Chapter Text
i.
“Kneel,” the boy said, and Izzy obeyed without a thought. He trusted him, which was…odd. Confounding. Downright embarrassing in some ways.
“Good boy.”
Izzy closed his eyes, as if that would block out the thrill the words sent down his spine. Today was a good boy day. Not every day was, mind. Sometimes Izzy needed to rebel. Sometimes he needed to spit in Lucius’ face and yell at him that he was a twat until Lucius forced him to come to heel. He always did, in the end, but some days were much more of a struggle.
Not today.
Today, Izzy was content to stay where he was told and look up at Lucius, eager for the next command. Lucius smiled down on him, lips twisting into almost a smirk, but Izzy knew by now that he didn’t mean anything malicious by it – that was just how he smiled. Everything he did and said was always tinged with some level of sarcasm or irony, completely unintentional at times. It had taken Izzy a long time to understand that, convinced for many weeks that Lucius did this to him – with him – out of a desire to humiliate or crush him. Back when Izzy was still spiralling out of control (when Edward and Bonnet were returned to each other’s arms and Edward was making amends for all the horrible shit he’d done as the Kraken, when Izzy was alone and adrift again, terrified about what would come next), the potential humiliation felt deserved. Felt needed. Felt right. Then, as they gradually settled into each other and Izzy began to learn ways to communicate (at least with Lucius; he was still working on his reticence with the rest of the crew), he came to fear the crushing blow he thought Lucius would strike at any moment.
In spite of his newfound communication skills (still raw, still in need of work at times), he’d become withdrawn, avoidant. He didn’t want to mention it, in case that hastened whatever Lucius had in mind. But the boy had a sixth sense for Izzy’s moods, it seemed, and he gradually drew the truth out through a combination of rough sex and gentle words. Izzy had broken down in his arms, ashamed of himself as he admitted everything. And Lucius had been frustrated…but not with Izzy. With himself. He’d apologised to Izzy, said he was sorry for misleading him, assured him that their time together was very much desired for what it was, not for some future humiliating trick or scheme. It took a while for the words to sink in, but Lucius was patient. Always patient. It was the least piratical few hours Izzy had spent with anyone in many, many years. It had been bewildering at the time; it still was, mostly.
It was also the most relaxed he’d been after he’d pulled himself together. Catharsis , Lucius had explained, and Izzy understood. Well, he understood the word, anyway, if not the reason or the sentiment behind it. What the hell was so cathartic about making a fool of himself in front of a subordinate, and one who was twenty years his junior, at that?
But here they were, Lucius smiling down on Izzy like the benevolent god Izzy had always taken someone else to be. He was not a replacement, would never compare, but he was… something. Something almost as wondrous, not because of his prowess in battle or his talents in sailing (he had neither, nor seemed to want them), but because he was…him. A snarky, bratty, whiny man who somehow still managed to make Izzy’s knees tremble with desire at a certain quirk of his lips or gesture of his fingers. A man who had half-tamed Izzy, not with abuse and vitriol, but with consensual violence and heaping praise.
Wondrous, indeed.
“Are you with me, Izzy?” Curiosity, tinged with just a hint of concern. It was far too early in the proceedings for Izzy to fall into that glorious daze he sometimes got into, when the sensations built up just right and all he could hear were Lucius’ commands and the beating of his own heart.
“I’m with you,” Izzy assured him gruffly. Still unused to being the object of someone’s concern. “Just…thinking.” A painful thing to admit, not because Lucius would belittle him for having thoughts, but because sure he would want –
“Oh? About what?”
– to talk about them.
Izzy sighed, perhaps injecting a bit more irritation in his voice than he actually felt. “Is now really the time to sit around and talk about feelings ?” When instead they could be sucking or fucking or at the very least kissing or biting. Put that lovely mouth of his to good use.
Except that was the problem with someone who was patient . Lucius’ smile turned wry, teasing. He stepped back and hopped up on a barrel. Izzy became suddenly, sharply aware of their surroundings; they were in a quiet, infrequently visited storeroom. Out of the way but still public. The longer they spent here, the more likely they were to get caught. “Sure, why not?” Lucius said, and Izzy’s brain scrambled frantically to remember the topic at hand. “How are you feeling today, Israel?”
“Horny,” Izzy spat, but noticeably did not move from his spot. “Care to do something about it?”
“I will,” Lucius assured him. “In time. What’s got you feeling horny?”
A dozen responses flitted through Izzy’s mind: grabbing his cock and saying ‘this,’ or ‘you’ or ‘it’s been three days since you put your fingers in my arse or mouth and I miss them.’ Instead, he just glared at Lucius. “If we don’t hurry up, your boyfriend’ll come looking for you.”
“So? He won’t care, you know that. He’ll probably want to watch.”
Izzy flushed bright red. “He’ll tell everyone.”
That threat didn’t quite have the menace behind it that Izzy had been going for. Lucius’ smile widened, delighted. “You’re probably right. Oh, no –” (sarcastic, ironic) – “the whole crew would know that I pulled the gorgeous Izzy Hands and that somehow he kneels for me and does whatever I tell him because for some reason he trusts me and lets me take care of him? Sounds like a horrible hardship, whatever shall I do.”
Izzy looked away, embarrassed. “Fuck you.” His cock twitched. At its surface, the words sounded like his worst nightmare. The whole crew knowing Izzy rolled over for this flaming ponce… He should shudder at the thought. Should. Did, actually. But not out of disgust. His nerves tingled, a shiver racing up his spine.
Lucius, of course, missed nothing. “Oh? Fuck me? Or fuck you. Long and rough and over a barrel in the galley where everyone could watch us.” He examined Izzy’s face carefully, gauging his reaction.
And what a reaction it was; Izzy drew in a shuddering breath, lips parted, eyes fluttering half-closed. What would they think? Would they be disgusted? Would they demean and ridicule Izzy, repulsed by his subservience? Or would they be impressed with how well Izzy took his commands? Would they boo and hiss or would they be driven to lust themselves? Would he –
“You like it.” It wasn’t a question. Lucius slid off the barrel and approached Izzy as if he were a wild horse that could spook at any moment. “It gets you hot.”
Izzy sneered. Tried to, anyway. “Not everyone likes an audience.”
“No, but I think you would.” Lucius touched Izzy’s cheek, running his fingers along the rough skin to his goatee, letting his thumb rub against Izzy’s lower lip. Izzy opened his mouth without a thought. “Wouldn’t you like them to see what a good boy you can be?”
Izzy scowled and nipped at Lucius’ thumb, making him hiss. He pulled his face out of Lucius’ grasp. “No,” he muttered.
Lucius cocked his head to the side, considering. “Hm, okay. Not a good boy, then? You want them to see you as disobedient and naughty?”
Izzy shook his head.
“You… don’t actually want this? Your cock likes the idea, but it’s one of those things that are only hot in theory, not in actuality?”
Slowly, Izzy shook his head again.
Lucius hummed. “Okay. Give me a little bit to work with here, Izzy. You don’t want to be good, you don’t want to be naughty, but this is something that you’re interested in. What do you want?”
“I…” Izzy’s jaw clenched and he struggled to put his emotions into words; this was still a new process to him, this talking thing. He was far more used to pushing the feelings down and barking orders at others until he felt normal again. “I want… to be good… for you. But they… They, uh…”
He fumbled, uncertain. His knees ached fiercely; by far, this wasn’t the longest Lucius had ever asked him to kneel, but usually, if they were planning a longer scene, he got a pillow or something else soft to put under his knees. He shifted slightly.
Lucius noticed. “Shit, sorry. Do you want to get up and we can discuss this further on equal ground, or do you want me to grab you something?”
“Get up.”
Lucius reached out a hand and helped him clamber to his feet. He could hear voices down the hall, and he remembered why he’d wanted to be quick in the first place. He hissed under his breath.
“Talk to me.”
It was a command as much as when Lucius told him to kneel or suck his cock; Izzy was powerless to disobey, at least this time. Other times? Yes, sometimes he made Lucius drag the words out of him, syllable by fucking syllable. Not so, today. “They wouldn’t respect me. After they see… this.”
