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In all his time pirating, ever since the start of his glory days as Blackbeard, Israel had been there. He was always there, for better or worse, even when Ed had hit some of his lowest points and just needed something or someone to take his anger out on (he never fully forgave himself for Israel having his leg amputated).
And, now, that someone was gone. Forever.
That was the way of a pirate's life, he supposed. It was practically inevitable to end in tragedy and most pirates didn't even get a miraculous, dramatic death. It was the most pirate way Israel could've gone out- Death by random gunshot, surrounded by his crew, and then buried on a nearby shore. His body would eventually rot away into the worth, permanently affecting the surrounding sands and soil outside Stede and Ed's new inn.
Ed wondered what Israel would think of the inn. He'd probably make some slick comment about how it was stupid, but there would be a smile twitching at the edge of his lips giving away the truth that he was happy for Ed and for Stede.
"Oh, dear" the familiar accented voice of the blonde man said, wiping a tear away from Ed's cheek. Ed didn't even realize he'd started crying, staring out the window at the cross sticking out of the ground.
"Shit, sorry" Ed sniffed, rubbing away his tears and snapping himself back into reality. Stede shook his head.
"Don't apologize" Stede told him gently. "He was your friend, I get it"
"Yeah" Ed nodded softly. "You know, when you were... Away" he started. "He might have been a bit more than a friend. But, I- I treated him horribly"
"I know"
"Do you think he knew- Like, really knew how sorry I was?" Ed asked. Stede rolled the question around in his mind for a moment. For how much he'd been around Israel, he'd admittedly not gotten to know the man all that well beyond the facade he presented most of the world with. He didn't know how to give a fully accurate and honest answer, which he didn't like, but he figured he'd at least try.
"I think Izzy had a lot of demons" he said. "But, at the end of the day, I don't think you were one of them. Blackbeard may have been, sure. But you, Edward Teach? Never in a million years"
The two stood there, staring out the window, for a few more minutes before Stede broke the quiet to redirect Ed to the small dinner table they had set up in the inn (the place was more of a place of residence while they fixed it up into a workable inn). Dinner wasn't anything too extravagant, but it was enough for the both of them.
And Israel couldn't be prouder.