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When Edward comes back, appearing out of nowhere over the railing, Izzy’s stomach drops. For a moment he’s sure that he’s going to be tossed overboard with the anchor tied to his feet anyway for his betrayal. But instead there is just a quiet order for tea from someone that Izzy barely recognizes. Then there are the days and days of Ed just holing himself up in his fucking blanket fort. It’s almost a relief when Ed asks for Lucius; it’s at least something other than sleeping.
“Whatever you see or hear, you do not breathe a word under pain of death. Understood?” he threatens. But then he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Fucking – try to get him to tell you what the fuck happened, yeah? He won’t tell me.”
“Yeah okay.” Lucius looks at him for a long moment then opens his mouth to say something else. Whatever it is, he doesn’t want to hear it.
“Good. Now fuck off.”
….
Lucius tells him the whole story in private, though Izzy has to keep growling at him each time he goes off on some fucking tangent that has nothing to do with whatever the fuck happened between Ed and Stede. “So, he just left?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Lucius confirms. He shrugs. “He’s broken-hearted and depressed. Nothing I haven’t been through a thousand times, let me tell you.”
“No. Shut up.” Izzy glares at him. “Blackbeard doesn’t get depressed.”
Lucius frowns. “Of course he does. And he’s not Blackbeard. He’s Ed. He just wants to be Ed.” Izzy meets his eyes and then glances away. “You can’t keep trying to force him to be who you want him to be because it makes you happy. Izzy.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?” Lucius stands. “We’re going to have a thing up on deck for him. See for yourself.”
….
Izzy sits through the whole song, mortified at what he sees. Blackbeard is gone, dead, replaced by – by whoever the fuck this is. He makes one last-ditch effort when Wee John calls him Ed. “His name is Blackbeard or Captain, dog!”
“Izzy, Izzy, no. I do want to be called Edward from now on.”
Izzy swallows and says nothing. He follows Edward to his cabin, leaning against the shelves and shelves of books as Ed hums to himself while he cleans up. He thumbs through a book, catching a word here and there, most of them are too big for him, until he stumbles on a drawing of Blackbeard. He runs his gloved hand down the page, caressing it, before closing the book with a snap. “May I speak freely, Captain?”
“Of course. You know we share our thoughts on this ship.” Ed puts the wastebasket down and looks at him expectantly.
Izzy straightens to his full height, picking a spot over Ed’s shoulder to focus on so he doesn’t have to look into those open and expressive eyes. Eyes that he thinks he’ll never get used to seeing. “I’m – I’m sorry. For all of this. I never should have sold you out.” He plows on before Ed can say anything. “But I’m going to fix it. I promise, Bla–Edward. I’m going to fix it for you.”
“Izzy… I –” He plays with the edge of his robe. “How?”
“I don’t fucking know, but I am going to figure it the fuck out.” Izzy takes a step forward, reaches out a hand but then draws it back without touching him. “Just don’t do anything too stupid while I’m gone? And try not to let the fucking boat sink.”
Ed’s face crumples a little but there’s a small smile tugging at his lips, lips that are just too fucking vulnerable without the great big beard to guard them. He nods, and Izzy takes it as his dismissal, turning and nearly running out of the cabin.
Back up on deck, he pulls Ivan, Fang, and Oluwande aside. “I’m going to be gone for a little while. Don’t let Ed do anything stupid. And for God’s sake, don’t let him actually run the fucking ship. Oluwande, you’re in charge.”
“Me? Why me?”
Izzy sighs. “Because you were going to be captain before Ed came back. You have the faith and confidence of the whole crew. And Lord fucking help me but you’re the only Goddamn person I trust to keep this boat afloat and the crew doing something until I fucking return. Understand?”
Oluwande narrows his eyes at him for a moment, trying to gauge if this is some kind of elaborate trick, but in the end he nods. “Got it. Hurry back. I guess.”
While the rest of the crew is busy discussing their fucking talent show for fuck’s sake, he quietly gathers his supplies and loads them into the dinghy. No one looks for him as he slips away.
….
