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“I wonder what our next adventure will be?” Stede looks away from Ed and begins conjuring up what the next thing could be that would top their treasure hunt. Ed only gives a soft grunt in response and lets his eyes fall a bit closed, letting the brandy do its work. “Maybe a daring sea chase!?” Stede supplies.
The mood is relaxed and easy after their arrival back to the ship inside the warm captain’s cabin. An agreement struck to run the Revenge as co-captains puts them both in a mood for company and there’s a feeling as though they could sit right here and stay like this for hours.
Stede comes up with a couple more ideas that Ed barely responds to but he seems to be listening, so Stede continues.
“Oh! Or we find a nearby port and the whole crew gets matching tattoos, like this one!” Stede says and, without a thought to his actions, runs a finger against a part of Ed’s lower arm where a tattoo of an anchor slotted between stars and crosses resides. Ed's skin is cooler than Stede would imagine, if he imagines such a thing. “It could be a team building exercise! What do you thi--”
Stede finally looks up to see Ed’s eyes focused intently on where Stede’s finger lies against his arm. Stede pulls his hand away as if burned. He’s overstepped. Clumsy and entirely indelicate of him, he mentally chastises himself.
“I- I’m sorry,” he says, voice softer than he had wanted and he clears his throat. “I shouldn’t have.”
Ed glances at him then back to his own arm with a frown before shrugging. “S’alright. I got loads of ‘em,” he says simply. “Didn’t think that kind of thing took your fancy.” He shrugs again and takes a sip of his brandy, eyes darting away from Stede whenever he begins to catch eye contact.
Stede brightens at Ed’s forgiving attitude. He sets his own brandy down and stands, making his way around to the front of the couch Ed is lounged on as he says excitedly, “Oh, I find them fascinating, Ed.”
He moves to where Ed’s legs are stretched out on the couch, waits a beat for Ed to notice, then takes the space left by them as Ed lowers them out of the way. Ed’s booted feet drop to the floor with a soft thud.
“Really?” Ed asks as he readjusts himself to a sitting position.
Stede nods, “Aren’t they somewhat of a right of passage for a pirate? Also, from what I understand they can hold great meaning?”
Ed shrugs yet again and looks at the back of his arm and over the myriad of tattoos found there with scrutiny. “I suppose, some do, yeah.”
Stede is quiet for a moment, watching Ed’s arm turn as they both stare at the movement of the dark patterns painted on Ed’s tan skin.
Ed turns to him as he suddenly stretches out his arm and presents it to Stede. “But most of them are just badass looking,” he laughs.
Stede smiles at the sound, easing back into the comfort of knowing he hasn’t offended Ed with his unsolicited touch. His eyes go from Ed’s gentle reassuring eyes to the offered arm... the sun touched brown skin painted with lines of black ink, some more intricate than others. Some obviously done with more care than others. Stede wonders to himself why Ed would ever let anybody put a needle to this skin with anything but the most delicate of touch.
He reaches out, hesitant, to touch a tattoo that looks faded and rough, more so than most he sees. It’s a large cross that begins just above Ed’s wrist and extends to take up a fair portion of the inner section of his lower arm. Maybe one Ed had gotten earlier in his life or maybe one that meant something?
“That they are. Badass looking, indeed,” he says softly, so softly as he’s finding it hard to find his breath, and with enough heat in his cheeks he wonders if he overdid it with the brandy.
Stede runs a finger along the outline of the cross that had his attention and Ed takes a deep breath in as Stede’s finger traces along his skin. Gooseflesh rises on Ed’s arm, making Stede pause, not sure if he had done something wrong again or if he should continue so he glances up at Ed’s face and sees the other man fixated on what Stede is doing. Then Ed notices his hesitation and the smallest upturn of his moustache and lip give away his encouragement. He nods as well, in case Stede had missed it.
Stede clears his throat again, not sure if it's nerves from the whole ordeal of the day or something else making him feel so jittery.
