Chapter Text
“Is that the last of it?” Stede stood on the shore as Fang, Pete, and Frenchie dragged the rowboat with the last of the equipment up and out of the water.
After realizing they weren’t in the Caribbean, like Stede had suspected, they’d moved the boat closer to the glowing island (using one of Stede’s pairs of stockings, much to his chagrin, as a temporary belt fix.) It was then decided they shouldn’t row to shore to scout the place and find a good spot to set up camp while it was the middle of the night, no matter how bright and colorful the luminescence of the island was.
Everyone had gone to bed to get some rest before the big day they had all been waiting for, and Stede…. Well, Stede had sat on his mini private balcony in his room all night, staring out at the island, watching it through his binoculars and taking in every little thing he could. He’d tried to get Lucius to stay up and take notes for him, but Lucius had promptly closed the door in his face and told him to go to bed.
He would have bothered Ed, wanted to bother Ed, sit up all night with him and talk about the island, but Ed had been busy. The other man had spent a decent portion of the evening helping Buttons and Izzy make a quick fix to the engine long enough to move the boat closer to the island until full repairs could be made. By the time Stede had heard Ed’s bedroom door close, carefully placed right across the hall from his own, it was late, and Stede had spent far too long standing outside the door, frozen with the inability to wake him for a late night chat.
The trees were the first thing he noticed. He had been able to get a much better look at things with the ship closer now. Not all of the trees were the same, but the island held several large trees, taller than any Stede had ever seen before. They rose up into the sky so high, the clouds moved through their trunks, if you could even call them that.
“Should be,” Frenchie said, picking up an equipment case and also his guitar.
Who was Stede to forbid people from bringing things they enjoyed on a scientific expedition? He’d brought a decent portion of his wardrobe, and an entire library worth of books with him. If Frenchie wanted to work on his music while they were here, Stede wouldn’t say no. After all, it wasn’t like Frenchie was there to gather research. Half the crew had come simply because Stede had needed help.
Frenchie was an aspiring musician, who worked closely with Wee John. Together they owned/ran a tailors business where they made the most gorgeous suits and dresses Stede had ever laid eyes on, and also, of course, made alterations. Stede had bought most of his outfits from them, including his entire exploration collection he’d bought custom for this trip.
No one had to know that he’d had them made several years back when he’d originally discovered the map, though. That was between himself, Frenchie and Wee John.
After all, he had to look fashionable as he made his grand debut as The Gentleman Explorer. He thought the name had a great ring to it, but Lucius had told him they would keep work shopping it.
“You know, I could’ve done the whole last trip by myself,” Pete said as nonchalantly as he could while picking up one of the equipment cases.
Pete was here as muscle and also because he was Lucius’s boyfriend. Stede had been informed by Lucius that he was a woodworker, and used to be a boy scout. Pete had also told several stories about how he previously worked with the famed treasure hunter Blackbeard as his right hand man, and as far as Stede was concerned, that also meant he had field experience, which is what he was looking for.
“Ed wanted me to let you know he’d be coming over in a bit. He and Izzy were having a quick chat.” Fang gave Stede a small smile as he picked up two cases stacked on top of each other.
“Trouble in paradise,” Stede muttered and scrunched up his nose.
Fang simply laughed and started walking off in the direction where they had decided to set up base.
Stede hadn’t known Fang long, but he was like a lovable yet dangerous teddy bear. He came with Ed and his crew, and they’d been doing field work together for a couple decades now. According to Ed, Fang was an excellent tracker and very good with animals, which was something Stede hadn’t even considered as something that would need when doing field work.
There was likely to still be another trip to transport the rest of their gear and equipment from the rowboat to the camp, but Stede didn’t mind. It presented him with the opportunity to explore the shore line a little more.
The shore they stood on wasn’t exactly a traditional beach, but he was sure you could still do all the same activities… well aside from building a sand castle. When they’d set foot on shore, immediately the crunchy white beneath their shoes had turned red.
Upon further examination, and a very high-risk taste test from Roach, their chef and medic, it was discovered the beach was covered in a layer of salt. Underneath the salt, with a thankfully distinct lack of taste test, was a rather solid red sand. On second thought, maybe one could build a sand castle, but it would also require dealing with the rather sharp pieces of salt on top and mixed beneath.
