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“Well, look what the cat dragged in! Good to see you again, mate. You want your usual?” a boisterous voice called as Edwin stepped through the door, shaking out his umbrella.
“Yes, Charles, that would be lovely. Thank you,” Edwin replied, setting his bag down at his favored table. He propped his umbrella up against the wall, set out his notebook, textbooks, and pens, before fishing out his wallet. As he bent to stow his bag underneath the seat, a tanned hand reached out, gently placing a steaming dark blue mug above his notebook and slightly to the right, exactly his preferred spot for it. A matching plate with a soft looking almond croissant joined it a bit further away, far enough that crumbs wouldn’t touch his pages and leave behind buttery, discolored spots.
“You looked like you could do for something to nibble on,” a caramel smooth voice said quietly to him. Edwin smiled slightly to himself, schooling his face into submission before straightening up and turning.
“How very kind of you, Charles.” The grin he got from the barista in response lit up the whole room, filling Edwin with a syrupy warmth, though none of the other patrons seemed to notice the change in atmosphere. So maybe it was just him.
“How much?” Edwin asked, sorting through the notes in his wallet.
“Bugger off with that. You know you don’t have to pay,” Charles pushed him lightly on the shoulder, his lips turning up into a warm smirk that was just for Edwin. Charles stepped closer, leaning his head down to speak quietly into Edwin’s ear. “Just don’t tell Jenny.”
Edwin tutted, shaking his head. “Making me an accomplice in your crimes? Not very sporting of you,” he teased, his smile giving him away.
Charles chuckled, tilting his head in such a way the light glinted off his gold earring. His gaze felt scorching as it traced over Edwin’s face. He swallowed weakly as Charles bit his lip, his dark eyes flicking back up to Edwin’s.
“Hey! Lover boy!” someone called out and a balled up towel hit Charles in the back of the head. “Quit flirting and get over here. We’ve got work to do.”
A hot flush swept over Edwin. He sputtered at Crystal, the other barista on duty. Charles just laughed, tossing a wink at Edwin before gathering up the thrown towel and returning to the espresso machine.
Edwin ran his hands down the front of his sweater, smoothing out invisible wrinkles, before sitting down, taking a sip of the perfect tea Charles had brought him. He tore off a bit of the croissant he didn’t order and begrudgingly had to admit to himself that Charles was right. It was delicious and just the thing to go with his Earl Grey.
He could hear Charles and Crystal laughing and chatting, the latter going on about some drama in her painting class and Edwin found himself smiling again. The art room drama between Crystal and Thomas Ailuros has been ongoing for a few months now and Edwin has followed along from afar the whole time. As much as he’d love to hear the latest update, he shook his head, pulling his Latin textbook closer to him as well as the manuscript he was attempting to translate. He only had a few pages left to do and he was determined to finish it today.
The noise of the cafe faded into the background as he focused, his pen scratching quietly in his notebook. The tea was steadily drank and the croissant finished off quickly. He hadn’t noticed his plate getting cleared away or another mug of tea replacing the one he had emptied. He only surfaced from his work when the shop bell chimed and a loud group of boys walked in, laughing and pushing each other around. Edwin raised his head, all of the sounds he’d been ignoring rushing back in. The sun had set behind the trees at some point and he blinked away the blurriness in his eyes. He was nearly finished, throwing a dirty look at the group of boys for interrupting his concentration.
It looked like some of the boys from his university, the ones who traveled in packs and wolf-whistled the girls when they walked by. He recognized only a few, but to him, those types all looked the same. He was set to ignore them and return to his work when the group moved and one of the boys from the back caught his eye. He froze, feeling the blood drain from his face. Simon Mould hadn’t seemed to notice him yet, but Edwin didn’t want to take any chances. As quickly and quietly as he could, he began shoving his things in his bag, not even caring about putting things in their correct place. He could fix it later, he just had to get out of there.
Just as he slung his bag over his shoulder, Charles called out.
“Oi, Edwin, did you want a tea to go or anything?”
Edwin cringed, hoping by some miracle, Simon hadn’t heard that, but to his dismay, he was looking directly at Edwin, an unreadable look in his eye.
“No, thank you, Charles. I’m afraid I have to leave,” he said, starting towards the door.
