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Pain.
It’s the first thing Ed's aware of as his restless slumber is disturbed. He can't find the strength to open his eyes just yet, but he can hear muffled voices coming from various parts of the ship.
Great, he thinks, just what I needed. He'd thought his captors had left him alone while they set off to find a buyer for him, but if they're back so early, they must have been unsuccessful. Ed's sure the captain will take that out on him, and he tries to brace himself for the next round of abuse. He'd stopped trying to fight back several days ago, starvation finally winning out, leaving him too weak to do much more than curl into a ball and hope they tire of him and his lack of response.
That strategy hasn't worked very well for him so far, and captain had gotten him with his whip just that morning, leaving a particularly deep slash on his back that throbs angrily. Might be infected, he thinks, detached. It's difficult to remain conscious for too long, though, and Ed finds himself drifting in and out of awareness, catching snippets of muffled conversations here and there. Something feels… different, he thinks, in one of his more lucid moments, as he hears voices he doesn't recognize. Maybe he’s getting sold after all.
He must drift off again, because next thing he knows, he's being hoisted up out of the water, no longer in the tub. That’s enough to startle him into wakefulness, and his eyes finally blink open, darting around in confusion.
Three people are in the room with him. Humans, pirates perhaps, although they don’t really look like any pirates Ed's seen before. They seem too clean, and one of them is much too fancy. And, as it turns out, the fancy one seems to have lifted him right out of the bath, cradling him securely in his arms.
“Oh, er, hello,” the fancy one says, and Ed manages to pull his upper lip back and snarl weakly, showing his sharp teeth. He's not above biting off more fingers, if that's what it takes. The other man makes a distressed noise beside them, and Ed takes a bit of vindictive pleasure in making a human uncomfortable. It's been a while. He glances up at the fancy one, hoping to see similar discomfort on his face. But to Ed's surprise, he doesn't look the least bit intimidated.
“Sorry,” he says instead, shifting Ed in his arms, easily supporting his weight. Ed realizes he must be lighter than he thought; he hasn't eaten for some time. The fancy man continues talking. “I know this is quite awkward, and I don’t know if you can understand me, but we’re getting you out of here.”
Ed's brow furrows slightly, because despite the fact that he's surrounded by humans, he doesn't feel particularly threatened. And he can't help but notice that the human holding him is… incredibly lovely. There's a gentleness to him that leaves Ed feeling strangely safe, and his brow is furrowed in concern as well, like he's genuinely worried about Ed's well-being.
Beautiful, Ed thinks, certain he must be half-delirious. How could he ever find a human anything but abhorrent? And yet… he can't help but reach out a trembling hand, curiously touching the man's face. The fancy one allows it, not seeming the least bit concerned with his sharp nails. Ed exhales through his nose, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. Maybe he’s being foolish, but he feels… safe with this human.
And also exhausted.
That exhaustion quickly wins out, and Ed allows himself to close his eyes, resting his head on his mysterious savior's shoulder. The man's grip on him tightens slightly. Protective. It’s almost enough to make Ed cry. After ages stuck on this nightmarish ship, any act of kindness feels too good to be true.
The fancy man turns towards the other humans, grabbing their attention. “Okay," he says, seeming to be giving the orders. Ed wonders if he's the captain. "Let's get him back to the Revenge.”
