Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Life man… you make these plans, set all these goals and then bam.. you hit a bump in the road and you're completely derailed. It doesn't even have to be a big bump.. it can be as small as a rock.. or a pebble.. no, let's stick with a rock.. and that’s it.. game over. OK, so maybe not over, but you definitely have to start again. So maybe it is game over… I don't know.. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but you get what I'm trying to say though right?”

Ed pauses, takes a sip of his latte, and looks expectantly at his companion. They don't give him any response at first, just a bit of a blank stare and a yawn. Ed starts to feel awkward, until he's convinced he sees them nod their head slightly. He's going to take that as a yes..

“Great, thought I'd lost you there for a second. So where was I.. right.. so you start again.. you kick that cheating scumbag out, block him on everything and I mean absolutely everything, leave town for a while until the dust settles, stay with your friends… well.. that's what you were planning on doing anyway, but you'd forgotten they were going away too … and you just spend time focusing on.. well you. And that’s it. You don't even need to get over a broken heart or any of that bullshit, because you're so done... with all the lies.. the drama.. the angst, you just need peace. And you know, these last few days getting to spend time with you.. you've given me some of that. You're just so easy to talk to and it feels like you really listen to me. I'm so glad we met, you know.”

The biggest pair of amber eyes Ed has ever seen look back at him. They are so full of love and trust, it almost breaks his heart. How can something so pure still exist in such a cruel and unjust world?

“I have instincts about these things mate, and I just think we're going to end up being great friends. I'm not usually wrong…”

A bark stops Ed mid sentence as the black and white Border Collie he's supposed to be exercising, finally loses his patience. The dog picks up the tennis ball he had already left at Ed's feet in his mouth, and promptly drops it again. It hits the front of one of Ed's boots and bounces off the toes. His intentions couldn't be any more clearer if he tried.

“Shit, sorry Captain, I forgot we were supposed to be playing fetch there for a second.”

Ed drains the last of his latte and stands up from the park bench. He stretches, revealing a hint of stomach, before leaning over and throwing the empty coffee cup into the bin; “Come on boy, let's do this.”

Picking up a red plastic ball launcher off the bench, Ed uses it to scoop the tennis ball off the ground. Captain gives an excited bark as he turns in a circle in front of Ed, his tail wagging furiously. He barks again as Ed takes a couple of steps forward and bends his right arm at the elbow, holding the launcher so it rests on his shoulder. He smiles at Captain before he flicks his arm forward, sending the ball flying through the air. “Go get it.”

Captain doesn’t need Ed to tell him twice. He bolts across the grass after the ball as if he's been fired from a cannon or something. It always amazes Ed how fast the dog can move, and how gracefully… almost. There are a few moments where he scrambles about before he finds the ball and picks it up triumphantly in his mouth. He turns in another excited circle to celebrate.

“Good boy Cap, now bring the ball back to me. There's a good lad!” The dog takes a couple of steps towards Ed before he flops down, quite dramatically, onto his stomach. He drops the ball and lies looking back at Ed, his long tongue lolling out of his mouth as he pants.

“Are you kidding me right now? You've got more legs than I have, bring the ball here.”

What follows is some kind of weird standoff, where man and canine stare at each other, both determined not to be the one to give in and make a move for the ball first. Until Captain yawns, rolls over onto his back and starts to roll around in the grass. His interest in Ed and the ball are long gone.

“I think you're missing the whole point of fetch here Captain,” Ed mutters as he stands with his hands on his hips watching the dog. He shakes his head as Captain rolls back onto his front, stands and then starts to follow the scent of something far more interesting than Ed or the ball.

“Doesn't your dog know how to play fetch?”

Ed looks down in surprise at the young boy who is now standing beside him. He's dressed smartly in a school uniform made up of black shoes, black trousers, a white shirt, red tie, grey blazer and a rucksack, almost as big as him, is on his back. Ed had noticed the kid watching from a distance before, but hadn't realised he’d come over to them until he’d spoken.

“He's my friend's dog, and he does usually know how to play fetch, yeah. Think he's just being a bit stubborn today though.”

The boy studies Ed closely. “Or maybe he just doesn't want to listen to you.”

Where the hell has this kid come from? Ed looks over the top of his head and around the park for any signs of the adults responsible for him. There are a few people dotted about, but nobody looks as if they're about to come forward and make any sort of claim.

Ed is still being scrutinised when he looks back at the boy.

