Chapter Text
“All right, all, what do we want to see today?” Stede asks, herding Alma and Louis through the lobby of the zoo with a hand on each of their shoulders. He would have thought that as they got older, it would be easier to keep them in sight, but Alma nearly wandered off while he was paying, and it had only been through sheer luck that he’d looked up at just the right moment to grab her.
“Wolves!” Louis exclaims immediately with an energetic leap. “This way!” he says, nearly pulling himself from Stede’s grasp with the abrupt change in direction.
“Okay, Lou, now hang on.” Stede corrals him back with a gentle tug. “Remember, stay with us. Alma, what about—”
“It’s fine,” she says with a put-upon sigh. “We can go see the dumb wolves first.”
“Yes! Over here!” This time Louis does manage to slip from Stede’s grasp, and he just about has a heart attack before tattooed arms are swooping down and scooping him up effortlessly.
“Whoa. Think I caught one of their little monkeys,” Ed says, hauling Louis over his shoulder as he approaches. “How’d that get out, d’you think?”
“Ed!” Louis yells, kicking his legs. “I’m not a monkey!” He laughs as Ed drops him back onto his feet.
“You sure?” He studies Louis with a frown before ruffling his hair. “Coulda fooled me. Sorry, love,” he says, slipping his hand into Stede’s and dropping a kiss to his cheek. “But look!” He holds out a handful of brochures proudly. “I got a map, and there’s stuff on all the different animals in these, look, and it says that they rehabilitate injured animals too, before…”
Still talking, without even pausing, he catches Louis by the shoulder as he tries to wander away again, steering him back to Stede, and Stede practically swoons. Glancing at Alma - staring down at her phone, probably not going anywhere for the next few minutes - Stede lets go of her and wraps his arm around Ed’s neck, pulling him down for a quick but heated kiss. The smooth skin of Ed’s cheeks and chin still feels somewhat strange to him, but he’s getting used to it quickly, and it means he can feel the heat of Ed’s cheek beneath his hand better than ever.
“Ew,” he hears from Alma and he pulls back, grinning. “Dad, you’re so embarrassing.”
Ed is flushed, laughing. “What was that for?”
“Just happy you’re here,” Stede says, ignoring the fake retching noises coming from behind him.
Ed’s smile grows more serious as he takes Stede’s hand, pressing his lips to his knuckles. “I’m happy you’re here.”
“Ugh, I’m running away,” Alma says sourly, but there’s a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
“All right, all right. Here. Want me to take some of these?” Ed hands him most of the brochures, save the map, and Stede sticks them in his fanny pack. Alma had looked like she was going to die right on the spot when he clipped it around his waist, but it"s just so convenient. And Ed had been blown away by the ingenuity of it. “Okay. Louis wants to see the wolves. Alma?”
“Wolves!” Louis shouts from where Ed has him practically plastered to his leg.
“Let’s just go see the wolves,” she says, frowning back at her phone.
“Hm. I don’t know, I kind of want to go see the lions,” Ed says, semi-pouting, and god, Stede wants this man to marry him.
Alma glances up at him. “You do?”
“Hell yeah,” Ed says, winking to Stede. “Big fucking cats that can chomp your whole head off in one bite. Fucking badass.”
Alma shoots a look to Stede. “I did hear that Patty had a new litter,” she says, referring to the new lioness the zoo had acquired a few years ago.
“Yes, okay, that’s what I’m talking about!” Ed shifts Louis to Stede’s leg, clapping his arm around Alma’s shoulders. “I can take Alma to see Patty, and we can meet up in a bit?”
As much as Stede wants to spend every waking second with Ed, he can’t help but feel grateful for the idea to split up, to not make either of Stede’s children sacrifice their own desires. To show them that their wants are important.
“No fair!” Louis pouts, tugging on Stede’s shirt. “I wanna go with Ed to see the lions, too!”
“Well, we can all go together if you don’t mind waiting to see the wolves,” Stede says, crouching down to Louis’ level.
Louis frowns at him gravely, looking like he’s trying to decide between two life-or-death options. Finally he nods. “Okay, lions with Ed first,” he says, simple as that, and pulls at Stede’s hand. “C’mon, Dad!”
