The way Stede looks at Izzy when he comes out dressed and singing is everything to me.

~My Imaginary Friend~

Young Stede Bonnet was fearful. His father that particular night, was being intentionally cruel. Calling him names he didn't understand, and all because he was more interested in picking flowers than rough housing and getting dirty.

Five years old and the poor lad had run off into the night, cold and hungry as dinner had been denied. He was confused and crying, arms wrapped around himself as he wandered in a daze. At least until he heard his father call out for him angrily. It was then he stopped dead in his tracks, looking around until that familiar dark figure appeared. The moonlight contorted his father's face and made him all the more scary, little Stede screaming and turning to run away from his monster of a father.

Stede didn't get far, the man catching up to him easily. "No! S-Stop!" He muttered through his cries, putting his arms up defensively as he expected the abuse to start. He had also clenched his eyes shut, too scared to look. But as nothing happened he began to shake, whimpering softly.

@izzyeffinhands continued from here

The smile immediately faded from Edward's lips. Izzy didn't even need to say anything -- even if he did. It was that bright toothy smile that had immediately taken away Edward's own.

Edward's expression fell flat as Izzy spoke, brows dropping low over his dark eyes. He pressed his lips ever so slightly inward, keeping himself from outright scowling.

"Fuck, man, I was talking about the... goddamn..." he gestured somewhat uselessly towards Izzy's unicorn leg. "Kind of whimsical, right? Fuck it. You want to do this right now? Let's do this."

🎧. From izzyeffinhands

|| @izzyeffinhands ||

The Mountain by Three Days Grace || X || Is this life that I've been livin' All that's meant for me?

ᒥ☠ᒧ—        Edward sits at his desk, smoking his pipe relentlessly while staring at the window of his cabin. Another raid, time to plan the next, rinse, and repeat. He doesn't even need to leave his cabin much these days, the flag itself did all the scaring he used to revel in. No fun, no games to be had, it was all the same boring thing over and over again. His shoulders tense hearing the door open, not because he was startled, but because he knew who was the only one ballsy enough to enter.

"Izzy," His tone is dry, bored, and deprived of any liveliness or excitement. His head lulls to the side, he glances over his shoulder towards the other man. "What's up?" Edward was a smart man, he could probably take a guess. More planning, surely.

Blackbeard, the most fearsome pyrate in the Caribbean, looked absolutely listless. There were no fun, cutesy smoke rings as he blows out smoke from his mouth even. He just sits there, staring with a blank and bored expression.

Ed could be a complicated man, but it wasn't hard to figure out he lived for chaos, derived joy from his creative little games and fuckeries. With a significant lack of such things, his mood began to shift. Boredom and Edward did not mix well, and it was beginning to show.

@izzyeffinhands (cont)

 ❝No, Izzy... ❞ Ed shook his head and he was about to place his hand on the other's shoulder, but he thought better of it.  ❝I don't... ❞ He had thought about what to say to Izzy, how to apologize to him from the moment he found himself at the gravy basket. And God he had so so many things to say sorry for. So many things he had done to the other man that could not be forgiven. But he still had to try. Especially with how Izzy was talking to him now.

Only now he could not find the right words.  ❝I am sorry.❞ he said after a moment, still not able to quite look at Izzy.  ❝For everything I've put ya through.❞ Ed paused, finding this much more difficult than he thought, not because he hardly ever apologized, but because of the guilt he felt. So much guilt that it felt like it could crush him.  ❝I'm sorry about what I did to you.❞ he took a large sip of the rum he was holding  ❝I don't deserve you, Iz. I don't deserve your love, I don't deserve to have you in my life. You deserve so much better than this.❞

Stede had been thinking a lot about it lately, about how maybe he wasn’t treating everyone in the same way on this ship. Especially giving too much attention to Ed, which he didn’t mind doing and enjoyed their times together. Then again it was a ship, their ship, all of them played a part in where they were now and being a co-captain that he was, Stede decided to change what he was doing. He planned to give everyone more attention, maybe compliments about how much of a great work they were doing for the ship. It didn’t sound difficult, maybe except one person could make it harder for him.

Izzy. Izzy who looked a bit- oh, more than a bit grumpy and distant. Stede had a feeling that Izzy was acting like this for a reason, and he wanted to learn why and get closer with him like everyone else. Stede didn’t want to comment on someone who he didn’t entirely know but he couldn’t help agreeing with Izzy on most of the things. Maybe Iz’s words were painful for people to hear but they were still the truth. There could be something down there in Izzy, or maybe not even that deep down, and Stede wanted to explore that side of him so he wanted to talk to Ed about it, which sounded a little grumpy at first, just like everyone else but asking for the second time was enough already. 