“Like this one,” he continues tracing ink under skin with his touch. It’s as if the words have to be forced out of him. Ed is looking at him with dark eyes so inviting that Stede swallows before continuing. It’s all a bit overwhelming for some reason. “I-It seems... like an early draft...?” Stede says. Ed frowns so Stede quickly continues. “This was an earlier one? In your life?”
Ed’s frown softens from what Stede can tell through his beard and he slowly nods as if in a slight daze, not quite paying attention. Stede smiles at the acknowledgement but doesn’t push further on the story of this particular tattoo. If Ed wanted to talk about it then he’s sure Ed would.
Stede moves on to another tattooed design. A skull with sharp linework just above the inside of Ed’s elbow. His finger first gently traces quickly against the thin inked line and Stede can feel the slight rise of skin there where ink and rough needlework have left their mark. He hesitates, waiting for Ed to object but he doesn’t, before letting his finger run along the entire outline of it, and he can feel Edward shift. Stede could be imagining the slight tremble he feels in Ed’s arm under his touch though as he reminds himself Ed has had his share of Brandy as well tonight.
“Did it hurt? Never gotten one, myself, of course. Seems quite painful.” Stede says, his fingers whispering against the barely perceivable feel of more tattoo lines.
Ed’s skin is getting quite warm against his touch, making him wonder if the room were too closed up, too stuffy. He wonders on this for a brief moment as he lets two fingers run across the body of a large snake that runs up Ed’s entire arm.
Ed sucks in a sharp breath as if he suddenly needs air. He’s still staring at where Stede is tracing fingers along his skin and it seems to take him a moment to register that Stede has asked him a question because he doesn’t answer for another few quiet seconds.
“Dunno, man. Not Really. Kinda. Sorta,” his words tumble out of his mouth quickly and absentmindedly.
Stede smiles warmly, fondly, at Ed for humoring his questions even if he wasn’t interested in being questioned and prodded. He sighs wistfully and pulls his hand away to release Ed from this situation.
“Thank you, Ed. They’re lovely,” he says honestly. “I remember from the island today, when you had your jacket off, I – I noticed you had some- some on your other arm that were done in even finer detail.”
Stede means it as a compliment but the way the words stutter from his mouth he’s suddenly afraid they could be interpreted as insincere.
Ed remains quiet. He’s been very quiet for most of the evening. He blinks slowly then bursts into motion so suddenly that Stede sits back.
“Oh yeah!” Ed says excitedly.
Then he’s unbuckling belts and undoing buttons of his jacket in a flurry. Its dizzying to Stede how quickly Ed can move from such stillness, and as he pulls the leather off his shoulders and arms Stede is quite incapable of looking anywhere but at the small bits of skin as they get revealed along the way. He has seen these things before, earlier that day, in fact so this wasn’t scandalous or new even, but here and now... Stede is transfixed.
First there’s the small amount of collar that peeks out from under his purple cotton shirt that isn’t hidden by his beard. Then, of course, the small line of skin at the side of Ed’s abdomen as he lifts and pulls, dragging his shirt up with it just that much. The shape of his surprisingly narrow shoulders that are uncovered from beneath the thick leather shoulder plates and then the length of his left arm, usually hidden entirely, is covered in various tattoos from wrist to where it disappears again under his shirt. Just like his right.
Stede has no time to compose his thoughts or the blush returning to his cheeks before Ed’s dark wild eyes are on him again. He’s smiling wide, an almost frenzied tinge to it like his eyes, and twisting his body to face Stede better. Ed pulls his left arm further around with his right and begins pointing at a tattoo.
“Got this one a couple years ago from a guy with one eye and three fingers! Ha!” he taps his skin and holds his arm up for Stede to inspect.
Stede nods. It does look like it.
“This one,” Ed points to another, scoots closer so Stede can get a better look. It’s another rough looking skull. “I - uh- don't actually remember where I got this one. Lost a bet or somethin’.”
