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As time would have it, grief was defined by the slow passing of time. It was not a new feeling for Edwin, but the strength of it was new. He never grieved as hard as he grieved Niko’s passing. He did, however, excel at grieving, even in the given circumstances.
As time would have it, Charles and Crystal grieved quicker. In just a few short weeks, they started smiling every time Niko’s name was mentioned, remembering good memories of her. And as soon as that happened, the two of them, of course, moved into their “it’s complicated” relationship. Edwin knew of it, saw it, felt it in the tension emanating from them when they were in the same room, and Charles let slip some things.
As time would have it, it grew easier for Edwin to deal with it. At first, Charles was clearly awkward about talking to Edwin about his emotional troubles, but he did want to, needed to. So Edwin assured him it was alright, and with time, he really grew to be alright with it.
As time would have it, in just a few short weeks, Edwin realized that he was alright with his best friend not returning his romantic feelings. In just a few short weeks, Edwin realized that he will always be at least a little bit in love with Charles, but that the love he felt for his business partner, co-detective, best friend, that was more important than anything.
As time would have it, in just a few short weeks, Edwin functioned perfectly well while grieving the loss of Niko, he outgrew the heartbreak of a loving rejection, he accepted Crystal more than he did before and he…
As time would have it, it appeared that distance did make the heart grow fonder. Because Edwin found himself thinking of the Cat King with an embarrassing frequency.
▲
Edwin did try to ignore it, at first. Kept his mind busy with cases, tried his best to accommodate Jenny and Crystal, cases, cases, more cases.
But it didn’t work. Especially when Crystal and Charles started their… situation, Edwin kept thinking about the Cat King more and more.
It was annoying. It pissed him off. It also made his stomach flutter and he felt things, sweet things, like longing and desire and it wasn’t as painful as it used to be with Charles. Everything was more… exciting, sweet, childish. And it was a stupid thing because how could Edwin think of disrobing the Cat King and still think of it as being childish?
Eventually, he talked to Charles about it. He got over the awkwardness and the shame, and he told Charles. A very short version of events, an even shorter version of his feelings, but enough to make Charles understand.
‘Mate…’, Charles breathed out when he was done. He didn’t go on for a long time, kept staring at Edwin with very wide eyes and his mouth half opened.
‘Mate.’, he tried again, a bit stronger, but still didn’t manage to continue.
‘I’m an idiot.’, Edwin helped him out. ‘Setting myself up for failure again. And-’
‘No.’, Charles shook his head and adopted a more neutral expression. ‘No, you’re not an idiot. You clearly… This isn’t one sided, from what you told me.’
Edwin shrugged. ‘We can’t ever be sure when dealing with him.’
‘We can’t’, Charles nodded slowly. ‘But you can.’
Again, Edwin shrugged.
Eventually, after a few more tense, silent seconds, Charles grabbed Edwin’s shoulder and leveled him with a look. It was fond, amused, just a hint of excitement, and if it had happened a few short weeks ago, Edwin’s stomach would have been filled with butterflies. Now, it was just warmth. Cozy, soft, friendly warmth.
‘Mate’, Charles was smiling, ‘you have a long life ahead of you. If everything goes well, that is, then you have a long life and I really don’t want you to be alone in it. Sure, you have me, but that’s not what I mean.’
‘I know what you mean.’, Edwin smiled a little.
‘And if something does go wrong, then your days are counted. You shouldn’t waste them.’
It made something snap in Edwin’s chest, and he stared at his best friends. Charles’ smile grew wider.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I don’t trust the asshole, but if… If he cares for you, if he takes care of you, if he treats you right and doesn’t hurt you…’
Charles let go of Edwin’s shoulder, shrugging comically exaggerated.
‘Go for it!’, he grinned.
‘That’s not…’, Edwin’s voice shook. ‘I don’t think I can-’
‘In your own time.’, Charles said gently. ‘I think you need to figure yourself out before you can try to figure out you and him.’
Edwin knew his best friend was right. But it was an easy thing to say, not easy at all to do.
Charles left the room with a cheeky wink, and not even three seconds after, Jenny barged in, asking Edwin questions about London’s meat scene. He focused on his friend, not on the longing that threatened to explode in his chest.
▲
Edwin did as Charles said. He started working on himself. Alone in his bedroom, he read books, watched modern films and shows, youtube videos and so on and so forth.
He learned a lot about what being gay meant in the year 2024, and as time would have it, in just a few short weeks he didn’t feel ashamed anymore. It was progress that made him feel proud of himself.
The next step of his evolution would have been to start thinking about the Cat King, and what it would actually mean to pursue something with him.
But, as time would have it, he didn’t have time to do that. Because the Cat King called, and he was scared.
