#like i though stede's 'you won' was in response to like

[lumiilys]

hey hey hey i just remembered that the little finger battle scene after the moonlight kiss in s2e5 was improvised and i wanna melt into a little puddle again

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

See, y'know, I don't think "ruthless" is really an appropriate word to describe Ed. I mean, yeah, there's the pirate of it all, but OFMD doesn't operate with irl standards towards this stuff. If anything, Ed's got the opposite of ruthlessness going on (he is full of ruths?). There are certainly times when you could make the argument he's behaving cruelly, but that's not his base state and it's always informed by extreme emotional turmoil where he's feeling forced to behave that way. If anything, Ed is extremely prone to just rolling over, not getting his way, and letting people treat him like shit.

Stede, though. STEDE. I adore my guy Stede, but he's where I think we run into some real potential for unchecked anger issues and ruthlessness. Stede is the kind of guy who feels like he has a lot to prove, and even when he's perfectly capable of resolving things with his own style, we see him resort to violence purely out of seeking social approval or just because he wants to. We're talking about a guy who easily manipulated a boat full of assholes into setting themselves on fire (not just because Ed was hurt, either, but clearly also because he's getting personal satisfaction out of it). I think killing Ned Low is the perfect example - Stede has already won, and in the real world I'm sure it would be dangerous to let Ned live, but if that was a genuine concern in this world, someone would've mentioned it (not least of all Ed, who is the one to directly say to Stede that he doesn't have to kill Ned). Stede kills Ned not because he has to but because he wants to, because Ned hurt Ed and the crew and (not least of all) because Ned insulted Stede by calling him a pet, someone who can't take care of himself or hold his own as a man.

Basically. We need more fics where Stede is allowed to be angry and violent in response to shit, where Ed gets captured and Stede burns cities to the ground to save him, where they get through the bad shit and Stede's still struggling with feeling like he has to bite people in the throat for being rude to Ed.

[gaybananabread]

⁠✧.*Are You Listening?*⁠.⁠✧

~Ehehehe the brain maggots won and I can’t say I’m upset by it (＾⩌＾). I’ve binged this show enough times to be put into all kinds of moods by these men, so I might as well write out my feelings. This is set right after S1 Ep. 7, so if you haven’t watched up to there, expect some spoilers! For anyone else who has pirate-based thought goblins, I hope you Enjoy!~

Lee: Edward

Ler: Stede

Summary: Stede goes on a small rant about what happened on their latest adventure, though Edward isn’t fully listening. When he notices this, he calls the man out, but is met with a rather fascinating reaction.

Warnings: mild Our Flag Means Death spoilers! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

Bobbing with the current, the Revenge drifted peacefully through the sea. Most of the crew was on-deck, chatting and messing around in their moment of peace. However, in the captain’s quarters, two men relaxed, one info-dumping while the other thumbed through random numbers of Stede’s vast collection of novels.

“And did you see that bird’s nest? They had to be Snowy Plovers, no question. Oh, I wish Lucius had brought his sketching journal.”  Stede sighed dreamily, slowly pacing around the room as he spoke. 

Ed hummed, not looking up from the copy of Hansel and Grettle. Stede had allowed him to browse whatever he wanted in the library, though he rarely read anything cover-to-cover. The blonde man continued, not yet noticing his companion’s lack of attention.

“There were so many interesting creatures on that island! I mean, the orange was the real treasure in it all, but I do so enjoy exploring nature when we travel.” Turning on his heel, he spun to face the bearded man once again. “What do you think, Ed?” 

“Uh-huh, yeah. Good, uh, land and shit,” Edward half-heartedly replied, flipping a few more pages into the book. That’s when Stede finally noticed that he wasn’t really listening.

“Edward!” The pirate jolted, shutting the book and actually meeting Stede’s eyes. “You weren’t even listening to me, were you?” Stede huffed, crossing his arms with an almost adorable pout.

“Uh…kinda? I mean, I heard the bit about the birds…” Ed mumbled most of his response, looking away. Yeah, he’d only heard a few words of the other man’s spiel. “Fuckin’, uh…book was distracting.”

With a huff, Stede sat down beside him, picking up the book. “I’m glad you’re interested in literature, but I was talking. It’s a bit rude to ignore people, isn’t it?” While he was a bit annoyed, Stede’s tone was a joking one. He even poked the man’s ribs in a playful manner, though he hadn’t expected Ed’s flinch.

“Damn, did I hurt you?” Stede sounded worried, a profanity even slipping in. He was more panicked than a normal friend should’ve been, though neither commented on it. 

