"So, long story short, your probation's over." Stede smiled as he handed Ed a glass of brandy. "Congrats."
After a lot of discussion and (sometimes literal) fighting, the crew had finally decided that Ed could be trusted again - although not enough to give him the good news himself. And, thinking about it, "trusted" might have been a bit of an overstatement. Jim had told Stede that, since they weren't "going to get rid of Ed anyway", the probation was a waste of time, while Lucius had mumbled something about sharks and moving on, whatever that meant. Still, it was good news, and Stede intended to properly celebrate them with Ed.
Ed didn't seem to be very excited, though. He was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly playing with the bell on his cat collar and barely looking at Stede.
"Ed?"
"Mmh? Oh, yeah, thanks. Glad I passed."
He still wasn't looking at Stede, though. Instead, he kept fidgeting with the collar and shifting around on the sofa, looking distracted. Stede was beginning to worry. Had he done something wrong?
"Want me to take that off for you?" he asked, hoping that Ed would feel more comfortable without the bell around his neck.
Ed just looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
"The collar. It's so tight, wearing it all day must have been really uncomfortable." Stede reached out to gently stroke Ed's neck, and Ed instinctively leaned into the touch. "You're a pirate, not a cat, after all," he added with a wink.
At that, Ed's face fell and he pulled away from Stede. Shit. Now he had done something wrong, he just didn't have any idea what.
"Ed? What's wrong?"
Ed quickly shook his head, then straightened up and smiled at Stede, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Nothing. You can take it off for me if you want." He began to turn around so Stede could reach the collar, but Stede stilled him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me. Please."
Ed was quiet for a moment before he murmured: "It's silly."
Stede sighed and gently rubbed Ed's shoulder. "Ed, it's not silly if it's bothering you. And even if it was, you know I like silliness," he added with a smile. "Please just tell me, I promise I won't—"
"Can I keep the cat collar?" Ed blurted out.
"What?" Stede wasn't sure if he had heard him correctly. "You want to keep it?"
Ed swallowed hard and stared at the floor. "Told you it's silly."
"No!" Stede answered, perhaps a little too loudly. "It's not silly, Ed. You like the collar?"
Ed nodded shyly. "I like the way the bell tinkles when I move. Makes me feel, I don't know… light. And delicate. Like a fairy."
Stede beamed at him. "Oh Ed, this is adorable!" He reached out to nudge the little bell, and Ed was right: it made a lovely little sound.
"Don't make fun of me," Ed grumbled, blushing furiously. Stede wrapped an arm around him and gently kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry, darling. I'm not making fun of you, I promise. Thank you for telling me."
Ed leaned into him, finally relaxing a little, and sighed softly. "It's not just the bell, though. Since I started wearing the collar, I don't feel so much like Blackbeard anymore. Or even Ed. Feels like I'm just a house cat—or well, ship cat, I suppose. I think I’d rather be a cat than, y’know…," his voice caught a little, "... the Kraken.”
Stede’s expression softened even more. “Oh, Ed. Come here, my sweet kitten.”
"I'm not sweet," Ed muttered, but curled up in Stede's arms anyway, hiding his face against Stede's neck.
"You are. You're the sweetest," Stede whispered. "And you don't have to be Blackbeard anymore. You know that, right?" He waited for Ed to nod before he continued. "You can just be Ed. Or Jeff. Whatever you like."
"What if I become the Kraken again?" Ed whispered, his voice small and trembling.
Stede just held him closer. "You were never the Kraken, Ed. You were just trying to protect yourself." He could feel Ed's tears against his skin. "But you don't need to do that anymore. I'll protect you." Stede kissed Ed's forehead again, hoping Ed could feel how much he loved him, even though he didn't dare to say it out loud yet. "Don't worry, my sweet kitten. I'll take care of you."
Ed snuggled closer to him and they both sat quietly for a few minutes before Ed murmured: "I like it when you call me that."
Stede smiled at him. "Yeah?"
Ed nodded, and suddenly, Stede had an idea. He grabbed some of his softest blankets and pillows and built a little nest out of them in front of the fireplace, making sure it was as cozy and warm as possible.
"What are you doing?" Ed asked, confused.
"Cats like being warm, don't they? Come here," Stede said, patting his lap.
Ed blinked slowly, then joined Stede in the blanket nest and immediately curled up with his head in Stede's lap, melting into the warmth.
"Thank you," he whispered. Stede could hear the smile in his voice. He ran his hands through Ed's hair, and Ed leaned into the touch. "You know, if I could purr, I would now."
Stede chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss Ed's cheek. "I know, you adorable little kitten."
Ed sighed happily, and Stede's heart ached with affection. He would do anything to keep Ed happy like this. Speaking of…
"I'll buy you a new collar as soon as possible," he promised. "The prettiest I can find."
"Why?" Ed asked sleepily. "This one's great."
"But it's old and uncomfortable, and it's not soft at all! You deserve soft things." He could see Ed tearing up again, so he added: "And it's not half as pretty as you are."
Ed blushed a little and swatted at him playfully. "You're spoiling me."
"Oh, yes. You'll be the most spoiled ship cat in all the seven seas."
Ed laughed, and Stede pulled him closer. "Do you want some more pets?" Ed nodded happily, curling up in Stede's lap and looking so adorable that Stede couldn't help but giggle with joy.
Eventually, Ed fell asleep, and Stede wanted nothing more than to stay here forever, happy and warm with his sweet little kitten in his arms.