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"Ed" Stede asks one day. His daemon, Pirate the albatross, is asleep at his side and Ed's, a giant otter named Kraken, is dozing with his head on Ed's knee. "Yeah, Stede?"
"I...what happened...is Izzy's daemon Gone?"
Ed flinched like he'd been struck, curled away and Stede made a soft sound. "I never...knew what happened." ed whispered hoarsely. "I...I always thought the kraken or...or one of the other men. He just...wasn't there, all of a sudden. Iz never even mentioned it."
"Oh darling." Stede murmured. "What...what kind of creature..." "Some kind of fucking Big cat. Mostly white but he had these super gorgeous spots. He used to come plant himself on top of me when Izzy could tell I was getting anxious."
Stede drew in a soft breath of surprise.
"He touched you?" Honestly, to Stede, Izzy seemed like the kind of person who would *never* let someone else touch his daemon. Ed crumpled further, tears gathering in his eyes as he nodded.
Stede changed the topic, after that, given how clear Ed's distress was, but he couldn't stop wondering about it. He found himself watching Izzy on the deck, seeing how he stared at the other daemons; Pete's snake curled up on top of Fang's dog, who had Lucius' parrot on her hip
He knew better than to bring it up, but...he was confused, as he watched. He'd read about people who's Daemons had been killed, and as far as he'd read...it wasn't Good.
Death was usually considered the kindest consequence of it. But Izzy wasn't dead, of course, nor was he completely and utterly insane. He didn't even have any physical ailment as far as Stede knew.
A few months after his original conversation with Ed, Stede went on deck near noon and Izzy wasn't there. That wasn't concerning, but the fact that according to the crew he had not been there all day was, and so Stede hurried down to the First Mate's room to ensure he was alright
He peaked in the door. Izzy was asleep on his bed, snoring lightly, and it was so dark that Stede could just make out his form under what looked like a large, bulky blanket.
Stede took a step forward and the blanket *moved*, big, dark eyes staring up at him. The only thing he could do was turn and bolt because...there were far, far too many implications here for him to do anything else.
He didn't talk to Ed. He couldn't, that wasn't fair; to be entirely honest, most of the time he thought that he'd hallucinated the entire thing.
There was no good way to say "you know your first mate who you're in love with? You know how you're convinced you killed his daemon, either purposefully or inadvertently? I think he's alive and has been hiding in said first mate's quarters for the last god knows how long."
Weeks had passed with Stede failing to bring it up when he woke to a strange sound.
He thought he'd dreamt it, and was about to close his eyes and snuggle back up to Ed when it happened again, and then again. He sighed, slowly getting up and walking to the door.
The snow leopard was massive. He came up to Stede's hip, with long fur and deep, sad eyes. And he was clawing at the door, claws tearing into the wood. Stede stood there, flabbergasted, as the creature turned and *bolted*, pausing to look over it's shoulder at him.
Stede followed, past the crew sleeping on the deck (Buttons was at the wheel, but he didn't even look down) and down into the belly of the ship. The creature (Polaris, Ed had said) did not look back once, as if certain that he was following.
Stede could smell the blood before they got to the hold. He was glad that Polaris kept going, because he could barely see now, but his eyes fell on the pair of unmoving forms and he gave a horrified cry.
Izzy was breathing. He had some nasty gashes, including a bad one to the side, and his breathing was raspy in a way that suggested he'd had his ribs hit, but he was alive.
The other man, who Stede in no way recognized, was not so lucky. Good. Stede would've ended him himself.
He hated touching Izzy without permission but he was bleeding and unconscious so...it felt justified. He lifted him, easily (he was so fucking small in his arms it was scary) and then he turned to look at the snow leopard, who had not taken his eyes off of him since Stede saw Izzy
"I'm going to bring him to my quarters," he said. "Edward is there. I won't tell you to come or go. But he's going to be awake and he's under the impression he killed you."
