Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mid-May meant early summer in Florida, and as such, they’d been in the midst of a heat wave for the better part of a week. But Saturday evening was perfect. Highs no more than the upper-70s, with a coastal breeze blowing off of the Atlantic.

Ed couldn’t help himself from checking the time on his phone every few minutes. It was nearing 5pm, and he fully intended to close up shop on time today.

“Almost 5,” Evelyn remarked, noticing he’d exchanged the almost ever-present cordless shop phone for his cell. “Excited for your date?”

“Ooh, boss has a date?” Pete piped up. He shook his broom out over a trash can and came to lean against the front desk. “Who with?”

In lieu of answering, Ed busied himself with wiping off his workstation, dumping an armload of leaves and cut stems into a bin.

Fang tsked. “You know, that fancy bloke who runs the bar, down the way there.”

“Ohh,” Pete said. “Yeah, I’ve been in a couple times. Got the bartender’s number.”

“No way you did,” Fang gasped. “I had my eye on him.”

Pete shrugged. “We can always share.”

“Alright, you lot,” Izzy said. “Let’s break it down. Enough nattering.”

For once, Ed was grateful for Izzy’s unyielding work ethic.

Stede and Ed had been texting back and forth all week; sometimes making plans for their date, but mostly just flirting. Ed felt like a teenager again, insides full of butterflies and nerves and happy, fizzy energy.

Ed [Thursday, 8:12 pm]: How was storytime?

Stede [Thursday, 8:13 pm]: Lovely! I had to fill in, as Lucius was out on a date tonight. PS, he suggested I should ‘chillax’ and maybe wear a t-shirt on Saturday.
Stede [Thursday, 8:13 pm]: I don’t think I even own any t-shirts.
Stede [Thursday, 8:13 pm]: Regardless, I’m excited to see you :)

Ed [Thursday, 8:14 pm]: You know you just saw me about an hour ago, right?
Ed [Thursday, 8:14 pm]: Only joking. I’m excited, too. And I’ll have to let you borrow one of my tees. Bet we’re the same size

Stede [Thursday, 8:14 pm]: I don’t think I’m ‘cool’ enough to pull off your wardrobe, haha!

Ed loved his corniness. And his flagrant misuse of quotation marks.

Stede [Friday, 6:49 pm]: There seems to be a bouquet of flowers on my doorstep!

Ed [Friday, 7:12 pm]: Wonder how those got there.

Ed had been arranging handfuls of flowers and dropping them off outside the bar, knowing that Stede would be the first one there every evening. Even though the bouquets were all made up of blooms that were already blown and too old to be used for sale, Stede didn’t seem to mind and thought each one was lovely.

Stede [Friday, 7:13 pm]: What are these gorgeous red and black ones here?
Stede [Friday, 7:13 pm]: (Image)

Ed [Friday, 7:14 pm]: Those are anemones. Some of my favorites. Don’t get to use em in bouquets very often. Too dark for most people

Stede [Friday, 7:15 pm]: Well they’re just lovely. What do anemones mean?

Ed [Friday, 7:15 pm]: Anticipation ;)

Ed [Saturday, 5:08 pm]: Just locking up. Be there by 5:30
Stede [Saturday, 5:08 pm]: See you soon!

They met at a little Italian place down the way from the shops that Ed had always loved. He’d thought about suggesting someplace fancier for his first date with Stede, like one of the bayfront restaurants downtown. But in the end, he knew that parking would be a nightmare, and he didn’t really have much in the way of dress-up clothes. These days, everything he owned was stained by pollen and bleached from too much time biking out in the sun. Thankfully, though, Stede had seemed perfectly happy with his choice.

Ed pulled up outside of Viola’s and parked his bike up front, smiling when he noticed Stede waiting for him by the door. He was wearing a bright teal polo shirt and khaki slacks that fit him so well, they had to be tailored.

"You look lovely," Stede said as he rounded the door to greet him. "I love this shirt on you."

Ed preened and made a mental note to wear more purple.

They ordered a bottle of red and some obscenely large garlic knots to start out, and though the waiter kept coming back to check on them, they were so caught up talking that they hadn’t even looked at the menus.

“So what’s your story, hm?” Ed asked, topping off their glasses. Though they’d exchanged numbers days ago and had been texting pretty much nonstop since, all of their communication thus far had been pretty surface-level. And since it was post-Mother’s Day, Ed wasn’t pulling the long hours at the shop that he had been. He was usually long gone by the time the crew of the Revenge settled into the bar for the evening.