“All right, all right,” Stede says with a laugh. He stands up, letting himself be pulled up alongside Ed, slipping his free hand back in Ed’s. “Thank you,” he says quietly, rubbing his thumb over Ed’s knuckles.
Ed smiles and gives his hand a squeeze before pumping his fist in the air. “Let’s fucking do this, Bonnets!” He lets out a whoop, ignoring the looks his exuberance draws, and urges Alma forward to lead the way. “Time for some motherfucking lions!”
-
The kids are down for the night, Louis having been put to bed a few hours ago and Alma finally succumbing to her exhaustion not ten minutes ago. Stede fiddles with a small case in his sock drawer, idly running his fingers over the worn leather. Jim had given it to him only a few days before, slipping it into his hands with a cool nonchalance that Stede wishes he could reproduce.
“What’s this?” he’d asked. Jim had just nodded at the latch and he’d opened it to reveal two metallic rings, smooth and unadorned. “What…?”
“It’s the sword,” they’d said. “Part of it, anyway.” They’d shrugged, as if it was all nothing. “Figured I shouldn’t let the metal go to waste after I melted it down." True to their word, Jim had made a beautiful replica of the cutlass, which Stede had finally turned over to the Badmintons. It just didn"t feel right to give them the real thing, not after it had brought Stede and Ed together. But at the same time, they couldn"t keep it at the risk of someone finding out about it. After some discussion, Stede and Ed had decided to turn the cutlass over to Jim and asked them to do whatever they wanted with the metal. "Thought you might like them. Wande made the case from part of the sheathe.”
Stede had stared down at the rings, the metalwork obviously expertly done, the case a thing of beauty. He’d looked back up at them, mouth agape. “You…”
They’d shrugged again. “Whatever. Made myself a dagger too. Not a big deal.”
Stede could only shake his head. “Thank you.”
They’d shot him a rare smile then and clapped him on the shoulder. “You deserve to be happy. So be happy.” And they’d slipped away, as casually as they’d approached.
He hears footsteps approaching and he tucks the case back in the drawer, sliding it shut. Now’s not the time to broach the subject of marriage, not when they’re still working things out. Ed is still getting used to life in the 21st century, learning about technology, catching up with history he hadn’t bothered paying any attention to. He’s still trying to find where he fits in this world, separate from Stede.
Hands circle his waist, a chin coming to rest on his shoulder and he leans back into Ed’s arms. “Today was fun, love,” he says, giving Stede’s stomach an affectionate squeeze. “Think I’m really starting to win over Alma. She’s a tough nut to crack.”
Stede covers Ed’s hands with his own. “They’re both crazy about you already.” He lets his head fall back against Ed’s, cheek to cheek. “I told you they would love you.”
“They’re great kids,” Ed says. He pulls Stede in more tightly to his front. “Whatcha doing over here? Reorganizing the sock drawer?”
“Maybe,” Stede says cheekily. He shivers as Ed tilts his head, his lips brushing over Stede’s neck.
“Mm.” Ed nuzzles into him. “You know how I get when you reorganize shit.” His fingers play with the hem of Stede’s shirt.
Stede’s breath hitches when Ed’s lips press to his skin more firmly, more intently. “Loud,” he says pointedly, but he presses his hips back into Ed’s, relishing in the hiss that leaves Ed’s lips. It’s still a revelation every time, to be able to touch like this without the constant worry in the back of his mind that the next brush of his fingers or the next kiss may go right through Ed’s body.
“I can be quiet,” Ed says and Stede raises a disbelieving eyebrow. Even though he can’t see Stede’s face, Ed huffs, “Don’t give me that look. Not my fault you’re a fucking menace in bed.”
“So you’re saying you want me to give you a shitty fuck?” Stede asks incredulously.
Ed chuckles. “No, maybe just a little less vigorous while you know who’s here.”
“Voldemort?”
“Who?”
“Shit. Got to add Harry Potter to the movie list.”
“Hey.” Ed snakes his hand beneath Stede’s shirt, scratching lightly against his soft belly. “The only hairy person you should be thinking about right now is me.”
