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Izzy isn't sure whether most pirates have birthday parties. He never has. To be fair, he'd never had one before he was a pirate, either, so his understanding is poor.
Ed does. Every year. Alcohol and all sorts of questionable ideas continue on to the next day.
That's Izzys Birthday
During his first year at sea, Ed and Jack...Had Fun in the hammock next to him, for Ed's birthday, and got so drunk that Izzy had to stop them from falling overboard.
He spent his own birthday cleaning their vomit off the deck and trying to do all three of their jobs so Hornigold wouldn't notice.
Even Ed, his golden boy, couldn't have escaped punishment for missing that much work.
He didn't know why it bothered him so much. He'd never had a birthday party. Pirates didn't do birthday parties. Pirates didn't do *birthdays*. It shouldn't bother him.
It shouldn't bother him.
The thing is, he knows Ed and Jack don't know that his birthday is the day after Ed's. He hasn't told them because why would he. It wouldn't matter.
He doesn't matter, not really. He's just the newest in the line of boys Hornigold intends to break.
Izzy doesn't intend to break
They kill Hornigold on his birthday. He was mad at Ed about the alcohol they'd stolen for his birthday and he'd had his hand on that damned whip and Izzy could take it but he was absolutely never going to let Edward take it.
His knife found the man's throat. For the first time, he appreciated that he was small and overlooked.
On Queen Anne, Ed's birthday becomes a *thing*. Somehow, Jack shows up, every year. Because *all* Izzy wants for his birthday is dealing with a hungover Calico Jack
It feels like a punishment from the universe, on his more dramatic days. Like a reminder of how much more worthy Edward is, that for a day the whole world, their whole world, stands still and celebrates him.
Izzy celebrates Edward every day. He gets no reward for that.
He doesn't know any of the crew's birthdays. Maybe it's better like that. This is for Edward. He alone is worthy of it.
It hurts, sometimes. On his more childish days. It hurts to see Edward eat cake, when they can get it, or drink himself silly, or just sit and laugh with his friends while Izzy, always Izzy, keeps the ship afloat. Keeps them alive.
He never gets a thank you. He doesn't need one; he lives to serve his captain. As long as Ed is satisfied with his work, he is satisfied with it. (Why does it sometimes feel like not enough to say that? He tries not to think about it)
They rarely have cake or any sweets, but one year they're only a day off of the shore and so Izzy had managed to procure one.
The smile, big and bright and joyful, that Ed gives him is worth all of the service he does in silence.
He takes his own slice because Edward insists he takes the second one because 'you got it for me, Iz! And if you wait Jack's likely to steal it’ which...was very true.
He waits till after midnight to eat it, curled up in his bunk alone. he whispers happy birthday to himself.
After a while, he thinks he's sort of numb to it. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Nothing he does, as long as he keeps the ship going. As long as he keeps Edward happy.
And then.
And then Stede Fucking Bonnet.
Bonnet strikes Izzy, he thinks early one morning, as someone who *cares* about birthdays.
The thing is, Izzy is the one who keeps the calendar. Who tells Ed when it's even close to his birthday.
It would be so easy for him to just not. But Ed would know, of course, when Too Long had passed.
Ed would be angry.
Maybe this time Ed would get rid of him for good.
He doesn't do that, of course. He cares about Ed far, far too much.
He goes to Stede early one morning when the sun is rising slowly and for some absurd reason his (lesser) captain is awake.
"Edward's birthday is two weeks from tomorrow," he says. Stede spins around to look at him. "oh! I. Thank you?"
"He always celebrates. Jack'll probably show up, fucking prick."
"Thank you very much, Izzy, I'll make sure to plan something."
Izzy nods, once. he did his duty. He turns to walk back below deck and Bonnet, in his eternal wisdom, calls after him "And when is your birthday?"
Izzy went very, very still. No one had ever asked him that, before. If not for the close proximity to Ed's, he suspected that he wouldn't have an answer.
"Doesn't matter."
"Why not?"Stede's voice was soft. "I know my crew's birthdays, the ones that knew them, and the others chose their own. Roach bakes a little something, usually, and I try to get everyone a gift."
All he can feel is rage, suddenly, burning through his veins. He doesn't need this.
He wants it. He wants someone but the wind to tell him that it's glad he was born.
He does what he does when he wants something. He spins around, eyes blazing with absolute fury, and snarls "Pirates don't get fucking BIRTHDAY PARTIES you idiot! The captain does. because he wants one. The rest of us might as well ROT."
"Izzy?" Stede looks...looks *worried* but that's nonsense people like Stede don't worry about people like him.
"Izzy. It's alright." Stede is talking to him like he's a spooked animal and he hates it he wants it to stop he never wants Stede to stop ever again.
