Chapter Text
The day had started bad normally as any other.
Ed had awoken, arms loosely wrapped around his husband, nose nuzzled into his soft blonde hair. Since meeting Stede he has realised this is where and how he wants to wake every morning till the day he doesn’t. Ed took the opportunity to pull Stede impossibly closer, pulling that familiar scent of lavender soap from Stede’s hair. Due to this, Stede gently woke, turning in his husbands grasp so they were nose to nose.
“Good morning, Edward” he smiled, pushing his own arms around to lovingly stroke Ed’s bare back, tangling his fingers into the ends of his long silvery hair.
“Good morning, my love” Ed smiled and planted a swift kiss to Stede’s nose. So ridiculously sappy, Izzy would probably renounce his piracy if he saw. He gave his husband a sweet smile before asking “What’s on the agenda for today then?”
“I don’t know love, we’re pretty far out from anything so I’d imagine a nice quiet day” Stede mused as he began peeling himself from Ed’s embrace and climbing out of bed.
“Famous last words” Ed muttered with a smile as he slipped himself into his leather pants. He proceeded to strap his gun and knife to his hip and fastened his knee brace to his left leg. Stede dressed himself also, opting for his favourite turquoise jacket.
Stede was already fully dressed whilst Ed was still flouncing around in nothing but his trousers. His toned, tattooed and scared torso rippling in the morning sunlight. Stede found himself zoning out staring at him, ludicrously impressed and proud of himself for landing such a man.
“Do you mind? I’m a married man” Ed teased over his shoulder. As he bent to grab the shirt he discarded in a haste the night before. Ed was about to put it on when he felt Stede turning him around with soft, gentle hands on his waist.
“Hang on a sec, I’m enjoying the view” Stede teased warmly, he held onto Ed’s hips keeping the pair of them stood gazing at each other lovingly. Ed mirrored his position and took the opportunity to plant a quick kiss on Stede’s lips. The pair stood, just taking each other in, enjoying the quiet of the morning. Only for a moment. Had there been music they might have swayed or even danced.
“I could stay here all day, like this” Ed mused, a sweet smile on his face as he tucked an unruly blonde curl behind Stede’s ear.
“Me t-“
BOOM!
“What the fuck was that?” Ed was instantly on high alert.
“I dunno but you better pop your top on” Stede started to stride out of their quarters towards the stairs when another BOOM shook the ground beneath their feet. Ed shoved his shirt over his head and quickly grabbed his leather jacket as they rushed towards the deck. Before they had even fully emerged the crew came running towards them, Buttons leading the charge.
“Cap’ns! We’re being fired on by the Spanish! They’ve sent 2 warning shots an’ there’s men tryin te board!” Buttons told them, running off sticking in his fighting teeth, before either captain could even respond. Ed instantaneously started shouting orders, ordering every crew member to cover a different area of the ship, Stede added in a couple comments here and there but mostly stayed quiet. He triple checked that he had his sword and handed Ed is. To say the least, Stede was frightened. The last time that he had tangled with the Spanish he had been left impaled and very nearly hanged. Without his permission, Stede’s hands started shaking. He checked the sword at his hip for the fourth time, still there. It had been 4 years since he were both stabbed by the Spanish and met the love of his life in the same day, and yet still he had nightmares. Ed knew, of course, more times than not holding him close till he calmed down during the night. A custom to which they both did for each other on particularly restless nights. Ed spotted that Stede had started shaking and lightly, quickly, grabbed his wrist.
“It’ll be okay Stede, I won’t let it happen again. I promise” Ed promised him, placing the swiftest little kiss to his cheek. “you’ll be alright” Ed’s hand quickly trailed up to Stede’s cheek, a tender thumb rubbing over the spot he had just kissed “Come on, grab your sword” The interaction was over as quickly as it had began, but Stede instantly felt more prepared, managing to steel his nerves long enough to force his hand to stop shaking. Stede believed Ed, he would protect him in any way he could, he was Blackbeard, after all. But that didn’t squash the terror forming at the pit of his stomach. If something happened to Ed while trying to protect Stede, he would never forgive himself. But now was not the time to consider it, he had a ship to defend and a crew to fight for, and he would damn well not let the Spanish take those things without a fight.
