Archive of Our Own

Stede Bonnet was aware that in any other life, he wouldn't have been able to engage with his interests. Flowers and fashion weren't exactly masculine endeavors, and equestrian studies and fencing were rather cost prohibitive hobbies. If he hadn't been born rich, Stede wouldn't have had access to any of his short list. In some ways, however, his wealth was limiting. Had he been poor, perhaps Stede could have lived out his dreams and gone to sea, much like the other young men at the docks every morning. He knew that it was unfair to be so jealous of men less fortunate than himself, but Stede couldn't help thinking that all of them were equally trapped, and that his cage was simply of a different variety.

The guilt over envying those with much less privilege than himself was something that festered at the back of Stede's mind throughout most of his youth, though it came to a head shortly after his return to Barbados after college.

During the boat ride to secondary school, a small, petrified twelve year old, Stede had sobbed and hidden away in his room for a week straight. Before leaving home, he had bought a basket of pastries from a local bakery his mother frequented, hoping that the comfort of the familiar flavors would help him only take positive thoughts with him as he went away to school. Rather than savor the treats and slowly let the negative components of his home life fade away into distant memory, Stede binged the treats in a couple of days, unable to resist clinging on to the positive associations as much as possible. As miserable as he had been at home, at least he knew how he fit in there. Boarding school was uncharted territory, and Stede had known he wasn't prepared.

His brief stint at home between secondary school and college had served to remind Stede that his schooling wasn't meant to be for pleasure—it was only allowed because it was necessary for him to run the family business.

When he went off to Eton, he brought no treats with him for the passage across the ocean. Excess sugar would only make him more likely to be sick during his passage. College had been brilliant from an academic perspective, but Stede hadn't been any more successful making friends there than he had been at boarding school. It was almost worse, having gone from Barbados to England and then back to Barbados only to return to England again for more schooling. The fear of returning home to be trapped for the rest of his life hung over Stede's head the entire time he was at Eton, preventing him from enjoying his final stint of freedom.

On his final journey back to Barbados, there were still no treats. The only comfort Stede had was watching the sailors work, wondering what their lives were like. Stede thought he would trade with any of them in a heartbeat. Surely freedom, even freedom that required such hard work, was better than a gilded cage. Allowing such thoughts, Stede grew to hate himself even more, knowing he was being unreasonable.

The reason for Stede's greatest surge of guilt at his privilege one morning was a sailor, perhaps only a few years older than himself, shorter than Stede and rail thin in his naval uniform, looking wistfully at the window of the local bakery. It was clear he was trying to be circumspect, but he was hovering far too close to the entry door to be doing anything other than trying to catch a whiff of the baked goods inside. He was likely inundated with smells, the door a constant rotation of men and women much wealthier than the sailor going in and out as they made their purchases. Stede wanted to screech at them, completely ignoring the young man, some even looking down their noses at him as they made their way inside. It was the height of rudeness to be so openly disdainful, yet none of them seemed at all remorseful, treating the sailor like little more than a bug under their shoes.

Stede knew what it felt like, being sneered at that way. Seeing a longing expression cross the man's face as yet another patron exited the shop, Stede's decision was made before he even realized. He walked right up to the man, whose gaze snapped to him as soon as he was within a few paces, expression going completely blank as he looked Stede up and down. Stede knew what he looked like—some rich bully, come to tell the navy ruffian to stop bothering him and his ilk by lurking in their part of town, outside of a perfectly respectable business. Over the years, Stede had seen such interactions happen many a time, though he certainly didn't want to replicate it as he cleared his throat, preparing to speak.

"Good afternoon, my good sir! I was about to go inside, and I was curious if there was anything I could get you? I just completed a long sea journey myself a few days ago, and I know I missed treats during the voyage, so I imagine someone spending as much time on boats as yourself must surely miss being able to enjoy such things." Stede knew that his speech patterns grew ridiculously formal when he was nervous, and he could only hope that he didn't put the sailor off with his rambling.

The man's brows lowered, betraying a degree of skepticism as he seemed to try and puzzle out what Stede's game could be. He looked so lost, quiet and straight laced, and Stede wondered if that meant he was taken advantage of just as frequently as Stede himself. "You want to buy me a pastry?"

"I'm sure you have a long day ahead of you, and I was about to go into the bakery myself, anyway, so it wouldn't be any trouble. Is there anything you'd like?" Stede was talking with his hands far too much. He was gesturing between himself and the man and the building in front of them as he spoke, and he could see the man's eyes tracking his movements, likely judging him for his rather fidgety nature.

There was silence for a few moments, and Stede nearly gave up and went into the bakery just to escape the awkward interaction. He should have known better than to try and approach a stranger. The sailor likely thought he was deranged, and anyone who saw Stede talking to the man would have laughed—Baby Bonnet, couldn't even hold a conversation with someone below his station without making a fool of himself.

Before he could retreat, he finally received a curt response, so quiet he would have missed it if he hadn't been listening for it. "A lemon tart."

"Excellent choice, my friend! I myself am not a fan of overly sweet foods in the morning either. The tartness of the lemon does a wonderful job of balancing out the sugar. I'll be right back with that. Don't go anywhere!" Stede all but ran into the bakery, face flushed. The man had been cute as he made his request, and Stede knew that was exactly the sort of thought he shouldn't be having. Such intrusive thoughts were few and far between, and on the rare occasion Stede found himself attracted to another man, he did his best to push those feelings to the back of his mind. The effort of repressing his attraction served as quite the distraction, and Stede somehow found himself with a basket full of succulent pastries he hardly remembered selecting as he exited the shop. Hopefully the sailor was hungry.

Even if Stede had eaten his basket of pastries all by himself when being sent off to school, perhaps this was a way to start over. He could share his purchase with someone else. At least it would give him some kind of tether, not completely adrift in his hometown, a home that hadn't truly been his in a long time. If Stede could just make some sort of connection with someone, perhaps it could feel like home again.

Part of Stede was surprised that the other man hadn't fled while he was inside, but he was still waiting for Stede outside, leaning against the bakery wall, arms crossed across his chest. The flat expression on his face made him look like a completely uninteresting target. It was like he wanted the eyes of anyone looking at him to travel right over him, as if he weren't there. He was practically making himself invisible.

As Stede approached, he and the man locked eyes, and he watched the surprise flicker across his face as he took in the bag of treats Stede was carrying. Stede had hoped that having such a plethora of options would be an exciting surprise, but something about it made the man's eyes harden, expression losing its neutrality and curving into a frown rather than the smile Stede had been hoping for.

"The shopkeep was… quite the convincing saleswoman," Stede offered in explanation as he held out the basket. The man flinched away from it as if it might burn him.

Perhaps the two of them were ships, passing in the night. It was like every word he said was being taken the wrong way, every action misconstrued, and he didn't know how it kept happening. Maybe it had just been too long since he had tried to interact with anyone and connect with them on a real level, and he was no longer capable of it. He wasn't sure what the reason was, but something had gone wrong in his interaction with this darling little sailor boy he so badly wanted to please, and Stede could tell that he wouldn't be able to fix things.

"All of that's not for me, is it? I'd be sick as a dog if I ate that much. No one needs so much food!" The anger obvious on the man's face as he pulled from the wall, almost in Stede's space, should have made him nervous, but he just wanted to pull him closer. He swallowed, eyes quickly flicking down to the sailor's lips, which narrowed into a thin line at the glance. "So that's your game. You expect to be repaid that way? Suppose I should have expected it."

If he were being honest with himself, Stede knew what the man was insinuating, but he couldn't admit it. He stumbled back after shoving the basket into the man's chest and releasing it. Luckily, he was surprised enough to take it. All of Stede's hopes of any sort of connection shattered—he wasn't sure what he had done, but clearly he had caused some sort of offense. He didn't want the treats anymore. Even if he took them home, they would just have gone in the garbage, another memory of something that should have been sweet turned sour. "No! I don't… I have no idea what sort of thing you're referring to, but I don't expect any sort of repayment. I'm sorry for bothering you. Have a nice day."

