Thread by @OurFlagMnsSteph

#noangstnov
#steddyhands
Day 12: painting
"I'm nearly done, stop grousing at me."
"Stupid fuckin Bonnet. Stupid fuckin Ed. I can't believe I agreed to this," Izzy muttered as he tried to keep the pose Lucius had carefully put him in hours ago.

He was laying on the chaise, a blanket draped just so across his chest and covering his manhood.
'A cheeky hint at what's below' Lucius had said as he laid it over him.
He was cold and his ass hurt and he wanted this experience over.

At least Spriggs hadn't been talking his ear off. Too busy staring at Izzy's form and trying to capture 'the essence of Izzy' at Stede's request.
Fuckin ridiculous.
He'd only agreed because Spriggs had painted Stede and Ed first and they'd been lovely, though he couldn't say so.

Not to them and certainly not to Spriggs. And then Stede said he wanted one of Izzy one night while he was petting Izzy's hair gently. And Ed had agreed so quickly, his eyes getting so soft like they do. How could he say to that. And yes they'd promised him a treat if he did it.

But it was the excitement of being wanted, still so new for Izzy, that made him agree. This was something they were doing together, just the three of them. They'd put up Stede's and Ed's on auxiliary wardrobe, a place that was private and theirs now.

Stede had even left a spot for Izzy's portrait from the get go, right between his and Ed's. It was just like how they slept most nights now, Izzy surrounded by the two of them. So he'd said yes.

"Okay, Izzy, it's done, you can rest."
Spriggs said it quietly, almost reverently.
"Do you want to see?"
Izzy nodded and tried to pull on his robe without flashing the boy.
He walked over and took in the canvas.

It was Izzy of course, he recognized his face and hair and tattoos, but he looked...gentle.
The pose made him seem relaxed in a way he only felt when he was in bed with Ed and Stede. His head was reclined, his face turned up just slightly wasn't smiling but he looked calm.

The lines he was used to seeing on his forehead whenever he looked in the mirror were absent.
His body, usually so compact seemed languid and long with one leg lying along the body of the chaise and an arm along the sloped back.

"Pretty great, yeah?" Lucius said with a smirk and a hint of his usual cockiness.
Izzy thought he looked beautiful. Seeing himself like this he could maybe understand the things Stede and Ed crooned at him while they took him apart.
"S'alright I guess. They might like it."

"Uh huh. I think so." He said with a wink.
"I'll go let them know it's done."
Spriggs left Izzy still staring at his painted self.
Minutes later Ed and Stede were flying through the door like they'd been waiting with bated breath for this all day.

"Oh darling, you look so glorious," Stede said after they stood staring at it for a moment. He'd exhaled it more than said it, like all the breath had left his body at the sight.
"So beautiful" He murmered again as he turned and, taking Izzy's face in his hands, kissed him.

Ed was still silent and Izzy was getting a bit nervous. What if he hated seeing Izzy looking so vulnerable. What kind of first mate looked like that.
He turned away from Stede, ready to see Ed's face red with anger and disgust and tried to ready himself.

But Ed was still staring at his form, a soft, goofy smile on his face and a tear on his eye.
"Ed?"
He seemed to snap out his reverie and looked to Izzy.
"It's perfect, love...Looks just like you when you told us you loved us the first time."

The tear broke free and slid down Ed's cheek and Izzy found himself holding Ed in his arms, a matching trail on his cheek. Stede joined the hug, squashing Izzy between them.

He'd let Spriggs be cocky for a few days he supposes.

-End-