Artist/Author: rosesofred
Title: Gay Pirate Dads I Guess
Fandom: Our Flag Means Death
Summary: This is basically right after the last episode and Stede came back to reunite with his gay pirate boyfriend. Also Lucius is alive, Stede found him chilling in the ocean and Blackbeard said sorry for the whole murder thing. Ed is trying to be a better captain without the violence and that's really hard to do when you have a feral racoon of a first mate like Izzy Just Needs A Hug Hands, all one name.
Notes & Warnings: spanking
It was difficult to say exactly what happened when they were fishing out an angry wet first mate from the sea but there was one thing for certain: Izzy was in no fit state to be working. He’d caught some kind of illness at one of the ports, though thankfully it didn’t seem to be contagious. Over the past few days he’d gone from yelling at the crew to barely being able to hold himself upright. No matter how much either of his captains bothered him about it, he wouldn’t admit anything was wrong and refused assistance of any kind. It wasn’t until he’d gotten in a fight with Lucius over something trivial that things had escalated so badly. Whatever they’d been talking about, it had riled up the small man enough that he tried to draw his sword and instead found himself puking all over his shoes.
When Lucius had tried to help him up the angry pirate had pushed him away and tried to throw a punch. This failed incredibly as he was so unsteady on his feet that he’d ended up falling overboard into the calm sea during their tussel. Thankfully they hadn’t been in a storm, as it was easy enough to retrieve the deathly ill man from the water. What had proved more difficult however was actually trying to drag the furious first mate down below deck into the shared captain’s quarters. He could barely stand but the man always had enough fight in him to make his resistance known.
Both captains were moving with purpose now, ignoring Izzy’s half-hearted struggles and weak protests. If he’d had any strength left in his body at all he would have told them both to fuck off, to ‘go suck eggs in hell you namby pamby twats’, but he could barely keep himself vertical at the moment. The most he got out was a raspy “fuckin egg” that was probably meant as in insult but it didn’t stop Ed from smiling a little.
Izzy was aware enough to realize Ed was holding him, steady hands carefully removing his soaked clothes from his shivering form. Carefully his captain pulled his wet shirt over his head, throwing it to land on the floor beside him. His hands were meticulous as he worked the ties on his first mate’s trousers, batting away protesting hands as he got them undone. He leaned Izzy up against his chest as he pulled the trousers down, heart clenching at the whimper the man let out at the action.
“Hey, this isn’t a punishment, you’re alright.” He tried to reassure his panicked first mate but knew it probably made no difference. The man was barely aware of what was going on around him, head foggy and floating away from them. “Hey, Izzy.” Ed sat him down on the lounge, patting the man’s knee reassuringly as he worked his boots off. “Stay with me.” When he looked up he saw Izzy’s head slumped against his shoulder, having fallen unconscious at some point. “Stede!”
The blonde captain came running back in from the bathroom, concern written all over his face. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s asleep. Here, get his legs.” Ed stood up and lifted his first mate by his underarms, carrying him gently with Stede over to the prepared bath. “Is that gonna work? Hot water?” He looked down at the steaming bath, unsure of his boyfriend’s methods. Then again, Stede had kids and was far more experienced in the manner of parenting and caring for sick little ones than he was.
“It’ll help with his fever but we shouldn’t leave him in too long. Here, let’s lower him. Gently.” Stede moved around the tub with Ed, both men being as careful as possible as they lowered the shivering unconscious man into the hot water. Immediately Izzy woke up, frantic and startled by the drastic temperature change.
“Fuck!” The short man grabbed the edge of the tub, legs splashing as his body overcame the shock of the hot water. He tried to pull himself out but firm hands were on him immediately, holding him down in the hot water. It burned against his blazing skin, feeling hotter than he could handle as the chill in his body ran up his spine. “Unhand me! You’re hurting me, stop!”
Ed’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as he made small noises of reassurance, trying to calm his confused first mate. He knew the bath water wasn’t hot enough to burn him or really hurt in any way but it must have felt agonizing anyhow with such a high fever. It wasn’t like him to plead or admit something hurt. The man was covered in a cold sweat, steam from the hot bath coming off his slightly reddened skin as he struggled and screamed. Bath water was splashing everywhere as he resisted, twisting under his captains to get away.
“Izzy stop this,” Stede’s voice was firm and commanding and he took the pirate’s jaw in one hand while holding him down with the other. He forced the angry man to look him in the eyes, raising his eyebrows paternally. “Stop. We’re not trying to hurt you.”
