Archive of Our Own

The baby is, to say the least, unexpected. Ed shows back up at the cabin with a bundle of silk in his arms to find Stede on the porch, slowly healing foot stretched out in front of him. 

“Ed?” Stede asks quietly, eyes trained on the bundle. “Wha—is that a baby? ”

Ed feels his cheeks flush. “Er, yes.”

Stede’s mouth sits open as his eyes flick up to Ed’s once more. “Okay…I need a bit more than that, please, darling.”

Ed looks back at the baby in his arms, huge brown eyes staring back up at him from the purple silk swathed around her, silk that Ed had gone to pick up for Stede. She makes a soft cooing noise and he feels his eyes fill up as he takes in the chubby cheeks and delicate brown skin, slightly flushed from the heat. Her eyes slide shut in a slow blink.

“Ed?” Stede prompts, reaching out for him. “Darling, whose child is this?”

“Er, I dunno,” he responds quietly, sitting carefully next to Stede. “She was, uh, left at the tavern.” He hears Stede’s sharp inhale next to him and takes his own steadying breath. “I heard them talking about her and how she got left there days ago and I—well, I just—er, I couldn’t—”

He feels Stede’s hand come to rest on his thigh, his other hand coming up to brush a gentle fingertip over the baby’s face. 

“Alright,” Stede breathes. “Okay.”

Ed whips his head around to face his lover, eyes wide. “What?”

“Well, obviously we can’t take her back to the tavern, Ed. She’s a baby.”

“I don’t think they were feeding her rum,” he mutters. Stede lightly smacks his thigh. “Sorry. You don’t…think it’s a bad idea?”

“Oh, sweetheart, no,” Stede ducks his head, pressing a kiss to Ed’s shoulder. “I think it’ll be a challenge to raise a baby on a ship but as long as we keep her away from the railings…”

Ed gapes at the other man, mouth opening and shutting. Stede finally lifts his eyes from the baby to meet Ed’s gaze and offers him a grin, squeezing his thigh. Tears finally make their way down Ed’s cheeks, spilling hot until Stede wipes them away softly with his fingers. In the still air of the front porch, the two men sit in a silent bubble, watching the baby’s eyes slip closed in Ed’s arms. Ed finds himself leaning into Stede, Stede wrapping his arms tightly around Ed’s waist and nestling his chin into Ed’s shoulder. In his arms, the baby seems to be content to be gently bounced, keeping her eyes closed and her breathing steady. She’s a delicate thing, far too precious to be sleeping in the arms of a stranger who happened across her out of sheer luck. 

“Does she have a name?” Stede finally asks, breaking the silence. 

Ed shakes his head. “Not that they know of. Told me I could call her whatever I wanted if I took her off their hands.”

Stede tuts. “Not the best way of guaranteeing a safe home for a baby.”

“Well, love, they’re pirates. Dunno what you expected.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Stede sighs. “But still. I’m glad you found her.” He pauses again. “She needs a name, Ed.”

“Think that’s more your wheelhouse,” Ed says. “M’not creative like that.”

It’s not the truth and they both know it. Ed’s reputation at sea wasn’t established without plenty of creativity—his attention to detail in his fuckeries alone give him away every time. This, however, just feels different. Ed knows that he trusts Stede and he knows that Stede will do her justice, whatever he offers for a name. So, he waits.

“What do you think of Violet?” Stede asks softly, fingers brushing over the purple silk again. “I like to think that purple’s our color and if she’s…going to be ours, as well…” 

Ed is no match for the sob that tears itself bodily from his throat. Stede’s arms tighten around him and he collapses against the other man, shaking and trembling and clutching the tiny bundle of silk and skin to his convulsing chest. Everything is just too much for a few moments—the barely-there weight of the child in his arms, the pressure and warmth of Stede against him, the knowledge that Stede opened his arms to taking in an infant off the literal street into their lives, into their home . All because he could tell Ed wanted to. 

Stede soothes him, not relinquishing his hold around Ed for even a moment until Ed’s caught his breath and stopped trembling. The baby, still sleeping, let out a muffled noise and Ed took in a shaky breath. 

“Violet, huh?” He whispers. “Our Violet.”

*******

Where in the fuck Stede found violets to keep in the cabin’s kitchen, Ed resigns himself to never figuring out. Stepping in through the front door to see the vase on the table, full to bursting with the vibrant flowers, Ed’s entire body feels warm. He finds Stede in the bedroom, sound asleep with Violet resting on his chest, her tiny body rising and falling with Stede’s every breath. Ed stands in the doorway, leaning against the wood and basking in the image of the two people he loves most in the world sleeping in the fading sunlight of the late afternoon coming in through the massive window. 

Ed crosses the room, climbing carefully onto the bed and rubbing Violet’s back. He bends to press a gentle kiss to Stede’s forehead and grins as the man’s eyes flutter open and focus slowly on Ed’s face. 

“Hello darling,” Stede rasps, shifting into a more propped-up position. “Did you get the milk?”

“The one thing I went to town for?” Ed teases. “Yes, Stede, I got the milk.”

