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“This is going to sound weird, but remember when Niko had those sprites inside her, and there were, like, crazy colors around her and everything?”
Charles drops the instruction manual for the Ikea bookshelf they’re building in Crystal’s room and makes a face of reluctant remembrance. “I’d rather not, but yeah. Why?”
“The first time I saw those pink light things, I thought it was something else,” Crystal says, determinedly twisting the screws on the bookshelf’s side. She seems to be using extra force as if she’d rather concentrate on the menial task rather than fully give her attention to the conversation at hand.
“Like…?”
“God, this is going to sound so stupid.” Placing the wrench down on the ground next to her, Crystal half-covers her face with her hands as she mumbles, “I thought that it was the universe’s way of telling me that she’s the one or whatever. And lately, I realized that even if that light was the result of the parasites, I think it really was love at first sight.”
The ghost detective dramatically gasps, causing Crystal to turn even redder, and teases, “Crystal Palace Surname-Von Hoverkraft, do you have a crush on Niko?”
She picks up the manual and swats at Charles in hopes of wiping that shit-eating grin off his face. “Shut up.”
“This is absolutely aces! I can’t believe it. Crystal Palace, in love ,” Charles cackles as he skillfully dodges another smack from his friend. “Have you told her yet?”
“I tried. Kind of. I asked if she wanted to get dinner together sometime, and she said that we already eat dinner together every day, which, I mean, true, but I wanted to ask her out on an actual restaurant date.” Crystal sighs. Charles watches her glance at the unfinished bookshelf and frown as if she’s recalling the interaction. He hates seeing her so dismal, but it also excites him to see something so obviously matter to Crystal.
“You know what? I bet if Edwin and I put our heads together, we could figure a way for you to land a date with Niko.” The ghost lights up with an idea. “Wait, even better! We could arrange your first date! It’ll be brills!”
Crystal flashes her friend an unconvinced side-eye. “I don’t know if I trust you guys to handle it.”
“That’s part of our services. Dead Boy Detectives: solving supernatural cases and Crystal Palace’s love life.” The hopeful grin that Charles flashes the psychic is so bright that Crystal can’t find it in herself to flat-out reject his offer to help.
So, she simply rolls her eyes, picks up a set of screws, and returns to the half-made bookshelf. “Get back to work before I kick you out of my room. Or throw this wrench at your head.”
Thankfully, Charles takes the hint and avoids further commenting on Crystal’s crush on Niko during their furniture-building session. That certainly doesn’t mean he forgets it in the slightest.
At night, he returns to the office to see Edwin reading a book at the desk. It’s been a quiet week at the agency with few cases rolling in, hence why Crystal enlisted Charles’ assistance with assembling her Ikea furniture. In the meantime, Edwin’s been catching up on his never-ending reading list, which he still hasn’t finished despite having decades of time on his hands.
He’s so engrossed in reading that he doesn’t even notice Charles entering through the mirror. A fond smile crosses Charles’ face, and he saunters over to the desk. He leans over, sticks two fingers between the open pages, and pushes the book down so Edwin is forced to meet his eyes.
“What, may I ask, could possibly require my attention so urgently?” Edwin asks with an air of annoyance that Charles recognizes has no real bite behind it.
Inching closer, Charles conspiratorially informs, “I was just helping Crystal put together some new furniture, and she informed me that she has caught a bit of a love bug for a certain someone living across from her.”
At that statement, genuine concern appears in Edwin’s expression. “A love bug? I haven’t heard of that disease before. What are the symptoms? Should we be concerned that it's contagious?”
Charles slides onto the corner of the desk, arranging himself into a comfortable sitting position where his legs are dangling off the side of the creaky wooden desk. “Edwin, it’s a metaphor. I just meant that Crystal’s developed a crush on Niko.”
“Oh, I see. And I assume that we’re somehow now involved in this… pash that Crystal has.”
“She clearly needs our help.” Charles scoots closer to Edwin and puts a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “And that’s where you come in.”
“Oh dear. Here we go,” Edwin mumbles to himself as he marks his reading spot with a bookmark and closes the book, ready to properly listen to whatever plan Charles has cooked up.