"Izzy. Do you know when your birthday is?"
"Fuck. Off. You. Posh. Git." He snarls and then he's below deck because if he spends one more minute with Stede Fucking Bonnet someone is going to die and it's 50/50 on which one of them it is.
He avoids Bonnet for all of 12 hours because it's very hard to avoid his flamboyant captain.
Stede corners him before dinner, as if cornering Blackbeard's killer mutt is a smart plan. Izzy doesn't stab him, but only just.
"I can not say this emphatically enough. I do not give a fuck about your stupid birthday nonsense. That isn't how it WORKS out here!"
"Says who?" "EVERYONE. Pirates don't get fucking happy birthday parties, you idiot!"
"Blackbeard does."
Izzy stills and has to consciously force his hand down from the knife he keeps at his leg. "He's the captain" he forces out. "He gets whatever he wants."
"Okay. and I'm your captain, you've accepted that." He didn't pause for Izzy to answer but the begrudging reality was that it was the truth.
"And I want to know when your birthday is."
Well, fuck. He doesn't think he can deny a direct order like this, but at the same time...he doesn't know what Stede's reaction would be and he's very sure that these idiots would decide that his birthday should be spent as miserable as possible.
"August sixteenth" There was a pause and for a moment, for a moment Izzy was certain that Stede didn't know.
And then he spoke, oh-so softly. "oh, Israel."
Izzy runs. Stede doesn't try to stop him.
Izzy spends the next two weeks stressing. He stocks them up on alcohol, as always, and makes sure they're in port a few days before Edward's birthday.
He's sure the idiots will have thrown him a far better party than Izzy had ever managed but he's nothing if not thorough.
Stede, meanwhile, has spent the last two weeks in crisis. He assumes, from the way Izzy had tried so hard not to talk about his birthday, that Ed didn't know. But Izzy deserved to be celebrated and he deserved his...whatever Edward was to celebrate with him.
In the end, he tells him.
"Edward?" He asks. "Did you...do you know Izzy's birthday?"
"The date, you mean? Nah, mate, he doesn't...I assume he doesn't know, most folks out here don't."
"He does, though. I...he told me, the other day." Ed made a quiet sound. "When is it? I'll have'ta get him something."
Stede took a shaky breath and then he said, all at once, "it's the day after yours."
"oh"
"why...why didn't he tell me?" Ed looked *Crushed*. "I would've celebrated with him! He's always been so great about mine, getting me shit cause he knows it matters to me and you...if it matters to him why wouldn't he tell me?"
Stede doesn't have the words, or the right, to try to explain what he thinks is a very complicated relationship so instead, he says, very gently, "I think maybe...he thought if you cared, you'd ask?"
Ed's face crumples. "I should've" he whispers hoarsely. "I...he deserves so much better Stede."
"He doesn't want better. He wants *you*"
"Okay" Ed stands straight, eyes brightening. "we're gonna give Iz the best fuckin' birthday party ever. Which means not throwing him a party "
Izzy wakes up. he gathers up the cake he bought for Edward, as well as the gift (he's been leaving it at his door, most years, as if Ed will not know it's from him). He goes to Ed's quarters.
Ed takes the cake with one of those soft, sweet smiles that Izzy lives for. "Thanks mate! This smells fucking amazing."
And then he's back inside his room. Izzy aches as he walks back to his own quarters
Jack doesn't show up, but Izzy can hear the crew celebrating into the night. The next morning he hauls himself to the deck with a mop and...and it's spotless.
Ed comes up behind him and slings an arm around his neck. "C'mon iz." Izzy, confused and stunned and despite it all a tiny bit hopeful, follows.
It can't be real. This can't be what he hopes it is. It *cant* be.
Ed tugs him into the captain's quarters and Izzy goes oh so still. There's porridge with fruit and smoked meats and some kind of soft pastry.
Stede is smiling oh so gently at him.
Izzy thinks he might burst into tears. Or flames.
"Happy birthday iz." Ed hugs him from behind and Izzy is too overwhelmed to do anything but sink into his touch and try not to cry.
"R...really?" "Of course. Got two decades to make up for. Cmon."
Izzy takes the plate Stede hands him and starts eating without a peep. It's so good. And they're chatting and he doesn't understand.
"I don't understand" "It's your birthday. You and I are gonna chill together. And Stede if you want but it's up to you 'cause it's your birthday."
"He can stay." "Excellent!" Ed loops an arm around Izzys side and draws him close. "This day is for you. If you don't want or like something you tell me." "Yessir.' "Not sir today, mate. Just Ed."
"I was thinking we could just chill this morning. Take a nice hot bath?” That... does sound nice. Especially if it's with Ed.
"Okay.'
Somehow his life has come to the point that he's in a bath between Ed's legs with stede washing him.