It takes him a little over half a day to row to Bridgetown in Barbados. He stashes the dinghy in some brush a few miles south of the port and walks toward town. Once he’s on the outskirts of town, he waits until he finds someone approximately his size. It’s nothing to knock him over the head and drag him into an alley. When he emerges, he’s dressed in the gentleman’s clothes, his own leathers stashed into the gentleman’s bag he now carries. He tips his hat to the men as he walks toward the main street. Izzy knows he’s playing a hunch, and a big one at that, but if Stede fucking Bonnet managed to walk away from the English and somehow not leave with Ed – the fucking idiot, he’s so lucky that he needs to fix Ed or Izzy would fucking murder him – the only other place Izzy could think he might go was home.
The words “Public House” are two of the ones he can read, so Izzy ducks inside, remembering to take his hat off as he does. He goes up to the bar and orders an ale, slipping a few extra coins to the bartender when he does. “I’m looking for someone. Stede Bonnet. You wouldn’t happen to know where his estate is?”
The man looks at the gold coins and pockets them. “I do. But I’m sorry, friend. He’s dead.”
“Dead?” Izzy freezes with the flagon halfway to his lips. “No.”
“Afraid so. Happened right over there. In front of the dress shop. The lady there, Evelyn, she can tell you all about it.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK. “Ta, friend.” Izzy slams the ale back and leaves the flagon on the bar, hightailing it over to the dress shop. The couple of ladies inside all turn their heads to stare at him when he enters.
“Can I help you?” a tall woman near the back calls out to him. She squints at him through the one eye not covered with an eyepatch.
Izzy takes his hat off again, holding it in his hands. “Are you Ms. Evelyn? I’m looking for a little information. About Stede Bonnet.”
The eye narrows at him more, but she nods. “Be right there.” She turns and finishes helping the woman in front of her with her frock and the other women lose interest in him. He waits until she sweeps forward to stand in front of him, holding a lit cigarette in a holder in front of her face. “Alright. What do you want to know about him?”
“How did he die?”
“You’re a friend?”
“Something like that.”
Evelyn gives him a skeptical look and takes a drag on her cigarette. “It was all pretty tragic. See my kitty, Ned, escaped from my house. He’s a jungle cat, not one of those tiny fucking things. Anyway, Stede managed to lure him into an empty store and get him calmed down, but not before Ned mauled him pretty badly. Unfortunately, as Stede stumbled out, a carriage ran him over. And then a piano fell on him. His widow made a very impassioned toast to him.” She takes another drag on her cigarette. “So sad.”
Izzy listens to the whole story and nods when she finishes. “Yeah. Sad.” He clears his throat. “I mean, yes, so very tragic. Could you possibly direct me to the Bonnet estate? I’m only in town briefly and should pay my respects to the widow.”
Evelyn looks him up and down, her eyes lingering on the swallow tattoo at his neck that the collar doesn’t quite hide and the X near his eye. She stares at him for another moment. “Up the hill. Go straight through town and take a left. It’s about two miles up, two big orange trees mark the entrance to the drive. You can’t miss it.”
He bows slightly in thanks and leaves.
….
The estate was easy enough to find, as Evelyn said. Izzy makes his way up to the house, sweating in the layers and layers of clothes without the benefit of the breeze from the ocean to cool him. How did people fucking live on land all the time? There’s a brief wait after he knocks on the door, but soon a woman with dark hair pinned up in the fashionable style opens it. She smiles up at him. “Yes?”
“Mary Bonnet?”
“Yes. Can I help you?”
Izzy leans in and murmurs softly, “Where is your fucking husband? And don’t tell me he’s dead. I know a fuckery when I see one.”
Mary pales and takes a step back, inviting him inside with a sweep of her arm. She closes the door behind her. “Who are you?”
“Izzy Hands,” he says, looking around the foyer. It’s more tasteful than the cabin on the ship, but he can see Stede’s influence. “At your service. Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He left to find his love, Ed.”
“You – you know about that?”
Mary leads him into the sitting room, inviting him to sit with her. She grins at him. “I helped him fake his death. What do you want Stede for?”
“Edward – Ed is my captain. He’s… all he knows is Stede left him. He’s heart broken.”
“No! Oh the poor man…” Mary presses a hand to her heart. “Stede left a week ago, from a beach to the north of town. Wait here. I have a map somewhere, I can show you.”
Mary has only been gone for a few minutes when a girl with long blond hair comes in and sits opposite him. She’s dressed in linen, her trousers well-worn and dingy from play. In her hand is a wooden sword. She looks at him curiously, tilting her head just like Stede. “Who are you?” she asks.
