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Ed sits quietly where he is, breathing even and muscles relaxed, despite his current position.
Wrists bound behind his back, ankles and chest bound to the chair he’s sitting in, blindfold tight around his eyes, he can barely move, but there’s something hot and expectant under his skin.
He’s in the captain’s cabin, and he can hear the slowly approaching footsteps of Stede, because this is a situation they’ve all been planning for a while now; they being Stede, Izzy, and himself. A little roleplay – an enemy captain captures Blackbeard and his first mate and has his way with them – something fun and exciting and different. Stede is embodying the enemy captain now, and Ed listens as he moves closer. He hasn’t seen him yet, even as he’d set the scene up, the blindfold having been the first thing on, but he knows Stede had a whole new outfit picked out and everything, and he’s eager to see, eager to get started.
Ed hears Stede stop in front of him, and the air of the cabin seems to shift, like the whole room is readying itself for what's to come, and the tension abruptly thickens, heightened by his lack of sight.
“The legendary Blackbeard.” Stede begins.
The blindfold is yanked off, and Ed squints into the sudden light, focusing his gaze on Stede as he steps back. Ed’s eyes focus and all thoughts vanish from his mind as he gets his first full look at Stede and promptly forgets his own name.
Loose open shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tight leather pants, thigh high boots, fingerless gloves, and a dagger on his hip. Slicked back hair, a light beard, and, jesus, he’s even lined his eyes in a dark kohl. He looks unbearably, unfairly attractive. Stede must see Ed’s reaction, as he goes so far as to strike a bit of a pose, one hand on his hip, the other up by his mouth as he smirks cockily and quirks an eyebrow.
“How delightful to have you here.” Stede purrs, voice low, and Ed has to take a full minute to process what he says.
Right, right: scene, acting, characters. He’s captured by an enemy (a sexy enemy , his brain supplies, and he squashes the thought, no matter how true it is), and he’s not happy about it. He clears his throat, finding his voice and kicking his brain back into functioning, as he pulls on his own persona.
“We can skip the pleasantries. You clearly want something from me.” He shrugs his shoulders to indicate how he’s tied to the chair, but keeps his tone low and calm.
Stede smiles, but there’s a calculating glint in his eyes.
“Do you think?” He asks, almost mockingly, and Ed narrows his eyes.
“Release me now and maybe I won’t kill you.” Ed growls.
Stede gives a short, sharp laugh.
“You’re hardly in the position to be making demands.”
As if to emphasize his statement, Stede steps close to stand between Ed's legs, looming over him. He reaches a hand out, lets it hover close to Ed's throat like a promise; a threat. Ed snarls and tips his head up defiantly.
"What do you want?" He snaps, bluntly.
"Oh, many things." Stede says breezily.
Absently, he tucks a strand of Ed's hair behind his ear, the gesture a gentle and intimate one normally, but in the context of their current scene, it comes across as unnerving. Ed barely suppresses his shudder, though it's more anticipatory than anything.
"As the one who's bested the great Blackbeard, I'll enjoy everything that comes with my conquest."
Stede leans in close, a predatory curve to his lips.
"After all," he mutters quietly, right in Ed's face, "to the victor, go the spoils."
Stede grabs Ed by the jaw and roughly pulls his head around to look beside them. Ed inhales sharply, eyes widening at the sight before him. Laid out on a blanket in front of the drawn curtains of the bed nook is Izzy, stripped naked and tightly bound and gagged. Ed knew, of course, that this was part of it, but he hadn't known how it would look, and he lets his reaction play as though it was the realization hitting him, what this enemy captain meant by enjoying everything.
“Blackbeard’s loyal first mate.” Stede declares grandly, prowling over to Izzy.
Izzy twitches, and Ed can see that he’s already worked up, flushed and straining against the ropes. He would’ve seen Stede already, to have the whole thing prepared, and Ed wonders how long he’s been lying there, waiting for this.
“What a treat for me.” Stede murmurs, almost to himself, as he stands over Izzy, surveying his own handiwork.
Izzy is bound in a chest harness, ropes across his front, framing his tits and wrapping behind to keep his arms pinned, folded up against his back. His ankles are tied to his thighs, keeping him immobile, and there’s a cloth Ed thinks might be one of Stede’s cravats shoved in his mouth to keep him quiet. Or at least unable to speak, because Ed can definitely hear the sound Izzy makes when Stede grabs the center of the harness with one hand and yanks Izzy upright in a single smooth motion.