“I’ll walk you back! My shift just ended. Hang on just a tick,” Charles said, already whipping his apron off and rushing to the back room. He hadn’t left any room for Edwin to object, so he waited, his skin itching from the weight of Simon’s gaze on him. His hands wrang the strap on his back, making the leather creak. Fortunately, Charles didn’t take long, a dark jacket covered in pins and patches thrown over his arm and a backpack slung on his shoulder.
“See ya, Crystal!” he called, smiling and waving to the girl behind the counter who just rolled her eyes.
Out on the sidewalk, Edwin released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, the cool evening air helping to clear his head from the panic that had begun to set in.
“Thank you for offering to walk me to my dorm. It can’t be very convenient for you,” Edwin said, his shoulders coming down from around his ears the further away from the cafe they got.
“Psst, naw. It’s on the way to mine,” Charles replied, bumping Edwin’s shoulder.
“Oh, you’re a student too? I don’t think I’ve seen you on campus before.”
“I’m not surprised. You look like a literature student or something. Not exactly my area of expertise.”
“Linguistics, actually,” Edwin corrected, glancing at Charles. His profile was lit by the streetlamps, throwing his cheekbones into sharp relief, his skin looking even darker. Edwin glanced away before he could be caught staring.
“That makes sense. I’m studying sports medicine. I don’t make it over to the language buildings for much. That’s too bad, though. I’d love to have some classes with you. I’d bet you’re a real crack hand at note taking.” Charles led them across the commons, the damp grass glistening. Edwin usually stayed on the paved paths and he wasn’t looking forward to having damp cuffs on his trousers, but he didn’t dare steer away from Charles. He was, at least, thankful that the rain had stopped.
“Taking organised and thorough notes is vital for studying. How else are you meant to find the information later?” Edwin asked.
“I usually just wing all my tests,” Charles said nonchalantly. Edwin gasped, turning to stare at Charles in shock.
“You must be joking,” he said somewhat desperately. He couldn’t imagine not taking notes. “You don’t write anything down? Or study? Or anything ?”
Charles grinned at him, clearly finding Edwin’s indignation amusing. “Naw. I’ve gotten this far just fine. Why mess with what works?”
“How have you survived university with that strategy? I spend much of my free time out of class studying.”
“I know. I think I see more of you at the cafe than I see my coworkers. Usually you’re there until close. Speaking of, why did you leave in such a hurry? Is everything alright?” Charles turned to look at him, concern pinching his brow.
Edwin sighed. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s silly really. It was just…those boys that came in…”
Charles hummed. “Yeah, they’re a rowdy bunch. They don’t usually come in on Thursday nights. Did their noise piss you off?”
“No, it wasn’t that. Well, not all of it. I went to secondary school with one of them. He…wasn’t terribly nice to me back then. I try to avoid him as best as I can. That’s also partly why I chose this school. It is far enough away from where I grew up, I didn’t think it would be a problem. It was only after I had accepted my scholarship and moved here that I found out he had applied here and gotten in as well.”
“You’re telling me one of those boys was your high school bully?” Charles asked, his eyebrows furrowing further.
“What he did went a little further than just ‘bullying’ but essentially, yes. Like I said, it’s silly,” Edwin replied, feeling the tension come back. He didn’t talk about his time in high school, ever. But something about Charles made it easy to talk about.
“It’s not silly,” Charles said, suddenly serious.
“Well, it was years ago, anyway. I’m sure he’s forgotten all about it. It’s best not to dwell on the past.” Edwin’s dorm building came into view, the large brick building an imposing sight. It has never felt quite like home to Edwin, but it’s a far cry better than his sterile, hardly lived in bedroom back at his parent’s house.
“This is my building here,” Edwin said, digging through his bag for his keys, cursing himself for just tossing everything in earlier.
“You’re joking,” Charles laughed. “This is my dorm too! We’ve lived this close to each other this whole time and never knew?”
“Evidently,” Edwin smiled. “It’s nice to know there is a friendly face nearby.”
Together, they started the climb up the stairs. Edwin was lucky to only live on the third floor, unlike Charles, who lived all the way up on the sixth.
“I honestly don’t mind all that much. It’s great exercise. Keeps the dopamine flowing, which in turn helps lower stress and anxiety. It can help you sleep too.” Charles turned to grin at Edwin. “See? I don’t need to take notes. It’s all in here,” he said, pointing at his head.
“All the same, I’ll take the fewer stairs.”
As they reached Edwin’s door, identifiable by the single nameplate labeled E. Payne just under the peephole, he found himself reluctant to bid Charles goodnight.