“Izzy. Who are you?”
“Alma Bonnet.” She tilts her head the other direction. “Are you a pirate?”
“Maybe.” Izzy looks her over again. “Are you?”
Alma grips her sword and waves it at him as she grins. “Yep. The most fearsome pirate who’s ever lived.”
Izzy chuckles and can’t help returning her grin. “You just might be at that, young one. But you’ll never manage to stab someone holding a sword that way.” He holds his hand out to her. “Here, let me show you.”
She hops down from the couch and comes over to him, totally unafraid. When Mary returns, he’s walking her through footwork and making small corrections in her stance.
“Um… okay. Alma, that’s enough pirates for today. Go get washed up for dinner,” Mary says.
“Okay.” She turns and gives Izzy a hug. “Thanks, Izzy! Bye!”
“That was –” Mary stops when Izzy glares at her. “Right. Nevermind. Here. I marked the beach where Stede left from. He said he was going to head north toward Martinique because Ed liked it near there this time of year.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” Izzy takes the map and studies it. “Thank you.”
“I hope you find him soon. He knows he really screwed up with Ed and he is trying to make it right.”
“Yeah. I just need to help him. As usual.” He lifts the map at her. “I promise, you’ll never see me again.”
Mary laughs softly. “If you wanted to come back, though, from time to time, I’m sure Alma would love it. And you can tell me how Stede is doing.”
A small smile twitches across his face but he puts his hat on and gives her a bow before heading for the door.
….
Martinique is too far north for him to row on his own, at least not without getting more supplies, so he heads back to The Revenge. When he arrives, he’s pleasantly surprised to find Ed up on deck, boots and leather pants back on but just a plain black shirt instead of his leather jacket.
“Iz, you’re back.”
“Yeah, I’m back. And I have an idea.” Izzy comes up to him and grins. “Wanna have some fun?”
Ed pulls back and gives him a look. “What kind of fun?”
“Let’s go fuck with some French.”
Laughing, Ed claps him on the shoulder and nods. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s do that.”
“Buttons! Change course! We’re heading for Martinique!” Izzy turns to look at the crazy man who somehow manages to steer the fucking boat like he’s part of it.
“Martinique, aye!” Buttons replies. “Should I get me fangs?”
Izzy rolls his eyes but he nods. “Yeah, sure. Get your fangs.”
….
They make plenty of noise, sailing around near the east coast of Martinque, setting fire to some French ships, hitting a port or two. The screams of “Blackbeard!” that can be heard as they get close on each raid are deeply, deeply gratifying, though he can see that Ed flinches a little each time. Izzy lets Ed hideout in his cabin while all the violence goes down.
It’s a few days later when Ed joins him at the rail as Izzy looks out on the ocean through his scope.
“Iz, why are we still here? Shouldn’t we, you know, go after all the mayhem?”
“The crew needs a rest,” Izzy says, not putting the scope down. “We’re fine. We fucked up the French ships pretty spectacularly. They won’t be coming after us soon.”
Ed shrugs but he nods. They stand together in silence for a while. “Hey. What’s that?” Ed points to the horizon where a small boat can be seen heading straight for them.
Izzy swings his scope around and focuses on the dinghy. He sighs, lowering the scope and hanging his head in relief. “Have a look for yourself,” he says, handing the scope to Ed.
Frowning, Ed lifts the scope and looks. “Fuck. No.”
“Yes.” Izzy turns and looks at him. “He faked his own death for you. Came out here looking for you.”
“Izzy… how do you know that?”
Izzy shakes his head. “Just let him come aboard and tell you how much he fucking loves you.” He stalks away, heading below to his cabin.
….
Izzy stays in his cabin by himself the rest of the day and into the next. He hears the crew cheering when Stede comes back, the party that they have that night. He drinks himself stupid until he passes out. In the morning, he hauls himself above deck so he can vomit over the side.
“Are you alright, Izzy?” comes a soft, gentle voice from behind him.
Izzy turns his head and groans. He cannot look at Stede fucking Bonnet right now. “Shouldn’t you be cuddling with your boyfriend?”
“Ed is sleeping. I was going to get us some tea when I saw you.” He comes to stand next to him, but keeps a respectful distance. “I understand I have you to thank for our reunion.”
