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ghostinthelibrarywrites · 3 months ago

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An Acquired Taste

A fluffy coffee shop AU for Day 4 of @paynelandpromptfest. You can either read it below or here on AO3.

Prompt: handmade

Pairing: Edwin/Charles

Rating: T

Warnings: none

Word count: 3k

Summary: When Edwin ducks into a coffee shop to avoid an awkward run in with his ex-boyfriend, he meets Charles, a charming barista with a penchant for terrible latte art. Edwin can’t stand coffee, but that doesn’t stop him from returning again and again.

***

It’s the laugh that draws Edwin’s attention on a busy London sidewalk, the sound cutting through the rush of passing traffic, the tube rumbling beneath their feet, and the chatter of voices around him. It’s loud and braying, with an edge of meanness, and Edwin is sixteen years old again, listening to that laugh as he stammers his way through a presentation. On instinct, he clutches his messenger bag more tightly, as if preparing to have it knocked out of his hands.

Simon Mould is crossing the street about ten meters ahead of him, talking on his phone and smiling the smile that Edwin once found charming before he realized it usually meant Simon was about to say something cruel. He’s wearing a poorly tailored, but undoubtedly expensive suit, with a gaudy watch glinting on his wrist. Most likely, he spends his days doing very little work in a cushy corner office in his father’s company. For his colleagues’ sake, Edwin hopes he’s grown up in the decade since St. Hilarion’s.

But Edwin isn’t in the mood to find out today, not when he stayed up too late preparing for this morning’s lecture and woke up to yet another passive aggressive email from his mother. The last thing he needs is a run-in with his ex-boyfriend.

He should go straight to continue his walk to the university, but that will take him right by Simon. Simon hasn’t noticed him yet, but he will soon enough. His feet moving before his mind can catch up, Edwin heads right at the intersection, keeping his head down as he walks. When he glances over his shoulder, he sees to his dismay that Simon is behind him, still oblivious to Edwin’s presence as he continues his phone call. Simon always did love the sound of his own voice.

The door in front of Edwin flies open and a young woman in impossibly high heels shuffles out, balancing two trays of coffee precariously. Without thinking, Edwin slips through the door before it can close and is hit with the scent of brewing coffee. He’s found his way into a small, cluttered coffee shop packed with mismatched furniture and walls covered in an eclectic mix of artwork. The nearest painting is a downright unsettling one of a young woman whose face and torso are covered in eyeballs of all sizes and colors.

“What can I get you, mate?”

Edwin turns and blinks. Standing in front of him is quite possibly the best-looking man Edwin has ever clapped eyes on. He’s never been one to get starry-eyed over a pretty face, as he learned years ago that pretty faces are often more trouble than they’re worth. But there’s something about the barista’s bright, beaming smile and his warm brown eyes that leaves Edwin unable to look away.

The barista tilts his head questioningly and Edwin blinks, realizing that he’s been staring too long. Frantically, he looks at the menu, his eyes falling on the first thing he sees. “A latte, please?”

“What size?” Charles, the name tag pinned to the front of the barista’s uniform reads. It’s surrounded by a variety of colorful badges.

Edwin’s frazzled mind takes the opportunity to remind himself that he doesn’t actually like coffee, but there’s no turning back now. “Small.”

“Whole milk okay?”

“Yes.”

“Any flavor shots?”

Dear lord, who knew ordering a cup of coffee that he doesn’t want would be so complicated? “No, thank you.”

“That’ll be four pounds.”

As Edwin fumbles for his wallet, he chances a glance over his shoulder in time to see Simon strolling past the coffee shop, still laughing into the phone and oblivious to Edwin’s presence. He passes by without sparing the shop a glance.

“Been here before, mate?” Charles asks as Edwin hands over his credit card.

“No.” Edwin still feels a little dazed under the force of that smile.

“Thought so,” Charles says. “Figured I’d remember you, wouldn’t I?”

“Are small, plain lattes an unusual order here?” Edwin’s voice comes out more acerbic than he intends.

But instead of bristling or snapping back, Charles laughs.

“I took a detour on my way to work today.” Edwin isn’t sure why he feels compelled to offer information about himself. Surely, Charles is just being friendly to a customer. He doesn’t actually care if Edwin has been here before.

“Well, I’m glad you stopped in. Coming right up, mate.” Charles grins at Edwin and turns away. With heroic effort, Edwin manages to not ogle his backside.