“No, didn’t hurt. Takes more than a fuckin’ finger to hurt me.” Ed swatted Stede’s hand away, his beard hiding the very slight blush on his cheeks. He hadn’t felt a touch like that since…well, it’d certainly been a while. “Just felt…I dunno, fuckin’ weird.” 

“Weird?” Stede spoke softly, his worry melding into confusion. What could possibly feel weird to Blackbeard? He’d only lightly poked the man, and his ribs aren’t…oh. Oh. It took everything Stede had to keep a straight face as he said his next words.

“Might your ribs be a bit sensitive, Ed?” 

Edward nearly did a double-take at the words and his tone, snapping his head in the other man’s direction. “Sensitive? I’m…I’m fuckin’ Blackbeard. Sensitivity doesn’t apply to me.”

Stede rolled his eyes. Yeah right… Stifling a smirk, the blonde slowly slid his hand towards Ed’s side. Before he could do anything, though, a rough hand snatched his wrist. Edward’s eyes met his, full of some unreadable emotion.

“Don’t. Don’t you fuckin’ dare, Bonnet.” His tone was gruff and dark, though the emotion in his eyes gained some depth. It was almost…giddy? The word felt foreign when describing Ed, though it fit to a tee.

“Hmmm…I think I fucking do.” Using his other hand, he squeezed Edward’s side. The feeling was such a shock that a damned giggle left the dread pirate’s mouth, his arms moving to clamp to his sides.

That sound made Stede’s stomach fill with a strange fluttering feeling—one he often felt around Edward. He decided to pursue it, scooting closer and wiggling his fingers into Ed’s stomach. 

The feeling wasn’t that intense through his layers of clothing, but it definitely still tickled. Biting his lip, Ed squirmed, trying to shove at Stede’s hands while still protecting himself. It should be noted, however, that he didn’t put up much of a real fight.

“My, Edward. I think someone’s a bit ticklish…” Stede chuckled, trying to slip his fingers under Ed’s arms. He’d had a small taste of the other man’s laughter, and had become hooked, He had to hear more. “I think it’d feel a bit nicer if you let out that laughter, Ed. Don’t you?”

When the eccentric man managed to wedge his fingers up to Ed’s ribs, the pirate knew he was done for. The dam broke, surprisingly bright giggles filling the quarters. They were still gruff, of course—still, the happy air was hard to ignore. 

“Oh dear. I think someone’s got a case of the giggles~” Stede cooed, one hand wiggling on the man’s ribs as the other poked and spidered on his belly. Was he pushing his luck? Oh, absolutely. It was, however, well worth it to see Ed’s silly smile.

 “F-fuhuhuck- Stehehede! Fuhuck ohohoff!” Twisting and wriggling around, Ed hid his face in his shoulder. The bearded man’s heavy boots skidded on the wooden floor, leaving small scuffs. Stede would deal with that later.

The feeling was…well, it wasn’t awful for Edward. He would never let the crew see him like that, of course; he had a reputation to maintain. With Stede, however, it felt nice to laugh. To let a few of his walls down without the fear of the mental rubble coming back to crush him. He wasn’t going to admit any of that, but it was true: his blush, however, was a different story.

“Well, I would, but I think I can see some pink underneath that salt and pepper of yours. Are you blushing, Eddy?” Stede used a slight nickname, his tone incredibly playful and teasing. He was determined to keep Ed giggling for as long as possible. 

“Screhehew youhu!” Edward tried arching his back, but that only freed his ribs up more. Slipping his fingers beneath Ed’s leather, Stede wiggled his fingers against the thinner fabric of his undershirt. That got quite the reaction.

“GRK- FAHAHAHAHA! FUHUHUCK YOUHUHUHU!” Ed’s bright giggles ramped up to loud, raucous laughter. A few snorts worked their way in, making Stede’s heart melt. Oh, how he loved that sound…

“I must say, this is a fine symphony. I’m loving all the onomatopoeias, and your laugh is so melodic!” Wanting to be a bit more mean, Stede hummed a lovely tune by Bach, pretending that his fellow seamen’s ribs and belly were piano keys. “I just love tickling the ivories, don’t you?”

The bearded man couldn’t respond, too lost in laughter to form a coherent sentence. While it was nice to laugh his cares away, he was starting to wear out. His throat was drying up, and his sides were starting to ache. He patted Stede’s wrist, managing to speak through his amusing cackles. “S-STAHAHAP! STEHEHEDE!”

