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“Edwin mate, what are you doing out here alone?” Charles calls after Edwin who had broodingly stormed away after revealing the Cat King’s method, albeit extremely pervy, of getting the bracelet on Edwin. The guy was a bit of a freak, Charles thought.
“Go away, Charles.” Edwin speaks through gritted teeth, back still to Charles. Moody git.
“Look, I don’t think you’re weak or anything for letting yourself get creeped on by a weird cat guy. I also don’t care if you’re gay. Now can we please just go back inside and relax.” Charles tries, finally catching up to where Edwin stopped in his tracks.
“You don’t understand.” Edwin whirls around, shaking his head. To anyone else it would have sounded angry, but to Charles it just sounded pleading.
“Then tell me!” Charles shouts, exasperated. “Edwin, you’re my best mate, my existence is literally to be here for you, so tell me what’s up and stop pushing me away.”
“Please don’t be hurt.” Charles would have missed it if Edwin hadn’t moved so close to him. What was that supposed to mean? He felt quite insulted that his best friend since his own damn death didn’t even trust him with something like this. Did Edwin think Charles would mock him? Leave his side? He would never leave Charles, not in a million years.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He whispers, frantically searching Edwin’s glassy eyes.
“Did you leave your brain in your body when you died?” Edwin bites out.
“What?” Charles shakes his head.
“You really are as thick as it gets aren’t you.” And he kisses him. Edwin is kissing Charles. And Charles likes it?
He doesn’t quite understand a single sensation that’s coursing through his body in that moment, the instinct to pull back so he doesn’t lead Edwin on - he doesn’t feel that way about him, he just fruitlessly likes Crystal - and the stronger urge to draw Edwin close enough to consume him and kiss him back harder. He doesn’t understand the strangeness of the situation, and he can’t comprehend the gravity of the realisation dawning on him that this is why Edwin cared so much when he would talk about having sex with Crystal. Nor can Charles process the fact that he’s making out with his dead best friend against a stupidly uncomfortable tree, and he likes it. Charles Rowland is enjoying the feeling of Edwin’s perfectly maintained lips on his, the feeling that this is right, that they were meant to find each other, to slot perfectly with one another and just do this.
And then Edwin pulls away. Looking horrified.
“Charles I…” He gulps. “Oh God, i’m so sorry.”
He turns away, evidently about to run off and Charles stares after him, frozen in shock. Did that really just happen? There are tears in his eyes although he’s not quite sure why. He definitely isn’t sad. Not about the kiss anyway. In fact, any sadness within him was because of the fact that Edwin’s hands weren’t on his face right now. Shit.
“Edwin stop!” Charles sprints after him, grateful that he’s always been the faster one, catching up and grabbing his arm to stop him. Tears are streaming freely down his face now, overwhelmed by the emotions his stupid best friend/detective partner threw at him in a hurricane formation. He smiles.
“Edwin do it again.” He says, sounding delirious even to himself. It was such an odd sensation, being this happy, feeling as though the one thing that had been missing all along finally found him and he recognised it straight away.
“What?” Edwin looks just as confused.
“Please mate.” Charles takes both of Edwin’s hands into his, and he gets the feeling that his heart soars when he sees him laugh uncharacteristically shyly - although he’s not too sure he has a real heart now?
“Do not call me ‘mate’, Charles Rowland.” Edwin smiles wryly, inching closer ever so slightly.
“Okay, I won’t.” He replies giddily. And then he feels it all over again. All the emotions rushing into him as Edwin Payne kisses him.
It’s gentle and hungry at the same time, as if Edwin had been waiting years to do this but had never had the guts to. Charles was quite sure it had been a fairly long time since Edwin had done something like this but he somehow led them both through it, bossy as always. Charles supposed he ought to be grateful for that - it wasn’t like he didn’t know what he was doing but he didn’t know if he should be doing something different to make a boy happy instead of what you’d do with a girl. Also - Edwin was very progressive for his era, how did that happen? Charles pushed his burning questions away and was just grateful that Edwin was comfortable enough to do this. He might not have known his protection over Edwin and his need to constantly be by his side was because he loved him -does he love Edwin?- but now that he does he’s not letting anyone, not even death, take it away from him.
Edwin touches his face like he’s made of glass and kisses him like he’ll die (again) without doing so and Charles is weirdly thrilled by it. Eventually, Charles slides his back down the tree he got pushed up against by his bossy best friend, or boyfriend if that was what they were now, and pulls Edwin down by the hand with him. Edwin tries to sit opposite him but Charles shakes his head with a smile and all but drags him onto his lap.
“That’s very improper I’ll have you know.” Edwin chides.
“Ah, I apologise. Tell me, Edwin, how do I fulfil the fantasy of lying under you with minimal clothing whilst you kiss me in a proper and professional manner?” Charles raises an eyebrow with a grin and Edwin swats him, clearly trying not to laugh.
“That happens in private. Where nobody can see.” Edwin folds his arms and Charles can’t help himself. He leans forward and wraps his own around Edwin’s lower back. It still felt strange that he was being so intimate with his best friend but it also felt good, and he didn’t want to hinder whatever this was between them by being scared or nervous.
“Nobody can see us, we’re dead.” He offers.
“Are you okay?” Edwin asks after a brief pause, and Charles doesn’t know how to explain that he is and isn’t at the same time. Edwin either feels the same or completely understands as he follows his question up with “We can take things as slow as you want or we can just scrap it entirely. I’m sorry I sprung that on you.” He tries to remove himself from Charles’ lap but he shakes his head, looking down, and places firm hands on his hips.
“I didn't know I liked you until you kissed me. But I feel a bit odd. I thought I liked girls?” Charles tries to explain.
“You can like both you know. Niko told me so, and who knows, I could just be an exception. That is if you truly do have feelings for me of course?” Edwin stretches out a tentative hand to cup Charles’ face as he says this.
“An exception huh? Bit full of yourself aren’t you.” Charles laughs, earning a flick to his ear. “I do like you I just don’t know what I’m doing. It’s a lot to process.”
“I know.” Edwin says. And Charles knows he means it. “I want you to process it with me. Please, Charles, I’m not sure I’ve ever been so entirely sure about something in life or death as I am about the fact that I simply cannot go on any longer without being with you.”
It shocked Charles how oddly poetic Edwin was being. Edwin who was usually so blunt and snappy, pleading for him.
“Hey,” Charles started, feeling flustered at the desperate look in Edwin's eyes as he looked down at him. “I’m not going anywhere okay? We’ll figure this out together, we always do. Just be patient with me yeah?”
Edwin nods, with a small smile.
“Do you need anything from me?” He asks.
“Maybe a hug?” Charles sighs into the hug Edwin envelopes him in, feeling overwhelmed by the love radiating from it. He hadn’t been cuddled since before he died, he’d only had a brief hug with Edwin a few times when they managed to get themselves away from extremely close calls. It felt good.
“Maybe a kiss too?” He asks, looking up with a smile and a wink. He couldn’t help himself - Edwin knew how to please clearly.
Edwin shook his head with a smile before kissing Charles softly, laughing when their teeth clashed as they both smiled.