Even in his confused anger Izzy was placated by the commanding tone, legs going still briefly as he held his gaze. He was uncomfortable, confused and soaking wet in boiling hot water but someone in charge had demanded his attention and they had it; at least for a moment.
“That’s a good lad.” Bonnet held the side of the man’s face in his palm affectionately, leaning back on his heels. His overcoat was dripping wet so he pulled it off, discarding the thing behind him. He rolled up the sleeves of his white blouse to the elbows, stretching his arms to get them situated. “Now let’s clean you up, get all that dirt off. I’m sure you’ll feel much better with-.”
“Get off me!” Izzy yanked his arm out of Ed’s grip, sneering as the man tried to placate him. Under any other circumstances the first mate would be apologizing for yelling at his captain, acting subservient and offering to work overtime onboard to make up for it. But he wasn’t in his right mind, that much was clear as he snarled at Bonnet who was trying to push him back down into the water again. “Don’t touch me, you- you fucking whore!”
Stede froze for a moment in shock, watching as the little pirate shouted in his face and lost control. He was heading for full tantrum mode if he didn’t shut it down quickly but the blonde captain didn’t feel right about disciplining someone when they were so horribly ill. Even lecturing him would do little good while the man’s brain was essentially soup. At least scolding him could quell the brewing tantrum. He decided then that he’d try a different approach, looking around the small room for a paper. The map he’d been studying earlier was within his reach so he stretched back, gripping it tightly in two fingers and then sitting back on his heels with the thing. He began to roll it up, ignoring the way Izzy was screaming at Ed for holding him down and touching him.
This wouldn’t be pretty but Stede knew he had to do something or they wouldn’t be able to get him under control at all. “Alright let’s take a deep breath,” he breathed deep, reflecting the motion with his left hand that still had the tiniest scar from the few stitches he’d needed. It really hadn’t been that bad but it made Izzy feel bad enough that he’d apologized for it. Progress was progress in Bonnet’s opinion, but the first mate still had a biting problem and disobedience that needed attention. When the short man grabbed Ed’s forearm to free himself, Stede took hold of his other arm to stop him and wasn’t surprised at all when he felt the teeth around his wrist. What was unexpected was the smack of something flimsy Izzy felt across his nose that made him let go immediately.
He stared up at his blonde captain in surprise, blinking in a daze as he processed the action. “You hit me.”
Stede raised his finger to the man’s face, scolding him like he would a puppy. “There will be NO biting young man, do you understand me? And I didn’t hit you.” He held up the map he’d rolled up into a tube as proof. “I gave you a whack with this. Which you perfectly deserved I might add.”
Ed chuckled on the other side of the bath, smiling like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. “Yeah no biting, Izzy. Or I’ll put a muzzle on you, how’d you like that?”
The first mate shrunk down into the water, a red blush creeping up his previously pallid complexion. He shook his head, hiding in the bath like it would save him from the embarrassment. “Right, well if you’re finished fighting us we should get you cleaned up.” Stede slapped his hands together, ready to care for his sick first mate. It had been quite a while since he’d had to look after anyone and he almost missed it a bit, missed the way he felt useful and needed during those times. He picked up a clean rag he kept near the bath and the lavender soap he’d learned Ed liked and began to lather the fabric.
Now that the small pirate had calmed down some, Ed let go and began taking off his own jacket, revealing the black cropped top he wore underneath to Stede’s great admiration. He took the lathered up rag from his blonde cherub as the co-captain prepared another and set to work cleaning up his first mate. Izzy was quiet for the most part, frowning and glaring but allowing them to scrub the layered filth from his skin. It did feel somewhat nice to not feel grimy but the knowledge that he’d have to put his sullied clothes on again ruined the feeling.
The small pirate was beginning to feel himself drift a bit, his fever feeling at war with the heat around him and the calmness of being groomed. Slowly his eyes began to close, eyelids feeling too heavy to keep open as his head drooped forward. “Hey there mate.” Ed’s hands were gently nudging him, calloused fingers lifting his chin. “Don’t drown on us now.”