Immediately, Stede pulled away, sensing Ed’s weariness. He didn’t want to push too much. “Goodness, Ed, I-I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away. Are you alright?”

Closing his eyes, Edward took a few deep and giggly breaths. He was certainly tired, but not to an uncomfortable degree. “Qu-quit worryin’... Takes mohore than a little laugh to knohock Blackbeard down.” The red hue on his cheeks slowly subsided, his giggles drying up. Ed recovered pretty quickly.

“Good, good,” Stede sighed, smiling softly. Finally noticing that his hands were still on Edward, he scooted away, blushing. Ed cut him off before he could make a fool of himself. 

“Ya know, it’s been a while since anyone’s had the balls to do somethin’ like that to me. Good on ya, Stede.” He clapped the blonde on the shoulder, though didn’t let go after. Instead, he flipped their positions, swiftly pinning Stede to the couch and nearly straddling him.

Ed made quick work of Stede’s resistance, even though there was hardly any to deal with. “There’s a reason for that, though. Wanna guess why?” He pinned the flamboyant man’s arms above his head without any hesitation. Stede couldn’t help the squeaky giggles that bubbled out of him, already squirming. He shook his head. Edward leaned down and whispered in his ear, scraggly beard hair tickling the poor man’s neck. He was in for a long evening...

“I always get my revenge~”

[thetardigrape]

I posted 4,102 times in 2022

That's 3,791 more posts than 2021!

187 posts created (5%)

3,915 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@batsarebetterthanpeople

@chuplayswithfire

@ofmdaily

@knowlesian

@blvckwidow

I tagged 2,330 of my posts in 2022

Only 43% of my posts had no tags

#ofmd - 228 posts

#our flag means death - 154 posts

#ofmd fic - 46 posts

#the amazing devil - 38 posts

#yes - 28 posts

#ofmd meta - 19 posts

#fuck - 17 posts

#holy shit - 13 posts

#madeleine hyland - 12 posts

#love it - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#me‚ creating a tumblr post on the absolutely public website tumblr: the people who inspired this post will definitely never ever see it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I just love how a lot of characters in OFMD are struggling with questions of identity and NONE of them are about being queer. Stede is struggling with being a weakling, an aristocrat, and a pirate. Ed is struggling with being a killer, a legend, and a peasant. Jim is struggling with being an assassin. NOBODY is like “oh no, what does it mean if I’m queer.” It’s not even a question. Fucking incredible. Love it.

1,461 notes - Posted May 1, 2022

#4

Love the implications of this:

What was he gonna do, go in there and execute them one by one with his muzzle-loaded pistol?

"Sorry, can the rest of you just hold on a minute, I need to load this again, then I can keep killing you."

1,714 notes - Posted October 27, 2022

#3

Most of my meta so far has dealt with Ed and Stede. As it should, they're the stars of OFMD.

But now I wanna talk about Lucius and Izzy. Because I've been dying over "Have you ever been sketched" for weeks and I need to talk about it. This is less of a meta and more of me just picking this scene apart because I love it so much.

The scene starts with Izzy naming a long list of chores Lucius will have to do. At this point, Lucius knows about Izzy the Spewer. He knows Izzy doesn't actually have the authority to make him do anything, and he knows a secret that Izzy definitely doesn't want spread around. So with his response to Izzy's demand that he does these chores, Lucius readies for his first blow.

Lucius has already used this line before. Crucially, back in the galley, he had nothing else to use against Izzy, and Izzy won that fight. But now, Lucius is armed. And Izzy's about to give him yet another weapon.

See the full post

2,078 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

#2

Ed: wanna do something weird?

Stede: yes absolutely

Ed: cool, take your clothes off

Stede: this sounds perfectly reasonable, okay

2,988 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Listen, though, Buttons is actually a really good first mate.

Noticed talk of a mutiny and brought it to Stede's attention before anything happened

Quietly coached Stede on how to be more effective as captain

Caught sight of the Spanish ships on the horizon before anyone else, including Blackbeard and Izzy

Didn't assume the fog alone would conceal the Revenge from the Spanish

Knew the movements of the Dutch merchants so precisely as to be able to zero in on them a full day and a half before their paths crossed

Very much attempted not to let Calico Jack on board

Only one besides Stede who didn't engage in Jack's shenanigans

Honestly, he should give Izzy lessons.

5,100 notes - Posted July 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[avastyetwats]

Continued from here. @izzyeffinhands

"You will."