Understanding dawned on the boy’s pretty face. “Oh. Oh, no, don’t even think that. I don’t share my toys with people who don’t respect them.”
Izzy stared at him (well, at his mouth; God fucking damn him, that mouth). “What?”
“Do you really think I would let them hurt you in any way? I don’t like my toys broken and unusable, and that includes their trust in me,” Lucius said. He reached up a hand and stroked Izzy’s face. He couldn’t help it – he leaned into the touch. “I’d feel just awful if I broke one of my toys beyond repair. Make sense? Just like you don’t let just anyone touch this.” His hand drifted down to brush against Izzy’s ring.
Izzy twitched reflexively but did not move away or remove Lucius’ hand. This was a big sign of trust, one they’d been building for weeks, ever since Izzy accidentally (involuntary, he swore, he really hadn’t meant it at all, he just wasn’t used to being touched so cavalierly) backhanded Lucius when he went to remove it from Izzy’s tie in the middle of undressing him. That session had ended immediately, and Izzy actually apologised to him, something he and Edward were now the two sole living recipients of. A genuine Israel Hands apology was rarer than gold and just as difficult to extract. But that one… that one he had given freely.
That truly said something about the spell the boy had woven over him, he supposed.
“What… would you have them do to me?”
“Them?” Lucius repeated, surprised. “Oh, they don’t get to have you unless that’s what you want. They only get to watch as I show them my good boy. Or my bad boy – you never did tell me which way you’d swing it.”
“I’m… not sure.”
Lucius smiled that stupid, beautiful, wry smile of his, then leaned in and kissed Izzy softly on the lips. Izzy took in a sharp breath and leaned in, eyes drifting closed. “That’s alright, gorgeous,” Lucius said, pulling back. Izzy thrilled at the word that was his and his alone – Pete was no more “gorgeous” than Izzy was “love” or “babe.” “You don’t have to know. I mean, fuck, it doesn’t have to be something we actually do , although it would be unbelievably hot. But if you don’t want it to be more than some dirty talk that we play around with, that’s fine, too. It did get you hot, didn’t it?”
Izzy looked away, ashamed in spite of himself. “Yes.”
Lucius leaned in again and nuzzled against his ear. Feeling bold, Izzy stepped into his space and rubbed his crotch against Lucius’ leg, showing him just how hot the whole thing had “gotten him” indeed. Lucius let out a soft gasp. “Me, too,” he groaned.
“Lucius!”
The two men jumped apart even though Pete’s voice was still a ways off. “I told you,” Izzy growled, annoyed that it looked like he wouldn’t be getting off any time soon. His cock twitched in disappointment. “I told you he’d come looking for you. Instead, you had to talk about stupid feelings, and now –”
Lucius silenced him with a kiss. “And I told you, I don’t care if he watches. He’d be into it, too. And he would definitely still respect you afterwards; you’re Blackbeard’s First Mate. If he can forgive Ed for throwing me overboard and still idolize the fuck out of that man, you submitting to me definitely won’t make him think less of you.”
“Does he…?” Izzy asked, suddenly curious. He’d never given much thought to how Lucius and Pete were in bed together, but now he couldn’t help imagining it.
Lucius shrugged like it was inconsequential. “We’re more likely to switch off, but yeah. Sometimes.”
“Lucius, where are you?”
His voice was definitely growing closer. Izzy glanced at the storeroom door, then back at Lucius. “Not yet.”
Lucius’ eyebrows shot up. “Not ‘no, never’?”
Izzy’s next breath stuttered in his throat. Forced out the words, not because they were untrue, but because of how true they really were, “Not never, no. Just…not yet.”
Lucius grabbed Izzy and pulled him in for a fierce kiss that left them both even harder than before, which seemed eminently unfair. Izzy moaned into the kiss, and Lucius nipped at his tongue.
“I’ll come by your room in a couple hours. I’ll tell Pete I’ll be busy for an hour or so, alright?” Lucius pressed biting kisses along Izzy’s throat. “Yeah?”
“Y-yeah,” Izzy said, pretty sure he’d agree to anything right about now.
“You can hold on until then?”
Izzy nodded frantically.
“And you won’t touch my cock until then?” Lucius asked, squeezing Izzy’s crotch to make sure he knew which cock he meant as “his.”
“I won’t,” Izzy promised fervently. “I won’t, I won’t.”
“Good boy,” Lucius hissed, pressing one last, sloppy kiss to Izzy’s lips before ducking out of the storeroom to find Pete.
Leaving Izzy alone to think entirely too much about what had just happened.
ii
It took a little coordination, but Lucius was nothing if not crafty. He knew the habits and routines of pretty much everyone on board – sometimes a little too well; no one should have such detailed knowledge of a dozen people’s toileting habits as Lucius did – with the only exception being Jim, because Jim was still a secretively little freak. The point being, that is to say, that Lucius knew when the Captains’ quarters were reliably empty and would be for quite some time. That was, actually, the easy part.
The hard part was choosing his messenger. He needed someone who didn’t ask questions but also wouldn’t run his mouth, spoiling the game. Jim was too contrary, Buttons too loud, The Swede lacked any sense of discretion, Pete would ask too many questions, and Roach and Frenchie were too gossipy. That left Oluwande, Wee John, Ivan, or Fang. Oluwande and Ivan were cheerful enough fellows, completely easygoing, but more prone to asking questions than the other two. So, Wee John or Fang: the only question was, who was Izzy more likely to listen to?
Fang was one of Blackbeard’s crew, and someone Izzy had known for years. He’d die if he knew anyone had seen him, but once or twice Lucius had even caught Izzy resting his head against Fang while they sat side by side in some secluded portion of the ship. The problem with that, however, was Izzy might assume the message was coming from Ed and try to talk to him instead of doing what Fang asked. Wee John, though… Izzy might not trust him as much, but if pressed for answers, Wee John would just shrug until Izzy gave up and followed instructions.
Which is exactly what Lucius needed.
Wee John was easy enough to catch alone – he always took his post-lunch nap in one of three spots, so it was just a matter of finding the right one before he fell asleep because once Wee John was out, there was no rousing him unless he wanted to be roused. So Lucius watched him carefully, determining which spot he was most likely to use, and then took one of the secret passageways to get there first.
He was waiting with bated breath when Wee John came into the storeroom a few minutes later. Wee John frowned at Lucius, who was lounging in his nap spot. “The feck do you want?”
“I need a favour,” Lucius said in a rush.
“What’s in it for me?”
“I won’t tell Izzy about your secret nap spots.”
Wee John snorted. “Go ahead and tell him, I don’t give a feck. Now move before I move you.”
Lucius braced himself; if Wee John tried to pick him up, he wouldn’t be moved without some effort. “ And I’ll sketch you. All of you, not just your cock this time.”
“Eh.”
“Alright, fine.” Lucius closed his eyes; he’d really hoped it wouldn’t come to this. “The next three times Izzy tells you to do some sort of task or chore… I’ll do it.”
That made Wee John pause. “Anything he tells me to do?”
“Anything.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Just deliver a message,” Lucius said. “Tonight, when everyone gathers for storytime, tell Stede to start without me. Tell him I have stomach troubles.” That wouldn’t elicit too many questions and would keep Pete from trying to find him and cuddle him; he was weirdly squeamish about stomach stuff. “Then, after a few minutes, when everyone’s too engrossed in the story to be paying attention, go over to where Izzy’s pretending not to listen and tell him he’s needed in Captains’ quarters.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all,” Lucius promised.
Wee John shrugged. “I can do that.”
Lucius popped to his feet, relinquishing the pile of burlap sacks that Wee John had somehow fashioned into a comfortable lounging space. “I’ll leave you to it. Don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” Wee John said, waving him off. “And I won’t forget you promised to do my chores and sketch me.”
Lucius stopped in his tracks. “Wait, you don’t get both offers, you –”
But Wee John was already asleep.
~~~
After dinner, when the sun began to set and Stede pulled out the latest storybook ( Don Quixote , which Lucius found incredibly ironic), Lucius slipped away, taking a roundabout route to the Captains’ quarters. He could hear the general hubbub of the crew settling in for storytime but not the specific words. After a few minutes, the noises died down, and Stede’s voice rang out clear in the silence.