‘‘Yeah- actually a nice idea. Do you have an idea to where to start from though, mate?’‘ Ed blinked as he looked at Stede, didn’t sound too bad to get closer with Iz again. ‘‘We can- we can- oh shit- actually, it’s Izzy’s birthday today. Why don’t we start from there?’‘

‘‘It’s Izzy’s birthday? Why didn’t you tell me before, Ed? But that’s okay- go find everyone and tell them to prepare, whatever they can find. We should make this a really nice surprise party. Make sure that Lucius keeps Iz busy, too.’‘ Stede said, he spent no time walking over to the kitchen and talk to Roach about how he should cook all the best food he had, especially an orange flavoured cake since he didn’t know what else to make it from and if they had any other ingredients that could fit. Ed was trying to convince everyone to hold anything they could find, some lamp and plant and flowers, whatever that could look pretty since they didn’t have the greatest decoration items after all, preparing the deck and putting a big table there for all the food and the cake. 

Stede was also glad to see everyone was holding something in their hands, even if it was a simple orange or apple or a... was that a bootlace in Ed’s hands? Still was something and looked nice, he kept his own gift in his pocket and grabbed Ed by the arm to drag him to Iz’s door, knocking on the door, letting Ed do the talk.

Ed nodded, clearing his throat. ‘’Izzy! Mate, hurry up. There’s something on this ship that looks extremely dangerous. I myself am terrified and we need you out here, mate.’’ Ed went back up with Stede, now only waiting for Iz to come up with bootlaces in his hand, wondering if Stede prepared any gifts.

@izzyeffinhands said: ❛ you’re important to me, you little shit. “ ( for lucius )

❝ am i? ❞ arms cross on his chest, shifting his weight to left foot, letting hip jut out a little; grin spreading on his lips. ❝ that why you gave me the shark and the little pep talk? ❞

Izzy has started working in the captain's cabin - in Stede's cabin - quite regularly. Stede adores it. He can simply look to the left, and there's Izzy, sitting at his desk, doing paperwork, looking at maps and such. Something about sharing the space so easily feels wonderfully intimate and domestic.

Izzy is at the desk again when the captain sneaks up behind him, wrapping his arms about his waist and tucking his chin on Izzy's shoulder.

" And what are we working on, Mr. Hands? " Stede nuzzles Izzy's throat affectionately, pressing his body up close to his lover's he just wants to be close. He presses a kiss high on Izzy's throat, atop his swallow tattoo that peeks out from his frustratingly high collar. Really, how is Stede supposed to get anything done with this nonsense?

Hands slide up Izzy's chest and make their way to the first mate's tiw, tugging it carefully loose. A single button is undone, and the irritating collar tugged gently out of the way so Stede can properly mouth at Izzy's throat, lavishing the first mate with exactly as much attention as he deserves.

@izzyeffinhands

izzyeffinhands said: “Good girl.“

He's in the middle of giving Izzy head when he says it. The words slam into his chest, go straight to his cock; they make him fucking choke even though his lips are sliding up when he hears them.

"Excuse me?" Maybe pulling off's the wrong way to express how much it's turned him on, but his head's swimming and he can't breathe. Good girl. It's still pinging between his ears. Ed needs a second, which he uses to meet Izzy's eyes with his own darkened by lust. Good girl. He really likes that. His hand keeps up the work his mouth had just been tending to, determined to keep Izzy engaged in the moment while he tries to get it together.

"Call me that again," and then Ed's going back down, taking Izzy to the back of his throat.

@izzyeffinhands

@izzyeffinhands doesn't know how to say please, apparently.

The bottle was pulled from Anne's loose grip and she frowned, turning her head to follow the bottle but making no move to intercept it. Asshole. Her frown was broken by an errant snort at the thought, an insult meant but not wholeheartedly, and any thought of pouting or badgering to get it back was blown away on that snort. Never sober. That's a funny one, though, and belatedly makes Anne snort anew, seizing up in a surprise laughing fit at it. She was hardly known to touch the shite, snottily deemed a teetotaler behind her back--not that she minded. Better a fighting Irish than a drunk one: dulled wits make for dead pirates.

Alas, boredom and unprocessed trauma, a driving need to be at work and a lack of anything the fuck else to bother working at, a touch of petty pride and a drinking contest to be won combined had resulted in her drinking well past what she ought.

Good thing it was Hands that found her after. She didn't fancy dealing with an actual dumbarse with her inhibitions blown and her hot temper made more dangerous by the liquor in her system. She leaned against him, a little dizzy but happy to be so, almost smiling (if such a thing could be said of Anne).