Stede had immediately grabbed a trowel from his authentic field pack he’d purchased from a sporting store specifically for this trip, and started digging. Ed, who had originally come to shore with him when they’d performed their original area scout, had crouched next to him and watched.
Just like any other beach, there were shells of deceased sea life that had been washed ashore and mixed in with the red silt/sand. Without hesitation, Ed had scooped up a handful and poured some water from his bottle on them, removing some of the red sand and anything too small or broken to get a good look at. He’d then proceeded to hold some of the remaining shells right up to his eyes.
Stede had found himself watching him, studying Ed’s facial expressions more than the actual new discoveries. There was a little crease between his furrowed brows, and he was frowning a bit in concentration, though it was mostly hidden beneath his mustache and beard. He’d found he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what that beard might feel like, both running through his fingers, and against his face during a kiss.
Ed had proceeded to explain to him that several of the shells were your regular average shells you could find on any old beach, but there were a few in there that he didn’t recognize in the slightest. He’d indicated to the ones he’d never seen before, some in shapes of cubes, and some were types of small broken coral.
With deft fingers, Ed had pulled a small white cloth out of his pocket and wrapped the shells in them ‘to examine later’ he had explained.
Stede had been so focused on Ed’s fingers, calloused from years of work but delicate as he handled something so fragile, he had almost missed when Ed had told him they should start looking around for a place to set up camp.
Maybe it wasn’t entirely the best thing that Stede spent most of his time thinking about Ed, unable to get the images of beautiful streaked gray hair and smiles to leave his eyes, or get ideas of what he could possibly discuss next with Ed to stop circling his brain.
Shaking his head, in yet another fruitless attempt to rid his thoughts of a man he didn’t dare hope he was falling in love so soon after meeting, Stede tried to clear his thoughts to focus on the subject at hand. It was far too early for anything like that. Besides, they were just good friends and Ed probably didn’t want anything more.
Stede shifted his equipment case in grasp and started heading off towards the treeline where the others had likely headed off to while he was lost in thought. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing on the beach, but surely if it was long enough than others would be making their way back soon to grab the rest of the equipment.
Sure he could cite keeping watch of their gear so it didn’t get stolen with no one there, but thus far they hadn’t found another soul on the island. As far as any knowledge they had of this place, which was next to none, the island was deserted. Izzy, Ivan and Fang had walked as much as the perimeter as they could in a few hours while Ed and Stede had found the perfect spot to set up camp, and Ed’s crew hadn’t found any signs of people living here.
Creatures were a different story. Perhaps it wasn’t actually wise of Stede to wait on part of the crew’s return. They weren’t sure what type of fauna the island held in store for them, but if the large tracks Izzy, Ivan, and Fang had found earlier were anything to go by, Stede was sure there was a predator/prey food chain here that he didn’t want to become part of.
With one last glance at the ship anchored far enough from the island not to get stuck, and one last wish for Ed to hurry back soon so they could explore, Stede headed towards the treeline. Hopefully the camp set up was well underway by now.
----------
“And what do we do when we want something someone else has?” Stede’s hands were on his hips and his voice stern.
God, Ed was so gone on him.
Stede wasn’t even talking to him, but he was fully prepared to do anything Stede told him to, especially if he used that voice.
“We… talk about it?” The Swede gave a hopeful smile and Stede frowned.
“No! We share!” Stede huffed.
Swede and Roach looked between each other, then at the speaker they were both clinging onto.
The crew had been relaxing around a fire built by Wee John and listening to music on the speaker when the argument had started. Ed wasn’t sure the details of the argument, but he was sure that he had tried really hard not to pop a boner watching Stede resolve it.
Things had been going well, the base camp, with all the tents set up, in a semi-circle around the relatively normal looking grass (it was the only normal thing they’d found on the island so far) all facing a large building they had erected. Where Stede had stored the materials for a temporary structure with four solid walls, Ed wasn’t too sure, but it was just another thing that fascinated him about the man.
There were seven ridiculously large tents for sleeping, a large tent with mesh sides all around it, which, based off the setup inside, was the cooking tent, and a couple other smaller tents that Ed could only assume were for privacy when using the restroom.