“Can you tilt your head back for me?” Stede was talking to him now, the lilt in his voice unmistakable. He could feel another pair of hands, moving his head and pouring a small amount of water over his hair. Feeling someone else’s fingers comb through his hair made him shiver, the action reminding him of how touch starved he’d been all his life. Nails scratched against his scalp as they worked in the shampoo and Izzy felt like he could live in that moment forever. To be treated so gently, handled with care and treated like he had value made his chest feel tight but he couldn’t recognize the emotion. Then the water was being poured over him again and Stede blocked his eyes with his hand so the soap didn’t get in, repeating the action until all the suds were completely gone.
“Look at that,” Blackbeard noted, “your shivering stopped.”
“Oh so it did,” Stede admonished. He dried his hands on one of the fluffy towels, smiling at how relaxed and content the small man looked. “I’d like to let him soak a bit but I’m afraid he might drown himself by accident.”
“Hm. Probably shouldn’t then. Let’s get him out.”
Stede gave a nod of approval, turning around to grab one of the larger towels and hand it to Ed. “Right, so if you hold him in that I can dry him off.”
“Want me to pick him up?”
Stede stood up, looking down at the man who was getting precariously close to breathing in water by accident. “Maybe. Here, you take one arm and I’ll get his other.” Together the two men hauled the surprisingly light pirate up and out of the bath, standing him up as he started to regain his awareness. “Just hold him there.” Stede bent down to dry the man’s legs with a towel, going fast as he knew the first mate would begin to protest. He was up to the man’s torso by the time Izzy fully came to, tugging to move away as he complained loudly about being treated like an invalid.
“Knock it off,” Ed shook him lightly, making his first mate stop his complaints. He allowed the co-captain to dry him off, frowning deeply at the close contact and the fact that it was Stede touching him.
“There that wasn’t so bad, now you’re all clean as a whistle.”
“I didn’t need a bath,” the pirate spat out at him.
Ed huffed a laugh, wrapping the towel around his first mate’s shoulders. “You kind of smelled like vomit and ocean. I think it was time for a bath.”
Stede slipped out of the room while they were arguing, going off to find some clothes that might fit Izzy. He looked through his auxiliary closet, finding a very nice long blouse that would allow for modesty and probably fit him just right. The blouse was always a bit too snug around his frame so he never wore it. Stede grabbed a pair of wool socks as well, running back to the bathroom quickly to find Izzy pushing his captain away weakly. “Now what’s going on here?”
Ed seemed a bit irritated but not enough to be worried about. “He keeps trying to put on his dirty clothes and I’m not letting him.”
“Ah. Well not to worry, I’ve got a change of clothes right here for you that you are welcome to keep.”
“I don’t want your fucking clothes,” Izzy growled. He would have sounded a lot more threatening if he were shivering and naked but neither men thought to tell him as much.
Ed crossed his arms, blocking his first mate’s path to his sopping wet dirty clothes. “You’re not getting your clothes back until we get them cleaned. Now let Stede dress you, you’re freezing.”
The short pirate tried to draw himself up but everything in his body ached and burned. “I can dress myself.”
“Izzy you can barely stand up.”
“Come on now, you’ll feel better in some clean dry clothes. Arms up.” Stede held the shirt open for the man, waiting patiently until Izzy finally grunted in defeat. He held his arms up, allowing his captain to pull the blouse over him and get his arms through the holes. It was all so ridiculous, being treated like an infant who couldn’t wash or dress themself. Like he wasn’t a bloody goddamn pirate who could take care of himself. He felt himself shift suddenly, being pushed down to sit on the edge of the tub while Bonnet put socks on his feet. It was all so fast though, too fast for him to really follow along and his head throbbed horribly.
He wanted to yell, fight, kick and scream his way through this sickness but his body wasn’t having it. It made him feel so weak, so fragile and small that he couldn’t get through it with a clear head and that he might need help if he didn’t want to get worse. Living at sea meant that some simple illnesses could and would usually turn into an infection or fester enough that it would end up killing you. Even something as small as a cut, a stomach bug or the flu could turn into your death. Reluctantly Izzy allowed himself to be drawn up again, led out of the bathroom and back into the captain’s quarters.
It was then that he noticed how scantily dressed he was, in just an oversized blouse and woolen socks without even the bare minimum of smallclothes. The shirt stretched down to his lower thighs and was enough for modesty but not enough for dignity. “Where the hell are my trousers?” He looked down at his legs, stopping in his tracks.
Ed was half holding him up, trying to get him into bed while Stede was adding extra pillows and fluffing the blankets. “Not to worry, you won’t need them.”
