Chapter Text
Izzy takes a few deep breaths before opening the door to the café - well, the construction site that should miraculously turn into a café within the next ten days. Somehow. It’s barely even noon and the day already feels more like a fucking decade.
No wonder, with the list of appointments he’s crammed into the last few hours. Go over the final contract with Jackie, drop that off at Olu’s office, then go grocery shopping for Mum and Lil since they’re both down with a stomach bug… Izzy can already feel a tension headache forming at the base of his skull and he still has a full afternoon of building furniture to look forward to. At least Ed and Jim have already been at it since this morning, so maybe they’ve made some progress without him…?
But no such luck, it seems.
“Ugh,” Jim greets him, curled up in the big armchair, forehead on their knees.
“Uuuugh,” Ed agrees, legs propped up on the couch, one arm thrown dramatically across his eyes.
“What the fuck?” Izzy hangs up his leather jacket - at least the rack looks finished and stable. Finally.
“Cramps,” Jim growls into their own lap.
“Knee,” Ed whines in return.
“I put painkillers in the office.” Izzy nudges his husband’s good leg out of the way and sinks down on the sofa next to him.
“Nope. All out,” Ed groans with a pitiful shake of the head.
“Fuck’s sake.” Izzy’s patience is wearing thin, now that the dull throbbing in his head is joined by the sensation of something sharp stabbing his neck and coming out of his left eye.
“I’m not going out there again. Do you even know the shitton of things I had to get done today? Haven’t even had time for a fucking piss, and now-”
Suddenly, there is a broad, warm palm rubbing Izzy’s shoulder, making him pause. Jim scoffs beside them.
“Calm your tits, viejo. Bonnet is swinging by the pharmacy on his way from work.”
“Stede’s bringing meds and dinner,” Ed jumps in, still stroking Izzy’s back, which - admittedly - feels fucking nice. “He’s in a meeting till three, though, so I also called-”
The door flies open and Izzy would have recognized the man by odor alone, but alas…
“Well, if it isn’t the prettiest princess of them all. Oh, and Eddie is here, too!” Jack snorts at his own stupid joke and sets something down on the coffee table. It’s covered in tinfoil and looks suspiciously like the baking dish that went missing from Izzy’s own kitchen five years ago. There’s a smell of chocolate, something earthy and herbal underneath.
“You’re a fucking lifesaver,” Ed says, sitting up with a pained intake of breath. “Please tell me that’s what I think it is.”
“My Momma’s recipe.” Jack uncovers the tray of brownies with a flourish. “She got it at Woodstock, from some beatnik who may or may not be my dad.”
“She’d be great friends with my Nana, I bet,” Jim grins and grabs a corner piece.
Izzy gets up to turn on the coffee machine. He’s still annoyed and fucking exhausted but he can’t fully suppress the little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
***
It must be past three when the door opens again. Izzy can’t say for sure. Everything is just so fucking soft and Ed smells nice and his headache is gone and Jim has somehow fallen asleep with their head in Jack’s lap, which is actually hilarious but he’s too tired to comment on it and also really hungry and thirsty for some reason…
“Oh. Did I miss all the fun?” Stede’s voice is like a lighthouse in the mist. Or a foghorn. The thought makes Izzy snicker into Ed’s shirt.
“Nah, mate. Plenty left over for you.” Ed sounds totally normal. Maybe a tiny bit hazy if you know him well. He and Jack did build up quite the tolerance during their college days. Izzy, however…
“‘d you bring any food?” he slurs against Ed’s chest.
“Chinese and Ibuprofen.” Stede brandishes his spoils with more enthusiasm than strictly necessary, then leans down to plant one kiss on Ed’s lips and one on Izzy’s forehead.
“No kissies for me?” Jack pouts, but can only keep a straight face for so long before cracking up at the way Stede squirms.
“Shut up, cabrón, some people are trying to nap,” Jim grumbles from the floor, still drooling on Jack’s knee.
***
Yet another hour later, Izzy is pleasantly full of fried rice and can just about feel his skin again. He opens his mouth to tell Jack as much when his gaze catches on the conspicuously empty brownie dish.
“Weren’t there like three pieces left?”
There is some shrugging and mumbling before four pairs of eyes land on Stede, who seems uncharacteristically quiet.
“I um… have never partaken, so to speak. So I wasn’t sure how long it would… and then when it didn’t…”
“Dios mío!” Jim huffs, holding back a laugh. Ed and Jack just start snickering like the idiot frat bros they apparently still are.
“It’s not fucking funny,” Izzy cuts in, feeling instantly sober now. “Bonnet, look at me. Are you doing ok?”
Stede turns his head from Ed to Izzy and back again. His pupils are wide as saucers, a dopey grin on his face.
“I’m fine, Izzy. Perfectly wonderful. Absolutely splendid.”
“Right.” Izzy still has his doubts.
“There is something I need to tell you, though. It’s a secret. About your husband.” Stede tips over as he leans in towards Izzy, stage-whispering way too close to his ear. “Shh. Don’t tell him, but… He has eyes… like a baby cow!”
“Yeah, no, we’re probably not gonna get any cupboards built today,” Ed chuckles as he holds Stede upright with one arm.
Izzy shakes his head and cracks open his fortune cookie. He allows a giggling Stede to slump against his shoulder as he reads the paper note inside.
“Look how far you've come.”
And maybe, just this once, the cookie is correct.