“No. I just helped your plan along.” Izzy spits over the side and then wipes his mouth. “Though you’re a fucking idiot for leaving him in the first place. But – after meeting your wife and daughter, I guess I get it. You’re a fucking idiot for leaving them, too, by the way.”
He’s not sure what he expected out of Stede, but laughter wasn’t really it. “Yes. I have been an idiot. I didn’t understand what love meant. Not really. But I think I do now.”
“Good. Don’t fucking hurt him again.” Izzy stands. “I’ll be out of your hair in a few days.”
“Izzy, no. You’ll always have a place here.”
Izzy shakes his head. “I sold you out, Bonnet. All of this fucking happened because of me.”
“But you love him, too. Please. Just think about staying, okay?”
“I loved Blackbeard. I was devoted to Blackbeard.” Izzy looks down, ashamed of having revealed so much. He blames the hangover. “All I did was make this right. Fix what I broke. And now I’m leaving. Once I get rid of this fucking raging hangover.”
He leaves the deck before Stede can say anything else.
….
“Darling?” Stede caresses Ed’s hair as they near sleep that night.
“Mm?” Ed stirs a little. But his eyes remain closed.
“Izzy is planning on leaving. He told me this morning.”
Ed opens his eyes but he shrugs. “‘S his choice, Stede. Can’t force him to stay.”
“No, no of course not. But could you encourage him to? He blames himself for everything, not just what happened with the English, but everything after, including me leaving you in Barbados.”
Ed flinches at the reminder but soon settles. It’d be some time before thinking about Stede leaving him doesn’t hurt, he supposes. “He did sell us out. And he sent Jack here to get me away from you. I’m still fucking pissed about it. Trying to fucking manipulate me instead of just letting me be myself.”
“Maybe what he needs is a firm hand, then?” Stede caresses Ed’s arm and chest. “I just think letting him leave would be cruel. Izzy helped make this happen. We should take care of him.”
“I know what you mean by a firm hand. I won’t do it, Stede.”
Stede sighs and presses a gentle kiss to Ed’s lips. “Through my recent misadventures, I’ve learned something about what it means to be a good partner, how important it is to give the people in your life what they need, if you can. He’s devoted to you. Is giving him a little bit of Blackbeard now and again so much to ask?”
Ed reaches out and runs his thumb over Stede’s cheek. “I don’t want to hurt him.”
“But darling. I think he wants you to hurt him.”
….
It’s late the next night, long after the lanterns have been turned down, while he prepares for his journey, that his door is nearly kicked open. Izzy turns with a snarl that dies in his throat when he sees Ed standing in his doorway, head to toe in leather. Ed’s hair is wild about his head. There’s just enough light for him to see that Ed has rimmed his eyes in kohl.
“What…?”
“Silence, dog.” Ed saunters in and slams the door behind him. He comes forward, looming over Izzy where he sits on his bunk. Ed’s hand shoots out and grabs a fistful of Izzy’s hair, making him gasp. “Did you think I was going to keep letting you get away with it? Letting you think you’d made up for your betrayal by finding Stede for me? Huh? Is that what you thought?”
Izzy gulps and looks up into Ed’s eyes and he nearly gasps again at what he sees there. Blackbeard… his captain is there. Alive and burning with inner fire. “No… no, Blackbeard.”
Ed’s jaw clenches but he tightens his fist in Izzy’s hair anyway. “Good. Because I own you now, dog. Can’t have the crew thinking betrayal doesn’t have consequences.” He shakes Izzy a little. “Now, time for you to take your punishment. Stand up.”
Izzy is half hauled to his feet by his hair then shoved away from his bunk. Blackbeard sits and then drags him close again, hands making short work of the ties on his trousers. He turns Izzy around and tugs, pulling his trousers down over his ass. He gasps as the air hits his hot skin.
“Come on, over my lap. Take your beating like a good dog.” Blackbeard shifts back, giving him just enough room to carefully drape himself over his legs, bare ass tilted up and on display. “Yeah, so fucking ready to be punished aren’t you, dog?”
“Yes, Blackbeard. Please. Please.” Izzy drops his head down, the perfect picture of submission.
“Fucking hell. Look at you. Can feel how hard your cock is already and I’ve barely fucking touched you.” Blackbeard runs his gloved hand over the curve of his ass, letting him feel the body-warmed leather against his skin before he pulls his arm back and then swings his hand down. The blow is loud in the quiet of the night and it makes Izzy jump, first the sharp sting and then the spreading warmth. He moans. “Did you fucking forget how to count, dog?”