Izzy narrowed his eyes at the pansy, suspicious and on guard. “Why the hell wouldn’t I need-” he forgot the word for trousers, staring down at the floor as he tried to remember. His head was buzzing and throbbing painfully, making it feel like he was spinning around in his own mind. Suddenly he found he wasn’t upright anymore, not entirely aware of where he was or what was happening. It all seemed so fuzzy like a dream, his skin seemed to prickle and his joints screamed at him.
“Easy now,” Ed was breathing very close to his ear, long hair brushing his face. He smelled wonderful, like cedar and ocean, a bit smoky in the background.
“You smell good,” Izzy mumbled deliriously.
A chuckle from above reminded him of other people being present. “Thanks mate. Try to get some rest.”
“We’ll be right here if you need anything at all.”
The edges of his vision were going blurry as Izzy found himself incredibly comfortable, too exhausted to even want to move. Why would he try to leave anyhow? The blankets and pillows wrapping him up felt like he was engulfed in a big soft cloud, safe and sound. He dozed off, allowing himself to relax and rest the way his captains had demanded.
Hours must have passed if not longer as when the first mate woke he found the lighting all different. It was almost sunset and the warm pink glow of the sky shone in and painted the walls in a peachy hue. Izzy stretched, groaning as his exhausted limbs began to move again. For a moment he didn’t recognize where he was and felt panic tighten his throat. He sat up, head pounding heavily at the movement and sweat making the linen shirt stick to his chest.
His movements must have been louder than he realized when Stede came in, concerned and quick to help. “No no, back to bed.” The blonde captain maneuvered him easily, setting the first mate back against the headboard to sit up. “I don’t think you’re ready to move around just yet.”
“Get out of my way,” Izzy slurred his words a bit, pretending he was fine and hoping he appeared so. His pawing at the man’s arm to get out of the way did just about nothing and Stede stayed put on the edge of the bed, checking the man’s temperature with the back of his hand against his forehead. Izzy scowled at the contact and huffed.
“You’re still burning up. I’ll go get you a cool washcloth and some water.” The captain was up and out of the room before Izzy could even get his eyes to focus. His head felt like he’d gone on another one of Jack’s binders and got hit in the face with a coconut. While hungover. It didn’t feel great. In a swirl of desperation the angry pirate threw the blankets off, swinging his feet to hang over the mattress. He was going to move, damnit, whether he had to drag himself out of bed or not. He tried to take a step, finding himself wobbling and his stomach lurched threateningly. If he weren’t careful he’d throw up again and the thought of getting another bath with Stede Fucking Bonnet acting as nurse and nanny made him ill.
The first mate took another step, firmly standing up on his own now and felt rather proud of himself. Now he just had to make it past his captain and he could find refuge in his own quarters. He walked slowly, supporting himself with anything he could until he made it to the doorway, lifting the curtain to see out. In the living space he could see Stede, back turned to him with a cup in his hand talking to someone. Whoever he was talking to was out of Izzy’s line of sight but he assumed it was Blackbeard, probably lounging on the settee or leaning up against the wall.
He considered making an attempt for the door but considering the way his stomach was churning, the pirate wouldn’t have long before what was inside decided to be outside. Izzy held his stomach, cringing at the pain that shot through his lower abdomen. He was going to puke, he could feel the bile rising and gagged slightly at the acid that settled in the back of his throat. Turning, the sick man leaned against the mattress again, his eyes wandering to a bucket that happened to be placed right next to the bed. Of course Bonnet would think ahead for something like that, the flouncy pansy- Izzy bent over, his body heaving as he puked into the wooden bucket. Mostly.
The miserable man found himself suddenly quite grateful for his captain’s fussing over him and thinking ahead as he clutched the bucket for his very life. Every time he thought it was over his stomach would lurch again and he’d dry heave, abdomen contracting painfully. He let out a small whimper, wishing for it to be over when he felt a warm hand on his back, rubbing small circles reassuringly. “There you go, get it all out. That’s a nasty bug you’ve caught.” Stede waited until his first mate seemed to be completely void of vomit before lifting him up, easily rolling him back onto the bed. He adjusted the pillows under the exhausted man, using one of the wet rags he’d grabbed to wipe up the sick from his face. “I know you’re quite nauseous right now but I need you to try and drink this, alright?”
Stede was lifting a cup to Izzy’s mouth and the little pirate grimaced, turning away in refusal. He didn’t want anything in his stomach now, he wasn’t even sure if he ever wanted to eat again. Stede took the glass away and instead folded up a clean rag, placing it against his patient’s forehead to ease the burning.
