Ed x Stede adopting a pet together?
Anon u just made my whole day. I'm about to use my favorite fucking trope on Ed rn. I'm winning at life.
It's not that Ed was against the idea of getting a pet. He didn't dislike animals. But there were a lot of factors that went into having a pet on a moving vescel in the middle of the ocean.
Questions like how was it going to get enough exercise for an animal? Even the smallest of beasts deserved the freedom to roam as far as it wanted. And what if it couldn't swim or didn't like water? What if it hates boats, or get s sea sick a lot? Who's going to be responsible and clean up after it when it shits on the poop deck? ["No, Stede, that's not why it's called a poop deck."]
He also wasn't a huge fan of things that constantly demanded his attention. Sure he and Izzy had managed to get along for awhile, but that was before he made his choice of alliances and respect and loyalty very clear. But Izzy was a person who could talk and tell him what he wanted. Ed was terrible at guessing games. It's why his little attempt at mimicking the high life had gone so terribly. And animals needed so many things he wasn't privvy to.
But somehow, Stede had managed to convine him. The bastard sure had a way with words(and hands, and mouths, and tongues-) and knew just what to say to get Ed to cave.
"Oh, don't be so grumpy." Stede said from across the rom, where he lounged across their shared bed entertaining the small fuzzy creature. "He's so cute. How can you be mad at a face like this?"
Ed glanced over with an indignant huff and rolled his eyes. Stede was looking at him in gleeful expectation, the tiny kitten hanging from his grasp and crying out softly as it looked across the room at Ed. Could it even see him, he wondered. BUt it wasn't the cat that had his chest clenching and heart softening. Oh, he was cute alright - but Stede was so completely enamored by the small thing that Ed couldn't help but thaw a little under his gaze. "Whatever," he dismissed, turning away if only to escape the pull of those eyes.
"Oh, just give him a chance darling." Stede's voice came from beside him then, and something cold and fuzzy pressed into Ed's cheek followed by the muffled cry of the kitten. "He's so sweet, you'll really love him. I'm sure of it." A loud crash sounded from up top and Stede cursed before placing the cat in Ed's lap and running off th make sure everything was okay, a half-frantic "Watch the cat!" tossed over his shoulder as the door closed behind him.
Ed, arms lifted and nose pinched in distaste as he looked down at the small inoffensive creature, sighed as it cried pathetically up at him. "Oh, give it a rest, will ya?" he said back, knowing it wouldn't understand a word he said. "I don't hate you, okay? I just don't know what I'm doing." It cried again and he reluctantly stroked it's head with his hand. The kitten semed to like that, so he rolled his eyes and let it have the attention it wanted.
And it was fine. You know. Nothing special. normal. Boring, even. Nothing good or bad, just-
"Hey, what's that you're doing?" Was it growling, or purring? The sound got louder and louder, until he could feel it through the hand stroking the cats head. "Oh-" it rubbed against his hand and Ed felt himself softening even more than before. The damned thing really was sweet, Stede wasn't lying. "Alright, I s'pose this isn't so bad."
The cat got comfrtable in his lap and Ed knew he was doomed. Stede would never let him hear the end of it. He'd put up such a fit about getting the cat and sulked all the way back to the ship. But it's adorable face and mellow demeanor had him absolutely endeared now, and Stede was going to be so fucking smug about it.
"You sure everything's alright, Roach?" Stede asked, lingering near the doorway.
"Yeah, man! Everything's great, it was just the pans, and you helped clean those up." With a shrug, Roach waved him off and Stede made his way back to the captain's quarters.
"Alright, I'm sorry for leaving you alone with the cat but Roach dropped some pots while cooking everyone dinner, and-" Stede stopped in his tracks when he took in the sight before him. Ed was sprawled out on their bed, arms and legs starfished and taking up the whole thing, with the kittin curled up and sleeing in the crook of his neck. The man himself was snoring loudly, but the cat didn't seem to mind. With a triumphant smirk, Stede reached over and pet the kitten but was rudely interrupted when Ed groaned and swatted his hand away, then rolled over and covered himself and the cat in blankets.
"Don't fuckin' make my cat up, mate." He said, curling up on his side and nuzzling what Ed presumed was the sleeping cat.
"Your cat?" Stede asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Excuse me, Captain, but I spent three weeks convincing you to let me bring that cat home and I will not be undermined on my own ship-"
"-like-" Stede cut off after he heard Ed's interjection, mouth agape but eyes alight with amusement. "Oh, suddenly it's our ship."
Ed hummed in response, a prideful sound in the back of his throat. "Our ship, my cat." he declared. "Don't worry, love, you'll get the hang of it."
"Oh, I'm going to get something, I'll tell you that much!" Stede said before tackling him quite clumsily. Ed simply let out a short laugh and rolled to keep the cat away from him, but in the comotion the only managed to wake the sleeping kitten and they both halted when it let out a grumbly little meow of disapproval.
"I think we just got scolded by a kitten." Ed commented, looking over at the annoyed cat in surprise.
"I would say we most certinly did." Stede agreed, brows raised as they both stared over at the glaring creature. "What do you say, truce?"
Ed looked over at the hand offered to him and considered shaking it. But at the last second, he snatched the kitten and ran off out of the room. "Edward!" Stede called as he took off running after him.