His response is immediate. Not even a full second had passed after Izzy asked that question. He wasn't going to let Izzy believe otherwise. He, himself, refused to believe otherwise. He would wake up. He would make it through this procedure, Stede was sure of it. He had to... he had to make it through. He couldn't lose him. He refused to lose him. The thought devastated Stede, it destroyed him, and he spent all night lying awake hoping and praying this procedure would go smoothly. All night he held Israel against his body, caressing his back, his chest, his face, running his fingers through his hair, murmuring sweet nothings into his ear to help him fall asleep and stay asleep. There wasn't a second during the night where Stede let him go. Even during the short couple of hours Stede managed to sleep he held onto Izzy, refusing to let him go. Afraid to let him go.

Even though he was sure the surgery would go well, there was always voice in the back of his mind asking 'what if'. What if something happened, what if this was the last night he would ever hold him, what if he'd never see that gorgeous smile of his again, what if he never heard his beautiful, angelic voice ever again. All these questions plagued Stede and there was some several minutes during the middle of the night while Izzy was asleep where Stede cried. He made sure to do it only while Izzy was asleep because he didn't want to worry the other more than he already was. And Stede needed to be strong. He needed to be strong for Izzy and help him feel strong and believe that everything would go without any complications.

And he'd been doing just that. Since the moment they woke up and here, now, in the hospital bed. Waiting for him to be taken into the O.R. It wasn't easy to keep him distracted, but Stede never stopped trying. Although the beeping from the machines, and his fear of not waking up, won out and he sat up with the intention of climbing out of bed and walking out of this hospital, but before he could even put one foot on the floor, Stede was practically jumping out of his chair and hurrying to his side. "Israel, you're not going anywhere. You can't, sweetheart." Not because it wasn't allowed, but because he could die without this surgery and Stede wasn't going to let that happen. "You can do this. You can. You have to." Tears well in his own eyes from seeing Izzy so scared, but he doesn't let himself cry. No. He's going to keep being strong for Izzy, he's going to keep himself together and focus on helping Israel calm down, on helping him get through these next several hours.

And when he sees the tears start flowing from Izzy's eyes, god, his heart shatters. "Oh, Israel..." He wastes no more time. Stede climbs onto the bed - damn the rules - and places one hand on his face, using his gentle touch to help calm him, to help ground him, and then his just as gentle voice. "Look at me, sweetheart. Look at me." He doesn't force him, but he keeps his hand on his face and strokes the tears from his cheeks, and it's only when Izzy does finally look at him, that his other hand holds the other side of his face. "You have to do this, okay? If you don't, you could..." He doesn't need to say it. Izzy knows, too. "You can and will do this, I promise. I haven't ever lied to you, have I?" He smiles softly, both thumbs stroking his wet cheeks. "You've made it this far. You're here, in the room, now. You're that much closer to having all of this over with." The wait was always the most difficult part. "You're so strong, Israel. So strong and I know you can do this. You, and this gorgeous body of yours, are so stubborn, it won't let something like this take you out." He chuckles, a reminder of all he's been through in his life and all he's overcome. This would be something else he'd over come, Stede was sure of it.

"You'll wake up. I promise you will and I will be right here waiting for you. Just as I am now. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. I..." A deep breath, eyes remaining locked with his, still cradling his face - holding him so tenderly. "I refuse to let anything happen before I've even had the chance of marrying you." The words fall from his mouth quickly, before he can even think of taking them back, and he doesn't. He doesn't want to. He didn't plan on saying them, but god, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Izzy and he refused to let that stop here.

[izzy-b-hands]

A contest atop a board! Bad ideas! Good ideas! Wet men, stuck trousers, and boisterous laughter! Reader gets to decide ultimately who probably won said contest as well lol.

---

"This feels like a bad idea," Ed knew he was white knuckling the rail, but he couldn't stop himself.

"They're having fun," Stede said. "What harm is it anyway?"

Out on a long, thin wooden board, held down by Olu, Jim, and Frenchie, the Swede was making the latest entry on the board.

Literally, as he jumped up and down on it, nearly missing and falling off now and again. The crew's laughter rose and fell with each new jump, cresting into a cheer as the Swede crawled back on the board and back over the railing.

"That is...63!" Lucius shouted. "Newest record to beat, and well done!"

"If they fall, it'll hurt," Ed said. "Water isn't forgiving if you fall from too far."