“You’ve still got a terrible fever. I want you to rest some more for me, ok?”
Even in his weakest state, Izzy Hands would not be tamed and mumbled out a defiant “No,” before nuzzling into the soft blankets and pillows around him.
It wasn’t until much later that the angry little bastard woke up again, finding himself in an entirely different situation than he’d fallen asleep to. He couldn’t quite see in the darkness of the quiet bedroom but he could feel a strong solid arm wrapped around him. Someone’s chest against his back and the form tucked in front of him told him he was acting as the middle to a man-sandwich.
As he waited and listened to the breathing patterns of his bedmates, it dawned on him that he was in bed with Ed and Stede, or more accurately- stuck between them. Stede lied in front of him, holding his arm in his own like it was supposed to comfort him while Ed was behind him. At least Blackbeard’s arms around him felt secure and safe, and while sleeping next to Bonnet made his blood boil, Ed’s presence placated him enough that he was able to drift off to sleep again.
The next morning he woke again to the bed moving around him and opened his eyes to see Ed sitting there in a fine wooden chair, smoking his pipe with his feet up. “Hey there mate. You sleep good?”
Izzy felt himself gag and tried to repress it so he wouldn’t have to appear so weak in front of his captain. He nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak without becoming sick.
“Stede thinks you’ve got a few days still. How are you feeling?” Ed was leaning back, relaxed as he watched over his first mate.
“Fine,” the little pirate lied, feeling his face go pale as he sat up. Once he was mostly upright he felt that twisting in his stomach again and bent over across the bed, puking into what he hoped was the bucket.
“Yeah you look great,” Blackbeard chuckled. He waited until his first mate was done, leaning back to grab one of the wet rags that Bonnet had prepared. He rang it out into a bowl, moving back over to Izzy to hand it to him. “Here you go.”
The sick man took it graciously, wiping his mouth clean as he laid back against the pillows. “I’m ok really.”
Ed tilted his head the way he did when he knew he was being lied to, pulling a face. “Come on, you don’t have to act tough. Everyone gets sick mate.” He sat up straight, putting his pipe down and resting his hands atop his muscular thighs. “Let Stede take care of you. He’s pretty good at it actually.”
Izzy groaned, looking out the window in exasperation. “I don’t need to be taken care of, I’m not sick. Just ate something bad.”
“Yeah? I don’t know man, you seemed pretty out of it when we were trying to wash you.”
The smaller pirate’s face blanched at the memory and he shifted uncomfortably. “I’m better now.”
“Don’t be stubborn man,” Ed was feeling frustrated with how thick-headed his first mate could be, growing tired of having to strongarm him into health. “Stede is gonna look after you and I don’t want you to give him any trouble. Ok?” He stood up, narrowing an expectant look at the man. “OK?”
Izzy grumbled out a reluctant “Fine,” turning to lie on his side as his captain grabbed another rag. Ed placed it on his neck, pleased with himself when he watched his first mate relax at the soothing feeling against his skin.
“He should be back in a minute, you gonna be alright until then?”
“I’m fine, I don’t need to be looked after-” Izzy stopped short at the sight of his captain glaring at him, looking down instead.
Ed picked up the bucket to go empty it, leaving his first mate with a warning. “Behave yourself.”
The simple phrase made Izzy squirm with apprehension, remembering exactly why he should behave and the threat behind those words. He decided to stay put for his captain, not wanting to disappoint the man if he came back and found he wasn’t resting. Eventually he heard the door open again and waited as he listened to the footsteps. When the curtains opened he looked up to see Bonnet, exactly the man he hadn’t wanted see. “Oh good you’re awake! I’ve made you some broth.” The blonde captain walked over, dragging the chair closer and sitting down right in front of him. He held the bowl in his lap, smiling at his sickly patient like a freshly graduated doctor about to announce his first diagnosis. “How are you feeling?”
Izzy grumbled as he pulled the blankets up to his chin, pushing himself up further to sit upright. “I’m better.”
Stede gave him a skeptical look, deciding not to push the matter. “Well you’ll feel even better once you’ve got some warm broth in your tummy.” He held up the spoon, waiting for the sick man to open his mouth.
He grimaced at the word tummy, bristling like it’d been an insult. “I don’t want any fucking broth.” Even as frail and exhausted as Izzy felt, he always had enough energy stored to be a prick.
