bright eyes twinkling, "The crew said they all had their suspicions, though."
"I can't believe you talked to the crew about this." Ed chuckled. Normally, he'd be furious that his own private business had been a topic of conversation, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at Stede, not when the silly man looked so content resting against him, his body rising and falling with Ed's own breath. "Did they have any good advice?"
"Perhaps you'll have to find out." Stede said in a singsong voice and Ed groaned.
"I'm not sure I want to know, really..."
"No!" Stede tilted his head up to look at Ed once more, "They had great suggestions!"
"Did it make you feel more confident, after talking to them?" Stede hesitated and then nodded. Ed sighed, brushing a lock of his own hair off Stede's shoulder, "Well, then I'm glad you talked it through."
"As a crew." Stede said softly.
"What?"
"Oh, it's just something we say."
"Do you remember when I told you how rare it is to find someone trying something new out here?" Ed gently traced his finger along Stede's chest, stopping to playfully flick each button on the way. He waited for a moment, and when Stede didn't answer, he paused his ministrations, leaning forward to look at Stede's face. The expression on the blond's face was delicious. Ed hadn't realized quite the effect he was having on Stede, but the man's almost-horrified expression of pure lust was too much for Ed to resist. "Hey." He pressed his palm flat to Stede's chest in a sharp contrast to his earlier teasing touches, "Do you want me to take this slower?"
Stede swallowed hard and shook his head.
"Do you want to fuck me?"
Stede suddenly sat bolt upright, the top of his head knocking into Ed's jaw painfully as he spun around, "I'm so sorry!" Stede's soft hands were gently massaging his jaw while Ed was still blinking in surprise. "I'm so sorry! Oh, look, I've hurt you!"
"I'll live." Ed said with a smirk, catching Stede's wrists in his hands. "Sorry, mate. I didn't mean to freak you out."
"Oh, no. I was just… I suppose I was a bit startled." Stede chuckled uncomfortably. "I didn't think you'd be interested in… in me doing that… to you…"
Ed smiled fondly at the sight of the bright red cheeks in front of him, "Well, I only figured since you've done it that way before… It might be easier. I'm not picky." He shrugged, "But if you don't want to, that's not a problem."
Stede was shaking his head vigorously, "No, I do- I mean, I would certainly entertain the idea, if that's something that you'd find… agreeable."
"You're so fucking weird. I love it." Ed leaned in and kissed Stede once more, his hands still clutching the other's wrists as he slowly deepened the kiss. To Ed's surprise, it was Stede whose tongue gently prodded at his lips and he smiled, eagerly opening his mouth to accept Stede's exploration. Ed couldn't be sure how long they sat like that, mouths familiarizing themselves with one another, it could've been seconds or it could've been hours.
Finally, Stede leaned back, scratching his chin with a shy smile, "I'll have to get used to the beard."
Ed's brow furrowed, "I could shave it off- if you don't like it…"
"What?" Stede looked shocked and Ed couldn't help but laugh, "But you're Blackbeard!"
"I'm Ed." He said gently. "Your Ed."
"My Ed?" There were tears glistening in Stede's eyes and Ed finally released his hands to let him wipe them away.
"Always your Ed."
Stede let out something between a chuckle and a sob and looked up into Ed's eyes, "Well, I'm your Stede." He sniffled a bit, whipping out a silk handkerchief before blowing his nose noisily. "And your Stede is… wondering if your offer is still on the table."
Ed beamed, "Oh fuck yeah."
He leapt to his feet, quickly beginning to unfasten his leather pants as Stede's eyes widened in shock. "Should I also-?"
Ed bent down, his hands going still on his laces, "Unless you'd rather I do it for you."
Stede's face reddened even further before he nodded, a tentative, yet coy smile on his lips.
"You're fucking beautiful, Captain Bonnet." Ed growled as he pulled his clothes off one piece at a time. When he was finally standing in the middle of the room, fully naked, Stede let out a small strangled squeak and Ed laughed once more, taking Stede's hands and pulling him to his feet.
"Bed?"
"Oh, yes please." Stede nodded eagerly, eyes drifting downward seemingly against his will.
