Untitled OFMD Fic

Chapter 1

After months of searching, Stede finally finds himself back on the Revenge-- standing in the room that was once his precious auxiliary closet. The closet is now bare, empty. No more summer linens, no more autumn vibes. No fine fabrics or any trace of Stede's old life. He felt a fleeting pang of loss for the collection of fancy clothes he was once so fond of. Stede looked down at the tattered, dirty clothes he had been wearing for the better part of a week now. "Don't suppose I'd have much use for silk or cashmere these days, anyway," he sighed to himself. He no longer looked the part of a gentleman, only a pirate. "A proper pirate." Stede smirked to himself. This was what he always wanted after all.

Lingering in the closet, lost in thought, Stede suddenly heard the sound of creaking floorboards. Footsteps. He froze. The crew had all gone ashore, that's why Stede knew he'd be able to sneak aboard. Apparently somebody elected to stay behind. Stede felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. What if it was one of Blackbeard's new crew? What would they do to him if he were discovered? Then again it could be a familiar face, perhaps Frenchie, or Jim. The nervous feeling subsided a little bit. It would be quite nice to see someone from his former crew, actually. Besides, he realized, none of the crew would have any reason to enter the Captain's Quarters, let alone know about the secret closet. He should be safe here. Unless...

The footsteps got closer. Louder. More... familiar? The uneasy feeling was back, but now complicated with other feelings. Excitement, shame, regret, but also... butterflies. The sound of the secret door opening. Stede closed his eyes, he felt like he did standing in front of the firing squad on the deck of this very ship. He couldn't bear to look. The footsteps stopped. Stede took a deep breath. "Ed," he breathed out, and turned around.

There he was, standing in the doorway completely still. He looked the same, but at the same time very different. His beard was growing back but not quite restored to its former glory. His long, wild hair was tied up behind his head, loose strands framing his face. His eyes were lined with charcoal that looked as if it had been rubbed away and reapplied several times. The eyes themselves no longer twinkled like Stede remembered. They looked dark and cold. Sad. Stede's heart sank. He knew he was the cause of that pain.

"Ed," he said again, "finally. I've been looking for you for ages!" Ed's expression doesn't change, he doesn't move. "I, uh, sent you letters. Didn't know where you were so I put them in bottles. Don't suppose you happened upon any of them, did you?" Ed remains motionless, staring silently. "Right. Well I know I owe you an explanation and... and an apology--" for a very brief moment Ed's expression softened, but it was so fleeting it may have been a trick of the light. "-- so I'm just going to get right to the point. Okay."

Stede did not get right to the point. He launched into a detailed retelling of the events involving Chauncey, being marched into the forest, the gun going off. The overwhelming guilt he felt about leaving his family coming to a head, urging him to return home only to learn they were better off without him. And finally, faking his own death. "Oh Ed," Stede was practically giddy by this point, "wait until you hear about the fuckery I designed!" Stede looked at Ed and his excitement faltered. Ed's eyes were now closed, his face looked strained. That's when Stede noticed Ed's fist was clenched around the hilt of his dagger, his knuckles turning white.

Panic washed over Stede. He suddenly remembered what Oluwande said: he's gonna murder you. No, thought Stede, I know him. He wouldn't. Stede sobered a bit, "Well, uh perhaps I can tell you about the fuckery another time. What I need to say, Edward, is--". At the sound of his full name Ed opened his eyes and looked at Stede, but did not loosen the grip on his dagger. "-- is that I'm sorry I hurt you. I've made so many questionable decisions in my life. But every questionable decision I made has led me to you, and the realization of one thing that I know now... without question... which is," Stede's voice cracked "I love you, Edward."

Stede felt like he should've said more, but he had run out of words. So they just looked at each other. Stede could see Ed's chest moving, he was breathing heavily. Suddenly Ed lurched forward and made his way to Stede in just a few long strides, his dagger out of its sheath, clenched in his hand. Normally if someone was coming at him, blade in hand, Stede's first instinct would be to close his eyes in fear. But not now. If he were to die at least he had told Ed how he felt. He kept his eyes open, he felt no fear. Ed reached Stede, with one hand he forcefully gathered up the front of Stede's tatty shirt with his fist, the hand with the dagger was raised in the air.

THUD

The blade sunk into the wall, about a foot above Stede's head. With the hand holding the front of Stede's shirt Ed pushes him against the wall so hard it knocks the breath out of his chest. Before he could inhale Ed was kissing him. Stede couldn't breathe, he didn't care. The kiss was forceful, deep, but still tender. Ed's hand on Stede's chest was keeping him pinned against the wall. His other hand gently cradled Stede's face, keeping it close to his. Stede closed his eyes and reached his arm behind Ed, finding the mess of hair at the base of his neck and weaving his fingers into it. All while he was searching for Ed Stede dreamt of a reunion like this, but was still unprepared for what it felt like to have the weight of Ed's body holding him against that wall, or Ed's mouth on his in a way so different from the kiss they shared atop that cliff so long ago. The kiss seemed to last forever but still ended too soon. Ed pulled back slightly, his face just inches away from Stede's. Stede caught his breath. "Does... does this mean you forgive me?" he asks quietly.

Ed takes a step back, he looks down at the hand still clenching Stede's shirt. The loose ties are entwined in his fingers. He untangles his hand but lets his fingertips linger on Stede's bare chest before dropping his arm to his side. His eyes stay there for a moment, then slowly turn up to look into Stede's. The eye contact is deeply intense, and for the first time since reuniting, Ed speaks. "I haven't decided yet." He looks into Stede's eyes a few seconds longer, then turns and walks slowly through the door to the Captain's Quarters. Stede stays behind, still flat against the wall though nothing is holding him there, trying to process everything that just happened. He's unsure of where things are going to go from here, but he was sure of one thing. He definitely detected a faint, but familiar, twinkle in Ed's eyes before he walked away.