Stede’s pondering the scenario where Ed would let somebody tattoo his skin for losing a bet when he realizes Ed has suddenly fallen quiet and Stede looks up at him, having expected more to the story. Ed’s eyes are less frenzied now. They’re wide and softer, maybe a little distressed but about what Stede cannot fathom.
“Y- You... can touch them if you want,” Ed finally says, nudging Stede’s side with his outstretched hand.
“Oh,” Stede responds gently. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Stede brings both his hands up to Ed’s and takes his wrist gently between his own fingers and as soon as they touch he feels charged like he never has before. It’s as if his senses were suddenly honed in quite keenly in a way that left no room for anything else in the world, only Ed. He can feel the rough calluses on Ed’s fingers and the way they curl just so to allow for the movement of Stede’s softer ones. Stede has to hold his breath for a moment, absently running fingers along the back of Ed’s hand in a slow rhythmic movement, not taking in anything he’s meant to be.
“Fuck,” Ed whispers so quietly Stede is almost convinced he didn’t hear it.
He snaps out of his daze with a small start and Stede clears his throat in embarrassment, fingers tightening briefly around Ed’s wrist before he focuses himself.
“Ed, I’m sorry, did I mess up?”
Ed laughs. He laughs abruptly and loudly. “No, man. No. S’fine, keep going.”
A level of confusion settles in Stede, which furrows his brow but he’s unable to question it further, so taken by this situation he finds himself in. He’d be quite disappointed if Ed had asked him to stop now.
“Fine then, where were we?” He turns Ed’s arm just a bit so he can admire all the markings drawn along it and then turns his attention to the back of Ed’s wrist, where a couple of tattoos rest.
“This is a fun one,” he says as he runs a finger along it. He feels and sees the slight tremble in Ed’s hand and it makes his chest tighten as his own fingers shake a bit with nerves. “A strange star. What does it mean?”
Ed’s fingers flex out and return as he says “Dunno. Just a star.”
Stede nods. Getting the stories out of Ed almost doesn’t matter any longer as Stede is so focused on this. On whatever this is. He continues one hand up Ed’s arm while he selfishly lets fingers of his other hand move across the underside of Ed’s wrist in a tickling touch. He can feel the warmth and the life there as Ed’s pulse beats quickly and Stede feels as if his own pulse is going frighteningly fast.
He’s never touched someone and it feel so personal before. Intimate even.
As his journey along Ed’s arm continues he doesn’t bother picking out anything particular to focus on but lets his touch roam across skin, to feel the lines and trace scars. Ed wraps his fingers around Stede’s free wrist and both their grips tighten, almost holding hands.
“Fuck, Stede,” Ed breathes out as he watches Stede, watches Stede’s fingers move across him.
Gooseflesh going along his skin once again gives way to feel of Ed almost vibrating against his hands. It seems odd for Ed to be so shaken, but it only makes Stede want to keep moving and keep touching.
Stede reaches the outline of the large Octopus-like creature on Ed’s upper arm. A kraken, possibly. The Kraken. He hesitates with his touch and makes it gentler, a tease of a touch as if he dare not disturb the creature.
“Beautiful,” Stede says. “Y- It’s beautiful, Ed.”
Ed’s breath hitches and his grip on Stede pulls him closer still, making it so Stede has to brace himself a little by grabbing onto Ed’s arm for balance. A little surprised, he looks at Ed’s face and catches his eyes.
“You really are something else,” Ed’s voice is tight but soft and his expression is rather unreadable.
Stede feels the blush on his cheeks. “You’re kind, Ed.”
The movement is so sudden that Stede is left stunned as Ed kisses him. He feels the warm push of Ed’s lips that are gentle and insistent all in one then there’s the prickly hair of Ed’s beard pressing against his skin and presenting a completely unique feeling.
Stede isn’t altogether sure what to do but it feels nice and it is an excitingly foreign territory to be kissed like this. To be kissed like Ed wants to kiss him and like Ed wants Stede to kiss him back.
