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“Does he have to be there?”
“I told ya, Iz,” Edward says, ignoring the snarling from his First Mate. “It's either both of us or none of us.”
Edward watches as Izzy sneers, glaring at the door to the cabin as if somehow his eyes could light it on fire. He’d thought after almost a year things would have gotten better. Hell, he’d forgiven Izzy for selling them out, couldn’t Izzy extend them the same courtesy?
He’d known it was going to be rough in the beginning. The first few weeks after Stede had found the Revenge and came strolling back in his life (complete with crew that he’d thought were long dead, marooned on an island) had been rough for everyone involved. He and Stede had had their own spats: Edward upset with Stede’s abandonment and Stede upset with the whole trying to murder his crew thing.
It had finally come to a head one night where Stede finally asked if they were to fight for the rest of their days or live them out in happiness instead. And, well … When put like that … Edward was pretty fuckin’ over the fighting.
As god awful as the sex had been that night, fears of hurting each other and inexperience clearly evident, it had also been the best sex he’d had in his entire life, simply because it had been with Stede.
And of course, as things had proceeded from there, they had fallen into a quiet routine with their little found family on board the Revenge. It was almost as things had been just before Jack had demanded to be let on the ship and upended their lives.
As time passed and Edward and Stede grew closer, Izzy became more and more irritable. It’d gotten to the point that Edward was sure he’d wake up to discover his First Made had fucked off to some remote island to get away from them.
“Y’know he’s all pissy ‘cause he likes you, right?” Lucius had said one day, propped up on a barrel, sketchbook in hand, scratching out the image of Izzy stomping around the deck, huffing at anyone who glanced at him.
“I know,” Edward had said, sipping at some hoity-toity tea Stede had acquired during their last docking. “Always has. Dunno how t’ tell him t’ fuck off. He knows I got Stede …”
“What about giving him a little taste? Think that’d sate him?”
Edward scoffed, “Y’know … I did, once.”
Lucius had completely stopped sketching once he heard that, paying full attention to Edward. It had taken a long while (and a lot of ass kissing) for Edward to get back in his good graces after the whole attempted murder bit, but once they had, Lucius had become as much his confidant as he’d been with Stede.
“No … What’d you do? Give him a little kiss on the cheek once?”
“Tch. As if,” Edward said, groaning in annoyance as he ran a hand over his face. “We were out at sea, hadn’t seen land for fuck knows how long … I was horny, knew he’d be willin’ … We just y’know …” He paused, giving a quick jerking motion with his hand. “After that, don’t think he’s even hit up a whore house at port no matter how much I tried t’ tell him to …”
Lucius had given it some thought before turning his attention back to his sketch. “Well … Y’know … Bet he’d mellow down if someone touched him …”
“You got seaweed in your ears or somethin’? He won’t fuckin go.”
“Oh no, probably not … But if you took care of it …”
“Now I know you’re not listenin’ …”
“It might even help with his problem with Captain,” Lucius had continued, ignoring Edward’s comments, “… Y’know … Get it out of their blood …”
Edward had opened his mouth only to shut it again as a thought registered in his mind. He furrowed his brows before looking to Lucius, sitting there sketching with a coy smirk on his face, then back to Izzy, yelling at Wee John about some knot being undone.
He’d talked to Stede that night, who’d been … surprisingly on board with the idea, which had led to the present moment.
“I don’t like him, Captain …”
“Well, he’s not particularly fond of the way you’re an ass to him, either, Iz,” Edward says bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. “But we’re courting … We love each other … So if you wanna do this, Izzy, then it's both of us or none of us.” He can see the way Izzy struggles with it; he’s so close to giving in but his pride holds him back. Reaching out, he places a hand on Izzy’s shoulder, causing the man to immediately look at it. “Just trust us.”
There’s a moment of hesitation and Edward is almost positive Izzy is going to sneer out some biting response he’ll later regret. Instead, Izzy, eyes still locked on the tattooed hand resting on his shoulder, swallows a lump in his throat and nods.
“... Fine …”
It’s a quiet, gravelly agreement, one that Edward knows was only given because Izzy wants Edward’s attention. Maybe, and it’s Edward’s hope, that Izzy will see even just a fraction of what Edward sees in Stede through this.
“Yeah? Fuck yeah … Alright … Just uh … Meet us in our room after dark?” Edward pats his shoulder before hopping off towards their room, leaving Izzy staring at his shoulder.
He barely has time to recover from the interaction when Lucius slides into view and his bubble pops, scowl plastering itself back on his face.
“What do you want, Spriggs?”
“I just came to give you some friendly advice.”
Izzy’s brow raises curiously. Just how much had he heard? “And just what, the fuck, do you think I need ‘advice’ on?”
“You may not like my Captain … But this is the only chance you’re going to get with Edward … You fuck it up with Stede, you fuck it up with Ed … And this time, he might not forgive you,” Lucius says bluntly. “My advice: play nice with Captain Bonnet, Mr. Hands.”
“You don’t know—”
“Oh I know more than you think I do. I know how much you love Ed … But I also know how much Ed loves Stede. He’s throwing you a bone,” Lucius pauses, looking down towards Izzy’s crotch before looking back up, “Literally … So, if you hope for a repeat performance … Best play nice … Treat the Captain real nice and Ed might reward you for it.” Another knowing smirk, “Plus … I think you’re going to like it a lot more than you think you will.”
Sneering, Izzy pushes him out of the way, opting to busy himself with something, something, something–Ah! Those nets! They weren’t properly put away! He busies himself with criticizing the Swede for a poor performance putting the nets away to ignore the way Lucius had given him that look, like he’d known everything about Izzy.
He didn’t know shit about Israel Hands.