Stede sighed theatrically, then laughed. “Where to begin?”

He recounted a bit about his upbringing, skimming over the early death of his mother and subsequent single-parenting by what sounded like a twat of a father.

“Met Mary when we were young, and, you know, she was always a nice girl. I’d always hoped to marry for love, but it just… never happened for me,” Stede said. He’d been ripping bits off of a garlic knot for the past five minutes, the pieces never reaching his mouth. “So we said our I-dos, bought a lovely little house, and I kept on with the family business. Feeling every bit as miserable as a well-off homeowner with a lovely wife and two kids has no right to feel.”

He huffed a little apologetic laugh through his nose.

“Nah, mate,” Ed said. “You could have everything they say you’re supposed to want, and still be unhappy. Doesn’t make you a bad person. Just means you want different things.”

“I know,” Stede said. “And I tried, you know… to want those things for myself. I really did. Stuck it out way too long, I think. Which wasn’t good for anyone.”

Ed nodded. “So how did it all come about, then,” he asked. “The divorce, the bar. If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Not at all,” Stede said. “I’d just turned 45, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d really felt… excited? Or maybe rather, the last time I’d felt much of anything, apart from bored. I reckon it was a bit of a mid-life crisis, if I’m honest. And so, instead of blowing it all on a Ferrari, I decided to give it all up instead. Start fresh.”

Ed shook his head in wonder. “Love that,” he said.

“Mary was actually the one who sort of brought it about,” Stede went on. “She could tell I was unhappy, and she sort of just… brought up the thought, that maybe I wasn’t straight.” He laughed.

Ed laughed too, but not unkindly. “You didn’t know?”

Stede shook his head. “I thought everyone had boyhood crushes on Bender from The Breakfast Club.”

Ed guffawed. “You really have a type, don’t you?”

Stede blushed.

The waiter came round again, and this time they both took a moment to consider their menus and order. They both got the parmesan-crusted mahi.

“Anyway,” Stede went on after they were alone once more, “I did all this reading up on it. Big reader, me. Never seem to be able to learn anything new without doing my research first. So I went to Barnes and Noble and took out every book they had on sexuality. Did a fair bit of research online. And d’you know what the number one thing I took away from it all was?”

Ed couldn’t help the starry-eyed smile he got, just listening to the man talk. “What’s that?”

“Every book, every forum… they all talk about this concept of family as it pertains to the queer community. Are you familiar?”

“Oh yes,” Ed nodded.

Stede nodded along. “This community, this family—it’s so very important. To feel seen, to feel understood and known in a very basic way. I’d never had that before. I just wanted that connection. And I think I’ve found it, with the bar. Truly.”

“That’s great,” Ed said. “There is something about it, now you mention it. That feeling of being seen, and known.”

Stede hummed in agreement, and for a moment, the pair just sat in comfortable silence, seeing one another.

“So, what about you,” Stede began, after a beat. “Did you always know… that you were—”

“Gayer’n Christmas?” Ed finished, earning another laugh from Stede. “Yeah, I think I always knew. My sisters were always bringing their boyfriends ‘round, and I was like a lovesick puppy with them. Just used to follow ‘em around, make a complete ass of myself trying to impress them. My sisters knew what it was well before I did, so when I came out to ‘em it was like, ‘yeah, duh.’”

Stede chuckled into his wine glass. “So you have sisters,” he said. “And the rest of your family?”

“Yep, older sisters. Much older, actually. I reckon I was a bit of an accident. Dad was a prick, but he died of a heart attack when I was 13, may he rest in misery,” Ed said.

Stede tipped his wine glass in solidarity.

“And yeah,” Ed went on, “by the time my dad died, my sisters were already out of the house and it was just me and mum. And that suited me just fine.”

“And how’d she take it?” Stede asked. “Your coming out, I mean.”

Ed sighed. “You know how it was, in the early 90s. AIDS was still a big deal. And mum’s pretty traditional. But all things considered, she took it pretty well. Just always wanted me to stay safe, you know. She was more upset about the motorcycle than the gay thing, if I’m honest.”

They laughed together again, and Stede refilled their glasses.

“Is she still around?” Stede asked. “Your mum?”

Ed nodded. “Oh yeah, flower shop’s hers, actually. She retired about ten years ago, but I’ll be damned if I can keep her away from it.”

“No kidding?” Stede asked.

