Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The attic was cold. Edwin knew from experience that this was the case. The space was rarely used except for storage, so at his time at St. Hilarion’s, it became a refuge. At least, it was until his untimely expulsion. But he couldn’t think about that now. 

The first step was warm clothes. In those long hours hiding up there, he’d stumbled across several old uniforms kept across the years. The only one that fit his gangly frame was from 1916, if the tag was to be believed. He removed the blood stained, formerly white t-shirt and sweatpants and hid them in a corner where he wouldn’t have to look at them. Though a part of him wanted to burn it and anything else related to that place, he knew it would be wiser to keep it as a change of clothes. 

When he caught a glimpse of himself in a tarnished, old mirror, he gasped. With his pale skin and old fashioned clothes, he looked like a ghost.

“You could pretend to be a ghost to scare people away, just like in Scooby Doo!” he imagined his old friend saying. He wondered if Niko was doing okay. Wherever she was, he was certain she was thriving, just as he was certain that she would be better off if he stayed far far away from him.

His stomach grumbled, reminding him of step two. The cafeteria was directly below, so he slipped out of the attic and downstairs into the kitchen. He grabbed a loaf of bread, a carton of orange juice, a jar of jam, and, as an afterthought, a leftover cookie. 

As he slipped through the halls, he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps and laughter. Heart pounding, he dashed into a classroom. 

“What was that?” a boy said.

“What was what?” a second replied.

Edwin covered his mouth with his hand, trying to muffle his breathing. 

“Thought I saw someone.” The footsteps get closer.

“No one’s there, Charles. You’re just paranoid.”

“Or maybe it’s a g-g-g-ghost!” a third voice replied.

Charles chuckled. “Alright, let’s just get outta here."

Edwin waited until the sound of moving feet had completely faded. Then, he moved, racing up the stairs as fast as he could without making a noise. He had grown adept at moving quietly over the past few months.

Once he was in the safety of the attic, he could finally breathe again. He made and inhaled three sandwiches and almost half the carton of juice. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten. Probably days.

The food in his belly and the relative safety of the attic lulled him into the closest thing to a restful sleep that he’d had in two years.

…

There were rumors of a ghost going around the school. Charles had heard them, and even told his own story in hushed whispers. The ghost was seen in glimpses in the hallways and heard as footsteps coming from the attic. Some students would talk about missing books or school supplies (though Charles suspected that they were just blaming the ghost for losing their own stuff, not that he judged them any).

It had been a few weeks since he first saw the spirit flit into an empty classroom in the middle of the night while sneaking out with his mates. In that time, the winter chill had set in and classes had ended. Like always, he and his mates opted to stay at school instead of going home for Christmas. Sure, he missed his mom, but his dad loved to drink away his end of year bonus. No, it was better to stay back and hang out with the rest of the guys.

But then he caught them beating the shit out of Amin just because he was Pakistani. Like Charles was somehow better for being half-Indian. His so-called friends immediately turned on him, beating him, chasing him into the freezing lake, and pelting him with rocks. Somehow, he managed to get to the other side and limp to the school building. They probably wouldn’t kill him once he was within hearing range of his teachers.

He headed upstairs to the attic. Rumors of the ghost had scared them away from it, not that anyone went up there in general. He would hide and lick his wounds, just like he did at home. With all the pain and the biting chill, he didn’t register that there was some kind of living space, a nest of old blankets along with a pile of food. He grabbed the nearest blanket and curled into a shivering fetal position.

…

When Edwin heard the footsteps climbing up the attic stairs, he froze, a wave of panic cresting over him. The door handle turned, and he cursed himself for not locking it when he snuck down for more food. When it cracked open, he spurred himself into action, taking shelter behind some boxes just as a boy stumbled in.

“Where’d he go?” someone said below.

“Doesn’t matter. He knows what’ll happen if he snitches.”

The boy shut the door behind him and staggered to the makeshift bed Edwin had thrown together. He looked so cold, and the Despair came off him in waves. For a moment, Edwin closed his eyes, practically tasting it. But then he shook himself out of it. The boy needed his help.

Peering from around the box, he ascertained that the poor kid seemed to have passed out. He shivered in his sleep, so Edwin grabbed the oil lamp to better examine him and perhaps provide him with some more warmth.

“Who’s there?” the boy called out, and Edwin froze. Oh no.

His mouth went dry with panic.

Scooby Doo, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Niko’s said.

“You can see me?” he blurted out.

Chapter Text

Edwin hadn’t intended to pretend to be a ghost. It just sort of happened, and when the rumors began, he wasn’t about to set the record straight and get kicked out of the only relatively safe place he knew. So, he just fed into it. He wore the uniform every time he ventured outside the attic and made sure that, if anyone saw him, it was fleeting glimpses. Preferably, no one did, but the ghost story was a good cover.

The boy shivered, reminding Edwin of why he decided to reveal himself. He awkwardly held up the lantern. “I saw those bullies chasing you, and I thought you might be able to use this. It will warm you up, and if they come here, you can turn it off to avoid detection.”

He kneeled in front of the boy. “I had bullies in my time too. Not to worry. I shan’t hurt you.”

The boy smiled and took the lantern. He had such a lovely smile, and the thought sent a painful twang through his chest. “Cheers mate. I’ve never been so cold. The name’s Charles.”

Edwin took a seat beside him. He knew he should send the boy to sleep and heal him, but it had been so long since he’d spoken with a friendly face. “I’m Edwin.”

“Haven’t seen you around the school.”

“It’s been a while since I attended here.” It was a half-truth. Not as long as a ghost from the Edwardian era where his uniform came from, but the past two or three years of his life had been so long that his time at St. Hilarion’s felt like an eternity ago.

“You said you had bullies too, right? Well, those guys were my mates. At least, I thought they were. But they were beating this Pakistani kid, and I tried to stop them. I mean, I’m half-Indian. Why am I so different? I guess they agreed.”

His heart broke for the poor guy. In another time, they could have been friends. Maybe Charles would have even protected him from Simon and his friends. He seemed like a good person, which was exactly why Edwin needed to stay far away from him. "Back in my time, India and Pakistan were two different countries." It was one of the few tidbits about the era he still remembered from history class. Perfect for the ghost story.

Charles chuckled, and then blinked. "Wait. What?"

"I am dead, Charles."

The other boy squinted at him. "But you look pretty alive to me."

"I assure you that appearances are deceiving. I attended school here from 1913 to 1916." He felt a little bad lying to the guy. But if it meant Charles would leave him alone, it was perhaps for the best."

"No way."

"I am afraid so."

"How did you die?" Charles blurted out.

Edwin looked away. "I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Sorry. That was insensitive, wasn't it?" Charles's eyes were so full of concern that Edwin wanted to reach out and hug him. But that would reveal the ruse. Instead, he shrugged.

"I'm not offended. It's simply a memory I would not share at the moment."

"Understood, mate. I'd feel the same way." He coughed, red spattering his lips. He wouldn't last much longer. Not unless Edwin helped him. And that meant that the conversation was now drawing to a close, as much as he wished he could keep it going. Regardless, Charles was better off without him.

“Perhaps you should get some rest. Things will seem less awful when you wake.” Heart pounding, Edwin wrapped an arm around Charles and wove a gentle sleeping spell.

He yawned. “Aren’t you supposed to stay awake when you have hypothermia?”

“Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Wake me…if I die…” he mumbled as he slumped against Edwin.

“I promise that you will not be dying tonight.” Once Charles was asleep, he knew he had to work fast. The boy was dying, but would not die, not if Edwin had anything to say about it. He laid Charles on his side and quickly picked up all his food and detritus. When Charles woke, he needed to believe that Edwin was nothing but a dream. Then, Edwin cleared a path to the small storage closet on the other end and hid a few musty blankets.

Now, it was time for the truly unpleasant business. He hiked up Charles’s still damp shirt. A hook appeared between his fingers. “I’m sorry about this,” he whispered and cut a small line along his stomach. Then, he cut it along his palm and pressed his bloodied hand to Charles’s abdomen.

Under normal circumstances, he would worry about AIDS, but he was not the kind of being that could contract or spread it. Not anymore.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on absorbing all of Charles’s pain and despair, granting his deepest desire to live.

Desire and Despair were twins, after all. One cannot exist without the other. It went against his nature to grant a desire, so the negative effects rebounded back on him. He would take on Charles’s pain and injuries, healing him in a sort of equivalent exchange. He’d suffered worse, and it was rather hard to kill him. All in all, it was a small price to pay for Charles’s life. 

He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath in and imagining the boy’s injuries flowing from him and into Edwin while his own good health flowed into Charles. Soon, the other boy’s skin grew warm beneath his fingertips and his breathing eased. Edwin, though, felt every blow, struck both by the stones and the knowledge that Charles’s supposed friends were laughing as they slowly killed him. Shivers ran through his body as his temperature dropped.

Once he was sure Charles had been healed, he pushed himself to his feet and staggered to the storage closet. He shut the door and collapsed onto the hard floor, wrapping himself in a blanket. With any luck, Charles would wake up believing that this was all a strange dream.

…

Consciousness returned to Charles slowly. He’d dreamt of…of a ghost? No, of a boy with hands too warm to belong to a ghost, right?

It had to be a dream. 

He pushed himself to his feet, stretching. He felt a strange pull at his stomach and looked down. A thin cut ran along his abdomen, and suddenly, the rest came back to him with a jolt.

He should be hurt a lot worse. His so-called friends tried to kill him last night. And they probably would have succeeded if they had gone into the attic. But they didn’t and now he was…fine?

Better than fine, actually. He felt well rested and like he could run a marathon. He was aces, and it didn’t make sense. 

Maybe the ghost boy hadn’t been a dream after all. But he’s never heard of a ghost healing a person before. He scanned the attic, searching for signs of the spirit and finding nothing.

His stomach grumbled and he realized that his mouth tasted like dirty pond water. Though he was reluctant to face those pricks again, he knew he couldn’t stay in this attic forever. Besides, he needed to check in on Amin and make sure he was okay after…all that.

Steeling his resolve, he headed downstairs to brush his teeth and get himself sorted. He would look for his supposed magic ghost later. A shower and a change into sweat clothes made him feel leagues more human, almost letting him forget the dread of the inevitable.

His former mates blanched when they saw him at breakfast. He pointedly ignored them, piling food high on his plate. Pancakes and waffles and sausages and bacon. When was the last time he’d been so hungry?

Amin sat in the corner with his back to the wall. Charles joined him, sitting a chair apart to fine him some space. “You okay, mate?”

Amin nodded. “Yes, I…thank you. For last night. I-I don’t know what they would have done to me.” 

Charles’s bite of pancake went down a little too hard as he swallowed. He knew exactly what his former mates would have done, but Amin didn’t need to know that, so he flashed a smile. “Brills! Just try to keep your distance from them, alright? They’re probably gonna leave you alone after this, but better be safe.”

Amin nodded. “Right. Are—are you okay? I saw they were, well…”

He shoved a slice of bacon into his mouth. “Oh, me? Yeah, I’m aces. I heal fast.”

Amin looked skeptical, but didn’t push for answers that Charles didn’t have. They finished their breakfast in silence. His mind drifted back to the strange boy in the attic. Was it a dream? He never really believed in the Christian God like his dad or Hinduism like his mom. They’d raised him without religion, but now, Charles was really beginning to wonder if he’d met his guardian angel the night before.

One of his former mates, Patrick, found him in the hallway on the way back to his room. “Charles, hold up, mate.”

He froze and turned around slowly, his smile barely more than a snarl. “What do you want?”

“Well, the rest of the guys and I were talking, and you know we didn’t mean last night, right? We were just drunk and having fun.”

“You could have killed Amin, and you nearly killed me. So, honestly, I don’t give a shit whether you meant it or not.” He loomed over Patrick, using his superior height to intimidate his former friend and hating how much it reminded him of his father when he was in one of his moods.

Patrick shrank back, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. “Look, we’re sorry, okay? Let’s just forget about this and move on.”

Charles slammed his hand against the wall beside Patrick’s head, both loving and hating how it made the boy flinch. “Stay away from me and from Amin. Tell the rest of our mates to do the same, and I will consider not saying anything.”

Patrick swallowed, his Adam’s Apple bobbing. “Okay, mate, whatever you say.”

Before his anger truly reared its ugly head, he turned on his heel and stormed down the hall. He had a mystery to solve, and he didn’t want to deal with his former friends.

Just in case the door was locked, he retrieved his lockpicking kit from underneath his mattress. It was a good thing he did too, because it was, in fact, locked when he returned to the attic, lending further credence to the guardian angel theory. When he stepped inside, he locked the door behind himself again. He didn’t want his former friends to follow him.

Now that he had a better look at the attic in the daylight, he could tell that someone had been living there. Food crumbs littered the floor and boxes had clearly been rummaged through. Now that he thought of it, that bed of blankets he’d stumbled into the night before was also strange.

Still, there was no guardian angel to be found. Until he spotted the door at the end of the attic. 

Opening it, he saw the boy who brought him a lantern the night before and somehow healed his wounds. 

But now he looked awful. His skin, already pale in Charles’s hazy memories, now had taken on a sickly grayish tinge, creating a stark contrast against the blood flecked on his lips. He shivered and curled tighter on himself as he clutched a tatty old blanket.

Still, the sight filled him with joy. The night before hadn’t been a dream after all. Charles grinned. “I bloody knew it!”

Chapter Text

Edwin woke with a jolt.

Someone spoke to him.

But she couldn’t be here.

He got away.

Didn’t he?

Then why did he hurt so much?

He pushed himself up and scooted back away from the sound until his back hit the wall. Inhaling hurt, making him cough. It wracked his chest, sending searing agony through his body. 

Whoever they were, they were still talking to him, and he felt a hand take his with a shocking gentleness. She had never been gentle. The stranger brought Edwin’s hand to their chest, exaggerating their breathing. Were they…were they trying to calm him down?

“Hey, hey, you with me, mate? Try to breathe with me, okay?”

Edwin shivered. He’d never been so cold and yet so warm at the same time. Was he running a fever? His breath came in gasps, and dizziness threatened to overtake him.

But the voice was familiar and comforting. He knew this voice and sensed that he wasn’t a threat. Not like she was.

He tried to focus on the words the boy was saying, because it was a boy and not her. He knew that now. What was his name? Charles? 

Right. 

It was Charles. 

The boy who nearly died protecting a classmate from bullies. What was he doing here?

“C-Charles? Are you okay? Did she take you too?”

When his face swam into Edwin's vision, Charles had furrowed his brows in concern. “Did who take me? No one else is here, mate, and I locked the door behind me. Edwin—your name is Edwin, right? I need you to breathe with me, okay? I’m sorry I scared you, but I need you to breathe.”

He forced himself to take a slow, deep breath in and then exhale. His body ached in protest, but his head was slowly becoming clearer.

…

Charles wanted to kick himself. What was he thinking? The other boy was obviously sick, injured, and running from something and he had to give him a scare. He was a total knob. Scrambling to his knees, he followed as his guardian angel backed away. Taking the other boy's long, delicate hand, he pressed it to his chest and exaggerated his breathing to try to help the other boy calm down. 

What was his name? He searched through the haze of his memories from the night before. Edmund? Edward? No, Edwin! His name was Edwin.

The guardian angel asked him some barely coherent questions, the panic obvious in his eyes. Slowly, though, he seemed to come back to awareness. Green eyes finally met Charles’s brown and he sagged bonelessly against the wall.

With the panic gone, Edwin’s brows furrowed with concern. “Charles, what are you doing here? Did I not heal you completely? Because unless you’re dying, I don’t think I’ll be able to take on much more, if it’s all the same to you.”

A thrill of vindication ran up his spine. “You did save me! I knew it wasn’t a dream.”

“I’ll admit that I rather hoped you would assume it was nothing but a dream,” Edwin said softly, his gaze steadfast on the floor.

Charles blinked. “Why would you? Seems awful lonely up here, shivering by yourself. At least last night, I had you for comfort.” His attempt at a joke fell flat. Edwin didn’t even look up. “But seriously, mate, what happened? You seemed fine last night.”

“It’s a rule of magic, I’m afraid. I granted you a desire, so all your pain and despair has rebounded upon me.”

Charles’s jaw dropped, words failing him. No one had ever done anything like this for him before. Not even his mother—as much as he loves her—would step between Charles and his dad to protect him from pain. Not that he wanted her to, of course. That would hurt almost as much as his dad’s belt. But Edwin, a complete stranger, took on all his injuries and pain, and healed him at his own expense. He probably saved Charles’s life and he didn’t even expect a ‘thank you.’

Why? Why would he do that? What did Charles do deserve it?

Tears prickled in his eyes, and he looked up, willing them away.

“Why?” he choked out.

“Well, it goes against my nature to grant a Desire, but it’s another side of the same coin as Despair. The magic has to equalize somehow, somehow, and I bore the brunt of it,” Edwin replied, clearly choosing his words carefully.

“No,” he snapped, shocked at his own anger. “Why me? You don’t know me. Why would you put yourself through that for a complete stranger?”

Edwin flinched, sending a wave of guilt through Charles. “Because you needed my help,” came the barest whisper of a reply.

There are moments when Destiny looks up from his book, when the river of fate’s branching paths consolidate into an immutable river. When Charles heard this strange, lonely boy’s response to taking on the suffering of a stranger with no expectation of gratitude, the trajectory of the world changed, and with it, countless lives. But neither Charles nor Edwin knew this yet. All Charles knew was that he had made a decision. From that moment forward, he was going to protect this boy with his life.

“Sorry I snapped. I just…I’m trying to wrap my head around all this. I just have so many questions.”

Edwin’s eyes were starting to droop shut. “So I suppose you won’t simply forget we ever met.”

“Sorry mate, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Charles waited for his response, but it seemed as though the panic attack had taken a lot out of his new friend. Edwin was nodding off again, his body sagging against Charles seemingly of its own accord. Charles pulled the blanket up to Edwin’s chin as his eyes drifted closed. “But it's okay. We’ll go at your pace.”

…

Edwin was warm when he woke. His body still ached, but he was feeling better. But then he felt the rise and fall of someone else’s chest. Someone he was leaning against. His eyes shot open and he sat upright, his heart thrumming like a hummingbird through his aching chest.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Charles said. He had an ancient copy of The Strand in his hand. 

“How long was I out?” He’d fallen asleep. How could he have fallen asleep around a stranger? Sure, he was certain Charles wouldn’t hurt him, but after everything, the idea of letting himself be vulnerable like that sent a wave of terror through him. He scooted away, his back against another wall to give himself some distance.

Charles didn’t seem to take offense. He simply smiled and held up his book. “Long enough for me to read through one and a half issues of this thing. They’re pretty aces. Have you read any yet?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t much to do but read these things. I’ve always been a fan of detective stories, though, so I don’t mind.” But then the implications of what Charles said sank in. “You read one and a half? But that would mean I was asleep for hours.”

Charles shrugged. “Yeah, my butt’s pretty numb and I have to take a piss, but it’s all good.”

“You stayed with me all this time?” His traitorous heart fluttered. He tried to remember the last time someone stayed with him when he was feeling poorly and came up blank. And he immediately shut down the thought. It was too depressing to think about.

Again, Charles shrugged like this was as trivial as throwing a few pence in the collection plate at church on Sunday. “I figured my shoulder would be more comfortable than the floor anyway.”

“I slept on your shoulder?” Edwin practically squeaked. His cheeks burned like fire. He hoped that Charles wouldn’t notice in the dim light.

“Hey, it’s the least I can do for the bloke who saved my life.” Charles's stomach grumbled. Right. If he had been up in the attic for hours, he probably would not have eaten. Edwin was used to going hungry, but magical healing takes a lot out of a person. He was probably ravenous.

“I-I have some bread and jam if you would like,” Edwin offered. “I’m afraid I don’t know the time, but I imagine that you’re quite hungry. It's it in the box right outside the door. There should be some orange juice in there as well.”

“Is that what you’ve been surviving on this whole time?” 

Edwin shrugged. “I’ve lived off worse.”

Charles’s cheerful mask slipped away, revealing a flash of concern before he smiled again and got to his feet. “Cheers, mate. I’ll get you some too. Gotta keep your strength up, eh?”

He returned moments later with the food and drink. Taking a knife Edwin stole from the kitchen, he spread the jam over the bread and made a sandwich. He gave the first one to Edwin before taking his own and devouring it.

Edwin’s stomach was more sensitive at the moment, so he mostly nibbled on it.

“So, I‘ve been meaning to ask,” Charles said, making Edwin stiffen.

“Yes?”

“Why were you pretending to be a ghost?”

He let out a surprised bark of laughter. Of all the questions he knew Charles must have, this was the one he least expected. “Are you familiar with the cartoon, Scooby Doo?”

“The four teens and their dogs solving mysteries. Yeah, I know it.”

“Well, I admit that I took some inspiration from them.”

“Wait.” Charles’s eyes widened. “You were acting like a Scooby Doo villain?” He giggled, and soon, those giggles turned into guffaws of laughter.

Edwin, in spite of himself, chuckled. Charles’s laugh was contagious. But then he remembered that it was best if Charles stayed far away, and he straightened, sniffing disapprovingly. “Yes, well, it wasn’t my original plan, but it was the best way I could think of to avoid discovery.”

Charles’s laughter had subsided, but his eyes were still full of mirth. “You do realize they always get caught at the end of every episode, right?”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Well, I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for that meddling dying boy.”

At that, Charles’s face fell, sending a bolt of panic through Edwin. Had he said something wrong? 

“I really was dying, wasn’t I?” he asked, his voice suddenly somber. “I mean, I thought I was, but it’s weird to hear it out loud. Like, officially.”

Edwin felt the inexplicable urge to grab the other boy’s hand and give it a comforting squeeze. Instead, he simply smiled. “You were, but you aren’t anymore. I daresay you’re feeling better than ever, are you not?”

“Thanks to you.” The way Charles looked at him sent a fluttering through his chest, one of warmth followed by fear. It was a look he didn’t deserve. 

Edwin took a bite of his sandwich to avoid that warm gaze.

Charles chuckled. “I guess I am pretty meddling, aren’t I?”

In spite of himself, Edwin smiled. “Very.”

“So, what brings you here? How old are you? Were you a student at St. Hilarion’s?” Charles leaned in conspiratorially. “Did you find some buried treasure and you’re pretending to be a ghost until you can steal it?”

Edwin sighed. He’d been having a nice time, but he supposed it was inevitable. “I am sixteen years old or close enough to it, and yes, I did attend St. Hilarion’s, though I was…expelled near the end of my first year. I don’t remember seeing you, though. Forgive me if we’ve met and I’ve simply forgotten.”

Charles shrugged. “Only got the scholarship in my second year. Guess we just missed each other.”

“It would seem so. A pity. We could have been good friends.” He sighed, unsure where to proceed from there. “As for why I’m here, it’s because I had nowhere else to go.”

At that, Charles furrowed his brows and tilted his head like a puzzled puppy. “What do you mean we could have been good friends?”

Edwin sighed. “Well, now that I’ve been discovered, I suppose that it’s time for me to move on. It’s for the best.”

Eyes widening, Charles shook his head. He placed a hand on Edwin’s knee, making him stiffen as his heart skipped a beat. Cheeks coloring, Charles removed it, and Edwin mourned the loss. “I can keep your secret, mate. No one else has to know you here.” 

He looked so painfully earnest that Edwin’s heart squeezed. But Charles was a good person, and he deserved better than to be dragged into Edwin’s orbit. “I’m not exactly a safe person to be around. My…powers…attract attention. Dangerous attention. And they themselves are dangerous. So, it’s best if you stay and I go.”

“It sounds to me like you need a bodyguard.” Charles flashed him that same warm smile, and Edwin wondered how anyone could ever say no to him. Still, he had to try. Charles had no idea what he was getting into.

His appetite, which had been weak before, had vanished completely. He set down his sandwich, studying the jam and crust because it was easier than looking at Charles. “I’m not very good with people. It comes with the territory of being the son of the God of Despair.”

Chapter Text

“The son of what?” Charles tilted his head. He didn’t look frightened or repulsed, merely curious.

The more he knew, the more danger he was in, but Charles didn’t seem like he’d scare easily, so Edwin had to give him something to get him to stay away. “I’m the son of one of the Endless, though I suppose that doesn’t mean much to you. The Endless are seven godlike beings that preside over aspects of life. There’s Dream, Destiny, Death, Destruction, Delirium, Desire, and Despair. My mother is the living embodiment of Despair, so my power comes from hopelessness and human misery.”

“Which is why you reacted so badly to healing me,” Charles said, his eyes widening in understanding, but frustratingly not in fear. “You said that granting a Desire is the opposite of your powers.”

In spite of himself, he was impressed. Charles was remarkably quick on the uptake. “In a manner of speaking. It’s more like they’re two sides of the same coin. You cannot have Desire without Despair and vice versa. Therefore, I can tap into those powers in a way that I cannot tap into other powers like The Dreaming. But going against my nature like that comes at a price, as you saw. When I use my powers the way I’m supposed to, I hurt people. I’ve gotten people killed by accident, something that I will always have to carry with me. And I would rather not risk losing control and hurting you if at all possible.”

There. That should do it. Perhaps he should have gotten into the specifics of the killings, but he didn’t want Charles to hate him. Still, he should want nothing to do with Edwin ever again.

So, why was he looking at Edwin like that? And why was his hand on Edwin’s shoulder?

“Listen, mate, I know a thing or two about shitty parents and being afraid of becoming them. It seems like you’re doing a pretty bang up job of being better than your mom. Besides, I’m aces with people.”

“You can’t just do whatever you feel like in the moment,” Edwin protested.

Charles shrugged. “It’s how I’ve lived my life so far.”

“And it nearly got you killed.”

“Well I guess that’s what I need you for.” He gave Edwin a sunshiney smile, the kind that he could already tell he would never be able to refuse for as long as he lived. “I guess you’re stuck with me.”

All he could do was close his eyes and take a deep, cleansing breath. “Right. Very well. But you will regret this.”

Charles laughs. “Brills! Let me loan you some clothes and give those a wash. No offense, mate, but you smell something awful.”

Edwin sniffed. He didn’t smell anything. Then again, he was probably used to his ambient odor. He did his best to keep clean, but it was difficult without access to showers or laundry. But still, the idea of being back in a t-shirt and sweatpants made his skin crawl. It was too…uncomfortably familiar. “Will I be wearing something like that?” he asked, nodding to Charles’s leisurewear. 

His mouth opens in an expression of mock offense. “Oi, what’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”

“Nothing! It’s simply…” He paused, searching for the right words. “Not my preferred look.”

“Oh, so you’re a choosy beggar, are you mate?” He didn’t sound offended, though, much to Edwin’s relief. “I’ll see what I can do.”

His smile was one of genuine gratitude. “Thank you. I know it seems like a rather odd request, but I have my reasons.”

Charles gave him a look like he’s studying him, but it was not in a way that feels invasive. It was gentle. Curious. When he came to a conclusion, he simply shrugged. “Yeah, I get it. Can’t stand wool myself. It’s too scratchy. Drives me proper mad.”

…

It was early late evening by the time Charles emerged from the attic. He rushed to his room and grabbed one of his formal uniforms. Though Edwin was much thinner—practically gaunt, now that he thought about it—they looked to be close to the same size. He had no idea why Edwin preferred these to something more comfortable. But he saw the look in Edwin’s eyes when he made the request. There was a touch of fear in there with the way he tugged his jacket closer. It was more than a fashion preference. Something bad had happened to him, that much was obvious.

Hadn’t Edwin said he accidentally killed someone? Was he on the run from the police? He didn’t think Edwin was capable of hurting people on purpose, so it had to be self-defense or an accident. 

Charles always had a good sense of people. He was quick to read his dad’s moods and could tell the good folks from the bad. Most of the time. He was wrong about his so-called mates, but he’d always had a feeling about them. He’d just ignored it because he was so desperate to belong with someone.

But Edwin had done something no one else had ever done for him. He’d saved his life and suffered in Charles’s place. No one could do all that for a complete stranger and still be a bad guy.

He grabbed a thermos that his mom brought him. It was a bit late for dinner, but if he was lucky, the cafeteria would still be open.

And as luck would have it, the cafeteria lady, Miss Betty, was just cleaning up. He affixed her with one of his trademark smiles and sniffled. “Hi Miss Betty.”

The old lady’s brows furrowed with concern. “I didn’t see you at dinner today. What happened?”

Charles coughed. “Think I came down with a bit of a cold. I don’t want to interrupt but I just woke up and realized I missed lunch and dinner.”

She tutted. “You poor dear.” Glancing around, she leaned in close. “I’m not supposed to do this, but I suppose there isn’t any harm in heating up some leftover chicken soup for you. Is that a thermos you brought?”

He nodded, giving her a sheepish smile. “I thought maybe I could take it back to the room with me. You know, since I dunno when I’ll wake up again.”

Though he may appear rough around the edges, he always had a talent for charming people, especially little old ladies. Miss Betty was not an exception to the rule. “Of course, dear. I’ll bring you a spoon too. Just have a seat over there.”

He sat at one of the tables. A few minutes later, Miss Betty emerged with a bowl and the thermos. She winked. “Some for now and some for later. Just make sure to return the spoon to me as soon as you can.”

His smile was genuinely grateful. Even with the jam sandwiches he’d eaten earlier that day, he was still starving. “Thank you, Miss Betty.”

“Feel better soon, luv,” she replied, heading back to the kitchen. 

He wolfed down the soup and returned the bowl. Keeping the spoon, he rinsed it off in the bathroom sink before taking it, the thermos, and the clothes upstairs to Edwin. He had to pick the lock again, but that wasn’t a big bother. Locking the door behind him, he crept to the closet where Edwin sat with his head down, arms being used as a pillow on his knees. He picked up his head when Charles approached. For a moment, he looked confused, and then it was replaced by surprise. Then, Edwin gave him a real, unreserved smile for the first time, and it was like clouds parting after a rain storm, revealing the sun. Charles would do anything to make him smile like that again.

“You came back.”

Charles blinked. “I said I would, didn’t I? Here.” He handed Edwin everything he brought. “A change of clothes. And I convinced Miss Betty in the cafeteria to make me some soup. I figured you were tired of jam sandwiches.”

Edwin looked genuinely touched, his eyes almost glistening. “Charles, you really didn’t have to—“

“I wanted to. You’re practically skin and bones, mate. We gotta feed you up, help you get your strength back before we get outta here.”

“You still want to come with me?" Edwin looked away, studying his hands. "Just by knowing me, you’re doomed to a life of misery, always on the run from people who would exploit us for their own gain. If you enter my world, there’s no turning back, no living a normal life. You must turn back from your friends, your family, your future. Everything.”

Charles thought back to his mum with some guilt. She would worry about him, and his dad might make her the target of his ire. But the thought of spending another year and a half with his would-be murderers made his skin crawl. So, he shrugged and smiled at Edwin. “Honestly, there isn’t a lot for me here. And your life may be hard, but it’s magic. How could I pass that up?”

How could I pass up a friendship with the one person who has ever shown me kindness without wanting anything else in return?

Edwin sighed, looking resigned, but under the surface, Charles could tell he was chuffed. “Very well. If you insist.”

“Good lad. I’ll give you a minute to change.” He stepped outside, standing with his back to the door like a bodyguard. When Edwin emerged from the closet, he was carrying the old uniform, which he’d neatly folded like a retail worker. Charles grinned and took it from him. “I’ll take that for laundry. Need to do a load anyway.”

Edwin swallowed, his Adam’s Apple bobbing. “Thank you, Charles.” He eyed the thermos as though unsure if he was allowed to ask for it.

Guessing his intent, Charles handed it to him. “Eat up. It’ll make you feel much better.”

Edwin sat with his back to the wall, careful to have a full view of the room’s door. Clutching the thermos close, he took a cautious taste of the soup. And then he was devouring it like it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.

“You might wanna slow down, mate. You don’t wanna get sick. Well, sicker than you already are.” Charles reached up to feel Edwin’s forehead like his mother used to when he was sick, but when the other boy flinched, he put it in his lap. “Sorry.”

Edwin blinked in confusion. “About what?”

“Shouldn’t have reached for you like that. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to check your temperature.”

“Oh.” He looked genuinely shocked that someone would respect his boundaries, and not for the first time, Charles wondered how Edwin came to be here. And then he wanted to beat whoever hurt Edwin with his cricket back until either it broke or the people who hurt Edwin broke. 

Edwin closed his eyes. His body was tense. Rigid. Like he was anticipating pain. “You may.”

Charles shook his head. “Nah, it’s alright. Just tell me if you’re feeling poorly, yeah?”

“Very well.” Edwin seemed to relax minutely. The poor guy did not seem to like touch. “I anticipate that I will be feeling well enough to leave in about two days. Will that be enough time for you to get everything in order?”

“Yeah, I’m game to go as soon as you’re ready.”

Edwin flashed him a brief smile, like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. “Thank you, Charles. For everything.”

Charles grinned. “It’s nothing.”

His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “No, Charles, it’s everything.”

And how could Charles not devote himself to Edwin after that?

Chapter Text

They left in the middle of the night. Edwin’s ribs and body still smarted, but he’d suffered worse. He could push through.

The day before, Charles had returned Edwin’s pilfered old uniform fully clean and dry. He was worried that washing the seventy year old clothes would irreparably damage them, but luck was apparently on his side. For the first time, they were clean and comfortable.

It had been a bit awkward, though, when Charles found Edwin’s old, bloody sweat clothes while they were getting ready to leave. “Uh, mate?” he asked, holding them up.

“Not to worry,” Edwin replied, his voice high in an approximation of cheer. ”That’s all mine, I assure you.”

An odd look crossed Charles’s face as he set the bundle down. “Not exactly reassuring.”

“I didn’t hurt anyone,” he said.

There was that strange look again. Was it concern? Charles got to his feet and gave Edwin’s shoulder a squeeze, seemingly careful to telegraph his movements and give Edwin plenty of time to flinch away. Though a part of him screamed that the touch would mean nothing but pain, Edwin stayed still, and even gave a small nod of consent. In their brief time knowing each other, Charles had been nothing but gentle and patient. He knew Charles would never hurt him.

His friend's warm brown eyes were filled with concern. “Again, that’s not the part that’s worrying me.” When he smiled, it was tight around the edges. “One of these days, we’re gonna talk about what happened to you. When you’re ready, of course. But I can’t protect you if I don’t know what I’m protecting you from.”

Edwin stiffened in surprise. “And who says I need protection?” He tried to infuse the words with the acerbic snark that got him in trouble in the past, but he was sure he failed.

Charles removed his hand, which was somehow both a relief and a disappointment. “I guess you don’t need it, do you? But I was thinking. What are we gonna do when we get to London? Because with your smarts and magic and my brawn, we’d make a good team and help a lot of people. Like Holmes and Watson.”

Edwin’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to start a detective agency?”

Charles looked away, his cheeks darkening. “Maybe that’s a dumb idea. I dunno.”

