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Chapter Text

Izzy knocked on the captain’s door, shifting his weight as he grit his teeth.  He had to make this quick.  There was no answer and before he would have simply entered his Captain’s cabin, but things were different now.  Because of Stede.   Just the name was enough to bring forth a growl of displeasure, made worse when it came out as more of a whimper.  Yes, he needed to make this quick.  

He raised his hand to knock again, harder and just as he nearly gave up hope and prepared to enter and deal with Edward’s anger if it was a bad time a voice called from the other side. 

“Come in!”  Overly bright and cheery and Izzy shook his head.  He knew that Stede was probably in there too, but he had hoped maybe just once things would go his way.  

Might as well get it over with. 

He pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, and closed it behind him.  Wouldn’t do to have anyone overhear.  He got a glimpse of the room, Ed lounging on the couch while Stede fussed with something on the table.  At least they weren’t touching each other. 

That thought made Izzy’s breath catch, and he shook his head to try to shake it, dropping his eyes.  “Captain, may I have a word with you?”  

There was a hesitation in the air, and he swore to every god he didn’t believe in if they acted like they didn’t know who he was talking to he was going to kill them both.

In his peripheral he could see Edward sit up, “Sure, Iz.  What’s going on?”

He tried to look up and meet his eyes but he couldn’t.  “Alone?”

There was a dismissive wave, “Whatever it is you can say in front of Stede, we’re cocaptains here.”

He shook his head, biting back the nasty response he wanted to give, unable to talk back to Edward in his current state.  He forced out the words, “Ed, please.”  It was hard to say, but he was desperate.  

Ed didn’t react to it but he saw Stede move, heading towards the door. “I can go check on the crew if you need privacy, I-” 

“No, stay Stede.”  He turned his attention to Izzy, impatience in his voice, “What is it?”

“It’s about…. Edward it’s about…”  He forced himself to look up, watched the puzzled look on Ed’s face turn to understanding and he hoped that would be enough. 

It wasn’t.  “Iz, might as well just tell him.  He’s your captain now too, no secrets and all that.”

His stomach dropped and he glanced over at Stede, and would never admit he was somewhat mollified by how uncomfortable the man looked.  He expected him to be gleeful at forcing Izzy to give in to yet another thing, but he looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

Before he could ask again, could try to explain, Ed spoke up.  There was steel in his words though, that hint of Alpha command and Izzy had to bite back a sound of betrayal.  

“Now, Izzy.  Say what you need to say.”

His face felt too hot, and not just because a heat was coming on.  No, he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks, and he would just add it to the ever growing list of humiliations he had suffered since losing the duel with Stede.  At least he had been allowed to stay on the ship, even if most days it felt more like a punishment.    

“I’m … I’m hitting a heat.  I’ll be under deck for a few days until it passes.”  He swallowed hard, “I’ve set us on a safe course till then.”

There was a clattering by the table, Stede mumbling apologies as he gathered the cup he had dropped, shock clear on his face.  

“Oh, right.  Sure, Iz.  See you in a few days.”

There was a lump in his throat that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe.  The simple dismissal hurt after forcing him to divulge his secret to that wretch of a man.  He was well aware of the small sound he couldn’t stop himself from making, but he only gave a sharp nod and hurried out.  

He rubbed at his face as he headed towards his room, keen to get there without running into anyone that would be able to smell him and would realize what he was.  He could smell it on himself, he should have holed up in his room a full day before but with his captain, with both captains busy with each other there was a lot to do.  A lot to take care of before he could disappear for a few days, to make sure they were safe and on a good course.  By the time he reached his room the burn in his eyes had become tears sliding down his cheeks, and the ache in his chest felt insurmountable.  

He pulled on more comfortable clothes, soft casual things he wouldn’t be caught in by anyone else, but he wouldn’t be seen by anyone for a few days.  He clenched his bandana, Ed’s bandana, in his hand.  

The scent of his Alpha made his body clench, a pathetic whimper slipping out of his mouth, and already slick was running down his thighs.  He had waited much too long, he hadn’t even been able to properly stock his room, scant supplies available but he would make it work.  It wasn’t like he had any other choice.

His cot was all wrong, the two blankets a poor substitute for a nest, but he was used to it.  It was fine.  A few days of feeling miserable, aching, and then he would be back to himself.  It was fine . He curled up on his cot, hugging his pillow to his chest with his face buried against the piece of cloth with Ed’s scent and kept repeating it to himself. Everything was fine.  

Stede was at a loss for words, staring at the door the way that the first mate had gone, finally turning his gaze to Ed.  The man was already looking back at the paper he had been reading before the interruption.  

“Ed…”  He tilted his head, trying to put together what he wanted to ask.  “Did I understand that correctly?  Israel is an omega?”

“Mhm.”  He said it like it wasn’t a big deal, but when Stede didn’t respond he looked up, noticing the shock for the first time.  “Oh, yeah.  I know normally omegas… but its not a big deal, Izzy has it covered.”

“Does the crew know?”  Ed shook his head but didn’t offer any more information and it was starting to get to him.  “I’m an alpha, how did I not know?”  He knew he was getting older but he could smell an omega when he ran into one.  He tried to think back to the few times they had been close enough that he would smell him, there weren’t very many, but the best he could come up with was that he’d always thought Izzy smelled a bit like Ed.  Had contributed it to living in close quarters, on the same ship, but definitely had not smelled omega. 

Edward was finally realizing that Stede was serious and he leaned forward.  “Wasn’t trying to hide it from you or anything.  Iz doesn’t like people to know, for obvious reasons.”

“He cannot be an omega, I would have smelled it.”

Ed shrugged one shoulder, tilting his head as he tried to figure out what Stede was so worked up about.  “The bandanas he wears around his neck, over the scent gland, they’re mine.  It, ya know, blocks his scent pretty well unless someone gets really close.  And no one gets that close to him.”  It was something they never really talked about, he just passed them to Izzy whenever the one he was wearing started to lose scent. 

“And he’s in heat right now?”

“I guess.  He lets me know when he is and then disappears for a few days.”

Stede glanced towards the door again, he felt like he was missing something.  “I didn’t know you had an omega.  Are you going to go down with him later?”  There was no accusation in his voice, nothing to hold against him.  Stede was surprised that he had missed that Izzy was Edwards’s omega, though it did explain some things.  Like why only Izzy had been marked as Ed’s with the x under his eye and not the whole crew.  It wasn’t exactly a traditional claiming mark, but must be a pirate thing. He was a little annoyed at finding out like this, it could have made so many things easier.  Had Ed had been keeping his distance from his omega because he thought it would upset Stede?  No wonder Izzy had been so worked up.  

“What? No, he isn’t my omega.”

Just when he thought he had understood what was going on he felt like he was thrown into the dark.  “Who is his alpha?”  He tilted his head and couldn't imagine how another Alpha would allow Izzy to wear Ed’s scent.  Izzy barely even talked to anyone else on the ship. Perhaps it was because he was the captain?

“He doesn't have one.  Never has.  He’s not like a normal omega, he doesn’t, you know, he doesn’t do any of that stuff, doesn’t like that stuff.  Probably would stab an Alpha that tried to help him out.”

“He is alone for his heats?”  Stede’s own alpha instincts were ringing now, unable to stop the concern at an Omega in heat by themselves.  Where he had been raised Omegas rarely even worked outside the house, and it was a shock to hear that any pirate, forget the angry dangerous little man he knew as Izzy, was one.  But he had never heard about an omega wanting to be alone during their heats.  

“You’re worrying too much Stede.  He’s always just… squirreled away, it isn’t a big deal.  He’s fine.”  Stede met his eyes and there was a long silence and a sharp unease settled in Edward’s stomach as he thought about it.  He’d never questioned, Izzy was free to do as he wanted about it.  

“Edward, he wears your scent and follows your orders.”

“Everyone on the boat follows my orders.”  He rolled his eyes and tried to laugh it off, but it abruptly stopped when he saw how serious Stede was.  How disappointed the man looked.  “What?”

“He is your omega, Ed.  And he’s just… alone?”  Stede thought back, “I’ve been around for a bit now, I don’t think I recall you ever touching him.  Not in a way that wasn’t… aggressive.”

Stede had a point and if he was honest with himself, even though he never said it, never acted on it, he was well aware that he thought of Izzy as his.  Especially since Izzy was easy, he never asked anything from him, never acted out.  Just followed his orders, always obedient, loyal, dependable.  And that had been enough, but since meeting Stede, since feeling emotions he never had before, for the first time it felt like he was doing something wrong.  

While he had been thinking he realized Stede had been busy, pulling a blanket off the bed, collecting food and one of Ed’s shirts, and was already nearly to the door.  “What are you doing?”

Stede shrugged, holding everything precariously in his arms.  “I’m just going to check on him.  I’m sure you are right and he’ll tell me to… leave him alone, but I’d like to make sure he is okay myself.”  Stede was gone before he could come up with a reply, not that he really had one. 

Ed didn’t think it was a great idea but he already knew the look of determination on Stede’s face, so he didn’t try to stop him.  Partially because he knew the man wouldn’t let it go, but also, also because he clearly had seen that Izzy was struggling.  He wasn’t oblivious to the whimpers, the hurt expression, and was starting to feel bad that he had only dismissed him, too focused on Stede to give Izzy his time.  Alone in the room he settled back into the chair, unsure what to do with this newly acquired feeling of regret.

Chapter Text

Izzy had only been settled in his blankets for a few minutes when it was already too hot. He could feel himself sweating, his body protesting being alone, and he pulled off his shirt, shrugging his shoulders at the uncomfortable sensation.  No matter how many times he went through heats he always forgot how awful they were.  And this one was looking to be more unpleasant than usual.  He hadn’t had time to get anything to help him through it, at least on their old ship he had a few things he stowed away.  Embarrassing, but he kept them well hidden and they had helped ease the ache.  

Gods he was pathetic, whimpering into his pillow, trying to keep his body still.  He should be able to overcome it, did his absolute best to pretend he wasn’t an omega, but there was nothing he could do about heats besides hide.    He could still clearly remember the look Ed had given when he found out, the surprise and disappointment.  The man had told him that was too bad, that he had planned on Izzy being his first mate, but if he was an omega… and Izzy had done everything he could to prove that it didn’t matter.  That he was strong enough.

Knocking at his door startled him, though it took him long moments to understand what the sound was, and he froze, not sure what to do.  Being safe in his room had catapulted him deep into heat, so it took a few moments to realize there was only one person it could be.  None of the crew would dare come to his personal quarters and Ed wouldn’t have bothered to knock and that meant.  No.  He tried to tell him to fuck off but he couldn’t find his voice, so instead buried his face into his pillow and hoped the man would go away.  He could admit that right now he was in no shape to face off with him.  

There was more insistent knocking and then Stede’s voice.  “Izzy, I’d like to come in.”  

It took all his focus to lift his head and mutter out, “Go away.”  It was likely not loud enough to be heard, and even if it had been it was barely a whimper.

“Izzy, I’m coming in.”  

There was a change in Stede’s voice, enough that it made Izzy lift his head, responding to the alpha tone that had been in it.  He should have been enraged that the man dared to use it with him, it hadn’t taken him long at all to take advantage of finding out, but hearing the tone in his current state helped ease some of his tension.

By the time the door opened he had pushed himself to a sitting position, trying to keep something of his dignity.  Stede pushed his way into the room, closing the door shut behind him before he let his eyes search the room.  Izzy stayed curled up on the bed, if only because it was the farthest spot from the door. 

“I wanted to check on you.”  He carefully set down the few snacks he had brought, tucking the blanket under his arm.  “I brought you some food and thought you might want a blanket that smells like your Alpha?”

Izzy glanced at the food, but his focus settled on Stede.  The blanket he was carrying looked warm and fluffy and even from across the room Izzy could smell the mixed scents of the Alphas on it and he couldn’t stop the whine that slipped out.  He was half out of the bed before he realized, stumbling a step towards Stede before he stopped himself. 

Stede took the opportunity to get a good look at the omega, and had to force the calm smile to stay on his face.  He was certain that Ed was wrong, Izzy was not okay.  With his chest bare he could see how skinny the man was, and it had nothing to do with there not being enough food to go around.  The room was filled with the sweet scent of an omega in heat, but under it was the sharp bite of omega distress.  He clearly needed help.

“Come on, I have this for you too.”  He held up the shirt, and even though it smelled stronger of Ed, Izzy’s eyes stayed on Stede. 

He was too far in heat to be this close to an Alpha and not be affected, every instinct he had wanted to drop to the ground, curl up near the Alpha in his room. He struggled to get it together, it was dangerous to be so weak, and belatedly realized the whimpering sound filling the room was coming from him. 

“Oh dear.” Stede took a step towards him and Izzy swayed forward before he snapped out of it and scrambled back.

“Please, stop.”  The words choked out, and Izzy knew that he was crying again, but he couldn’t help it.  It was taking everything he had to keep his distance, he was smarter than this.  Alphas were dangerous, they couldn’t be trusted.  Especially not when he was in heat.  Frantically he glanced around the room but there was nowhere else to go, and it wasn’t fair.  Edward should be here to protect him from another alpha.  He cringed from the thought, that wasn’t his right to think. 

Stede hadn’t moved, settling back into his stance with his hands palm up, trying to show that he intended no harm.  Izzy was quickly working himself up, distress nearly overpowering the scent of heat, and he had to do something.

“Izzy.”  Just his name, but said in an alpha tone to force him to focus.  Izzy stared at him, frantically panting and eyes wide.  Maybe Ed was right and this was a bad idea.  “It’s okay, you’re safe.”  He moved forward as he spoke and when Izzy tensed like he was about to bolt, though to where Stede had no idea, he put one hand up.  “Stay still, Izzy.”  Honestly he wasn’t sure what to expect when he reached him, maybe that even in heat Izzy would pull out a dagger, try to stab him.  He wouldn’t normally expect something like that from an omega, but Izzy was very different from any he had met before. 

Izzy couldn’t move, not when he had been ordered to stay still, so he did what he could to protect himself.  Curled in his shoulders and crossed his arms, turning his head away and down so he didn’t have to see the approach.  When Stede reached him he expected violence, body so tense that the moment he was touched he flinched away.

“Shh.”  It was a soft sound, meant to calm, and Stede’s hand found him again.  Fingers slipped into his hair, gentle as they ran through it like he was petting him before settling on the back of his head.

All sense left him at the gentle touch, pressing desperately into Stede’s hand, unresisting when the man pulled him forward against his chest.  He buried his face against Stede’s shirt, the strong clean scent of alpha, practically mewling when Stede’s hand moved to cradle the back of his head, holding him there.

“There we go, shh.  You’re safe.”

An arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer, and whatever the Alpha planned on doing might be worth it just to be held like this.  He was hard, leaking slick, but all he wanted to stay like he was.  Too far gone to be self conscious as he sniffled and cried, pressing so hard into the embrace that he was surprised he didn’t topple them over.  

Stede gave up the hold around his waist, sure that Izzy wasn’t going anywhere, to rub his hand up and down the omega’s back.  It made Izzy curl more into him, body pliant, and who would have thought that all it would take was a soft touch.  The thought was supposed to be light hearted, but as soon as it crossed Stede’s mind he realized.

“Oh, Izzy.” 

The grip in his hair involuntarily tightened at the words, just a momentary twinge, but it was all it took.  Izzy moaned and slid down to his knees, face pressed against Stede’s hip, helpless to resist the submissive urge.  It felt too good, felt safe and right to be kneeling at an Alpha’s feet, it was all he ever wanted from Ed.

From this position his body abruptly remembered that he was in heat, nose nudged just to the side of Stede’s crotch, and things went a bit fuzzy as Izzy rubbed his body against him.  His body ached, empty, and right in front of him was something that would help.  He tried to lean closer, intending on nuzzling against the man when he was dragged to his feet.  

Stede was smiling, and though he expected the Alpha to be smirking, pleased with himself at subduing Izzy, it seemed sad.  Concerned.  Izzy shook his head, not sure what to make of that, brain too muddled to work anything out other than that he was being pushed back.  “Please.”  He tried to move close again, drop back to his knees, but was pushed back with more strength than he expected until he bumped his cot and sat back on it.  He looked up at the Alpha, whimpered out, “What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing Izzy, nothing at all.  You’re being so good.”

The words made him moan again, and he was scrambling to get his pants undone, he wanted to be good.  He got his pants off, just the loose black shorts he wore as undergarments left on, and rolled on to his hands and knees on the bed, hoping if he presented like a good omega it would be enough. 

Things shifted into focus for just a moment, enough for him to choke on the humiliation that he was so willingly submitting to Stede , before he ducked his head down against the blankets.  Dropping his shoulders so his body arched up.

Hands grabbed his hips and he pressed back but he was being moved again, pushed until he was sitting on his butt and Stede was climbing over him onto the cot with the blanket in tow.  Izzy didn’t understand what was happening and tried to move back into position but a tsk from Stede and he held still, waiting to be told what to do.  

Stede settled with his back to the wall and then pulled Izzy towards him, the omega resisting just enough to be felt.  “It’s okay Izzy, come here.”

Izzy let himself be manhandled until he was between Stede’s legs with his back to the man’s chest, docilely letting the man work the shirt he had with him over his head.  Why was he trying to dress him?  Was he really that horrible an omega?

He tried to turn to see him, but hesitated when Ed’s scent overtook him from the shirt, surrounding him.  He wrapped his hands in it, tilting his head to press his face against his own shoulder, breathing deep.  While he was distracted the blanket was wrapped around him too, warm and suffocating in a way that made him feel safe.  

Behind him Stede wrapped arms around him, holding him tight, letting Izzy burrow against him.

It felt so good and though there was still the ache between his legs, the need to be mounted, it paled in the face of feeling so warm and safe.  His heat may be demanding sex, but his body was exhausted.  Stede ran fingers through his hair, speaking soft words to soothe him and it wasn’t long before he couldn’t fight it anymore and sleep overtook him.  

Stede kept talking even after he could feel the even rise and drop of Izzy’s chest, even after he was certain the omega was asleep, just to soothe himself.  He tightened his arms slightly when Izzy nuzzled against him, seeking an Alpha even in his sleep, and let out a sigh. He wondered how long it would take Ed to realize he hadn’t come back and what he would do when he found them.  He really hoped he wasn’t getting in over his head. 

Chapter Text

Ed dropped the map he was looking at on the table, he had a good idea where they were going to head, and he looked around as he stretched.  He was still alone in the room and he glanced out the window, all at once realizing that it had been much longer than he thought it had been and Stede still wasn’t back. 

Well, that wasn’t good. 

His reaction was delayed but then he shoved to his feet, muttering curses under his breath.  How had he not realized that Stede hadn’t come back, how had he not paid more attention when the man said he was going to check on Izzy.  He was probably bleeding out somewhere.  Well at least maybe that would teach him to just leave Izzy the hell alone.

And he was mostly sure that Izzy wouldn’t actually do anything, he had ordered him to be on his best behavior with Stede and he might give some attitude but he knew his place.  He wouldn’t disobey an order that directly.  And if he did… Ed clenched his fist, if he had then he’d have to remind him of his place again.  

On the way down to Izzy’s room he passed by Lucius, grabbing his arm to stop him.  “Have you seen Stede?”

Lucius shook his head, “He hasn’t been up deck.  I just came from the mess, he wasn’t there.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Of course.”  He started to leave but stopped, “Did you see Izzy today?”

Lucius stopped and looked like he was thinking about it, “Earlier.  He was real tense, nothing new there.  Kept yelling about making sure everything was set for a few days because he was sick.  He did look like he was in rough shape,  was kind of pale and sweating, shaking a bit.  Hope it's not going around.  Think he headed to his room.”

Ed nodded, giving a dismissive wave as he picked up his step.  Something didn’t sit right with him about that.  Izzy struggling with his heat by himself on deck, trying to get everything in order.  He should have been there to do it himself if Izzy was so close to heat that the crew noticed he looked off, again there was that regret.  And it was frustrating, not sure what else to do with the feeling but turn it to anger.  

By time he reached Izzy’s room he was ready for a fight and lifted his hand to pound on the door.  His hand stopped mid air, and he leaned closer to the door.  The smell of omega was clear, anyone that came by the door would be able to smell it, and he didn’t recall it ever being that distinct before.  

Fuck , Izzy smelled good.  He took a step back, maybe Stede wasn’t even in there.  Maybe there was no reason to even get close to the other man when he was in heat.  Except where else would Stede be?

So he went to knock again and then shook his head before simply pushing the door open.  Izzy was his first mate, this was his ship, it was his right to enter whenever he felt like it.  

A time or two he had seen Izzy in heat, just for a moment before he left him to his own devices.  When he did the man was tense, angry, flinching away.  Seemed fitting for the man, he had never known someone quite so prickly as Izzy.  

So when the door opened and he stepped into the room, he was not prepared for the sight before him.  He had been ready to save Stede, maybe knock Izzy around a bit if he had gotten out of line, but instead was met with Stede in Izzy’s cot, the man in question curled up against him and apparently… sleeping. 

“What the-”

“Shh.”  Stede shushed him, looking down at Izzy and shifting slightly when the man stirred, talking low until he settled back down.  “You’re going to wake him.”

Ed stared at them for long moments before moving closer, trying to keep his voice down.  “Stede, what the fuck is going on?”

The room was drenched with Izzy’s scent, and Ed couldn’t help but react to it, rolling his eyes as he reached down and tried to adjust him in a way he hoped wasn’t too obvious.  This is why you didn’t keep omegas on ships.  He looked up and realized Stede wasn’t giving him the friendliest of looks.  “What?”

“What is happening, Edward, is that I am comforting your omega.  He was in terrible shape.”  This close Ed could see that Izzy was curled up in Stede’s lap, and he looked so small wrapped in Ed’s shirt.  He didn’t think he’d ever seen Izzy looked so relaxed, and had definitely never seen him so close with another person. Jealousy twisted his stomach and it had nothing to do with Stede.

Hell, in all the years they had sailed together they had touched, been close, it used to be a fun game for him (maybe not so much for Izzy) to manhandle the smaller man around.  Pull him too close, pin him down when they fought, tuck him under his arm when he was in a particularly good mood.  But still, they had never been close like this.  Izzy never would have allowed it, at least, he didn’t think the man would have.  

“What did you do to him?”

Ed was moving closer and Stede glanced down, Izzy getting more restless.  He guessed that he had been asleep for close to an hour, but he seemed to be able to sense that his Alpha was nearby, starting to shift his weight.  He would have liked the man to get some more sleep.  He had spent the time trying to figure out what to tell Ed, what to do, but he still wasn’t exactly sure.

He pushed forward though, meeting Ed’s eyes.  “I was gentle with him.”

The words hung in the air like an accusation, one that Ed didn’t miss even though this whole passive aggression thing was new to him.  He ground out, “Izzy doesn’t like that gentle shit.”

“Have you ever tried?”

“No… why, why would I?”

Ed’s voice was getting louder, and Stede could feel Izzy’s body starting to tense, a small whimper escaping at the increasing hostility, even in his sleep.  

Ed’s eyes slid down to him at the sound, mouth twisting.  He’d heard Izzy whimper plenty, that one was familiar, and with it came a sick feeling.  

“Because he is your omega?”

“For the last time, Izzy doesn’t have an Alpha.  Izzy doesn’t want an Alpha.  I don’t know what is going on here, but clearly he’s just… he is just fucking with you Stede.  Izzy!”  

Stede winced as Izzy jerked awake at the yell, body going tense.  He tried to pet his hair, calm him back down and it was starting to work when Izzy caught a glimpse of Edward. 

The moment he saw Ed his face lit up, and he struggled to get out of the blankets, a look of devotion on his face, obvious without any of his usual defenses up.  “Alpha.”  Izzy murmured the word like it was a prayer and he was all the way out of bed and halfway to Edward when he abruptly stopped.  

Edward and Stede were frozen in place, watching to see what would happen.  Neither of them expected that reaction, he’d never seen Izzy look so open.  Look so content.

It didn’t last.  Like he suddenly realized where he was, what was happening, Izzy wrapped his arms around himself, dropping his gaze to the floor.  “Cap-captain.”  He swallowed hard, trying to remember what he should be saying.  Had something gone wrong on the deck?  “I’m sorry, did I…”  He glanced up at Edward and couldn’t stop the whine.  His Alpha standing there while he was in heat, while he was already wrapped in his scent was too much and he slipped to his knees.

“What the fuck , Izzy?”  

It was impossible to miss the anger in the words, and Izzy flinched away, whimpering out another apology as he started to shake.  His alpha was so mad at him and he didn’t know why .

He startled when there was someone behind him, hands under his arms pulling him to his feet.  He didn’t resist when Stede pushed him until he was turned into his chest, a hand in his hair directing him until he was tucked in against his neck.  It filled his nose with Stede’s Alpha scent, not his alpha but it felt safe.  “Shh, nothing to be sorry for pet, you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to.”

Ed hated how inadequate he felt watching Stede comfort Izzy, the easy way he soothed the omega.  Without thinking about it he stalked forward, reaching out to grab Izzy’s arm and forcefully jerked him away from Stede.  

“I don’t know what you think you’re going to accomplish here Izzy, but I’m not buying this bullshit!”  He shook the smaller man as he spoke before grabbing his jaw hard enough to bruise, forcing his head up so they could make eye contact.

“Ed-”

He pointed at Stede with his free hand, shooting him a look, “Stay out of this.”

Izzy was staring at him, somewhere between the look of devotion when he had first seen him and the cautious mask he usually wore.  He tightened his grip, lifting up so Izzy had to go to the balls of his feet, though he didn’t have any sort of plan.

Izzy panted, whining at the touch, and tried to push into it.  It was rough, nothing like the way that Stede touched him, but he was desperate to be near his Alpha.  He tried to keep it together but Ed smelled good and he’d never been this close to him during his heat.  “Please, Alpha.”

