Chapter Text
Charles sat in front of the office mirror, his knees hunched to his chest and his back against the desk as nothing stared back at him from the reflection. Waiting, he reminded himself, because whan Edwin came back from his trip to the library it was going to be good. He felt warm, and it must've been because he was so exited he was going to explode into fire and sparks, all of his energy bubbling up inside him like it was raging a war. He tapped his feet against the floor - left, right, left, right - to releive some of his restlessness while keeping his eyes trained like a hawk on where he knew Edwin would emerge from. After all, how could he keep waiting if he was jumping for joy across the room? He might have missed him coming home.
He didn't move an inch when he heard crystal delicatley making her way towards him, nor when she spoke to him, hushed. "Charles, you're back! ..how are you... are you okay?"
All the wispering bussiness was strange. Beyond strange. But he brushed it off, noone can be normal every day, it's exahusting.
"Yeah? I've been here since he left, what're you on about?" He said full volume - he had energy enough to spare to be normal - eyes not daring to budge one inch,
"He? ...Edwin?" Her eyes narrowed.
Charles just smiled, "He told me he'll be back soon, so I'm waiting. I'm not sure what he's got planned, but it sounds like It's gonna be brills!"
Crystal opened her mouth to speak again, eyes wide with realisation as if she'd just identified a murder victim and it was her closest friend, but if he's honest? Charles isn't really sure what she said at all. He didn't really care. No, that sounds rude, that's mean and he loves Crystal, she didn't deserve that. All he means is whatever Crystal was waffling on about couldn't be any more important than what Edwin had planned. No chance. So he sort of just... filtered it out. So he could focus. because Edwin would want him to focus.
He caught the very end of it at least.
"Charles I'm so sor... Charles? Charles can you hear me?"
"Hm?" he mumbled. No, less than that.
"Oh god..." He heard crystal whisper, somehow quieter as she leaned into his shoulder.