“Oh yeah. Taught me everything I know. Still sharp as a tack, that one,” Ed said. “She still lives on her own, but my sisters and their families are always over, so I don’t worry too much about her.”

“And where do they all live?” Stede asked.

“Oh, they’re all here,” Ed said. “Mum’s up on Vilano, still in the house we grew up in. And the girls are here too. Maia and her husband are up near the outlet malls, and Kora lives closeby to mum’s place.”

“How lovely,” Stede said. “Do you get to see them often?”

Ed nodded. “All the time. Got a gaggle of nieces and nephews that I can’t get enough of. Love being the cool uncle, you know.”

“Oh yes,” Stede said. “Sometimes I wish I could just be the fun uncle.”

“You have kids,” Ed remembered, and Stede’s face broke into a wide smile.

“Alma and Louis,” he said.

“They’re cute,” Ed remarked.

Stede beamed. “They really are. They’re definitely the best part of my life.”

Ed’s heart gave a little tug at that. He’d always had a soft spot for kids, always sort of wanted some of his own, if he was honest with himself. There was something damn attractive about a sweet, caring dad.

“How old are they?” He asked.

“Alma’s just turned nine,” Stede said, “and Louis is turning six next month.”

“Got a few nieces and nephews around in there,” Ed remarked. “We should get ‘em together with your kids sometime.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ed had second thoughts. It was too soon, wasn’t it? Much too soon to suggest meeting the family. But Stede nodded eagerly.

“That’d be lovely,” he said. “And I’d love to meet the rest of your family.”

There was nothing but earnest enthusiasm in Stede’s face. Ed huffed a small laugh, realizing how different this was. He hadn’t had many serious relationships in the past, but even the men he’d actually dated would have run for the hills rather than doing the whole meet-the-family thing. Maybe he was just getting older. Or perhaps it was just Stede.

–

They were steps from the beach, so instead of parting ways, they decided to cross the street and walk down to the water. The sun was low in the sky, painting the horizon in pale pinks and lavenders. They both shucked off their shoes and rolled up the pant legs, wading ankle-deep in the surf.

After a few paces, Ed reached down and plucked a shark tooth from the sand. He held it up for Stede. “Nice lemon shark,” he said.

Stede took the tooth and examined it. “Exquisite,” he said. “You know, I’ve lived here all this time and I’ve still never found a shark tooth.”

“Never?” Ed asked. “Well, you’re looking at a shark tooth hunting expert. I’d be happy to teach you.”

“I’d like that,” Stede said, a soft smile on his face.

“Well it’s the perfect time, being golden hour,” Ed said. “No shadows. And it’s low tide, too. You’ve got to look for this orange sand, here. This is shell sand.”

They walked on into twilight, Ed sharing all of the tips and tricks he’d picked up for proper shark tooth hunting, Stede listening with rapt attention, occasionally pausing to reach down and pluck something from the sand. The first time he found an actual tooth, he held it up triumphantly and cheered. “Oh, I’m going to have to show this to Alma, she’ll be so impressed with me.”

“Maybe we can have a beach day,” Ed suggested. “You and me, the kids and their mum if you like, and I can invite my sisters and their families.”

“That sounds lovely,” Stede said, and Ed could tell that he meant it.

It was getting properly dark now, the sky awash in indigo with a big full moon shining its lovely silver light along the shore, painting their faces in moon glow.

Stede stopped suddenly, and turned to face Ed.

“I just wanted to thank you,” he said. “For tonight. But also for… this whole week, really. It’s funny, I know we’ve known each other for a few days, but it feels like so much longer.”

Ed had to agree. “It’s been a really nice week.”

Stede smiled, and huffed a little laugh. Ed closed the space between them, a gentle hand on Stede’s cheek. He tilted the man’s face up to his, brushing his lips with his own. The kiss was soft but passionate, and Ed slid his hands down from Stede’s face to his shoulders, one snaking down his back to pull him closer, just a bit closer.

And close they stayed, even when they broke apart. Stede looked up at Edward with eyes half-lidded. “It has,” he said, “been a very good week.”

–

“What’s his name?” Mary asked.

“Ed,” Stede replied.

“Oh, look at that blush!” she said, laughing.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Stede was facetiming Mary at the bar while he cleaned up after the brunch rush. Last night’s date had been incredible—just the absolute stuff of fairytales. Stede couldn’t wait to tell his ex-wife about it. And wasn’t that something?

Stede laughed too. “Oh god, I feel like a schoolboy with a crush.”

