Chapter Text
Lucius walked away from the lantern light and the sound of laughing of the evening social circle while humming quietly to himself. He headed down below deck, taking his time to maneuver the dark hallway toward the kitchen for more rum for the crew. Though, as he swung the door to the kitchen open he let out a strangled shriek.
Ed nearly fumbled the teapot he was holding from Lucius scaring the hell out of him.
“Fuck! You nearly made me piss myself!”
“You?! You’re the one skulking around in the dark!” Lucius grabbed his chest and took a few calming breaths to slow his racing heart.
“Oh fuck off… I’m not skulking in the dark. There is a lantern lit over there.” Ed muttered as he went back to what he was doing. Lucius got his barings and zeroed in on what Ed was doing. He blinked slowly as he processed what he was seeing.
“Are you making… tea?”
“Yeah? So?”
“Blackbeard is making himself a cup of tea while the crew drowns themselves in rum? It’s kind of cute.”
“Oh piss off, it’s not for me.”
“Then…?” There was a long silence as Ed poured the tea. “ooooooh… you making your Beau a cup of tea?” Lucius couldn’t help the devious smile that spread across his face.
“Shut it! Too much rum makes him not feel good in the morning so he switches to tea after the first bottle’s been passed around. It’s not a big deal.”
“Why Edward, are you blushing?”
“Fuck off, mate.” Ed went about his task awkwardly but with practiced hands which showed Lucius that this wasn’t his first time making Stede’s tea. Lucius’ smile just grew wider as he grabbed bottles of rum from the pantry, because of course rum was found in the pantry on a pirate ship.
“You seem to know what you’re doing with that tea. Stede must be rubbing off of you while he’s … rubbing one off on you.” Ed dropped the tea spoon he was holding with a loud clatter.
“We haven’t- I mean, we- it’s not like that!” Lucius paused and leaned out of the pantry to look at Ed, who looked extremely uncomfortable.
“You… haven’t… what?” Ed picked the spoon back up and started intensely stirring the tea so he didn’t have to look up again. “Oh no, you opened that door so I’m invested now. You haven’t what?”
“We haven’t, you know.”
“First, you are the last person I ever expected to be shy about this sort of thing. Second, you haven’t had sex? You two have been making moon eyes at each other since you two resolved this shit months ago. Is he too nervous or something?”
“It’s not him. Well, it IS him, but— Gah… I can’t believe I’m telling you this..” He started packing up the supplies as Lucius tried to wait patiently for his explanation. “..It’s me. I’m trying to go about this in a way that is.. more his speed.”
“Ok… I don’t know what you're getting at.”
“Stede is, well, he is a gentleman. He had a different life. He doesn’t do the debauchery side of things so much. He’s… gentle. He likes the soft, romantic shit.”
“I think you are underestimating Captain Bonnet’s… speed, Captain. I watched him knock a French sailor off the side of a ship with an oar to the face for insulting Jim just last week.”
“And I watched him for an hour protecting sea turtle hatchlings with a parasol from birds until they got to the water. The man is not the rough sort.” Lucius rolled his eyes as he hoisted the bottles in his arms up to get a better grip on them.
“He’s a pirate.”
“He is the Gentleman Pirate, who claimed to kill people with kindness . Fuck… I don’t know why that always gets to me, but it does. Especially when he does the hands thing when he says it. It’s fucking gold every time.” Lucius watched Ed try to hide his smile. These two were so cute it was almost disgusting. He was going to enjoy watching how this was going to implode. It was definitely not going to go the way Ed thought it was.
“Well, I think you’re setting yourself up for disaster but what the hell do I know? As long as you’re good to him I’m happy if my captains are happy.” Ed shot Lucius a cautious glance as he picked up the dainty tea cup and left the kitchen. Lucius followed with the bottles of rum and welcomed the sound of laughter again as he made his way back to the light of the circle. Loud cheers erupted when he arrived with the next round. He took his place cuddled next to Black Pete, but watched the interaction between Stede and Ed from his seat.
Stede felt a warm hand settle on his lower back and the tingle of awareness that followed as a fresh cup of tea was held in front of him. Stede took it and beamed at Ed.
“Thank you, Darling.” Stede sipped the tea and sighed happily, once again missing the way Ed flushed at the pet name. “I think you have surpassed my ability with tea making. This is perfect.”
“Eh, I stumble through it well enough.” Ed smirked at him and stepped away, letting a finger graze Stede’s cheek before heading over to the other side of the deck. He picked up one of the fresh bottles of rum and joined in with the loud banter. Stede’s cheeks pinked happily as he watched him go.
“So-“ Stede jumped as Lucius sat next to him. “-that seems to be going wonderfully.”
“Oh, yes it is.”
“Soooo, you jump him yet?”
“Oh- oh…well.” Stede cleared his throat and became very interested in his tea.
“New territory for you, yeah?” Lucius gave Stede an understanding pat on his shoulder.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I feel like I am giving-“ Stede looked around them and saw that the rest of the crew was very occupied. “-the right signals, but everything has just been so… so…”
“ Soft ?” Lucius smirked.