“Who are we still waiting on?”
Wee John’s was too mumbly for Lucius to hear what he said, but from the way Stede then let out a “Hum!” of surprise followed by, “Best get on with it, then,” he must have followed Lucius’ instructions.
Next came the tricky part.
To keep himself busy and not overthinking, he went over to the essential piece for tonight’s scene and made sure it was ready. It was a little smudgy, but Stede took too much pride in it to let it get completely befouled. Frankly, Lucius didn’t know how it had survived The Kraken’s purge, especially since he couldn’t imagine Ed had liked what he’d seen when he looked at it. But survived it had, and Lucius couldn’t be more grateful right about now.
The main door slid open just slightly, like whoever was coming in was trying to do so surreptitiously. “Alright, you little shit,” came Izzy’s nasally voice. “Where are you?”
Lucius bit back a chuckle. Words that once would have made his knees quake and his stomach flop now… well, they still had the same effect, but in a completely different way. “I’m over here.”
“Where?”
There had been enough light when Lucius first came in, but it was dying rapidly. He picked up Stede’s tinderbox and lit a single candle. Izzy’s head swivelled towards him, wary but intrigued.
“What’s all this about?”
“A scene, if you’re amenable,” Lucius said.
“A scene,” Izzy repeated. “Here?”
“This is the only place on the ship that has what I want.”
Izzy crept closer, looking at the objects around Lucius. His eyes flitted right over the correct one, not even stopping to consider it. “His fancyman fabrics?”
“No. Come here.”
Izzy came to stand right in front of him; Lucius manhandled him until his back was pressed against Lucius’ chest, both of them facing the mirror. Izzy’s expression showed confusion but no outright hostility –yet. Lucius held him close and propped his chin on Izzy’s shoulder.
“This is what they’d see.”
Izzy’s eyes caught his in the mirror; the confusion deepened. “Who?”
Lucius nuzzled into his neck. “Your audience.”
Lucius could feel the sharp inhalation, the way Izzy subtly drew himself up, chest puffing out slightly. The mirror was real glass, not just a large piece of polished bronze, which would be far more befitting to a ship that could get rocked by a storm on any given day. The ornate frame alone must have cost a fortune. Lucius trailed his hand down Izzy’s chest, starting at his tie and working his way down the leather vest. He watched in the mirror as Izzy’s eyes fluttered and his lips parted.
“Do you like that idea?” Lucius whispered in his ear, then nipped at the shell. Izzy twitched as if shocked. “Would you like to bare yourself for them so they can see what a gorgeous creature you are? All lean muscles and tanned skin from working hard all your life?”
Slowly, Izzy shook his head.
Lucius’ face dropped and he started to step back, apologise, but Izzy’s hand snapped back snake-quick to grab him by the waist and hold him there. He licked his lips before speaking, voice already heady and rough. “I won’t bare myself for them, so you’ll have to do it.”
Lucius inclined his head in acknowledgement, trying not to show his amusement. Of course, he’d be making Lucius do all the work – just like how Izzy first started this…whatever this was. God forbid he made any of this easy on Lucius, forcing him to slowly peel the layers of metaphorical leather off his emotions just like now Lucius was to peel off the very real layers of leather off his body.
“I can do that,” Lucius assured him, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. “‘Course, I’d have to do it from behind, just like this, so I don’t block anyone’s view. They’re going to want to see all of you.” One hand drifted down to Izzy’s cock and squeezed; he was already half-hard, which made Lucius’ cock throb in sympathy. He rubbed against Izzy’s arse a little, his own cock rising eagerly.
Izzy breathed out a long, slow breath. “Yes,” he said, although Lucius wasn’t sure if he was agreeing or simply acknowledging that Lucius believed it to be true. For all Izzy was an arrogant shit when it came to managing a ship, he was surprisingly reticent to agree that he had an incredible body. He usually scoffed and looked away when Lucius started in with the praise, which of course only made him do it all the more.
Lucius brought his hand to Izzy’s tie. “On or off?”
Izzy jerked, startled. “Wait, you’re not actually…?”
Lucius’s eyebrows jumped upwards. “Uh, yes I was, actually. Everyone’s going to be busy for at least an hour with storytime, and Pete thinks I have diarrhea so he won’t come looking for me. I told you, I want you to see what your audience will see. Even if we never get to the stage where you get an actual audience, at least this is a harmless, safe way to test the waters. Yeah?”
Izzy blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. “Someone could still walk in…”
“With one little candle burning, they won’t see much until they get real up close and personal,” Lucius pointed out. “We’ll have plenty of time to grab your clothes and get out through one of the passages. And you can use your safe word at any moment if you’re uncomfortable.”
Still, Izzy wavered. Lucius let go of his tie and stepped around, placing himself between Izzy and the mirror. “Hey. It was just an idea. But if you don’t want to, then no worries. We could sneak back to your cabin for a quickie or we could simply part ways and do our own thing tonight. It’s completely up to you.”
Izzy’s eyes were dark in the dim candlelight; Lucius could just make out how his eyes travelled up and down, soaking him in. “Alright,” he said gruffly after a minute. “But you’ll undress, too. I won’t be the only one caught with my trousers down.”
Lucius grinned. “Deal. Who do I undress first for your audience?”
Izzy glanced over Lucius’ shoulder at the mirror. “Me,” he said. “I’m the one they came to see, aren’t I?”
“Oh, they absolutely did, love,” Lucius promised, kissing him fiercely, rewarding that uncommon display of confidence in his body. He broke away and resumed his stance behind Izzy, even harder than before. “Tie on or off?”
“On,” Izzy said quickly. “I don’t want to lose the ring in the dark if we have to move quickly.”
“Good point.” Lucius carefully re-tightened the bit of fabric, making sure the ring was secure. He slipped his hand down Izzy’s chest, then back up again a couple times. Izzy’s eyes drifted half-closed. “Can they see you okay? Do they need some more light?”
Izzy blinked back to full attention, eyes coming back to the mirror. The single candle, also reflected, provided just enough light to see them by, although it did throw a few deep shadows. “They…they can see me okay.”
“Are they eager?”
Izzy frowned, like he was starting to doubt Lucius’ sanity. “I s’pose.”
Lucius drew back, disappointed. “Oh, well, if they aren’t eager, then they don’t get to look at my toy. I don’t share with people who aren’t interested.”
Alarm straightened Izzy’s spine, and Lucius was a little surprised at the look of consternation that overtook his features. “No, wait – They are. They’re just getting bored because you’re taking so fucking long.”
Lucius chuckled. “Oh, are they now? They better learn some patience because you’re well worth the wait.” He nipped at the back of Izzy’s neck before finally – finally – removing his baldric, then bringing both hands around his torso to undo his waistcoat.
Izzy watched him through half-lidded eyes, as if entranced. Lucius drew a finger along the space between the two ends of the fabric. Izzy was still covered completely, but somehow without his baldric and with his vest hanging open, he looked completely undone, wanton. Lucius swallowed, letting his throat press against Izzy’s shoulder. “Fuckin’ gorgeous, darling,” he murmured. He drew his fingers up along Izzy’s neck to his mouth; Izzy opened obediently, and Lucius rewarded him with a brief suck on his middle finger, keeping the wooden one out of the way. “Good boy. Not too much. Don’t want to have them all coming straight away.”
Izzy snorted and released his finger. “If they come from just that, they have the self-control of an adolescent who had his first wet dream.”
“Mmm, don’t think you’re seeing what I’m seeing here,” Lucius said, nodding at the mirror. “I see the world’s most uptight, tightly-wound man slowly coming undone. And to see that pretty mouth suck on something so willingly? Yeah, that’s fucking hot. Your audience’ll be shifting in their seats at the very least.”
Izzy frowned at the mirror and parted his lips slightly; Lucius slipped his finger back in, pumping it in and out in a slow, lazy rhythm. Izzy ran his tongue over the pad, then swirled it around the tip before flattening to run along the full length of the finger. The whole time, he frowned at the mirror like he was trying to figure out some difficult puzzle. When he swallowed, Lucius moaned in his ear.
He released Lucius’ finger once more. “I don’t get it,” he grumbled, glaring at the mirror.