His eyes are half Closed. It's blissful. Stede is oh so gentle.
"We got a surprise for a nap, you and me.' Izzy perks up, allowing himself to be helped from the bath and back to their quarters and
And they've hung a hammock. Like he and Ed used to sleep in together. Izzy whimpers at the sight that he's missed so much.
They get in and he's squished to Ed's chest and someone is petting his hair and its the best thing in the world. He wants to lay here forever with Ed.
Izzy had never told Ed, as far as he could remember, how much he *missed* this. His own quarters were....fine. but he missed this, crawling into bed so close to another person you could crawl into their skin, feeling the hammock sway in the safe embrace of the ship.
He tucked his face into Ed's neck, feeling bold as arms wound around his back and held him close. He was so wonderfully warm, like this.
He slept better than he had in years.
Unfortunately, Ed didn't let him sleep forever; he found himself nudged awake to Ed nuzzling at his hair by noon. "You can't sleep your whole birthday away!" He protested, and as much as Izzy might be ok with doing that Ed looked *excited*
Izzys annoyance at being woken up vanishes when Edward breaks out the good alcohol.
"I'm not getting *drunk* drunk, ed." He insists. "Whyyy" "I want to remember this, you idiot."
Ed went soft, curled an arm around Izzy's shoulder. "ONE drink." He agrees.
Izzy handles the alcohol because if it's Ed they are not going to stop at one. He distracts the man from sulking by tucking himself into his side, head on his shoulder.
"Why are you doing this."
Ed gapes at him. "What...you've done this for me for like. 20 years. And you never told me! I woulda given you birthday parties!"
There's a lump in Izzy's throat. He doesn't know what to say.
Ed is nice enough to pretend he doesn't feel the tears on his neck as he talks eagerly about how the crew is doing better
"You've really gotten them whipped into shape" he praises softly. "The last couple raids have been good even for your standards. "
The thing is, Izzy doesn't feel like he's allowed this. He's very slightly fuzzy around the edges with alcohol, eyes half-closed, basking in the hand rubbing through his hair and Ed's soft words.
He isn't allowed this. Has never been allowed this.
Ed offers it anyway, like he knows how much Izzy, in his weakest moments, wants it.
He doesn't even mind that stede keeps showing up, because he's nice enough to not interrupt.
It's been years since Ed and Izzy sat like this. He hadn't realized how much he missed it until right now but he's certain if he goes a decade without again he'll break.
Ed is literally bouncing up and down as dinner time approaches.
"Can I guess that you have something planned?" Izzy drawls sarcastically, which does nothing to Ed's mood but make him laugh.
"Course we do, mate! 'S your birthday. Gotta make up for lost time."
Izzy turns away to hide how red he goes as Ed eagerly drags him into the closet.
"...this is fucking absurd." "Yup!"
Ed dresses him. The clothes aren't too fancy but they're a visible step up from his normal garb, and they're oh so comfortable.
"They're great right? I helped pick them out." Ed grins. The shirt is deep black with golden accents and the pants are loose enough that he can move quickly but still tight in all the right spots to look Good.
"I love them, ed."
Ed gives him the sappiest fucking smile.
"You look good in those" he rumbles, curls a hand into Izzy’s hair and tugs his head up so he can push him back into the wall and into a *long* kiss.
Izzy is shaking just a little when he's released. "What the fuck, ed?"
"Stede told me to if I wanted to Iz, 's fine!"
That just gives Izzy even more fucking questions, to be entirely honest.
Before he can wrap his brain around that or ask any of those, Ed is dragging him out to the main quarters again and any breath Izzy had left vanishes.
He can smell the beef roast before he's even fully in the room and his knees go weak. Ed laughs, and nudges him into a chair. "You didn't have to..."
"I don't haveta do anything mate I'm fucking Blackbeard. I wanted to."
He's not sure if that makes it better or worse.
He takes a bite and fully, genuinely moans.
It's so good. It melts in his mouth, warm and rich and well seasoned and it might be the best thing he's ever tasted.
Ed laughs softly but Izzy can't be assed to so much as glare at him because he's eating with a single-minded focus.
To be fair, when Ed and Stede dig in, they find it more than good enough to warrant the delighted sounds Izzy is making.
Izzy is so fucking overwhelmed. His stomach is full of warm food and Ed is smiling softly at him and it's already a lot *before* stede steps out and comes back with a cake.
"It's got Apple, Iz! Like you like!" Ed beams.
He has to put his hands over his eyes to avoid bursting into tears. Ed's hand settles, warm and grounding, on the back of his neck and keeps him from floating away.
"Iz, iz, iz, cmon. You get the first slice." He hesitantly looks up, like he expects the cake to have been an illusion. It very definitely isn't.