"Lucius survived it," Stede chirped, then winced. "I'm sorry, Ed. I only meant that since he was fine, surely the others-"

Ed held up a hand. "I know. And you might not be wrong, they might be fine. But it's a risk. Plus, I've never actually made anyone walk the plank. Don't know if I've ever seen anyone do that."

"Izzy!" Olu shouted. "Give it a go, come on."

"Iz," Ed interjected, forcing his hands to come off the rail. "Your foot, mate."

"I'll be fine," Izzy said as he stepped up and over the railing onto the board. "We used to do stupid shit like this ourselves! You think I can't handle it now?"

"No," Ed admitted. "Because we're not sixteen like we were then! We've got injuries racked up and back pain and-"

"Calm down," Izzy laughed. "I thought you wanted me to loosen up."

Ed bit his tongue. He did want that, but not necessarily like this.

"Remember," Lucius called out. "I have final say in the end count and the official recording of it in Captain Stede's journal! Also, there is no shame in stopping if you cannot continue for whatever reason. We will remember it though, so bear that in mind."

"And you promise me an accurate count, even though it's...well, me?" Izzy asked.

"If you agree to be sketched, yes!"

"Fuck it, fine," Izzy laughed. "Name the time and place and you can make your sketch."

Lucius was glowing. "I didn't think you'd say yes! This is perfect though, we almost have enough for that crew calendar I want to put together."

Stede smiled. "Look at him! Not a wobble on the end there! I think he'll do fine, Ed."

Ed turned himself away from the railing and leaned against it. If he looked, he knew he would keep yelling for Izzy to come back off the board, and that would be a waste of breath, clearly.

He could hear the board wobble though, with each jump. That was almost worse.

"How the fuck?" Roach laughed. "The height on that! All this time you could have been making up for how short you are, Izzy!"

Ed could hear Izzy laughing in response. Genuine, happy laughter. It was lovely to hear again.

"Even with his fucked up foot!" Frenchie added. "But we're only a few in, so don't get cocky!"

It had taken the Swede a long time, naturally, considering how he'd set the new record. But the time seemed to crawl even more now, at least to Ed.

"He's really okay," Stede offered, reaching over to take one of his hands, giving it a squeeze. "Doing well, doesn't even seem too much out of breath!"

Ed nodded. "I shouldn't talk. Jack and I had all of our shit, and Izzy and I did use to try balancing and running along the rails of our first ship. But-"

"Oh!" Lucius cried. "That was close! Careful!"

Ed squeezed Stede's hand hard. "I really don't like this. I know Lucius was fine, but hitting the water like that could break a bone, or-"

A splash.

"Final count..." Lucius grinned. "64!"

"Alright, get him out," Ed let go of Stede's hand and rushed down the steps to the main deck. "Where is he?"

He's fine," Jim said, smiling. "Give him a chance to swim over to the ladder."

That didn't stop his pacing near said ladder, eyes on the water.

"He should have come up by now," Ed heard himself say, but what registered was the water as he dove into it.

It was hard to see at first, but even before his eyes adjusted, he looked. For a flash of fabric, hair, something.

He nearly lost the breath he was holding as something snagged him around the waist.

He let himself bob to the surface, only to find Izzy, hair a sopping mess and over his eyes, at his waist.

"The fuck did you jump in for?" Izzy asked, breathless.

"I thought you were fucking drowning!"

Izzy pushed his hair back off his face. "Ed-"

"No!"

He knew shouting was probably overly dramatic to everyone else, but it wasn't to him, not now. "I thought you were down here, caught on something, drowning while the rest of us just watched!"

Izzy's gaze softened, and he reached over to brush a tear off Ed's cheek as it ran down. "Hey. I'm alright. Might feel it tomorrow morning, but I'm fine. Honestly, Ed."

He let Izzy gently tug him towards the ladder, while the contest continued with Jim, already above them jumping away on the board.

Stede was there waiting. "Hey! Are we alright?"

"We are," Izzy smiled. "Wet, but we're okay."

He didn't fight when Izzy and Stede walked him over to an empty portion of the deck, away from the shouting.

"Sorry," he murmured as they settled to sit on the deck.

"Don't have to be sorry," Izzy said softly. "I should be sorry. You weren't wrong for telling me to get down."

Ed gave him a look. "Foot hurts?"

Izzy nodded.

"And what about you?" Stede asked.

Ed shrugged.

"You hit your knee diving over the rail," Stede said. "I saw it."

"It's fine," Ed said, ignoring the throbbing pain at his knee.

"Alright, into the galley slash surgery," Stede said. "Come on, up, both of you."

They groaned and let him wrap an arm around their waists.