Edwin smiled. It was, perhaps, the first real, cheek splitting smile he’d worn in a long time. “To borrow from your vernacular, Charles, I think that’s brills.”

The look of utter joy on Charles’s face made  Edwin’s traitorous heart stutter in his chest. “Aces! Let’s get a move on, then. Moonlight’s burning.”

Edwin almost wants to ask Charles if he’s sure again. He’s been giving him every opportunity to back out of this and pretend they never met, and each time, he’d been given the same answer. You’re stuck with me, mate.

Still, as much as he wanted Charles by his side, it wasn’t fair of him to mislead him like this. He needed to make an informed decision, and that meant telling him the worst thing Edwin had ever done, even if it meant that he would never look at Edwin with that same warmth again.

“Wait, Charles,” he said, grabbing the other boy’s arm. Charles looked down in surprise, and Edwin realized that this was the first time he had initiated touch. And it could very well be the last.

He moved to pull back, but Charles placed his hand over Edwin’s. “What’s up?”

“I, um, I need to tell you something. About how I was expelled. It’s not a very good story, but you have a right to know about it.”

“Okay.” Charles’s voice was uncharacteristically serious as he led Edwin to sit beside him on an old trunk. His hand had not left Charles’s arm, and now he clutched it for support as Charles gave it a gentle squeeze. It might be the last time Edwin ever saw him, and he would savor it for as long as he could. “We don’t have to if—“ Charles began, but Edwin shook his head. 

“No, I need you to understand even if—“ Edwin cut himself off, letting out a shaking exhale. “Even if you change your mind about coming with me.” Even if you hate me.

Charles stayed quiet, waiting for Edwin to continue on his own terms. Edwin swallowed, his throat dry. “I suppose I should start at the beginning. I know I’m…odd. I’ve never been good with people—and don’t protest, you know it’s true. My mannerisms are strange and I’m rather prickly. And that’s not even getting into my abilities. Well, being odd means that there are others who think that they should shape you into being normal. By any means necessary. I trust that you’ve heard of the St. Hilarion Five.”

Charles inhaled sharply. “Those five boys who sold their souls to the devil and then killed themselves?”

Edwin’s throat tightened, and suddenly, he couldn’t meet Charles’s eyes anymore. “It was originally six, and none of them intended to take their own lives.”

His eyes widened. “What do you…?”

“It was a prank. Some older boys in my dorm grabbed me in the middle of the night, gagged me, tied me up, and dragged me to the basement.” He could still hear their cruel chants echoing in his ears. Fairy. Sissy boy. Faggot.

“Then one, Simon, began to read from a spell book he got from his older brother. He didn't know it, but the book was real, and I could feel the magic in the air, and I knew what was coming, so I panicked. I panicked and I took all the terror and despair I felt in that moment and I made them feel it. I wanted them to know pain and fear like I knew it. All my own agony on top of their own pain. Without realizing it, I tapped into my natural connection to Despair and I sent it out like a shockwave.” His breath hitched. He shouldn’t be crying. He had no right to weep for the boys he killed. “One by one, they took the ceremonial dagger they were going to use on me, and they cut their own wrists. And I don’t remember what happened after. I think using my powers for the first time exhausted me. I woke in hospital three days later." He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "My father made sure to keep my name out of the papers, but that was all he cared to do for me. He told me that he was finished with me and cast me out into the streets.” Letting out a stuttering breath, he tried to pull away, but Charles held his hand tight. “I understand if you don’t want to leave with me anymore.”

“Edwin…” Charles began, and he braced himself. This was it. Charles never wanted to see him again after his confession. But he had a right to know how dangerous he was. “Mate, can I give you a hug?”

Edwin blinked. “What? I just admitted to driving five of our classmates suicide with my inherent magic and you want to hug me?”

“It sounds a lot like self-defense to me. And you didn’t mean to do it, did you?”

“Of course not! I would never—I—“ Edwin stammered. “The point isn’t whether or not I meant to do it. The point is that I did it. And I did it because I was afraid and lost control.” Against his will, tears filled his eyes. “I might lose control again. I might hurt someone else. Charles, don’t you understand? I might hurt you in the worst way possible and drive you to take your own life.”

Strong arms wrapped around him. At first, Edwin tensed, anticipating pain. Charles loosened his arms and was about to let go when Edwin melted into it. He couldn’t remember the last time he was hugged, and that alone sent a wracking sob through him. Charles hugged him tighter—not tight enough to hurt but still tight enough to comfort. 

“It’s okay, Edwin. It’s okay. I’m here. It wasn't your fault and I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you,” Charles murmured over and over as he rocked them from side to side. Edwin felt like a child again, weeping into the arms of his nanny when bullies pushed him around and ruined his books. A part of him yelled to pull away because he wasn't deserving of such kindness after what he did, but that part was drowned out by his need for comfort after knowing nothing but pain for so long.

“But what about you?” he asked between hiccuping sobs.

Charles ran his hands through Edwin’s hair, another gentle touch he hadn’t felt in a long time. “I trust you, Edwin. You’ve been through something awful, and I don’t think I know even half of it. But you also saved my life for no reason other than because you could. You are a good person. You didn’t deserve any of what happened to you. No one does.”

Edwin wanted to protest, to say that there was something inherently wrong with him that made it right for him to go through what he did. But all he could do was weep.

Charles—kind, patient Charles—held him until he could collect himself. He never tried to rush Edwin, not even to remind him that dawn was fast approaching. Edwin had never been more grateful for anyone.

When he was done crying, he sat up, and Charles flashed him another of those warm smiles. “Feeling better, mate?”

“I…yes, I am. If you still wish to travel with me—“

Charles cut him off. “I do.” 

Edwin gave him a weak but genuine smile. “Then I suppose we’d best be on our way.”

…

So now, they were walking in the middle of the woods, heading to the station in town to take the earliest bus to London. Charles had some cash that his mother gave him. Not much. Just enough for two bus tickets and a meal to split between them.

He was still processing everything Edwin had told him. His magic had killed five people by complete accident. Charles knew he should probably be afraid, but all he could think about was the way the other boy’s breath hitched as he told the story, and how he cried for nearly an hour after. It was self defense, plain and simple, and Charles would never hold that against him. No, the person he was truly angry at was Edwin’s father. What kind of piece of shit would throw out his kid like that? (He knew exactly the kind of piece of shit, and that made it all the worse.) And the part that broke his heart more than anything was that Edwin seemed to think that he deserved it. He was more afraid for Charles than he was worried about himself.

The boy in question lagged slightly behind him. Just a step or two, but Charles made sure it wasn’t more than that. Judging by the way his breath would catch whenever he would stumble over a tree root or uneven ground, he wasn’t nearly as healed up as he pretended to be. But Charles knew that Edwin would clam up if he pressed, so he focused instead on navigating these dark woods.

Edwin stumbled and fell with a slight gasp. Charles whipped around without a second thought and offered his hand. “You need a break?”

Edwin ignored it, pushing himself onto his hands and knees. “I’m quite alright, thank you.”

“Yeah, well, I’m knackered.” He took a seat with his back to the tree. “Let’s just rest a tick before we get going again.”

“Charles, I’ve made us late enough already,” Edwin replied, as though his breakdown was little more than an inconvenience. But he didn’t get up, instead sitting beside Charles.

“Nah, we’ve got plenty of moonlight left.”

“Who goes there?” a voice called out.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

While Charles’s heart raced at the possibility of them being caught, Edwin straightened, squinting into the darkness. “Hamish?”

A figure emerged from the shadows. He was dressed like a groundskeeper, but Charles had never seen him before. His clothes, too, looked out of date. Like he belonged in another era. When he saw Edwin, he smiled, revealing missing teeth. “Edwin? Izat you, boy?”

Edwin beamed and pushed himself to his feet. “I’m terribly sorry I didn’t get the chance to visit with you upon my return, but I didn’t quite feel safe roaming the grounds. I’m so glad I got the chance before we left.”

Charles slowly got to his feet. “Edwin, who’s your friend?”

Hamish’s eyebrows shot up. “You can see me?”

He blinked and shot a confused glance to Edwin. “Yeah, why shouldn’t I?”

The old man laughed. “Because I’m a ghost, boy.”

Charles gaped, dumbfounded, at Edwin, who simply sighed. “I didn’t want to alarm you, but those who survive near death experiences often are capable of seeing the dead after.”

“Oh, that’s—that’s brills!” Slowly telegraphing his movements, he placed a hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “Next time, though, please just tell me the things that apply to me, okay? You can keep your past to yourself, but if there’s anything I need to know—“

“I shan’t keep anything else from you,” he said quickly. “Honestly, the possibility had slipped my mind. I’m terribly sorry.”

He gave the shoulder a gentle squeeze. “All good, mate. Really.”

Edwin seemed to relax minutely at that. “Still, I do apologize.”

Hamish chuckled. “So, what brings you two out here in the middle of the night?”

“We’re headed to London,” Charles said.

“Running away from the school, are you?” Hamish raised his eyebrows.

“Maybe.” He moved in front of Edwin, stepping between him and the ghost. “Is that gonna be a problem?”

“Charles…” Edwin said, his voice low. “That isn’t—“

Hamish threw his head back and laughed. “Well, there’s not much I can do about it either way. Just take care of Edwin.”

Edwin rolled his eyes, but when he spoke, there was a note of fondness in his voice. “I can look after myself, Hamish.”

“Sure you can. But you don’t have to do it alone.”

“He’s not,” Charles interjected. 

Edwin glanced back at him in surprise, but Hamish just nodded approvingly. “Good lad. Now off you get. You still have a few kilometers to go before you get to the station.”

Charles grinned. “Cheers, mate.”

And off they went.

Chapter Text

As the early morning bus slowly made its way to its destination, Charles fell asleep with his head on Edwin’s shoulder.

He was asleep with his head on Edwin’s shoulder.

And Edwin had no idea what to do.

He didn’t move, barely dared to breathe. All he could think about was this small point of contact, and the knowledge that Charles let his guard down with Edwin, knowing that he was a murderer. 

The best thing for Charles was to run far away, but he clearly was determined to be his friend. Edwin didn’t understand it in the slightest, but here he was sleeping on Edwin’s shoulder, trusting him like he wasn’t a monster. Niko was the only other person on earth who had ever trusted him like this, who treated him like he was worth something just for being who he was. No disgust. No judgment. Just acceptance.

This was a gift, and now that he had it, he had no idea what to do with it. But he knew that he could never squander it. Charles was too good, too kind to take for granted. 

Edwin did not die easily. He’d learned that from experience. Even when he begged for his aunt’s mercy, she would not come. He could come back from almost anything and survive almost any agony. And he vowed that he would endure everything he’d suffered and more to keep Charles safe and smiling. 

And for the second time in a week, Destiny lifted his head as Edwin and Charles’s fates intermingled and truly became one. He smiled, and gave a slight nod, and returned to his reading.

Soon, Edwin’s own eyes began to droop. But he shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake. If Charles was going to get some much-needed rest, then he had to stay awake and vigilant. He had to make sure they were safe, even if it meant fighting that bone-deep exhaustion that threatened to pull him under. 

When the bus pulled to a stop at their destination, Charles inhaled deeply and picked up his head. A part of Edwin mourned the loss of contact, but then Charles smiled and Edwin’s traitorous heart fluttered. “Shit, didn’t mean to sleep the whole time," he said. "Did I drool on you?”

He had, in fact, drooled, but Edwin wasn’t about to point that out. “It’s quite alright. I hope you slept well.”

Charles rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah, aside from the crick in my neck. Did you get any rest, mate?”

“One of us had to stay awake. In case—“ He hesitated, not wanting to dive into his fears. “Well, it was better if we slept in shifts.” 

Charles’s eyes furrowed in concern. “Edwin, mate, your eyebags have eyebags. How long have you gone without sleep?” 

He pressed his knuckles together, dreading the look on Charles’s face when he gave his answer. “Approximately twenty-four hours. But if it makes you feel better, I require less sleep than the average person.”

As expected, he did not look pleased. “Less sleep isn’t the same as no sleep. We’ll find a place where you can kip for a bit.”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “I assure you that I am quite alright.”

“Sure you are, mate. But I’ll feel better as soon as we’ve got some shelter.” Charles got up and collected his and Edwin’s bags. “Ready?”

“Quite.” He got to his feet and followed Charles off the bus, studiously ignoring the stray thought that he would follow Charles anywhere he wanted to go.

…

First order of business was finding a place to shelter, preferably one that won’t give them any nasty diseases. Charles watched Edwin wind his ways down London’s back alleys. He looked dead tired, and Charles was worried for him. But when was he not? 

The other boy did not look good. He was pale, with bags under his eyes and an almost imperceptible shake to his hands. But he still moved with confidence as though he knew exactly where he was going. 

“Got a plan, mate?” Charles asked. 

Edwin gave him the ghost of a smile. “Yes, actually. There was a place where I sheltered before. It was empty, but not yet condemned, so I figured out how to turn on the electricity and plumbing. It’s been some time, though, so I hope it’s still there.”

“Brills!” Charles exclaimed, truly enthusiastic despite the flare of anger at the mention of Edwin's father’s abandonment. If he ever got his hands on that piece of shit, he wouldn’t hesitate to lay him out.

Soon, they find themselves inside an abandoned factory. In chipped paint above the doorway, the sign read “Gadling’s Textiles.” Edwin led him to a side door and up the stairs into a dusty office. A desk sat near the window with a plush chair behind it, and a couch lined one of the walls.

He grinned at Charles. “Welcome to my humble abode. Quite frankly, I’m shocked it’s almost exactly how I left it.”

“This place is aces.” Charles plopped onto the couch, unleashing a plume of dust and sending them both into a coughing fit.

Edwin, though, kept coughing, doubling over and then falling to his hands and knees as blood flecked his lips.

In seconds, Charles was at his side, reaching for his shoulder. “Whoa, mate, are you okay?” 

Edwin flinched away. “I’m fine.”

“Coughing up blood is not fine. We should get you to a doctor.”

Sitting on his knees, he wiped the blood from his lips, smearing it across his cheek. “They can’t do anything. Trust me. I’ll heal on my own.”

Charles crossed his arms. “Because you’re the picture of health right now, eh mate?”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say that I was. I said that I’ll heal.”

“Or you’ll just get worse.”

“If I can survive getting my heart repeatedly cut out, I can survive a little internal bleeding,” Edwin snapped.

All the air rushed from his lungs. Charles could barely hear Edwin’s attempts to walk back what he said over the blood rushing in his ears. “Someone ripped your heart out? Repeatedly?”

There must have been something in his voice that gave Edwin pause, because he stopped talking. “It’s not important right now,” he finally said. “My point is that I will heal.”

“Who was it?” Charles growled. He was angry, so angry that is almost terrified him.

“Charles, it doesn’t matter—“

“It matters to me! Who was it? Who hurt you?”

Edwin got to his feet. “I said I don’t want to talk about it!”

“I need to know!”

“I’m not demanding to know about your father!” Edwin shouted, though his voice took on a strange reverberation.

With the words came the blow of his father’s belt, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes. Charles collapsed to his knees in shock and pain while Edwin backed away in horror, his hands coming to his mouth.

“Charles, Charles, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—I—“

“What was that?” he asked, his back still smarting. He gingerly got up. Edwin reached out to him as though to help him to his feet, but stopped apparently afraid to go much further.

“I—I used my powers on you,” Edwin said miserably. “It was an accident." He turned away, refusing to meet Charles's eyes. "And this was precisely the reason why I didn’t want you near me. I hurt people, even when I don’t intend it." There was a pause as Edwin took a stuttering breath and attempted to put on a brave face. "I understand if you don’t want to be around me anymore. It may be for the best.”

Charles’s heart still raced from the memories Edwin accidentally brought up. Because it was an accident, wasn’t it? Charles had backed Edwin into a corner, tried to force him to do something that he didn’t want to do, and Edwin had lashed out to protect himself in the only way he could.

Charles took a deep breath in and out, forcing the memories away. Edwin wasn’t his father. He didn’t hurt others for the sake of hurting. If he was, then he wouldn’t have stopped, apologized, and given Charles permission to leave. Edwin was a street cat, one that hissed and swiped with his claws at anyone who came too near, but only out of fear, not sadism.

He wanted to go to Edwin, but figured it would be best to keep his distance. The only way to show Edwin that Charles was a safe person was to let his friend come to him. “I can’t say I’m okay with what just happened," Charles replied, "but I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. And I’m sorry too.”

Edwin’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why on earth would you need to apologize?”

“I pushed you too hard, didn’t I? You told me that you didn’t want to talk about what happened to you, but I kept asking.”

Edwin shook his head. “No, that’s not an excuse.”

Because the other boy no longer looked on the verge of bolting, Charles approached slowly, as though to avoid scaring off a skittish animal. “Never said it was. Just that I shouldn’t have pushed you like that.”

Edwin didn’t meet his eyes. “I suppose that, if you’re really not going to leave, it’s a fair question to ask.” He paused, seeming to collect himself. “I was held prisoner by a witch for about a year and a half. But that’s all I wish to say about it right now. I’m afraid I’m not ready to talk about it just yet. If the information becomes pertinent, I’ll tell you everything, but until then, I would like to ask you not to press me about it. The memories are…not pleasant.”

Charles had so many questions about that revelation, but he knew better than to ask, especially now. “Totally fair. Just know that I’m here for you whenever you’re ready.”

Edwin looked up, his gaze painfully earnest. “And likewise, if you’d like to discuss your father…or anything else. But I promise I will never bring him up unless you broach the subject. I don’t want a repeat of what just happened.”

Edwin looked better. Less pale and shaky. Had he accidentally fed off Charles when he used his powers?

The other boy was feeling guilty enough already, so Charles decided that it was best not to say anything. 

“Can I…can I give you a hug, mate?” Charles asked. Edwin furrowed his brows. He swallowed, looking askance, and Charles took a couple steps back. “Only if you want to, though. It’s okay if you don’t.”

“I’m not great about touch. It conjures unpleasant memories.” Edwin closed his eyes and held out his arms. “But if you need one, then I would be glad to give it to you.”

“You sure? You don’t have to grin and bear it for my sake. I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

Edwin took a slow breath in and relaxed slightly on exhale. Opening his eyes, he gave Charles a soft smile. “As much as I dislike touch in general, the hug you gave me last night was rather comforting. I want to get used to it.”

Charles smiled, and with a final nod from Edwin, pulled him into a hug. For a moment, Edwin hesitated, and then he squeezed back. It pressed against the growing bruise on his back, but Charles didn’t care. He never wanted to let Edwin go.

Chapter Text

Charles knew that Edwin was clever, but he hadn’t realized just how brilliant his friend was. Within a week, he had the lights back on and the plumbing going. Apparently, whoever ran the factory before would occasionally sleep in his office for days at a time, because he had a bedroom, a whole bathroom complete with a shower, and a kitchenette. 

“I said it before and I’ll say it again, this place is aces,” Charles said, his arms full of cleaning supplies. 

“It would be even more aces if you helped me clean the bathroom,” Edwin said without looking up from where he scrubbed the floor.

“I still got kitchen duty, though,” he said, shrugging. "Remember? I won the game."

Edwin rolled his eyes. “I still think you cheated.”

“How can I cheat at paper, scissors, rock?” He grins, leaning against the wall. “So, I think you’re just a sore loser, mate.”

Another dramatic eye roll from Edwin. “And what, pray tell, is causing you to take so long?”

“I dunno what to say. It’s pretty gross in there.”

“It looks like I was the last one here, so that means it would be have been about a year and a half since it’s been used.”

Charles choked on air. Edwin had mentioned it before, but Charles had been so distracted by the pain and memories of his father that the words hadn't sunk in. T his time, though, it really registered. A year and a half. Edwin was held captive by an evil witch for a year and a half.

And he said it so casually too. Like, oh what have you been up to for the past year and a half?

Nothing much, mate, just being held captive and tortured for more than a year while no one looked for me. No big deal.

Charles must have been quiet for too long, because Edwin looked up, a quizzical expression on his face. “Is something the matter?”

He grinned. “Not at all. Just thinking about if I should tackle the fridge or the sink next.”

“Well, I shan’t keep you.”

“No you shan’t,” Charles teased.

Edwin arched a scathing eyebrow. He seemed to be calculating if Charles’s teasing was meant to be mean spirited or affectionate. Charles flashed him a playful smile, and he relaxed minutely. 

Note to self: don’t make too many jokes about the way Edwin talks. It was probably a bit mean anyway.

Edwin affected a bitchy expression, raised his eyebrows and made a shooing motion with his hands. “Go on then. I’d like to actually be able to eat out of it by the time I’m finished in here.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Charles replied, saluting and heading out the room. From behind his back, he heard a soft chuckle, and felt a flicker of warmth inside.

…

Edwin’s arms were getting tired, but the bathroom was only half cleaned, if that. With a sigh, he sat back on his heels. The bleach was beginning to give him a headache. Does bleach ever go bad? If so, should he be inhaling it? Perhaps it was for the best that Charles had kitchen cleaning duty. He could open the window if he needed, and Edwin would recover from any chemical pneumonia more quickly than he would.

He still felt terribly guilty about losing control the day they got there. Charles said he was forgiven, but Edwin still saw the times he subtly winced when he moved the wrong way. Edwin swore never to hurt him, and it only took a few hours to break that promise.

And the worst part was that he felt better after it. He no longer coughed up blood or felt cold or weak. Though he was still achy, he felt almost back to normal. And that knowledge made him sick to his stomach if he thought about it for too long.

As he scrubbed, he noticed a loose tile. It wobbled underneath his fingers. At first, he was annoyed, but then he realized that there was something underneath. He wedged his fingernails into the crumbling grout and pried it up.

Underneath was a small, lacquered box. He picked it up, studying it carefully. It looked old. His fingernails found the opening, and he pulled, only to realize that it was locked. He prepared to smash it open.

“Do you mind?” a voice snapped from behind.

Edwin yelped, his hand coming up to his racing heart. It was a ghost. Just a ghost. 

She appeared to be a few years older than him but wore a dress that looked to be common thirty years ago. Her arms were crossed and her face twisted in an annoyed sneer.

“Terribly sorry,” he said, offering it to her. “Is this yours?”

She squinted at the box. “I think so. It was important to me once, though I don’t remember why.”

“Perhaps we could be of assistance?”

The ghost rolled her eyes. “You and that sporty chap? You’re what? Twelve?”

“Sixteen,” Edwin retorted. He was almost sixteen anyway. Close enough that he thought of himself as sixteen. “But my friend knows how to pick locks. Assuming you don’t have the key, that is.”

“I don’t,” she replied sullenly.

“Well, then there’s nothing else for it.” He got to his feet and ventured into the kitchen. His friend hummed to himself as he worked. “Charles, I believe we have our first client.”

The ghost raised her eyebrows. “Client?”

Charles grinned. “Oh mate, that’s brills.” He turned to the ghost and held out his hand for a hand shake. “I’m Charles, this here is Edwin, and we’re getting started in the detective business, so today is your lucky day. What can I call you?”

“Gladys,” she replied, squinting quizzically at the proffered hand. “And exactly how long have you two been…er, in the detective business?”

“Oh, about a week.”

“Clearly, I have the most qualified detectives for the job,” she monotoned.

“Everyone has to start somewhere, right?”

Edwin handed him the box. “Can you pick the lock?”

“Faster than you can say open sesame.” He pulled a paperclip from his pocket and inserted it, wriggling it around for a bit. With a click, it opened.

Inside was a series of papers folded neatly. Far too many for what should have been able to fit inside. Edwin pulled the top one out and began to read. “Gladys, what was your job in life?”

“I was the secretary to an MP.”

“Do you recall the circumstances surrounding your death?”

“I’m trying to remember that. My life has become rather fuzzy. I think you finding the box woke me up, but I don’t know exactly why.”

“It looks to me as though you’d collected evidence of severe corruption committed by your former employer, Alan Saunders. Does that sound familiar at all to you?”

She furrowed her brows. “Let me see.” As soon as she touched the letters, her eyes lit up. Literally. They glowed white as she gasped. Throwing the box aside, her face twisted in fury. “That bastard!” Her voice reverberated through the whole factory, sending a chill through Edwin’s bones.  “I wanted to do some good. I thought I could make the world a better place, so I got into politics.” She laughed bitterly. “It was naive, I know. But he seemed to want to help. I learned what a fucking lie that was soon enough. But I was stuck, knowing what I knew, and I began to build a case against him. I hid everything in this abandoned factory to give to a reporter. But Saunders got to me first. He had me killed. And now I’ll fucking kill him!”

“Wait!” Charles shouted. 

She turned and glared back at him.

“Let’s make that Plan B.” He glanced at Edwin. “Mate, is that MP still around?”

Edwin blinked. Ask any other sixteen year old on the planet and he’d probably shrug and ask why Charles would assume he’d know, but Edwin wasn’t just any sixteen year old. When he escaped, he got his hands on his newspapers and read every article, so he knew not only that Saunders was still around but that he was angling to become Prime Minister. “He is! In fact, if this information gets out now, it will be far worse for him than back then.”

She blinked, visibly calming down and returning to her previous form. “So, if we get this to a reporter, we’ll be able to ruin him.”

Edwin and Charles exchanged grins. “Precisely,” Edwin replied, but then another thought occurred to him. “We should learn what the rest of the world knows about your death. It will help directly tie him to it. What was your last name, Gladys?”

She thought for a moment before her eyes lit up in recognition. “Evans. Gladys Eleanor Evans.”

…

When Charles ran away from school, the last place he expected to set foot inside again was a library. But, unfortunately, Edwin was right. They needed to research Gladys’s fate and figure out what the world already knew. It didn’t mean he had to like it.

Edwin and Gladys were off somewhere looking at something called microfiche and apparently were having a grand old time talking about something Charles wasn’t allowed to be privy to. Not that Charles was jealous, of course. Gladys was older and Edwin didn’t seem like the kind of bloke that would go for a…for a ghost.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course.

But there was something up. Edwin had sent him on a wild goose chase for some article and when he came back, both boy and ghost hushed up real fast. When Charles asked what they were talking about, they stayed mum.

He was just bored enough to grab a random book off the shelves and start reading when Edwin made a triumphant noise. “I found it.”

He and Gladys stood over his shoulder and squinted at the screen.

Gladys frowned. “It says that I disappeared. Nothing about me being dead, though.” 

“Well, this is just the first mention of you. We don’t know how long it took to find your body, if they found it at all.”

Charles flinched at Edwin’s bluntness. His friend meant well, but sensitivity was not his strong suit. He smiled warmly at her. “At least we know people were looking for you. He might even have been a suspect.”

He got a tight smile and a nod from Gladys in return. He could work with that.

“In the meantime, can you remember what happened immediately after your death?” Edwin asked. “Did you see where they took your—you?”

Gladys frowned. “I don’t remember much before you woke me up.”

“It’s alright. Just let us know if you remember something. If you weren’t found, it might help the case against Saunders,” Charles said.

Edwin flashed him a brief but grateful smile. If nothing else, he was aces at translating Edwin’s bluntness into something more palatable to clients.

Three boring days later, Edwin let out a sigh. “I have read every local paper from cover to cover, but aside from your initial disappearance, I haven’t found much pertaining to your case. I suppose that is to be expected, given how powerful he is, but I was still hopeful.” He looked up at Gladys. “I suppose that you don’t remember anything else.”

Frowning, she shook her head. “I’ve been trying. Nothing.”

Charles shrugged. “Well, we have all your proof, right? That should make him look guilty.”

“It’s circumstantial evidence,” Edwin and Gladys said in unison.

Edwin sighed, seeming to rub a growing headache from his eyes. He looked up at Gladys. “If you want to ruin his career, there is certainly enough evidence to do that, but without something solid, I don’t think he’ll go to jail. That said, it might renew interest in your case.”

Gladys seemed to sink in on herself. “We’ll send what we have to the newspaper. In the meantime, I’ll keep trying to remember.”

“And we’ll help jog your memory too, right Edwin?”

The other boy nodded. “Of course.”

Chapter Text

Initially, Gladys wanted to give her papers to the reporter that she was meant to meet with the night she died, but it seemed as though he’d gotten into an accident a few months after her own demise and moved on with Edwin’s aunt. He wasn’t sure if it was a genuine accident or Saunders tying up loose ends, but it was a few decades too late to follow that line of inquiry.

So, instead, he found a group of trustworthy journalists interested in taking down the powerful and left it with them. As Saunders’s career collapsed around his ears, he and Gladys focused on a side project, payment for taking on her case. They were proper detectives, after all, and professionals were paid for their jobs.

“At this rate, Saunders likely will never become Prime Minister,” Edwin said to Gladys as he handed her a newspaper. “They’re also reopening your case. Without a body or a solid connection, I’m not sure how far they’ll get, but he’s guilty in the court of public opinion.”

She sighed. “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for. As for the payment, have you got everything you need?”

“Not quite. I shall be right back.” Edwin leapt to his feet. Ever since the news broke, he felt strangely energized. Though he didn’t like to think about it, he had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with his powers. They were rooted in despair, so by ruining the man’s chances of becoming Prime Minister, he caused enough misery to give himself a boost while also keeping a murderer out of their highest electoral office. A win-win for everyone. 

He still hated the latent darkness inside him, but if he could find ways to do good with it, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

Charles was sitting on the couch playing with the Gameboy he’d brought with him from school. 

“Charles, a moment please,” he said.

His friend looked up. Over the past few days, Charles had been in a slightly sour mood, though Edwin wasn’t quite sure why. Sure, he had been a little distant, but he had a very good reason. And Charles would soon see why. “What’s up?”

“I need some of your genetic material.”

Charles blinked. “What? Why?” An awkward pause and then, “What kind of genetic material?”

“Plucking out some hairs should suffice.”

He stared at Edwin as though he’d grown two heads. “…Okay…yeah. Sure.” Charles pulled out some of his curly hairs and handed them over.

“Thank you so much. You’ll see why I need them soon enough.”

Charles laughed, almost sounding fond. No one had ever sounded fond of Edwin before. Not even Monty. The realization sent butterflies through him that he didn’t care to examine too closely. “Can’t I find out now?” Charles whined playfully.

“No, it’s a surprise.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “It’s not a hex or something, is it? Because I’ve been reading some of your magic books, and that would not be cool, mate.”

Even though it was a joke, the thought filled him with horror. “Perish the thought. If I get this right, it’ll be a very good surprise.”

With that, he raced out of the room and back to where Gladys waited with the supplies for the ritual.

“Alright,” he said. “Shall we?”

…

Charles hadn’t seen Edwin for two days. The only way he knew he was alive and hadn’t left was that he could hear Edwin and Gladys’s voices on the other side of the door. Now, he was getting worried. Edwin didn’t seem like the kind of guy who knew his limits. It had been two days without food, without sleep, and possibly without using the toilet. Charles tried to keep himself busy by cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, and sleeping areas, but his thoughts kept drifting to Edwin and whatever had him locked away for so long.

On the morning of the third day, he heard an exclamation. “I did it. I did it!” 

Edwin came barreling into their makeshift office on uncoordinated feet. The bags under his eyes looked like bruises, and he was as pale as their ghostly client. He triumphantly held an ordinary looking rucksack in the air.

Charles blinked. “Did what, mate?”

“Look!” He set the bag on the ground and shoved his leg inside. When he swayed concerningly, Charles grabbed his arm to steady him. Still looking slightly manic, Edwin pulled up the backpack, the leg disappearing as he lifted it up. “It’s attached to an infinite pocket dimension,” he said, still standing on one leg while his other was missing. He let the bag drop and handed it to Charles. “I made it for you.”

“You what?” He stared at the proffered bag, not quite processing it. For some reason, tears prickled in his eyes.

Edwin’s brows furrowed and he looked slightly hurt. “Do…do you not like it?”

The wounded expression on his face was enough to shake him out of his stupor. He took Edwin by the shoulders. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me. I’m just shocked you went to all the trouble.”

“Yes, well.” Edwin cleared his throat. “With everything going on, we didn’t really get the chance to celebrate Christmas, so I thought this would be a worthy gift.”

Wait, Christmas had been, like, two weeks ago. Between running away from school and their very first case, it had completely slipped his mind. Not that he really cared much about the holiday. His dad often spent it getting wasted on eggnog and his mom, being Indian, really only celebrated it because his dad wanted to. But Edwin had gone to all this trouble for him.

“That’s not fair,” he complains, though there’s no heat in it. “If I had known we were celebrating Christmas, I would’ve got you something too.”

“Your friendship is gift enough.” The sentiment was somewhat undercut by Edwin swaying on his feet.

Charles tilted his head. This was sweet, but Edwin was not the type to say touchy-feely stuff like this.  He chuckled. “You are deliriously tired, aren’t you, mate?”

Edwin blinked, long and slow. “Perhaps a bit. I haven’t slept or eaten in three days.”

Charles sniffed and wrinkled his nose. “Or bathed either.” He threw an arm around Edwin, careful to telegraph his movements so his friend could back away if he wanted. But Edwin allowed it, so he led him to the kitchen. “Let’s get you some food, a shower, and then you can have a kip. Sound good?”

“Alright. If you insist,” Edwin replied without resisting. Charles sat him down on the couch and then returned with a protein bar and a glass of water. He had been out to the local food pantry while Edwin was busy and managed to stock up on nonperishables without raising too much suspicion. He took his seat beside his friend and handed him the food and drink.

Edwin took a sip of the water, and that seemed to open the floodgates. He downed the water in one go and then devoured the bar. “Thank you, Charles. Here.” Edwin handed him the empty wrapper.

“You want me to throw this away for you?” he asked, confused.

Edwin shook his head, his eyelids drooping from exhaustion. He’d be drifting off any moment now. “No, it’s to practice retrieving things from the infinite pocket dimension. Losing a wrapper in there won’t be a problem if it doesn’t work at first. But when you reach for it, you must focus on the wrapper—what it looks like, what it feels like—I used your hair to ensure that the bag was attuned to what you want.”

“Good thinking mate. I tell you what: I’ll go practice and leave you to—“ Charles was cut off by Edwin collapsing against him with a soft snore. He chuckled. “Sleep on my shoulder, then. Fine by me.”

While Edwin slept, Charles practiced with the bag, doing as his friend asked. It took him a lot of time and concentration, but eventually, he retrieved the wrapper. Then, he dropped it and tried again. This time, it was just a little bit easier. Not much, but it felt like the bag was listening to him more and more with each attempt.

A soft sound broke Charles’s concentration. Edwin’s eyes darted behind his eyelids as his breathing picked up. He whimpered again.

A nightmare.

Should he wake him? But Edwin hadn’t slept in literal days. He needed the rest.

“No,” Edwin mumbled. “Esther, stop. Please. I’ll do anything. Please, make it stop.”

Esther? That must have been the name of the witch who tortured him for a year and a half. Charles forced his breathing to calm. Edwin needed his kindness, not his anger, even if it was on his friend's behalf.