“Ed.”  Stede settled a hand on Ed’s arm, gentle pressure until he lowered it enough that he wasn’t half choking Izzy.  Stede’s voice was steady, “He’s not up to anything, Ed.  He’s just in heat.”

When the grip loosened Izzy dropped to his knees, shuffling forward until he was within touching distance of Ed, but held off there.  He desperately wanted to lean forward, rub against him, but leaned back instead.  That wasn’t something he was allowed.  Above him there was a heated discussion going on, but he was too far gone to understand anything other than that both alphas sounded angry now.  

He lowered himself all the way to the ground and carefully shifted forward until he could press against Edward’s boots, half curling around his legs.  

Above him the voices stopped and there was silence for a handful of minutes before his Alpha moved, crouching down near him, but when Ed reached out his hand, years of conditioning had him flinch away from the touch.  Ed’s hand stopped, hand hovering in the air near Izzy, but then continued moving.  

“I got you, Iz.”  Ed’s tone was so different than it had been a few minutes ago and it was all it took for Izzy to relax into his hold as he was pulled to his feet.  He swayed once he was standing, but he was only there long enough for Stede to wrap the blanket around him, and then Ed was picking him up. 

He held him against his chest, one arm under his legs and the other under his shoulders, and Stede was tucking the blanket around him, and Izzy wasn’t sure what was happening.  

“I still think something is off.”  Ed paused and looked down at Izzy, “Some kind of fuckery, I know it.”

“We’ll just get him to our room and figure it out from there.”  

Izzy realized they were heading towards the door and finally that triggered something and he struggled, but it just made Ed tighten his grip.  He shook his head, “I can’t…”  He felt like he was making excuses and tried again, “Orders?”  It was just a heat, he had promised Ed it wouldn’t ever interfere, so if there was something he was supposed to be doing he would try.  

Ed chuckled, tucking Izzy in closer to him, “You’re so damn obedient, aren’t ya?”  Ed ducked his head down for a moment and Izzy realized he was scenting him.  “You smell fuckable, that’s for sure.”  The chuckle was darker and it made Izzy whine, gasping when Ed’s hand shifted enough to grab his ass. 

And then Ed’s hand was gone from his ass and Stede was there, shaking his head.  Ed rolled his eyes but didn’t move his hand back.  “Touch him, don’t touch him, make up your mind.”  Ed huffed once they were in the hallway, muttering, “What an omega is for, isn’t it?”

They abruptly stopped when Stede turned to face them, “He isn’t an omega , Edward.  He is Israel Hands, your first mate and your omega.”  Stede took a moment to lay a hand on Izzy over the blanket, and brush fingers through his hair to make sure the harsher tone hadn’t upset him before continuing on their way.

“Yeah yeah, I know. I was kidding. Mostly.”

Izzy was oblivious to it, blissed out on being so close to both Alphas.  It didn’t occur to him that they were moving out in the open, that it was likely that they would be seen by someone on the crew, his whole world just centered on Ed.  “Alpha?”

“I’m here Iz.  We’ll get ya sorted.”  They rounded a corner and nearly ran into Lucius.

“Oh good, I was thinking about what you asked and…”  Lucius trailed off, nose twitching at the unmistakable scent of heat, even to his beta nose.  His eyes landed on Izzy and they went wide.  “Oh.”

Stede hurried to intercede, “Lucius, this is obviously a delicate situation, so I am asking that you will keep this just between us.”

Ed took a step towards Lucius, no less intimidating with his arms full of his first mate bundled in a blanket.  “And that is to say, if you’d like to keep your tongue you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

“Ah, yes, sir. Of course Captain.  Captains.   I didn’t see anything.”  Lucius darted away, and honestly Ed knew even with the threat that it wouldn’t stay a secret for long. Years Izzy had managed to keep any crews from noticing, and Ed had managed to fuck it up in a day.

“You didn’t have to threaten him like that.”

He didn’t know how to tell Stede that he did, some things you either got or you didn't.  So he just shook his head and motioned to keep moving, hoping to get Izzy to their cabin before they ran into anyone else. 

Chapter Text

They passed Ivan and Fang before they reached the captains’ quarters.  Ed held Izzy impossibly closer to him, like he could protect him from others finding out, and tried to think of a threat bloody enough to make them take him seriously.

Before he could speak he noticed that neither of them seemed particularly surprised, glancing at them for just a moment before continuing on their way, and he filed that information away for later. 

Once they were in the room with the door shut he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with Izzy, but Stede tilted his head towards the bed.  With a few long strides across the room he reached it and dropped Izzy onto it without much fanfare.  

The sudden jolt knocked Izzy out of the daze he had been in, he wasn’t in his Alpha’s arms anymore and he panicked.  He kicked at the blanket wrapped around him, whining high in his throat when his eyes landed on Ed standing next to the bed.  He wasted no time, sliding down from the bed to kneel before him. 

Out of instinct Ed’s hand shot out, wrapping in Izzy’s hair tighter than Stede had, hard enough to feel it.  Izzy let out a small pleased sound and took it as an invitation to shuffle that small bit forward until he was pressed against Ed.  Like he had with Stede he leaned in to nuzzle at Ed’s crotch, sighing when he wasn’t stopped.  He nuzzled at the hardness there, breathing in the smell of his Alpha.  Closer than he’d ever been allowed to be.  

“Eager little fucking thing, isn’t he?”

Stede was there, standing next to them, looking conflicted.  “I know he is in heat Ed, it doesn’t seem right to take advantage of that.”

“What?”

Stede motioned at him.  Ed still held the grip in Izzy’s hair, his thumb stroking against the back of his head as Izzy huffed out hot breaths against him.  “He’s in heat, you don’t know if he wants this.”

Ed shifted until he could lift one boot, using it to nudge between Izzy’s legs where he was very obviously hard.  “Seems like he wants it to me.”  He used his grip in Izzy’s hair to pull his head back so he was forced to look up, “Izzy?”

“Please, Alpha.”

Ed made a considering sound, but relaxed his grip.  Izzy leaned forward, nuzzling against him again and Ed smiled down at him for a moment before he looked up at Stede.  “What do you suggest, then?”

Izzy rubbed his cheek against Ed and when he was allowed he mouthed against him, tasting the leather but he wanted more.  He ached for more.  He glanced up and the Alphas were talking again so he whined, trying to get their attention.  

The conversation didn’t stop, but the fingers in his hair tightened, pulling him up and closer, until Ed’s leg was slotted between his and he could rub against him.  It wasn’t what he really needed but was enough of a distraction to keep him busy.  

There was something at the back of his mind though, pushing through his omega instincts.  He held still, just pressing into the fingers in his hair, and the soft touch was so different from what he was used to from Ed that he realized what was wrong. 

He tried to pull back, “Captain?”  There must have been a reason Ed came and got him, had taken him from his room, and he wouldn’t shirk his duties.  Enough awareness making it through that he was embarrassed.  Though it made him ache more, he shuffled back, only stopped by the hand in his hair.  Ed was looking down at him now, and he expected anger but the man looked bemused, so he tried again.  “Captain?”

Ed’s attention turned to the other alpha.  “Maybe I do work him too hard.”  He gave a hard tug to Izzy’s hair, and fondly added.  “Slicked up in heat and still trying to be a good first mate, aren’t ya?”

Stede made a face at the wording, “Really, Edward?”

Izzy could only focus on the words though, “I’m a good first mate?”

“Of course.”  Even though the words were flippant Izzy felt his heart skip a beat, practically preening as he pressed into Edward’s grip.  “Though, not sure where humping your captain’s leg like a dog falls into that.”

A physical blow would have been less painful than the mocking words.  Izzy froze, looking down at himself where that was what he was doing, pushing up against Edward with the man’s leg clenched between his own.  Shame burned in his stomach, making him feel sick, and without thinking about what he was doing he jerked away from his captain.  

The grip in his hair let go, Ed not expecting the sudden movement, and Izzy landed on his ass, the force he pulled away toppling him over.  What was wrong with him, it didn’t matter that he was an omega, it didn’t matter that Ed was his alpha, he was his captain and he should know better than this.  

He tried to apologize, heat making him slow to think and everything a little jumbled, but instead of words all that came out was a sniffling sob.    Ed took a step towards him, “Hey-”

Izzy couldn’t help it as he scrambled back, overwhelmed.  Ed froze when another small shaky sob came from him and it was impossible to miss Ed’s frown.  

Ed looked to Stede, “See?  He doesn’t want to be touched like that, it scares him.”  Never mind that he knew that he hadn’t been handling him gently.  

Stede shook his head and moved toward Izzy.  Ed wanted to tell him not to, Izzy clearly didn’t want to be touched with the way he had moved away when he tried to approach him.  

Stede stopped in front of Izzy and put his hand out, waiting for a moment to make sure the man wasn’t going to flinch away before he brought it to rest on the back of his head, fingers in his hair.  “It’s okay.”  Though Izzy was still sniffling he let himself be pulled forward until he was leaning into Stede’s legs.  He turned his face against him, hiding the tears on his face while he tried to calm down. 

Stede watched him for a moment before he looked up and met Ed’s eyes.  The realization hit him all at once.  Izzy wasn’t afraid of an alpha, Izzy was afraid of him.   His omega was scared and huddling against another Alpha.  Without meaning to a growl slipped from his mouth, low and threatening.  “He’s mine .”

Stede wasn’t afraid but was smart enough to be cautious.  He didn’t relinquish his hold but shifted to the side so he wasn’t in between them.  He didn’t think Ed would hurt him, or Izzy, but wasn’t willing to completely step away.  Calmly he answered, “Yes, he is.”

It soothed some of the anger, the acknowledgment.  He stalked forward and grabbed Izzy when he reached him, yanking him to his feet and against his body.  

One hand slid into Izzy’s hair and yanked his head to the side as Ed buried his face against Izzy’s neck, pressed against his scent gland.  Izzy barely had time to lean into it before Ed moved, shoving him hard onto the bed.  “Well, you want me to fuck you then?”  He angrily snapped the words out, frustrated with his short comings when it came to dealing with Izzy.

“Ed-”

He ignored Stede and stalked towards the bed, stopping just in front of it.  Izzy didn’t move from where he’d been shoved, staring at him.  The words, the words he wanted to hear but his Alpha was so angry.  

“Well?”  Stede was trying to intervene, but he ignored him and gave Izzy’s leg a shove.  “You want your alpha to fuck you, then present.”

Izzy whined, and tried to look at Stede, but a growl from Ed and he snapped his attention back.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to present for Ed, he had dreamed about it since the first time he met the Alpha, but he was scared.  It had been an order though, and he would always follow his captain's orders.  So he rolled over, stripping off the shirt he was wearing and the shorts, leaving him naked.  He dropped his shoulders down to the bed, hoping that he would be good enough.

Ed knew that Stede was trying to get his attention, but he ignored him.  His eyes were on his omega, naked and presenting, while he reeked of fear.  His stomach clenched and he swallowed hard.  There was just a momentary glimpse of a memory, of his mother’s face so scared of his father, and he had to shake his head hard to clear it. 

He glanced over, saw the relief on Stede at whatever expression was on his face and then he moved towards the bed.  “Come on, Iz.”  He pulled him until he was kneeling up on the bed and he could see his face.  “I’m not gonna hurt ya.”  He cupped his face, sliding his thumb across Izzy’s cheek, wiping away the tears.    God, he was fucking this up.  

Ed dropped down onto the bed and dragged Izzy over so he was in his lap, wrapping his arms around him and tucked him in against his body.  Izzy was stiff for a few moments, but Ed just held him tighter.  He tangled his fingers in Izzy’s hair and muttered, “You’re a perfect first mate, Iz.  I couldn’t do this without you.”

As the words sunk in Izzy relaxed, hesitantly nuzzling in against his Alpha.  With each shift of Ed’s body he tensed, waiting for the anger, but eventually he settled into it.  

“Good boy.”  

Direct praise from his captain made any lingering anxiety fade away, and then all he had to focus on was he was naked in Ed’s lap.  When he shifted he could feel Ed hard below him, and he moaned low in his throat, grinding down against him.  

“Fuck.”  Ed dropped his hands to grab at Izzy’s hips, and he wasn’t sure if he intended to stop him but instead he held him tighter, grinding up to meet his movement.  

It felt good, better than it should, but after a few moments he tightened his grip, forcing Izzy to go still.  The jokes he made about omegas being there to fuck, he didn’t mean them.  Not really, not when he was talking about his first mate.  And now he didn't know why Izzy would let him touch him.  If it was because he was in heat, because he was his captain, if it was because he was scared.  He sighed and looked around the room, hoping Stede would have a better idea of what they should do. 

“Alpha, please.”  Izzy sounded so sweet that Ed leaned down to nuzzle against him on instinct, wanting to soothe the ache he heard in his voice.  Izzy tried to wiggle against him, but Ed had a steel grip on him.  There would be bruises where he was holding him, but Izzy only pushed harder into them and moaned.  

“Gods, Izzy.”  He used a hand in Izzy’s hair to press him in against his neck and looked over him at Stede, “Why is he so desperate?”

“He’s in heat and he’s with his alpha.”

“Yeah but,” Ed licked his lips and winced, “That mean heats are always this bad for him?”

The calm talk reassured Stede that Ed wasn’t feeling territorial anymore and he moved closer, sitting next to Ed on the bed, lifting one hand to place between Izzy’s shoulder blades, helping to calm him.  He didn’t want to make Ed feel bad, but he wouldn’t lie.  “It is likely.  We learned how to take care of omegas growing up, and we were taught they were… vulnerable in heat.”

Ed shook his head, but it wasn’t in denial.  He tucked his head down to talk against Izzy’s ear, “You’re so fucking stubborn, why wouldn’t you say something.”

And Ed was sure that Izzy wasn’t paying attention but the man shifted at that.  Izzy didn’t try to lift his head but muttered, “You didn’t want an omega for a first mate.”  Izzy shifted what he could, trying to rub against Ed, the throb between his legs getting harder to ignore.  “Please.”

“Can I just put him to bed, get him sleeping like I found him with you?”

Izzy whined at that, wrapping his hands in Edward’s shirt, “ Please .”  He wasn’t sure what he was begging for, too far in heat to think logically, he just knew that he ached, that it hurt, and he wanted his Alpha to fix it.  

“Okay.”  A silent conversation happened between Ed and Stede before Ed was shifting to lay down, pulling Izzy with him.  He untangled himself, pressing Izzy until he was flat on his back, “Stay put.”  He slowly lifted his hand, a small hum of approval when the man obeyed, and moved to pull his own clothes off.  He stripped almost naked, figured the more skin the better, raising an eyebrow when he saw Stede do the same.  “A bit of co captaining?”  There was a lilt of humor in his voice, and a shared grin between them but he quickly turned his attention to Izzy. 

“C’mere, my good boy.”  He laid on his side and pulled Izzy so his back was to his chest, and curled around him.  He nudged one knee up, sliding it between Izzy’s and settled a hand on his hip.  His other arm curled around Izzy’s shoulders, one hand splayed across his chest to hold him close.  

Ed moaned as he settled against Izzy’s body, he was giving off heat like a furnace, and when his hand slid from Izzy’s hip to his thigh the omega was dripping in slick.  He trailed his fingers through it, sliding them towards his ass, chuckling against Izzy’s neck when he whimpered.  Izzy tilted his head and bared his throat, proper submission given to his Alpha without anymore prompting.  

Ed didn’t hesitate to take the offer, pressing his nose against the bottom of his chin to tilt his head a bit more before he bit down just over Izzy’s scent gland.  It wasn’t gentle, biting down hard enough that he tasted blood, marking him.   

“Alpha, please, I need, please…”  He was trying to grind back against him and though Ed wasn’t sure if it was too far, he knew what the man needed.  He wouldn’t fuck him, not like this, but he could do something.

He kept his teeth clamped down as he slid two fingers inside him, moving easy with how slicked he was.  Izzy whined high in his throat, body clenching, finally finally .  He felt a bit frantic, pressing back against the fingers, and cried out when Stede moved to lay in front of him, pinning him in between the alphas.  He scrambled to grab onto Stede, burying his head in against Stede’s neck even as Ed kept teeth on him.  

Izzy rutted against Stede’s hip, uncaring how it looked.  It was the closest he had felt to satisfied during a heat since he had known Blackbeard, and he couldn’t stop himself if he wanted to.  It didn’t take long with both Alphas attention on him before he was coming hard and his vision went spotty around the edges.

Ed was hard himself but he ignored it, pulling his fingers out of the man and licking across the bite mark on his neck, soothing it.  Izzy was dead weight between them and looked about halfway to unconscious. Stede stroked his hair, murmuring to Izzy how good he had done, bringing the man down.  Ed appreciated it, he was still getting the hang of the whole gentle thing.

Izzy came back to himself enough to realize that Ed was still hard and he tried to turn his head, feeling sluggish.  “Alpha, let me-”

“It’s okay Izzy.”  Ed traced the bite mark on his throat, before wrapping his arms around him.  “Get some sleep.”  They were a mess, and they would have to get cleaned up soon, but it could wait a little bit.  Stede seemed to be in no hurry to move either, so he just nuzzled in against Izzy.  

It was some time later when Izzy was sound asleep, his face content and relaxed, that Ed spoke up.  “When he comes out of heat, he’s not going to be happy.”

Stede was still petting Izzy’s hair and didn’t look concerned.  “We’ll figure it out.”

“The crew-”

“It will be okay.”  He shifted so he could reach one arm over Izzy to put around Ed, cuddling them close together.  “You did good to.  With Izzy.”

Ed sighed, he wasn’t sure he believed that.  All he could think about was that Izzy had been suffering for years right under his nose and he never even bothered to check on him.  Had made him feel like he had to hide away, that he had to protect himself from his own Alpha.  “When he is over it - if he decides to leave-”

“He won’t, Ed.”

Stede sounded so confident, it was easy to trust it.  Instead he added, “Not usually good business to keep omegas on board ships.”

“Well, this ship is different.  Isn’t it?  If it wasn’t a problem before that Izzy is an omega, it isn’t a problem now.”

Izzy stirred, pressing back against Ed and nuzzling against Stede’s chest, before settling back into sleep.   It was enough to get them to shelve the conversation, it would still be there in the morning.  Might as well get some sleep before the storm that was sure to come. 

Chapter Text

Izzy was warm.  It was the first thing he noticed as he started to wake up, used to the slight chill in his cabin, and half asleep he nuzzled into the source.  Clearly he was out of it because it took long seconds for him to realize it wasn’t his bed, and it wasn’t a pillow that he was currently sleeping on.  

His face was pressed against Ed’s chest, one arm thrown over him, one of his legs hiked over Edward’s.  Clinging to him.  He kept his eyes closed to try to process it when he realized that if he was laying on Edward then the other body - the one pressed along his back with a hand settled over his stomach, had to be Stede. 

Fuck.

He remembered everything, though he really wished he didn’t.  His body still hummed with his heat but for the moment it was at the back of his mind.  What he really needed to do now was figure out how to extract himself from between the two alphas without waking either of them so he could retreat to his room to nurse his wounded pride.  

It was so nice where he was though, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been content when he was in heat.  And getting to be so close to Ed, getting this from him, was hard to give up.  He kept his breathing shallow so it would seem like he was still sleeping as he thought through his options.  

Ed shifted under him and he moved without meaning too, hips flexing, and he had to bite back a small sound.  The movement made it impossible to ignore that he was completely naked, while Ed and Stede still wore under shorts.  It made him feel vulnerable, and panic started to work its way up into his chest.

“I know you’re awake, Iz.”

That jolted him and he tried to pull away, but Edward moved faster.  He slid his hand into Izzy’s hair, gripping it tight enough to pull and used the hold to keep his head on his chest.  “Where do you think you’re going?”

“My room.”

“I think you’re good right here.”

The hand in his hair was gentler now, idly stroking through it, and Izzy swallowed as it made heat start to build in his stomach.  His hips rolled of their own accord, grinding against Ed’s thigh for just a moment.  He whispered against Ed’s chest, taking a moment to breathe in his Alpha’s scent.  “I have work to do.”

A chuckle that he felt more than he heard, “You gonna go swab the deck naked and smelling like heat?”

“I’m sorry, Captain.”  Izzy whined as he tried to wiggle away, he didn’t need a reminder that he was useless when he was in heat.  He tried to push away from Ed, but that only pressed him firmer against Stede, and it was humiliating how helpless he was.  

Ed dragged him back into place, “What the fuck are you doing?”  His tone was fond, but he accompanied it by a sharp tug of his hair.  “Why are you fighting me?”

“I’m not.”  Izzy pressed into the hand into his hair, trying to show him.  “I never do.”

“Hmm.”  Ed leaned into him, using his hand in Izzy’s hair to tilt his head, looking over the bite mark he had left there.  “Not going to be able to hide that.”

“You marked me?”  Izzy’s body had gone tense and he repeated it, quieter, obviously distressed.  “You marked me.”

“There a fucking problem with that?”  Ed didn’t like the implication in Izzy’s response.  He was his alpha, he was the captain of this ship, he could mark him if he wanted to.  He leaned closer, his voice lowering into a growl, “Wouldn’t be the first time.”  He twisted his hand until he could rub his thumb over the tattoo under Izzy’s eye.

“What, whatever you want alpha.”  His voice shook, shrinking away from Ed, trying to make himself small.  It wasn’t the same but he was in no position to argue.

  Ed forced his grip to loosen, why did everything with Izzy have to be so difficult.  “Izzy, stay still.”

“What is going on?”  Stede’s sleepy voice caught them both off guard.  Izzy tensed against him but Stede just stroked across his stomach where his hand was splayed, and made a soft shushing sound.  “It’s okay.”

Izzy relaxed into it for a few seconds, but then tensed back up.   He wasn’t far enough in heat currently to not feel self conscious, to not feel ashamed, about taking the offered comfort.  Not when his captain was still unhappy with him. 

“Oh.”  Stede sounded confused, but just patted his stomach and pulled his hand away, making like he was going to get up.

A distressed whine slipped out of Izzy’s throat, no matter how hard he tried to tamp it down.  Stede stilled behind him, not pulling any farther away.  “Izzy?”

He tried to take a deep breath to get his thoughts together but it caught in his chest, making it hitch, and he flinched hard when he saw Edward’s hand come up.  

Stede’s arm moved back around him, and after a moment’s hesitation Edward’s hand moved again, thumb swiping away a tear from Izzy’s face.  He hadn’t realized he was crying.  “He’s upset I marked him.”

“No!”  The word came out much more forcefully than he meant it to, but there was a panic he couldn’t quite explain at Ed’s misunderstanding. 

Ed had that perplexed look on his face again, and Izzy expected him to pull away and tell Izzy to fuck off but after long seconds of silence a small sigh slipped out.  “You’re not upset that I marked you?”

“No.”  Ed was clearly waiting for more, but Izzy seemed to only be able to get the one word out.

“You are upset though.”  Ed moved, shifting a bit closer, and Izzy was once again pressed tight between the two of them.  It made him let his breath out in a shaky sigh, desperately clenching his teeth to try to keep from nuzzling into it.  “That the crew will see?  No offense Iz, but they already know you belong to me.”

Izzy forced himself to meet Ed’s eyes, hard to do when there was a searing heat in his stomach at hearing Ed say that he belonged to him.  He tried to say something, to put words to the problem, but he couldn’t make his mouth work and only stared helplessly at him.  

It didn’t help that the closeness of the position meant he was pressed intimately against Ed, that behind him Stede’s body was nestled against him, morning wood pressed up against his ass.  He could feel himself quickly losing his tentative grip on his control, could feel the new slick on his thighs.  

Ed’s nose twitched, glancing down, before looking back up at Izzy.  “You’re gonna go under again, best have this chat later I think.”

Frustration welled up in his chest, and now he could feel the tears, too pressed in between the alphas to be able to even get his arm up to wipe them away.  

Stede’s hand came up to brush the hair off his face, gentle and calming, “Is it okay if we help you like we did before, Izzy?”

What could he say to that?  God yes, he wanted nothing more than for Ed to touch him, and that had little to do with being in heat.  “Yes.”  It came out whimpered.

“You want me to do more?”  Ed’s hand slid down to his hip, fingers gripping just enough to leave indents.  He looked over Izzy at Stede, “He okay enough to say he wants it now ya think?”

“I’m right here.”  He almost wished the heat would just help him forget his embarrassment, but after the first wave it was slower to hit and he hated the way they talked about him like he wasn’t there.

“He’s still in heat, Ed.”  It was said with a note of finality, a note of scolding that made Ed grin.

“S’kinda cute ya know Stede, ya might be the first pirate to ever care what an omega says.”  The words were barely out of his mouth when what he realized what he had said and he sucked in a sharp breath of air.  

Izzy had curled into himself at the words, forcibly pulled out of it when Ed grabbed his jaw and lifted his face to meet his eyes.  He could see the understanding there now, what he had been trying to get across.

“Izzy.  You know I’d never let anyone on the crew touch you, hurt you.  You know that.”

He swallowed hard, unable to move his head away to break eye contact so he closed his eyes instead and muttered, “They already barely listen to me.  Don’t respect me.  And now?”

Ed shook his head, slipping his hand to the back of Izzy’s thigh and hiked it up, pulling them closer together.  “We’ll talk after Izzy.”

“No.”  It came out more as a plea than an order and when Ed just shook his head again he tilted his head back, trying to see Stede and whimpered it out again, “No.”

To his credit Ed didn’t need Stede to intervene.  He sighed and didn’t give up his hold, but leaned back to give them a little space.  “I’ll make them, Izzy.”