Stede pulls Izzy into a kneeling position so he’s facing Ed, and kneels behind him, curling one arm around Izzy like he’s hugging him close to his chest. It's almost tender, if not for the distantly amused look on Stede’s face. He meets Ed’s eyes over Izzy’s shoulder, mutters something in Izzy’s ear that makes his face scrunch with something like embarrassment and he tries to duck his head.
Stede tuts, and reaches up to slide a hand into Izzy’s hair, then makes a fist and pulls. Izzy makes a guttural noise in his throat as his head tips back, dazed eyes meeting Ed’s, and he’s fully red in the face.
“Now, now, Mr. Hands,” Stede chides lightly, “keep your eyes on your captain.”
Izzy’s eyes almost close, face burning with humiliation, but he keeps them on Ed, and Ed, for his part, couldn’t look away if he tried. Stede releases his grip on Izzy’s hair, drags his hand down to caress his throat, his collar, then lands at his sternum, pausing for a second like he’s idly considering his next move. Fucking tease, Ed thinks, watching the pronounced rise and fall of Izzy’s chest as he nearly pants for breath. It's bad enough just watching this, and Ed knows if Izzy could, he’d be cursing up a storm.
Stede slides his hand sideways, starts tracing circles around one of Izzy’s nipples, then almost like an afterthought, tweaks it sharply. Izzy jumps, and the corners of Stede’s mouth curl upwards. He leans in and licks a stripe up the side of Izzy’s neck, before he nips at the spot behind his ear. Izzy makes a keening sound, high and quick, and keeps making it as Stede bites his way back down to the junction where neck meets shoulder. Stede sinks his teeth in, sucks a bruise into the skin, then peers at Ed through half-lidded eyes, intent and pointed and challenging.
Ed jerks, because Stede has them both at his mercy, but he’s still basically taunting Ed, like he’s silently saying ‘this is mine now’ as he leaves his mark on Izzy. And fuck, but if it isn’t weirdly hot, and Ed finds himself unconsciously leaning forward, heat pooling in his gut – a movement Stede doesn’t miss, and he grins like he’s won something.
“Such a good boy.” Stede hums, and Izzy squirms against him.
Stede tightens his grip, flicks a nipple teasingly, then reaches down to where Izzy is so wet already, Ed can see it from where he’s sitting. Slowly, he dips a finger down to push into the folds of Izzy’s entrance and drag the slick back up, circling the clit. Stede teases at it for a bit, rubbing his thumb over the sensitive spot and making Izzy whine and twitch in his hold.
Almost lazily, Stede sinks his middle finger inside Izzy, actually pushes in this time, and Izzy’s hips jerk in response. Another finger joins the first, pumping in and out rhythmically, and Izzy’s head falls back against Stede’s shoulder.
Ed can see the building climax, the tension all up Izzy’s body, as Stede quickens his pace, and then just as suddenly, simply stops. Izzy gives a muffled cry of protest, the frustration clear despite the gag, and Ed winces in sympathy. Stede can be sadistic when he wants, and right now especially, he’s ruthless. Stede tips his head to look at Ed once more, and he looks remarkably unaffected, despite half his hand buried in Izzy’s cunt. Ed has to give him credit for his acting skills, because he’s certainly feeling the effects of watching this.
Stede nudges Izzy’s head back up and Izzy’s gaze is unfocused, forehead damp with sweat, hair a mess and falling in his eyes. Izzy blinks rapidly, glancing between Stede and Ed with a look that's half wary, half dazed.
“So, Blackbeard,” Stede begins conversationally, like he’s talking about the weather, “have you ever made your first mate look like this? He makes such a pretty sight.”
Casual as anything, Stede sinks his fingers back in, rapidly moving his hand, and Ed is treated to a direct view of the exact face Izzy makes as he comes. Ed’s breath hitches sharply, his own arousal almost painful in his pants.
Izzy slumps down, legs shaking, only remaining upright because Stede is still holding him. Stede pats his shoulder and coos a “well done”, brushing his hair back and giving him a moment to recover.
“Well, what do you think?”
Ed can’t think much beyond his dick and how much he’d like a turn, thanks, but he knows it's not time for that yet, and he re-summons his own acting ability with some effort.
“I think,” he hisses, “you had better stop touching my first mate.”
There’s a note of possessiveness in his voice that he doesn’t need to fake, and he sees the way Izzy shudders when he hears it.