So. Stede does.
He applies his own small force to the kiss in hopes to make up for his hesitation. He’s only ever kissed Mary and those were entirely pedestrian, if he were to say so himself. They were nothing like the passion he’s seen in others stealing moments on the streets, on his own ship, or that have come up in his books on occasion and definitely nothing like a kiss that belongs alongside the soft groan that Ed makes. He feels himself shiver at the sound and it is such an invigorating feeling.
Ed’s pulling him closer, a hand wrapped around the back of Stede’s neck with another hand at his jaw. His fingers are guiding Stede deeper into the kiss and Stede follows, willingly being shown the way.
After a moment Ed leans away slightly and Stede feels the loss of the touch, wishing for it back. He opens his eyes slowly and Ed is still right in front of him, clinging to him, face and mouth just there. Ed breathes and Stede feels the hot dampness on his face.
“Sorry, man. It – It felt like the thing to do. Was that okay?”
What a thing to say after all that!
Stede smiles and Ed mirrors him, cautiously. “God. Okay? Yeah. Okay. I’d say! I liked that very much, Ed. Maybe we cou-”
He’s cut off as Ed kisses him again and Stede is less shocked this time, even laughs a little at Ed’s abruptness. Ed moves into his space, pushing him back a little, so Stede gives way and lets Ed grab at his shoulder then slides fingers into the back of his blond curls. It feels as if he’s being washed away in the tide of Ed’s touch and lips and Stede welcomes it.
He is quite sure an embarrassing sound escapes him when Ed begins peppering him with small slightly open-mouth kisses that tease a wet tongue against Stede’s own lips. Stede is grasping and overwhelmed but allows himself to be swept up in it, trying to copy and to keep up so he can hopefully make Ed feel just as dizzy with it if he can.
Then Ed’s tongue slides slick and warm against Stede’s own, past his lips, and it’s nothing like Stede has ever imagined. His body is humming with a fierce energy in the pit of his stomach that he’s never experienced before as Ed deepens the kiss and adds just a hint of teeth. Then Ed groans, groans into their kiss, and Stede is suddenly clinging to the other man with fingers holding on like he’s been tossed overboard and Ed is his lifeline.
He’s beyond thinking, worrying, or caution.
Stede relishes in the movement of their mouths. Sloppy, yes, but warm and wet and full of mingling breaths that leave him hungry for more. He also finds he likes the way Ed’s beard scratches and brushes against him and doesn’t mind it pressing against his mouth as he runs his own tongue along Ed’s lower lip this time as an experiment. He sighs, pleased, as Ed allows his clumsy kisses with enthusiasm.
"Is this... alright?” Stede asks. “I’m somewhat new to all this.”
Ed’s brow scrunches in confusion, “New? You never made out with anybody before?”
Stede thinks about all the times he and Mary had kissed, so few and far between. They were chaste and not even all that friendly, for that matter. He shakes his head slowly.
“Well, no. Nothing like this. Nothing like this at all.”
“Shit, Stede,” Ed looks upset and runs a hand along Stede’s shoulder nervously but it seems to take a lot for him to pull away that much. “Fuck, I didn’t know, man. We can stop, if you want.”
“Oh, God, no, I don’t want that at all,” Stede says quickly. “I’m sorry, Ed. I didn’t mean to upset you. I would love to keep kissing you.”
That gets a small smile from Ed, and his eyes soften. “Yeah?”
“Yes.”
"Then fucking do it, mate,” Ed’s smile widens, eager.
It makes Stede confident. Makes him bold.
He leans forward to give Ed a soft slow kiss with the intention of countering the other man’s barely restrained eagerness and it seems to surprise Ed, how gentle it is, and he relaxes into it quickly. Stede runs the back of his fingers across Ed’s cheek, just at the line where skin meets beard and Ed leans into it as he trails his fingers back into his hair, combing carefully through the tangled locks while scratching lightly against his scalp.
“You can pull if you want,” Ed says.