Ed chuckled and backed Stede across the room, steering him firmly before parting the curtains and depositing his Gentleman lover on the bed. Stede gasped as he tried to catch himself, but Ed quickly dropped to his knees and the sight seemed to immobilize Stede, who lay half propped up on the bed, his eyes wide as Ed began to slowly rub his thighs.
"You and your fucking silk." Ed growled. "You're lucky I don't tear it off you."
"Oh!" Stede sounded thoroughly wrecked and Ed chuckled again. "I… I might be able to find something I don't wear often… for next time… if you wanted to-"
Stede swallowed heavily and Ed felt a hungry smile spread across his face, "There's no fucking way you're real."
"Says the world famous, nay- infamous Blackbeard who's naked in my bedroom." Stede sounded out of breath, but that didn't deter Ed as he began slowly moving his hands toward the fastenings of Stede's trousers.
"All good?"
"All good." Stede nodded eagerly, his elbows behind him giving him enough height to watch what was happening at the edge of the bed.
Ed made quick work of the laces, "Take your shirt off." He muttered as he worked, "I'm running out of patience- and I really don't want you shirtcocking when you fuck me the first time." he added.
Stede's hands, which had flown to his buttons, stilled. "First time?"
Ed glanced up at him, not saying a word as he pulled the blue silk trousers off, revealing pale thighs and a hard, weeping cock.
Stede bit his lip, his expression somewhere between nervousness and excitement.
Ed looked down at the gently bobbing cock in front of him. He felt a moment of hesitation, suddenly worried as he looked up at the gorgeous man lying before him, "I don't want to ruin you." He murmured.
Stede made quick work of his remaining buttons and sat up properly, hands trying several positions before finally clutching the sheets beneath him in an attempt to look natural, "You haven't ruined me…" He looked into Ed's eyes with the most sincere expression Ed had seen in his life, "You saved me."
"Okay... I'm gonna suck your cock for a minute, just to get my head right." Ed announced as Stede's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Oh! Oh, well, if you think it would hel- ahhhhh " Stede flopped back on the bed, hands covering his mouth as Ed licked a stripe up the underside of his cock.
Thank fuck he bathes regularly. He smiled to himself as his tongue gently massaged the sensitive spot beneath the head. Finally taking him into his mouth, Ed couldn't help but grin around Stede's girth- the noises The Gentleman Pirate was making were both obscene and absurd. He was alternating between lustful moans, sharp intakes of breath, and the occasional exclamation that sounded like it belonged in a pantomime more than the bedroom. After a few minutes of this Ed pulled back, a wet pop filling the cabin as he sat back on his heels. "Right. Okay, let's do it."
As Ed clambered onto the bed beside Stede he took a moment to appreciate how thoroughly debauched the usually pristine man looked. Stede's hair was far from its usual orderly waves, instead standing up in odd places where he'd been holding on for dear life. His eyes were wild and unsurprisingly wet and Ed couldn't stop himself from reaching out, his thumbs gently wiping the tears away as he looked into Stede's face. "You're fucking incredible."
"And you have excellent timing. I wasn't going to last much longer, I'm afraid." Stede said apologetically.
"Ah, no worries." Ed grinned, "It may have been a while since I've been on this side of things, but you don't have to be too gentle."
Stede's eyes widened once more, "You mean you normally-?"
"Hey, there's nothing normal about this." Ed said, shushing him gently, "Where do you keep your oil?"
"Oil?" Stede's confusion was adorable and Ed couldn't help himself as he leaned in for another kiss.
"Yeah, mate. We need oil. Unless you want to stick your tongue in my arse for a bit, but that seems like a treat to save for another day."
Stede looked absolutely shocked at the suggestion and Ed chuckled as he hopped off the bed, making his way over to the desk where he pulled out a small bottle of oil.
"Did you find that in my desk?" Stede asked, confused as Ed pulled the curtains closed behind him once more.
"Yeah, I stashed it away a few nights ago."
"You did what?"
"Oh, come on, love. This was going to happen. I wanted to make sure we didn't have to waste too much time on a supply run."
Stede watched him in silence as Ed covered a few fingers in oil, reaching behind himself without any further adieu.
"Did you call me love?"
"Sorry?" Ed was preoccupied as he slowly worked a second finger into himself, trying to move quickly without hurting himself in his haste.
