Chapter Text
“Resplendent,” says Stede.
Naked, on his knees at Stede’s feet, Ed moans. The strip of royal purple velvet, raided from a merchant vessel with the express purpose of being used for this, is tied across his lovely brow, bringing out his skin tone the way the suit from the French party had. It’s a shame Stede can’t see the rich brown of his eyes like this, offset as they would be with the colour, but maybe they can repurpose the velvet as a cravat to add into Ed’s rotation. These days, he favours them more than Stede does, and Stede will always do whatever he can to find fine things to spoil Ed with.
“If only you could see yourself, sweetheart,” Stede continues, a bit breathless. The afternoon light slants in through the tilted windows in streams of rich golden sunbeams; it makes the silver in Ed’s hair all but sparkle, catches on the wiry grey-black of his chest and pubic hair and makes it shine. The sight truly is exquisite. “So vulnerable and open for me. So good, Edward. You’re always so perfect for me.”
In that thick thatch of greying pubic hair Ed’s prick twitches, the bead of fluid at the slit gleaming in the light. The broad of his shoulders twitches, instinct taking over before Ed can stop himself. Behind his back, crossed low at the small of it, his wrists are bound immobile with his black cravat.
“You’re like a present.” Stede runs a thumb over Ed’s brow, across the thick velvet and down to his lips. He gently eases Ed’s bottom lip down, welcoming the pink flick of Ed’s tongue to the pad of his thumb. Ed whines as he does, and Stede smiles, secret. “You like that, don’t you? Like being a present, all trussed up for me and ready to be opened at my leisure. I could do it now. Or I could wait hours. And you would let me.”
Tipping his head back, loose hair spilling across his shoulders and down his back in a gorgeous swath, Ed moans again. Stede doesn’t expect much more than that as a response; when Ed goes down he goes down hard, and when he’d presented the velvet cravat wordlessly to Stede that morning after a fitful night, Stede had already known how this afternoon would go.
Take over for me , Ed had said, the first time they’d done this. His hands had trembled with nerves then, fear of rejection sharp in the downtown of his mouth and the guarded look in his eyes. Stede had kissed him, pulled Ed against his body. The tense lines of Ed’s shoulders had melted as Stede whispered, Of course, my darling. I would do anything for you, you need only ask.
Then, it had taken some trial and error, some moments when Ed had whispered lighthouse, lighthouse in a quiet, broken voice and Stede had held him through it, peppering kisses on his forehead and cheeks and into his hair until the minute trembling of Ed’s body had stopped. Like everything else, it had not necessarily come easy, but it had been quick once they figured their way around triggers and roadblocks and hard stops.
Now, Stede undoes his breeches, pulls himself out, sucking in a gasp at the touch of his hand on his prick. Ed’s nostrils flare and his lips part, another low whine building in the back of his throat. He begins to seek forward, almost as if unconsciously, like a plant trying to chase sunlight, straining against his orders not to move without Stede directing him. It flexes the strong muscles of his biceps and chest; though Stede would love nothing more than to trace that tattooed skin, pinch those tiny brown nipples until Ed is squealing, that is not what this moment is about.
“Patience, please,” says Stede, even though every pump and twist of his hand makes him feel like he’s about to unravel and unspool onto the cabin floor. “You’ve been such a good boy, Edward, you don’t want to mess that up, do you?”
Ed cock twitches again, more slick sliding down to string to the floor in strands that glimmer in the light before they break. His hips shift, his tongue wets his lips. After a beat he inhales deeply, shaking his head and exhaling softly. His posture finally relaxes, head tipping down. Sweat has sprung up on the delicate hollow of his throat and at the soft skin of his temples.
“That’s good, so good, my love. I’m so lucky to have someone as wonderful as you,” Stede praises. Cupping the back of Ed’s head, he says, “Open your mouth for me—that’s it. Oh, absolutely lovely.”
Ed takes him deep with a muffled choke. Stede gently pushes him down, keeping him there. Heartbeats pass, time stretching out, and Stede lets go. Ed pulls off, gasping, coughing; Stede wishes, so badly, that he could see the glittering jewels of tears that he knows would be dotted along Ed’s lashes.
Between his legs Ed’s prick surges again, and his next inhale is stuttered. He shifts again, hips arching up, flexing into nothing, and takes Stede down his throat once more. The bolt of lust that shoots through Stede is sharp enough to nearly make him dizzy with it; it also makes him close faster than he’s been in awhile, and he tugs hard at Ed’s hair as his balls draw up tight.
“Ed, oh, Edward,” Stede breathes. Behind his back, Ed’s fingers clench together.
When Stede comes, he doesn’t warn Ed. He pulls him in close, the billowing fabric of his blouse spilling over his fingers tangled in Ed’s hair, and gasps through it, moaning at the wet sounds Ed makes as he swallows it down.
Ed breaks away with his own gasp, Stede’s spend stringing white from Ed’s parted lips, and he finally says, “Stede, baby, please, ” in a rough voice.
“Come for me, my love,” says Stede, pulling off the blindfold to look into Ed’s wide, dark, damp eyes.
Ed does, and he is beautiful as he fractures.