“How cute.” Stede says amusedly, eyes crinkling with mirth. “But I’m far from done with him, I’m afraid.”
Stede rises to standing, shoves the curtains of the bed nook aside, plucks Izzy up by the ropes along his back, and casually deposits him on the bed. Izzy wobbles a little, the way he’s tied making it hard to balance, but Stede catches him and sits him upright on the edge, before Stede promptly sinks down on one knee in front of him.
Izzy’s eyes widen in realization as Stede tucks his shoulders beneath Izzy’s shins, wrapping one hand around a thigh and using the other to open his legs wider. Ed can’t see much beyond the back of Stede’s head, but he knows the second his mouth must make contact, as Izzy jolts like he’s been shocked. Izzy’s eyes squeeze shut, shoulders bowing forward, straining against his bonds as Stede proceeds to eat him out like a full course meal.
Ed feels the heat in his own body, moreso because he’s still dressed in all his leathers, and he pulls at the ropes keeping him in place. The noises coming from Stede are frankly obscene, mixing with the muffled exclamations from Izzy, whose voice climbs higher as Stede’s fingers dig bruises into his skin.
Izzy’s back arches as he makes a strangled sort of sound, then his whole body jerks and with a low groan, he flops backwards onto the bed. Stede lets him go, gracefully rising to his feet, and tilting his head to look back at Ed over his shoulder. His face is shiny and wet and he looks terribly smug, licking his lips, before pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and daintily wiping his mouth, never breaking eye contact with Ed.
Shit, Ed thinks faintly, looking at the mess Stede has made of Izzy, Stede makes a sexy villain. And he is being a villain, because he can tell Stede still isn’t finished.
As though he knows what Ed is thinking (and maybe he does, they know each other well), Stede shoots Ed one last self-satisfied look, before he reaches out for Izzy again. He drags him down the bed, fully manhandling him, and carelessly flips him onto his stomach. With his legs tied as they are, this leaves Izzy with his ass in the air, face pressed into the sheets.
Stede stands over Izzy, looking almost fond as he drops a light smack across his backside, and Izzy actually whimpers.
“Relax, First Mate Hands,” Stede murmurs soothingly, “just one more, alright?”
And there’s a thread of genuine reassurance in his voice, because he always frets over them both more than he needs to. Izzy exhales heavily, and Ed can see the ways his fists clench against his spine, as Stede reaches for a bottle on the side table.
Stede settles himself behind Izzy, and the way they’re positioned now, Ed has a perfect side view of the action. He sees Stede’s cock freed from his pants, fully hard and slick, and Stede lines himself up. He presses in carefully, holding Izzy by the hips, and going slow but not stopping until he’s sunk to the hilt.
Izzy is making little panting moans, muffled even more with his face down in the mattress. Stede eyes him for a moment, and there’s that glint in his eye again, just a touch fiendish, as he grabs Izzy by the hair again, pulling his head up and around so he’s looking at Ed. Stede leans down over his back, puts his face right next to Izzy’s ear, though when he speaks it's loud enough that Ed can still hear him.
“Do you see, Izzy? How much your captain is enjoying this. Watching me ravish you.”
And it is obvious Ed has been responding to the show, damp with sweat, face flushed darker in his arousal, and a very obvious tent in his pants. Izzy stares at Ed with wild eyes and Ed tries to give him a reassuring look.
Stede snorts, and Ed snaps his gaze to him, still leaning over Izzy, to find Stede staring right back. A cold smirk dances across his face.
“Like what you see? Your first mate being taken by another captain?”
Ed twitches at the reaction that gets out of him, and a part of him wonders if maybe he shouldn't be so turned on by all of this – but he also thinks that given their lifestyle, they should indulge in what floats their boat and not waste time questioning their desires. Besides, it's clear all three of them are into it, and that's what really counts.
“Fuck you.” Ed snarls.
Stede laughs, not his usual laugh, but one far more unkind.
“Oh, there will be fucking alright.”
With that, Stede straightens, still fully inside Izzy, and readjusts his grip on Izzy’s hips. He gives a quick squeeze as a warning, before he promptly begins to thrust in earnest. Izzy can do nothing more than lay there and take it, and Ed can see tears forming in his eyes and tracking down his face as he’s completely overwhelmed. Stede is relentless as he pounds into Izzy, setting a quick and forceful pace. His expression is one of detached interest, like he was merely fulfilling a menial task at hand, and Ed is kind of impressed. Stede hasn’t broken character once.
