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Izzy was sure he heard something in Jim’s room. And Jim was on land with the Captain. It was too big to be a rat, which meant it must be a stow away.

He kicked the door open, not letting the potential stow away run for cover.

On the other side, Lucius squealed, trying to dive under the bed, but not managing it in time. “You’re supposed to be dead,” Izzy said, squinting at him.

Lucius swallowed, staring up at him from the floor. “I…AM dead,” he said, standing up. “Ooooooh, I’ve come back to haunt the Revenge!” He wiggled his fingers at Izzy in what was supposed to be menacing.

“You hung onto the barnacle swing until Jim pulled you up and has been hiding you here,” Izzy said, putting the pieces together.

Lucius dropped his arms. “Ah, yeah.”

Izzy turned on his heel, heading out. “Wait, please!” Lucius said, grabbing his arm to pull him back into the room. He kicked the door, closing Izzy in, and Izzy suddenly felt just the slightest hint at being trapped. Not really, he knew he was more than capable of leaving if he wanted. But the instinct had been there.

“Listen,” Lucius said, pulling him out of that moment, “What do you think about NOT telling the Captain I’m here, huh?”

Izzy turned on him, back to the door. “And why the hell would I do that?”

Lucius swallowed, and Izzy watched his throat bob slightly. “I’ll tell everyone about the Spewer story.”

“Fang and Ivan already know,” Izzy said, “And the others here aren’t like your little friends. They’ll fall in line.”

Lucius was panicking now, and Izzy admitted some pleasure in seeing it, after all the hell Lucius had put him through. “I’ll do anything,” Lucius said, “I’ll give you whatever you want, every day if you want, I…” he sank to his knees, “I’ll make sure you won’t regret it, please, just don’t kill me.”

The way Lucius was eyeing his belt made it pretty clear what ‘anything’ he was referring to. It was what he’d been trying for, after all, this power. But as Lucius groveled, he found he didn’t want it. Not like this.

“Get up,” Izzy said, pushing him away. “Don’t move.”

Izzy took off back to his room and then came back. When he did, Lucius was trying to wiggle himself through the port hole. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Lucius dropped back down, “Well there were limited options for escaping and–” he then noted what Izzy was holding, “What’s that?”

Izzy shook it, getting it to make that wrinkling sound. “It’s a newspaper.”

“I KNOW it’s a newspaper,” Lucius said, coming back, “WHY do you have a newspaper?”

He opened where he’d folded the paper back to see a vaguely accurate sketch of Stede Bonnet’s face. He’d seen it in the last port they’d docked in, and snatched it before Blackbeard could take a look. He didn’t know what it said, but anything with Bonnet’s face on it was bound to be trouble. “Read it to me,” he said, pushing it onto Lucius.

Lucius flinched, but grabbed it, opening it carefully and looking the article over. “Stede Bonnet, husband to Mary Bonnet and father of 2, d-” Lucius stops, blinking as he absorbs the words, “Dies at 45…”

“Dead?” Izzy asked, “How?”

“I’m getting there, hold on,” Lucius said, “Several months ago, Bonnet surprised friends and colleagues by having a ship built and taking off to seas, presumably to leave his wealth and family behind to become a pirate. However, a short week after his return, He was attempting to give a public apology to his wife, whom he had humiliated at her own art show the evening previous in a drunken display. While apologizing he was–” Lucius paused, flinching, “attacked by a Jungle cat?”

“What?” Izzy said, “It doesn’t really say that.”

“It does so!” Lucius said, “Once the cat was subdued, Bonnet was run over with a carriage! And then trapped under a falling piano.”

“Ok, haha,” Izzy said, “You’ve had your laugh, now tell me what it really says or I’ll push you over myself.”

“Look, creative writing was never my strong suit,” Lucius said, “Here, look, it’s a sketch of the cat.” Indeed, there was a drawing of a Jungle Cat below the fold.

Lucius sat on the bed as Izzy absorbed the information. “Can’t believe he’s dead. I mean, I CAN, he’s kind of an idiot and everyone wanted to kill him. But still.” He gave Izzy a sharp look. “I suppose you’re happy about this.”

Izzy took a deep breath, thinking through the information and the possibilities. “Captain can’t know about this,” he muttered, more to himself than to Lucius.

“Well I’m not fucking telling him,” Lucius said, eyebrow raised.

Izzy looked at him. “Look,” He said, “The Captain’s mood is…fragile. He’s back, but he’s still different. If he sees anything that might upset him, he might backslide, and I don’t know what might happen.”

“I do,” Lucius said, “I saw what happens WAY too up close.” He lounged back on the bed, “I wonder if he’ll knock you off the ship next.”

Izzy glared. “You can stay,” he said, “On the condition you help me. I need to know what’s happening out there, and if there’s anything else like that,” he pointed at the paper. “We need to regulate this, and in order to do it, I need to know things sooner than the Captain.”

Lucius shrugged, “Could use a little light reading. Pleasure doing business.”

It was something of a routine. Izzy would grab whatever papers were available in town and smuggle them aboard the ship. He took them to Jim’s room.

The first time Jim caught him in their room, Izzy quickly felt the cold of a dagger on his throat, before Lucius flung himself over, “Wait, wait wait, it’s ok! Don’t kill him!” Jim paused long enough for Lucius to give a quick explanation.

Jim was clearly not pleased about the arrangement. “Could you do it in your room or something?”

“If Blackbeard sees Lucius, he’ll have all three of our heads.” Izzy said, sitting on what must have once been Oluwande’s bed. Lucius sat beside him, sorting through the newspaper.

Jim shoved their bed aside and opened up a panel that was hidden, “Stede put secret passages all through the ship,” Jim said, “Your room should be 3rd on the left.”

“The fuck,” Izzy said, “That imbecile…what a fucking waste of space.”

“Apparently not,” Jim said, “Vamanos! Leave me alone!”

This lead to Lucius spending way more time in Izzy’s room than Izzy would like. Even when he wasn’t reading the reports. “Jim needs alone time,” Lucius said, “And honestly, I’m more scared of them than I am you.”

Which Izzy felt like he should be offended by, but it was JIM, so he could withstand Lucius there for a while, “As long as you stay silent.”

Lucius opened his mouth, “Ah!” Izzy said, “I can always cut you down and be rid of the problem.”

Lucius smiled. He tapped the newspapers, and Izzy rolled his eyes. He supposed he could let the boy live for now.

“I wish people would stop calling me ‘Boy.’” Lucius said, a few days later, “I’m 30 years old. Haven’t been a boy in ages.”

“Just the way you carry yourself,” Izzy said, polishing his weapons, “Like you’re weak. Submissive.”

Lucius smirked at him in a way Izzy did not like. “What makes you think I’m submissive?” Izzy quickly dropped the line of questions.

Izzy knew he found Lucius attractive, though he’d rather swallow his own sword than do anything to admit it. Ever since that stupid boy had successfully blackmailed him, he’d featured in a number of Izzy’s dreams. The consequences of doing anything to indulge in that were, of course, unthinkable. Even Lucius little offer was too risky.

Izzy preferred to take care of things by hiring a prostitute in port. It was easier with a stranger, one who’d never see him again.