Stede hums at the thought but he doesn’t pull. He doesn’t pull or grip but continues his fingers through Ed’s hair as he had begun, as a soothing caress. This makes Ed go a bit slack against him and against his mouth in a way that Stede takes as an invitation to kiss and touch how he likes which sends a jolt of want through his entire body. He shivers and moans and loses himself to it all at once.
They kiss like that for a while longer with Stede touching light against Ed’s face, neck and arms. Ed sighs here and there under the attention like he could be here with Stede forever and be content. Then Ed leans and presses, as if in contention with Stede’s touches, in other moments as if he’s finding it difficult to stay still and allow it.
It’s not until Ed breaks his lips away with a sudden frustrated sound and begins grunting as he works his way out of his purple shirt that Stede realizes he’s now leaning rather far into Ed’s space. He has one arm anchoring himself up with Ed below him, almost entirely on his back, and now revealing a chest riddled with tattoos and scars.
Stede is a bit breathless and dizzy as he hovers there, again not sure where to go next or where to look. He becomes acutely aware of the state of himself and it sets off a sharp spike of panic that only lasts the amount of time it takes Ed to discard his shirt on the floor and begin to settle under him. There’s a heavy demanding twitch in his pants as Ed looks up at him with a hot eager look in his eyes as he wraps his long hair with a quick twist of itself and drops it out of the way. Stede doesn’t quite know why but he tries his best to keep his lap out of the way so Ed doesn’t feel his obvious interest.
“Ed,” Stede is overcome with how stunning Ed looks beneath him like this. “Ed, You’re gorgeous. Unbelievable.”
Ed’s eyes flutter and his hips lean up, not as shy about pressing himself against Stede.
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” Ed says roughly. “I can show you a few more new things, if you’re up for it.”
“Oh.”
Ed chuckles at whatever he sees when he looks Stede up and down then he shifts under Stede a bit more so he can spread out his leather clad legs to make space for Stede between them. Stede takes the space offered then places his palm flat against the center of Ed’s chest, fingers splayed wide and just clipping the bottom of the eagle tattoo at Ed’s collar.
“I would like that,” Stede’s answer to Ed’s question comes out breathlessly. “Can I touch you some more?”
“Fuck, yes.”
Stede smiles because Ed sounds as breathless as himself. Ed raises his left arm to throw it over his head and holds onto the armrest of the couch while his right arm rests at his side, a fist on his own leg that's mostly hanging across the back of the couch.
Stede first runs his palm up the rest of Ed’s chest over the eagle and along his collar bone. The flush of Ed’s skin is apparent here where neck meets shoulder and there are small tattoos dotting his skin here as well. He trails fingers back down again over the area where he began and continues until his exploring hand runs across one of Ed’s brown nipples. Stede looks up to see Ed’s heavy lidded expression watching everything Stede was doing with his chest rising and falling deeply with each of his hot breaths.
“Is that something you --- are into?” Stede asks.
He runs his index finger back over the area carefully and deliberately, enjoying the nipple perking up just a little under the attention.
Ed gasps. “Don’t know. Never had somebody mess with them before. Feels nice, though.”
Stede is taken aback. “What? Never?”
He’s never had somebody touch him like this either but Stede was confident Ed has had lovers before. Some of them.... one of them at the very least... had to have touched. Somebody must have adored and explored this man. Wanted to make him feel... good or cared for, even.
“Look, man, most people I’ve come across in my life... We’re not kind. We don’t stop and take our time, okay. It’s just not like that.”
Stede makes a sad sound then leans down and kisses Ed. “You’re being kind with me,” he says.
“Yeah, well.”
Ed turns his face away so Stede kisses his cheek. Kisses his bearded jaw then kisses his collar and onto planting soft kisses against skin until he plants a warm kiss on Ed’s nipple. Ed is very quiet and still so Stede continues his mouth along the inked and scarred terrain.
“We can take our time,” he says between gentle presses of his lips to Ed’s hot skin.