“Then you’ll just have to trust me,” Lucius said, bringing his hands to the flaps of the waistcoat and pulling it down his shoulders and off. He slipped Izzy’s shirt out of his waistband next, but didn’t quite pull it up and over his head; instead, he slipped his hands underneath and ran his fingers over the rough skin underneath. Lucius knew without looking just how many scars and abrasions littered his abdomen: stab wounds, burn scars, bullet holes… Izzy hadn’t had an easy life. But by some miracle, he had survived it all.
Izzy growled a little. “Shouldn’t we hurry?”
“I told you, we have time,” Lucius said.
“The ‘audience’ is getting impatient.”
Lucius pinched a nipple and twisted hard enough to make Izzy gasp. “No, you’re getting impatient. They’re waiting with bated breath for me to undress you, but they know better than to try to hurry me. All will be revealed in due time.” He sucked on Izzy’s ear before returning his attention to Izzy’s chest. He cupped Izzy’s pecs and squeezed, running his thumbs over the sensitive nipples. Instead of taking off the shirt like Izzy obviously wanted, he diverted his attention to unlacing the leather trousers instead. The shirt was long and billowy enough when untucked that the audience would only catch glimpses of Izzy’s cock, which was a very enticing prospect, indeed.
Lucius finished unlacing the trousers and took a small step back. “Push ‘em down. And your smalls. Go on.”
Izzy glanced over his shoulder at him, as if he doubted the words coming from the Lucius in the mirror. Lucius merely raised his eyebrows expectantly. Izzy hooked his thumbs in his waistband and pushed his trousers and small clothes down to his ankles, bending gracefully at the waist and giving Lucius the perfect view of his pale arse. He could just spot a glimpse of Izzy’s balls through the gap between his spread legs. Fuck, did he really have no idea how hot he was? Lucius wanted to get down on his knees and bite Izzy’s arse before going to town on his rim, but he held himself back. That would be for another time.
Instead, he grabbed Izzy’s hips to hold him steady as the older man wrestled his boots, trousers, and small clothes off, then ripped off his socks as well. “Good boy,” Lucius said, slipping one hand between his legs to grope Izzy’s balls. Izzy jerked in surprise, nearly pitching forward, but Lucius managed to keep him upright. When he straightened back up, Izzy’s face had turned bright red.
Lucius grinned devilishly. “Alright?”
“Just peachy,” Izzy spat. The colour receded from his cheeks, although not entirely.
“Good. Glad to hear it.” Lucius took Izzy’s chin gently in one hand and directed his attention back to the mirror, pleased when Izzy let out a little gasp. “I think you’re finally starting to see what I – and your audience – sees.”
Izzy looked half-wrecked already. His hair was loosening from its usual slickness, his face still held a faint flush, his neck was bright red, and the shirt only just covered his beautifully hard cock. Lucius took hold of the shirt hem but didn’t pull up – yet.
“Do you think they deserve to see all of you now?
Slowly, Izzy shook his head.
“No? What do they need to do?”
Izzy licked his lips, opened his mouth, closed it, swallowed, opened it again. “Clap,” he whispered hoarsely. “Clap to show how – how much they l-like what they see.”
“Oh, they will,” Lucius promised. He slipped his arms under Izzy’s shoulders and began clapping softly. “They will, they like it so much. It’s not even half what you deserve. Y’know Pete can whistle like nothing else; he’ll be whistling and clapping and begging to see more. And the rest of them –” (because they hadn’t really discussed who would be there, but Pete at least would be a given) – “the rest of them will be clapping and stomping. ‘Fucking beautiful,’ they’d say.”
“Fuck off,” Izzy whispered, eyes fluttering shyly even as a tiny smile played at the corner of his lips. “They wouldn’t.”
“They will if they have working eyes.” Lucius slipped one hand down Izzy’s stomach to squeeze at his cock through his shirt. Izzy’s hips jumped, thrusting forward into his grasp. “They may not be the most sophisticated lot, but they know a thing of beauty when they see it.”
Izzy lolled his head back on Lucius’ shoulder, eyes closed. “Show them,” he whispered.
Lucius gently moved his shoulder, urging Izzy to straighten back up. “I will when they’re ready to pay attention,” he chided softly.
Izzy grumbled a little even as he complied, watching himself in the mirror warily. Lucius took hold of the shirt hem once more and lifted it tantalisingly, purposely pulling the fabric taut against Izzy’s cock so that it dragged against the sensitive skin on its way up. Izzy’s knees trembled, and it clearly took a lot of effort to keep his eyes open and fixed on the mirror. “Oh, God,” he moaned, reaching back to grasp at Lucius’ hips. “You vicious little tease.”
“Arms up,” Lucius replied mildly. “Need to get this shirt over your head.”
Izzy whined but obeyed, raising his arms up so that Lucius could lift the shirt over his head, hands skimming over his torso and up his arms. He bit at Izzy’s shoulder before removing the shirt entirely, leaving a perfect set of teeth marks in the skin. Izzy shuddered, hips shifting restlessly. Lucius discarded the shirt on top of Izzy’s other clothes and peered over his shoulder at their reflections. He grinned at what he saw.
“Well?” he asked. “What say you now?”
Izzy’s jaw dropped. “That – is that – I’m…” He swallowed hard enough that Lucius could see his Adam’s apple bob. “Fucking hell.”
“Mmmm, couldn’t agree more,” Lucius said. He reached around and gave Izzy’s cock a couple of loose strokes that had Izzy’s hips rocking. “Ah-ah, not yet. You wanted me undressed, too, remember?”
“ Fast ,” Izzy hissed.
Lucius had absolutely no problem with that; he had his jacket, shirt, and trousers off in no time. He’d decided to forego underwear altogether for this scene, which had probably been a good idea. He wasn’t wearing shoes or stockings, either. In less than a minute, the only stitch between the two of them was Izzy’s tie, still neatly knotted at the base of his throat. Lucius was still standing behind Izzy, showing him off, so his nudity was fairly irrelevant, except now he could rub his cock against Izzy’s arse with no barriers, which was sending both of them into gasping breaths.
“Fuck,” Lucius hissed, hands on Izzy’s hips. He dug his nails in and scratched slowly, up the length of Izzy’s sides. Izzy moaned far more loudly than was probably advisable, shoving back against Lucius’ cock, which only made Lucius want to work him over harder. “What – what does – your audience want to see?”
Izzy’s brain seemed to be struggling with the question. “I – I don’t – I don’t – Ah ! Fuck, I don’t fucking know,” he more whined than said.
Fuck it , Lucius thought, suddenly unable to care about their hypothetical audience. “What do you want, then?”
“Cock,” Izzy answered immediately. “Gimme your cock.”
Lucius was all too happy to oblige. “Arse or mouth?” he asked, sucking on the bite mark he’d left earlier and enjoying the way Izzy trembled under his touch.
Izzy’s response was simply to fall to his knees and open his mouth. Oh, fuck that was hot, especially reflected back at them so that Lucius could both see Izzy begging to suck him like the absolute champion he was and could have the pleasure of looking down on him from behind. Why the fuck had he never thought to do this with one of his partners before? He’d definitely have to see if Pete would want to try this out someday.
“Let me grab you a pillow,” Lucius started to say, turning towards the couch, but Izzy grabbed his hand and tugged him back, shaking his head.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “You’re gonna – I’m gonna show them all my best tricks, including the one that makes you come too quickly.”
Lucius opened his mouth to protest that he has never come too quickly since he was sixteen at least , thank you very much, but a shadow of relief rising in Izzy’s eyes made him close it again. He was purposely riling Lucius up – why? Izzy’s eyes flickered briefly to the couch cushions Lucius had been about to retrieve, a look of deep misgiving twisting his features. Lucius hummed, understanding…something. He’d have to dive into that deeper at some later date. Using Stede’s mirror was alright, but the cushions weren’t? Sometimes Izzy’s brain astounded Lucius.
“Fine,” Lucius said, setting the matter aside for the time being. “Here, you’re gonna want to turn slightly so that… there.” He helped Izzy angle himself so that when Lucius stepped up to his mouth, they were both fully reflected in the mirror. “Remember, they’re here to see you, not my arse.”