In every corner of the ship the crew were fighting off the few Spanish who had managed to board. Ed and Stede broke apart and joined the fray. Over the years, Stede had actually developed into a pretty gifted swordsman under the watchful eye of his skilled husband/fighting partner. He managed to cut down a number of sailors, battling through the onslaught which had climbed aboard. Everywhere he looked his crew were battling, with sword and gun and dagger. Mostly the crew of the revenge were holding their own, sustaining small hits here and there but nothing drastic. Izzy had been conducting fighting lessons thrice a week for the last 4 years, meaning the crew were now a fearsome, bloodthirsty lot to come up against. Like proper pirates, Stede sometimes mused.
From his position near the helm on the quarterdeck Stede could see Ed. He was cutting people down with his sword in one hand and gun in the other. Ever the terrifying Blackbeard that he always was, well, when he needed to be anyway. Ed moved with the fury of his long since forgotten Kraken persona, moving like the smoke on the brine, the way he was always mythicised. Every sailor who felt up to the challenge of taking Blackbeard down fell, one after the next.
The battle raged on, for hours, the Spanish seemed to have a never ending supply of men who were sent to raid the revenge. The longer the battle raged the more weary the crew were growing. Still, somehow, managing to hold their own. They would not concede their vessel, their home!
Ed shot some poor bastard in the face, his gun spent of charges and in need of a reload, which he had no time for. He caught sight of his husband battling with what looked to be the Spanish Admiral (going by his ludicrous hat) their swords colliding in a furious array. The Admiral was skilled, he was fast, and he looked like he had only just joined the battle. He had a serious advantage over Stede who had been fighting for hours. An uneasy feeling creeped up Ed’s spine making him take off in a sprint towards the quarterdeck, towards his husband. Ed hated to admit it, but as much as Stede had honed his skills he would not be able to over power a well rested, senior naval officer. He cut down a few Spaniards while he ran, trying to never take his eyes off of Stede and the Admiral. Ed watched proudly as Stede had, somehow, actually managed to disarm the man, his weapon clattering to the ground. But Stede was always too gracious with his mercy, he had a sword pointed at the man and, shockingly, he took a step back. Ed was moving as quickly as he could to reach him, frustrating halted every few steps by some overzealous sailor who wanted to be the one to kill the infamous Blackbeard. None succeeded, obviously, their dying achievements being only that they had delayed Ed in reaching Stede.
Stede stared at the Admiral with heated intensity, sword still pointed at the man’s heart.
“Stand down your men, and I’ll spare your life” Stede told him. Ed watched in horror, throwing the latest annoyance to befall on his sword to the ground. He was still desperately rushing towards his love, as the captain pulled his gun from his hip pointing it at Stede.
“In your dreams, pirate”
It all happened both too fast and too slow.
The Admiral pulled the trigger, the noise of it ringing in the air, and it was as if the world had gone in slow motion for Ed. Without even a seconds hesitation he leapt from his feet, body soaring between the Admiral and his husband. Blocking Stede from the assault. He had made a promise and he wasn’t going to fail this time.
Ed squeezed his eyes shut as he passed in front of Stede, whose own eyes flew wider than he thought possible. Stede felt like his heart was in his mouth. Ed had jumped in front of a bullet for him, that bastard. He didn’t know how to react or what to do, it was going too fast, one second he was winning the battle and the next guns were firing and husbands were flying through the air. He needed to catch a breath and slow it all down. But it had been over as quickly as it happened.
Ed landed hard on the floor at Stede’s feet, hands closed into tight fists, waiting for the sharp sting of the bullet to rip through him. Mostly, all he could only feel that the air had been pushed out of his lungs as he landed, not quite the young man he once was. He groaned slightly as he rolled to his back with a thump. The Admiral was quickly incapacitated by a shot in the back of his head, supplied by Izzy who watched on at the opposite end of the deck. Not caring one jot that the Admiral was now lying in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood, Stede quickly dropped to his knees by Ed’s side.