Mary beamed. “I’m so happy for you, Stede,” she said. “So what’s he like? Tell me everything. Did you kiss him? Did you… y’know.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Stede gasped in mock-afront. “Why, Mary!”

They laughed.

“He’s very handsome,” Stede said. “He’s got this gorgeous, long silver hair. Beard, which is new. We did kiss, by the way, and the beard was not as strange as I would have imagined.”

“Never was one for beards, myself,” Mary said. “But good on you, Stede, way to go.”

Stede smiled at her through the screen. “I’m so glad that we can do this, you and I,” he said. “Thank you for being so supportive.”

Mary sighed. “Of course, darling,” she said. “I’m just so happy for you. And proud of you. You’ve come such a long way this past year.”

Stede felt the prickle of tears at his eyes, so he just nodded.

“And I want to meet your new man,” Mary said. “Got to make sure he’s good enough for you.”

“Well, I did mean to ask, how would you feel about getting together for a beach day soon? Ed’s got family with kids around Alma and Louis’s age, and we thought maybe we could get everyone together…”

Mary nodded. “That sounds great, I’d love to do that.”

They promised to chat through the details soon, and ended the call with air kisses. Stede set the phone down and looked around his bar, letting out a long, satisfied breath. His heart was full to bursting.

–

Since the kids were all finishing up their school years, they decided to get the families together the following weekend. And though Stede didn’t technically have to open the bar until 7pm, and Ed technically didn’t have to stay at the flower shop past 5, they still each found excuses to cross paths every day that week.

On Monday, Stede brought some of Roach’s orange mini-cakes by the flower shop, leaving a couple of extras on the front counter for the rest of Ed’s employees to share.

On Tuesday, Ed stayed late at the shop so that he could drop in on drag storytime with Pete, who had insisted on going to see the bartender, Lucius, perform. Stede’s face broke out into the most beatific smile when he saw Ed there at the back of the room.

On Wednesday, Ed actually left the shop to meet Stede at the diner next door for lunch. They jousted one another with french fries and didn’t stop laughing, even when the patrons at nearby tables threw them dirty looks.

On Thursday, Ed’s stayed on until the evening so he could drop in at the bar, sitting at the counter and letting Stede ply him with fancy teas. His favorite was the pea flower, which turned the most exquisite shade of purple when you put lemon in it.

Friday was a busy day at the shop and the bar, so they passed each other in the parking lot. Stede ran his hands up Ed’s shoulders and under his sleeves while they kissed, Ed astride his bike. Stede watched him as he rode away, shaking his head and wondering just what his teenage-self would have thought about that.

On Saturday, Stede met Mary and the kids in the parking lot at the beach entrance. As he was often wont to do, he had overpacked for their day’s activities, and hefted a large beach bag over one shoulder, a cooler slung across his neck, and several folding chairs in his hands.

They set up camp just down from the entrance, a little way away from the crowd of beach-goers. Stede and Mary slathered the kids with sunscreen and let them run off down to the waterline, Mary calling after them to stay where the adults could see them.

Stede had told Alma all about his shark tooth hunt, and couldn’t wait to show off Ed’s skills in real time. He kept throwing looks over his shoulder every couple of minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man in question.

“Look at you,” Mary ribbed. “I've never seen you like this, Stede.”

Stede colored. “I’m just…” he trailed off and chuckled. “Alright, I am a bit besotted, I must admit.”

“I’ll say.”

A few minutes later, there came a squealing of children, and Stede turned to see Ed and his family headed their way. He raised an arm and waved, and Ed waved back. He had an older woman by the arm, helping her navigate the soft sand. His mother, Stede realized with a bit of a jolt. He’d never had to do the meeting-the-parents bit, and though he was a middle-aged man, it still made him nervous.

One of Ed’s sisters met them first, trailed by five children of varying ages. She was a gorgeous, dark-haired woman with Ed’s eyes. She introduced herself as Kora. “These two right here are mine,” she said, pointing out a pair of twin boys around Alma’s age, “and those three are Maia’s.”

Maia’s kids were a bit younger, with the smallest being an adorable toddler named Nina. They all made a break for it, finding Alma and Louis and striking up play with ease. Stede envied them the simplicity of childhood connection.

He introduced himself to Ed’s sisters and presented Mary and Doug to them in turn, finally reaching Ed and his mum.

“Mum,” Ed said, “this is Stede.”

“How do you do, Mrs. Teach?” Stede said, taking her hand.