Still … Probably not best to piss off the boss. He didn’t wanna lose anymore toes; that was all.
After night had finally descended upon the ship and most of the crew had settled in their sleeping arrangements, Izzy slunk off towards the Captain’s Quarters. While Stede had been reading whatever godforsaken story the crew wanted to hear this week, he’d managed to sneak off and bathe the day’s grime away. Somehow he felt as if he’d needed to impress the two of them. The fact that he’d actually been concerned about how both of them would react, causes him to scowl. He only gave a fuck about what Blackbeard wanted, not what Stede fuckin' Bonnet wanted.
Cautiously, he slips through the first door then down the hall towards their bedroom, ignoring the way he can hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears. Bringing his hand up, he hesitates inches from the door before finally rapping his knuckles against the wood. He can hear muffled voices on the other side, the pattering of feet, and then the door is thrown open, revealing Edward.
“Hey man … You actually came!”
“You told me to.”
“Only if you wanna, mate,” Edward says before pausing. “You do wanna do this … Right?”
“Edward,” Izzy grumbles, teeth grinding, as he tries to be patient with his boss. “I wouldn’t fuckin’ be here … If I didn’t fuckin’ wanna.”
“Fine, fine,” He says, stepping to the side to let Izzy inside.
As soon as Izzy steps inside, the first thing he notices is that the layout of the room has changed. It’s not much, but they’ve pushed the settee and some of the furniture away, creating a large space in the middle of the floor. In the newly opened space, there’s a mass of cushions and blankets. It almost reminds him of Edward’s blanket fort, but this time without the fort addition. Stede stands awkwardly by the makeshift bed, a layer of clothing already gone, leaving him in his shirt, breeches, and stockings. At least he didn’t feel out of place, having already shucked his vest and necktie to make things easier and quicker. Stede wrings his hands together and Izzy can see he’s nervous.
“Thought the bed might be a bit small … It’s a bit small when it’s two of us and so, logically, three of us would be—”
“Its fuckin’ great, man,” Edward says, trying to reassure him. Izzy wishes he’d missed the way that Stede visibly relaxed at Edward’s reassurances.
“How are we doing this?” Izzy asks, trying (and failing) not to scowl at the knowledge he would have to share Edward’s attention.
“Well,” Stede says, catching Izzy off guard. He’d simply assumed that Edward would be leading the night. “We thought … Perhaps … Ed and I … Could take care of you …”
Izzy scrunches his nose in visible disgust and confusion, “‘Take care of me’ … If you’re planning on murderin’ me then just fuckin’ do it like a man.” Instinctively, he reaches for his pocket, pulling out a small blade.
“Christ, man … Did you seriously bring a fuckin’ knife?!”
“It’s alright, Ed,” Stede says calmly. It’s … Unnerving. He’s not even phased. He supposes that Stede’s had more than enough knives pulled on him by now it’s old hat. “Izzy, we’re not trying to murder you, despite your … Many attempts on my life … You can put the knife away.”
Izzy hesitates before sheathing the blade again. “Just what the fuck do you mean then?”
Patient as ever, Stede tries again, “We would like to take care of you, to make you feel good, Izzy … Can you trust us to make you feel good?”
“If you can’t trust him, Iz, trust me. Stede’s fuckin’ good. Think it’s all them fancy books.”
“Well, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say some did help, especially after our first time,” Stede says, clearing his throat. Izzy can barely see in the dim light, but he’s almost certain that Stede is blushing. “But yes … That’s all we want to do. We want to make you feel good. And, if you don’t like it, you are free to tell us to stop and leave.”
“Right, so you can tell the whole fuckin’ crew what happened.”
“No. What happens in this room, stays in this room,” Stede promises. “You have my word as a gentleman.”
“And mine as … Your Captain or, fuck, whatever. I’m not gonna say shit,” Edward contributes.
It’s a risk. Not so much that he’s afraid they’ll blab to the crew if something goes wrong (they’re not Fang or Ivan with their big mouths), but if he opens up enough to allow himself to actually feel good about this … What happens if he does want to stop? Will it make him feel even shitter than he already does? But if he doesn’t take the risk—Fuck it. If it’s the only chance he gets to have even a tenth of Blackbeard’s attention on him again, he’ll take it.
“... Fine.”
“Yes?” Stede asks, hopefully. “Wonderful!” Izzy struggles not to look disgusted at the man who practically shits rainbows, actually being excited over fooling around with a man who tried to kill him once or twice. “I ask that you just follow our instructions … If we ask you to move or do something, then do it … If you absolutely do not want to do it, or you feel uncomfortable … You can say, ah … Well …” Stede hesitates, looking unsure. “Should we use the same words?”
“Might be easier?” Edward suggests, shrugging. “If you want us to stop, say ‘lobster’.”
“Why the fuck would I say lobster if I want to stop?!” Were these two out of their damn mind? “I would just say to fuckin’ stop!”
“Ah, yes, well—”
“One time Stede said ‘don’t stop’ but all I heard was stop … So uh … We started using ‘lobster’ when we really need to stop. Hard t’ think of another reason someone’d say lobster when they’re fuckin’ …”
Izzy huffs. “Fine. Follow instructions. Lobster to stop … Anything else or are we just gonna sit around and fuckin’ talk all night.”
“Aw c’mon, Iz … Don’t be like that …”
He opens his mouth to retort, but Stede beats him to it. “He’s just nervous, Ed … It’s okay! Come here, Izzy …”
Izzy hesitates, glancing to where Stede stands, holding his arms out slightly in a welcoming motion. His scowl deepens; he doesn’t want Stede’s attention … But … He’d agreed to obey the two of them, hadn’t he? He sees Edward move out of the corner of his eye and a bolt of fear shoots through him. What if he’d already fucked it up and missed out on his chance? No, no … He was moving.