“Oh my god, Ed” he breathed out, still barely able to draw a significant breath. “You lunatic, what did you think you were doing?” He stammered out, Stede’s heart hammering in his chest as he ran his hands over his husbands body looking for injuries. He touched his chest, stomach, shoulders, arms, legs, hell even his crotch, searching for injuries, hands coming up clean. Ed coughed slightly, still trying to will breath into his body, the landing really had knocked all the wind out of him.
“A man was pointing a gun at my husbands head, what did you expect me to do, Stede?” Ed half laughed his response, Stede was still too worried to see the humour in it. He continued his examinations of every inch of Ed’s body, and satisfied with finding little more than a couple minor scratches he’d picked up from the battle Stede released a relieved sigh.
“You’re alright” Stede panted, the shock of it all leaving him breathless and exhausted. His hands resumed their earlier trembling.
“Must have been a misfire” Ed beamed, a smile so wide Stede could understand why people in the past might have called him ‘half-insane’, honestly what lunatic looks that happy after being shot at. Stede rose back to his feet, offering Ed his hand so he could assist him in doing the same.
Once stood again, Stede clung desperately to Ed’s black shirt. Pulling their bodies close to one another, head landing on Ed’s shoulder. Stede was shaking and tears had threatened to spill from his eyes. Ed took notice of this, even with the battle continuing around them, he tenderly lifted his husbands face in his large rough hands.
“Hey, I’m alright, it’s okay” he planted a delicate kiss to Stede’s pale lips. Stede nodded with glassy eyes.
“You’re okay?” Stede asked, breathless. Ed nodded, never breaking eye contact. It was like his resolve had broken and Stede’s knees viciously wobbled, he would have dropped to the ground had Ed not have his hands on him.
“Hey… hey, you okay?” Ed asked, eyes wide with thinly veiled panic. Stede raised a hand, intent of waving off Ed’s worries.
“Oh yeah, I’m- hhhssss“ Stede hissed out a fierce stinging wince, face scrunching up as he did. Ed took a tentative step back and looked Stede up and down, holding onto both of Stede’s elbows as Stede gripped his forearms for support. It was only then did either of the men finally notice that Stede’s stomach was bleeding profusely, his once white shirt and favourite turquoise jacket now sodden with, a lot, of his quickly pouring blood.
Shit.
“Guess it wasn’t a misfire” Stede quipped with a strangled little laugh.
Ed held tightly to Stede’s arms, keeping him standing. Ed felt sick, shaky and panicked, he did not know what the fuck to do. Stede took notice instantly of Ed’s startled expression, his eyes blown wide and he jaw hanging uselessly open.
“It’s alright, shout of Roach, if he’s free” Ed couldn’t believe how fucking polite Stede was being, if he’s free, if he’s fucking free, what could possibly be more pivotal right now?
Ed turned and screamed to the first person who caught his eye, Jim, who had just finished slitting the throat of the final couple stragglers left from the Spanish invasion. The few sailors remaining had jumped overboard or rowed away in the dinghies they had arrived in after seeing their Admiral fall.
“Jim! Find roach, now! Stedes shot” Ed couldn’t bring himself to elaborate any further. His words came out strangled and tense, he watched as Jim’s shoulders tightened but nevertheless they quickly ran in the direction of where they had last seen Roach.
Ed turned back to Stede, who was pale, sweaty and visibly very exhausted. He needed help and he needed it now.
“Do you think you can walk?” Ed asked as he wrapped his arm around Stede’s waist, one arm still clutching Stede’s between their two bodies, holding up most of his weight. Without response Stede attempted, emphasis on the word attempted, a step and instantly he nearly hit the deck. Ed caught him, obviously, and as delicately as he could lifted his husband bridal style, eliciting a loud, painful grown from Stede.
“Sorry love” Ed winced.