Stede snorts, letting his head fall back against Ed’s chest. He spins around in Ed’s arms and grabs a fistful of Ed’s hair, causing him to gasp. “Harry Potter is a character, not a description of a character.” He runs his free hand up Ed’s chest beneath his shirt. “And for someone who has so much hair on his head, you’re shockingly unhairy everywhere else.”
“Fuck,” Ed breathes as Stede tweaks a nipple. The skin pebbles between his fingers and he slips across Ed’s chest, softly brushing through the sparse hair before crossing to the other. “Menace,” Ed insists, his hands clutching at Stede’s waist.
Stede releases Ed’s hair, softly brushing through the curls. “You think you can be quiet?” he asks. He draws a finger down the edge of Ed’s face before placing it at Ed’s lips.
Ed parts them and gives the digit a lick and Stede’s blood is rushing under his skin. “Do your worst,” he says, his voice dripping with a challenge.
Stede grins. “Get undressed and get on the bed for me, darling.”
Ed’s breath hitches before he’s stepping away, rushing to obey. Stede takes his time as he hears Ed’s clothing hitting the floor. He slips out of the bedroom to take one final peek into the kids’ room - they’ll have to start thinking about finding a bigger place soon; Alma and Louis won’t want to be sharing a room when they stay with him for much longer - making sure they’re sleeping soundly. He shuts their door behind him before going into the kitchen to fill two glasses of water and bring them to bed. He double-checks that the front door is locked - it is - and that Buttons has food and water - he does.
When he returns to the bedroom, Ed is already nude, stretched out comfortably across the sheets, slowly stroking himself. Stede stops in the doorway, struck for what must be the millionth time by how absolutely beautiful Ed is. He shuts and locks the door behind him, approaching slowly, letting his eyes run up Ed’s body as he comes closer, thick feet attached to muscled legs, slim hips widening to his broad chest and strong arms, long neck, and face that any artist would kill to sculpt or paint or draw. Black ink swirls across most of his skin, adorning an already beautiful work of art.
“Well, well,” he says, setting the glasses down on one of the bedside tables. He trails his fingers down Ed’s chest, following the crest of a wave tattooed near his ribs. “What a pretty sight to greet me.” Ed preens under the praise, his back arching, showing himself off. “A feast for the eyes. For my eyes only.” His fingers continue their journey, down Ed’s hip, his thigh, his knee, bent in the air while the other stretches out. He presses softly against Ed’s knee, guiding it to fall to the side, his fingers reversing their journey up the soft inside of Ed’s thigh. He trails his eyes up to catch Ed’s. He’s biting his lip, his pupils blown wide as he watches Stede’s movements. “Will you give me a bit of a show, darling, while I get ready?”
“Stede,” Ed moans, but he begins stroking himself more firmly, his lips falling open.
“That’s it, my love,” Stede encourages, starting on the buttons of his shirt. Ed draws a hand across his belly, much as he did all those weeks ago, before their first kiss. This time, though, he draws it up to his chest, circling a nipple. He widens his legs, rocking his hips as he begins to fuck into his fist. Stede fumbles with the last few buttons on his shirt, too focused on the movements of Ed’s hands to pay attention to what his own are doing. Finally he lets his shirt slip off his shoulders and he moves to his jeans, the button and zip much less finicky to work with.
Ed’s hips stutter as he watches Stede undress. “No coming yet, darling,” Stede warns him. He slips his jeans down his hips, kicking them off. “I want to have you in my mouth yet tonight. To taste you as you spill down my throat.”
Ed’s eyes flutter closed as his head falls back, a low groan rising from his chest. “Fucking hell, Stede, would you please just hurry up and get over here?” he demands.
“Since you said please,” Stede says with a grin. He slips out of his boxer briefs and climbs onto the bed, kneeling between Ed’s legs. “Mm, look at you.” He draws Ed’s hands off his body, pinning them on either side of his head. “All mine.”
Ed nods eagerly. “All fucking yours,” he agrees, canting his hips up.
