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lesbicosmos · 1 month

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day 7 of @painlandweek !!

day 7 prompt: soulmate au

summary:

it takes a while to settle down after everything that happened in port townsend. grieving niko, rescuing her, realising your feelings for your best mate might not be entirely platonic... but once they've found their new normal, the boys ask the night nurse a question about their afterlife file, which gives an answer that is both lovely and somewhat unexpected.

notes:

title from francesca by hozier

also on ao3!!

i could find you darlin', in any life

It hadn’t taken long for everyone to settle into their new routine after everything was wrapped up in Port Townsend – well, after they’d managed to find that routine, anyway. That had taken several months.

The first couple of months were slow after Crystal moved to London to join the Agency. The loss of Niko weighed heavily on everyone, and for a while they were too grief-stricken to focus on any cases for long. Edwin kept staring off into space when he was supposed to be researching, and swiftly wiped away any tears or other evidence of his emotions whenever it was brought up. Him and Crystal kept switching back and forth between amiable silence, both heavily sympathising with each other’s grief; and being at each other’s throats more than ever, every feeling heightened as their emotional walls had been worn down by the tragedy. Charles tried to comfort them as best he could, turning to his usual habits of trying to make everyone else feel better while ignoring the grief that weighed heavily on his own heart. It was difficult for everyone.

It was the Night Nurse, in the end, who was the biggest help to them. She’d been attempting to avoid them since she was assigned to help, but a couple of months in her superior had scolded her for it, insisting she be there to do her job of keeping an eye on the work they were doing. She had questioned everyone’s emotional state, spotting something was upsetting everyone. When they explained what had happened to Niko, she was surprisingly sweet about it, offering her condolences. They hadn’t expected her to check in for another two weeks, as was the arranged plan for her visits, so it was quite a shock when she returned to the office only two days later – nowhere near as shocking, though, as the information she brought with her. Being 17 when she died, Niko would have been in the Lost and Found Department’s records. She had checked only to be able to give her mourning friends some closure on her afterlife but had found she wasn’t in their records where she should have been – at least not as having been processed.

Thus, they began The Case of Niko Sasaki. The boys travelled back to Port Townsend to gather more information on the lucky bear charm she had been holding from Tragic Mick, and had learned that in addition to supposedly giving the carrier luck, its intended purpose was to transport the carrier to a different plane in the event of death – similar to the spectral plane ghosts existed on, only this one was not layered on top of the living world, and existed entirely separately, requiring advanced magic to travel between.

Edwin Payne was not a person who was easily intimidated by the phrase ‘advanced magic’, and spent the next several weeks researching and practising, even turning down new cases to ensure his focus. Charles watched on as he worked, barely stopping even for a conversation. He had been worried about him, but he trusted him. He knew if anyone were able to make this work, it would be Edwin.

And that he did. Nearly four months after her death in Esther Finch’s house, Niko Sasaki had been returned to the plane of the living. It had exhausted Edwin so much that once he knew she was safe, that she was back where she belonged and so alive, he slipped into his most basic rest form to recuperate – a glowing white orb. It had only happened a couple of times in the many years Charles had known Edwin, so he knew he must have really worked himself too hard. More than anything, though, Charles was overwhelmingly proud of him. He had brought someone back from another plane. He was more than deserving of a break. Edwin stayed like that for almost two weeks, practically living in Charles’s pocket – and occasionally Niko’s.

