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

Chapter 13 - Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone

Stede was very affectionate the next morning, delivering lots of little touches or murmured affectionate phrases. It seemed that Lucius' advice had managed to work miracles.

The man really did deserve a raise.

Ed didn't quite know how to take the affection at first. Stede was even fussier than usual at breakfast, bustling around and setting the food delivered by Roach just so, and delivering Ed's over-sweetened tea with a flourish of his dressing gown-clad arm.

Either a weight had been lifted from Stede's shoulders, or he had buried his burdens deep down again.

"I'd say the whole trip was worth it for the provisions alone. We'll be eating like kings for some while! In fact, we won't be able to eat it all before some of it goes bad. Hopefully we'll find a buyer in Barbados." Stede beamed from his seat across from Ed.

"Mhmm," said Ed through a mouthful of eggs. "When're we scheduled to arrive?"

"Mister Buttons says that if we catch a good wind, we might be there as early as tonight!"

"And how do you feel about that?" Ed asked, expressive eyebrows raising. Although Stede's general good mood and his announcement that they were going to finally settle his past had helped banish some of the darkness, he could still feel it lingering. It was like a shadow that was just out of view, and when he turned to look, it flitted away.

"Oh..." Stede exhaled and slapped his thighs through his dressing gown. "Nervous. Not sure how Mary and the children will react." He tried to smile in a reassuring manner, but his eye twitched a little.

Stede didn't seem able to sit still. He sipped his tea, took another bite of his barely touched breakfast, then stood up and circled around to the back of Ed's chair, presumably on the way to the sideboard for more of something, even though the table was already laden with food and condiments. He reached out, hesitated, then swept Ed's hair over his shoulder and touched the corner of his jaw. "And you. How do...you feel? About everything?"

Ed looked at his plate and fingered his fork. He headwobbled, avoiding eye contact with Stede. "S'fine, I guess. Good to put the past behind you. Bit weird, though. Going to be..." he lifted a shoulder, "...going to be tough for you." He took a bite, and with food still in his mouth, added, "Brave, though."

"Do you think so?" Stede asked in a smallish voice. He tucked a strand of stray hair behind Ed's ear, fingertips trailing along the top of his lobe. It was a small touch - barely a feather, but there was no denying the intimacy of it.

Ed turned, and dared to make eye contact. Stede's expression was open and vulnerable, and there was something so pure about him in that moment. He seemed both excited and terrified. But he did, Ed had to admit, look like he was sure of his decision.

He also, in Ed's estimation, looked very beautiful in that moment. His thick hair was gently tousled by sleep, but still mostly neat due to the nightcap he nearly always wore. The expensive fabrics draped elegantly off his body - a robe of marigold yellow over a white dressing gown. He was backlit by the rising sun that streamed through the windows and gave a catch light to his eyes and a halo to his hair.

Ed found himself staring. The longer he did, the more Stede seemed to melt, his expression softening with each passing moment.

Stede's hand was still lingering near the side of his face, sweeping back actual and invisible strands of salt-and-pepper. On one of those passes, Ed turned his face into his hand, then gently caught his wrist to press a kiss against it and to nuzzle his nose against his palm.

The other man's hand was shaking ever-so-slightly, only perceptible to the press of his lips. Intimate touch was very new to Ed, but he knew instinctively how to touch Stede. He knew he could be soft without fear of ridicule. That he could linger in intimate, sexual moments without rushing forward to the nasty bits. That was certainly not the case with the majority of his other lovers.