Stede walked as fast as he dared back to his quarters. Polaris stayed two steps behind, but his quiet footfalls followed all the way to the door.
"Edward" stede shook him, hard, and Ed shot awake. He cried out when he saw the blood but Stede pointed at the couch and said "Izzy" and Ed was on his knees next to his first mate in an instant, completely ignoring the large form near the door.
Stede gathered bandages, alcohol, those sorts of things while Edward started to stitch Izzy back together. "He used to do this himself," he told Stede. "I had to order 'im to come to me. He said fine if I'd let him do mine. I used to be shit at them."
"How did you improve?" Ed flushed. "Sliced my arm, once time." He turned it so Stede could see the mostly faded scar. "Kept taking them out and putting them back in til I got them straight enough. He had enough scars, didn't want him to have any more cause of me."
Ed shuttered, at those words, at the glance he gave Izzy's foot, and Stede's heart broke slightly. "I think he likes your scars a lot more than anyone else's, Ed." He murmured. "He said once, Pete was asking about one of them, that carrying your captain's scars was an honor."
Ed shuttered. The worst of the wounds were closed, now, and under Ed's instructions, Stede carefully cleaned them and helped Ed bandage them.
There were four worth stitching, and a few more worth wrapping, but finally Ed put the needle down and gathered Izzy close.
"This was the only time he'd let me hold him like this," he admits, softly. "He didn't...he doesn't think he deserves it. Me to L...care about him. He'd sit like this and Kraken would put his head in Izzy's lap and Polaris would hug me and" He broke into shutters, hid his face.
Stede spotted movement, out of the corner of his eye, and then Polaris was there. He wasn't sure if this was fair; Polaris was part of Izzy's soul, yes, but shouldn't Izzy get to decide this?
Polaris did not seem to agree.
He hooked a front leg over Ed's shoulder, then his second over the other side, and draped himself against Ed's back. Stede saw the moment Ed felt it, how still he went as if he couldn't believe what was happening.
He moved slowly, at first, as if afraid Polaris would vanish into smoke if he moved too fast, and then he had turned and buried his face into the thick fur of the daemon's neck and burst into nearly hysterical sobs
Stede opened his mouth to say something because this couldn't be comfortable for Ed, but...but it seemed very much like his partner needed this and so he closed his mouth.
Behind him, kraken slid off the bed and crept over till his upper body was draped over Izzy's lap
Izzy's eyes fluttered, and Stede stilled because this was certainly going to go poorly.
"the fuck" he slurred. he shifted, head falling back against Ed's side as he stared at Kraken in his lap, and then up at Ed and Polaris. He shuttered as if finally feeling Edward's hands against his Daemon and Stede opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find the words.
"Iz" Ed gasped and he was turning, his hands falling away from Polaris' sides and Izzy gave a broken sound. "Please." he whispered, tiny and exhausted. "please, just...please I just need a second please don't stop."
Ed returned to hugging the snow tiger and Izzy slumped into his chest. Hesitantly, he reached forward, fingers touching Kraken, and the otter nudged under his hands so Izzy was forced to pet him.
"Izzy" Stede starts and Izzy whimpers and jerks his hands from Kraken's sides. "I'm sorry." He gasps like he's been wounded by it. "I know he's yours I...I'll go I'm sorry for bothering you sir."
"Absolutely not" Stede's voice is firm. "You're staying right there, dear, It's alright. I just wanted to apologize, my dear; I brought you back here, after all, because I was worried about you but that...I assume you didn't..." He nods at Polaris, and Izzy flinches.
"Iz" Ed managed to choke out, through Polaris' fur. "I... why did you never...I thought I killed him" he sobs. "I thought I..." He trailed off, shaking with tears. Izzy shifted, staring at Stede so he could spring away if the other man got mad, and hooked an arm around Ed's side.
"Jack came to me." Izzy's voice is soft and shaky and exhausted. "He...he had his whip, this was a month or so before you threw him off for hitting me with it. He said you were threatening to hurt him if I...if I acted out or...or did something wrong."