Stede’s recovery is in full swing and he could move around on his own just fine, but the trek to and from the town is still a bit much for him. Ed has a sneaking suspicion that the blond man also just enjoys having his own time to spend with Violet without Ed around to potentially steal her for any amount of time. Ed watches Stede watching the baby and he knows he has a small, stupid smile on his face but he doesn’t have it in him to be embarrassed about it. He always had a sneaking suspicion that Stede adores children but to see it in action is truly a sight to behold. It makes Ed’s chest ache in the best way. 

“Hey, where’d you drift off to?” Stede is looking at him, brows just barely furrowed. 

“Just watching you with the baby. You were made for this.”

“ Our baby,” Stede corrects softly. “She’s our baby, Edward.”

Ed’s heart does a funny thing in his chest. Their baby. He brushes a soft hand over the dark, downy hair on her head, passing his palm over the soft spot in the middle of her skull. Ed is painfully aware of just how young she is. She’s tiny, splayed out over Stede’s chest. Tiny, fragile, helpless—Ed’s gut churns. Their baby . Their daughter . 

“Stede,” Ed says. “Stede, I don’t know what to do with all the feelings.”

Stede laughs quietly, his face glowing with the radiance of his grin as he looks up at Ed. He is surreal. He was made for this. “You can’t do anything about them, darling.”

“She’s so small and the world is so big and tough, Stede, how can we possibly keep her safe?”

“By doing our best.”

“Jesus fuck , how did you do this twice?”

Stede cocks his head, looking at Ed intensely. “I raised two children in a sheltered life with a mother who could stay with them at all times, Ed. I hardly did anything to contribute to their growth.” He tucks his chin, looking down at Violet. “This is so much scarier. But…it’s going to be fine. Perfect, no, but certainly manageable.”

He looks back up at Ed and offers another gentle smile. “The best thing we can do is love her, Ed. That’s all.”

Ed scoffs. “That sounds like the easy part.”

Stede shrugs minutely, trying not to jostle their sleeping child on his chest. “In some ways. But I think loving her will help everything come in turn, darling.” 

*******

Introducing Violet to the crew is nothing short of absolute mayhem.

“You can’t bring her on the ship! She’s a woman!”

“She’s a fucking baby, pendejo , jesus!”

“Right, so…which of you is the mommy, then?”

“...not giving up the room…”

“...going to crawl overboard…”

Violet lets out an ear-piercing wail and the chaos ceases immediately, the entire crew whipping around to face Ed and the screeching bundle in his arms. He shrugs at them.

“Guess that one means a good ol’ shut the fuck up , eh?” He chuckles. “She has sensitive ears and you fuckers are loud as shit.” 

Stede’s hand rests low on Ed’s back, hot through Ed’s clothes and grounding him through what likely would have been inevitable panic if he’d had to face introducing Violet to the crew alone. While the crew all begin discussing amongst themselves again, Ed’s eyes find Izzy, standing with an unreadable look on his face. His arms tighten around Violet before relaxing quickly once more and Ed straightens his shoulders, moving toward the shorter man. 

“Heya, Iz,” he says, standing turned so Izzy can see Violet’s face. “Whatcha thinkin’?”

Izzy is quiet for a moment before he sighs. “You look happy, Edward.”

Ed scoffs. “Don’t sound so fuckin’ disappointed about that.”

Izzy rolls his eyes. “Don’t curse in front of the baby.”

“Hey, m’her dad, I can do what I want.”

There’s a moment of silence between the two men as Izzy looks appraisingly at Ed then down at the gurgling infant. He raises a hand, slow as can be, and bops her in the nose. Violet lets out the most delightful giggle and Ed’s heart swells in his chest as he looks down at her. 

“You’ll be a good father, Captain,” Izzy murmurs, making eye contact with Ed once more. “You and Bonnet just gotta figure out how to balance it all out. Kids are a lot of work.”

“Yeah,” Ed replies. “Worth it though. Wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

Izzy pats him on the back before disappearing elsewhere on the boat. Ed is only alone a moment before Stede snakes his arms around him and Violet, lining himself up against Ed’s back and hooking a chin over his shoulder. The small family stands there for a few moments, rocking with the ship and breathing in the sea air. Around them, the crew begins busying themselves with whatever tasks they’ve been assigned to complete before they can take sail once more. 

“We’ll be back on board for good in a week,” Stede reminds Ed quietly. “Are you ready?”

“Are you?” Ed retorts, turning his head just barely to connect their temples. “You’re the one coming back to make your epic return.”

Stede laughs softly, his breath stirring the smattering of hair on Violet’s head. “I’m ready for anything as long as you’re there. The both of you.”

Ed’s breath catches in his throat. Standing encircled by Stede, holding their daughter to his chest, Ed feels like he can do anything. 

“Yeah,” he breathes. “Me too.”

“Ready to go home?” Stede asks, squeezing him tightly. 

“Ready,” Ed replies, and the two men depart the ship. They stand for a moment together on the dock, cradling Violet, as the sails unfurl and the Revenge begins to move. Ed looks down at the child in his arms. Stede has a point, he thinks. He can be ready for anything if he has them both at his side. Piece of cake.