“How old are you… 6 or something? Where are your parents? Are you lost?”

“I'm 13 actually, and I'm allowed to walk home from school on my own now. I also know the route perfectly fine thank you, so no, I'm not lost.”

13.. wow.. Ed really didn't know much about kids at all.

“OK.. Well, didn't your folks teach you not to talk to strangers?”

“Yes.”

“And were you actually paying attention at the time?”

“What's your name?”

Ed looks around the park again, this time for anyone hiding behind trees or acting as if they're not really there… is this some kind of setup or a prank? Was someone going to jump out on him at any second?

“My name’s Ed.”

“My name’s Louis.. see we're not strangers anymore, Ed.”

“I'm not sure it works like that kid..”

“Can I play with the dog?” Ed follows Louis’ gaze over to Captain who is now rolling around on his back again. He's not entirely sure what he should do in this situation.

“I guess….”

“Fab,” Louis takes the rucksack off his back and places it on the floor next to Ed. He then happily trots over to Captain who has stopped rolling around and is watching the boy approach curiously. His tail starts wagging as Louis drops down onto his knees and gives Captain a belly rub. The dog eventually stands and licks his new friend rather sloppily on the cheek making Louis laugh out loud. Although he’s still feeling a little unsure, Ed can't help but laugh too. There was something heartwarming about seeing kids and dogs interact.

Louis finds the ball and starts to play fetch with Captain making Ed feel slightly redundant. He sits back down on the bench and watches the two of them together. It's hard not to take it personally when Captain chases after the ball, picks it up and promptly takes it back to Louis every single time. They play for a while until the sound of a phone ringing comes from out of the rucksack. Louis runs over to it, unzips a pocket at the front and takes out the phone. “Hi dad,” he says as he answers the call, “I'm heading home now, yes. I just stopped in the park for a bit. OK.. see you soon.. love you too.. bye.”

Ending the call, Louis puts the phone in his blazer pocket and looks over at Ed. “I have to go now, will you both be here tomorrow?”

“Probably..not sure yet.”

“Great, see you tomorrow… Bye Captain.”

Ed watches Louis walk away until he disappears around a corner and out of sight. Even though they have only just met, Ed finds himself feeling strangely protective over the youngster. Especially if he had a habit of going up to random people in the park. Somebody had to look out for him. Louis seemed like a great kid, but Ed thinks he probably needs to sit down and have a conversation with his dad at some point…

He whistles to Captain who is still standing on the grass, looking forlorn now his new friend has left him. “Come on mate, it's time to go home.”

Captain tilts his head to one side as if mulling over what Ed has just said. Deciding he isn't ready to leave yet, he sits and slowly stretches out his front legs until he is lying down again. With one last defiant look at Ed, he rolls onto his side and lets out a loud grumbling noise. He's also no doubt turning himself into a dead weight that Ed knows he's going to have to spend the next few minutes trying to coax and wrestle off the ground before they can go anywhere.

This dog…

Chapter Text

Twenty minutes.. that's how long it takes Ed to get Captain back on his feet, on the lead and out of the park. Twenty minutes of Ed bargaining, pleading and alternating from his nice voice to his stern. Twenty minutes of almost wrestling the dog on the floor to try and get him to stand up. His new blue jeans were well and truly fucked. There was no way he was going to get the grass stains out of them now. Ed was on the verge of waving a white flag and ringing Fang for back up. He had just taken his phone out of his jacket pocket when Captain got up, stretched and padded over to a group of kids wearing the same uniform as Louis. It was the perfect opportunity for Ed to pounce, putting the wayward hound back on his lead while he was distracted by an adoring crowd.

Now as they walk down the busy high street, Captain occasionally looks back at Ed, obviously happy with himself and the chaos he caused. Ed hasn't forgiven him yet and either pretends he hasn't noticed or gives the dog a glare in return. The sooner he can hand him back to Fang the better.

Ed has been friends with Fang since they were kids. They both grew up in the same small coastal town where everybody knew everybody else. It was so close knit you had to watch what you said in case you unintentionally insulted someone's relative, neighbour, or someone they spoke to once at the supermarket, but really got on with. It was pointless doing anything wrong because there would always be a witness who either knew you by name or where you lived. It didn't always stop Ed or the crew he hung out with though. Not that they got up to anything too sinister. The odd fight with some dick of a tourist, drinking bottles of cider they'd pinched late at night down on the beach.. the usual stuff bored teens did when there was nothing much else to do.