Once he was in front of Stede, he awkwardly stood, feeling more like he was under assessment than about to fuck. Stede reaches out, placing his hands on either one of Izzy’s arms, holding him gently at an arm’s length away as Izzy freezes.
“It’s okay, Izzy … You’re safe.”
“I know,” He grits out.
“Relax,” Stede whispers before he shifts his hands up to gently cup Izzy’s face.
It makes him feel … Fuck, he doesn’t really know, honestly. It’s not necessarily bad, but it makes his gut churn. He doesn’t remember the last time, if ever, someone held his face like this. Edward had once, many years ago, done something similar, though it had only been one hand and only for a brief moment of encouragement before leaping into the fight that had fucked up Blackbeard’s knee.
This is … Different.
“You’re beautiful when you’re not trying to have me killed,” Stede says with such sincerity, Izzy feels his breath stutter out of him, staring at Stede’s face as he examines Izzy’s. His body relaxes without his notice and Stede smiles at that. “Look at that … How good you already are.”
The things this … This imbecile … Is saying to him shouldn’t affect him like this. Stede fuckin’ Bonnet has been nothing but a thorn in his side from the first day he’d heard mention of the Gentleman Pirate. Now … His praise, genuine praise, has Izzy rethinking his life and they’d only just started. Two sentences in and Izzy feels raw.
There’s a presence at his back and it drags him out of his spiraling panic when he realizes that Stede is still in front of him, which means the presence slotting up behind him—
“He’s the fuckin’ best First Mate a Captain could ask for,” Edward says quietly, close to his ear. “Wouldn’t want another by my side.”
The comments send a shudder through Izzy and he’s already wondering just how long he’ll last. When Edward had invited him to the Captain’s Quarters to spend a night with him and Stede, Izzy had figured it’d just be a quick fuck. He’d be passed along like a toy between the two. He’d never, in his wildest dreams, expected … Whatever this was. Sex had always been something hurried in a whore house or in a dark corner below deck, not something he’d taken time to do.
“May I kiss you, Izzy?” Stede asks.
It’s an opportunity to say no. How many people had he fucked in his youth who’d just kissed him because it was implied that such intimacies came with whatever coin had been thrown at him for a few minutes of pleasure? He wants to say no … He knows he can say no and they’d respect that (part of their ‘rules’, right?) … But he wants to know how far the rabbit hole can go. If just their touches and few words can have this affect, what would a kiss be like?
He’s contemplating for so long that Stede pulls away ever slightly. “It’s okay, you can say ‘no’ at any time,” he reminds Izzy, who is already very much aware, thank you.
“Just– Just fuckin’ do it,” Izzy manages to say, pushing past the urge to sink into his usual defense mechanisms.
Izzy can feel the way Edward laughs, deep and warm, as the rumbling passes from his chest to Izzy’s back, where Edward was pressed against him. Edward’s thumbs stroke up and down against his side absentmindedly as he holds Izzy. Hooking his chin over Izzy’s shoulder, Edward watches as Stede smiles warmly before crowding into the space.
Stede cups Izzy’s face and strokes his thumb across his cheekbone before leaning in to kiss him. By this point, Izzy should have assumed that kissing Stede fuckin’ Bonnet would have be nothing like he’s ever felt before, and yet here he was, surprised that his mind is blank as it tries to reboot. It’s far better than the stolen kisses, rough and hurried, he’s experienced in the past. Stede’s lips are soft, barely chapped from the salt air, and he’s gentle . He takes his time as if he’s mapping Izzy’s lips with his own, charting a course that only he knows.
When Stede pulls away, Izzy’s lips instinctively chase after Stede’s before he catches himself. It’s … Almost distressing to think about. He can’t stand Stede, actively hates him as a matter of fact, but … This is different. This is … Is this what Blackbeard had seen all along? Is this a repeat of the fucking cloud shapes? Where Izzy had only seen a stupid rich boy trying to play pirate, had Edward seen the love that Stede had to offer?
“That’s a good boy,” Edward says, breath ghosting over Izzy’s ear, causing a full body shudder to run through him, earning a smirk from his Captain.
“I want—” Izzy croaks out and stops when he realizes just how broken his voice sounds. Fuck … They’d barely done anything! Was he this fucking pathetic that a few words and a singular kiss could have him feel like a ship wrecked upon the shore?
“What do you want, dear?” Stede asks, still crowding into Izzy’s space. “It’s okay, tell us how we can take care of you.”
He swallows the lump in his throat, “I want … To kiss Edward …”
Izzy expects to see some sort of disappointment in Stede’s eyes; some sort of thought that his kiss wasn’t good enough for Izzy. It doesn’t come. Instead, Stede’s eyes go all soft and he leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to Izzy’s lips once again.
“Good … Very good job, telling us what you want,” Stede says before looking to Edward.
“Right~ Guess it’s my turn, hm?” Edward asks.
Turning Izzy around in his hands, Izzy finds himself pressed back against Stede this time as Edward cups his face with both hands. It’s almost as if the two of them must be touching him at all times and he’s not sure that he’s ever had so much attention directed at him.
When Edward kisses him, fuck, it’s everything he wants and more. Where Stede was all soft and gentle, Edward’s lips are rougher and he’s kissing as though it’s their last day on earth. Edward nips at his bottom lip and it’s just barely scratching the itch he has to let his Captain rough him up. As Izzy moans at the feel of teeth on his lip, Edward seizes the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Their tongues meet and for a moment Izzy is reminded of the sword fights the two of them would have for fun on the deck.