“Yes.” Stede groaned. “I have been letting him set our pace, especially with my lack of, well.. I don’t know what I’m doing, like I said before. Though, I thought by now with how things went before we talked on the beach-”
“ Talked ? Captain, if that was talking then-“
“ -worked things out then.” Stede gave Lucius an unamused look which only made Lucius smile back at him. “Anyway, I thought by now, with him being more experienced-“
“ Experienced ? A bit of a trollop?”
“- THAT by now we would have progressed to something a bit more physically intimate and he would-“
“He would have had his way with you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it so much like that.” Stede twirled his tea cup in its saucer and Lucius just wanted to pinch his cheek. Again, so cute they were almost disgusting.
“Can I offer some advice?”
“Yes please.” Stede said quickly.
Lucius was about to stir the pot a little, part for his own amusement but also Stede seemed like he desperately needed it.
“Next time he kisses you? Gently bite his lower lip. Not too hard. Just enough to show him you mean business.”
“Oh… ok. I can do that… maybe?”
“Just watch, I’ll show you-“ Stede looked shocked and Lucius laughed and swatted his arm. “I mean on Pete, not on you or Blackbeard. Also, the next time you call him Darling? Watch him. It’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.” Stede looked a little confused, but nodded as Lucius made his way back to Black Pete.
Lucius leaned down to kiss Black Pete, which was innocent enough, but Black Pete gave a little jump in response. He stood up and took Lucius by the hand and almost dragged him away. Lucius shot Stede a winking salute before leaving.
Stede’s gaze shifted to Ed as he was speaking animatedly to Oluwande and Buttons about something before they all started laughing. Ed noticed his gaze then smiled at him and shot him a subtle wink.
Well that did it. He was taking Lucius’ advice.
Ed yawned and stretched his arms above his head as he walked Stede to his door.
“There looks to be a merchant ship not far, Izzy thinks if we haul ass we could plan a night raid for tomorrow night.” Stede walked next to Ed quietly and he anxiously chewed his thumbnail. When he didn’t reply Ed gently nudged his shoulder with his own. “Hey, mate. You have been really quiet tonight.”
“Oh! I’m sorry. I just slept a bit off last night. I am just more tired than usual.” He lied through his teeth, he had been stressing about how to properly pull the lip maneuver without it being awkward. He felt silly for putting so much thought and worry into the act, but he couldn’t help wanting it to go over smoothly.
When they reached Stede’s door Ed reached up and placed a hand on Stede’s forehead.
“You feeling alright?” Stede took his hand from his forehead and kissed it.
“I’m fine, just a rare off night. I’ll sleep well tonight and be just fine, darling.” Stede remembered what Lucius had said right as the endearment left his mouth. He watched as Ed ducked his head shyly and fiddled with his belt. “Ed… does it bother you that I call you darling?”
“What? No! No, not at all. I’ve just never been called anything like that before, but,“ Ed brushed one of Stede’s golden curls behind his ear, “I really like it when you call me that. It is just taking me time to get used to it. To get used to all of this. It’s new, but I like it. I like you.”
Stede smiled and leaned against his door. He reached out and brushed his fingers delicately down Ed’s arm.
“I like you too.” Stede looked up and they held each other’s gaze. He hoped that Ed felt the same heat he did in these moments. He wished he had the courage to ask if he did, but everything was still so new he didn’t want to misstep. “…You should kiss me goodnight so I can go to bed.”
Ed smirked and brushed his knuckles across Stede’s cheek before he leaned in and brushed his lips to Stede’s. Stede hummed happily into the kiss and could feel Ed smile against his lips for it.
Now or never.
Stede reached up and gripped the back of Ed’s neck, fingers softly tangling in his hair. He changed the angle of the kiss and gave an experimental nip and tug on Ed’s lower lip.
Ed tensed and made a small, quiet sound in the back of his throat. Stede chased that sound, greedily wanting more. He gripped Ed’s shirt and pulled him closer, taking the kiss deeper and Ed responded just as eager as he pressed Stede up against the door.
Oh God, yes please..
Was Stede’s only thought as he wrapped his arms around Ed’s neck. They were already firmly plastered together but Stede felt like it wasn’t enough.
When Ed gripped Stede’s hips with shaking hands it made Stede worry, so he begrudgingly pulled back a little. He hoped the shaking was from excitement, but he wanted to be careful to read Ed correctly.
“Edward…” Stede breathed out when he broke the kiss to rest his forehead to Ed’s.
Stede could feel Ed’s pulse beating wildly under the hand he had on his neck and it made him smile a little.
“Tease.” Ed said huskily and Stede laughed, feeling relieved that he seemed ok. He placed a hand over Ed’s heart as he met his gaze.
“It.. doesn’t have to be a tease, if you don’t want it to be..” Ed groaned and kissed Stede again, but it felt more restrained.
“I just don’t want to push you.”
“Such a gentleman.”
“Oh fuck you.” Ed said with no heat behind it and Stede laughed again. He pulled him in close to just enjoy the intimacy of being in each other’s space.
“Ok, darling.” He smirked as he said it and Ed poked him in the ribs for it. He squirmed and swatted his hand away as his smirk softened into a grin.
“Ass.” Ed said as he brushed a hand across Stede’s cheek before he leaned in and kissed him lightly one more time. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Stede watched him back up slowly before turning around to make his way back to his cabin.
Every night, watching Ed walk away was the hardest part. All he wanted to do was ask him to stay.