People always knew that if Ed was involved in something, Fang, Anne, Mary, Izzy and Ivan would never be too far away. They were his alibis, his confidantes and aside from his Mum, they were the only family Ed had close by.

Then gradually, as they left school, Ed's group of friends slowly began to disperse. Anne and Mary were the first to leave, the lure of the wider world too strong for them to resist. They would often phone Ed at all hours, full of stories about their latest adventure in places he would later mark with pins on a map to track their progress. By the time they returned home there were more pins visible than map. They brought back with them a new found love of antiques and the news they had got married at the top of a remote mountain somewhere while they were away. Now their horizons had been well and truly broadened, their hometown was way too small to contain them. They moved to a new city a few hours away, and after a few false starts, opened their own antiques shop, Timeless Treasures.

Fang was the next one on the crew to spread his wings and fly. When Anne and Mary first took over the shop, Fang went to stay with them to help get settled in and set everything up. He’d only intended to stay for a few weeks, but was soon wooed by the bright lights of the big city. Anne and Mary offered him a job and he stayed with them for a while until he found a place of his own. In between work, Fang spent most weekends volunteering at a local animal shelter. It was where he first met and adopted Captain over a year ago. It had been love at first sight for both of them.

That just left Ed, Izzy and Ivan still at home, trying to figure out their place in the world. They drifted from job to job for a while until a new fish and chip place opened that overlooked the beach. It was one of the many businesses owned by an entrepreneur, Hornigold, who swooped into town during a particularly bad storm one night. On the surface, he was charming and many saw him as some kind of saviour. That was until cracks started to appear and his true nature seeped out. By then, it was too late and he had a hold of the local economy by the throat. Ed grew to hate his boss with a passion. They needed an escape and one day, whilst listening to the radio, it came to Ed like a gift from nowhere. As schemes went, it was pretty out there, but desperate times called for desperate measures. It also ended up providing Ed with a rather large windfall and guaranteed him an income for life. Although over time, he would eventually grow reluctant to tell people how he came about his fortune due to the way they reacted.

There was no doubt that life changed because of that moment though. He was able to help his Mum pay off her mortgage, buy her a new car and paid for trips back to New Zealand whenever she wanted to spend time with family there.

It also gave Ed the opportunity to slay some of his own personal demons. He gradually bought out every one of Hornigold's businesses until he didn't have a single claim left on the town. The best part was, he didn't realise it was Ed until the ink on the final contract was dry. As all traces of Hornigold were being replaced on signs, advertisements and menus with the name Blackbeard, Ed stepped out of the shadows, making it clear his former employer was no longer welcome. Ed was the one in control now.

Izzy, Ivan, and others Ed trusted, were made managers of the shops, arcade and the fish and chip place they eventually turned into a restaurant. Ed would split his time overseeing everything. He was a fair boss, but his staff knew there was still a line that they should not cross. Well, most expect for Izzy did. He had a tendency to forget and would sometimes act as if he were the one in charge. It was on these occasions that he and Ed would butt heads until he was soon reminded. Things would then run smoothly for a while once Izzy was put back in his place.

Having people he could rely on meant that Ed was finally able to travel and see some of the places he'd marked on the map for himself. It was on one of these trips that he met Jack. There were red flags from the start, some the size of maritime ensigns, but Ed was lonely. He craved human touch and connection so pretended not to notice. It was fun at first, being lavished with attention. The sex, lazy days and cocktails were a nice change too. They provided a break from reality. Ed was completely swept away by the holiday romance, the likes of which he had only really read about before. So when Jack showed up at Blackbeard's Bar and Grill a few weeks later, full of declarations of love, it took Ed a little bit by surprise. Not wanting to be a dick when Jack had made an effort, Ed decided to just go along with it. And it was fun… at first.. Thus began the disastrous love affair of Jack Rackham and Edward Teach, which lasted for far longer than Ed cared to admit. They would probably have been stuck in the depressing loop if it wasn't for his Mum. He'd always tried to shelter her from Jack's indiscretions, the last one had been too much to hide though. He should have known there would be no judgement or disappointment from her, only love and concern. Ed's mum had also asked him something that he was still struggling to answer now. Didn't Ed think he deserved to be happy? His mum had also been the one to encourage him to get away for a while. To have a break from work, from Jack and to just be Ed.