But with Lucius there…in his room, sometimes sitting and lounging on his bed, with that stupid scarf and his shirt open and some chest hair and…

“Would you get out,” Izzy hissed at him.

Lucius looked up from the paper that was in front of him. “Sorry, did YOU want to read these?”

“It’s taking too long,” Izzy snarled.

“Well, if you want me to teach you, then you can help me go faster.” Lucius snapped back. And he had meant it as an insult. But the words stuck in Izzy’s brain.

Finally, he sat down, staring as Lucius absorbed the information from the paper straight into his brain. “Show me.”

“What?” Lucius asked, half paying attention.

“Show me how to read.” Lucius blinked up at him. “Just the basics. So I can skim them first, see what’s relevant.” Last time he’d gotten Lucius a lady’s magazine to read, which he should have guessed wasn’t news.

Lucius frowned, but nodded. He got his sketchbook and started writing in big looping letters. “Alright, so, this is the alphabet,” Lucius said, “There’s capital and lowercase. Capital is for the beginning of sentences and proper names and such.” Izzy nodded, absorbing as quickly as possible. “We’ll start with just memorizing. These ones are for A…”

They spent the rest of the night going over it by candle. Izzy found himself looking over Lucius shoulder, resting on him slightly, just to see the page better. When he realized it, he backed away quickly. He was pretty sure Lucius noticed based off the twitch in his eyebrow, but he didn’t say.

The next day, Lucius showed him a set of words. “Use the letters, sound it out.”

Izzy braced. He was ready for anything. “This one’s an I.” He remembered the vowels decently. “Aim–”

“Am,” Lucius corrected, “remember, vowels can be pronounced differently.”

Izzy sighed. Apparently he didn’t remember the vowels decently. “I….AM….a…” he looked at Lucius for confirmation, and he nodded, “to-Tee-waa.” He frowned, focusing on the symbols.

“String it together, you got it,” Lucius encouraged.

Izzy took a breath. “I…am…a…twwwwat—oh what the fuck!”

Lucius giggled, even as Izzy punched him in the chest, knocking him off the bed, “Ah, worth it.” Izzy growled. “But you did it! You read your first sentence!” Lucius stood, “That’s really good for learning the alphabet yesterday.”

He seemed generally proud of Izzy, which made him feel all kinds of ways. “You enjoy being a regular fucking wanker, don’t you.”

“I do,” Lucius smiled, “Here, I’ve got something better,” he said, flipping the page to show two words.

“I’m not reading that out loud again,” Izzy said, though he tried to sound it out in his head.

“This one’s not a prank, come on,” he said, and pointed to the different parts. “Is..ra…el...Hands. It’s your name.”

Lucius offered Izzy the book, which he stared at in a sort of reverence. He must have seen his name before, but it was weird that this string of symbols somehow meant HIM. “Its got a ‘s’ in it?” he said.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“But it makes a ‘zzz’ sound,” Israel said, “Shouldn’t it have a z?”

“I don’t know man,” Lucius said, “Some letters have similar sounds.”

“How can you tell which its supposed to be, then?” Izzy said.

Lucius shrugged. “You just kind of memorize it after a while.”

Izzy groaned, tossing the book aside. “Hey!” Lucius said, grabbing it, “I’m serious, you know. You memorized that fast.”

“Gotta learn fast when you’re Blackbeard’s first mate,” he said.

Lucius smiled at him. “You’re not so bad, you know,” he said, “When you get your head out of your ass.”

Izzy scowled. “Get the fuck out of my room, Spriggs.”

“Right-o”

Lucius scampered back to Jim’s room, but he left his book behind. Izzy stared for a while at his name. Lucius had pretty handwriting. It was like art. It was a tie between him and Lucius.

Izzy threw the book away, trying to make his brain go anywhere else. He was getting too excited, too interested, and by a stupid thing like handwriting. It wouldn’t be allowed. He wouldn’t allow it.

He desperately tried to get images of the other man out of his head. Handsome, maybe. And kind. But that made him weak, and being weak made him next to worthless. Giving into his urges would give Lucius power, and he wasn’t going to give that to someone worthless.

Still, no one had informed his subconscious. That night he dreamed that Lucius was his captain–a ridiculous thought when he woke up–but he served him and fought beside him and protected him. And Lucius pulled him into the Captain’s quarters and ravished him in ways that didn’t make sense when he thought of them later.

Despite the lack of sense, he woke up warm and stiff. There wasn’t much sense of privacy on a ship so he took care of it quickly and quietly as he could. He tried to keep thoughts of Lucius out of his mind, but the more he thought about NOT thinking of things, the more he of course thought of it.

He focused on familiar images, Blackbeard, when he really was Blackbeard in his full regalia and commanding him and–

In the end, Lucius smug little sneer when he looked down at Izzy popped to the front of his mind, and he came with a breath and a deep hatred of himself.

Luckily he didn’t have to face Lucius that day, or his inner turmoil at all. Blackbeard decided to attack a fellow pirate.

In general attacks on other pirates were frowned upon, as a matter of custom. Pirates were just trying to get by. This one seemed to be a merchant ship who took to the hard life recently, probably after it failed too often to make enough on its shipments.

Meaning they were no match for Blackbeard.

“There will be consequences,” Izzy told Blackbeard, “The other pirates will retaliate.”

“Let them,” Blackbeard said, snarling.

The battle was fierce, the young pirates full of passion if little experience. Blackbeard cut them down, a whirlwind of swords and blood.

Izzy would love to say it was like old times, but it wasn’t. Blackbeard usually ordered Izzy to take care of the messier portions. This time Blackbeard was in the center, though didn’t seem to take much enjoyment from it. He just killed and killed and screamed.

Izzy was left back with the ship, which was difficult enough as they quickly took on boarders. “Steady, men!” Izzy called out. Jim gave him a look. “And others,” he quickly added on. He was harsh, but he wasn’t a dick.

The boarders scattered, spreading the remaining men thin. Blackbeard had started some fire on the enemy ship, and more were coming over just to escape.

“HANDS!” Jim shouted, sticking their dagger into a pair of boarders that was attacking Frenchie. He turned and saw where they were pointing. A boarder was going below decks, right near the entrance of his rooms.

Maybe it was just the rush of battle going through his head, but Izzy ran with all his might to follow him. His eyes were focused only on the door, the boarder, the rooms and what lay below them.

His focus was a mistake. As he ran, he felt a sharp pain through his shoulder. He’d been stabbed in his right shoulder, the sword slipping just past his shoulder blade. He lurched, feeling as the sword was pulled from him.

He could turn and get his attacker. Jim and the others would fall on him soon enough, but Izzy could be the one to stop and kill him, destroy him for daring to stab him.

He kept going.

His arm stopped responding very well, so he switched his sword to his left hand as he stumbled down the stairs to follow the intruder. The battle rang over him, but it sounded so far away. Now he heard something new: Lucius. He couldn’t make out words, but his voice was high pitched and clearly scared. Izzy pushed forward.

His own room was open, the boarder inside with a sword pointed at the secret entrance. Lucius must have tried to smuggle himself away, but got caught.