He’s so distracted by his Captain’s tongue in his mouth, he barely notices the second set of hands, belonging to Stede, carefully and slowly pulling his shirt from his trousers. As soon as the end of the shirt is free, Izzy can feel soft hands sliding under the fabric, settling just above the waistband of his trousers. Every now and then, the fingers would slide against his skin, sending a shudder through him.
Edward pulls away just as blond hair comes into his peripheral vision and he feels soft lips against his neck. Stede places gentle kisses to his pulse before giving a playful nip, causing Izzy to groan and lean back against Stede.
“Still with us, Iz?” Edward chuckles.
His voice is quiet and playful, yet Izzy can’t help but huff and scowl at him, “Oh fuck off, Edward.”
Stede laughs against Izzy’s neck and it sends another shiver through him. “I think he rather likes it, Ed.”
“Think so too, mate. Guess we should get on with it before he threatens to make us swab the deck or somethin’ lame.”
There’s another round of laughter and Izzy can feel his face burning in embarrassment. Stede and Edward pull away from him and he gasps at the sudden loss, looking between the two. Where were they going? Why were they leaving? It’s like being adrift in the ocean and … Holy shit … What had they done to him in such a short time to make him so … So … Dependent on their touch?
Before he can say anything, Stede is hugging him, holding him tightly, and he feels like he’s being put back together. He can’t even remember if he’s ever been held like this before tonight.
“Shhh … There, there …” Stede says, reassuringly. He brings a hand up and brushes it through Izzy’s hair, leaning back so he can watch him carefully. “We’re not going anywhere … However, it is quite a deal easier to do what we’d like if we weren’t wearing so many clothes, hm?”
Clothes? They’d pulled away to take off their clothes?
Izzy’s eyes dart over to Edward to see his shirt tossed somewhere in the general direction of the settee, thumbs hooked in the waistband of his trousers as he watches the two.
“You see?” Stede asks. “We’re right here.”
And they are. Both of them. He feels like there’s a lot of firsts here, or rather, first in a very long time. The last time he can remember getting fully naked for sex was when he was freshly eighteen and they’d docked at some port he can’t remember the name of. He’d found the first whore house he could, intent on blowing his latest paycheck. Every time afterwards there had just been quick bouts where clothes were pushed aside just enough to get the job done. Even the last time he and Blackbeard had—
“Oi … Iz … Look at me,” Edward says, causing Izzy’s eyes to snap to him. “If you want to stop …”
“No,” He says quickly, almost too quickly for his liking. He swallows before shaking his head. “No … I just … Wasn’t expecting this.”
Stede pulls away, but holds onto his arm to keep Izzy grounded. “What were you expecting?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know!” Izzy says, voice raised and strained. “Not this! Just a quick fuck or fucking something!”
Stede’s brow furrows in confusion, but Edward … Edward gets it.
“Iz … Mate …” He says, moving to place his hands on Izzy’s shoulders, as Stede’s hand drops to hold Izzy’s gloved hand in his, gently petting the back of it with his other hand. “This is … It’s different than what you and I are used to, yeah? Fuck, man … Let us show you … Can we keep doin’ that? Show you how it’s supposed to be? How much your loyalty means to me?”
Izzy has a million questions running through his mind. He knows this is his only chance with Edward and, fucking hell, he’s gotta share it with Stede fuckin’ Bonnet but … Maybe getting one chance wasn’t that bad when your boss wants to repay you for your unwavering loyalty … And maybe Stede fuckin’ Bonnet wasn’t all that bad so far. He’s certainly had worse people fucking him.
“... Fine.”
“Fuckin’ awesome,” Edward says before kissing Izzy again.
Yeah, Izzy could put up with Stede Bonnet for one night if that meant he got more of this. He’s not sure how much time passes before he feels fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt. He’s so lost in the feeling of his boss’ lips on his, he doesn’t even register the hands may belong to Stede until the shirt is tugged up enough that he has to break away from Edward so it can go over his head and he catches sight of paler fingers curled around the dark shirt.
The cabin is silent for a moment before Izzy hears “Oh Izzy …” whispered from just to the right of him. He hadn’t even thought of his arm. Edward’s seen it; hell, he was there. Edward had gotten a bum leg and Izzy … Izzy had been burned, along with Calico Jack. Stede gently runs his hand over the scarring before carefully peeling the black glove from his hand. Overall, it could have been far worse and looked more like Jack’s burns. He’d just gotten off with darker patches blotching his skin, but it had been enough for him to seek to cover them at all times. He didn’t want a reminder of the way he’d failed Blackbeard.
“Does it hurt?” Stede asks, fingers carefully dancing over the discolored skin.
“No …”
“Why do you cover it up?”
It’s an innocent question, he supposes. Fang asked him something similar once. In this moment, however, he feels too exposed to give the real answer.
“I just don’t fuckin’ like it.”
Stede gently brings Izzy’s hand up, closing his eyes as he presses kisses to the back of his skin. His chest tightens and holy fuck … No one had … No one had ever been so—Shit. He can’t even think of how to explain the gesture.
“Our scars remind us of our past,” Stede says. “They remind us of where we’ve come from and how far we’ve come.”
“Did you read that in one of your fuckin’ fancy books?” Izzy says, unable to muster up enough bite in his tone to sound annoyed.
Stede simply grins, pressing another kiss to his hand. “No. Just my experience.”
“Mate, you’ve got two whole scars,” Edward says snickering. “Might wanna leave the poems about scars to the experts.”
Was bantering a part of sex? Had it always been a part of sex?! Izzy stares at the two, eyes flicking between them confused.
“Yes, well … I can still shower them in affection,” Stede pouts.
