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Today at the office, the snow was pouring down and it was quite cold throughout the building. Even though Charles couldn't feel it — he could see the frigid air in front of him.
Crystal made the boys turn on heaters and grab blankets. She said that hanging out and watching movies while it was snowing was the best, so Charles decided that’s what they were going to do.
Charles sat down in front of the couch while Crystal sat on top. She was scrolling, trying to find an interesting movie they could all watch.
“What about this one?” she suggested.
Charles read the prologue. “That sounds brills, but I don’t think Edwin'd enjoy it.”
Crystal takes a glance around the office. “Speaking of. Where is he?”
Charles looked up from the TV screen and glanced around the office. Edwin was nowhere to be seen. Shit, he let him out of his sight again. How'd he always manage to slip away so randomly?
“You think he wandered off again?” Crystal wondered, and Charles already knew the answer.
“Yeah, Probably,” Charles scratched his knuckles. “I should go find him.”
“Really?” Crystal sighed. “He'll come back, he always does.”
“I know, I know. It just… worries me. When he wanders off so randomly,” Charles shook his head, trying not to think of the implications of that. “And it’d be wrong if I didn’t go look.”
Crystal shook her head in understanding, leaning back on the couch. “I get it. I’ll find a movie while you go look.”
He smiled. “Okay, I'll be back,” he said as he grabbed his coat and threw it over his back.
“You better be!” He heard Crystal exclaim as he walked out the office door.
He turned the corner outside of the office, looking for any sight of Edwin.
But there was nothing.
“If I was Eds… where would I go?” Charles mumbled under his breath, accelerating his walking as he frantically looked around. Why was he nowhere around here?
The snow wasn’t making it any better, even though he couldn’t feel it.
Still, the thick, white snow made it more challenging to move and to see far away, so it didn't exactly help Charles at all.
He looked everywhere. Alleys, nearby neighborhoods, parks, all he could think of. He was starting to get worried, really worried.
A human couldn’t kidnap Edwin, but what if The Witch was back? Or maybe that prick that calls himself the Cat King?
Either way, Charles was freaking out, and he could feel his heart beating out his chest. Maybe it was from all the walking he was doing, but it sure as hell wasn’t good.
It was starting to get dark out, and the snow was coming down harsher around him. Where could Edwin be?
He couldn’t just give up and go home, that's not right, even though Edwin usually came back. What if something happened this time? What if something is wrong?
It felt wrong, not knowing where Edwin was. He knows why deep down, but it's not like he can say it. It's not like...
He stops thinking because he needs to keep searching instead.
And so, he does, and as he walks down a certain street, he thinks of the perfect place to go look.
He walked on the bridge’s walkway, looking down at the water and at the people walking by.
None of them were ghosts, he could walk right through them.
Just as he reached the middle of the bridge, he saw someone, looking out at the water below.
“Edwin!” he exclaimed, making him look back.
“Charles? What are you doing here?” Edwin huffs out, turning around to face Charles.
Charles let out a breathe of relief that he didn’t know he was holding. “I came looking for you, mate. Why'd you wander off?”
Edwin sighed and turned back around, looking back down to the water below them and out to the dark sky above.
“I didn’t want to watch a movie.”
Charles made his way next to him, leaning his back on the railing. “Edwin, I've known you for my whole afterlife. I know when you’re lying. It's not that simple, so tell me."
Edwin kissed his teeth in defeat. “I just, wanted some fresh air.”
“You're a ghost.”
Edwin chuckled quietly, but Charles was not laughing along with him.
They stood in silence for a couple seconds. Charles couldn’t quite tell where this was going to go. Edwin looked reluctant, as if he was dreading this conversation.
“I feel, as if I'm intruding,” he admitted.
“Intruding?”
Edwin nodded slowly. “You and Crystal,” he looked up at Edwin. "I'm— intruding."
“Eds, why would you ever think that? You're my best mate! You could never-”
"You like her, Charles,” he spat out. Charles didn’t know what to say. “That's— that’s obvious. And… it feels awkward. like I'm…”
“Third-wheeling?”
“Precisely.”
Charles frowned. “Edwin… I’m sorry that I ever made you feel that way.”
Edwin sighed and shook his head, straightening his back. “It's not your fault Charles, it’s me.”
That made Charles shoot his gaze up at Edwin immediately.
“Plus, I like watching the scenery anyway,” Edwin turned to admire the water below once more. But Charles wasn't looking at that view — no way. "I don't mind it. Can't feel the cold either."
