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The first thing that comes to him in the darkness is the sound of the waves.The shadows cradle him somewhere that’s not hot, not cold, but reverberates with the familiar sound of the waves hitting the sand. It’s nice. Peaceful. Can’t remember the last time he was able to -
Where the fuck am I?
He’s exhausted. Or that’s how he feels anyway. Like he’s been waiting for something for so long, and it’s finally here. He’d always known he’d come here. To his - wherever here is. It takes him a few minutes - a few hours - a few millenia. He doesn’t know. Time doesn’t have meaning, wherever he is.
The light is warm on his face, and he knows he should be hot, but he basks in it, like a cat in the sunlight. Fuck , it would wonderful if he could remember where he was, what that niggling little voice in the back of his head is trying to tell him. There was - something bright in the sudden darkness. A warm hand on his face. A hand he should know, but he can’t recall.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Izzy is able to open his eyes, and it’s like as he does, the bright light seems to dim, making it easier for him to see. As if it could feel he was awake. And who knows, maybe this was all there was? Had this been what had always been there for him? He sits up slowly, his eyes sweeping over the empty because before him. It was lovely. The type of place Bonnet would love for sure, with lots of thick trees, beautiful flowers, and a stream he could hear, even if he couldn’t see it. When he looks down -
*Fuck.*
His leg is back. His hands are no longer calloused and blood-stained. It’s like as soon as he looks at them, he has a name.
Izzy.
Israel Basilica Hands,
Iz.
The beautiful young boy with the voice of an angel, Or at least, younger than he had been, It was incredible. He’s dressed comfortably, in just a pair of smalls, but that doesn’t matter. Nothing can hurt him here. He doesn’t know how he knows it, he just does. Somehow - he feels at peace. He doesn’t want to lose that. Ever. He -
*IZZY!*
The scream comes from down the beach, and when Izzy glances that way, he sees a shadow. At first, he’s not sure who it. Who the fuck could be here in his own personal purgatory if not Edward? Fuck, he did *not* want to see Edward right now, It was too painful. He couldn’t deal with it. He couldn’t -
But as he got closer, he noticed the long, dark hair, pulled up into a messy bun atop his head. As black as the night that was coming from the island on the horizon, His curls were just as wild as Edward’s, but it shimmered, as if the stars were coming down to touch him. His eyes though - they were blue like the sea. That perfect. Like emeralds, dark and wanting.
Izzy stops where he is, when he realizes who he’s looking at.
“Oh, fuck. James?”
The man smiles, and that smile is worth anything in Izzy’s world, up to and including his own life.
But that’s just it, is it? If he’s seeing James, he’s -
“Yea, love. You’re dead.” He ducks his hands into his pockets, and that’s when Izzy realizes he looks like the boy he remembers. The boy he had been when Izzy had fallen hard and fast for the first time in his life. When he’d lost him, he’d lost a part of his soul. A part of his heart. What made him - who he was. Maybe if he hadn’t been so far gone, it wouldn’t; have ruined him the way it -
“You’re not ruined,” his voice interrupts Izzy’s thoughts, and he frowns,
“Are you reading my fucking thioughts?” The expression that stretches his lips makes him feel fifteen again. Young and in love with the world in front of him. A world he didn’t know was going to be taken from him when he’d barely known him. Of course he had ruined Izzy for the rest of the world. He was incredible.
Jame’s grin widens, “Yea. Pretty cool right?”
Izzy shakes his head, “No, not fucking really.”
He starts coming closer, but Izzy doesn’t move. He’ s not sure he trusts it. Trusts this man is who he says he is, but if he can read Izzy’s thoughts, he guesses it doesn’t fucking matter. By the time he gets closer, Izzy realizes it really is him. All the details he could remember. And he’s just as beautiful as the day he’d died in Izzy’s arms.
When he reaches up, his hand is soft. In fact, it’s almost warm as he cups Izzy’s face, “God, Baz. I’ve fucking missed you so much.”
And Izzy’s heart breaks as he sees tears in his eyes. Before he can think better of it, he’s lunging forward into Jame’s arms. Clinging to him like the world is ending. Because it is. He’s dead. He can tell he’s trembling, but James doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t rush him. Doen’t push him. He’s sweet and caring and he makes Izzy remember why life had been worth living in the first place.
His voice is choked as he asks, “Why are you here? H-how are you here? Did you know I - “
“I was brought here,” he replies quietly. I was told that you were here, and I was given the choices to come meet you. Of course I had to come. I’ve been waiting for you all these years.”
Izzy’s laughs, the expression wet,”I’m sorry I kept you fucking waiting.”
He can feel James’ smile against his neck, “I’m not. I wanted you to live a full, wonderful life, knowing I was waiting for you.”
Before he’s ready, James pulls back, and Izzy feels another ring slide onto his cravat. It’s a simple ring. Gold and emerald. Classic .Beautiful. Like it had always been. When Izzy looks back up at his face, he’s grinning, “Never got the chance, baby, but I was gonna ask you to marry me that night.”
Tears immediately spring to Izzy’s eyes, “Fuck. I was going to ask you too.”
Those beautiful pale blue eyes feel like they’re looking right through him, “I figured.”
Izzy scoffs, on more even footing, “No the fuck you didn’t.”
James’ arches an eyebrow, “You could never lie or hide anything worth a fuck. It was one of my favorite things about you. This badass motherfucker who seemed - happy with me.”
The words are killing him slowly, but he figures since he’s already dead, it doesn’t really matter, “I love you more than I loved anything in this fucking life.”
The smile that curves his lips is incredible, “Then you can stay here with me. We’ll be together. Keep each other company. What do you think?”
Izzy didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t really an issue he’d ever thought he’d be dealing with. Meeting the man who was his first love when he finally lost his life. He looks around, and then back at James, “This all you got?”
James sways with him, to a tune that only he can hear, but Izzy had always known he was safe within his arms, “Not at all. There’s a million things to see and do. We have all the world to explore Izzy. That and more. I’ve got you back. You’re mine now, and I’m not letting you go.”
Izzy would have never said he was ready to die, but he’d done what he could with the time he had. While Ed had never loved him, his crew had. He’d kept them safe. Done the right thing. Put himself between them and the wrath of the Kraken,. And now, they had to carry on without him. He had to trust that he had taught them enough to get by. That they could carry on the legacy that he had tried to leave behind. But they had to take their own chances now without their Unicorn.
There’s a mischievous sparkle in James’ eyes, and before he could call him on it, there were lips pressing to his, a warm, firm hand in his hair, and another wrapped around his back, pulling him close. The last time they’d kissed, there’d been the taste of blood in Izzy’s mouth as the man who had been his life died in his arms from a knife wound during a routine raid. Now, there was love. Adoration. The taste and promise of infinity where nothing can take them away from each other.
As Izzy lets himself be kissed, as he kisses back in a way that makes James gasp. They had all the time in the world, and Izzy wasn’t going to waste a second of it.