“It’s okay, mate,” he whispered, slowly maneuvering his arm around Edwin’s shoulder, and stroking his hair the way Charles’s mother used to do when he had a nightmare. “You’re not there. You’re safe. I won’t let her hurt you.” Slowly, as Charles murmured sweet nothings, Edwin’s breathing slowed, and he began to relax again. “That’s it, Edwin. Just rest. I’ve got you. Nothing’s gonna hurt you. Not if I can help it.”

Edwin let out a breath, his body fully relaxing. Charles’s eyes began to droop too, and he drifted off  to sleep beside his friend.

…

Edwin woke from the best sleep he’d had in a long time. Most nights were plagued by nightmares, but if he had dreamt, he didn’t remember it. Slowly, he became aware of the fact that his pillow was warm and moving gently up and down. He had fallen asleep against Charles. Again. 

Damn it. He sat up abruptly, his heart fluttering with an emotion he refused to name.

Charles woke with a start. “Oh, sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you like that.”

Edwin cleared his throat. “No, I—I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Nah, you’re fine. After making me this fantastic gift, letting you nap on me is the least I can do.” Charles had the kind of smile that could rival the sun. The full force of it gave Edwin a warm sunburn across his cheeks.

“When’s your birthday, by the way?" Charles asked. "You set the bar pretty high.”

“Oh, um.” He did a mental calculus. “Five days ago?” Had he really turned sixteen five days ago? He had been so busy with the case and the bag that his own birthday had completely slipped his mind.

“Five days?” Charles jumped his feet in shock. His expression was appalled. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

Edwin shrank in on himself sheepishly. “I honestly forgot about it. Compared to everything else, it seemed unimportant.”

“Mate,” Charles said, turning around and bracing both hands on Edwin’s shoulders. As a rule, Edwin was not a fan of being touched. Charles’s comforting hands, though, proved that rules are made to be broken. “I am going to give you the best birthday ever.”

Cheeks coloring, Edwin looked away. He didn’t want to say that the bar for birthdays was so low that solving a mystery with a friend without even acknowledging the day constituted the best birthday he’d had in years. It certainly beat being tortured (the previous year’s festivities), being alone and homeless (the year before that), and the awkward, forced celebrations with all his dad's friends done over break as an afterthought in conjunction with Christmas. That would be a touch too pathetic, even for him.

Gladys cleared her throat, making both boys jump. “If you’re quite done with…whatever this is, I believe that I remember what happened to my body.”

Edwin turned his head towards her hard enough for his neck to crack. “What did you remember?”

She smiled sadly. “It’s in the Thames, unfortunately. So, I suppose that our business together is complete.” She frowned. “What next?”

“Well,” Edwin said, getting up, “I suppose it depends on what you want to do. If you're ready, my aunt will be here soon. You can go with her or leave now and remain on earth as a spirit.”

“That is correct. Thank you, Edwin,” came an unfamiliar female voice. 

For the second time in as many minutes, both boys yelped. A black woman sat at their desk, a warm smile on her face. 

“Who are you?” Gladys asked, her eyes wide.

Aunt Death’s smile didn’t change. Her eyes were warm and gentle as she got to her feet. Everything about her presence exuded comfort, like a warm fire and a good book on a snowy day. “You know who I am, Gladys.”

The ghost nodded. “Yes, I suppose I do. Will…Will it hurt? What comes next?”

“I don’t know what comes next. I’m just here to open a door for you.” She held out a hand. “But I wanted to say that it was rather brave of you to stand up for what you thought was right.”

“It got me killed.” Gladys told her hand.

“It often does. But it doesn’t mean what you did didn’t matter. You just stopped a killer from becoming prime minister. He will face consequences for his actions. In this life and the next.” A blue light filled the room. “Are you ready?”

Gladys gave her a watery smile. “I am.”

Aunt Death glanced over at Edwin and winked. “I’ll be back in a tick, nephew.”

And with the fluttering of raven’s wings, she vanished.

Chapter Text

Charles stared at Edwin, his mouth agape. Edwin had mentioned that Death was in his family, but he didn’t expect the grim reaper to show up in their new office…and be far less grim than he expected.

“Was that who I think it was?”

“I-I believe so.”

“You don’t know?” Charles didn’t mean for it to come out as a squeak. But how could Edwin not know?

“Well, it’s not like I met her before today,” he snapped. His face fell. “She didn’t come when I begged for her, and it’s not like I can die easily.”

Charles didn’t know how to respond to that. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Edwin had wanted to die with all he’d been through, but it still wrenched his heart to think about it. In general, no one deserved what happened to his best mate, but Edwin was perhaps the least deserving person in the world to Charles.

“I’m sorry, Edwin,” Death said, appearing once more in their office. She wasn’t smiling, but her eyes were still kind and gentle. “I’m called to the dead and dying, those who need to cross over. If I had known what was happening, I would have intervened.”

Charles protectively stepped between her and her nephew. Was that what she wanted from him? If she thought she was going to take him now, she was sorely mistaken. 

The movement turned her attention to him. “Charles Rowland. We were supposed to meet a few weeks ago.”

He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Sorry, change of plans.”

Death laughed, and it was like stepping into a warm house after spending a day in the snow. “Indeed there was. It’s okay. All come to me eventually. In the meantime, I’m so glad my nephew has someone looking after him and would like to keep this arrangement. You’re a good friend to him.”

Something in his chest fluttered, and his cheeks burned. But beneath the embarrassment, he felt pride swell within him. Most adults looked at him like some kind of scum to be wiped off their shoe, so it was nice to have an authority figure tell him he was doing something right for once.

Edwin cut in. “Respectfully, Aunt, is there a reason why you are here? I imagine that you’re very busy.”

She chuckled. “Right down to business. Very professional. Well, I’d like to hire you for a case. It’s a rather sensitive one—“ She talked out of the corner of her mouth. “—mainly because his pride is ridiculous—“ Smiling, she picked up her voice again. “—but I need you to keep my name out of it.”

Edwin pulled out a notebook and pen he liked to keep in his inside pocket. “And what do you need us to do?”

“Rescue my brother from the Burgess House.”

Edwin’s pen stuttered, sliding off the page. “You what?”

Death took a seat on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees. Edwin took the desk chair while Charles sat on top of it. She began to speak. “In 1916, my brother, Morpheus, vanished.”

“That’s Dream, correct?” Edwin asked.

She nodded. “The summoning ritual performed by Roger Burgess was meant for me, but he was taken instead. For decades, he’s been lost to us, but then Roger was killed by his son, allowing me to find him.”

“Why didn’t you rescue him then?” Edwin asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Death rolled her eyes, but she had an affectionate smile as she spoke. “My brother is absurdly prideful. He would have taken me rescuing him as an insult and been pissy about it for centuries.”

“So you need us because he’ll be annoyed with you?” The look on Edwin’s face was incredulous. “Won’t we then incur his wrath by freeing him?”

She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “If you let it slip that I hired you, he’d be irritated with me, but he won’t hold it against you for helping him. He’s not cruel like that. But I would prefer it if we kept this a secret between us.” She paused thoughtfully. “You can say that you heard rumors about the god trapped in the basement of the Burgess Mansion from your contacts in the magical underbelly of the city.”

Charles and Edwin exchanged glances. Edwin cleared his throat. “A case concerning one of the Endless would be an impressive feather in our cap, especially considering that this is only our second. Is there a reason you chose us over others who may be more experienced?”

Death smiled, amused. “That’s a fair question. Though, in your first case, you did just take down a high ranking politician, so it’s not like you’re complete novices. Mostly, I chose you because Despair has never had a child before. He would love to meet his nephew.”

Charles glanced at Edwin, unsure of what to make of this revelation. His best mate didn’t react, though, so he decided to ask later. When his eyes met Charles’s, he slightly raised his brows in a silent question.

Do you want to take this case?

Charles nodded. Having the literal god of dreams held captive seemed like a terrible thing, especially if it’s really been decades. Wouldn’t that mess with the balance of the universe or something?

Edwin turned back to his aunt. “We’ll take your case. Please tell us everything you know.”

It seemed like this Roderick Burgess who kidnapped Edwin’s uncle was a right wanker, and got what was coming to him. Alex didn’t seem as bad, but if he’d refused to free Dream after his dad died, he was probably a wanker too. And potentially a powerful one, if his dad was able to hold a god prisoner.

When Death finished, Edwin furrowed his brows. “And what do you know of the symbols keeping your brother prisoner?”

Death went into a long explanation that Charles didn’t fully understand, but as far as he could tell, all they had to do was break the glass ball he was stuck inside, damage the runes holding him prisoner, or maybe fall asleep in his proximity? He’s not entirely clear. But Edwin seems to get it, and that was good enough for Charles.

“So, I’d best be off,” Death said at the end. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you two.”

“Would you like me to walk you out?” Charles asked automatically.

Death smiled and cupped his cheek. Her fingers were cold, but not uncomfortably so. They were cool like jumping into the ocean on a hot summer’s day, soothing a damp towel applied to the forehead during a fever. “You’re a dear, sweet boy.”

She turned to Edwin. “May I give you a hug, nephew?”

He nodded. The hug was stiff and awkward on Edwin’s part, but Death didn’t seem to mind. She stepped back and patted Edwin’s cheek. “I have faith in you, Edwin Payne. You are going to do great things.”

Edwin looked away, suddenly bashful. “Thank you, Aunt.”

“Don’t be a stranger,” she said, and vanished in the fluttering of ravens’ wings.

…

Edwin slowly sat in his desk chair. A visit from Death. He didn’t have much contact with the Endless side of the family. He’d only met his mother once, and the memory still made him shudder. He had visited Aunt Delirium’s realm several times when he was in the witch’s clutches, but like most mortals, he couldn’t remember it. Until tonight, that was the extent of his interactions with them.

She was…not what he expected. The Endless were known for being capricious and dangerous, but Death seemed kind. Almost human. For some reason, that unsettled him almost as much as meeting his mother. Not that he would ever say that to her face. Insulting her would be a very poor decision.

“You alright, mate?” Charles asks, his brows furrowing with concern.

Edwin flashed him a tight-lipped smile. “Quite alright. I simply am processing our meeting.”

Charles sat down on the desk and leaned over him, smiling. If it were anyone else, Edwin would call it looming, but Charles had a way of making himself nonthreatening. “Yeah, bit mental, innit? We literally just met Death herself and got ourselves a second case.”

“Quite.”

“Edwin, if you’re not up for this—“

“I am,” he said quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly. He cleared his throat. “Er, I mean, thank you for your concern, Charles, but I am fine. As I said, I am simply processing what just happened.”

And it was true. He was fine. His aunt was fine. It was all fine. 

“Hey mate,” Charles said, cutting in on Edwin’s train of thought. “Breathe with me for a sec, okay?” He took a big breath in, held it, and then let it out. After a few breaths, Edwin copied him. Somehow, it did make him feel better.

“Thank you, Charles. Sincerely. I needed that.”

He patted Edwin’s shoulder. “Any time. It’s what I’m here for.”

“Charles, you know I value you for more than that. You are intelligent, brave, kind, and wonderful with people. I know you were joking, but I don’t want you to ever believe that we are not equals in this endeavor. At least, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Charles’s cheeks darkened as his shoulders raised up by his ears. For a moment, Edwin thought that he had somehow offended his friend, but then Charles gave him a bashful smile. Edwin knew that Charles rarely received the praise he deserved, particularly from his father. He had to rectify this, his own nature be damned. Charles was a genuinely good soul and Edwin swore to himself that he would never let him forget it. 

He’d already messed up once. 

Never again.

“You sure you aren’t still sleep deprived?” Charles asked, probably hoping to cut the tension Edwin had inadvertently created with his emotional honestly. Perhaps that was a mistake, perhaps he was coming on too strong, but Edwin didn’t regret it, especially if it meant Charles wouldn’t know how much he was valued.

Edwin chuckled. “Mostly likely. But it doesn’t mean it’s any less true.” 

Charles reached to hug him before recoiling slightly. "Sorry. It's just..."

Edwin sniffed his shirt. It did smell pretty rank. “Right. Well. As much as I enjoy this rare emotional openness, I should probably bathe.”

Charles wrinkled his nose. “Probably a good idea, mate.”

Chapter Text

The Burgess House was not quite what Edwin had expected. Based on Death’s descriptions, it sounded like a stately manor, but as he and Charles approached, he took note of the worn exterior. 

The name was familiar. He thought, perhaps, that his father ran with Roderick Burgess. As a child, he vaguely remembered his father once taking him to a house like this, where he met a severe old man with a cruel sneer. He couldn’t have been much older than three or four, and the memories were strange, amorphous things, like dreams half forgotten. There was some chanting and some arguing and a strange compulsion to toddle to a certain bookshelf. He remembered being tired, but not being allowed to sleep, not even when he screamed and cried as all exhausted toddlers do. A kinder man had taken him aside, let him run around in the yard while their fathers talked.

They walked up the long, winding path to the front door. Charles rang the bell, and it seemed to echo through the stillness of the air. While they waited, Edwin popped a capsule into his cheek. It likely wouldn’t dissolve in the time it would take to find Dream and get out, but if push came to shove, he would be able to use it. The sleeping pill was a spell of his own creation. It would immediately send him into REM sleep and move swiftly through his system, allowing him to wake as soon Dream no longer needed his consciousness to escape.

An elderly butler opened it. “May I help you?”

Charles grinned. He and Edwin both wore their school uniforms, looking for all the world like innocent schoolboys. “We’re with Saint Matthew’s Orphanage, and we’re collecting donations to benefit the children.”

“I’m sorry, sirs, but we don’t allow solicitors.”

“Holworth, who’s at the door?” a man asked. When he saw them, he smiled. “Oh, hello there. We don’t get many visitors, so you’ll have to forgive my butler.”

Charles launched into his spiel again while Edwin simply stared. It couldn’t have been the same sneering man from his vague childhood memories. This had to be the younger one, the man who had been kind to him. Alex Burgess.

 “Well, what are you doing in the cold?" Alex smiled and stepped aside. "Come in and have a cuppa before you go.”

Charles glanced at him as though he was in need of permission from Edwin. “It’s just a quick drink.”

“I-I suppose it wouldn’t hurt,” Edwin said with feigned reluctance. “I do have to use the loo if that is alright.” 

“Well, come on in, then,” Alex said, stepping aside. “We’ll get you boys settled and then Holworth will show you to the restroom.”

“That’s very kind of you, sir,” Charles said, smiling brightly.

As promised, Alex led them to the drawing room to settle down, and then the butler took Edwin into the bathroom. As expected, he was to find his own way back to his host. While Charles entertained Burgess, Edwin wandered the mansion. He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses for any ambient magic similar to his own. His feet carried him of their own accord, and he opened his eyes to find himself in a study, his hand reaching towards a book on the shelf. He grabbed it and pulled it back. There was a click and a grinding sound as the door slid open.

Then an alarm sounded.

Oh. Oh dear.

He sprinted down the stairs like the devil was on his heels. Voices shouted above him, and there was the sound of scuffling. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, which proved to be a mistake. He ran smack dab into two security guards.

Shit.

They grabbed him by the arms, flanking him on either side and dragging him back upstairs. Panic threatened to overcome him, and with it, he could feel his mother’s power rising like the tides. But he would not use it. Not now, not against people doing their jobs.

He caught a glimpse of a pale man with midnight dark eyes looking up at him. His uncle. Morpheus. 

He bit down on the pill and swallowed the bitter dust. A well placed kick to the gut gets him free of one guard, and he wriggled from the other, staggering deeper into the basement chamber.

The sleeping pill was already taking effect. He summoned one of his mother’s hooks and reached for the runes surrounding the glass prison. His limbs felt like lead as his legs collapsed under him. Closing his eyes, he slipped away. 

And then he was standing on a beach. A pale man stood facing him. His midnight dark eyes were trained on him like he was some kind of puzzle to be solved. He slowly tilted his head.

“You are kin. I see my sister in you, though I do not know you,” Dream said. His voice was deep and soothing, like a lullaby.

Edwin bowed. “I am your nephew, Edwin Payne, son of Despair of the Endless.”

He arched an eyebrow. Every movement was both languid and deliberate. “I could have escaped on my own.”

“I don’t doubt it, Uncle. I am simply offering my mind as a means of escape.” 

“And did one of my siblings put you up to this?”

“I am a detective specializing in the supernatural,” Edwin replied. “One of my most reliable contacts tipped me and my partner off about your whereabouts and we thought we would investigate.” It was a half truth, but beings like this dealt almost entirely in half-truths.

Dream didn’t press. He simply stared. And then, slowly, he nodded. “You have my gratitude.”

And then he was gone.

…

“So, you and Edwin are raising money for the orphanage. Are you wards of the state or volunteers?” Alex Burgess asked. He sipped a cup of tea.

Charles smiled bashfully. He always was a pretty good actor. It was why he was the distraction. “Well, we’re both orphans, but we’re aging out soon. Still, we wanted to help give back to the place that raised us. It was a pretty good home. Nothing like you read about in the papers.”

“That’s good to hear. My father used to threaten to drop me off at an orphanage whenever I did something he didn’t approve of. He truly put the fear of God in me.” Alex chuckled, but Charles cringed inwardly. Roderick Burgess and Murray Rowland could take notes off each other.

Charles was about to reply when an alarm went off. 

Shit! Edwin!

The old man’s eyes widened and he staggered to his feet, but Charles was faster. He sprinted through the halls, following the source of the sound. He skidded to a stop in front of the study, spotting the secret passageway. Under any other circumstance, he would be stoked, but Edwin was in trouble and their cover was blown. (God this was all so cool!)

He took the stone steps two at a time, pushing past the rent-a-cops and to Edwin’s prone form. He knew it was just a sleeping pill, but it was still unsettling to see. Taking the hook from Edwin’s fingers, he dug into the runes surrounding the glass prison. 

The prisoner looked up. He tapped the glass and it cracked. Then, he waited, tilting his head slightly as though he wanted Charles to do something.

Ah. Broken glass and bare skin was not a winning combination. As unsettling as the prisoner was, Charles appreciated his consideration.

He grabbed his leather jacket from his backpack and used it to cover himself and Edwin. The prison bubble exploded, glass shards bouncing off his back, the leather shielding them from the worst of it.

Alex cried out in terror. He stood at the base of the staircase with his hand over his heart. Charles couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the old man. He may have been keeping a god prisoner, but he didn’t seem like too bad a guy. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Charles said, staggering to his feet and getting between Alex and Dream. 

“Do not stand in my way, child.” Morpheus’s voice was low and threatening.

“I mean, I get it. He held you prisoner—“

“For decades. He had every opportunity to free me, but refused, even after he killed his father. This man has more than earned my wrath. And you will too, if you continue to stand in my way.”

“Okay, but he’s not the one who trapped you, is he? It won’t be as satisfying.”

“It is satisfying enough. Move.”

“Charles,” Edwin cried, sitting up. “Don’t.”

“Listen to my nephew,” Dream warned.

Charles glanced between Alex and Edwin. His best mate wasn’t hurt, but he still looked groggy from the sleeping pill. His arms shook slightly as he propped himself up. “Please,” Edwin said softly, “Come here.”

Charles broke, running to his mate’s side and helping him to his feet. “You alright?”

“Perfectly fine. You?”

In spite of the situation and the angry god he may have pissed off even more, Charles smiled. “Not a scratch on me, is there?”

“Uncle, I ask that you forgive my friend,” Edwin said, stepping forward. “He played just as big a role in freeing you as I did.”

“His insolence is forgiven, as long as he does not stand in my way.”

Charles opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Edwin gave him a warning nudge. Let me handle this, Edwin’s gaze seemed to say.

Charles nodded. He may be generally better with people, but these were not people. Edwin was the one with experience dealing with the Endless.

“I ask though, that you show mercy to Alex Burgess. As a favor for me, if nothing else.”

Dream snapped his fingers and Alex Burgess collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut. “Seventy-four weeks of waking nightmares. One week for every year I was held prisoner.” He turned to Edwin, training his midnight eyes on him. “Consider this a favor to you, Nephew. Our ledgers are not yet balanced, but I will not be amenable to another request for a long time.”

Edwin inclined his head. “I thank you, Uncle, for your mercy.”

And with that, Dream of the Endless vanished into a cloud of sand.

Chapter Text

In the excitement of meeting Death and their second case, Charles almost forgot about the fact that he had missed Edwin’s birthday. Mainly because his best mate kept it a secret. Charles got the feeling that Edwin had never really had anyone make a big deal about his birthday before. Well, that was about to change.

Grocery shopping—or rather, shoplifting—had gotten a lot easier with his magic bag of infinite holding. He would simply slide whatever they needed into the bag and it might come out a little banged up, but it was still good. 

It was his day to do the shopping, so he made a mental list of everything he knew Edwin liked to eat, and made sure to get it. Admittedly, it wasn’t much. Edwin was the kind of guy who would forget to eat and then scarf down whatever you put in front of him. He rarely expressed preferences, usually just saying, “I’ll have whatever you make, Charles,” whenever the grumbling of Charles’s stomach became too insistent to ignore. 

He seemed to particularly appreciate it when Charles made his mother’s spaghetti bolognaise, so he settled on that. After collecting the ingredients for it and a nice salad (because he knew Edwin liked eating vegetables every once in a while), he made his way to the bakery and shoved a cake into his bag. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too crushed when he took it out.

Next stop was the party supply store for streamers, balloons, and a helium tank. The bag Edwin gave him was awesome. Charles wished he could come up with something half as good as it. The best he could find was a game of Cluedo and a notebook. Though the notebook was pretty aces, if you asked him. He and Edwin had nicked a bunch of the Burgess’s books on magic and Edwin had been having a blast experimenting with them. Charles too, though he wasn’t nearly as good as Edwin. The brains and the brawn, right? But he’d been practicing one very special enchantment, and he was pretty sure he got it to work. The notebook was small enough to fit in the breast pocket of Edwin's blazer but held an infinite number of pages. It wasn’t as handy as the backpack, but he thought Edwin would appreciate it. He hoped so, anyway.

Edwin was still awake when Charles got back. He said he was going to sleep, but he was still up and reading. Well, not exactly. He was sitting at his desk with a book in front of him, his eyelids drooping. As far as Charles could tell, Edwin hadn’t slept in days, and it was starting to get to him. He was jumpier, for one, and his ability to focus had greatly diminished.

“Mate, I thought you said you were gonna get some rest,” Charles said, setting his bag on the desk with a thunk.

Edwin jumped, his head snapping up and eyes wide in momentary panic. 

The reaction made Charles's chest twinge with guilt, but he forced a smile. “Whoa, it’s just me. You’re okay.”

Edwin sighed, rolling his eyes. “You're right. I am fine, Charles.” He was clearly gearing up for their familiar argument, but Charles wasn't interested in rehashing it. Edwin needed sleep. Period.

He smiled to soften his sarcasm. “Which is why you can barely keep your eyes open. Come on, get some sleep.” Because I need to prepare your surprise.

“I don’t need sleep the way you do,” Edwin sniffed.

Charles sat on the corner of their desk, close enough to touch if Edwin needed it. “But you still need some rest. What if we have a case? We can’t have you exhausted for it. It could get one or both of us hurt.”

Edwin wouldn’t meet his eyes, studying his fists, which he anxiously pressed together. 

“Hey,” Charles said softly, squeezing Edwin’s shoulder. “Is it the nightmares?”

His head shot up. “How did you—?”

“Last time you fell asleep on me. You kind of…had a bad dream.”

Edwin’s cheeks colored, making Charles feel oddly light. “Ah. I do apologize for that.”

“Don’t. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. But you do need to sleep. So, up you get. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.” 

“You don’t have to—“

“Nope! Off you get to bed.” Charles half assisted, half dragged Edwin to the bedroom. The bed was barely a twin, so once he got Edwin to lay down, he sat with his back to it. He took Edwin’s hand and held it, their fingers intertwining. “Have a nice nap, mate.”

Edwin let out a long suffering sigh, but in minutes, his breathing evened. Just like Charles knew he would. the poor guy was knackered. On impulse, Charles brought Edwin’s hand up to his lips before placing it on his best mate’s chest. He decided that he would not think about why he did it outside of it just feeling right. After all, he had a party to set up.

…

Edwin was lying on the table, strapped down and shirtless. He stared down at the indentation of his chest where two ribs used to be. Esther removed them for easier access to the heart.

She leered over him as Monty cawed. “Snake’s hungry and Momma’s getting wrinkles. Time for a snack.”

She plunged the knife into his chest and began to carve, cutting ventricles and arteries. With a final yank, she pulled his heart free.

He woke with a gasp, placing a hand over his racing heart and feeling the comforting solidity of his ribs. The air smelled of meat, garlic, and basil. Charles must have gotten hungry. His own stomach grumbled. Right. He should probably eat too, if Charles was willing to share. Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten. 

Getting out of bed, he padded into the kitchen, but it was empty. He must have slept through dinner. Oh well. He could make his own food later. It wasn’t like he could starve to death. He’d learned that lesson the hard way.

Besides, with the remaining adrenaline from his nightmare, he wanted to be around Charles more than he wanted food. Something about the other boy was unfailingly reassuring, and he needed that right now.

He headed to the office area. Charles was standing on the desk with a streamer in one hand and a piece of tape in the other. He wore a ridiculous cone party hat. When he spotted Edwin, his eyes widened. “Oh, mate. You weren’t supposed to be up yet.”

“Charles…what is this?”

Grinning, he taped up the last streamer and jumped off the desk. “Surprise!”

Edwin blinked, not comprehending. “What?”

“It’s your birthday party, mate! Happy sweet sixteen.”

“My-my birthday was almost a month ago.”

“Three weeks, but who’s counting? We haven’t had time to celebrate properly, have we?”

Words failed him. Edwin’s eyes prickled with tears. “You-you truly did not have to do that.”

“Of course I did! You’re my best mate and best mates celebrate each other’s birthdays.” He grabbed his bag and dug through. “Here, I made dinner. It’s in the bag to stay warm.” Grinning, he pulled out a couple large Tupperware bowls and set them out on the desk. “And I got you presents. Sorry the wrapping isn’t so good.” Two poorly wrapped rectangles came out of the bag. “And cake!” The cake in question was crushed against the plastic lid of the container. Charles’s smile faltered slightly as he set it on the desk. “Well, I’m sure it’ll still taste aces.”

When he saw the look on Edwin's face, Charles’s smile faltered even more. “Edwin, was that okay? I-I’m sorry if—“

He threw his arms around Charles, hugging him tightly. Charles tensed and Edwin felt a stab of panic. Did he do something wrong? Was Charles mad at him?

But then Charles relaxed into it, hugging him back. “I take it that you like it?”

“Charles,” he began, and then choked. “This is the best thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.” He took some stuttering breaths, willing himself not to cry. Later, he would realize that this was the first time he ever initiated a hug with Charles. Sure, they’d hugged a couple times since they met, but it was always Charles who offered, and Edwin who always accepted. 

His best friend chuckled. “And you haven’t even opened the presents yet. I’m killing it, aren’t I?”

Edwin stepped back and surreptitiously wiped his eyes. He smiled. “You truly are.”

“Well, then let’s eat! I’m starving, and I bet you are too.” Charles produced two bowls and filled them with pasta. It was delicious, better than anything Charles had ever made before. 

“This is wonderful,” Edwin said as he twirled the spaghetti on his fork. 

Charles shrugged, smiling bashfully. “I just made my mom’s old recipe. It’s not much.”

“It’s perfect.” Once they were done with the pasta, it was time for cake. They decided that the icing was still stuck fast to the plastic, so they would eat it straight out of the lid.

“Wait!” Charles exclaimed before they dug in.

“What?”

He pulled a handful of candles and a lighter from his bag. “Can’t have cake without making a wish first, can we?”

Edwin laughed. “Whatever would I wish for?”

“Anything, mate!” He stuck the candles in the bottom of the cake and lit them before singing Happy Birthday.

Edwin’s throat closed, but he still smiled and dutifully blew out the candles. This was the happiest he’d ever been.He had a true friend, a fulfilling purpose, and a place he could call home. He couldn’t think of anything else he could possibly want. Well, perhaps there was one thing…

I wish to no longer have these nightmares.

“Alright, mate.” Charles patted his shoulder. “Don’t tell me it. That ruins the magic.”

“It was a silly wish anyway. I already have everything I want.”

Charles grinned, raising his shoulders up by his ears the way he does when he’s quietly pleased. “Well, I guess you don’t need these, then,” Charles said, picking up the presents and holding them out of reach.

“Charles, give those back this instant,” Edwin said, reaching for them with a laugh.

“Ah, ah, ah. Cake first.”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “If you insist.” They both dug into the cake. It tasted of fake sugar and cheap chocolate, but it was still the best cake he’d ever eaten. 

“You should open the bigger one first,” Charles said once they’d devoured the cake. 

Slowly, Edwin unwrapped the present, revealing a game of Cluedo. Niko used to play it with him when they were in school together. But then he was sent to St. Hilarion’s, and she went back to Osaka, and no one else wanted to play it with him.

“I thought this was the kind of game you’d like to play,” Charles said, always needing to fill the air when Edwin fell silent. “It’ll help sharpen our detective skills.”

“I very much doubt that,” he replied, smiling as he held it close to his chest. “But it is my favorite game. I can’t remember the last time I played it.”

Charles lit up like a lighthouse. “Well the next time will be in about five minutes. Here, open your other gift. It’s smaller, but I swear it’s way better.”

“I believe it.” Taking the present, he slowly unwrapped it, revealing a small leather journal.

“For when you need to take notes on cases,” Charles said. He took the notebook and flipped through the pages. “See, I enchanted it so that there’s infinite pages. It’s not as cool as the bag, but I thought you might—mate, what’s wrong?”

Edwin didn’t realize he was crying until the tears splashed on the paper. “N-nothing. Nothing at all. I-I—“ He took a slow, shuddering breath. “Charles, I don’t know why I’m crying. This is the most considerate, most wonderful gift I have ever received. Can…can I hug you again?”

“Mate. As if you have to ask.” Charles spread his arms out wide. “Bring it in!”

Edwin wrapped his arms around Charles and squeezed him. His best friend hugged him back, equally tightly. Because that’s what Charles was. His best friend.

Aside from Niko, Edwin had never had a best friend before. Before and after her, he barely had a friend, let alone a best one. Not until Charles. 

But the way he felt about Charles was different from Niko. It was…deeper, somehow. A devotion that he’d only ever read about. Like Holmes and Watson, Kirk and Spock, Achilles and Patroclus. 

Edwin was the first to step back. He was always the first. If he and Charles got into a hug-o-war of attrition, he was certain that the other boy would hold onto him for days.

He held up the game of Cluedo. “Would you like to play?”

Charles grinned. “Always.”

They played the game well into the night, until Charles was yawning and he kept forgetting which character he was playing. “You should go to bed, Charles,” Edwin said.

“Nah, mate, I’m good. If you’re up then I’m staying up.”

“That’s preposterous.”

“You’re preposterous.”

Edwin fell silent, losing himself in thought. “Charles?”

“Yeah, mate?”

“Thank you. This truly was the best birthday I ever had.”

Charles smiled. “Had to make up for all the shitty ones, didn’t I?”

“You most certainly did.”

Charles idly rolled a game piece through his fingers. “You know, we have two cases under our belt, but you know what we’re missing?”

“What is that?”

“A name. I’ve been thinking about what we should call our little agency. Dead Boy Detectives, maybe? Because, like, our clientele will mostly be ghosts.”

“Yes, but we’re alive, so that’s a bit of a misnomer.”

Charles smiled. “Well, do you have any bright ideas?”

Edwin thought for a moment. “Payne and Rowland Detective Agency?”

“Nah.” Charles wrinkled his nose. “Sounds too formal. Like we’re old men or something.” He picked up his head. “Oi, I’ve got it. The Lost Boys Detective Agency.” He spread out his hands as he gave out the title, like he was miming catching a big fish. “You know, like Peter Pan?”

Edwin opened his mouth. The name wasn’t logical. It implied that they were lost and confused on their cases, but it had a nice ring to it, and Charles looked so proud of himself for having the idea. He broke out into a wide smile. “The Lost Boys Detective Agency. I like it.”

Charles whooped and clasped Edwin on the shoulder. “Alright, mate!”

Chapter Text

It was a nice day, the kind of nice, late winter day that promised the renewal of spring and summer. They’d had several successful cases under their belt now, mostly spirits wanting to pass on a final message to resolve unfinished business or find an item they’re missing. It wasn’t much, but it made Charles feel good to know that he was helping others. It was way better than suffering through calculus. 

But the day was too nice to be cooped up in the office, so he dragged Edwin to Hyde Park to relax in the warmth of the sun. Now, he was lying on his back using his rucksack as a pillow as he tossed a cricket ball in the air. Edwin sat propped against a tree with a book in hand.

“What’cha reading?” Charles asked.

“You can read the title from here, Charles,” Edwin retorted, but it wasn’t mean. His best mate had a dry sense of humor, so he knew not to take the snark personally.

He read the title upside down. The Hound of the Baskervilles. “Will you read it to me?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Charles’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. What kind of question was that? 

Edwin raised his eyebrows, but then flipped back to the beginning and began to read. “Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table...”

Contented like a cat in the sun, Charles closed his eyes and listened to the soft lilt of his best mate’s voice. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut.

“Charles?” a familiar voice asked.

His eyes shot open and he sat up fast enough to get a headrush. A woman stood about ten feet away with tears in her eyes. His heart skipped several beats. “Mum?”

Edwin abruptly stopped reading and looked up. He slowly placed a bookmark in his book and got to his feet. 

Charles got up and his mother closed the gap, throwing her arms around him. “Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.”

Charles didn’t know what to say to that. His mother was definitely worried, but his father? He doubted it. His dad was probably glad to be rid of him. “I’ve, uh, I’ve been around.”

His mum stepped backwards, studying him. “What happened? The school called and said you were missing. Why did you leave?”

“There was, um, an incident at school. And it wasn’t safe for me to be there. I dropped out, but I haven’t been getting into trouble. I’m good, though. Really, really good.” He glanced over at Edwin. “I think I found someplace where I belong.”

His best mate’s cheeks colored slightly, and Charles’s heart warmed.

His mum stepped backwards and frowned as she studied him. “Beta, you need to come home. We’ll figure out what to do about school later, but we need you with us.”

Guilt pooled in his stomach. These past few months had been the best in his life, a dream that he hoped to never wake from. But he left his mum all alone with the anger of his father. What kind of son was he? 

“Mum, I—“ he began, but then he was interrupted by a voice he never wanted to hear again.

“Charles Rowland,” his father growled. 

Charles jumped backwards, getting between his father and Edwin and his mother. “Dad.”

“Where the fuck have you been?”

He clenched his fist, his heart racing. For the past few months, he’d been feeling like he could face anything. But now, with his dad in front of him, he was a helpless kid all over again.

“You know what? I don’t care. You’re coming home right now, or I’ll—“

“You’ll what, Mr. Rowland?” Edwin asked mildly as he approached.

Charles shook his head, trying to tell him to stay back, but his best mate had that stubborn look in his eyes. He walked right up to Dad, and for a moment, he thought fists were about to start swinging.