"I--. I'm only not sober now 'cause I'm feckin bored. Should'a seen me arter the first shot: Fang said my eye twitched an' that was that until three shots later." She couldn't help but feel chuffed with herself, managing to drink someone under the table on her first go. With dead winds and fuck all nearby, it was a lucky thing Anne had been provoked into drinking instead of fighting. Be a real shame to go down a crewman this far from shore.

"Jaysus! That en't water; come up f'r air, for fuck's sake!"

@izzyeffinhands // 𝐈𝐒𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐋

" Izzy, you're a mess. Unless you want those cuts to get infected, you're getting in the bath. "

Stede isn't sure how Ed's first mate had managed to get himself covered in so much blood and . . . oil? Is it oil? But this raid had admittedly been a messy one. Thankfully, no great injuries, which means Stede's priority is getting Izzy cleaned up, and if he's lucky, maybe get him a little calmer so he can stop acting like a feral cat. Izzy is, after all, their main warrior after Jim. The two of them had been responsible for most of their success, and they've more than earned a reward.

" You'll like it, Israel. The water should help relax your muscles. If you don't like it, then you can get out as soon as you aren't covered in oil. I swear it. "

Izzy Hands and his fascination/love for candles.

There he sat, Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard. He was back and better than ever...right? It didn't feel like it, everything just felt wrong. He was alone crying, the black makeup around his eyes ruined from the tears. His heart was broken, absolutely shattered after what Stede had done to him. The man had made him happy, given him life again in the dreary world of pirating.

At that point Ed had no idea how long he had been curled up, forehead on his knees. His long peppered hair covering the sides of his face so that if someone came in the room, they wouldn't see him. He knew Izzy was taking care of things for the moment with the crew they had, though it was likely he would be coming to give an update soon enough.

He had eventually stopped crying, Ed sitting with his back flush with the wooden wall of the window bed. He was now lazily looking out the window, a heavy sigh leaving him as he watched the sunset. His stomach gave a growl but Edward ignored it, the pirate not having the energy to go scrounging for food. Ed didn't want to eat anyway, though he really didn't have the will to do anything but stare out that window.

Blackbeard's hearing was still working, and upon hearing someone knock on the door only to enter before he said anything had him annoyed. Depending on who it was, they probably wouldn't be able to tell unless they really knew him. So when he was sure the person was within earshot, he spoke. "The fuck do you want?" His voice was low energy, and he didn't bother to look at whomever joined him. "I need to get new furniture to fill this room..it's a bit empty with everything gone..." Ed mumbled to himself more than anything, not expecting an answer.

@izzyeffinhands continued from here

"I'm not wrong," Stede protested, but allowed himself to be steered towards his bed in its ornate nook. It looked considerably different than it had before Edward happened to it but... it was still his bed.

He hadn't gotten any rest since they'd taken The Revenge back. A lot of his time was spent mediating between Edward and the crew... and mediating between the crew and Edward... and trying to keep the ship afloat. Learning? To try and keep the ship afloat? He was too tired to keep track of what it was that was making him so tired. Stede sat down on the edge of the bed and slumped, staring dejectedly at his shoe.

"How are you sleeping?"

@izzyeffinhands || Cont. X ||

ᒥ☠ᒧ—        "You're gettin' better at this," He muses, smirking ever so slightly. Everything was a game to Edward, things often judged by how much entertainment he could derive from them, and people weren't excluded from that. "Yes, rain. But when?"

Edward turns and looks out to the clouds, the thin white clouds that resemble veils cover the sky completely not too far from them. "Makes me think of lace, like a veil on a bride. Rain is definitely comin' in, but can you tell when, mate?" Edward knew, he was simply pestering Izzy with the question because it was fun.

"I'll give ya hint if ya need," Under his beard is a full smirk now, and he plays with the beads braided into the curly salt and pepper hairs.

@izzyeffinhands (cont.)

Ed closes his eyes for a moment, a pained expression to his face. ❝I really did love you.❞ I still love you, I'm always gonna love you. Why couldn't Ed said that part out loud too? Why could he tell the person that meant so much to him for so so long how he felt? ❝But I think you know that... it wasn't enough. I still... hurt you.❞ Ed keeps his eyes on the floor, unable to look at Izzy. ❝What if it gets bad, Iz? ❞ His head, how something darker took over sometimes, when he was feeling like he was drowning, when he was feeling like he was king of the world, when he could only see red. ❝It's enough to love ya. I need to control... this. And I can't. ❞ his own eyes filled with tears.