Im sorry | Our flag means death fluff/angst

Chapter 7: Never Left

The door slowly opened with a creek. "E-Edward..?" 

Ed sat up inside the blanket fort. It was silent.

"Ed? It's Stede.."

Ed stayed quiet, part of him wanted to see Stede and the other didn't. He felt as though this was all his fault and that he doesn't deserve to see Stede. He blew out his candle and slowly pulled an extra blanket over his body to hopefully fool Stede into thinking he wasn't there. Stede of course is smarter than that. He quietly walked over to the blanket fort and crawled through the door(pillow). He rested his hand on ed's leg, and began to speak.

"Oh Ed..I'm so sorry i-" Stede stopped in his tracks to hold back the tears that were starting form in his eyes.

"I- i shouldn't of gone back. It's just. I thought-" There was a pause. "I thought that you were..better off without, me.."

Ed's head lifted up in confusion, still being covered by the blanket as he listened intently.

"I- I ruined you, i'm so so SO sorry!" Stede began to cry, he couldn't hold it back any longer. "I left because i thought it was for the best, for you. I-" 

Ed sat himself up and avoided Stede's eye contact as much as he possibly could. 

"I...I ruined you. I ruined the great Blackbread...You were feared by all, now..."

"Stede..." Edward whispered

Stede became quiet, he whiped the tears off his face and tried his best to hide them as much as he could. He felt bad for crying..he thought, by crying that we was making it about himself...which he really didn't want to do. Ed crawled over to Stede. He reached his hand over to him and whiped the still falling tears from the Gentleman's eyes. Stede looked up slightly, making eye contact with Blackbeard. A smile, Stede saw a smile flow across Ed's face. Edward began to laugh, his hand still on Stede's cheek. A look of confusion came over Stede's face.

"Why..why are you laughing??" 

"Because, you didn't ruin me. You helped me find my true self." Ed said smiling.

Stede was quiet.

"My whole life, i've been trying so hard to be what everyone wanted me to be...Then when i got older, i didn't know what else i could be, i thought, the only thing i would be good at was pirating" Edward explained. 

Stede sat silently looking at his hands as he played with his fingers. He didn't know what to say. Ed moved closer to Stede. Stede stopped playing with his hands and placed them on the ground, avoiding eye contact with the sad looking man in a red robe. Stede, noticing that Ed is wearing his robe, looked up to see his beloveds face. Edward, who was already looking at Stede seemed a bit embarrassed after realising that Stede noticed what he was wearing. Stede looked around Ed's face, a bit worried.

"What..happened to your face?" He asked chuckling a little to himself. 

Edward looked down, self concious. Stede reached his hand up to the mans face. He began to whipe the black makeup off his eyes. The makeup began to smudge over his face, Stede trying hard not to laugh while trying to rub it off. He stops. The two of them stare into eachothers eyes. Edward leans in slowly, getting closer and closer to Stede's face. He grabs Stede's cheeks with both hands and kisses him. Stede pulls away and seems a bit taken a back. Edward, his hands still on Stede's face, begins to feel bad for kissing Stede without asking for proper consent. Just as he's about to pull away Stede grabs his face and kisses him back.

"You came back?" Blackbeard said smirking

"Heh...Never left."