“Fuck them, I don’t care about them anymore,” Izzy growled, grabbing Lucius’ hips and dragging him closer. In spite of his words, the actions were fairly atypical for one of their sessions, and Lucius wondered if he was putting on a show for their fake audience. That was fine; if Izzy wanted to have some control, Lucius was more than amenable to letting him think he had it.
“You’re gonna care when they start begging you to suck me already so that they can pretend their own hands are your mouth on their cocks,” Lucius countered. When Izzy opened his mouth to retort, Lucius grabbed hold of his own cock and smacked Izzy’s lips with it, effectively cutting off his response. “Shut up and suck me already. Wait – what do you do if you want me to stop but your mouth is full?”
Izzy froze. “You won’t ask me that in front of them, will you?”
Lucius’ heart pattered; that sounded like more of a promise than a hypothetical. “I will ask you that every time we’re doing a scene,” Lucius said gently. “And having an audience, even if we don’t go into dom and sub stuff, definitely counts as a scene. You get to have your safe word or your safe gesture no matter who’s watching. I just need confirmation you remember what it is.”
Izzy stared up at him, expression hard to read. It didn’t look bad or angry, more… full of wonder, like he couldn’t believe Lucius was serious right now. Confused but… pleased? “I remember,” Izzy assured him, reaching for his cock.
Lucius evaded him swiftly. “Tell me.”
Izzy glared before relenting. “Three taps on your hip.”
Lucius grinned. “Good boy.” He stepped in close, letting Izzy take hold of his cock at last.
Izzy sucked him down like a man dying of thirst. There was no teasing, no testing the waters – one moment, Lucius was hanging out in dry air, the next he was halfway down Izzy’s throat. “ Fuck! ” Lucius yelled, completely forgetting himself for a moment. He shoved a fist into his mouth and bit down – hard. Goddamn, the man knew how to play dirty.
Izzy grinned devilishly around his mouthful, pumping his lips up and down Lucius’ shaft. He was absolutely going to town, sucking and licking every inch of Lucius like he was the best treat in the world and Izzy had only five minutes left to enjoy it. He moaned, sending vibrations through Lucius’ cock to every nerve ending in his body.
Lucius released his own hand to shakily grip Izzy’s hair. “Fuck,” he hissed. “You should see yourself.”
Izzy looked up at him, mouth still working furiously, then glanced to the side, peering at the mirror. Lucius prayed fervently that he could see what Lucius saw: Izzy’s hair a wreck, being tugged on by Lucius, mouth red and wet, drool leaking down his chin, whole body flushed, cock jutting up from between his kneeling legs. It was a sight to set anyone immediately on edge.
Including, apparently, Izzy himself. His eyebrows drew up like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Tentatively, he brought one hand to his nipple and pinched. He whimpered, the sharp sensation no doubt compounded by getting to see the results. “Fuck, good boy,” Lucius rasped. “Do whatever pleases you. Show them – show them what you like.”
Izzy blinked and then pinched his nipple again, really getting into it now. He redoubled his efforts on Lucius’ cock, pulling nearly all the way off before teasing the tip with his tongue, swirling it around the head. Lucius’ knees wavered, and he could’ve absolutely kicked himself for not setting this up so that he could lean against a wall or sit on a chair or something that didn’t require his own willpower to remain upright. He tightened his grip on Izzy’s hair, which made Izzy shudder with lust. Goddamn bastard was right – Lucius was not going to last much longer. He thrust sharply into Izzy’s mouth, doing his best not to choke him.
Izzy, however, seemed to have other ideas. He grabbed Lucius’ hips and urged him to thrust deep into Izzy’s throat. He tried to swallow, muscles squeezing around Lucius’ cock head. And then, the absolute crowning achievement: Izzy reached between his own legs and squeezed his cock, like sucking Lucius was turning him on so badly he was going to come right then and there if he didn’t get himself under control.
Lucius moaned, head falling back. “I’m gonna – I’m gonna come,” he groaned, and that was all the warning Izzy had before Lucius spilled down his throat.
Izzy swallowed it all perfectly, continuing to bob his head, taking down every last bit of what Lucius had to offer, until Lucius was nearly sobbing from overstimulation. He stilled Izzy’s head and withdrew his cock, delighting in the bereft whimper that followed its escape from Izzy’s mouth. “Good boy, my good boy – you fucking rocked that,” Lucius mumbled, sinking to his knees. “Sucking me off like a gorgeous slut, God d– what?”
Izzy was shaking his head, eyes closed. “Not for them,” he ground out.
Lucius fought through his post-orgasmic bliss, trying to get his brain to fucking focus . “What’s not for them.”
Izzy’s eyes were still screwed shut. “Not a slut for them.”
Lucius breathed out a relieved breath; he’d been worried for a moment that he royally fucked up. “Alright,” he comforted Izzy gently, pulling him into his arms, giving his knees some relief, and reassuring Izzy with careful touches that he’d done nothing wrong. “Not for them. You’re my slut only. They’ll never know.”
Izzy’s eyes blinked open, relieved. He caught sight of their reflections: Lucius sitting on the floor, bare-assed, cradling Izzy in his lap. Izzy pulled a face but didn’t move to get up. Instead, he spread his legs (definitely not slutty behaviour, absolutely not), and gave Lucius a poignant look.
Before Lucius could offer to do something about it, footsteps sounded outside the main entry, and two distinctive voices filtered in.
“...you’ll love what happens next. Our hapless hero –”
“Hold on a minute, mate. Did you leave a candle burning?”
Lucius and Izzy locked eyes for only a brief moment before scrabbling for their clothes and bolting for the secret passageway. Izzy touched his throat to make sure the tie was still in place, ring secure; thank God he’d had the good sense not to take it off. They hurried down the passage, turning right. This way would eventually take them to the galley.
Lucius grabbed Izzy’s arm and pulled him to a halt. “Hold on. If you think I’m going to leave you like this after I already got mine…”
Before Izzy could protest, Lucius sank to his knees, setting his clothes aside. They were still close enough to the captains’ quarters that they could hear Ed’s low rumble and Stede’s answering trill. It was dark in the passage, but Lucius could just see the outline of Izzy glancing back the way they’d come, then down at Lucius.
“Can you be quiet enough?”
Izzy nodded rapidly.
Lucius took him in his mouth, sucking him down. This was no time for art or finesse; Izzy was already close to blowing. He just needed some urging along.
“... didn’t know any better, I’d say it smelled of sex in here,” Ed’s voice drifted down the passage.
Izzy’s eyes closed and his stomach clenched. His hips snapped into Lucius’ mouth, making Lucius choke unexpectedly.
“Don’t see how that’s possible,” came Stede’s reply. “Everyone was at story time, except Lucius, but he had stomach trouble.”
Izzy whimpered.
“Mm. Doubt the poor guy decided to jerk it in here after spending all evening with a bedpan.”
Lucius sped up, taking Izzy down to the root.
“Everyone else was accounted for, though. I even saw Izzy pretending he wasn’t listening, as usual.”
“Yeah, but he fucked off early.”
Izzy’s breath sped up. His balls tightened.
“He did?”
“Yeah, like five minutes into the story. Looked pissy about something.”
“Do you think he…c-came in here?”
Lucius choked again, this time at Stede’s (hopefully) unwitting double entendre.
“Nah. He’s a jerk-off, but this ain’t his style. I think.”
“Maybe it’s from us? We have been, ah… enthusiastic lately.”
Izzy growled and slammed a fist against his own thigh, startlingly close to Lucius’ face. Lucius glared up at him, which he probably couldn’t see in the dark.
“Yeah, that’s probably it. Go get ready for bed. I’ll join you in a moment.” One set of footsteps receded. Silence for a moment, broken only by Izzy’s ragged breath above Lucius. Then, whispered, “I can hear you in there.” Voice close, like Ed was standing on just the other side of the wall. “I can fucking hear you…fucking.”
Izzy came without warning, seed spreading hot and salty across Lucius’ tongue. Caught off guard, Lucius nearly choked, turning his head to the side to spit it out, the last of Izzy’s come dribbling down his cock. Izzy shoved his gloved hand into his mouth, biting down on a needy whine.