After doing some mental math, Ed determined that people would apparently be sharing sleeping tents as there were only seven tents and fourteen crew members. He couldn’t help but hope that he wasn’t sharing a tent with Izzy or else he might rip his hair out then go walk into the ocean, or maybe force Izzy to eat his own toes. It all depended on how much Izzy irritated him.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a playful nudge in the arm from Fang.
“You haven’t stopped staring at him since we finished setting everything up. Izzy said you’re still going through with the plan, boss.” Fang raised his eyebrows at Ed, not unkindly.
Right, the plan. The plan that he was supposed to execute. The plan that he was supposed to execute that involved ‘executing’ Stede that he didn’t particularly want to go through with. How could he have been so stupid as to come up with that idea to begin with? After the way he’d been ready to propose to Stede from the moment they’d first sat down and started chatting, how could he even consider it an option? He couldn’t truthfully say he was ready to propose when he’d watched Stede give his presentation at the conference they’d met at, but he was certainly ready to offer to do some other things to him after that insane presentation.
Ed had been trying to give Stede some not so subtle hints ever since, shamelessly flirting, casual touches that were more for his own sanity than anything else, and spending as much time with him as he possibly could. Of course, those were all things he wanted to do (and more) but he could only hope Stede was taking the hints after the way he seemed to flirt back.
At this point, he’d done everything short of outright telling him, and Ed was beginning to feel a little nervous that he might be misreading Stede’s responses all together. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and Ed really wanted it to go somewhere more with Stede. They got along together so well, and he quite enjoyed someone who was always willing to joke and play with him and match the energy he was looking for, but he also appreciated that Stede seemed to understand him and didn’t judge him for any of his flaws. Stede got him so well it was like they’d known each other forever, and he wasn’t afraid to treat Ed like a person.
So yeah, maybe he was rethinking the plan at this point, but how was he possibly supposed to tell that to Fang, let alone Izzy.
“It’s okay to like him, ya know.” Fang continued on, watching him closely. “He’s very sweet once you get past all the weird, or at least that’s what Lucius keeps telling me.”
“So you and Lucius, then?” Ed carefully deflected.
Sure enough, when he and Fang looked over in Lucius’s direction, Lucius was watching them and almost immediately blew a kiss and tossed a wink at Fang, who very happily caught it. That was something, wasn’t it?
A glance over at Ivan confirmed Ed’s suspicions as Ivan happily chatted with Frenchie and Wee John. They were all fucked, it would seem. Everyone but Izzy, of course. Izzy would never spend his time attempting to get to know everyone, yet the rest of them had gotten attached.
Ed let out a deep sigh and Fang shrugged a bit.
“You could always change your mind,” Fang said in a low tone.
There it was, exactly what Ed had been looking for. An out. He should take it, latch onto it with all his might and never let go. He should take it with good grace and admit that he didn’t have the heart to continue lying to Stede, to continue being Blackbeard.
“Hopefully you don’t mean that in regards to our exploration?”
Ed nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden interruption. He hadn’t been expecting Stede to appear by his side, let alone hear part of their conversation.
“Dickfuck, mate. You nearly scared my beard right off of me.” Ed said through a bit of laughter.
Stede winced a little. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No no. It’s alright, Stede. I promise. It’s okay.” He offered Stede the most reassuring smile he could while trying to will his heart, that was dangling off the edge of a cliff, to calm itself and climb back up. Sure, his heart was always pounding around Stede, but this time it was a little more from the unexpected jump scare.
Stede seemed to relax at that and bowed his head a little in acceptance.
“You ready to get going then?” Ed asked, and Stede’s whole face lit up in response.
“Quite!” He yanked his pack over one shoulder with the same energy as a puppy about to get a treat and patted it awkwardly. “I have my pack all ready to go, and I’ve got on my best pair of exploring shoes!”
Ed laughed a little and looked down at the shoes in question.
“Those look like you just pulled them off the shelf.”
“Yes, well, I would hope so because they are brand new.” Stede raised his nose a bit and sniffed in disapproval.
God, it was fucking cute when he did that. His nose wasn’t by any means your traditional cute button nose, but Ed was obsessed with the way it sloped into something almost regal looking.
