Gunpowder and Leather - our flag means death au

Caught in the act

Ed appeared from a cluster of people and grabbed Stede by the wrist. First, they ran back to the patio but it was already blocked off along with the main entrance, trapping them inside the building. His eyes flicked over the situation unfurling before he lead him through the crowd, bobbing and weaving through people as they evaded their pursuers and vanished into the chaos. They sneaked upstairs and faced a hallway of many rooms. Opening a random door, they walked in on a couple in the midst of a spat so heated they didn't even notice two heads poke in before darting away again. The one after however was empty. Stede closed the door behind them and slumped against it, his mind clamouring for a way out of getting caught. Not only that but Ed would be caught too. And it would be all his fault.
Ed seemed just as deep in thought as he examined their hideaway; in the dim moonlight that leaked in, it appeared to be a lady's boudoir with a large four-poster bed draped in silks and a vanity table littered with perfumes and rouges.

Footsteps creaked on the landing of the stairway. Time was running out. Ed straightened as if a bolt of inspiration struck him and he kicked off his boots before draping himself in the royal blue cashmere robe he plucked from the grand wardrobe. The floor groaned and doors clicked closed as they checked the rooms along the halls, getting closer to there's with every passing second. All Stede could do was stand dumbfounded about what the other man was up to as he untied his hair and shook his head to let the waves spill over his shoulders.
"Take off your shirt," he ordered, snapping Stede from his trance.
"What?!"
The footsteps were so loud now they could've been right outside.
Ed grabbed his shirt and tore it open, sending buttons scattering to the ground as he undressed his top half. The door next to them whined open and muffled voices spoke.
Stede was abruptly pushed onto the bed and he climbed on top of him to straddle his waist. With rouge on his finger, he smudged it on Stede's cheek and chest as if red lips had travelled his body. Every inch of bare skin that his fingers grazed blossomed with a warmth that juxtaposed the shivers down his spine.
Frustrated words sounded outside and a slither of light illuminated them as two silhouettes appeared in the doorway. Stede's racing heart paused its hammering as everything grew still. His eyes met Ed who leaned over him with dark hair cascading around them like a curtain, obscuring his masculine face from view; from an outsider's perspective they were just a couple who grew tired of the party, probably drank too much wine and escaped for more intimate enjoyment.
Stede never tore his gaze away from Ed's, staring into the endless darkness of his irises as the guards stood at the door for what was most likely a few seconds but felt like hours-- maybe even a lifetime. But in that lifetime he never looked away.
"Upstairs is off-limits. Tidy yourselves up and get out," one finally gruffed before slamming the door to give them their privacy once more.

He let out a long exhale as he realised he hadn't even dared to breathe that whole time. Ed straightened up with an airy, amazed chuckle and ran a hand through his hair to push it back. Still straddling Stede, he tilted back even more as he failed to hold back the laugh that rolled from his chest like thunder.
"Shit. That actually worked. Well, I be damned, it worked," he exclaimed once he finally could talk again. He glanced down his nose to where the blonde still lay under him but his palms were now pressed into his eyes as frustration creased his brows.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I messed it all up again. I nearly blew the whole thing. I'm terrible at this. You should have never taken on a burden like me. I was a fool for trying to be something I'm not," Stede rambled.
Ed yanked his hands from his face and pinned them either side of him, "listen to me. And I mean it, really listen. You are talking more balderdash than a boot-licker on payday. You are the furthest thing from a burden. You are a good man, Stede Bonnet. One of the last out there who is genuinely good. Don't change that. Don't wish it were different. Do you know what a rarity you are? I thought everyone in the world was just as cruel and untrusting as me but you have given me hope again. To hell with being a good cowboy, you have accomplished far greater feats than I ever could. You make the world a better place. You make my world a better place."
Stede's lips parted but no words left them. Somehow the fierce and imposing outlaw that loomed over him knew exactly the words he needed to hear. Not just in this moment, but for his whole life; Permission to exist as he was.
Ed's final sentence echoed in his mind and a flutter of hope returned to his stomach. It only grew as his irises flicked to his lips and then back up again as both of them seemed to sit in silence with baited breaths. Something shifted in the air that existed between them and he could feel it.
Ed gingerly leaned in, closing the distance. Just as their noses touched he hesitated, almost seeming as if he were about to retreat but a heartbeat later their lips connected. Stede's breath caught in his throat as he swallowed back a gasp. His lips were as soft as fallen snow but were sweet and warm like hot cider and just as intoxicating. His kiss was achingly tender and his hand moved from where they pinned Stede's wrists down and slipped into his palm, interlocking their fingers. With Stede's other hand, Ed guided it up to the hem of his shirt before placing it against his abdomen. He let his fingers graze the smooth skin before lingering on the soft hair that trailed lower than his belt. He could've remained locked in the gentle caress of his lips for centuries but eventually, Ed drew back and an upsetting coldness took his place.
"We should probably go before they come back to kick us out."
As much as Stede hated it, he was right. To replace his buttonless shirt, he wrapped up in a thick velvet and fur coat from the wardrobe and pulled the hood up to hide his face. Ed made himself presentable again and hooked arms with his companion to lead him back downstairs. They stuck to the sidelines and blended in with the crowd as they inched towards the main doors and miraculously, they made it outside without trouble. With their fingers intertwined, they broke into a run before anyone could cease their escape.
Even on the horses, they kept a similar energised pace, the wind whipping Ed's waves around as he outstretched his splayed fingers in the breeze and whooped with carefree giddiness. Stede couldn't hold back the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he let the man's contagious lust for life wash over him. He still couldn't believe he kissed him. In fact, that whole exchange felt like a figment of his imagination. It felt far too good to be true. But it must be real because the way Ed looked at him was something different to any glance he gave him before. Or maybe it never was that different and it was only now that he could understand the unspoken words that lay behind it. Another reminder of how very real it was was the heat that flared up from within and demanded more.