“... The fuck is going on?” Izzy asks finally.
Edward laughs before turning his attention back to Izzy. “This is what fuckin’ should be like,” he explains. “Fuckin’ weird, right?”
Stede rolls his eyes. “Izzy … Are you ready to continue?”
Fuck, he was definitely ready to get back to what they were doing before. The kissing had been fucking nice. Not that he was going to say that out loud to the two of them.
“Let's get this over with.”
Stede looks ready to once again launch into the ‘we don’t have to do this again’ spiel. Instead of letting him start, Izzy quickly leans forward, nearly colliding noses, as he kisses him. Getting over the initial shock of a person suddenly in his face, Stede melts into the kiss and Izzy feels a sense of pride flood through him.
He’d done that.
It almost felt like some sort of battle he’d just won. When they break apart, Stede gasps and immediately averts his eyes. He coughs, clearing his throat.
“W-Well … I suppose that answers that …”
Edward barks out a laugh, “Good one, Iz … Haven’t seen him that flustered in a while~”
Stede gives a small huff. “Yes, well … We’re supposed to be showing him a good time!”
“Yeah, yeah … I know you got a whole fuckin’ plan …” Edward says, waving his hand in the air absentmindedly.
“A plan?” Izzy asks. “You have a fuckin’ plan?”
“Just a small one … If we don’t stick to it, it’s of no matter,” Stede says simply. “Now … If we can get back to the actual matter at hand …”
“Right,” Edward says. “Go on and sit, Stede …”
Stede nods, grateful to get back on board to his plan. Sitting down on the nest of blankets that made up their makeshift bed on the floor, he spread his legs, patting the inside of his thighs, the cloth breeches dulling the clapping sound. “Come here, Izzy. Sit with your back to me.”
Izzy frowns but does as he’s told. Sitting in the v of Stede’s legs, Stede wraps his arms around Izzy’s midsection, pulling him back against his chest. The warmth seeping through his back causes him to shudder. Soft lips once again make contact with his neck, trailing kisses to his shoulder.
“This is about you, Izzy …” Stede reminds him. “We’re here to make you feel good tonight …”
“So the two of you idiots keep saying,” He says, no bite to his tone.
“Remember, if you want us to stop … Say ‘lobster’ and we’ll stop forthwith.”
“I fuckin know!”
Stede simply chuckles against his shoulder before dragging his teeth along the line he’d kissed, causing Izzy to shudder once again. As Stede reaches his neck, he kisses it before sucking at the sensitive skin, just over his pulse. He gasps, fingers grasping at the fabric of Stede’s breeches, tugging gently.
Absentmindedly, he registers fingers in his hair before his hair is tugged gently backwards. Opening his eyes, he sees Edward squatting in front of him and his first thought isn’t the pleasant burning of his scalp, but how the position must aggravate Edward’s knee.
“You’re going to be a good boy for us, aren’t you, Iz?”
Izzy’s eyes flutter at the thought before nodding against the hand. “Y-Yes … Blackbeard.”
“Izzy. Look at me.” His eyes snap open at the tone, fixating on Edward, obeying his orders. “I’m not Blackbeard. I’m Edward. Do you understand?”
There’s another lump in his throat and he swallows it down before giving another slight nod. “Yes … Edward.”
“Good boy,” Edward all but purrs. “Good boys get rewards … What would you like?”
Oh fuck … This was … He’s not sure what this was. He question catches him off guard and his brain scrambles for an answer.
“I want to taste you.”
Edward’s brow rises and he thinks it over, “What do you want to taste? My fingers?”
Izzy thought he’d made himself clear, but at the question, fuck if he knows what exactly he wants to taste now. It’s as if he’s at an all you can eat buffet and he doesn’t know where to start. Before he can think of something else to say, two of Edward’s fingers on the hand that’s not in his hair are shoved in his mouth and his eyes flutter closed. They press down on his tongue and fuck … Why was this so hot? He takes the opportunity to run his tongue against the fingers, rolling it around the digits before letting it dip between the two.
“Fuck, Iz …”
There’s hands dragging along his sides, manicured nails scratching over his skin in a methodical way, just enough pressure for him to know they were there, but not enough that he thinks they’ll even leave a mark. He assumes it must be Stede as he’s very aware of where Edward’s hands are.
Edward pulls his fingers from Izzy’s mouth and he can feel the trail of spittle before he actually sees it.
“Edward … Please … Your dick …”
There’s a dark chuckle from Edward as he wipes his fingers on his trousers. “Is that what you meant when you said you wanted to taste me?”
Izzy once again nods, despite the hand in his hair. “Please.”
“What do you think, Stede? Think he’s earned it?”
“Hmm?” Stede asks, his hands pausing their roaming. “Well … I’m not quite sure about that. You did already reward him with your fingers … I’m afraid if he’s done nothing of note … We can’t reward him with your … Your manhood.”
Edward barks out a laugh, “Fuck, man … Don’t ever call my dick that again.”
Even in the faint light, out of the corner of his eye, he can see the blush overtaking Stede’s face. “My point still stands … Though, I suppose … For taking care of you all these years, that deserves a reward?”
“Guess so, hm?” Letting go of Izzy’s hair, he brings his hands to his trousers, “That what you want, Iz? Want my dick?”
“Yes … Please …”
This time, Stede chuckles hotly in Izzy’s ear. Edward steps back slightly, just to make sure he doesn’t accidentally knee Izzy in the face. Stede’s hands run over Izzy’s abdomen, dragging nails across it before pressing another kiss to his pulse.
“Watch him, Izzy … Watch your Captain.”