The thought was almost humiliating enough to completely knock the fuzzy feeling from his heat away.  He was the first mate, he shouldn’t need the captain to tell the crew to listen to him, to humor his fucking omega.  And it wasn’t just this crew.  “If I ever have to go on a new ship-”

“Why would you need a new ship?”  The softness was gone from Ed’s voice, words growled out as his grip tightened enough to bruise.  

It made Izzy shiver, tilting his head back to show his throat, submitting under his Alpha’s anger.  “Alpha-”

In a flash Ed rolled them so Izzy was on his back, Ed kneeling between his legs, one hand in his hair to keep his head pulled back.  He had the vague sense of Stede next to him and was prepared to tell him to fuck off, possessive rage at just the thought of Izzy leaving making him see red.  Stede didn't try to stop him though, just gave them a bit more space, and a quick glance said the man was watching them carefully.   Concerned.

And not just for him.  He forced his grip to gentle, used his other hand to stroke Izzy’s side like calming a wild animal.  His mate concerned for Izzy ‘s well being, caring about the omega, brought up feelings he didn’t quite understand.  He turned his attention back to the whimpering man under him,  “Why would you ever leave this ship?”

It was pointless now though, the show of force, the position and that glassy look was on Izzy’s face like he didn’t quite understand where he was.  He nuzzled into Edward’s palm when he cupped the side of his face and rutted up against him.   “Yeah, okay.”

He pulled back to try to figure out how to do this but Izzy whined and tried to sit up to follow him, “Yours.”

“Yeah, sure.  Except for when you’re talking about leaving the ship, right?”  It wasn’t fair, he could see that in this state the words didn’t even really make sense to Izzy, just the angry tone.  

“Ed?”  He shifted his leg to keep Izzy in place, one hand on his chest to push him flat on his back, and looked over at Stede.  

“What?”  

Stede glanced at Izzy and reached out slowly to place his hand near Ed’s, trying to comfort both of them.  “Don’t be mad at him Ed, he wouldn’t leave you.”

“He said-”

“I don’t think he means by his choice.”

And yeah, that made sense.  Ed had gotten annoyed enough with Izzy a few times over the years they had sailed together that he had kicked him off the ship.  He hadn’t ever meant it, and after a few weeks had passed he’d let Izzy beg his way back onto the ship.  He never gave much thought to what Iz did during those weeks, but if it got out that he was an omega his options would be… limited.  And dangerous. 

“God, this is all so fucked.”  He was a shitty alpha.  It was tempting to blame the feeling on Stede, he had never felt like this before the other man had shown up, but he knew it was just because he’d never given it any thought at all.  Not when Izzy was always just… there.  “Come here ya little fucker.”

Izzy responded immediately to the fonder tone, letting Ed manhandle him until they were spooned together.  He could feel Ed hard against him, and he panted, trying to grind back against him.  “Pl-please Alpha.”

Ed buried his groan against the side of Izzy’s neck, mouth pressed against the bite mark without teeth, and he wanted to fuck him.  Not because he was in heat, not because he wanted to quiet him down, because he wanted him.  Loyal little pain in his ass.  He held his hips so they could grind together, ignoring the desperate sounds from Izzy when he realized that Ed had no intention of taking it further.  “Next time.”  He grunted it against Izzy’s neck, buried his nose against his scent gland, “Next time, Iz.”

Izzy’s head turned, blindly looking for someway to ground himself, and pressed his face against the arm across his chest.  He nuzzled it and when that wasn’t enough he bit down, not hard enough to leave a mark, just enough for Ed to feel it. 

Ed moaned at that and a growling, “That’s my boy,” had Izzy’s whole body tensing as it pushed him over the edge.  He bit down hard when he came, and the sharp pain sent Ed over.  He clutched Izzy to him, grinding against his ass, both of them panting.

He huffed out a small laugh, pressing a kiss over the bite mark before he pulled back.  It was only then that he realized Stede wasn’t still in the bed.  It took a moment for the low voices to make it through to him, could see Stede at the door whispering quietly with someone and he tightened his arms, pulling Izzy in closer.  He didn’t like the idea of someone else being this near to him when he was in heat.  

Once Stede shut the door and turned back towards him he glanced down at Izzy and realized the man was half out of it, still awake but definitely not quite there.  It held his attention for a few seconds, acknowledging that for the man to be out so completely that quickly he must be exhausted.  And not just since he was in heat. “Who was that?”

“Lucius, I figured since he already knew it wouldn’t hurt.  Thought we could get a bath going, maybe get everyone cleaned up a bit.”

He wanted to argue just on principle, but to be honest they could use it.  They were sweaty and sticky, he could see dried cum flaking on Izzy’s stomach.  “Yeah, okay.”  He maneuvered Izzy until he was against the wall and tucked the blankets around him, making a face at the way his shorts stuck to him as he slid out of bed.  “Yeah, bath might be a good idea.”

Chapter Text

Izzy buried his face into a pillow that smelled like his alpha and he wanted nothing more than to stay there and sleep, vaguely aware that he had been drifting somewhere in between for a while.  He wasn’t sure why he still wasn’t in that lovely in between, but urgent voices in the distance made it through enough that the fuzzy edges started to focus.  He wanted to fight it, even if he never would admit that, wanted to stay in this mindset for a bit longer because once he was out.  Well. Then he would have to deal with Ed and Stede and the mess of being an omega and-

A scent that wasn’t Ed or Stede made its way through and abruptly, startlingly he was awake.  He scanned the room and couldn’t stop the panic as he tried to figure out who else was in the room.  His eyes finally landed on Lucius who stood by the bathtub, wide eyes on Izzy.  A frantic look around the room and Ed and Stede weren’t there and Izzy couldn’t help the sharp bite of betrayal. 

They had brought him out of his room, his safe space, and now had left him in heat with someone else.  He was vulnerable and unprepared to defend himself.  His alpha should be here.

Lucius’ eyes moved over him quickly, and Izzy grabbed for the blanket, this whole humiliation just never ended.  He was naked in the alphas’ bed, reeking of heat and the whole room smelled like sex.  He knew what it looked like, and couldn’t deny that at least most of what it looked like was exactly what it was. 

“Alphas?”  He winced at the sound of his voice, small and whimpering and he tried again, trying to put more force into it.  “Captains.  Where are the captains?  Why are you here?”

“There was an issue, another ship approaching.”  He motioned awkwardly towards the tub, “I’m just filling up the tub.”

  “A ship?”  All at once everything about him being omega was shoved back, all business at the chance of a threat.  He started to move towards the edge of the bed, if there was a ship it could be hostile and he should be out there, but it only took a few seconds for him to realize he wasn’t exactly in a position to do anything.  Besides being in heat still, making him wobbly on his feet and at best a distraction to his alpha, he didn’t have any clothes.  

Lucius was still watching him, a funny look on his face that Izzy didn’t understand.  He shook his head hard, “An attack?”

“Don’t think so.  There was some kind of confusion, Stede and Ed are taking care of it.” There was a pause and Lucius grabbed a cup from the table next to him and moved towards the bed, “Hey, want some water?”

Even though Lucius was a beta, even though Izzy knew that he wasn’t a threat, being approached when he was in heat like he was shot a thrill of panic through him.  He scrambled back into the corner of the bed, his back against the wall, and desperately pulled the blankets up around him.  There was a whine through the room and even when he realized that it was him he couldn’t get it to stop.  

“Woah.”  Lucius stopped, hands up in the air to show that he wasn’t gonna do anything, and his voice was impossibly soft, “You don’t have to be scared, Izzy.  I’m just trying to bring ya some water, you look fucking wrecked.”

“Don’t- don’t-”  HIs voice shook and he couldn’t get his thoughts together.  This was why he stayed completely away in heat, couldn’t stand the way it made him weak and pliant, and he tried to force out words that would just make the other man go away .  “I’m not scared - just… just fuck off.”  

“Right.  Don’t be dramatic, I'm just trying to help.  Besides, I’m a beta what am I gonna do, I don’t give a crap that you’re in heat.  Wouldn’t try to mount Blackbeard’s omega anyways, gotta imagine that would end badly.”

Mount, mount . Izzy’s breath hitched when he tried to calm himself down, but it was impossible to do when exactly what he’d always been afraid of was happening.  Blackbeard ’s omega , in the span of a day that is all he was now, he’d prefer to be Dizzy Izzy.  If Lucius knew, the crew likely knew, and despite what Ed had said he felt like he was going to be sick.  

Lucius was still approaching him, slowly, and all Izzy could think was that the boy had implied he could mount him if he wished, and Izzy was going to kill him.  Frustration welled up and he was going to punch or kick or find a knife or- oh, no.

Lucius had reached the bed and Izzy tried to focus on some kind of attack but instead, he was crying.  The tears came hot and fast, surprising him with the force when he had been certain he was going to be violent, but fear and stress and hurt had built up to something very different.  He clutched the blanket to him, unable to stop the sobbing, entire body shaking with it.

“Oh.”  Lucius paused at the edge of the bed, mouth tilted down, “You’re like, actually upset.”  Lucius climbed up so he was kneeling on the bed and that only made Izzy sob harder, fully aware that he had no way to protect himself from whatever Lucius was going to do, and the thick scent of omega distress started to fill the room.  

“Hey, it’s okay.”  Lucius moved closer, waving his arm in Izzy’s face and he had no idea what was going on, flinching back against the wall.  “Stop, you don’t gotta be afraid, I’m pack.”  Lucius said it like that should mean something, but Izzy just shook his head.  “Listen, I know you can be a twat, but I’m not gonna hurt you.  I’m pack, don’t I smell like it?”

He started to hyperventilate, choking out sobs when he managed to get air.  He managed to whimper out, “Want Ed, please” though he wasn’t sure if Lucius even understood him with how jumbled it had sounded.  

All of the snark had left Lucius' face, just leaving concern, and he moved closer until he was almost on top of Izzy.  “Hey, come on, calm down.  Your alpha will be here, you need to breathe.”  His voice went a little pitchy, clearly panicking a bit at how badly Izzy was falling apart, and pressed his wrist nearly against Izzy’s face.  “I’m pack, I’m safe.  Come on Iz.”

He couldn’t escape, pinned into the corner, Lucius’ scent unavoidable with his wrist against his face like that.  He knew what he smelled like, beta, young but what was that supposed to do .

Except unable to do anything as he huffed out panicked bursts of air there was something else.  Another scent that wasn’t Lucius, not exactly, and wasn’t Ed and Stede, but kinda was.  It smelled safe and he leaned more into Lucius, trying to follow it.  

“Yeah, see.”  Lucius let out a shaky breath, and his other hand came up to touch Izzy’s arm where it poked out of the blanket and though he flinched a little he didn’t fight it.  “Pack, right?”

The proximity calmed him, but Izzy still didn’t know why, he looked up to meet Lucius’ eyes and words were hard but he managed to ask, “Pack?”  He couldn’t explain what he was asking, couldn’t come up with that many words and he watched Lucius tilt his head as he tried to figure it out.  

“We’re your pack.”  When Izzy still stared at him blankly Lucius made a small sound of surprise and then a sad sigh.  “You’ve had a pack before, right?”

“Crew.”

“Not the same, really.  It’s more like…”  He settled his weight over Izzy a bit, keeping one arm by his face and the other slid to his shoulder, just trying to ground him.  He was trying to put the words together and that was when the door opened.  

Stede hurried back to the captains’ room, sure that Ed had everything under control.  He wanted to get back to Izzy, hated that they left him alone, and he was not prepared for the sight that met him when he entered the room. 

He glanced behind him, thankful that Ed was not with him, because he could only imagine the reaction the man would have to the scene before him. 

Distress scent soaked the room and Izzy was curled up in the corner of the bed with Lucius in his space, leaning over him and appeared to be holding him down?  Izzy’s face was red, tears still on his face and Stede calmly closed the door behind him.  He knew what it looked like but he had faith that Lucius hadn’t been doing anything bad , but it didn’t look good. 

“Care to explain what is happening here?”

He approached the bed and Izzy’s eyes locked on him and he expected cursing or anger, the man was still in heat but was more distressed than anything else, and it broke his heart when all he got was a small whimpered, “Alpha.” 

The fear in his voice was enough for Stede to snap his glare to Lucius, “What did you do?”
Lucius was shaking his head and shuffled back, letting Stede get on the bed and to Izzy.  The smaller man instantly took the offer when Stede held out his arms, pressing into him and burying his face against Stede’s neck.  

“Nothing, I was trying to comfort him.”  Stede gave him a look and he shrugged, “He was upset you guys weren’t here, he was crying.  I tried to help him and show him I was pack, but he doesn’t know what pack smells like I think.”  Lucius was trying to duck around Stede’s shoulder to see Izzy’s face, “I wasn’t trying to scare you Iz.”  His voice shook, clearly upset, and Stede relaxed. 

He nudged Lucius to get off the bed though and lowered his voice, “The tub.  If Ed sees you touching him while he’s this upset it will be a very bad thing.”  Lucius nodded, shooting one more glance at Izzy before he got to his task. 

Stede held Izzy close, wrapping him in alpha scent, not saying anything until his breathing had evened out.  “Are you okay?”

“M’sorry.”  Izzy sounded miserable.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”  

“Can’t.”  Izzy buried his face harder against Stede’s shoulder, muffling his words, “Can’t be first mate anymore.”

“Of course you can.”  He turned to look at Lucius, because clearly he had said something that upset Izzy this badly.  

Lucius avoided eye contact though and hurried out of the room to fetch more water for the bath.  He sighed and rubbed his hand on Izzy’s back.  “Did Lucius do something?”  Izzy shook his head, but that clearly wasn’t true, “What did he say?”  He used a bit of alpha tone, enough to make sure he got through to Izzy and the man sniffled against him. 

Izzy choked on the humiliation, at being forced to repeat it, but he couldn’t deny the order, not when he was buried in the alpha’s arms.  “Said he wasn’t gonna… mount … Blackbeard’s omega.”  He felt like he was going to be sick saying it and shook his head, squeezing his eyes hard against anymore tears.  “Can’t be his omega and his first mate.”

Stede made a face at the crude words, sending a fleeting glare in the direction that Lucius had gone, but he knew it wasn’t really his fault.  It was the same way that Edward talked about omegas, and Stede was starting to get that it was the way that most of the pirating crowd talked about omegas.  How they saw omegas, and it was just starting to really sink in how bad a position it put Izzy in.  For a brief moment he wondered if he had done the wrong thing following the omega down to his room, forcing him out into the open like this, but the way Izzy clung to him told him it had been the right choice. 

It didn’t matter.  There were several things on his ship that were not the norm, and he would make sure the crew realized that this was no different.  He was optimistic, Lucius may have spoken without thinking, but he had also been trying to calm Izzy down as part of his pack.  Which reminded him of what else the man had said.  

He tilted his head down so he could talk quietly, he wanted to make sure he didn’t rile Izzy up again.  “We are your pack, Israel.  You know that, don’t you?”  He knew that Ed and his own crew were not a pack, they didn’t have that feel.  They were individuals sailing on a ship together, but that was all.  And if Izzy had been with Ed since he was young it wasn’t a stretch of imagination to guess that Izzy had never been in a pack, and maybe for the betas and alphas that wasn’t such a big deal, but all this time for an omega to have no pack?  It was heartbreaking to think about.  No wonder Izzy was such a high strung mess. 

It put a lot of the experience he’d had with Izzy in a new light.  An omega that wasn’t taken care of right, wasn’t brought down or comforted during heat, that wasn’t marked and owned by an Alpha in a way that made him feel safe.  There was no doubt, even before all this, that Ed owned the man but he’d seen the way Ed held back support, the way he let Izzy flounder sometimes.  The way he put Izzy in a position to have to be in conflict with everyone around him if he wanted to get things done.  The only safety Izzy had was his alpha, of course he panicked at the thought of losing him.  It must have been terrifying.  

Izzy clearly showed all the signs of an omega overwhelmed in burnout and Stede might have noticed if Izzy wasn’t the last person in the world he would have thought was an omega.  He nuzzled gently against him, and kept his voice soft, “You are the single most stubborn omega I have ever met in my life.”

There was a small sound from Izzy that might have been a laugh.  He could feel the moment that the fear trigger calmed and Izzy was more or less back in his right mind.  His body tensed in Stede’s arms and when he subtly tried to pull back Stede didn’t try to stop him. 

In fact he pushed himself off the bed, going to check the temperature of the tub, giving the man time to get himself together.  By the time he came back to the bed Izzy was sitting pressed into the corner, a scowl on his face though it lacked its normal ferocity.  He looked up at Stede and then away and muttered, “I don’t know why I reacted like that.”

Stede did, and he was feeling a bit guilty about it. He knew that a fear response could be triggered in omegas especially in heat, but like Lucius he had thought that Izzy would know his pack and should have felt safe.  If he had known better he would have just sent Ed above deck to deal with the issue, or at least had Lucius hold off being in the room until they could come back.  It was a lot to explain though, and Izzy didn’t entirely look like he was ready for any kind of discussion.  Instead he reached out to pat his leg, “We shouldn’t have left you without one of us, that is our fault.”

“I don’t need to be coddled.”

“Well then,” he glanced at the bath tub nearly full, “You’re probably not keen on a bath.”

“Where is Ed?”

Stede glanced up, “We ran into another ship, he’s handling it.”  Izzy was moving trying to climb off the bed, worry on his face.  Stede caught him though and held him back on the bed.  When the man kept trying to escape he sighed, “I promise you he is not in danger, nor is the ship.  I need you to calm down.”

“What if-”

“If you go up there in heat and make it impossible for us to keep it just on our ship that you’re an omega?”  

“I need to be with my captain.” 

The door opened and Izzy’s head snapped to it hopefully but it was just Lucius with more water and Izzy’s cheeks flushed as he looked away.  Lucius dumped the water in the tub and then moved towards the bed despite the pointed look from Stede to leave it be. 

Lucius stopped a few feet away, “Izzy, I just, I'm sorry, I wouldn’t try to hurt you.”

Surprisingly Izzy turned enough to be able to look Lucius up and down before he looked back down at his own lap and there was no heat in his voice, “I know.”  He gripped the blanket, “Does everyone know, then?”

Lucius shrugged, “Yeah, sorry.  I didn’t tell anyone, but you can smell heat everywhere though and you’re the only one missing.”

Stede made an annoyed sound, he hadn’t wanted to let Izzy know that quite yet and made a shooing motion at Lucius.  “Thank you Lucius, I think the bath is all set.”

He gave a small nod and looked like he wanted to say something else to Izzy but finally just took his leave.  Stede watched Izzy try to curl in on himself more and it was something they would have to discuss once he was out of heat, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to comfort him now.  

“How about a bath?  You’ll feel better if you get cleaned up.”

Izzy shook his head, “I don’t want to.”  He wrapped the blanket around his hands, needing something to do.  If everyone on the crew knew there was nothing that could be done.  He couldn’t be a first mate, he couldn’t do his job anymore, couldn’t do the only thing that had given him any worth in Ed’s eyes.  He hissed a breath out through his teeth, clenching them down so he wouldn’t cry.  

He would have to leave the ship and pray that Ed and Stede could convince everyone on it to keep their mouths shut and not give him away so he could find another ship.  The thought of leaving his alpha made him feel sick.  He brought his eyes up to Stede, frustrated that the man just sat there being quiet and let him work out what he wanted.  “I want Ed to…”  He trailed off, feeling lightheaded with how flushed he felt at saying the words.  “My heat, I want him to.”  

And he did, especially if this was the last time he was ever going to get to be with Ed, serve under him.  He felt pathetic but he just wanted his alpha to have him properly, at least once.  Stede hadn’t said anything so he added a quiet, “Please.”

He twitched when Stede reached out to brush the hair out of his face but then leaned into the touch.  It was like once he started spiraling he just kept going.  “You’re in heat dear, I’m not sure you can properly agree to anything like that.”

Izzy scoffed, and was weirdly proud that he managed to sound like himself.  And he wasn’t entirely sure he meant to say the next part but it slipped out before his brain could catch up, “I’ve spent 20 years of heats wanting Edward to…”  His winced, “mount me, it’s hardly new.”  He had never verbalized the thought, barely gave himself permission in the most secret part of his brain to even think it, and it made his stomach flip.

“Mount.  Terrible word.”  Stede shook his head.  The rest of what Izzy said sunk in and Stede couldn’t quite put words to the sadness he felt.  He let the hand on Izzy’s cheek slip into his hair, petting him softly, “Ed will be back soon, love, we’ll talk about it when he gets here.”

That was a no if Izzy had ever heard one but he nodded and tried to keep his disappointment to himself.  He already had gotten more than he’d ever dreamed in the last day, so he shouldn't be greedy.  After a moment he pulled away from Stede’s gentle touch, because yeah, wouldn’t do to get used to that either.  

Chapter Text

Normally it would be easy for Izzy to hide his feelings.  He was good at it and Ed was usually oblivious to even glaringly obvious things when they came to him, but Stede was a different story.  He frowned and didn’t move out of Izzy’s space even as he pulled away.  “What’s wrong, dear?”  He glanced at the doorway, “Ed will be back soon, you’re alright.  I won’t leave again.”  Stede reached out to grab his wrist, tightening just enough that he wouldn’t be able to easily shake him off.  “Come on, we’ll get you in the bath.  It will feel nice.”

He wanted to fight it but couldn’t help leaning into Stede when he touched him.  The alpha was so calm, so gentle, it would be so easy to just give in.  He whined, and tugged his arm away.  Stede let him pull back and he dropped onto the bed, rolling over to press his face into the pillow, rubbing against Ed’s scent.  He wanted his alpha.  

A hand settled on his back and he tensed, prepared to be forced to move, but Stede just sat on the edge of the bed, scent warm and safe.  He wished he could just go back to sleep, but his heat was creeping back up, slowly but surely.  He could feel it settle in his stomach, an ache between his legs.  He started to turn to look at Stede when the door slammed open.  

“I’m back!”

Izzy startled at the sudden noise and curled in on himself.  He felt Stede move, the man on his feet and in a defensive position before he realized who was at the door.  

Ed hesitated, and gave them a sheepish grin.  “Sorry.”  He closed the door behind them and moved towards the bed, his eyes on Izzy, though there was a stiffness in his movements.  

Izzy flushed, he should be beyond being embarrassed at this point, but his fearful reaction still did it.  He let go of the pillow and pushed himself to sit up, and tried to remember his duties.  Stede had said there was another ship and when Ed reached out to cup his cheek he met his eyes.  His brow furrowed at the effort, “Trouble, captain?”

It came out wobbly and Ed responded with a fond grin.  “No trouble, Iz.  Just another pirate ship, they didn’t mean to engage.  New crew.”  He stroked his thumb across Izzy’s cheek, “Told em to fuck off, they could smell we had an omega in heat, so they moved on quick.”  There was a tension under his words despite how casually they were said. 

“Ed-”  Stede’s voice was a warning tone and he turned to look at him.  

Izzy reached out blindly in a panic, and it was Stede that caught his hand.  Ed was saying something to him but Stede had all his attention on Izzy.  He reached out to cup his jaw, pushing away Ed’s hand, so he could turn Izzy to face him.  “They don’t know it was you, it’s okay.  We told them we had picked up an omega stowaway, understand?”

Ed nudged Stede out of the way and slid his fingers through Izzy’s hair.  He tilted his head up, fingers gripped tight, “Of course I didn’t tell them it was you, Iz.  I’ll protect you.”  Ed glanced over at the tub, “Is the bath ready?”

“Oh, yes.  I don’t believe he wanted to take one though-”

Ed had already shifted to wrap an arm around Izzy though and hauled him out of the bed.  “Come on Iz, we’ll get cleaned up.”  He held him close and pressed his nose against his neck, “The way you smell probably gonna get messy again soon, but it will feel good.  I promise.”

Izzy whined at being pulled out of bed but didn’t fight Edward, Stede trailing them with a look of concern.  They reached the tub and Izzy wasn’t sure what he expected but it certainly wasn’t for Ed to hoist him up and drop him in without any warning.

He sputtered as his head went under and scrambled at the sides when he came up, trying to get out.  His heat already made him too warm and the water wasn’t hot enough to hurt but was uncomfortable when he wasn’t ready.  One of Ed’s hands landed on his chest and pushed, keeping him in the tub and he whined as he was pinned there.

“Ed!”

Ed gave Stede a glance before he turned his attention back to Izzy.  “You’re alright, best to just get in, could already tell you were gonna be fussy.”  His fingers curled against Izzy’s chest where his hand held him, just hard enough to dig in, and there was definitely the edge of anger in his voice.

Izzy responded to that, rolling his shoulders in and doing his best not to fight.  “Yes, alpha.”

“Ed, what is wrong?”  Stede moved into his space, edging him away from Izzy until he pulled his hand away.  “Did something happen after I left?”

Izzy huddled in the tub, his knees pulled up to his chest, and he wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t note that it was nice to not be the only person that noticed when Ed was in a mood.  Sometimes he felt like he was crazy that he was the only one that picked up on it. 

Ed frowned and moved back towards the tub. Stede straightened his shoulders, blocking Izzy from him.  For a moment there was silence as Stede waited to see what Ed was going to do, but then the man’s shoulders dropped and he sighed.  

He looked over Stede’s shoulder, “Sorry, Iz.”  Ed ran a hand over his face and met Stede’s eyes, “They were just… talking about having an omega, could smell him.  The things they said…”  A growl did slip out of his throat then, “I should have had every single one of them gutted and thrown overboard for daring to talk about my omega like that.”

Stede’s voice was low, calming.  “He’s safe here.”

Ed turned his gaze to Izzy making himself as small as possible in the tub, eyes trained down and flushed.  “Not safe from me though, huh?”  He took a step back towards the door, “Maybe I should go and leave this to you.”

Izzy’s head came up, face open and desperate.  “Please don’t leave, I’m sorry.”

