technicallyhellbound | for @convincingsmile - Nobody's dying today (probably)

for @convincingsmile - Nobody's dying today (probably)

Edwin knew as soon as he fell through the mirror that something was wrong, and not just a little bit wrong, but the kind of wrong that made the whole world tilt on its axis a little.

It wasn't a misdirected portal, not like the case that had ultimately led them to Crystal, not like many other failures of concentration when traversing mirror portals before, it was something else, and he couldn't place what it was. All he knew was that he'd simply passed through the mirror in question and had landed, hard on the floor on the other side of the room, hard enough that he actually skidded a couple of feet and that couldn't be right because that actually hurt, and hurt in the way he hadn't felt in... well, decades.

It was enough to tumble him against the far wall just from his own momentum, impacting hard enough to knock the breath out of his lungs, and that was definitely wrong, because he shouldn't have had breath or lungs. He could see, even through pain-hazed vision that the poltergeist he'd been baiting had, indeed, gotten caught in the trap he himself had leapt over when aiming for the mirror.

That was, however, the last thing he saw before the half-rotted-through loft floor gave way beneath his sudden and unexpected weight, sending him falling, flailing, scraped to ribbons on the broken slats, to the ground below, and he was reasonably sure he'd actually heard something snap on impact, ribs, if the sudden radiating pain was anything to go by, though his shoulder wasn't in good shape either, and that was an entirely different kind of pain, just layering on top of the feeling of the ragged scratches from the wood, and it occurred to him, dimly, that he'd forgotten how much he hated the feeling of blood on his skin.

It had been different in Hell, the pain, the sensations in general, all of it, it had been horrible, yes, but it was so much more visceral now, and even as his vision began to go hazy again, head swimming, his last thoughts were trying to remember how he'd somehow gotten separated from Charles, who had been barely a step behind him when he'd rounded the corner into the loft pursued by the poltergeist now trapped securely above him.

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Edwin finally drew his hand away with one last lingering stroke, the other hand sliding easily along Charles' back, squeezing gently at his nape before settling into slow, full-length strokes down his spine from nape to the small of his back before lifting away to do it again, soothing Charles down again.

He couldn't help but laugh softly at that statement, the way that Charles was practically vibrating with mirth himself even while trying to catch his breath, "I can't say I'd be able to do the same. We'd still need to set aside time for cases, after all." There was clear amusement in his tone, not shooting the idea down, because the truth of it was he could very easily fall into Charles at any time of day, for as long as he was allowed.

But that was a problem even in their natural state, too, it was just his strict sense of duty and obligation -and professionalism, to a degree- that kept him from doing so. It would be all the more difficult as a living being, when those sensations and emotions were all the brighter and closer to the surface.

Charles closed his eyes as the thought of 'god, I love Edwin Payne' hit him with brutal force once again. Leave it to him to talk about cases literally seconds after doing something nasty. But Charles couldn't blame him. He knew that the agency, and their cause will always be the most important for Edwin. His role was to distract him from it from time to time. He sighed as he felt the calming strokes on his back, feeling like he could fall asleep like this. Listening to their heartbeats, sharing warmth...

"Sorry, I made a mess," Charles muttered, tilting his head to look up at Edwin. "I'll clean us up, yeah?" So they could look at least half-presentable for Charlie from Charlie's Angels in a few minutes. He paused then for a moment. "Love you so much, mate."

"There's no reason to apologize for something I expected to happen, Charles." It could easily have been a reprimand, but it was the kind of thing that had long since worn down to a gentle reminder, that Edwin wasn't going to be upset with Charles for taking up space or needing things, or -in most cases- for making a mess, especially since he was good at cleaning up after himself -as he'd just offered to do- which Edwin always appreciated.

He hummed, pressing a kiss to Charles' temple at the follow-up, "And I you, Charles." He had given up saying that he loved Charles more than Charles could know, because no matter how much he loved Charles, Charles loved him just as much, and that was... well, it was incredibly gratifying, and even freeing in a way he hadn't expected.

Charles was sure that Edwin could feel the jumps his heart was making in his chest at his words. He paired it with a set of small kisses, peppered all over Edwin's jaw and chin and lips. And when he didn't feel like his legs were made of jelly, he got up to clean them and offer a new pair of pants and underwear if needed. Thank god they got plenty of clothes.