▲
One morning, they were all in the kitchen. The girls were having breakfast, the boys were keeping them company, discussing their lack of cases and how bored they all were.
A cat jumped through the window, startling them all. The girls screamed, Charles reached for a knife, but it didn’t matter because the cat jumped straight into Edwin’s hands. It was shaking.
‘Are you hurt?’, Edwin asked.
‘No, just tired. I ran here all the way from Liverpool. I have a message from-’
‘Alright.’, Edwin tried to calm it down. ‘Let’s get some water and food in you, and you’ll tell us later. Okay?’
‘Okay.’, the cat sighed. It also fell asleep immediately, with its head on Edwing’s chest.
With a sigh, he took the cat to the living room, placing it on a pillow on the couch. The girls got him water and food (he started stocking up on cat things since they came back to London, and the strays in the area were well fed).
The cat woke up after 30 minutes, and he ate quickly.
‘Come on, kitty.’, Charles said just a little mockingly. ‘Tell us what the almighty Cat King wants us to do for him.’
The cat glared at Charles. ‘He is not almighty. And he doesn’t want anything, he needs it.’
‘Is he in trouble?’, Edwin asked with a lump in his throat.
The cat turned to him, and spoke only to him from that point on.
‘There is something in his town. Something dark, ancient he says. It’s interfering with his magic, scaring him.’
Edwin’s eyes grew wide at that.
‘And it’s hunting the troops.’, the cat went on.
‘The cats?’, Charles asked. ‘It’s hunting the cats.’
‘Yes. And he is failing in protecting them.’
Charles snorted. ‘Why does he care?’
Edwin caught the cat before it managed to jump on Charles’ face.
‘Forgive him.’, he told the cat. ‘He’s ignorant about how much your King cares for his troops.’
‘Very ignorant.’, the cat growled.
‘So he needs our help to figure out what is doing this and how to stop it.’, Edwing said slowly.
The cat nodded. ‘He said please .’
That made Edwin smile a little, involuntary.
‘Why didn’t he come?’, it was Charles that asked, voicing a question Edwin was too afraid to ask.
Once again, the cat glared at Charles. ‘Because he knew he wouldn’t be welcomed.’
Edwin took a deep breath and looked to his best friend. It was a short, wordless conversation.
‘We’ll help.’, it was Charles that said it. The cat left quickly, and the girls started planning.
Edwin cut them off. ‘You’re not coming.’
Of course, that enraged them. That beautiful woman's rage he read on the Internet about. He let them yell, scream, Charles joined in at some point. When they were out of words, Edwin spoke calmly.
‘Ancient. The cat said the thing was ancient, and that the Cat King is afraid. You know that he is powerful, there is no doubt about it.’
‘Which is the more reason-’, Crystal tried, but he didn’t let her.
‘Nothing like that roams the Earth.’ That shut everyone up. ‘That… It is something that must come from Hell.’
‘I didn’t think of that.’, Charles said in a near whisper.
Edwin didn’t look at Charles, couldn’t, so he looked to the two women in front of him, seeing their anger deflate.
‘I would spare your soul of that mark. We’ll keep in contact, promise to call if we need you, but please, stay behind. Charles and I can handle it.’
They were convinced, and late that night, as they were packing up their things, Charles thanked him in a whisper.
▲
Edwin felt a lot of things as they used the mirror to go back to Port Townsend. He couldn’t focus enough to even realize what all the things were. Instead, he just felt frightened of the monster they were going to face.
They landed right outside of the Cat King’s lair, but there were no cats waiting for them. It was weird, and the boys shared a look, before making their way inside.
The entire warehouse was filled with crates, 147 of them, if Edwin were to guess, because there was a cat in every one of them. And they were all hissing at them, some of them even tried to scratch them through the bars.
‘What the fuck?’, Charles whispered, but Edwin didn’t answer, because his eyes fell on the throne.
The Cat King stood on it, but he looked… rough. Tired, in rumpled clothes, hair a mess, with no life behind his eyes, no glint at seeing them.
‘You came.’, he breathed out. ‘I didn’t think you would.’
‘So you’re pretty desperate, then.’, Charles snarked. The King looked at him, and nodded. It made Charles shut up.
The King looked to Edwin then, and there was something in his eyes, something soft and sweet, but just for a moment. It was replaced with fear, clear and evident.
‘Tell us.’, Edwin made his way to the throne, stopping close to it and straightening his back. ‘We’re here to help.’
‘Yeah.’, Charles joined him, growing serious. ‘Why are all the cats here?’
‘It’s the only way I can keep them safe.’, The Cat King sighed. ‘Just barely.’
He took a deep breath and started telling them what he knew.