“Please, just listen to me,” Lucius shrieked, “I can show you where all the best loot is, I know everything, just put the sword–”

Izzy launched himself forward. The boarder noticed him too late, turning just in time for Izzy to jam his sword through the soft flesh of his neck. Lucius screamed as the man fell off his sword onto the ground. “Ah,” Lucius said, “Well, thanks for that, now I’ll–”

The lights in the room got blurry and Lucius voice fell away. Izzy felt very cold. Then he felt nothing at all.

There were flashes. Lucius. Blackbeard. Jim. Ivan. He actually thought he heard Stede Bonnet at one point. Maybe he was dying. That would be a hell for him, spending eternity with fucking Bonnet.

It was ridiculous, of course. He wasn’t dying. It hurt too fucking much.

His eyes fluttered open any number ot times, but finally the ship stopped spinning when he did so. Someone was in the room with him. “Ed…” he said softly.

“Try again.” A voice said, harsh.

His next thought was Lucius. He felt a surge of something deep in his chest. But then his vision stopped swimming as much, and he saw Fang standing at the base of his bed. “Hey, are you actually awake this time?”

“Fang..” he muttered, “What…” he wanted to ask a lot of things, but talking was still an adjustment.

“You got stabbed, man,” Fang said, “I’m just bringing some fresh cloth for bandages.”

There was a rumbling of wood rubbing on wood, and Lucius came up out of the secret entrance. Izzy inhaled sharply.

“It’s ok,” Lucius said, “Fang’s cool, he won’t rat me out to the Captain.” He took the cloth bandages from Fang and pulled a chair up alongside Izzy’s bedside. “I got him from here, thanks Fang.”

Fang nodded, heading out and closing the door behind him.

Lucius touched at his shoulder, and Izzy finally noticed the large bandage over his shoulder. His shirt had been pulled off leaving him bare chested. “What happened?” he asked, words coming easier.

“You mean after you stormed in here, killed a man, and then fainted from blood loss?” Lucius asked, gently unwrapping the bandage, “Well, you’ll be happy to know your Captain won the battle and sank the enemy ship. In the meanwhile, you ruined my favorite vest as I used it to keep your insides from flooding out of you.” He did notice that Lucius was not wearing the little garment. “Jim and Fang thankfully heard me screaming and came down. Frenchie was able to sew up the wound, and now you’re on strict bed rest until you can convince us you won’t keel over.”

Izzy groaned softly as Lucius revealed the wound. He took some water and a damp cloth, wiping it down. Izzy flinched as it stung. “I know, I know,” Lucius said, “I’m being as careful as I can.”

“I’m fine,” Izzy hissed out his teeth. “I’ve been hurt worse than this.”

“I’m sure you have,” Lucius said, “But you’re not exactly as young as you used to be. Unless you’re actually a teenager or something, in which case, you’ve aged horribly.”

Despite himself, he actually let out something that was something like a laugh. Lucius' hands were surprisingly strong against Izzy’s chest, contrasting against the cold water. He lifted Izzy off the bed, turning him to clean the wound on the other side.

Something about him working behind him, of him manhandling Izzy, and at the same time showing him tenderness…it was doing something deep in his core. It was a pleasure that was trying to break through ages of built up walls of rock hard armor that he’d maintained for years and years and–

“Stop,” Izzy said, clenching his jaw.

“I’m almost done,” Lucius said, continuing without so much as slowing down. Izzy felt the wooden finger on his skin, going over the muscle.

“I said stop!” Izzy said, slamming back against the bed in a way that sent pain shooting through his body. It was preferable to the pleasure of Lucius hands against him. “Get out.”

“I’m trying to HELP you, you saggy sack of shit!” Lucius yelled at him, grabbing at his shoulder more forcefully. “I still have to re-bandage it.”

“I’ll do it myself,” Izzy said, swatting him away, “Leave. I don’t want you here.”

“Israel Hands, stay still!” Lucius shouted, his voice like knives. They pinned Izzy to the bed, and he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. It was like Lucius words had actually taken hold of his brain, shorting him out.

Lucius paused, confused by his behavior. When he was sure Izzy wasn’t going to move anymore, he took out the bandage and started wrapping it around him. “Should have guessed you liked being bossed around.” Izzy looked away, unable to face him and his sneer. “Hey, it’s ok,” Lucius said, softly, “Everyone has their thing. I happen to have several things.”

Izzy scoffed, but didn’t turn back. “Of course you do.” He might have imagined it, but he thought Lucius was moving a little slower, a little more carefully over Izzy’s skin.

“No need to be judgy,” Lucius chided him, in the tone of a mother teaching her child. “I’m not judging you. It’s almost sweet.”

“I’m not sweet,” Izzy said, but he felt like a petulant child refusing vegetables, “I’m a pirate. A hardened killer.”

“Everyone has a soft side,” Lucius said, “It’s ok. You need it, to keep you going.”

“NOT everyone has one,” Izzy snarled, “I don’t.”

Lucius paused, and then poked at Izzy’s belly. “What the fuck!” Izzy said, finally looking at him, and he felt trapped. Lucius was smiling at him, a little smug and a little fond. Blood rushed all over his body, swirling low in his stomach.

Lucius’ smile twitched, like he knew exactly what he was doing to Izzy. “Soft sides aren’t bad,” he said, “It keeps your hard shell together. Without it, you’d crumble.” Lucius snorted to himself, “Exhibit A, Fucking Blackbeard. Drained his soft side out and now he’s a wreck.”

“Don’t talk that way about the Captain,” Izzy said, pushing up, but Lucius just pushed him back down, fixing him with a stare. “Softness is weakness.”

“Nah,” Lucius dismissed him nonchalantly. Izzy frowned at him. “How to get it through your thick skull…think of a sword.” he held up his wooden finger like it was a weapon. “A really hard sword can go through a lot of things. But when it hits something also hard, like say, a cherry wood mast–”

“Fuck you.”

“It’ll shatter,” Lucius said, hitting his finger against his opposite palm. “Now, a different sword,” Lucius raised his organic index finger. “Which is a little softer is also a lot more flexible,” He brought it to his palm and bent it, “And that sword is going to survive.”

“What, so you being a pansy bastard is some form of self-protection?” Izzy sneered.

“Sure, you can think of it that way,” Lucius said, resuming his work around Izzy’s chest. “And you can sneer all you want, it’s worked. I survived Blackbeard. I survived Jim. I survived you.” Lucius pulled tight on the bandage at that. “And I survived the streets, pickpocketing and flirting my way around the Caribbean.”

“You wouldn’t have survived that boarder if I hadn’t come,” Izzy said.

“Sure I would,” Lucius said, tying it off, “I was in the middle of convincing him I was your concubine, and he could claim me as part of the booty. Innuendo intended.”

The feelings flashing through Izzy went too fast for him to catalog them, so he didn’t bother. “So you were going to survive as a whore.”

“I was going to survive!” Lucius snapped, “That’s what I do. And if that means acting like how everyone wants me to act, then that’s what I’ll do, and I don’t need a judgy prick telling me I’m doing it wrong.”

Silence settled in the room, Lucius looking down at him with his mouth in a determined frown, daring Izzy to contradict him. Izzy could feel his heart making an escape attempt, trying to beat its way through the thick jail cell of his ribs. Maybe he was too weak, but he couldn’t stop the thoughts of what he wanted, wanted Lucius to keep talking to him like that, wanted him to put his hands back on him, wanted him to touch him everywhere…

He shook himself. At the least he could stop himself from acting on it. He looked away.

