Chapter Text
It had been nearly six months since Stede returned to pick up the pieces of Blackbeard’s crew. Except, not everything can be fixed. Stede’s chest tightened painfully every time he saw Izzy use his cane. He told himself it was only natural to care. Despite their issues, Izzy was a part of his crew, and he was Ed’s omega. Of course, Stede felt protective. Of course, he’d had to choke down his desire to disembowel the other captain the moment’s he’d seen Izzy’s foot. It was only natural he have to be held back once he heard the story.
Stede knew he was entering his rut the moment he neared the first mate. It was late. Dinner had ended, but the summer sky still held sparks of red and orange. Stede watched a bead of sweat drip down the omega’s neck as he tied and retied the sails, correcting every minute error the crew had made. A steady stream of insults could be heard until his breath. Stede guessed the ache in his foot was the only thing keeping him from confronting each and every crew member.
Stede really had only come up to check on his first mate, but seeing him now, the setting sun making his sweat glisten as it trailed below his collar, he found himself with other intentions. “You know, just because you do the work of ten doesn’t mean you’ll get more than your share.”
Izzy threw the captain a murderous glare over his shoulder. “Of course all you care about is money. At least one of us cares whether your moronic crew kills themselves.” He fastened the last knot and stepped back to admire his work. Finding it satisfactory, he retrieved his cane from where it leaned against the mast. He turned, intending to head for his cabin, but found the alpha in his path. “Yes?” he practically growled.
“You know what I don’t understand,” Stede began.
“I’d imagine there’s a lot you don’t understand, Bonnet.” Izzy cut in, answering the rhetorical question with biting sarcasm.
Stede paused for only a moment before continuing as if the smaller man hadn’t spoken. “How is it you act like Ed’s precious omega, when he’s never claimed you.”
That brought Izzy up short. He stood frozen, gutted as he heard his own fears spoken aloud.
Stede leaned in, the scent of heat wafting from him as he closed in on the omega. “I wouldn’t have let an Omega like you go to waste.”
Izzy growled low in his throat; the sound surprising even him. He did his best to conceal his own shock, focusing instead on the alpha’s. He saw his opening. “At least he kept me. He left you for dead.” Izzy knew it wasn’t exactly true, but he also knew Stede was still reeling from the perceived abandonment.
“Disrespectful little cunt,” Stede growled. His pheromones weighed on the Omega.
Izzy froze. Bonnet had always seemed… clownish, to Izzy. Perhaps Ed had influenced the man, or perhaps it was just the alpha’s instincts running ramped. To his chagrin, Izzy found himself not completely disgusted by the change. “Give me something to respect and I will… captain,” he added, mirth dripping from his tone.
“Guess it’s no surprise Ed doesn’t want a mate like you. With that smart mouth, you’re lucky to still have a tongue.”
“You insolent fuck. I don’t care if you’re Ed’s flavor of the week Bonnet, you’re going to—” but Izzy didn’t get to finish his threat.
Stede had had enough. The fever made him feel feral, more animal than man. His rut drunk brain screaming for the omega even as he bit back his rage. His hand shot forward, gripping the back of Izzy’s neck and pulled him forward. Izzy was still unsteady on his cane and fell forward easily. Stede caught him, one hand holding his neck and the other wrapping around his middle. He pressed his face to the Omega’s throat, burying himself in Izzy’s scent. He mouthed at the gland, ignoring the way Izzy cursed and struggled weakly in his arms. The omega reeked of everyone but him and it was driving him mad. He huffed against the skin, leaving his own scent with every breath.
“Stupid fucking alphas,” Izzy growled. “Do you want me to stab you, Bonnet? Are you trying to d—ah mmh,” Izzy cut off with a low moan.
Stede’s teeth grazed Izzy’s throat, teasing out the omega’s scent gland. The hand that held Izzy’s back slid down to grip his ass. “Do you know how good you smell? How can such a mean little omega smell so sweet?”
“Fuck you,” Izzy ground out, even as he leaned into the Alpha’s touch.
“Is that a promise?” Stede purred, his tongue flicking out to tease Izzy’s reddening flesh.
“Shouldn’t you be spending your rut with my alpha?”
Stede nuzzled at Izzy’s throat, grinning as he felt the silent purr shaking the omega. “What alpha?” he breathed.
“That would be me, mate,” came Ed’s growl from behind the alpha.
Izzy tried to ignore the way his heart stuttered at the words. He peered over Stede’s shoulder, eyes wide with awe as he watched Ed approach.
“Izzy, come here,” he ordered with an ease that seemed out of place next to the other alpha.
Stede barely loosened his grip, but Izzy was still able to wiggle free, nearly tripping over himself as he hurried to the alpha. He didn’t dare touch the captain, instead choosing a spot a hair’s breath from his side. It didn’t seem to matter though, as Ed immediately wrapped a long arm around his shoulders and nuzzled against Izzy’s throat. He let out a low growl when he found Izzy covered in Stede’s scent.
A wild hope filled Izzy, a desperate need to be claimed by his alpha. Izzy couldn’t stop the small chirp that escaped as Ed’s teeth grazed his skin.
The captain froze. How long had it been since he’d heard Izzy chirp, especially out of heat. The sound seemed alien to him now.
“S—sorry boss,” Izzy gasped, horror evident on his face.
Ed looked around. Several crew members had stopped in their tasks to watch the exchange. Lucious, freshly recovered from his near drowning, appeared to be taking notes. “We’ll finish this below,” he murmured to the other two. The annoyance at having to be the reasonable one in this situation was evident on his face.