Then Edwin held out his hand. “Edwin Payne. Pleasure to meet you, sir.” His voice was saccharinely polite.

His dad glared at the hand like Edwin had offered him a dead cockroach. “When I heard Charles had run away, I thought it was with his punk friends. Never thought he’d be the type to go for a posh poof like you. I thought I raised him better than that.”

Edwin smiled, but it was cold and tight lipped, nothing like the warm looks he shared with Charles. “And I never thought someone as wonderful as Charles could come from a brute such as you. I suppose Charles is always full of surprises.”

Charles’s jaw dropped. No one had ever spoken to his father that way. He didn’t know whether to be proud of his best mate or terrified for him. What was he thinking?

Dad’s face twisted with fury as he snatched Edwin by the collar. “Who do you think you are?”

The coldly bland smile never left his best mate's face. “Edwin Payne, son of Despair. And you, Mister Rowland, are a weak, pathetic, sorry excuse for a man. You beat your wife and child, cause them pain, all to make yourself feel strong. Well, now you’re going to feel it. All of it. Every bit of emotional or physical pain you inflict on others will be returned to you threefold.” His voice reverberated with that strange power, the one that sent chills down Charles’s spine. He had only seen Edwin use his powers once, and it was accidentally on him. It was strange watching it from the outside, feeling the magic rise and the gooseflesh prickle on his arms.

His dad punched Edwin in the gut, and then cried out, doubling over. Edwin barely even flinched.  Dad staggered backwards and away from his target.

Charles immediately ran to his friend’s side and helped him straighten to his usual posture. “What did you do?” he hissed.

Edwin calmly straightened his blazer. “I apologize for meddling in your affairs, Charles, but if you are going back, I cannot stand to see you hurt.”

Charles flashed him a weak smile. “Who said anything about going back?” 

“Well, your parents, for one.”

“You,” Dad growled. Both their heads snapped in his direction. “What did you do to me?”

“I simply gave you a taste of your own medicine. It will not undo the harm you have done, but perhaps a lesson in empathy will begin the process.” 

Charles’s breath caught in his throat. No one had ever defended him against his dad before. And here was Edwin, still rail thin from his time spent tortured and always anxious about hurting others, standing ramrod straight and staring defiantly at Charles’s piece of shit father. A piece of shit on whom Edwin used the powers he hated in order to make sure Charles would never be harmed by him again. Now, his mother was also forever safe from his father’s wrath. Thanks to Edwin, she didn’t need Charles’s protection anymore. If there was ever any doubt in his mind as to who he should go with, it was gone. Edwin, the boy who saved his life. Edwin, the boy who made it all worth living. Edwin, the boy who protected and cared for him in a way that no one else had ever done before.

“Come on,” Charles said, taking Edwin by the arm. “Let’s go home.”

“Charles, don’t you fucking dare walk away from me,” his dad growled. “If you do, don’t ever bother coming home.” The last words were cut off with a gasp, as though the statement had physically caused him pain. Considering the terms of the curse, it probably had.

It hurt, but his mum deserved a goodbye, at least. Charles looked back and gave her a weak smile. “Bye, Mum. I’ll be okay. I promise. Love you.” He paused, hesitating. It was complicated, but he didn’t want to leave things on such an awful note. “Love you too, Dad.”

And with that, he hooked his arm around Edwin’s and walked away from his parents. He was sad, of course, but at the same time, felt strangely free. 

…

Edwin pressed his knuckles together, a sickly feeling growing in his stomach. Charles still had his arm around Edwin’s elbow, and the point of contact seemed to burn. What was he still doing here? How could Charles stand to be around him? He used his powers, casting a curse to torture his friend’s father, who Charles just said he still loved. 

“You okay, mate?” Charles asked when they made it back to the office.

He forced a smile. “I suppose I should be asking you that question.”

Charles grinned. “Who me? I’m fine. I’m not the one who got hit.”

“Yes, but I used my powers and cursed your father. I’m sorry for—“

Charles turned to face him, gently clasping his shoulders. “Mate, you have nothing to apologize for. No one else had ever protected me from my Dad before. Not until you.”

“He won’t hurt you again, not at significant cost to himself. If you wanted to go home—“

Charles cut him off. “I don’t.”

Edwin blinked. “But—“

“I chose you, didn’t I? And I’m going to keep choosing you. No matter what. You’re stuck with me.” Charles gently pulled him into a hug. “I bloody love you, mate. And I’ll keep telling you until you believe me.”

Edwin’s heart skipped several beats. Charles didn’t mean it like that. He meant it as friends. Just friends.

But still, the words of Simon and his cronies echoed in his head.

Maryann. Fairy. Fag.

Edwin let out a shaky exhale and hugged Charles back. “I-I love you too.” Closing his eyes, he savored the feeling of safety in Charles’s arms. Even before the witch, he was never one for touch. His best friend, though, was different. His touch never made Edwin’s skin crawl or heart race with terror. 

Charles sniffled, and Edwin realized with a stab of panic that he was crying. 

Oh no.

He was never good with tears. No one other than Niko ever came to him for comfort, and even then, she rarely cried in front of him. He had no idea how to comfort a crying person. But he had to do something, had to help ease Charles's pain somehow. Edwin awkwardly patted his friend's back. “Um…there, there…”

Charles chuckled, resting his forehead on Edwin’s shoulder. “There, there?”

“I-I am not good at comforting people.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

Charles pulled back, wiping his eyes. “Stop apologizing, mate. I already said you have nothing to be sorry for, didn’t I?”

“Sor-uh, very well.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I am…glad that you decided to stay with me. Truly.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Chapter Text

Edwin sat on the couch pressing his knuckles together. He had been building up to this for a while, and if he didn’t talk about it now, he didn’t think he would ever be able to. Besides, he saw Charles’s family dynamic. It was only fair that he learned a bit about Edwin’s fucked up family. Just so he wouldn’t feel so alone, if nothing else.

“Charles,” he said. 

His best friend looked up from where he was bouncing a cricket ball. “What’s up?”

“I think I should tell you about the time I met my mother.”

He set down his ball and sat beside Edwin. “Are you sure you want to? It’s okay if you don’t.”

“No, I-I rather think I should.” He flashed Charles a tight smile. “Since I met your parents, I suppose it’s only fair that I tell you about mine. Especially considering that you might have the…pleasure…of meeting her someday.”

“Okay,” Charles said, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched Edwin, giving him all his attention. “What happened?” 

…

Esther’s discovery of Edwin’s inability to die had been an accident, but she took full advantage of it. Every few days, she would cut out his heart. It would grow back within minutes, but it was still agony every time. The removal of the ribs for access was even worse, though. The sound of the bone saw and his flesh squelching made him sick. And that wasn’t even getting into the unpleasantness of growing bones back. At least, when the heart was removed, he had a few minutes of rest.

“Alright, I have what I need. Monty!”

Her crow familiar shapeshifted, taking on the form of a boy. The boy who had befriended and betrayed him but was still trying to be kind in his own way. He placed a hand on Edwin’s shoulder, a small point of attempted reassurance that somehow felt crueler than Esther’s apathy.

“Back to the basement?” he asked.

“Yeah. And don’t let him bleed all over the place. It’s a pain to get out of the carpets.”

“Will do.” Monty may have sounded apathetic, but he was gentle as he reached under Edwin’s arms and legs, scooping him up with a supernatural strength. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. Monty always whispered this. Empty apologies and subtle acts of kindness. If he did anything more, he would be punished. Edwin saw firsthand how brutal Esther was whenever someone displeased her.

He carried Edwin down the stairs and laid him down, resting his head on an old decorative pillow. 

With a whimper, Edwin reached out, too delirious with pain to resent Monty for helping to hold him captive.

Monty took his hand and placed it on Edwin’s chest before letting go. “I’m sorry. I know it hurts, but I’ll get you some food after I clean up, okay?” He turned and headed back upstairs, leaving Edwin alone.

Esther’s basement was cluttered, full of books, knickknacks, old furniture, and other relics from centuries of life. Something flickered in the corner of his eye. 

He mustered the strength to turn his head. A woman peered through the mirror, watching him. She brought a hook up and raked it across her cheek. Something about her beckoned to him, so he dragged himself to her. When he touched the mirror, the glass rippled like he’d thrown a rock onto placid water.

A hand snatched his wrist and yanked him through the looking glass.

He screaming as he landed on the cold, hard ground, his ribs and heart crying out in agony. For a moment, he just laid there, gasping for breath as a woman loomed over him, watching him like he was some kind of insect.

“Who…who are you?” he gasped.

She tilted her head, giving him the ghost of a smile. “I’m your mother,” she said in a strange kind of monotone.

Despite the agony, he forced himself to sit up. “My mother is dead.” She died in childbirth, something his father loved to lord over him. He was a boy born wrong, the one who brought only suffering wherever he went.

“Your adoptive mother, yes. Your father was desperate for an heir. So desperate that he pushed her into a pregnancy that she was not healthy enough to carry.” She tilted her head, her brows furrowing in something resembling sympathy. “The baby died too. That depth of despair…it drew me to him like a moth to the flame. So, we struck a deal.”

“You’re a demon?” Edwin asked, horror flooding his veins.

She chuckled at that. It was a low, grating sound, like stone on stone. It sent shivers through him. “Nothing so weak as one of Lucifer’s own. Though I do admit that I enjoy watching their work. It’s…fascinating.”

“Then what are you?” Edwin forced himself to stand. His knees shook, but he had to be ready to run. He wouldn’t trade one monster for another.

“I am Despair of the Endless.” She must have seen the blank expression on his face, because her eyes crinkled in amusement as she dug her hook into her cheek. “You’re not familiar with me. It’s alright. Very few are, so I wouldn’t expect you to know who I am.” So, she explained everything—who the Endless were and what domain she presided over.

“Am I the baby that died?” he asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.

Despair shrugged. “Some of him.”

That answer wasn’t remotely comforting. But he had to know more. “Why? Why did you create me?”

She shrugged again. “Death spends one day every century as a mortal. It helps her better understand why they cling to their mortality and therefore makes her better at her job. To truly understand Despair, you must have something to lose.”

“And I am that something,” he said softly.

“You exist to show me a new and exquisite kind of pain.”

He thought about Simon and his gang and the looks of misery on their faces as they took their own lives. Because of him. Because there was something monstrous inside him that drove them to their own ends.

He didn’t want to know the answer. But he needed to know, even if it made him sick. “And not just you, right? Am I to make everyone around me suffer?” 

She brought her hook up to her cheek and raked it down. “It’s in your nature as my son.”

As much as he expected the answer it still made his guts twist with nausea. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.” His hands shook as he slowly backed away from her. “I-I refuse. I’ll die first.”

“You could certainly try, Edwin. I believe that you’ve found, though, that it’s much easier said than done.” Her lips quirked into a smile. “I  impressed by you, though. I didn’t expect you to be as powerful as you are. And it will only grow stronger. I suppose that this is what most parents would call pride.”

His breath shuddered as hot tears streaked down his cheeks. Tripping, he fell backwards through a mirror. When he landed, he wasn’t in Despair’s domain anymore. Nor was he back in Esther’s basement. He was back in St. Hilarion’s attic.

…

“And I suppose you know the rest,” he said, not meeting Charles’s eyes. He didn’t know how his best friend would react, and he couldn’t bring himself to find out.

“Your mum was wrong. You know that, right?” Charles said, taking Edwin’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “You don’t exist to make everyone around you miserable.”

Tears made his vision blur. “Is that right?”

“You don’t make me miserable, do you? In fact, you make me very happy.”

Edwin snorted. “One person.”

“Far more than one, mate. Or do you think that you made every ghost we’ve ever helped miserable? What about your Uncle Dream and your Aunt Death? Did you make them miserable too?”

“Well, no, but—“

“But nothing. Edwin, do you think I’ll be a monster like my dad?”

He shook his head. “Charles, how could you say that? You’re nothing like him, and you never will be.”

“Then look at me.” Swallowing dryly, he turned to face Charles. His best friend smiled warmly. “Edwin Payne, you are the best person I know. I don’t care about your mum or what she thinks is in your nature. We all make our own choices, yeah?”

He smiled weakly. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Thank you, Charles.”

“Any time, mate.” Charles was quiet for a moment. “I know that this is so not the point, but have you tried that mirror trick since then? Because if you could teleport that way, it would be aces.”

Edwin blinked. “I-I suppose I hadn’t thought to try after that night.” He got to his feet and headed towards the bathroom. When he didn’t hear the sound of Charles’s footsteps behind him, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “Would you like to test it out?”

Charles grinned. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.”

He stopped in front of the mirror. Closing his eyes, he gathered up the magic within, tapping into his mother’s domain. Bringing up a shaking finger, he tapped the glass. It rippled. With a slow breath, he stuck his head inside.

And found himself staring out the mirror in St. Hilarion’s attic.

Pulling his head back in, he grinned. “Charles Rowland, you are a genius.”

Chapter Text

Traveling via mirror was much harder than Charles expected. Edwin took the lead, of course. It was his powers after all. But he was still learning and that often got them into awkward situations. They’d been chased out of girls’ bathrooms, secret government sites, and on one memorable occasion, David Bowie’s dressing room. Charles had wanted to stick around for an autograph at least, but Edwin had dragged him back…though not before snatching a nearby bow tie as a souvenir for Charles. God, he really didn’t deserve his best mate. But as amazing as that was, most of the time, it seemed like mirror travel was more trouble than it was worth.

Case in point: their current problem.

Edwin was trying to get them to an abandoned hospital on the outskirts of London for a client, and somehow, they were in a warehouse and absolutely surrounded by cats. Normally, he liked the furry little buggers, and they liked him, but these kitties seemed far from friendly. He drew his cricket bat from his bag. Edwin had given it to him for his birthday, having enchanted it to pack a wallop and always come back to his hand like a boomerang. It was brills. (Again, what did he do to deserve Edwin?)

“No need for that,” purred the man sitting on a pile of crates as though it was some kind of throne. “I am curious, though. What are you doing here?”

Edwin bowed with a flourish. “Forgive us. We were attempting to travel elsewhere through the use of magic, but I am inexperienced and we wound up here instead. We’ll get out of your fur.”

The man(?) got to his feet and slinked towards Edwin. Charles stepped between them, his cricket bat at the ready. “Not another step.”

The man-shaped entity gave him a deeply unimpressed look. “Down boy.” 

Edwin squeezed Charles’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Charles. I can handle this.”

He hummed. “Yes, you do seem to be the smarter of the two. Shall we continue this conversation in private?”

“Like hell you will,” Charles growled.

“Charles, it’s best if we just do as he says.” Edwin turned to the entity. “Cat King, if I speak to you in private, will I have your guarantee of Charles’s safety?”

“As long as your guard dog behaves, I’ll behave too.”

“Charles, I suggest you put away the cricket bat.”

He squinted into the eyes of the Cat King. Crucially, Edwin didn’t guarantee his own safety, but if Edwin said he had it handled, Charles would believe he had it handled. “Yeah. Okay.” He slipped the bat back into his rucksack. “But if you hurt him in any way…”

The Cat King rolled his eyes. “Arf, arf, arf. I get it. And I promise that no harm will come to your handsome little friend here.”

Before the words could register, he and Edwin were gone.

Bollocks.

…

Between one blink and the next, Edwin found himself in the Cat King’s private chambers. He had read up on the Cat Kings and Queens along with the rest of the Endless’ children. Roderick Burgess’s library had been infinitely helpful in teaching him the basics of his family tree.

From what he could tell, the Cat Sovereigns were all minor deities. They were not very powerful in the grand scheme of things, but were still dangerous to low level magicians like him.

The Cat King laid in his bed with his shirt off, his skirt leaving little to the imagination.

Blushing, Edwin looked away. “May I ask what you want from me?”

“It depends." And suddenly, between blinks, the Cat King was right beside him, whispering in his ear. “What can you do for me?”

Well, he certainly didn’t like the implications of that. But there was one way he could think of to play this. “Why cousin,” he replied, “I knew you were a creature of desire, but I didn’t realize you were fond of incest.”

The Cat King staggered backwards as though Edwin had physically hit him. “What?”

He smirked, hiding his relief at gaining the upper hand. “We’re cousins, I’m afraid.”

For a moment, the Cat King looked irritated. But then his features softened and he threw his head back to laugh. “I guess that’s a bullet dodged.” 

Relieved, Edwin chuckled too. “It rather seems so.”

“Well,” the Cat King said, sitting at the edge of the bed and patting the place beside him. His entire demeanor had changed, going from seductive to eager. “Don’t just stand there. Have a seat and tell me all about yourself. I won’t bite. Wait, let me guess which of the Endless is your parent.”

Edwin carefully took a seat beside him. The Cat King squinted at him.

“So, mine is out. Otherwise, you would have said sibling instead of cousin. Death is out, because that’s like, the opposite of her thing. Destiny would never look up from his book long enough to get it on with a mortal. Destruction has been AWOL for too long. Delirium was a good mother back when she was Delight, but she hasn’t had any kids since then.” He hummed thoughtfully. “You could be Dream’s kid, but he’s only just popped back up. Besides, he hasn’t had a kid since that disaster with Orpheus. But that only leaves…” He furrowed his brows. “Oh, that is interesting.”

Edwin sighed, not meeting his cousin’s eyes. “Yes. Quite.”

“I mean it. I’ve never heard of Despair having a child before.”

“I believe I may be the first. She told me she wanted to better understand humanity in order to better do her job.”

Cat King winced. “Oof. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than Desire’s reason for having me.”

“Why did they have you?”

He shrugged, his smile becoming forced. “Because why not? They felt the urge to have another child, so they did, and then, when they got bored of me, they decided to follow another whim.”

Contrary to what Charles seemed to think, Edwin had never been good at comforting people. What seemed to come naturally to others was completely lost on him, especially when it came to physical reassurance. He didn’t know what else to do, so he simply took the Cat King’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

The Cat King looked at their entwined hands and abruptly got up, his usual bravado returning. “Well, that’s the nature of creatures belonging to desire. We follow our whims, and when we get bored…” He snapped his fingers and they were back in the throne room. “We go searching for something more interesting to play with.”

Charles, who had been sitting against the wall with his fingers tangled in his hair, sprang to his feet. “Edwin! Are you okay?” He ran up to Edwin and began to check him over.

“Charles, I’m fine,” Edwin said, bracing his hands on his best friend’s shoulders. “Really.”

“You’ve been gone for hours. I was really worried something happened to you and I wasn’t there to help.”

He blinked and glanced over at Cat King. “Hours? It felt like only minutes.”

His cousin shrugged. “Pocket dimension. Time gets a bit…wonky in them.”

Charles stepped between them as though itching for a fight. Edwin squeezed his shoulder and said, “Well, I suppose we’ll get out of your fur. I quite enjoyed our talk.”

Cat King smiled. “Likewise. But before you go…” He grabbed Edwin’s wrist, and a golden bracelet appeared. “If you need me, just give me a call.”

Edwin smiled at the gift. “That’s rather kind of you.”

“And a word of advice: it’s easier to mirror travel if you can visualize where you’re going. Maybe stick your head in first instead of throwing you and your…special friend through. Others might not be so forgiving as I am.”

Edwin nodded. “I shall take that under consideration. Thank you.”

…

Charles didn’t know what to make of everything that happened in the past few hours. Edwin was there at his side, and the next, he was whisked away with that Cat King. The next few hours felt both like a blur and an eternity. Cats scattered as he attacked the floors and, when that failed to produce Edwin, vented his anger on wooden pallets. And then, exhausted, he collapsed against the wall. Edwin would be okay. He was brilliant and far stronger than he looked. And if he wasn’t okay, if the Cat King harmed even a hair on his head, Charles would end all his nine lives.

But then they returned all buddy-buddy, and the Cat King gave him a fucking friendship bracelet before sending them on their way.

“What happened?” Charles asked as soon as they reached the safety of the office.

Edwin sat on the couch, still studying the bracelet. “Nothing really. We simply talked.”

“About what?” Charles sat on the arm of the couch and leaned over his best mate, glaring at the emerald eyes of the golden cat bracelet.

“Well, he came onto me at first—“

“He came onto you?” Charles repeated, outraged. He wasn’t sure what soured the feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t like he had any issues with blokes who were into other blokes. His dad certainly did, but Charles would be lying if he said he didn’t fancy a bloke or two at St. Hilarion’s. And he was sure Edwin was not into girls, but he didn’t care, because Edwin was the best person he knew. So why did him getting all chummy with the Cat King bother him so much?

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Charles. Yes, he came onto me. But then I let him know that we’re cousins, and he backed off.”

“Oh.” The mental image of that awkward moment made him grin. “I wish I got the chance to see the look on his face.”

Edwin smirked. “It was rather amusing. Then, he was simply curious about my mother. Apparently, it’s rare for any Endless other than Desire to have children. We commiserated on the parenting skills of immortal beings, and then he brought me back to you. That is all.”

Charles smiled and patted Edwin’s shoulder, noting with some pride that his best mate didn’t flinch at his touch anymore. “I’m glad to hear it, mate. Just try not to go where I can’t follow.”

“I would hardly call you Samwise,” Edwin replied, eyes sparkling when he recognized the literary reference. 

“Oi, nothing wrong with being Sam.”

“True, but it’s not exactly an apt comparison,” Edwin retorted. “If anything, I’m the Merlin to your Arthur.”

Charles shook his head. “Nah, you’re the Holmes to my Watson.”

Edwin scoffed. “Hardly. You could barely call me the Spock to your Kirk.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the, uh…” He searched for another good brains and brawn pairing with the brains being the leader and coming up empty. “The Colombo to my, uh, Colombo’s beagle.”

Edwin arched an eyebrow. “You’re my dog?”

“Okay, okay, bad example.”

He smirked. “Well, I suppose that the Cat King would find it apt.”

Groaning, Charles flopped onto the couch beside Edwin. “Can we not talk about that wanker?”

“I found him quite charming. Once we were on equal footing, that is. I think he just wanted a friend.” He chuckled. “Lord knows why I’m the one he picked.”

“Oi, you’re a proper good friend. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

Edwin’s brightest smiles always reminded Charles of the sun peeking out from behind rain clouds. This was one of those rare smiles, and Charles would do anything to see them all the time.

Chapter Text

Niko Sasaki straightened her shirt and affected a smile as she knocked on the front door of the Payne mansion. Edwin had suddenly stopped answering her letters a couple years ago after promising her that he would find a way to get to Osaka that summer. And then, nothing. For years. She’d been trying to get in touch with the family for a while, but they never responded. Now that she was back at a British boarding school, she had the chance to find out what happened to her friend.

A maid opened the door, her brows furrowing in confusion. “May I help you, Miss?”

“I’m a friend of the Payne’s. Is Edwin around? Usually St. Hilarion’s is on Spring break around this time.”

The maid’s face fell. “Just one moment, please.”

Niko waited. And waited. And waited. She was about to knock again when Mr. Payne opened the door with a scowl.

“Miss Sasaki,” he said coldly.

Ignoring the icy reception, she smiled brightly. “Hi Mr. Payne. Is Edwin around? I just got back to England, and I haven’t heard from him in a while. I wanted to catch up with him.”

“Come in,” he said, and turned in his heels, leading her to his office. He sat in his chair, but Niko remained standing. She had never really liked Edwin’s father—he was cold and mean, nothing like her own dad—but she would never have voiced it. He was Edwin’s dad, after all, and had to care about his son in his own way, even if it made her sad to see the way her friend’s face would fall whenever Mr. Payne made his disinterest in his son known.

“Edwin is…no longer with us,” he said emotionlessly, like he was telling Niko that she failed a math test. But still, the words felt like a physical blow to her gut. Edwin was dead? 

“What? What happened to him?”

“I would prefer not to talk about it, if it’s all the same to you, Miss Sasaki. You may go to his room and take anything you would like to remember him by. You’re also free to roam the grounds.”

“I’m sorry. He was a good friend.”

“Yes. Quite.” 

A sudden anger flared in Niko. She wasn’t one to get mad—she understood that most people acted from a place of hurt rather than malice—but it was like Mr. Payne didn’t care about his son at all. She knew that Edwin wasn’t close with his father, but any normal parent would show some kind of grief over the loss of their child. Still, she had shown up at his house unannounced and likely reminded him of some painful memories, so she kept quiet. She'd rather silently stew than get him mad and have him throw her out without getting to say goodbye to her friend.

“I trust you remember the way to his bedroom. Just do try to be out by dinner time. I have an important guest coming, and it would reflect rather poorly on me to have a strange teenage girl wandering the ground.”

Niko bit her tongue hard enough to almost make it bleed before giving him a placid smile. “Thank you, Mr. Payne.” Seeing the dismissal for what it was, she turned and made her way up the stairs.

Edwin’s room was much how she remembered it: neat as a pin and filled wall to wall with enough books that it could have been a second library in the Payne estate.

“Father will get me any book I want,” he’d once said. “I can read whatever I like as long as I stay out of his hair.” He’d smiled smugly, but Niko felt bad for him. It had to be lonely, having books as your only companion. Well, books and her.

She grabbed the first Hardy Boys book off the shelf and held it to her chest. They used to argue about whether Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys were better. He had the complete collection of both, but sided with Hardy Boys while Niko preferred Nancy Drew. They would act out mysteries together, with Edwin playing Frank and Niko playing Nancy. They’d usually make up a reason for Joe not to be there, and it became a running joke. 

Oh, Joe is too busy swimming with the sharks on Australia to solve the mystery. 

No wait, he’s at space camp, training to be an astronaut. 

Actually, he fell into a hole.

A hole?

Precisely. And we need to solve the mystery to get him out.

She sniffled, sitting on his too firm bed covered in a scratchy quilt. They would never play Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys together again. Not that they would anyway. Edwin always seemed far too eager to grow up. Even as a child, his room never looked like a child’s room. He had few toys, and the walls were covered with ancestral paintings that glared down at them from on high. She, of all people, had been the one to introduce Edwin to cartoons.

Speaking of…

Where was the Scooby Doo stuffed animal she got him for Christmas all those years ago? He wrote her in a letter, apologizing for being unable to take it with him to St. Hilarion’s. He wanted to, but his father forbade it, thinking it would make him look weak in front of the other boys. 

Was that what happened? Did the other boys bully him like they did in primary school? Did they take it too far?

She found the stuffed animal buried in his closet, along with a photo of the two of them together. The last vestiges of the childish side Edwin she knew, shoved in a closet and forgotten. She took the Scooby Doo and the photograph. Then, she dug through until she found the tatty old teddy bear, Rupert, he used to hold for comfort when he went to sleep—his secret shame and the only gift his mother gave him. His dad didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve any of Edwin’s things, but she would take good care of them and keep his memory alive, no matter how much Mr. Payne seemed to want to forget it.

With nothing else keeping her in the room, she wandered the wooded part of the grounds. On nice days, they would play in the forest, searching for fairies and solving mysteries. Edwin would tell her about the different species of mushroom and lichen and she would tell him the stories her dad told her about the obakémono that lurked in the forests of Japan.

Okay, thinking about her dad was a bad idea. Now, she was crying and missing both of them.

Courage. She needed courage. Her father always said to pluck a dandelion for courage. So, she decided to create a bouquet. For Edwin. For her dad. For everything she lost.

She followed the trail, picking the golden little flowers and thinking about how Edwin would tell her that dandelions were a rare plant where pretty much every part was edible. The trail led her to a veritable field of them.

And that was all she remembered.

The next thing she knew, she was lying in the field. The sun was sinking below the horizon. Her head throbbed as she slowly sat up. Mr. Payne would be furious if he caught her still on his property.

So, even though she wanted to curl up and nap for a century, she collected her dandelions and keepsakes and headed back to her apartment.

As she sat on the bus, she caught sight of some graffiti.

GHOSTLY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? CALL THE LOST BOY DETECTIVES! NO CASE TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL! FIND US AT GADLINGS TEXTILE FACTORY!

She ran her fingers along the soft fabric. Maybe they could help her contact Edwin. She had to know what happened to him.

Chapter Text

The ghost couldn’t have been more than twelve. Her name was Emma, and she had a glowing spectral squid on a leash. By Charles’s estimation, she was aces.

Edwin’s face was guarded, though. He was always cautious around new clients, but he seemed almost as intrigued as Charles.

“I have a psychic friend,” Emma said. “She would play with me in the cemetery, but lately, she’s been acting strange.”

“Strange how?” Edwin asked, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.

Emma shrugged. “Growling, eating raw fish out of the dumpster, biting people.”

“That is pretty strange,” Charles said.

Edwin tapped his fingers together. “It sounds like a possible case of demonic possession.”

Charles leaned in closer. “Could be interesting.”

“But first, we should consider payment.”

“Payment?” Emma asked, all wide-eyed and innocent. “But I’m just a little girl.”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Please. That outfit is from the early nineteenth century. You may look like a girl, but you’re at least a hundred years old, probably closer to two hundred.“

Charles hid a snicker. He loved it when Edwin played hardball. His best mate had been so skittish when they first met. It was nice seeing him confident and in his element. He was proper brills.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I have some spell books that might be of some use to you.”

Edwin glanced up at Charles, and Charles glanced back at Edwin. They nodded once to each other before Edwin turned his attention back to their client. “We’ll take the case.”

They spent the next few hours prepping a blanket with sigils to bind the demon for the exorcism. The ghost’s friend, a girl named Crystal Palace, was on the tube heading in the direction of Trafalgar Square. They waited until the car was empty, and then they struck. Charles threw the sheet over her while Edwin recited the exorcism.

The demon summoned a portal, unleashing water…and dead fish?

“The fish are washing the runes away!” Charles shouted.

Edwin completed the rites of exorcism. The demon leapt up out of her and ran, still covered by the blanket. 

The girl sat up and blinked. “Who the hell are you?”

“We’re the Lost Boy Detectives,” Charles announced, beaming at her.

She squinted at them. “That’s a stupid fucking name.”

Beside him, Edwin’s face fell for the briefest of moments before he sniffed haughtily. “Well, you never have to worry about seeing us again. We’ll be happy to leave you to your business.”

“Wait,” she said as they turned to leave. “What’s…uh…what’s my name?”

Charles and Edwin exchanged glances. Uh oh. This wasn’t supposed to happen. 

“Well it wasn’t my spellwork,” Edwin snapped.

Charles chuckled. “Never said it was, mate.”

Crystal glanced between them before sighing loudly. “So do you know who I am or not?”

He shrugged. “Well, we know your name is Crystal Palace and you’re psychic. That’s about it. Sorry. How about we take you back to the office and help you sort out this memory thing.”

Taking her hand, he helped her to his feet. Butterflies erupted in his stomach. Crystal Palace really was proper fit. Right now was not the time to ask if she was single—not that she would remember having a boyfriend anyway—but maybe she’d be willing to go on a date with him once she got her memories back.

Charles chatted idly with her on the walk home while Edwin hung back, keeping quiet. The moment they got back to the office, she fell asleep on the couch.

Edwin immediately snatched Charles’s wrist and pulled him into the other room. “Charles, we cannot just let her stay here.”

“Why not?”

“It’s—it’s inappropriate!”

Charles chuckled. “What? Since when do you care about that?”

“Since always,” he retorted in that petulant voice which told Charles that there would be no arguing with him.

Charles reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, but Edwin flinched back. He put his hand away. “Look, she has nowhere else to go. Would you rather just leave her alone out there?”

Edwin glared at him and Charles steadily met his gaze. Finally, his best mate sighed and broke eye contact. “Fine. But I won’t let her take our beds. I’ll be back.”

Charles blinked. “What? Where are you going?”

“Oxfam. I’m getting her a sleeping bag.” Edwin snatched the bag from Charles’s shoulder and headed out.

Charles wanted to go after him, but he didn’t know what he did to upset his best mate. He’d probably end up pissing off Edwin some more. Better just to let him cool off.

…

Edwin felt stupid tears prickle behind his eyes. He didn’t know why he was so upset by Crystal’s presence. But the way Charles looked at her made his skin crawl. He was just so-so interested in her and everything she had to say. 

As he walked, he kept his head down. A part of him always knew this day would come. Charles liked him well enough, but there was always going to be someone better, someone more worthy of him. He just hoped they would have more time before he did.

It was probably for the best anyway. He would inevitably hurt Charles. It was in his nature after all. 

Overcome by a sudden chill, he shivered. His hook embedded itself in his skin. He welcomed the pain. It was easier than the bereft feeling in his chest as he slowly accepted the inevitable.

Chapter Text

Gadling’s Textiles looked abandoned. Niko stared up at the old, intimidating building and wondered what she was thinking. She prided herself on her intuition, but going to a place just because of some graffiti was stupidly risky.

But she was here. She was doing it for Edwin. And if she was murdered, she might find him in the afterlife.

Her head throbbed and nausea twisted her stomach, but still, she slipped past the gate and into the building. There was a light at the top of the staircase on the second floor, illuminating the word, “OFFICE.”

Heart racing in her chest, she climbed the steps and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” said a male voice from the other side. 

Niko opened the door and blinked in surprise. She didn’t know what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t a boy and girl about her age. “Hello? Is this the Lost Boy Detectives?”

“Still a stupid name,” the girl muttered as she sipped her coffee.

The boy grinned. He had a nice smile, one that showed all his teeth without being cheesy. “That’s me. Half of us, anyway. I’m Charles. My partner is out on an errand. This is Crystal, by the way. Another client.”

The girl, Crystal, stared at her as though entranced. “Did anyone see that?”

Charles blinked. “See what?”

She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s just been a weird fucking day.”

The boy perched on the desk, leaving the perfectly comfortable chair open. Probably for his absent partner. It was kind of cute. “So, what can we help you with? My partner and I choose our cases together, but it can’t hurt for us to hear you out first. I mean, if you’re comfortable with it.”

”Okay. My name is Niko.” She smiled and carefully took the seat opposite him. “I had this friend. We were really close as kids, but then, my dad got sick and I had to move back to Japan. For a while, he and I were pen pals, and he promised he would visit me in Osaka, but then, nothing. He stopped sending letters.” She sniffled, feeling the tears return. “I just got back to England to start at my new boarding school, and I went looking for him. But when I went to the house yesterday, his dad said he was dead and wouldn’t tell me what happened. When I saw your graffiti, I thought you might help me find him.”

Charles sighed, giving her a sympathetic look. “Well, we can try. But if your friend’s moved on, there’s nothing we can do. Once your soul goes through that door, it can’t come back. Death, though, is really nice. So if he’s moved on, I’m sure he’s okay.”

She nodded. “He would have been thirteen years old when he died. At least, I’m assuming he died soon after sending his last letter to me. He sent me one on the first and fifteenth of every month.  One month, I got a letter on the first, but then nothing on the fifteenth, and then nothing after that. I think something really bad happened to him.” Taking off her backpack, she dug through until she found Edwin’s old bear. “I remember reading that objects that were important to spirits can help summon them. This is Rupert, his old teddy.”

Crystal took the bear from her, and her eyes went white. Suddenly, she dropped the bear. “Holy shit.”

