The Accidental Seduction of Edward Teach by Stede Bonnet, Gentleman Pirate

Chapter 5 - Our Get-Along Island

Ed was so thick with anger at being stranded by the crew that Stede gave him space for the first few hours on the island.

While Ed paced around like a caged wildcat and investigated every inch of the beach that could be walked end to end in about six minutes, Stede busied himself with setting up camp under a palm tree. The satchels they'd both offloaded from the rowboats turned out to contain provisions for a multi-day stay.

The jungle was thick, but it was passable in spots. It was impossible to tell just how big the island was, but according to the charts Ed had seen, he reckoned that if it were possible to walk around the island (which it was not - not without bushwacking) it would take about thirty minutes to make a full cycle.

At one point, Ed started to venture into the jungle, but the sunset swarm of mosquitoes pushed him back up the path under a black halo of bugs that he swatted at ineffectually. He had to sprint down to the beach and throw seawater in his face to get them off him.

His leather gear was draped over a rock to dry, and he had pulled out a pair of loose cotton pants and shirt from the rucksack. Rather than join Stede at the little makeshift camp, he squatted at the far end of the beach. He stayed put even as the tide started to come in and rolled seawater over his bare toes.

A few times, Stede started to make his way towards Ed, but then seemed to think the better of it. He had started a small fire and was cooking some kind of meat.

The smell made Ed's nostrils twitch and his stomach growl. Then the wind shifted, and he was able to brood in peace. Then it shifted again and brought with it what smelled like a feast. It was also getting colder. It never really got that cold, but the lack of the sun and an open ocean breeze on slightly damp clothing was enough to chill him.

Finally, with a grunt, Ed got to his feet and grudgingly moved closer to the camp.

It looked like the gentleman pirate had been there for weeks already. He'd draped canvas in the tree for shade and protection from any errant rainclouds. The crew had even shoved a few cushions from his cabin into the bag, and a small patterned rug. Stede's fire was very neat, with a round of perfectly symmetrical stones. The smell turned out to be pork sausages - a row of which were arranged on a palm leaf. There was also mashed and seasoned plantain in little packages of banana leaf.

Rather than get too close, Ed plonked down just on the edge of the fire's light.

"Hungry?" said Stede cheerily. He'd stripped off his frock coat and hung it neatly in a tree like it was a coat rack. His neat buckled shoes sat below it, toes pointed towards the sea.

"I guess," mumbled Ed.

"Well, help yourself. We've also got some fresh fruit, plenty of water, and even a bottle of wine and a bottle of rum. They really did provision us well."

"How can you be so cheery about mutiny?"

"Oh, it's not. They'll be back. I know it. They just..." Stede's cheery masked slipped for a moment. He looked away. "...they're only trying to help."

Ed scooted over, scooped up a still-hot sausage, then scooted back to his spot. He bit into the sausage. The fat dribbled down his lip. He used his sleeve to rub it away.

"Ed, please, talk to me. I hate this. This is all my fault." Stede's voice broke a little. The fire was between them, and although the man looked like he wanted to move closer, he stayed put.

The sound of the hitch in his voice cut Ed as surely as a knife. He wiped at his face again, then took another bite after mumbling, "Why is it your fault?"

Stede bit his lower lip. "I...well, I misread you," he smiled, but it was awkward and concealed embarrassment and pain. "I thought...we were...but then..."

"But I thought..." Ed made a vague gesture, "...that I was wrong. That you..." another hand gesture, even more vague than the last.

Stede stood up and moved around the fire. He sat down again, not next to Ed, but within a more conversational distance. "Look, I don't pretend to understand how this works. In my world, there's..." he swallowed and turned a little pink, "...courting, a period of engagement, and then, marriage. But I'm already married." He slid his fingers through the sand, combing through it.

Ed found himself wishing those fingers were combing through his hair. "That's not how it works at sea," he murmured. "You just fucking...go for it. And it doesn't always mean anything."

"Does it mean something with Izzy?"

"Hell no," muttered Ed reflexively. "Well. It did, once. A long time ago. Sort of." He shrugged.

Then, the two were silent, avoiding eye contact. The fire crackled. The waves crested gently against the shore, rolling over the sand and rocks. Somewhere, off in the jungle, a tropical bird made its last sound of the day.

After a long moment, Ed broke the silence. "He kissed me, you know. I didn't kiss him. Didn't want to. Wanted..." he sighed. "Doesn't matter. It's all fucked, isn't it?"

"It is, a bit," murmured Stede in agreement. "But it doesn't have to stay that way. We've got some time, haven't we?"

"Suppose," Ed replied. And then, he scootched. Then scootched again, until he was beside Stede. He leaned over and bunted his head against the other man's shoulder. Then slowly, he leaned up against him.

The moment he did, he felt the tension release from Stede's body.

"Can we chalk this all up to a case of cross-cultural misunderstanding?" Stede asked gently, hopefully. "Pirate and nobleman, coming at each other in slightly different directions and giving each other glancing blows?"

"We haven't gotten to the blows yet, mate. Slow down," drawled Ed wryly. "I need to be courted."

Stede laughed, a genuine, relaxed sound. "Well, I'll do my best to get that back on track, shall I?"

It hadn't been very long since Ed had been without Stede's casual touches, but he was already hungry for them. He reached out for the other man's hand, to cover his tattooed rough ones over the back of the aristocrat's. He squeezed very tightly, as if reassuring himself that the other man was actually there. He felt his cheek resting against the top of his head.

Ed closed his eyes and just let himself enjoy the now-familiar warmth of the other man's body. He was still frustrated, but he decided then that if this was as far as Stede would ever go, physically, that he'd take it and be grateful.

"Shall we get some sleep?" Stede asked. "Talk more in the morning?"

Ed nodded.