“Would you like to come inside? You could have a cup of tea before your arduous journey to the sixth floor,” he joked, pleased at the low chuckle Charles let out.
“Sure, mate. I’d love that.”
Inside, Charles made himself right at home on the worn sofa. As Edwin started assembling their tea things at the tiny kitchenette, Charles looked around at the shelves full to brimming with books and journals, the impeccably made bed, the messy desk with pens and sticky notes scattered about, and the record player in the corner, a stack of vinyls nearby.
“Do you not have a roommate?” he asked, pointing to the only bed in the room.
“No, I do not. He dropped out part way through last semester and they didn’t bother assigning a new one to the room. I’m very fortunate in that regard. I don’t typically like people and most find me off putting. Present company aside,” Edwin intoned, bringing the two mugs over. Charles muttered his thanks, wrapping his hands around the warm ceramic.
“My roommate’s a total wanker. He’s one of those blokes who looks down on everyone and thinks way too highly of himself. I try to spend as little time in my room as I can.”
Edwin could sympathise. During the short time he did have a roommate, he had a hard time adjusting. He’s never been terribly good with others, an issue that constantly plagued his parents. He was too picky, too stubborn, too particular, too opinionated, too much everything. But Charles felt different than others. Edwin didn't find himself counting down the minutes until he was alone again like he usually did. He didn't mind the way Charles was always moving, tapping his fingers, bouncing his leg, or bobbing his head to some unheard song. Surprisingly, he heard himself make an offer he's never given to anyone before.
“You can always come here if you want to get away.”
It shouldn't have been that easy, but like all things with Charles, it all fell right into place. Between classes, they got lunch together. When Charles worked, Edwin sat at the cafe and studied or read. If not the cafe, they spent time in Edwin's dorm. Edwin now had someone he could talk to about the most mundane things. The annoying kid in his ancient languages class, the lack of options in the school cafeteria, things going missing in his room, not being able to find his favorite sweater. In turn, Charles would joke about anything with him, complain about his coworkers who never seemed to actually work, and his struggles paying attention in class. Hanging out with Charles felt like the most natural thing. Like it was how it was always meant to be. Not even the increased sightings of Simon could bring down Edwin's good mood.
As the semester began drawing to an end and the weather began to grow colder, exams became a looming threat that had Charles seeking out office hours with his professors. Edwin had never felt the pressure from exams everyone else seemed to feel, but he could understand Charles’ concern. He's taken fewer shifts at the cafe, even going as far as to cancel his and Edwin's standing lunch plans to catch one specific professor who is notoriously difficult to find.
And Edwin is okay with it. He swears. He was alone before Charles, it shouldn't be so hard to have a taste of that solitude again. And while Edwin is wholly prepared for his own exams, he suddenly finds the quiet in his dorm too much. It presses in on all sides in a way he never noticed before Charles’ presence gave him room to breathe and relax. Without him there, Edwin couldn't stand it.
He went to the library instead. It's not his favourite place. There's too many other people and, despite the library's rules, entirely too much noise. But perhaps being around people is what Edwin needs right now.
Now, Edwin is no stranger to the feeling of eyes on him. Growing up, people would always stare at him. As he got older, the states lessened, though they never quite went away. He could mostly ignore it. But during the short walk to the library, he could feel someone watching him. He tried to convince himself it wasn’t actually anything, perhaps just another student noticing him on the commons. As the lights of the library came into view, spilling out onto the lawn like golden ink, Edwin breathed a sigh of relief.
On the second floor, there was a table in the center of the room, underneath an ornate chandelier. It was Edwin’s favorite place to sit. He didn’t like sitting in the corner or against the wall. This seat gave him a good view of most of the library and a clear line of sight to the staircase to the front door. Edwin dug through his bag, flipping through a few folders before deciding to continue working on a new Latin translation, though this one was just for fun. He could imagine the look Charles would give him if he knew Edwin was rewriting The Odyssey from ancient Greek to Latin. The roll of his eyes, followed by the warm, fond smile.
A pair of rarely used earbuds were pulled out next. Edwin didn’t normally listen to music while working, but the noises in the library would prevent him from getting anything done. He’d bought these noise cancelling ones over a year ago and can count on one hand the number of times he’s used them. Popping them in, he set his pen to paper as the dulcet tones of Nocturne No. 20 filled his ears.