“No, sir. Sorry, Blackbeard.” Izzy takes a deep breath, trying to get his rush of adrenaline under control. “One.”
Blackbeard grunts his approval then lays another blow on top of the first. Izzy’s vision blurs with ecstasy. “Two… fuck.”
“Hm. Much as I would enjoy making a fucking example out of you, can’t afford to wake up the crew. So don’t scream, Izzy.” Blackbeard hits him again. Izzy chokes on his cry.
“Yes, sir. Three.”
They fall into a rhythm… Blackbeard doling out the punishment and Izzy counting as his body lights up with every blow. He’s shaking with the overwhelming crash of sensation and the effort of not crying out, counting through gritted teeth. When he reaches 20, Blackbeard stops. His breathing is harsh and he’s harder than he’s been in a long time. He can feel that Blackbeard is hard against his thigh as well.
Blackbeard shoves him off his lap, and he lands hard on his hip as he rolls onto his abused ass. Izzy hisses but stays where he is on the floor, waiting for whatever Blackbeard wants to do to him next.
“Come here and get on your fucking knees,” Blackbeard growls as he tugs at his trousers, pulling them down to pool around his ankles. Izzy immediately complies, coming to rest between Blackbeard’s feet. “Open up.”
Izzy opens his mouth, and Blackbeard grabs him by the back of the head, pulling him forward onto his cock. He moans as the sharp first bead of come hits his tongue. Blackbeard holds his head in place as he fucks his mouth, making his eyes water as the head bumps against the back of his throat. Izzy drinks down every grunt and groan as Blackbeard uses him. That merciless grip is back on his hair as Blackbeard lets out one long moan and comes down his throat. He’s shoved back once again, once more falling on his ass. His own leaking cock is making a mess of the inside of his trousers, but he doesn’t dare touch himself.
Blackbeard stands and pulls up his trousers, fixing himself up as he stares down at Izzy. “You’re probably so fucking close to coming. Get up on your hands and knees and show me.”
Shaking, Izzy rolls onto his knees and shoves his trousers down to his thighs, freeing his cock at last. He braces himself on one arm as he wraps a hand around his cock. He bucks helplessly into his own hand, and it doesn’t take more than a few quick strokes before he’s coming, biting his bottom lip so hard to keep from crying out that he draws blood. He collapses to the deck, heart hammering. Blackbeard kicks him over onto his side so he’s looking back up at him.
“Clean this mess up. And remember, Izzy. I own you. If you think about leaving, you come to me and I’ll remind you where you fucking belong.”
Izzy can only nod as Blackbeard steps over him and leaves.
….
It takes almost a week for him to sit down without having to hide his wince. Ed gives him knowing looks from across the deck when he moves, and that’s enough to send a flush through him. He feels balanced, languid, like he knows what he’s supposed to do. The crew gives him a wary kind of respect, and he’s learning to make his orders sound more like requests.
Then one day, it all comes crashing down, this good feeling. They’re all up on the deck, sharing the end of a meal and starting to trade tall tales. Jim has a good one about something they call an anaconda that could apparently swallow a dinghy whole. There are several raunchy jokes tossed around after that about swallowing things whole. Ed laughs at all of them, his head thrown back and his smile wide. But with the last one, Ed leans into Stede and puts a hand on his thigh, squeezing him. Stede manages to look both adoring and lusty when he grins at Ed and gives him a slight nod. Izzy grits his teeth and looks away from them, his position on Ed’s other side giving him too good a view. No one seems to notice when he slips away from the group.
His mood is vile for the next couple of days. He snaps at everyone, growling and gnashing his teeth at the slightest provocation. The crew give him a wide berth when they see him coming, and that’s just fucking fine because he doesn’t want to talk to any of them anyway. Snapping at Edward after he’d been asked a simple question was the last straw.
“The fuck is wrong with you man?” Ed asks, frowning at him.
Izzy stands up to his full height and he thinks the tension in his shoulders might snap him in half. “You told me to come to you, Edward. When I didn’t know where my place was. But how in the fuck do I fucking find you? Hmm? When you’re always with him? I - I can’t stand it. I can’t be here any more.”
