Work Text:
It’s late as the two detectives return from a particularly long case, Crystal has already gone home with Niko, both exhausted, leaving the two ghosts to finish up working on the rest of the case for the night.
“Do we have to do the paperwork now? I’m exhausted, mate.” Charles groans, hanging his coat up as he enters the office and perching on his usual spot at the end of their desk. Watching as Edwin does the same before he turns and gives him a small soft smile, the kind that’s only reserved for him and sending Charles’s long-dead heart into flutters that he can’t quite figure out the reason for.
“I suppose we don’t have to start immediately.” He considers, settling beside Charles. “Did you have anything in mind?”
Charles’s eyes flick to the radio sitting on their desk “Well, we did just get a new radio…” He says, gaze shifting back to Edwin. “And it does technically relate to the case, we did receive it as payment after all.”
Edwin has an expression across his face that Charles can’t quite place before he looks pointedly at the floor. “We could dance if you wished.” His voice is quiet and soft, almost afraid to let the words leave his lips but Charles can’t seem to fight off the grin creeping its way onto his face as he turns almost immediately to switch the radio on.
It starts to play a gentle tune, a classical piece- Charles thinks at least. It's nice.
He turns the dial, making it so the song now fills the room rather than the faint sound it was emitting before, he stands and offers his hand to Edwin, dragging him into the middle of the office and taking both of his hands in his own.
“Sorry, I don’t think I know any fancy Edwardian dances.” Charles laughs, quickly realising that this will probably be a disaster.
“I could teach you- I do know how to slow dance.” Edwin states, it’s a simple offer but it still takes Charles a second to process. “Y-yeah, sure, sounds aces” He stumbles over his words, a warmth rising to his face that he’s pretty sure ghosts aren’t meant to feel.
The music carries a soft tune, giving Charles a sense of comfort as he gets lost in the notes.
There’s a fluttering in his stomach that he pushes down like it’s a parasite, trying his best to ignore it as Edwin gently guides him through the song. His heart skipping beats at the feeling of Edwin's hand on his waist whilst the other holds onto his own. The distance between them suddenly feels too close and too far apart all at once and it takes Charles a few seconds before he starts to notice that they’re slowly drifting closer.
The realisation hits him like a freight train.
Holy shit, he’s in love with Edwin.
Suddenly everything starts to click into place, his jealousy over Monty and The Cat King, the soft ache in his chest that he feels whenever he’s around him, the warmth and safety he’s felt since the day they met, the soft soothing sound of his voice that he always gets lost in whenever Edwin reads to him- often forgetting to even pay attention to plot. The feeling that has plagued him from the very day that they met has been and will always be love.
“Charles-“ Edwin practically mumbles against his lips, the distance between them now mere inches, he looks like a deer in the headlights- lips parted ever so slightly and a quiet alarm in his eyes.
“I’m in love with you” Charles blurts out suddenly, feeling like he’s about to explode if he doesn’t say this, they simply stare at each other, and Charles is grateful for the music filling the silence as they both begin to process the words that now hung between them. It’s a messy confession, it’s no where close to perfect, at least not the perfect that Edwin deserves. But he supposes this is how it’s going to go now, theres no taking back what he said and no redos, he’d have to make it work.
“I’m in love with you, Edwin.” The words feel somehow familiar on Charles tongue and he wants to say them over and over until he can speak no longer.
“It may have taken me a tick to figure it all out, but-“ He stops for breath despite not needing the oxygen, his lungs haven’t needed it for 35 years but they’re screaming for it now. “You’re perfect, and kind, and caring, and stubborn, and I don’t know why it took me so long to realise-“ Before he can finish, the words have been stolen from his lips when Edwin presses his own to Charles, it’s brief but it turns his racing thoughts into nothing but Edwin, Edwin, Edwin.
Charles barely has time to respond before Edwin pulls away, apologies already tumbling from his lips in the fear that he’s made Charles at all uncomfortable.
“Edwin-“ He stops talking almost immediately, and Charles seems to forget how to speak before he tugs him into another kiss, hands leaving from where they were before awkwardly placed on Edwin’s shoulders to cup his face, gently holding it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
It takes Edwin a second to respond, seemingly taken by surprise before he melts into the kiss, hands still around Charles’s waist as he drags him closer, sending fireworks through his chest.
He mumbles a small ‘I love you’ against Edwin’s lips, earning a soft hum in return that drives Charles insane. He’s pretty sure that if he were alive, his heart would be racing under Edwin’s touch as he mourns the fact that he could have had this for 35 years.
The music is still playing gently in the background, growing hazy as all Charles can focus on is the feeling of Edwin’s lips against his as he stumbles backwards, dragging Edwin with him until he hits the bookshelf, knocking a couple textbooks off the shelf and they both break away at the sudden noise.
“Charles!” Edwin breaks into laughter at the sight and it’s the best sound Charles has ever had the pleasure of hearing.
The paperwork could wait a tick, after all, they've got forever, right?