Stede reached out to grab Ed’s sleeve and pulled him towards the tub.  “Come on, you were going to get in with him, it will be relaxing for both of you.”

Ed nodded but leaned on the edge of the tub, “Iz?”  His head came up obediently to meet Ed’s eyes, and whatever Ed saw there seemed to be what he was looking for because he started to pull his clothes off.

Izzy couldn’t drag his eyes away as Ed stripped down, he’d seen him naked before but in heat like this his body reacted, a whine slipping out that got him a fond glance.  Once Ed was naked he nudged Izzy’s shoulder, “Shift up, mate.”

The tub was plenty big enough to fit them both but Izzy hadn’t really understood what was going to happen and he scooted forward hesitantly.  Ed climbed in behind him, and Izzy automatically shifted to one side so Ed could have more room for his bad knee to keep from having to twist it.  A hand found Izzy’s hair as Ed murmured, “Good boy, always making space for me.”

Another sound slipped out, small and needy, but it was lost in the water sloshing as Ed wrapped an arm around his middle and pulled him back against his chest so they were flush together.  He wasn’t prepared for Ed’s half hard cock nestling up against his ass and was unable to stop as he rolled his hips back. 

Ed tucked his head in against his neck, lips pressed against the bite he had left, before he pulled back.  “Let’s get ya cleaned up.”  

Stede was there at the side of the tub with a cloth but Izzy could only focus on Ed’s body behind him.  The arm around his waist kept him still no matter how much he squirmed.  Finally he gave up and turned his focus to where Stede was dunking the cloth in the water. 

The heat of the water and the proximity to his alpha combined with Stede’s soft touches as he ran the cloth over his skin settled him into a daze, lax in Ed’s arms, and he was only vaguely aware of the pleased sound Stede made.  He dropped his head back onto Ed’s shoulder, baring his neck for his alpha, happily back in that in between place. 

Stede glanced at Izzy and then up at Ed, pleased to see both of them calmer.  He hadn’t realized Ed had been getting quite so worked up, on deck he had seemed fairly aloof.  He sat back on his heels and waited until Ed met his eyes, “He had a rough time while we were gone.”

Ed grunted, pulling Izzy impossibly closer to him.  “He’ll get over it, he’s tough.”

“He asked if you would properly mate him.”  The words came out in a rush, and he could see the heat flash in Ed’s eyes.  “He was himself when he asked and he said…”  Stede hesitated, not sure if it was something he should keep between him and Izzy, and reached out to brush his knuckles against Izzy’s cheek.  He nuzzled into it, eyes closed, and Stede pushed on.  “That it is something he has wanted for a while.  I do not think it was heat muddled, I trust he meant it.  If you wanted to.”

Ed tilted his head down and licked intentionally over the bite mark, “Yeah, Iz?  You want me to mount you proper?”  Izzy whined and pushed closer.

“Edward.”  

“What, you said he asked.”

“Do you have to use that word?”

Ed looked confused for a moment and Stede was starting to think maybe it was a bad idea, that maybe they should wait until after Izzy’s heat until they could talk, but then understanding crossed Ed’s face and his look settled on something softer.  “I’ll take care of you Iz, is that what you want?”

“Please, alpha.”  Izzy was getting more frantic, realization that Ed was going to fuck him pulling him out of the haze he was in.  He tilted his head to look at Stede, “Please?”

“Let’s get you out of the tub and dried off.”  

Izzy obediently let Stede help him out of the tub and melted into the man’s gentle touch as he toweled him off.  It made Stede smile and Izzy couldn’t help but move closer to try to nuzzle against him, responding to the Alpha’s pleased look.  

Though part of him expected to be pushed away, Stede pulled him in closer and then Edward was pressed up behind him, trapping him in between them.  Stede was still dressed but Edward was naked against his back and he whined, overwhelmed. 

Ed pulled back just enough that he could turn Izzy to face him and grabbed his jaw to tilt his face up so he could see his eyes.  It took him a moment to meet them, Izzy’s eyes unfocused and hazy and something clenched in Ed’s stomach.  “Iz?”

“Alpha.”  Izzy leaned into him, grinding up against Ed’s hip, and a moan escaped him when his own cock slid against the man’s lower stomach.  Fuck he wanted him.  And though he tried to push it back it hurt realizing that maybe he could have always had him.   But Izzy had never asked and he hadn’t offered and here they were. He slid his hand into Izzy’s hair and pulled the man’s head to rest against his shoulder so he could meet Stede’s eyes over him.   

He slid his hands so he was covering Izzy’s ears, not sure how much he was paying attention but knew that it wasn’t going to go over well.  “I don’t want to have him like this Stede, not when he barely knows what is going on.  Not for…”  The words stuck in his throat because if he said not for the first time that would be saying that he wanted another time, expected to have another chance and he didn’t know if that was true.  Didn’t know if that was something Izzy would want once he wasn’t in heat.

Stede gave him a sad smile, his hand coming up to settle between Izzy’s shoulder blades, subconsciously soothing the man when he whimpered and squirmed against Ed.  “We will get him through this and when he is out of heat you and him can talk it through.”

“I told him I was going to.”  Izzy’s whines were louder as he tried to rub against Ed and push back against Stede at the same time.  Ed moved his hand so he could push the hair out of Izzy’s face and see him properly, “I don’t want to hurt you, Iz.  Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

And he leaned forward to catch Izzy’s mouth in a kiss before he could answer because he already knew what he was going to say.  Knew what he had been like when they were young and Izzy was still new to him and he had doubts about an omega as a first mate.  But Izzy had proven himself time and time again and Ed had been wrong to hold something he couldn’t help against him and he should have said something.  

Izzy opened his mouth to him, let him turn his head to whatever angle worked best, whimpered helplessly into it.  When he pulled back he gasped, “Please, Alpha.  Please.”

Stede was over his shoulder and Izzy turned his head to nuzzle against him as well.  Sighing into the safe smell and Stede’s hands dropped to his hips to grip tight when Izzy licked at his neck.  “Oh.”  Stede tilted his head down, and it was the right angle for Izzy to press their lips together.  It was a chaste kiss, mouths barely parted before Stede pulled back.  He hadn’t meant to do it, didn’t want to take advantage of Izzy, but his cheeks were flushed and it was impossible to ignore that he was hard pressed up against Izzy’s back. 

He was pulled out of his momentary stupor when Izzy made a panicked sound and tried to push back away from Ed, but it only rocked him back against Stede.  Ed had a hand wrapped around Izzy’s cock, but he yanked it away at Izzy’s sound. 

“Izzy?”

“I don’t want to come like that.”

“You’ll feel better Iz-”

“You said you’d fuck me.”  Izzy looked up at Ed’s face, and Stede could see the way it fell when he saw Ed’s decision.  “You said you would.  Please.”

“I didn’t.”  It was true, Ed hadn’t actually said he was going to, even if he had implied it.  His frustration was coming out though, whenever it came to Izzy that guilt always so easily turned to anger.  “You’ll be happy with what you get, or do you not want me to touch you at all?”

And for a moment so brief Ed almost missed it, anger flashed through Izzy’s eyes.  Defiance bright and sharp, gone so fast Ed couldn’t even call him out on it.  His grip tightened anyways, and he tried to stare Izzy down.  It was impossible to do as Izzy ducked his head, whimpering out an apology and tried to move back into Ed’s space.

“We aren’t trying to hurt you, pet.”  Stede wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them close together, and Izzy buried his face against Ed’s neck.  

Ed stayed rigid for long seconds before he gave in and nuzzled against Izzy’s neck.  Couldn't stop himself from muttering, “You’re right to be angry Iz, I’m sorry.  ”

“Please, alpha.”

“I’m gonna touch you, okay?”  Iz nodded against him and he reached down to wrap his hand around him again.  There wasn’t much room to move with how close they were huddled together but Izzy’s hips rocked against his grip and he panted against Ed’s neck. 

“You too, please, you too.”  

It took him a moment to understand what Iz was saying and with a small change in position he was able to wrap his hand around both of them, jerking them off with small fast motions, letting Izzy grind into it.  It took him a moment to realize the way Izzy was shifting his hips he was grinding back against Stede, and could see the man’s face flushed as he held Izzy against him.  It made him feel better, at least he wasn’t the only one that wanted to fuck Izzy. 

When Izzy bared his neck Ed took the invitation, mouthing over the bite mark he had already left and listened to Izzy’s whimpers.  Over Izzy’s shoulder he heard Stede’s breath hitch, could see his hands tighten on Izzy’s hips as he ground against him.  

Izzy squirmed in the tight hold, desperately pressing back against Stede, only to be frustrated when the man still had his pants on.  He whimpered out, “Please, I need… something, inside, please .”  His face flushed at his own words, and his heat must be winding down because he should be lost to it, but he was still aware enough to be embarrassed.  But as good as Ed touching his dick was, it didn’t soothe the ache he had, the need to be filled.  

Ed didn’t make him ask again, just slipped his arm around his back, squeezed in between his body and Stede’s.  And then there were fingers pressed into him and he dropped his head back to rest on Stede’s shoulder, giving himself over to the physical sensations.  He tilted his head to the side so his nose was pressed against Stede’s neck and nuzzled into the safe alpha scent there.  He was already so far into it, what would it hurt to take one more comfort while he could get it.

His orgasm caught him off guard, pressed so tightly between the two alphas he could barely move, and he whimpered out his release.  He could feel Ed cum as well, but he could only focus on the way he clenched around Ed’s fingers, and the undeniable tendril of frustration when it wasn’t enough.  When it wasn’t what he had really wanted.  

Ed brought his focus back when fingers still slid over his oversensitive skin and he rocked back against Stede to pull away from it.  Ed chuckled and pulled his hands away, bringing one up to cradle the side of Izzy’s face that wasn’t pressed against Stede.

Izzy’s eyes fluttered closed, and he barely could resist the urge to try to turn his head and lick Ed’s cum off the man’s fingers.  He startled when Ed kissed him softly and then he was being pulled towards the bed.  Stede wasn’t with them and he tried to look for him but Ed pushed him down on the bed and all he could think about was his alpha.  

“Probably shoulda waited for the bath, huh?”  He didn’t seem to be looking for an answer as he climbed into the bed next to Izzy and pulled him close.  “We’ll get fixed up later.  You smell like heat is fading, when you’re back on your feet we’ll talk about the ship that came up on us, yeah?”

Izzy let himself be moved until he was tucked in against Ed and forced himself to answer around the guilt at leaving them to handle a ship without him while he had to deal with his omega problems, “Yes, captain.”

He could feel Ed tense against him for a moment but then he relaxed again.  “Hey… Iz-”

Whatever he was going to stay was interrupted by Stede’s reappearance, the man looking a bit more flushed than usual and a bit sheepish.  It caught Ed’s attention and his voice carried a bit of humor, “Took care of your problem, then?”

Stede ignored him in favor of reaching out to touch Izzy’s face with gentle fingers, “May I join you, dear?”  Izzy nodded and with a bit of shifting Izzy found himself tucked back in between the two alphas.  He shouldn’t be so tired, not with how much he had already slept, but the heat took it out of him, the emotional turmoil of being so close to what he wanted more than anything.  Ed was already snoring behind him and he knew that Stede was trying to get his attention but he just burrowed down into their hold and closed his eyes.  He felt when Stede gave up and settled in to nap with them and it should feel like a victory but it didn’t.  

Izzy woke up with his face pressed against Ed’s chest, and he took a moment to assess himself.  He felt raw, broken open, without the comforting buffer of his heat.  He gave himself one more second and then he carefully dislodged himself from Ed’s hold.  

“Iz?”

He had hoped to make it out without Ed waking up, but of course he couldn’t be that lucky.  He didn’t meet his eyes, “Heats over, I’ll get out of your way.”

“What?”  He tried to grab Izzy’s arm but he carefully shook Ed’s hand off and scrambled over Stede’s sleeping body, using it to block Ed from grabbing him again.  “Iz, where you going?”

“Thank you for… I’m sorry for the....”  Izzy glanced up at Ed’s face and couldn’t understand the look on it.  “I will catch up on the duty’s I neglected.”  He wasn’t even sure if he was saying words that made sense, he just knew he couldn’t stay in the room a moment longer and pretend like this was for him.  He had to make plans, his reputation on the ship was useless now, who would listen to an omega .

“Izzy, come back to bed and relax we can figure that out-”

“I have work to do, captain.  Please .”

He couldn’t look at Ed’s frown but finally the man sighed.  “Okay Izzy, if that’s what you want.”

He gave a sharp nod and glanced around, wincing when he realized he didn’t have clothes.  His under shorts were folded on the small table and he pulled them on, painfully aware of Ed’s eyes on him.  He had arrived in one of Ed’s shirts and he supposed he could go back to his cabin in just the shorts, it wasn’t like the crew could think worse of him at this point.  He thought of the small glimpse he had gotten of pack scent, of how good it had smelled, of how good it had made him feel and now he would have to give that up.  This was why it was better to hide.  He could feel the pressure behind his eyes, the hot press of tears and struggled to keep them at bay at least until he could be alone.

“My shirt is over the back of the couch.  If you want to wear it back to your cabin.”  

Ed sounded irritated with him and he hurried to grab the shirt, giving a small nod of thanks.  He probably wanted Izzy to hurry up and get the hell out of his room now that his heat was over so he could be alone with Stede.  Izzy pulled the shirt and hurried out of the room.  He wanted one more glance of Ed, his alpha, but left without looking back.  At least that way Ed wouldn't see his tears.

Chapter Text

Izzy’s vision blurred with tears as he hurried back to his own cabin, his eyes on the floor, so he didn’t realize there was someone standing in the hallway until he was nearly on top of them. He stumbled to a stop just before he could run into Lucius, and quickly took a few steps back to give himself space.

“Izzy? Are you okay?”  Lucius sounded surprised to see him, his eyes drifting up and over Izzy in the direction of the captains’ room before they came back to rest on the very obvious bite marks.  “Where are you going?”

Izzy knew he was still on the very edge of heat, the lingering scent was fading fast, but he was painfully aware of how vulnerable he was.  Half naked, reeking of sex and omega, and all alone with his alphas wrapped up in each other in their room.  

He tried to bare his teeth, or tell him to fuck off, but all he managed was a grimace and a pathetic sounding whine, distress clear in the sound.  

Lucius put his hands up, palms out to show that he wasn’t a threat, and for a moment Izzy swayed towards him remembering that sweet safe scent of pack.  He couldn’t stop the whimper, and he angrily swiped at his face, refusing to acknowledge the tears.  “Get out of my way.”  Wavering words that shook, but he had gotten them out.  

They stared at each other and Lucius looked earnest but Izzy knew what happened to omegas when they were weak.  When he didn’t feel so exposed he would know logically that he didn’t have to fear Lucius, probably didn’t have to fear anyone on the ship, but right now he gave into it.  He ducked his head and pulled his shoulders up, and dropped his eyes back to the floor.  “Please move.”

“Where are you going?”  Though Lucius’ body language stayed relaxed he was still blocking the hallway and Izzy was sure it was intentional. 

“My cabin.”  He swallowed hard and darted a glance up and down the hallway, but it was just the two of them.  He didn’t know if that was reassuring or concerning.  

“All alone?”

Izzy felt his eyes widen as he flinched back.  Heat hormones and stress and he was unable to logically think the words meant anything other than a threat, that Lucius was suggesting that he would go to his room with him.  He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, didn’t even know if he could defend himself and panic made him feel like he was choking.

Lucius responded to his fear instantly, backing a few steps away himself, turning so he wasn’t blocking the hallway and Izzy could feel himself breathe a little easier.  

“It’s okay, I’m sorry.  You don’t have to be scared, I’m not going to hurt you.  I just thought… you shouldn’t want to be alone, Iz.  You’re gonna drop.  Why did you leave the captains?  Why did they let you?”

“Can I go?”  His voice was small, desperate, and with a sigh Lucius moved as much out of the way as he could.  It looked like the man was going to say something but Izzy darted away, didn’t care that he was retreating, he just needed to get to his cabin.  

He thankfully didn’t run into anyone else and slipped inside his room, able to breathe a fraction better once the door was shut.  He glanced around the room, and couldn’t deny the pang of loneliness.  A heat spent with his alpha, even if his alpha hadn’t properly wanted him, had already ruined him.  He had suffered through a lifetime of heats by himself and it had been difficult but he had made it through, but looking at his empty cold room his chest ached.  

On his bunk he pulled the small blankets he had to him and huddled in the corner.  He always felt a little off after his heats, tired and achy, and he thought that being with an alpha during it even if he wasn’t actually mated would help but it felt… worse.  That in between daze he had been in on and off still clouded his head, making everything fuzzy.  He felt small and untethered.  He held his pillow to his chest, burying his face against it to muffle the distressed sounds he couldn’t stop making as he struggled to try to think clearly. 

At least the shirt smelled like Ed and he moved so he could bury his face against that, and it helped but not enough to ground him.  He closed his eyes, hoping he could fall asleep, though he didn’t feel safe enough to.  He didn’t even know what time of day it was, or how long he had been in heat fog.  Wasn’t sure if he was still in it, the fuzziness felt a bit like heat, and at least it kept him from thinking too hard on what he’d done.  How he had debased himself.

A knock on the door startled him hard enough that he banged his head against the wall.  There were several voices outside the door and Izzy couldn’t bring himself to move, frozen in fear.  Faced with only Lucius he had felt at risk, but faced with several of the crew.  There was nothing he could do to protect himself and he whined.

Through the door he heard a faint, ‘shit’ and then silence.  He tried to keep his breathing quiet, hoping that maybe they would just go away.  He didn’t have any kind of lock on his door, had never felt like he needed one, and now he was going to pay for that. 

“Izzy?”

His fingers clenched in the blankets, but he leaned forward.  That had been Fang and something in his chest eased.  Now that he was listening he could make out Ivan’s voice as well, though that calmed him less.  He knew Ivan was an alpha, had always been hyper aware of it, but had trusted that no one thought he was an omega.  Still though, they were familiar, they had been on a crew with him for years.  Even if things weren’t always friendly between them he trusted them.  

“What?”  There were more hushed voices outside the door, probably reacting to the broken sound of his voice, and until he swiped at his face he didn’t realize he was still crying.

“Can uh… can we come in?”  Lucius.  And he would bet the other voice he had heard was Pete if Lucius was there with him.  What did they want?  He didn’t answer and there was a sigh, “Okay, we’re coming in, don’t freak out.”

“Don’t stab us, okay?”

There was nothing he could do but stay pressed against the wall when the door opened.  He pulled Ed’s shirt closer around him, like his alpha’s scent could protect him, and tried to lift his chin.  It was hard to focus but he wouldn’t give in to whatever was going to happen without a fight.  

Lucius was the first one in, and when he laid eyes on Izzy his face softened.  “Izzy, hey.  It’s okay, you just shouldn’t be alone.  I brought Fang and Ivan, I figured they’ve been your pack, you’d trust them, yeah?”

Lucius moved to the far side of the room so Ivan and Fang could come in, and behind them he got a glance of Pete in the hallway.  They were quickly filling the small room.  Facing Lucius had been bad but facing Ivan and Fang… he forced himself to look up, stomach clenching at being unable to deny that he had been outed.  He shifted his weight, embarrassed when he realized they would know that he was wearing Ed’s shirt, would see just how pathetic he was.

Fang gave him a reassuring smile, “We’re just here to help, boss.”  

The word caught him off guard and he reared back, sure he was being mocked.  “Boss? That’s funny to you?  That I’m not… that I can’t…”  

“If you’d prefer first mate-”

He forced his shoulders back, “Now that you know what I am, we all know that I can’t be first mate anymore.”  He tried not to let the hurt show, wanted to put up his defenses, but found that they didn’t work through the fuzziness.  

Ivan and Fang shared a glance before Ivan stepped forward.  Izzy cowered back the bit he could against the wall.  At least the heat had faded to the point that he wasn’t distracted that way by an Alpha scent, but he still wasn’t prepared to protect himself.  He grit his teeth and waited to see what cutting thing the man would say.

“Uh, well, we already knew you were an omega.”

Izzy’s breathing sounded loud in his own ears.  “What?”

Fang nodded and Ivan shrugged.  “We’ve been on ship with you for years, have patched up injuries and you’ve patched us up.  That close up we could scent you.  We’ve known for years, Izzy.”

He had no idea how to process that.  “You knew?”

“No one else ever did, you only let us and the Captain get that close to you, but yeah, we knew.”  

Fang edged closer to the bed, “We didn't say anything cuz it didn’t matter.  It still doesn’t.”

Izzy glanced where Lucius and Pete leaned against the side wall to gauge their reaction and there was only the soft look of concern on both of them.  He looked back to Ivan and met his eyes, “If you knew you could have used Alpha voice at any time, you could have-”

He nodded, acknowledging that he could have.  “I wouldn’t though.  You’re our first mate and I respect that.”

“We all respect that, Izzy.”  Lucius moved around them, heading out into the hallway for a moment before he came back in with an armful of blankets and bed rolls.  

Izzy’s attention was still on Ivan and Fang though.  “I don’t understand.”

Lucius spread the blankets out on the floor and spoke matter of factly.  “You need your pack, especially right now.  I can see you’re in omega drop, I don’t know why the captains would have let you leave .”

“I’ve never needed a pack.”

“Ah.”  Fang gave him an apologetic look.  “That’s not entirely true.  Ivan and I sometimes… helped when you stressed.  Stayed near you.  Sometimes Ivan helped make sure that the crew couldn't scent you when Ed’s scent faded.”  He winced,  “Don’t be mad about it.”

Izzy could only stare at them, and anger was his usual go to, but it was not the emotion he was feeling now.  He could see the honesty on their faces, even with his wariness he couldn’t see any deceit.  He barely managed to whisper, “Why would you do that for me?”

Ivan sighed like he was greatly put upon.  “Because even if the crew wasn’t a pack on the queen anne, we were your pack.”

Fang was close enough to sit on the edge of the bed and waited until Izzy looked at him, “And the crew here, they are pack too.  You’re safe here, you’ll see.”

Gratitude.  That was the emotion settled in his gut, making him feel lightheaded and needy.  He looked between the two of them and slowly laid the pillow he had a death grip on down.  “Thank you.”

Lucius had been hanging back but after long moments of the three of them awkwardly looking at each other he moved in between them.  “So we’re here to sleep until you come out of your drop.  Longer if you need.”

“You’re… all going to sleep in here?”

“Yup.  I didn’t think you should be alone, and I thought you’d trust it more with them here.  And I was right, of course.  Figured up on the deck with everyone might be a little much for right now.”  The smug tone usually set Izzy’s nerves on edge but there was a soft edge to it, and he appreciated something to diffuse the tension. 

He should order them to leave, to deny that he needed them there.  But since they were all crowded in the room he was calmer, his head was clearer.  That hint of pack scent that he had gotten from Lucius filled the room and he wanted it.  There was a lot for him to think about, he still was having trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that Ivan and Fang knew.  They knew and not only had they not used it to take advantage of him, they had helped him.  Even when he was an asshole.  They had still listened and taken his orders and it was so far out of the realm of what Izzy knew about how omegas were treated that he didn’t know what to think.  “Yeah, okay.”

“Great!”  Lucius sounded so pleased it made something settle in his chest.  He watched as they shifted around the room, trying to figure out where everyone was going to fit.  Ivan took near the door, blocking the entrance so he’d be the first to face a threat if it came in, not that there was any on the ship. 

And he was embarrassed but the protective behavior from an alpha made him feel safe and he turned his attention to the others.  It was clear that they were gonna be a little short on room unless someone took the bed with him and he thought about how he felt about that.  

He wanted to be touched, to be held, to have physical proof that he wasn’t alone.  He caught Lucius sending him a considering look.  Pete and Fang were getting settled and Izzy held Lucius’ eyes before he moved, making space on the bed. 

Lucius glanced at it before focusing on Izzy, “You’re sure?”

He took a second but then nodded.  On any other ship he would have said no, would have worried that there were ulterior motives, but he had watched all the crew sleep in a big pile on the deck since they arrived on the Revenge.  It was normal for them to sleep intertwined, touching and cuddling and comforting each other.  

He nudged Lucius to lay on the inside of the bed along the wall, the other way around made him feel too pinned in.  Lucius was normally chatty, in fact so were Fang and Pete if he was honest, but everyone was subdued.  Quiet.  For his benefit, so they didn’t spook him, he supposed.  He ended up with his back against Lucius' chest, one careful arm around his middle that Lucius didn’t lean into until Izzy relaxed.  

And it was good.  Even though Ed wouldn’t want him as a first mate after this, maybe he could still stay on the ship as a crewmate.  He was a good sailor, that should be able to make up for what he lacked being an omega.  

He shifted and felt Lucius move with him, and he tilted his head.  “Are you awake?”

“Are you okay?  Do you need something?”

He shook his head and wrapped his fingers in the blanket before continuing.  Everything in him screamed to not be vulnerable, to not show any kind of emotion, but he had to ask.  “Is this what it always feels like to have a pack?”  Because beyond his heat, and the fuzziness and the exhaustion there was something more.  The constant anxiety that lived in his chest, the frantic buzz under his skin that screamed to be on guard at all times, was quieter.

Lucius tucked him in closer, waiting a few moments to make sure Izzy didn’t protest and then nodded against him.  “Yeah.”  Lucius was warm behind him and Fang had a hand thrown up over the edge of his cot from where he was asleep on the floor next to him, not touching him but there.  Ivan dozed near the door, leaning back against Pete’s legs as a pillow.

It felt nice.

It felt safe .

Ed couldn’t settle after Izzy left.  He tried to go back to sleep, tried to cuddle in against Stede, but he couldn’t stop worrying.  Izzy hadn’t looked in his right mind when he left, and he should have insisted he stay, but hadn’t wanted to force the man to do something he didn’t want to, not if he could help it.  A little late to try to make things okay, but he had to believe it was a start.