Ed’s fist moves from his side and Stede feels shaking fingers touch the side of his face. Stede turns and kisses the palm of the outstretched hand and Ed makes a small sound much like a whimper.
“I wouldn't want to hurry one second of this,” Stede adds.
Ed says nothing but brushes a thumb across Stede’s cheek, tender despite the rough calluses on Ed’s finger, then he runs his hand through Stede’s hair which makes Stede close his eyes and lean into it until the touch is gone.
Stede then leans back enough so that he can put weight on his legs and with this leverage he reaches down to Ed laid out below him and runs both his hands down Ed’s sides. Ed gasps in a sharp breath and subtlety arcs into the touch as Stede’s fingers slide down his skin then he groans when Stede’s grip reaches his hip bones.
“What a sight you are,” Stede sighs. “I enjoy seeing you like this, Ed.”
Ed closes his eyes and breathes a ragged breath that does nothing to calm him.
Stede runs his hand over the battlefield of stab wounds on Ed’s left side. He avoids the newest one that is still freshly healed, a puckered bump of flesh that makes Stede’s heart ache.
“Oh, Ed,” Stede circles his fingers around it, over many other long healed scars, but doesn’t touch the focus of his attention. “I am so, so sorry. I caused this. You have been so good to me. You didn’t deserve this.”
Stede leans down and kisses the healed wound he inflicted with the wish that his lips could take it away and remove the scar he’d left there on Ed’s skin.
Ed is shaking and his breathing is ragged and fast.
“Stede,” his voice is hoarse. “Stede, please.”
“What?”
“Fuck’s sake,” Ed groans, frustrated but not upset. “Touch me, Stede. Fuck.”
“I am touching yo- Oh.”
A croak of a laugh escapes Ed before he grabs Stede’s hand and directs it to his crotch in a desperate movement. Stede doesn’t resist and slides his palm against the hard heat of Ed still trapped inside his leather pants. As soon as Stede’s hand applies just a small amount of pressure Ed makes the most lewd moaning sound Stede has ever heard and it makes him feel hot all over like he’s stepped into a furnace.
“Fuuuuuuck,” Ed begins unbuckling his own pants in a hurry.
Stede is again a bit lost in the sudden speed and urgency of Ed’s actions but he tries to keep up so he presses against Ed, giving him something to push up against as he does his work. The feel of him and that desire makes Stede dizzy again. He is, himself, aching but he’s found it easy to ignore with how much he’s distracted by Ed’s needs.
All this. All this... this... this passion for him. It sets a buzz down his spine that sparks him to further attention and oh god, if Ed were to touch him right now he’d burst, he was sure of it.
“Fuck, Fuck, Fucking belts,” Ed laughs a little frantic. But then, he’s got the last clasp free and he’s shimmying his hips out of his pants, stopping as soon as he’s freed himself.
It falls heavy against Ed’s thigh with a leaking glistening tip. Stede doesn’t stare but he can’t help but stop to take it in and he hopes the hesitation doesn’t read to Ed that he’s having second thoughts.
But Ed just takes himself in hand with a sigh and gives himself a short pump of his fist.
Stede’s breath leaves him like a punch to the chest at the sight.
“Stede.”
He takes a deep shaking breath then reaches down to put one hand on Ed’s tense thigh and the other comes to rest over the hand Ed is using to please himself. They both gasp when Ed quickly shifts their hands so Stede’s is wrapped underneath in a loose fist around Ed’s erection. Ed moves their hands together with a satisfied grunt and sets up a rough slow rhythm. The feel of Ed hot, hard, and wanting in his hand makes Stede curse under his breath in a hungry plea. He loves the feel of him in hand and he loves even more the way Ed moves with desperate little contained thrusts and gasps.
Stede notices the almost pained expression on Ed’s face and he runs his other hand soothingly up and down Ed’s thigh.
“Just how you’d like it,” Ed pants out, as guidance, letting his own hand fall away.