“What do you do?” It takes Edwin a moment to realize that Charles is still speaking to him while preparing his latte.

“I’m a linguistics professor.” Edwin expects that to be the end of the conversation, as very few people want to know what being a professor of linguistics entails.

But Charles’s expression brightens. “That’s awesome.”

Edwin’s cheeks feel warm. “I think so. My students would disagree.”

“What’s your favorite language?”

In his years of studying linguistics, no one has ever asked Edwin that question, but he doesn’t have to think hard about his answer. “Aramaic.”

Charles arches an eyebrow. “Aramaic?”

“It’s a Semitic language that originated in Syria. It’s something of an endangered language in modern times, but it’s fascinating…” Edwin trails off. “But if I get started, I’ll be here all day and I’ll miss the opportunity to give this lecture to a group of bored university students.”

“Save it for next time, yeah?” Charles slides the latte across the counter.

Edwin picks up the cardboard cup and gazes down at the foamy surface. There’s some kind of shape there.

“It’s a bow tie.” Charles points to his own neck. “Like yours!”

“Ah.” Edwin reaches up to tug at the bow tie around his neck.

Charles shrugs, looking rueful. “Doesn’t really look like a bow tie, does it?”

“It definitely doesn’t,” the other barista says without looking up from the drink she’s making.

“Oi!” Charles scowls at her, the expression belied by the twinkle in his eye. “Not all of us are famous artists.”

“If I was famous, do you think I’d be up at 8 AM, making fucking flat whites?”

Charles turns back to Edwin, leaning his elbows on the counter. “Crystal over there is a latte art magician. I’ve been trying to learn.”

Edwin looks down at his drink. “It doesn’t look entirely dissimilar to a bow tie.”

“Cheers.” Charles says with a laugh. “Hear that, Crystal? Not entirely dissimilar. Just for that, mate, you get a discount next time you’re in.”

Edwin is smiling as he leaves the coffee shop. A glance at the sign tells him it’s called Live A Latte, which is an absurd name for a business. He shouldn’t even remotely be tempted to return. Especially because when he takes a sip of his drink, he finds it just as bitter and unpleasant as coffee always is. Certainly not worth four pounds. His modest salary doesn’t give him much room to be wasteful.

But when he glances through the window, he sees Charles laughing with Crystal, and he feels a pleasant little swoop in his belly.

For the first time in his career, he’s late to his lecture. He can’t bring himself to care.

***

Edwin does not intend to go back to Live A Latte, because it’s absurd to go out of his way to get a coffee that he won’t drink, just because the handsome barista was kind to him. But he finds himself thinking about turning every time his morning walk to work takes him past the street the shop is on. Perhaps he could develop a liking for coffee if he drinks enough of it. Many people seem to like it, or at least find the caffeine worth the bitterness. His friend, Niko, who developed a coffee habit while completing her thesis, calls it an acquired taste.

He lasts just over a week before he gives in and returns to the coffee shop.

“Welcome back,” Charles says as soon as Edwin steps in the door, smiling past the three people in line in front of him. “Small latte, yeah?”

And Edwin was going to peruse the menu to try and find a drink more to his liking, but he nods, feeling his face flush. Because it’s been over a week since he was in here and Charles has undoubtedly made countless lattes since then, but he remembers Edwin’s order.

Charles does indeed only charge Edwin two pounds—the “proving Crystal wrong discount”—and when he goes to make Edwin’s latte, he says, “So, tell me about Aramaic, mate.”

No one except Edwin’s colleagues in the linguistic department have ever asked Edwin to talk about Aramaic to them, and then usually only under duress. But Charles nods along and asks questions as Edwin talks, seeming genuinely interested.

“Of course, if you ask Dr. Dolls, only the Latin languages are worth studying,” he says as Charles hands him his latte. “He has a shameful disregard for the Semitic and Germanic languages, never mind the thousands of other languages spoken worldwide.”

“Sounds like a wanker,” Charles says.

“Indeed. He was my thesis advisor. It was hell.” Edwin glances down at his latte and sees a smiley face grinning up at him. “Well done with the latte art, Charles.”

“Thanks, mate.” Charles beams at him, just as lovely as he was the first time Edwin walked in. Edwin has been hoping his memory exaggerated. “I’ve been practicing.”

“Was the third eyeball intentional?”

