Chapter Text
Nightcaps with Ed had become one of Stede’s favorite bits of his new pirating routine. When Ed had started staying on The Revenge, they’d had drinks a couple nights a week. Mostly they spent time together with the crew. Lately, their nightcaps had become a nightly occurrence. Tonight, Stede’s body was warm with liquor and affection for the man laughing and packing a pipe at the other end of the settee.
Stede watched Ed’s nimble fingers pull apart some of the larger leaves and then push the shreds into the bowl. He precariously balanced his uninjured leg on his toes and held the bowl steady using his thigh and the stem ending between his lips. With both hands free, Ed expertly struck a match and lit the bowl.
Eyes closed, his chest slowly expanded as he took a long drag. Stede couldn’t help but think about reaching under the short hemline of Ed’s shirt and resting a palm atop chest hair and tattoos. The experience of feeling the rise and fall with each breath. When he exhaled, the smoke curled around Ed’s head and lingered in his beard. The scene evoked the memory of Pete’s description of Blackbeard: smoking head and glowing eyes. He supposed Ed’s eyes did glow. Especially in the moonlight.
You wear fine things well.
It wasn’t a scary glow, though, like Pete had described. More of a sparkle. Or a smolder. Stede mused on how grateful he was to have met the real Blackbeard as the man himself turned to him and quirked an eyebrow. The dimples peaking out from his beard made Stede’s heart flutter.
“Would you like to share?” Ed asked around the mouthpiece.
“Hm?” Stede blinked the dyness from his eyes.
He took the pipe out of his mouth. “Mate, you’ve been staring since I sat down. I’ve downed loads of your brandy. ‘Least I can do is share a smoke with you! Come on, man. You can just ask,” he chided with a wink. Then he put the pipe back to lips.
Stede blushed. There was so much to unpack in that single interaction.
First and not least of all, the assumption that Stede could easily ask for something he wanted. Also, the wink. A bloody wink . The blood that was pooling in his cheeks now rose through his ears and into his hairline.
“Oh! Sorry, Ed. I was just studying your, eh, the pipe — I’ve never seen one quite so beautiful. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” which wasn’t a total lie. He didn’t want Ed to ever feel uncomfortable. He wanted the ship to feel like a home for Ed. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a nice smoke.” He considered that he smoked so little before this that he hadn’t bothered to bring smoking supplies on the ship. He’d had to find a small dish for Ed to use as an ashtray in his cabin. But an excuse to be close to Edward wasn’t something he was going to pass up. Not very “gentlemanly” of him but he was starting to suspect that Ed didn’t mind. He forced his heart to slow and the heat began to dissipate from his face. Stede smiled at Ed and replied, “don’t mind if I do, actually.”
Ed pulled the pipe out of his mouth again and suddenly Stede was overwhelmed with the thought of putting the mouthpiece to his own lips.
Then the other man’s posture suddenly straightened, the way it did when he discovered a new skill or a bit of information that he wanted to share with Stede. It was one of his favorite expressions of Ed’s. He’d accumulated a lot of favorite expressions over the past several weeks. But this one caused the hair at the back of Stede’s neck to stand up in the most exhilarating way. Their lessons were now mostly long and winding, delightful conversations. Stede didn’t mind one damn bit. There was no denying he enjoyed being the center of Ed’s attention.
The sudden mischievous glint in the other man’s large, brown eyes accelerated Stede’s heart rate again so quickly he could hear the pounding in his ears. If Frenchie had been scribing his journal about this, Stede’s silly cartoon heart would probably look like it had burst out of his silly little cartoon body.
And then, once again, Ed asked: “do you wanna do something weird?”
“With you? Always.” Stede answered without hesitation. Doing something weird with Ed was the first choice in his life he had ever felt entirely confident making.
The glint in Ed’s eyes briefly passed into something softer until the playfulness overtook his features again. The combination of brandy and smoking had Ed deeply flushed. The dark pink along his cheekbones was lovely.
