#not really stizzy unless you want it to be i guess

[laceratedlamiaceae]

fic where Izzy works at the DMV and Stede is trying to get his license renewed but Izzy keeps finding new reasons to deny him

[goayda]

Not My Place to Say - Part 3/3

Third (and last, I think) part of a Stizzy fic. Second part can be found here:

(As usual, set some time after 2x07, Ed is happy being a fisherman somewhere and there was no Zheng fight and no Prince Ricky attack. As usual too, no warnings needed, except for the fluffiest fluff.)

Bonnet had politely waved him in and Izzy had walked into the cabin more confused than he had ever been before. Besides having just noticed the now painfully obvious similarities between Lestat and Bonnet, his mind was still reeling from Sprigg’s stupid words.

Because it was just a stupid idea, clearly, Bonnet being jealous? He was annoyed, that much was obvious, but that must be all. Izzy just had to discover what exactly had bothered the captain and then try to fix it before it could mess their relationship even more.

Bonnet was his captain now, but surely he didn’t expect to have a say in the first mate’s dalliances. Not even Edward had- no, better not go there, Izzy thought, because the truth was that Edward had never been bothered by who Izzy spent the night with because he had never cared. It was surprising and silly that this thought could hurt him, even after everything-

“…Izzy?”

Bonnet’s voice startled him and Izzy realized the captain had been talking to him, but he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear a thing.

“I was saying if you would want to have some tea with me,” Bonnet repeated with a soft smile that faltered when Izzy simply stared at him without answering. “Unless you’ve already had breakfast, of course,” he added then, looking slightly uncomfortable. “And I know you’d probably prefer a cup of coffee anyway, tea is probably not your thing-“

“It’s fine,” Izzy finally found himself saying. “Tea is fine. Thank you.”

Bonnet nodded, smiling lightly again and poured two cups of tea and Izzy sat there at the table, looking at his cup while thinking how the hell he was going to start that conversation when Bonnet cleared his throat and squared his shoulders as he looked straight at him.

“I wanted to apologize, Izzy,” he started, seriously. “I’ve been rude to you for no good reason and I was bringing the mood down when this shore leave was supposed to be a good time for everybody.”

Izzy stared wide-eyed at him, not used to a captain apologizing, especially for something as trivial as this, but before he could open his mouth to reply, Bonnet continued.

“I’m glad that-that you found somebody- well,… it looked like that man at the tavern was… nice,” he added, looking as if uttering those words was actually painful to him. “We’re still going to be here for two more days, maybe you could invite him here to have some drinks and meet the crew…”

“I don’t even know where he’s now, Bonnet,” Izzy replied flatly. “And I don’t care.”

The way Bonnet tried and failed to hide his relief almost made Izzy laugh out loud, but even as tired as he was after a sleepless night, Izzy had a reputation to uphold so he resisted the urge to even smile while he tried not to think about how Bonnet’s reaction had warmed him inside.

“We said goodbye, I don’t expect to see him again. He was just… some guy,” Izzy added after a pause, not really knowing why he felt the need to explain himself now. “I just felt lonely, I guess. And he was good company for a night.”

Bonnet’s face softened and he nodded in understanding with a sad, little smile, but then he turned serious once again.

“I guess I must be honest, Izzy. I was a bit upset last night when you left the tavern because…”

Bonnet hesitated then, looking slightly embarrassed and Izzy’s heart started thrumming in his chest wildly.

“I was worried that you weren’t going to come back,” Bonnet finally said, lowering his gaze. “I think deep down I’ve always been worried that one day you’re going to leave us for another ship, for a better crew,… for a better captain.”

Izzy gaped at him, bewildered. He hadn’t seen that coming at all.

“That’s-that’s absurd,” he blurted out, making Bonnet flinch. “I mean… leaving without a proper resignation would be totally unprofessional,” he added quite lamely.

“Well, actually, I never officially asked you to be my first mate,” Bonnet replied with a playful smirk.

That was true, Izzy realized in dismay. After Edward left he had simply kept going as usual, doing the first mate’s tasks, training Bonnet and the crew, but nobody had really asked him to be the first mate. What if they had simply let him stay out of pity? Why would they have chosen him anyway? It was not as if Oluwande couldn’t do the job, or Jim, maybe. What if he was just… tolerated on board as some old ratter dogs are because they are still useful?