The worry finally won out, and part of him had hoped that Stede would wake up and he could help him decide what to do, but that was just him stalling.  With a sigh he pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt and headed towards Izzy’s cabin. 

He’d just check on him, make sure he had made it back to his cabin, and that was it.  There was another urge, his alpha instincts telling him to force his way in and curl around his omega and hold him close, but he wasn’t sure that was his right.  This had all been so easy before Stede had changed the way they did things.  

By the time he had reached Izzy’s door he convinced himself he was annoyed by all of it, better than the dread that had been building in his chest.  He hesitated outside the door, confused by what he could scent from the room.  There was Izzy but it was muddled with other scents from the crew and he slowly raised his fist to knock as he tried to figure it out.

He barely made contact with the door before it pulled open, and he could only stare blankly at Ivan standing in the doorway.  And then it made it through to his brain that another Alpha was in his omega’s room, his omega who was just coming off a heat, and the growl filled his chest and trickled out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

Ivan’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move out the doorway, though he carefully pushed the door open so Ed could see the rest of the room.  The growl stopped when he saw several of the crew sleeping in the room, just a glimpse of Izzy’s sleeping face peeking out from the blankets wrapped around him.  He was curled into Lucius, tucked against his chest, and besides Ivan everyone in the room was asleep. 

He noticed that Ivan hadn’t moved out of the doorway and with a painful tug at his chest he realized Ivan was protecting Izzy.  From him.  And it hurt, but he couldn’t argue that he didn’t deserve it.  He looked over the room again and any pain he felt faded at how relaxed Izzy looked.  Even in sleep the man usually had a frown on his face, like even then he couldn’t let his guard down, but the little he could see he was calm.  

He brought his gaze back to Ivan, pleased when the man’s body language had eased.  He wasn’t a threat to his men, he might not always make the best choices, but he cared.  It was reassuring that Ivan knew that.  It made him recall the reaction, or more importantly the lack of a reaction, Ivan and Fang had when he’d passed them with Izzy in heat and he kept his voice low so as not to wake anyone up.  “You two knew, then?”

“We did, captain.”

Part of him still wanted to push his way in the room, demand that he was the one comforting Izzy, but his instincts were more content with the idea of his pack taking care of each other.  With a start he realized it was the first time he had ever thought that about a crew, that they were a pack, that they were something more than just sailing together.  He reached out to drop a hand to Ivan’s shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.  “Good.  This is good.”

Ivan relaxed completely at the soft tone and Ed took one more look at Izzy before he nodded and stepped back to leave them to it.  He needed to talk to Izzy when this all settled, and not because it was what Stede wanted.  He hadn’t known what it was when he said he wanted something more, but he was starting to understand.  Because this, his men safe and happy and the way that Izzy had felt in his arms, this felt like something worth having.  

Chapter Text

Stede woke up and reached out, fully coming awake when he realized he was the only one in bed.  He pushed himself up until he was sitting and looked around the room.  Ed was sitting slouched on the couch with his arms crossed, fully dressed in his leathers, staring at nothing.  With a frown he scanned the rest of the room, surprised at what he didn’t see.  

“Where is Izzy?”

“He went back to his room.”

Stede couldn’t help his tone, “You let him leave?  Right after his heat?”

Ed finally looked over at him and he looked so distraught, Stede immediately felt guilty for the sharp tone.  “Didn’t want to force him to stay.”  Stede glanced at the door but before he could worry too much Ed continued, “I went to check on him a bit after he left.  Ivan, Fang and Lucius are in his room with him.  He was sleeping when I checked.”

“How was he when he left?”

Ed grunted and pushed to his feet, “Apologizing for not doing his duties.  He couldn’t get out of here fast enough Stede.  The second he was out of heat he wanted to leave me.”

It was impossible to miss that Ed was hurt even though his tone had gone angry and Stede sighed.  He understood it, but besides that he was certain that Ed’s hurt was misplaced - Izzy worshiped him - it was really Izzy that had been broken open here.  Made vulnerable. 

“Come sit with me?”  He sat up and let his legs hang over the side of the bed and shifted to make room next to him.  Ed came over without much complaint, sitting close enough that they were touching shoulder to hip.  

He didn’t wait for Stede to start.  “I know, okay, I know Stede.  When I went to check on him he looked so peaceful with a pack around him.  I’ve never seen him look that relaxed.  And I keep thinking of all these years I just never even thought about it.  Never crossed my mind what I’d been asking him to give up living like that. Shit.”

“You know he’s never going to leave Ed.  The only way he’d ever go is if you made him.”

“Maybe he should.”

Stede looked down at his own lap for a few moments before he spoke, letting his own regret find words.  “I didn’t understand why he hid away, why he was so worried about saying he was an omega in front of me.  I didn’t realize how omegas are viewed out here, the risk I was forcing on him.  I imagine if he hates anyone it is me.”

“You were just trying to help him.  I do know how they’re treated and I’m the one that made him tell you. “

Stede swallowed hard and wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to his next question.  “How… how are omegas usually treated on pirate ships?”

“Don’t usually keep them on ship except as maybe a bed warmer for the captain.  Or have some fun with one in heat if they stumbled upon them.  Most pirates don’t think much of them beyond a fuck, don’t expect them to be able to fight or man the sails or, well, be a first mate.  If I had known what Iz was before I got to know him I’d have never given him any chance at all.  He shouldn’t have even been on Hornigold’s ship.  If he’d been found out they would of had their way with him and then dumped him at the next port.”

“But you protected him.”  

Ed gave a hesitant nod and thought back to it.  A few months into knowing Israel Hands and he’d been patching him up after a raid, and with the man bleeding and delirious he had smelled the omega scent.  How he had hidden it up to that point Ed wasn’t sure and had never bothered to ask.  They were young, and Izzy was already so loyal, always following at his heels, and it had seemed like the most obvious thing in the world to pull off his shirt and wrap it around him once he fell into a fitful sleep, cover him in his scent.  

When Izzy had come to he had been panicked, frantic, but Ed had quieted him.  Promised him it was okay, that he would help him hide and all Izzy had to do was have his back if he needed it.  Omega or not Izzy already knew his way around a blade and had more kills than half the men on the ship.  He would be an asset.

And that had been it.  He’d never thought about it more.  After the mutiny he hadn’t been sure about making him his first mate, but Izzy had swore he would do anything for him.  That he wouldn’t let him down.  And he hadn’t.  

Ed marked him, claimed him, owned him.  Tattoo on his face, ring at his throat, a place at his side.  But had never considered himself Izzy’s alpha, though it was obvious now that Izzy had.  “He did such a good job hiding it all.  I forgot most of the time that he even was an omega.”  He glanced over at Stede, “Ivan said that he and Fang knew.  Ivan was trying to… he wouldn’t let me past the door while Iz was sleeping.”

“The Revenge isn’t like those ships, Izzy is safe here.”

Ed gave a hollow laugh, “Trapped him here, haven’t we then.  He couldn’t leave if he wanted to now.”

Stede let it go, at the moment nothing was going to convince Ed that Izzy wouldn’t ever want to leave him, but it was something they could work on.  He glanced out the window, it looked like it might be around mid morning.  He wasn’t sure when Izzy had left, it must have been sometime in the evening.  “Maybe we should go check on him, he is probably up I’d imagine.  See how he is doing?”

Ed abruptly shoved to his feet and it made Stede startle.  “I should check up on deck.  We’ve been in here with Izzy and it usually would be him keeping order.  I was waiting for you, I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”  Unbidden the thought of the years that he’d left Izzy alone wound its way into his chest.  “Why don’t you go check on him?”

“Avoiding him isn’t going to help either of you.”

“Check on him for me, please.”  He moved towards the door but came back to press a soft kiss to Stede’s mouth.  “I will talk with him.  I need some time to think about things.”

Stede nodded and offered a reassuring smile, aware they were all doing the best they could and it would take time.  He watched Ed leave and sat in bed for a few more minutes, tempted to lay back down for a bit.  Izzy’s scent mingled with his and Ed’s so perfectly, and he had been looking forward to waking up with the man tucked against him.  Already used to it after only a few days.  They would be able to figure this out, he refused to leave any room for doubt. 

Izzy wasn’t sleeping, not really.  He was on his cot, his back to the wall and his face tucked into Lucius’ chest.  His eyes were closed and he drifted in and out, still exhausted though he didn’t feel like he was on death’s door like he had the night before when he had stumbled into his cabin alone.  

Lucius’ hand was on the back of his head, fingers tangled in his hair.  He had stayed even though the others in the room had switched out.  Izzy wasn’t sure when that had happened, he had been sleeping and it must have been deep that he didn’t wake up at all.  He had panicked at first when he woke up and Ivan and Fang weren’t there.  Jim and Oluwande had been sitting in the middle of the room, Jim closest to the door like Ivan had been, and fear had taken over.

Oluwande had put his hands up and Jim had muttered something in spanish that Izzy didn’t understand but it had been in a comforting alpha tone and Lucius had been quick to switch their positions and tuck him in protectively against the wall.  He had covered him with his familiar scent, talked in that quiet soft tone until Izzy focused on him, and then had let him curl against him and hide his face once the embarrassment at his reaction had kicked in.  

He had just started to fully doze back off when there was a knock on the door.  Jim was on their feet instantly, moving to stand between the bed and the door and Izzy wasn’t still out of it enough to not be self conscious of that.  He pushed himself away from Lucius and up to a sitting position so he could at least see what was going on. 

“Izzy?  May I come in?”

Stede.  Jim looked at him and he realized they were waiting for him to decide what to do.  It settled the nerves in his stomach and he chewed at his lip before he gave a small nod.  He’d have to eventually face them and Stede was one of the captains, if they wanted to come in his room they had every right to. 

Jim pulled the door open and Stede gave them a bright smile.  “Good Morning!”  He stepped into the room when Jim stepped back and gave Oluwande a friendly nod.  Izzy waited for him to be annoyed that the crew was in with him, shirking their duties or at the very least interfering with seeing Izzy but Stede seemed pleased.  

When he had sat up it had roused Lucius who sleepily grabbed at Izzy’s waist, trying to pull him back in presumably to go back to sleep.  When Izzy resisted he finally opened his eyes and looked around, though when his eyes landed on Stede he frowned.  He shoved himself to sit up and moved his body in between Stede and Izzy.  “Captain.”

Stede hesitated for a moment in the face of the flat tone, but pushed through.  “Lucius.”  His eyes moved past him to Izzy, though Izzy refused to make eye contact, keeping them on his lap instead.  “I’d like to speak to Izzy alone, if you would please excuse us for a minute.  Perhaps you can all run off and get some breakfast?”

No one moved.  

Stede tried again, directing his question directly to Izzy, “Izzy, would it be okay with you if we had a little chat?  I won’t keep you long, I’m sure you’re very tired.  Perhaps someone can bring you back some breakfast and then you can get back to sleep.  I know that an, an omega after a heat can-”

“ Fine .”  If it would get him to stop talking in front of everyone about his heat he’d do anything.  Obviously they all knew, they were there because he was in omega drop after his heat, but he couldn’t stand it being laid out so matter of fact.  He turned his attention to Lucius and lowered his voice, “It’s fine.”

“Okay.”  Grudgingly Lucius got to his feet and after some eye contact with Jim the three of them moved towards the door.  

Jim waited until the other two were through the door and made eye contact with Stede though they spoke to Izzy, “We’re going to be right back with some food.  Right back .”

Izzy nodded, could feel how red his face was, and wondered what the chances were of the deck opening up and swallowing him to escape from this.  As Jim left he turned his attention to Stede and again was taken aback by the fond smile on his face, like he was happy that his own crew was vaguely threatening him.  It made no sense, nothing about the man did. 

Stede looked around the room and then pulled out the chair from the little desk, moving it close enough to Izzy that they could have a conversation but still keeping his distance.  “How are you feeling?”

His reply, something scathing, stuck in his throat.  He wasn’t in heat but he was still off kilter and Stede was there, smelling warm and safe and Alpha, and all he could think of was how kind the man had been.  How carefully he’d handled him while he was in heat, the way he had held him.   Fuck, the way he had shamelessly rutted up against him.  He dropped his gaze as his face felt like it was on fire, and worse the memories of being near the alpha went straight to his cock.  He shifted and pulled the blanket in tighter to hide his reaction.  He wanted to blame it on lingering hormones but he hadn’t reacted to Ivan or Jim.  Of course, perfect, like he hadn’t already felt pathetic enough with how he felt about Edward.

“Izzy?”

His eyes snapped up and he realized he had been silent, trapped in his own head, for a bit.  Long enough for Stede to look concerned.  “M’fine.”

Stede sighed and his hand twitched like he wanted to reach out to him.  Without meaning to Izzy swayed a bit forward, gravitating towards the thought of comfort.  When he realized what he was doing he pulled back and was horrified to realize he was very suddenly fighting back tears.  He tried to talk anyways, wincing at how wet his voice sounded, “I know I need to g-get back to work, Captain, I’m-”   The words dissolved into tears he couldn’t fight anymore, and he didn’t even know why he was crying.  

“Oh, Izzy.” 

That only made it worse and he brought his hands up to his face to cover it, like that would do anything, as a sob wretched its way out of his throat.  

“Izzy, can I touch you?”

He wasn’t sure if he nodded or shook his head or if he had even responded to the question but Stede moved until he was next to him on the bed.  He gently tugged Izzy towards him and he let himself fall against his chest, let himself be pulled into the man’s lap, and buried his face against his neck.  He desperately rubbed his face into Stede’s scent as he cried against him, dimly aware of arms around him holding him in place. 

“You’re okay Izzy, shh, you’re safe with your pack.  It’s okay.”

When the tears finally tapered off until he was just sniffling against Stede he didn’t know what to do with himself.  He should move, but he wanted to stay pressed against him, take what he could.  The skin of Stede’s neck where his face was buried was so warm and without thinking about it he licked at the scent gland there, not sure where the instinct had come from.  

“Oh.”  The arms around him tightened and Stede ducked his head to nuzzle against him.  “Feeling better, I guess?”

What he had done sunk in and he scrambled back off Stede’s lap, immediately missing the warmth.  “I don’t know why I did that.”  He moved his hands over his lap, like he could hide that he was hard.

Stede’s eyebrows went up for a moment before his expression settled into one of realization.  Of course, with the way that Izzy had been on ships hiding away with no other omegas since he was young, he probably didn’t know much even about his own biology.  His own instincts.  He wanted to let it go for now but Izzy was staring at him with wide eyes and he shifted, aware that his own body couldn’t help but respond to the omega.

“It’s normal to, it is a normal thing for an omega seeking comfort.  Nothing to be embarrassed about.”  He didn’t add that it was usually something that an omega did with their alpha, a sweetly submissive act of affection.  Izzy was clearly overwhelmed and he had really only come to talk to him.  “I’m sorry if me being here has been distressing to you, I had only wanted to check on you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re our o-”  He choked on his own words, his eyes going wide.  He cleared his throat and pretended like nothing had happened.  “Because you’re our first mate and Ed’s omega.  I expected you to still be in our cabin this morning, but I see you have settled in nicely with your pack.  That’s good.”  He knew his words bordered on condescension and normally it would have riled Izzy up, but it was a testament to how tired he must still be that he barely reacted.

Izzy glanced towards the door before he met Stede’s eyes, “If Ed cared about how I was doing he would have come to check on me.”  

“He wanted to check on the crew, make sure everything was in order on deck.”  He watched Izzy’s face fall and quickly added, “He came to check on you last night after you left, I believe he spoke with Ivan because you were sleeping.”

“He came to check on me?”

His voice was so desperate, so hopeful, it made Stede’s heart ache.  He reached out to push his hair off his face and smiled when Izzy pressed into the touch.  “He did.  Why don’t you get some more rest and we can all talk later.  Will you do that Izzy, come have dinner with us?”

Emotions warred on Izzy’s face and he looked away as he picked at the blanket.  He looked to be struggling with something and Stede let him work through it.  He finally took a deep breath and looked up at Stede and met his eyes.  “If you’re going to send me away, if Ed is going to make me leave, please just tell me now and get it over with.”

Stede managed to not sigh only because he knew that Izzy would misinterpret it.  He cupped Izzy’s cheek and dragged his thumb over the star on his cheek and let his voice drop into an alpha rumble.  “You aren’t going anywhere, this is your pack.  We are your pack.”

Izzy had leaned into him but pulled away and shook his head, “If Ed wants me to leave-”

Though it was too forward, Stede dropped his hand to the bite on Izzy’s neck over his scent gland, fingers pressing hard enough into it that it must have stung.  Izzy hissed but didn’t move away.  “Ed has marked you in every way he can Izzy, he wouldn’t let you leave even if you wanted to.  You must know that.”  

And despite that Stede wasn’t sure how healthy that was, Ed and Izzy needed to desperately have a real conversation about what was between them, he knew it was the right thing to say by the way Izzy’s face lit up.  On impulse he pulled Izzy towards him to press a chaste kiss to his mouth, his stomach a pleasant warmth when Izzy went soft and pliant into it.  Okay, maybe all three of them needed to talk. 

“You’ll come to dinner.”

Izzy looked dazed for a moment, eyes on Stede’s lips, but scoffed when he came back to himself.  “You’re the captain, you don’t ask .”

And he was starting to get it, starting to understand Izzy.  He dropped his hand as he stood up, “We’ll see you at dinner, then.”

Izzy’s soft, “Yes, Alpha,” almost made him stumble and he quickly left before he did something he’d regret.  Like drag the man out of the bed and into a proper kiss, like drag him back to their room to tuck him safely in between him and Ed.  He focused on going to look for Ed and let him know that Izzy would be coming to dinner, and hopefully discussing a few things with him before that.

When they returned with food they found Izzy still sitting on the bed, a dazed look on his face, the fingers of one hand touching his lips.  

“Talk went okay with the captain, then?”  It was easier to tease the man when he didn’t look so vulnerable, so frightened and Izzy even managed an attempt at a scowl.

Jim pushed around Lucius to hand Izzy a tray with food on it and he hadn’t thought he was hungry but at the sight of it his stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard.  He planned to tuck into it but was stopped by Jim crouching in front of him.  They grabbed his jaw, firm though gentle, and forced his eyes up until they met.  Their voice was quiet, “You’re okay?  I don’t need to stab anyone?”

“If I said yes, you’d stab the captain?”  He had meant to sound dismissive, like it was a ridiculous concept, but knew he didn’t manage it.  Impossible to not hear the question under it, the need to know that he wasn’t alone.  That someone had his back.

Jim grinned, “If it came to it, hombrecito.”

When Izzy ducked his head they let him and he muttered, “He was a perfect gentleman, of course.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Once Jim moved Lucius took over their space, pressed close to Izzy on the cot as they all ate in companionable silence and Izzy let himself relax.  Bounced the word around in his head and found that he liked the way it felt.  

Pack .

Chapter Text

The peace lasted until an hour after they ate breakfast.  Izzy was feeling more himself, still a little worn out from his heat, but the rest he had gotten the last several days was better than he’d had in … probably years if he was honest.  Even miserable in heat, sleeping between his alphas, his captains he corrected himself, he had been safe and warm and slept deep.  

So he was ready to get back to work. 

Oluwande and Jim were talking quietly and beside him Lucius was sketching in a notebook he must have brought with him.  He shifted his weight and had to bite back a whine, unsure of himself.  Part of him wanted to ask the alpha in the room if he could go back to work, but he rebelled against that thought.  He was first… his shoulders hiked up and he glanced around the room, well no, he wasn’t first mate anymore, was he? 

“Have the captains appointed a new first mate yet?”  Everyone in the room turned to look at him, abruptly silent, and he thought he knew why. He lowered his eyes to his feet.  “Oluwande, did they appoint you then?”  His eyes lifted and focused on Jim when they made an unhappy sound, unsure how to interpret it.  He cleared his throat, “I didn’t mean any offense, Alpha.”

“Don’t call me that, hombrecito.” They made a face and Izzy's stomach swooped at upsetting an alpha.  

He didn’t know why he reacting so strongly, he wasn’t in heat anymore and he had never gave a fuck what any alpha besides Edward had thought before.  “I’m sorry.”  

“No one has been made first mate, Izzy.”

He frowned and stumbled to his feet, aware that they were all carefully watching him, and for the first time he was hyper aware that he was only dressed in Ed’s shirt and his smalls.  He muttered, “I’m sure it will be you Oluwande.”

“Izzy.”  Oluwande had moved to his feet, Jim just behind him.  “You’re first mate Izzy, nothing has changed.”

He shook his head even as he turned towards his chest, fingers on the ledge of it.  He didn’t know where his clothes were, couldn't remember what had happened to them once he was in heat, and he didn’t have much in the way of backups. He tried to subtly look around the room, he was sure they had been left here.  He certainly hadn’t worn them to the captain’s quarters.

“Izzy, why don’t you come lay back down?”

“I gotta get back to work.”  He finally turned to face them and he wanted to be firm but his eyes slid to Jim, “You can all head out to deck.  I will be up shortly.”  He tried to swallow down his next words but couldn’t, “If that is okay.”

Lucius appeared at his side and wrapped a hand around his wrist, and why had he never realized how much bigger he was.  He tugged him towards the bed, “Come on Izzy, you can take a day off and get some rest.”  Lucius gave a forced little laugh, “Besides, if you stay in bed I get to stay in here too.  You know how I like to avoid work.”

He tried to pull his wrist out, aware that his head was still a little fuzzy.  “I need to work.  Already… already been off enough days.”

Jim moved between him and the door and he took a step back away from them.  “Gonna go out dressed like that?  You don’t even have pants on.”

He tugged at the bottom of the shirt he wore down, face flushing, “No, I have-” he tapped his fingers on the chest, “I’m just not sure where…”  He trailed off, not even sure what he was trying to say. 

“Captain took your clothes to get cleaned.”

He turned towards Lucius, “Where?”

He shrugged.  “Gotta ask the captain.”

Izzy knew when he was beaten.  No one was offering to get his clothes for him, and while he could go across the ship in what he was wearing, the crew had already seen him anyway, he was aware that Stede had told him to rest and wouldn’t be pleased.  

Without another word he gave a nod and moved back to the bed, he knew he might as well get used to this, having no choice and giving in now that they knew what he was.  

“Hey.”  Lucius moved until he was in front of Izzy.  When he kept his eyes down he tapped under his chin and waited until he looked up.  “What’s going on to make you smell so distressed?”

Oluwande and Jim shared a long look before Jim stepped forward to tug on Lucius’ sleeve, “Come on, let’s go look for his clothes.”

Lucius tilted his head, “He really should be resting.  I’ve been around omegas and-”

“Not on ships you haven’t.”  Jim’s voice was sharp, a warning under the words.  They turned their attention to Izzy, “It’s not like that here, little man.  You’ll see.”

Izzy watched them leave, their bickering fading the farther away they got, and he turned his attention to Oluwande.  “You would be the best choice.  For first mate.”

“Thanks.”  Oluwande sat in the small chair in the room, making a point not to crowd Izzy.  “Spot is already filled though.”  When Izzy didn’t say anything Oluwande motioned in the direction the others had gone, “Jim and I have been on a few ships.  We’ve seen it Izzy, okay?  I get what happens to omegas, why you hid it.”

Izzy straightened abruptly, not sure what he meant by that.  “I want to stay on the ship.”

“And we want you here.  And come on man, you’re obviously bonded to-”

“No.”

“No?”  Oluwande cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable.  “You spent your heat with-”

“They didn’t mount me.”  He choked the words out, face flushed, humiliated to have to admit how little his alphas wanted him.  That even in heat they wouldn’t touch him that way.  “We - I slept there but they didn’t want to mate me.”  

Before he never would give that much personal information to a crew member, but he didn’t exactly have that luxury anymore, did he?  Not now that he was at the bottom of the hierarchy, lower than he had been since he joined a ship.  No, lower than a deckhand even, he was an omega. 

He could feel Oluwande’s eyes on him but he kept his down.  There wasn’t any kind of response, but he could scent that the beta wasn’t happy with him.  He shuffled his feet and tried to think of what it might be about, why Oluwande would care that the captains hadn’t bonded with him.  Oh.  “I wouldn’t - I know Jim is an alpha but I wouldn’t, I’m not…”

“It’s okay, Izzy, I wasn’t worried about that.”

Of course he wasn’t.  Izzy’s face heated up at the reminder that not only was he an omega, but he was an undesirable one.  He pushed himself back on the bed until he was pressed against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest, trying to make himself small. 

He tucked his head to his shoulder and took a moment to indulge in the combined scent of his alphas.  He sighed and lifted his head.  “There was a ship while I was,” he paused, “while I was in heat?”

“Yes, they approached but as soon as we raised the flag, Blackbeard’s flag, they put up a white.  Revenge must have looked like an easy raid.”

Izzy let out a surprised huff of laughter at that and some of the tension eased from him.  He couldn’t bring himself to look but mumbled, “They knew there was an omega on board?”

“Yeah, they didn’t get to ask much about it though.  Ed shut it down pretty quick, you shoulda seen how fast they made their way back to their ship.”

Before Izzy could think about that too much, the implication of Ed being protective of him that way, the door bumped open.  He managed to not flinch away, and as pathetic as it felt congratulated himself for having at least that much control.  

A pair of pants hit him in the chest before he registered that Jim had thrown them.  He picked them up and frown.  They obviously weren’t his leathers, a simple pair of black linen pants, and he didn’t have to ask who they belonged to.  Jim’s alpha scent on them was enough to answer that.  

Jim shrugged at his scowl.  “Not sure where your clothes are, and mine are the only ones that will fit you.  Figured that’s better than going out in your smalls.”

Olu’s attention turned to Jim and his voice lowered, even though they could all still clearly hear.  “You think him smelling like another alpha will go over well?”