The first place he thought about going to was Anne and Mary's, completely forgetting about their anniversary trip away. Luckily for Ed, he was welcome to stay in their flat above the shop for as long as he wanted. Fang and Captain were also still around to help keep him company. What more did he need?

Fang looks up from his crossword when he hears the small bell above the shop door ring as Ed and Captain walk in.

“Here they are, my beautiful boys.”

Ed smiles as he bends down to unclip Captain's lead. “You're such a smooth talker mate.”

“I only speak the truth,” Fang chuckles as he takes a dog treat out of a tin on the counter, and gives it to Captain who is now beside him. “Were you a good boy for your Uncle Ed?”

“He was as good as gold, yeah”

OK, so Ed may not be speaking the truth, but how can he stay annoyed at Cap? He is Fang's dog after all. The loveliest guy you will ever meet in your life. Fang however, is observant and can reach his own conclusions. “You might want to try water and white vinegar on those,” he says looking down at the grass stains on Ed's jeans.

Ed laughs awkwardly as he walks over to the counter and passes the lead to Fang. “Thanks for the tip. Do you need a hand to close up?”

“No thanks, we should be alright. I'll give you a shout though if not.”

“Sure thing. I'll see you in the morning then.”

“See you.”

Ed stops when he reaches the door leading to the stairs to the flat. He hesitates for a moment before speaking. “I can take Cap to the park again tomorrow afternoon if you want?”

“That will be great, won't it boy?”

Captain gives another loud grumble as he makes himself comfortable on the dog bed behind the counter. Fang shakes his head and laughs before noticing that Ed still doesn't seem to be making much of an effort to leave. “Is everything OK?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I don't suppose you know a kid called Louis.”

Fang looks thoughtful for a minute. “I don't think I do. The name isn't familiar. What does he look like?”

“I don't know… like a kid I guess…short.. feels as if he's permanently judging you.. got fair hair.”

“Can't say I recognise him no. Why was there a problem?”

“No problem nope, he just seemed to really like Captain, that’s all. I'll let you get back to your crossword.”

Ed asks himself what he's doing as he lets himself into the flat. Why did he offer to go to the park? Surely the best thing to do would be to avoid the place for a few days. The thought of Louis standing there alone though bothers him somehow. What is it about him? Ed doesn't even like kids he thinks as he unlaces his boots and pries them off. Or dogs.

His phone starts to ring. It's Anne making a video call. Fuck.. Ed hates video calls as much as he hates talking on the phone. Why can't people just send texts anymore? He sits on the sofa and puts his feet up on the coffee table before he answers.

“Hi Annie, how's it going?”

“Hi my love… put your phone to your face properly please so I can see you.”

“I have got it to my face… I can see you just fine.”

“Edward…”

Ed sighs as he moves his phone, visibly flinching when he sees himself on the screen. He fucking hates technology. Anne on the other hand looks thrilled to see him.. well.. she does at first anyway. “There you are! Oh god! You look so gaunt.. have you been looking after yourself? Are you eating properly?”

“I'm looking after myself and eating properly, yeah. I'm fine, just a bit tired.”

“You've definitely lost weight. Mary… Mary… come here quick!”

Ed can hear Mary moving around the hotel room from somewhere just out of view. “What the fuck is it now? You're supposed to be getting ready, we have to go soon.”

“I am fucking ready! Come here now and take a look at Eddie!”

Mary is still muttering away to herself when her face appears over Anne's shoulder. “Hey ugly, you look like shit.”

“Thanks Marr… love you too!”

“Still don't know why you shaved your beard off. Looks weird all short like that, it's much better when it's longer.”

Anne turns in her chair to nudge her wife on the arm. “Mary, don't be so rude. We talked about this, some people change their appearance when they go through a traumatic break up. It's a way of dealing with things.”

“Traumatic break up! Ed's better off without that loser… always has been…”

“I didn't say he should have stayed with Jack now did I!”

Ed has been friends with Anne and Mary for long enough to know that if he doesn't interrupt now, he'll be on the phone listening to them argue for hours.

“Izzy went on a date.”

His plan works.

“What! Who with?”

“You're winding us up!”

Ed holds his hand up as if he's doing a boy scouts promise. “It's true, I swear. He went out with Teddy, this new guy that's started at the arcade.”

Anne claps her hands together and laughs in delight. “The sly old dog.. wait till I speak to him! So.. when are you climbing back on the old dating horse Eddie? There are some eligible bachelors in the neighbourhood that we could hook you up with. All you have to do is say the word.”