Since there was time where Edwin wasn’t around (at least not in his usual manner - he was still there, just glowing brightly on Charles’s chest rather than rambling about banshees or something similar from his desk) Charles had been given the chance to think about him. Specifically, it had finally given him the time he needed to focus on what Edwin had said to him as they left Hell. With everything that had happened: Crystal’s memories, Esther’s torture device, Niko’s death, bringing her back… Charles hadn’t really had time to sit and collect his thoughts on the matter. He thought back on all the time he’d known Edwin, remembered so many tiny yet fond memories they had made over the years, contemplated just how inconceivable the idea of them being separated was, how utterly petrified he had been when he nearly lost him twice. Charles had soon come to realise he might just have been in love with Edwin for years, but because of how natural their relationship had been…he’d just never realised it. He’d always assumed falling in love would be just that: a fall. A rapid paced thing that would simply hit him when he least expected it, when the right person came along. But it hadn’t been like that at all. He hadn’t fallen in love with Edwin; he had simply wandered. Wandered with him for years because it felt so easy, so right. Is it any wonder he had never noticed this feeling? It had crept up on him, like the countdown of an exceptionally slow bomb, and now he had realised it, he felt it wanting to explode out of him. He wanted to scream to the world that he was in love with Edwin Payne.

It was a month after Edwin had returned to his usual self when Charles finally told him. He’d seemed in disbelief that it could be true, that so much good could be happening to him after everything. He’d got Niko back, and now he had Charles reciprocating his love in the same way? It was almost too much to take in. Take it in he did, though, and within a couple more months, it felt like barely anything had changed. This was just a natural part of their wander through eternity. It didn’t feel strange or awkward for Charles to walk up behind Edwin and plant a kiss on his forehead whilst he was reading, or for Edwin to crawl into Charles’s arms and cuddle up together on the sofa. Their love was always heading here, as if it were written in the stars.

So yes, it had taken a while for them to fall into their new normal, but once they had it was brilliant. Niko had moved in with Crystal, and their days were once again filled with solving cases and helping souls. Well, not all of their days. Only 50% of the Dead Boy Detective Agency was actually dead now, so the girls still needed rest and sleep and couldn’t just work consistently. And they’d also encouraged the boys to take a break from time to time. So, while they all worked in the daytime, there were a few evenings and nights a week where they had agreed not to take any new cases. And one day every two weeks, they did something together as a group. If there were emergency cases, they would take them of course, but they took more time to themselves now. And despite Edwin’s initial reluctance, both he and Charles enjoyed taking a break for a while.

Today was supposed to be their biweekly group outing, but they were just off the tail of a particularly taxing case, so the girls had decided to spend their day at home watching movies. The boys had joined them for one or two of the films, but eventually returned to the office and left them to their unwinding. Both Crystal and Niko had seemed strangely happy that the boys were leaving and gave each other a look that Charles couldn’t quite decipher. He supposed they enjoyed their time alone just as much as he and Edwin did, so didn’t think much of it.

They’d decided to be somewhat productive back at the office – not researching or taking on any new cases, but reorganising Charles’s bag of tricks. It had been on their list of things to do ever since a recent case required a book Charles claimed not to have brought with him, only to discover after a thorough search of the bookshelves and a near-breakdown for Edwin, that the book had been in there all along, and Charles had simply forgotten.

“You really do need to keep a record of what you keep in there, Charles,” Edwin had scolded him, clutching onto the book as though it were the only thing keeping him where he stood.

So here they were, having emptied the entire ‘for cases’ section of the backpack – which was still very sizeable. Books and weapons and magical knickknacks had been scattered around the floor of the office, and the boys were desperately trying to catalogue them to figure out whether they were actually necessary to carry around all the time.

Edwin was sitting on the sofa, the small pile of various trinkets he was currently sorting through beside him, while Charles was on the floor, lying on his side propped up on one elbow, the rest of the clutter strewn around him. They had started three piles: one for items to keep in the bag for every case, one for those things they’d keep in there just because they were needed often – such as the first three volumes of Minor Arcana (Edwin had copies of them on the shelf too, having invested in back-ups after the chaos that happened during the Case of the Haunted Museum), and one for things that seem to have been haphazardly thrown into the bag over the last year or so, never really being used.

They barely spoke as they organised, communicating only via their expressions to indicate which pile to put everything in. They’d become proficient at that over the years, being able to talk without talking. It had certainly come in handy when they were dealing with particularly difficult clients (and when they wanted to irritate Crystal every once in a while).