He turned and started to walk away as quickly as possible without seeming like he was fleeing, feeling tears burn at the corners of his eyes. How embarrassing. He didn't even make it to the street corner before he was tugged into an alleyway. The pounding in his head had prevented him from hearing the footsteps of the man chasing him, who proceeded to push him up against the wall once they were hidden in the shadows.

"I might have misread you. Apparently you're not an asshole, you're just an idiot." The familiar voice was enough for Stede to look down, seeing the puzzled face of his sailor. So he wasn't being mugged. That was good. However, that didn't explain what they were doing in a dirty alleyway.

"What…?"

Before Stede could continue, he was cut off by the man dropping to his knees, setting the pastry bag to the side as he started working on undoing Stede's breeches. "I'm paying you back. Problem, rich boy?"

Stede hadn't been a boy by anyone's standards in a few years, but the rumble of the man's voice as he practically growled at Stede was enough to make his voice catch in his throat. Clearly, whatever Stede had done that offended him must have related to his wealth, considering the way the sailor said the word rich. He only regained his voice when his dick was finally released, rock hard as it bobbed in front of the man's face. As soon as it was free, the man leaned towards it, but Stede grabbed him by the hair with both hands to stop him, surprising them both with the moan it caused to burst from the man's lips.

"Wait, I… what should I call you?" Truly, Stede knew he should have told the sailor to stop, but making them pause was the extent of his self control. If this man was going to be the first person to touch Stede, it seemed like Stede should at least know his name.

Evidently the question was an amusing one, as the man buried his face against Stede's hip as his shoulders shook with silent laughter. His eyes were a touch more friendly as he looked up at Stede, but there was still steel behind them, keeping a wall between him and Stede. "Basilica. You can call me Basilica."

Before giving Stede a moment to test the name on his tongue, Basilica took away Stede's power of speech by swallowing his cock down to the root. Stede had to muffle his shout with a fist, and his predicament wasn't made any easier as he felt the rumble of Basilica's throat as he laughed at Stede's antics.

At the best of times, Stede knew that he was a verbose individual, and it turned out that sex wasn't any different. As Basilica sucked him off, Stede kept up a constant commentary of praise, stroking the man's hair, telling him just how talented he was with his mouth, how beautiful he looked on his knees, how Stede couldn't believe this was happening because surely Basilica was far too good for him. He only proved that last statement to be true when it took him hardly more than a minute to come, not even able to offer a warning before everything came to a head. Stede wanted to give himself the excuse of never having had a partner before, but he certainly wasn't going to voice such an embarrassing thing to the man who had just swallowed his spend.

Basilica sat back on his hackles, looking like the cat that got the cream as he grabbed the basket of pastries and removed a tart from the top, taking a quick bite. Stede assumed he likely did so to wash the taste of come from his mouth, and his face flushed red at the realization. Before he had time to gather his wits or tuck his still twitching cock back in his trousers, Basilica was suddenly standing, brushing the dirt off his knees as he picked up his basket of treats. He turned away without a word, but before he could take a step, Stede reached out to grab his hand.

Suddenly, Basilica was on the defensive again, whirling around as if ready for a fight. "What?"

"Erm. Do you not want me to return the favor?" Not that Stede would know what he was doing, but it seemed polite to offer, at least. Evidently Basilica hadn't expected the offer, based on the way his eyes widened, but his expression hardened quickly.

"I told you, I don't want to owe you anything. This was a transaction, nothing more. Don't make it something it wasn't." With that, Basilica stalked off, ripping his arm from Stede's grasp.

That could have gone better, but Stede supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. He had inflated the importance of what happened since it was his first time. It was all a transaction.

He hadn't even told Basilica his name.

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Being poor would have made going to sea much easier, but Stede wondered if he would have enjoyed piracy nearly as much if he hadn't been Captain of his own ship. Not that he was much of a Captain. Despite his only redeeming quality being his skill with a sword, Stede had killed a man with a paperweight , and he had managed to lose his first (and only) two hostages after having his ship run aground.

Clearly, the small angry man in front of Stede could tell with merely a glance that Stede was a pathetic excuse for a pirate, as evidenced by the sneer on his face when Stede lept from the underbrush. Neither of the two pirates behind him seemed impressed either, though they were occupied with holding the hostages. The plan of a diversion might not have been Stede's best idea ever.

"Good day gents. I believe we have dibs on those men." Stede did his best to seem threatening with his dagger, but based on the incredulous expression on the face of the pirate closest to him, he wasn't doing a great job.

"Dibs, you say?" Something about the man's voice was familiar, but Stede couldn't place it. There was a unique rasp to it, and it sent a shiver down Stede's spine. Surely he would remember it if he had met a pirate before. Yet the x tattooed on the man's face, his slicked back hair, and his leather attire didn't seem the least familiar to Stede—it was only his voice that tickled some sort of recollection.

"Yes, so please, hand them over. Quick as you can." The man was smirking, fiddling with his glove to pull it tight on his hand and… oh no. He was walking towards Stede. That couldn't be good. Trying to deter the pirate from coming any closer, he waved the knife in his hand, talking faster. "Oh, and by the way, I will not be trifled with. So don't even think about trifling me."

"You're trifling me. I'm warning you!" Stede felt like a frightened animal, caught in a hunter's gaze. Despite the threat in front of them, he didn't have the good sense to run away, instead frozen in place. "Don't trifle. Don't you trifle."

"Oh!" Before Stede could so much as blink, the man had pulled the sword from his belt, carving an intricate patchwork of cuts into Stede's chest. Only Stede didn't feel any pain. Looking down, he realized he was completely unharmed. The man had cut his shirt to ribbons, but the sword hadn't so much as touched his chest. The precision of the swordsmanship was actually quite impressive, and Stede couldn't help but comment on it despite the fact that the sword was still pointed at the center of his chest. "You're quite skilled!"

"This is how you die." It should have been terrifying, this stranger staring him down, threatening his life. Adrenaline was pumping through Stede's veins, preventing him from responding rationally. Instead, he let himself get lost in the man's eyes. At least he would die looking at something beautiful, he supposed.

Though Stede had accepted his death, Oluwande and Pete piped up at the perfect time, making noises and moans from their hiding places behind the trees. "This is the ghost of the forest!"

"Do you hear that? I didn't know this isle was haunted!" Clearly it had disturbed the other two pirates, but the small one was still holding a sword to Stede'a chest, unbothered.

"It's obviously one of your men."

"But is it?" Stede was determined to make the narrative believable. All he needed for the distraction to work was the slightest bit of doubt.

"Yes it is."

"But is it?" The man's mouth worked silently for a moment, not wanting to believe Stede but also unwilling to stand down in the face of a potential threat.

"Ivan!" Point one for Stede.

"Oi! It's an island, not a forest." The pirate with dreadlocks, evidently named Ivan, shouted into the trees. Immediately, his criticism was met with a rock to the face. Pete swung into the clearing on a vine, knocking into the bald pirate.

The attacks from his crew were enough of a distraction for Stede to swing around, pointing a knife to the cheek of his almost murderer, catching him off guard. He suspected that this man was not accustomed to anyone breaching his defenses, and he couldn't help but smile as the pirate's eyes slid his way. Quickly, he corrected his expression to something more severe. "I've already ruined one man's head this week, and believe me, I'll do it again."

"Believe him. He's quite insane." The ruder hostage piped up. Stede had never liked him anyway.

"He does have the eyes of a mad man. Sorry, you do." At least the second hostage had some semblance of manners.

"What are your demands?" The man's voice was choked as he asked, and his posture was rigid, yet he was almost leaning in towards Stede's blade, rather than away from it. The sight made Stede want to press in harder to leave a mark so that this man would remember him.

"Well I was thinking… a compromise."

"I'm listening."

"Well, uh… we'd be willing to give up one of the men if that would prevent further bloodshed."

"I think he broke my nose! My nose is broken." Ivan's laments from the ground interrupted Stede's negotiations, but they did a good job of pushing the point home that he and his men could in fact win in a fight, even if their tactics were a bit underhanded.

"Oh, and by the way, you are completely surrounded." It was a bluff, and they all knew it, but just like before with the claim of the ghosts haunting the island, all Stede needed was to make the man question whether his claims could be true. "My entire crew is just beyond these trees. Upon my signal, release hell!"