So once the Night Nurse was back, Charles was less angry to greet her. He even forgot that she may bring bad news...

Edwin was thankful to be put back together again, it wasn't his usual uniform worn like a kind of armor, but it was comfortable enough and he was actually prepared when the Night Nurse made her reappearance, this time actually using the office door and knocking first, which Edwin knew probably needled her more than it should have, and he knew he shouldn't be amused by that thought, but he still was, at least a little.

"Good, you're both decent." She greeted, eying them both before waving someone from the Department through the door behind her, "This is Mr. Lionel, recently remanded by your office to the Reintegration Department, and as you can see, they've done their job admirably."
The man in question was maybe fifty or sixty, gray streaks at his temples in an otherwise still dark russet head of hair, looking a little like some misplaced history professor with his tweed jacket and a pair of spectacles tucked into his breast pocket along with his pocket square, he regarded them both for a moment, "From what I understand, you two are suffering some, ah, adverse effects from the spell I was working with before my unfortunate slide into obsession."

Edwin's brow creased slightly, he knew that theoretically poltergeists could be returned to their former selves, but it was tricky work, and knowing that there was a whole department dedicated to just that was something he was going to have to ask about later, instead just nodding, "I'm Edwin, this is Charles, and that's one way of putting it, yes."

Charles frowned, sending a look at Edwin when the man addressed them. A department only for handling poltergeists? Just how many departments were there, he wondered. But he smiled easily when it was his turn to say hello. He raised a hand in a wave, grinning as friendly as he always did.

"Yeah, you gave us a proper scare, mate. Before the spell, I mean," he added. He didn't comment on the spell thought. "So, what's the deal?" he asked, crossing his arms. He didn't really want to slip into their interrogation setup, it just happened. Bad cop, worse cop. He could see the Night Nurse rolling her eyes, but Charles was too focused to care. Because this was important.

Edwin was still a little puzzled by this turn of events himself, but he also wasn't going to argue it too hard, just nodding, "Yes, I, we were returned to our mortal state." He didn't say that it was unfortunate, partly because he knew Charles didn't think so, but partly because he wasn't entirely sure of that fact himself, now, "I attempted to recreate your work with pictures of what was left, so that I could reverse it, but all I managed to do was somehow reverse the injuries we sustained at the time."

Mr. Lionel brightened at that, "You did? May I see it?" Edwin just nodded, still feeling a little off-balance about the whole situation, but moving to lead the group to the storeroom where the circle was still chalked on the floor, the man paced the outer edge, sliding his glasses on to survey the work, finally blinking up at Edwin over them, "And you, you managed this from just pictures of the circle I'd left? You hadn't found any of my notes?" There was no small measure of amazement in his tone, which left Edwin a little squirmy under the scrutiny, used to having to defend himself, though Mr. Lionel didn't seem dismissive about it, if anything he seemed fascinated, looking over the circle again, "Remarkable. And you adjusted for new dates, though I can tell you now there was no reason for that, it was only meant to be temporary."

Edwin tensed, "It was?" The fear that he'd accidentally gone and made it permanent tightened in his chest even as the man continued, "Oh yes, I'd only intended to bring her back to celebrate our anniversary one last time. The effects will fade once the date has passed."
Edwin was sure the rest of the room's occupants could hear how hard his heart was beating, something like panic still tightening his chest, "I see. And, ah, is that still wound into the circle?"
"Oh, yes." The man nodded, "Inherent part of the magic that is. What's today?"

The Night Nurse was the first to rattle off the date, causing Mr. Lionel to brighten, "Ah, three days away then, nearly four if you count the rest of today."

Even with all the anxiety in his stomach, Charles smiled widely when Edwin got his well-deserved praise. His mate was the smartest after all, he could figure out anything. This was a challenge for sure, but Charles was glad that someone actually recognized how brills it was that Edwin figured it out without any help. He was so proud, as always.

Though, his smile froze when the man said 'temporary'. Supposed to be? But Edwin messed with it a little... Charles repressed a shiver, focusing on the man more. But his thoughts were rushing. He couldn't help sending a look at Edwin. And... yeah, he looked pale. Scared. And Charles felt his own heart break a little.

