Our Flag Means Death oneshots (Mainly Ed And Stede)

reunited (part 1)

What if Stede had left Mary, but not gone back to The Revenge?

"HALT! You are being arrested for suspected crimes of piracy!"

"Um, th- there must have been some mistake- I-"

"QUIET! you'll have your time to explain later, Stede Bonnet"

"What? No, Stede Bonnet died a few days ago, didn't he?"

"Sure he did, sure"

Stede was thrown against a hard stone wall, and the jail door clattered shut behind him.

He curled up, head between his knees, and tried to cry quietly.

He was in a dimly lit room, the only light being filtered through a metal barred window. Only half the room was lit though, he couldn't quite see what was in the other side. It was a surprisingly large cell, most likely meant for two people.

Speaking of two people, Stede heard the blinking of chains, from the opposite end of the cells

"Stede Bonnet. Stede Bonnet. I thought you were dead. Mauled by a jungle cat, run over by a carriage, and had a piano drop on you from two stories high. But you were just running away again, weren't you, Stede Bonnet?"

Stede recognised that voice.

The voice choked him, and cut at his scarred heart.

"I wonder what would feel better. If you met Ed at the docks, and you got to live happily together forever. Or if I got to kill you now"

There was more clanking, and a figure ran at Stede from the shadows.

Chnk

But the chains stopped them, just before they could get to Stede.

"Hehehehe. You should have seen the look on your face! You thought I was going to kill you! I probably would, if I could! But, it's kind of hard to kill a man when your hands are tied, and you can reach them. And not even you would be stupid enough to come close to me now."

Stede just sobbed again.

Ed's face softened for a moment before hardening again, not letting the mask falter.

"DO SOMETHING!"

Stede looked up and stared Ed in the eyes

"SAY SOMETHING, ARGUE WITH ME! FEAR ME! RUN AWAY AGAIN! HIDE! MAKE EXCUSES! BLAME ME! TELL ME HOW YOU COULDN'T BEAR A LIFE WITH A MONSTER!"

Stede stood up, sniffed, and walked over to Ed

Ed's angry face fell and he suddenly seemed terrified of the shorter man. He fell over, and scored back, away from him.

"W-wait, Stede, no, please-"

This unarmed man, expressionless face, tear filled eyes. Had the great Blackbeard, cowering in the corner, begging for mercy.

Stede simply sat down beside him, rested his chin on his knees and let out a broken sigh.

"I didn't run away because I didn't want to spend my life with you. I ran away because i didn't want you to spend your life with me."

Stede rested his head on Ed's shoulder.

"You're capable of so much more. You're so much stronger without me. I was holding you back. I was ruining you."

"Well, look where that's gotten me"

They both let out a half hearted laugh

"True"

There was a short silence.

Two men, not quite forgiving themselves, or the other, but happy to be reunited, nonetheless. Sat, chained up, in the corner of a jail cell.

"You do realise that we're going to die tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. I think I'm ready though. Third times the charm, right?"

"Damn, you've faked your death twice?"

"The first time was Mary thinking I'd died, the second time we did some fuckery, and while yes, it was a bit overkill, we needed to be sure that I couldn't survive"

"Ha, overkill"

"Ah, that was a pun wasn't it?"

"Yeah"

There was another silence.

Two men, huddled in the corner of a jail cell. In their last moments.

After a while Ed started sobbing, smudging his makeup even more.

"I don't want to die yet Stede. Theres so much you never showed me. So much I never learnt. So much we never did. I- I don't want to die, Stede! We can escape again, can't we? W- we can at least try! ...right?"

He turned and stared into Stede's eyes.

"We can try. But I think this time might be the last."

Ed thought back to what he had said to Izzy the first time they entered The Revenge.

'I haven't died yet have I? What if I tried that next?'

Be careful what you ask your god for, because she might just answer.

Stede waved his hand in front of Ed's face.

"Hey, Ed, you still with me here? you were a bit zoned out th-"

But Ed had cut him off with a kiss.

It was clumsy at first, neither knowing fully what to do. But they quickly caught the hang of it, lips locking perfectly together, a beautiful dance of apologies, and unforgotten love.

"I'm sorry, Stede. I should have gone out looking for you, instead of giving up. I should have fought harder. I shouldn't have let us get attacked. We should be in China, or somewhere far away from here. But we're not. And soon we'll be swinging from the Gallows. Let's jusg make our last moments fucking count, shall we?"

Stede pulled him back in for another kiss.

"I'm sorry too. I should have come back to you after getting attacked by Badminton. I should have come back after faking my death. I should have been a better pirate, a better captain. A better friend, a better lover. I love you Ed, I realise that now, and I don't want to die knowing that you never knew I did"

Ed smiled at the msn beside him, and felt tears prick his eyes once more.

"I love you too Stede. Now come on, we need to think of a plan to get out of here. We're going to make it to China, or wherever we want to go, fuck what anyone else says"

I'm making two different endings for this because I need a happy ending, but I also want to make myself cry with slow descriptions of sad deaths. So. Enjoy that shit when it comes out.

Also, yes, I'm working on another Smut chapter, if that one person who requested it is asking.

And km working on some fluff.

And there will be other content, like Izzy Hands angst, and you might get other ship content, if you want.

I am taking requests.