Stede doesn’t interject that he’s not indulged in this manner of activity very often.
Instead, “Is this what you’d like or some other... way?”
Ed groans. “Oh, God knows I’d love you to fuck me but I can’t wait that long right now.”
Again, Stede is left breathless. “F-- fuck you,” he whispers as his brain comes to halt because of the visceral reaction that has on his body to Ed’s words. Having it said so bluntly and casually makes him tremble and sends waves of heat coursing through him. “Ed.”
He feels as if he’s spinning out of control, lightheaded from it all, but he tries to anchor himself to the sounds and feel of Ed instead of losing himself to distraction. Ed is lifting his hips to push in time with Stede’s ministrations so he tries to focus on that and focus on Ed’s needs.
“Amazing,” he says. “Ed, this is amazing. You are amazing.”
“Stede.” It’s a soft gasp.
“You’re wonderful,” Stede compliments.
Watching Ed sit on the precipice is making it difficult to think, he’s overwhelmed by it all, so very overwhelmed, but it is also all so brilliantly euphoric. He wants nothing more than to make this good, make Ed feel good. He’s so beautiful. He doesn’t know what else to do so he says all that out loud, the praise spilling easily from his lips in loving whispers.
Ed moans and wails Stede’s name, head thrown back and hair in disarray around him. Stede feels the tightening coil of Ed’s body before he spills over Stede’s hand as well as his own belly and chest. It’s the most wonderful thing Stede has ever seen.
“Oh, Ed. Oh,” Stede feels as if he’s run miles while also feeling as if he can do anything.
Ed’s body slowly begins to relax as he comes down and begins catching his breath, eyes closed, and twitching as Stede continues to slowly move his hand around him. Stede knows it's over but he doesn’t want to stop touching Ed. When, dazedly, Ed gives a small hiss at the over stimulation Stede opts to lean up and kiss him -- but then he stops himself, hovering above Ed inches from touching.
“Is it always so messy?” Stede asks as he looks over the aftermath on Ed’s chest and covering his own hand.
Ed laughs and Stede laughs along with him.
“I got it,” Ed finally seems coherent as he reaches down for his discarded shirt and wipes Stede’s hand before swiping it across his own skin, not at all thoroughly. Stede makes a face and Ed laughs again. He’s smiling, at ease and happy which makes Stede feel pleased with himself.
Ed looks him up and down with that contented expression and eyes shining so brightly that Stede feels as if the sun is looking back at him and he basks in the attention.
Slowly, Ed’s eyes divert and settle in the space between their bodies, where Stede’s own desire has been forgotten. A heat runs down Stede’s spine and settles in his groin when Ed shifts from lazily spread out beneath him to complete focused intent on him.
“Sit back, Stede,” he says, voice low and hoarse. It’s a command. A captain’s command. Ed sits up and pushes Stede back as he does. “Sit back.”
Stede does as he’s told.
As Ed clamors out from under him and off the couch Stede sits up and plants his feet on the floor. Then Ed is there on his knees between Stede’s legs in an instant and with a gasp Stede realizes Ed is roughly untucking his shirt from his pants before going after the buttons of Stede’s pants. Stede reaches down and puts his hands on Ed’s.
“Slow down, slow down, Ed!” Ed doesn’t slow down at all but keeps undoing clothing, some more roughly than the fabric should have to deal with. “You don’t have to. Y’know. It’s fine.”
He’s not sure what he’s saying because he doesn’t want Ed to stop but he’s also sure he doesn’t want Ed to feel obliged to reciprocate.
“C’mon, Stede,” Ed is yanking and Stede, panicked for his clothing, lifts his hips so Ed doesn’t rip anything as he begins pulling his pants down his hips.
“No, I mean it. It’s alright, Ed.”
Ed looks up at him finally but as he does he takes Stede’s uncovered erection in hand.
“God,” Stede clenches his eyes closed, absolutely sideswiped by how good Ed’s hot rough hand feels.