Stede didn’t need to tell him twice. Hell, he hadn’t needed to tell him once. His eyes are glued to his boss as Edward undoes the button on his pants and shimmies them down his waist enough that he’s able to step out of them. They get tossed in the same direction as his shirt and Izzy is blessed with the sight of Edward fully naked in front of him.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” Stede says, practically swooning. “Now … Be a good boy and take care of him, Izzy.”
Edward gives his dick a few lazy tugs as he steps closer to Izzy. “Open up.”
Obediently, Izzy opens his mouth. As he feels the tip of Edward’s cock touch his tongue, his eyes flutter closed once again. Edward’s fingers slide through his hair, reclaiming their place, and he feels Edward pull him closer, sinking his dick into Izzy’s mouth.
Izzy wouldn’t say he was the best at sucking dick, but when he was younger, he certainly had left plenty of men satisfied in alleyways and in dark corners of the ship. Of course, that was all before he’d shared a wanking session with Edward and had been turned off from anyone except his Captain.
Though … He couldn’t deny the feelings that Stede had stirred up earlier … Fuck. This was getting too complicated.
Focusing on the way Edward’s dick felt in his mouth as he thrust in, he moans around the intrusion, causing Edward to groan above him. Stede chuckles quietly.
“What a good boy … So very good,” Stede praises.
Izzy feels his dick straining against his pants and … Shit … Was he into the praise? Sure, everyone liked praise, right? But did people usually have a hard-on for it? Guess it must be in those fancy books that Edward had mentioned earlier.
He groans as he feels a hand dip below the waistband of his trousers. He can’t see, but he feels the air shift as Stede manages to free his dick from the confined space.
“Ah … Seems you’re really enjoying this,” Stede teases.
“Fuck yeah he’s enjoying this …” Edward says from somewhere above them, giving a rough thrust into Izzy’s mouth. “He’s so fuckin’ good at this, Stede. You gotta try …”
“It’s not about what I want, it’s about what Izzy wants,” Stede reminds him and somehow … That simple thought causes Izzy’s heart to stutter.
Did he … Fuck, did he want to suck Stede’s dick? … He kinda did. Where the hell had that come from?
Distracted by the sudden realization that he kinda did want to suck Stede’s cock and the feeling of his boss’ dick in his mouth, he nearly jumps as a slippery hand slides against his own dick. Stede gives a breathy laugh.
“Apologies … I should have warned you, perhaps … At least the oil is warm this time. Would be dreadful if it was cold.”
Izzy can barely wrap his head around the comments on oil when Edward tugs at his hair to get his attention.
“Gonna thrust it in deep, Iz … Get ready,” He warns before doing exactly that.
Tugging just short of painfully on Izzy’s hair, he thrusts his hips hard until Izzy’s nose meets his pelvis before pulling out and repeating a few times. Finally pulling Izzy’s head back, he slides out of Izzy’s mouth, allowing him time to get a few deep breaths.
“Still with us?”
He wants to go on a spiel about how very much he is with them, wherever the fuck they’re taking him, but his brain feels like mush. Instead, he gives a nod and hopes that’s enough of an answer for them. It must be, because Edward chuckles and leans down, kissing him deeply.
Izzy feels like he's drowning and fuck if he wants to come up with air. There's two sirens here and he's glad to sacrifice himself to them.
His hips jerk upwards against Stede's fist and Edward pulls away again with a laugh.
"Let's get your trousers off, Iz …"
Edward gets down on his knees, placing a pillow under his bad one, before reaching up and dragging Izzy's trousers off once he'd lifted his hips enough. Fully exposed to them, he felt … Well … Naked. Not in the obvious sense of being naked, but as if they could see into his very soul. It was unnerving and quite honestly, he'd rather they get back to the whole kissing thing before they see how dark and twisted his soul—
"Beautiful, Izzy," Stede breathes out. "Simply beautiful."
The comment causes his heart to thud in his chest and he wonders absentmindedly if Stede can feel it from where his chest meets Izzy's back.
"Yeah, man … Fuck … Y'know … Under all that doom and gloom and that pissy attitude—“
"Ed."
"—Fuck, sorry. Just … You're kinda hot, man."
Stede shakes his head at Edward's not so eloquent wording before brushing a hand through Izzy's hair. "Such a gorgeous man … All ours for the night."
He can't help himself. Honestly, he doesn't even realize he's whispered it until Edward responds.
"You mean it?"
"'Course, man … Wouldn't say it if it weren't true."
Izzy's never had anyone call him these things before. Men, especially grizzle pirates, weren't beautiful and they certainly weren't gorgeous. Stede kisses the corner of his eye and gives a gentle 'shhhh' as he wraps his arms around Izzy.
"You are very important to us, and the crew, Izzy. Perhaps if you were more open … You'll find the love you're looking for. It's there."
There are tears sliding down his cheeks; already kissed by Stede once. Fuck … That's mortifying, really. Throw him to the sharks already. Who cries during sex because someone called you beautiful and gorgeous and whispered fantastical things like he was loved. Israel Hands, Blackbeard's First Mate, wasn't any of those things …
So why was Blackbea—Edward—agreeing with Stede fuckin’ Bonnet?
"You're just saying that," Izzy says, voice raw and choked as he glances back at Stede. "Because you're being nice to your boyfriend's First Mate."
Stede's eyes fill with sadness, hurt that Izzy didn't believe him. Edward reaches out, turning Izzy's face to look at him.
"Iz, man, he's not lying and he’s not sayin’ it ‘cause of me,” Edward says, honestly. “You’re all of those things, mate.”