“Do you think you’re ready for solid food?” He looked genuinely curious and that just made the first mate angrier.
“I’ll eat when I’m damn well hungry.” He threw the blankets to the side, ignoring the way
his body was still shivering as he tried to push himself up. “Now move, I’ve got work to do.”
“Oh! Don’t worry about that, you don’t have any responsibilities today. Ed and I agreed that your health is much more important so you can get back to the grind when I give the go ahead.”
This made Izzy recoil and he sat on his legs in front of the captain, wishing the larger man would disappear. “Fine, then move so I can go back to my quarters.”
Stede looked him directly in the eyes, unwavering confidence as he asked “Wouldn’t you rather stay here? We can’t watch you if you’re all the way on the other side of the ship.”
“Exactly.” Izzy tried to crawl to the end of the bed, stopping once a wall of Stede Bonnet appeared in his path.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you go just yet. You were at death’s door only yesterday. I’d never forgive myself if I let you wait out the cold and it took a turn for the worse.”
“Get out of my way, Bonnet.” His demand was venomous, looking up at his captain with little remorse for his defiance. He tried to maneuver around the man, almost getting entirely off the bed before Stede hoisted him up, lifting him by his waist to sit back down. “Don’t touch me!”
“Well stop moving then!” The blonde pansy looked just as distressed as Izzy felt and they held each other in a staring match of wills for a long while before Stede moved to sit again. When his back was slightly turned the first mate took his chance again and shot off the bed, regretting his quick movements as soon as he was up. His stomach rolled over, doing flips as his throat tightened. He’d made it to the doorway but was leaning up against it now, willing himself not to collapse as the edges of his vision began to blur. Stede was speaking to him but he honestly couldn’t be fucked to give a damn in his current state.
He was being led back over to lie down, allowing it to happen as he fought back the bile in his throat and the ringing in his ears. A cough tore through him and he had to hunch over as his chest contracted painfully, pushing out whatever was collecting in his lungs. A hand was patting his back, rubbing like it would help him stop coughing. He jerked his shoulder away from the touch, leaning into the warmth he found around him instead. It was soft yet firm, and he found himself drifting off a bit again as he nuzzled into the safety of this warm cushion. The hand that had been on his back returned and Izzy grimaced but didn’t stop the man from comforting him.
“There’s a good lad.”
Izzy slipped off into unconsciousness again to the gentle caresses of Bonnet petting his hair, holding him in his lap. His rest was dreamless, dark and spinning as the sickness fought to win.
He woke again with a jolt in the middle of the night, stuck in the same position he’d found himself the night before. This time it was Stede who held him, arms wrapped around his torso from behind while Ed lied tucked into the front of him. It wasn’t entirely awful, if Izzy had to admit it- as much but it still made his blood boil that the blonde dog had the audacity to try sleeping curled up to him in the first place. Slowly the first mate unraveled himself from their sleep pile and crawled out of bed, being careful not to wake either of them as he made his way to the restroom. While he hadn’t eaten anything in god knows how long now, he must have been made to drink water at some point because his bladder was uncomfortably full.
He was quick to relieve himself, though it bothered him that he didn’t have any bottoms to wear. They hadn’t even been kind enough to offer him some drawers, something to cover him below. At least the shirt was long enough to cover anything that might be offensive if seen involuntarily, and the socks were incredibly soft. Still, he searched around the small room to see if he couldn’t find his regular clothes, disappointed when they were nowhere to be found. Maybe he could sneak his way down to his quarters and grab his extra trousers or better yet, a full outfit. That might work.
When he returned he found Blackbeard looking at him, head lifted just enough to acknowledge him. The man waved his arm to tell him to come over, lifting the blanket in front of him to let him in. Izzy only stood there a moment, feeling like he must be seeing things. Ed wanted him to come to bed and lie next to him, curl up in front and go back to sleep. “Come on man, you need your sleep.”
The first mate scurried forward, climbing in without having to be asked again. Even if he most definitely wasn’t sick, he couldn’t turn down an offer like that from his beautiful fierce blackbeard. That wasn’t the kind of opportunity you turned away, ever. He found himself tucked into the man’s chest, his arm wrapped around the little pirate’s waist as he got comfortable. It was so much easier to sleep this way and if he could he would have never left the small bed and that comfort.
