Work Text:
Izzy tends to know best. He always has Blackbeard’s and the crew’s best interest in mind, and Blackbeard trusts his judgement as much as his own.
So when Izzy tells him, “we think you’ve begun to view Bonnet as a sort of a – pet”, Blackbeard believes him.
When Izzy tells him, “Best thing to do: end it quick”, he agrees.
Being a captain, the most feared captain in all the seven seas, means doing things you would prefer not to, things that will hurt you and others, and things that will eat you up inside. Killing Stede would be just one more item on the list.
But rolled up in a bathtub much too fancy for any ship, wrapped up in Stede’s dressing gown, Blackbeard doubts whether Izzy had got it all wrong.
Working to make his breath even, will his heart to stop pounding and uselessly attempting to wipe off tears that have already dried on his cheeks, as Stede knocks on the door, Blackbeard knows they got it wrong.
Having a pet means caring for them: feeding them, grooming them, giving a roof over their head. Working to heal them, to make them trust again, name them.
No, Izzy had got it backwards. It was Ed who had been named, cared for, and given a taste of safety and security. Like a wounded stray, picked up from the street, washed, mended – and loved.
Stede kneeling beside him, the soft call of his name, “Ed”, is like a bowl of milk offered to a starving kitten.