Stede grasps Ed’s hips, pulling him down against him, and just looking. All mine, he thinks, and he can’t understand how this is his life. How Edward Teach came to be laying naked on his bed, legs spread for him, cock hard and leaking against his soft belly, chest heaving, so beautiful, so real, so alive. Three months ago he’d been just a boring middle-aged antique dealer a bit too obsessed with pirates and now he’s blissfully in love with a once-dead infamous pirate who for some reason is just as obsessed with him.
“Ed,” he whispers. He draws his hands up Ed’s sides before planting them on either side of his head. “How did I ever get so lucky?”
A pretty blush spreads across Ed’s cheeks - another bonus of his newly-shaved face - as he smiles bashfully. “Aw, fuck, babe, I’m the lucky one here.” His arms snake around Stede’s neck. “I get you and a second chance at life? Fucking mental.”
He pulls Stede down and their lips meet, sweet and slow at first, despite how hard they both are. Stede lowers himself to Ed, still thrilling at the matching heat of his body. He sucks on Ed’s lip, running over its smoothness with his tongue. Ed gasps and grasps his head, redirecting him to line up properly, to lick into his mouth in a way that makes Stede’s head spin. It feels like Ed is drinking him in, like he’s been wandering a desert and just come upon a life-giving pool of water. It’s desperate and heady and intense and Stede thinks he could just come on the spot from this alone.
He breaks away, his heavy breaths mingling with Ed’s in the small space between their mouths. “Your fucking mouth,” he says, drawing his finger over Ed’s lips. Ed sucks it in, circling it with his tongue. He mouths at Ed’s jaw, nips at his neck, sucks at his pulse point. Ed arches up into him, burying his hands in Stede’s hair. A shiver runs down Stede’s spine. “God, your hands.” Stede licks along Ed’s collarbone before dropping kisses on the hawk tattooed on his chest.
The hair on Ed’s chest tickles his chin as he drags his lips down to his nipple. He gives it a kiss before swirling his tongue around it and sucking. Ed lets out a low moan and Stede lifts off, resting his chin on Ed’s chest. “Quiet, love, remember,” he whispers. Ed nods and grabs at Stede’s hand, drawing it closer to suck two more fingers into his mouth. “Oh, fuck, Edward,” Stede gasps. Even after a month of this, he still can’t understand how Ed’s tongue on his fingers have such a direct line to his dick.
He gives Ed’s nipple one final nip before kissing his way to the other, lavishing it with the same attention. Ed has a firm hand in his hair now, practically dragging Stede’s head lower and Stede lets him with a chuckle. “Antsy, are we?” he asks. He drops kisses along Ed’s stomach as he goes before he finally reaches his destination, mouthing at the base of Ed’s cock, nestled in salt and pepper curls.
Ed pulls Stede’s hand from his mouth for a moment to whine, “Stede, please, need your mouth on me, just fuck.”
Stede swallows him down as far as he can, which he’s proud to notice is nearly all the way now. He lifts his eyes to see Ed’s head thrown back, a litany of fucks falling from his mouth. He swallows around the head, hollowing his cheeks before pulling off with a pop. “That what you need, darling?” he asks. He wraps his hand around the base, giving it a few pumps.
“Fuck, yes, love, I—mmh.” His words are lost as Stede pushes his fingers back into his mouth.
Stede licks up the underside of Ed’s cock before pausing again. “If you can’t stay quiet, Edward, I’ll have to stop. We don’t want to wake the kids, do we?” Ed shakes his head, clutching desperately at Stede’s hair. The pain is sharp, but not unpleasantly so. “Can you be quiet?”
Ed nods emphatically. “Mmhmm, mmhmm.”
“Good boy,” Stede says, and Ed whimpers at that, albeit softly. Stede laps at Ed’s slit, catching the precome beading there and savoring it like it"s a fine wine. “You always taste so exquisite, my love,” he says. He draws his hand from Ed’s mouth for a moment to swipe a finger at another few drops before reaching back up. Ed sucks at his fingers eagerly. “See how good you taste?” he asks and Ed nods again.
