Moon Blessed

#1

The night sky was beautiful. Cold, sharp air flowed through the open window, making the ship the perfect temperature for the warm summer evening. The stars reflected onto the sea, the moon glowing at its best. Most of the crew were already asleep. Well, except two. Ed and Stede sat together inside of the captain's cabin, both doing their own thing. Stede was peacefully sitting in a chair while reading one of his soppy novels while Ed sat a few feet away from him.

He watched as Stedes eyes glided from page to page, paying no attention to the things around him, then looking away to glance at the stars. The silence grew too loud and Ed was growing tired of it. Finally, someone broke the silence.

"Have you ever learned to dance, Edward?" Stede was looking up now, the book still in his hands, legs crossed.

Ed, still startled by the sudden noise, looked back over to Stede.
"No. No, I uh..don't think I have."

Stede closed his book together and sat up, a look of joy and excitement on his face.
"Well, I think this is a perfect night to learn, don't you?" He said with a smile.

He walked over to Ed, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a cleaner area of the cabin. He stood in front of him, looking up with a grin.
"My mother taught me everything you would need to know about the art of dance. It's quite fascinating if you think about it!"

Ed tried to make a smile. He was horrible at dancing, that's why he never did it. He just couldn't move on time with the music or his hand was in the wrong place, it always went wrong.
"I haven't tried to dance in..4 years? God, it's been..forever." He chuckled, gaining a little more confidence in himself.

"Well then it's a perfect time to learn, isn't it? We can start out with the basics, very simple. I hope it won't be too hard for you."

Stede was overjoyed, he had finally found someone that he could teach. He never taught anyone how to dance, not even his own children. He was too busy with pirating and work that he never got the chance. But now he could and with the love of his life, that's what made it special. Ed was with him, that's all he ever needed.

Stede leads the way, moving Ed's hands into the right positions, getting in place. Ed stared at where his hand lay on Stedes's thigh, wondering what the hell he was doing. Stede on the other hand was happily getting everything set up, smiling at Edward the whole time.

"Perfect! Everything's perfect. Now, are you ready to actually dance? As I said, we'll just start with basic stuff so it isn't overwhelming. Is that alright with you dear?"
Stede looked up at Ed's now shrimp-pink face. Ed snapped back into reality, looking down at the silly blonde man whose thigh he was touching.

"Of course! Yes. Yes, that's fine by me." Ed stuttered a bit as he spoke, though slightly more eager than before. Perhaps something or someone had encouraged him.

Stede began to guide Ed through, telling him where to move or to step. Ed barely paid any attention to that., he was just happy at how close they were. Their bodies brushed against each other, hands intertwined. His eyes drooped, leaning more into Stede's warm grasp. His hair smelled of angels, his skin soft and beautiful. His eyes were a perfect warm brown, looking him up and down. He was falling in love with Stede all over again if that could even happen. He had a crush on his husband. How silly was that?

Edward wasn't paying full attention and messed up on a step and fell into Stede who let out a yelp. Edward, now on the floor was laying a bit on Stede. They stared at each other for a moment, both sitting on the floor in silence.

Stede burst into laughter, turning into a giggling mess. Edward just stared at him in disbelief. He was laughing?

"Oh Ed, that was perfect. You're amazing." Stede managed to say without giggling in between words. His face was painted with a smile as he sat on the cold floor of the cabin.

"But I ruined it, I messed up, stepped in the wrong place. How was I perfect in any way?" He stared at the laughing mess of Stede, whose hair was now an absolute mess, pointing in all directions. How was he the one laughing when he looked like that?

"Because you were you, Ed. It doesn't matter if you slipped or fell, you were yourself." He grabbed his hand and lifted it up, kissing it softly while letting out a giggle.

"You're perfect in every way, I couldn't ask for anyone better."

Ed looked at him, his face filled with both love and disbelief. Was he dreaming? Had he really found someone so perfect, filled with so much kindness? He felt loved, safe, and happy. Just the thought of being with Stede, even if they were sitting on the floor, he still felt the warmth of love climb through his skin.

He began to join Stede in the giggling, cuddling up against him. They sat there, laughing at themselves, sneaking kisses on each other. They were like teenagers in love, ignoring everything else around them and only embracing themselves. They fell asleep next to each other on the floor, covered in a small, woolen blanket. The stars still stood in the sky, the waves crashing against the boat, the moon lighting up the night.

The moon had blessed its light onto them, their faces were just visible enough to see each other.