It wasn’t much. There was something around town, something that made the cats angry, rageful, and made them fight each other to death. The King lost 17 cats in the past week, and he said it with tears in his eyes.
‘What about your powers?’, Edwin asked. ‘The messenger you sent said it’s interfering with them.’
‘Only sometimes.’, he nodded. ‘No rhyme or reason, no pattern, not related to location, my thoughts, feelings, nothing. Just randomly, I can’t use them. Or sometimes, I use them … wrong.’
‘Wrong?’
‘I try to open a door and conjure a pair of shorts. I try to conjure food and I close a window. Small things like that. But when they don’t work at all, I’m usually trying to calm them down.’, he looked at the stack of crates.
He didn’t say anything more.
Charles and Edwin shared a long look, but it was Charles that spoke.
‘You go home and get the books. It’ll be faster if we all three go through them.’
‘Yes. And meanwhile-’
‘We’ll make a map’, Charles looked to the King. ‘You’ll tell me where the cats were when they started fighting, when and where, and when and where you were when your powers acted up.’
The King looked exhausted, but he nodded and got up from his throne. With a flick of his fingers, a very long desk appeared behind him, with three plush chairs, and a board with a map of the town.
Charles absently touched Edwin’s back. ‘Maybe don’t grab all the books, will you? Just what might help us in figuring out what this thing is.’
‘Rage monster.’, Edwin nodded, a bit wide eyed. But he walked quickly back outside, and went home to gather the books.
▲
There were a lot of books, it took him a better part of an hour to gather them in Charles’ backpack.
When he made it back to the warehouse, the other men were finished with the map. It was all color coordinated and very detailed, and at first glance, told them absolutely nothing beyond the lack of a pattern in the attacks.
Wordlessly, they all sat down at the long desk and started going through the books. The King sat across from the two detectives, but it didn’t matter, he barely looked up from the books.
For hours, they sat silently, just reading. Neither of them had found anything, and Edwin was getting more and more frustrated.
Just as he was about to say something, anything, the King gasped loudly, getting up quickly and making his chair fall to the ground with a loud noise. In sync with it, the cats started hissing. All of them.
Edwin looked in alarm to the King. He was breathing heavily, his pupils were very detailed, even if he seemed to be looking at a fixed point on the ground. His hand came up to his chest, and it was shaking.
‘What’s happening?’, Edwin asked.
‘Rage.’, the King breathed out. ‘It’s rage.’
‘You’re feeling it?’, Charles said. ‘You didn’t say that before.’
He shook his head. ‘This is new. Strong.’ He closed his eyes. ‘Very strong.’
The cats started moving in their cages, clearly trying to get out. Edwin wondered if they were affected directly by the Rage Monster, or if they were that connected to their King.
‘You need to calm down, Whiskers.’, Charles said. Evidently, it didn’t work, only seemed to anger the King more.
Instinct told Edwin to try to calm down the King, so that is what he did. He grabbed his free hand, and the King’s eyes snapped to him.
‘Let’s breathe together.’, Edwin said as calmly as he could. ‘In and out, let’s count.’
After a few minutes of this, staring at each other, holding hands, Edwin counting his breaths and the King breathing on them, he did calm down. But not enough, because the cats were still hissing.
‘What’s your favorite place in town?’, Edwin asked.
The King frowned.
‘We didn’t get to visit much on our last stay here’, the ghost went on. ‘What’s your favorite place? Where do you just go to relax, or hang out?’
‘The library.’
Edwin smiled, a little.
‘The library at night.’, the King went on, controlling his breathing. ‘It’s entirely silent, because my cats don’t like the smell of it.’
‘They don’t like the smell of books?’, Edwin frowned theatrically. ‘How very disappointing.’
‘I forgive them, cause sometimes I need to be alone.’
Edwin’s smile grew. ‘Alone in a building filled with stories.’
‘I like stories. Especially science fiction ones.’
‘Not magic ones?’
The king shook his head. ‘Too real.’
‘Fair enough.’, Edwin chuckled. ‘Are you alright?’
The Cat King blinked, seemingly in surprise. The cats were silent and he was breathing regularly. He squeezed Edwin’s hand shortly before letting go and taking a step back.
‘Thank you.’, he said in a whisper.
‘This ain’t good, Whiskers.’, Charles pointed out. ‘What’ll happen if this rage really does consume you?’
The King flinched with his entire body, turning away from them. ‘Not anything good. I’m… Not to toot my own horn, but I’m very fucking powerful. If I can’t control it, I don’t want to even think about what will happen.’
Nobody said anything at that, so the King sighed and turned back around to face them.
‘My name is Thomas.’