“You should still learn to fight,” Izzy said, more to the pillow than Lucius. “At least some basics. So your best option isn’t to fuck your way out.”

Lucius snorted. Izzy hadn’t really meant to be funny. “Once you’re better,” Lucius said, “You can show me.”

Something light fell on Izzy’s chest, jerking him out of his staring contest with the wall. It was a newspaper. “What’s this?”

“It’s a newspaper,” Lucius said, snarking.

“I know–oh damn you,” He looked at it. “What does it say?”

“I dunno,” Lucius said, and he could hear him lounging in his chair, “Why don’t you tell me?”

Izzy glared at him out of the corner of his eye. Lucius smirked, giving him a little shrug. “You’re going to be resting for a while. Seems like the perfect time for some practice. Unless you prefer to just stare at the wall?”

He read with difficulty until his eyes couldn’t stay open. Lucius helped him, figuring out the different words and how they worked. When he was drifting, he felt Lucius tuck him into his bed.

The next day went much the same. Fang and Ivan came and checked on him as well, to give him an idea of what was happening with the ship. Blackbeard did not come check on him. It did not hurt. Izzy wouldn’t let it.

Lucius was with him, not letting him rest on his reading training. He was pretty sure it was to keep him in place so he didn’t try and aggravate his injury too early. It didn’t feel like resting with Lucius. He was a strict schoolmaster, critiquing everything Izzy did, moving the goal and giving him only the meagerest of rewards in the form of his own food when he did better.

Izzy felt…captured. The way Lucius treated him was so in between cruel and kind that he didn’t know how to react.

He woke one morning to find Lucius sitting beside him, furiously making pencil marks along it. “What are you doing?”

Lucius looked up. “Thought I’d finally take the chance to sketch you.”

Self-consciously he looked at his pants. Lucius snorted at the look. “I’m not going to strip you,” He said, “Unless it saves your life, at which point you should be thanking me.” He kept sketching like nothing was wrong.

“Stop it,” Izzy said, trying to get himself to sit up.

“Oh, lay down, would you?” Lucius said, continuing, “I promise it’ll look good.”

Izzy kept working on sitting. He was getting better, more mobile. “I don’t want to be sketched like this.”

“Oh I much prefer you like this,” Lucius said, half-heartedly pushing Izzy back to lay down. Izzy hated the shiver it sent through him. “Look, I’m not going to make you look weak or anything, I promise. It’s just your face anyway.”

“My face?”

“Yeah. It’s interesting.” Lucius said, “Has a lot of features.”

“You trying to call me old?” Izzy snarled.

Lucius snorted, and Izzy hated that he was not even a little intimidating. Worse that he didn’t really mean to be. “It’s distinguished,” he said, “Besides, the grey and silver is easier to do in pencil. Would love some oils, but alas.”

Izzy tried to get a peek, but Lucius pulled away. “Ah-ah. Not til its finished.” Lucius sat back and looked into his face. “Now sit there and look pretty.

He started testing his abilities more and more. The ship was on the run. Jim brought back papers from their latest port, and Lucius told them that what happened to the smaller pirate ship had gotten out. Pirates and Navies both were out for their heads.

“We can’t run forever,” Izzy told Blackbeard, who was sheltered in the shadows of the barren Captain’s Quarters.

“We won’t,” Blackbeard said, “We’re going to lay a trap. Once they’re in sight, we’ll pull around an island, and then when hidden, we’ll turn back and shoot them up their ass.”

“That’ll take care of one ship,” Izzy said, “What about the others?”

“WE’LL DO IT AGAIN!” Blackbeard screamed, smashing his bottle on the floor. The floor was covered in broken glass, “AND AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL THEY LEARN NOT TO FUCKING FUCK US!”

“Or they kill us,” Izzy broke in, looking very seriously at his old friend.

Blackbeard put his feet on the table. “Always a possibility in our line of work.”

Izzy swallowed, “Ed…”

“Not Ed,” Blackbeard said, “I’m not Edward. You taught me that.”

Izzy sighed. “Blackbeard. I wanted you to be back. To be the most fearsome pirate on the seas again.”

“Am I not FUCKING fearsome enough for you?” Edward snarled.

“Not if you’re fucking dead,” Izzy said, “And not if you take the rest of us with you.”

Edward snorted, going to his cabinet and grabbing more liquor. “You don’t like it, you can leave. You did before.”

Izzy felt stabbed again. He turned on heel and went back to his room.

Lucius was asleep on his bed, holding his sketchbook to his chest. It was open, and there was a picture of Izzy on the page.

The image of him was different than he thought it would be. It was an image of him smiling. He didn’t smile much, not even in the mirror, so it was a strange sight. He realized he must have smiled here, around Lucius. Lucius saw it and sketched it, and now it was there forever.

Everyone has a soft side, Lucius said. And here he was, proving his own point to Izzy’s face.

Izzy liked him. Not just attracted to him. He liked him. The way he thought he could only like Blackbeard. The two men were so different, so absolutely disparate.

“Oy,” Izzy said, kicking at Lucius until he woke up. Lucius jolted, limbs flailing as he looked up. He quickly closed the sketchbook as though Izzy hadn’t had all the time in the world to look at it. “Get up, we’re starting your self-defense training.”

Izzy didn’t trust Lucius with a sword, and they didn’t have enough room to practice anyway. Instead he borrowed one of Jim’s knives. His stance was deplorable, but Izzy could fix it, slowly. Just as slowly as Izzy learned to read.

It was a week of something like a routine. When they woke, they practiced reading, and at night they practiced fighting. “I’m getting better,” Lucius said, swinging the knife around.

“You’re not,” Izzy said bluntly.

“Aw come on!” Lucius said, “I’m really trying. You could at least pretend.” He swung the knife again.

Izzy grabbed his wrist. “You’re more likely to get yourself killed this way.”

Lucius pouted and Izzy took the knife away. “Lets try some hand to hand,” Izzy said, raising his fists. “Hit me.”

Lucius tilted his head, “I dunno, not in the business of hitting old injured men–” Izzy hit him. “OW! That really hurt!”

“You’ll survive,” Izzy said, “Now hit me.”

Lucius bounced in place, preparing himself, and then punched at Izzy’s jaw. Izzy easily grabbed his wrist, pushing him away. “Why do you do these things if you don’t actually want me to succeed?”

Izzy took a hold of his hand. “If you’re thumbs inside your fist like this, it’ll break on impact.” He plied the thumb out and arranged Lucius hand. “You want it on the outside like this. Or better yet, you can use the palm of your hand. Get the force of your arm behind it without threatening your precious little fingers.” He smirked, “Or what’s left of them, anyway.”

“Har, har.” Lucius said, giving him a flat look.

Izzy’s smirk only grew wider. “As for your aim, the jaw might seem a tempting target, but feel here, it’s all hard bone.” Izzy didn’t quite realize his mistake until he’d put Lucius’ hand on his own jaw. They paused for just a moment as Lucius felt along the curve of his face. He almost expected a snide remark from Lucius, but he went just as silent. “It’s…” Izzy said, trying to remember where he left off, “It’s more likely to hurt your hand than the other person’s face. Better to go for the nose.”