“Call me Hana, please,” she said. “Ed’s said enough about you, feel like I know you already.” She smirked up at her son.

“Mum,” Ed groaned, but he exchanged a smile with Stede.

“And this is Mary,” Stede said, “My ex-wife. Sounds so awful when I say that, though. I’d rather just say she’s my best friend.”

Mary shook Ed’s hand with gusto. “So lovely to meet you, Ed, Hana,” she said, and then came to rest at Stede’s shoulder. “Me-ow,” she whispered. “When you said he was handsome, I wasn’t prepared for that. I didn’t peg you for the tattooed hottie type, but good for you.”

Stede could only laugh. If you’d asked him what his type was before now, he wouldn’t have been able to tell you. But he could confidently now say that his type was Ed.

The group all arranged themselves in a semi-circle facing the ocean, and the adults took shifts watching over all of the kids or bringing some of them into the water. Mary, Kora and Maia instantly hit it off, with Mary and Maia bonding over a shared passion for art. The kids called their uncle Ed over to help them find shark’s teeth, and Stede watched as Ed crouched low to the ground, pointing at this and that and gesturing to various places on the sand. The kids were all rapt, and Stede couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face watching Ed with them.

“He’s so good with them,” Ed’s mum’s voice suddenly piped up from his right. Stede turned to her. “Pity he never had any of his own,” she added.

Stede wasn’t sure what to make of that. The comment could have been layered with meaning, or not. He just hummed noncommittally.

“I must admit,” Hana went on, “I was very pleased when he said he was seeing a man who had kids. I know it’s early on, mind, so I don’t mean to put any pressure on things.”

“Not at all,” Stede said. He had been rather surprised when Ed had mentioned meeting the family on their very first date, but it had just felt so natural. Being with him was just like breathing. There was no way that they’d only known each other for two weeks, was there?

“I’m so pleased that he wanted to meet them,” he said. “I know a lot of people would consider our situation to be a bit unconventional, what with me and Mary still being so close. And I know many people might think of kids as ‘baggage,’ coming into a relationship.’”

Hana nodded. “I know all about that. Men never seemed to want to stick around after I told them I had kids.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Stede said.

“But Edward,” she went on. “He took care of me. Was always a perfect gentleman. I knew with all my heart, I’d say, ‘someday he’s gonna make some woman very happy.’”

Stede’s heart clenched a bit at that, but Hana just took his hand in hers. “But now I know, that wouldn’t make him happy. And you,” she cast her eyes over Stede’s shoulder and nodded her head in Ed’s direction.

Stede turned and saw that though Ed was still standing with the kids, his eyes were softly focused on him, and only him. Stede swallowed.

“You make my Edward happy,” Hana finished. She patted his hand. “Now, who wants to go swimming?”

–

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a whirlwind of laughter, sea spray and the smell of sunscreen. Stede and Ed helped some of the kids build a sandcastle, all laughing like mad when the tide came in and washed it away. Alma spent most of her time collecting fossils, proudly showing off her stockpile to her parents and to Ed, saying “look at this one! It’s a tiger shark tooth, right?”

Watermelon and chips and dip were passed around, and Kora and Maia spun stories meant to embarrass their brother. Mary regaled the group with a few tales from her past with Stede, but nothing too shameful.

And through it all, Ed and Stede’s eyes kept landing on each other, sharing small smiles and communicating without words. This was perfect. They were happy.

They all walked out to the parking lot together at the end of the day, with Kora helping her kids and her mum into her SUV, and Ed giving Maia a hand with her own brood. Stede pretended not to hear her tell him how cute Stede was when she kissed her brother goodbye.

Mary gave Ed a big, bone-crushing hug and then held him out at arms-length. “It was so lovely to meet you,” she said. “Please come over for dinner sometime, I’d love for you to meet Doug.”

Ed agreed, and the pair hugged again.

After everyone had driven off, it was just Ed and Stede standing together in the parking lot.

“Well!” Stede said.

“Well,” Ed agreed.

“I don’t actually have to be back to the bar for another,” Stede checked his watch, “four hours,” he said. “D’you—”

“Yeah,” Ed said. “Want a ride?”

“Gosh no,” Stede laughed, eyeing Ed’s motorcycle. “I may be up for trying a lot of new things lately, but that’s not one of them.”

Ed laughed. “Alright, you wuss. I’ll give you a pass this time. But only if it means I get to see some other new things you’re willing to try.”

Stede laughed, and, taking him by the hand, led him to his car, and to home.