“I’ve had this piece forever, but when I first got it,” Ed began, “I swear mate, I got so lightheaded from pulling so fuckin’ hard. Much better when the head high is from the smoke and not lack of air, am I right?” He chuckled and gave Stede’s shoulder a reassuring pat, his hand lingered there.
Stede agreed, “yes, you’re quite right.”
Edward never made Stede feel silly or inadequate. Stede hadn’t known comradery without some sort of catch before Ed. And, yes, some would consider their possible murder a “catch,” but Ed hadn’t wanted that. Stede understood that Ed’s initial plan had come from a lifetime of circumstance and survival. And that he had somehow managed to let Ed feel safe enough to make a plan of his own — without Izzy — and that new plan included Stede’s friendship. Ed had saved him in so many ways; providing a reprieve for his friend was the least Stede could do. Ed’s touch, currently searing through his dressing gown and into his skin, fueled the desire to make this a home for them.
“I can hit it pretty hard now, though,” Ed continued, recapturing Stede’s attention. He raised his dark eyebrows a couple of times suggestively. “So let me help a bit. What kind of co-captain would I be if I didn’t lend a hand?”
Stede narrowed his eyes at Ed. He knew he was missing something but shook the expression and thought from his head. “Yes, alright then. How do you intend to help?”
The light from the fireplace and candles caught in the strands of hair that framed Edward’s face. Stede was pleased with his decision to have a fireplace. It gave the dim cabin a cozy atmosphere. The were men twisted in their spots to face each other, hitching their inner legs over the settee. Ed scooted closer until their shins touched and then stretched his injured knee out to his side. He was close enough for Stede to tuck those loose hairs behind Ed’s ear and brush his fingertips against Ed’s flushed cheekbones.
“When I exhale, you inhale, yeah?” Ed said.
Stede brought his lips between his teeth and gave a curt and enthusiastic nod.
“Do ya’ mind?”
“Not at all,” Stede practically sighed, now thinking about leaning in close to Ed’s lips. The feeling of Ed’s breath on his skin. And then he noticed that Ed was holding out the matches.
Stede cleared his throat, “of course.” He added “share the load and all that,” with a forced chuckle.
He tried to take the matches casually, as if he and Ed had both been discussing the matches. But there was something about the way Ed observed him as he passed them over that made Stede feel as though he had been caught with his fingers in the marmalade jar. Their hands brushed as he pulled the matches from Ed. The flutter in his stomach became flips.
He struck the match and cupped his hand around the flame to protect it. He brought the fire down to the bowl and then slowly moved his eyes to look back up at Ed. The other man was still watching him, waiting to hold Stede’s gaze. Stede pulled the match away and let his counterpart puff a few times, ensuring it had caught, then shook the flame out. He dropped the bit of wood on the ground. The whole time his eyes never left Ed’s.
“Ready, mate?” Ed checked in.
The mischief was still there, and the softness too. But also something else he’d seen before and couldn’t name. But Stede was too distracted to figure it out. Ed had been much cheekier a moment ago. But now that they were leaning into one another and breathing the same air — Stede realized that he was nervous and wondered if perhaps that was mysterious the look in Ed’s eyes.
Stede was tense with anticipation. Ed inhaled again and they both leaned in —
Ed had known he was smitten but sitting here now, about to share the same air? It was impossible to ignore. And with Stede looking at him like that ? The man’s hazel eyes were practically smoldering and Ed was certain Stede didn’t even realize it. That beautiful lunatic was painfully unaware of what he was doing to Ed. He was also painfully unaware of all of Ed’s come ons. So he revelled in the tension of the moment. The relief of a cold front before a storm. The calm before a fight. Ed had been itching for this tension.
Their gazes held steady as they leaned into each other. Ed slowly blew the smoke toward Stede’s mouth. Then watched it quickly redirect into Stede’s nostrils when Stede inhaled sharply. He jerked away, plugging his nose and squinting the tears from his eyes.
Ed knew that unexpectedly inhaling or exhaling through your nose didn’t feel stellar. The burn of it tickled in the worst way, and Ed did feel bad, really. But now Stede looked so cute. He couldn’t help laughing as got Stede a glass of water.