"Wait, what?" Charles blinked, taking a step toward Mr. Lionel. "So... the spell worked, yeah? And even if we messed with the dates... So, it's gonna fade in three days?"

The man nodded, returning his glasses to his pocket, "Yes, worked far better than it ever had for me, though, I suppose the state of you is proof enough that my initial spell worked as intended, even after so long. I daresay the adjustment of the dates is what reversed any injuries, though I obviously can't be sure of that, it does seem the most logical explanation."

Edwin had gone from plummeting dread to welling hope and wasn't quite sure where between the two he'd landed, still nearly vibrating and high-strung in a way he couldn't quite figure out, though he suspected it was mostly to do with the hope portion and just how quickly he'd swung between the two while still riding high on the endorphins from what he and Charles had been doing just beforehand, "Three days. And then things go back to how they were. We can... continue on as we have been?"

Mr. Lionel nodded again, "Yes, it would seem so." The Night Nurse nodded as well, "The Reintegration Department and Mr. Lionel have agreed to keep him on hand until the effects of the spell ought to have faded, just in case revisions are needed."
Edwin swallowed thickly, taking a breath to steady himself, "That is... much appreciated."

So Edwin not only recovered the spell, but he actually solved it. As if Charles wasn't proud of him already... And he could see the Night Nurse sending an approving look his way, too.

Charles wasn't really thinking as he moved closer to Edwin and put a hand on his back, it was instinct at this point. He was still surprised that his palm found Edwin warmer and alive than he was used to. And it would last three more days... Charles forced his thoughts away from that fact, he didn't want to think about it. No. Otherwise he... Well, otherwise, he was afraid that his chest would split open.

"Yeah, sorry for keeping you waiting a bit more, mate," Charles couldn't help saying. He figured poltergeists would be happy to move on after all. Though, that reminded him of something. "So it didn't work, yeah? You couldn't... see her again."

Edwin straightened reflexively at that touch, expression going to actual sympathy as Mr. Lionel shook his head, "No, it would seem that she had already moved on. Though at the time I couldn't accept that, hence my obsession that led to my unfortunate state when the two of you first found me." Another little head shake, "I can only hope she'll be waiting for me at the end of this, another few days isn't going to matter in the whole of things."

Edwin didn't imagine he would be half as gracious in the man's place, and so he nodded, "We do appreciate your delaying your departure, as it were." He gestured to the circle, "This really is impressive work, and while I'm no expert, from what I can tell it should have worked, were she still lurking around the mortal plane waiting for you."

They'd already known that the spell and the experiment were a failure. But having the guy admit it was different. Charles smiled in compassion, moving just a tad bit closer to Edwin. He wondered if he would have found love so intense if he could live a full life. If death brought him something so profound as what they had with Edwin.

He couldn't tell what the afterlife was for Mr. Lionel, or if she was waiting for him at all. All Charles knew was that it would be alright with him now. That he will be alright.

"Sorry for your loss," Charles said before he could stop himself. It was strange to say it. He had said it to many clients before, it wasn't that. But with him being alive in the moment, maybe that made it... different. "So, that's that then, yeah? Good news, bad news, eh? Anything else we should know, Charlie?" he said, looking at the exasperated Night Nurse.

The man inclined his head in thanks even as the Night Nurse looked even more exasperated at the nickname, "No, that will be all. If any cases better suited to your involvement come through the Lost & Found Department in the next few days they will still be directed to you, I trust you'll find some way to work around this new development."

Edwin did his best not to smile, but it still inched into place anyway, "Of course, the agency is only on a brief health hiatus, emergency cases are still a priority."

"Right, wouldn't wanna leave folks in trouble cuz of this," Charles grinned, motioning at themselves. "And three days isn't that long, yeah?" he shrugged.

After they also agreed on a daily check-in until the effects of the spell were there, the Night Nurse escorted Mr. Lionel back to the Lost & Found, as it was more up to standard to keep him there. So when they got back to the office, and Charles and Edwin remained, the silence was something Charles didn't want to hear for too long.