Edwin awoke to some raucous violin piece he was unfamiliar with in his ears and a crick in his neck. The darkness outside the library was deep, the lights inside warm but dim. He could still see a few other students sitting across the room, busy with their own studying, so the library was still open, at least. The dregs of some dream still tugged at his mind, something about a dark room, rough hands, and a harsh voice. His papers were still stacked neatly on the tabletop in front of him, his books lying open just as he last remembered them. The only thing amiss, if you could even call it that, was a paper to go cup from Charles’ cafe sitting innocuously nearby. A cursory sniff told him it was an Earl Grey and a following sip revealed it was brewed exactly how he liked it, just a little bitter with a dash of cream. Smiling, Edwin snapped a picture, sending it to Charles along with a thank you for the tea.
Gathering up his papers and books, he tucked them neatly into his bag, throwing it over his shoulder and making his way downstairs, nodding politely to the night librarian sitting at the front desk. Outside, the wind had grown colder, the street lamps lighting the cobblestone pathways where they stretched on into the dark. He didn’t see any other students out this late, save for the few still inside the library. He tucked his sweater closer around himself, hurrying off towards his dorm. Shadows seemed to stretch longer than normal, appeared darker than usual, and Edwin felt his heartbeat pick up and the feeling of being watched returned. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he paused under a lamp, taking it out and feeling relieved to see Charles’ name on his screen.
That relief swiftly vanished when he saw Charles’ confusion about the tea. He hadn’t left it for him, which means someone else did. Someone else knew what his preferred drink was. Someone else knew he was going to be at the library tonight. Dread filled him and he quickly found a trash can to dump the tea in. Grappling with his mounting panic, he took deep breaths, trying to calm his rapid heart. Perhaps it was just a friendly gesture. Someone must have seen him nodding off at the library and had a lucky guess. It’s not like his tea is that obscure.
The feeling of being watched made his skin prickle. He was just being paranoid. He just needed to get to his dorm, behind a locked door, and everything would be alright. On his way there, he swore he heard someone following him, but every glance behind him turned up nothing. He itched to call Charles, just to have someone there with him, so he didn’t feel so alone, but Charles was surely busy. He didn’t need Edwin running to him every time he got a little frightened of a bad dream and a nice gesture from a stranger.
Finally, finally , he was on his floor, his door within view. Grasping his keys in his hand, Edwin grabbed the handle, shocked to find it already unlocked. He never left his door unlocked, not after too many midnight pranks in the dorms of his high school. Cautiously, he pushed the door open, peering inside. Everything seemed completely normal. Flicking on the light, he glanced around. His bed was still made, his books still out, his laundry still neatly folded, waiting to be put away.
“You didn’t like the tea?” a voice behind him said, much too close. Edwin froze, ice dripping into his veins. The voice was familiar, but he couldn’t place it past the alarm bells blaring in his head to run, hide, stay quiet . Clenching his fists, he gathered up as much courage as he could, and slowly began to turn. A clammy, cold hand snapped out, grabbing his chin and forcing his head back around.
“ Do not turn around,” the voice hissed. Edwin suddenly felt something sharp press against his throat and whoever it was that had broken into his room stepped closer. His breath quickened, teetering on the edge of hyperventilation.
“What do you want?” he asked, trying to hide the shake in his voice.
“That’s a bit of a loaded question, don’t you think? There’s a lot that I want. I was totally fine with watching you from afar. You’ve always had that cold air of bitchiness around you. No one could come near you. But then you had to go and make friends with Charles Rowland , of all people. He made it so much harder to get close to you. Always hanging around, always being in exactly the wrong place. But he isn’t here now, is he? We can finally have some alone time. And that, Edwin Payne, is what I want most of all. Just some time with just us .”
The last words were whispered in his ear, hot breath tickling his face, and Edwin shivered, fear clenching a cold hand inside his chest. They both jumped slightly when Edwin’s phone began to loudly ring in his pocket. Cursing, the person behind him began digging around for it, his hands unkind as they yanked at his jacket and trousers. Finally, the phone was freed, Charles’ contact photo filling the screen. Desperately, Edwin tried to reach for it, but the phone was thrown across the room, cracking into his desk and knocking his lamp over, where it shattered on the floor. The hand was clamped around his mouth before he could even utter a noise, the knife pushed against his throat even harder. A sharp sting, then a warm trickle. Edwin’s mounting panic reached a peak as he struggled to breathe in through his nose, each breath quick and shallow.
“Now, why would you go and try something like that? We’re supposed to be having us time, remember? No need to bring your guard dog into things, is there?”