Izzy pulled Lucius’ hand away before he started going crazy. “If you hit it to one side or the other, you’re likely to break it, it’s all soft, and it bleeds a lot, as Ivan will tell you. Or, you can hit up, straight back. If you hit it right, you can drive it up inside the brain and kill them.”

“Eugh,” Lucius said, “What an awful way to go.”

“It’s meant to keep you alive, Spriggs,” Izzy said, “Now practice against my hand.”

Lucius squared up, considering, then hit the side of his palm. “Pathetic.”

“Alright, jeez, give me a chance,” Lucius said, frowning in concentration. He punched forward and hit the center this time.

Izzy nodded. “Keep your elbows in. Use the power of your body.”

“Cheeky,” Lucius commented, but he didn’t smirk the way he usually would. He looked the same way he did when he was sketching, focused, resolved. He was actually trying.

They kept it up, until Lucius started building up a little bit of sweat. “Better,” Izzy said, nodding.

Lucius finally smirked. “See? Was that so hard?”

“It’s still pathetic,” Izzy said, “But better.” Lucius rolled his eyes.

Izzy bit his lip, considering him. Something about Lucius was like a drug, affecting what he knew was his better judgement. “Let’s make it interesting,” He said, “Try and hit me, and if you land a single hit, I’ll get you something when we go to port in two days.”

Lucius raised an eyebrow. “Anything?”

“Within reason,” Izzy said.

Lucius crossed his arms, considering. “And if I don’t?”

“Which you won’t,” Izzy said.

Lucius glared, but he was smiling. “What do you want?”

Izzy had a few ideas, but that would be telling. “I’ll let you know when you don’t make it.”

“VERY cheeky, Mr. Hands,” Lucius said, squaring up again. “Alright, well, lets make sure to hit you in the wallet.”

His first pair of hits were so clearly just practice that Izzy didn’t bother blocking and just dodged out of the way.

Then he lunged forward, trying desperately to grapple and hit him low. Izzy grabbed his arm, pulling it behind his back, spinning him and pushing him away.

Lucius tried again, going for blunt force rather than any tactics. Not the worst idea, honestly. A fighter could do just as much getting lucky as he could with plenty of experience, and there wasn’t much chance of him out-maneuvering Izzy.

Izzy grabbed hold of both Lucius wrists, holding him pinned to his chest. Lucius glared, and stepped on his foot–the one missing a toe. “OW!”

Lucius took the initiative, pushing low to knock him off balance. Izzy tripped back against his bed, falling back with Lucius on top of him. Lucius broke his hands free and pinned Izzy to the bed instead.

Izzy froze, not because he was helpless, but just feeling the weight of Lucius on top of him was breaking something very foundational inside of him.

Lucius balled his hand into a fist and tapped the side of Izzy’s nose. “Boop,” he said, “I win.”

Izzy breathed deeply, inhaling Lucius own air. He looked into his eyes, so close to his own…

Whatever wall that Lucius had been unconsciously fighting inside Izzy’s mind fell over.

Izzy grabbed behind Lucius head and pulled him in, pushing his mouth against his.

Lucius squealed in shock, but quickly melted. The kiss was in no way clean, teeth clacking against one another, but Lucius was able to slot them into place, letting their lips slide against each other.

Their bodies quickly followed their lips, shuffling away from the fight and slipping into comfort, Lucius knee nudging between his legs and his chest up against him.

Izzy threaded his fingers into Lucius' hair, giving just the smallest of tugs which pulled the most beautiful noise from Lucius. He bucked his hips, desperate to feel Lucius' body on him. Lucius responded in turn, grabbing his waist, pushing on the fabric to expose a narrow strip of skin. His hands were hot against Izzy.

Forget drugged, Izzy was drunk. He was hardly inexperienced in this way, but he may as well have been a green cabin boy with the way he melted underneath Lucius. He wanted more, he wanted everything. He was lost here beneath Lucius, it was everything he feared, and it was so, so wonderful.

It ended quite abruptly as Izzy tried to reach his right arm around to Lucius back, and his wound reminded him it very much hadn’t fully healed.

He seized up, pulling away with a sharp inhale. Lucius pushed himself off, just as confused as him. “Oh. Oh! Sorry, do you need–”

“No, I’m,” Izzy massaged the muscle, trying to get the pain down to manageable levels, “I’m fine, just stretched oddly.”

Lucius stood up, and Izzy felt suddenly cold. “I ought to be going anyway,” He said, “Jim wanted to talk and I just. I mean you have piratey things to do tomorrow.” He made it to the secret entrance and slipped away.

Izzy wanted to call out, ask him to stop, ask him to say. But some part of his sense came back and he didn’t manage it.

The next morning, Lucius didn’t come to do their practice reading. Izzy took it as a sign to start his day early. That night, Lucius didn’t come for more defense practice.

Izzy felt something like shame. He shouldn’t have shown Lucius this side of himself, he shouldn’t have fallen to his temptation. He thought he was stronger than that. He’d done what he promised he wouldn’t, he gave Lucius power over him.

But Lucius wasn’t using it. Unless it counted as denying him what he wanted as using power. And that was it, wasn’t it? He hated himself for it, but if Lucius came back, he’d give himself up all over again.

When the second day he didn’t come back, Izzy came to a conclusion. He needed him back. He’d get him to come back.

The ship ported at a fishing town, bribing the dockmaster to book them with no colors on their sails. Blackbeard locked himself away in his quarters, while Izzy led a longboat to shore to get supplies.

Izzy entrusted Ivan with the actual list of supplies while he went on his quest. Lucius hadn’t mentioned anything he wanted, but Izzy had gotten an idea.

Izzy stared at the different colors, wondering which would be good. Blue was good, color of the sea and sky. And then Lucius had loved his little red vest before it got ruined with blood. Finally, the shop owner had to come over (probably terrified, he didn’t fit the normal image of the customer) and recommended yellow, something about ‘primary colors.’ Izzy didn’t know much about it, but maybe Lucius would.

He paid a pretty penny for the oils, and thanked the store owner. They were small, so easy to store in his pocket.

“Pssst!” A noise sounded, getting everyone in the area’s attention. “Psst! PSSSSSSST!”

“Lucius,what the fuck are you doing?” Izzy asked, seeing that Lucius was hunched down between two buildings.

Lucius waved frantically with his hands, summoning Izzy to his side. “I need to talk to you,” Lucius said.

“How’d you get off the ship?” Izzy said, the oils in his pocket heavy. Should he give them now? No, better on the ship. Maybe. He didn’t know.

Lucius sighed, “Jim and Frenchie smuggled me off with some supplies,” he said, “Captain’s locked away anyway, and honestly, everyone else knows.”

Izzy supposed that was true. “Well. Good to take a break. Bound to get Cabin Fever.”

Lucius looked down, like he couldn’t quite meet Izzy’s eyes. Odd, Izzy would have wanted this when they first met, but now he wanted Lucius to look at him. “I’m not going back,” he said. Izzy froze. “I mean, come on, it doesn’t make sense to stay on a ship where the Captain wants me dead. Jim and Frenchie are heading out too, they’re already far off, so don’t bother trying to go after them.”