"Fine." The word was growled, but it was all the concession Stede needed. Point two, Stede.

Once the distribution of the hostages was sorted, Stede and his men stood on one side with their hostage (they had opted for the kinder hostage, of course), the pirates on the other side with theirs. Stede didn't want to part without an introduction, however. No matter that the pirate had tried to kill him—he intrigued Stede, and if they ever crossed paths again, Stede wanted to know his name. He extended a hand, attempting amicability. "There's always another way to resolve things, isn't there? Stede Bonnet, Pirate Captain."

"Izzy Hands. This isn't over, Mr. Bonnet." Izzy ignored Stede's handshake.

"Good! 'cause I kind of enjoyed it." Something in that statement caused the anger in Izzy's eyes to change, and he grasped Stede's hand, which was about to drop to his side.

The grip was like a shackle keeping him locked in place, and Stede wondered if he should fight it off. "Enjoyed it, did you? Well then, perhaps we should send our crew back with the hostages and you and I can have a little chat."

"A chat? Boss, are you sure-" Izzy cut Ivan off before he could say any more.

"Yes, I'm sure. What do you think, Bonnet? Afraid to be left all alone with a real pirate?" The fact that Stede needed to rise to the challenge must have shown on his face, because Izzy smirked before Stede had even opened his mouth.

"Of course not! Oluwande, Pete, take our hostage back to the ship, won't you? I'll be along shortly."

"Are you sure, Captain? Maybe you should come with us…" it was clear Olu was hesitant to follow orders, so Stede gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Don't fret! I'm sure Mr. Hands just wants to trade pirating tips. Go on, then!" Slowly, Olu, Pete, Ivan, the unnamed bald pirate, and the hostages turned around, walking in opposite directions. Stede was left alone with Izzy Hands. "Well, then, what did you want to discuss, Mr. Hands?"

Before Stede could even blink, he was pressed up against a tree, Izzy's hands fisted on either side of his shredded shirt. "You didn't have your men kill us. All three of you had us pinned. What the fuck made you want to 'compromise?'"

"Well." Stede coughed. Something about their position was incredibly erotic, and Stede did his best to shift his hips back so Izzy wouldn't notice him getting hard. Unfortunately, being pressed to a tree meant that he didn't have anywhere to go. "I simply prefer to avoid murder if possible."

"So you didn't actually ruin anyone's head this week." The sneer really ruined Izzy's face, and Stede needed to make it vanish.

"No, I did! That's how we got the hostages to begin with. I… killed their Captain." It was difficult to admit, but having spoken to the residents of the village, Stede felt more at peace with his actions. He had killed a man, but it was unintentional. Truthfully, Nigel deserved it, and his family, if they existed, were likely better off without him. Still, the words stuck in his throat for a moment, which seemed to lend credibility to his claim.

Izzy's expression tightened for a moment in confusion before settling on something resembling exasperation. "Another Pirate Captain who doesn't like killing, then." Izzy's words were muttered, and Stede wondered if he even meant to speak them aloud. Clearly Izzy didn't mind killing, based on the fact that he seemed ready to stab Stede less than an hour before, but perhaps somewhere out there was another Pirate Captain who tried to run their ship similarly to Stede. That would be nice. Stede would like to meet them some day. For the moment, however, he was rather preoccupied with Izzy, who was still staring up at him like he was a rather annoying puzzle.

For a moment, Stede was tempted to lean down to kiss him, just to see what would happen. He might have even moved forward just a smidge, but before he could make contact, Izzy dropped to his knees, making quick work of Stede's breeches and pulling them down, revealing his cock to the open air. Considering the state of his shirt, Stede was practically naked.

"What are you doing?!" Stede's voice came out an embarrassing squawk, but he didn't know how else to react, covering himself with his hands.

Izzy quickly shoved his hands to the side, rolling his eyes. "You didn't kill us. I don't want to owe you anything."

I don't want to owe you anything. This was a transaction, nothing more. Don't make it something it wasn't.

Stede remembered where he had heard Izzy's voice before. Basilica. He mouthed the name, but he managed not to say it aloud. He wondered if Izzy remembered him. When they had met as young men, Stede hadn't had the chance to introduce himself, and he knew he looked different at nearly forty than he had at barely twenty. Izzy had changed quite a bit with age as well. He spent a moment debating with himself, but decided to stay silent as Izzy enveloped his cock, tonguing at the head as he worked Stede to full hardness.

If Stede admitted who he was, Izzy might respect him even less. He already seemed to think Stede was a pathetic excuse for a Captain. Knowing that he was also the same rich idiot who he had sucked off in an alley nearly two decades prior wouldn't do anything good for his opinion of Stede. Laughing at Stede seemed like the most likely result, considering how quickly Stede had come at the time. He was determined to do better for their second encounter. No matter how amazing the wet heat of Izzy's mouth felt around his cock, he wouldn't shoot off immediately. This was something to savor.

To prevent himself from revealing his secret by unintentionally calling Izzy the wrong name, Stede did his best to remain silent while Izzy sucked his cock. Even as Izzy took him into his throat, Stede managed to limit himself to a simple whimper. Praise was bubbling under the surface, begging to be let free, but he couldn't let it out. Something about his silence seemed to spur Izzy on, and he only became more frantic the longer he knelt, grabbing Stede's hands and putting them in his hair when he noticed them clutched at Stede's sides.

Though he was reluctant to hurt Izzy, an unintentional hair pull earned him a moan which Stede was determined to hear again. Testing his limits, he clenched both hands tighter, pulling Izzy just a bit further onto his cock. That earned him an even louder sound, Izzy grasping at his hips as he stopped moving. Stede wondered if Izzy stopped because he had pushed him too hard, but Izzy showed no sign of backing off from where Stede had placed him. When Stede matched him, standing as still as possible, Izzy opened his eyes, eyebrows furrowed as he glared hazily up in Stede's direction. For a moment, Stede couldn't understand what Izzy wanted, but Izzy tugged at his hips, pulling Stede deeper.

It was like a candle lit up above Stede's head. So Izzy wanted Stede to set the pace. He could do that.

To start, Stede rocked Izzy's head forward and back, not moving himself much deeper, simply allowing him to bob on the stretch of cock he had already taken into his throat. Once Izzy seemed relaxed, Stede started to move his hips rather than shifting Izzy's head, holding Izzy still as he fucked his mouth, eventually pushing forward enough that he was fucking Izzy's throat. The tight clench around his cock was almost enough to make Stede come, but he was still determined to last, and he held off, pausing in Izzy's throat, knowing that he was restricting his air flow. After a few seconds, he pulled back, giving Izzy room to breathe.

Checking Izzy's expression to ensure that he was unharmed, Stede saw nothing but bliss, tears starting to gather at the corner of Izzy's eyes. He was enjoying himself, then. Confidence restored, Stede set to work, fucking Izzy's throat properly. He had only ever read about such things in books, so he was careful to never restrict Izzy's air for long, but based on the sounds he was pulling from Izzy, he must have been doing a good enough job.

Despite his best efforts to stall his orgasm, eventually Stede had to come. It was inevitable. Luckily, between the prolonged staying power and Stede silencing himself, he liked to think that this encounter was dissimilar enough from his previous dalliance with Basilica to make it less obvious he was the same idiot boy. Perhaps Izzy would want to see him again, if Stede had managed not to give away his identity.

"Can I help you now?" Stede stroked Izzy's cheek, right over the tattoo, as he pulled his cock from Izzy's throat. Whether it was the words or the touch, Stede didn't know, but suddenly Izzy was standing, stumbling back from him. His eyes still looked glazed, but there was a wildness underneath that hadn't been there moments before.

"Help me? No. I fucking told you, this was about owing you. Watch your back, Stede Bonnet."

Again, before Stede could even make himself presentable, Izzy Hands stumbled away.

Though he couldn't be certain, mind still dazed, Stede wondered if Izzy wasn't lying to him. The sex hadn't felt transactional either time, no matter what Izzy said about owing him. Clearly, he didn't want Stede to touch him, but Stede didn't know why. If he saw Izzy again, he would keep trying—he wanted to make Izzy feel good, too. He saw no reason Izzy shouldn't come, repayment or not.