Charles clasps his hands together excitedly. “I was thinking we could arrange a little dinner date for them. It’ll be fun! All you need to do on your end is convince Niko to agree.”
“By telling her what? That she has a secret admirer who wants to go on a date with her, and she should give them a shot?” inquires Edwin, arching a perfectly skeptical eyebrow.
“Well, not in those words exactly, considering what happened last time there was a secret admirer involved, but yes. All you need to do is get her to agree to a blind date, and I can handle the rest.” At Edwin’s continued wariness, Charles brings out his puppy dog eyes, which he reserves for the most dire of situations, and Edwin finally caves.
“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Brills! See, I knew you’d be willing to help.” While Edwin sighs in response, he can’t hide the smile lifting the corners of his lips.
~
As Charles expected, Edwin easily persuades Niko to agree to the date. That’s one of the relatively easy parts of the plan. The part that Charles is stuck on now is deciding where the date should be.
Port Townsend has limited dining options, none of which are particularly fitting for a first date as important as this one. Deciding to consult a local expert, Charles turns to none other than the beloved landlord.
“Jesus fucking christ!” Jenny barely stops herself from launching a meat cleaver at Charles, who had suddenly appeared right in front of the counter while her back had been turned. “You have to stop doing that. I’m going to accidentally chop your head off if you keep scaring me like that.”
Charles sheepishly raised his hands and offered an apologetic smile as Jenny wipes her blood-soaked hands with a towel. “Sorry. Look, I was just wondering if you knew any spots around here that would be fitting for a dinner date. I have high standards, especially since it’s a first date, and I figured if anyone were to give some recommendations, it’d be you.”
“Huh,” Jenny puts her hands on her hips and smirks in amusement. “You two finally figure your shit out?”
“Who? Me and Crystal? We agreed that we’re better off just being friends. Besides, she’s got affections for someone else anyway.”
Charles watches Jenny throw her head back in laughter, “You and Crystal? No, obviously, I’m talking about you and the other ghost boy. I’m glad to hear you two finally figured your shit out. It’s about time.”
It takes all of Charles’ self-control not to let his jaw drop to the floor. “Me and Edwin? Oh, we’re not—that’s not why I’m asking. I’m asking for someone else. I swear.”
“Okay, I believe you,” Jenny says, clearly unconvinced. “There aren’t that many good restaurants around here that are first date material, if I’m being honest. I guess there are some nice places by the waterfront, but in my opinion, if you really want a perfect first date, the place shouldn’t matter that much. If you really like the person, you’d be happy anywhere with them.”
Her statement strikes something within Charles, and he freezes in place.
“Death will come for you now. Go with her when she arrives.”
“What if I want to stay here a bit with you instead?”
Oblivious to the mini revelation Charles is having, Jenny glances at the spot where she’d had her infamous first date that ended in a gory tragedy. She sighs and shakes her head, “But what the fuck do I know?”
“Wait a tick. I think you’re onto something!” Charles brightens with an idea. In his usual eager fashion, he bounces towards the door, excited to get a start on his brilliant plan, and calls out over his shoulder, “Thanks for all the help!”
Jenny watches the ghost phase out through the door to the staircase and scoffs to herself. “When the fuck am I ever gonna get used to that?”
~
“Are you sure we need all this? It seems a little unnecessary,” Edwin remarks as he scatters rose petals across the gravel rooftop of the butcher shop.
Taking a step back to admire the work, Charles surveys the decorated area. “I admit that I may have overdone it with the candles. Might be a bit of a fire hazard.”
Fairy lights are strung from the electric wires running across the rooftop, illuminating the quaint table set up with two chairs facing each other. At the center of the table is a vase with a bouquet of flowers, an arrangement strategically created by Edwin, whose extensive flower knowledge finally came in handy, along with three candles, each flickering with warm light.
“And the meal?”
“Jenny promised to cook something for them. Said she took inspiration from the ‘Lady and the Tramp.’ She’d probably rather die than admit she’s excited about this too.” Charles sits on the rooftop ledge while Edwin disperses the last petals. “This is going to be a wicked first date. Crystal’s going to be so glad that she asked for our help.”
