lire's 40 to the 40s - masterlist

+1. i hear your name in every word i say

arcana

Edwin has noticed that Charles has been acting strangely ever since they moved back to London from Port Townsend.

At first, Edwin had chalked it up to the need Charles feels to constantly make sure that the people he cares about are safe and sound. Those first days back, Charles would follow Edwin everywhere—even into Martle’s Magic Bookshop, from which Charles had been banished in 1997 following an incident involving an ancient volume catching flames.

It takes Crystal to point out Charles’s odd behaviour for Edwin to realize how far it has come.

“Are you reading Minor Arcana?” she asks one fine Saturday morning, while sitting cross-legged on the floor of the office. She has been leafing through their mail, with Edwin’s help, while Charles has been eerily silently lounging on their couch for hours.

“Uh, no?” Charles replies. Alerted by the edginess in his voice, Edwin looks up from the mail in time to see his friend trying to hide something behind the cushions.

“When have you taken up reading something other than Playboy, anyway?” Crystal teases.

“Playboy?” Edwin asks stupidly. “What is a play boy?”

Crystal chuckles. “I’ll let Charles explain that one,” she bows out of the question elegantly. “I would’ve thought you’d go for the Hardy Boys or something.”

Edwin observes Charles’s face twitch with some indescribable feeling, so quickly disappearing that he almost misses it.

“You know you don’t have to hide that you are reading some of the books from our library,” Edwin states slowly. “I, unlike Crystal here, have tried to get you to do it for decades. I am happy you are finally getting around to some of them. Do let me know whether you have any questions.”

“I may have a couple,” Charles then says, shooting a glance at Crystal.

“I believe that’s my cue to leave,” she replies. “Don’t forget to explain what Playboy is, Charles!” she calls over her shoulder as she walks out of the office.

“I still don’t understand most of what she says,” Edwin huffs. “But she is right. You have never paid any attention to the books, despite my efforts to interest you in them.”

“Ah, well,” Charles starts eloquently. “Maybe it isn’t such a bad idea to read some of your books. In case I need to rescue you once again. And, well,” he looks away as he adds, “I’ve also thought maybe you’d reward me?”

Edwin laughs heartily but complies, approaching Charles and dropping a kiss on his forehead. “You still owe me an explanation about play boys.”

“She knows I haven’t even touched a Playboy in years,” Charles mumbles. “I’m more of an Out boy myself.”

Edwin quirks a questioning eyebrow at him.

“I’ll tell you what the hype is all about,” Charles promises. “And even show you some things from the magazines, if you let me teach you boxing.”

After that, Edwin takes up Charles on his offer to teach Edwin how to defend himself.

If only for the reward.

for @bluepandaears, who asked for hotel.

hotel

Crystal flops down on the king-sized bed, sighing contentedly. She knows this is a business trip—Edwin has made it abundantly clear—but she still allows herself to revel in the feeling of soft duvets and comfortable mattresses that only a luxury hotel can offer.

After recovering her memories—a painful achievement, having had to swallow those marbles one by one—Crystal has been making amends with her past. It’s been hard, trying to let go of what she doesn’t like.

Still, having rich parents who give her unlimited access to their credit cards has paid off this time.

When this client had shown up—denouncing a rise in supernatural activity in a fancy resort in Bath that threatened their exclusive business of afterlife spa treatments—Crystal had known that she could bring more to the case than she previously had.

She’s been able to afford a suite for her and Niko in one of the resort’s hotels. Meanwhile, Edwin and Charles could investigate to their unbeating hearts’ content, and they’d have a safe space to regroup without the girls having to sneak their way into the hotel.

Crystal smiles as Niko rambles about all the luxuries in the bathroom—there’s soap and moisturizer and such a great lightning Crystal—and Edwin and Charles inspect the mirror in the small hall of the suite.

“This mirror complies with Supernatural Mirrors Regulation 456,” Edwin says, nodding at the pristine surface.

“Glad to know my parents’ money could buy a room with a regulation-compliant mirror,” she deadpans, sitting up on the bed only to see if her words elicit some reaction out of Edwin.

Sure enough, he turns around and glares at her, but there’s a softness around the edges of his uptight body language, something that screams you’re insufferable but I tolerate you. Something that Crystal has only ever seen directed towards Charles.

Crystal is about to add to her quip, to see if she can rile Edwin up a bit more but when she’s about to speak up, Niko’s head peeps out of the bathroom door.

“The bathtub is big enough to fit both of us!” she exclaims before disappearing once again inside the bathroom.

“If only,” Crystal mutters, blushing violently.

“You need to tell her how you feel,” Edwin advises as he walks back to them.

“It worked for us,” Charles adds, reaching out and grabbing Edwin’s hand in his. “It’ll work for you, too.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Feelings always complicate things,” Edwin acquiesces. “But I have an inkling you’ll be alright. And then you can take advantage of this only-one-bed situation.”

Crystal gapes at him. “Edwin Payne! Have you just made a lewd comment?”

But Edwin only smirks at her before tugging at Charles and leading them out of the room through the mirror. When she’s all alone, she falls back down onto the mattress with a sigh.

Maybe she should be brave and confess her feelings.

Maybe this hotel could provide the perfect setting for a first kiss.

wip train [for today]

rules: tagger gives a word, then for each letter of that word you share a sentence/excerpt from your WIPs that starts with that letter.

i was ghost-tagged by @arrow-jsy with HOSPITAL, and i guess i now need to honor that ghost tag somehow...