So what if… in early season 2, in a vague setting where they are all together again, but Stede and Ed aren’t reconciled yet…
Stede wants to win Ed back and thinks that he could try the massage thing he saw the Swede give Spanish Jackie and the books he finds about the topic are very useful, yes, but they are obviously not enough.
So Stede decides to ask Izzy to let him practice on him because he trusts the first mate to complain loudly if he isn’t doing it right and well, also because Izzy really needs to loosen up a bit, but he doesn’t tell him that part.
And it takes a lot of begging and negotiating (No fancy smelly oils, Bonnet! If you touch my stump, I’ll stab you in the eye!) and the promise not to tell a soul, but Izzy finally agrees.
And Stede goes to Izzy’s room with some almond oil and a few towels and when they lock the door to make sure nobody barges in unexpectedly, Stede gets a bit nervous, but it’s silly because this is just some massage practice, it’s not a big deal, right?
Wrong.
Stede has been massaging Izzy’s shoulders for just five minutes and now all he can think about is the feeling of the first mate’s solid body under his hands and the muffled moans Izzy is trying to hold back unsuccessfully and suddenly it feels a bit too warm in that little room and… oh. OH.