Whenever the silence between them was broken, it was to reminisce about memories of specific cases that objects had reminded them of.

Charles picked up a yellowish folder. It didn’t jog any memories at first, so he opened it – as it turns out, it had been a police file from a previous case. It reminded him of the files the Night Nurse had them filling out these days about almost every client, but more importantly, it reminded him of something she’d said to them recently, something he hadn’t thought too much of until that moment.

“Mate, I just had a thought,” he said, dropping the folder onto the to-put-somewhere-else pile.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“The other day, when the Night Nurse came in, she kept talking about ‘our file’.”

“The Lost and Found Department has afterlife files for everyone, what about it?” Edwin said, inspecting the crystal ball he was currently holding.

“Our file, though. Singular. Why do we have the same file? We died like 70 years apart.”

Edwin put the crystal ball down at that, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in the same way they did whenever he didn’t understand something and didn’t like being out of the loop. It was subtle, but Charles noticed. He noticed every tiny thing about Edwin these days.

“Hmm. You do have a point, there. I hadn’t thought about the implications of the phrase.”

“Shit, you not thinking about the implications? Are you feeling alright?” Charles teased, sitting upright in faux worry.

“Charles, I am a ghost and therefore am incapable of feeling ill. As are you,” he said, unable to hide the slight smile on his face.

“Never mind, everything’s fine, the smartarse is back.”

Edwin rolled his eyes.

“I do not know why we have the same file. Perhaps we should ask the Night Nurse about it during her next visit.”

“Well, if she’s in a better mood this time. Not sure she’d appreciate it if she’s as pissy as she was the other day. You know, I’m convinced you enjoy riling her up.”

“I have no idea what you mean, dear,” Edwin smirked, returning to his stack of trinkets.

“Oh, you’re such a tease.”

“You love it.”

“I do. It’s hot.”

Edwin scoffed, but Charles could see the pride in his face. That was a new development that had happened since they got together. Edwin had been more awkward than usual around Charles in the weeks following his confession, being overly careful about overstepping or making Charles uncomfortable. Charles figured part of it was to do with Niko’s absence. She’d given him so much more confidence when it came to things like this, and then when she was gone…Edwin wasn’t the same. But recently, he had brought his usual snarky personality into their relationship too and was much more openly flirty. Charles loved it, even if it occasionally seemed to break something in his brain for several minutes and had a tendency to hinder his work efficiency.

They continued sorting through the clutter until Edwin had finished his pile and promptly made the decision to move from the sofa and kneel right in front of Charles, in between him and the rest of the jumble that still covered most of the carpet. Charles sat upright again so that they were face to face, and Edwin’s hand moved up to cup his jaw before swiftly pulling him in for a kiss. Charles rested one hand on Edwin’s thigh, keeping himself steady as he leaned further in, the other hand holding the back of Edwin’s head to pull him closer. A muffled sound escaped Edwin’s mouth at the pressure, which only spurred Charles on.

They didn’t return to the mess that was strewn across the floor until the next day, but oh well. The backpack was infinite, and they had forever; surely they had a little time to spare for themselves, right?

Nearly two weeks later, the Night Nurse materialised in their office – now mess-free, after another day of organising the backpack and only getting distracted by each other a few times. She seemed significantly happier than she had been the last time she visited. Charles was convinced she was growing fond of them, though he knew she would reject the idea entirely.

After they had done their usual check-in jobs – getting more paperwork, going over case notes, filling in those dreaded files – the Night Nurse seemed content with their work.

“You boys are certainly more efficient at this than I had expected you to be,” she told them.

Charles desperately wanted to make a joke about that being perhaps the first compliment she had ever given them, but he didn’t want to push their luck. After all, they still had a file to ask her about.

“Thank you,” Edwin said for him. “We do pride ourselves on our efficiency, don’t we, Charles?” he looked up to Charles, who was in his usual spot perched on the desk.

“Yep. Best ghost detectives in London, you know?”