It was nice as a gesture, but Ed appreciated it more for the actual physical support. Stede was stronger than he looked, cheerful and smiling as he walked them both towards the galley.

There, Izzy tossed off his boot for Stede's inspection.

"I'll have Roach do a proper check on you both later, but his turn was coming up and I didn't want to interrupt," Stede said. "And this is a very swollen foot. No wonder it hurts! Bed rest, and elevating, and ice. In our quarters on the good couch, after you dry off and change of course. No arguing!"

Izzy nodded. "If you insist."

"I not only insist, I'll carry you there myself if I must," Stede said. "Trousers off, Ed."

Izzy giggled. "More forward than usual."

"That is not what I meant and you know it," Stede smiled. "Seriously, Ed. I'd say roll them up, but between being wet and tight already-"

"No, you're right," Ed said, and did his best to wiggle out of his wet leather trousers. "Fuck me, can I lean on one of you?"

He ended up leaning on Stede, while Izzy knelt to help tug his trousers down and off.

"Sorry," Izzy laughed. "I promise I'm not laughing at you, Ed. Just the situation. Water may as well have glued these on you."

He let himself chuckle. "It really did. Didn't think about that before I jumped in."

"We still need to get both of you out of everything," Stede said. "And into some nice dry robes from the auxiliary wardrobe! But judging by how this is going, you'll both be dry before we get to that point."

"I'm doing my best," Izzy laughed. "They're honestly nearly stuck!"

Ed broke down into giggles. "This is fucking ridiculous! Fuck it, cut them off if you have to."

"No, no," Stede snickered. "We've got this."

"Says the man not struggling down here," Izzy said, setting them all off into laughter.

"Fuck it, we're carrying you," Stede said as he laughed. "Izzy, can you get his feet?"

Izzy nodded, but nearly dropped Ed as he tried to stop laughing and failed horribly.

They calmed down enough to make it to the deck, heading for their quarters as the contest continued.

"What the entire fuck," Lucius said with a giggle, slapping at Pete's shoulder. "Look, oh my god, please look."

Pete turned and cackled.

Ed could admit they were a sight. Himself, trousers still dripping salt water and tugged down to stick at his calves. Izzy holding his feet, and Stede carrying him by the armpits. He realized too that Izzy had never put on his other boot, and it set him off again.

"If you keep laughing we'll drop you!" Stede cried, but he was already breaking, laughing himself.

Ed knew by now everyone was looking, but he couldn't be bothered to care. It was fucking hilarious and stupid and silly, why not enjoy the sight?

"You guys okay?" Olu chuckled and called over.

"Fine," Stede shouted back. "Just heading to our room to rest. And get-"

He bent over laughing, almost out of breath.

"Sorry, sorry!" Stede called. "I was trying to say we're headed to rest and fre-"

He was down again, shaking with laughter. "I can't; I'm sorry!"

Izzy took over, fighting back giggles. "Ed's stuck in his trousers; we're on a search for scissors to free him!"

It took them all out again, though luckily they lowered him to the deck as they laughed rather than dropping him.

He could hear the crew talking among themselves, probably asking if they should do something.

Only Lucius' voice cut through the din. "Ed? Captain? You know your cock is out, right? I mean...not that it's a bad thing, the lack of underclothes. I'm not complaining!"

He knew, and he didn't care. Izzy was okay, and they'd spend the night relaxing together. Legs up on fancy plush pillows, listening to Stede read from whatever book he was on aside from what he was reading the crew at night. Wrapped in soft and comfy robes, and if he asked nicely he knew Stede would braid his hair for him.

And he could suggest a rail balancing contest next, that he had a feeling everyone would be game for.

Which he was very much prepared to win.

[edactually]

Ed POV - 8.2

The rest of the week passed in a blur. Ed allowed himself to be moved around like a marionette with Izzy pulling the strings, although he wasn’t being as harsh as usual. It was like he could see the fight had gone out of him, and he didn’t push his luck. One wrong word and Ed would just walk out the door never to return. As it was, he was just going through the motions of sound checks and rehearsals. 

The next two gigs were as formulaic as ever, and the crowd didn’t even notice anything was wrong with him judging by the usual online responses cheering on another great show from Blackbeard.

Whenever he got a moment, he checked his phone. The texts from Stede remained unanswered. What could he even say? Replying to Stede would just be the final nail in the coffin, as he would inevitably get the speech about how he was with Sam now. Ed didn’t want to hear it. The knife was already embedded into his belly, he didn’t want to give Stede the opportunity to twist it further.