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Even if Izzy and his men hadn't found Stede to be particularly impressive, he still wanted to make a good impression during his debut at the Republic of Pirates. Perhaps "Man for sale" hadn't been the best tagline for his attempted fencing of the remaining hostage, but Stede could still recover, and was determined to do so as he entered Spanish Jackie's.

Lucius's entrance speech didn't seem to win anyone over, but at least Stede was able to order a drink without issue, even if it was… nose juice. He had ordered nose juice. That was sufficiently horrifying enough to ruin his whole day. To make matters worse, Izzy suddenly appeared at the other end of the bar, sneering in Stede's direction.

"I've a few colleagues in there."

"You again!" Stede didn't mean to sound quite so annoyed, but he couldn't help the anger in his tone. How dare Izzy show up when Stede was making a fool of himself yet again! He wanted to seem cool.

"Mr. Hands, welcome. It's been a while." To make matters worse, the bartender was clearly familiar with Izzy, and his tone was bordering on simpering. That was Stede's angry little pirate, damnit! So help him, if Geraldo flirted with him, Stede might just have to pull out his knife again.

At least Izzy didn't seem amused by the brown-nosing, and he was making his way over to stand closer to Stede with every word as he responded. "Yeah… because I hate this fucking place. And for some inexplicable reason my boss would like a word with you, Bonnet."

Izzy's boss? Was Izzy not a Pirate Captain? Stede was so off guard that he immediately turned the offer down. He wasn't interested in Izzy's boss. He wanted Izzy. And he wanted to seem cool. Aloof. Playing hard to get was the best way to get what he wanted, surely.

"Yes, well, everyone wants a piece of the Gentleman Pirate. Get in line. I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, Iggy."

"Izzy." Oh and Izzy was even closer. Antagonizing him was certainly working to keep his attention on Stede.

"Whatever, I don't care. But we're busy at the moment, fencing our remaining hostage. AKA, the one you didn't manage to steal." Reminding Izzy that Stede had beaten him before and he could do it again. Perhaps it would even have the same results next time. Stede could only hope to find a way to get Izzy alone.

"So I'll tell my Captain that you're declining then, yeah?"

"Or tell him he's got terrible taste in flunkies and he can go suck eggs in hell." Geraldo seemed rather impressed by Stede's spunk, but he couldn't get as good a read on Izzy's reaction as the tiny man crowded into his space.

"Gladly." Izzy turned to walk away, but after a moment's hesitation, he spun back towards Stede, grabbing him by the sleeve of his coat. "Geraldo, we're using the back room! Don't let anyone disturb us."

"Jackie doesn't like it when people get killed in her back room!" Izzy wasn't going to murder him. How ridiculous.

Seeming to agree with Stede's thoughts, Izzy scoffed. "I'm not going to kill the twat. Just fuck off and don't come back here."

Before Stede even realized they had reached the back room, he was shoved inside, the door closing and locking behind them with a click. Izzy wasted no time in pressing into his space. There were few candles in the room, leaving it lit with only a dim glow, but Stede could see how dark Izzy's eyes had grown in the moments between grabbing Stede and getting him alone.

"You want it that badly, hmm? Not about owing me after all, it seems." Stede quickly turned the tables so that Izzy was the one pressed against the wall. He suspected that Izzy had let him take the upper hand, but he didn't care, too preoccupied with kissing his way down Izzy's throat.

"Fuck you. I don't want anything. It's just convenient." It was possible Izzy was telling the truth, but Stede didn't believe it. Besides, he was determined that he wouldn't be the only one to come anymore, unbuttoning Izzy's trousers before he had time to protest. Based on the whine which Stede quickly muffled with a kiss, Izzy didn't mind Stede touching him for once. "You can touch me, but don't make me come or I'll rip your throat out with my teeth." Evidently orgasms were still off the table, but Stede could work with that. He could still make Izzy feel good.

Sliding his hand into Izzy's smalls, Stede hesitated for a moment, not expecting the slick which suddenly covered his fingers as he searched for the man's cock. It only took him a moment to get with the program, however, and he allowed his fingers to slide along Izzy's folds, collecting wetness there before circling Izzy's cock. He supposed it was rather advantageous, Izzy having a cunt. At least he knew what to do with it, despite the fact that he and Mary had never been attracted to one another.

"Fuck. Get yours off too." Izzy got Stede's trousers off with admirable speed, considering the intricacy of his outfit. Before Stede could protest that he wanted this to be about Izzy, Stede's hand was pushed away from Izzy's cunt and pressed to his cock. "Touch yourself. You can touch me too, but you have to fucking touch yourself."

Stede wondered what caused Izzy to be so fixated on ensuring his pleasure during their encounters, even at the expense of his own, but he knew that he wouldn't get an answer even if he asked. Lost in the moment, he attempted to kiss Izzy properly, but the smaller man whipped his head to the side, causing Stede's lips to meet Izzy's hair rather than his intended target.

"Don't kiss me, you fucking twat. Focus. I'm not letting you turn this into some romantic tripe. And stop trying to be so quiet. You can fucking talk to me while you touch me. Just don't be loud enough for anyone in the bar to hear you." The words froze Stede for a moment. It sounded like Izzy wanted him to be loud. More like the embarrassing young man from their first encounter, spewing compliments and pet names, rather than the stoicism he attempted for their last. Perhaps Stede could find some sort of middle ground, letting his feelings out without making it obvious just how much he was enjoying himself.

Once he decided to let himself talk even a little, Izzy was right—Stede couldn't keep quiet. At least his praise was different, groaning about how warm and wet Izzy was, how tight his cunt felt around Stede's fingers and how good it would feel to fuck into him. Evidently Izzy approved of that thought, as he groaned when Stede voiced it, biting into Stede's shoulder through his jacket to muffle his sounds of pleasure.

It took less time than Stede feared to push Izzy up to the edge, a couple of flicks against the head of his cock with three fingers buried deep in his cunt enough to get him there without tipping him over, fingers sliding under Stede's shirt to scrape along his back as he groaned for Stede to stop. Stede hissed at the pain, but the feeling of Izzy's slick on his fingers combined with the sound of Izzy moaning in his ear meant that it didn't take much longer for Stede to come despite his efforts to slow down his strokes to delay the inevitable.

Opening his eyes, Stede realized that he had come all over Izzy's vest. Quickly, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, bending over and doing his best to wipe the mess from the leather before it could stain. Stede didn't think leather stained, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Are you seriously cleaning me off with your trousers around your ankles right now?" Looking up at Izzy from his position at Izzy's waist, Stede smiled sheepishly. Luckily Izzy seemed more amused than annoyed, hand resting on his hip and eyebrow raised.

"Technically, I am cleaning you off with my trousers around my knees. And you're being cleaned off with your trousers around yours, so I don't think you're doing much better." Affecting a more haughty tone, Stede finished wiping Izzy off with a flourish, thrusting the handkerchief in Izzy's direction. As if by instinct, Izzy accepted the scrap of cloth, grimacing as he realized what he held in his hand. "You can keep that. As a token."

Stede was determined to be the one to walk away first for once. Before Izzy could come up with a comeback, Stede did up his trousers and strode smugly from the room, head held high.

"Fuck you and your fancy fucking handkerchief, Bonnet!" Izzy's shout could hardly even be heard through the closed door as Stede made his way back over to Lucius. Perhaps his first excursion to The Republic of Pirates had been successful after all.

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Though he had been stabbed in the gut and nearly hanged on a Spanish naval ship, Stede must have been transported away quickly.

He was floating in the water, still in pain, but feeling much more relaxed than he had been when he thought he was going to die. Swimming had been fun once upon a time. Perhaps Stede could enjoy it again. He wasn't at risk of being strapped to a boat, forced to row for his life anymore. He could swim for pleasure.

Though Stede wasn't sure how he had gotten in the water, he was glad everything was alright. His crew was surely nearby, unharmed. Perhaps they were swimming too! Stede couldn't see them, but if the ship was docked, surely Stede wasn't the only one in the water. The only sound Stede could hear was that of the ocean, though, and Stede's crew was a rather boisterous bunch. Straining to hear them, Stede did hear a voice, but he couldn't place it.