But early in the morning when he felt the sun warm against his arm he had to get up. He just had to move, he’d been stuck in bed for far too long and his muscles ached to be used. Suppressing a deep cough, he breathed deep and tried to wait out the need to hack up his lungs. Then he carefully managed to slip out of his captain’s arms, moving stealthily through the cabin until he found what he was looking for. A pair of leather trousers laid haphazardly thrown across the back of a reading chair and while it felt wrong to steal the man’s pants, he reminded himself it was really just borrowing. He’d return them the moment he had his own clothes back, he’d be so quick they wouldn’t even notice.
He pulled the trousers on awkwardly, not used to the feel of leather pants or how they rubbed against his skin. The tingling in his lungs kept fighting to escape though and he shoved his head into his elbow, coughing as quietly as he could manage. Spots scattered through his vision and his head felt too heavy but he held himself up, waiting it out. He was just tucking in the overlarge blouse when the door to the captain’s quarters opened and Stede Bonnet walked through, carrying multiple plates of food on his arm. “Oh! You’re up I see.” Bonnet went and set the plates down on the large dining table, turning back to his temporary charge with hands on his hips. “Feeling a bit better?”
Izzy nodded his head, feeling too small in the oversized clothes that fit him like hand me downs from an older sibling. “I’m ready to go back to work.”
Bonnet pursed his lips, clearly thinking otherwise. “Well there will be plenty of time to yell at the crew later. How about today you try to keep down some solid food, hm?” The man looked far too pleased with himself at the suggestion and Izzy rolled his eyes. “I’ve got breakfast already, why don’t you have a seat? I’ll go get Ed.”
Izzy reluctantly stood in place, realizing this could be his opportunity to steal away. At the same time, both men would be awake now and well aware of his shenanigans so perhaps it was better to focus on convincing them he wasn’t sick anymore. The first mate sat down in what was now his seat, only realizing as Ed came out that he was wearing the man’s pants. He didn’t know if he should say anything, if he should take them off, but decided to simply sit quietly instead.
“Hey didn’t I leave my trousers there last night after we-... you know?”
The small pirate felt himself gag dramatically, angry and jealous in a swarm of other emotions. He glared at the plate in front of him, forcing himself not to get worked up over it.
“I believe a certain first mate may have commandeered those, love.” Stede kissed his lover’s temple, brushing some hair away from his dewy face. He still had a bit of bedhead since he’d just woken up but Bonnet loved the way he looked first thing in the morning. Puffy eyes and a slight rosy tint to his beautiful dark cheeks made him look like a fluffy bear waking up from a long hibernation, ready for the fresh spring berries.
“Ay, Izzy you got my pants?” Ed walked to him in his longish smallclothes, blouse short enough that it was obvious the man was wearing them.
Izzy snapped his head up to meet his captain’s eyes, feeling a twinge of guilt at deciding to take them. “I uh-” he cleared his throat, looking away. “I was going to grab my own from my quarters and needed something to wear.”
“Hm.” Ed sat down at the head of the table, deciding not to bother with the whole trousers fiasco just yet. “Well I’m starved, let’s eat.”
Stede happily joined them and Izzy sat cautiously, wondering if he was off the hook or if his captains were just too hungry to really care at the moment. Either way, it felt better to have trousers on in the presence of other people, even if they weren’t his. “Now I’ve brought you soup but feel free to try some solid food if you think you’re up to it.” Stede was talking to him now and Izzy realized he was the only one not eating. Ed was staring at him and pushed a plate of eggs towards him.
“You need to keep your strength up mate.”
He did try to eat, piling a spoonful of Roach’s homemade scrambled eggs onto his plate. Everyone loved those eggs but they didn’t have any kinds of fowls aboard and it scratched at the back of Izzy’s mind every time he saw an egg dish that Roach shouldn’t have any eggs. How the hell was Roach getting eggs, where did he keep them, how did he keep them good? Izzy spit out the food in his mouth by accident, a strong cough throwing him forward until he moved his head to the side so as not to infect the rest of the food. He was coughing for a while, unable to make the itch in his lungs stop as his chest tightened and throat burned. His body wasn’t quite used to solid food again and the acid sitting in the back of his mouth threatened worse.
“That’s alright best not to push it,” Stede reassured him. He smiled across the table at the man, taking his first mate’s plate and replacing it with the bowl of soup he’d mentioned. The broth wasn’t anything to look at really, just a simple chicken bone base with bits of cut up vegetables. He sipped at it slowly, bringing the whole thing up to his lips instead of using a spoon. Part of him hated how weak he felt, the ache in his arms as he did so reminding him of his own fragility. Just eating soup felt like a huge task and he wanted to scream in anger. “Would you fancy another bath after breakfast?” Stede asked, eyes curious.