Fang, who apparently was still standing next to them, but had faded into the background as nothing more than a blur the moment Ed laid eyes on Stede, started giggling. When Stede shot him a side-eye, he quickly covered his laughter with his hands and turned away, doing nothing to hide the shaking of his shoulders.
Stede, however, slumped a bit and sighed.
“Alright, I didn’t have time to break them in before we left.” He looked absolutely miserable and Ed couldn’t have that.
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it.” Ed placed a hand on Stede’s shoulder with another one of those gentle touches he needed for reassurance more than Stede. “I’ve gone trekking plenty of times without busting in something new first.”
“Like the time you wore a brand new pair of leather pants that were too tight and—” Fang started, but a sharp look from Ed cut him off.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be that isn’t here?” Ed shot back, keeping his voice calmer than the weather before a storm.
“No, he absolutely does not.” Lucius walked up behind him. “Fangy can stay right here if he wants to.”
Fucking great. How was he supposed to spend some time with Stede and maybe get in some good flirting stats when the whole sentient population of the island thought now was a good time to embarrass him.
However, when he chanced a nervous smile at Stede, the gorgeous blonde was already eyeing Fang and Lucius. His gaze was calculating and Ed couldn’t tell if he was mentally trying to shoot lasers out of his eyes at them, like Ed, or if he was contemplating the story Fang had started to tell.
“Lucius, how nice of you to join us.” Stede said, carefully. “Does this mean you’ll be joining Ed and myself on our adventuring? I, for one, think that’d be a far better use of your time and mine.”
Lucius stood there absolutely dumbfounded, clearly not expecting Stede to do his bitchy thing in return.
Ed, however, was feeling a little warm. Perhaps the warm temperatures of the island were getting to him. Maybe removing his sleeveless leather vest would do him some good. And drinking water. He was definitely thirsty all of the sudden, very thirsty actually. Fuck, he could drink a whole leggy blonde bottle of water.
Better yet, he should just go jump into the nearby pond that had been a key factor in selecting the camp’s location, and maybe Stede would want to join him. It would be absolutely understandable if they both had to strip down to nothing before getting in… you know… to beat the heat. Because it was so hot.
“Actually I was—” Lucius started but Stede immediately cut him off.
“Perfect! It’s settled then, we’re having a day. You can carry my good trowel, and take some notes while we walk!” Stede clapped his hands together, looking all too pleased with himself. “Ed and I will wait here. Or if you’re prepared, we can just go now.”
Fang looked at Lucius with wide eyes and his mouth in an ‘O’ shape. He looked like he wanted to tease him, but at the same time was worried he would also get recruited to join.
None of the crew were necessarily needed at the moment, as he and Stede were simply going to get a better look around, not just to locate a good base. It was the chance for Stede to really get some plant and environmental observations done, and Ed to observe him assist him with his own knowledge of exploring.
They had both decided that it would be a good idea to see what exactly they were dealing with in this place, after seeing that none of it was like anything either of them had seen before. This island was right out of one of those science fiction movies where the cast got stranded on a strange planet and had to wait for help to come rescue them. Maybe while they were here they would discover some plant that could cure the ailment that’s plaguing the sci-fi crew’s home world while they’re at it. Maybe while they were here, they’d be able to discover some important things about each other to help bridge the gap on a budding relationship and--
Focus, Teach.
“I’m going to put on some different shoes.” Lucius was clearly displeased.
Lucius frowned at Fang, giving him a look that said they would talk about this later, then turned to walk off. Fang simply shrugged and turned back to Ed.
“Don’t be too hard on him out there. He’s just a boy,” Fang said with a big beaming smile.
“So long as he keeps his comments to his notes.” Ed grinned back.
The two of them immediately started laughing, and Stede gave a fond eye roll.
“The question is,” Stede turned towards Ed, his eyes suddenly very serious and his voice thick with concern. “Are you going to be alright?”
Ed furrowed his brows for a minute, unsure if he was catching Stede’s meaning before he caught the man’s gaze shifting down. Slowly he followed it, his eyes landing on his own knee that he had braced up in preparation. Sure, all the walking on potentially uneven terrain tends to hurt his joints the older he gets, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before.
“Me? I’ll be good. This will be a walk in the park. Easypeasy puddin’ ‘n fucking pie.”