Stede licks him again before drawing him into his mouth, closing his lips around his head. Ed’s hips jerk and Stede presses into his hip to hold him in place. He works his tongue around the head as he slowly sinks down.
He hums happily at the weight of Ed’s cock on his tongue. He loves doing this, truly. He’d done it a few times before he’d met Ed, with the few men he’d slept with after coming out, but never gotten pleasure from the act itself. But he loves the taste of Ed on his tongue, his lips stretching around the girth of him. He loves feeling Ed’s body tremble beneath him as Ed fights to keep from fucking into his mouth, and he loves when Ed can’t hold back anymore either.
He sucks along Ed’s length for a moment before starting up an easy rhythm. While he can’t quite take all of Ed yet the way that Ed can take him, his hand pumps at the base to make up the difference. Ed’s tongue works against his fingers in the same rhythm, though whether that’s intentional or not Stede doesn’t know.
He takes Ed apart ruthlessly until Ed is falling to pieces beneath him. He can tell by Ed’s ragged breathing that he’s close, and he doubles his efforts. Ed has his good leg curled around Stede’s waist and it tightens as he moans. Stede sinks his head down as far as he can, rubbing Ed’s hip with his hand, sucking and massaging with the flat of his tongue until he finally feels Ed spill down his throat. He swallows and keeps swallowing until there’s no more and Ed pulls on his hair to let up.
He pulls off and peppers Ed’s thighs with kisses, up to his stomach, his chest, until he finally withdraws his hand and captures Ed’s mouth with his lips instead. Ed slips his tongue inside, chasing after the taste of himself on Stede’s spit. Stede lets him lick along his cheeks, the roof of his mouth, his tongue. His cock, still rock-hard, grazes against Ed’s hip and he groans, shifting his hip against Ed’s.
“Gonna fuck me?” Ed asks, drawing back. He claps a hand to Stede’s ass, squeezing and pulling him closer. “Gonna open me up? Use that pretty cock of yours to fill me up?”
“Christ, Ed,” Stede gasps, rutting against him. He can feel Ed still half-hard against his thigh and he presses against him. He’s pretty sure Ed’s libido is going to kill him one of these days. “You sure you don’t need a minute?”
“Making up for lost time,” Ed says, a familiar refrain from him now, and not just in the bedroom. He"s gained some weight now that he can eat and has access to plenty of food. His tummy has gotten more round, and his thighs and ass have filled out a bit, and he looks healthy in a way he didn"t before. He"d taken to candy and pastries with such a veracity that Stede had to hold emergency lessons in the effects of sugar on teeth and health. The last thing he wants is for Ed to lose all his teeth to sugar rot or become diabetic.
Ed drags his nails down Stede’s back lightly, drawing goosebumps from Stede’s skin.
Stede kisses him again, filthy and quick, trying simultaneously to reach for the drawer of the bedside cabinet. His fingers scrape on the handle and he pulls it open, digging inside for just a moment before he retrieves their bottle of lube. It feels worryingly light, but from a glance it looks like there’ll be enough for tonight yet, at least.
“Gonna have to start buying in bulk just to keep you happy,” Stede teases, waving the bottle in front of Ed.
Ed grins and rolls his eyes. “I’m not the one who decided we should spend fucking all of last Saturday in bed, am I? Was practically up to my eyeballs in your jizz.”
Stede wrinkles his nose. “Yuck.” He kisses the corner of Ed’s eye where it crinkles with laughter before pushing himself up to his knees, stretching.
“I should say, they’re my eyeballs!” Ed says with false outrage, but Stede sees his eyes drop to watch the stretch of his muscles and the bounce of his cock. “Where are you going?” he demands as Stede scoots down the bed a bit.
“Not going anywhere, love, settle down,” Stede says with a laugh. He grazes his hands up Ed’s thighs, rubbing appreciatively for a few moments before patting Ed’s right hip. “Right, let"s have you turn over.”
Ed takes his time, making a show of it as he twists to the side, drawing his leg up and over Stede’s. He tosses his hair back, peeking over his shoulder to make sure Stede’s still watching. Stede chuckles, letting his hand fall to the small Ed’s back.