Izzy almost spit out the broth too, setting the bowl down with disgust. “No I don’t want a fucking bath.” His voice was raspy, far more scratchy and weak than menacing. “I’m going back to work.”
“I’m afraid not actually. At least not today.” Stede insulted him so casually, it was so clear he didn’t think the man was up to the task and it made him seethe. He might as well just call him a lily livered baby for all it’s worth, how fucking rude.
“I don’t need your permission.” Izzy rose to his feet, pushing the chair out from behind him with his legs. It scraped against the wooden boards and a silence hung in the air for a long moment.
Then Ed leaned back in his own chair, throwing his napkin on his plate. “He says you’re not ready then you’re not ready. Stop fighting us Izzy.”
The first mate bristled at his captain’s words, feeling himself get worked up over not being allowed to go back to the norm. He felt fine, better than fine and these men were demented if they thought he was volunterily spending another day stuck tucked into bed like a goddamn invalid. “Someone’s got to run this ship and as far as I can see-” Izzy fought back a cough that half escaped, clenching his fists at his sides. “The ship needs me.”
Stede seemed genuinely upset at Izzy’s coughing as he looked from his co-captain to his first mate. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just get back in bed? I can read you a story if you’re bored.”
Izzy exploded with rage. “I don’t need a fucking nanny! You’re not in charge of me you hair-brained pansy twat of a-” he would have finished the scathing insult if it hadn’t been for the coughing but then his chest was contracting so hard he couldn’t really move. The stars in his vision were turning white, heat squeezing his lungs tightly. He was slightly aware of someone else moving him, of being held and talked to while a firm hand patted his back to help dislodge anything blocking his airways. It took a long while for him to regain his composure, to realize he was lying on someone’s lap while someone else was wiping at his face with a wash rag. “I’m worried it might have spread dear. This looks more serious than I realized.”
“Do you think Roach could do anything for him? If he’s got an infection or something?”
“Maybe. But we can’t let him infect the crew either, he needs bed rest if we don’t want it to get worse.” Stede’s hands were so cool on his face that he almost forgot he was supposed to hate it. “He’s burning up again. Here let’s get those trousers off him and back into bed.”
Izzy blanched at the feeling of his pants being lowered, frantic in his confused desperation to not have earned himself another spanking. “Stop struggling, they’re not even your clothes.” Ed seemed exasperated at his first mate’s constant hostility as the man twisted on his lap, deciding to just use brute force instead. “Hey!” His hand came down on the leather-clad backside over his lap and Izzy went still in fear. “I told you to stop. You’re not thinking straight.”
“Ed dear, maybe we could save spanking for a later time when he’s a bit more aware?” Stede was rubbing his boyfriend’s arm reassuringly, trying to calm down the storm he could see brewing. Ed hated defiance, he never tolerated it except on rare occasions with his first mate in private and he’d been really trying not to always revert back to violence when he felt disrespected. Still, the captain was well within his rights to discipline his first mate any way he saw fit if he wanted to. But both men were worried about Izzy’s wellbeing and it just didn’t seem right to dish out a harsh punishment while the man wasn’t in his right mind.
Ed huffed, grabbing onto the leather pants again and pulling them all the way off. He knew his co captain only had the best of intentions for both of them so he listened when he made suggestions. He kept Izzy in place while he pulled the clothing off his legs, one of the man’s socks falling off in the slight struggle. But Stede was there, kneeling beside them as he replaced the sock without thinking twice and the first mate felt a blush form on his cheeks. Here he was, half naked again and being cared for by his captains who didn’t want to see him die. He couldn’t ever remember being so well cared for, so paid attention to.
That was the only way to describe it really, he was being paid attention to. Even when the crew had tied him to an anchor and been a second away from throwing him off the edge, he hadn’t felt this seen. It made something shift inside him, some kind of warmth that he couldn’t recognize yet didn’t entirely dislike made itself a home in his chest. What an odd feeling. It was all warm, the fuzziness in his head, the tightness in his chest and lungs, the arms wrapped around him. He didn’t know what to do with all these feelings, wishing for a bottle now so he could put all of this inside and toss it overboard. To Davy Jones’ locker with all that emotion shit.