Izzy’s jaw twitched. “Why are you here then?”

“I had to warn you,” he said, and pulled out a paper. He at least recognized that it was a reward poster. He had to frown at it for a moment, but he saw it was a poster for the head of Blackbeard. The English were paying…..ridiculous prices for proof that Blackbeard was dead and the Revenge was sunk, along with a full pardon. Every pirate in the Caribbean would be tempted, just to see if they’d get lucky.

“You need to get off. Blackbeards gone well off the deep end, you have to see that by now.” Lucius said, and Izzy was sure he’d never seen him so serious. “You should leave, while you can.”

“What, with you?” Izzy asked.

Lucius swallowed. “You…you can come.” He looked away, ashamed. “I’m still with Pete, so I can’t…I’m sorry , I shouldn’t have…I took it too far, I never meant to do that.”

Izzy had been stabbed, shot, and had his toe cut off and fed to him. This hurt the most. He had given Lucius power after all.

“Pete is dead.” Izzy said, poison dripping out his voice, “He’s probably a sunbleached skeleton by now. That is if your other friends didn’t eat him.”

“They’re more resourceful than you think,” Lucius said, “We’re going to find them, I’m sure of it.”

“They’re dead!” Izzy said, “I killed them myself. I lied and I left them there, and I would have done the same to you!”

Lucius shook his head. “You’re a sad little man, you know that?” he said, all the poison Izzy spat out given right back. “A sad man following a broken Captain, so caught up in your own myths that you haven’t even realized it was never true.”

“Stop.” Izzy hissed.

“Blackbeard was NEVER great.” Lucius shouted, “He’s just a stupid actor like the rest of us, desperately trying to survive. And he’s not that good of an actor at that. Only you’ve been fooled.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying!” Izzy hissed through his teeth.

“I know EXACTLY what I’m saying!” Lucius said, raising his chin, stubbornly, “You two were made for each other, you’ll both die all alone in puddles of your own piss!”

Izzy punched out wildly. Just as he’d trained him, Lucius dodged with a quick side-step and punched back, nailing Izzy on the side of the nose. Izzy fell back, face exploding with blood. “Take care of yourself,” Lucius said, and maybe Izzy imagined some of the sorrow amongst the anger.

And then Lucius was gone.

“HAUL ANCHOR!” Izzy shouted, after corralling Ivan and the others back to the ship, “I want this ship moving! Get us out of here!”

The crew moved at record time, most likely because with the bloody nose he looked all the more menacing. “Where's the Captain?” He shouted. They needed a direction, any direction.

“He’s down below!” Fang shouted, grabbing at the main mast sails.

Izzy marched down, his mind full of Lucius words and face and the reminder in his heart about what Lucius said, of someone who had been drained of all their softness would crumble.

He found Blackbeard in his room. “Captain,” he said, “The whole of the Caribbean is coming after us, which way do we sail?”

He approached, and found Blackbeard holding a newspaper. He must have left them laying around. “When were you going to tell me about this?” he demanded, and showed Izzy the paper. It was the first one he’d grabbed. The one detailing Stede Bonnet’s death.

Izzy swallowed. “Captain,” he said, “There’s nothing…we need a heading! Anywhere.”

“You kept this from me?” Blackbeard said, grabbing hold of Izzy by the neck, “You think you know better than I do what I need?”

Izzy choked, “I just thought,” he managed.

“That’s your problem! You thought!” Blackbeard said, “You’re supposed to tell ME what’s happening and let me make the right decisions,” He spat in Izzy’s face. “If you think you can Captain better than Blackbeard, then you go do it. Go pick your own direction.”

He let Izzy go, and Izzy fell to the ground, clutching his neck. Blackbeard marched away, back to the Captain’s quarters no doubt.

Izzy wandered back to the deck eventually. He had them sail west. They sailed for a day, no location in mind, but eventually they’d hit Mexico. It was a dead end, and he knew it.

Just before night fell, he took out his spyglass and took a look across the horizon. Behind them to the east, on the island, some ships had taken off, with no flag. No doubt pirates who had heard of them, and the reward. To the west was a large ship, no doubt either a British or Spanish navy vessel. To the north were more pirates, and to the south more navy ships. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to sail.

“HALT,” he cried, and the men paused, turning to look. “We have preparations to make. Drop anchor.”

An hour later, Izzy made his way to the Captain’s Quarters. It was completely dark, the chandeliers had been thrown out a while ago. The only light came from the moon drifting through the windows, and he could just barely see the shadow of a man on the window seat.

Izzy crunched over broken glass as he walked through it, listening to muffled sobs.

When he got close enough, Blackbeard–Ed– desperately wiped his eyes, his make-up running down his face. “What?” he asked, voice broken. “Whatever it is, you deal with it. Leave me alone.”

Izzy ignored him, sitting on the seat beside him. Ed clung to himself, making himself small.

Izzy sighed, looking over to see the lighthouse painting, still untouched. The curtain was hanging, so he had never seen it unless he sat directly in the seat. “I loved you,” Izzy said, the words odd to hear out loud.

The quiet sobs faded as Ed caught his breath. “What?” he asked, confused.

“I loved you,” Izzy said, looking at him. “Most of my life, I think. Actually, I can’t even really remember a time I didn’t.”

Ed sniffed, wiping his eyes again. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah,” Izzy said, “You might be the only one who didn’t. I apparently haven’t been subtle.” He looked back at the lighthouse, “but I didn’t understand you. I couldn’t understand…what did Bonnet have that I didn’t?”

Ed sniffed again, his breath evening out slowly. “I don’t know. He was just…so different. And then…he made me feel…”

“Like you were worth something,” Izzy finished for him, “Without you having to change or do anything else.”

Ed nodded. “But I was wrong,” he said, “I wasn’t enough. I never was, and never will.”

“You were,” Izzy said. “I’m sorry for the part I played in it. And I don’t know what happened with Stede, but everyone could see he was crazy for you.”

Ed hugged his knees to himself. “We’ll never know now.”

“You’ll see him soon,” Izzy said, “Maybe. I don’t know what to really believe.”

“What?” Ed asked.

“It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” Izzy said, “Everyone is mad at us, and they’re ready to take us down. There’s nowhere left to go. We’re surrounded. I expect they’ll arrive by sunrise.”

“What?!” Ed said, jumping up and rushing out of the quarters to the main deck. “Everyone up! Come on!”

Izzy sighed, following him. Ed rushed back and forth across the empty deck. “They’re gone,” Izzy said.

“What?” Ed repeated, finding it hard to stand.

Izzy came up beside him and pointed out the small lantern light. “I sent the crew out on longboats,” he said, “I gave them provisions and gold, and sent them toward the pirates out there. They should be able to bribe their way into the crew. They’ll be safe.” He could just barely make out a ship outline with his naked eye. “I reckon that will be the first to reach us, around dawn. Better to be taken out by pirates than the navy.”

“But Izzy,” Ed said, “You…you need to go with them, you should have–”

Fuck it. He was going to die anyway. Izzy took hold of Ed’s head and pulled him in for a kiss.