Niko’s head snapped to her. “What is it?”

“What’s your friend’s name?” she asked.

“Edwin,” Niko replied. “Edwin Payne.”

“Did someone ask for me?” a new voice asked from the hallway. He opened the door and gasped. 

Niko gasped too.

The boy was taller than she remembered, and his face was much thinner, almost gaunt. But she knew those grey-green eyes anywhere. 

“Edwin?” she whispered around the lump in her throat. “Is it really you?”

“Niko,” he replied softly.

She ran up and threw her arms around him, not noticing the way he stiffened at her embrace. He didn’t feel dead. And when she pressed her head to his chest, she could hear the heartbeat and the inhale and exhale of his breath. 

“Well, it looks like we’ve officially solved our easiest case,” Charles said, laying a hand on her shoulder and gently tugging her away.

She wanted to cling to Edwin, but then she felt the stiffness of her friend and realized that his heart was racing. Edwin had never been one for hugging, but he seemed almost frozen with fear. She stepped backwards, giving him space, but couldn’t bring herself to let go completely, so she took his hands. “I can’t believe you’re alive! Wait, you are alive, aren’t you?”

“Last time I checked, yes,” he replied stiffly. 

Niko regarded her friend like one of her puzzles. “Then, why did your dad say you were dead?”

His face, hard to read on a good day, had gone completely blank as he stepped out of her grasp. “Well, I am dead to him, I suppose. He threw me out a few years ago, and declared me dead so that I wouldn’t embarrass the family any further.”

“Shit,” Crystal said dryly. “That’s fucked up.”

He shot her a glare. “Yes, I am aware.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Niko pressed. “I could have found a way to help you.”

Edwin shook his head, his features softening. It wasn’t quite a smile, but he didn’t look as stiff as before. “Niko, we were thirteen. There was nothing you could have done. And I…I did not want you to get hurt.”

Niko furrowed her brows. “Hurt?” Edwin could be rude and insensitive, but he was not the type to hurt people, not on purpose anyway.

Stepping away, he took his seat behind the desk, and Charles sat on the chair beside him. “So, you said you had a case for us?”

Charles cleared his throat. “The case was to find you, mate.”

He straightened his already perfectly neat desk to avoid looking at her. “Well, here I am. Safe and sound. Happy?”

“Don’t be a dick,” Crystal admonished.

“Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.” He shot her a furious glare.

Charles stepped between them. “Oi! Let’s just take a calming breath.” All four collectively inhaled and exhaled.

Niko felt hurt by Edwin’s dismissal, though it wasn’t really one, was it? He had a tendency to reject people before they could reject him, and it seemed like something terrible had happened to him since that last letter, something that made him believe that she was safer without him in her life.

Which was stupid, of course. He was a good friend and she missed him.

“You said you wanted to keep me safe? I think I should be the judge of that,” Niko said.

Edwin shook his head. “It’s going to sound mad.”

“You know I’m very open minded.”

Edwin sighed, and she saw the put-upon preteen version of him that she knew. But finally, he relented. “I shall give you the shortened version of it.” He shot Crystal a significant look. “In private.”

She rolled her eyes while Charles took her by the elbow and led her away. “Come on,” he said, “Let’s grab ourselves a snack.”

As soon as they were gone, Edwin deflated slightly with a sigh. 

“Edwin, I…” Niko began, but trailed off, unsure of what to say.

He cleared his throat. “Right. I suppose I do owe you an apology. Loathe as I am to admit it, Crystal was right that I had been terribly rude to you.”

She shook her head. “It’s—I mean, it’s not okay, that was hurtful, but I think I get it.” She took the seat across the desk from him, giving him that space. “What happened to you?”

Edwin laughed bitterly. “Honestly, what didn’t?” He kept it brief, but even so, it was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Attempted human sacrifice, accidentally killing his classmates, rejection by his father, homelessness, getting kidnapped and tortured by a witch for more than a year, learning that his mother was the personification of Despair, returning to his school, and finally meeting Charles and some of their adventures together.

It made her dad’s death feel inconsequential by comparison.

“Edwin, I’m so sorry. Can I give you a hug?”

“I…” He hesitated. “If you feel you must.”

She walked around the desk and wrapped her arms around him. He was stiff at first, but slowly relaxed into it. Finally, he shifted, and she knew the hug was over.

She stepped back and gave him a smile. “I’m glad you found Charles, though. He seems to be doing a good job looking after you.”

Edwin’s face fell, and he looked askance. “Yes. Quite.”

Niko furrowed her brows. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Everything is fine.”

She considered pushing him further, but decided against it. Edwin had never been particularly in touch with his emotions, and he’d already shared a lot of heavy stuff. The best thing she could do was be there for him when he was ready to share the rest.

“And, uh, what about you?” Edwin asked. “How have you been? You left because your father took ill, correct? How is he?”

Edwin had been honest with her, so he deserved some honesty in return, even if telling him hurt so much it took her breath away. “He, um, he passed a few months ago. Mom sent me back to England to finish my education, and, uh, move on, I guess.” Tears prickled in her eyes.

His face crumpled in compassion as he took her hand. “Oh, Niko, I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been there for you.”

She rested a hand on his shoulder. “I wish I could have been there for you too.” 

A sudden pain blazed behind her eyes, hurting badly enough for her to double over.

“Niko?” Edwin asked, alarmed. All around them, the room flickered with pink light. “Niko!”

Her legs collapsed underneath her as she fainted dead away.

Chapter Text

“Charles!” Edwin shouted, turning Niko on her side in case she threw up. “Charles!”

He and Crystal came bounding into the room. Her eyes were wide with panic while he brandished his cricket bat. “What happened?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know. She just fainted.” He clutched Niko to his chest, his heart racing. They just found each other again. She couldn’t leave him.

“Let me try to read her,” Crystal said, reaching for her. He just hugged her tighter to him, and she wisely backed off.

Niko let out a little groan, stirring slightly. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Edwin said, helping her sit up. “And the room erupted in pink light. Has that happened before?”

“I saw the lights,” Crystal said. “When she first got here.” Edwin couldn’t help the twinge of annoyance at hearing her speak, but the information was too important to dismiss.

Niko rubbed her temples. “What? Pink lights?”

Edwin pulled his notebook and grabbed a pen. “When did you first notice your symptoms?”

“Um, two days ago. I think. Your dad said I could walk around your house to say goodbye, so I was in the woods looking for dandelions. My dad used to say I should pick them for courage.”

“I remember,” Edwin said softly. In the days before she left for Osaka and he to St. Hilarion’s, she had pressed a dandelion in a book and gave it to him, so he wouldn’t be scared without her. He kept that flower with him until Simon found it one day and ripped it up.

“Well, I found a bunch of them, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in a clearing, and it was almost dark. I’ve had the worst headache ever since.”

He sat back on his heels, humming thoughtfully. The next step was an obvious one, loathe as he was to take it. He looked up at Charles, hoping that he would at least be amenable to one last investigation before he rode off to the sunset with Crystal. “It may be of help to investigate the place where it all happened.”

“Are you sure, mate?” Charles asked softly, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I-I mean, I don’t blame you if you don’t wanna face your dad again.”

Edwin got to his feet and helped Niko up before guiding her to the couch. “Whatever issues I have with my father do not matter, especially if Niko’s life is on the line. We shall conduct our investigation here until nightfall, and then travel through the mirror to my father’s estate.”

“And what should I do?” Crystal asked.

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Stay out of the way.”

“I can help,” she retorted, making his irritation flare.

“Yes. By staying out of the way.”

“Oi, let’s just take a breath here. Crystal’s psychic, right? Maybe she can get a reading. Psychics can be real helpful, mate.”

Edwin shot him a betrayed glare. Of course he would take her side.

Niko flashed Crystal an anxious smile. “I’m willing to try.” Betrayals all around.

He turned to his growing library. “Great. While you do that, I shall be looking through the library to see what I can find.”

Still, he watched from the corner of his eye as Crystal touched Niko, her eyes rolling back in her head and turning pink. He pulled his notebook and began furiously taking notes while Charles panicked over the two.

“Edwin, Edwin, what do we do?” His hands hovered over Crystal, reaching for her but afraid to touch, lest he accidentally be sucked into the reading.

“Use the cricket bat,” Edwin said.

Charles shot him an exasperated look. “I know you don’t like Crystal, but I’m not hitting her with a cricket bat.”

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Not hit. Gently nudge apart.”

“Right, right.” Charles grabbed his bat from his bag and pushed the girls away from each other. The moment they separated, both flew back with a surprising force. He caught Crystal before she fell and cracked her head open. Niko collapsed on the couch, and Edwin ran to her side to check on her.

“What did you see?” he asked.

Crystal’s brows furrowed. “I-I’m not sure. It was a lot of colors and like an acid trip or something.”

“Yes, very helpful,” Edwin muttered bitterly. Charles shot him a warning look, but he ignored it, instead focusing on taking notes.

Niko sat up slowly, clutching her head. “Did you find anything?”

“It’s not really a possession, I don’t think,” Crystal said slowly. “But it’s an attachment of some kind. And it’s hungry. So very hungry.”

“Perhaps it’s a parasite of some kind,” Edwin said, turning to the library and searching his growing collection of magical tomes. “Niko, we have a chalkboard in the closet. Please write down your symptoms and the incident with the dandelions. Charles and I will search through these books of magical maladies and see what we can find.”

“I’ll help research too,” Niko said brightly as she grabbed a book from the top. “I have excellent reading comprehension skills.”

Crystal reached for a book on the stack, giving Edwin a challenging glare before taking it. He did not deign to respond, instead grabbing his own book and getting to reading.

They spent the day researching, the others pausing to eat or use the restroom, but he found himself so fascinated that he couldn’t tear himself away. The puzzle could almost make him forget that his friend’s life was on the line. 

He’d mentally narrowed it down to some kind of spiritual parasite, but he and Charles would have to see the site where she was infected in order to know for sure.

“Mate,” Charles said, shaking Edwin’s shoulder. “Mate, it’s late. Your dad’s probably asleep by now.”

Edwin blinked. He had lost track of time again. He had a tendency to lose himself in research and completely miss everything else around him. How long had Charles been calling his name? Everyone was staring at him.

He stiffened, straightening his jacket. “Right. Niko, Crystal, give me a few minutes to ready myself and Charles and I will be off.”

He ran to the restroom and after doing his business, drank some water directly from the sink. Charles was waiting outside with a sandwich in hand. 

“Here. Have a quick bite before we go.” He shoved the sandwich into Edwin’s hands.

It was basic turkey and cheese, but he devoured it like a starving man. Not for the first time, he wondered what Charles was getting out of their relationship. Sure, Edwin was of use to him at first, but now he was more of a burden than a friend, someone who Charles had to constantly remind how to function like a normal human being. Edwin certainly needed Charles far more than Charles needed him.

“Ready?” Charles asked.

Edwin gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Quite.”

He and Charles headed to the mirror and he closed his eyes, concentrating on his childhood bedroom—the feeling of the room, the smells, the textures, everything that brought it to life. When he touched the mirror, it rippled like water. Taking Charles’s hand and ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the contact, he stepped through.

Chapter Text

Edwin was home. The thought made him freeze in place so abruptly that Charles ran into him with a soft oof.

“Sorry,” Edwin muttered, moving out of his way. They were in his old bedroom, though if he were being honest, it never truly felt like his room. His father was obsessed with maintaining the family legacy, and that extended to the aesthetics of the house. Aside from some personalizing odds and ends, the room hadn’t been changed since the turn of the century. It had once belonged to his Great Uncle Edwin, his namesake, who died at the age of eighteen during the First World War. His Great Uncle’s spirit had returned in search of closure when Edwin was a child. They had been friends for a time—as much as a traumatized teenager could be friends with a lonely five year old—but as he grew older and his father started yelling at him for having an imaginary friend, his  great uncle decided it would be best if he left once Edwin started school.

He didn’t move on, though, until Edwin met Niko. 

“You alright, mate?” Charles asked. “I know this can’t be easy for you.”

“I…I was actually thinking of my first friend.” It was easier to think of his great uncle than his father, who surely was sleeping nearby, or all the lonely hours he hid away in his room, reading because that was the only acceptable activity for him to do.

Charles raised his eyebrows. “Who was that?”

“The ghost of my Great Uncle Edwin. He was a bit like a big brother to me. This used to be his room, you know. Before it was mine.” His eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the room, and he took in the once familiar shadows and silhouettes. He’d never truly had a place of his own. Not until Charles and the detective agency. But both were likely coming to an end.

He forced the thought from his mind, turning to Charles. “Well, let’s crack on, then. We must find the place in the woods Niko told us about, and it certainly isn’t here. Follow my lead.”

“Edwin…” Charles began, but he was already out the door and creeping down the stairs. 

He skipped the third and seventh step from the top—they always creaked—and reached the landing as silently as a cat. As a child, he would often sneak outside in the middle of the night to stargaze. These steps came back to him like he’d never been gone. Charles, though, did not have that muscle memory.

The floorboard creaked, and his friend froze, wincing and slowly pulling up his foot again. The sound seemed to reverberate through the house. Both stood statue still. They waited. No footsteps or cries of alarm. He gave Charles a curt nod, and his friend continued carefully down the steps. Edwin took his time the rest of the way, allowing Charles to keep up more easily. He had been hasty before. It would be his fault if his father woke from the noise they made.

They slipped out the back door. “Charles, a flashlight, if you please,” he whispered, holding out his hand.

Charles dutifully placed it in his hand. Before they could venture into the woods, an all too familiar voice rang out. “Stop!”

The friends froze, turning around slowly. Edwin’s father stood in the doorway holding a kitchen knife. His eyes widened when he saw Edwin.

“Father,” he said stiffly.

“What the hell are you doing here?” 

Edwin sighed. “I am not here for you. When Niko wandered on the property, she contracted something. I’m here to investigate what it is.”

His father regarded him with naked disdain. “I told you that you weren’t welcome here. Never again.”

Before Edwin could speak, Charles pulled out his cricket bat. “Oh mate, I have been looking forward to this.”

“Charles…” Edwin placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I could have you arrested for assault. Breaking and entering,” his father said coldly. 

“What about child neglect and endangerment?” Charles twirled his cricket bat with a Cheshire cat’s smile spread across his face. “Yeah, mate, I know what you did, you piece of shit.”

His father stiffened. “I did what was right for the family.”

“Whose fucking family? Your son needed you, and you abandoned him. You threw him out on the streets and let him be kidnapped and tortured for a year.” 

Edwin had never heard Charles sound so furious, not even when dealing with the spirits of abused children. And all of it was anger on his behalf. His traitorous heart fluttered. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh, cry, or kiss him.

Wait.

Kiss him?

No, he would not be thinking about kissing his best friend. He knew what came of his…predilections, and he couldn’t put himself through that. Not again.

He forced his mind from that thought and turned his attention to his father. The elder Payne glared down at Charles, not even flinching at the word ‘tortured.’ Edwin always suspected that his father didn’t care, but a part of him had hoped that he would show at least some guilt for what he did.

His father stiffened, sniffing haughtily. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. If the world believed Edwin was alive, they would have his head for killing his classmates. I spared him scrutiny. Jail time.”

“Fuck you.” Charles reeled back and punched Edwin’s father in the face. “Edwin Payne is the best person I know, and you abandoned him when he needed you most, you fucking piece of shit. But guess what? He has a real family now, people who care about him. And unlike you, I’m never gonna turn my back on him.” 

His father staggered backwards, his hand on his nose. “I’m disappointed in you, Edwin. Associating with a punk like this is beneath you.”

Right. That was it. He could insult Edwin all he wanted—he’d heard that and worse—but Charles was off limits. He conjured a ball of fire in one hand. “If anything, I am unworthy of him. Charles is ten times the man you and I will ever be, so watch your words carefully.”

Charles’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “Mate, that’s not true. You’re so much better than this wanker. And I can barely keep up with how amazing you are. He’s just an idiot who can’t see it.”

His father scoffed in disgust. “You always were an unnatural mistake, but I didn’t realize you were a bum boy too.”

He had expected Charles to recoil at the accusation, but if anything, his best friend moved closer. “And so what if we are? Better a couple of fags than a bloody wanker like you.” He gave his cricket bat an experimental swing. “Now, you can let us do what we came to do and we’ll be on our merry way, or you can get hit again. This time, with the bat. It's enchanted, you know? So it packs an extra punch. And honestly, I’d prefer the second option after everything you put my best mate through.”

His father stared for a moment, sizing up the two before sighing. “Just this once. Then I never want to see you again.”

“Believe me, father, the feeling is mutual.” He turned on his heel and made a beeline for the woods, trusting Charles to follow close behind.

Edwin paused once they were in the woods and out of earshot and anxiously pressed his knuckles together. “Did you mean what you said?”

“Every word,” Charles replied without hesitating.

“Even the—“ Edwin paused, collecting himself. His schoolmates tried to sacrifice him for being the way he was and his first boyfriend was nothing but a lie. He didn’t dare think of Charles in that way and risk ruining everything. “The last part. Would you truly not care if I were a…well…”

Charles paused and rested his hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “It wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Oh,” was all he could muster. “Thank you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can do to make me think less of you, mate.” Charles pulled him into a hug. The comfort of it was almost too much to bear. The, Charles continued, “I’m not leaving anytime soon. Not unless you ask me to.”

Suddenly, it truly was too much. He extricated himself from Charles's arms and kept on walking, trusting his best friend to keep up.“Not even for Crystal?” He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice.

The sound of footsteps stopped abruptly behind him. “Wait, is that why you’ve been acting so weird? It’s like the puppy debacle a few weeks back.”

“I am not jealous,” Edwin retorted, stopping without turning around, his voice embarrassingly high.

Chuckling, Charles caught up with him and placed a hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “Yeah, Crystal’s pretty fit and clever and funny. She’s a lot like you actually, which is probably why I like her so much…”

“Your point?” he asked acidly. 

He turned Edwin around, resting both hands on his shoulder and giving them a comforting squeeze. “We’re Holmes and Watson, yeah? Nothing got between them, not even when Watson married Mary Morstan. I’m not saying I’m gonna marry Crystal or anything, but if I do find someone I’m interested in, it won’t change us being best mates, right?”

Edwin had read that story to Charles a week ago. Because Charles looked so relaxed and had his eyes closed the whole time, he thought his friend had slept through most of it. Apparently not. “As selfish as it is, I do not want you to leave. Ever, if I can help it. But I also do not want to hold you back when you find someone more worthy of you.”

Edwin immediately knew that he had said the wrong thing. Charles fell silent, studying Edwin in the moonlight. “You deserve the world, mate,” was all he said with so much sincerity that it made Edwin’s chest ache.

For a moment, the words were stolen from his throat. Finally, he cleared it, looking away. “We, er, we should look for those dandelions.”

“Right,” Charles said. “Yeah.”

Edwin turned on his heel and walked on, the flashlight cutting through the night. The light caught something yellow on the ground.  “There! Dandelions!” Edwin pointed his light to where Charles had shone it last. They formed a trail leading deeper into the woods.

…

Charles studied Edwin in the moonlight. His best mate’s dad was as much a piece of work as his own, and Charles wished he could have hit him more and harder. Preferably with the cricket bat.

Maybe if they had more time. But Niko needed them, and she was the priority. 

He tried not to examine the realization that Edwin just came out to him too closely. He meant every word he said to his friend. Edwin being gay didn’t change a thing about how Charles felt about him. After all, he suspected it—had for a while—and Charles would be lying if he said he didn’t occasionally notice the odd bloke. He had eyes, and those eyes recognized fit people, men and women. No, the part he didn’t want to think about was the way he was now thinking about his best mate. Edwin was just as fit as Crystal. And he was funny, clever, and the kindest person Charles had ever met. Still, he couldn’t think of Edwin that way. He couldn’t ruin their friendship by making it weird. Edwin was the best thing to ever happen to him, and he couldn’t fuck it up.

He followed Edwin through the woods, tracing the trail of dandelions. As they walked, he noticed a bones, skeletonized animals reflecting off the beam of the flashlights.

“Mate?” Charles whispered, alarmed.

“I see it too,” Edwin replied.

The trail led to a stone altar with a jar. Human corpses littered the area. “This seems like the place,” Charles said casually as he circled the shrine. He zeroed in on the stone jar. “To grab or not to grab. That is the question. And the answer is…” He picked it up with a cheeky grin. “Grab.”

A wave of magic went out like a pulse. The skeletons stirred. One grabbed Edwin by the ankle. Without thinking, Charles smashed the jar on it. “Bollocks!”

“One of these days, we’re going to have a talk about your impetuousness,” Edwin said dryly.

“Yeah, less scolding, more getting out of here.” Charles drew his cricket bat and hit another skeleton, the bones shattering.

Edwin grabbed the contents of the jar, a stone and pile of dandelions, and shoved them in his jacket pocket. Charles covered him as he muttered an incantation, summoning a ball of fire and shooting it at the attacking skeletons. They beat a hasty retreat out of the forest and into the house, the skeletons still on their heels.

“What the fuck?” Mr. Payne yelled, his eyes wide and terrified. He had been in the kitchen applying ice to his hopefully broken nose.

“Sorry about the skeletons, mate,” Charles said, shutting the door behind them even as the skeletons tried to break it down and following Edwin into the bathroom.  Before  shutting it, he poked his head out. “We won’t be back, so, uh, you can take care of that. Bye now!” Ignoring the elder Payne's protests, he locked the door behind them and turned to Edwin, who had his hand on the mirror. It rippled like water, and he could see the office on the other side. 

Edwin climbed onto the sink and held out his hand. He flashed Charles the most charming smile. “Shall we?”

Charles grinned. “We shall.”

Chapter Text

“It is as I suspected,” Edwin announced as he stepped through the mirror, Charles following close behind. Crystal and Niko were sitting on the couch, talking quietly when they burst in. He made a beeline to the book on magical parasites and opened to the page on Dandelion Sprites. He held back a wince at the picture, wanting to enjoy his vindication rather than think about the potential consequences of failure. “You have a supernatural parasite.”

“Okay, how do we get it out of her?” Crystal asked.

“We need a vessel, something to hold them. Charles? Your bag?”

“What happened to the original vessel?” Niko asked.

“Someone—and I won’t name names—broke it,” Edwin replied primly.

Charles had the decency to look embarrassed as he dug through his bag. “Okay less chastising, more planning, mate.”

“The jar of bees we received from the the Case of the Awful Apiarist should suffice. Just don’t—“

Charles pulled out the jar and opened it. The bees flowed out, filling the room with an irritable buzzing. Crystal shrieked as one stung her, and Niko wisely wrapped herself in a blanket.

“Open it with the window closed,” he finished with a sigh. 

“Why do you even have that in there?” Crystal cried as another bee buzzed dangerously close.

“I thought it might come in handy.” Charles ran to the window and threw it open, letting the bees loose.

“Crystal, I need you to draw out the sprites. They feed off attention, and my nature is somewhat antithetical to it. You’ve communed with them already, so it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.”

Crystal yelped as another bee stung her, and then pressed her fingers to Niko’s head. Her eyes rolled up, revealing the whites as she began to speak. “You’re hungry? Well, I’m a psychic feast. Take me instead. Deal?”

“Deal,” Niko said in a voice that was not her own. The room blazed in pink light and she collapsed backwards. Two humanoid figures crawled out of Niko’s ears, a tiny man and woman.

Edwin didn’t quite know what to make of them. He stared in fascination as the two mushroom hatred sprites turned to Crystal and jumped. Charles moved quickly, though, catching them in the bee jar.

“Nice work, Charles!” Edwin exclaimed before stepping past him to check Niko’s pulse. It was strong and consistent, and her breathing sounded normal. For the first time since she fainted, he felt himself relax.

That proved to be a mistake.

“Uh, guys?” Crystal said, her voice sounding tight. “I think I remembered something about myself.”

Charles grinned. “That’s brills! What is it?”

“I’m allergic to bees,” she choked, grabbing at her throat.

His eyes widened. “Shit! Where’s your bag?” She pointed to the desk, and he dashed there, upturning the bag and dumping its contents on the table. “I don’t see an epi pen!”

Right. Edwin’s turn. He summoned his hook. “Crystal, I need you to trust me.”

Her breath came out in wheezes as she nodded.

This would not be pleasant. But better him than her. He, at least, could survive it and bounce back with no major issues. 

“Lie down,” he said.

She practically collapsed onto the floor. He dug the hook into his palm and then across the skin of her trachea. He covered the wound with his own and braced himself.

Slowly, her breathing eased, but his throat began to tighten. He felt the urge to cough, and untied his bow tie, loosening his shirt by unbuttoning the top button. His breathing came out in wheezes. Vaguely, he could hear Charles calling his name, but he wasn’t done. Not yet.

Finally, Crystal’s breath evened out as she fell asleep. She was going to be okay.

Edwin, on the other hand, couldn’t breathe. He clawed at his throat on instinct, as though he could scratch a hole in his throat to let air in. Arms wrapped around him, and he could vaguely hear Charles’s voice, but it was like he was underwater, submerged and drowning but on dry land. Tears streamed down his cheeks as darkness seeped into the edges of his vision. Charles’s face swam above him. He was saying something, but Edwin couldn’t quite hear. Charles looked upset, and that just wouldn’t do. Edwin smiled and brought his hand up, cupping Charles’s cheek.

Then, the darkness overtook him.

…

“No, no, no, mate. Stay with me,” Charles muttered, clutching his unconscious best friend. Stupid, stupid, stupid! 

How could he be such an idiot? Now he was alone in a room of three unconscious and sick people. Sure, he knew a little first aid. He’d been knocked around enough times to know how to patch himself up. But he didn’t know anything about spiritual parasites and severe allergic reactions. Edwin may be able to heal from anything, but it didn’t mean he would quickly recover. When he healed Charles, it took him using his mother’s powers and feeding off Charles to get better.

This was all his fault. If he hadn’t broken the vessel, if he hadn’t set the bees loose in the office, then everyone would be okay. God, why did Edwin keep him around?

“Hey,” one of the dandelion sprites shouted. “Hey, make your sorry ass useful and let us out of here.”

Apparently, he wasn’t alone after all. Not that this was much better.

“We’re talking to you,” the female sprite shouted.

He wanted to destroy the jar and the annoying buggers inside, but he didn’t know if it would make things worse. So he shoved them into his bag before returning to his vigil with Edwin in his arms.

Crystal sat up with a gasp, her hand coming up to the scratch on her throat, wiping away the tacky blood. “What…what happened? What did he do to me?”

“He did what he always does,” Charles said, cradling his best friend closer. “He healed you, knowing that it would hurt him.”

She blinked, confused. “What?”

“It’s something to do with his powers. As the son of Despair, he can’t grant a desire without it rebounding onto him. So when he heals…”

“He takes on whatever is wrong with the person he’s healing,” Crystal finished for him. “But why would he do that? He doesn’t like me.”

Charles shook his head, running his fingers through Edwin’s hair and wincing at every wheezing breath. “Like I told you before, it’s just who he is. He saved my life, you know? He didn’t know me, could’ve pretended I wasn’t there and just let me die, but he took my pain and felt it in my place.”

“Oh.” She studied Edwin’s limp form. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “No, I should be saying I’m sorry. If I hadn’t broken the first vessel and opened that jar of bees in the apartment, you and he would be fine. I fucked all this up and Edwin got hurt because of me.”

Crystal reached over to give his shoulder a squeeze. “You couldn’t have known I’d be allergic to bees. It’s not your fault.”

“Still, that’s common sense, you know? Don’t unleash angry bees in an enclosed room.”

“Maybe. But you were just focused on helping Niko. I don’t blame you for what happened, and I’m sure Edwin won’t either.”

Niko stirred on the couch, groaning and clutching her head. Her hair had changed color, transforming from black to snowy white. “What happened?”

Despite the sinking pit of guilt in his stomach as he held his best friend, he smiled at Niko. “You’re looking better. Don’t worry, we got the sprites out, so you should be right as rain. Though it looks like they might’ve given you a dye job.”

She furrowed her brows, staring at the white of her hair where it sat on her shoulders. Her gaze migrated to where Edwin lay in Charles’s lap, and she jerked up in alarm. “Oh my god, what happened? Is he okay?”

“I think so,” Charles replied. I need him to be. He forced his smile again. “Are you okay, Niko?”

She nodded, her eyes still on Edwin with her brows furrowed in consternation. “I feel a lot better. But Edwin…”

“It wasn’t you,” Crystal said. “I had an allergic reaction to the bees in here and he…he healed me by taking on my reaction.”

“Not your fault,” Charles said.

“I didn’t say it was.”

“No, but I could hear you thinking it.”

Niko stared at him, seeming to study him before nodding. “Could I get a glass of water?”

Charles glanced over at Crystal. As much as he wanted to help out Niko, he couldn’t bear to be parted from Edwin right now. What if he woke up? He would be alone and in pain, and Charles couldn’t stand the idea of that. “Can you get it for her? Get yourself a snack too, alright? I know I was starving after Edwin healed me.”

“I don’t know—“ she began, but then saw the plaintive look on Niko’s face. “Sure. I could grab a bite to eat.” She helped Niko to her feet and supported her in the direction of the kitchen, leaving him alone with Edwin.

“Mate, come on. Everyone else is up. I need you to wake up too. Please?” He rubbed Edwin’s arm. “Come on. Please.”

Edwin stirred. His breath still came out in wheezes, but his eyelids fluttered open.

“Mate, mate, thank god. Can you hear me? Nod if you can.”

Edwin’s eyes were slightly out of focus, but he still nodded. When he tried to speak, though, no sound came out. 

Charles cupped his cheek. “Hey, don’t talk. Just try to relax, okay? You scared the shit outta me.”

“Sor…ry…” Edwin rasped.

“I just said don’t try to talk. You’ll be okay. Just give yourself a tick.”

“Ni…ko…? Crys…tal…?” It sounded like his best mate had gargled broken glass, but he was awake and coherent.

He brushed the errant strands of hair from Edwin’s forehead. “They’re fine. Went to the kitchen to get a snack. That’s all.”

Edwin pushed himself to sit up, Charles steadying him as he straightened. “And…you…?”

“Like I said, you scared the shit outta me, mate. I wasn’t sure you would ever wake up. And I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t—“

“Not…your…fault.” Edwin’s gaze was firm, and his jaw had that endearingly stubborn set to it.

“Just don’t do that again,” he said.

“No promises.” Now the stubbornness was less endearing.

Charles sighed. “I just don’t like seeing you in pain.”

Edwin looked away, studying the floor. “It helped.” 

“What did?”

“You…being upset…” His voice was rough but sounding stronger by the second.

The light bulb went off in Charles’s mind. “My worry fed into your powers, allowing you to heal faster.”

Edwin nodded, the self-loathing written across his face. Charles scooted beside him, resting his head on Edwin’s shoulder. “You can feed off me any time if you need.”

With a sigh, Edwin rested his head on top of Charles’s. “I don’t want to need it. And I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Neither do I.” They say in comfortable silence for a minute, Charles listening to Edwin’s heartbeat and the growing steadiness of his breathing.

Crystal and Niko chose that moment to walk back in. Niko’s face lit up. “Edwin! You’re awake!”

Edwin smiled back, the tension leaving his muscles. “And you seem to be doing well. The white hair looks rather fetching on you.”

Niko shifted her shoulders in a delighted little dance. “Thank you.” She furrowed her brows. “Where did the sprites go, anyway? I don’t remember much, but—“

“Right, those little wankers,” Charles said and pulled them out of his bag.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” the female demanded.

“And why the fuck were we surrounded by porn in there?” the male added. He turned to Charles.

“Can’t get a girl so you just jerk off all over the place?”

Charles’s cheeks burned. “Right. Edwin, how do we kill these wankers once and for all?”

“No, don’t!” Niko protested, taking the jar from him. “Maybe we can reform them, make them nice.”

They replied by flipping her off. Niko just set the jar on the desk and smiled back at everyone else. “Thank you for saving my life, by the way. I know it must’ve been hard to go back to your old house, Edwin, but I’m glad my head didn’t explode.”

“I prefer your head in its current state,” Edwin replied with a soft smile.

“Samesies.”

Crystal cleared her throat, awkwardly approaching Edwin. “Uh, thanks for taking my allergic reaction for me. I know you don’t like me very much, so…thanks.”

Edwin’s smile became prim. “There is a wide gulf between distaste and wanting someone dead. You haven’t quite crossed to the other side of it yet.”

“Thanks,” she replied flatly, crossing her arms.

Charles chuckled, relieved that his mates, old and new, were all doing fine.

Chapter Text

Two years ago:

The boy was strange. He couldn’t have been much older than thirteen or fourteen, but he carried himself like he was centuries older. His clothes, though, were filthy and old, like they hadn’t been washed in weeks. There was a haunted look to him as he wandered the aisles. The romantic part of Maxine imagined him as some kind of exiled prince, on the run and forced to hide among the common folk. The tragic part was that he was probably just some kid, neglected by his parents and with nowhere else to go. That said, shouldn’t he have at least been in school?

She started when the boy marched up to her, his voice soft and regal in its poshness. “Excuse me, Miss. Could you tell me where the books on magic and the supernatural are?”

Maxine blinked. This really wasn’t helping her dispel the lost prince theory. “What kind of information are you looking for?”

He bit his lip. “I…I don’t…”

The thing was that Maxine happened to know a witch. She could probably get her hands on some real magic books, if that was what he needed. But she needed to know why he wanted them. She smiled mischievously. “Are you trying to hex one of your schoolmates?”

He looked almost offended at the question. “Goodness, no!” As quickly as the animation appeared on his face, he was back to looking anxious. “I…I had an experience, and I simply wish to understand it better.”

“What kind of experience?” she asked, sincerely interested.

The boy’s eyes widened, apparently shocked that an adult would genuinely want to listen to him. “I…I fear I will sound mad.”

She shrugged. “We all go a little mad sometimes.”

He glanced around before leaning in closer to her. “There is a—a power inside of me. One that feeds off the misery of others. It has…hurt people before, and I do not wish to cause more suffering. I thought perhaps if I understood it better, I might be able to control it so it will not harm anyone else.”

“And you thought you’d check your local library?” She bit her cheek to hide her smile.

Still, the boy shrank in on himself. “I didn’t know where else to start.”

“I'll tell you what: I’ll take you to the occult section of our library for background information. If it doesn’t answer any of your questions, I can find some real books for you.” She winked. “If you know what I mean.”

His entire face lit up. “Thank you, Miss. Truly.”

“Call me Maxine, sweetheart.” She got up from behind the information desk and led him to the back corner of the library.

The boy, who she eventually learned was named named Edwin, arrived every morning and after a polite wave in her direction, set about reading their entire occult and supernatural section, one book at a time.

“It’s the darndest thing, Esther,” she said over coffee. “I have half a mind to call child services. I’ve never seen any sign of his parents or if he’s in school, or even if he eats during the day. He just sits and reads books on the occult.”

Esther sipped her coffee while her crow familiar rested on her shoulder. “You haven’t given him any of the real stuff, have you?”