  Jim didn’t seem concerned.  “If they take issue with it maybe they should have thought about that before they sent him off without them.”

“I’m right here.”  Izzy flushed as he moved to his feet and pulled the pants on, and he had to agree that it was better than nothing.  

“Besides, he’s still covered in their scents, don’t think a pair of my pants will compete with that.”

He ignored that they were still talking about him and tugged at the shirt.  Jim hadn’t brought another one and he did maybe have an extra that he could switch to, but he wasn’t quite willing to part with Ed’s scent yet.  The pants were comfortable at least, and he’d be annoyed at another time how well they fit.  

Olu and Jim were still having a silent conversation and he realized that Lucius wasn’t with them.  “Where is Lucius?”

Jim’s eyes darted to him, but their face gave nothing away.  “On deck.  You ready to head up?”

And he got it.  Lucius was warning them he was coming.  He didn’t know how to feel about it, it was nice that someone was looking out for him he supposed, but there was the sickening shame of not even being able to face his own crew anymore.  He avoided meeting anyone's eyes by concentrating on pulling on his boots.  

“Yes, please.”  It rubbed him the wrong way, used to only submitting to Ed.  

Jim nodded and without saying anything turned to head up deck, leaving Izzy to follow.  He took a deep breath, not sure how to prepare himself, what to expect, aware of Oluwande patiently waiting at his back.  

“Izzy?”

“Right.”  He squared his shoulders and forced his feet to move.  

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he reached the deck, maybe that there would be a spectacle, hyper aware that despite the reassurance he had received from several of the crew already he had still been exposed as an omega.  

There was very little reaction when he stepped out into the sun, a few looks his way but they went right back to work.  He glanced over the deck, surprised to see everything in good shape, embarrassed by the surge of pride he felt for his crew.

“Up to your standards?”  

His gaze shifted to Lucius standing there, smug grin on his face, and scowled.  It caught him off guard, that he still felt like himself, and for his own sake he ignored the way Lucius looked pleased by his attitude. 

He rolled his shoulders, “It looks adequate.”

“That’s big praise from Izzy.”

Izzy wasn’t ready for Ed’s hand to drop to his shoulder, for his alpha’s proximity, not when he was so off kilter.  His senses were suddenly awash in Ed’s scent, the warmth of his body so close, and he was on his knees in front of him before anyone could move.  

“ Alpha .”

The conversations on deck all stopped, the crew startled into silence, a matching look of surprise on Ed’s face.  

Izzy struggled to look up at Ed’s face, fighting his panic.  He had never felt this compelled to submit before, had never given into omega instincts like this in all the years he had known Ed, never went to his knees in front of a crew.  He wanted to get to his feet but he couldn’t get his body to cooperate, and whimpered out, “Alpha,” voice high in panic. 

It snapped Ed out of his shock, and his face softened.  “It’s okay.”  He grabbed Izzy’s shirt and tugged him to his feet, easy to move once his Alpha was the one directing it.  Ed pulled him close, directing his face to press under his chin against his scent gland instinctively to comfort his distressed omega.  “You’re okay, Iz,you don’t have to do that.”

Ed’s hand slid around the back of his neck and his fingers settled over the bite mark, pressing softly on it.  Izzy focused on that to ground him and leaned back enough that he could see Ed’s face.  “Ed?”

He was so stupid, what had he been thinking walking around smelling so omega, he might as well painted a target on himself.  He had been lulled into thinking maybe things weren’t so bad, but he couldn’t even keep his feet faced with Ed anymore.  

“Israel, what are  you doing on deck?  I told you to stay in your room and rest.”

Izzy whimpered at Stede’s scolding tone and tried to curl in on himself, tucking his head back against Ed’s chest for what good it would do him.  He had been told to rest, he had disobeyed a direct order, and he could feel the bit of equilibrium he had managed start to tilt.  

“I’m sorry-”

“He can be on deck, Stede.  He’s our first mate, you can’t just order him to his room.”  Izzy felt them turn slightly, probably to face Stede.  “Just a little mishap, he’s okay.”  His head was nudged up with fingers under his chin, voice gentle, “Right, Iz?  You’re okay.  Came out to check the ship, yeah?”

Izzy’s eyes darted to Stede and back to Ed, stomach churning at the conflicting directions from his captains, but Ed was his alpha.  Would always be his alpha.  

“Edward, I think-”

“Let him do his job, Stede.  It’s fine.”  Ed held his eyes as he spoke and his voice dropped, just for Izzy’s ears, “You with me?”

Stede had moved closer, standing between them and the rest of the crew like he was blocking them from view, and Izzy didn’t know if it was intentional or not but he was grateful for the privacy, no matter how little it may be.  

“Edward, he is barely out of his heat.  It isn’t advisable that he is working.”

He didn’t respond and Izzy realized Ed was still waiting for an answer from him.  It took two times before he could get the words out, “I want to work.”

Ed grinned at him, moving his hand to cup the side of Izzy’s jaw.  “Good boy.”  Low enough that the crew wouldn’t hear but Izzy’s face still flushed at the words, his body swaying forward to press against Ed, and a small sigh slipped out of his mouth at the contact. 

There was the swish of fabric and then there was a body behind him, not quite touching him, but warm and solid.  Stede’s hand pressed between his shoulder blades, gentle but undeniably proprietary.  “If you’re sure, obviously you know Izzy best.”

Izzy smothered the whine that wanted to slip out and pushed down the urge to pull them in closer until he was crushed between them, surrounded by his alphas.  Wait, his captains . What was he doing .

Perhaps sensing his conflict Stede took a step back and dropped his hand.  Ed’s hand tightened for a moment, pressing firmly into Izzy’s skin before he dropped his as well.  “Omega or not Stede, no better first mate than Izzy.  If he says he can do the job, he can.  Hasn’t let me down yet.”  He glanced around the deck and took in the stares, seeming to assess how clearly his presence was affecting Izzy, “Come on Stede, we can spend some time checking the maps, leave them to it here.”

Stede didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded, and there was only warmth when he turned his attention to Izzy.  “If you need to rest, please do so.  It is up to you.”

He glanced between the two of them and he wanted to trust it.  He swallowed hard and dropped his eyes to the deck, “Thank you.”

Ed slapped him on the back hard enough to make him stumble, breaking the tension on the deck.  “Great, good man.  Stede tell you we expect you in the captains’ cabin tonight, yeah?”

Izzy nodded, and tried to ignore the whispers from the crew, wished that Ed had specified that it was for dinner, that it was to talk, but he was pleased enough about being allowed to stay on deck that he wasn’t going to nitpick.  

Ed started to turn away but stopped and tilted his head, eyeing Izzy head to toe.  He reached down to brush against Izzy’s pants, fingers trailing across his thigh, and his nose twitched.  There was a moment of confusion that bled into a scowl and he looked past Izzy, and he didn’t need to look to know it was aimed at Jim.  Whatever Ed saw made the scowl mellow out but he looked back to Izzy and growled out, “And don’t wear these tonight, don’t like smelling another alpha on you.”

The possessive look on Ed’s face made his heart speed up, his omega preening at the attention, and he gave a sharp nod.  

Ed and Stede spoke with a few of the crew members before they headed back below deck, and Izzy took a deep breath before he turned to face the crew.  It was stressful, still not sure that he believed being an omega wouldn’t undermine his authority, but between his Alpha’s faith in him and his… pack’s support, he found himself with the confidence to try. 

Chapter Text

The day went better than Izzy could have dared to hope.  He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Jim or Ivan to use alpha voice, for one of the betas to refuse his directions because he was an omega.  

Logically he knew Stede’s crew wouldn’t do the things he’d seen happen to omegas on other ships, but the fear was so deeply ingrained it was difficult to shake.  Every instinct he had was telling him that he was in danger, that he needed to hide , and several times he caught himself trying to curl up small.  

Ed and Stede stayed below deck and Izzy was grateful that they were giving him the space to work, even if he craved being close to them.  He didn’t know if it would stay like this, that when Ed was in his space he would feel so disoriented.  He didn’t even know why it was happening, him and Ed had been sailing together a long time and even though he’d always submitted to his alpha, he’d never been so overwhelmed by it. 

“What ya thinking so hard about hombrecito?”

He startled at Jim so close to him, he should have scented an alpha approaching him, though his senses may be off since he already smelled like this particular alpha.  He glanced at them before looking back out at the water.  He wanted to ask if they had any idea why he suddenly felt being an omega so much , maybe they had seen it as an alpha before.  Jim was so young though.  He nudged his boot against the deck, “Can you get Ivan for me, please?”

“What, I’m not alpha enough for you?”

Izzy turned his full attention to them, eyeing the look on their face.  Their tone had been teasing, and he didn’t see anything in their body language that said they were angry, and he hesitantly trusted that.  “Bit green aren’t ya?  Maybe in another 10 years.”

They snorted, “Yeah yeah, alright.  I’ll get him for ya.”

Jim went to go find him and Izzy held tight onto the railing, letting the interaction play through his head.  He hadn’t given an order, exactly, but he had asked an Alpha to do something and they did it.  

He heard steps approaching and turned to lean against the rail to see Fang and Ivan.  Fang moved up next to him, close enough to bump against him, but Ivan stayed a few steps away.  

“Jim said you needed something, boss?”  He seemed to notice Izzy looking at the distance between them.  “Captain seems particular, figured at the moment any other alphas should probably give ya a bit of space.”

“Jim doesn’t seem to think so.”

Ivan grinned at him, a quick showing of teeth, “Yeah, well, they haven’t seen the things the Captain has done to folks when he’s displeased, have they?” 

He had him there.  He couldn’t stop an answering grin thinking about it.  Ed was a strong alpha worth following.  And despite that Ivan was talking about Ed potentially taking that violence out on him , both Ivan and Fang’s scents were calm, pleased.  An alpha willing to fight meant safety, and Izzy realized that he hadn’t called it a pack but they were right, this feeling of belonging with them had been there for years.  

He cleared his throat as he resisted the surge of emotion, he’d done enough of that the last few days.  Instead he tried to remember what he had to ask, could feel the blush rising up his cheeks.  “I had… a question.”  Ivan just waited and Izzy nearly lost his nerve, but Fang pushed closer, his arm coming to settle over Izzy’s shoulders, and his first instinct was to snap at him, shove the arm off, as he always had because he couldn’t give in to any physical affection, he couldn’t risk looking weak.  He couldn’t let someone that close that they could scent him. 

Except now he could.  And his chest ached a little as he realized that, with Fang and Ivan at least, he could have been accepting it for years.  He slowly settled against Fang’s arm, letting himself take comfort in his touch, and looked up at Ivan.  “I don’t know if you have experience with omegas.”  He tried to swallow down his embarrassment, “When I was near Ed earlier on deck, I’ve never done that before.  You two have known me a long time, that wasn’t - why did that happen?”

He didn’t really explain what he was asking, but from the look on Ivan’s face, from the way Fang’s hand dropped down to rub at his arm to comfort him, he knew they understood.  “He bit you, Boss.  He might have always been your alpha before, but you two weren’t bonded.”

“We still aren’t.”  It was the same thing that Oluwande had said and the surge of shame made his knees weak.  He leaned heavier against Fang.  “He bit me but he didn’t - they didn’t-”  He couldn’t say it again.  

Fang made a surprised sound next to him, “Well that’s why you’re feeling all out of sorts, Boss.  Only have the bite part of the bond, that’s gotta feel unsettling for you.”

“What?”

Ivan looked aggravated now, and Izzy tried to keep himself from being distressed by the angry scent.  Knew he failed when the look faltered and Ivan shook his head.  “Sorry, Boss.  Just, leaving you with a partial bond, that’s fucked up.”

Izzy went tense at the words, at someone judging his alpha, and his shoulders went back.  “Watch your mouth, that’s your captain you’re talking about.”  

For a moment there was an overwhelming amount of tension between them but then Ivan tilted his chin down, “Sorry, you’re right.”  Ivan shrugged and just like that the tension was gone, “If he doesn’t finish the bond then the bite will fade, once it does you won’t feel it so much. I think.”

Izzy nodded and tried not to feel disappointed at the thought of it fading.  Ed had obviously not meant to bite him, didn’t want him bonded, or he would have mated him.  “Thank you.”

“You okay, Izzy?”

He tried to give Fang a confident look, knew it was shaky, but the two men didn’t push.  Just let Izzy know what job they were heading to do and left him with his thoughts.  

That must be what Stede and Ed wanted to talk about at dinner.  Izzy didn’t even know that a bite started any kind of process, but he was sure they wanted to make sure they weren’t misleading him.  Maybe reassure him that it would fade and they could go back to the way things were before.  

Though he tried, he couldn't ignore how much that thought hurt.  

Ed paced their cabin, glancing at the door every few minutes, on edge as they waited for Izzy to show up.  Stede watched him from the couch but didn’t say anything, and Ed appreciated that.  He knew that Izzy would be there, he wouldn’t ignore an order, but he was caught up in his head thinking about what he was going to say.

“Ed, why don’t you sit down?”

A knock at the door startled him out of his pacing and he hurried to it, pulling it open instead of just yelling for Izzy to come in so he could usher him properly into the room. 

He didn’t expect to find Izzy standing there, flushed bright red, wearing only Ed’s shirt and his smalls.  

“Izzy… why don’t you have any fucking pants on?”

Izzy looked down at what he was wearing, hands nervously in front of himself, and mumbled, “You said not to wear Jim’s pants.  I don’t have any others.”  Izzy hadn’t known what to do, thought about asking one of the betas on ship, but wasn’t sure what would be okay with his Alpha and what wouldn’t so he finally had just… not worn any. 

“Where are your leathers?”

“Oh.”  Stede had moved to his feet and came up to them, “I have them. I had brought them here during his heat, I assumed when he finally came out he’d be with us until he was ready to go back to deck. I’m afraid I forgot all about it.”  He motioned to the far side of the room where Izzy’s clothes were neatly folded. 

“Stede, what did you think he was supposed to wear?”

“How was I to know he didn’t have any other pants?  It didn’t occur to me.”

Ed went to snipe back at Stede, flustered about the situation, about them carelessly causing Izzy more problems again , when he realized Izzy was still standing in the hall.  “For fucks sake, Izzy, get in here.”  He didn’t wait for him to move, instead grabbed his shirt and pulled him in until they were pressed together.  “If I didn’t want you smelling like another Alpha, I sure as fuck don’t want you wandering the ship half naked where they can scent you either.” Izzy tilted his head when Ed nosed at his jaw, immediately giving him access, and he scented him for a minute before nuzzling against the bite.  

Izzy had relaxed against him, lulled at the possessive words, but when he licked at the bite he went tense and Ed could feel him try to pull back.  He didn’t like that and held him tighter before he realized what he was doing and loosened his grip.  “Iz?”

And he tried to keep it together, to be professional, but he had spent all day waiting for this conversation, dreading it, and the words spilled out.  “I’m sorry, I know  you didn’t mean to bite me, that you don’t want to bond.  Ivan said it should fade and then it will be gone, please, Alpha, I won’t let it affect my work. Stede said I wouldn’t have to leave, please don’t make me leave-”

“Izzy.”  The alpha voice had him go silent, eyes on Ed.  Ed glanced at Stede before he looked back to Izzy, and reached up to hold his face between both hands.  “You aren’t going anywhere.  I wouldn’t let you leave if you wanted to, you’re mine.”

“Always.”  Izzy’s eyes darted between the two of them, “You’re my alpha, you always have been.   I know you don’t want to bond with me-”

It was the second time he had said that and Ed snapped, “Why do you think I don’t want to bond with you?”

“You’ve never wanted to be my alpha.”  The conviction in Izzy’s words broke Ed’s heart, and it didn’t get better when Izzy added, “You didn’t want to mount me, even in heat.”  He sounded horribly embarrassed and turned his head away, “I know you don’t want me.”

“Ed.”  He looked back to Stede, who was frowning.  “You have to tell him.”

“Please-” His voice wobbled and he slipped to his knees like he had on deck.  He had told himself he would accept anything Ed had to say with dignity, but now that he was in front of him he was going to beg, plead, do anything if Ed would just keep him. 

The words stuck in Ed’s throat, he wanted to fall back on the way that he never really said what he meant so he didn’t have to commit, so his feelings couldn’t be rejected, but his doubts calmed as he looked down at Izzy on the ground in front of him.  His perfect, sweet, obedient omega.  They had wasted so many years. 

He tilted Izzy’s head up with a hand under his chin so he could see his eyes, made sure he had his attention before he spoke.   “I want to bond with you, Izzy.”  He waited for his reaction but Izzy’s brow just furrowed and he looked confused.  Fuck, he really had done a number on Izzy’s self esteem, even when he said it without any riddles, without any hesitation, Izzy still didn’t believe him. “I want to be your alpha, Iz, properly.”

Izzy tried to look at Stede but Ed’s grip didn’t let him move his head.  “You didn’t want-”

“I didn’t want to fuck you when you were so out of it you could barely focus.”  He dragged his thumb over Izzy’s mouth, “I didn’t want that to be our first time.”

Izzy leaned into Ed’s touch, rubbing his jaw against his hand, but his eyes flew open at that.  “First?”

“I told you, Izzy.  I want to be your alpha, proper.”  He knelt down in front of Izzy, grunting at the pain in his knee.  “I’m sorry that I didn’t know how hard it was on you.  That I never tried to know, it was just easier to not think about it, to let you take care of it.”

“Your knee-”

Ed closed the distance between them, silencing Izzy with a kiss. When Ed pulled back Izzy swayed forward, trying to follow him and Ed pressed their foreheads together.  

“Alpha?”

“Yes, Iz, fuck.  Yes.  Your alpha.”  He slid his fingers through Izzy’s hair, holding him still, as he buried his face against his neck. “Shoulda been doing it proper all these years, Iz.”

It was a lot and Izzy closed his eyes, hands curled into fists at his side, afraid to trust what Ed was saying when it would be so easy to take it away again.  He didn’t think he’d survive that.  “I don’t understand.”  He opened his eyes, and they landed on Stede standing near them.

When their eyes met Stede smiled and moved closer, watching Izzy’s face.  When he didn’t look upset by it Stede knelt down next to them, his hand joining Ed’s on the back of Izzy’s head.  Izzy whimpered and his stomach clenched.  “Alphas.”  It seemed to be all he could say, could only pathetically whimper out the one word but it had both of them pulling him in closer.  

They were silent for a bit, Ed and Stede just letting Izzy get a hold of himself, and when the smaller man pulled back so he could look at Ed they eased back.  Stede looked between them and then pushed to his feet, reaching out to gently push the hair out of Izzy’s face.  “I think that I have some things on deck that I should go look after, I’ll leave you two to it.”

“Stede, you don’t have to go.”

He put a hand out to help Ed to his feet and then leaned in to nuzzle him, “I’ll be back later and the… three of us can talk.  But right now, he needs you and you need him.”  They both looked at Izzy and Stede added, softer, “He deserves all your attention for this Ed, give it to him.”

Ed nodded, looking relieved. Stede turned to leave, but Izzy caught his hand.  He stopped, and let Izzy tug him closer, meeting those big eyes turned up at him.  “Izzy?”

Izzy brought Stede’s hand to his cheek and nuzzled it, even as he blushed.  He muttered towards the ground, “Alpha.”

Stede’s eyes darted to Ed to see his reaction to that, but his mate was just watching with a pleased smile on his face, and he turned back to Izzy and gave him a nod.  “Such a good omega, Izzy, always such a good boy for us.”  Reluctantly he pulled his hand away though any regret he had about leaving the two of them was soothed by how calm and content their scents were when they looked at each other.  “I’ll be back later.”

And then it was just Ed and Izzy.

Chapter Text

Izzy made no attempt to get to his feet, just settled back on his knees to look up at Ed, it felt right to be like this in front of his Alpha.  His alpha .  His gut reaction was to deny the word, even to himself, to replace it with captain the way he had for decades but Ed had said it.  Said he was going to be his alpha. 

Something desperate filled his chest.  Ed, his alpha, Stede, the crew, his pack .  Only a few days of being included, touched, wanted.  Taken care of, protected . Things that he had denied himself his entire life so he could prove that he was strong enough to be Ed’s first mate.  Aching parts of himself that he shoved down so far that he almost made himself believe he didn’t need them.  

But he did.  

His next breath caught and came out as a sob and he brought his hands up to cover his face, trying to stop it even as he could feel the wetness sliding down his face.  He shook his head, what Ed must think of him breaking down like this, proving to his captain that he was weak.  “M’sorry Captain.”

“Oh, Izzy.”  He was tugged to his feet and found himself wrapped in Ed’s arms, pressed against his chest.  Ed tilted his head and Izzy instinctively buried his face against his neck and nosed at his scent gland, Alpha scent soothing his distress.  When he realized what he was doing he tried to pull away but Ed’s hand came up to the back of his head to hold him there, and now that he had permission he leaned into it, not sure if he’d get the offer again.

Ed tried to move them further into the room but when he pulled away Izzy whined and tried to burrow in closer, grabbing onto Ed’s shirt to hold him there.    

“Okay, okay.  We’ll stay right here, I got you.”  They stood there until Izzy tired himself out, face pressed against Ed’s neck, warm breath against his skin.  Ed gave his hair a tug, trying to get his attention.  “You with me, Iz?”  He could feel him nod against him, but Izzy made no attempt to pull away.  

Ed turned his head so he could press his own face against Izzy’s neck and scented him, arms tightening where he held him.  “Good boy, Iz.  Come on, let’s sit down.”  Izzy still resisted when he tried to move them but relented and let himself be pulled into the room.  Ed hesitated, not sure where he wanted to bring him, but finally pulled him towards the bed. 

Izzy sniffled a little, eyes on the floor, his face flushed red as he was brought into the room.  He was ashamed that he had let himself break down, Ed should have kicked him out the moment he started making a fool of himself.  

The bed was as soft under him as he remembered it had been while he had curled in it during his heat, and he couldn’t help dropping a hand to run over the material.  An ache thrummed in his chest when he thought of what it had felt like tucked in between them and he abruptly remembered what Ed had said.  Realized that maybe he would be able to spend his next heat with them, too.  The hope was enough to make him bring his eyes up from the ground, meeting Ed’s.

As soon as he did Ed smiled, some of the tension easing from his shoulders as he sat next to him.  He reached up to cup the side of Izzy’s jaw, thumb stroking the skin.  “There he is.”

“I’m sorry I-”  Izzy tried to clear his throat, aware that his voice shook.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”  He couldn’t bring himself to say the words, just looked back down to the bed. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Izzy.  I did.  I have been.  For a long time.”  He leaned in and Izzy tilted his head, giving access to his neck, but Ed used his grip to tilt his chin back down so he could kiss him.  

Izzy melted into it, being close with Ed, nose filled with the scent of his Alpha, it was all he had ever wanted.  He would take anything that he could get and for the first time in his life hoped he would get a heat sooner so he could be near him.  He knew it would be months before he had another one and it was almost enough to make him sob again.

Ed must have felt him shake under his hands and pulled back from the kiss to look over his face.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Alpha.”  He tried to lean back in, worried he had messed it up, but Ed’s grip held firm, eyes searching his face.  

“Don’t lie to me.”

Izzy’s shoulders went back at the tone, “I’m sorry, Alpha.” He squirmed under the touch, embarrassed, but gave in like he always would to Ed’s command.  “I don’t know when I will have another heat, could you - could I please get to be close just a little longer?”

“Your heat?”  Ed leaned away, dropping his hands.

Izzy nodded as shifted forward, trying to get closer.  “You said you’d proper help me through my heats, but I don’t know how long until I have another.  Please, Alpha.”  The time with the crew, just a few days of giving into his instincts, and he could feel how much he needed it now.  

“You just want me to help you through your heat?  Not…”  Ed smelled upset now too and Izzy whined, distress scent heavy in the room.  Ed shook his head and moved back in, reaching out to pull Izzy towards him. “Iz, I told you that I want to be your alpha proper.”

Izzy nodded, leaning into the touch.  “With my heats.”

“Not just your heats Iz, I wanna be your alpha.”

Izzy had buried his face against Ed’s throat, nuzzling against his scent gland, and made a small sound.  “You already are my alpha, you always have been.”

“No, I-” Ed didn’t finish his sentence, just fell silent while he listened to Izzy purr where he was cuddled up against him.  For the first time he realized that Izzy really had seen him as his alpha, and if Ed was honest, he’d never seen Izzy as his omega.  He’d never even thought of him as an omega.  He felt a little sick, the scope of how badly he had hurt Izzy, how long he’d been doing it for, becoming clear to him.  And he knew enough that telling Izzy that, that he’d never even given it thought, would only hurt him. 

So he tilted his head to return the nuzzle and muttered, “Yeah, Iz.  You’ve always been mine.” That much, at least, was true.  “It’s going to be different now, though.  I’m going to do it right.  Make sure you have a pack.”  He hadn’t forgotten the feeling when he’d seen Izzy safe and surrounded, protected, how content it had made him.  Ed swallowed, “Even if you only want me to be your Alpha when you’re in heat, we can do that.”

Izzy felt a little dazed, rubbing his face against Ed’s skin, and muttered, “I always want you.”  His face flushed when he realized what he said, but it wasn’t like he had anything left to hide.  

“Iz.”  It was tempting to let it go, to make assumptions, but Ed was painfully aware that was how they had gotten here.  And he owed it to Izzy to be clear, to make sure he understood.  “I want to have you all the time, Izzy.  Every day, heat or not.  Want you to be my omega in every way you’ll let me have you.”  He huffed a breath and then pressed teeth against his skin, grinning at the way Izzy shivered.

Arousal buzzed in Izzy’s stomach, settling between his legs.  Ed’s hand slid down his arm, moving to his hip, and he couldn’t help it as he twitched, hips hitching.  He wanted to give in to it but he couldn’t, not until he asked.  “Stede?”