On the other side of the wall, Ed chuckled. “Nice.”
Izzy stared at Lucius, eyes wide. Lucius stared back, trying to push down some niggling trepidation. In the distance, Ed’s footsteps receded as well, leaving Lucius and Izzy alone to clean up their mess.
iii
“Come here.”
“No.”
The boy’s face every time Izzy refused a command was always worth it: surprised, annoyed, with just a dash of eagerness. Eager for the chase, for the struggle. The annoyance could be affected and the surprise almost certainly was at this point. Izzy balked often enough it should no longer catch him off guard. But the eagerness? No, he was almost positive that part was real.
Izzy would never admit how much he liked that eagerness. How he craved it, almost as much as he craved the praise that obedience earned him. He liked making Lucius chase him. Making him work for it, the miserable, lazy bastard.
So he leaned against the cannon, legs spread, arms crossed. Challenging. Daring Lucius to make him come to him.
“No?”
“No.”
The eagerness left for just a moment, replaced by concern. “Anchor?”
Izzy struggled not to roll his eyes at the implication that he might need to use the safe word over this…this noncompliance. “No anchor,” he grunted. “I just don’t know why you think I’d roll over for an absolute flaming tosser like you.”
Lucius’ expression cleared. Glanced around them. They were in the main hold where the below deck cannons rested, waiting to be pushed through the gunports at a moment’s notice. Not that Bonnet used them overly much; he preferred to leave their targets as intact as possible.
But that was beside the point. “Awfully public place for you to be taking a stand, Dizzy,” Lucius said acerbically. The nickname, which used to make Izzy flinch, now just let him know that the game was on. If Izzy wanted a fight, he was going to get it.
“I ordered everyone I saw to come down here and polish the cannons,” Izzy said, a wicked sneer curling at the corners of his mouth. “Which means, of course, they’ve all fucked off somewhere else to do anything but. We won’t be seeing anyone for at least an hour, minimum.”
“An hour?” Lucius hopped up on one of the cannons, sitting on it in a way that made Izzy shudder. The boy was just trying to get under his skin, he knew – better not to let on that it was actually working. “I don’t know if I should be disappointed you think you’ll cave in an hour or proud you think I’m that convincing.”
“I think you’ll get bored within twenty minutes, actually,” Izzy said. “You lack follow-through or any sense of motivation.” A bluff, of course. If Lucius really did give up after just twenty minutes, this wouldn’t be worth pursuing. And “embarrassed” would be an understatement of how Izzy would feel if Lucius abandoned him for being a little stubborn. He’d probably have to burn the ship down with everyone in it to escape the utter mortification.
Izzy wasn’t much of a betting man. He liked when things were almost certain to go in his favour. So this disobedience was a risk – but a calculated one.
Lucius slid off the cannon and stalked over to where Izzy still leaned. It took every ounce of Izzy’s willpower not to straighten up when Lucius crowded into his space. “I ‘lack motivation’?” Lucius repeated, like he hadn’t quite heard Izzy correctly. He shoved his hand roughly between Izzy’s legs, groping at his half-hard cock. “You think this isn’t motivating enough for me?” He brought his hand up to Izzy’s mouth and traced the slightly-parted lips. “Or this?”
Izzy snapped his teeth at the fingers, narrowly missing the tip of the middle one. Lucius jerked his hand back just in time. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “You’re really asking for it today, Jesus fucking hell,” Lucius breathed. “I’m about ready to turn you over my knee like the naughty little shit you’re acting like.”
Izzy snorted. “I’d love to see you try.”
Lucius blinked. They both knew who would win in a real physical struggle. Lucius might have height and bulk on Izzy, but Izzy had experience and strength. God knew Izzy had tried to teach Lucius a trick or two that might actually keep him alive to see thirty years of age, but the boy always whined about that damn back of his if they practised for more than ten minutes. Izzy hadn’t given up, wasn’t the type, but he had to get sneaky about assigning Lucius tasks designed to build up his spinal strength and endurance.
“Should we, ah, go somewhere a little more private?” Lucius asked, glancing around again.
Izzy let out a brief growl. Lucius had been teasing Izzy about fucking in front of others for weeks but he was going to get precious about it now? “I thought you like an audience.”
Lucius swallowed. “Do we have one?”
“No.” As if anyone would actually come to watch Lucius fuck Izzy. “I’m just saying, what would you care if someone walked in?”
“Would you care?”
Izzy ground his jaw, aiming for nonchalance. “I don’t care.”
Lucius’ eyes swept over him, and Izzy tried to bring his breathing under control. “We could have some people watching,” he said softly. Not exactly cautious, just sort of…testing. “Wouldn’t put it past Pete to hide behind a barrel if he suspected what was happening.”
Izzy lost the fight with his breath, inhaling and exhaling far too fast. The boy could read him like a book, must know how excited the idea made him.
“Others, too, I bet. Roach can be a sneaky little shit when he wants. Think he’s hiding behind that barrel with Pete?”
Izzy grunted. He never really cared for the unpredictable little maniac, although his skill with a cleaver was admirable. “Fang,” he said instead. “He’d… he’d want to watch.”
Was it true? Probably not. Fang was not the most subtle member of Blackbeard’s crew. But that was the thing about a fantasy , Izzy was learning. They didn’t have to be realistic to get them off.
And based on the way Lucius’ eyes lit up, he didn’t give a whit about realism either. “Fang, god, that’s hot. What do you think they’d say if they saw how you were behaving right now?”
“Hah!” Izzy snorted. “Are you joking? Pete would be in awe of anything I do, short of ripping out your entrails, and Fang knows I never go down without a fight.”
Lucius crowded in close, ran his wooden finger down Izzy’s cheek. “Never? I have proof that that’s not even remotely true.”
“Your word isn’t proof,” Izzy rejoined. “And after the demonstration I’d give them, they’d believe my word over yours.”
Lucius’ eyes narrowed. “Hands,” he barked. Not the name, but the command. Izzy clenched his hands in place and refused to budge.
“Make me.”
There was something to be said about the exercises Izzy had been putting Lucius through. When Lucius grabbed his wrists, his hands were like steel, and Izzy had to put real effort into locking his muscles so Lucius couldn’t budge them. His biceps strained and he nearly lost his balance when he straightened his legs for better resistance. Lucius dug his fingers into the soft spots Izzy had taught him about (“You might never be a decent swordsman, but at least if someone tries to grab you, you can get away if you do this ”), and it actually fucking worked for a moment.
Until Izzy let go.
Lucius was so preoccupied with using force to make Izzy budge that when Izzy relaxed unexpectedly, all of that force with no resistance sent Lucius tumbling backwards. Still holding Izzy in that ironlike grip. Lucius fell hard, narrowly missing hitting his head on a cannon; Izzy landed on top of him, knocking his wind out.
“Oh, fucking shit , my back!” Lucius yelped. “You bratty fucking arsehole, you are so going to get it.”
Izzy studied him for signs of genuine pain. No safe word, which meant he was probably fine. Probably. Unlike Izzy, Lucius had no qualms about using the safe word to halt the scene if necessary.
The hesitation was all Lucius needed, however. Hooking his leg around Izzy’s just like he’d been taught, he used his bulk and a well-timed swell rocking the ship to flip their positions, putting Lucius on top. Fuck! If Izzy fought tooth and nail, he could get out from under Lucius. No guarantees he wouldn’t damage the boy in the process, though. And damage wasn’t what he was looking for.
He was so incredibly fucked.
“You cheated,” he snarled. No real heat, and Lucius didn’t flinch. He had long since learnt to tell the difference between a genuinely angry Izzy and one who was just playing the part. It should annoy Izzy. Should. But, he reasoned to himself, at least this way Lucius wasn’t constantly checking to make sure Izzy was okay. It made his life easier, really.
Really.
“You cheated first,” Lucius panted. Idiot boy was winded just from that? Izzy would need to figure out some chores that would build up his damn lung capacity. And no, blow jobs didn’t count. Well. Maybe they counted a little. “Besides, it’s not cheating if you’re a pirate. You taught me that.”
Pride absolutely did not flare in Izzy’s stomach at those words.