Maxine shook her head. “I wanted to ask your thoughts first.”

“He might be worth taking under my wing, right Monty?” She scratched at the bird’s chin. 

“He’s very well behaved. I haven’t had a single issue with him. I really think you’d like him, Esther.” Maxine wasn’t sure why she was trying to sell her friend on Edwin like he was some kind of dog in need of a home, but she suspected that Esther was the only one who could help him figure out what happened to him.

Esther hummed. “I’m sure I will. Now, the love potion you requested? I’ll need a few more ingredients. It should be ready in a week.”

Maxine suppressed an excited squeal. “You’re the best!”

“I know,” she replied, sipping her coffee.

…

Another useless book. Edwin sighed and snapped it shut. His brain felt like it was overheating, but he was still no closer to figuring out what he was, what let him do…that…to Simon and the other boys. Thinking about it made him sick, but he had to understand it if he had any hope of stopping it from ever happening again.

Getting to his feet, he turned and ran right into another boy, knocking the books out of both their hands.

“Sorry, sorry,” the other boy said, stopping over to pick them up.

“No, I am.” Edwin didn’t meet the other boy’s gaze. He was attractive, with shoulder-length black hair and a bright smile. It made Edwin’s heart flutter dangerously, so it was best to just be curt and quiet.

“ Gods Among Us. That’s a really interesting one,” the boy said, apparently not taking the hint from Edwin’s curtness. “I like the way Yockey writes about people’s encounters with the supernatural. He makes it all feel so human. I like astrology myself. I’m a Gemini. You?”

In spite of himself, Edwin rolled his eyes. He’d read through every astrology book in the library and found them all to be utterly useless. “Astrology is just an attempt to scrounge meaning from the meaningless through gross generalizations and pseudoscience.”

Instead of looking annoyed, the other boy chuckled. “Sounds like something a Capricorn would say.”

Well, the boy had him there. He was, in fact, a Capricorn. Edwin hugged his book closer to his chest, searching for a way out of this conversation. He didn’t trust it. No boy ever took an interest in him except to make fun of him later.

The other boy held out his hand, offering to shake. “I’m Monty.”

He tentatively took it. “Edwin.”

They spent the afternoon together, but when the library closed for the evening, Edwin assumed that would be that. He and Monty would go their separate ways, never to meet again. Monty, though, seemed to have different plans.

He met with Edwin every day that week, and they would spend hours talking about magic. Slowly, once he realized that Monty seemed to genuinely like him, Edwin began to regard him as a friend. Perhaps his first one after Niko.

“You wanna get outta here?” Monty asked one afternoon. “It’s such a nice day. Let’s walk around the park. My mom gave me some extra cash if you wanna get dinner with me.”

Edwin had been surviving on whatever he could shoplift from grocery stores or farmer’s markets. The idea of a real meal made his mouth water. That alone would have been enough to convince him to come along, but it was also nice to be spending more time with Monty after hours. He wasn’t sure what about his life he could safely discuss with his new friend, but he was sure he could think of something. “I would be amenable to that,” he said, trying not to sound too eager.

Monty grinned. “Then let’s go.”

The day was indeed beautiful. A summer breeze rustled Monty’s hair, reminding Edwin of a perfume commercial. The thought made him blush.

“My favorite chippy is nearby,” Monty said. “The bread there is just so good. It’s perfect for dinner.”

Edwin’s stomach made its complaints known as soon as Monty mentioned food. When was the last time he’d eaten? Probably a week ago. Aside from some of the easily ignorable physical discomfort associated with hunger, though, he was fine. No real dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness. His mind was as clear as ever. 

When he heard Edwin’s stomach grumble, Monty chuckled. “I take it that’s a yes.”

Edwin’s cheeks burned. “If your mother is alright with it.”

“Oh she definitely is. I’ve told her all about you and our study dates.”

Edwin stopped short. Dates? Monty was interested in him…in that way? Though he knew it was wrong, the thought sent a wave of giddiness through him. 

Monty turned around, flashing him a bright smile. “You coming?” 

Heart fluttering, Edwin jogged to catch up. Simon and his friends had tried to sacrifice him just because they thought he was gay, and in the process, learned just how unnatural Edwin truly was. Edwin had resigned himself to a lifetime alone, separate from the world around him. But maybe he found a kindred spirit in Monty. Maybe he could help Edwin control his abilities so he won’t hurt anyone else. Maybe he didn’t have to be so alone after all.

The meal at the chippy was the best he’d eaten in a while. After lunch, he and Monty just walked and talked for hours on end. Eventually, they ended up at a park.

Giggling, Monty swung on a swing. “Whee!”

“Monty, earlier, when you said we were having study dates…” Edwin began.

“It’s okay to call it a date, right?” Monty asked, pausing his swinging. “I mean, I was hoping they were, but if you don’t think—“

Edwin cut him off. “I like it.” He could feel his cheeks heat up. “I like you. Quite a lot, actually.”

Monty, who had been hanging on the swing’s chain, swung forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Edwin’s lips. He gasped, but didn’t pull away. 

His first kiss.

And it was to this strange, sweet boy. His only friend. 

A sudden terror struck him, and he pulled back in a panic.

“Sorry,” Monty said, “I—sorry.”

Edwin shook his head. “No, no, it’s quite alright. I-I liked it. It’s just, well, before we become something, I think you have a right to know. About me.”

Monty sat on the swing and gestured for Edwin to take the one beside him. And Edwin told him everything, starting with his mother dying in childbirth and ending with how his father disowned him after the failed demonic sacrifice.

“That’s awful,” Monty said. He fell silent for a moment, biting his lip. Then, he took Edwin’s hand. “You really should meet my mom. She knows all about magic, and I’m sure she can help you figure this out.”

Tears pricked in Edwin’s eyes. Monty was going to be his salvation.

Three days later, Monty’s mother invited Edwin over for dinner. He stole some nice looking clothes from Oxfam the day before, and now sat at Esther’s kitchen table.

“So, Edwin, Monty tells you’ve been researching magic,” Esther said, leaning in. “Is there any reason why?”

Edwin looked to Monty, who gave him a reassuring nod. “It’s not a very pleasant story for dinner conversation.”

She rested her chin on her hand. “No need for that. We’re all friends here, aren’t we? I mean, you and Monty are more than friends, of course, but you get the idea. If you want to learn about real magic, you have to get comfortable with unpleasant shit.”

He took a slow, deep breath, and then told his story for the second time. 

“How tragic,” Esther said, and Edwin couldn’t tell whether she was being sarcastic or not. She was what polite society would call ‘a character’ and what most others would call an asshole. How could a sweet person like Monty have come from someone like Esther?

Monty took Edwin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “So, what do you think? Can you help him?”

Esther frowned and took a puff of her pipe. “Maybe. We’ll have to run some experiments, of course. I’ve never heard of this kind of magic. In the meantime, how about you stay with me for a while. Better than that dusty old factory.”

Edwin anxiously pressed his knuckles together. Something about this felt wrong, though he couldn’t place what. “It’s a very generous offer, but I would like to stay in my home for the time being. I’ve made it quite comfortable and am now used to being on my own. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Not at all. I insist,” Esther replied.

“I truly think—“

Esther rolled her eyes. “Well, you asked for it, kid.” Bringing up her hand, Edwin didn’t have time to react before she blew a strangely sweet smelling powder in his face.

Panic overcame him as he coughed, pushing his chair back and staggering away. His limbs grew heavy as he tried to flee, exhaustion overcoming him. Tripping over his feet, he fell, his head splitting open on the corner of a side table.

“Well, would you look at that,” Esther said, sounding like she was underwater. “His cut is healing like it’s nothing. You and Maxine were right. He is fascinating.”

Though he fought it, his eyelids drooped as oblivion overtook him.

Chapter Text

Edwin woke with a jolt. The nightmares had been unrelenting these past few weeks. He wasn’t sure why. His waking life had been rather pleasant, as of late.

They were back to solving mysteries and working on getting Crystal’s memories back. Not wanting to be stuck with two boys and their “puberty smells,” she had moved into the flat across from Niko above a butcher’s shop. Crystal was growing on him, even if Charles was still looking at her like he wanted to snog her. (Not that he was jealous. He just wanted them to be more professional than that.) An incident involving Charles getting caught in a ghostly time loop really cemented their bickering friendship. He’d never had a sister, but that was how she felt to him, the kind of sister with whom he would be locked in an eternal sibling rivalry.

With his waking time so happy, he knew it was only going to be a matter of time before the other shoe dropped. 

And drop it did when they were waiting in the Tongue and Tail for Crystal and Niko to get ready. They had a potential lead in getting her memories. While they sat at the bottom of the stairs, the bell above the door rang. Jenny, the terrifying goth woman who ran the store giggled and touched the locket around her neck.

That alone was enough to pique Edwin’s interest and raise a couple alarm bells.

“Hey Maxine,” Jenny said, sounding almost unnaturally cheerful. Something was wrong. Jenny was deeply kind, but she was not girlishly cheerful.

But then another voice made his blood run cold. “There you are, gorgeous!” Maxine the librarian?

Suddenly, he was back in Esther’s basement. Earlier that morning, she had severed his vocal cords in anticipation of a guest. Above him, he heard the front door open, and exclamation of, “Maxine, it’s been far too long.”

The voice that answered was terrifyingly familiar. “Esther, how have you been?”

The librarian who helped him find books on magic. What was she doing here? Did she sell him out to Esther? Why?

“I’ve been good, and you? What happened with that barista you’d fallen head over heels for?”

“It didn’t work out. We weren’t a good match. But there is this co-ed I’ve met. She’s just darling…”

“Say no more. I’ll have it to you by tomorrow. Hopefully this will end better than the last one.”

What was Maxine doing at the Tongue and Tail? Was it Esther? Did she figure out how to track him down?

“Mate? You okay?” Charles asked, taking Edwin’s hand. The panic must have been obvious on Edwin’s face, because Charles’s eyes were full of worry.

“We have to hide,” Edwin whispered, jumping to his feet and pulling him upstairs and to Niko’s room.

“Crystal, I’m almost—“ Niko began without looking. When she spotted them, her eyebrows shot up. “Oh. Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure,” Charles whispered. “Whoever just came into the Tongue and Tail has Edwin freaked.”

Edwin carefully shut the door behind him and pressed a finger to his lips. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, not yet. His mind raced with the same speed as his heart. 

“I’ll get Crystal,” Niko whispered as Charles guided Edwin to sit on her bed.

“Can you breathe with me?” Charles asked, placing Edwin’s hand on his chest. Edwin tried to copy him and get his breathing under control.

“The woman downstairs,” he gasped. “She’s friends with Esther.”

“She what?” Charles was immediately on his feet, ready to march down and confront her.

“Don’t,” Edwin cried, clinging to Charles’s hand like a lifeline. “Please, don’t.”

“Why not?” Charles asked, indignant.

“I don’t think she’s here for me, or if she even knows I’m here. She came for Jenny. I think Esther might supply her with love potions, and Jenny is her latest victim.”

Charles let out a slow breath and sat down again. “You think Jenny might be in danger?”

“From what little conversation I overheard from her visits, I believe so. More than me at the moment.” He strained to remember Maxine’s visits. She seemed to have a new crush every time, one that seemed to fail to become a proper relationship. And every time, Esther would promise to provide her something to help her with her new paramour. He related all this to Charles, trying to convey every detail but one. He didn’t tell Charles about how Esther would regularly sever his vocal cords in anticipation of her visits. There were some horrors that Charles still deserved to be protected from.

“I need to go to the office,” Edwin declared once he was finished. “There has to be books on breaking these spells. I will take the mirror and be right back.”

“Wait,” Charles said, grabbing Edwin’s hand again as he tried to leave. “I’m coming with you.”

He shook his head. “Stay and keep an eye on the girls. I shan’t be but a moment.”

Before Charles could protest further, Edwin disappeared into Niko’s mirror. Once he was back in the office, he could finally breathe.

…

As much as he hated them being apart, Charles couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief once Edwin disappeared through the mirror. This Maxine lady wouldn’t be able to hurt him if he was back at the office. There was a soft knock at the door, and Niko said in a hushed tone, “Guys, I’ve got Crystal. Are we all clear?”

Charles opened the door for them, letting them inside. 

“Where’s Edwin?” Niko asked him, wide eyed.

“He went back to the office through the mirror. Unfortunately we’ll have to head there the old fashioned way.”

Crystal crossed her arms. “What’s going on?”

Charles gave them the quick notes about Maxine’s friend and Edwin’s theory about Jenny.

Niko’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my god. This is all my fault.” Both stared at her, confused. Niko’s face fell. “I figured out that Maxine had a crush on Jenny and pushed them to go on a date even though Jenny didn’t want to.”

Crystal gave Niko’s shoulder a squeeze. “You couldn’t have known. Literally no one would be able to predict that.”

“We’ll fix this,” Charles said. “Edwin will break the love spell, and then…” And then, what? What would they do about the psycho librarian?

Edwin stepped back through the mirror, his arms laden with books.

“Mate, you should have stayed at the office. We would’ve met you there,” Charles said, immediately moving to Edwin’s side and taking the books from him. “It would’ve been safer too,” he murmured in Edwin’s ear. His best mate’s breath caught in his throat, and it made Charles’s chest dance with butterflies.

Stepping back, Edwin straightened and shook his head. “If Maxine is as murderous as I think, then time is of the essence.” He grabbed the top book off the pile.  “I collected all our spell books. Most likely, there is a hex bag or cursed amulet of some kind. Something that Jenny would keep on her.”

“The necklace?” Niko suggested. “Maxine gave it to her on their first date.”

Edwin nodded thoughtfully. “I saw her touch it when Maxine first arrived. I’d say it’s our most likely candidate.”

“So we break the locket and we break the spell,” Crystal said. 

He pursed his lips. “I believe so.”

Charles grinned. “Aces! Edwin, you stay up here with Niko, and we’ll get Jenny sorted.”

A look of hurt crossed Edwin’s face. “Charles, you cannot sideline me. I can help.”

Well, it wouldn’t do to hurt his best mate, especially not on purpose. Charles gave Edwin’s shoulder a squeeze. “You have. But if Maxine sees you and tells Esther…”

Edwin looked away, but Charles could tell he had made his point. “I feel like a coward hiding up here.”

“Who says we have to get the necklace while Maxine is here?” Crystal asked. Edwin shot her a rare grateful look.

“Yeah, if Edwin thinks she’s dangerous, wouldn’t it make more sense for us to take it when Jenny’s sleeping or something?” Niko added.

“And why says we need to take it from her?” Crystal shrugged. “I know I don’t like using my powers like this, but I can just push her into handing me the necklace.”

Edwin shook his head. “I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

“It’s not about you, Edwin,” Crystal said, gently, a simple statement of fact. “It’s about making sure Jenny is safe.” 

Taking a slow breath, he nodded. “You’re right. We’ll go with your plan.”

Charles grinned, his gaze bouncing between his four best mates. Jenny would be okay, and Edwin won't have to face that librarian. A win for everyone.

Chapter Text

This was all Niko’s fault. She’d convinced Jenny to go on that first date with Maxine. If she hadn’t, Jenny wouldn’t be under her crazy girlfriend’s spell. Now, all they could do was wait until she was gone and try to steal the necklace. 

She watched Edwin out of the corner of her eye. For the past several weeks, he’d alluded to some of the awful stuff he’d gone through. Now, he was closer than ever to one of the people responsible for his captivity.

He sat on her bed with his back ramrod straight. His knuckles were pressed together so tight that it looked like it hurt. Charles seemed to notice too, because he took Edwin’s hand and gently massaged them. It was so cute that it made her want to squeal. But she exercised admirable restraint. What Edwin had with Charles was not to be trifled with, especially after the disaster that was Jenny and Maxine.

Finally, she heard the sound of the door closing and Jenny saying her goodbyes to Maxine. She sounded so happy. It broke Niko’s heart that it was all a lie.

The door chimed again, indicating that Maxine was gone. Niko began her mental countdown. Two minutes to make sure the evil librarian really was gone, and then she would go downstairs and distract Jenny long enough for Crystal to grab the necklace and for Charles and Edwin to destroy it.  One hundred and twenty seconds, and then go time.

She headed down the stairs first. Hopefully, she could talk Jenny into giving her the necklace without Crystal using her powers. If not, her friends would be close behind. Jenny stood at her counter with her chin propped on her hands, smiling dreamily at the door.

“Hi Jenny, how was your date?” she asked. 

The dreamy expression left her face, and the familiar scowl returned. “Shouldn’t you be doing homework?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. I’m doing a project on—uh—folk symbols for my history class, and I noticed the one on your necklace. Can I get a closer look at it?”

Jenny’s hand went to the locket. “Absolutely not.”

Niko affixed Jenny with her biggest puppy dog eyes. “Please? It’ll only be for a minute.”

“I said no.” Jenny’s hand seemed to go to the knife beside her without her realizing it. Niko stepped back with a gasp, and her friend furrowed her brows in confusion when she saw the weapon in her hand. Then, her eyes rolled back in her head.

“Give Niko the locket,” Crystal commanded.

Jenny mechanically reached for her locket and took it off. Niko grabbed it and handed it off to Edwin. Before he could cast the spell, though, the door chimed open.

“Hey, Jenny, I forgot my—what the fuck?” Everyone turned to find Maxine standing in the doorway. Her gaze drifted across all their faces before it settled on Edwin. “You!”

Edwin cast the spell, and the locket burst into flames.

“You little fucker,” Maxine growled, fumbling through her purse. 

“Get her,” Crystal commanded, and Charles charged, his cricket bat at the ready…

Only for her to hit him with pepper spray. Charles stumbled backwards with a cry as Maxine sprinted away. Niko gave chase, not knowing what her plan was, but knowing Maxine couldn’t tell Esther where she could find Edwin.

By the time she got out there, though, Maxine was gone. Not knowing what else to do, she returned to the butcher shop. Jenny sat with her head down and her knees pulled to her chest as Crystal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Charles sat with his back against the counter, pushing Edwin away. He had a cut on his hand and a hook around his finger. She knew this was how he healed people, but it was still unsettling to see. 

“I’m fine, mate. Save it for the serious stuff and just get me some water to wash out my eyes.”

“It’ll be faster this way,” Edwin said.

Charles grabbed blindly his hand. “Crystal. Water. Please.” 

“I’ll get it,” Niko said, rushing to the kitchen. She grabbed the biggest cup she could find and filled it with cool, clean water before handing it off to Edwin. Then, she carefully approached Jenny like she was a cornered animal. “Are you okay?”

Jenny’s head snapped up. “No, I’m not fucking okay. My girlfriend turned out to be a fucking mind controlling psychopath. Jesus Christ. This is why I didn’t want you meddling with my love life.”

“I’m sorry,” Niko replied softly, guilt curdling in her stomach and bringing tears to her eyes. She’d gotten one friend hurt and put two in danger with her own stupid obsession with love.

“There was no way you could’ve known,” Crystal said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Jenny muttered with a dismissive wave of her hand. She got to her feet. “I just need to not be here right now.” With that, she vanished up into her bedroom.

Charles’s eyes were still swollen, but he was on his feet. Edwin looked slightly huffy about Charles refusing to let him help, but he would get over it as soon as Charles was back to normal. 

“I should set up wards around this place,” Edwin said. “Probably should have done it earlier.” He vanished upstairs, presumably to the mirror, with Charles following close behind like usual.

Chrystal reached over and gave Niko’s shoulder a squeeze. “You wanna hang out with me? We can read some of your comics—“

“Manga,” Niko corrected automatically. “And I don’t know if I want to read about love right now, not when…” She trailed off.

“Well, I could use the distraction. Maybe you could teach me Japanese with them.”

Niko had a feeling Crystal wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she just nodded and followed her friend up the stairs.

…

Jenny laid on her bed with her arm thrown over her eyes. Her head felt like a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions. The moment the locket was destroyed, it was like the rose colored glasses had been forcibly ripped from her eyes. Maxine had messed with her head, made her think Jenny was in love with her even after she admitted to spying on Jenny through the window and breaking into her apartment building. God, she was an idiot.

And the worst part was that she might not have needed the locket. If Maxine hadn’t gone full blown stalker, Jenny would have been into her.

There was a soft knock at the door, and one of Niko and Crystal’s friends, Edwin, called gently through the other side of the door. “Jenny? May I come in? I would like to help you protect against Maxine from ever returning.”

Jenny sighed. She didn’t want to deal with any more people, but if the kid knew how to keep Maxine far away from her, then it was worth it. “Sure, yeah. Whatever.” 

Edwin entered and gently shut the door behind him. “I understand that this is difficult, but do you have something of hers? Like her hair or an item of clothing.”

“Uh, she used my hairbrush once. There might be some in there.” Thank God they hadn’t gone farther than kissing. Even the thought of it now made her want to wash her mouth out with acid. The violation would have been too much. 

He went into her bathroom and emerged with the hairbrush, picking out blonde strands and sticking it in a small velvet bag. “I am sorry. About Maxine, I mean. I trusted her once too.”

Jenny uncovered her eyes and picked up her head. The boy stood stiffly in the doorway, like he was ready to bolt at the slightest sound. “What happened? I mean, you’re not her type, so I don’t think it’s exactly the same.”

“Perhaps not. She talked about me to a witch, who then used her familiar to seduce me, tricking me into believing that he cared about me. Then, the witch held me prisoner and tortured me for a year and a half.”

“Jesus, kid,” Jenny said, sitting up. “Do I need to call the police? How did you escape? Are you okay?” In general, Jenny had a what-she-doesn’t-know-won’t-hurt-her policy when it came to the drama surrounding her teenage tenants. Sometimes, kids who run away just need someplace safe for a while before they’re ready to come home. That seemed to be the case with Niko and Crystal. But now that magic and witches and torture was involved, she was seriously questioning this resolution to mind her own business.

“I am fine. I escaped with…” he paused, seeming to search for the words, “magic, I suppose. And as for the police, they would be of little help, unfortunately, which is why I am warding this place with the same magic I used to ward our office.”

“Office? Wait, where are your parents in all this? Aren’t you a little young to have an office?” 

Edwin gave her a tight-lipped smile. “One mother dead, another, well, complicated, and my father disowned me, I’m afraid. I will ask that you do not call child protective services. Charles and I are managing well enough on our own.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. My dad was a piece of shit too. I get it.”

Edwin gave her a short nod. “Thank you, Jenny. Truly. And if you need to talk to anyone, I cannot fully understand the violation of your mind, but I do get the rest. And Crystal has also dealt with an abusive boyfriend who, well, gets into her head in a similar manner.”

Jenny returned his tight-lipped smile with one of her own. “And if you ever need to talk to a somewhat responsible adult, I’m here.”

She was rewarded by a rare chuckle from the normally reserved teenager. “I shall keep that in mind.”

…

Maxine wanted to scream. She was so close! Jenny could’ve been the one! But then Edwin and his friends had to go and ruin it. Where did he even come from anyway? Last she heard from Esther, he had been hard at work as her apprentice. Was this some kind of scam she was pulling? Was Esther deliberately sabotaging her relationships so that she would keep buying love spells?

Stomping up the steps to Esther’s home, she knocked on the door. The crow boy, Monty, opened it.

“Maxine, what’s—“

“What the hell, Monty? Have you been sabotaging all my relationships?”

The familiar blinked. “Huh?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t act so innocent. I caught Edwin in the act breaking the locket Esther gave me.”

“Edwin?” he repeated with a befuddled look on his face. “You saw Edwin?”

“Yeah, he was with Jenny Green, who could have been the love of my life if he hadn’t fucked it up.”

“I’ll talk to Esther,” he said, shifting further behind the door. “She’s out right now, but should be back in time for dinner.”

“I will be back,” Maxine said, and turned on her heel to leave. She didn’t feel the blow to the back of her head. All she was aware of was a sudden pain and the sensation of falling. She watched with blurry vision as a pair of black shoes stepped in front of her. 

Monty squatted in front of her. “I’m sorry about this, but Esther can’t know where to find him.” Another blow struck her head. And then she felt nothing until the red lights came.

Chapter Text

“I’m headed out,” Charles said. “Won’t be long, mate.”

Edwin barely looked up from his book, simply giving him a wave. “Be safe, Charles.”

He grinned at that offhand benediction, something that no one other than his mum would say to him. And speaking of…

Sticking his hands deep in his pockets, he felt for the loose change. He had just enough for a good chat. Just to check in and make sure Edwin’s curse was still holding his dad at bay. The payphone was rarely busy, so he stepped inside and dialed his home phone number. 

“Hello?” his mother said on the other side of the line. 

“Hey Mum,” he said.

“Beta, where are you? Are you alright? Your father and I are worried sick. When will you come home?”

The conversations always went this way. He would call her to check in, she would beg him to come home, and once they established again that he wasn't coming back, he would give her a shortened version of what he’d been up to.

“I helped a woman get out of a bad relationship,” he said instead of giving her the same answer every time and breaking her heart just a little bit more. “Her ex is, like, a serial killer or something and put her under a love spell.”

“Really? Is she okay?” His mum sounded concerned but also intrigued. She probably would never admit it, but she seemed to enjoy the stories Charles told of his adventures, even if she didn't always believe them.

Charles smiled and related the whole story to her, except for the part about Maxine knowing the woman who tortured his best friend. Edwin would prefer to keep that private, and Charles respected his wishes.

“That other boy—Edwin—he was with you, wasn’t he?”

Charles suppressed a sigh. His dad hadn’t raised a hand or even said an unkind word to his mum since Edwin’s curse, but his mum didn’t seem to understand that Edwin did it to protect them. “He was,” Charles replied with faux cheer. “And he was brills too! He recognized the crazy serial killer librarian and figured out how to break the spell.”

“Were you safe?”

It felt a little rich for her to be asking him that, like the biggest danger to him wasn’t in their house. But that wouldn’t do any good. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. I’m more worried about Edwin, to be honest. He and the serial killer had a bit of a bad history.”

“Did he curse her like your father?”

Charles’s fingers curled into fists. “No, mum, he didn’t. She let him get kidnapped by a crazy witch who tortured him for a year.” Damn. He wasn't supposed to say that. Silence fell on the other end of the line. Charles took a slow breath in and out to calm himself before he said something else he regretted. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just want you to be safe, and I don’t know if that friend of yours—”

“Like home has always been totally safe,” he snapped. As soon as the words left his mouth, guilt curdled in his stomach. “Mum, I—“

“No, no, you’re right. I haven’t been a very good mother to you.”

With a sigh, he tapped his forehead against the glass wall of the phone booth. “No, I don’t blame you for that.” Mostly not, anyway. “Dad being a drunk asshole is on him, not you. But Edwin isn’t like him. He takes good care of me. Really. And I’d do anything for him.” Tears prickled in his eyes. “I miss you, though.” 

“I miss you too, beta.”

“Maybe someday we can be in each other’s lives again, and you’ll get to see how amazing he is. But until then, I’ll call you next week, yeah?”

“I love you, beta.”

“Love you too, mum.”

…

Charles thought Edwin didn’t know about his weekly phone calls to his mother, but Edwin knew. Sometimes, he worried that it would be the last time he ever saw his best friend, that his mum would finally convince him to come home and stay home. The anxiety would quickly turn to despair, and the hooks that manifested would dig painfully into his skin. It would only abate once Charles was back, looking slightly wrung out but still smiling.

This time, though, he decided that he needed to do something about it. He needed to talk to the one person he knew might understand what he was feeling. Edwin waited until he could no longer hear Charles’s footfalls before writing a swift note: Went to visit my cousin. Be back in a tick.

Then, he focused on Thomas and stepped through the mirror.

His cousin lounged on his throne in the form of an orange cat. When Edwin emerged from the mirror, he disappeared in a puff of purple smoke and reappeared in his human form. “Edwin, to what do I owe the honor? Working on another big case?”

“No, actually. I just wanted to talk. If that is alright with you…” He anxiously pressed his knuckles together. 

Thomas lounged deeper into the chair. “You never call on me for anything exciting.”

Edwin blinked. “I-I am sorry. I did not know you wanted to be involved.”

He waved it off with a lazy flick of his hand. “Nah, sounds like too much work. What did you actually come here to ask me?”

“Your advice. I hope that by learning about your nature, I might better understand my own.”

“Ask away.” 

Not wanting to keep standing awkwardly, Edwin took a seat on the nearest crate. “What does your connection to the Endless feel like?”

The Cat King sat up and scratched his chin. “I’m not sure I know what you mean?”

He swallowed, his throat dry. “I have this feeling inside me. It’s new and I don’t know what to do with it quite yet.”

“Well, that’s called puberty and it’s perfectly natural,” Thomas drawled.

Edwin rolled his eyes. “Oh, do come off it. You know that is not what I mean.”

“Well, try describing it, then.”

“It—well, it is like a gaping hole in my chest when Charles is not around, and I find myself anxious all the time, worrying about him and my other friends—their safety, their health, their happiness—and it weighs on me, all the things that can go wrong. And I can feel it affecting my powers. When I spiral, I feel Despair’s hooks bury themselves in my flesh. But when I am with them, my power feels weaker, like it is being pushed to the back of my mind, and I do not feel the hooks at all. It drives me to distraction.”

Thomas was silent for a lingering moment. Finally, he spoke. “Your mother and my parent are twins, equal and opposite. My power is like a constant, never ending hunger. For my first few lives, I did everything I could to sate it, but no food, drugs, or sex could ever leave me satisfied. That was when I encountered your mother’s domain. It was oddly comforting, slipping into apathy and Despair. Like most of my hunger went away. Does—does that make sense?”

Edwin nodded. “I believe so. And if our powers are equal and opposite…”

Thomas sat up, his languid posture completely gone as he leaned forward, completely attentive. “Then I think you might be experiencing true Desire for the first time since you came into your powers. Despair acts like an appetite suppressant, making you not want anything. Now that you’re experiencing Desire, it’s like you just realized you’ve been starving this whole time.”

“So there’s nothing to be done about it,” Edwin muttered, studying his hands. 

Thomas shrugged. “I mean, you could always kill all your friends.”

The color drained from Edwin’s face at the thought of losing his friends. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Relax, I was kidding.” Thomas chuckled, though Edwin suspected that his cousin wouldn't have hesitated if Edwin asked. “I think it’s sweet, actually, how much you care about your friends.”

“And you too,” Edwin said. “You’re in that list of people I worry about.”

Thomas’s eyes widened as though he was caught off guard. “I don’t do well with sincere emotional displays, but, uh, I worry about you too. You’re the only relative I like, even if you have a stick so far up your ass that I see the other end of it every time you open your mouth.”

Edwin smirked. “And you’re not so bad for an uncouth louse.”

Thomas raised his eyebrows in response. “Where did you get your insults? The Victorian era?”

“I mean, if the shoe fits…” They both chuckled, but then fell quiet.

To Edwin’s surprise, Thomas spoke first. “So, you and that guard dog of yours, are you official now, or…?”

“What?” Edwin hated the way his voice squeaked in surprise. “We’re just friends, Thomas.”

The Cat King tsked. “Come on. I’m a creature of desire. I can smell it on you from a mile away. Charles too, when we first met. I mean, that guy practically tore this place to the ground when met. And even if I couldn’t smell it on you, I don’t think you’ve gone five minutes without mentioning him.”

Heat burned Edwin’s cheeks. “I do not talk about him that much.”

“You absolutely do!” Thomas exclaimed, laughing. “Cuz, your closet is made of glass, and anyone with eyes can see how much you’re into that boy.”

Edwin looked away. The phantom feeling of a hook dug into his hand. “Yes, well, he doesn’t feel that way. About me, I mean.”

His cousin’s eyebrows practically shot to his forehead. “Could’ve fooled me. Have you actually told him how you feel?”

“In a manner of speaking…”

The Cat King resumed his usual lounge. “Try being more direct. He might be oblivious to his own feelings.”

Edwin sighed. “I wouldn’t hold my breath. He’s interested in our other friend, Crystal.”

“Desire is fickle,” he replied with a lazy flick of his hand. “You’ll see. I’d bet one of my lives that you two are in it for the long haul.” He sat up. “In the meantime, I think the best thing you can do for your little problem is to just spend more time with your friends.”

“Act on my desires? How very original,” Edwin teased. 

“Don’t say that to me. Half my charm is my unpredictability.”

Edwin got to his feet. “I shall take your advice under consideration.”

Thomas raised his eyebrows. “Leaving so soon?”

“I should be getting back. I have some wards to finish in the office and the butcher shop where my friends are staying. Thank you. Truly. It’s nice to talk to someone who—who understands what it is like to have one of the Endless as a parent.”

“Any time, cuz. I mean it.”

Edwin smiled. “And you are welcome to visit me whenever you like.”

“Careful.” Thomas winked. “I just might take you up on that.”

With that, Edwin bade his goodbyes and stepped through the mirror. Charles was waiting on the couch, his knee bouncing anxiously. When he spotted Edwin, he relaxed, smiling brightly. “Hey, mate, can I give you a hug?”

Edwin ignored the fluttering in his chest. “You can.” Charles wrapped his arms around him and squeezed. It was comforting, being in his best friend’s arms, though Edwin didn’t like the distress he sensed coming off Charles. “May I ask why?”

Charles sighed, the tension leaving his body. “Can’t I just want one?”

“I suppose so. But if something is bothering you, I hope you know that you can tell me anything.” 

Charles tensed slightly before relaxing again. “Same with you, mate. Anything.” With that, Charles stepped back, breaking the hug. His hands still lingered on Edwin, though, traces of warmth lingering at the points of contact.

Chapter Text

They were being watched. Charles spotted the boy loitering outside the Tongue and Tail. He was there when he, Edwin, and Crystal left that morning and there when they came back, pretending to read a book at the cafe across the street.

He nudged Edwin and jerked his head in the direction of their spy. “What do you reckon he wants?”

When Edwin spotted him, his face paled. “Oh god.”

Crystal frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“It-it’s my first boyfriend. The one who tricked me into the witch’s house. If he knows where to find us, then she surely will not be far behind.”

Charles would be the first to admit that he harbored some anger issues, especially when it came to the people he loved getting hurt, but even his worst moments were nothing compared to the supernova of rage that he felt at the sight of one of Edwin’s torturers. “It’s okay, mate. I’ll get him sorted.” He drew his cricket bat and was about to kick that creep’s ass when he felt a hand on his elbow. 

“Charles, wait. Go easy on Monty. He is not like her.”

“What are you talking about?” Charles practically shouted. “He pretended to care about you to lure you to that witch.”

“He didn’t pretend. Not fully, anyway. I think he did somewhat cared for me. It’s the witch who forced him to do those terrible things.”

Charles scoffed. “Sure, so he’s completely innocent.”

“I did not say that.” Edwin’s eyes flashed dangerously. “But I do not blame him for the same reason that you do not blame your mother for not being able to protect you. In fact, I blame him less than I would her. Monty may look human, but he is inextricably bound to Esther as her familiar. He must obey her orders no matter what. And yet, he was as kind to me as he could be when I was her prisoner.” Edwin sighed, his eyes glassy and looking far too compassionate for his own good. “He’s as much a victim of her as I am. Arguably more, considering that I escaped.”