Ed huffed a laugh, and brought his hand up to stroke Izzy’s jaw, fingers sliding over his skin.  “He cares about you Iz, and he had a lot to say about me not treating you right.”  He nudged Izzy so he would look up at him, “We can talk, figure things out. Stede’s a good alpha too Iz and he wants-”

“But I belong to you.”

“Yes, yes you do.”  He let it drop for now, like Stede had said, right now Izzy deserved to have his full attention.  He’d seen what was between them though, and he pressed a kiss against Izzy’s cheek even as he moved his hand between Izzy’s legs, rubbing the hardness he felt there.  “Iz?”

“Alpha.”  He breathed the word out, eyes sliding closed as Ed touched him.  It had felt good before, but the underlying frantic need of heat had clouded his head, and this felt more real.  “Please.”

“Yeah?” Feeling more confident with Izzy’s reaction Ed stroked him over his smalls, the thin material doing nothing to hide the way Izzy’s cock twitched.  He looked down, “Maybe no pants aren't so bad.”

Izzy squirmed, not sure if he wanted to push up into the touch or pull away, embarrassed at his reaction.  “Alpha?”  Ed’s eyes met his and he whimpered out, “Ed.”

Ed cupped his hand over him, a gentle but firm pressure, “You want this, Iz?”  He whined and nodded but Ed just pressed down a touch firmer and put an alpha rumble in his voice, “I need to hear it Iz.  Answer me, omega, do you want this?”

“Yes, Ed, please. ”  Izzy’s eyes dropped to where Ed was hard, pressing against his pants.  “I want to - can I touch you, please?”  

For a moment Ed didn’t answer, just kept touching Izzy, but finally pulled his hand away.  “Of course, Iz.”

Izzy moved as soon as the words were out of Ed’s mouth, slipping to his knees between Ed’s legs, a flash of a grin at the surprised sound Ed made.  His mouth watered at the thought of having Ed’s cock in his mouth, sliding across his tongue, and he whined as he reached up to tug at the top of the breeches Ed wore.  “Can I?”

Ed lifted his hips and let Izzy tug them down to his thighs, nothing under them.  He reached out one hand to rest on Izzy’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze and then leaned back on both elbows, watching Izzy, waiting to see what he was going to do.  

Ed’s cock jutted out in front of his face and Izzy moaned as he leaned in to rub it against his cheek, nose full of his Alpha’s musk, and it made his own cock throb between his legs.  He buried his nose into the skin at the base of Ed’s cock, nuzzling there for a moment before he pulled back. His cock was warm and thick and Izzy brought up one hand to wrap around the base before licking the head with the flat of his tongue.

A groan slipped from Ed, and his arm twitched with the urge to wrap a hand in Izzy’s hair, but he forced himself to just watch.  Izzy glanced up and whatever he saw seemed to encourage him and licked over the head a few more times, pressing his tongue under the head until a few drops of precum beaded over his slit.  Izzy wrapped his lips around the head to suckle at him and pressed his tongue to taste the few drops, and he was already close just from getting to taste Ed.

He knew that he wasn’t giving a good suck job, mostly just holding Ed’s cock in his mouth, sucking softly as he bobbed his head, just tracing the feel of it with his tongue.  It was comforting in a way he couldn’t explain, and his whole world was a pinpoint focus on his Alpha.  

Under him his cock dripped precum into his smalls, and he was slicking, wet down his thighs, clenching down on nothing.  His hips rocked as he sucked Ed, and he gasped when Ed shifted so a leg slid between his, giving him something to hump, soaking through his smalls to leave slick along Ed’s leg.  It made him move his head faster, messier, as spit and precum covered his chin and dripped down Ed’s cock.  

His eyes flew open when he was suddenly yanked backwards by a grip in his hair, forced to pull off Ed’s cock with a wet sound and his head tilted up to meet Ed’s eyes.  Ed was flushed, pupils blown wide, and Izzy’s eyes darted down to his cock.  He was at full hardness, cock flushed, the tip wet and Izzy tried to nose in against him again.  The grip held him back though and he gave up trying to push forward to look up at Ed.  

Once he fully focused on him Ed’s grin widened.  “There’s my good boy.”  The praise made him shiver, hips twitching against Ed’s leg.  “If you keep that up I’m going to come.  Do you want me to come in your mouth or…”  Ed looked a bit unsure and it took Izzy long seconds to understand what he was saying.

His own skin flushed with sudden panic.  He leaned back and shook his head, “Want you to fuck me.  Claim me, please Alpha.”  He had almost messed it up, had lost his ability to think with Ed’s cock in his mouth.

“Hey, calm down, it’s okay.”  Ed’s fingers brushed over his cheek, “That’s what I want to, Iz.  Just wanted to make sure.”

Ed tugged at him, pulling him up onto the bed with an ease that made Izzy whine and try to get closer, wanting to press against his scent gland.  He ended up straddling Ed, his knees spread wide over his hips, and buried his face against his neck.  He found Ed’s scent gland and licked at it before he bit down just enough that Ed could feel his teeth and then licked at it again with a desperate whine.  

He ground his clothed ass down against Ed’s cock, and rutted forward to push his cock against Ed’s stomach, wildly rocking between both things until Ed’s hands caught his hips and held him still, pressed down over his straining cock.  

“Settle.”  Ed growled it in his ear and it made him squirm in the grip, too close to getting everything he wanted to be able to control himself.  Ed held him still for long minutes, just letting him grind down into his lap, before he pulled back to press a soft kiss to his mouth.  “Present for me.”

Ed let go of him and Izzy scrambled off his lap onto the bed onto his knees.  He tried to press his chest down but Ed caught him long enough to pull the shirt over his head, and then let him drop his chest down to the blankets.  Fingers slid under the band of his smalls and he lifted his knees to let Ed get them off, and finally he was naked in front of his alpha.  

He spread his knees and pushed his ass up.  At being able to finally present proper his cock twitched, his hole pushing out more slick as it clenched.  Ed hummed behind him and ran a thumb over his hole, just barely pushing in.  “Wasn’t sure if you’d slick when you weren’t in heat.”

Izzy turned his head to look at it, and it took a moment to understand the words.  “What?”

Ed shrugged one shoulder, and didn’t look at Izzy, just pulled his thumb away to slide in two fingers, watching the way Izzy’s body accepted them.  Izzy keened, shoving back against them, whatever Ed had said forgotten in the pleasure of something filling him up.  Ed pulled his fingers out and gave Izzy’s ass a pat, “Omegas.  I didn’t know if you only slicked during heat or all the time.”

The fingers didn’t immediately return so Izzy muttered out, “If we’re turned on, we slick.  During heat we just slick all the time.”

“Ah.”  Ed’s fingers came back, circling his hole, teasing him.  “So over the years, would you slick for me when you weren’t in heat?”  The fingers pressed in, “Soaking your smalls when I touched you?”  For a moment Izzy was hurt, reminded of the years that Ed hadn’t wanted him, but then Ed was pressed over his back and mouthing his scent gland, gentle with the bite mark there, regret in his voice.  “I’ve been so stupid Izzy, to not see you.  To not see what I had right in front of me.  You deserved better, but I will make it up to you.”

Ed leaned back and there was the swish of fabric as he pulled off his clothes and when he moved again his cock rested against Izzy’s ass.  He thrust against him a few times, dragging his cock over Izzy’s hole until it was covered in slick.  Izzy whimpered under him and pushed his ass up, trying to angle it so Ed would slip inside.  Ed reached under him to grab his cock, able to slide his fist over him easy with how wet with precum Izzy was.  The sounds from his omega were getting more desperate and he grabbed his cock and lined up, he wouldn’t make him any longer. 

“Ready, Iz?”

“Alpha.”  Izzy moaned the word like it was a prayer. 

Ed rubbed the head of his cock over Izzy’s hole a few times and then pressed forward.  Izzy’s slick and how eager he was made it easy to slide in, and he didn’t stop until he was fully seated, grabbing Izzy’s hips to pull them flush together. 

Izzy wailed under him as he unexpectedly came at finally being stuffed full of Ed’s cock, and Ed could only hold him as Izzy twitched and rocked under him, his cock spilling on the bed below them and his hole clenching around him.

Ed held him, soothing hands down his sides as he came down, and when Izzy finally settled he rocked his hips a bit.  “Should I…”  

Izzy rubbed his face against the blanket and muttered, “Fuck. I’m sorry.”  His face was flushed bright red but he pushed up a bit on his forearms so he could grind back against Ed’s cock,  “Please don’t stop.”

He didn’t want to hurt him, sure that Izzy was overstimulated after the force of his orgasm, and carefully pulled out till he was almost out of him and then slid back in, slow and careful.  Izzy made a content sound, settling back against the bed, body pushing to meet Ed and pull him as deep as he could.  “Doesn’t hurt?”

Izzy reached down to palm over his spent cock, hips giving a little twitch that made Ed’s jerk in response, before he dropped his hands back to the blanket.  “S’fine.  Like it, please Ed, please fuck me.”  

He took him at his word and started to move, slow and deep as he watched every inch disappear into Izzy.  He was hot and tight, clenching around Ed’s cock, and it felt like it was right where he always was supposed to be. 

When Izzy started to whine and rock back against him he picked up his pace, grabbing on to his hips to drag him back into each thrust, the slap of skin on skin filling the room.  Izzy was so wet around him, spilling out around his cock, and he shifted closer and tugged Izzy’s hips up a bit higher so he could drive down into him.  

He was getting close, could feel that familiar build in his stomach, and it took him a moment to realize there was a less familiar ache as the base of his cock.  He pulled out Izzy and held him still by the hips so he could look down.  He knew what was there, what he would see, but he still was surprised to see his knot swelling. 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t ever knotted before, but it only ever happened when his cock was buried in an omega, and he had only fucked them occasionally on shore leave when he coulnd’t find an alpha or beta that caught his interest. And he hadn’t even knotted them, content with a hand wrapped around his knot while he came on their stomach or ass.  It felt like his body ticked up a few more degrees as he palmed the knot and looked up at Izzy.  It hadn’t even crossed his mind, so used to not thinking of Izzy as an omega.

“Gonna knot you.”  He wasted no time sinking back into him, and felt the tug of Izzy’s rim on his growing knot and growled, “Gonna fill you up, stuff you full of my knot.”  

“Yes, yes, yes, please.”  Izzy panted, hips pushing back to help Ed fuck him harder, deeper.  Under him Ed could see that Izzy’s cock was hard again, bouncing against his stomach, and Ed frantically slammed into him.  His knot pushed in and pulled out, stretching Izzy wide around him and he got a good grip on him as he slammed forward one more time.  His knot pressed against Izzy’s hole, bullying its way in.  Izzy cried out under him and then the knot popped in, sinking into his heat, locking them together. 

Ed wrapped an arm around Izzy’s chest and abruptly yanked him up, driving his knot deeper in him as he came.  His cock throbbed and twitched, filling Izzy with alpha come.  Claiming his omega, making him his.  His teeth buried in the bite mark over Izzy’s scent gland as he ground his knot into him, completing the bond. 

It was like everything fell into place.  The feel of Izzy under him, the warmth of him, the scent of him.  The startling realization that Izzy had always been home even if he hadn’t known it, had been in denial.  There was a sob and Ed realized it had come from him.  He shuffled until they were both pressed into the blankets, his weight over Izzy, still locked together by his knot.  He let go of the bite and nuzzled it, licking carefully over it to soothe the pain.  “Love you Iz, I love you.  Fuck, I love you Izzy.  I’m never going to let you go.”

Izzy sniffled under him and turned his head to be able to rub his cheek against Ed, and they shared a kiss at an awkward angle.  Izzy’s voice was softer, so desperately happy that Ed could nearly taste it, “I love you too, Ed.  Alpha.  Yours.”

“Yeah, Iz.  Mine.”  He shifted them so they were on their sides, making sure Izzy was comfortable and the knot wasn’t pulling on him.  Once they settled he realized that Izzy was still hard, though he said nothing about it.  He slipped his hand over Izzy’s hip to wrap around his cock, and slowly jerked him off. 

Izzy shifted and clenched around Ed’s knot, which made him grunt and rock his hips into Izzy, driving himself deeper, his cock giving another little spurt of come.  Izzy panted as Ed touched him but whispered, “You don’t have to.”

Ed snorted at that, and slightly sped his hand up.  He kept it slow and easy, teasing Izzy until he was a mewling mess, unable to thrust into Ed’s grip or control the pace, held still by Ed’s knot in him.  When Izzy finally dropped his head back onto Ed’s shoulder and gasped out a ‘please alpha’ he sped up his hand, thumb swiping over the sensitive head.  He rubbed hard under the head and mouthed at the bite on Izzy’s neck and was rewarded with him crying out, come splattering up his chest and over Ed’s hand.  It felt amazing to feel Izzy coming around his knot and once his breathing slowed down and he twitched away from Ed’s touch, over sensitive, he moved to wrap his arms around him and pull him in against his chest.  

In a little while when Ed’s knot went down they would clean up, they would talk more, they would see Stede.  They would talk about where Izzy was going to stay, he would reassure Izzy that being an omega, being bonded, wouldn’t change that he was their first mate.  All the things him and Stede had talked about making sure Izzy knew.  In a little while they would start to put together what their life together looked like. 

In a little while they would. 

For now Ed pulled Izzy close and kissed over the star tattoo and buried his nose against Izzy’s neck, his scent.  Tried to let his body and scent and touch fill in the gaps of all the things that they were still learning how to say.

And for a long time they laid in silence, apart from Izzy’s soft content purr, simply existing with each other.

Chapter Text

Izzy snuffled as he woke up and sleepily nuzzled his face into the warmth next to him, and it took a few moments for him to realize he wasn’t in his cot.  The blankets were too soft and he was curled into Ed’s chest, face tucked in against his throat, able to feel the soft rise and fall of his chest as he slept. The early morning sun was starting to creep in through the window and he realized he had slept through the night in Ed’s arms. 

His body ached in a satisfying way, the bite and other places a dull throb, and the previous night slowly came back to him.  He reached up to press against the bite, needing to feel the physical proof, too long of being alone to trust the feeling. 

“Oh, you’re awake!”  

Izzy startled at the hushed whisper from the other side of the room, instinctively curling in tighter against his alpha.  It registered that it was Stede and his face flushed as he carefully untangled himself from Ed, making sure not to wake him, and turned to look at Stede. 

Dread settled in his stomach, he couldn’t believe that he had fallen asleep and kept Stede out of his own room all night, the alpha was probably furious.  Stede sat at the little table, drinking a cup of tea, and Izzy tucked the blanket tighter around him, aware that he was naked.  He found himself cowering back against Ed, a pathetic little whine slipping from him.  

The smile faded from Stede’s face.  “Izzy?  What’s wrong?”

He swallowed, embarrassed by the fear keeping him frozen in place, and bared his throat out of instinct.  Behind him Ed shifted and drowsily mumbled something, a hand dropping to Izzy’s hip, fingers curled possessively, before he settled back into sleep. 

The touch soothed him, sure that his alpha would protect him, and he brought his attention back to Stede.  Quietly breathed out, “Alpha?”

Stede had perked up when the whine stopped and he moved to his feet to approach the bed.  Izzy watched him warily, hands fisted in the blanket, until the man reached the edge and crouched down so they were eye level.  He reached out a hand but didn’t touch and Izzy realized he was waiting for permission.  He gave a small nod and Stede brushed the hair off his forehead, smile soft.  “Are you hungry, you didn’t eat last night.”

He automatically started to shake his head but then took a moment , and now that he thought about it he could eat.  He glanced at the table and back at Stede and nodded.  

“Lovely, how about we eat something while we let Ed sleep a bit longer?”  

It seemed like a lot, being faced with just Stede.  Giving up being close to Ed.  He squirmed a bit, “My clothes.”

“Oh.”  Stede looked flustered, “Oh of course.”  He looked around and spotted Ed’s shirt on the floor and grabbed it.  “Here, dear, or I could get you a robe.”

Izzy shook his head and sat up, “Shirt's fine. Thank you.”  Stede didn’t hover as he slid the shirt over his head, blushing when he realized he didn’t know where his smalls were and even though the shirt fell nearly to his knees he still felt too exposed with nothing under it.  

He slid out of bed and carefully fixed the blanket, and dared a quick touch to Ed’s face, just a brush of his fingers over his cheek, before he ducked his head and stepped away.  

His thighs were sticky and he flushed more when he realized it was from Ed’s spend drying on him.  He tugged at the bottom of the shirt self consciously.  Once he reached the table he hesitated and muttered, “Alpha?”

Stede patted the seat, “Go ahead, Israel.”  Stede’s eyes drifted down to Izzy’s bare legs and there was a pause but before Stede could suggest something else, maybe try to give him a pair of pants, Izzy settled into the seat.  He tucked the shirt around his legs and scooted up to the table.  

He looked over the table but didn’t know what he should take, he didn’t even recognize everything in front of him. Stede didn’t say anything, just watched him, and he nervously reached out to pick up a piece of bread.  That at least he knew. 

When he took a careful bite of it Stede frowned and pushed to his feet.  Izzy shrunk back, and he hated that he felt this way.  “Here, dear.  Let me get you a plate.”  Stede put together a plate, taking the bread from Izzy’s hands to put fresh butter and jam on it, and once it was full he set it in front of him.  Without asking he poured a cup of tea but then stopped.  “I’m afraid I don’t know how you like your tea, I know Ed likes seven sugars-”

“Plain, please.”  

“Of course.”  He set it down and retook his seat.

Izzy didn’t know what to do with so much food in front of him.  It had to be at least a week's worth of rations.  He glanced towards the bed and muttered, “You should save this for Ed, he will probably -”

“Eat.”  Stede’s voice was firm, just this side of an alpha command, and Izzy startled and picked up a piece of bacon.  “There you go.” 

He wanted to be aggravated by Stede’s tone, the slight condescension, but it felt nice to be given direction.  “Thank you.” He darted his eyes up to look at Stede from his plate, and caught him scenting.  His hand came up to his neck, over the bite, self conscious. 

“Don’t be shy.  I didn’t mean to intrude you just-”  Stede made a happy little sound, “You smell so content bonded.”

Warmth curled in Izzy’s stomach and the words tumbled out, “You can smell it?  You can - you can tell?”  He knew they had bonded, had felt the connection, but hearing it from someone else was different.  He swiped at his face, refusing to admit that he was close to tears again.  

“Of course I can.”  Stede took a few sips of his tea as he let Izzy pull himself together, eyes gentle.  They ate in an easy silence, though Stede knew he was staring at Izzy a bit more than was probably considered appropriate.  

He had spent the night with the crew, happy to give Izzy and Ed some time alone together, and had only planned on peeking in to check on them.  When he had entered the cabin and seen them curled up together, had smelled how happy and content they were, had seen Izzy calm and relaxed and safe his instincts had gone into overdrive.  

Izzy was bonded to Ed, but Ed was his mate too, and Izzy was his… something.  The desire to provide and protect had been overwhelming.  So he had headed to the galley to get breakfast and hovered around Roach as he did his job (even though he had been threatened by a cleaver a time or two), and then waited for them to wake up.  

He wouldn’t admit that but he had been pleased when Izzy had woken first. He glanced at Ed fondly, he had flopped over into the space where Izzy had been, his face pressed into the pillow.  He looked back at Izzy, and his smile deepened when Izzy’s eyes were on Ed, too.  “You can get back in bed after breakfast if you’d like.”

Want flashed across Izzy’s face but he looked away quickly and muttered, “Got work to do.”  He shifted in the seat and winced, reminded that he was sore, but he wouldn’t let it keep him from his duties.  Wouldn’t let that he was an omega affect his position, ashamed at the very thought that the crew would think he was getting special treatment because he was bonded to the captain.

“Nonsense.”  It came out automatically but Stede winced.  “I mean, if that is what you want of course you can, but you are welcome to stay here with your alpha.”  Stede waited until Izzy looked at him, “You just bonded, you deserve to spend time with your alpha, Izzy.”

“The crew-”

“Your pack has things under control, and I will even go assist after breakfast.”

Izzy couldn’t stop a scoff at that, though it didn’t have the same bite it used to. He glanced at Ed again and he would like to climb back into his arms, but there was something else too.  He nudged at his plate and couldn’t deny the way his omega side was so pleased to be fed by an alpha, by his alpha.  

“Izzy?”

“Alpha.”  His face flushed when the word slipped out, made even worse by the pleased look on Stede’s face.  He saved himself from saying anything more by shoving another piece of bacon in his mouth.  

“I think you should stay here for a bit longer, dear.  Captain’s orders, I’m afraid.”  He put one hand up, “Just until Ed is awake, perhaps after lunch. That is reasonable, I believe.”

The refusal died on Izzy’s tongue as soon as he heard captain .  That was familiar territory and he nodded, “Yes, Captain.”

“I smell bacon.”  Ed rolled out of bed and yawned.

Izzy’s breath caught as Ed reached the table and he scrambled out of his chair onto his knees, “Alpha."

The shirt rucked up when he knelt and Ed’s eyes skimmed over the exposed skin and a wicked smile stretched across his face.  “Why aren’t you still in bed anyways?”

Before Izzy could stress about that Stede spoke up, “I wanted him to come eat.”  Ed dropped a hand to Izzy’s face, cupping it, as he leaned over to give Stede a kiss.  “Morning, love.  You trying to steal my omega?”

“Yours, alpha.”  Izzy nudged his hand, nerves winning as he tried to move closer.  “I’m sorry, Alpha.”

“Ah, hey.”  Ed tugged him to his feet and pulled him in against his chest, mouthing at the bite.  “Just joking.  It’s important you eat.”  He’d have to learn to be more careful about what he said, at least until they had time for things to settle.  Instead of pushing him back into his seat Ed took his own and pulled Izzy into his lap.  

Ed laughed as Izzy blushed and squirmed, and Stede reached out to smooth the bottom of the shirt to make sure he stayed covered.  Ed reached for Izzy’s plate despite Stede saying he could make him one, and ate a bite from it.  He hummed contentedly, and the next bit of pastry he lifted to Izzy’s mouth.  

Izzy opened his mouth obediently, cheeks going hotter as he tried to avoid looking at Stede.  “So what were you two talking about?”

“I was just telling Izzy that I thought it would be best if he took it easy for a day.”

“Izzy? Take it easy?” Izzy twisted in Ed’s lap, hyper aware that Ed was half hard under him, that it was making his own cock respond and the shirt wouldn’t hide much.  Ed’s arm tightened around his waist, “Quit moving so much.”

He forced himself to hold still, tense in Ed’s lap. “Sorry, alpha.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Ed grabbed Izzy’s chin to turn his face so he could see.  “Izzy, you alright? ”  The question was barely out before Ed tugged Izzy in to kiss him, unable to resist when they were so close.  He never wanted to stop touching him.  

“That would be, ah, a side effect of bonding I think.  For both of you.”

“What?”  It took some effort to pull away from Izzy but Ed managed to look over at Stede.  

“You’ve only just bonded.  Until you’re used to it, it will be a strong feeling.  I’d imagine.”  He self consciously smoothed out  a non-existent wrinkle in his pants, “I’ve never bonded with an omega so I wouldn’t know for sure.” Stede abruptly moved to his feet, his chair nearly toppling over in his haste.  “Now that your alpha is up Izzy, I will leave the two of you to it.” Stede was out the door before Ed or Izzy could stop him.

Izzy squirmed around until he could look towards the door and then back at Ed.  “I’m sorry Alpha, I didn’t mean to make him leave.  I can go get him.”

Ed was looking in the direction Stede had gone as well but he quickly turned his attention back to Izzy and pulled him in close. “We will find him later. He’s right, you need to rest, eat a bit more and then we’ll lay back down.”

“But-”

“ Eat.”  Ed slid his fingers in Izzy’s hair and gave it a tug, “And rest.  Both of your captains’ have ordered it now.”  Ed leaned in and pressed a kiss against the bonding mark, a pleased grumble when it made Izzy slump against him.  “Both of your alphas say so, Iz. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.”

Izzy was worried about Stede, could sense that Ed was as well, but he couldn’t resist his Alpha. He trusted Ed would make things okay, and let himself curl in against him, scent him, his purr vibrating against Ed’s chest. He could feel the bond, his connection to Edward, but even as content as he was, as content as he could smell his Alpha was, there was still something missing.   

No.

Not something.

Someone . 

Chapter Text

Ed woke up before Izzy, and that was a surprise.  He could feel the rhythmic breathing of the omega curled against him, and he cautiously shifted his weight, biting back a groan when his dick ground against Izzy’s ass.  He was half hard and when his hips shifted, rutting against his omega, he was fully hard in no time.  

He hummed under his breath and tried to see Izzy’s face, hoping that maybe the movement had woken him up.  Izzy did shift, pressing back against him in his sleep, legs splaying a bit apart.  Ed dropped a hand over Izzy’s hip and nuzzled against his neck, hand groping until he found Izzy’s own morning wood and gave him a few gentle strokes.  

A soft sound slipped from Izzy’s lips in his sleep and his hips shifted again, enough that Ed’s cock slipped between his thighs and he was unable to stifle his groan at the hot slick feeling.  

“So ready for me.  Always ready for me.  Aren’t you?”

There was no response from Izzy, no sign he was going to wake up and Ed sighed. Slowly he pulled his hand away from Izzy’s little omega cock and had just resigned himself to going back to sleep, when he felt a soft purr and a sleepy, “Alpha?” reached his ears.  

“I’m here.”  Ed pressed a kiss over the bite mark and nuzzled him again.

Izzy stretched a bit as he woke up, and it took him longer than it should have to realize that he was slicking, and that Ed’s hard cock was against him, so close to being in him that he was moving before he thought about it.  Tilting his hips up, trying to angle them so Ed could slip inside.  