Edwin’s eyes darted around, looking for anything he could use to help himself. He couldn’t move much with the knife against his throat. There wasn’t anything he could kick over to make a noise, and he couldn’t scream for help with the hand over his mouth. Surely, with Edwin not answering the call, Charles would grow worried and seek him out, but who knew how long that would take. His options quickly running out, he flashed back to the few self defense courses he took many years ago, when the bullying had first started.
Steeling himself, Edwin brought his foot down at the same time he bit as hard as he could on the hand covering his mouth. The taste of copper exploded in his mouth, hot and sour. The man yelled, jerking back. The knife dug into Edwin’s neck, slicing deep. Edwin jumped away, clamping a hand over the cut. The man was doubled over, clutching his hand to his chest. Edwin couldn’t see his face, his head covered with a dark hat. He didn’t stick around long enough to take a good look, though, rushing past him out the door.
He heard him shout something, then the hand he had bit, blood running across the back of it and staining the webs of his fingers, shot out, yanking him back.
“You little bitch!” the man yelled, landing a punch on the side of Edwin’s head that made him see stars. Frantically blinking the bursts of colors out of his eyes, Edwin kicked out blindly, striking lucky as his foot hit something soft. His assailant’s breath all rushed out in one big whoosh as he doubled over again. Edwin ran as fast as he could, down the stairs and out the dorm building doors, the cool night air a slap to his face. He could hear the sound of heavy feet on the stairs just inside. Jumping into a bush nearby, Edwin gritted his teeth against the sharp thorns scratching at his skin, hunkering down as close to the ground as he could, his hand still clamped firmly around his neck. The bleeding hadn’t stopped yet, but it wasn’t pouring out like he feared it would be. He was incredibly lucky his attacker missed any arteries.
The door to the dorms burst open and Edwin slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling the sound of his breathing. He didn’t dare peek out, holding completely still and watching the feet he could just barely see pause outside the door.
“Fuck!” he heard the man mutter before he took off in the direction of the library, a slight limp in his gait. Edwin waited for another few minutes before tentatively climbing out of the bush, the thorns grabbing at his sweater and tearing into his arms and face. His head was pounding, his hands sticky with blood. His phone and bag were still inside, but he didn’t dare go back into the building. He didn’t see the attacker, but he didn’t want to chance running into him and he needed to see someone about the cut.
The medical building had an infirmary that was open at all hours. He’d never been to it, but he’d memorized the campus map on his first day, so he swiftly made his way in that direction, hugging the walls and sticking to the shadows, jumping at every slight noise. He didn’t see any other students out, the late hour meaning most were already in bed or out on the town.
Nobody was at the reception when he finally made it in. Many of the lights were dimmed, casting an eerie glow from the back. He didn’t see a bell on the desk.
“Hello?” he called out, his voice hoarse. There was a clatter in the back, then the door burst open.
“Sorry! I just had to step into the back. How can I help-”
Charles froze where he stood behind the counter, a white coat over his shoulders and a clipboard in his hands. Edwin blinked. Maybe he’d been hit over the head harder than he thought.
“Edwin? Oh my god, what happened?” Charles asked frantically, rushing around the counter. His hands hovered over him, almost as if afraid to touch. Edwin realized he must look quite the mess, hair disheveled, blood dripping into the collar of his shirt, a bruise almost certainly blooming along his temple. He opened his mouth but the words wouldn’t come out. He felt cold all over and he couldn’t stop shaking. Every time he thought the words ‘ Someone broke into my dorm. I was attacked’, he felt like he was choking, his breathing coming in choppy gasps.
“Okay, it’s okay. You can explain everything later. Let’s just get you checked out. Come with me,” Charles said, placing a comforting hand on Edwin’s shoulder and leading him into an exam room. He pulled gauze, cotton, antiseptic, and tape out of a cabinet, setting it on a tray table and wheeling it over. He gently maneuvered Edwin onto the exam table, taking a seat on a stool.
“Can I take a look? You’re bleeding pretty bad. I just want to get that stopped before I examine the rest of you. Is that alright?” he asked, reaching for Edwin’s neck. Edwin stiffened, fear shooting through him.
“Shh it’s alright. It’s just me. It’s just Charles. I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothed, holding his hands up.
Edwin took a deep breath, then another, nodding and slowly lowering his hand. Charles had an excellent poker face. He didn’t flinch or grimace or anything, despite the fresh wash of blood Edwin felt gushing down his neck.