Edwin walks over and sits down next to Charles, inadvertently knocking his ankles against his companion's. He stares at his polished shoes and quietly admits, “I’ve never been on one before. A date, I mean.”
“What? I thought you’ve been on with Monty.”
“Technically, it wasn’t a date. We just went on a walk together. I haven’t been on a proper one yet.” At Charles’ shocked expression, Edwin shrugs. “Don’t be so surprised. I only recently had my first kiss.”
“He kissed you? That crow was your first kiss?” Charles exclaims in disbelief. It might be a trick of light, but he swears that Edwin’s cheeks turn slightly pink with embarrassment.
“Yes, it was. It awakened some feelings in me,” confesses Edwin. He drops his gaze to his shoes again as if vividly recalling that moment.
In moments like these, Charles wishes he could get into his friend’s head and see what he’s really thinking about. Although the two are close, since coming to Port Townsend, Charles has felt like Edwin has been keeping more secrets from him than usual.
Putting a hand on his mate’s shoulder, Charles comforts, “Well, one day, someone’s gonna take you on a nice date. A proper one. Maybe I can help arrange it too! All you have to do is find yourself a nice ghost boy to ask out. No more questionable animal-adjacent beings, alright?”
“Alright.” Despite his agreement, Edwin looks a little wistful, and it makes Charles’ heart ache to know exactly what his friend is thinking about.
“Charles, I’m in love with you. You don’t have to feel the same way. I just need you to know.”
“You, Edwin Paine, are my best mate. That will never change. You are the most important person in the world to me.”
Just as Charles parts his lips to say something, gravel loudly crunches under black platform boots as Jenny steps onto the rooftop with a steaming plate of spaghetti and meatballs, the scent wafting through the crisp night air. “Okay, the food is ready. You should get the two lovebirds before the food gets cold.”
“Right. I’ll get Crystal, and you get Niko.”
When Charles enters Crystal’s room, she’s in the middle of fussing over her jewelry in the reflection of her standing mirror. Her eyebrows are furrowed in concentration while she adjusts the dangly gold earrings. “There you are! I was just about to ask you for an opinion. Do you think these ones are okay? Does it match with my fit?”
Crystal turns around to reveal her outfit: a silver sparkly top paired with a cropped leather jacket and dark blue jeans. She’s wearing pink and black platform boots that Charles has never seen before, and they’re the perfect addition to the rest of the outfit.
“C’mon, don’t be shy. Give us a spin!”
The psychic rolls her eyes but obliges, turning around in place as Charles claps in admiration. “You’ve really outdone yourself, mate!”
“Thanks. I’m just really nervous. I hope she can tell that I put in the effort to look nice,” Crystal admits, anxiously tugging at the sleeves of her jacket. It’s endearing how Crystal, who usually never lets anyone see that she cares deeply about everything, is willing to show how much this means to her.
“Honestly, you could wear a potato sack, and she’d still be enamored with you,” Charles reassures, and Crystal smiles gratefully at her friend’s support. He offers an arm. “Now, we can’t keep them waiting, can we?”
As planned, Crystal and Charles arrive on the rooftop first, and soon after, Edwin and Niko appear, with Edwin holding his hands over the girl’s eyes to preserve the element of surprise.
“Are we on the roof?” Niko guesses as she shuffles forward, sticking her hands out ahead of her as if that might give her an indication of her surroundings.
In response, Edwin simply drops his hands to reveal the gorgeous setup and, most importantly, Crystal standing before her. Niko’s mouth falls wide open with a gasp. “Crystal? What are you doing here? Edwin said that I was going on a blind—”
“Date. I know. I hope you’re not too disappointed,” Crystal says.
Niko shakes her head, bursting into a wide grin. “Disappointed? Crystal, this is incredible! I had no idea that you felt this way about me. I didn’t think I had a chance.”
“Are you kidding me? I didn’t think I had a chance. You’re way out of my league.”
“You think I’m out of your league?” Niko giggles. “Crystal, you’re, like, the prettiest girl ever.”