Lucius shoved Izzy’s hands over his head, practically laying on top of him from hips to wrists. “Are you going to stay where I put you, or do I need to tie you down?”
Izzy bucked his hips in response.
“Right. Fine.” Lucius transferred Izzy’s wrists to one hand, holding them in place to fumble at his neckerchief with the other. The fight wasn’t completely gone from Izzy, but he couldn’t deny he was eager for whatever would come next. Bondage, yes. Punishment, almost certain. Pleasure, without a doubt.
The neckerchief didn’t have the same length as the ropes they’d used in the past, but Lucius could do a lot with very little. He tied Izzy’s wrists securely together; Izzy tested the knots and found them to be adequate. Easy to undo in an emergency but tight enough to keep him in place.
Lucius sat back, satisfied. “Naughty little fucker. What the fuck got into you?”
Izzy rolled his hips. “Not you.” Not yet, anyway.
“And I won’t, either, unless you get your act together,” Lucius said severely. “Like fuck am I going to reward you acting like a brat.”
Izzy growled and wiggled his hips. Their crotches were still pressed together, and Izzy could feel that Lucius hadn’t lost even a little bit of his erection. If anything, he was harder than before.
Of course, Lucius saw right through his antics. He scrambled to his feet, putting that delicious cock out of Izzy’s reach. Izzy groaned. God fucking damn him. Lucius straightened his shirt, looking oddly naked without his neckerchief on. “Get up,” he commanded.
Izzy stared up at him. Not a glare, but not compliant, either. Challenging.
Lucius brought his shoe right up against Izzy’s cock and pressed down slightly. Izzy whined high in his throat. A poorly-timed swell could knock Lucius off-balance and – the thought didn’t bear pursuing. To say the least, it would hurt .
Izzy licked his lips, eager.
“Get. Up.”
Izzy thrust his cock up against the heavy pressure of Lucius’ shoe. Lucius’ eyes narrowed, but before he could tell Izzy off for his impertinence, Izzy rolled out from under him and struggled into a sitting position. His bound hands made simple movements all that much harder. Good thing years of climbing rigging and hauling heavy ropes had given him decent core strength. He could pop to his feet with minimal effort if he so chose; instead, he opted to rise slowly, making it clear this was his choice , not Lucius’.
Once upright, he pressed into Lucius’ space. “What now…bitch?” he asked softly, eyes focused on the boy’s lips. Those lips were heaven-sent.
Lucius grabbed Izzy by the hair at the nape of his neck and dragged him closer. “I’m not your bitch, bitch,” he hissed. Close enough that small flecks of spit landed on Izzy’s lower lip. He licked them away. “Thought I already taught you who’s in charge here.”
Izzy tried to lunge forward, but Lucius’ grip on his hair was tight enough to hold him back. The resultant sharp pain wrenched a moan from Izzy’s lips. “Fuuuuck,” he hissed. “Hahn. Fuck…me.”
“Not a fucking chance,” Lucius said sternly. “You’ve been nothing but a brat. What makes you think you earned my cock? All you earned yourself is a spanking.”
Izzy swallowed, trying not to look too eager. “Fuck you.”
“No, you won’t get that, either,” Lucius said mildly. “I think… Ten spanks for your whole attitude, five more for that dirty trick that landed me on my arse, and another five for calling me a bitch. Twenty altogether. Do you understand?”
“Kiss my arse.”
“Twenty-five.”
“Suck my cock.”
“Thirty. Satisfied yet?”
Izzy stayed silent. Thirty was a lot; he’d be having trouble sitting for the next couple of days. He wouldn’t be forgetting this any time soon, and that was a promise that sent thrills up Izzy’s spine.
Lucius waited a moment longer, then nodded his satisfaction. “Thirty. And you’ll count them out loud. Now, bend over the cannon.”
Izzy blinked, startled. “What?”
Lucius merely raised his eyebrows. “What, did you think I would put you over my knee so you could rub your cock on my nice, soft thigh? Fuck no. Over the cannon with you, and all you get to rub against is the hard metal. You know better than to cross me, but you did it anyway. Why would I reward that? Would you reward the way you behaved today?”
“No,” Izzy admitted sullenly. He thought about putting up more of a fight, but the punishment would only get worse. Lucius wasn’t above simply leaving him here to stew in his arousal with an order not to get himself off until Lucius came back – which could be hours or even a full day later.
“Cannon,” Lucius repeated, and Izzy obeyed at last.
He leant over, bound arms braced on the top of the cannon, but that wasn’t good enough for Lucius. After unlacing and yanking Izzy’s leather trousers and small clothes down, the boy bodily manoeuvred him so that he was draped over the hard metal, hard cock pressed right up against it. This was going to hurt and hurt good.
“Count.”
That was all the warning he got before Lucius’ hand smacked hard against Izzy’s arse, pressing his crotch into the cannon. Izzy hissed at the harsh rub of metal against his sensitive skin. “One,” he snarled.
Smack . “Two!”
Smack. Izzy moaned. “ Three .”
As Izzy’s body heat warmed the metal and his precum made it slick, the sensations changed. Still hard. Still rough. And Lucius used his right hand – the one without the wooden finger. No accidental splinters or scratches, plus it was his weaker hand. By all means, this was a veritable walk in the woods compared to some of the things Izzy had endured over the years.
He wouldn’t tell Lucius that, though. The boy could get weirdly precious about some things.
The smacks continued, with Izzy dutifully counting each one. He nearly lost his place when Lucius took a break around number eighteen to scratch his nails down the reddened skin, eliciting fire within. Forgetting himself, Izzy cried out in ecstatic pain. Everything was burning, harsh and sharp – from the rub of the cannon against Izzy’s cock to the roots of his hair where Lucius reached up to tug sharply at random intervals. His precum leaked out, making the rough slide just that much easier.
“ T-twenty-one…Twen…twenty….two .”
Face red with effort, moisture collecting at the corners of his eyes. Each smack a jolt, a release.
“ Twenty….twenty… ”
Lost, under the surface. Where did he go?
“ Twenty… ”
“Are we done?”
No! Izzy rubbed his face against the cannon, as if that would wipe away the fog. “ Twenty-six ,” he ground out, breath hard and ragged.
“You already said that one. I think we’re done.”
“No!” Out loud this time, desperate, broken. What came after twenty-six? “Tw-twenty-seven, please. I can take it.”
Lucius regarded him solemnly. He brought his dominant hand to Izzy’s face and brushed away the moisture there, then down to his beard where some drool had leaked out, too. “You’re getting sloppy, gorgeous.”
Izzy licked his lips with a dry tongue. “Three more. Please. I earned them.”
Lucius remained silent for a long moment, the blood in Izzy’s reddened arse keeping time to his heartbeat. At last, Lucius nodded. “You did. Never let it be said that Izzy Hands won’t take his punishments like a good boy. Even if he earned them by being naughty.”
Relief, sweet and satisfying. Smack .
“ Twenty-eight .”
Smack .
“Hnnn. Twenty… twenty-nine .”
The last one wasn’t so much a smack as a tap, but Izzy couldn’t care less. The utter release of grinding out that last “ Thirty ” is all the satisfaction he needed.
But they weren’t done yet. “Don’t move,” Lucius instructed, which, really, Izzy could nearly laugh. As if he could move a muscle. Lucius pulled something out of his trouser pocket and – well fuck him, now Izzy had to live with the knowledge that Lucius just kept a vial of oil in his pocket for use at a moment’s notice. Must be convenient, what with two boyf - lov- part- available holes he didn’t mind shagging anywhere at any time. “How’s your dick?”
Izzy could lie, but he knew better. “A little sore,” he admitted.
“Bearable?” Lucius slicked up his fingers, teasing at Izzy’s hole.
“Yes.”
“Good. It’s going to get worse.”
Izzy closed his eyes in heady anticipation.
The fingers worked their magic, taking their time to open him up – one, two, three fingers sliding in a little at a time to make room. Slick and steady. Izzy writhed on the sensations, desperate. Impatient.
The fingers stilled.
Waited.
With a low growl, Izzy forced his hips into tranquility, and just like that, the fingers started up again.
