Chapter Text
1997
After a long couple of days of sleuthing, the case was finally closed. It wasn’t all that difficult, to be honest, but hunting down a lost lucky pence piece was a lot of legwork. Well, a lot of crawling around on the floor work, really.
Charles collapsed back onto the sofa with a loud groan. He heard Edwin’s scoff by the desk, and hid a smile at imagining the way his best mate was probably rolling his eyes.
“If you are quite finished being overdramatic, Charles,” Edwin huffed, “we must return this spellbook to Liam before the end of the day or we will be charged an overdue fee.”
Charles blinked, somewhat startled. Liam? The bloke from the ghost library? Why not just say ‘the library’, like always?
Charles sat up, forgetting to exaggerate his exhaustion, eyes zoning in on his best mate automatically. His best mate who was studying said spellbook intently, a furrow between those caterpillar eyebrows. His mouth was pursed slightly, eyes narrowed. It was a lot of attention to give to a book, especially one that had ended up being bloody useless.
“Liam, ey?” Charles prompted, not taking his eyes off Edwin as he shifted so his feet were planted solidly on the ground.
Edwin glanced up from the book, gaze catching on Charles’. His brow furrowed in a different way, making him look confused. “Well, yes. That is his name, Charles.”
“Yeah, I know,” Charles huffed a laugh, rolling his eyes. He stood, approaching the desk slowly. “Just wondering when you learned it is all.”
Edwin placed the spellbook down primly, looking up at Charles with a raised brow. “When we first met, of course.”
“You sure ‘bout that, mate? Don’t think I’ve ever heard you say his name before, just called him the librarian or somethin’.”
Edwin scoffed, louder than earlier. “I’m sure I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Charles grinned even though he felt like frowning. Although that was nothing new, at least he usually knew why he wanted to frown. Now he just kinda felt… angry, but like, for no reason. ‘Cause nothing was even happening right then, but Charles was suddenly remembering the way that Liam, or whatever, gushed to Edwin about that useless spellbook the other day. And Edwin had listened, apparently. Actually, he did more than listen, because now that Charles was thinking about it, Edwin kinda talked to Liam back.
Charles had been nose deep in a new comic, so he had been a bit distracted at the time, but looking back, Edwin had totally had an actual non-work related conversation with someone other than Charles. Which was good, obviously, like, for reals, but how could Charles have missed his best friend branching out like that. Mighty irresponsible of him, really. A good best friend would notice something like that.
“Nah, mate, you’ve never called him Liam before, I woulda noticed,” Charles teased. He rounded the desk to perch in his usual spot, nudging Edwin’s knee with his calf playfully.
Edwin sniffed all haughty-like. A wave of warmth rolled through Charles at that, a small giggle escaping his throat. He loved the way his best mate got all puffed up sometimes. Right cute, it was. Like a kitten hissing.
“You are being ridiculous, Charles.” Edwin moved to pick up the book, but Charles was quicker. He snatched it up one-handed and held it out of the other ghost’s reach.
“Charles,” Edwin held out an imperious hand, expression flat.
“I think it’s great you’ve made a new friend, Edwin.” Charles wiggled the book still held out of reach.
Edwin rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in a pout. “We are hardly friends, Charles. We’re barely even acquaintances.”
The warmth and simmering anger sharpened into a pleased sort of satisfaction. His smile was a hundred percent genuine when he nudged Edwin’s knee again. “Really?”
Edwin gave him a look. Then he held out his hand again. Charles promptly placed the spellbook in it.
“Well, since you’re only acquaintances then, I guess it’s alright if I say that Liam’s kinda rubbish at pickin’ useful spellbooks, yeah? ‘Cause that book did fuck-all during our case.”
“I suppose it was rather ineffective,” Edwin mused, oblivious to the way another rush of smug satisfaction burbled in Charles’ chest at that, “although it may prove advantageous some other time.”
“Maybe,” Charles shrugged carelessly. He slid off the desk. “Want me to go return it? Don’t want that overdue fee on our record, do we, and there’s still the case notes to write, so might as well split the labour.”
Edwin hummed contemplatively, glancing out the window at the darkening sky. The good thing about a ghost library was that it didn’t close, but that didn’t mean hitting midnight didn’t still count as a new day.
“I could write the case notes, if you want?” Charles offered, making his eyes all big and innocent.
Edwin immediately brushed said offer aside, unimpressed. “After the way you filed the Case of the Wailing Waifes? I think not.”
He handed the spellbook over.
“Do be back before nightfall, Charles, I do not want a repeat of last Saturday.”
Charles held the book to his chest protectively, offended. “How was I supposed to know that the Cat Queen had us under curfew?”
“The wretched little tabby saying the Cat Queen has us under curfew for an indeterminable amount of time was a rather obvious clue, but perhaps it was more subtle than I realized. If only someone hadn’t let a puppy lose in the Cat Queen’s court, then–”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, mate. I said I was sorry, didn’t I?”
“I think you can stand to say it a few more times, especially since we do not know how long the Cat Queen intends to punish us for. Cats can hold such terrible grudges, Charles, and we do happen to have a detective agency to run.”
“I’m sorry, alright, mate? I didn’t mean for the lil guy to escape my pack. Honestly, but who woulda thought a puppy could navigate a pocket dimension so easily?”
“It was quite shocking, I’ll admit— We are getting off topic. Charles, please drop off the spellbook and return to Office as quickly as possible. We’re running out of time.”
Charles grinned, tucking the spellbook into his pack, before slinging it over his shoulder. He leaned forward to clap Edwin on the shoulder, “I’ll be back before you know it, mate. See you in a jiff.”
As Charles stepped through the mirror into the ghost library, he couldn’t help but feel like he got away with something. Don’t ask him what though, because he hadn’t the faintest idea.