Chapter Text
A bloody sunset spread over the horizon. As red as the wine that Edward has already drunk today. He smashed a bottle of expensive wine over the head of a pompous wedding guest. The poor bride in the torn dress did not realize what a gift Edward had given her, freeing her from this marriage. Edward threw the thin groom overboard with his own hands — unfortunately, the guy could not swim. Why did they even have to go and play a wedding at sea? Stupid, damned aristocrats. They always interfere where they're not invited. Be it the sea or be it the heart of some poor bastard, whatever.
Edward staggered. Either the deck was tilting after the storm, or he was just very drunk. But the crew is not supposed to see the captain powerless. That's why Edward never showed them any weakness.
He rubbed his face, smearing dirty footprints. The anger didn't go away. Another wedding was ruined, but the anger was still sitting in him. Only now it was sharing a chair with fatigue. Weariness began to visit him more and more often. What will Edward do when fatigue displaces anger from the chair? What if in the future there is only endless fatigue left?
Edward ran his hand over the nine pistols. Even nine pistols were not enough. He didn’t feel safe or worthy. There was no way he could bring Blackbeard back to life. His place was taken by the Kraken. He was feeding on anger, aggression, intolerance, resentment and revenge. But if the Kraken disappears, who will remain? There was no Edward for a long time. And who is «Edward» anyway?
He was sitting on the cabin floor, surrounded by empty bottles. He had neither the strength nor the desire to take off his dirty leather jacket. However, in some incomprehensible way, that one beautiful robe was always within reach. Edward wiggled his fingers, sliding his hand across the floor. His fingertips touched the soft fabric.
Edward was ready to howl. The only softness in the past few weeks has come from the robe alone. But did Edward deserve the softness? After all he's done?
But he was always like this. What he was doing now on the high seas was just returning to his roots, confirming his title as a ruthless pirate. But it all had started many years ago. Which means Edward didn't deserve any softness even at that time when he first met St…
Bonnet.
He didn't deserve anything good even then. Now he was only continuing the interrupted path.
Edward felt how the Kraken wrapped its tentacles around his shoulders, penetrating his chest, under his ribs, entangling his heart. But it was okay. That way he won't be left alone ever again. He will always be protected.
It was cold and wet under the protection of the Kraken. But come what may. Come what may, thought Edward. He didn’t have a choice now, did he?
And still…
Still the beautiful robe laid there so seductively. Edward downed the rest of the rum and threw his hand forward. He pulled the robe towards him and pressed his dirty cheek against the silk.
And sobbed disgustingly.
The Kraken hissed and writhed, trying to push Edward's consciousness out, trying to take his place.
What a pathetic little man!
But tonight, Edward — who is Edward anyway? whoever he was — he was winning by crying into a soft cloth. And it was scary. Edward draped the robe over his leather jacket. The only thing that calmed him down was that none of the crew knew about it. No one in the whole world knew about this. And no one ever will.
Stede Bonnet's name was banned on the ship.
Edward couldn't forget himself in alcohol anymore. To tell the truth, it never even worked unless Edward was drunk to the point of passing out. And then Izzy had to deal with his shit.
However, Izzy was used to it. He dreamed of getting Blackbeard back, but what he really got was a monster that he didn't know how to handle.
"Boss?"
A muffled voice came from behind the wooden door.
The Kraken stirred again.
"Get out," Edward rasped.
"Boss? We need to discuss today's raid. The crew is annoyed that you ordered to throw all the treasures overboard. I talked with them, but we need... "
"Leave me the fuck alone," the Kraken growled, fully taking Edward's place, throwing the robe off his shoulders.
"You bastard, this is getting serious. Open the fucking door. It’s not the time for you to play the little boy that we both know you are."
Anger fueled the Kraken, he smiled a terrible smile — fatigue was slipping away. Anger helped. Now he hardly thought about St... that stupid aristocrat. To hell with him. To hell with everything.
The Kraken smashed one of the many empty bottles at the door with a furious growl.
There was silence outside.
"Edward, please".
"There is no Edward here", the Kraken shouted. "Edward never even existed".
"Open the door".
Didn’t he know what he's bringing upon himself? Oh no, he knew it perfectly well. After all, he wanted it, craved it from Blackbeard. Cutting off a couple of toes was probably not enough for him.
After all these years…
Izzy never stopped wanting it.
The Kraken grinned.
The door swung open. The Kraken looked up at his first mate, breathing heavily.
"Edward, you look terrible".
"Isn't that what you wanted? I am the terror of the seven seas. I am terrible."
Izzy backed away, but the Kraken darted forward like a black shadow and easily dragged Izzy into the cabin. The door slammed shut.
Before Izzy could recover, the Kraken grabbed him by the throat with one hand and pinned him against the wall.
"Edward... It hurts," Izzy croaked, grabbing the Kraken's iron grip with his hand.
"But you love it. You're jerking off to this. Admit it."
"Edward... please..."