“No.. it’s fine” Ed could tell that Stede wanted to say more but couldn’t muster up the words. Ed carefully manoeuvred himself through the mess of Spanish bodies that lay all around the deck, taking special consideration to kick the corpse of the man who shot his beautiful, beautiful Stede.
As Ed was laying him down onto the soft bed clothes when Roach ran in, breathless and arms full of various supplies, some medical, some culinary. “How can I help, Captain?” He asked as he approached his patient.
“He’s been fucking shot” Edward snapped cruelly, to which Stede placed a gentle hand on his upper arm.
Ed’s nerves were a wreck, he’d starting shaking like a leaf the second Stede left his arms.
All that was playing in his head was FailureFailureFailure, he jumped in front of a bullet for his love and still he’d failed.
He’d broken all of his promises.
He’d promised it wouldn’t happen again.
He’d promised that the fucking Spaniards would not hurt him again.
He’d promised that Stede would be alright.
Stede was, decidedly, not alright.
Ed couldn’t stop the thoughts swimming around his brain, here he was selfishly thinking about how it all went wrong while Stede was laid in their bed, bleeding out. He didn’t understand, he has thrown himself in front, he was ready and willing to die in Stede’s place, why the fuck hadn’t it worked. Why the fuck was it him and not Ed?
What had actually transpired was that Ed was a fraction of a second too late, the bullet had already found its target in Stede’s stomach as Ed was flying through the air to deflect it. Stede had watched Ed launch himself between them and due to watching this unfold, and the subsequent shock, Stede hadn’t felt it at all. The bullet had torn all of the way through Stede’s stomach and out his back (Fang would later find the bullet embedded in the railing) and Stede hadn’t felt a thing. It wasn’t till he knew Ed was alright that the pain hit him, like the carriage he had once faked his death with. Still, the knowledge that Ed was safe was all he cared about, he would be able to die peacefully knowing Ed was safe. That he hadn’t killed himself for a damned promise.
Stede’s ears were ringing with pain, he couldn’t hear the conversation between Ed and Roach, not until Ed’s face was above him, sweetly dabbing his face with a rag. Tapping his temples until Stede met Ed’s eye.
“Hey Darling” he tapped his cheek again to get Stede to looking at him with more conviction. “Stede, sweetheart, Roach is going to patch you up nice, okay? You’re going to be fine” It felt like Ed was telling himself that more than Stede but nevertheless Stede gave him a little nod and slowly blinked his eyes, he was so so tired. Roach noticed the dropping of his co-captains eyes, he needed Stede awake, an unconscious body could not tell him what he needed to know. Pain was information.
“Captain, you need to keep him awake” Roach told Ed, while using some scissors to cut into Stede’s, sure to be expensive, linen shirt. Exposing his blood stained torso and puckered hole right in the centre, still bleeding and bruised. Ed winced at the sight, he felt vomit rising up his throat. He turned his head away from the sight, taking a few, somewhat shaky, deep breaths. Less so from seeing the gore, god knows he’d seen plenty in his time, but more because he knows what an injury like that led to. Slow painful deaths.
He had totally forgotten that Roach has even spoke, let alone what he had said, his thoughts spiralling with terror. “Captain, please, can you keep him talking” Roach asked again a little more forceful this time as he tentatively touched Stede’s wound.
Ed nodded, turned his attentions back to Stede, looking into those, slowly blinking, pretty brown eyes.
“Hey” a gentle shake of Stede’s shoulder “Hey, can you open your eyes for me, Stede?” Stede complied with Ed’s request, never one to deny to him. With great effort he heaved his eyes fully open, taking a lot of slow, shallow breaths. “That’s it my love, you’re doing so well, can you talk to me? Tell me a story Stede”
“Christ Ed, I can’t think of a story, make it a little bit easier for me” to that Ed smiled and breathed out a small laugh, that was a good sign. He couldn’t stand seeing him in so much pain but he was grateful he could still make him laugh.