Ed puts a hand on Izzy’s neck and squeezes hard. “I’m right here, Iz. But maybe you’re right.” He nods a little, coming to a decision. “Come to our quarters tonight after sunset.”
“Edward…”
“Mm, no. No arguing.” Ed squeezes his neck again and then lets him go. Izzy nods and then steps away to attend to his duties.
….
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Ed,” Stede says for the third time as they move some of the furniture to the side, making space in the middle of the room.
“You’re the one who said it’s important to give the people in your life what they need if you can. This is how we get Izzy to stay.” Ed walks over and cups Stede’s face in his hand, pulling him in for a gentle kiss. “It’ll be alright. Just follow my lead. Just like we talked about.”
Stede still looks nervous but he nods. He stands behind and to the side of Ed when there’s a knock at the cabin door.
“Right on time, Iz!” Ed calls.
Izzy enters, looking warily around the room. “What the fuck is this?”
Ed steps up and backhands him hard across the cheek. Izzy gasps and puts a hand to his burning cheek. He looks more closely at Ed… boots, leather, kohl. A shiver runs through him.
“You’ve been a right twat the last few days, Izzy.” Blackbeard stalks a circle around him. “Seems like you need another attitude adjustment.” Izzy glances at Stede and then back at Blackbeard, who gives him a low and dangerous chuckle. “Oh, yeah. Stede is going to help me with you. Since you’ve got two captains now, it’s past time you learn how to obey both of us.”
Izzy growls and opens his mouth to protest but before he can say anything, Blackbeard backhands him again. This one is hard enough to send him to the floor on one knee. Stede takes a few steps forward and caresses Izzy’s cheek. “You can do that for us, can’t you? Be good for us?”
Glaring the whole time, Izzy looks up at Stede. “You can’t give me what Blackbeard does.”
Stede shakes his head and strokes Izzy’s hair back off his face. “No… no, I can’t do that. But I can learn. We need you here, Izzy. If this is what it takes, if this is what you need, then I will do what I can for you.”
Blackbeard comes up behind him and yanks his head back out of Stede’s hands by his hair. His voice is low and would be sultry save for the sharp edge. “Your captain asked you a question.”
“Yes – yes, Captain. I can be good for you,” Izzy gasps.
“Oh.” Stede’s eyes go wide. “Oh, so that’s how that feels.”
A slow smile spreads across Blackbeard’s face as he looks over at Stede. “‘S good isn’t it? When he submits to you. When he’s ready to do anything you want so you’ll give him what he needs.” He looks at Izzy, seeing a flush starting to grace his cheeks. “He’s not quite there, yet, though. Finish getting on your fucking knees.”
Slowly, deliberately, Izzy lowers his other knee to the floor. He can’t help realizing that he is at the perfect cock-sucking level for Stede, staring directly at his crotch as he is. He licks his lips.
“Mm, is that what you want, Izzy? Want to taste your captain?” Blackbeard tugs on his hair.
Izzy’s eyes drift closed. “Yes… yes, Blackbeard.”
“Gonna have to earn that, mate.” Blackbeard releases his hair and Izzy bites back on a whine. Izzy’s eyes track Blackbeard as he stalks over to the desk and opens a drawer, pulling a carved wooden paddle out. He lifts it to show it to Izzy. “Since you enjoy getting your ass beat so much, I thought I’d save my hand this time.” He crooks his fingers at Izzy. “Up. Strip and bend over the desk.”
He tries not to look too eager, but with the way Blackbeard laughs at him, he probably fails. His fingers are shaking as he divests his layers of clothes. Naked and vulnerable, with his captains still clothed, he pads over to the desk, placing his forearms against it and bending over as instructed. His head hangs between his arms, just waiting for the first blow. He gasps when gentle hands are back in his hair.
“Oh, Izzy… look at you. You sweet thing,” Stede murmurs. Izzy lifts his head and looks at Stede, surprised to see interest and lust directed at him and not the pity he expected. But he doesn’t have time to think more about that as the paddle whistles through the air and lands hard.
“Ah!” Izzy jerks, the pain searing through him. “Fuck. O-one.”
“Good boy. You remembered.” Blackbeard runs a hand down Izzy’s spine.
“You’re always so in control, so buttoned up. Seeing you like this… flushed, shaking, needy. Fuck, you are always gorgeous, but this.” Stede leans down and claims his mouth, a little thrill going through him when Izzy opens up willingly to him. “This is delicious.”