Stede’s hips stutter, a rising flush on his cheeks the only sign of how affected he actually is, and his thrusts become more erratic. He inhales deeply, eyes fluttering closed as he slams into Izzy one final time and comes with a low shout.
When Stede pulls out, there’s a trail of his spend that goes with him, and Ed eyes his softening cock with a fluttery sort of thrill. Stede is insatiable, always up for more after Izzy and Ed are done, and Ed knows it's his turn next.
Stede reaches forward and undoes the knot of the gag, pulling it free from Izzy’s mouth, and Izzy barely even twitches, fully fucked out. Stede releases the ropes binding his ankles as well, and lets Izzy sprawl flat out on the bed, but otherwise leaves him as he is. He climbs off the bed and rights himself, flawlessly managing to look put back together in what feels like less than a minute.
And then, Stede turns his attention to Ed.
He prowls over at an unconcerned pace, eyes flashing with a sinister sort of glee. Slowly, he circles the chair, and the weight of his gaze is an almost physical thing. Ed feels exposed and vulnerable, and so very turned on.
“Look at you, the Dread Pirate Blackbeard! If anyone else could see you now…”
Stede speaks from behind Ed, and as he trails off, he trails a hand down Ed’s chest into the open collar of his jacket. Ed’s breath stutters at the touch, because his body still instinctively reacts to Stede, and that's not something he can help. Stede’s fingernails scratch lightly at his skin as he traces along the top of the hawk tattoo, leaving goosebumps in his wake.
The teasing little touches ignite sparks of arousal again, and Ed shifts uncomfortably, reminded that he’s still trapped in his clothes. There’s a low hum behind his head, then Stede is fully leaning over him, the heat of his body pressed right up against Ed’s back. The hand on his chest slides down to palm him through the leather and he can’t help the wanting noise he makes in response. Still, he has a part to play.
“Get off of me.” Ed means it to sound commanding, but it comes out just a little too hoarse, and there’s a huff of amusement next to his ear.
“Oh?” Stede questions airily.
Suddenly he swings around to Ed’s front, and in a flash, sits himself in Ed’s lap so he’s straddling him. With a coy little smirk, he grinds down.
“Fu-uhhhhh-” Ed cuts himself off before the swear-turned-moan can turn into Stede’s name, and internally curses Stede’s sadistic streak. (Not actually of course, he loves it, but goddamn.)
“Your body, at least, seems to enjoy what I’m doing.”
And he sounds so damn smug about it. Ed grits his teeth.
“Fuck off.”
“Someone is a little frustrated, I think.” Stede says with mock sympathy. “Your first mate got all the fun, after all.”
Stede nods his head back towards the bed, and Ed spares a glance in that direction, only to startle as he finds Izzy staring back. Apparently, he managed to recover enough to turn and watch, though by the looks of it, that's about all he has the energy for. Stede drags Ed’s attention back with a roll of his hips that makes Ed want to throw his head back. He suppresses the urge, barely.
“You poor thing, let me help you out, hmm?”
Stede stands, still straddling Ed, then reaches down and makes quick work of the fall front of Ed’s pants – a very convenient design for their activities – freeing Ed’s cock from its confines. It's both a relief and not, with Ed so hard it's almost painful. Stede eyes him contemplatively, then lays one finger at the tip where pre-come has already beaded.
“For me?” Stede has teased like this before, and it takes a second for Ed to remember to glare at him instead.
Stede leans forward, pressing his weight down onto Ed, chest to chest, and bringing their foreheads together, as he gives a few lazy strokes down Ed’s length. With Stede this close, Ed can see the intense focus in his eyes, the way his whole attention is devoted to Ed, and combined with the movement of his hand, a heady feeling washes over him.
Stede makes a thoughtful noise, pausing for a second to tug his own pants down, then with a cheeky grin, starts to sink himself down on Ed’s cock. Several expletives all try to leave Ed’s mouth at once and end up sounding like a jumble of nonsense. Stede leans his arms on Ed’s shoulders, takes his sweet time impaling himself on Ed’s cock, and he’s loose enough that he must have prepped beforehand, as he seats himself fully with a sigh. Stede looks utterly pleased as Ed bottoms out inside Stede, but he’s also completely ignoring Ed now and Ed groans, unable to do more than twitch and writhe, as Stede rides him like a glorified dildo.