Most of his back is taken up by a large tattoo of an octopus, swirling tentacles and suckers crawling across his skin. Ed had revealed to him once that he’d gotten it as a reminder, to never forget that the Kraken is a part of him, always lurking beneath his skin. To remind himself why he deserved the life he had, the pain.
Stede had kissed every inch of those tangled limbs, worshiping them until Ed was shaking with tears below him. He’d held Ed tightly as they made love that night, and when they were finished, lying together, he’d wrapped Ed in his arms and told him that he’d always been fascinated by octopuses. That they are intelligent creatures, capable of learning and adapting to their environments in highly creative ways. That one of their main defenses, beyond physical strength, is the ability to camouflage themselves, to hide in plain sight for protection. That they’re experts at taking care of themselves, feeding and surviving as they must, but aren"t usually cruel or vicious. And it’s for those reasons, no others, that Stede sees a connection between Ed and those creatures. Ed had tucked himself against Stede’s chest and cried until his tears ran out and he fell asleep, seeming for once at peace with who he was.
Stede trails his fingers now along one of the tentacles, following it up Ed’s back to his neck. He tucks a few wayward curls behind Ed’s ear and Ed smiles back at him. He wiggles his hips, raising his eyebrows, and Stede grins. “Eager, are we?” he says, palming one of Ed’s cheeks, that perfect globe.
“Mhmm,” Ed says, pressing his hips up into the touch. “Not the only one,” he says pointedly, nodding to Stede’s lap, where his cock still stands full and leaking.
“Guess I’d better get to it, then,” Stede says with a heavy sigh. “Such a chore.”
“It must be so difficult for you,” Ed says sympathetically. He wiggles his hips again as Stede pops the cap on the lube.
“Truly tedious,” Stede says. He kneads Ed’s behind before drizzling his fingers with lube, breathing on it to warm it up.
His first finger sinks in easily. Ed stretches out before him, letting out a low moan. He presses back with a sulky, “I can take another one, you know.” He tosses a pout behind him, his bottom lip jutting out.
Stede bends over him to suck the lip into his mouth. “I don’t want to hurt you, darling,” he says.
Ed grumbles, a truly impressive feat to manage while sucking Stede’s tongue into his mouth, but he somehow achieves it. Still, Stede doesn’t wait long before adding another finger. Ed is slick and hot inside, still somewhat loose from their shower tryst early that morning. Stede aims for the slight bump of Ed’s prostate, crooking his fingers over it. Ed cries out into Stede’s mouth and Stede pulls out, kissing Ed’s neck.
“Really, honey, do I have to gag you?” he asks gently, not really intending for it to be an actual suggestion, and the thrum of Ed’s pulse beneath his lips is enough for him to pull back with raised eyebrows. “Interested?” he asks.
Ed bites his lip, swollen and slick with spit. “Maybe,” he says. “Not tonight though.”
Stede thumbs at Ed’s lip with a crooked smile. “Okay. We’ll talk about it. In the meantime.” He reaches over them and yanks down a pillow. Ed pushes himself to his knees and shoves it under his chest, leaving enough fabric for him to bite into if he needs to. Stede slides his hand down Ed’s back, over the scars of old cuts and lashings. “Perfect.”
He slicks his fingers up some more and presses three in. Ed’s muscles tense and shift beneath his hand. Stede fucks his fingers in at a steady pace, one that has Ed pressing back to meet and burying his face in his arms. He manages to keep mostly quiet, the odd moan or cry creeping out every so often.
“You’re doing so well, my dear,” Stede says.
Ed flips his hair back to catch Stede’s eyes. “Please, babe, ‘m ready, please,” he gasps out. He stifles a moan as Stede rubs his prostate, circling his fingers over the smooth nub. “Fuck, Stede, sugar, need you to fuck me.”
“You’re ready for me?” Stede asks. Ed bites back a wail as Stede continues massaging him. “You want my cock?”
“Yes, fuck, yes,” Ed says. He drops his head to his arms as Stede pulls his fingers out. “Gonna be so fucking good for you, babe.”
