[ It's much easier to wash Ed's hair than his previous experience; he keeps still, he relaxes a little, he seems more at ease. He wants to do that, to take care of him, to make sure he is able to have the finer things in life, to show him the sort of things he deserves with his good and wonderful heart.

The fact that he doesn't believe he deserve those sorts of things might be heart-breaking, at the end of the day. Stede can give him silks, and brandy, and quiet moments together like this, but... He's not sure if it's really going to ever be good enough. All he's going to be able to do is keep doing it, keep making those overtures, until Ed can accept his worthiness, how deserving he actually is.

Hesitating for a moment, he sighs softly, leaning forward to offer Ed a little smile. ]

I had children before I became a pirate. I washed their hair when we got messy playing pirates and -

[ ... And Mary was upset with him. But he doesn't want to talk about Mary, doesn't want to discuss her at all, not here. Not with Ed. It makes something in his throat feel a little knotted and uncomfortable, and he shakes his head to force it away.

He hums instead, forcing himself to think of other things. ]

And I wash my own hair regularly, of course. It would be silly to do otherwise.