“Oh, bollocks.”

***

It keeps happening. Edwin keeps taking detours to Live A Latte on his way to the university. He eventually upgrades his small latte to having a caramel flavor shot, which makes it no more palatable, but does cost him an extra fifty pence. He also adds a blueberry scone to his order, which is at least very good and gives him something to snack on in between sips of coffee.

Quickly, he learns that Charles works Tuesday through Friday mornings. If any of the other baristas notice that Edwin never stops in on Mondays, they say nothing. In the few minutes it takes Charles to make Edwin’s latte, they talk about a variety of things. Edwin learns that Charles is something of a jack of all trades, moonlighting as a bartender, a boxing instructor, and a youth cricket coach when he’s not working as a barista.

“If you like cricket, you should come see my team play sometime,” Charles tells Edwin. “We always need more people cheering in the stands.”

Edwin, who has never understood cricket and gave up trying years ago, asks, “Are they any good?”

“Nah, bloody awful. But most of them are eight, so who can blame them?”

That day, the latte art is a cricket bat, which just looks like a square with a line, but Edwin still praises it.

They talk about cricket and linguistics and Charles’s attempts to learn Hindi so he can converse with his mother’s relatives back in India.

“I’m pretty shit at it. Afraid I’m going to tell one of my mum’s aunties to fuck off accidentally.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Learning a new language just takes practice and patience.”

“How many languages do you know?”

“I’m only fluent in six.”

“ Only six. Bloody slacker, you.”

They talk about St. Hilarion’s and the state school where Charles went and Edwin’s tabby cat, Thomas. They talk about the flat Charles shares with Crystal and Niko’s continued attempts to set Edwin up with every eligible bachelor at the university.

“The last one was a professor of economics,” Edwin says. “And he told me five minutes into the date that he doesn’t see the point of linguistics when Google Translate exists.”

Charles guffaws. “What’d you say to that?”

“I told him I didn’t see the point in economics when I could just Google stock prices. There was not a second date.”

“Shame, that.” Charles’s eyes sparkle. “Good-looking bloke like you probably doesn’t need to be set up.”

“Try telling Niko that,” Edwin says dryly. “She’s worried that I’ll die alone.”

“Nah, that’s not going to happen,” Charles says with perfect confidence that Edwin feels is entirely unearned, but still leaves him with a spring in his step all day.

Every time Edwin stops in, Charles adds some kind of art to his latte. Sometimes, it’s nearly recognizable, like the leaf, and sometimes, it’s a mishmash of incomprehensible shapes, like his attempt at a giraffe.

“You can tell it’s a giraffe! Because of the neck, see?”

“I thought it was a snake.”

“Snakes don’t have legs, mate.”

“Neither does this.”

It’s not really a friendship, Edwin keeps reminding himself firmly, nor anything else. Charles is being friendly to him because he’s at work. But for Edwin, whose only real friend is Niko, those few minutes of being smiled at every morning are as addictive as the blueberry scones. He’s aware that, much like coffee, he’s an acquired taste: always a little too awkward and snappish for most of his family, colleagues, and students. And given his continued failure to develop a taste for coffee, that’s not an encouraging thought.

But he cannot help but want, just a little, watching the way that Charles’s hands move deftly as he makes Edwin’s latte and drinking in the sound of his laugh. Every time he tells himself that he needs to stop wasting his money on a hopeless infatuation, he walks into Live A Latte, is greeted by Charles’s beaming smile, and knows he’s doomed.

***

He’s been a regular at Live A Latte for about three months when he stops in one day and finds Charles behind the counter, his smile edged with nervousness.

“Already got yours made, mate,” Charles says. “It’s on the house today.”

“Ah.” Edwin doesn’t know whether to be flattered or disappointed. A free latte and scone is a nice gesture—his wallet is feeling the effects of all these barely touched lattes—but this means he has no excuse to linger for a few minutes of conversation. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”

“Anything for my favorite customer.” Charles slides the latte across the counter with a wink.

Flushing, Edwin picks up the latte and glances at the shapes in the foam, frowning. “Is that… a three? And an eight?”

“Bloody hell, no, that’s supposed to be a six.” Charles grimaces and scrubs a hand through his curls. “It’s supposed to be my phone number.”

Edwin stares at him, because he cannot have gotten that right. He must be missing something.