Charles’ jaw dropped, and Edwin's stomach butterflies came to life.
‘I’m not your king, it’s okay if you don’t call me by my titulature. But my name is Thomas, not Whiskers.’
‘Alright.’, Charles nodded. ‘Thomas it is.’
‘Thomas it is.’, Edwin joined it, and damn it, his voice sounded too soft.
Nobody mentioned it, even if Thomas did spare him a look.
‘I need a break.’, Thomas said. ‘A nap.’
‘Of course.’, Edwin nodded. ‘We’ll read on while you rest.’
A snap of fingers and a bed appeared in the corner of the warehouse, with black bedding and more blankets than any one person would ever need. Thomas buried himself under them and fell asleep quickly.
‘This is fucked.’, Charles whispered. ‘And we have nothing to go on.’
‘We have to keep searching.’, Edwin nodded, even if he was still looking at Thomas.
‘Not just for his sake. I felt his anger.’
Edwin’s head snapped to Charles. ‘Really?’
‘It wasn’t strong, it was barely there, really. But I felt it. You didn’t?’
He shook his head. Honestly, he didn’t know what exactly he felt, he just knew he had to keep himself calm in order to help Thomas.
‘What if the humans feel it?’, Charles asked, and that was a terrifying thought.
‘Let’s keep searching.’, he said, grabbing yet another book. ‘There has to be something here.’
▲
Three hours later, Thomas woke up. With his hair a mess, drool on the corner of his mouth and he didn’t look like he got any rest. Edwin still felt those stomach butterflies.
A snap of fingers and food appeared in all the cat’s crates. Another snap, and a mug filled with coffee appeared in his hand. He drank half of it as he made his way to the desk, and didn’t say anything as he grabbed a book.
‘Are you feeling well?’, Edwin asked, making Thomas glare at him. ‘I mean physically.’
‘Yes, dear, I’m just fucking exhausted.’
‘I know’, Edwin said calmly. ‘I was just wondering how… normal this exhaustion is.’
Thomas shook his head. ‘It’s all me, I can tell. While this body is capable of wondrous things, it does have its limits.’
‘Why are you exhausted, though?’, Charles insisted. ‘You’re just… sitting here? I mean-’
‘I’m not just sitting here!’, Thomas snapped, ‘I’m keeping my cats in check! If it weren’t for me, they would all be scratching their eyes out right now.’
‘It’s constant?’, Edwin frowned. ‘The rage?’
A nod.
‘What about the map?’
‘That was the first three days.’, Thomas explained. ‘After that, it became constant, so I locked them up. It spikes at times, like before. But most of the time, it’s a constant, manageable level.’
Edwin’s head was working a mile a minute.
‘Are the cats feeling the Rage Monster’s rage? Or yours?’
Thomas frowned at that. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Are they connected to you?, Edwin insisted. ‘Can they normally know what you’re feeling?’
‘A little bit, yes.’
‘And can you know what they’re feeling?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s a loop.’, Charles said. ‘A… feelings loop.’
‘Yes, I think so.’, Edwin turned to the map. ‘But when did it start?’
Thomas made his way to the map and pointed to a bright red pin, in the middle of the woods.
‘This is the first occurrence.’
‘You or the cats?’, Charles asked.
‘Me, I was there.’
Edwin looked to Charles, and they both nodded.
‘Don’t go alone.’, Thomas said with a hint of desperation. ‘If something happens-’
‘We’ll both go.’, Edwin looked at him. ‘Meanwhile, Charles, I think you should look into this book.’
He gave it to him, and Charles winced. It was a collection of fictional monsters from the 1400s, but they had learned, in the last 30 years, that they weren’t fictional, but demons from Hell.
‘Do I have to?’
Edwin hesitated, because the book was, indeed, absolutely gruesome.
‘Charles and I can go.’, Thomas said gently, before faking a smirk. ‘I promise I’ll behave.’
‘I know you will.’, Charles said, surprising them. ‘Cause you didn’t call us to help you, you called us to save you.’
It said a lot about the situation, that Thomas didn’t deny it, but looked away and nodded slightly.
‘Be careful.’, Edwin said with a shaking voice.
‘Always.’, Charles winked at him, grabbed his bag and came to Thomas’ side. ‘Let’s go, mate.’
With a flick of the wrist, they were both gone, and Edwin ignored the terrified pit in his stomach as he started reading.
▲
They weren’t gone for long. But when they returned, Charles was holding Thomas, restraining him, as Thomas was screaming in anger, something along the lines of ‘Let me go!’ and ‘I’ll kill you!’.
Once again, instinct took over Edwin, and he ran to them, grabbed Thomas’ face.
‘Look at me!’, he said strongly. ‘Thomas, look at me!’