“Tell me about retirement, tell me where you want us to end up" Ed stroked Stede’s sweat soaked hair away from his brow and behind his ears as he spoke, Stede absentmindedly leaned towards his touch. Roach continued his examinations over Ed’s shoulder, shielded from Stede’s view. But that didn’t mean that every touch Roach made in efforts to clean the wound and stop the bleeding didn’t elicit a white hot pain that went from the top of Stede’s spine to the tips of his toes. Telling a story would not be an easy feat but Stede would try, for Ed.
Stede coughed once, “w-well that’s easy, we’ll build a little house” another cough “somewhere quiet” another “where we will be left to our own devices” every word was laboured and pained, Stede had to take long heavy breaths to finish every syllable “we’ll have a lot of sex” Ed breathed a laugh at that, a broken smile on his face “we’ll be free” with those words Stede’s eyes threatened to flutter shut.
Ed sniffed, tears had started flowing down his face without his permission, he gently tapped on Stede’s cheeks again with light fingertips “hey, hey, Roach said you need to stay awake, so stay with me, yeah?” Ed hiccuped and coughed, not at all ready to let Stede slip away.
“Mm-trying… so tired” Stede muttered. Stede coughed once, which started a violent coughing fit. Gently Ed tolled him onto his side towards Ed’s chest, making sure he didn’t choke. Ed’s heart dropped to his stomach at seeing just how much blood splattered the bed beneath Stede from just coughing. Ed helped Stede ease back onto the pillows, his lips now stained crimson and small splatters decorating his cheeks. Ed could admit to himself only but this was definitely the worst Ed had ever seen his husband look, and he would thank a god he didn’t believe in if he never had to see him like this again.
Roach carried on his examinations for a couple minutes longer, trying in vein to clean and close the gaping wound. He knew more drastic measures were needed. Over the years Stede had taught most of the crew to read (except the swede, learning to speak English was hard enough let alone read it) and Stede had gifted Roach all manner of anatomy and surgery books. Right now, Roach was wishing he’d spent more time studying the words rather than just looking at the graphic depictions of various surgical procedures. But Roach was never the strongest reader and he was far more interested in the pictures anyway.
Ed watched on with worried eyes, seeing the conflicting emotions in Roach’s. Neither of them really knowing what the fuck they were going to do next.
Without realising he’d even entered the room, Lucius was at Ed’s shoulder. Worry pouring from the young man in waves for his Captain, his face contorted in a way to stop him from bursting into tears. He placed a warm hand on Ed’s shoulder, a silent show of support. Roach turned toward Ed, made a motion silently asking him to come for a conversation. Ed exchanged seats with Lucius, quickly asking him to watch over Stede and to keep him talking while he spoke with Roach.
“What do we do next?” Ed asked in quiet a. but hasty tone, terror and panic forming a knot in his stomach that he couldn’t shift.
“I need to get the bullet out if I can and sew him up” Roach told him, again Ed thought he might be sick. Roach took a deep breath before continuing, “I gotta warn you boss, even if I can, he might be too far gone. I think it will come down to if he makes it through the night, he has lost a lot of blood”
Ed’s ears were ringing, he could not comprehend a life without Stede, his Stede. He wanted to scream at Roach, threaten him to save him under fault of death, make him work with a knife to his back and save his husband. But all of the fight had left him, he could barely think let alone threaten.
Instead he simply said “What can I do?”
“Fetch some rum, or anything stronger, as much as you can get. Need to make it clean, and maybe knock captain out” Ed nodded, it was strange taking an order from Roach, but at this point he’d do damn near anything to help. He took a couple steps back to where Lucius was quietly keeping Stede talking. He overheard Stede say something about a little wooden boy.
With a gentle hand on Stede’s face he promised he would be back soon and that Roach was going to patch him up good as new. All parties present, including Stede, knew that was a promise he couldn’t keep but pretended for each others benefit.
“Okay, my love” Stede weakly squeezed the hand that rested on his face before Ed circled back to the door, feet carrying him back up to the main deck. Once he emerged through the door the entire crew were waiting, all carrying their own version of a pained, worried expression.