Ed can feel his thoughts fizzle and die before they can even fully form, lost to the way all sensation has narrowed down to Stede and Stede alone. The pleasure mounts quickly enough, with all the tension that's already been built up, and the repeated pull of Stede on his cock is sending him towards the edge like a rushing wave.
Stede slows, his full weight sinking against Ed’s thighs, as he arches his back with a breathy moan. Ed can feel the splatter of Stede’s come between them as he helplessly tries to rock his hips and find his own release.
“St- ah!”
Ed jolts, yelping as Stede’s teeth suddenly sink into his neck, and the unexpected sting of it both reminds him of the scene and stops his climax in its tracks. Ed shoots Stede a faintly betrayed look, nearly frustrated to tears, because he’d been so close-
Stede only raises an eyebrow in response, unapologetic. Then Stede has the nerve to climb off of Ed, leaving him still unsatisfied, and Ed thinks he might actually perish.
“You fucking bastard.” Ed hisses out, voice strained and low.
“What's the matter? Didn’t you tell me to get off of you? Changed your mind?”
“No.” Ed snaps.
“If you say so.” Stede sing-songs.
Stede drops to crouch in front of Ed, lays his arms across Ed’s knees and rests his chin there with an innocent smile. Ed doesn’t trust it in the least, especially with his cock still out and how Stede is watching the way it's flushed and wet with an air of amusement. Ugh, Stede is evil.
Stede tilts his head, then reaches for the dagger still strapped to his hip, and Ed tenses – but Stede only cuts the ropes binding his ankles to the chair. He rises to lean over Ed once more, brings the blade up to rest at Ed’s throat.
“I could finish you,” Stede says idly, “or I could finish you. But one option is far more fun for me.”
Stede applies just enough pressure to make the knife point dig in without breaking skin, before he flicks his wrist and the ropes binding Ed’s arms and chest to the chair fall away. Ed blinks, thrown by the sudden change, and it allows Stede to pull him to his feet before he can react. His wrists are still tied behind his back, and his pants fall to his knees, catching on the top of his brace and almost acting like another restraint.
Stede fists one hand in the front of Ed’s jacket, tugs him forward until they’re nose-to-nose, and Ed is reminded that Stede can actually be dangerous when he wants to be. He’s strong enough to haul Ed and Izzy around with no issue and neither of them are exactly lightweights, and he’s only gotten better with a weapon in his hand. There’s a careful calculation to his every move, and Ed can see it in his face even now, like he’s balancing precisely what he’s capable of, what Ed and Izzy can take, and where to draw the line.
Stede walks him backwards a few paces, as much as he can walk, and his back hits the edge of the desk. Their eyes meet, and Ed finds himself swallowing hard. There’s a delighted sort of apprehension curling around his rib cage, as Stede gives him a smile as sharp as his sword.
“Oof-!”
And then Ed is exhaling noisily as he’s spun around and firmly bent over the desk, face pressed into the wood, the front of his thighs pressed up against the side. He feels Stede grab his wrists and hold them against his back, right above his tailbone, and he fights against the grip just to test it. Stede shoves him down harder, and Ed finds himself fully pinned in place, dizzy from the force.
Ed hears the slide of a drawer, a bottle being opened, and he knows what Stede is doing, but he still jumps when a slick hand caresses his ass. Stede takes one finger and runs it between his cheeks, brushes over his entrance and all the way down to the back of his balls.
“I must admit, I’m rather enjoying this view of you, Blackbeard.”
Ed flushes hot all over, reminded of who Stede is being right now. The words send a rush of embarrassment through him as he becomes hyper aware of his current position, and it only makes the arousal that much stronger.
Stede draws his hand back up, circles a finger around Ed’s hole, and then slowly, almost painfully so, pushes inside. Ed hisses as he’s breached, feels Stede sink in to the knuckle, and start to move, and he whines high in his throat as Stede stretches him open. The sensation is blissful, but it's not enough, barely filling him and leaving him desperately wanting.
“I can give you more.” Stede murmurs teasingly, and he curls his finger in a way that has Ed gasping.
Ed must make some pleading sound in response, because Stede stills his hand, and Ed can feel the wicked smirk on his face.
“Beg for it,” Stede purrs, “and maybe I will.”
“Hnnnnnn.”
Ed bites down on the urge to do so, stubbornly refusing to give in. He knows he won’t win this, but he’s determined to put up a fight. Stede adds a second finger, purposefully holding back and keeping his movements light and teasing. The build-up is near tortuous after being denied already, and Ed shakes a little as he stays agonizingly unfulfilled.