Izzy’s tired mind was starting to panic, but then Bonnet, who must have noticed his inner turmoil, reached for Izzy’s ungloved hand over the table, stopping all his thoughts from spiraling any further.

“But that’s a mistake I’d like to fix right now,” Bonnet said determinedly as he squeezed Izzy’s hand briefly. “Would you want to be my first mate, Israel Hands? It would mean a lot to me if you said yes. And to the crew, it would mean a lot to all of us,” he added quickly.

Izzy stared at Bonnet’s kind eyes and wished he was better with words in situations like this. He was going to have to try, he guessed.

“Yes,” he said firmly and then he squeezed Bonnet’s hand tightly.

Bonnet’s smile was blinding.

“And you don’t have to worry about me leaving,” he added, forcing himself to be brave. “This is a good crew and you… you’re a good captain, Stede.”

The look on the captain’s eyes, so soft and so caring, was almost too much for Izzy so he lowered his gaze to look at their intertwined hands instead.

“The tea must be getting cold,” Stede said lightly, after a few seconds of silence. “We shouldn’t let it spoil after Roach took the time to make it for us.”

And he started drinking it without letting go of Izzy’s hand. The first mate hesitated for only a moment and then took his cup with his free hand to take a sip while he tried to hide a smile.

The tea was awfully bland, of course, but Izzy couldn’t care less.

XOX

[izzyspussy]

Stizzy ask (pre steddyhands I guess?)

Idk if this is for you my guy but I've had this rattling around my brain for the last few days and uhhhhh

A sex pollen/fuck or die scenario where Izzy is the only one affected.

The crew know how it has to be handled. Only one way. The captains decide the responsibility falls to them, they won't let any of the crew handle it.

Ed, with his history with Izzy, says he'll do it

Izzy, still coherent enough to have a say, refuses to let Ed "sacrifice himself" and would rather die than let Ed near him, no matter how much he'd want that in any other circumstance

... so Stede steps up

... Izzy doesn't say no

oh dw anon sex pollen is very much For Me

anyway, yeah. i imagine it's probably just a really strong or a botched movie-magic kind of aphro and not actually a fuck-or-die situation, HOWEVER, it is genre shenanigans innit (the genre in this case being porn lmfaooo) so izzy has no frame of reference for it whatsoever and reluctantly believes the supposedly more genre savvy (superstitious) characters when they say he'll literally keel over if he doesn't Get It.

i think it's a combo of ed and izzy who decide none of the crew can do it. izzy doesn't trust any of them enough to let them at him in the first place, and additionally he's absolutely certain they'll hold it over his head forever. ed is just possessive and trying to pretend he's not by using the "captains' responsibility" excuse (though izzy does feel protected by the fact that ed apparently won't stand for dubcon with a crew member, the sexual politics between them are hwjhwlkjas how you say...? wack lmao).

but! izzy doesn't want ed either. the "sacrifice" idea you put forward doesn't really make sense to me except maybe as an excuse. izzy doesn't want ed because he's in love with him and fucking him for exclusively practical life-saving reasons will break his heart. but of course he would never in a million years admit that out loud, and he has to give some reason, so not wanting ed to be dubconned by the situation is what gets said.

so then stede is the only option. and izzy also doesn't want stede just because he doesn't want to owe him, and he figures stede really is taking one for the team (read: for ed) here. but he trusts stede to be kind without belittlement during the act itself, to not meet however izzy reacts to things in his altered state with judgement, to not insult his body, to not tease him later unless duly provoked.

and... he's. attracted. to stede. maybe. maybe. has started to respect him, even. he doesn't have a crush, certainly not, obviously no one on earth can compete with ed that's utterly preposterous izzy will never have feelings for anyone else ever ever ever. obviously. but, y'know. stede is pretty, and he can be properly ruthless when he wants to be, and there's just something about having his attention...

so. yeah. this is. actually quite a few steps above tolerable. not that izzy would ever in a million years admit that out loud. he just. doesn't say no.