“That looks pretty deep. Might have to do a few stitches. I’ll give you a local anesthetic so it won't hurt, okay?” Charles waited for Edwin to nod before spinning back towards the cabinet, pulling out a vial, syringe, needle, and surgical thread.
Charles carefully cleaned away what blood he could, injecting the anesthetic. Edwin watched him work as he got the thread and needle ready.
“What are you doing here?” Edwin asked, his voice breaking.
Charles scooted closer, his legs on either side of Edwin’s knees.
“Tilt your head to the side, please,” he requested, smiling up at Edwin. He felt pressure, then a slight tug on his neck, but there was no pain, for which he was grateful. Charles answered while he worked, his gaze focused and serious.
“I’m a sports medicine major, remember? I work a few nights a week here at the clinic learning this stuff. I’ve been doing this for a few years now, so the Matron trusts me to handle things on my own. It counts towards my degree. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. I promise.”
The smile he angled up at Edwin finally began to melt the ice in his chest. He couldn’t quite smile back, but he felt the tension in his shoulders relax a little.
“Do you think you could tell me what happened?” Charles asked, tying a quick knot and smoothing a bandage over the cut. Edwin opened his mouth, but the only sound that came out was a slight whimper. “How about I work on cleaning up these other cuts and I can tell you about my day?” Charles offered. Edwin nodded, grateful for the distraction.
“The professor for my kinesiology class was late and, like, five people got up to leave and opened the door directly into his face. Knocked his coffee down and everything,” he said, chuckling. “I don’t think they’re going to be getting very good grades on the final.”
The antiseptic Charles dabbed on his cheeks burned, but it was a grounding type of pain.
“Oh, I think I found a solution to your missing sweater problem. My roommate was wearing one just like it the other day. I can ask where he got it and maybe we can get you a new one.”
Edwin jerked away from Charles, dread and fear filling him once again.
“What did you just say?” he asked in a low voice.
“What’s wrong?” Charles asked, concern written on his face.
“What you just said. Your roommate has the exact same sweater as me?”
“Yeah, I saw him wearing it just the other day. Edwin, what’s going on? You’re kind of freaking me out.”
“Charles, that sweater was made for me by my late grandmother. It is not something you can just buy in a store. Are you certain it was the same sweater?” Edwin asked, desperate for the answer to be no.
“Yeah, mate. Pretty sure. It’s got that same white stitch near the bottom that yours has. Does this have anything to do with why you showed up at my clinic looking like you’d just fought a bear?”
Edwin swallowed thickly, nodding. “I believe it might. When I returned to my dorm tonight, I was ambushed by someone. They had broken into my room. I think they were the one who left me that tea. They must have followed me back. They had a knife…”
He trailed off, trying to remember anything he could about his attacker, but everything was blurring together.
“You’ve been talking about things going missing for weeks. Do you think it was him?” Charles pulled out his phone, scrolling through his photos.
“Most likely, though I have no way to prove that. What did you say your roommate’s name was?” Edwin almost didn’t want to know, a heavy feeling in his stomach. Deep down, he already knew. Had always known. He was foolish to think he could ever escape his tormentors, especially when he found out the worst one was going to his school as well.
“I don’t know if I ever did,” Charles muttered, pulling up a photo. “This is him. His name is Simon.”
All at once, Edwin was crushed under a barrage of emotions. Up until that point, he had been hoping it was all a coincidence. That Charles’ roommate and his attacker and his school age bully were all different people. Grief, fear, anger, bone deep exhaustion, all of it came crashing down, knocking Edwin’s breath away. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.
“That’s him,” he whispered, trying to blink the tears away, but only making them fall. They stung the shallow cuts on his cheeks as they trailed down in lazy lines to his chin. “That’s the boy who…”
He trailed off, not wanting to admit all the horrible things he had done to Edwin, things Edwin had been too weak to fight back about.
Charles threw his arms around Edwin, tucking his head against his chest. Edwin squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the block in his throat. Charles was warm and smelled like cinnamon. Edwin focused on every point they were touching, every subtle sound they made, anything to keep himself from falling into that spiral of panic and desperation.
“I’m so sorry, Edwin. I’m sorry that happened to you then and I’m sorry it happened tonight. I should have been there to help you,” Charles squeezed him and Edwin could feel his hands balled into fists against his back.
“You couldn’t have known,” he muttered against Charles’ neck.