“Is that why you’ve been wandering off lately?” Charles kept going. He didn’t care about all the snow was gathering atop of his hair, or the snowflakes he could see on his nose. “Because you don’t feel comfortable around me anymore?”
Edwin snapped his head back. “Charles, I never said that.”
“But that’s what you're implying, yeah?”
Edwin shook his head. “Charles, no.”
Charles ran his hand through his hair as his breathing hitched. “fuck, Edwin, I'm sorry, mate. really.” He shakes his head, eyes frantic.
Edwin reaches out suddenly, placing a hand out to Charles. “Don't apologize, please.”
“We can stop hanging out with Crystal, if that’ll fix anything—"
“Charles! Please!” Edwin placed his hand onto Charles’ chest. He didn’t know what for, but it grounded him. “I don’t want to refrain you from doing what you want.”
Charles didn’t bite back, he listened.
“It's just, I don’t... fit, when you guys are together. And that's perfectly fine by me."
“But you fit with me,” he couldn’t help but say.
Edwin placed his other hand on his chest as well. “Yes, but that's different, Charles.”
"Not really." Charles looked at him, straight into his piercing eyes.
“I don’t mind, alright?” Edwin had this soft look on his face. Like he was trying to assure Charles he didn’t care. But Charles didn’t fall for it.
“But—” he tried to reason, but he knew Edwin wouldn’t let him speak.
“If anything, you two look good together. And it’s perfectly okay if you start dating h—"
Lunging forward, Charles suddenly pressed Edwin's lips against his.
He felt how Edwin's breath hitched against him in surprise. But then, he settled into his, lips relaxing against Charles' and— he feels good. Really good. Even though Edwin's lips are cold and he can't really feel them all that great; It's Edwin.
Charles presses closer slightly, chasing that feeling for one second longer, and then pulled back just slightly, making sure that their noses were still brushing.
“She's human, Eds, and I'm a ghost. How would that work, Edwin?”
Edwin stood silent, staring into Charles' eyes. He was still in shock. It was cute.
“Can you tell me?” Charles tilted his head.
“I'm not... sure."
Charles chuckled softly, closing his eyes and bumping foreheads with the boy in front of him.
The younger boy looked at the ground, while Edwin stared straight into Charles, like he was looking through him. “And even if I did like her, you know I'd still choose you for her any day.”
Charles pressed closer, looking back at Edwin. “You do know that, right?”
Edwin nodded slowly, seemingly still in shock. Edwin realized his hands were still placed on Charles’ chest. So he balled up his vest up and pulled him closer.
Pulled him closer into a kiss he didn’t expect from Edwin. He tilted his head and kissed back, going as slowly as possible for Edwin. He could tell Edwin was new at this, from how clumsily he was kissing, but it made Edwin a hundred times more attractive than he already was.
But then, Edwin started to pull away, “Charles, you don’t have to do this because you feel bad,” he looked into Charles’ eyes, like he was bracing for impact.
“But I'm not,” Charles said insantly, pulling him back closer, making sure his face was right in font of Edwin's. "I want this. This is brills. That, was brills.”
Looking at the floor, Edwin shook his head and laughed silently. “Really?”
“Stop asking me stupid questions already, will you?” Charles smacked his lips, burying his head into the crook of Edwin's neck, making Edwin sigh.
They stood like that for a little, taking in moment; Taking in the each other.
“Don't ever wander off alone again, yeah?” Charles pushed back, looking at Edwin.
Edwin hesitantly nodded. “Ever?”
Charles laughed and shook his head. “Alone? Never. Alone with me? Maybe.”
Edwin shook his head, flustered and maybe a little overwhelmed with everything. “Gods, I hate you.”
“You love me,” Charles sighed. “But, promise you’ll stay, with me.”
Edwin smiled softly. “I promised you that a long time ago, Charles.”
“But I want to hear it again. With these terms,” Charles closed his eyes and rested their foreheads together for emphasis.
Edwin's grin grew larger as the sight, and so he continued. “I promise.”
“Brills,” Charles opened his eyes and placed a kiss on Edwin's nose. “We don’t have to talk about this just yet… but right now, let’s get back to the office. Yeah?"
“With Crystal?” Edwin questioned, pulling back a little to give a knowing look at Charles.
Charles blinked at Edwin, who was looking up at him with his eyes that, oh fuck, Charles couldn’t resist even if he tries. He winced, “Maybe I’ll ask her to leave.”