The other man did, but he was hyperventilating, still in a state.
‘What about music?’, Edwin asked quickly. ‘What sort of music do you listen to?’
When he didn’t answer, Edwin went on. ‘Based on your usual attire, I would assume you listen to rock. But what sort of rock? Is it that punk that Charlie keeps telling me about? Or something newer? What was it called, emo?’
‘Not that.’, Thomas panted. ‘Old. 60s, 70s, 80s.’
‘Is it nice music? I know rock is harsh, but how harsh is it?’
‘Mildly.’, Thomas’ breathing was starting to calm down. ‘Not as harsh as punk. More melodious.’
‘Is that why you like it?’
‘Yeah. It has songs, not just men screaming into the microphone. And they look good.’
‘They look good?’, Edwin chuckled, somewhat incredulous.
‘It’s called hair metal.’
Edwin couldn’t help it, he laughed, because that sounded preposterous to him. Charles let go of Thomas, who seemed to have calmed down. There were tears running down his face, and Edwin wiped them, before taking his hands away. Thomas looked to the floor, getting his bearings together.
‘What happened?’, Edwin asked Charles.
‘It’s a kid. It’s just a kid, a teenager. He found us as soon as our feet hit the ground. He just… he saw Thomas, grinned, said Got you! in a very evil manner. And then he waved his hand and Thomas just… you saw.’
‘Did you recognize him?’, Edwin asked, and Thomas shook his head.
‘So it’s a possession.’
Thomas and Charles both startled.
‘I found something.’, Edwin breathed out. ‘I think I know what it is.’
‘Go on then, tell us!’, Charles said somewhat strongly. Clearly, he wasn’t unaffected.
‘It has no name, it is so ancient.’, Edwin explained shakingly. ‘It lives in the depths of Hell, beyond the circles, beyond the souls that are kept there.’
‘What is it?’, Thomas asked strongly.
‘Anger. It’s just pure anger. The book tells a story of a man betrayed by his family and peers, but it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is, it’s a demon that makes you angry, and it feeds on your desperation. The more, the better.’
‘Why is it targeting Thomas?’, Charles asked.
Edwin shrugged, because he didn’t know.
‘More importantly, how do we stop it?’, Thomas grabbed the book.
‘An exorcism could work, since it is possessing a body.’
‘Not a normal exorcism.’, Thomas snorted. ‘Because if they put it beyond the circles of Hell, I’m guessing it’s… bad. And very strong.’
‘Correct.’, Edwin nodded sadly. ‘Not a normal exorcism, but one powered by magic.’
Thomas froze, and slowly closed the book, looking at Edwin.
‘You need me for the exorcism.’
‘Yes. You and your power.’
‘But an exorcism, the demon has to be there for it.’
‘Yes.’, Edwin all but whispered.
‘Then I can’t. Cause if he sees me… you saw what happens.’
Edwin tilted his head. ‘Yes, the Rage Monster makes you angry. But…’, he didn’t manage to go on.
‘But what?’, Thomas insisted.
Eventually, it was Charles that figured it out. ‘But the two times it happened, Edwin was the one to bring you back and calm you down.’
Thomas’ eyes grew wide, and for a moment, he looked embarrassed. It was gone quickly, replaced with concern.
‘What if it doesn’t work? What if the demon’s stronger than he let on? What if you can’t bring me back and-’
His voice cracked and he didn’t go on, looking away from Edwin.
‘He’s right.’, Charles said, and Edwin flinched.
‘Which is why we should find a better exorcism.’, he went on, surprising Edwin.
‘Yeah.’, Charles grinned. ‘A stronger exorcism, maybe a quicker one. And we should plan this to our advantage.’
‘I cannot let you-’, Thomas tried, but Charles cut him off.
‘You called us, mate. To save you, not help you, remember? We’ll be smart about this.’
‘And you’re going to need to fight it.’, Edwin said gently. ‘Fight the rage.’
‘What if I can’t?’ Thomas was clearly terrified.
‘I’ll help.’, Edwin smiled.
They looked at each other for a few moments. Edwin didn’t know what Thomas saw, but he knew that the butterflies in his stomach were going mental, and that the warmth he felt in his chest was not possible. And yet…
‘I’ll help, Thomas.’
‘We both will.’, Charles said strongly. ‘But I think you should take another nap, while we hit the exorcism books.’
Thomas finally looked away from Edwin. ‘How many of those do you have?’
‘Oh, just about 30.’, Charles grinned. ‘I’ll go home and bring them, check on the girls while I’m there.’
Edwin nodded, and helped Charles gather the books that were on the desk.