Stede slicks his cock and wipes his hands on the cloth he’d brought in. “You’re always so perfect for me, sweetheart. So good.” He bends over Ed’s back, kissing his spine. “How’s your knee? Do you need to move before we start?”
Ed stretches his leg out experimentally and shakes his head. “‘M good.”
“Perfect.” Stede drops another kiss to his back. He takes Ed by the hips, lining himself up. He rubs his cockhead against Ed’s hole, licking his lips.
Ed groans. “C’mon, love, you trying to kill me again?”
“Ha ha,” Stede says sarcastically, but he presses in slowly. Ed buries his face into the pillow, a muffled moan leaking out. Stede keeps moving slowly until he’s fully seated inside Ed. He’s hot and tight and Stede has to let out several breaths or he worries he may come on the spot. He sweeps a hand up Ed’s back. “Ready, love?” Ed nods.
Stede pulls back until only the tip of his cock is inside Ed. He pauses, letting Ed wait until he starts to squirm, then slams back in. Ed gasps, his hands curling into the sheets. His thrusts are hard, each one pushing Ed slightly forward. Ed throws his head back, hissing, “Fuck, Stede, thought you wanted me to be quiet.” He bites his lip as Stede yanks his hips back to meet his thrusts.
“Do you need me to stop?” Stede asks. He curls his fist in the ends of Ed’s hair, giving the strands a soft pull.
“Ah, fucking hell, don’t you, mm, dare fucking stop.”
Stede grabs his hair more firmly, pushing his head down to the mattress. He keens at the new angle, rolling his hips back to meet Stede’s. Stede curls around him, letting go of his hair to cover Ed’s hand. Their fingers entwine together, Ed squeezing tightly as Stede speeds up.
He feels his release quickly approaching, and from the desperate, muffled noises Ed is making he’s close too. He licks a stripe along Ed’s shoulder as he reaches around him to circle Ed’s cock. Ed rocks his head back and forth as Stede pumps him. The clench of his hand is all the warning Stede has when Ed comes, his cries silenced into the pillow. Stede strokes him through it until Ed waves his free hand at him, and then Stede takes Ed’s hips and lets himself fall.
He thinks he may have blacked out for a few seconds because when he opens his eyes, Ed is layering kisses on their joined hands. “Fucking christ, love,” Stede breathes. He carefully slips himself out of Ed, Ed letting out a choked sound, before grabbing the cloth and quickly cleaning them up. With that done, he lets himself fall to the side.
Ed flips over onto his side to face Stede. His cheeks are flushed, the small hairs framing his face wet with sweat. He grins. “I mean, I think I did a pretty good job keeping quiet, considering,” he says.
Stede chuckles, shaking his head. “Yes, you truly conquered such a monumental task with aplomb.”
“Thank you.” He scoots in for a kiss before pulling back, trying to make his way under the covers without having to get up.
Stede rolls his eyes fondly. “Here, darling.” He gets up and pulls the covers back on his side, motioning for Ed to roll across. He holds them back as Ed shimmies back into place before slipping beneath them himself. “Absolutely ridiculous,” Stede comments. He tugs Ed in, slipping his arms around him. “How’s that.”
“Perfect,” Ed says contentedly. He tucks his head into Stede’s neck, an arm and leg thrown across Stede’s body. “See, why would I get up when I’ve got you to get me all settled in, mate?”
“I really must stop enabling you,” Stede says. “Let you learn some natural consequences. Stop giving you my coat when you keep forgetting yours, for example, even after I tell you it’s going to be a bit chilly.”
Ed pouts. “But I like your coat. And I’m pretty sure you like being able to give it to me.”
Stede sighs, because the truth is he really does like being able to do things like give Ed his coat to keep him warm and wrap him up in blankets. Because Stede has always liked being able to care for people in that way, and now he can care for Ed that way. “You know me too well, darling,” he says.
Ed chuckles in triumph. “Knew it! No more complaining about any of that shit for you.” He punctuates the statement with a kiss to Stede’s nose. “So what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?”
“Hmm. It’s supposed to be nice out again. Thought we might go for a hike.”
“Ugh. Bugs. Snakes. Nature.”