“We need to call the police. He can’t get away with this,” Charles said darkly, pulling away. Edwin was reluctant to let him go, feeling safe for the first time that night within his arms.
Charles dialled 999, requesting an officer after telling dispatch what had happened. They gave him a ten minute arrival time, so while they waited, Charles worked on patching the rest of Edwin up.
“This looks like a nasty bruise here,” he said, dabbing some cream onto the sensitive skin.
“He hit me after I bit him,” Edwin replied plainly, hissing against the cold sting.
“You bit him? Cheers to that, mate,” Charles smiled, a proud gleam in his eye.
“I may have also kicked him in the bollocks,” Edwin gave a small smile at the laugh Charles barked out.
“You’re incredible,” he said, shaking his head and putting his supplies away.
The police arrived shortly after, taking statements from both of them and looking at the photo Charles had of Simon. They were instructed to stay at the clinic with one of the officers while a few others patrolled the campus, looking for him. The officer they were with, Officer Green, didn’t talk to them much other than to assure them that they were going to find Simon. The events of the night were beginning to catch up to Edwin and he found himself dozing, tucked against Charles, his head on his shoulder. Charles kept up a soothing pattern of dancing fingers against his arm, humming some tune Edwin vaguely recognized.
He was unsure how much time had passed when a low thump was heard in the reception area. Edwin shot up, suddenly wide awake. Officer Green motioned for them both to stay quiet as she unclipped her taser and slowly began to creep out to the front. Charles began to follow her, a determined look on his face and, not wanting to be alone, Edwin followed him. Quietly, the three of them made their way down the dim hallway, Officer Green checking through every room as they went. In the dark reception, Edwin didn’t see anyone, but that familiar feeling of eyes on him made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
He’s here, he mouthed to Charles, who nodded, pulling Edwin behind him.
“Police! Come out with your hands where I can see them!” Officer Green called out, slowly sweeping the room with her flashlight. “Do not make me use force.”
There was no sound for a moment. Nobody breathed. Nobody moved.
“This is your last warning,” Officer Green announced.
Off to their right, something caught Edwin’s eye, a bit of boot, just barely peeking out from behind a standing sign about flu shots. He gripped tightly to Charles’ arm, pointing to it. Charles nodded, tapping Officer Green twice on the shoulder and nodding towards the sign. She turned towards it, keeping the boys behind her.
“I’ll give you till the count of five. One.”
She pulled her taser out.
“Two.”
She motioned for the boys to stay back. They both fell back to behind the counter.
“Three.”
She crept towards the sign silently, her boots not making a single noise.
“Four.”
She charged the taser, a quiet whine filling the air.
“Five!” she yelled, sweeping the sign away. Simon jumped up, sprinting for the exit, but Officer Green had already shot the taser, the two probes landing solidly in his back, electricity crackling along the lines. He jerked around, letting out a pained shout, before collapsing to the ground. Officer Green was on him in a second, slapping handcuffs on his wrists and announcing she had one in custody into her radio. Hauling Simon to his feet, she began dragging him outside. As they passed, Simon looked directly at Edwin, panting harshly.
“You really fucked up this time. We could have been so good together, but this half-caste had to go and ruin it for us, the fucking pajeet.” His face was twisted in a horrible sneer, his eyes wild.
Charles bristled at the slurs, his hands balling into fists. Officer Green gives Simon a rough shake.
“I’d suggest you stop talking now. Before things get even worse for you,” she said darkly, pushing him through the front door where flashing blue lights could be seen.
Officer Green shoved him roughly into the back of the cruiser, spitting threats at him for his words. Edwin and Charles stood frozen together, their hands finding one another. Charles used it to tug Edwin into his chest, holding into him tightly. Edwin could feel the tension in him, his shoulders stiff and his breathing purposefully deep and even. Edwin brought his arms up, wrapping them around Charles' neck and he felt him melt, the tension falling away like his puppet strings had been cut. He tucked his face into Edwin's neck, careful of his stitches.
A lifetime seemed to pass before Charles let out a sign, muttering into Edwin's skin. “You need to go to the hospital. Get properly checked out.”
“You'll come with me?” Edwin gripped Charles' coat a little tighter.
“I’d like to see you try and get rid of me. I'm not letting you out of my sight,” he assured him, pulling back a bit and smiling softly.
“Good. You're going to have some packing to do.” Edwin said resolutely. “I think I'm interested in revisiting the notion of a roommate.”