Work Text:
One Week after the Confession in the Spell Hall
A week after Edward and Workner became an official couple found Edward writing lesson plans late into the night. Or rather, sitting in his office, trying to think of lesson plans.
Edward didn’t know what to do next.
After their kiss in the spell hall, Edward had somehow believed that everything would magically fall into place. He and Workner already did basically everything “official” couples did: Live together, take care of each other, help each other, fight with each other, sleep in the same bed as each other… and now, they both had feelings for each other.
Basically, they checked every box in the ingredients for the spell called “Marriage” almost effortlessly. As much as Edward hated to admit it, the fact that their colleagues and families assumed they were already together was probably the most logical thing, given the evidence at hand.
Only he and Workner would be so blind as to be practically engaged without realizing it. Something that Serah had gleefully announced when she heard of the whole sorry story when she’d cornered him and Workner during their night out. She’d left early thankfully, but it was a hollow escape as she ran off crowing about “winning the bet” and “taking the pot.”
Edward was tempted to hex her out of principle; Workner had stopped him by reminding him they would be the first suspects in the murder. He’d also said it would be too hard to plan a wedding from jail. And then, he’d kissed Edward in full view of the street.
The kiss had derailed all of Edward’s homicidal plans. Unfortunately, it also short-circuited much of his mental faculties. He’d barely begun to enjoy the feeling, let alone return it, when Workner was breaking away and mumbling about getting back to the Academy. Then, the white-haired man had turned and left a dumbfounded Edward in the middle of the street. All alone.
Edward didn’t need a genius-level intellect to understand that he’d screwed up. He may not have had any romantic relationships worth mentioning before this, but even he knew you didn’t let your fiancé kiss you out in the open and not give any positive reaction. Not if one wanted to continue having said fiancé.
Edward did, in fact, desperately want Workner as a fiancé. Once he had been forced to realize his own feelings for the other mage went further than “best friend and cuddle-buddy”, Edward’s brain had fixated on having Workner all to himself and little else. It was a fixation he’d been fighting for years, really, and it almost had him crying in relief when he’d realized he wasn’t insane.
He was in love. Which was, arguably, worse.
The biggest drawback to doing this whole thing backwards was that all the milestones and signals Edward had been taught to look for with a partner were things he and Workner already did.
Does your significant other meet you for meals? Do they worry about your health? Take your preferences into account? Do you live with them? Do you sleep with them?
Granted, the “sleeping” part was made to be more of a euphemism than literal sleeping. It didn’t change the fact that Edward already answered all of the above questions with “yes”, “yes,” “yes,” and “nightly.”
Short of Edward moving out and starting the whole scenario over, Edward wasn’t sure how he was supposed to gauge Workner’s actions anymore. An action that was truly unacceptable, for both him and Workner. To separate now, of all things, when they were supposed to be getting closer seemed counterproductive.
Not to mention, Edward would never be able to sleep without Workner. He’d tried sleeping away from the white-haired man for three days, and he’d ended up in the spell hall for a marathon training session just to tire himself out enough to pass out without dreams.
He’d also missed Workner like a limb. His smiles, his presence; even his insistence that Edward eat balanced meals. Even the man’s smell, dammit, like leather and tea and something all Workner- he thought he’d go mad.
Maybe, instead of brooding, you should tell him these things, a voice in Edward’s head insisted. Edward clenched his teeth so he didn’t growl at himself out loud. If he knew how to go about telling Workner any of his feelings, he would have done it by now. Frankly, it was nothing short of a miracle Workner appeared when he did during Edward’s practice time; when Edward was so tired and miserable he no longer cared how stupid he sounded. When Edward was so relieved and sleep-deprived his mouth somehow confessed everything his brain was thinking.
It worked, didn’t it? The voice in Edward’s head reminded him. Edward shook his head to dislodge the voice. He couldn’t count on whimsy or luck to help him express his feelings to the man he loved. Workner deserved more than a partner who couldn’t express himself, or tell Workner how amazing, wonderful, brilliant, dazzling, and breathlessly beautiful he was. By the False Sky, Workner’s soft morning smile hit Edward harder than a punch to the gut.
A scratching noise interrupted his thoughts, and Edward looked down. Apparently, his hand decided to immortalize his spiraling thoughts into his signature neat script. A list of adjectives many would doubt Edward even knew how to spell, and all under two words:
WORKNER NORGRAM
Fiancé, amazing wonderful brilliant dazzling beautiful;
Soft; smile; love
love love love lo
“Edward? What are you still doing here?”
Edward almost snapped his quill in surprise as the subject of his embarrassing list appeared in the doorway. Instead, Edward stood hastily and put his hand over the paper in an attempt to hide it.
“Workner!” Edward spluttered. “I was just, I mean, I was-” but Workner wasn’t listening. Instead, his eyes had caught and held on the paper beneath Edward’s hand. A small frown graced his lips, and Edward’s heart plummeted into his stomach.