“Izzy?”

“Ed?”  Izzy turned his head so he could see his face, “Please, Alpha?”

“Of course.”  It only took a bit of maneuvering and with one strong thrust he was fully inside that warm heat and wrapped his arms around Izzy to hold him close, as much skin to skin contact as he could manage.  

Izzy closed his eyes so he could focus on the feel of it, on Ed’s scent, sure that at any moment he was going to wake up and this would have all been a dream.  All made up in his head after decades of pining and desperation.  But Ed’s hands held him close, the lingering sting of the bite on his neck, and the cock filling him up were all solid proof that it was real.  

Ed fucked him with long lazy strokes, and all Izzy could do was lull his head back against him and ride them out.  “That’s my good boy, Iz.”

He groaned at the praise, and when he felt the slight tug every time Ed pulled out, could feel the swelling knot he shoved his hips back to meet each moment, chasing that feeling of being stuffed full and knotted.  Even’s Ed’s chuckle didn’t sway him, long past caring how desperate he was for his Alpha.

His hand slid down to his own cock but he pulled it away before he could touch himself, not sure if he was allowed.  Ed’s thrusts were shorter now, the knot stretching him over and over before he thrust deep, sinking his knot inside to lock them together before he was coming.  

“Touch yourself, wanna feel you come on my knot.”

With the permission he stroked himself, too far gone for any finesse, just mindlessly chasing his pleasure.  It didn’t take long and he cried out as his body clenched around Ed’s knot, spilling over his fingers.  

After he came his body went lax against Ed, the drowsiness from just waking making him more relaxed than usual.  It felt so good being skin to to skin with his alpha, the bond giving him a sense of contentment he didn’t know was possible.  

Ed nuzzled in against him and Izzy listened to himself purr into the quiet cabin.  It took him a moment to realize that Ed had stopped and he tilted his head to look at him. 

Any nervousness was eased by the smile on his Alpha’s face, “You okay, Iz?  I didn’t hurt you?”

“No, alpha.”  He shifted his weight, settling more comfortably while they were locked together. 

Ed nodded, but still looked concerned.  “I realized, I mean, maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think you’d ever been knotted before last night, right?”

A warmth spread up Izzy’s cheeks and he turned his head to hide his blush.  He had used toys that mimicked a knot but he knew that wasn’t what Ed meant.  He didn’t know why he was so embarrassed, they both knew he hadn’t even been mated, they had spent their whole lives together.  Still the words came out mumbled, shy.  “No, alpha.”

“All mine then.  Just for me.”  He could feel an answering alpha rumble from Ed now and he relaxed into it, practically preening with the possessive words.  

Almost like they planned it both of them glanced towards the door, like they were looking for Stede, before settling back down.  

Though it was tempting to go back to sleep, Izzy could feel the itch to check on the ship,  to check on his crew and he shifted his weight.  

“Where you think you’re gonna go when we’re locked?”  

“No where, alpha.”  He tilted his head away and added, a bit quieter, “Sorry, Alpha.”

Ed’s sigh made his shoulders pull up, but it was quickly softened by Ed pressing a soft kiss to one of them.  “I’m not used to you being like this ya know.”  Izzy made a small questioning sound and Ed took a moment to think about what he wanted to say.  “Taking everything so serious, you usually just tell me to fuck off.” And maybe that wasn’t entirely true because he knew no matter what Izzy said, what he did, he would always fall into line. 

The only thing really missing was the facade, the attitude that Ed knew was only partially real and partially an act, and abruptly he realized part of why Izzy did it was to make up for being an omega.  To play the role that Ed had told him too.  His voice was lower even though it was only the two of them in the cabin.  “Iz? Did I- this whole time have I made you be someone that you aren’t?”

Izzy understood what Ed was asking and took a moment to think about it before he shook his head.  “No, I definitely think you’re an ass most of the time.”  New instincts, or ones he’d always had but had mostly ignored, didn't like him talking to his alpha that way, talking to his captain that way, but he was also talking to his mate and that meant he didn’t have to be afraid.  “Sometimes you needed to hear things you didn’t want to but,” he swallowed hard, embarrassed despite everything that had happened the last few days,  “I like it better when you’re happy with me.  But I will always do whatever is best for us, for the crew.”

And maybe they were closer to having a pack than either of them had known.  Ed nuzzled against the bond mark and Izzy let his head fall to the side and just enjoyed the contact. 

Sometime later after Ed’s knot had gone down enough to slip out they were both dozing when there was a timid knock on the door.  Ed had planned on ignoring it but after a few moments there was another knock, a bit harder. Ed’s arm tightened around Izzy and he reached to pull the blanket up around them, making sure he was covered, before he grudgingly called out to come in.  

The door pushed open and Fang stepped in, his eyes going to the bed before he politely averted them and closed the door behind him. “Captain.”

“What do you want, man?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you when you and Izzy are, well…” Izzy could feel how warm his face was and he wished that he had thought to maybe get out of bed, get dressed, anything other than lay in bed naked with his Alpha.  

Ed pushed himself until he was sitting up and Izzy scrambled to keep the blanket covering himself.  “Yeah, yeah, we all know what me and Iz were doing.  So what do you need?”

“Right.  So, we were trying to give you some time but our other captain is getting in a little over his head and we thought he might need a little, uh, support.”

Izzy chuckled and he shifted so he could sit up too.  Ed groaned behind him, but Izzy was anxious to get back out on deck anyways.  It had been kind of Stede to give them so much time, but there were duties to be handled.  He hesitated before pushing the blanket off, he had never cared much about nudity before, but somehow that he was fully out as an omega made him shy about it.  

The decision was taken away from him anyways.  As soon as he started to push the blanket off Ed growled and pulled it back into place, keeping Izzy tucked in against him, possessive of his mate. 

Fang put his hands up, and he didn’t seem surprised by the response, and Izzy belatedly realized they had probably intentionally sent in a beta. “I will head back up on deck.  See you up there.”

Fang was out the door before they could even respond to the words, and Ed huffed before pressing a kiss to the side of Izzy’s jaw.  “Well, shall we go rescue Stede?”

Chapter Text

The easy smile on Izzy’s face faded as soon as they were on the deck.  There was the scent of an agitated Alpha hanging in the air, and the crew that he could see looked stressed.  Uncomfortable.  

Guilt sat heavy in his stomach, he had been slacking, had let his omega instincts take over and it was no time at all before he had let down his pack. 

“Stop it.”  The words were growled against his throat as Ed moved up close behind him, arms sliding around his waist as he nuzzled against the side of his jaw.  “I can smell what you’re thinking.”  There was a pause and his arms tightened, “Not sure I ever could feel it this much when you’re upset, I wonder if that is the bond.”

“The crew-”

“They are fine.  Just annoyed.  You should see how they look after you go on a rant at them.”  

Just as Ed finished speaking Stede came into view, his face pulled into a tight frown as he looked up at the rigging.  Izzy followed his gaze up and could see the problem.  Someone had clearly tried to retie parts of it and hadn’t done it correctly, and now it was unravelling.  It wasn’t a big deal, not when they were just drifting, but it would have to be redone.  What he didn’t know was why that had been too much for the crew to handle to the point that Stede would be getting worked up about it.  Even if they were new they were quick learners, and if Fang or Ivan were busy at least Jim or Pete should be able to do it.  

Stede moved closer and it was clear that he planned on climbing the rigging and that did get Izzy moving.  At the same time he took a step forward Stede must have sensed them and snapped his head around to look.  His eyes moved over them quickly, lingered on where Ed’s arms were around his waist, and the mood on the deck dipped abruptly.  

Izzy shook off the warning tingle that moved up his spine and moved confidently forward, intent on stopping Stede before he climbed up into the rigging and made a worse mess of the lines or, more importantly even though he wouldn’t admit it, hurt himself.  

He couldn’t help some habits coming back, and rolled his eyes as he reached him, “Bonnet, what do you think you’re doing?”

Stede barely looked at him and snapped out, “Working on the rigging.”

Izzy moved closer, “Why?  Just have-”

“It’s my ship, I’ll do what I please.”

It should have been a warning, but Izzy was so used to the back and forth with Stede that he didn’t think to check his words.  “Don’t be a twat, you’re just gonna make it worse if you-”

“I’ve been doing just fine-”

“You’re responsible for that?  Why am I not surprised, can’t even-”

A menacing growl stopped Izzy mid sentence, his stomach flipping as the hair on the back of his neck stood up, as he was suddenly faced with a pissed off Alpha growling at him.  He froze, unprepared for the response.  Stede had never really growled at him before, maybe a little bit here and there, but nothing like this.  And after the last few days with his heat and how sweet the Alpha had been, how much he had taken care of him, he could only stumble back a step and stare.  

Only for a moment though, and then there was an answering growl and Ed was between them, standing at his full height as he faced off with Stede.  Protecting his omega.  

The growl trailed off and Izzy tried to look around Ed, expecting to see anger, and instead could see Stede’s face shifting somewhere between hurt and confusion.  Ed’s growl had stopped as well, though he kept up the protective stance, and a glance around told Izzy the crew was watching them, none of them sure what to do either.  

While the two alphas stood off Izzy realized what was going on.  The reason no one had fixed the rigging was because it was Stede that had undone it, and from what he could see was probably insisting to be the one to fix it, but he just didn't know why.  Stede had never had a problem with letting the crew do the grunt work, and things had gotten better with the man accepting that some things were best left to those with experience, or at least he was willing to learn before he put all their lives in danger.  This wasn’t ego, this was… 

This was something else.

He could smell Ed’s distress now, neither of them liked seeing Stede hurt, but he also seemed unwilling to give up the defensive position.  Izzy tried to ease around him but Ed moved with him, shifting back until he was pressed against him, one hand coming back to touch Izzy as if he wanted physical confirmation of where he was.  

A growl started from Stede again, “If you’re going to do that, take it below deck.  We have work to do, appease your bond somewhere else.”

Ed tilted his head, “What are you on about?  This is my ship too, if I want to be on the deck doing whatever the fuck I want, I will.”

The tension was ramping back up and Izzy knew that he had to do something.  He moved quickly, darting around Ed before he could stop him, and pressed in between them.  Ed grabbed the back of his shirt, probably to pull him away, but he reached out and grabbed on to Stede to keep himself in place.  Stede looked startled, but didn’t pull away, and unless Izzy was mistaken the moment he touched him the man’s face softened.  

He kept eye contact with Stede but spoke to Ed, “It’s okay, you know we aren’t in danger.”  He waited until Stede really looked at him, wanted him to know the words were for him too, “You know Stede wouldn’t hurt me.”

Ed’s grip loosened and in front of him he could see Stede’s shoulders drop, most of the tension leaving his body as he spoke up, quiet, “Of course I wouldn’t hurt Izzy.  I wouldn’t hurt anyone on the crew.”  Stede glanced around and seemed like for the first time he realized how distressed the crew was, “Oh, I didn’t realize.  I was just, I wanted to keep things running smooth so you and Ed could have time together.  It’s my ship, I should-”  He looked up at the lines and he sounded so miserable, “I wanted to be useful.”

The urge to reassure Stede, to comfort him, was overwhelming.  Izzy had a gut feeling about what would help and glanced around, a blush rising up his cheeks, unsure about what he was going to do.  He stepped closer to Stede and reached behind him to push Ed back when he tried to follow.  Honestly he didn't expect it to do anything, Ed had never listened to him, and it caught his attention for a moment when he felt Ed ease back. 

He turned his head to look at him, not sure what he was feeling about the change in behavior, but he pushed it to the side for the moment and turned his attention back to Stede.  He moved until he was directly in front of him, cautious in case he was reading things wrong and Stede didn’t want him there, and leaned in to press his face against Stede’s neck. 

Stede had said that licking an Alpha’s scent gland was normal, something that omegas did for comfort so he nuzzled for a moment before giving a shy lick.  He didn’t expect the response from the crew, a surprised murmur and he stumbled back, sure that he had done something wrong now, face burning.  How could he be so bad at being an omega?

Stede’s face was also red, and he clearly had embarrassed the alpha.  “I- sorry, I-”

The reaction was immediate as Stede hurried forward and grabbed him, pulling Izzy against his chest, arms around him.  “You didn’t do anything wrong Izzy, thank you for comforting me.  You’re such a good omega.”

Izzy still wasn’t sure what had happened, but any lingering doubt slid away when Ed pressed up against his back and he felt the two alphas nuzzle each other over his head as they hugged him between them.  

They stayed that way for a few moments before Stede cleared his throat and took a step back, glancing around at the crew watching them.  “The rigging…”

Ivan moved along with Jim and gave a gruff, “We’ve got it.” 

Stede watched them for a moment like he was still conflicted, but Izzy shifting his weight had his attention turn back.  “Captain?”  It wasn’t exactly what Izzy had wanted to say but he was already embarrassed by his display and trying to get back on more familiar territory.

There was a flash of something on Stede’s face, disappointment maybe, but it was gone quickly as he moved closer to bring them together again.  “How are you feeling, bonding can be very draining.” It was forced, clear that Stede was trying to be positive.

Ed’s fingers tightened against Izzy’s shirt and he shared a look with Stede over him.  “Maybe we should all go below deck and talk.”

Izzy tried to look up at Ed, he didn’t quite understand the tone Ed used, but he was pressed too close between them to be able to get a good look.  “Ed?”

Again where Ed would have brushed him off before the man eased back to look down at him and meet his eyes, waiting to see what he wanted. Izzy wasn’t used to that, Ed actually listening to him, and it left them just looking at each other when he wasn’t sure what to say.  When there was a feeling he didn’t quite understand.  But it wasn’t a good one.  

Before they could get any further with it though Stede gave him a little push, and the three of them were moving below deck.  Izzy struggled for a moment as he was bodily turned and moved, he wanted to help them straighten the rigging, or at least see his crew for a moment to make sure they were no longer distressed, but the two alphas weren’t giving him much of a choice.  

Nearly off deck he finally found his voice.  “Wait.”  There was a hesitation but they were still moving and he planted his feet and said it again.  “Wait.”

“Izzy?”

“I want to see the crew.”  He shifted his feet and waited but neither alpha moved or said anything so he repeated himself.  “I want to see-”

“Think that is really the important thing right now, Iz?”

“Yes.”  The answer came so quickly, so naturally, that it settled something in his chest.  “Yes, I want to check on our pack.”

Ed moved so he could meet his eyes and finally nodded, “If that’s what you need right now Iz, okay.”

And for a moment his pack was forgotten because that other feeling came back and the words spilled out.  “You’ve never cared what I wanted before.”

“What?”

He could feel Stede moving towards him at the sudden shift in tone but he side stepped the hand reaching out to touch him.  “You dismiss me and scoff at my ideas and do what you want anyways.  You never listen to me.”  Ed’s head tilted like he wasn’t sure what Izzy was on about.  

“Pretty sure we’ve been running a ship together for most of our lives.”

And the only answer Izzy could think of, the only explanation, was that they had mated.  His voice lowered, “Now that you mounted me you care what I say?” A worse thought occurred, “Is it just the bond making you care?”

“Of course not.”  Ed hesitated though, like he was thinking about it and Izzy’s stomach clenched.  

“Okay, that’s enough.”  Stede’s voice had lost its timidness at the clearly distressed scent from not just Izzy, but Ed too.  “Izzy, please go ahead and check with the crew and make sure that you are content with the state of them and the ship.  You take very good care of your pack.”  He reached up to press his hand to Izzy’s cheek, a soft smile when Izzy couldn’t help but press into it.  “We can all talk once you are satisfied, and we can do it somewhere a bit more quiet.”

Izzy realized all at once that the crew was listening, and that it wasn’t the place to have a conversation with Ed like that, especially when the high emotions from his pack were making him struggle to control his own.  Ed didn’t look any better and Izzy wasn’t sure what to say to dismiss himself, unable to leave without saying anything to Ed.  

Before he had to decide Ed shook himself and grabbed Izzy by the shirt to pull him tight against his chest, his arms wrapped around him as he tucked Izzy’s face in against his neck.  “He’s right, you do what you need to with the crew.  I think that maybe, I don’t think it's about the bond Iz, it’s just… there’s a lot of things I’ve not done right with you.  Starting from when I made you pretend you weren’t an omega cuz I didn’t know any better.”

It was probably the most honest Ed had been with him and Izzy found himself a bit overwhelmed at the way Ed took the blame, acknowledging he was in the wrong.  It wasn’t something he’d ever seen Ed really do.  He wasn’t even sure if it was something he was happy about, and wasn’t that just messy of him.  He sighed and nuzzled in against Ed’s neck, and what the hell he was already in so deep, he gave him a soft lick against his gland as well.  

Ed’s low chuckle sent a shiver through him and he was abruptly pushed back to a grin from Ed, “Go on, do your first mate stuff.  We’ll be waiting for you.”

Something about the way he said it made Izzy’s mouth go a bit dry as he darted a look between them and gave a quick nod, “Yes, Alphas.”

Izzy took his time getting everything settled on deck.  The rigging was easy to get sorted and then he spent a bit of time just double checking things, just to feel things back to normal in a way that they hadn’t been since he went into heat.  

  No one brought up that him and the captain had fully bonded, but he caught the occasional scent of content pack members when he would catch them looking at the mark.  It settled deep in his chest, the knowledge that his pack felt safe and happy. 

The time got away from him but when he noticed that Roach had disappeared to get dinner ready, he realized that he really should make his way to the captains’ quarter.  He had been so caught up with ship tasks he hadn’t really thought much about what they wanted to talk about, and he should be nervous, he would have been nervous before, but the bond had shifted something and it wasn’t only the pack that felt safe, that felt secure.  

With a few final checks he left Ivan in charge and headed below deck. 

At the door to their quarters Izzy hesitated, not sure if he should knock or just go in, but finally settled on giving a quick knock.  He didn't think Ed would mind him just going in, he never really had, but he still remembered Stede growling at him on deck and even if he was sure the alpha didn’t mean it, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a bit more space than usual. 

“Come in, Izzy!”

That was Stede’s cheerful voice, no undercurrent of annoyance or violence, and the bit of tension that Izzy hadn’t realized was there seeped out of his shoulders.  He pushed the door open and couldn’t help his body relaxing, even offering a bit of a smile, unable to help how good it felt to be near his alpha.  

Ed was on his feet as soon as Izzy made it through the door and pulled Izzy into a hug as soon as he reached him, holding their bodies close together as he nuzzled against the bonding mark.  Izzy nuzzled back and didn’t remember closing his eyes, and just stayed wrapped up with his alpha while everything else faded to the background. 

They were both brought back by the clanging of a dish in the background, and an awkward cough from Stede.  They pulled away to look at him, and Ed ushered Izzy to take a seat at the table.  “Right, I wanted to talk about something.”

“Yes, Alpha.”  Izzy took the cup of tea that was pushed in his direction, and mumbled a thank you to Stede, not sure why he was feeling shy around the other Alpha.  He brought his attention back to Ed and tried to read his face.  “About the bond?”

“Kind of.”  He rubbed the back on his neck and it took everything Izzy had to just sit quietly and wait, but he could tell there was something Ed wanted to get out and he didn’t want to distract him.  From the corner of his eye he saw Stede give Ed a go ahead motion, and then Ed was talking.  “About the - what you said about listening to you.”

Even the new found confidence being bonded gave him couldn’t keep Izzy from dropping his eyes, anxious about what Ed was going to say.  The bond did change how some things felt, at least from his side, so he understood it probably did for Ed too, but for it to change that much seemed-

“Izzy?”

His eyes snapped up, and he realized he hadn’t been listening.  A blush slid up his cheeks and he shifted in his seat, “Yes, alpha. I’m sorry, I was just… just thinking.  I’m listening.”

“You’ve always followed my order, did as I told you.  Right?”

That was more familiar territory and Izzy nodded, “Yes, captain.”

“And watching you with the crew up there, watching them when it came to you, well.  I always thought our crews followed me, but I don’t think that’s true Iz.  I think they followed you.”  Like he knew the way Izzy’s head would take that he added, “I don’t think you were up to anything, no mutiny thoughts.  Just, the crew followed you and you followed me and even when I didn’t let you be an omega you still were doing it, yeah?  Ivan and Fang would have gone with you if you ever left, and I didn’t know that.  I didn’t know that you were the vital link between me and crews, between me and having a pack.”

“Ivan and Fang wouldn't have gone with- I mean, I wouldn’t have gone-”

“I know you wouldn’t have.  You’re a brilliant omega, and you are a brilliant first mate.  I took it for granted, Iz.”  He reached out to cover one of Izzy’s hands with his own.  “I can’t promise I’m always gonna listen, fuck, I don’t think you’re always right anyways.  I just got so used to you always there, I started to not see ya.  We hadn’t been right for a bit, yeah?”

There was a pause and Izzy wasn’t sure if Ed was looking for an answer but he managed to mumble out, “Yeah.” He was trying to keep it together, felt like for some damned reason he was going to cry, and he took a few shaky breaths to try to bring it under control. 

A smile ghosted across Ed’s face, “Never could hide what you’re feeling.”  He slid his hand up until he had Izzy’s sleeve and gave it a sharp tug, nearly pulling him out of the chair.  Before Izzy could get his balance another tug brought him to Ed and he was pulled into his lap, tucked up tight against him.  

Izzy wanted to stay right where he was, but he shifted until he could see Stede, because him and Ed weren’t the only ones that had things to discuss.  Stede was watching them, and he didn’t look upset, but he did look sad.  

“Captain?”

Stede didn’t quite meet his eyes.  “He is correct Izzy, I’ve never met an omega quite like you.  You and Ed will take good care of the pack you have here.”

That got Ed’s attention, “Stede?  That kind of sounds like you’re not planning on taking care of them.”

Stede’s eyes darted between them and then up like he was looking at the deck, “I think perhaps it is time for me to move on.  All I’ve done is make a mess of things for them, they have a bonded pair looking after them.  I’d just be in the way.”

“I don’t want you to leave.” It took Izzy a moment to realize the words had come from him, but it was true.  He sat up a bit straighter, “We need you, too.”

“The pack-”

“We need you.  Ed and me.”  Izzy’s face felt warm like it was on a fire, and he didn’t really know what he was doing but the sick feeling in his gut when Stede talked about leaving couldn’t be denied.  

There was that look between the alphas again and Ed spoke up, voice quiet.  “Talk to him Stede, ask him about what we talked about.”

Stede shook his head, “The two of you have only just bonded, and it has been something a long time coming. I wouldn’t want to-”

“Ask me what?”

Izzy held his breath as emotions crossed Stede’s face, uncertainty and hope, before he finally seemed to decide.  “I-” He cleared his throat.  “This is not the way it is usually done, but nothing out here is exactly as it was back home.  Normally I’d talk to - talk to your sire or maybe go through an agency.  I don’t have a formal - I could one together I suppose, if you gave me time-”

The words spilled out over each other, Stede clearly nervous, and Ed let out a soft chuckle and shifted to turn Izzy more towards Stede.  “He wants to mo-”  Ed cut himself off and didn’t need Stede’s horrified look to realize it wasn’t what he really wanted to say.  “He wants to court ya, Iz.  Proper like and all.”

“I was getting to that.”  Stede snapped the words but there was no heat behind them.  He did lean forward in his chair and reached out to lay his hands on Izzy’s leg, physically relieved when Izzy didn’t pull away.  “I would like to court you, if you’d let me. In the proper way as Ed said.  I don’t want to rush you, and don’t want to get in between you and your alpha while you’re getting used to your bond.  But I do want - I would like to pursue something more with you than just captain and first mate.”

Though Izzy knew Ed had hinted at it, he didn’t know what to say.  There were so many new feelings, emotions since his heat that he’d never had to face before, the thought of another Alpha courting him seemed overwhelming.  “I don’t know.”  Izzy couldn’t help a flinch as the words left his mouth, sure that Ed would be upset with him, that Stede would be disappointed, but nothing happened beside Ed tightening his arms and letting out a soft rumbling growl, trying to comfort him.  

“That’s okay, Iz.  It’s not something you have to decide right now, you can take your time.”

Izzy pressed his nose in against Ed, taking in his comforting scent before he whispered, “You want me to? Do you… It would make you happy?”

“If you’re asking if I’m okay with it as your alpha, then the answer is yes.  Stede and I talked about it, and seeing as how it’s already been the two of us taking care of you, I think it would work.”

It was a lot but it wasn’t like Izzy was blindsided by the idea.  He liked Stede, he trusted Stede after his heat, the alpha had every chance to take advantage of him and had only treated him with care and warmth.  He peeked over at Stede, and yeah, he didn’t know exactly what his feelings were but he knew he couldn’t stand the thought of the Alpha leaving.  

“What if - if I say yes does that mean it would be the three of us?”

“Sometimes.”  The confidence in the way Ed spoke made Izzy think the other two had discussed the particulars of it, and he found it reassuring.  “If Stede courts you, it can be time with you and him, time with me and you, time with all three of us.  No matter what you decide though, Iz, it won’t jeopardize what you and I have.  We’re bonded, nothing is going to change that, and nothing will come between us.  We have a lot of time to make up for it, and you know I’m not one to deny myself what I want.”

Whether it was the bond or just how well he knew Ed, he could feel the truth in the words.  He believed that he wouldn’t be shoved aside or pushed away, that he wouldn’t just be something on the side and that was what decided it for him.  

He gave Stede a shy smile and nodded, “Then yeah, I think - If you wanted to court me,” the word was embarrassing on his tongue, like he was some young thing being pursued, but it was so much more pleasing than the other words he’d always heard used.  “If you wanted to then I would… like that.”

Stede’s face lit up and Izzy could feel Ed’s heart beat faster, clearly happy, and for the first time in his life being born an omega didn’t feel like a curse.