“In case you want to call me sometime,” Charles, who now looks like he wants to sink through the floor, says. “But like, no pressure, mate. You’ll still be my favorite customer, even if you don’t.”

Edwin blinks. “I…”

“Oh my God.” Crystal leans around Charles. “He’s finally asking you out so I don’t have to keep listening to you two flirt about fucking Aramaic.”

“Enough of that, thanks.” Charles steps in between Edwin and Crystal, shielding her from view. “But, uh, yeah, I am.”

His eyes are warm and hopeful and Edwin realizes that this is actually happening. Charles, who is kind and charming and lovely and can make Edwin’s entire day with only a short conversation and a smile, wants Edwin to call him.

“You’ll need to just give me your number,” Edwin says. “Because this is gibberish.”

Charles laughs, bright and happy, and something in Edwin’s chest goes warm. “Yeah, fair enough.”

***

Edwin wakes to the smell of coffee. He stretches luxuriously, finding himself pleasantly sore in several places where he hasn’t been sore in a long time. Glancing around Charles’s bedroom, he takes in the sheets that needed to be changed at 2 AM and are now discarded in the corner and his own clothes strewn about with no regard for wrinkles. Under the mess, the room is very much Charles, with a shelf full of old records, an overflowing closet, and a cricket bat propped against the wall.

Since Charles is already up, Edwin slides out of bed only a bit reluctantly. Since his own clothes from the night before are a wreck, he finds a t-shirt with Live a Latte’s logo on the front that looks like it should fit and heads into the kitchen, where he finds Charles puttering around in nothing but a pair of pajama pants and a white undershirt. His eyes linger on the trail of bruises he kissed into the side of Charles’s neck.

“Morning.” Charles turns to him with a sleepy smile. “Sleep okay?”

“Very well, thank you.” Edwin crosses the room to him, smiling as Charles pulls him into his arms.

“I made coffee. Want some?”

Edwin is still half-asleep and drunk on a night of excellent sex and the feeling of Charles’s warm arms around him, so he’s not thinking when he says, “No thank you. I don’t care for coffee.”

Charles pulls back, eyebrows shooting up. “What?”

Too late, Edwin realizes his mistake. “It’s too bitter for me. I’ve been told it’s an acquired taste, but I’m afraid I never acquired it.”

“What about all those lattes I’ve been making you for months?”

Edwin desperately searches for a change of subject. “Is that the time? I really should be—”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Charles’s grip around Edwin’s waist tightens. “It’s Sunday. You already told me you have no plans today.”

“Well.” Edwin tries to adopt a look of haughty dignity that’s surely belied by the fact that he can feel his face turning beet red. “You wanted to hear more about Aramaic.”

“So you just kept coming back?” Charles’s smile widens, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.

“The scones are quite good.”

“Admit it, it was for the latte art.”

“Your latte art is terrible, Charles.”

“Oi. You liked that kangaroo I did last week.”

“I thought it was a bloated mouse.” At Charles’s giggle, Edwin’s lips tug into a smile. “I will admit, you may have been something of a draw.”

“Was I, now?”

“Don’t let it get to your head.”

“Already has. You’re bloody adorable, you know that?” Charles pulls him into a kiss. His mouth tastes like coffee, which isn’t exactly pleasant, but Edwin thinks he’ll get used to it. “But, mate?”

“Yes?” Edwin nuzzles into the soft spot under Charles’s ear.

“You know we serve tea, yeah?”

***

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider leaving kudos or comments on AO3.

#dead boy detectives #dbda #payneland #ghost's writing #ghost's fic #payneland promptfest

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dryadgurrl · 3 months ago

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Payneland Promptfest Day 5 - Kissing

Kisses Stolen & Returned on AO3

"Charles, that was brilliant, I could just kiss you." Charles froze, the praise was one thing, the offer was quite another, and he found his mouth running away with him before his brain could fully catch up, "Yeah? Alright, do it then." Which is to say: Charles puts down a challenge and Edwin picks it up and then they actually talk about it. You know, how they usually do these things.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow are some of my favorite writing so far, enjoy!

#paynelandpromptfest #the rest of forever promptfest #payneland #Charles Rowland #Edwin Payne #Dead Boy Detectives #my fic

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starcrossedstarfishes · 3 months ago

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Petals of the Past

Quote:

Edwin's father owns most of the fishing boats on the island. At least half of the coconut groves as well. Edwin will never have to worry about being chosen as a sacrifice to the fire god.