A third finger joins, and Stede slows so much, he might as well not be moving, and Ed nearly cries out. He tries to push back, but Stede still has him pinned, and he’s completely trapped between the uncaring wood of the desk and the uncaring grip of Stede’s hand. He wants to howl, to tear himself apart; it's all too much and not enough and he can’t take it anymore.
“...please…” Ed chokes out, barely audible.
“Hm? What was that?”
“Please-” Ed snarls, and he squeezes his eyes shut, “fuck me already, I- fuck, please, fucking-!”
Ed cuts himself off and lays on the desk, panting and blinking back tears, beyond desperate.
“Well since you asked so nicely.” Stede chirps triumphantly.
And without wasting any more time, he pulls his fingers out, brings his cock to Ed’s entrance, and pushes in.
Ed yells, shoulders hunching, knees slamming into the desk, as he’s suddenly, deliciously full. Stede is flush against him, his hips to Ed’s ass, hot as a furnace, and Ed feels like he’s burning. Stede’s hand around his wrists tightens, adjusts the grip, and the other hand settles on Ed’s hip where he’s bent. Stede’s fingers splay out and dig in, firmly finding hold, and Ed braces himself.
Stede pounds into him hard and deep and thorough, and Ed faintly thinks Stede must have been frustrated as well under his act, before the thought fizzles out along with everything else in his head. Over his own pounding heart, Ed can hear Stede grunt, the slap of flesh on flesh, the wet slide of Stede’s cock inside him, and somewhere to the side, Izzy makes a choking sound.
Ed is building back up to his peak, pleasure mounting as he rocks forward with every thrust, and he cranes his head back with a stuttered moan.
“Yes, fuck, fuck, ahhhhh-!” Ed’s eyes roll back and his mouth falls open and he thinks he might be flying apart.
“Harder, please-” Ed finds himself begging again, and Stede’s even pace breaks for a moment. “HHHHdon’t stop-!”
And this time, Stede doesn’t. Instead he picks up speed, relentlessly chasing release in Ed’s body, and Ed feels like he’s being split open as everything rises to a ringing crescendo. Then finally, finally, Ed goes slamming over the edge with all the force of a tidal wave, his climax hitting so hard his vision whites out.
Distantly, he’s aware that Stede fucks him through it, spills into him as well, but he’s floating in a blissed out daze until he blinks and finds he’s on the bed with Izzy. Stede is pulling the last of the ropes off of them both, gently rubbing at the reddened skin, and helping arrange them into more comfortable positions.
Ed just stares blankly at the ceiling for a while, listening to Stede bustle around and clean up. He slowly regains his higher brain functions, enough that when Stede reappears with a damp cloth in hand, he has the presence of mind to tug him in for a kiss.
The kohl around Stede’s eyes is smudged and streaked from sweat, and he smiles sweetly down at Ed, looking very much himself again. Stede glances to the side and his smile grows, and Ed turns to see Izzy watching them both, looking dopey and content. Stede dips down to press a kiss to Izzy’s mouth as well, and Izzy tilts his head to return it.
Stede sits up, starts wiping at the mess he left on them both, and Ed can see him getting self-conscious now that it's the afterglow. Ed huffs and nudges at Stede until he looks at him, and he’s biting his lip, brows furrowed. Ed quirks an eyebrow and Stede’s cheeks redden a little.
“Sorry, just…was that alright?”
“‘Alright’,” Izzy rasps, burying his face in a pillow, “I’m not gonna be able to fucking walk tomorrow-”
Ed laughs, stretching languidly on the sheets and rolling so he’s half on top of Izzy. Izzy makes a half-hearted grumble of protest, but doesn’t otherwise react, and Ed rubs his cheek against his shoulder blade, just because he knows it will annoy him.
There’s a quiet burst of laughter above them, and Ed peers up at Stede, who’s watching them both with such a warm fondness, it makes something in Ed’s chest tighten. He grins.
"That was fucking fantastic, mate, stop worrying."
The last of the tension leaves Stede, and Ed waves at him to lay down with them. Stede doesn’t hesitate, even with his earlier apprehension, even though they're all faintly sticky. It's going to become uncomfortable soon enough, and Stede will draw them a bath and herd Ed and Izzy into it, but that's later.
For now, it's this: intimacy and exploration, pleasure and care, trust on so many levels, and above all, love. How the mighty fall, indeed.