“Nah, I told you, I'm done with all that. I'm going to stay on my own from now on. Love just isn't for me.”

“You shouldn't let an idiot like Jack put you off Ed. You never know who’s out there waiting.”

“I'm good thanks, but I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

Anne looks at him fondly; “You'd better. Now I'm sorry, but we really must dash. Speak to you soon sweetheart. Take care of yourself.”

“I will, I promise. Bye Anne, bye Marr.”

Feeling slightly relieved to be hanging up, Ed tosses his phone onto the coffee table. He's probably best warning Izzy that Anne and Mary know about his date. He'll do it later, he needs a nap first after the day he's had. Moving his legs off the coffee table, Ed lies down on the sofa and rests his head on a cushion. He knows Anne has his best interests at heart, he just wishes she would let the whole dating thing drop. Ed wasn't saying that he's done with love for dramatic effect. He means it. He's not interested in any of it anymore, in romance or relationships. It just wasn't for him. He is much better on his own. Besides, Anne was wrong, Ed knows what’s out there and he really doesn't think anyone is waiting for him at all.

Chapter Text

“Is it normal for dogs to chase helicopters?”

Ed huffs his cheeks as he looks over at a dog he's pretty sure doesn't meet the criteria for being normal. Captain had been running around for the last 10 minutes, trying to catch a police helicopter that was circling the park. He doesn't seem to have realised yet that it's slightly out of reach. Ed can't help but admire his optimisum.

“No idea mate, it is Captain we're talking about. Your guess is as good as mine.”

“True,” Louis sighs as he idly juggles the tennis ball in his hands. Their game of fetch was abandoned due to the aerial disruption. “I wonder who the police are looking for?”

“My money's on you.”

“What have I done?”

“You've committed crimes against haircuts. Thought it would be obvious.”

“Hey.. I like my hair! Besides, they're more likely to be looking for you than me.”

“Oh yeah, why would they be after me then Sherlock?”

Louis looks Ed over with that judgey expression he's so good at. He smiles smugly when he's decided on a reason. “For crimes against tattoos.”

“Great kid, don't get cocky.”

“Is that from Star Trek?”

Ed looks at Louis horrified; “How very dare you!”

From the giggle that escapes him, Louis knows exactly what he's doing. Ed shakes his head, turning away in mock disgust. “Never speak to me again… I mean it this time.”

The giggles erupt into a full blown laughing fit as Louis sits back on the bench next to Ed, holding onto his stomach for dear life. Keeping his head turned away so Louis can't see his smile, Ed continues to tut and shake his head at intervals until the kid manages to calm down. He gives a contented sigh, obviously pleased with how funny he thinks he is.

“Got all that out of your system now?”

Louis hiccups; “Yes.”

“Good. Must admit, I was impressed you got the reference.”

“I'm 13, not stupid. I've watched the films with my Dad. He likes Star Trek more though. It really annoys him when someone mixes them up too.”

So dad likes Star Trek. Ed remembers that for when he finally gets to have a chat with him. Maybe if he brings up some trivia, it will soften the blow when Ed tells him Louis doesn't know shit about stranger danger.

A couple of weeks had gone by since their first encounter. Ed had tried every tactic in the book to try and throw Louis off. He'd ignored the kid, gave only one word answers or spoke back to him as little as possible. He even moved to a different side of the park and told Louis not to speak to him anymore. Nothing worked, Louis would just show up, play fetch with Captain and talk Ed's ears off regardless of whether he was receptive or not. The only thing he hadn't tried was not showing up. The fear of who Louis might end up speaking to if he didn't, prevented Ed from doing so. This left him stuck running a weird kind of after school club for somebody else's kid. For free! How did he manage to get himself into these situations?

It wasn't even as if Louis didn't have people who cared about him. He'd told Ed all about his family, his divorced parents, his big sister, Alma, and his step dad, Doug. He even had friends at school. He didn't seem to be lonely, yet he had latched himself onto Ed for some unfathomable reason.

“What did you want to be when you grew up?”

The speed Louis changes the topic of conversation almost gives Ed whiplash.

“Who says I've grown up?”

Louis rolls his eyes and shakes his head; “You're not funny you know.”

“I'm fu .. dging hilarious mate.”

“Seriously, what did you want to be?”

“I don't know… a rock star I guess.”

“Is that why you look so cool?”

Ed suddenly has something in his eye. The kid thinks he's cool. “I don't know about that..”