“How is Captain?” Olewande was the first to step forward and ask, his orange hat nervously fidgeting in his hands. Ed took a deep breath.
“Not good” was all he could muster.
“But Roach is going to fix him up, right?” The swede asked, he looked to have been chewing his lips as they were chapped, bloody and ruined. Ed had noticed swede often did that when he was nervous.
“Umm..” Ed scratched his head, not sure of what to say, the crew loved Stede almost as much as he did. They were worried for their beloved captain and he didn’t want to add to their woes, but he also couldn’t bring himself to lie to them. “Roach’s going to do what he can” Ed took a shuddering breath, not wanting to break down in front of the crew, but feeling on the brink of total collapse. “He says that if Stede makes it through the night he’s in with a chance” Ed let a tear spill, nose sniffing slightly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim and Ole squeeze each others hand.
“Can we help at all?” It was black Pete who asked, he looked a little lost and adrift without Lucius by his side to steady him.
Ed nodded, “yes, could you please help me gather up any and all rum we have, Roach said he needs it, anything strong he said.” with that the crew mates ran off in various directions, all heading for their own personal stashes they had hidden on board.
Once the crew were out of sight the sea breeze hit Eds face, he took a long, deep, shuddering, breath. Unable to stop it from happening Ed’s breathing quickly became erratic, he couldn’t properly gulp down enough oxygen. He bent over, hands on his knees, heaving breaths leaving him feeling like he’d just lost a foot race. A few quiet sobs escaped without permission.
Again, the words FailureFailureFailure ran on a loop in his head. Unable to escape the clawing feeling running up and down his spine he dropped to his knees, tears now freely flowing, sobbing into himself as a panic attack took over his body. He had them in the past, so few since he and Stede were wed. On the rare occasion that he still had one, during one of his more particularly bitter episodes, Stede was always there. Stede would rub soothing circles into his back and whisper encouraging words to him to take deep breaths. ‘In and out’ he would say ‘in and out, there you go’ and Ed would be able to follow his orders. He would be able to hear him, head his requests and fucking breathe. But not now. Stede wasn’t here to help him through this one. And it was increasingly likely Stede never would be again. He couldn’t escape the feeling, the panic that was entrapping him, keeping him chained to the ground. Ed wrapped his arms around his stomach, holding his ribs tightly, trying in vein to take a complete breath. His vision swam and his ears rang, he didn’t know if he would pass out or choke to death on his sobs. He would be happy for either result to take him if Stede didn’t need him right now. No, this was not the fucking time for this.
Through hazy eyes he could vaguely make out a figure in front of him. The sun had started to set around them, backlighting the person gripping his shoulders in a bath of pink and gold till they looked nothing more than a silhouette.
“Edward” the person called out to him, he could barely register it through the ringing in his ears. “Ed, listen” he really tried to concentrate on the voice. “Edward, breathe” Ed tried, but it felt like oxygen was miles away and he wasn’t allowed access to it anymore. He was choking and hyperventilating and his panic crawled up his throat, clawing at him to just die already. “Come on, Ed, deep breaths” the voice told him again while hands gripped his face, lifting his view to the silhouette who was coaching him. Was it Stede? Only he would use such a tender touch on his cheeks. “In and out” the voice (was it Stede? Or was Ed deluded from lack of oxygen) encouraged. Somehow a gap formed in Ed’s hyperventilation and he seized the opportunity to take in a huge heaving breath, then another, and another till he could finally return to a steadier rhythm. Ed furiously blinked his eyes till the auras blocking his vision swam away and the ringing in his ears died back down an octave or two. He could breathe again, he gasped in more hungry breaths. “That’s good, just breathe” he realised now it was Izzy who had kneeled before him.
“Thanks” he gasped out between laboured breaths. Izzy replaced his hands from his face back to his Captain’s shoulders.
“No need” Izzy squeezed his shoulders once more before returning to his feet, offering a hand to his captain to help him up also. Ed gladly accepted his first mates hand and rose back to his full height. A few beats of anxious silence passed between them, before Izzy spoke up unprompted, “He’s gonna be okay, boss. Bonnet’s like a cockroach, death just slides off him”
Ed didn’t like his precious husband being compared to vermin much but he was grateful of the sentiment, especially from Izzy who had had a turbulent relationship with Stede to put it mildly.
