Work Text:
"I don't want to die!"
Ed couldn't hear anything else over the heaving of his chest and the thumping of his heart. All he could see was Stede standing blindfolded, hands tied behind his back, the guns of the English sailors pointed at him. He didn't have time to second guess himself, he just moved.
"Ed!" Izzy cried out behind him.
The crew cheered.
"Fire!"
Ed tackled Stede around the chest, forcing a cry from his throat, and they both toppled over the railing and into the water of Dead Man's Cove.
Ed let go of Stede to swim to the surface, but immediately realised something was wrong. Stede wasn't moving. He looked down and Stede's eyes were closed, and a thin trail of blood was winding its way up through the water. Shit. Ed kicked down and heaved his arms around Stede's waist, then headed for the surface with all of the strength left in his legs.
Ed burst through the surface of the water and let the gasp of air he took out in relief as Stede breathed too. He hooked an arm around Stede's waist and headed for shore. Hornigold had a smuggler's cave nearby, well hidden, where he used to store the plunder from his perfect, inescapable ambushes. They'd be safe there, and there would probably be supplies too.
Stede began to mumble beside him, much like that first night when Ed had sat watch over him in bed during his stabbing fever. Ed only caught snippets, but he seemed to be remembering things. From what Ed had gathered from Stede over the few weeks they had spent together, he didn't have many nice memories to remember. A bit like Ed, really.
"We only have this one life," drifted out of Stede's mouth, and it made Ed's heart seize.
By the time Ed made it to the cave he was utterly exhausted. He hauled Stede onto the rocky floor, then pushed himself up onto the lip. First, a fire, then medical. He could patch Stede up all he wanted, but if he didn't get him warmed up soon, it would be for nothing. The wound was oozing more than anything, he wasn't in danger of bleeding out.
Ed had just got the flames to stick when Stede groaned and opened his eyes. "Am I dead?" he asked.
"Nah, mate," Ed answered. "Nearly were, though. Thankfully you've got Captain Quick Thinker on your side."
Stede smiled and tried to sit up, then let out a gasp of pain as his hand flew to his side. "Well," he said through gritted teeth. "Lucky me! Looks like I didn't quite get away unscathed though."
"Nope." Ed popped the p. "This fire will be roaring in the next few minutes, then I'll get the medicine kit out and give you a once over."
"Great," Stede said with a strange inflection. "Well, I'm sure you'll have more bedside manner than Roach, at least."
Ed cocked his head, happy with the fire, and went to look for medical supplies. "Just wait until I'm done before you make any judgements, yeah?"
"That fills me with complete confidence," Stede grumbled, an amused edge to his voice.
Aha! Jackpot. Bandages, needles, high proof booze. Soap. Exactly what he was looking for. He walked back over to Stede and sat down in front of him. "Good, that was the point." Ed winked and could have sworn he saw the edge of a blush trying to make it onto Stede's pallid cheeks.
Ed leant over to wash his hands in the sea, making sure to soap them thoroughly. Then he turned back to Stede's wound. "Looks like they've missed anything really important. No major bleeding, doesn't smell like burst guts. Seems like you're one lucky bastard, Stede Bonnet."
"Oh good," Stede said, but he didn't seem happy about it at all.
"I think the bullet is still in there, though. Don't think it'll be too deep, but I gotta get it out."
"Oh," Stede said. "And, um. How do you propose to do that?"
Ed held his hand up and wiggled his fingers. "Sorry mate, gotta do it the uncouth way."
"Right." Stede looked a little green. "Well then, you have my permission to stick your fingers in me."
Ed swallowed and shifted position slightly to try and will that not to go straight to his cock. "Right. Well. There you are then," he said awkwardly as he pressed his finger to the wound opening and then slid it inside. It was hot and tight and wet and Edward Teach stop that train of thought right now, you cannot pop a boner pulling a bullet out of the guy you're in love with.
Stede panted and groaned as Ed fished around for the bullet, and it wasn't just nerves making Ed sweat. Then, finally, he caught the little ball of lead that had caused so much damage and drew it out into the air.
"That's it?" Stede said, face scrunched up. "Ridiculous it can be so painful when it's so tiny."
Ed looked at it. "Yeah, never really thought of it like that." He washed his hands off in the seawater again. "Now, just need to get you all sewn up and you'll be fit as a fiddle once it's all healed up."
"I like the sound of that," Stede breathed.
Ed held the needle over the flames until it glowed hot, then pulled it away to cool down. He drew the suturing thread through the eye and bent over as much as he could to give Stede the neatest stitches he could manage. He hated the idea of scarring his freckled skin. He was as gentle as he could be, and Stede did amazingly well sitting still. Just a sharp hiss here and there as the needle made its way through the damaged skin. Ed had to bend down and bite the end of each suture to release it through the rest of the thread. The cave was heating up from the fire and the two bodies, and Ed had to blink the sweat out of his eyes.
Three stitches is all it took, the angry hole in Stede's side now held closed. Ed couldn't stop himself from leaning forward after biting the last suture to give Stede a soft kiss on his belly above the wound. He felt and heard Stede's gentle gasp. He sat up, but stayed close. He met Stede's eyes, pupils dark. He leant forward. Their lips brushed. Stede didn't move, and then he did. His hand came up to Ed's shoulder and he made a soft little moan into Ed's mouth. Ed pulled back, not wanting Stede to strain his new stitches.
"Wow," Stede said, almost under his breath.
"You make me happy, Stede. 'M glad you're not dead." Ed bit his lip.
"And you make me happy. Thank you for saving me." Stede's eyes were shining.
Ed smiled. "Don't mention it, mate."