The voice wasn't saying anything Stede could understand, but he still found the sound comforting. Curious, he swam towards it, hoping he would be able to comprehend the speech if he could only get closer.

Stede found the source of the voice after what felt like an eternity of swimming. When he saw him, he understood why he had felt so drawn in—it was a siren. Stede felt a stirring in his groin as he grew closer. It was risky to engage, of course, but Stede felt as if he was being pulled forward by a tether. He couldn't resist the siren's voice.

The intense feeling of pleasure only grew stronger as Stede came closer. Though the siren wasn't touching him, he might as well have had Stede by the dick for all he felt able to resist.

The siren didn't even look at Stede as he continued to speak, drawing Stede nearer and nearer. What he would do when he reached the creature, he wasn't sure. Once he was within touching distance, Stede realized there was a sword in his hand. Evidently that was what he was meant to do.

Lunging forward as best as he could while in the water, Stede launched himself forward, striking out with his sword. Rather than the blow landing true, the siren blocked Stede's attack with a sword of his own, and Stede felt pleasure shoot through his body. Though Stede had participated in many a sparring session in his life, he had never experienced such bliss from the act of swords glancing off of one another. He wondered if this was the kind of pleasure one always felt when in a real sword fight. So many men becoming pirates made much more sense if that were the case.

Fighting in the water was a challenge when fighting against a creature who lived in the sea. Stede was at a unique disadvantage, his foe swimming circles around him, controlling when their blades would meet. On occasion, the siren would manage a hit, always against Stede's stomach. His gut wound ached, but the pain was nothing compared to the pleasure of being in the siren's presence.

It was clear that his foe was merely toying with him, trying to see how much he could make Stede squirm, chuckling at the grunts and groans his attacks forced from Stede's throat. Stede should have feared for his life. He should have tried to run, but his self preservation instincts were completely overpowered.

At a particularly violent clash of swords, Stede's vision started to blur, and he wondered if that would be it. Perhaps he would drown without even being stabbed, pleasure driving him under the water. He had heard stories of sirens drowning sailors and eating them, needing the flesh to survive. Stede had never been a superstitious sort, but he supposed it wasn't the worst way to go. Closing his eyes to block out his blurry surroundings, Stede succumbed, sinking deep to the bottom of the ocean.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in his bed in the Captain's Cabin of the Revenge, naked, Izzy Hands bouncing up and down on his lap. Stede whined, gripping Izzy's hips to slow him down, but Izzy merely smirked at him, speeding up. He was likely just trying to be contrary.

"Finally awake, Bonnet? You sleep like a fucking rock. Almost thought I'd wrap up without ever waking you." Based on the sweat on Izzy's brow, he had clearly been fucking himself on Stede's cock for a while. Stede was almost jealous—of what, he wasn't sure. He wished that he had been an active participant when fucking Izzy properly for the first time. It was Izzy's right to take whatever he wanted from Stede, of course. Stede certainly didn't mind that Izzy touched him without asking. He simply would have liked to prepare Izzy himself.

"How long have I been asleep? When did you—ah, Izzy, so good—get here? How did you get here? Is my crew—fuck—safe? Oh no, my crew!" Stede tried to sit up, realizing some of his crew must have been caught up in the fight on the Spanish ship.

Before Stede could lift off his elbows to get upright, Izzy leaned forward, pushing him down at the shoulders and pinning him to the bed. "Stay down, idiot. Your crew is fine. We came and saved you. Goodness knows why." Though Izzy rolled his eyes, his lips were trying to quirk up at the corners. Stede suspected he was glad his crew had stepped in to save Stede, no matter what he said.

"Well, I suppose your Captain has better —gods, how are you so good at that?— better taste in rescues than lackeys. I shouldn't have been so quick to refuse his invitation." Extending an olive branch while buried balls deep in Izzy's cunt wasn't how Stede had anticipated attempting to win him over, but he supposed he had to make due with circumstances as they were.

Though Stede thought the quip would please Izzy, it only deepened his scowl, and he fucked himself down on Stede's cock roughly, grinding his hips and speeding up as if he were attempting to rush to the end of the proceedings. "Your fucking mistake. He's here now. And he doesn't take kindly to insults. Don't act like a twat and he might let you live. Depends on if he's in a good mood."

Izzy sounded tired. Stede wondered how long he had been stuck dealing with the whims of his Captain. The man didn't sound very reliable, if his decision making process depended so heavily on his mood. Unfortunately, Stede's brain was still too fuzzy from pain and pleasure to come up with a way to comfort Izzy. All he could do was thrust his hips, hoping that making Izzy feel good physically would be enough to keep his mind off whatever was troubling him.

They stayed silent as Izzy continued to ride Stede, but Stede stroked along Izzy's flanks, trying to convey affection in the only way he could without promoting any more uncomfortable conversations. Izzy nearly came multiple times, but each time he looked to be close, he stopped moving. Stede wondered if he would ever be allowed to see what orgasm looked like on his face, or if it was a blessing he didn't deserve. Evidently, his displeasure showed on his face as Izzy edged himself yet again, earning him a quiet chuckle. "I already came once while you were asleep. I don't need another."

Stede still thought Izzy was lying to him. Whatever reason he had for not letting Stede make him come, evidently it didn't apply when Stede was asleep. It clearly wasn't that he didn't want to come in a "transactional" setting, it wasn't that he didn't want to come in public, and it wasn't that he couldn't come with someone else touching him. Something about it felt off, but Stede knew that Izzy wouldn't explain even if he asked, so he simply let Izzy take the lead, directing him as needed.

When his time came, Stede came so suddenly that he didn't have time to warn Izzy, only realizing his transgression once Izzy pulled off of him, face flushed red. Once he recognized what had happened, he didn't know what to say. An apology didn't seem sufficient. He wasn't sure if Izzy could get pregnant. Asking such a thing seemed like the height of rudeness, but he also couldn't go without commenting on what he had done. When he finally opened his mouth to apologize, he couldn't believe the words that left his mouth.

"I don't think you can say that one was transactional. I've marked you as mine from the inside."

Izzy gaped at him, eyes narrowing into a glare as Stede remained frozen in his place on the bed. For a moment, Stede was worried Izzy might pull a knife from somewhere and cut his dick off. Instead, Izzy leaned down and bit, hard, on the inside of Stede's thigh.

Stede clapped a hand over his mouth to smother a howl at the pain. Izzy must have surely bit hard enough to make him bleed. His suspicions were confirmed when Izzy pulled back and smirked at him, blood on his teeth. "Well now I've marked you from the outside. So which of us is the real winner?"

Izzy must have gotten dressed in record time, because Stede felt like he blinked and Izzy was suddenly in his leathers. Once he left, he poked his head back in the room, seemingly unsatisfied with his parting comment.

"I hope that scars. So you'll have a token, too."

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Perhaps Izzy was determined to give him a scar as well. Stede didn't think he would mind, under certain circumstances, but a stab through the gut from a duel wasn't the most romantic of scars.

"I challenge you to a fucking duel."

"I don't think so." Stede refused without even considering the offer. If Izzy claimed to hate him so much that he couldn't even be around Stede, he would have to leave, because Stede certainly wouldn't be doing so. Not that he wanted Izzy to go. He actually rather hoped that he would be able to convince him to stay, though based on the righteous anger radiating from the man, that could be a tough sell.

"What the fuck do you mean, I don't think so? You can't just refuse to fight a duel, you twat." Izzy pointed his dueling saber in Stede's direction, but Stede merely pushed it away with two fingers, taking a quick step forward to crowd into Izzy's space.

"I just did. And if you're so upset about it, perhaps we need to talk it through. We can take this to my cabin." Stede turned quickly to address the crew as he placed a hand on the small of Izzy's back, hustling him towards the hallway. "Everyone feel free to celebrate such a wonderfully successful fuckery! Don't wait up for us."

It looked like Ed might protest or try to follow them, but Stede shot Lucius a quick look as he turned back to Izzy and the scribe immediately pulled Ed into conversation with himself and Pete, wanting to know more about how their fuckery compared to others Ed had pulled off in the past. It wasn't that Stede didn't trust Ed to deal with Izzy properly, he simply wasn't sure what direction his conversation with Izzy would take, and if he embarrassed himself trying to take control, there was no sense doing it in front of Ed and Izzy both.