Ed didn’t react. It was nothing like his kiss with Lucius. He needed to know if there was anything, any sign of love at all. And now he knew.

Izzy smiled to himself and pulled away. “Captain goes down with the ship,” he said, “And I follow you into the gates of hell.”

Ed pulled him into a hug, and that felt more genuine. Blackbeard would never have hugged him, but this was good. “Thank you.” He said.

Gently, Izzy held Ed back. “I hope wherever Stede is, you can find him,” he said, “Give him just one kick, for me, though.”

Ed laughed, laughed for the first time in how long Izzy couldn’t count. He pulled away, and he was crying again, his face a messy smear of kohl. He took a breath like he hadn’t really breathed in ages. “So. We’re going to die tomorrow.” Izzy nodded. “What do we do until then?”

Izzy snorted. “Drink?”

The moon was high in the sky when they lay down, laughing at some long forgotten joke, the remainder of the alcohol on the ship scattered around them, mostly drunk. “What was the name of that guy in Belize?” Ed asked, “The one who was so good with all the ropes?”

Izzy reached into his brain to remember when they’d been to Belize. “You mean Charles?”

“Charles!” Ed shouted to the sky, “I thought you were crazy about Charles?”

“He did have a way with those ropes…” Izzy thought back, reminiscing, “But no. He was a good fuck, but I didn’t love him.”

“There must have been someone,” Ed said, “You could have done well better than me.”

Izzy dazed, looking up at one of the many stars, trying to pick it out among all the others. “There was one.”

“There, see!” Edward said, “Tell me! Who was it?”

“You’ll laugh,” Izzy flinched, trying to get the last drops from his bottle.

“If I laugh, may I die tomorrow,” Ed swore, very seriously. The both of them burst out laughing, hitting their heads on the deck. “Seriously, come on, I promise.”

Izzy took a deep breath. He was too drunk to deal with this. “You remember Stede’s scribe? The boy?”

Ed didn’t laugh. He didn’t make a noise. Izzy turned, to see he’d gone serious. “Oh, Izzy,” he said, “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Izzy asked, then remembered, “Oh! Oh, you didn’t kill him.”

“I didn’t?” Ed asked, amazed.

“He was living secretly in the ship for weeks,” Izzy said, “Honestly I forgot you didn’t know, pretty much everyone else did.”

“Oh,” Ed said, and lay back, “Oh, I’m glad. That I didn’t, I mean. Huh.” He lost himself in thoughts, but shook himself, “So what happened with him?”

Izzy beat his head against the deck, just softly. “I fucked up.”

“Fucking relatable,” Ed said, offering his glass bottle up for Izzy to clink.

Izzy sighed. “He’ll be fine. He’s a survivor.” He smiled. “He’ll be happier without me. But I hope he’ll be just a little sad when he hears about this.”

“He’ll weep a river, mate,” Ed said.

Izzy didn’t remember what happened after that. Maybe he fell asleep. Maybe he died.

Death shouldn’t sting like this.

There were loud voices and stomping feet. There was bright light. The sun, he thought.

He blinked his eyes open, flinching in the brilliance. There was something flapping, intermittently blocking the sun. He blinked again and again until it made a shape. It was a flag…or rather, several flags. Several STUPID flags, with buttons and cats and skeleton heads that made no sense.

Hands were on him, grabbing him by the armpits. He looked up, trying to make out who it was. “Oluwande?” he said, “You’re here?”

“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Oluwande said, “Now stay down.”

“Quickly men!” Another voice broke in, a voice he thought he was rid of, “And others, my sincere apologies, Jim. We need another way of addressing that…”

“Not the time, Stede!” Jim’s voice told him.

Izzy looked around. Sure as hell, there was Stede Fucking Bonnet, not dressed nearly as nicely as he used to, with a bit of beard grown in. Around him was all his old crew…and Blackbeard’s crew too that Izzy had sent away.

“Am I dead?” Izzy asked, not to anyone in particular.

“Not yet,” Lucius said, and Izzy had to do a double take, making sure it was actually who it was. “But give us a moment, and we’ll take care of it.”

Izzy had no idea what he was talking about. His attention went to Ed, who was still unconscious, propped up by Jim

Stede came over and knelt beside him. “Ed? Darling?”

Ed stirred, his eyes opening as Stede held his face. “Stede?” Ed whispered, not quite believing it, “Stede?!”

“Yes, it’s me,” Stede said, cradling him.

Ed clutched to him like a lifeline. “I’m so sorry,” he said, “I’m so sorry,” He cried, which, how he did that when he was so dehydrated from all the drinking, Izzy had no idea.

“No,” Stede urged, “No, I’m sorry, dear. I should never have left. I mean, it did lead me on quite the self-discovery and adventure, but–that’s not the point, we can talk about this later.”

“We can talk now,” Ed said, “I won’t let you go again.”

“Oh, and I won’t either,” Stede said, “Well, except right now. But I have some fuckery to finish up.”

“Captain,” Buttons said, looking through the telescope, “The British are gonna see on deck soon.”

“Alright everyone!” Stede said, getting up, “Places! Just like we practiced!”

Ed looked around, just processing that they were still on the Revenge and not in heaven. He caught sight of Izzy. “What’s happening?”

“Not a clue,” Izzy said, “What the fu–”

Then he saw Pete climbing up the ship, and it WAS Pete, but he was dressed up like Blackbeard. “Finally,” he said, “the role I was born to play!”

“Go get them!” Lucius encouraged, smiling. Izzy met his gaze, but didn’t dare keep it.

The Swede came up next, dressed as Izzy, which was honestly insulting. And to add to the injury, Lucius put a net over him and Blackbeard so they could see out, but others would have trouble seeing in.

Stede pulled out his sword and pointed it to Pete. “Surrender now, Blackbeard, you’ve gone too far!”

“Blackbeard will never surrender!” Pete shouted, and they started a fight sequence that looked more like the pair of them banging their swords together.

“No one can hear you!” Jim shouted as they engaged The Swede in their own fake battle. Izzy had seen them really fight, it seemed almost harder on them to hold back.

“It’s part of our method, Jim!” Stede said, “We’re getting into our roles!”

The rest of the crew joined into the fight, pretending to take on Pete and the Swede dressed as Blackbeard and Izzy. “I don’t get what’s happening,” Ed whispered to Izzy, “Are we dead? Is this the afterlife?”

“It’s still unclear,” Izzy said, watching Lucius fight against Izzy. He was using the sword maneuvers Izzy had taught him.

“Oooh, I’ve been waiting for this,” Roach said, going after the Swede. He raised his cleaver, Wee John holding the Swede steady, as he cleaved through the jacket and punctured something that spurted red juice all over the deck.

The Swede fell to the ground and Jim rushed forward, pulling what seemed to be sausages out of the The Swede’s coat and relishing in them. “That’s for all the stupid orders, you dick!” Jim yelled, “Ok, I get it now, that was fun.”

Izzy flinched, but Stede and Black Pete took the mainstage. Stede knocked Black Pete’s sword away and he fell to the ground.

Oluwande, who was hiding, rolled something in a cloth bag over beside Stede. “And now,” Stede yelled for the crew, “Blackbeard’s reign comes to an end!”