As much as Charles wanted to beat the shit out of that twerp, Edwin’s mention of his mum gave him pause. 

“Hey,” an unfamiliar voice said. “I guess you finally spotted me.”

Edwin yelped in surprise as he whipped around. Somehow that bastard had snuck up on them while they were talking. Without thinking, Charles stepped between the two of them, Crystal joining his side. Pride warmed his chest. 

Edwin and Crystal had come far in the past couple weeks, especially when things stalled between Charles and her. Admittedly, things had stalled out with her pretty quickly and for an embarrassing reason. You call your crush by the name of your best mate once during a snog session, and suddenly she’s calling everything off. He didn’t blame her, of course, and thankfully she never said anything to Edwin. And now here she was, helping him form a human wall in front of his best mate.

Crystal affixed Monty with a withering glare. “Nope. Nuh-uh. You’re not taking another step closer to Edwin.”

Charles adjusted the cricket bat in his hand. “Just try it. I’ve been daydreaming about kicking your ass for months.”

Monty put up his hands in a placating gesture. “I come in peace, I promise. Esther has no idea I’m here.” He dug through his pockets and produced two bags. “It’s my and Esther’s hair, so you can ward this place against us. And Maxine won’t be coming back. I, uh, made sure of that.”

Charles turned his head, exchanging glances with Edwin. He was about to tell him to bugger off, but then Edwin placed a hand on his shoulder. “Crystal, can you read his mind to see if he’s telling the truth?”

“Okay, yeah. Sure,” she replied, reaching out.

To his credit, Monty didn’t flinch when Crystal touched him and both their eyes rolled back in their heads. After an agonizing few seconds, she pulled back with a gasp. “You killed Maxine.”

The familiar smiled sheepishly, like she caught him with his pants down. “Like I said, I wanted to make sure Esther wouldn’t bother you again.”

Crystal looked over her shoulder at Edwin with a small smile. “He’s telling the truth.”

“Are you sure?” Charles asked. He could hit the creep with his cricket bat farther than he could trust him.

She nodded. “He doesn’t want to hurt Edwin, and he doesn’t want that witch near him ever again.”

Before Charles could object, Edwin took the proffered bags. “Thank you, Monty. Truly. This means a lot,” he said, his voice slightly choked.

Monty smiled weakly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. And I’m glad you have friends looking after you now.” He turned to leave, and Charles couldn’t wait to be rid of that creep.

But then Edwin cleared his throat. “Er, Monty.” The bird boy stopped and turned around, a sickening look almost like hope in his eyes. Edwin gave him a small smile. “For what it’s worth, you deserve better than Esther. I wish I could help free you from her.”

Monty’s eyes went glassy as he nodded. “Take care of yourself, Edwin.”

“You too, Monty.”

The three of them watched as the crow boy disappeared into the crowd. To Charles’s surprise, Edwin spoke first. “I-I should strengthen the wards around the shop and office. Excuse me.” His voice was thick, as though he was trying not to cry. He disappeared into the Tongue and Tail.

Charles was about to follow, but then he felt Crystal’s hand on his shoulder. “Charles, wait.”

“What?” he snapped.

“Maybe give him a minute to process this. Whenever David comes at me, it’s-it’s a lot, you know? I think he just needs a minute to breathe.”

…

Edwin focused on casting the wards with the addition of Esther and Monty’s hair. He didn’t know what to think. All this time, he’d felt a vague guilt for leaving Monty behind in that awful place, a feeling he’d never voiced to Charles. His best friend had an amazing capacity for forgiveness…except when it came to people who hurt Edwin. 

A set of footsteps alerted him to someone’s approach. Not Charles’s, though. He knew his friend’s footfalls as easily as he knew his own. No, these were heavy treads, heavier than Niko’s and Crystal's but definitely not him. 

Jenny cleared her throat. “What’cha doin’?”

Edwin sighed and finished the spell before turning back to face her. “I’m simply updating the protective wards.”

“Okay?” she replied, clearly not understanding a word out of his mouth. He might as well have been speaking Latin or Aramaic. There was some good news he could impart, though. 

He gave her a weak smile. “You’ll be relieved to know that Maxine will never bother you again.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean? Did they arrest her or something?”

“She’s, um, quite dead, actually.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. “You didn’t…”

“Heavena no!” Edwin exclaimed. He may have been a killer once, but never again. Not if he could help it. Taking a slow breath in and out, he shifted to sit against the wall and hugged his knees into his chest. “Do you remember the witch’s familiar I mentioned?”

“The one who pretended to have feelings for you?” She took a seat beside him, thankfully not touching him. 

He nodded. “Though, I suppose, he wasn’t pretending after all. At great personal risk, he procured the necessary ingredients to protect us all from the two of them.”

“Oh.” Jenny fell silent for a moment. “And what do you think about that?” The words sounded painful coming from her, as though she was pulling out a long splinter.

He shook his head with a bitter laugh. “I don’t know. And that’s the rub. It was easier to dismiss him as pretending to care for me, but if he didn’t pretend, if his feelings were real, then I don’t know what to think.” Tears sprang unbidden from his eyes. “He was the one decent thing during my imprisonment, but he was the one who tricked me there in the first place. I wish I hated him, but he’s as much a victim as I am. I-I do not know what to do with this. He apologized and I know I should forgive him, but I do not think I can.”

“Then don’t,” Jenny replied simply. “You have no obligation to forgive him for what he did. I know I wouldn’t.”

“But I still care for him, as ridiculous as it sounds. I wish I could help him. But I also don’t want anything to do with him, and it’s confusing.”

With a sigh, Jenny rested her head against the wall with a soft thunk. “I know what you mean. Like, I’m glad I never have to see Maxine again, but I didn’t want her dead, even though she probably killed people. It’s weird.”

They lapsed into silence for a bit, one that only broke when Crystal and Charles entered with Niko. His best friend flashed him a gentle smile. “Hey, mate. You ready to head back?” He offered his hand to Edwin.

Taking it, he got to his feet. “I suppose I should ward our office too.”

“Edwin, are you…?” Niko began, her doe-eyes wide with worry.

He gave her what he hoped was a convincing smile. “I am fine, Niko.”

She squinted doubtfully at him, but didn’t argue. “Have a good night.”

“You too, Niko. Crystal.” He nodded to the girls before leading Charles to the nearest mirror. “We shall see you tomorrow.” Concentrating on home, he stepped through.

…

Charles watched as Edwin completed the wards around their office, taking note of the tension in his shoulders and the way his movements lacked their usual ballerina-like grace. Seeing Monty had shaken him, but he didn’t want to talk about it. Charles didn’t blame him for it. After all, he hated talking about his dad, but at the same time, he hated to see Edwin upset or in pain.

“Mate?” he began when he saw that Edwin was done.

“What?” his best mate snapped. Then, when he saw Charles flinch at the harshness of his tone, he took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

Edwin wouldn’t react well to a heart to heart now, so Charles smiled. It looked like Jenny had that covered, so what his best mate needed was a distraction. “Nah, it’s fine. I just wanted to know if you felt like a couple rounds of Cluedo.” 

The tension melted from Edwin’s shoulders, and he gave Charles a genuine smile. “That sounds rather nice, actually.”

Charles suppressed the urge to cheer, instead grabbing the game board. “Miss Scarlet or Professor Plum?”

Edwin rolled his eyes and held out his game board. “Do you even have to ask?”

Chuckling, Charles handed him Professor Plum. They played until the sun was going down and both their stomachs were growling. “I’ll make us some dinner. Hungry Man okay?”

“Sure.” Some of Edwin’s tension had returned with the idea that Charles would be out of sight, albeit temporarily. Charles reached down and wrapped his arms around Edwin. For a moment, his best mate stiffened. Then, he melted into it. “What is this for?”

“Just wanted to give you a hug is all.” He gave Edwin an extra squeeze. “I won’t let Esther get to you, okay?”

Edwin sighed, resting his head against Charles’s chest and squeezing his arm. “Do not make promises you cannot keep.”

“Okay, how about this: if she does somehow get her witchy hands on you, I will not stop until you’re safe with me again.” 

“That is acceptable.”

Charles felt the urge to bury his nose in Edwin’s hair and kiss his crown, but that would be weird, wouldn’t it? Just because Edwin was into blokes, it didn’t mean he was into Charles. They were interrupted by the growling of their stomachs.

Edwin chuckled. “I suppose we should get dinner, then.”

Charles reluctantly let go. “Right. I’ll rustle us up some grub.”

Chapter Text

They were just clearing the caseboard when the Ghost Postman popped up. “Mail Call!”

All four teens yelped, with Edwin putting a hand over his racing heart. “Good heavens! Do you have to scare us like that all the time?”

“You get your kicks where you can,” he replied, handing Crystal the letters. Then, he vanished into the wall.

“I’ll take that,” Edwin said, tugging them from her hands.

But then her eyes rolled back in her head as she gripped the bottom message, a missing person flyer for a little girl named Becky Aspen. Blinking, she relinquished it. “Guys, she’s still alive. And she needs our help. It’s dark and there’s—there’s a snake, I think.”

The words sent a chill of recognition through Edwin, as loathe as he was to show it.

Charles, apparently preoccupied with Crystal, took the letter from her and grinned. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get her home.”

He tried to tell himself that the snake was just a coincidence, but as they took the cab into the neighborhood where she disappeared, the nausea twisted in his stomach as he recognized exactly where they were going.

Someone took his hand. He glanced over to find Niko tilting her head quizzically as she gave it a squeeze. His breath came out in a stutter. “You can drop us off here if you would like,” he said to the cabbie.

The driver, a gentleman named Chaz, glanced at Edwin in the rear view mirror. “Are you sure? We’re still about ten minutes away.”

“Quite sure, thank you,” he replied, ignoring the confused looks on his friends’ faces.

“Are you kids in trouble or something?”

“No, sir.” 

He hesitated. “Not even the kind of trouble that most adults would never believe?”

“I am afraid that I do not know what you mean.”

Chaz pulled over to let them out. “Wait, before you go, I have this friend. Her name is Johanna Constantine, and she deals with things that adults don’t believe.” He held up a business card. “Take it. Just in case.”

Edwin had heard the name before, though judging by her reputation, he wasn’t sure if she was much better than Esther.

Charles flashed him a grin. “Cheers mate.”

Niko paid, and the four filed out of the car. The cab lingered, prompting Edwin to push them forward. “Come. This way.”

“What was that all about?” Crystal asked.

He waited until the car was gone before speaking. “Questioning her parents will not be necessary. I know who took her.”

Charles placed a comforting hand on Edwin’s shoulder. “It was the witch, wasn’t it?”

Unable to bring himself to speak, he nodded.

“You wanna sit this one out, mate? We ain’t judging if it’s too much. We can call that Constantine lady and have her handle this.”

He shook his head. “We do not know how much time Becky has. For her sake, we must proceed, but I need you all to do everything I ask. I know her better than anyone here.”

Charles’s grip tightened slightly—not enough to hurt but enough to remind him that he had Edwin’s back no matter what. “You’re the best person I know, you know that?” he said softly into Edwin’s ear.

The words made his cheeks flush. They burned even hotter when Niko gave his hand a squeeze. “I think you’re very brave.”

Crystal rolled her eyes and gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. “We’ve got your back. Just don’t do anything stupid like try to sacrifice yourself and we’ll do what you say.”

…

Charles kept a careful eye on Edwin as they headed to the witch’s house. Though his face was impassive, his shoulders were tense. Edwin was so much braver than he gave himself credit for. He thought he was a monster, but here he was walking back into the lion’s den to rescue another lamb. This time, though, he wouldn’t be entering it alone or unwittingly. He had friends now who wouldn’t let the lion get him. Charles would die before he let the witch get her hands on him again. 

Soon, Edwin stopped short in front of an ordinary-looking old house. “This is it.”

“It doesn’t look like much,” Crystal said, slightly surprised.

“Sorry to disappoint. Witches tend not to make their houses out of gingerbread,” Edwin sniped.

She raised her eyebrows in a silent challenge. If Edwin needed her to distract him by bickering, she would gladly oblige. “Good thing I left my breadcrumbs at home, then.”

“I suppose my life would have been much easier had I been able to shove her into an oven.” He shot her the ghost of a smile, barely an upturning of the lips, but Charles could see it. 

“I never understood why, if the witch was so hungry, she didn’t just eat the house,” Niko said airily. “It probably tasted better than children anyway. I heard that people taste like pork.”

Everyone gave her funny looks. She simply shrugged. “What? I don’t just read manga.”

Edwin’s smile at her was a little broader—not much, but it was something. “Esther is likely in there. We need a distraction while I sneak in and grab Becky.”

“I think you mean ‘we,’” Charles said, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

Edwin shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not. I cannot risk—“

Charles turned him around and braced both hands on Edwin’s shoulders. “Sorry, mate. No version of this where I don’t come with you.”

Looking away, Edwin gnawed his lip fretfully. “Charles, I—“

“Guys,” Crystal hissed, pulling them down behind the fence just as the front door opened. The four tiptoed around the side of the house as Esther strode to her car. 

Beside him, Edwin froze, his breath coming in and out in short stutters. He covered his own mouth as though to keep from screaming. Charles rested a hand on the nape of his best mate’s neck and rubbed soothing circles to ground him. When she drove off, he shifted to cup Edwin’s cheek. “You with us, mate?”

Taking a slow, stuttering breath, he nodded. “I must be. Crystal and Niko, you both keep watch and tell us when Esther is returning. Charles and I will go in and rescue Becky.”

The girls nodded and Edwin led Charles to the back door. He made quick work of the lock. All the while, he watched Edwin out of the corner of his eye. The only sign of his anxiety was the way he pressed his knuckles together. Charles vowed to make it as quick and possible. In and out. Easy peasy.

The door popped open and they slipped inside. 

…

Edwin forced himself to breathe. Charles was here at his side. His friends were waiting. He wasn’t alone anymore. And he was going to make sure that Esther wouldn’t hurt this little girl like she hurt him.

Though he had never seen the snake, Esther had alluded to it being somewhere in the kitchen. Probably behind a secret door leading to a pocket dimension like the one his cousin used.

“Edwin,” Monty hissed from his cage. He was currently in his crow form, left in his cage by Esther while she went out. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“None of your business, mate,” Charles practically growled.

Monty ignored him, his attention entirely on Edwin. “I gave you our hair to protect you! I can’t protect you from her if you come waltzing into her fucking house!”

Though Charles’s jaw twitched in irritation, Edwin felt strangely warmed to know that Monty truly did care about him. That, at least, wasn’t an act on his part. “Believe me, Monty, I do not wish to be here any more than you want me here, but I cannot let Esther hurt anyone else, especially not an innocent little girl.”

“You need to go,” Monty said, but Edwin caught it. The tell was little more than a split second, but as he spoke, Monty glanced in the direction of one of the cabinets.

“Not until Becky Aspen is safe,” he said, turning on his heel and striding to the place where Monty looked. Kneeling in front of the cabinet, he carefully removed his jacket and handed it to Charles. “There must be a secret catch. Yes, right about…here.” He pulled on one of the mugs hanging in the cupboard, and the bottom of the cabinet opened.

Charles grinned and patted his shoulder. “You’re brills!”

There was something about Charles that made Edwin smile, even in the place that forged his worst nightmares. He had a feeling he knew why, but he wouldn’t dare say it and ruin what they had. “I do have my moments,” he said, holding out his hand.

Charles produced the magic rope from their bag. It was a gift from the Case of the Drunken Sailor, and was always the exact length they needed. “I’ll go down,” he said.

Edwin shook his head. “It’s better if I go. Be ready to pull me up.”

Charles nodded. “Just give it two tugs when you’re ready to come up.”

Edwin borrowed Charles’s bag and began his descent. He climbed down about twenty feet before letting go and landing with what should have been a soft thud. But bones crunched underfoot, and his breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. How many bodies were down there? How many had Esther murdered over the centuries of her life? How many more will she kill if Edwin didn’t put her down for good?

He felt the waves of despair emanating from the little girl before he saw her. Becky laid unconscious but still alive and surrounded by the bodies of Esther’s other victims. He couldn’t stop himself from inhaling the scent of her misery before putting her in the bag.

Then, he heard it. Bones clacked as scaly skin slithered along the stone. The snake was coming, and he wasn’t going to be fast enough to reach the rope, let alone climb it. 

Not unless he had a distraction.

He concentrated on a knife and reached into the bag, hissing as his hand grabbed the blade rather than the handle. It was just as well, but it still hurt.

He had the snake’s attention, now. Kneeling, he took the knife and chopped off his pinkie finger. He bit back a scream as flesh, tendon, and bone separated. The odor of copper and iron filled his nose as blood poured from the open wounds on his hand. 

“You know me! You have tasted my flesh and my power. Have another bite.” Then, he threw the finger as far as he could, the blood dribbling in an arc. As soon as he was sure the snake followed it, he sprinted in the other direction, grabbing onto the rope and giving two pulls before climbing hand over hand. He could feel Charles on the other end expediting the climb. The snake lunged below, snapping at him and making the rope swing precariously. He clung to it, praying he wouldn’t lose his grip. His hand throbbed and hot blood oozed down his arm. He couldn’t let go. No matter what happened, he could not let go. Once the rope had stabilized a little, he kept climbing until he reached the ledge and pulled himself up. In seconds, Charles was at his side, pulling him up the rest of the way and wrapping his arms around him. 

“I’ve got you,” Charles said, holding him close. “I’ve got you.”

Edwin hugged him back. He couldn’t break down yet, not when he was still in this awful place. “Let’s get Becky home.”

“Edwin, why are you bleeding?” Monty squawked, alarmed.

Charles pulled back and snatched Edwin’s hand. “Mate, what did you do?”

His cheeks flushed slightly. “Right. I had to distract the snake, so I made a necessary sacrifice.”

Charles tenderly ran his thumb across Edwin’s knuckles, careful not to touch the still weeping wound. “No part of you is a necessary sacrifice, mate.”

The moment was interrupted by a knock at the back door. He caught a glimpse of Niko’s snow-white hair. Both boys scrambled to their feet and raced to her. “Niko, what are you doing?” Edwin hissed.

“Esther’s coming. Crystal is buying you guys time, but—“

“Shit, come on.” They slipped out the back and made their way around the house.

Crystal spotted them. “Actually, I think I have the wrong house,” she said.

“Oh, I think you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be,” Esther replied, and blew a puff of purple smoke in her face. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she collapsed to the ground. The sight of his tormentor made Edwin freeze. Terror ran through his veins like electricity, and he wanted nothing more than to run and hide.

But, against his better judgement, Crystal was his friend—practically a sister—and he couldn’t let Esther hurt her too. 

Charles drew his cricket bat, ready to charge. 

“Wait,” Edwin hissed, removing his bracelet and handing her Charles’s rucksack. “Niko, take the bag and Crystal. Becky is inside. Concentrate on her face, you should be able to pull her out. Charles and I will distract her. If we are not back in fifteen minutes, return Becky to her family and use this bracelet to contact my cousin. He might help you rescue me from Esther.”

“Mate…” Charles began.

“Simply a precaution. We cannot wait any longer. Come on.” Edwin ran, trusting Charles to follow. Esther was about to drag the unconscious Crystal inside her house when Edwin ran up. “Hey, Esther!”

Her face lit up. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite magical supply shop. I thought you would be long gone by now.”

“Well, I am here now, so let the girl go.” He clenched his fists to stop them from shaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Charles sneak his way behind her. Niko hid nearby, ready to grab Crystal and run.

Esther straightened and tapped her chin as though considering it. “Hmm, I don’t think so. Power like that will feed my pet for a very long time.” 

He closed his eyes. “Well, then you leave me no choice.” The hook manifested in his hand unbidden as he gathered his powers. The grief flowed through him, tears forming in his eyes. “Feel it, Esther. Feel the suffering you’ve caused, the centuries of despairing parents, siblings, and friends. Know their pain.”

Opening his eyes, he watched her face as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Stepping backwards, she covered her mouth as though stifling a sob. At her feet, Crystal stirred. 

“Oh god,” she warbled. And then her face changed, and she straightened. “You finally figured out what you are. I was wondering when you would. Slow on the uptake, aren’t you?”

His mouth went dry. “But how?”

She shrugged. “You have to actually feel remorse for empathy-based Despair to be effective, and I just…don’t.”

“But I bet you feel this,” Charles said, striking her on the back of the head with his trusty cricket bat.

She crumpled to the ground, buying Edwin and Charles enough time to drag Crystal to her feet and carry her to Niko. “Oh no you don’t!” Esther shouted. A blast of magic sent all three flying. 

For a moment, Edwin laid there, stunned. But then he remembered Charles and Crystal. Thankfully, Niko took initiative and grabbed their psychic friend. “Get Crystal out of here and get Becky home. We’ll be right behind you,” Edwin said, staggering to his feet. “If not, you know what to do.”

He summoned a fireball and turned to face Esther, ready to finally put her down for good.

His heart dropped. Charles was unconscious, his limp body levitating. Blood trickled down the side of his head and Esther held a knife to his throat. 

“I’d put that fire out if I were you,” she said. All the fight drained from him. One wrong move and she wouldn’t hesitate to kill Charles.

“I will do whatever you want. Just do not hurt him.”

She raised her eyebrows at that. “I couldn’t even get you to make that promise whenever I threatened Monty. You must really like this one.”

Charles’s eyes fluttered open. They widened when he realized where he was. “Edwin…don’t…”

He forced a smile at his best friend, though he wasn’t sure how convincing he was. Charles was always the one with the reassuring smiles. “I will only comply so long as Charles remains safe and unharmed. The moment you hurt him, I will call upon all my mother’s powers to destroy you.”

“I’d like to see you try.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “But you would definitely be annoying. Fine. I won’t hurt your boyfriend.”

“Edwin, please, don’t!” Charles cried.

He had to say it. If they never saw each other again, Charles had to know how he felt. “Charles, I love—“

Esther blew purple smoke in his face, and the world went dark.

Chapter Text

“Crystal? Crystal! Wake up!”

Something hit the side of Crystal’s cheek hard enough to sting. Her eyes shot open. “Niko, did you slap me?”

Her brows knitted together as tears filled her dark eyes. “I’m sorry! I panicked! Esther took Edwin and Charles and we have to get Becky back, and call his cousin and everything is a mess!”

Crystal sat up, rubbing her cheek. “Okay, slow down. What’s happening?”

Niko began again from where Esther had cast a sleeping spell on Crystal. She listened with a growing pit in her stomach. Edwin and Charles were taken, and it all was her fault. “But you’re awake now, and I don’t think Esther will hurt Charles yet, because Edwin promised he wouldn’t fight back as long as she didn’t hurt him.”

“Okay,” Crystal said. “Okay. Let’s get Becky home first.”

When they reached Becky’s house, they pulled the semiconscious girl from the bag. Crystal summoned her powers and whispered in the little girl’s ear. “Remember what you want. The rest will just feel like a bad dream.”

Blinking awake, Becky ran to her front door. Niko and Crystal hid and watched the reunion, a bittersweet feeling coursing through her. On the one hand, Becky was safe and happy at home. But on the other, Crystal’s friends were in danger. And as she watched the relieved faces of the Aspen’s she couldn’t help but think about her own parents. Were they just as worried about their missing daughter? Did they miss her as much as she missed them?

“Okay,” she said, “let’s go save our friends.”

Niko held out the golden cat bracelet. “He said we should call his cousin with this. I’m not sure how, though. Maybe if we close our eyes and say his name three times?”

“Like Bloody Mary?”

Niko tilted her head thoughtfully. “I guess?” 

They both took the bracelet and began to chant. “Thomas Cat King, Thomas Cat King, Thomas Cat King…”

Niko popped an eye open. “Did it work?”

“Well you certainly aren’t Edwin,” came a voice from behind. A cat-eyed man stood leaning against one of the houses. His jaw was tight, every muscle coiled as though in anticipation of a fight. “Where did you get my cousin’s bracelet? And what should stop me from ripping you two apart right here.”

“We’re his friends. Edwin is in trouble, Mr. Cat King…sir. Um, your highness?" Niko said. "We need your help.”

He squinted at them. “I’m guessing you’re the famous Niko and Crystal. He’s told me a lot about you.”

Not knowing what exactly Edwin had said about her, she decided it was best if Niko took the lead. Her friend was incredibly charming in a way that seemed effortless. If anyone could get a capricious creature of desire to help them, it would be her.

“He’s told us about you too,” Niko said, offering her hand to shake. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, though I wish it was under better circumstances. The witch that took Edwin before has him again and Charles too. Even though it’s really scary and we all might die, we would really appreciate your help in rescuing them.”

The Cat King arched an eyebrow. “Sounds hard. And the only things I like hard are my men and my—”

“Jesus!” Crystal cut him off. What the fuck was this guy’s deal? And how could he possibly be related to stick-up-his-ass Edwin?

“But Edwin would do the same for you in a heartbeat,” Niko pressed, ignoring his comment and Crystal’s interjection. “I know he cares a lot about you.”

The Cat King sighed, rolling his golden eyes. “And I guess I care about him too. But you should know that playing the hero is, like, the opposite of my thing. I’m more the hedonistic pleasure type than the noble sacrifice type, so don’t expect any of that from me.”

“Noted,” Crystal said, suppressing an eye roll of her own.

Niko squealed and hugged him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

He gently pried her arms off. “Yeah, well, I like him better than most of my family. So, let’s just get this over with.”

…

Charles’s head pounded. He wanted to sleep for a week, but something nagged at him, something that told him he was forgetting something, something important. Maybe he should ask Edwin.

Edwin!

The last thing he remembered was Edwin signing his life away to that witch.

His eyes shot open, and he suddenly became conscious of the iron collar around his neck, so tight it was practically choking him, and the gag in his mouth. His heart sank as he took in the rest of the room. Edwin laid spread eagle before him on a metal autopsy table. Esther had removed his shirt and handcuffed his limbs to the table’s legs. Charles could count his ribs under his goosebumps covered skin. His eyelids slowly fluttered open. And then he spotted Charles.

“Oh good, you’re both awake,” Esther said, wheeling in a smaller table covered in knives and was that an electric carving saw?

“You lied to me,” Edwin said. “You said you would let Charles go if I came quietly.”

Esther hummed thoughtfully, wrinkling her nose. “Eh, I don’t think I did. I said I wouldn’t hurt him, and here he is, perfectly fine. I think his ambient despair over his failure to save you will help boost your own powers. How about we test that out, huh?”

“And why can’t I feel my legs?” Edwin asked in the same way he might ask why she was wearing a heavy coat in summer.

“A little extra insurance, and a razor blade between your lower back’s vertebrae. I can’t have you running away, now can I?”

Charles was going to kill her. As soon as he was free, he would strangle that witch.

Edwin swallowed, his Adam’s Apple bobbing. “Our original agreement still stands, then. You can do whatever you want to me as long as no harm comes to Charles.”

He and Esther both ignored Charles’s muffled protests. 

The witch rolled her eyes. “Fine, yes. I won’t harm him. Should we get on with it, then?” She picked up a knife. “Should we sever your vocal cords this time or not?”

Charles screamed behind his gag.

Esther glanced over at him. “You’re right. I think the screaming will give Edwin the extra juice I need.”

There was a time when Charles thought the worst sound in the world was his dad hitting his mum. As it turned out, he was wrong. It was the sound of the electric saw whirring as it bit into flesh and bone. It was the sound of Edwin’s whimpers as he desperately tried not to scream. And it was the sound of his best mate, usually so controlled, losing himself to the agony and finally screaming until he was hoarse. The odor of blood and bone was so much worse than the odor of alcohol on his father’s breath. 

The worst thing, though, was the sight of Esther sawing into Edwin’s ribs, neatly cutting away a portion and setting it aside before taking a pair of scissors and cutting away at the exposed heart. His upper half thrashed in agony while his legs stayed unnaturally still. Edwin fell horribly silent as he choked on the blood filling his mouth. She pulled out the still beating organ and smiled. “There we go.” She headed into the kitchen, but Charles could still hear her voice. “Monty, start the timer! See how long it takes for him to grow it back now that he has someone to be upset about this. I have a snake to feed.”

Edwin laid horribly still. Charles wanted to call out to him, but that stupid gag was in the way. All he could do was wait in agony for Edwin to prove that he was still there. 

A minute passed. 

And then two. 

Three.

Four.

Edwin let out a gurgling cough. His head turned and he spat out a glob of blood. “Charles, I’m so sorry.”

What the hell did Edwin have to be sorry for? It was Charles who failed him, Charles who wasn’t good enough, Charles who was never good enough and would never be good enough for the boy he loved. Because yes, Charles loved Edwin, even if his best mate didn’t feel the same way. He loved Edwin the way he breathed or his heart beat, so completely and instinctively that he hadn’t fully realized how much he was in love until he saw Edwin give himself over to his worst demon just for him.

How could he not love the selfless boy who gave away so much without expecting any kindness in return? How could he not adore Edwin’s humor, intellect, and bravery? How could he not measure himself up to the boy he loved and find himself falling short in every way?

A tear slipped down his cheek. He wanted to tell Edwin all this, but the stupid gag in his mouth made it impossible.

“I love you,” Edwin said, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t need you to feel the same way, but I need you to know. I don’t regret doing this to keep you safe. I’d do it again and again and again.”

“Oh good, you’re up again,” Esther said, reentering the room. “And it only took what? Five minutes? It usually takes twice as long. The ribs are a little slower to grow back, but they always are. You can live without ribs but not your heart, so that makes sense.” She turned to Charles. “You must feel really awful about this, huh?”

Charles couldn’t reply, so he flipped her the v sign. She rolled her eyes. “No need to be crass, you little shit.”

“So, what next?” Edwin said, clearly trying to get her attention away from Charles and back to him. “Hair? Nail clippings?”

She picked up the slab of still bloody meat and rib bone. “I was thinking a nice roast first. Then, I’ll bleed you again. Waste not, want not, right? Especially for power like yours.” She ran a finger across the bloody table and put it in her mouth like someone tasting cake frosting. She shivered with the pleasure of it. “Just a little bit feels like a bump of cocaine. You should really bottle this stuff. Well, wait. I’m doing that. Never mind.”

Edwin gave her a flat look. “I shall keep that in mind once I am out of here.”

“Oh honey,” Esther said, stroking Edwin’s cheek in a parody of motherly affection, “you’re never getting out of here.”

Chapter Text

Crystal, Niko and the Cat King waited until after the house went dark and Esther had seemingly gone to bed. With a little bit of magic, the Cat King opened the back door for them, and they crept inside. 

“What are you doing?” came a familiar voice. Crystal turned to find a crow sitting in a cage. Monty.

“We’re here to rescue Charles and Edwin,” Niko whispered.

The crow shook his head. “Esther won’t like that.”

“Do I look like I care about what the witch likes?” Cat King asked.

“She’s been…feeding off Edwin and way too powerful now. And you tripped her wards, so she’ll be down any minute. You wouldn’t have much of a chance before, but now, it’s zero.”

“How do we kill her?” Crystal asked.

“You don’t.” Monty pecked at one of the bars. “She made a deal with Lilith, the goddess of wronged women, for immortality but failed to ask for eternal youth too. But her snake keeps her young. If you kill it, she’ll age and weaken. And you can talk to Lilith through any image of her. Maybe she’ll do something.”

“Thank you, Monty,” Niko said with her characteristic kindness.

“Wait, how do we know he’s telling the truth?” Cat King asked.

Crystal touched him, her eyes rolling back as she read his intent. “He isn’t lying. He still cares about Edwin.”

Cat King materialized a sword. “Well, I’ll take care of the snake in the cupboard while you two get Edwin and Charles free. Okay?”

Both girls nodded.

“They’re in the living room,” Monty said. “Can you tell Edwin I’m sorry?”

“I will,” Niko said.

…

Thomas landed on his feet. Of course he did. He was a cat, after all. His sword glinted in the low light and the air smelled of reptilian musk. Something slithered past him, disturbing the bones that littered the floor.

“Here snakey, snakey, snakey,” he whispered.

A hiss from behind. 

He turned around, raising his weapon. “Come on. I have witches to burn and damsels to save.”

The snake lunged from the shadows, and Thomas only barely dodged in time. He rolled out of the way, the bones crunching underneath him.

Edwin didn’t just owe him one; he owed him at least a hundred. 

This time, when the snake struck, he stabbed it through the roof of its mouth and into its brain. Ouch. Bad choice. One of its teeth went into his arm, and it was definitely venomous.

Shit.

Not another life.

Edwin owed him a million.

He climbed out of the pit and to a wave of despair so agonizing that it brought him to his knees.

 Edwin!

…

Crystal and Niko crept into the living room. The odor of blood hung heavy in the air, so cloying that it threatened to choke Crystal.

Charles and Edwin both looked asleep, tear tracks still drying on their faces. While Niko searched for the keys to Edwin’s handcuffs, Crystal knelt by Charles and shook him.

He woke with a gasp, and though he was gagged, Crystal covered his mouth. She handed him his bag. “Be quick. Monty said we tripped the wards,” she whispered. 

Nodding, he reached in and grabbed his lock picks.

The lights flickered on. Esther stood at the bottom of the steps wrapped in a furry robe. “What do you think you’re doing, little girl?” 

Crystal straightened as Niko ducked behind the metal table Edwin had been bound to. With a nauseating horror, she realized that that he had a hole in his chest, a perfect square where flesh and bone had been removed, and was slowly knitting itself back together.  She could see his beating heart through the blood and the bone chips. Even if it cost her everything, she had to get him away from here and make sure that Esther never hurt anyone again. “I’m here for round two, bitch.”

Esther cracked her neck. “Oh this is gonna be fun. You really think you can beat me?”

Charles got to his feet and removed the gag. “Maybe not alone, but I have been dreaming about this for a while.”

“Charles,” Edwin protested weakly. It sounded like he’d shredded his vocal cords. For all Crystal knew, he had. “Please. Run.”

“No can do, mate.” Spinning his cricket bat, he approached Esther, placing a hand on Edwin as he got between them. 

Below, Niko was fumbling with the ring of keys, trying to free Edwin’s hands from the cuffs. Esther sent the first volley of magic and Charles parried it like a cricket ball. 

“I need to touch her,” Crystal whispered. Before, when she had touched Esther earlier that day, she glimpsed Lilith in her memories. If she could access that memory again, she might be able to speak to the goddess. “Try to distract her for me.”

He nodded. “Oi, Esther. Come at me!” Charles charged, dodging volleys of magic. Crystal slowly crept her way around the fight, trying to position herself out of Esther’s line of sight.

“I knew you were going to be more trouble than you were worth,” Esther said before muttering an incantation. A ball of lightning formed in her hands.

The next few moments happened so fast. Niko freed Edwin’s hands. He sat up, drawing Esther’s attention. 