When he returned to his hotel room, Anne wouldn’t leave him on his own even though it was all he wanted. She insisted on staying with him and came up with endless activities to distract him, from laughing at bad movies to building a pillow fort to pigging out on room service. Ed at least tried with Anne. He knew she was only doing it to keep him afloat, which he appreciated, but she couldn’t keep him distracted forever. When she curled up in bed next to him, Ed stared at the ceiling, wide awake, and let the thoughts come.

Fucked it up again, didn’t you?

You had a chance for something good and you ruined it.

You should have stayed, you should never have gone on this tour. You’d be together if you hadn’t.

Who are you kidding? It doesn’t matter if you went on tour or not, Stede was always going to pick Sam over you.

No one wants you.

Not even your friends want you.

Izzy, Ivan and Fang are stuck with you for the sake of their jobs, and Anne only sticks around because you pay her to.

You have to pay for your friends, how pathetic is that?

When Ed did finally fall asleep, it was with the bitter sting of tears and dried salt on his cheeks.

The days blurred together, but Anne informed him that Sunday was a day off and she insisted he do something outside of the usual routine to break the funk. That turned out to be a day at an arcade. 

It was a hobby of theirs whenever they had a free day on tour and could find a decent one and it usually brought out the competitive sides of both of them, but today it was one-sided. Ed didn’t attack any of their usual games with any enthusiasm - not even air hockey, of which he was the self-proclaimed champion. By the end of the day, his string of tickets was pitiful compared to Anne’s, which won her a stuffed unicorn from the prize counter.

“Here.” She shoved it into his arms as they left the arcade.

“What are you doing? You won this.” He tried to pass it back but she folded her arms across her chest.

“I only won because you didn’t even try. Anyway, you need it more than I do. You keep trying to cuddle me in the night and you know I can’t sleep with someone clutching at me like that.”

“Sorry.” He looked down at the unicorn in his hands and ran a hand along the soft material.

“It’s ok, honey.” He felt an arm wrap around his waist to give him a quick squeeze. “You just cuddle that instead, ok? Got a good name for it?”

Ed ran his fingers over it again. “Tempest.”

Anne wrinkled her nose. “Weird choice, but you do you.”

When they arrived back at the hotel, Anne insisted that they sit down on the plush couches in the lobby instead of going back up to the room. She complained that her feet were hurting and she just wanted to rest them for a little bit. Ed didn’t bother to argue that she should just put up with it for the short amount of steps to the elevator and up to her room, he just thunked down onto the sofa next to her and continued to pet his new cuddle companion.

“There MUST be some mistake!”

Anne lifted her head at the sound of the loud voice coming from the reception desk, but Ed didn’t bother. It was the usual in fancy hotels like this - some rich fuck complaining about their pillows not being fluffy enough or the hotel not offering butterfly milk for their morning coffee.

“Sir, I have checked our system three times and I can assure you, there’s no booking under that name.”

“But I made the reservation!”

“Sir, we are fully booked. Your names are not on the list so you are not guests of the hotel.”

Suddenly Anne was on her (apparently no longer sore) feet and trotting over to the commotion at reception. Ed rolled his eyes and stood up to go and retrieve her before she nosied her way too far into other people’s business.

He should have recognised the voice. 

Lucius Spriggs was at the reception desk.

Anne reached him before he did and swept the man up into a hug while the receptionist looked on, confused. “Luci! What are you doing here?”

“Anne, what a surprise!” Lucus squeezed her tightly. “I’m in town for a meeting tomorrow. Are you here long? We should have dinner!”

“We’re here until Wednesday!”

Ed had reached them by now and Lucius offered him a handshake but no hug. “Hello! So nice to see you again. Tour going well?”

“Fine.” Ed’s eyes scanned around the lobby. If Lucius was in town for a meeting then that meant…

But there was no sign of him. 

Ed’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“Did I overhear they lost your reservation, Luci?” Anne frowned. “How awful! You’re welcome to bunk with me, my bed’s a queen and so am I.”

“Oh I couldn’t possibly.” Lucius tapped a finger against his chin. “Then again, it is Halloween weekend, I expect most places will be booked up.”

“Exactly.” Anne grinned at the receptionist. “Can I get another key card for room 484 please?”

“Ma’am, that’s not protocol.”

“First you lose my friend’s booking, now you deny him a place to sleep when he has an important meeting tomorrow?” Anne shook her head. “My my, this is not the five star service I expected.”

