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Charles is like the sun. Edwin supposes that makes him the moon, having his light reflected on him, the only thing that makes him shine, really. Their complexions even match if Edwin thinks of it more realistically, as he does. Edwin exists in Charles' solar system, constantly stuck in his orbit and attracted to him like Charles has his own gravity that Edwin is pulled by.
Charles is bright, strong and intelligent beyond what he gets credit for (his bag shows that clearly). Of course, the sun isn't without danger and sides that aren't quite as pretty to everyone else. The sun occasionally has solar flares and of course, the looming fate of the star dying and ultimately taking much of the galaxy with it. The moon would have to go, too.
Charles has shown his flares, when he has become angry after holding in his emotions for so long. Even in those moments Edwin hadn't seen him as dangerous. He had been trying to protect others, and it had scared Crystal and Niko. It had certainly surprised Edwin and been a little incomprehensible at first, but Edwin had never even questioned the good in Charles.
If Charles had to leave anytime soon like he had agreed to, he'd surely take Edwin down with him. Edwin was still in disbelief that Charles had willingly gone to Hell for him, had made a deal to be able to. He was absolutely mad for it, but Edwin couldn't say he didn't appreciate it. It brought up the confession he'd been holding in, and he was dead but felt like he needed to say it to breathe.
Charles did not return his feelings. Edwin hadn't expected him to, but it still made him ache a little. He wasn't supposed to feel this way about his friend, only barely accepting that he was allowed to feel this way about a boy at all. Charles had told him he was his best mate and that there was no one else he would go to Hell for. He had said they have time to figure it out, being ghosts and all. Somehow that hurt more than if he had just discarded their friendship and Edwin completely.
It felt almost like a false hope that his cold, dead heart could hold onto, no matter how much he didn't want it to. Edwin had faced unimaginable pain and horror in Hell, but he had never faced pain of this kind. This pain didn't leave scars or expose blood, it showed no mark, even internally. It just made him feel twisted and sick in a way he shouldn't when he was already dead. Why, if he had voiced how he felt aloud he might sound like a client the pair would take on.
Edwin wouldn't wait, that would be foolish. Edwin had been prone to doing some foolish things, like counting all the cats in the city or listening to Niko's nonsense about his feelings, but he would not stoop that low. But if he happened to only spend time with Charles for the rest of his afterlife and Charles started to see him differently, he surely wouldn't pass that up. He'd be lying if he said he didn't hope that would happen.
So Charles is Edwin's sun, sometimes shining on him so that he fully glows outside, or partly, or not at all. There is another side to the moon, though, that isn't visible to the eye. That side of the moon never sees the light of the sun, only the other half being able to shine. Edwin can bask in the light of Charles’ friendship, being his best mate and partner in solving crime.
Edwin can't be anything more. It's not meant to beーthe sun cannot reflect on all of the moon's surface. The sun does not need to know the other side of the moon for it to shine the brightest in the galaxy while the moon only shines halfway or less with what it can get from the sun as it moves along. A full moon is still only half, and it's as good as it gets. The moon cannot ask for more, just as the sun cannot give it.