▲
After he left, Edwin didn’t know what to do with himself. Thomas was sleeping, he was alone, without books… Of course, he started thinking about Thomas.
When he arrived in Port Townsend this time around, he thought he needed to think about what a relationship with Thomas would actually mean. But judging by the pit in his stomach, the fear, the terror he felt when he saw Thomas screaming and Charles restraining him… The longing, the warmth in his chest, the butterflies in his stomach… The desperate need to save Thomas from this horrific demon, to see him smiling again, smirking, flirting with him, bickering with Charles…
As time would have it, Edwin didn’t need to think about it anymore. He knew he wanted to be with Thomas, The Cat King, whatever that entailed.
Which is why he made his way to the bed and lied down next to him. Thomas didn’t wake, but he did shuffle a little, pressing his forehead to Edwin’s arm. It was terribly endearing.
▲
Thomas woke up before Charles came back, which was a good thing, because he opened his eyes, saw Edwin laying next to him, and groaned so loudly, turning it into a moan half way through.
‘This is torture.’
Of course, Edwin was quick to move and get out of the bed, but Thomas grabbed his hand, kept him there. He whispered a barely heard ‘Stay’, and Edwin did.
For a few long moments, they were silent. Edwin knew the other man was looking at him, staring, but it took awhile to look back.
‘You’ll be alright.’, he said. ‘We’ll banish the Rage Demon back to where it belongs, and everything will be back to normal.’
‘I want to believe you. But I am…’
‘Scared.’, Edwin said when he didn’t finish the thought. ‘Yes, so am I.’
‘Why are you scared?’
‘For you.’, it was an instinctual answer. It shocked Edwin as much as it shocked Thomas.
He shook his head and took a deep breath. ‘Did you manage to get some rest?’
‘Yes.’, Thomas also shook himself out of it. ‘I should go tend to my cats.’
‘Can I help?’
He got a nod in return. ‘You have been, I am told. By my people in London.’
If he could blush, Edwin probably would have. Instead, he just shrugged, earning a chuckle from Thomas.
‘You are something else, Edwin Payne.’
‘Evidently. I’m a ghost.’
Thomas laughed, as he magicked kibble for the cats. They seemed calm, at the moment, so Edwin chose one to pet, between the bars of the crate.
That was how Charles found them.
‘The girls are fine, but I had to literally run in order to get away and not bring them along.’
Thomas snorted. ‘So your friends are also insane and like to disregard their own safety?’
‘Well look who’s chipper!’, Charles grinned at him. ‘Good nap?’
‘Marvelous. Did you bring the books?’
Charles did, in fact, bring the books, so they made their way back to the desk and started reading.
▲
It was a good plan, Edwin thought. A brilliant one, even. And it went well, up until it all went to shit.
They found a very strong exorcism, one that will require both Edwin and Charles speaking the incantation, and a sort of connection to Thomas. Edwin said he got that covered, and neither of them asked any further questions.
Edwin and Charles went to the woods, used spray paint to draw the demon trap. It was a strong one, that was supposed to render the demon’s powers unusable, but it was complicated to draw, and it took them almost two hours.
Then, Edwin went back to the warehouse, to get Thomas. Who hesitated.
‘Tell me this will work.’
‘This will work.’
‘Tell me I’m not putting you in danger.’
‘You’re putting yourself in more danger than me.’
‘Tell me-’
Edwin grabbed his hand, held it strongly, cutting him off.
‘Just listen to my voice, okay? When it’s happening, when you feel the rage, just listen to my voice.’
Thomas took a deep, shaking breath, but he nodded and straightened his back. Between one blink and the next, they were in the forest, and Charles was looking at their locked hands with a raised eyebrow.
The demon appeared with a gust of wind. It appeared in the middle of the trap, but he just frowned down at it. He flicked his wrist and it became painfully clear that while the trap was holding, it was not suppressing his powers.
Thomas screamed, and Edwin was quick. He grabbed his cheeks, like he did before.
‘Look at me, Thomas, just look at me.’
He screamed again, but not as strong as before.
‘Just listen to my voice, alright? I’m right here and I am going to keep you calm.’
Edwin went on for a while, but it wasn’t doing much. Thomas was very much not calm, he was shaking, he was crying, he was biting on his lower lip to keep himself from screaming.
‘Ed’, Charles said with a hint of desperation, ‘I’m not sure the trap is going to hold long.’
Edwin didn’t turn around to look. Instead, he went on with the plan. His plan, the one part that the other men didn’t know about. Edwin said a quick incantation, and kissed Thomas.
He heard Charles gasp, but he ignored it, because of the fire in his veins.
The kiss was just a conduit, just a way to connect him to Thomas, to borrow his magic. And he felt it, hot and powerful, running through his veins.