Izzy didn’t have time to respond, not that he dared deny Ed anything, before he was being ushered below deck. Stede trailed behind them, eyes flitting back and forth between the two with a new intensity.
Edward closed the cabin door behind Stede, Izzy still pressed to his side. The moment the lock slid into place he was rounding on the pair. “I am trying so fucking hard to maintain peace on this ship. It has been half a god damn year and you two still can’t act like fucking adults. I swear to Christ, either kill each other or fuck each other. I don’t care anymore, just pull your shit together.” It all came out in a furious hiss as the alpha forced himself not to scream.
There was silence then. Stede and Izzy both sobered by the chastising. Stede peered sheepishly down at the omega, appearing to realize how much he had let his rut influence him. Izzy glared back. After all, the alpha had approached him. He kept this to himself though, in favor of ending the tense moment. He nodded.
“I’m so terribly sorry my dear,” Stede chimed, flitting to Edward’s side. The change from the looming alpha that had approached Izzy moments before was almost comical. “It’s this damn rut. I fear it’s made me act… irresponsibly.”
Izzy resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Ed looked to Izzy now, expectant.
Izzy wracked his brain. What was he supposed to be apologizing for? “M’sorry captain,” he murmured, eyes falling to the ground.
“For?” Ed persisted.
Izzy’s heart thrummed in his ears. What was he supposed to say? Sorry your boyfriend has no fucking boundaries. Sorry I’m a fucking omega. Izzy found himself getting angrier by the moment. All he had wanted to do was secure the god damn riggings.
“Are you ignoring me?” Ed growled, closing in on Izzy.
Tears threatened to well in Izzy’s eyes as he resisted the urge to hide his foot. It suddenly burned and he felt unsteady.
“Edward, stop,” Stede ordered, his voice level, but with an undeniable hint of the alpha. “Izzy didn’t do anything. It was all me.” He stepped forward, hands outstretched in a pacifying gesture.
Ed took a step back from Izzy, turning slightly to better face Stede. “You think I’m a fucking idiot?” he growled. “You think I haven’t seen the way you look at each other. Not his fault? What, did he just trip and spread it for you?”
Stede stared, wide eyed. The way they… what? “Ed… love—”
“Don’t fucking start with that pet name shit. I won’t fall for it.”
Stede flinched but did not push the matter. “Edward, Blackbeard, I promise, we have never been together like that. Tonight… tonight was a mistake. It’s been a while since I’ve been around a Omega during my rut. My wife, or well, ex-wife, she’s a beta,” he added quickly. “It was irresponsible of me to approach Israel like that. I knew I wasn’t in my right mind and I still… well, I’m sorry. To both of you. I’m terribly, terribly sorry.”
A second ticked by. Then another. Stede began to fidget as he watched Ed’s expression. Izzy’s eyes flashed between the two alphas, his brow furrowed.
Finally, Ed appeared to relax. His face smoothed and his shoulders loosened. “Yeah, yeah okay.” He turned to Izzy, “I got this Iz. You have a good night.”
Izzy recognized the dismissal and turned towards the door. He paused, hand on the latch. Something about the way Stede’s lips had felt against his skin, about the need in his eyes, pulled at Izzy’s mind. “Captains,” he ventured. “I… I don’t have to, uh, I mean, I could stay and… fuck, sorry boss. Have a good night.” Izzy hid his blush as he pushed open the door.
“Stay.”
Izzy froze, sure he had heard wrong.
“Please stay,” Stede asked again, voice unsure.
Izzy closed and locked the door before turning back towards his captains. He was trembling, his cane making small knocking sounds against the wood floor. He couldn’t meet their eyes, sure they would see the doubt there. The truth was, it had been years since Ed had spent a rut with him. Izzy had asked once and only been told the alpha did not want to risk marking him. He hadn’t asked again.
“Where do you want me, captains?” he asked, voice small. He hated the way it sounded, but didn’t know how to stop. The room was growing thick with the alpha pheromones. It had already been affecting him above deck, in the open air and with only Stede near him. Now the scent of the pair threatened to overwhelm him.
“I don’t—” Stede began.
“Bed,” Ed interjected.
Izzy glanced up, needing to confirm Stede’s expression. It wasn’t what he expected. He looked worried and the glances he was shooting Ed were almost irritated. It seemed to satisfy Izzy though, as he crossed the room to the tucked away bed. There came the sound of slow footsteps behind him and soon Stede’s scent was surrounding him. Izzy stiffened, preparing for what came next. Except, nothing happened.
“Israel?”
Izzy waited, eyes still trained on the bed, unsure if he was expected to sit or present.
“Israel, look at me,” it was a command.
Izzy turned. “I—I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure if—”
Stede’s heart ached. Who knew he would miss the snarling, angry little man he’d left all those months ago. He had thought Lucious nearly drowning would have been the worst of it, but seeing the way Izzy shied away from him was somehow worse. “Israel, please. You haven’t done anything wrong. I just, I mean, is this what you want? Am I what you want?”
Izzy could guess the implication. Was he just doing this to entertain or appease Edward. He hadn’t thought about it. Doing something, anything, for Ed was usually enough. After a long moment, he nodded. “You’re not the only one with needs, Bonnet,” Izzy huffed. He leaned his cane against the wall before kneeling on the captains’ bed. He began pulling at his clothes, but stopped when he felt a hand sliding down his back.
“Please,” Stede murmured behind Izzy, “let me.”