#and Izzy's foot has...well. probably stopped bleeding on its own or the dirt has stifled it so they're fine!

[izzy-b-hands]

Kraken Era Blackhands that tumbles into the promise of Steddyhands? why not. it happens here anyway lmao

---

"Don't make it weird," Ed mutters, shifting Izzy onto his back. "You're lighter than I remember."

"I doubt that," Izzy says, letting his head loll forward over Ed's shoulder. His arms wrap around Ed's chest, and his legs at Ed's waist.

"No, you are," Ed grunts. "Frenchie?"

"Yeah?" Frenchie jogs up from behind them. "Raid over?"

"Absolutely not," Ed scoffs. "Go get Fang and Ivan from the ship. I should have brought them and Jim instead."

"I'm here at least," Jim interjects. "Hey, his foot is still bl-"

"I'm aware," Ed snaps. "I need to carry Izzy back while you lot get started."

"Uh," Frenchie frowns. "Not to have Fang or Ivan carry Izzy back?"

"Don't question me," Ed continues. "Not now, not ever."

"Are you just mad because you stepped on Izzy's foot accidentally and now-"

"Move, both of you," Ed charges past them back down the path, head down like a battering ram.

They step aside, and Izzy fights off a giggle. What else can he do with all of it but laugh? It's that or cry, and that wouldn't be taken very well by anyone.

"Stop wiggling," Ed commands. "Izzy. Iz! Israel!"

He drops off of Ed's back into the dirt, cackling.

"Stop," Ed says sternly, but his lip wobbles.

"I'm trying," Izzy gasps.

"You aren't," Ed bites his bottom lip, but a giggle escapes. "Stop it!"

Izzy gives in and rolls nearly face down on the path, stomach aching from laughing.

"Fine then, I'll haul you back like this!"

Ed's hands grab his ankles, rolling him onto his back before dragging him.

"Fuck," Ed snorts. "I'm gonna crack your skull open on a rock."

He drops to the ground, covers his hands, and laughs.

"Thank you for stopping," Izzy pants, barely fighting off another giggle fit. "This takes me back though."

Ed lifts his head and nods. "Fuck. I'll get you back."

Izzy pats the dirt beside him. "Let the rest of them find us. Either Jim and Frenchie will wind up back here, or Fang and Ivan will come looking."

"Yeah," Ed sighs and lays by him. "But we were gonna go raid that small encampment on the other-"

"Ed," Izzy interrupts. "It's abandoned. I'm almost certain. The Kraken has done well to earn the fear of everyone and everything near here. If they can find a way to head elsewhere, they have. It's been like that for a good while now..."

Ed sighs, then scoffs, then grumbles which turns into a scream muffled in his hands.

"Ed?"

"How did I do this again?!" Ed says miserably. "I speed ran it this time too! Even faster than when I was Blackbeard. Now there's nothing going on, nothing exciting, nothing new or different, AGAIN!"

He wants to say something, but he doesn't know what would be best.

"Iz," Ed sits up. "I don't. I don't think I want to die."

"That's good to hear," Izzy drags himself up despite a persistent dizziness. "I don't think I want to die either. Not right now, at least."

"I want him back," Ed continues. "And I want our crew again, and-"

Ed turns to him. "I know you and Stede hate each other. I know."

"I'd hate him less if he took any of it seriously," Izzy says. "He knows he could die, right? Because despite having nearly died more than once now, he seems to not get it. It's concerning, and it effects everyone-"

"I know," Ed interrupts. "I'm. Going to ask something of you. I'm banking on your loyalty."

"I'll help you find fucking Bonnet," Izzy grumbles. "I'm tired, Ed. If he makes you happy, we'll find him. You want another party to go to? We'll find one. If you want it, I will do my damnedest to find it. Besides, rarely have I had reason to say no to you or question you if it didn't also affect the crew, so..."

"Really?" Ed asks. "And you'll stay, after?"

"What is your obsession with keeping both of us?" Izzy scoffs.

"I don't want to 'keep' either of you," Ed scoffs back. "Why wouldn't I want you both around if I like both of you, if I lo-"

Ed pauses. "Oh. Oh fuck."

"Oh no," Izzy says. "Not now. Ed-"

But then he's in Ed's lap, gently pulled over and helped to sit comfortably despite his foot still bleeding away, and maybe what Ed's suggesting might not be so bad.

--

"They had this," Frenchie says, and sets their bounty down on the galley table.

"This is a piece of string," Ivan remarks, nudging it with a finger. "And three coins. That I'm fairly sure aren't in use anywhere anymore."

"They also had this scarf they didn't need," Jim lays the floral purple scarf down. "And some oranges."

"Boss might like the scarf," Fang says. "And we can always use more oranges. The string..."

"Never know when we might need some string," Frenchie offers.

"Exactly!" Fang smiles. "And the coins might be of interest to a collector. All in all not bad for-oh, how many did you kill?"

"None," Jim replies. "It's like, three families and a few single old people there. They made us lunch, actually."

"Then we told them who we were and what we were supposed to be doing," Frenchie says. "And we came to the agreement, once Ed and Izzy didn't come back, to just have lunch and they'd offer up what they could if we'd leave them alone."

"Diplomatic," Fang says. "Where are Ed and Izzy then?"

"They aren't here?" Jim asks.

"No," Ivan replies slowly. "Fuck."

"I think we ought to put away the loot first," Frenchie says hesitantly, watching for reactions. "Find out where to put the string. Eat an orange or two. The scarf and coins we can set aside for Ed."

"A nap would be good too," Fang says. "So we don't get tired looking for them. Easier to get hurt that way."

"Rum will help us sleep better," Ivan adds. "Jim, shall we-"

"Fuck yes," Jim grins and leads the way to the pantry.

--

"They'll come back," Izzy yawns. "You're cold, let me give you my vest..."

"I'm fine," Ed mumbles. "I could put my shirt back on if I wanted."

"Hm. Yeah," Izzy snuggles into his bare chest. "I figured they'd walk in on us midway through."

"Me too," Ed sighs. "Ah well. More time to plan out things, figure out where to start looking for Stede..."

A fingertip traces the length of his jaw. "And to enjoy this. I missed this, Iz. I missed..."

"Don't worry about putting words too it," Izzy says. "Not now. It fucked us up the last time, doing that, remember?"

"Things are different now," Ed replies. "We're different now. That could be different too."

He'll already be sharing Ed with Stede. That's already a huge difference.

The emotions feel too huge to tackle now though, as the sun sets and they huddle into the brush near the path.

"I'm not good at any of this," Izzy keeps his eyes shut, face half pressed against Ed. "You know that."

"I know," Ed says. "But you'll try?"

"I want to be better."

The words are barely audible, even to him, but Ed hears it. He knows when Ed pulls him closer and tighter.

"I know you do. Me too."

--

"We were supposed to go find something," Frenchie says, bumping into Jim. "Shit, Ed and Izzy."

"Those are someones," Fang corrects, grabbing a new rum bottle from the latest box. "Here, you're nearly empty."

"Hey," Jim slings an arm over Frenchie's shoulders. "I'm gonna tell Ivan how cute Olu is. You wanna join us?"

Frenchie nods. "Hang on, I needed to-ah, there we go. More rum!"

"More rum!"