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Ed still can’t fully believe that he’s here: sitting in the mizzentop of the Marrianne with his best friend. Izzy’s clothes are still stained with blood; some still wet patches on his shirt shine in the moonlight. He’s Captain now and Izzy is his first mate. It doesn’t matter how many times he asks Izzy to pinch, slap, punch, or kick him to make sure this is real. This is real. Everything they do from now on is up to them as much as it’s undefined.
Except for one thing. After a day marred by war, bloodshed, and death Ed wants this night, this first night to be about something different. About the starry-eyed man with his head on his lap. The man letting him run his fingers, still crusted with dried blood, through his ebony locks, looking at him like he hung the very moon and stars shining down on them right now. He thinks that’s why he blurts out, “Marry me, Iz. Right now.”
“What,” Izzy’s voice cracks and wobbles. The stars reflected in those lovely hazel eyes shine brighter. Bright enough to reveal the tears bubbling along his lashes. Ed plucks the gold ring off Izzy’s cravat; the ring from his mother, probably the most fitting ring to use for this purpose. He looks at his own hand which is decorated with numerous rings he stole from Hornigold’s cabin and corpse. His eyes lock onto the silver one that’s carved to look like a Kraken. Visually distinct and unforgettable. Something to symbolize him taking what was Hornigold’s and making it his. He holds them up and watches how the moonlight makes them shine.
“You and me. Married, right here right now,” Ed takes Izzy’s hand and puts the Kraken ring in it; he keeps Izzy’s ring in his clenched fist. Then he stands up and pulls a trembling Izzy to his feet; they’re standing face to face, framed by the full moon. “Let’s start this off right, make each other honest men. As honest as two pirates can be.”
“Edward, I-” Ed puts a finger to his lips right as Izzy’s tears spill over. He pulls it back to straighten his hand out and hold it out to Izzy. He takes Izzy’s hand, the one holding the ring, and positions it to hover over Ed’s ring finger.
“Do you, Israel Hands, take Edward Teach to be your husband ‘til death do you part?”
Izzy’s hand trembles as he slides the ring on and Ed watches teardrops falling onto the back of his hand. “I do, of course I f-fucking do. You - Edward you absolute twat. Honest men, what a stupid idea.”
Ed smiles brightly as he takes Izzy’s left hand and starts to slide the ring onto his finger. “Yeah, I know. But you’d go with it anyway because it was this stupid man’s idea.” Ed barely flinches when Izzy steps on his foot hard.
“You’re not stupid,” Izzy snaps, but the neverending river of tears running down his face undercuts the anger. “But you’re an idiot because you didn’t say the thing.”
“Don’t need to, because I said I do the moment I saw you baby.” Ed pulls Izzy into his arms and turns them around to pin Izzy against the mast. Izzy’s gasp when his back hits it is swallowed by Ed’s lips on his. Ed kisses with such passion that the word mine almost radiates off him. Loud enough for Izzy to hear; he feels it being woven into the very fiber of his being. Embroidered on his soul. That he’s Ed’s. His best friend. His first mate. Now his husband. The man proud to rule at Ed’s side once this world is theirs.