"What are you playing at, Bonnet?" Izzy's words were a furious growl, but he didn't pull away from Stede's touch even once they made it inside of Stede's cabin, so he couldn't truly be all that upset.

Stede still had enough control of the situation to lead Izzy to the settee, sitting down and looking expectantly at Izzy until he joined him. Once Izzy was seated, Stede rested a hand on Izzy's knee, pleased to see that Izzy didn't shift away from the touch. "I'm not playing at anything. I don't see any point in dueling you. I like having you here. Participating in a duel that would see one of us forced off the ship doesn't serve that purpose. I would love to spar with you some time; I'm sure you're much more skilled with a blade, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve from dueling lessons I'd love a chance to show off."

Izzy scoffed, muttering something about how of course Stede wanted to show off that he couldn't quite make out.

"Anyway, neither outcome from a duel would have been advantageous for me, so I refused. Do you really hate me so much?" Stede was under no illusions about Izzy liking him, but he wouldn't have thought Izzy would fuck someone he hated. Perhaps Izzy had grown to hate him during his time on The Revenge. They hadn't fucked since Stede first awoke from his injury, after all. It was possible being around Stede so much made Izzy realize that that Stede's abhorrent personality was enough to make him an unsuitable bedmate.

Stede hoped that it wasn't the case, but he had spent much more time with Ed than Izzy since their crew had boarded his ship, curious to get to know Izzy's Captain, Blackbeard, Ed, a man who could go from panicking in the face of passive aggression to attacking a man with a snail fork. Ed was an enigma, and Stede had always loved puzzles. Stede thought they were becoming steadfast friends, but he hated the thought of gaining Ed's attention at the expense of never touching Izzy again.

He had tried to talk to Izzy when he could over the course of the past few weeks, but Izzy always brushed him off. Previously, he thought that was simply Izzy's way, but perhaps him ignoring Stede and brushing off his invites to tea and dinner weren't merely because he was too busy to both do his job and socialize. Stede supposed he shouldn't be surprised that in making his first real friend, he had alienated the man who haunted his thoughts when he went to sleep every night.

"Not about hating you." Stede was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear Izzy's muttered response.

"What was that?"

Izzy turned to glare at Stede, face dusted a light pink with either embarrassment or irritation, but he still repeated himself. "I said it's not about hating you, idiot. It's about keeping my Captain alive. You make Ed weak. Blackbeard can't be soft. If word gets out, he'll be killed."

"Weak?" Stede knew that he was a rather weak person, caving to the whims of societal expectations his entire life, but he couldn't think of anything about Ed's behavior around him that indicated weakness. "We just burned down a party vessel the other day. I certainly think that screams big scary pirate."

"Only after attending a party on that fucking vessel. What if people heard the great Blackbeard was rubbing elbows with the rich at some stupid French soiree?" Izzy crowded closer to Stede, practically spitting with rage as he explained himself.

"Then they would assume it was a brilliantly executed fuckery, I expect. Besides, Ed didn't go as Blackbeard. He went as Jeff the accountant. And who's to say that even if anyone survived diving off that boat, which I doubt, and spread rumors because they recognized Ed, which is almost impossible, anyone would believe them?" Izzy's expression slowly morphed from anger to skepticism as Stede spoke. Hopefully, Stede's words were having an impact.

"Bonnet… did you actually think through taking Edward on that ship? Did you have a plan?" Izzy sounded like he couldn't believe it, but Stede could see that he had managed to pause Izzy's anger in its tracks. That was an advantage he needed to capitalize on.

"I didn't have everything planned out, but I knew that we might need to take care of things, were Ed to be recognized. Burning everything to the ground wouldn't have been my first option, but once the fire had started, I had to admit it was quite effective. Not that I even started the fire myself, truly." The fire had been a complete mistake, if Stede were being honest. He had intended to start bedlam with his passive aggression, but he didn't think things would become truly treacherous for the residents of the boat, even if he, Frenchie, and Olu had suggested all of the ship's staff take a lifeboat beforehand "just in case." To say he was upset with the results would be a lie, however, so it was better to take some sort of credit for the chaos he had started.

The more Stede spoke, the more Izzy seemed to calm, and Stede could hardly believe how well the conversation was going. Izzy was receptive, at least, as he gave Stede an appraising once over. "In the future, if Ed is at risk, do you see yourself protecting him in the same way? Would you kill for him?"

"Haven't I already? Friendship is valuable to me. I would give up just about anything to keep it. Though I would rather not have to give you up just because I want to be close with both you and Ed." Perhaps that was admitting too much, but Izzy wouldn't let Stede show that he cared the same way Ed would. Perhaps he needed to be more direct.

He must have said something right, because rather than respond, Izzy pulled him in for a kiss. When he had imagined his first kiss with Izzy, Stede had pictured something soft, perhaps him leaning down to gently brush his lips against Izzy's after a particularly good meal. The kiss Izzy instigated was impassioned right from the start, all teeth and tongue, Izzy biting at Stede's lips until he opened them. He wondered what it was about what he said that made Izzy crash through his final boundary to kiss Stede. It could have been that Stede admitted to caring for him, but considering the nature of their conversation up until that point, Stede's willingness to defend Ed seemed an equally likely trigger.

As the two of them removed their trousers, it felt like Ed was a third party in the room, Stede's thoughts split between him and Izzy despite Ed being up on deck. He suspected that Ed lingered on Izzy's mind as well, though he couldn't be sure.

Since Izzy had already broken their previous patterns, Stede decided to continue to try new things. When Izzy tried to slide off the settee to kneel, Stede pinned him down, keeping him trapped on the furniture. Rather than letting Izzy take care of him, it was Izzy's turn to be taken care of. He more than deserved it after weeks of looking after Stede's crew. Not to mention the fact that Stede simply wanted to taste him.

"Stay put." Stede lowered himself to the floor, throwing Izzy's legs over his shoulders. Despite his usual argumentative nature, he looked so dazed at Stede's order that he didn't so much as snark back in response.

Oral pleasure wasn't something Stede had much experience with, but he didn't let that stop him from trying his best, staring up at Izzy's face to see what he liked best as he worked. Sliding his tongue up and down Izzy's folds was effective, but sucking Izzy's cock into his mouth was enough to make Izzy bite down on his fist to muffle a scream. Stede was determined to get that reaction again before making Izzy come, assuming he reached that point.

Fingering Izzy's cunt as he continued to lick and kiss all over Izzy's groin, Stede wondered if Ed had ever pleasured Izzy like this. Izzy seemed dedicated enough that it was likely the two were somehow involved. Izzy had never promised Stede exclusivity, and he wouldn't expect that from him. Stede was just a convenient fuck, after all, albeit a good enough one that Izzy kept coming back, despite the lack of orgasms. Having multiple encounters was building Stede's confidence that the sex was good enough, even if he was fumbling his way through most of the time.

It would be nice if Izzy would respect him as a person or even as a pirate on top of as a potential sexual partner, but he knew that was too much to ask for. He should be grateful for what he had. There was no point in wanting Izzy to look at him the way he looked at Ed. Especially when Stede was beginning to realize that his feelings towards Ed might be more than friendship. Outside of Izzy and Ed, Stede couldn't think of anyone he would kill for, and considering he knew his feelings towards Izzy were sexual in nature, that didn't exactly imply platonic things about his feelings towards Ed.

It was hard for Stede to stay focused on just the sex in any encounter, but at least he wasn't babbling as much as usual with his mouth occupied with Izzy's cunt. The last thing he needed was to say something about Izzy's beauty, only to wonder aloud how striking he and Ed must look when they were together. That didn't stop Stede from picturing it, however, and as Izzy clenched his legs around Stede's head, coming and squirting all over Stede's jaw with a shout that sounded almost like Stede's name, the sensation combined with the mental image was enough to make Stede come untouched, his spend spattering all across his chest and the settee. He was in shock over the fact that Izzy had let Stede knowingly give him an orgasm, but he couldn't think of what had changed for him to allow such a thing. All they had done was talk about Edward and the fact that Stede cared for both him and Izzy.