He stopped the kiss quickly, gasping himself as he did so. Thomas was staring at him in shock, but he was not hyperventilating anymore, he wasn’t shaking, he wasn’t crying. Edwin thought he borrowed some of that, too.
‘Charles, now!’, Edwin commanded and they both started saying the exorcism.
It felt like nothing had felt before. Edwin wasn’t used to feeling magic, to feel this powerful. He couldn’t imagine how Thomas felt, all the time with this much power coursing through his body.
He didn’t focus on it, focused on the demon instead. Even if he was still holding on to Thomas’ cheeks, even if their eyes were still locked on one another, Edwin kept saying the exorcism, putting as much strength into it as he could.
At one point, the wind picked up. Edwin did not turn to look at the demon, not then, not when he started screaming. He knew, though, the exact moment when the Rage Demon was sent back to where he belonged, because he felt a fire burning at his back, and that fire was a familiar one, one that came from Hell.
Thomas’ eyes grew wide, and he grabbed Edwin, turned him around so that his back was facing the flames, and Edwin was safely tucked away from them, in Thomas’ embrace.
When it was done, everything went silent.
‘Holy shit!’, Charles all but screamed. ‘I can’t believe that worked!’
‘And you still tried it?’, Thomas yelled right back. It wasn’t in anger, though, just his normal level of bitching.
Without prompt, Edwin said another incantation, relinquishing the power back to Thomas.
The Cat King gasped, his eyes glowing bright for a second.
‘Oh.’, he stared at Edwin. ‘You stole my power?’
‘Borrowed some of it.’
‘Good thinking.’, Charles breathed out. ‘I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t have worked if you didn’t have magic. That was… I’m tired. How can I be tired?’
‘Me too.’, Edwin nodded. ‘It’s odd.’
‘I’m exhausted.’, Thomas groaned. ‘Can I go home, now?’
He didn’t wait for an answer, between one blink and the next, they were back at the warehouse, with 130 some cats running around, happy to be out of their crates.
▲
They made quick work of gathering their books, but lingered before leaving.
‘Thank you.’, Thomas told Charles, before turning to look at Edwin. ‘I am in your debt.’
‘About that…’, Edwin said, but didn’t immediately go on. Instead, he turned to Charles and wordlessly asked him for privacy. Charles winked on his way out, saying a cheeky ‘Bye, Thomas, see ya never!’.
Thomas’ eyes glowed, and the cats followed Charlie outside.
When they were alone, Edwin made his way to Thomas’ side. Instinct kicked in, again, making him gently push away a curl from his face. Thomas stopped breathing, Edwin saw it clearly.
He was nervous, he felt butterflies in his stomach, but he also felt relieved that Thomas was safe, and excited for what came next.
So Edwin smiled.
‘I owe you.’, Thomas said gently.
‘Yes, about that… How about you show me the library? At night, when it’s empty and the cats leave you alone.’
Thomas frowned. ‘That sounds like a date.’
‘Yes.’, Edwin kept on smiling. ‘Yes it does.’
Clearly, he had surprised Thomas, because he didn’t say anything, just kept looking at him with wide eyes.
Edwin chuckled, and slowly made his way towards the exit.
‘Are you free tomorrow night?’
‘Yeah.’, Thomas nodded. ‘Yeah, yes, sure.’
‘I’ll pick you up, then. Get some rest, Thomas. You need it.’
Edwin turned around and did not look back, even though he wanted to, badly wanted to.
Outside of the warehouse, Charles was waiting by the mirror. He was smirking, obnoxiously so.
‘That was smooth, mate.’
‘Shut up.’, Edwin rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the big smile that took over him.
▲
Once again, there was not a cat waiting outside of the warehouse, nor inside of it. Just Thomas, lounging on the makeshift throne, wearing a pair of leather pants and a black sweater with more holes in it than material.
‘I didn’t think you’d show up.’
‘You keep saying that’, Edwin smiled, ‘and yet I am here.’
‘Right.’, Thomas got up, met Edwin half way. ‘And you want to go to the library?’
‘I like libraries, and books. In case you didn’t figure that out by now.’
Thomas chuckled. ‘All right, then.’ He raised his hand, probably to snap his fingers, but Edwin stopped him with a gentle touch.
‘How about we walk there?’
‘It’s a long walk.’, Thomas raised an eyebrow.
‘Let’s walk, anyway.’
For the first time that night, Thomas smiled at him, and all of Edwin’s anxiety and nervousness was washed away.
▲
He wasn’t snarky, not with Edwin. He was funny, he made Edwin chuckle and laugh, with jokes he understood. And when he mentioned something too new to Edwin, Thomas explained without any hint of judgment.
