REC: Flowers In Your Hair

[silverusagi]

Flowers In Your Hair (3746 words) by thefangirlingdead
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet
Additional Tags: Pining, Internal Monologue, Self-Doubt, Feelings Realization, Non-sexual Intimacy, Fluff

Yet another 'Stede helps Ed get ready for the party' fic, but this one is one of my favorites! I just love how unsure Ed is about his look at the beginning, and how completely and utterly gone on Stede he is by the end.

The rich purple fabric feels nearly blasphemous on Ed’s skin. It’s ridiculous, really. After all, he wanted this. He thought it would be a good idea to try - something he always wanted, deep down, something that he’d never actually admit out loud, but rather let Stede think it was his decision… But now that he’s wearing the finer clothes, plucked right out of Stede’s own auxiliary wardrobe, he realizes just how ridiculous the idea actually is.

We’re just not those kind of people. His mother’s far-away voice echoes in his head, and he has to physically shake the memory away. It’s fine. He’ll just tell Stede that it’s a stupid idea, and that there’s better things that they could be doing, and that’ll be it. He won’t have to open up, won’t have to admit that he’ll just never fit into high society, and they’ll be done with it. Like it never happened.

So he steps out of the wardrobe to tell Stede as such, but as soon as he opens his mouth, the words die on his tongue. There, waiting for him in the cabin lounge with his legs crossed, sitting prim and proper in a fine new outfit himself, is Stede. Stede, who’s eyes light up as soon as they catch sight of him, and Ed pushes down the little flutter in his chest at the sight, but it still renders him speechless.

Nobody has ever looked at him like that. Does Stede even realize what he’s doing?

It’s pathetic, really, the effect that the other man has on him.

“Ed,” Stede is ultimately the one to break the silence, his voice soft and kind, as it always is, “You look -”

“Ridiculous,” Ed supplies, his voice unintentionally giving him away. He can’t help the way that he wears his heart on his sleeve, not around Stede. He shakes his head, turning away, just slightly, “This was a bad idea, just forget -”

“Woah, woah,” Stede interrupts. In his peripheral, Ed watches as he stands and begins to quickly cross the room, “What are you talking about? It fits you perfectly.”