Apparently not one for afterglow even with an orgasm under his belt, Izzy climbed off the settee quickly, getting dressed and exiting with a quiet "clean up your mess, Bonnet," that almost sounded teasing in its gentleness.

Stede was too lost in his own thoughts to say anything in return before Izzy was out the door. Perhaps he could have some sort of conversation with the two pirates. If nothing else, maybe they would let him watch, now that Izzy was lowering his boundaries properly.

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Stede should have known he was too fearful to broach the topic with Ed or Izzy. He might have been able to overcome enough of his fears to run off to sea, but he was still a coward at heart, and he worried how much a rejection could hurt.

Ed appeared to take well enough to his personality, and as far as Stede could tell, he at least acted as though he respected the strange way in which Stede ran the ship. He certainly indicated a desire to share in Stede’s proclivities for fabric and fine foods, and to top it off, Ed had even complemented his lunacy. 

Izzy almost assuredly liked Stede as a sexual partner, coming back for more after every encounter, no matter how poor Stede worried his performance had been. To want Izzy to like him as a person or for Ed to desire him as a partner was completely selfish, and it was a desire Stede knew was unlikely to come to fruition.

Either way, Stede wanted to spend time with them both, even if he couldn't have what he really wanted. It was with that in mind that he planned the treasure hunt while his crew was busy restocking their orange supplies.

The entire thing was an unmitigated disaster. Ed beat a snake to death, Izzy groaned about the risk of Blackbeard running around in some random port, Stede burnt up the map in a fire, and while it all culminated in both a lovely lunch and the discovery of a petrified orange, the weather took a turn for the worse before they could get back to the boat, and there was no way Stede was riding in a rowboat to reach The Revenge with waves so high.

Ed claimed that he didn't realize the rain was coming, but based on the way Izzy looked at him in response and the smug smile on Ed's face as he said it, Stede wondered if that was really true. Either way, the three of them ended up at the local inn, attempting to rent a room for the night.

"Solo hay una habitación," the receptionist informed them. Though Stede could read ecclesiastical Latin and there was overlap between the romance languages, the man spoke quickly, and it wasn't like Stede ever heard Latin spoken aloud, so it practically sounded like gibberish to his ears. Regardless,  it sounded like the man was saying that there was room available for them, so Stede decided to power on.

"Yes, please, rooms for all of us!" Stede paid the receptionist and was handed a single key. He looked down at it, surprised. Perhaps all the rooms used the same key. That didn't seem like a very good security measure, but they were in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't as if Stede could have a conversation with the receptionist about it, so he decided to go to room eight first, since that was the number written on the key. Opening the door, he could immediately see a problem.

There was only one bed.

It was a large bed, but that still wouldn't do. Surely the key opened more rooms. Stepping into the room, Stede passed the key off to Ed.

"Well, I'd like to get out of these wet clothes… perhaps the two of you can go figure out what other rooms this key unlocks?"

Izzy huffed, following him into the room. "The key doesn't unlock any other rooms, Bonnet. Do you not speak even rudimentary Spanish? This is the last room they had available."

Ed chuckled, following them into the room and closing the door behind them. He immediately started to strip, tossing his jacket over the back of a nearby chair. "Cut the man some slack, Iz. We didn't all learn basic Spanish, French, and German just to negotiate with traders."

Stede hadn't known Izzy spoke so many languages. It didn't matter how little of them he could speak, understanding four languages to some degree was still impressive. Evidently, Izzy didn't like having his skills praised so openly, as he turned bright red, turning away as he set to work on his own clothes. "Whatever. Still, we're all fucking stuck in here. Might as well make the best of it. I'll take the floor."

"There's no sense in that! We'll all fit in the bed." Stede couldn't say what prompted him to voice such a thought, but he was hardly thinking straight, doing his best not to look at Ed and Izzy as they both grew progressively more naked.

"Stede's right. Plenty of room for all of us." Ed paused once he was in his smalls, everything but his groin on display. Stede felt like he might set ablaze where he stood, still frozen by the bed. "Stede, mate? Didn't you say you wanted to get out of your wet clothes? Need help?"

The offer of help was enough to get Stede moving. He didn't need Izzy thinking he couldn't even get undressed without help—the man already thought he was an idiot. And surely Ed didn't want to have to touch him to help undress him. He was just being nice.

"No, I've got it! Just surprised, apologies." Stede's voice was a squeak. He turned just so he didn't have to see the responses to his faffing about. He undressed in record time, folding his clothes carefully over the curtain rod to help them dry properly.

By the time he turned back around, Ed and Izzy were both sitting on the edge of the bed, underwear the only thing preventing Stede from seeing all of them. He had seen Izzy partially naked before, of course, but they had never had any reason to take their shirts off during their encounters, and it was his first time seeing the man shirtless. There were two scars underneath each of his pecs, likely from some sort of surgery based on the precision of the cuts, and there were other scars and stab wounds scattered across his stomach and arms. Though he and Ed had changed together when they swapped clothes that first day, he hadn't paid attention to Ed's body at the time. Seeing all of his tattoos made Stede want to circle him to examine how far some of them went.

Both Ed and Izzy were scarred and tattooed, and if he were being honest with himself, Stede found himself wanting to map out their skin with his lips. His own skin was pale and unblemished, so boring in comparison, and he suppressed the urge to cover himself as both of their eyes locked on him. At least focusing on their gazes, trying to puzzle out what they thought, was a good distraction from Stede's conflicting desires to hide and touch.

Unsure why he was being stared at so intently, Stede cleared his throat, hoping it might break the spell everyone seemed to be under. Izzy looked away, hands tightening into fists, but Ed continued to stare, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he leaned back.. "Ready for bed, mate?"

"I suppose so… how are we doing this?" Stede took a hesitant step forward. More than anything, he wanted to be in the middle, but he couldn't voice such a thing without explaining why.

"I'll take the middle." It was the first time Izzy had spoken up since first entering the room, and Stede found himself caught off guard at the request. "Can't trust the two of you to behave otherwise."

Stede didn't know what Izzy was trying to imply, but Ed seemed to get it, grin only growing wider as he moved over to the top of the bed to slide under the covers, taking the side closer to the door. "Guess that means you get the wall, Stede. Don't worry, Iz and I will protect you if anyone breaks in."

Izzy scoffed and rolled his eyes as he joined Ed at the top of the bed, situating himself under the covers in the middle, but he didn't dispute Ed's claim. As demeaning as it was, the insinuation that these two would need to protect him, Stede was flattered all the same that they would want to do so.

As Stede made his way to the bed, blowing out the candles lighting the room, he realized he would have to crawl over Ed and Izzy to reach the wall. It really would have made much more sense for him to get in first, but it was too late for that. He had to make do, trying not to think too much about how easy it would be to kiss either man as he made his way over them. Once he was settled, Stede wondered if he was meant to stay pressed to the wall, as far from Izzy as possible.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Izzy rested a hand on his hip, tugging him closer. Cuddling was apparently on the table. Perfect. Even if Stede couldn't sleep in the middle, a good cuddle was really more than he deserved, anyway. He could be happy with that.

The warmth of Izzy pressed against him was enough to send Stede to sleep quickly, even with the soundtrack of Ed's snores trying to keep him awake.

When Stede next woke, it was to the sound of Izzy panting quietly in his ear, hips undulating and pressing against Stede's thigh. At first, Stede thought he might be having a nightmare, but then he recognized that the sounds Izzy was making were more familiar than that.

"Izzy… are you awake?" Stede did his best to keep his voice quiet, not wanting to disturb Ed, or to wake Izzy if he was actually having a wet dream rather than simply touching himself, but based on the way Izzy grumbled and opened his eyes, he hadn't been conscious as he made the pleased noises which woke Stede. Still waking up, Izzy stretched a bit, but froze when he realized what position they were in, Izzy sprawled over Stede with Stede's thigh pressed between his legs.

The awkward silence dragged on, and Stede realized that Izzy wasn't going to speak first. Ed's snores were the only sound filling their little room, the man apparently a heavier sleeper than Stede. He could let it go, let Izzy get away with pretending nothing had happened, and try to go back to sleep, but he found that he didn't want to.