“You are the only ghost detectives in London, as far as the department are aware,” she stated.

Charles shrugged, smiling.

“Well, if that is all…” she began, turning away from the desk.

“Actually-” Edwin interrupted, and she turned back.

She didn’t look as annoyed as Charles had expected her to.

“We had a question.”

“As long as it’s quick, I need not remind you that I am very busy, and I do not have all day,” she said, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

“Last time you checked in on us, you mentioned mine and Charles’s afterlife file. I thought it was unusual that we shared one, I assumed everyone had their own. We were just curious as to why ours is combined.”

“Oh good, for once you ask a question I can actually answer. Yes, everyone does usually have their own file. Technically the two of you do have individual forms within your file, but they’re kept together.”

“How come?”

“The afterlife knows things. The heads of the Lost and Found Department have known about the meeting of the two of you since you died,” she indicated to Edwin as she spoke. “You were always going to meet, it was inevitable, so they set up a joint file as it would be easier to keep track of you when you did.”

“Woah…so we’re like, soulmates,” Charles said, eyes full of shock and wonder as he turned to Edwin, standing as straight as he could while still leaning on the desk.

Edwin had never believed in soulmates when he was alive. He’d thought it was a silly idea people came up with to try and prove their love to someone somehow. Scientifically, he knew there was no proof of the concept, so any semblance of belief he might have had would have been crushed by the facts. Then again, though, Edwin never believed in ghosts until he returned from Hell and became one himself. That might have been part of the reason he felt his cold dead heart flood with warmth somehow at the thought, and he looked up at Charles with a similar expression…until the moment was interrupted when the Night Nurse scoffed loudly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Charles, it’s merely a way my higher-ups like to brag about their divine foreknowledge. They’ll just pop you in the same file and then act all proud when you finally meet. It’s nothing quite so foolishly trivial as soulmates.”

“Oh.” Charles slumped back down to sit on the desk again, disappointed.

“Now was there anything else? I really do have other things to be getting on with, you know?” she asked impatiently, peering down at her watch.

“No,” Edwin cleared his throat. “I think that will be all. Thank you.”

“Good. I’ll be back in two weeks!” the Night Nurse reassured them, before dematerialising with a poof.

As soon as she was gone, Charles stood up, moving around to Edwin’s side of the desk and facing him.

“…We’re soulmates then, right?” Charles wondered aloud, checking he and Edwin were on the same wavelength.

Edwin, despite his prior hesitancy, absolutely was.

“I rather think we might be.”

“I’ve always thought, if anyone was my soulmate, surely it has to be you.”

“I have to admit I’ve never paid the subject much mind, but I suppose if I had, I would have felt the same. It certainly feels like our souls are irretrievably tied together by now.”

And it made sense, didn’t it? The reason they felt like they were immediately connected when they met, the reason they had found each other at all, despite time and circumstance. They were always meant to find each other. They may have been very different people, who led very different lives and were still so different even after nearly thirty-five years of being around one another constantly, but deep down it was as though they were one entity. They knew each other better than anyone else, could communicate without so much as a word being uttered between them, felt like they had lost a part of themselves whenever the other was separated from them. They orbited around each other so closely it was as though they were one being, inextricably tied together for eternity.

Edwin’s thoughts were cut short when all of sudden, Charles held him by the jaw and pulled him into a swift, bruising kiss. Edwin responded in the obvious way – by pulling Charles down onto his lap to reconnect their lips. There was something ever so slightly more in this kiss. Nothing had changed as such, but it felt like there was an even more intense spark, just for a second, at the knowledge that this was always going to happen. They were always going to find each other, no matter what. They were always going to be together, in one way or another, wherever they were.

Edwin had never believed in soulmates. At least, not until he met Charles Rowland.

#sorry this one was kinda rushed i literally wrote it last night lmao #i cant believe todays the last day :((#this was SO FUN THOUGH!!#dead boy detectives #edwin payne #charles rowland #payneland #painland week #painlandweek #my fics

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