"Just now- you called me love."
Ed's fingers stilled and he felt his breath catch in his chest, "Erm, yeah. Might've."
"I love you too, you know?" Stede said gently.
Ed smiled, of course it would be while I'm two fingers deep in my own asshole that he tells me that.
"And I must say, you are truly a master tactician." Stede went on. "I hadn't even noticed a bottle of oil in my desk all of a sudden!"
"Yeah, well I didn't want you to find it and ask too many questions." Ed winced slightly as he pulled his fingers free, turning around so that he was on his hands and knees facing away from Stede. "I mean, I might've wanted that a little." He winked, clicking his tongue as he watched Stede's wide eyes take in the sight before him.
"And that's all you need? Preparation-wise?" he sounded incredulous and Ed grinned.
"It'll be fine this time." Ed shrugged.
"I don't want to hurt you, Ed." Sted said softly, his palm resting on the tattooed back in front of him.
"Then put some of this oil on and get going." Ed tossed the bottle to Stede, thinking better of it the moment it had left his hand, but thankfully Stede caught it with minimal flailing and pulled the stopper out, giving it a quick sniff before dipping a few fingers in. "Better too much than too little." Ed advised, turning back to face the end of the bed as he braced himself.
"Are you sure you want this, Ed?" Stede asked hesitantly.
Ed turned back, his eyes meeting Stede's and he smiled, "I want it so fucking bad, you prick."
Stede grinned, "Well, I guess we'll see if I remember what to do."
"Just fuck me, Captain Bonnet." Ed felt the bed shifting behind him and the tentative press of fingers against his oil slick hole before they were replaced by something thicker. Ed held his breath as Stede began to slowly sink into him, a high strangled groan made Ed smile as he tried to relax, picturing Stede's sweet smile as he felt the man bottom out inside him. They remained utterly still for several moments- Ed suspected it was so that Stede could regain a bit of composure, but he had absolutely no interest in a composed lover. Squeezing experimentally around the intrusion he heard Stede gasp as he bucked into Ed, his soft hands flying to Ed's hips as he began to move, slowly at first before picking up speed.
"Oh god, Ed! That's- that's incredible… Is it always-? Why don't more men-? Oh god, I'm not going to last very long!"
Ed exhaled a laugh as he reached beneath himself, fisting his own cock while Stede picked up speed. "Fuck yes, Stede you're perfect, keep going, love." Stede gasped, his body folding over Ed so that he could feel the light brush of hair against his back, "C'mon love, let go. I want you to fill me up."
Stede trembled above him and Ed's hand sped up, hoping he'd be able to finish at the same time. He adjusted his hips slightly, trying not to break Stede's rhythm or concentration, crying out when he found the right position. Stede shuddered and Ed felt him thrust in further, stilling as he gasped against the back of Ed's neck. He listened to the ragged breathing above him as Stede pumped his hips a few more times before going limp.
Ed was so fucking close! He felt wild as he fisted his cock, desperately chasing his orgasm. Above him, Stede pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his spine as he softly moaned out Ed's name.
And that was it. Ed felt himself spilling over his hand and heard a gasp as he involuntarily tightened around Stede, who was still buried inside him. They both collapsed as Ed's arms gave out and lay unmoving, bodies connected in every way possible. Finally, after a few minutes of silence save for their ragged breaths Stede rolled off of Ed's back. He gasped in an easy breath and turned his head to the side, just barely able to see Stede out of his peripheral vision.
"Did I do okay?" Stede asked softly, his voice was sweet and he still sounded unsure.
Ed took a moment to bask in his love for this man before he slowly rolled over, shifting so that he was laying across Stede's thighs. "Fucking perfect."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"Do you have any notes? Things to keep in mind for next time?" Stede asked, biting his lip to keep his smile from growing too broad.
"Shut the fuck up and cuddle me." Ed growled, moving further up the bed and tucking himself into Stede's side. They fit together perfectly and Ed couldn't imagine a better way to spend the rest of his life at sea.
Chapter End Notes
Thank you so much, please keep the Kudos and comments coming! I just sit around grinning like a goof all day when I read them. 3
Afterword
End Notes
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