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Marmalade. A stack of teacups; four, actually, two made of china that make a perfect clink sound and two cracked down the side from when there was an attempt to engrave them. It’s okay. They only need two. A wooden plate. A glass cutting board. A breadbox full of candies, lime ones and lemon ones and almond filled, nougat ones. No grape. Blegh. A hand reaching into the breadbox, strong fingers dusted with golden hair, rings adorning every finger but the forth. A hand reaching into the breadbox to snatch a lemon candy. A hand snatching another one, sliding it into his pocket for later. Sneaky, quick hands.
Ed sits on a porch. His long hair is tucked behind his ears, for the breeze keeps carrying it away. He’s got nice ears. Ears so nice that he can hear when footsteps come up behind him, stepping between the creaks of the porch even as they try to be soft.
“Boo,” a voice says behind him, practically a whisper.
“Very scary, Stede.”
Stede grins. He leans forward, pressing a kiss to Ed’s cheek before he’s lowering himself to sit beside him, practically on his lap. The sun is setting all golden, shining bright and nice on Stede’s face. Ed strokes where the sun lands, absorbing the warmth.
“Open up,” Stede says.
Ed pulls a funny face, but his lips stay shut. “Mmm, no.”
“Wh— I’m not going to poison you. I want to surprise you.”
Ed bites the inside of his mouth to stop from smiling as Stede huffs, and huffs. “Don’t trust ‘ya. Toootally a chance for you to poison me.”
“Don’t you think I would have done it by now?”
Ed thinks for a moment. He brings a hand up to move his hair again. Darn wind. Stede notices, pulling a band off of his wrist, bringing Ed’s hair up into a little bun. He keeps out some little straggler hairs, to frame Ed’s pretty face and his pretty ears. Ed sighs, fond, before he remembers the conversation.
“Yeah.” He says. “So many chances. That’s why you’d do it now, though, to catch me off guard. Swoop in when I’m unaware.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Stede’s still playing with the bun at the nape of Ed’s neck. He tucks in a looser piece. “If I were to poison you, why wouldn’t I put it in your tea? You wouldn’t even notice.”
“Would too.” Ed reaches a hand behind Stede, pulling him onto Ed’s lap, straddling. The sun glows around his hair like an angel.
Angel. Ed thinks. My angel.
“I’m real smart,” Ed ends up saying. “And I’d totally taste it, then I’d have ‘ta get you back.”
“And how would you do that?” Stede asks with a half-smirk.
Ed pretends to think, and realizes he’s been petting Stede’s hair like a dog. Huh. He moves his hand, strokes Stede’s eyebrow with his thumb. He’s soft, there.
“I’d just have to eat you, I guess.”
“You guess?” Stede asks, mock offended.
“Oh yeah. It’s only fair.”
“I suppose…”
“And I’d start here,” Ed cuts himself off by kissing Stede’s neck, practically nipping. He likes when there’s a mark when he pulls off. What? Hickey’s are hot. He slowly moves to Stede’s cheek, pecking it with such a ferocity that Stede laughs, then Ed has to shut him up with a kiss to the lips, and—
“You taste like candy.” Ed says as he pulls away, feeling ignored. Unincluded. How could Stede possibly eat candy without him? Terrible, awful, selfish, sweet-tasting man---
Stede smiles, all flushed and cute. He rifles around in his pocket, bringing out a sweet for Ed. He unwraps the paper, and Ed leans forward, taking it in his mouth, sucking around Stede’s fingers for the effort. He keeps his eyes locked on Stede through it all. Bathed in gold, still, Stede just sighs.
“The death of me,” he whispers, as Ed tastes the citrus on his tongue.
Lemon. A smile, or two. A kiss as the sun sets. A wrapper, discarded. A promise of tomorrow.