It’s overwhelming. Izzy’s afraid of what might actually fall out of his mouth if he tries to speak, so he reaches out for Edward instead, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, dragging him forward so he can lean back against Stede and kiss his boss. He kisses Edward like his life depends on it, until Edward finally pulls away. Once Edward pulls away, he immediately grabs for Stede to fill the empty void. Stede leans forward, over his shoulder, kissing him as best as he can from the awkward position.
When Stede pulls away, Izzy is already searching for his next distraction. It comes in the form of Stede backing up just enough to cross his legs behind Izzy, placing a pillow in his lap, before Edward and Stede maneuver him to lay his head on the pillow in Stede’s lap.
“Wha—”
His question dies on his lips as he realizes that Edward has already coated his hands in the oil that Stede had used before.
“Told ya, Iz … We’re gonna take care of you,” Edward says, pressing an oil slicked finger slowly into Izzy.
Holy shit … This was happening. Stede brushes a hand through Izzy’s hair, smiling down at him.
“Relax …” He whispers down to Izzy and just how the fuck is he supposed to relax when his boss that he’s been pining after for … Fuck if he knew how long … Is fingering his ass?
As Izzy feels a second finger prodding, trying to join its companion, Edward wraps his free hand around Izzy’s dick, stroking it as Stede had earlier. Stede’s hand had been soft and tentative, almost unsure, whereas Edward’s is rougher and far more confident. He knows what he is doing and he isn’t afraid to show it. Izzy’s head presses back into the pillow in Stede’s lap and his hand wraps around Stede’s arm, holding onto him as he groans.
Stede whispers encouraging words down towards him; comments about how precious his loyalty meant and how he’d done such a good job protecting Edward and even himself. Izzy wants to tell him he’s done a shit job; to remind him that he’s the one who sold them out to the British Navy … But he can’t find the words; especially not once Edward adds a third finger.
He’s ready to babble about how he’s not worthy of this, he’s not deserving of this attention, when the fingers leave and suddenly there are lips on his. Izzy opens his eyes, a few stray tears escaping as he comes eye to eye with Edward. Stede’s there too, hovering upside down above Edward as he watches the scene.
“You are deserving, Iz,” Edward says and … Fuck … Had he said all that outloud?
“Izzy … Everyone has done things they aren’t proud of, especially as pirates … What’s important is what we do with the time we have left,” Stede chimes in, wiping the trail of tears. “We forgive you, for the things you’ve done in the past … So let's move forward."
“I– I can’t …”
“You can, Izzy,” Stede says firmly. “You’ve already come this far … Look at you. Two days ago you wouldn’t be here in my lap …”
Shit … He supposes … He supposes that Stede has a point. Hell, he didn’t even imagine himself being in this position two hours ago. Fuck … How long had he even been in here with them? It certainly felt like hours.
Edward leans down, kissing Izzy once again before brushing a thumb over his cheek. “Wanna keep going?”
Izzy gives a shaky nod as Edward sits back. It’s all he wants. “Please.”
“Such a good boy … Using proper manners,” Stede says, brushing Izzy’s hair back, massaging his scalp as he did so.
“You and your fuckin’ manners,” Edward says with no heat to it as he grabs the vial of oil once again, using it to coat his hand then stroke his cock a few times lazily.
“Proper manners are important to a gentleman.”
“And look where that got you,” He teases. “Nearly de-nosed at Spanish Jackie’z.”
Stede flushes at the memory, “That was ages ago! I’m a proper gentleman pirate now! I know how to rough someone up. Quite good at it, if I do say so myself! Remember last week when—”
Izzy clears his throat. “Not to … Ruin this little … Moment …”
“Oh! Right!” Stede says, turning his full attention back to Izzy. “Don’t worry, we didn’t forget you, darling … Sometimes we just get … A bit caught up is all. Happens all the time.”
He’s thankful for the moment in all honesty. It had been just a breath of normalcy that he’d been able to ground himself enough to feel … Well … Normal. More importantly …
“Darling?” He asks, staring upwards at the upside down vision of Stede.
“A-Ah … Well … It’s just a term of endearment. Slipped out, really. My apologies. I’ll make sure I don’t—”
“It was … It was nice.”
Edward chuckles as Stede brightens at the admission. He’s like the sun and Edward is the moon and here he is, stuck between the two.
“Then, my dear … I shall continue to use them.”
“If the two of you are done,” Edward says, shifting forward, pressing the tip of his dick against Izzy’s hole. “You ready?”
Looking down at Edward, he gives a nod. He’s been ready for this for years. Edward slowly pushes in, hissing slightly.
“Fuck, man … You gotta– You gotta relax, Iz.”
It's easier said than done. He wishes he can blame it on the feeling, but his mind is suddenly spiraling and causing him to go rigid. What if he’s terrible? What if this causes Edward to hate him? Fuck what if this had all been a mistake? Would Edward kick him off the ship? What about Stede? When the fuck did he start giving a shit what Stede fuckin’ Bonnet thought about him? But what about Stede? Would Stede kick him off the ship? God knew he had plenty of reason to—
He’s brought back to the present by soft lips. Izzy is already familiar with them enough to know it’s Stede kissing him and not Edward. He’s gentle and, dare he say, loving. The thought of what it must be like if Stede were to rough him up a little sends a shudder through his body and he feels Edward push in further.
Could he ask that of them? Could he ask them to do this again?
“That’s it, darling … You’re doing so well,” Stede says, brushing his hand through Izzy’s hair again. If Stede hadn’t been looking straight at him, he would have thought he was talking to Edward with that tone.