"Didn't see that comin', huh? I mean, the whole guy coming back to praise you doing a good job with his spell an' all," Charles remarked, eying the spot where the Nurse disappeared with their client. "And the three-day thing," he added, clearing his throat. He paused for a moment before turning to Edwin with an easy smile. "You're okay?"

Edwin gave a half-startled, breathless little laugh, shaking his head, still looking more than a little off-balance, but definitely coming around, blinking over at Charles again at the question, "I..." He shook his head again, "At the risk of repeating myself, it's an entirely unexpected relief."

He was still trying to collect himself, mostly surprised that he'd managed to stay so during their official meeting, "I suppose we should give Crystal an update, and then..." He opened his mouth only to close it again, shaking his head once more, a little bit like he'd gotten caught on the movement, some sort of nervous tic, mind going too fast to realize he was still moving, "Well, after that I really did mean what I said, earlier." There was a blush cresting the tips of his ears again, even though he wasn't saying anything explicit, or even that racy, it was just the thought of it that was causing the reaction.

Charles's smile widened as he watched Edwin work through his relief. They didn't mess up the spell, that it was going away soon... and that they would be dead in no time was... well, it made Edwin happy. It was what he wanted. And it was the goal they would have worked toward anyway. So Charles tried to be truly happy about it. Everything was fine...

So Charles moved to Edwin again, reaching for him as he spoke.

"Right, and..." but he stopped when Edwin continued about his promise from earlier. Charles did feel a burn in his cheeks too at the memories. "Yeah, okay, right," he nodded, moving closer to put a hand on Edwin's waist. He let go of a trembling breath and let himself think about the next few days and what it all meant. "How about we- we do stuff during the day? Like, try things ghosts can't do, and the nights... so the nights we, I..." Because he was sure Edwin wouldn't just want to do it like rabbits, which Charles would be terribly down with. "Maybe we could find a bed somewhere?"

Considering how overwhelmed he'd been just by Charles going down on him, it was probably a toss-up just how down he would be for the rabbits scenario, already nodding at Charles' proposed plans, because there were some things he would like to do while he was solid, though they'd always seemed trivial before, like taking one of the guided tours through the museum. It wasn't that he didn't already know the history of the items there, it was just that he liked hearing people talk about things they liked.

He wouldn't object to going to another movie, either, now that he wouldn't be achy through the whole thing.

But before he could even start listing things, Charles brought up an incredibly salient point and his brow creased, "...Where was Crystal sleeping when she stayed with us?"

Oh, Charles had many ideas too. Even more if half of his thoughts would leave the image of Edwin naked under him alone... Now that he could touch him freely, and he wasn't in pain, and they had limited time, Charles felt like it wasn't going to be enough.

He opened his mouth to answer but stopped for a second.

"The couch...?" he furrowed his brows as he remembered. He knows that he put Crystal on the couch the first time, but for those few days... "Wait, she had a mattress, didn't she? An air mattress..." It was just such a useless item for them that Charles completely forgot about it when Crystal moved into her current place. But it still wasn't a bed. "We could ask her, yeah? Maybe she has ideas," he shrugged. Then he took Edwin's hand, squeezing it. "So, gotta make a list, right?" If he could, he would have run out and do everything all at once, but all these years with Edwin at least made him a little bit more patient, even when he was nervous.

"Oh, a list is it? I'm surprised you'd go for something so organized." There was clear amusement in the tone, it wasn't even close to being a jab and he hadn't really meant it as one, it was the relief of the situation still making him a little giddy.

He was already moving to the desk for a fresh notepad so that they could do just that, "And yes, we should ask Crystal what's become of the thing, just as long as we're both prepared to be laughed at for not considering it sooner." He didn't think she'd laugh too hard about it, as she was bound to understand it wasn't the kind of thing they'd ever had to worry about before.

"So, how were you thinking of organizing the list? Activities and cuisines or day by day?" He asked, settling in his chair, pen poised over the notepad.

"I gotta, otherwise I'd go mad, mate. I mean... three days!" Charles chuckled, a little tense. The more the situation was dawning on him, the more his heart rushed. But he always loved to see Edwin so giddy. He was so busy with his thoughts that he barely listened to Edwin, he just started to walk about the office, thinking thinking thinking...