"If you need to get off, you know I'd be happy to help, darling. I've always wanted nothing more than to give you pleasure when you're with me."

He wasn't sure if it was the endearment that did it or the offer itself, but Izzy was quickly wrapped around him properly, burying his face in Stede's throat as he humped Stede's leg. It was a wonder that Ed hadn't woken, but Stede supposed Izzy knew just how loud he could be without waking him. They had known one another for a long time, after all—they had probably bunked together at some point. Considering how casual they were about sharing a bed and Stede's suspicions about the nature of their relationship, they had likely done more than bunk together. That almost made it more flattering that Izzy was using Stede to get off rather than Ed.

"That's a good boy. Are you going to come?" Stede was doing his best not to talk too much as he stroked along Izzy's back, but he couldn't resist talking at least a little, trying to help Izzy reach climax. Real dirty talk wasn't something Stede felt capable of, but quiet endearments he could offer, and Izzy seemed to enjoy them, considering he bit into Stede's throat and came with a quiet sigh.

Izzy's breaths and his own heartbeats were the only sounds Stede could hear as he peppered Izzy's cheeks and forehead with kisses, rewarding him for doing such a good job staying quiet. Stede was hard in his smalls, but he wasn't particularly inclined to do anything about it. Helping Izzy had been a reward all its own.

"The two of you do that often, then?" Ed's voice broke the quiet serenity, and Stede startled, realizing that it had been a few minutes since he last heard Ed snore. Izzy practically leapt out of his skin, flinging himself out from under the covers, crab walking to the other end of the bed.

"No Captain! Sorry Captain, I'll leave. I didn't mean anything by it." Stede had never seen Izzy so deferential. He seemed petrified, trying to escape the bed as quickly as possible to distance himself from Ed and Stede, but Ed grabbed him by the arm, yanking him back to his position in the middle.

"You aren't going anywhere. You're right where you belong." Izzy made a quiet, confused noise in response, and Ed groaned. "You're mine, yeah?"

"Yes, Blackbeard."

"No, cut it out with that shit. You're mine. Edward's. Right?" Stede couldn't see much of Ed, the room only doing so much to light up the room, but he imagined that he looked irate as he manhandled Izzy into his lap. He wondered if Ed was jealous Izzy had allowed Stede to get him off rather than waking Edward. Stede imagined Izzy had likely done so because he wanted Ed to get a full night of sleep, as much as he might have liked to flatter himself by thinking that he was Izzy's first choice.

"You know I am. I'm not trying to steal Bonnet from you." Steal Stede from Ed ? That certainly hadn't been what was going on. Stede wanted both of them. If anything, he was the one taking Izzy's attention away from Ed. Izzy wasn't distracting Stede from his growing attraction to Ed in the least, no matter how much he wished he didn't have such complicated feelings for the two men. Stede longed to rectify the situation by explaining such things, but he suspected that his input would only make everything more difficult, so he forced his mouth closed, jaw clenched.

"I don't care about that." Ed paused, and based on the rustling Stede heard, he suspected Ed was running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Okay, I do care about that. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm asking about you being mine, not Stede."

"You're jealous of Bonnet right now? Why?" Izzy, incredulous as ever, sounded on the verge of laughter at the question.

"Why? Because he made you come, Iz! While I was right fucking here! Have you done that before? Sure sounded like it."

When Izzy didn't answer, Ed swatted a hand out at Stede's arm. Stede jumped at the contact, not expecting to be addressed. "Stede. I know you're fucking listening. Have you and Izzy done that before?"

"Not that… exact thing, no." It was technically true. They had never had Izzy rutting against Stede to achieve orgasm in the past.

"But you've fucked him? Made him come? Had him fall apart, just for you?" Ed's voice was totally even. Stede couldn't begin to understand how he was feeling beneath the facade, so he decided to be completely honest.

"A few times, yes." Izzy made a quiet noise of distress.

"And you liked it, Iz?"

Again, Izzy remained silent, but Ed must have done something, as Izzy suddenly yelped. "Yes! Yes, I fucking liked it, okay? Wouldn't have let him touch me if I didn't. But it doesn't mean anything."

That hurt, Stede had to admit. He knew he and Izzy weren't committed at all, but he had hoped Izzy was a little fond of him outside of the sex. He supposed that was too much to ask for.

"It doesn't mean anything, or you don't want me to think it means anything? I don't think want you to fucking lie to me. I know what it means to you, being vulnerable with someone like that. I can't believe I thought you didn't like Stede, and you respect him enough to think he deserves that, to really believe his intentions towards you are good."

"If you don't like that we're doing it, it doesn't mean anything. We'll stop. Doesn't matter if I like him or respect him or anything else." Though Izzy sounded unhappy, there was steel in his voice. He really would end things with little more than a word from Ed.

"Damn it, Izzy! I'm not trying to ask you to fucking end things with him. I'm just trying to understand. I thought you didn't like Stede. You seemed pissed about me being interested in him. Yet you're saying it's not because you wanted him to yourself. What was the problem, then?" Jealousy was clear in Ed's rant, but Stede could tell he was holding himself back from getting properly angry. Ed's questions were also enough for Stede to realize something.

Ed and Izzy weren't together. Possibly hadn't ever been together. Ed was jealous of Izzy because he was with Stede. More importantly, however, Ed was jealous of Stede for being with Izzy. And Izzy was the same way. He might have liked Stede well enough, but Ed was his everything. If Ed had told Izzy that he was interested in Stede, perhaps Izzy was jealous as well. Jealous of Stede, for Ed being interested in him.

"We're all idiots." Stede couldn't believe it.

"What?" Izzy might have been reluctant to answer Ed's questions, but he was quick to snap at Stede's comment.

"We all want to be together. I thought it was just me who felt that way. But Ed wants to be with me. Izzy, you and I are already sleeping together. And the two of you want to be together as well, right?" None of it sounded real as Stede said it. Surely he was dreaming and this was something out of his storybooks. There was no way these two men, experienced in love and life and piracy, wanted Stede Bonnet as their partner. Perhaps as a bed warmer, at best.

"Yeah. All of that. Of fucking course that's what I want. Isn't that what I was saying? Doesn't being mine extend to that, too, Iz?" For the first time since waking up, rather than jealous or angry or apathetic, Ed sounded nervous. Stede rather thought that his own revelation hadn't been what Ed was saying, or if it was, he was communicating it quite poorly, but he supposed it didn't matter, now that everything was out in the open.

"Does being…it's always extended to that, you idiot. Who else have I ever been so loyal to?" Stede suspected Izzy was a lot more pleased than he let on, but he wouldn't call him out on it. Slowly, he moved closer, pressing against Ed's side and resting a hand on Izzy's back.

"Well then, perhaps next time you need to be taken in hand, Ed and I can both assist."

Ed pressed a kiss to Stede's cheek, and Stede could feel the smile in it as he pulled away. "Sounds perfect to me… only if next time we have a date, it isn't on fucking land."

Finally, Izzy laughed, breaking the last of the tension. "We can agree on that, at least. But it's too late to talk about all this shit. Sex and dates are good and all, but right now, I want to sleep."

Part of Stede suspected that Izzy wanted to close the discussion because he knew there was plenty left unsaid about his own feelings, but it wasn't the time to push. Distraction tactic or not, Izzy was right, they needed sleep. Whatever issues he had with the three of them being together, there would be time later to sort them out.

Settling into silence, the three of them shifted back to resume slumber, squished much more tightly together than was necessary for the large bed, their position change the best way to acknowledge that things could be different with their relationship going forward. Izzy's head rested against Ed's chest, and Stede's front was plastered to Izzy's back. On top of Izzy, Stede and Ed were holding hands. There was still much to negotiate, and jealousy to overcome, but at least they had taken a step forward. They knew that they wanted to try some sort of relationship with all three of them, though the labels and boundaries remained undefined. Even if Stede hadn't ever fit in any roles he'd chosen, perhaps this role, created just for him as Ed and Izzy's partner, would be one that he could fill perfectly once he sorted out just what it meant to be with them.