He sliced his sword down into the deck by Pete’s shoulder. “Ah!” Pete yelled, “Careful!”

“Sorry!” Stede said, taking the cloth bag and pulling out…well it looked KIND of like a head if you squinted. It was certainly the right shape and covered in grey black hair.

He held the head up pointing it to the British, Spanish, and other Pirate ships. “They see ya, Captain,” Buttons said, watching through the spyglass, “They’re turning around!”

The crew cheered, “Very well done, everyone!” Stede said, “But we’re not done yet, we need to get this loot over to our ship, and sink this one to the bottom of the sea!”

People ran around. There wasn’t much left to grab, but Oluwande, Wee John, Ivan, and Fang came to pick the real Izzy and Blackbeard up, hoisting them like they were goods to collect.

Izzy looked around and saw Lucius helping to wipe off Pete’s makeup so he could leave the disguise behind.

“Bonnet,” Izzy called, “Bonnet!”

Stede looked up. He approached Ivan, though his eyes slid to Izzy. “Captains quarters,” Izzy said, “Go to the windowseat, there’s something you’ll want to grab.”

Stede frowns slightly, but nods, heading for the quarters. Ed hit Izzy’s foot with his own, smiling. “I don’t think we’re dead,” he said.

Izzy watched the crew get things together, pulling them away. “No, I don’t think we are.”

Ed and Izzy spent the rest of the day below decks on Stede’s new ship, which had a very long story that the crew told in so many parts that it stopped making sense. They then slept off their ‘we’re gonna die’ hangovers.

Eventually Stede finally came down to talk with Ed. Izzy gracefully excused himself from the room and went on deck, where they were celebrating their success.

There was tension as they came up, the crew giving him a side eye. Finally, Jim broke it, coming up and punching him in his stomach. “Ok,” Jim said, “Now we’re even.”

Izzy coughed and stood, “Even it is.” And the party continued.

Ed and Stede came up to join them later, and Ed looked brighter than Izzy had ever seen. Now that he was looking, he saw how much of a burden his life had been, and how light he was here. He and Stede orbited each other, always aware of where the other was. They weren’t overly touchy, still getting comfortable with whatever this was, but watching, Izzy had no doubt they’d get there.

Izzy himself was always aware of where Lucius stood. He caught his eye a number of times, but didn’t dare go over and talk to him. Lucius was staying with Black Pete, along with Jim and Frenchie and the others. Izzy wouldn’t interrupt.

Finally people started falling asleep, and the party died down. Some were unconscious there on the deck, while Jim and Olu dipped downstairs. Izzy figured it was now or never.

The Revenge’s longboat was the same as the one Izzy had sent Fang and Ivan and the rest away in. There were still some stores in it that hadn’t been quite unloaded. They’d be enough for Izzy to make it back to land and then…start some other kind of life. One he didn’t know what would look like.

“I’d bet with Stede you’d stick around for at least a week,” Ed said, behind him, “I hope you’re not trying to make me lose.”

Izzy turned to him. Even dressed in what were clearly some of Stede’s chosen new wardrobe, he was still Blackbeard, an expert in sneaking up on him when needed.

Izzy sighed, “You belong here,” he said, “This is a good place for you.”

“It could be for you too, mate,” Ed said, “It’s not all bad.”

“It’s not,” Izzy said, and looked out into the sea, “But I don’t fit. You must see that no one wants me here.”

“Hey, I do,” Ed said, “We’re friends. And don’t give me that ‘pirates don’t have friends’ nonsense. You said you’d follow me to hell.”

“Yeah, well, hell’s not where you’re going anymore,” Izzy said, “It’s not…I’m glad for you. I’m glad you found someplace and someone…good for you.” He swallowed, “But I don’t have that, not here.”

“Have you even talked with Lucius?” Ed asked, “Come on, he was really good, I apologized for the trying to kill him and everything. He said it’s not the first time he’d nearly died because of a breakup.”

Izzy turned back to getting the longboat ready to launch. “Lucius deserves better.”

Ed sighed, “Mate, come on–”

“Captain?” A voice cut him off, and they both jerked to see Lucius approaching, “I think I can handle this one.”

Ed looked back and forth between Lucius and Izzy, before quickly backing away.

Izzy stared at him for a moment. Lucius’ eyes were unreadable, but they seemed to eat Izzy whole.

Izzy looked until he couldn’t look anymore, getting the ropes ready to lower him down. “The nose break looks good on you,” Lucius said, “It doesn’t on everyone, so I was worried, but it really looks nice with all the angles.” Izzy didn’t bother responding. “Of course I’ll have to re-do the sketch now. Would help if you sat for it nicely this time.”

“I thought you’d of all people would want me gone,” Izzy said.

“Well, you don’t know me all that well,” Lucius said, and Izzy could hear the shrug in his voice, could hear him coming closer, until he sat at the edge of the longboat to prevent Izzy moving it. “But, hard as it may be to understand, your doom and gloom attitude has become a part of this crew, and all of us. And me.” He tried to catch Izzy’s gaze, but he held firm to keep looking away. “You’re not as bad as you think you are.”

Izzy sneered, looking to his hands. “I thought I was a ‘sad little man.’”

Lucius laughed, “Oh, you definitely are,” he said, “A sad, angry little man with a kink for being put in your place.” Izzy shot him a glare. “But also a man with a lot of loyalty, and a lot of dedication, and who’s proven he can be taught, even if it’s slowly and painfully.”

“You make me sound like a dog.” Izzy said, trying to look away again, but Lucius had him now.

“Yeah, an old sea dog,” Lucius said. “You know, Pete and I broke up.”

Izzy looked up at him. At first he thought it was a joke, but Lucius kept looking at him. “Now before you get a big head,” Lucius said, “It doesn’t have to do with you, we talked it out, and we just grew apart. He developed a lot over his travels with Stede and I just…It wasn’t fair to him. The way I felt.” He sighed, “Ok, it was a little about you.”

Izzy wasn’t sure he believed what he was hearing. Maybe he had died, after all. But there was no way he deserved this kind of heaven.

He took out the tubes of colored oil in his vest. Somehow they had survived. He handed them over to Lucius who frowned at them in the moonlight, trying to figure out what they were. Izzy saw the moment it clicked into place what he was giving him. “You won the bet,” he said, “I mean, you didn’t pick what you wanted, but–”

Lucius pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn’t like their first, not full of lust and desire, but passion and joy. Izzy smiled, holding onto Lucius, not to capture but to hold. Just hold. He felt Lucius’ smile as well, and they leaned together in a shared moment.

“WOO!” they heard behind them, breaking the kiss to see Ed standing at the Captain’s quarters door. The crew stirred from their resting places on the deck. “Yeah, go Izzy!”

“Ed, give them some privacy, would you?” Stede said, pulling him inside and closing the door.

Izzy smiled. He had a friend. He had a captain. He had a crew. And he had whatever the fuck Lucius was to him.

“Stay,” Lucius said, and it wasn’t quite an order, but not really a request. “I have a room below, if you want to see.”

Izzy swallowed. Going downstairs now, or going in the longboat. Either way meant starting over, as someone he didn’t quite know. But only one of those ways had Lucius.

“Ok.”