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

Chapter 6 - Sunrise

It was pleasant to sleep outside. Ed had done it a lot in his life. In fact, sleeping inside was a relatively new experience for him. Like their crew did, he used to sleep on deck unless there was a storm of some kind. Even a spit of rain wouldn't drive them into the cramped and stuffy bunkroom if they could possibly help it.

In fact, he was most used to sleeping at sea. Once he settled down, he swore he could feel the whole island swaying beneath him.

Stede gave Ed space on their shared blanket on the sand - at least at first. Then, either habit or a desire for contact sent him rolling over.

Ed was lying on his side, a position he favoured because it took the pressure off his lower back and the knee that always gave him a bit of trouble. He'd taken some shrapnel to the kneecap about five years before. Despite a fairly competent ship's surgeon, it never healed quite right.

When Stede rolled over, he spooned himself up against Ed, his face buried against the nape of his neck. One hand rested on his side.

It felt good at first. Comfortable. Familiar. But then Ed became painfully aware of the frustration that was still pent-up. It didn't help that his man's lips were pressed at the base of his neck.

Stede exhaled soft, warm breaths with hints of moisture that felt like kisses. The man's hand was also dangerously close to Ed's waistband, pressed against a sliver of skin - but frustratingly still.

Ed was then wide awake, staring at a branch a few feet away. He tried to distract himself by watching some kind of insect move along the branches. It worked for a few minutes as he played a game with himself to try and identify it.

But then Stede made a soft little moaning sound and shifted a little closer - close enough for his hips to touch his backside.

Ed bit his lip so hard, he tasted a slight tang of blood. He grabbed handfuls of the blanket and tried to steady his breathing.

After a few minutes, he could no longer take it. He carefully extricated himself from Stede. When the other man made a sound of protest and held onto him, he mumbled something about needing to go to the bathroom.

Ed moved some distance down the beach, and dealt with his frustration himself. When he found release, he made a rather loud grunting sound that he hoped couldn't be heard over the crashing of the waves.

—

The rest of the night passed in relative peace. When Ed returned to their camp, Stede had rolled over and fallen into a deep sleep. Ed too, drifted off soon after.

Ed woke with the sunrise. He almost always did, no matter how late he went to bed the night before. He knew from a few weeks of sharing a bed that Stede was a sound sleeper and would sleep half the morning away left to his own devices. So he knew he didn't have to be too quiet as he searched through their supplies for something for breakfast.

Before too long, he'd made a small fire and was simmering a thick savory porridge with nuts, and the bits of mashed plantain from the night before. But what made Stede finally stir was the scent of thick slabs of salted pork belly as they sizzled on the fire.

"I knew that would wake you," murmured Ed. He set a cup of tea within reach of Stede.

Stede took a moment to sort out his surroundings. He stood up and wiped sand and drool from his face. His hair was an absolute state. It was a thick mop, after all, and one that required some care to stay in the effete blond waves.

Ed was very tempted to reach out and smooth his fingers through the other man's hair, but he resisted.

As was also his custom, Stede didn't say anything until he had the first sip of tea in him. "Ah, lovely," he exhaled as he stretched. He winced as a kink knotted his back, then slowly moved side to side to work it out. "Not exactly a feather bed, is it?"

"Nah, if they packed that, I haven't found it yet. Hungry?"

"Cheers," said Stede, his eyes widening. "What's this, then?"

"Just some porridge. Nothing special." Ed forked a slab of the juicy pork belly onto the top of the bowl and handed it to Stede. He then served himself.

The pork was tender and salty, and mixed in with the bits of spiced plantain and the creaminess of the porridge. The nuts provided a pleasant crunch. "Mhmm, not bad," said Ed as he took another bite.

Stede took a bite and his eyes lit up. "Not bad? Ed, this is fabulous." He took another bite. "My tastebuds are dancing! I see the snake wasn't a fluke."

"Well," said Ed as he mashed the pork into the porridge. "Roach spiced the plantain and that's where most of it is coming from."

"We had the plantain last night and it didn't taste like this. You're just being modest." Stede beamed at him.

That look warmed Ed down to his toes. He shifted, cheeks pinkening beneath the mass of his beard. "Awwh." He took another bite, chewed, "Glad you like it. When you're finished, I've got something to show you. I went for a walk earlier this morning."

—

The something was located down a barely-there path that some previous traveller must have created. Ed had taken the machete to the brush earlier to clear it out a bit more, but it was still a bit of a hike.

"Is that...?" Stede asked after they'd been cutting through the brush for about ten minutes. "Do I hear running water?"

Ed stopped in front of a palm frond, grinned at Stede, then said, "Yep."

When he pulled back the frond, it revealed a small cliff face with a cascading waterfall. A painter couldn't imagine a more picturesque feature. The water was beautifully clear and pristine, and the water was surging down slowly enough that the pool would be pleasant to swim in with a mild current. Ed had tested the temperature earlier and found it pleasant.

Stede's eyes were wide as he stepped past Ed into the clearing. "Fantastic," he murmured. Then he looked back at the other man. "Shall we go for a swim?"