"Huh? Just- I was thinking about writing everything down we wanna do and then hope for the best?" Charles said. Yeah, he had the idea of a list, but that was it. That was as far as he could think. "Like, we need to go to the theme park, the new rides look insane, oh, and and, what if we go to the concert tomorrow at that underground club? And-" Charles rambled on, voicing every thought the moment they came to him, as if they were too much to keep in his head anymore.

To his credit, Edwin did write down everything Charles listed off, though he left checkmarks next to the things that were near enough to the office to feasibly actually do. Theme park, for instance, was probably out, he didn't think there were any near enough to make it worth the time spent, and while the idea of the underground club made him grimace -too many people and too much noise in too small a space- he did reason with himself that it would be worth it to see Charles in his element, and if it got to be too much, he could always wait outside.

Once Charles had, apparently, run out of suggestions, he added a few of his own, voicing them as he did, "There's also the museum tour, and the bird encounter at the botanical gardens, walking tour of the botanical gardens themselves, that street market on the bridge, though we can always add that to the walk home from somewhere else if we're in that direction, and we really ought to do something like go for ice cream where we can just sit and enjoy it."

Charles froze a little at the mention of museums and botanical gardens. As if his body immediately wanted to just. Not go. They had barely any time, so why waste it on... But he had seen Edwin get lost in nature a few times, and it was adorable even before they got together, so Charles figured he could maybe enjoy those visits too.

"Right, right, fine, yeah," he nodded, then walked to the desk to look at the list. It... did look like a mess, and definitely not enough for three days, especially if they get an emergency case. Charles felt cold sweat at the back of his neck. But he figured they definitely could get ice cream sometime. "This is exciting, isn't it?" he asked, looking over some of the items. "And we're gonna need so much help from Crystal," he added.

"We're going to have to eliminate some of these, just for being too far away, and we can bundle others together, things that are in the same general area to save on travel time." A small smile, "And we are going to need help from Crystal. You know she'll complain about it, but only out of habit, I think."

His brow creased just a little, "We could also bring her along, for a few of these, I expect she'll enjoy the club far more than I will." And that meant that Charles wouldn't have to enjoy it alone -or follow and not enjoy it at all- if Edwin had to step out to collect himself.

He studied the list, crossing off a couple of things, even as he asked, "Is there anything on here that you absolutely have to do? We can start there and work our way out."

Charles felt his heard his heart skip a beat at the thought of Crystal also coming with them. That the whole agency could enjoy these days of being alive... he wanted that. He wanted to connect with Crystal as alive friends and not just as a ghost and psychic.

At Edwin's question he sat on the edge of the desk, looking at their list. He tried to swallow his nerves at the crossed items and focus on the remaining ones.

"What I really wanna do is you," he started, sending Edwin a playful look. "That's the most important thing," he shrugged. Then he fell silent, his, lips resting in a smile. "I wanna listen to live music," he pointed at the item on the list. He wanted to feel the thumping in his chest at the bass. "Drink beer, I wanna know how it tastes like." Maybe getting a little tipsy. "I wanna eat everything," he added in a chuckle.

"Yes, well, we'll definitely get to that as it is the most important thing." He shot back, biting back a smile, excitement and nerves both rising at how casually Charles teased about it, hoping that he'd managed to hit the same tone in his response, surveying the list again and crossing out a couple of the things he'd added to it, though he tapped the pen against the lines for the museum tour, the botanical garden and the exotic bird encounter, "Of these I'd pick the gardens and the bird encounter over the museum, as those are in the same place and can be done in the same afternoon."

He knew that Charles didn't need the explanation, but he was going to give it anyway: "I like to be reminded that I can be outside, that I've gotten out." A small tilt of a smile followed, "And the birds, well..." A huff of a laugh, realizing how ridiculous it sounded even as he started, "My uncle had a parakeet of some sort when I was quite young, brought it back from safari. I learnt my first curse from that bird. Mother was furious, mostly because my father and my uncle found it hilarious."

He shook his head a little at the recollection, "I'm sure the ones they have at the botanical garden aren't the sort to swear like a bunch of dockhands, but I suppose I've always been fond of them since then." It was just that birds, like many animals, didn't react well to ghosts, so he generally kept his distance.

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