“I want to, man. You’ll like it.” Ed says, his thumb moving across the tip, spreading the wetness there along the head. Stede whines. “Okay?”
Stede nods furiously. “God, yes.”
Then all in an instant and all at once Ed takes Stede into his mouth.
“FUCK!” Stede shrieks and he’s sure he blacks out for a brief moment because he doesn’t remember the time between that and suddenly having his hands gripped tight on Ed’s shoulder and in his hair.. The long dark and gray hair of the other man wrapping across his lap as Ed slides slowly up with an obscene sound as he slips entirely out of Ed’s mouth. Stede groans and huffs for air before he starts cursing quietly again when Ed makes eye contact once more.
“What - What?” he stammers. “Oh God, Ed. That’s--- that’s--”
Ed smirks in a proud way then grabs a handful of his own thick hair, “Take it,” he says.
With a shaky grip, Stede does. He holds Ed’s hair up out of the way at the back of his head and the movement makes him feel like he’s in a fog but also completely unhinged and raw.
Ed ducks down again, with no further interaction, and his tongue laps long strokes against Stede’s hardness.
“Ed!”
Stede has never felt anything like this wet hot mouth taking him in and welcoming him like a lover. Ed’s fingers wrap rough around Stede’s hips to hold him down... hold him still. Had he been bucking into Ed’s mouth? Oh, is that not the etiquette? Ed doesn’t complain at all, he just continues moving and sucking in a way that doesn’t quite keep a set rhythm.
But.
It’s blinding. Brilliant. Bliss. Ed is taking him to some new place that is some new height of pleasure. Ed is so good and he feels utterly amazing. Stede hears some of those thoughts tumbling mindlessly out of him and as they do Ed groans low with Stede deep at his throat. A domino effect as Stede gasps and realizes he’s not going to last long at all. Is that embarrassing?
“Ed. Ed. You are so incredible. This feels- so... uh... so fucking good.”
He can’t seem to stop talking. Rattling off all the ways it feels. How brilliant Ed is. It rolls off his tongue in a litany of stuttered breathless praises that he loses track of but wholeheartedly means.
Then he’s blindsided by his orgasm and he’s spilling into Ed’s mouth with a shocked shout and no warning. He’s lost to it and not exactly sure of anything except that Ed messily keeps with him and swallows – God. He vaguely feels fingers clawing at his hips and keeping him pinned down hard against the couch as he rides the white hot waves of pleasure.
Stede really isn’t sure how long he’s there recovering but at some point Ed slips his mouth off of him, unceremoniously letting Stede sit there exposed and a complete mess.
He grabs at his chest to feel the thundering beating of his own heart to make sure he’s still alive.
Ed is just getting his own pants sloppily buttoned up before he flops down on the couch next to Stede and he’s breathing heavily too and his eyes are blown dark. His lips are swollen a little from use and his beard is wet and messy but he doesn’t seem to care. He stretches his legs out straight in front of him and settles into the couch with a sigh and lets his arm rest against Stede’s.
As soon as Stede can muster the strength he gathers himself and wiggles back into his clothing which makes him feel a bit more composed with the layers on him.
“Thank you, Ed,” he says with a smile.
Ed glances at him quickly and seems to flinch a little at Stede’s words. He nods then shrugs while he picks at the skin of his belly, turning in on himself for some reason.
“Yeah, man. It was fun, right?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Nah,” Ed closes his eyes and leans his head back with a sad sigh and Stede knows he misstepped somehow.
Stede looks him over with a frown then takes Ed’s hand in his.
“I hope not. I was just about to say that I was hoping the next time we could use the bed,” he says.
Ed’s eyes snap open and he finally looks at Stede and maybe Stede has recovered what damage he’s done because Ed smiles. The tension seems to leave his body as he laughs.
“Yeah. Yeah. Next time. I thought you didn– We can do that. Next time.”
Stede leans over and gives Ed a kiss that he sighs into.
“I can’t wait.”
End.