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

Chapter 25 - Peace, Love and Understanding

Everything was set for their plan to rescue the pirates from the privateers, and the Revenge was sailing towards their starting position. The plan the crew had come up with was bold, ridiculous, and more than a little dramatic - which, really, was on-brand. Ed and Stede were about an hour late to the meeting because of their own libidos, which no one commented on. The crew had, though, started the meeting without them and had hashed out a decent plan by the time their co-captains arrived, looking conspicuously disheveled and happy.

Before they left port, Olu and Black Pete worked a few contacts to learn that the name of their quarry was the Osprey, and it wasn't scheduled to set sail until around noon the next day. That gave them the chance to get into position, and to ambush the ship when it was far from backup.

It did however, mean the crew needed to sail through the night, taking the watch in shifts. And the first person on watch was someone Ed needed to have a word with.

Lucius was standing in the watch position, idly staring out at the ocean as the ship made good time in strong evening winds.

Ed casually strolled up and leaned on the railing next to him.

Lucius startled and clutched his chest. "Good lord, you're a bloody cat. Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Didn't," mumbled Ed. "Your head was just elsewhere, mate."

Lucius huffed and turned back to watching the dark ocean ahead of them. "What do you want? Is this the lecture where you tell me I fucked up? Because trust me, I don't need to hear it."

Ed looked at the scribe for a long moment. Lucius was smart, and capable, and he was a big part of the reason he and Stede had gotten together. But because he was all those things, he often forgot how much younger the man was than both he and Stede. Not quite young enough to be a son, but closer to that than a contemporary. And that seemed to be playing out a bit in the scribe's shame at letting them down. "Actually," murmured Ed, "Wanted to ask your advice."

Lucius blinked in surprise. He turned his body partially towards Ed, but his body language was still mostly closed off. "My advice?"

"Yip," Ed picked a splinter of wood on the railing. He sniffed and rolled his shoulders back. "Wanted to ask if you think I should tell Stede about that guy's finger."

Lucius' ears perked up. Ed could tell he was hovering between wanting to keep sulking about his mistake and wanting to play relationship counselor. "Selfishly, I want you to tell him because I hate keeping secrets. But I also think it might be a good idea? I mean.." he wobbled his head, "I guess you have to decide if you want a relationship based on honesty, or based on holding things back to protect the other person."

Ed's eyes went wide and his eyebrows went up. He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. "I mean...the truth thing seems like the right call on the surface," he scratched the side of his head. "But..."

"...but you're worried if he sees you're still being Blackbeard-y that he'll pull away from you."

Ed just made a rumbled sound as confirmation of Lucius' analysis.

Lucius fully turned towards Ed and his body language began to relax. "Counterpoint. He doesn't like you in spite of your dark side, but because of it. I mean...has he actually judged you for your past, or is that part in your head?"

Ed had to think about that. "Mhmm. Cept with Calico Jack. He said he didn't like who I was with him."

"That's because you were a dick with him," said Lucius bluntly.

Ed gave him a look.

"It's true. Also that man was out of his mind with jealousy while Jack was here. Which you started to feel with Declan, I might add. Taste of your own medicine."