It's fucking delicious. Roach deserves a raise. It's soft and sweet and everything he could ever want.
He eats two slices and then from somewhere summons the courage to lean against Ed's side. "Thank you, Ed. Thank you so much" "not done yet, iz!" Ed beamed.
How could there be more? This was already so much more than he deserved.
A box lands in his lap, then a second, then a third, and suddenly there's almost a dozen parcels, and Izzy...Izzy has no fucking idea what he's supposed to do.
He's never had a present to unwrap before.
He gives Ed a panicked look. Stede has probably been doing this his whole life but Izzy desperately doesn't want to fuck it up and Ed won't look at him like he's pathetic for not knowing.
"Here." Ed's voice is soft as he hands him a box. He'd tried to tell stede this would overwhelm Izzy but he had not been successful in curbing his more powerful instincts to spoil someone
He can barely slow the shaking in his hands enough to unwrap it. The dagger he finds within is gorgeous, small enough to be concealed but big enough to be deadly. The handle fits his hand damn near perfectly.
He cradles it to his chest with a sob, and clutches the dagger with everything he can.
"Thank you." He manages because stede likes manners. Right? Stede likes manners and Izzy suddenly, fiercely, wants stede to keep thinking he's worthy despite all evidence to the contrary
"It's alright mate." Ed murmurs. "We got all night. It's okay. I know it's overwhelming."
"I...I don't...*ed*" he pleads. "Of course you deserve it mate." Ed's voice is firm. "Makin' up for the shit I should've been giving you for 20 years. Okay? We wanna do this."
Izzy huddled into Ed's side as Ed tucked a second package into his hands.
Flanked on either side, he works slowly to unwrap each box. A new pair of boots. A new glove. A couple of interesting books.
Ed looks *shy* as he passes him the last package as if Izzy hasn't clung to every single one and thanked them so thoroughly you'd think they gave him far more.
It's a cravat. Deep deep purple, Ed's favorite color and oh-so-soft in his hands. "Your old one is getting pretty old," Ed murmured. "Thought...thought we could match, yknow?'
He scrambles into Ed's lap, unable to stop himself from kissing him so thoroughly that they both come away panting.
He leans back slightly, so Ed can get at his neck. "Can you...please?"
Ed undoes his usual one with careful hands, slipping the new one around his neck and sliding the ring into place, settling it to the base of his throat.
He presses a kiss to the skin just below it and Izzy mewls.
"You two look lovely like that." Stede’s voice is soft. "I got you something as well, darling"
"You got me too many somethings!" He half begs and Stede laughs softly. "Come here."
He does, reluctantly clambers down from Ed's lap to stand in front of Stede.
Stede runs his fingers gently over the cravat, and then he unties it with careful fingers and slides on a light golden ring with a deep blue stone, making sure to do the knot securely.
Izzy touches it with shaking hands and all but falls into Stede’s lap
Stede gives a soft little laugh as Izzy kisses him like he's trying to devour him. He's more than happy to let him try, even if he's certainly never been kissed quite *this* aggressively before.
"Well," he says softly. "I think this was a very successful day"
Stede has never slept in a hammock. They decide that needs to be fixed. "We aren't gonna fit." "We fit with Jack." "Barely."
Ed clambers in first. "Alright, your turn!" Stede looks very unsure but Izzy had asked so softly like he was certain he'd be denied. He deserved to not be denied.
"Ah!" He yelped as he fell into Ed, Izzy having to steady the hammock so they didn't fall. Ed snorted with laughter
Once he was settled sort of alongside Izzy, Ed reached out to grasp Izzy's hand and helped him in too. Izzy was slightly more practiced so the hammock only moved a little as he ended up on top of them.
Ed and Izzy were both asleep so fast that if it weren't for Ed's snoring, stede would have said they were faking it.
Maybe they'd have to keep this hammock up if it let them sleep that much easier. He knew Ed struggled and it was obvious that Izzy did, too.
Stede was awake a bit longer. It was very close quarters, after all, and Izzy was rather heavy on top of them and someone's elbow was in his side. But he was so cozy he couldn't possibly protest.
He wondered when they'd stopped sleeping like this. He wondered if Izzy had started laying on top because then if someone stabbed they'd hit him first.
That was a thought stede didn't much like. But it was okay because no one here would stab Izzy. He could lay wherever he wanted here and well, if that was with him and Ed more often, stede thought he'd be very happy indeed
.
He presses a kiss gently to Izzy's forehead, causing Izzy's eyes to flicker half open as stede murmurs "Happy birthday, Israel."
Izzy gives him a small, half-asleep smile and shifts so he can get his head on Stede’s chest. Stede runs his hand through the smaller man's hair, soothing him back to sleep until the warm bodies above him and the rocking of the boat below him lull him into sleep too.