Ed hovered in case Anne needed him to use his celebrity clout, but she seemed to have it well in hand as the receptionist was babbling apologies as she got another key card. Ed turned towards the elevators and found himself on the receiving end of a cup of iced coffee spilled down his front.

He blinked and took a moment to understand the cold, sticky liquid seeping into his shirt only to see that the collision had caused the same to happen to the other person - a dark stain spreading over his immaculate blue blazer.

Ed’s eyes travelled upwards, already knowing whose face he would see. Hazel eyes stared back at him.

“Hello.” Said Stede Bonnet.

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[avastyetwats]

"I don't care about the blood, Ed. That can be cleaned later." He wasn't concerned about the mess on the floor at all, but rather with the wound in his hand. Sure, it wasn't life threatening by any means, but it still warranted concern and tending to. Especially to prevent infection and more loss of blood. So he takes him into the kitchen where he has him rinse the blood off and wash out the wound while he fetches the supplies to bandage it, returning in just a few minutes and asking to see his hand. In all of Stede's frantic worry, he somehow forgot about the time he really did stab Ed right in the abdomen, making sure to avoid all the important bits, so this really wasn't anything compared to that, but it still showed how much Stede cared and how attentive he was do any injury or ailment of Ed's.

"Of course you thought it was fun." He snorts, but there's a little smirk on his face thinking back on that moment. It was a good teaching moment, though. Something Stede learned a lot from what with making sure to be stabbed on the left side should the threat of being stabbed ever arise. Well, it already had one time, and like Stede was taught, he made sure to turn his body just in time. Thus how he won the duel against Izzy Hands! He was still proud of himself for that victory, but that didn't matter right now. He needed to focus on Ed and his hand. "You know, Ed, rum doesn't have to be the answer for everything." But then again, they didn't really have much else to use for pain. Aside from Ed's opium, but they tried to save that for more... special occasions. And for far more dire situations.

He's working on gently drying his hand with a towel, being very careful and gentle, and when it's dry enough, he sets down the towel and grabs the rolled gauze. "So?" Comes Stede's response when Ed, once again, tells me he's dealt with worse. "Doesn't mean you have to deal with things at all, especially not on your own, Ed. If you're hurt, minor or not, I'm not just going to sit by and let it happen. I'm going to help, if I can." He tells him as he wraps the gauze around his hand four times to insure it's secure. "I'm always going to worry, Edward. I'm always going to care." He lift his gaze from his hand to Ed's nice now, offering him a warm smile. "Because that's what you do when you love someone. You take care of them." And then he brings his hand to his lips, pressing the softest of kisses to Edward's palm.

Continued from here. @fxckin-blackbeard

Was he really trying to hide his hand behind his back? Like Stede hadn't already seen the injury? Like there wasn't blood dripping onto the floorboards beneath him? Did he really think Stede would fall for that? He was a little offended, honestly, and somewhat annoyed that Edward was trying to hide it. It wasn't just a little scratch, either, not with that amount of blood. What the hell did he do?

"Are you really trying to hide your hand from me, Ed? I already saw the blood. I can see more. Look!" He points to the very small, but growing puddle behind him. The droplets are increasing in volume, likely because he's squeezing his hand trying to stop the bleeding, but he's only making it worse. And yet he still goes on about nailing the boards, trying to act casual, as though he didn't cut or stab his hand, as though he wasn't bleeding out all over the living room floor! Okay, perhaps bleeding out all over the living room floor was a bit exaggerated, but it was still enough to warrant concern.

Finally, Ed admits to it. "Yeah, you hurt your hand, you nut! Why wouldn't you just say something?" Stede moves over to him, then, and gently takes his free hand into his. "Come on, Ed. Let's get it cleaned up, hm? We'll worry about the nailing later." Then he pauses, realizing what he said and how it sounded, so he looks at Ed who has this grin on his face and Stede rolls his eyes. "Don't say it." He warns with a grin of his own, pulling him into the kitchen and to the faucet. "Here. Rinse your hand while I grab the basket." He turns on the faucet and exits the kitchen to do just that, minutes later returning with a small basket of things. Bandage rolls, gauze, cloths, a few bottles of different salves and ointments and even some suture. Their emergency first aid basket, Stede called it. They made sure to snatch some from the Revenge as well as from the town whenever they visited. They had to keep themselves stocked.

"Let me see." He holds out his hand and when Ed places his wounded hand into his, Stede frowns. "This looks a little deep..." But not deep enough to warrant stitching. "How bad does it hurt?"