“How many should we give him, love?” Blackbeard thumps the paddle into his hand, making sure Izzy can hear it.
“Ten, I think,” Stede says. And his voice has gone low and sure, miles away from the fluttery manner he had of speaking when Izzy first met him. It makes Izzy’s spine melt. “Then we’ll see where we are.”
“Like the way you think.” Blackbeard pulls back and swings again, the wood making a satisfying thwap as it lands on Izzy’s ass.
“Fuck! Fuck… god. Blackbeard.” Izzy pants and tries to clear his vision. “Two.”
Stede caresses his hair again, kissing his hands. “You’re good. You’re so good. I knew you could be.”
Blackbeard waits several seconds between each blow, letting the heat and pain spread. Izzy is quivering after three and full-on shaking after five. By seven, Izzy’s knees threaten to give out. He leans his good leg against Izzy’s hip, giving him support. Stede murmurs softness and praise and encouragement into each pause. When he reaches ten, Blackbeard stops and Izzy sags, catching himself on the edge of the desk. He looks up at Stede, face slack and eyes dazed, pupils blown huge and wide.
“Oh darling… the way he looks. I think he’s ready for you to do what you want to him.” Stede circles to the other side of the desk and wraps Izzy’s arm around his shoulder. “Come on. You’ll be so much more comfortable on your knees here on the rug.”
Izzy groans as Stede half carries him to the middle of the floor, putting him on his hands and knees. He quivers, his eyes carefully locked on the rug as he hears clothes rustling. He dares to look up when he hears the unmistakable sound of two people kissing. Blackbeard has Stede bent backwards in a searing kiss and he lets a moan slip out.
“Like this, do you?” Blackbeard turns Stede around, pressing his naked back to his bare chest. Stede gasps as his bare ass makes contact with Blackbeard’s cock. “‘Cause earlier I thought maybe seeing us together was making your guts churn. Is it making you even harder now? That and the pain in your ass?”
Izzy swallows hard and nods. “Please, Blackbeard… you - you said I c-could earn it?”
Blackbeard frowns a little. He runs his hand down Stede’s chest, caressing his thick belly. “Did I? Hmm. Suppose I did.” He reaches down and wraps his hand around Stede’s cock, stroking languidly. “What do you think, love? Has he earned a taste?”
Stede leans back against Blackbeard, his head on his shoulder. He moans softly. “Yes, darling. Oh yes. He’s been so good and sweet.”
“Go on, then. Let him show you how sweet that mouth can be.” He nudges Stede toward Izzy.
Stede drops down in front of Izzy to sit on his heels, caressing his shoulders and arms before wrapping a hand around the base of his cock and holding it steady for him. “Come here,” he says and oh god there’s a fucking command in there and fuck he’s helpless in the face of it.
Izzy crawls forward and wraps his lips over the head of Stede’s cock. He tongues at the slit and then slides down, taking in as much of Stede as he can in one go. “Easy, easy, that’s it,” Stede encourages. “Oh… oh yes. Yes.”
“Fuck,” Blackbeard grunts. “That is – so fucking hot.”
Izzy’s jaw aches already, but he is determined to take Stede’s entire length, to prove to both of them that he is good and worthy of his place at their side. He wants so badly for them to keep him. Stede wraps his hand around the back of Izzy’s head, holding him firmly in place as his hips shift up into his mouth. Izzy works him with his tongue, relaxing his throat so he can slide down and down and down until finally the head of Stede’s cock bumps against the back of his throat.
“Nngh! Ah, fuck, fuck…” Stede’s hand clenches in Izzy’s hair, pulling a moan out of the back of his throat.
Izzy jerks under Stede’s hand when two hands land on his abused ass and squeeze.
“Gonna fuck you, Iz,” Blackbeard says, leaning against him as slick fingers tease at his rim. “Fill up your ass and mouth. Take you and use you. Fuck you feel so good.”
“So good,” Stede agrees, panting.
Keening as Blackbeard’s fingers twist and slide inside him, Izzy braces as best as he can against the rug. Stede’s hand in his hair is grounding, otherwise he thinks he might fly apart. He’s so hard he feels like he might come just from this, from Blackbeard’s fingers and Stede’s cock in his mouth and his aching ass and knees. He nearly blacks out as Blackbeard pulls his fingers free and lines up his cock, pushing in with one hard thrust.