“You earned my cock by being so good about your punishment,” Lucius told him, running his free hand down Izzy’s back. “Don’t make me take it away again. Do you hear me?”
Izzy grumbled something under his breath.
Lucius grabbed his ear and twisted, hard. “ Do you hear me ?”
Izzy groaned against the pain, breathing hard. “I hear you,” he hissed.
“Good boy.” Lucius released him and pulled his fingers out of Izzy’s arse. “Deep breath, gorgeous.”
He took as deep a breath as he could before it was punched out of his lungs by the deeper stretch of Lucius’s cock pushing into him. Not the burning, underprepared rip that Izzy was used to – no. Lucius insisted he be fully ready for him, no matter what. No matter how bratty Izzy was. Lucius never made him bleed there. Other places? Yes. Never there.
A disappointment at first, true, but Lucius could bring out other creative ways to make Izzy howl. Hence: this.
“Good?” Lucius asked, and Izzy was smugly satisfied to hear he was also breathing hard.
“Get on with it,” Izzy snarled.
Lucius grabbed his hair and pulled, making Izzy’s scalp sear. “That wasn’t an answer.”
Izzy panted harshly, incredibly wound up now. “Yes, yes fucking – yes! I’m fucking good, you fucking –”
A hand over his mouth cut off any more harsh words. If Lucius weren’t already inside Izzy, he might have considered biting or licking the fingers, but he really didn’t want to test Lucius’ resolve to take his cock away for misbehaviour. So Izzy simply let out a keening whine and stilled. Lucius held him for a beat, two, three. Then he thrust as deep as he could and held there, pressing into the lingering fire from the spanking.
“Good?”
Izzy swallowed against his hand. Nodded. Lucius slipped his fingers down just enough that Izzy could croak out, “Yes.”
The fingers drifted lower, holding Izzy’s neck in a loose grip. “Good.”
He started out slow. Not gentle, no. Just slow. Unbelievably slow. Testing Izzy’s patience. He could almost laugh, really. Nobody who had worked under Edward Teach for as long as Izzy had could possibly lack patience. He could endure this all day and all night if he had to.
Fortunately for him, however, Lucius hadn’t spent three decades building up a tolerance for trying to follow the whims of a half-mad genius. He began to speed up, pumping in and out of Izzy hard enough that Izzy’s cock dragged against the cannon, the metal now slick-wet-warm with precum and sweat. Lucius used one hand to grip Izzy’s hip and the other to bury in his hair, tugging just hard enough to bring a tingle down his spine. His hips snapped rougher and rougher, pounding Izzy into the cannon. Fuck , the pain-pleasure coursed through his veins, setting every nerve to singing. He thought he might explode like so much gunpowder packed into a tiny space and set alight. A full-bodied shiver wracked his body, making Lucius cry out.
“Oh my God,” Lucius moaned, sinking fully into Izzy’s back. “Fucking hell, you feel so good.”
A thought popped into Izzy’s head, unbidden – how would this look to someone watching them? He groaned out loud, bound hands straining to scrabble at the cannon, struggling to find something to hold onto through the resulting surge of desire. He wanted to know what Lucius thought but couldn’t form the words. How he fucking wished for Bonnet’s stupid fucking mirror right about now. Imagination had never been Izzy’s strong suit – he couldn’t picture what they would see. Izzy bent over the cannon, Lucius draped over his back, both of them still mostly clothed except for Izzy’s trousers down around his ankles. Pounding relentlessly, desperation rising with every thrust.
“F-fuck,” Izzy gasped out. Something clattered nearby, and Izzy came out of the fog just long enough to mentally curse out whoever hadn’t properly secured something, which he would inevitably have to pick up later. When he could walk again, which, if Lucius had his way, would be a few hours later. At least. “We…we look…”
“Fucking hot, gorgeous,” Lucius gasped out. “We look fucking hot. Anyone would agree.”
“Yeah,” a strangled voice agreed faintly. “Yeah, definitely.”
Izzy’s heart seized. His head whipped up, locating the source of the voice immediately: Frenchie, frozen in place, eyes riveted to the scene in front of him. His face only showed complete shock, but the shifting of his legs suggested he was more affected by the display than he let on. His wide eyes met Izzy’s, held for a beat. “Fucking hell,” Frenchie murmured, still rooted to the spot. “Izzy…you’re fucking hot, mate.”
Izzy came right then and there, without Lucius laying a single finger on his cock.
Lucius gasped as Izzy’s body shuddered around him and then he was coming too, still buried deep inside Izzy. He drooped against Izzy, weight pressing down, pushing him into the cannon and into his own mess.
Izzy elbowed him, disgusted (with himself, with Frenchie, with the whole goddamn situation). “Get off.”
Lucius somehow found the wherewithal to pull himself upright, slipping out of Izzy and tucking himself away. Izzy struggled to push himself off the cannon; ever the fucking gentleman, Lucius reached to untie his hands and help him, but Izzy shrugged him off.
“Enjoy the show?” he snapped at Frenchie, who finally managed to look away, face bright red.
“Um, it was… good.” His hands clasped suspiciously in front of his crotch. Of all the times for him to not be carrying around his fucking lute. “Real good. Er…”
“Why are you down here?” Lucius asked.
Frenchie swallowed hard. “He, er, that is… Mr. Hands told me to clean the cannons.”
“Over an hour ago,” Izzy snarled.
“Well, I, um…” Frenchie’s blush crept down his neck. He reached one hand up to rub at his hairline, then thought better of it and brought it down to hide his crotch once more. “I had some…other things to attend to first.” He blinked, confusion winning out over embarrassment. “Wait, why did you tell me to come clean the cannons if you were going to be here with, uh…” He gestured awkwardly at Lucius as if he couldn’t bring himself to say his name.
Izzy got his clothes straightened, drew himself up to his full height. “Because I knew it would be a guaranteed way to get you all to fuck off. Now fuck off .”
“Right, yes – yes, sir, Mr. Hands, sir.”
Izzy ground his teeth. Nobody on this godforsaken crew had ever bothered to show him a modicum of respect until this moment. “Wait!”
Frenchie grimaced, probably annoyed that he hadn’t made his escape fast enough. “Yeah?”
Izzy glanced down at his cum dripping down the side of the cannon. He was going to be sore as fuck for the next couple days, which he knew would really make the lesson stick. “The cannons still need to be cleaned.”
Frenchie stared at him, horrified. Lucius nudged him sharply. “You can’t make him clean up your jizz!” he hissed.
Izzy wanted to point out that the cum being on the cannon was Frenchie’s fault anyway, so it was only fair, but he bit his tongue. “Fine. Get me a rag.”
“Sure thing,” Frenchie called, already hurrying out of the room.
Leaving Izzy and Lucius alone.
“So….”
Izzy glared at Lucius. “Just say it.”
“You liked that. A lot,” Lucius said.
“Fuck off.” Which in Izzy-speak pretty much meant “I know.”
“Are you… more open to the idea of –”
“Yes,” Izzy cut him off quickly. No need to say it out loud.
“I can make arrangements. Especially since, you know…”
Izzy looked at him sharply. “What?”
“Well, you do realise Frenchie isn’t going to keep this to himself, right?” Lucius gave him an incredulous look. “You do understand that, right? This isn’t a secret anymore.”
He should have felt horror at that. Or trepidation. Or disgust. He absolutely shouldn’t have felt a thrill of… something hot and anticipatory jolt through him. “Yes of fucking course I know.” And Lucius would never know otherwise.
“And you’re…okay with that?”
“Fuck it. Whatever.” Later, he would panic. Because he knew this crew well enough now, and the questions… Dear God, the questions would be never-ending. And there would be Pete to deal with. Sure, he knew Lucius had someone on the side that he couldn’t say who it was. Maybe Pete had even guessed. But now that the knowledge was out in the open, maybe that would change things. And Ivan and Fang would know, too.
And Edward.
But what was done was done, and there was no changing it now. He had two options, as far as he could see: one, he could steal a dinghy in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep and row as far as he could get with whatever rations he could sneak away.
Or two, he could let Lucius make his…arrangements.
“It’s fine.” And for some reason, when Izzy allowed himself to really think about it later, it was the truth.