Stede took it and waved him off good-naturedly. After a few sips and then the rest of his brandy, Stede began to laugh in earnest with Ed. It was one of Ed’s favorite sounds. He felt the release of the tension that had been building between them. But rather than be disappointed, he found he enjoyed it.
Ed always enjoyed his time with Stede.
When he had brought his pipe to their nightly nightcap, he’d hoped Stede might want to share. Ed couldn’t be totally sure, but after the way Stede had blushed earlier, he really thought that Stede was probably checking him out. They hadn’t discussed romance much — Stede was married and had kids like all rich men do. Ed didn’t have much “romance” to share as it were. And he didn’t fancy diverging the details of his past dalliances with Stede. So he had never pushed. But perhaps with the proper tactics, he could sus out Stede’s interests, if any there were.
Tonight, smoking had been his tactic.
He could offer the pipe to Stede. Maybe let their fingers touch — that bit had worked out. He would inch closer and closer to Stede until they shared the same breath— that too. And then he could see if and how flustered Stede became – and that seemed to be going along nicely.
“Okay, okay. I’m really ready this time!” Stede proclaimed.
“Alright, mate,” he agreed as Stede lit the bowl for a second time. “Let’s do this,” he added and then pulled.
“Yes, let’s,” the blonde agreed. And then winked. Stede fucking winked.
Ed’s breath caught, causing him to choke on the hit he’d been taking. A strangled cough burst from his chest along with a cloud of smoke — right into Stede’s face.
“Oi! Come on, man!” Stede exclaimed but he was already laughing again and moving to lightly pound on Ed’s back. He then retrieved some fresh water which he held out to Ed.
The last part of the plan never went accordingly. He should’ve known better. Stede had been so goddamned cool just now. And that fucking wink! What the hell was that ?! He was supposed to be flustering Stede — he wasn’t supposed to be the flustered one!
“You seem to have overdone it a bit there, mate! Have a drink and cool off, yeah?” Stede continued to joke. He passed the glass of water over.
Ed gladly accepted the water. His lungs were burning but he couldn’t help laughing too. Stede’s laugh was infectious. It was fun when things didn’t go to plan with Stede. He was starting to realize that he didn’t always need a plan when they were together.
And shit. What a fucking relief to just go with the flow and forget about the plan.
It all seemed silly now that Ed was the one who was flushing, sweating, and choking. He watched Stede shakily retrieve the bottle of brandy. Maybe they were both nervous. Maybe no plan was finally the best plan?
Ed drank more water, downed the rest of his brandy, and cleared his throat a few times. “Alright. Okay. You’ve had your laugh. Come sit back down so we can share, Co-Captain ,” Ed ordered. He patted the spot next to him to soften the command. Stede leveled him with an endearing smile that caused Ed’s stomach to flip, the feeling grounding him in the current situation. No point in forcing a fuckery that seemed to be happening naturally. Who was Ed to fight the tides or whatever?
Ever the gentleman, Stede topped off their brandies. He snatched up the matches before plopping down in front of Ed. This time, Stede’s leg was more on Ed’s than against it.
“Ready, mate?” Stede asked this time.
Ed huffed out a chuckle. “Yeah. I’m ready, but no funny business this time,” He narrowed his eyes at Stede accusingly.
The jibe was a more straight-forward flirtation than Ed would typically try, but he felt safe and confident in the homely cabin. Stede smirked in response. The way Stede’s ears turned pink delighted him. He enjoyed watching the fancy man fumble with the matches a bit before getting one lit and bringing it toward the bowl. Ed was mesmerized by the way Stede’s eyes were alight in the glow of the small flame as the embers burned.
“I don’t know what you mean, Edward,” Stede replied with a sly innocence.
His co-captain was cute and cheeky. Gods help him.
“Third time’s the charm?!” Stede suggested brightly.
Ed huffed out a final laugh. “We’re fuckin’ Blackbeard and the Gentleman Pirate! I think we got this, mate.”