Charles resists the urge to drop his head in his hands out of embarrassment. As much as he loves his friends, they’re clearly more oblivious than he thought. And more flirty. “Okay, we’ll leave you girls to it. C’mon, Edwin, let’s go for a walk.”
He instinctively reaches for Edwin’s hand, and Edwin places his hand in Charles’ without a second thought. Charles can feel Crystal staring a hole into the back of his head as he leaves, still holding Edwin’s hand in his.
For as long as Charles can remember, Edwin’s always been averse to touch, except when it comes to him. They’ve never really held hands before, but somehow, as they’re holding hands now, it feels like they’ve done it a million times before.
Neither of them say a word until they’ve left the butcher shop and they’re surrounded by the quiet, closed shops lining the streets. For once, Charles is the one lost for words. Edwin is the first to break the silence, awkwardly asking, “Is there any place you wanted to walk to in particular?”
“Sort of. Crystal made me promise that I wouldn’t interfere with the date, but she never said that we couldn’t watch from afar.”
“So, you want us to spy on Niko and Crystal’s date?” clarifies Edwin. His words sound judgmental, but Charles can see hints of a fond smile ghosting Edwin’s lips.
“Hey, I feel like it’s only fair, especially since we set everything up for them. And I found the best spot. Look.”
Pointing to the tall abandoned building at the end of the street, Charles chuckles mischievously, “I found this place the other day. We’ll get a great view of the rooftop.”
Surely enough, from the top of the abandoned building, the ghost boys could see the roof of Jenny’s butcher shop, fairy lights and all. They’re far enough that they’re not privy to Crystal and Niko’s conversation, but they’re close enough to see the way Niko laughs into her fist as Crystal animatedly tells an ostensibly amusing story.
The sight of their two friends tugs at Charles’ heart. The way they seem so happy just to be around each other reminds Charles of his and Edwin’s rainy nights in, playing board games and not even really paying attention to who’s winning or losing because the only thing that matters is that they’re together.
“You ever think, what if Death did catch us? She’d force us to go to the afterlife and split up.”
“I will make sure that never happens.”
“Edwin,” Charles starts, not really knowing where he’s going with the conversation.
“Hm?” Edwin turns toward his friend with an earnest look in his eyes.
“What if I took you out on a date?”
Blinking in disbelief, Edwin opens his mouth and closes it again. He looks like he wasn’t certain that he heard Charles correctly. Charles himself is a little shocked that those words came out of his mouth. However, a weight that he didn’t even know existed seemed to lift off his shoulders when he blurted out that question.
Suddenly, the mood shifts away from shocking to tense. Edwin clenches his jaw and defensively replies, “I do not want you to ask me just because you feel bad for me.”
“I’m not saying it because I pity you. I genuinely want to go out on a date with you.” Noticing Edwin’s continued hesitance, Charles gently puts his hands on top of his friend’s. Edwin doesn’t move his hands away. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About what us. About what you are to me.”
“You said it yourself. I’m your best mate,” Edwin replies tersely, and Charles can tell he’s waiting for the final penny to drop. They’ve both been waiting for the final penny to drop, always waiting for something to happen that’ll send them on another wild goose chase. But here, on top of the abandoned building, Charles realizes there’s no point in waiting.
“Yes, but you’re so much more than that to me. Edwin, I want to take you out on a proper date. Not just a walk or anything. I want to take you to a museum. Or a garden. Or someplace special because you deserve to have an incredible first date. And even though you’ve already had your first kiss, maybe you could let me be your second.”
Charles holds his breath as his eyes meet Edwin’s. He expects to find reluctance, maybe even a little confusion, in Edwin’s expression, but all that melts away as Edwin adjusts his hands to hold Charles’ hands in his.
“Okay,” Edwin concedes with a small smile. “I’ll let you take me on a date.”
“Yes!” Charles cheers victoriously. He brightens so much that he might as well be glowing with solar energy. “Just you wait. It’ll be absolutely brills, mate!”
Leaning over, Charles swiftly kisses Edwin on the cheek, and he feels Edwin squeeze his hands even tighter as if trying to hold onto the moment. And somehow, on the rooftop of this abandoned building, Charles is the happiest he’s ever been.