“So what did you end up doing for a living?”

“You're a bit nosey aren't you? What do you do for a living?”

Louis gestures at his uniform: “Duh.. I'm still at school.”

“That's so lame.”

“Ed…”

“Fu .. dge, you should be up in that helicopter. I run my own businesses. Got a couple of shops, an arcade and a restaurant. Happy now?”

“Does that mean you're rich?”

“Didn't anybody tell you it's rude to ask adults so many questions? I do OK thanks, that's all I'm going to say. So what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I have no idea,” Louis stands up from the bench and starts to play catch with the ball. “I used to want to be an astronaut and then a pirate. Now, I don't know and school said we have to start thinking about careers soon.”

“Have you spoken to your parents?”

“Yes, they said I have plenty of time to figure it out. Dad even said he's not sure what he wants to be yet, and he's as old as you. I don't want to be stuck doing something I don't enjoy like him. I want to be like mum and Doug. They love their jobs.”

“What do they all do?”

“Mum and Doug are artists and dad inherited my grandad's company when he died. He hates it though. Mum keeps saying he should sell it. She never liked grandad, he wasn't very nice. Especially to my dad.”

Huh, so Ed and Louis’s dad had something in common.

“Even Alma knows that she wants to be a Dr. It's just me..” Louis drops the ball in frustration and it rolls underneath the bench. Shit, is he going to cry? For an awkward moment Ed doesn't know what to do as he looks at Louis standing in front of him. He clears his throat and thinks fast.

“Your parents are right Lou, you have got time to figure it out. Doesn't matter what school says. You're just a kid, enjoy it. Life works out one way or the other. Even if you have a plan or not.. it will all be fine, OK..”

Louis takes a handkerchief out of his blazer pocket and blows his nose. “OK,” he sniffles.

“Good. Now let's see if we can distract Captain and get him to play fetch again. You'll have to get the ball though, not sure I'll be able to get back up with my bad knee.”

“It's OK, I can get it, you don't need to make excuses up, Ed. I know it's because you're old.”

This kid!

Even though he seems brighter by the time they part, Ed is still thinking about Louis a few hours later. They won't see each other now until after the weekend and Ed hopes he's OK. It seems a lot of pressure for a kid to be under. His phone suddenly starts to ring breaking into his chain of thoughts.

“Hey Izzy, how's it going?”

“Fucking Jack has been hanging around again asking for you. You need to sort it out and fast.”

Ed closes his eyes and rests his forehead on the doorframe. Of course Jack has been round.

“Are you there Ed?”

“I'm here yeah. He'll get the message eventually Iz, I've got nothing more to say to him.”

“He'll soon figure out where you are. You may as well come home and stop hiding.”

Ed pushes himself away from the doorway and hisses into the phone as he paces around the lounge of the flat, “I'm not fucking hiding, I just need some time away. I'll be back when I'm ready and I'll sort everything out, including Jack then. Do you understand?”

“I understand yeah.”

“Good. Did Ivan check on mum? He hasn't got back to me yet.”

“He's there with her now. He said he'll ring you later when he gets home.”

“Thanks Iz, appreciate you both being there for her. And how did last night go with Teddy?”

Izzy sounds uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden. “It was nice thank you. We went to watch that new vampire film.”

“What so you could grab his hand when you got scared in the dark?”

“Fuck off, you're such a child.”

“Bet it wasn't just his hand you grabbed.”

“I'm putting the phone down now Edward..”

Ed has almost stopped breathing he's laughing that much. “Sorry Izzy,” he manages to gasp; “Glad it's going well.”

“Yeah well… I'll expect a phone call off Anne and Mary later. Speak to you soon.”

“Bye Iz.”

Just because Ed is done with love, it doesn't mean he isn't happy for Izzy. He just enjoys tormenting him about it, that's all. Teddy also seems to really like him and Izzy deserves to be with someone who will love him back. Ed would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that they had met either. Although Ed had love for Izzy, it wasn't in the way the other man wanted or needed from him. Ed's not sure he has ever been in love with anyone before. He definitely wasn't in love with Jack at any point of their relationship. He also knows for a fact that Jack doesn't love him, no matter what he says. He just doesn't want to lose his trophy boyfriend. There is no going back though, not this time. Ed doesn't think he's capable of giving or receiving romantic love. Something inside of him was broken a long time ago and he's not sure it can ever truly be fixed.