The Kraken squeezed his fingers around Izzy's throat, feeling the veins, the bones, the rough skin. It's so easy to break his neck.
"Please what? Fuck you?" The Kraken brought his face close to Izzy's. "Or kill you?"
"I didn't want it to happen like that..."
"But who is to blame for this now?"
To Izzy it sounded like Stede fucking Bonnet was to blame. And yet he answered:
"It's my fault."
The Kraken's eyes burned through Izzy in the light of a few dying candles. The Kraken loosened his grip slightly, deciding to have fun with his toy before killing it.
"I'm sorry, Edward... you can do... whatever you want... whatever helps you…"
Izzy's voice sounded pathetic and broken. Something wet dripped onto Edward's hand.
"I don't need help."
"You need obedience. He dumped you, and you feel like you've lost control. But you got me. I'm always with you."
Izzy touched his stubbly cheek with trembling fingers. The Kraken flared up in anger, grabbing his wrist.
"Don't even think about it, you motherfucker. I hate you."
The Kraken hit him on his sore leg. Izzy howled.
"How do you like it, you sick fuck?"
Izzy was panting.
The Kraken moved closer — there was no doubt now, the bulge on Izzy's pants spoke for itself. The pain and the pleasure, it seems.
The Kraken slapped him across the face, cutting the skin on his cheekbone with a ring.
They had never gone this far before, and it made the Kraken dizzy. New emotions! The new kind of cruelty, the new way of control. That poor bastard Edward couldn’t make someone stay with him, but the Kraken — oh, he knows his shit. No one will ever leave.
The tentacles were shaking with anticipation, and the black heart was beating faster. The robe was forgotten on the floor, and there was no more room in his chest for St...
The Kraken stepped on Izzy's sore foot.
Izzy screamed, but the Kraken clamped his mouth shut in time. Izzy was mumbling into the glove, trying to bite it with his teeth.
"Shhh, shhh... We don't want everyone to come running to see you humiliated, do we? At least not yet."
The Kraken shuddered with laughter and began to roughly untie Izzy's pants with his free hand.
"Do you think I'm going to fuck you the way you want? What if I cut off your balls instead? What do you say?"
Izzy was wheezing now, unable to say anything. The Kraken took a quick look at his face — the tracks of tears and blood had left their mark. He deserved it.
They all deserved what the Kraken will do to them. He will protect that poor wretch Edward, he will fill the emptiness inside him with new sensations. He will take poor Edward himself by the throat. So that Edward would never foolishly trust again...
"...ward?"
His ears were ringing.
"Shut up."
The Kraken clung to Izzy’s shoulders, either to pin him against the wall or to keep himself steady on his feet.
"Edward, you need to sit down… "
"I said shut the fuck up!"
Anger flared up again, and the Kraken's hands closed around Izzy's neck again. This time Izzy resisted. He managed to unhook the Kraken's arms and pushed him aside.
The exhausted Kraken stumbled over the bottles and fell to the floor. He was panting. His fingers touched the robe. So good, so nice, so soft. The best thing in his life these days. The only reminder of a loved one.
He choked on tears.
"Edward!"
Izzy sat down carefully next to him.
His chest burned. An unhealthy, nasty feeling rose from the depths. He threw up and collapsed onto his side, hitting his forehead on the dirty wooden floor. He didn't know how long he laid there until a wet and smelly rag was pressed against his temple.
"Fuck off..." He croaked.
"It's all right. I'll clean it up."
"You always do... "
Izzy sighed. Apparently, he felt a change in the tone of the captain’s voice and dared to ask:
"Edward, are you with me?"
There was a grunt in response. His head was foggy, but slimy tentacles were crawling away, into the darkness of the cabin, into the corners, until tomorrow.
Edward couldn't lift his head, but somehow Izzy knew he was back.
"Come on, we need to get you up and on the bed."
Izzy held out his hands, but Edward pulled away as far as his strength would allow.
"Izzy, your pants... Did I do this?"
"Yeah."
Edward felt unworthy of the robe again.
"I'm a monster," he groaned.
Izzy sat Edward down with his strong hands, leaning his back against the bed. He clutched at his shoulders like the Kraken had just recently. Edward did not struggle. He seemed terrified, completely withdrawn into himself.
"Yeah, you are. You’re insane. There is no denying that. But don't blame yourself for some torn pants. I let it happen, do you understand? Edward…"
His head was spinning. Edward thought he was going to be sick again. And so it happened only a few seconds after.
"Asshole, when was the last time you ate? You’re having a booze for breakfast or what?"
Edward felt the soft cloth against his lips and gave a faint cry.
"No!"
Izzy was wiping his lips with the robe.
"You ruined it!"
Edward was sobbing ugly, no longer hiding his tears. With the last of his strength, he pulled Izzy close by the collar, exhaling into his face:
"Kill me".
"Shh, shh," Izzy replied, just as Edward had told him so recently. "You need to get some sleep, boss. Fucking Bonnet. What had he done? What have I done? What's going to happen to all of us now?"