“Fuck. Iz. Iz… my sweet, sweet Izzy.” Blackbeard wraps his hands around Izzy’s hips and grinds into his ass.
Stede’s cries go high and breathy, which is the only warning Izzy gets before he’s coming down Izzy’s throat. His hips push up into his mouth, nearly choking him, but he doesn’t care. As Stede’s cock stops pulsing, he sinks back, letting it slip from Izzy’s lips. Clumsy hands pet at his hair and stroke his neck.
“Oh… that was…” Stede swallows hard. “You look absolutely debauched Izzy, dear. On your hands and knees, flushed and sweating, lips swollen, cock leaking. Fuck. Never seen anything so lovely.”
Izzy can’t talk, can’t think, can’t even push back into Blackbeard’s thrusts, his legs are so wobbly. All he can do is kneel there and take what he’s being given. Blackbeard wraps an arm around his middle and tugs as he sinks back onto his heels, drawing Izzy down with him. Izzy cries out, impaled on Blackbeard’s cock, tears sliding out of eyes. His other hand wraps around Izzy’s throat and squeezes. Stede shuffles forward and puts Izzy’s arms around his neck, letting him hold on.
“Here, I’ll help you.” Stede helps him lift his hips and sink back down on Blackbeard’s cock. He can’t help nibbling on Izzy’s neck, tongue tracing the swallow tattoo.
A continuous needy moan falls out of Izzy’s mouth, his head tipped back, his whole body on fire. A single word is ripped from his throat. “Please!”
“St-Stede…” Blackbeard rests his head against the nape of Izzy’s neck. “Close.”
“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” Stede says, talking to one or both of them. He wraps his hand around Izzy’s cock. He barely strokes him more than once or twice and Izzy is convulsing, coming in great spurts all over Stede’s broad chest.
“Nnnngh oh fuck!” Blackbeard arches as much as he can under Izzy’s weight, coming endlessly inside him and feeling like his balls are being wrung out. His hand is clenched around Izzy’s throat and as he starts to come down he thinks Izzy’s probably going to have bruises in the shape of his hand.
They are both totally boneless, a quivering heap in the middle of the floor. Stede helps Izzy lift off of Ed’s softening cock and the three of them tip over together on the rug, sweaty and panting and floating on a current of bliss. They lie there together, just listening to each other breathe, for a long time until Stede shifts a little closer to Izzy, once again pushing his hair off his face.
“How do you feel?” he asks quietly.
Izzy swallows and nods. “Better. Yeah.” His voice is rough and his throat feels raw.
Ed caresses Izzy’s shoulder and back. “Can you move?”
Izzy ducks his head. Of course… it was time for him to go back to his cabin and leave Stede and Ed to each other. He nods and starts to push himself up and over back onto his hands and knees so he can stand.
“Hey, hey… easy.” Stede clamors to his feet and helps pull Izzy up to stand. Izzy nods his thanks but then pushes gently at Stede’s shoulders, heading for where he’d tossed his trousers. Ed stands and tilts his head at him.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Izzy freezes. There’s still a note of Blackbeard in that voice. “I’m – getting my things? You asked if I could move.”
“So we could get you to the bed, you twat.” Ed shakes his head at him but there’s affection there, too. He comes over and takes Izzy by the hand, helping him take wobbly, uneven steps over to the bed. It takes some doing and no small amount of giggling on Stede’s part to get them arranged on the bed. Ed is spooned up around him with Stede the biggest spoon on the edge. The contact against his still-warm ass makes his nerves sing. Ed’s arm is wrapped possessively around his chest.
Izzy clears his throat. “So, is this how it’s going to be?”
“Is what, Iz?”
“I try to leave and you… do this?”
Ed presses a kiss to a spot behind Izzy’s ear. “Yeah, Iz. Yeah, this is how it is going to be. We’re keeping you. We’ll take care of you.” He squeezes Izzy against him. “You start to spiral down and we’ll bring you back. That’s the deal.”
Izzy swallows and there’s something hard in his throat. “Yeah?”
“It’s a promise, Iz. Right, Stede?”
“It is, dearest. Will you stay?”
“Yeah.” Izzy closes his eyes and lets his body relax, his muscles no longer capable of keeping tension in them. “I’ll stay.”