He was flirty, of course, but tamed. He didn’t make Edwin feel uncomfortable, not at all like before. Instead, Edwin felt… giddy. Childish excitement.
Truly, he didn’t know he could still feel these things.
Which is why, when Thomas asked him how he died, Edwin told him. The short version, but he didn’t lie. In response, Thomas told him the story of how he ended up becoming The Cat King.
It was a heavy conversation that left both of them rattled. By the time they made it to the library, they were both silent, clearly thinking hard.
There was a meow from nearby. Thomas’ eyes glowed, but Edwin was the one who stepped into the bushes, coming out with a kitty. It was small, very small, very fluffy and obnoxiously orange. The girl, upon further inspection, meowed a few times at Edwin, but eventually relaxed in his hold.
‘This one’s new.’, Thomas said slowly.
‘Clearly, she’s tiny.’, Edwin pointed out, as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a bag of wet food. The kitty’s attention was instantly drawn to it. So Edwin put the cat down on the steps of the library, sat down next to it and opened up the bag of food, spilling it on the steps.
The kitty did not take long before she started eating. She was concentrating on that, so she let Edwin pet her.
‘What are you doing?’, Thomas breathed out, and the sad tone of his voice made Edwin realize he wasn’t talking about the cat.
He knew this was a conversation they would need to have, but he thought it would be later in the evening. Still, Edwin took a deep breath and looked at Thomas, willing himself to relax.
‘Honestly? I have no idea what I’m actually doing, because it isn’t something I’ve done before. But, from what I’ve learned in the past weeks, from books, films, shows and youtube…’
Thomas’ eyebrows were raised.
‘I think’, Edwin smiled, ‘that I’m on a date.’
‘A date.’, the other man said slowly. ‘Is that what we’re doing?’
‘I’d like to.’, Edwin admitted gently. ‘If you would be interested in something… serious.’
Thomas didn’t say anything, kept staring.
‘It won’t be easy, I assume.’, Edwin went on. ‘Both of our lines of work are… messy, to say the least. There might be moments when we won’t have time for each other. And, beyond that, I…’
He looked away, briefly, gathering more strength.
‘I am me.’, Edwin said slowly, looking at Thomas. ‘I was born in 1916 and found out what the Internet was a few short weeks ago. It took me all this time to accept the way I am, and not feel shame and guilt because I’m gay. I’m still a little bit in love with my best friend, and will always be. But I moved past it, and I am willing to… try something new.’
‘Try something new.’, Thomas said slowly, somewhat disappointed.
‘I want it.’, Edwin clarified. ‘To try something new, because I want you. To be with you.’
Thomas’ expression changed, into something very soft and sweet. It will take some time for Edwin to get used to it, to the big bad Cat King being so soft around him. But oh, how he enjoyed seeing it.
‘You have changed a lot since the first time we met.’, Thomas finally said.
‘Yes, and you had something to do with it.’, Edwin chuckled. ‘For that, I am grateful. Whatever comes next.’
‘I don’t want to change you.’, Thomas frowned. ‘You are who you are and I like you for it.’
‘I appreciate that.’, Edwin said after a moment. ‘But I… I didn’t change, as much as I evolved. There is a difference.’
Thomas nodded. ‘And you want to keep evolving? With me guiding you?’
Edwin smiled. ‘That’s a beautiful way of putting it. Didn’t think you were a poet.’
Thomas moved slowly, languidly, like only a cat could. He kneeled in front of Edwin, slotting himself between his legs, but keeping his distance, not touching. Still, it took Edwin’s inexistent breath away.
‘It would be my absolute pleasure.’, Thomas breathed out, and he kissed Edwin.
As opposed to his first, Edwin was expecting this one. He reacted immediately, kissing Thomas back. It was a sweet kiss, soft and so not anything you would expect from The Cat King. But Edwin knew better now. The butterflies in his stomach and the warmth in his chest was a very pleasurable feeling, Edwin decided.
Neither of them deepened the kiss too much, which was a good thing from where Edwin was standing, he truly feared he would explode. But that didn’t stop him from wrapping an arm around Thomas’ shoulders, and burying his shaking fingers in his curls.
When the kiss reached its end, Thomas lingered with his cheek tucked to Edwin’s neck, and he gently caressed Edwin’s hand, before taking hold of it.
‘Come on.’, he pulled away enough to smile at him. ‘The rare books section holds just two of them, but they are good ones.’
‘What about the kitty?’
That got him another kiss, albeit chaste, and a dazzling smile. ‘She’ll be fine, you have my word.’
Edwin believed him, so hand in hand, they made their way to the library. As time would have it, they spent the rest of the night laughing between the books, and kissing between the shelves.