“Not that it isn’t good to see you,” Edward winced at his words. ‘Good to see you’? Seriously? Edward groaned and shut his eyes, trying to find the proper words to salvage things. This was Workner, for wands’ sakes. He had never been nervous around Workner in all the time he’d known the man. Why were things so difficult now?
“Ed, is that for me?” Workner asked, entering the room. Edward looked down, and almost swore. Sure enough, he’d managed to cover most of the list but not the incriminating title. Edward shook his head, but Workner prowled forward.
“It has my name on it, Edward,” Workner pointed out. Edward felt the blood drain from his face, His muscles froze; in a haze, he watched Workner come closer and gently but firmly pry his suddenly lifeless hand from the paper.
Workner frowned at the ink staining Edward’s fingers, before he took a look at the damning list. Edward closed his eyes.
“Workner, I can explain-” he began, only to hear a strange noise that had his eyes flying open to stare at the other man.
Workner was reading the list, and… oh, Mercedes Caulis, the man’s eyes had filled with tears. Edward should have incinerated the list when he had the chance.
“Workner,” Edward said helplessly. “Please, don’t cry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”
But then Workner was leaning forward and grabbing Edward’s cape, dragging him in and kissing him with a passion that Edward had secretly only dreamed of.
Edward wasn’t stupid, and he never made the same mistake twice. Despite the awkward space of his desk between them, he returned the kiss immediately and with all the pent-up longing he’d felt building since the first butterfly brush of lips in the spell hall.
It was desperate and breathless and so incandescently perfect Edward couldn’t help the moan that worked its way out of his mouth and into Workner’s. Workner’s lips parted, and Edward plunged his tongue inside. He needed to get closer; he needed to show what he couldn’t say.
Edward braced himself with one hand on the desk and grabbed the back of Workner’s head, tangling his fingers in the strands of the other man’s ponytail. Workner didn’t seem to mind; in fact, Edward could have sworn he felt a smile against his lips before Workner suddenly surged forward. Edward was suddenly off balance as the force of him straining to keep Workner close met Workner’s sudden momentum. Edward’s eyes opened to slits and then widened when he realized Workner had climbed onto the desk.
Well, there was a new fantasy for Edward to add in his brain. Workner looked rumpled and slightly wild, poised over Edward’s desk and papers. He was still wearing the sweater that hid Edward’s crest on his back, though it was sliding precariously to one side of Workner’s shoulder.
Edward made a split-second decision, and slid his hands down to Workner’s hips. Heedless of the papers scattering everywhere, Edward yanked the other man forward and brought their bodies flush together. Workner yelped at the movement and gripped onto Edward’s shoulders.
Edward had a moment to wonder if he’d made a colossal mistake, before Workner slid his arms around Edward’s shoulders and hugged the dark-haired mage close.
“You think I’m dazzling and brilliant?” Workner breathed into Edward’s ear. His breath tickled, but Edward didn’t react. His heart was pounding so hard, it was a wonder he heard Workner at all. Edward licked his swollen lips, and nodded, trying to find his voice.
“And more,” Edward managed. Workner leaned back, and Edward clenched his hands on the other man’s hips. It was an automatic response, and he didn’t bother to hide it. If Workner thought he was leaving now, he was sorely mistaken. Thankfully, Workner just seemed to be looking at Edward’s face.
Workner brought his hands forward to cup Edward’s face lightly. “Edward Serfence,” Workner breathed. “You don’t know what you do to me.”
Edward leaned forward and rested his forehead against Workner’s. He fought the instinct to close his eyes as he looked into the shining gold orbs before him.
“No, Workner; you don’t know what you do to me.” Now, Edward did close his eyes.
“I don’t know how to do this,” he confessed lowly. “I don’t know how to be what you need.”
Workner traced Edward’s cheek with his thumb. “Just be you, Ed. That’s all I’ve ever needed. Just you.” Edward opened his eyes and pulled back an inch, frowning.
“That is the least helpful thing I’ve ever heard.” Workner’s resulting grin at Edward’s declaration could rival the false sun. Then, Workner smirked mischievously.
“We both know that’s not true, Edward,” he chastised. “You did help grade last semester’s term papers. I’m pretty sure half of those were written to kill brain power on purpose.”
Edward blinked, then grinned back with a darker edge. “Professor Workner, is that a disparaging remark on your precious students I hear? My my, how the mighty fall.”
Workner huffed, and pushed Edward’s chest. “Back up. I need to get down. My knees aren’t what they used to be.”
Edward had a flash of Workner, on his knees before him. Clawing back his sanity, Edward filed that image under “Later”. Then, he got a good look at Workner’s face, and swallowed as his mouth suddenly went dry. Scratch that, he’d file that image under “Soon.”
“Come on, Edward. Let’s go home,” Workner said, once he planted his feet on the floor again. Edward nodded, even as Workner took his arm and led him around the desk and toward the door.
Not willing to second-guess the feeling in his gut, Edward extinguished the lights behind them and locked the door.
Going home with Workner? Always.
Following Workner, as he led Edward forward with a devious gleam in his eye? Oh, wands, yes. A thousand times, yes.