Ed full-on snarled. Izzy flinched back, and almost fell from his lap but Ed tugged him closer. "No, Iz, I, god, no I'm not angry with you, Iz, I'm not mad I promise you didn't do anything wrong I'm. I should never have let that idiot on the ship at all I know you hate him I'm sorry."
"He won't be setting foot on this ship ever again" Stede promises softly. Izzy stiffens, and glances fearfully at Ed. "B...b...but...but he's your best friend."
Fuck, Iz!" Ed *shouted* "YOU'RE my best friend. You're my first mate. Nobody gets to fucking touch you, nobody gets to LOOK at you, if you don't want them to or I'll fucking kill them"
"You don't kill people" Izzy whispered hoarsely.
"I do for people I love you fucking idiot!" Ed roared, and the room went still.
For a moment it looked like Izzy was going to shatter under the weight of the confession. "Ed" He whispered, tiny and broken. "If you don't really mean that...please tell me now and I'll leave for good I swear." Ed reached forward, slowly, and pulled him close instead.
Izzy slumped into his chest and Stede looked away; this sight, Izzy crying softly into Ed's bare chest, seemed far more intimate than if they'd started kissing. Izzy didn't strike him as someone who cried in front of people.
Twenty minutes later, they had all moved to the bed. Polaris lay against the wall, ed and Izzy a tangled pile next to him and Stede at their back, Kraken by their feet and Pirate asleep by Stede's head.
Stede is careful not to touch Polaris. Ed can't seem to get enough of touching Polaris; he has not fully released the large cat since he'd realized he was in the room.
Izzy was half underneath Ed, smushed between him and Polaris. He hadn't taken his eyes off of stede, really, like he was waiting for any sign he had to leave. Apparently, he hadn't seen one.
Ed is asleep in seconds, but Izzy keeps his eyes stubbornly open. "Stede," he says, and Stede thinks suddenly that it's the first time Izzy has said his name to his face. "I...If you don't want me here, I can go. I...you don't have to pretend...just because Ed..."
"I want you here." Stede's voice is very firm. "We can talk about in what capacity in the morning, my dear. But unless *you* truly don't want to be here, you're staying. Ed wants you here."
He stays. he wakes up to Ed stroking Polaris, who is draped against his chest. "I swear, he likes you more than me." Ed tries not to think about the implication of That particular fact.
Stede can't not think about it. Izzy's soul likes Ed more than it likes Izzy. That isn't a surprise, of course; Izzy would die for Ed. They all know that. But now, seeing the oh-so-gentle way Ed handles Polaris makes a little more sense.
"Morning, Iz," Ed murmured, turning to nuzzle at his hair. Izzy hesitated but when Stede just smiled gently at him, he rolled over and tucked his head under Ed's chin shyly.
Stede crept out of bed to get breakfast. Izzy was lacing up his boots when he came back, and Stede met his eyes. "You got stabbed less than twelve hours ago. Go sit back down with Ed, Now. You're eating breakfast with us." Izzy hesitated but Stede kept his gaze firm. Izzy sat.
The food was good. Izzy leaned his head against Ed's shoulder, eyes half closed; he was clearly still exhausted, but he'd hesitantly eaten everything but the tomatoes on the plate Stede gave him. It felt like a win.
"Alright, Iz. C'mon, we're taking a nice nap." Ed smiles.
It wasn't hard to convince Izzy back into bed (and into Ed's arms). Ed was happy to take the day off like this, with Polaris on one side and Izzy on the other, Kraken at Izzy's back. Stede smiled very softly, at that, reaching down to grasp a blanket and tugging it over them.
He gave himself another few moments to watch, and then he went to get his jacket and, giving one more soft look at the pair, turned and walked out onto the deck.
He could handle the crew this morning. Izzy and Ed deserved a break, and Stede was determined to give it to them.