Work Text:
Stede had always been a lonely kid. It was all right, mostly. He managed to amuse himself just fine, he was thankfully someone who could keep himself company, especially if the only other company he could get on this island were Nigel and his friends... In short: people who would mercilessly make fun of him.
He could study, for one. After all, he needed to learn as much as he could in order to be a good pirate captain, he had to teach his crew. He could read too, books gave you much-needed cultural knowledge! He also sometimes followed the servants around and tried to talk to them. At the beginning they didn't seem too keen on engaging him, perhaps scared it would end badly for them, but after a while - Stede was very persistent - they'd resigned themselves to their fate and started answering the boy, teaching him things that he might otherwise never learn, growing up as an aristocrat. As a now fifteen-year-old boy, it was very important that he learned as much as he could before he went out into the seas.
But when those three things didn't cut it, he resigned himself to lying on the beach imagining what his life on a ship would be like. How happy he would be, with his quarters, and his crew - which he was sure would be delightful! - and maybe even a lovely wife.
It would be really great to have a wife. Someone to love him unconditionally, someone who wouldn't leave him, someone who didn't mock him, someone who understood...
But! Of course, it could be dangerous for a noblewoman out at sea... Maybe he could-
SPLASH
Oh, dear.
Now, Stede was no stranger to being pranked, of course. In fact, he was the island's favourite target, for both cruel pranks and terribly offensive name-calling.
It's just that it had never happened here, in his safe space.
"Awww, is baby Bonnet gonna cry over his wet clothes?" Nigel laughed, "Poor wittle baby Bonnet!"
In his distraction, Stede hadn't even noticed Nigel and Chauncey arriving at the beach, much less approaching him. But here they were, drenching him in the salty seawater, aided by a big bucket. Well, Stede thought, perhaps it's best that I get used to it! Life on a pirate ship wouldn't be all roses, after all.
Stede took a deep breath and smiled his most pleasant smile, even if he was sure he looked a bit like a drenched Golden Retriever, "Well, Nigel, it's quite alright! What's a little water, after all? Hope you two are having fun, this is indeed a lovely little beach, and-"
Nigel rolled his eyes, "Do save us the chatter, Bonnet. So is this where you run off to when you're not soiling us or your family with your presence?" He laughed cruelly, "I do thank you for your consideration, but we've had enough of a break, you may come back now."
Stede's smile got more strained by the minute, "How kind of you! If you'll excuse me then, I was just about to leave anyhow-"
Nigel gave one menacing step forward and snorted, "Right. I don't think so. We were just about to have some fun together!"
Stede gulped. He thought he could make a clean escape, even if the only place his bullies had yet to ruin had been found out, but he was going to be beaten up right here, on the beach. Well, he supposed a pirate's life was often-times violent, after all. Perhaps he should take this as a practice of sorts! This time, he'd fight back.
Stede widened his stance and smiled, "Well, do as you will."
Nigel and Chauncey started advancing on him, but a shiny knife sailing through the air stopped them in their tracks.
"Two against one? I rather think that's unfair..."
A boy about their age stood there on a rock, tattered clothes and longish black hair. He had tan skin, high cheekbones, and a roguish smile on his face, and Stede knew he had never seen him around the island. He would've remembered such a striking face. Perhaps he was a visitor?
Chauncey scowled, "Who are you, then? Some servant boy thinking he owns the land? Leave us."
The boy raised an eyebrow, "If you're angry about that receding hairline of yours, it ain't my fault, mate."
Stede could see Chauncey going a bit red, resembling a mildly dangerous tomato.
Their visitor didn't seem to think anything of it, though.
"Tell you what, you leave my new friend alone," the boy looked at Stede and winked, "and I let you leave here intact."
Stede blinked. Oh.
That was rather... yes.
Nigel scoffed, "Of course! You're a ponce like him, then, are you?"
Well, ouch.
"Leave us alone, this is none of your business!" the other twin screamed, spittle flying out of his mouth.
The boy had a vaguely disgusted expression on his beautiful- aham, aristocratic face. "Geez, mate, breathe. You wanna spend time with him that badly, then? I'm sure he'll be available some other day. Now, sod off."
The twins hesitated but didn't leave. The boy went to pick up his knife, throwing it in the air and expertly catching it again. In a low but threatening voice, he said "Next one goes through your fucking eyeball. I said: Sod off."
This time, the two brothers looked at each other and, perhaps sensing he was serious, turned around and left them alone without another word.
Stede let out a shaky breath and slowly went to look at his saviour. Just because he had sent the boys away didn't mean he wasn't about to do worse than they would've.
But he needn't have worried, as all he did was smile charmingly, effectively smashing through all of Stede's walls, and roughly holding out his hand, "Nice meetin' you, call me Ed."
Stede smiled in relief, "Oh, it's lovely to meet you!" He grasped Ed's hand and shook it enthusiastically, "I'm Stede Bonnet! Rather thankful for your help there. I must say, you seem quite skilled with that knife!"
Ed seemed amused, "I s'pose I have some experience with it, yeah. Those two bother you much?"
"Oh, well, you know," Stede laughed nervously, "All in good fun, really! They catch me off guard sometimes, you know how it is..."
Ed raised an eyebrow. Gods, he truly was beautiful, wasn't he? "Good fun, huh? You didn't seem all that amused... But sure. Well, how about you show me around the island, then? I'm new around here, just arrived on a ship."
"Oh, a ship, how delightful! Of course, I'll give you the tour. How was your journey, then?"
After Stede removed his drenched jacket, he and Ed walked around Bridgetown for the rest of the day, chatting all the way, Stede excitedly showing Ed his favourite hiding places. As someone who was used to having to hide, he knew quite a lot of them. In turn, Ed taught him how to stand up to Nigel and Chauncey and all the other boys who followed them around, taught him how to properly punch someone and also how to hold a knife. Stede wasn't all too keen on the latter.
When night approached, Stede nervously smuggled Ed into his house, as the boy had nowhere else to stay.
("I was just gonna sleep on the beach while I can't find a job..."
"Absolutely not!")
The next day, the pair holed up at the beach and got drunk together on Madeira wine. It was Stede's first time getting drunk... Well, actually it was his first time drinking any sort of alcohol, really.
But Ed made him feel safe.
Maybe he could show him the sea sometime.