“I can’t lose him, Iz. I just can’t” was all that Ed could offer in response. Izzy clapped a hand on his captains shoulder once more before Ed strode back to his quarters.
The entire crew had filled the hallway leading to the door, each holding at least one bottle of indiscriminate rum. Ed strode past them all, who gazed at him with tired, worried expressions. Ed all but had his hand on the door when Lucius spoke up.
“You’re not to go in there” he quietly squeaked.
“And why the fuck not?” Ed whirled around to look Lucius in the eye.
“Roach asked us to stay out” Ed rolled his eyes, making for the door again. “He said, especially you” Lucius squeaked even more timidly, slightly frightened. Ed spun again at that.
“And why the fuck did he say that?” Ed felt his nerves tipping into anger, needing to be by Stede’s side. Hating that a slice of fancy fucking cherry wood was keeping him from his beloved.
“Roach said he needs to concentrate, that he would come and get you once it’s done but you can’t be in there with them” Lucius shook slightly, rightfully afraid of how Blackbeard might react to the news. Ed huffed out of a breath, the fight in him dissipating once more.
“Right” Ed grumbled. He conceded the point, hating every second of it but, fucking irritatingly, understanding. He didn’t want to do anything that might risk Roach fucking this up, especially if he might be elbow deep in Stede’s belly digging out bullet fragments.
He sank to the ground, back leant against the door frame outside the quarter’s door, exhausted and weary from both the battle and the terror. The crew seemed to follow his example, all choosing to sit outside of Stede’s door rather than to retreat to their own quarters.
The next few hours of the night were devastatingly slow. Ed twitched at every sound he heard through the wooden walls, Roach quietly cursing in a language Ed didn’t quite understand, his metal utensils clanging onto the small wooden table. On a rare occasion Ed heard Stede groan, which both lit a new fire of relief within him and simultaneously blew it out, knowing he was still breathing was one thing but knowing he was in agony was another. Ed desperately wanted to go in there and comfort him, whisper sweet words of comfort and take his pain away, but he couldn’t. All he could do was sit there and listen to the half competent butcher attempt to save his husband’s life through the wall. Ed’s nails were bitten down till they bled and his hair was in complete disarray, unable to sit still.
The crew didn’t fair much better, Lucius spent most of the time with his face planted on black Pete’s shoulder, quietly crying while Pete rubbed his back. Ole and Jim were sitting quietly while Ole ran his thumb over the back of Jim’s entwined hand, Jim’s other playing with a knife reflexively. Frenchie and Wee John were both sat head in their hands looking sullen and glum. The swede had actually fallen asleep, apparently he had taken a rather nasty gash to his shoulder himself which would need stitching. Periodically, someone would check on him and make sure he was alright. Buttons was the only one still stood, pacing back and forth as he chanted prayers of protection, hands contorted into complicated sigils.
Ed looked at each man in turn, grateful for their presence, to think this is the crew who were ready to mutiny on Stede once upon a time. Although their change of heart didn’t really surprise him, he hadn’t met a person who didn’t eventually fall for Stede. He was the light in a room, everyone gravitated toward him, with the funniest quips and a wondrous laugh that turned the most fearsome pirate on the seven seas to mush.
He couldn’t bear it, he couldn’t live without Stede, he couldn’t sit here and do nothing. He rose back to his feet, all eyes instantly on him. He had intended to go up to the deck and most likely berate Izzy, Ivan and Fang (who had decided to stay on deck and clear away the evidence of battle) when the door opened behind him.
Roach stood there, hands bloody and brow covered in a thin layer of sweat, he looked utterly exhausted which was no wonder really he had been working on Stede for hours. Ed felt his heart beat 10 times faster, bile creep up his throat, his brain was launching into panic mode for the short seconds it took Roach to speak.
“He’s alive”