Something I think we tend to forget is that, a lot of the time, Charles frankly isn’t particularly careful of Edwin’s feelings.
He brought someone Edwin didn’t like into their shared home and had her crash in what is effectively their bedroom not only without asking Edwin but actively against Edwin’s wishes, which would be dick behavior from even just a normal roommate let alone whatever they are.
He keeps on siding with Crystal, occasionally actively verbally putting Edwin down in the process, when it’s visibly upsetting Edwin (which pushes Edwin to go further than he should to prove his worth to them both - the spell on the cat, the iron bars, etc).
Shrugging Edwin off on the cliff.
Not seeming to realize how Edwin would take him ‘hating being dead’, and even when Edwin makes it pretty clear, initially trying to shrug it off with a joke that turns it around on Edwin (‘you’ve been holding on to that one’).
Getting pissed at Edwin about the Cat King to a degree that Edwin is genuinely confused by.
“Cause who else is going to hold it together and keep the spirits up? You, are you going to do that, huh?” like OUCH okay damn if I were Edwin I’d’ve gone into a full spiral based on that line alone
And a lot of other little things, throughout the show, some very understandable given the pain Charles himself was in and some less so.
But that last one, that’s the key, I think.
He coaches Edwin through breathing when he gets stressed. Tells Edwin that the answer must be in that big brain of his somewhere; praises Edwin, in general. Tells Crystal that Edwin’s traumatized and to be considerate of him being Like That. Keeps a smile on, overall, tries to keep Edwin as happy as Edwin gets (and most of the time, it works). Does his best to reassure Edwin about the ‘I hate being dead’ thing once it’s clear and unavoidable that Edwin took it to heart. Keeps an eye on Edwin’s tells (the fist-pressing) so he can try to soothe Edwin when he’s too tense. And so forth. And so on.
And on the steps of Hell? You can actually see the shift. Edwin tries to start a conversation when Charles isn’t ready for it, and Charles initially responds, while not negatively per se, with kinda-rude-jokes and rushing - the Orpheus and Eurydice comment, for example, while very thematically lovely to the audience, probably came off mocking to Edwin, and was clearly an attempt to downplay and avoid the situation from Charles.
But then he realizes Edwin means it. That this moment matters.
And he stops, and thinks.
He gives the most careful, considerate response to a love confession I’ve ever seen, so incredibly gentle with Edwin’s heart it almost hurts to watch.
I think all of this makes that more, not less.
Because he’s not just some sort of naturally perfect partner. He doesn’t automatically say and do the right things, isn’t a platonic ideal of Considerate Best Mate who always says what you need to hear and never hurts you by accident or by carelessness or because he’s hurt himself.
When he cares for Edwin like that, it’s because he worked for it. He’s trying, he’s putting all his heart into protecting Edwin’s, he’s thinking through his words even though that’s not natural for him, he’s consciously putting Edwin over himself, he’s training himself in how to take care of Edwin (watch for the signs of stress, learn the rituals that help Edwin calm down, always remember how he’s been hurt).
And, just. Fuck. That means so much more than if he were just perfect by nature.