Stede chuckles at the disgusted tone in Ed’s voice. “Well, I don’t know about snakes, but there will definitely be bugs and nature present, you know, outside.” Ed makes a displeased noise. Stede draws his fingers through Ed’s hair, gently combing through any tangles that resulted from their activities. “I know you’re not a fan. The kids and I can just go if you want to stay home. Get some rest.”
“Mmmmmnooo,” Ed whines. He kicks his feet under the covers petulantly and Stede laughs.
“Sorry, what was that? Are you actually five years old?”
Ed huffs. He burrows deeper into Stede’s neck with his nose. “I’ll go.”
“You don’t have to. Might be hard on your knee.” Stede’s fingers catch on a rather large knot and he carefully untangles it. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to come.”
He heaves a dramatic sigh. “No, I’ll come. Don’t wanna disappoint the kids. And I like spending time with them.”
Stede smiles, thankful to hear that Ed enjoys spending time with his kids. It’s always been one of his biggest worries, with dating, that he wouldn’t find a partner who would want to be a part of a family like his. And sure, Ed had mentioned before the curse was broken that he would like to meet them, but wanting to meet is a far cry from wanting to be involved in their lives. Wanting to parent.
“I’m glad,” Stede says. He lets his head dip to the side, resting his cheek on Ed’s curls. “I love that you want to get to know them.”
“Well, of course I do. They’re your kids.” Ed nips at Stede’s neck playfully. “Can’t wait to see what kind of lunatics they turn out to be.”
“Hey.” Stede nudges him softly with his foot, but his heart sings at Ed’s words. What they turn out to be. Like he’s planning on sticking around to find out. Like he’s invested in Stede’s life, and Stede’s children, and who they’ll be as people. He hugs Ed closer. “You mean that?” he asks. “About … about watching them grow up?”
There’s a pause in which Stede feels his stomach drop. Right. It was just a joke, Ed didn’t mean… It’s way too soon to be thinking about that. Just because they broke a centuries-long curse with the strength of their love doesn’t mean that Ed wants to get married or anything.
“Stede.” Ed shifts and Stede loosens his grip so Ed can prop himself up on his elbow. He draws his fingers across Stede’s forehead, brushing back his bangs. His expression is utterly serious. “I love you. I know we haven’t known each other long, not really, and things are weird while I try and, you know, become, like, a legally living person. But I’m in this, okay? For, like, fucking forever, mate, if you’ll have me.” Stede holds his breath as Ed licks his lips, looking somewhat nervous. “So yeah, love, I want to spend time with you and your kids and I want them to like me because I want to be a part of your family. If … if you want me to be.”
For a moment Stede considers just getting up and pulling that case out of his sock drawer. Getting down on one knee, completely naked, and asking Ed to marry him. Because there’s nothing he wants more than for Ed to be a part of his family. But marriage is just a piece of paperwork. They don’t need that for Stede to know that Ed is already a part of his family. Ed is his family. They can wait to make it official. They’ve got time.
“Ed, you have no idea how much I want that,” he says and Ed’s face brightens with a smile, his eyes shining. “I love you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you. As far as I’m concerned, you’re family already.”
He cups the back of Ed’s head, pulling him in for a soft, sweet kiss. They linger for a moment, just enjoying the intimacy. When they break apart, they’re both smiling. Ed lays his head back down on Stede’s chest and Stede resumes his careful finger-combing.
Tomorrow, they’ll have to get up early and get the kids up and ready to go. They’ll have a hearty, protein-rich breakfast to prepare for the hike. Ed will spend most of the hike fending off mosquitos until Stede takes pity on him and spritzes him in layers and layers of the lemon eucalyptus spray he made, which he will claim to be a natural mosquito repellant. They’ll finish the hike, down one bottle of homemade mosquito repellant and up one itchy, mosquito-bitten ex-pirate. They’ll stop for a late lunch at a diner before returning home, both the kids falling asleep in the car. And then dinner, and a movie, and all too soon it’s time for bed, and soon enough a year will pass, and another, until they all blur together.
But for now, Stede holds Ed in his arms as they both drift off to sleep, content in the knowledge that they will have a tomorrow.