It’s selfish of him, sure, but he hopes they can do this again. He wants—no, he needs—for the two of them to punish him for his past. He feels it's the closure he has to have. If they care for him like they’re showing him now, he thinks he can trust them to do what he needs. He wonders what it will be like. He’s gotten a taste of Edward’s anger and rage before … But Stede? How would Stede make it hurt? Would he cut him with words, only to sew him back up with touches? Would Stede dare to hit him? God, he needs it like he needs air. He needs—
“Fuck, Iz …” Edward groans. “So tight … Shit …”
Glancing down where the two of them were connected, he realizes that Edward had finally managed to get fully nestled in him. Shifting them slightly, Izzy moaned at the feeling. Fuck … He wanted … Needed Edward to move.
“Edward …”
“Yeah, mate?”
“Move.”
Stede can’t help but laugh at that. “You heard the man, love.”
“Didn’t know I took orders from my First Mate …”
“Well, his duty is to keep your head in the moment …”
“Hard to do that when he’s fuckin’ squeezin’ me like this. Shit, Stede, … He feels so good.”
“I’m sure he’ll feel better if you do as he asked and move.”
Izzy is at his wit’s end, whimpering as the two banter, leaving him with an itch that needs to be scratched. Trying to move his own hips at the awkward angle proved to only make his back ache.
“Edward!”
“Okay, okay! Fuck … Demanding little shit …” Edward huffs.
Stede giggles as Edward finally pulls his hips back, slipping almost all the way out of Izzy before pushing back into him. Izzy doesn’t bother to try to fight the moan that escapes. His hand reaches out, grabbing for Stede’s, who dutifully takes and holds his hand tightly. Edward keeps the slow pace for a few more thrusts before it once again becomes too little.
“Please … More …”
“Such a good boy … Using his words,” Stede praises. He leans down to kiss Izzy deeply just as Edward’s hips thrust forward in a rough snap.
As Stede pulls away, the sensations are almost too much for him. He’s caught between Stede’s gentle caresses and honeyed words and Edward’s rough hands holding onto his hips, thrusting into him hard with a purpose. If this is how it’s ‘supposed to be’, as they’d said, what the fuck had all the times he’d fucked previously been? This was nothing like his previous sexual encounters. This was … Fuck … He felt like they really did give a shit about him. It clearly wasn’t just about calming him down, but about showing him that they cared.
“Stede …” He croaks out, reaching up to pull him down into another kiss. He’s struggling not to sob into it. Somehow, Stede can read him like his fancy books and he brushes his hand over Izzy’s cheek as he kisses him with his whole heart.
“Fuck … Izzy … ‘Bout to …” Edward groans, wrapping his hand around Izzy’s cock to stroke him in time with his thrusts.
Stede pulls away and is quickly replaced by Edward, claiming his lips in a rough, sloppy kiss. Stede and Edward are like fire and ice. He’d once thought the two could never mix, like oil and water, with their differences, but now he sees how they compliment each other and fill in each other’s gaps.
Izzy’s breath catches in his throat and after one, two more strokes, he’s coming undone; body shuddering violently as he cums harder than he ever has. He thinks he must black out for a moment because when he opens his eyes again, Edward’s pulled out of him, and is leaning over his abdomen where he’d spilled his own load on top of Izzy’s.
Stede is whispering sweet nothings to the two of them, but he only catches part of them. He repeats the ‘good boy’ mantra, and Izzy’s pretty sure there’s more comments on him being beautiful. There’s a mention about how lovely he’d looked when he came and fuck if that’s not embarrassing.
Edward gets up and soon returns with a warm cloth. Izzy wants to question where he’d gotten the warm water, but honestly, his body feels like a thousand pounds and he’s struggling to keep his eyes open.
He’s just dozing off when he suddenly feels Stede finally leave him. A surge of panic floods him and his eyes shoot open. He frantically reaches out, waving his arm around until Stede catches it. He kisses Izzy’s hand reassuringly.
“I’m here, darling. I’m just going to change quickly … Lay with Edward and I’ll return quicker than you realize!”
Izzy’s mind wants to betray him. It whispers dangerous things, suggesting they’d already taken what they wanted from him and now he’d be abandoned. He’d seen what abandonment had done to Edward … He couldn’t handle that …
He’s spiraling until Edward pulls him close, holding him tightly. “‘M right here, mate. Not goin’ anywhere.”
Izzy hesitates before cautiously letting himself melt into the warmth wrapped around him. Once Stede joins in some stupid nightgown, he brings the blankets up over the three of them. Edward and Stede situate Izzy in the middle and wrap themselves around him. It quells the negative voices in his mind and the exhaustion of the day and his emotional night finally gets the better of him, lulling him to sleep once more as Stede runs his hand through Izzy’s hair.
“... Stede,” Edward calls quietly. “You ‘wake?”
“Yes, love.”
“You never got to get off …”
“Ah … It’s fine, really,” Stede says quietly. “Perhaps next time.”
There’s a long moment of silence.
“... You wanna do this again?”
“Well, if you’d like to … I quite enjoyed myself.”
Edward grows silent again, thinking it over. This was just supposed to be a one and done. Something to let Izzy know that they cared for him, they weren’t going anywhere, and he was worthy of happiness, even if it wasn’t with Edward. And now …
“Shit …” Edward groans in annoyance.
“You want to do it again, don’t you?”
“Kinda … But what about us?”
Stede gives a quiet hum of thought. “Well … I suppose if a ship can have co-captains, when they typically only have one … I suppose that a relationship could have more than two people in it, correct?”
“Three of us, huh?” Edward asks.
“We’ll just have to ask Izzy in the morning. He might still hate me.”
“Don’t think you have to worry about that anymore,” Edward says, glancing at the figure currently curled around Stede’s side.
Running his hand through Izzy’s hair once more, Stede gave a quiet laugh. It certainly hadn’t been the exact outcome either of them had planned for, but maybe, just maybe, the three of them would be more than okay.