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

Chapter 18 - Dawn

Edward Teach was no stranger to sex. In the corner of crowded berths on a storm-tossed ship. In the back alleys of Tortuga. In a quiet inn in the early morning hours.

But he had never made love before.

Ed was prepared to be the teacher, to guide Stede through their first proper night together. To be gentle and instructive and patient. It wasn't the first time, after all, that he'd taught another man the ins and outs.

But as was the theme of their relationship, Stede Bonnet surprised him.

"Are you certain you want me to...?"

"Yeah. I mean, it will let you...take things at your own pace," said Ed.

"Oh, I just...I always thought you'd only want to..."

"I've been careful about it for bullshit dominance reasons. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it."

And thus, it was negotiated that the steed would in fact, be the one to do the riding.

Ed's assumption that the evening would become some kind of slow tutorial was wrong. Stede had done his homework, he suspected, by talking to Lucius. Either that or the man was more sexually experienced than he let on.

Ed didn't expect so much talking. Or rather little whispered bits of words, soft compliments and questions to him about what felt good, murmured breathlessly into his ear. His experience with sex had always been a mutual release of pressure and rarely much more. He had, in his younger days, before life at sea hardened him by necessity, been more gentle and tender. But life taught him quickly that softness was a liability.

Stede took to it like poetry. The gentleman's experience with Mary had been, he suspected, intimacy without sex, where Ed's had been sex without intimacy. And now, the two sides collided, each man meeting the other in the middle. It turned out that Ed was as much of a neophyte in receiving soft touches, gentle kisses and whispered affirmations as Stede was with the mechanical aspects.

Things grew more heated as pent-up energy passed between them. Ed grunted and then murmured, in the spirit of communication, "You can go a little harder, love."

Stede froze, his breath coming ragged. He leaned in, kissed his neck, and then said, "I love you too, Edward Teach."

—

It wasn't long until the fingers of dawn reached through the tattered but bright curtains of their little suite. The Village below woke early, with the sound of carts and vendors shouting about their wares trickling up from street level.

Ed was sprawled out on his back, Stede's head resting on his chest, one leg tossed over his hip.

Stede was still asleep, snoozing softly and snoring in little gentle nose whistles. He was a heavy weight against Ed's chest.

Ed stared at the ceiling, at the bits of fabric attached there that moved from a breeze through the open window. He had a tingling feeling in his scalp and a bottomless sensation in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't bad, but it was vulnerable - a sensation he was not used to feeling. His armor had been up for so long that the absence of it left him raw.

He both never wanted to leave that moment, and desperately wanted to be back where it was familiar. Where he was strong.

Ed looked down at Stede and slid his tattooed fingers through the pale blond hair.

Stede shifted at the touch and made a soft little sound, then rolled up more tightly against Ed.

Ed let his fingers slide all the way through the man's hair, caressing at his scalp and down the nape of his neck. Maybe this was strength, in its own way. To have someone who truly knew him.