“Stay down,” Esther said, shooting the lightning. But Charles moved first, getting between Edwin and the magic. It struck him square in the chest. For one, terrible moment, he stayed upright. And then he fell, lying far too still.

“Charles!” Edwin screamed, and the shockwave of agonized despair sent everyone in the room to their knees. 

The grief was too heavy, too agonizing. Crystal wanted nothing more than to lay down and rot away to nothing. She couldn’t even summon the strength to lift her hand and touch Esther, who now kneeled in arms’ reach and was quickly aging into an ancient woman. 

Unbeknownst to her, the shockwave spread. The entire neighborhood found themselves crying for no reason, and in some extreme cases, contemplating suicide. It was powerful enough that all the Endless picked up their heads. Death and Despair had only felt it once before, when Edwin first came into his power, and that hadn’t been nearly as strong as this wave of suffering. 

A chained meat hook shot out from one of Esther’s mirrors, and Crystal was helpless as it embedded itself in Edwin’s chest, dragging him and the autopsy table back from whence it came. 

The handcuffs around his ankles snapped, and Edwin was gone.

Chapter Text

The moment Edwin vanished into the mirror, it was like a suffocating weight had been lifted from every inch of Crystal’s skin. She reached over and grabbed Esther, inserting herself into the witch’s memory of her deal.

“Come on, I know we’ve all been hit with a ton of despair, but you won’t make me feel bad about this,” Esther said, the memory of her still tied to the pyre.

“I’m not here to talk to you.” Crystal turned and faced the goddess waiting in the water. “You said you help wronged women. Well, this woman squandered your gift! She has killed little girls for centuries. Where’s the justice for them? She murdered one of my best friends and tortured another. Where is their justice? Is this what you condone?”

Lilith tilted her massive head but said nothing. Crystal pulled herself from the memory. Whatever happened next was up to the goddess.

The front door slammed open, and a woman entered, sucking all the air from the room. She was tall and naked, covered only by her long hair. When she set her sights on Esther, she snarled.

“No, no, please! I’m sorry,” Esther begged, but the goddess ignored her, grabbing the old woman by the ankle and dragging her out the door.

Crystal's attention turned to Niko and the Cat King, finding them kneeling beside Charles.

“No, no, no, no, no,” he muttered. The Cat King did not look good. A cut on his arm was bleeding sluggishly and sweat poured down his feverish face. “Please. I know I ask for a lot, and you ignore me, but this isn’t for me. Please, please, please bring him back. I’m begging you.”

He collapsed with a final “Please.”

…

Charles should have been standing over his body. That was what happened to the newly dead, according to every ghost he talked to. But here he was in his own office.

Death sat in Edwin’s usual spot behind the desk with an enigmatic smile on her face. Another being lounged on the couch looking bored.

“Where’s Edwin?” he asked. “He needs my help. Why did you take me here? Why didn’t you help him?”

“Edwin’s safe,” Death replied with her soothing smile. “He’s with his mother right now.”

Charles’s stomach dropped. Edwin was alone with his mother? “That doesn’t sound all that safe, does it?”

Death shot him a warning look. “I’ll ask you not to speak ill of our sister.”

Now, his stomach dropped for a completely different reason. Death seemed kind, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t get angry. “Sorry. I just—I need to get back to Edwin, don’t I? Make sure he’s okay.”

“Thomas was right. He is predictable,” said the person on the couch as they studied their nails.

Charles whirled around on them. “I’m sorry, who are you?” he snapped.

Their eyes glimmered gold like the Cat King’s. “Desire, darling. The pleasure is yours.”

Charles took a step back. He was in the same room as two of the Endless. What would Edwin do? 

The thought helped refocus him. Above all else, Edwin needed his help, so he had to be polite. “I apologize. Today has been…stressful.”

Desire chuckled. “That’s an understatement.” They got out of their chair and took his chin in their hand, inspecting him like a prize horse. “You are rather fascinating, aren’t you? My own son begged me to intercede on your behalf while he himself was dying. What kind of sway do you have to hold to have not one but two of the Endless’s children eating out of your hands.”

Charles stepped out of their grip. “The Cat King is dead?”

They rolled their eyes. “Just one life lost. He has four left, so don’t get your gold chain in a twist.”

“I brought you here because I realized that I never actually paid you for helping our brother,” Death said.

“And I’m here for two reasons" Desire added. "One, your boyfriend is functionally a walking nuke of Despair right now. We can’t have everyone within a ten foot radius of him try to off themselves. Too much work for my dear sister. And two, I wanted to make a little bet. You are one of my creatures after all. I see the way you want him like the young lover you are. I wonder if teenage puppy love like this is built to last.”

“So, a deal,” Death said. “Desire brings you back, and as long as you and Edwin stay together, your life force will be tied to his. You both will stop aging, and you will be able to heal like he can.”

“What’s the catch?” Charles asked, when really, he just wanted to say deal. Edwin would be furious if he took a deal with the Endless without hammering out the specifics, especially one that involved him.

“If you end your relationship, you will become your natural age,” Death replied.

“So, if you end it ten years from now, it’s no problem,” Desire added, still picking at their long nails. “But if you end it five hundred years from now, you’ll crumble to dust.”

“That’s it?” he asked.

Desire shrugged. “More or less. Let’s see how far young love will take you.”

He turned to Death. “I’ll take it.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “You could have an eternity of peace.”

He shook his head. “I won’t have any peace without him.”

Her smile filled him with comfort the same way that hot cocoa warms the body from the inside out on a cold day. “Somehow I knew you’d say that. When you return to your body, Desire will allow you to mirror travel into Despair’s realm. Take care of our nephew.”

Charles grinned back. “That’s my job, innit?” 

“Right. Let’s disarm that walking misery nuke,” Desire said. “Before you go, make sure to tell your pet psychic that she can find her evil ex and her memories at the abandoned roller rink. She’ll know the one.” And with that, they snapped their fingers.

Charles woke with a gasp. He sat straight up, pawing at his chest. The room was a mess, and Crystal and Niko were sobbing. The vacant body of the Cat King laid on the ground while Niko clutched a black cat, presumably his new form.

“Charles?” Crystal gasped, tears still streaming down her face.

He flashed her a reassuring smile. “Yeah, it’s me. I made a deal with Death, and it’s a long story. Let me get Edwin before I explain.”

“But he was taken through the mirror,” Niko said.

“I know. Meet me back in the office. Won’t be more than a tick. Oh, and Crystal, Desire wanted me to tell you that you can find your ex and your memories at the abandoned roller rink. They said you would know which one.” Without waiting for their response, he staggered to his feet, headed to the mirror and jumped through. 

Wait for me, Edwin. I’m coming.

Chapter Text

Sixteen Years Ago:

Despair always loved hospitals. Most of the time, she dwelled in the hospice wards. The younger dying always had the sweetest suffering, but sometimes, out of curiosity, she wandered to other places. Many would be surprised to find that she also enjoyed the maternity wards. The joy of new life mingled deliciously with the despair of lives snuffed out far too soon and the lost potential of mothers who must now sacrifice their dreams for their children.

On this particular day, she sensed a suffering so profound that she couldn’t help but investigate. A man sat in a hospital chair with his face buried in his hands, sobbing. A blanket covered the woman in the bed, and the baby in the bassinet was unnaturally still and silent for a newborn. She checked the chart: Beatrice Payne.

“Payne. What a lovely name,” she said.

The man picked up his head. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The despair radiated off him like the heat of a high fever. She smiled and buried her hook in her hand. “This is a tragedy. I’m terribly sorry for your loss.”

“Everything,” he mumbled. “I lost everything.”

She tilted her head, waiting for him to continue.

Mr. Payne wiped his eyes. “It’s a stipulation in my father’s will that I have my own male heir before I get my inheritance. So, I pushed Beatrice into this, despite her weak heart. Now, I’ve lost the love of my life, my son, and my inheritance.”

“Perhaps not,” Despair said, staring at the unmoving infant. “Perhaps I could give your son life and become his mother.” She wasn’t sure why she wanted this, but she did. She wanted to have a child of her own. For too long, she had been distant from humanity, and perhaps this would give her the chance to better understand those that she ruled over.

The man scoffed. “If this is some religious pitch, I won’t buy it.”

She shook her head. “Not a pitch. I will simply grant a desire.”

“Go ahead and try.”

She summoned a hook and gouged her hand before slicing into the infant’s chest just over the heart. The pain began in her legs and then spread through her stomach like contractions. The agony was exquisite as she transferred a portion of her power and life force to this tiny body. After a few minutes, the infant cried out, a strong sound that made her heart sing.

The man gasped, but she ignored him, focusing entirely on the squalling little thing in the bassinet. He was cold and scared and alone. Being able to access the power she gifted him at so tender an age could be deadly, so she pressed a kiss to his forehead. The symbol of a hook etched itself into the baby’s pristine forehead and then vanished. This would bind his power until he either came of age or was in danger of Death.

“Nurse! Nurse!” the man cried as she took one last look at her son and pressed another kiss to his forehead. She didn’t know why she did the latter. It didn’t imbue him with any more gifts or magic. She was simply a new mother kissing her son. And then she vanished.

…

Three Years Ago

She watched those boys as they grabbed Edwin— her Edwin—from the bed in the middle of the night. He had done nothing wrong, nothing to offend them, and yet, they had the audacity to disturb his slumber and attempt to sacrifice her only son to a demon.

Was it because of her? Even with his powers locked away, did she somehow taint him? Could his peers sense that there was something off about him? Why else would they treat her sweet, clever son with such cruelty?

As he struggled in terror, she broke the barrier in his mind that bound his powers. It stopped the sacrifice but at a terrible cost. Baby venomous snakes were always the most dangerous because they couldn’t control their poison. The same was true of young Edwin. He came into his power, but those unfortunate boys suffered for his lack of control.

Then again, perhaps it was a mercy, though Edwin would never see it that way. Sa’al would have dragged all six boys to hell, but since his attackers were now suicides, the souls of his his bullies instead were cursed to wander the earth for all eternity.

As her son laid exhausted and unconscious, she couldn’t resist pressing another useless kiss to his feverish forehead.

…

Weeks later, she found Hob Gadling sitting at the New Inn and nursing a drink. He was waiting for Dream, not knowing that he was imprisoned by a fool with more money than sense. She took a seat next to him. “Unfortunately, my brother is a bit tied up. I don’t think he’ll make it to your planned meeting.”

Hob jumped. “Who…?”

She manifested her hook and scraped it along the table. “You know who I am.”

“Despair of the Endless,” he replied. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“Our family has been exceedingly generous to you, Robert Gadling, has it not?”

He inclined his head. “And you have my gratitude.”

“I have come to ask a small favor of you.” She decided to let him think that failure to agree could put him in poor standing with his siblings. It wasn't necessarily true, but he was more likely to agree if he believed it was.

He furrowed his brows. “What do you need from me?”

“Your old factory, Gadling’s textiles. Do not tear it down. Instead, continue paying the electric, heat, and water bills.”

Hob looked baffled by this request. “That’s all?”

“That is all.”

He took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes seeming to calculate the potential risks and rewards of such an agreement. “Can I ask why?”

“You can.”

They fell into an awkward silence. Finally, Hob said, “Why do you need the building?”

She studied her hook, dragging it across the back of her hand. “I never said I would answer it.” Then, she looked back up at him. “Do we have a deal?”

He hesitated before nodding. “I suppose I don’t have a choice.”

“There is always a choice,” she replied. “But this is the right decision. Thank you.”

“Of course, your, uh, your Ladyship.” 

She left him to his drink. Her son was asleep with a group of homeless nearby, and if she didn’t act soon, he would freeze. It wouldn't kill him, but it would put him in more danger than necessary.

She found him curled around a backpack, shivering under a threadbare blanket. His brows were furrowed with worry even in sleep. She slung his bag over her shoulder. Though she often took the form of a small woman, she was Endless in her strength and power, so she lifted her son like he was nothing more than a feather and carried him to Gadling’s Textiles.

Edwin would wake the next morning confused but safe, wondering how he ended up there.

…

Six Months Ago…

She felt it when he gave up entirely. The depths of his despair gave her enough reach to break the witch’s wards. She had to wait for the familiar to leave him beside a mirror before she revealed herself.

Speaking with her son for the first time created a fascinating blend of elation and misery. Though she felt the strange urge to be close to him, keeping her distance was the wise choice. She was never going to be the mother Edwin needed. Better to watch him from the sidelines and only intervene when he needed it most.

…

Now…

“So you see, dear Edwin, I have always been here,” she said as she finished her story. “I am not a good mother, but it doesn’t stop me from loving you.” She cradled her son in her arms, stroking his curly, dark hair. He laid catatonic with the hook embedded in his ribs and his eyes staring up at nothing. Not for the first time, she wondered if she had done the right thing by giving him life. She was never a fit mother, which was why she kept her distance, and suffering seemed drawn to him like moths to a flame. Perhaps the kinder thing would have been to have let her sister take him all those years ago.

But her boy was special. She couldn’t deny it. He had taken his suffering and turned it into a seemingly endless well of compassion. He was so young and already helped so many souls. But it was at such a heavy cost to him.

A set of footsteps approached them in the white fog of her domain. She looked up from her son’s face and smiled slightly to herself. 

“Charles Rowland. I assume that you’ve come for my son.”

Chapter Text

“Charles Rowland. I assume that you’ve come for my son,” Despair said as she cradled Edwin in her arms. His best mate looked awful. His skin was bloodless and he stared up at nothing. The worst thing was the hook in his bare chest, all bloody and filthy. If he were anyone else, he would have bled out by now. Despair stroked his hair, and Charles wanted nothing more than to tear him from her arms. “You have taken good care of him for all these months, and you have my eternal gratitude.”

In spite of himself, Charles smiled at that. “He’s the best person I know.”

“You’ve sacrificed much to be with him.” 

“It’s all worth it. Don’t regret a thing.” As he watched, Despair’s demeanor seemed to change. Or rather, his perspective of it changed. Her hold on Edwin was less possessive, more comforting. 

“You truly love him in a way I cannot.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead and extricated herself from her son. “Wake him. But know that he must be the one to remove the hook.”

The moment she was gone, Charles took her place, gathering Edwin in his arms. “Edwin, mate, look at me. I’m here.”

His eyes fluttered open, looking slightly glazed. Then, his brows furrowed as a tear slipped down his cheek. “Mother, this is cruel, even for you.”

“What?” Charles’s heart shattered. “Edwin, it’s me.”

“You’re dead,” he replied, and then gave Charles the most devastating smile. It was enough to draw tears in his eyes. “I truly loved you, you know.”

Charles smiled back to hide the heartbreak. “I love you too. Which is why I’m getting you out of here.”

“I was in love with you, as more than a friend, I’m afraid.”

Charles laughed to himself and looked up at Despair. “Oh, I get it. This is an Orpheus and Eurydice thing, innit?”

Edwin sighed. “I suppose it is fitting. Their story ended in tragedy too.”

“Oi, we are not a tragedy, mate!” And then Charles did something he only just realized he’d been wanting to do something for a long time. He pressed a kiss to Edwin’s lips. For a moment, his skin was ice cold, like kissing a marble statue. But slowly, warmth returned to Edwin as he began to kiss back. He pulled Edwin closer as he wrapped his arms around him.

Edwin pulled back with a gasp, his lashes fluttering as he fully came back to himself. “Charles? How is this possible?” His face crumpled as tears streamed down his cheeks. “You were dead, and I was all alone.”

“None of that,” Charles said, wiping away those tears. Edwin’s eyes closed as he leaned into the touch. Afraid that he would pass out again, Charles tapped his cheek to get his attention and smiled over the boy he loved. “Like dying’ll stop me from taking care of you, will it?”

Edwin seemed at a loss for words, looking up at him with a tearful, adoring smile. But it became a grimace of pain as the hook gave a jerk. With a gasp, he reached up and, with Charles’s help, pulled it out. The red began to pool under him almost immediately. Charles applied pressure to the wound. He glanced up at Despair. “Can you help him?”

She stared impassively, her dark eyes shimmering. “He rejected a manifestation of me. It will heal with time and rest.”

“My legs,” Edwin mumbled, his eyelids already drooping with exhaustion or, just as likely, blood loss. “Still can’t feel them.”

Shit, the blade in his back. Lifting Edwin slightly, he pulled the razor blade from his best mate’s spine. “Sorry, sorry,” he muttered as Edwin gasped in pain. He gripped Charles’s shoulders tight enough to hurt. With a final tug, he tossed the blood stained blade aside. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I love you. You’re okay.” 

“I want to go home,” Edwin mumbled, sounding so much younger than his sixteen years.

Charles looked up at Despair. “How do we get back home?”

“The mirror,” she said, gesturing to the one beside her. Instead of reflecting her realm, it revealed the interior to their office. 

Charles gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you.” He lifted Edwin in a bridal carry. His best mate barely reacted, but when he reached their home, the tension in his muscles seemed to melt away. 

“Charles! Edwin!” Niko exclaimed. She and Crystal huddled together on the couch with Jenny while The Cat King, who had a crow on his shoulder, lounged in the office chair.

“Jesus!” Jenny exclaimed, getting to her feet. 

The rest quickly cleared the couch. Charles laid Edwin out and straightened, searching for their well-stocked first aid kit. Edwin’s hand shot out and took his wrist before he could walk off. “Please. Stay.”

“Okay,” Charles said and then looked to Niko. “Can you get the first aid kit?” He situated himself so that Edwin’s head was in his lap.

“A first aid kit? He should be in a hospital,” Jenny retorted, her eyes not leaving the weeping wound on his torso. Charles removed his coat and laid it over Edwin’s bare chest to give him a bit of privacy.

“A hospital won’t help him,” The Cat King drawled. “The good news is that he’s a hell of a lot harder to kill than most humans. The bad news is that we just have to wait it out.”

“What took you so long?” Crystal asked.

Charles blinked. “Long? It wasn’t more than an hour, tops.”

She shook her head. “It’s been three days. We’ve all been worried sick.”

The Cat King shrugged. “I wasn’t. Time gets wonky in the Endless’s realms.”

“I even went to David to see if he could open up a portal,” Crystal said. “Obviously that didn’t work, but I got my memories back.”

Charles grinned. “Hey, that’s great!” Her face fell, making his stomach lurch. “Isn’t it?”

She sighed. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain later.”

Niko broke the tension by returning with their medical supplies. “Here you go.”

Charles took it gratefully and placed it on his lap.

“We should give them some privacy, right Monty?” Cat King said, stroking the bird’s head.

“Monty?” Charles repeated, the outrage burning in his system. “The hell is he—“

“Charles,” Edwin rasped, reaching weakly for him. “Please.”

“Familiars cannot live without their witches. The bird was too pretty to let die, so he’s mine now,” Cat King replied, stroking his head. 

“And Monty is okay with this?” Edwin asked. Once again, Charles marveled at how wonderful he was. Even after everything that happened, Edwin still cared for the crow.

“Thomas is kinder than Esther,” Monty replied. “I’m much happier. Really.”

“Okay.” Edwin’s eyes drifted closed. The wound was still weeping red, and his lips were pale and bloodless. Charles needed to close it as quickly as possible. But Edwin would hate being so exposed, and he’d been through enough.

“Thomas is right,” Niko said suddenly, seeming to read Charles’s mind. “We should go.” They all looked at her in confusion, but one by one, they filed out.

“Alright, mate, just you and me. So let’s have a looksee at those wounds.” Opening the first aid kit, he removed the jacket. The rib injury seemed to already be healing, but he used the butterfly stitches to close the skin atop it. Then, turning him over, he stitched shut the wound in his back. Once all that was done, he situated them both so that Edwin had his head in Charles’s lap again.The damage the hook had done to his heart would have to be healed with time and rest.

With all the jostling, Edwin didn’t make a sound at all. At the end, he just sighed with relief and relaxed in Charles’s arms. “Thank you, Charles.”

“I’d say any time, but I really don’t want you to make a habit of it.” He ran his fingers through Edwin’s hair, smiling as his best mate relaxed further under his ministrations.

“How are you here?” Edwin rasped.

“I made a deal with Death and Desire, didn’t I?”

“You what?” Edwin shot up and then gasped, grimacing in pain.

“Whoa, whoa, easy there.” Charles wrapped an arm around Edwin’s bare shoulders. “It’s not a bad deal, mate, I promise. Basically, as long as we’re together, we won’t age, I’ll heal like you, and I can’t die.”

“And if you get tired of me?” Edwin asked, his voice small.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Edwin’s temple. “Never gonna happen. You’re stuck with me, mate. And we have forever to figure out the rest.”

They would have to talk more later, but for now, they were both knackered. Charles watched Edwin’s eyelids drift shut before joining him in sleep.

Chapter Text

Charles sensed the presence in the room before he opened his eyes. A dark figure loomed over them. He gasped awake, clutching Edwin close, hunching over him protectively. His best mate mumbled in his sleep, his brows furrowing, but he didn’t wake. 

“Peace, Charles Rowland,” Morpheus said. “I am not here to harm either of you.”

“What are you doing here…sir?”

Dream pursed his lips, but he seemed almost amused by Charles’s protectiveness and clumsy manners. “My sister has brought it to my attention that I failed to properly compensate you for services rendered.”

“You don’t have to—“ Charles began, but Dream’s hand was already on Edwin’s forehead. When he removed it, a symbol resembling a dreamcatcher glowed gold for just a moment and then faded. Edwin’s furrowed brows relaxed as the last vestiges of tension left his body. Fully at peace like that, he looked so much younger than his sixteen years.

“And now, you.” His hand passed over Charles’s forehead. It felt warm and tingly for a moment, and then he felt himself relax.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“It is a warding sigil, something to tell my nightmares that you two are under my protection and therefore cannot be bothered when you venture into my realm. You and he will have truly peaceful rest for all of your days.”

“Cheers, mate,” Charles said, his eyelids drooping. 

“I am not your mate, Charles Rowland,” Dream said. “But you are close to family, so this is the least I can do.” Charles wasn’t sure if he vanished into the shadows or if he simply became one with them, fading from existence before his very eyes.

Exhausted again, he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

…

Edwin surfaced slowly to consciousness. He was lying with his head in Charles’s lap. His best friend had his head tilted back and was snoring slightly. He would get a crick in his neck if he wasn’t careful.

“Edwin,” came a soft voice. 

He sat up with a gasp, which then turned into a grimace as his body reminded him that he had been stabbed recently, among other grievous bodily injuries. His mother sat in front of them, raking the hook along her cheek.

Charles picked up his head. “Huh-whuh?” he mumbled. When he spotted Despair, his eyes widened and he clutched Edwin.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Watching you. As I always have, my son.” She tilted her head. “And I have been thinking about you.”

It took Edwin a moment to find his voice after that revelation. He knew that she kept tabs on him, but always? He wasn't sure how much he liked that idea. “May I ask what you’re thinking?”

“You may,” she replied, and then fell into an expectant silence, reminding him of teachers who would reply ‘ I don’t know, can you?’ whenever a classmate asked if they could go to the bathroom.

Edwin sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “What are you thinking about me?”

“That I may have misled you, somewhat,” she said. "Not on purpose, but we Endless are creatures of Nature. Humans, though, are creatures of will. When we last spoke, I had forgotten this and led you to believe that, as one of my creatures, you will only ever be an agent of suffering. But you, Edwin Payne have grown so far beyond your nature that you have become something else entirely.”

“What am I?” He could barely keep his voice above a whisper. Charles’s hand on his shoulder was the only thing keeping him grounded.

“My opposite.”

He blinked. “I am a creature of Desire?”

She chuckled slightly at that. "How would you feel if I never told you that you will be an Olympic bobsledder?"

"What?" He and Charles exchanged glances, not sure what to make of this seemingly random change in topic.

"It is a simple enough question. How would you feel if I said that would never be an Olympic bobsledder ?"

Edwin shrugged. "Nothing, I suppose."

"Why not?"

"I have never cared about the sport in one way or another."

"Exactly." She smiled. It was ghastly to look at, but Edwin refused to look away. “My twin and I are not opposites. We are two sides of the same coin. I am found in the hollow victory of getting your heart’s Desire, and they are found in the darkest depths of misery, a promise to keep going, to find something better. As with the Olympic bobsledding, you cannot despair over something you never cared about. Apathy is Desire’s opposite. So, what, then, would be mine?”

“Hope,” Charles answered for Edwin, his grip loosening to something less protective but more comforting.

Despair smiled. “You picked a bright one, Edwin.”

His entire world seemed to flip on its axis. This couldn’t possibly be true. “But—but I still feed off misery and draw my powers from you. How can I be your opposite?”

“You are a creature of free will, Edwin Payne. It is your nature to feed off Despair, but you metabolize it by choosing to use your power to bring hope to others.”

“I—that’s not—“ Edwin shook his head. He was a monster, one who murdered five other boys. “I killed people, drove them to suicide.”

“You protected yourself,” she replied. “And it is as much my fault as it is yours. I had locked your powers away. When the dam broke, there was no way you could control the flood. Every choice since then, though, has been to help others. You saved this boy’s life without expecting anything in return. You freed my brother and built a life centered around bringing peace to spirits. Your other two best friends are here because you helped them selflessly. You inspired an abused familiar to fight back against his witch and you convinced a child of Desire to sacrifice one of his lives for you. Everything you have done has made the lives of those around you better.”

Edwin didn’t know when the tears began to roll down his cheeks, but he felt it when Charles wiped them away. 

“It’s true,” Charles said softly. “You’re the best person I know, Edwin.”

He shook his head, but Charles pulled him closer.

 Despair got to her feet and cupped his cheek. The hook dug into his skin, but he didn’t mind. “I am not a fit mother, so I have kept my distance. But I am fascinated by who you have become. My pride likely means very little to you, but still, I am proud of the person you choose to be.”

She turned to leave through the mirror. “Wait!” Edwin called. She stopped and turned around, her face unreadable. He swallowed. “Thank you, Mother. Truly.”

“Remember that you must continue your good work to stay my opposite.” Her smile was soft, almost affectionate. “I have faith in you.” With that, she disappeared into the mirror.

Edwin felt oddly floaty, like a millstone around his neck had been removed. All this time, he’d thought of himself as a monster, something dangerous to be kept on a short leash. But apparently, he wasn’t doomed to destroy the lives of everyone he loved. Charles wrapped his arms around him, grounding him in his arms. “You’re okay, mate. You’re okay,” he muttered as Edwin wept.

Every sob made his chest throb, but he couldn’t stop himself. It felt as though he was purging years of poison from his soul. His hiccuping slowed to stuttering breaths as exhaustion overcame him once more. There was something he was forgetting. Something from that awful day.

Then, Charles kissed the top of Edwin’s head and he remembered. His head shot up and he pushed himself away from Charles. A look of hurt crossed his best friend’s face, but Edwin was too distracted by the flood of memories to fix it. “We kissed. In my mother’s realm, we kissed.”

Charles smiled. “Yeah, it woke you up. Just like like in fairy tales.”

“You…you didn’t mind?” Edwin asked.

He cupped Edwin’s cheek, wiping away another tear. “How much do you remember from that day?” 

“Not much. I remember that you died, and that I told you I loved you." He forced a smile. "It was rather clever to kiss me to break me out of my stupor, but you do not have to continue to do so if it makes you uncomfortable. I don’t want you to feel obligated to me because—because of the deal you made.”

Charles laughed out loud, and Edwin’s guts twisted. Here it was: the thing that would finally make Charles leave. “Mate, I said I loved you too. And I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you, didn’t I? I think I have for a while. I’m just sorry you were really out of it when I did.” 

Edwin’s cheeks colored. “Now that I am fully conscious and aware, though, would you like to kiss me again?”

Charles’s smile was dazzling, lighting up the entire room like a megawatt bulb. “Mate, I thought you’d never ask.”

Edwin leaned in and pressed a kiss to Charles’s lips. Before, he’d only ever kissed Monty, and that had been a quick peck on the lips before it all went wrong. Charles’s lips were soft and a little chapped. He tasted of morning breath, but Edwin didn’t mind. He imagined he must taste the same. It might not have been a perfect kiss like the kinds in the movies, but it was him and Charles, and they had forever to perfect it.

Chapter Text

“Mate, I got the tree,” Charles called out as he entered their shared office. 

“Charles! Don’t you dare look!” Edwin exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and hiding something behind his back.

He chuckled to himself and covered his own eyes with his hand. “I’m not looking, am I?” He heard the desk drawer open and then shut. So, the Christmas gift was small enough to fit in a drawer. That got his detective brain whirring. But he would never spoil the surprise on purpose by trying to guess.

Charles was rather taken aback to find that Edwin was a huge fan of Christmas. According to him, it was the only time of year when his father actually treated him like family. As sad as Charles felt to hear that, Edwin loved the lights, the smells, and the decorations, throwing himself into planning a proper Christmas celebration for their newfound family. The past few days had been a frenzy of activity as they balanced cases and Christmas preparations. Dream’s ward against nightmares had helped Edwin get proper sleep for a time, but now he was back in his habit of barely sleeping. He had bags developing under his eyes, and his hands were starting to shake. As soon as the holiday was over, they were going to take a proper break, even if he had to drag Edwin kicking and screaming on vacation.

“You may look now,” Edwin said, and Charles uncovered his eyes. His boyfriend was adorably disheveled, with his usually pristine clothes rumbled and a bit of wrapping paper somehow taped to his sleeve. 

Charles approached and cupping Edwin’s cheek in his hand, pressed a kiss to his lips. “Missed you, love.”

He smiled the wide, toothy smile reserved only for Charles. “It has barely been an hour.”

Another, decisive kiss. “Still too long.”

Edwin stepped back. “You said you got the tree? Shall we decorate it?”

Charles grinned. “We shall.” He pulled the tree from his magic bag of tricks and they made quick work of setting it up and decorating it. Once they were done, they took a quick step back.

For a moment, they stood back and admired their handiwork. The evergreen was a little scrawny, but the popcorn garland and tinsel brightened it up. Half the ornaments were handmade while the other half were found at secondhand stores. One was a payment from a client, a snow globe of sorts, depicting the North Pole. Inside, a loop played of Santa climbing into his sleigh and taking off, dropping glittery presents before starting all over again. He was proper chuffed that the client was willing to give it to them, especially when Edwin's eyes lit up like, well, like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Charles,” Edwin said, and then hesitated.

“Yeah, love?”

“Do you know what day it is?”

Charles frowned. “Should I?”

“It is the anniversary of the day we met.” Edwin looked away, pressing his knuckles together. 

Right. That. Charles hadn’t forgotten—far from it. He was just waiting for the perfect time to bring it up.

“I-I’m not sure how you feel about this day, considering how we met, but I did want to do something to mark it.”

Charles pressed a kiss to his forehead to silence him. “Edwin, love, today is the anniversary of the best day ever, because you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“You are the best thing to ever happen to me too, which is why I wanted to give you this.” Edwin headed to the desk and pulled out a small box wrapped in red paper. Worrying his lip, he held it out to Charles, who took it reverently.

Inside were two gold rings. One was studded with a ruby and the other with sapphire. They were perfect. And just like what Charles got him. His face fell, but he quickly schooled it back to excitement.

He must have been silent for too long, because Edwin stammered, “I-I know what it looks like, and maybe you do not feel the same way, but it is more than just a set of rings. When you wear one and I wear one, we will always know where the other is. Just say the word inscribed on the inside and you will be able to see and hear through my eyes. And vice versa.” Charles was too stunned to speak. Leave it to Edwin to get them a better version of the gift Charles got. Edwin seemed to interpret the silence as disappointment because he tried to snatch the box away. “Never mind, this was a bad idea. I shall find something better.”

“No!” Charles pulled back, his voice a little too loud. He sighed and reached into his backpack, pulling his own small box. “It’s just—it’s not nearly as good as yours.”

Edwin took the box with shaking hands. Inside was an ordinary set of rings. Both had been engraved with a single word: Forever.

Charles awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “These aren’t special like the ones you got. They’re just normal rings, and I know we can't, like, actually get married, but I wanted us to have something, you know? But yours is so much better, so—“

Edwin surged forward and kissed Charles. “This is perfect. I love you so much.”

Charles pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. “Love you too. Forever.”

…

Christmas music warbled from the record player as Edwin sat on the couch beside Charles. Niko and Crystal shared it with them, holding hands and giggling slightly. 

To pretty much everyone’s surprise, Jenny was a very good cook, so she was in the kitchen roasting a turkey and beating back Thomas and Monty, the little scavengers. Apparently, she used to help cook the big holiday dinners with her mother before she died. Her mother’s cooking skills were nearly as legendary as her possessiveness over the kitchen, and Jenny had inherited both.

“Get the fuck out of my kitchen!” Jenny yelled, chasing the pair back into their office with her butcher’s knife. Edwin was tempted to point out that technically, it was his and Charles's kitchen, but he suspected that it wouldn't go over well.

“You and you.” She pointed to Charles and Edwin with her knife. “Stop making doe-eyes at each other and entertain these fucking menaces like actual hosts.” With that, she stormed back into the kitchen. 

Thomas lounged in a chair while Monty took his spot in his boyfriend’s lap. “I can’t help it. I’m bored and hungry. The two worst things a cat can be.”

“Well, we can always play charades,” Charles suggested, just to smirk at the chorus of “No!” from everyone but Edwin. He and Charles dominated charades. They were so in sync that it only took a few gestures and an eyebrow raise for the other to get it instantly. No one else stood a chance.

“Cluedo?” Edwin suggested, which also elicited groans. Yet another game they were too good at. 

“Ooh! What about monopoly?” Niko suggested.

“Remember the last time we played? You bankrupted everyone,” Crystal said. “You’re ruthless.”

She smiled, completely unrepentant. “If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”

“At this rate, dinner’ll be ready by the time we decide on a game,” Monty complained.

Thomas ran his fingers through Monty’s dark hair. “Well, I can think of a few things we can do to kill time.”

Crystal gagged and threw her pillow at him. “Gross.”

Niko kissed her cheek. “That wasn’t what you said last night.”

“If I come in there and you’re all sucking face, I’m throwing the turkey in the trash,” Jenny shouted from the other room.

“So…Go Fish?” Edwin suggested. The enthusiasm wasn’t overwhelming, but he grabbed the cards anyway. They played a couple rounds before switching to blackjack and gin rummy. Eventually, Jenny called them all in for dinner. 

The turkey was cooked to perfection, as were the roasted potatoes and sautéed vegetables. Edwin idly turned the two rings on his left finger as the conversation bounced around him.

Charles leaned over and whispered in Edwin’s ear, “You alright there, love? You look miles away.” 

Was he alright? If he had been told that he would build a successful detective agency, he would have scoffed. If he had been told that someone as wonderful as Charles Rowland would give up everything to be with him for all eternity, he would have laughed. If he had been told a year ago that he would spend this Christmas surrounded by friends, by people who saw his worst aspects and loved him anyway, he would have assumed that he was being mocked. But here he was, loved and in love, sharing food and laughter with this strange and wonderful family.

He pressed a kiss to Charles’s cheek. 

“I am more than alright. I am the happiest I have ever been.”