“No, we can’t have a bit of smoke bring down The Gentleman Pirate and Blackbeard, now, can we?” Stede continued the bit.
Ed brought the pipe to his lips and waited for Stede’s match to catch. He inhaled deeply and then held it, leaning into Stede once more.
The other man’s eyes smoldered even without the glow of the match.
Their noses touched this time. Ed brought his fingers up, resting them gently against Stede’s jaw to steady them both. He did his best to ignore the tingles in the pads of his fingers and the way his chest tightened. He wondered what Stede’s blonde eyelashes might feel like, fluttering against his cheeks if he leaned all the way.
Then he exhaled, steadily blowing the smoke toward Stede’s waiting mouth.
This time Ed watched the smoke be smoothly pulled between Stede’s parted lips and then purposefully pushed out through his nostrils. The smoke created a hazy screen between them. Their proximity made him feel fuzzy. Or maybe it was the head high from several hits and all of the coughing. Either way, the feel of Stede's breath against Ed’s whiskers tickled pleasurably.
The two men held their positions, Stede barely leaning into Ed’s fingertips. Ed didn’t want to pull away and apparently neither did his co-captain. They drew out the moment until the smoke slowly dissipated into the ether of the cabin.
Even with then hazy air and fuzzy brain, Ed still clocked Stede glancing down at his lips. So he decided to fucking go for it. Ed slowly pushed his fingers up through ginger sideburns and back into soft, blonde curls. He gave Stede plenty of time to pull away. And, to Ed’s relief and joy, Stede did not. Instead, He did the exact opposite and melted into the palm of Ed’s hand, relaxing as though he had been holding himself back too. The tension that had existed earlier was now a current, pulling the two of them together at last.
Ed didn’t even have to move so much as fall forward to close the breath of space between them. All he had to do was relax and let gravity pull him forward to feel Stede’s assuredly soft lips against his own. He’d craved it since the moment he’d seen the lunatic, starry-eyed and optimistic, even with a noose around his neck and a hole in his gut.
Ed held his breath, lungs empty of smoke but full of anticipation.
Stede covered Ed’s hand with his own and sighed. He looked at Ed with lidded, expectant eyes. Ed started to relax the muscles that were holding him in place, falling into Stede —
“Captains!” Lucius squawked. The young man slid through the door only to almost topple ass over head. He caught himself on the door knob and came to a faltering halt at the scene before him.
Stede was already up off the couch. He wrapped his dressing gown primly around himself like they’d been caught with their knickers down. If only .
Ed glared. Stede began to reprimand Lucius until the boy cut him off.
“Yeahhhh,” he drew out. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.” Lucius paused and then smirked knowingly.
“Out with it, boy!” Stede and Ed exclaimed in unison. He looked to Stede who was already returning Ed’s smile.
Co-captains?
The memory warmed him. He loved how in sync they were. The way they complemented each other. How they learned from each other. How they understood each other. The way they were able to work together with and without a plan.
“Eh- hem ,” Lucius cleared his throat dramatically. He narrowed his eyes and looked between the two of them. “Anyways,” he emphasized with a clap.
“Swede fell overboard again and now everybody is fighting over who will bring him up but nobody is actually doing it. And even if I wanted to, I can’t swim, so…” Lucius sputtered out. He gestured between them and himself in an attempt at emphasizing his presence. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered you,” and then added a quick “Captains.” as a calculated afterthought.
“Oh for fucks sake!” Stede complained, breaking the silence that followed Lucius’s exasperated explanation.
Ed sighed and rose from the couch. He motioned for Lucius to leave. As he began to follow the boy out, he paused to look back at Stede who was watching him go. Ed loved the crinkle between Stede’s eyebrows when he was annoyed and bitchy. Though he didn’t like it, Ed appreciated that Stede seemed as disappointed as he felt.
He let out a little huff and gave Stede a small smile before turning on his heel and plodding up to the deck to deal with this shit. He knew the moment will have passed by the time he returns to the cabin. But with any luck, their plans would come together soon enough.