But Charles...

For the Payneland Promptfest!

Day 5

Flowers-"I don't know what to say"-Kissing

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63079351

#dead boy detectives #dbda #charles rowland #edwin payne #edwin x charles #save dead boy detectives #charles dead boy detectives #charles x edwin #edwin dead boy detectives #revive dead boy detectives #long live dead boys #payneland #paineland #charles and edwin #edwin paine #dead boy detectives fanfiction #payneland promptfest

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williamvapespeare · 5 months ago

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“It’s the 23rd,” he said, then, unexpectedly. “Of December.” “Uh.” Charles knew it was sometime around Christmas, but all the days tended to blend together for him this time of year. “That right?” “Yes.” Edwin flipped the notebook closed. “It is. And I suppose I wondered. That is -” the pause was unexpected. The way he stumbled over his words was enough to be worrying. Charles took a little step towards the desk. “I wondered if there was anything you particularly wanted to do for Christmas?” He said the question all in a rush, like he was forcing it out before he lost his nerve. “For Christmas?” Charles repeated. - Little glimpses of the holidays: the boys' first together and a long time later, once they've figured some things out.

For @paynelandpromptfest Day 7: it's tradition. This is another collab with my lovely friend Tash ! You can find her adorable art here ❤️❤️❤️

#dead boy detectives #payneland #payneland promptfest #dbda fic

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gundamthey17 · 4 months ago

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Day 6 of Payneland Promptfest 2024

6 down, 1 to go! It's my goal to finish before the Valentine's Day promptfest starts in *checks imaginary watch* 10 days. (And no, sadly I will not be committing to writing anything for the Valentine's Day promptfest, because I am supposed to be writing a thesis.)

Day 6: star | “Make a wish” | casting a spell

Summary: Edwin makes two wishes, one year apart. It's amazing how much can change in just one year.

xxx

It was New Year’s Eve, and Edwin and Charles were standing on the roof of their office building, as they had done for the past thirty-odd years. Edwin had wondered if this year would be different, after Port Townsend. But Crystal had decided to visit Jenny over the holidays. And while there had been changes between himself and Charles, they were for the better. He would not have thought it possible for the two of them to grow closer, having been best friends and business partners for over three decades, and yet…

Charles grabbed his arm, violently jostling him out of his reverie. “Here it comes!” They could hear excited voices in the street and neighboring flats. Charles joined in the countdown. “Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!”

A bell tolled midnight, and they watched the fireworks exploding over the distant Thames, painting the sky in brilliant colors.

“Happy New Year! Make a wish!”

Edwin closed his eyes and tried to think of a wish. He listened to the fireworks, the music, the distant hum of the living. He could feel Charles standing next to him, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

And he wished… he wished that Charles – no, that was selfish. Charles had accepted Edwin for who he was. Edwin had worried that his confession would create awkwardness or tension between them, despite Charles’s assurances to the contrary. Miraculously, that seemed to not be the case. And, as Charles had said, they had forever to figure things out. It had taken Edwin decades to come to terms with his own feelings. He would never dream of rushing Charles into anything. And if Charles’ feelings didn't change? If even after decades, he did not love Edwin the same way Edwin loved him, that was fine. To spend his afterlife with the best person he had ever met was much more than Edwin would ever have dared to ask or hope for. Who was he to wish for anything more than that?

Edwin sighed. He hoped that his romantic feelings for Charles would fade over time, for his own sake as much as Charles’. And he wished… He wished that he would be able to kiss someone in the coming year. Perhaps the most surprising discovery from his time in Port Townsend was the fact that he rather enjoyed kissing. He would welcome an opportunity to try it again.

“What did you wish for?” Charles asked.

Edwin blinked at him, startled. He knew he could not blush, but somehow his cheeks felt hot anyway. “You cannot tell anyone your wish, or it will not come true,” he said, hoping Charles wouldn't notice how flustered he was.

Charles studied him for a moment, but he didn’t press. Instead, he smiled his easy smile and put his arm around Edwin’s shoulders. “Cheers to a new year, mate.”

“Cheers.”

---

A year was not such a long time, particularly for someone who had been dead for over a century. But a lot could change in a year.

Niko, brought back to the Agency after being found and rescued from another plane of existence.

Crystal, expelling David for good, and growing into her powers more and more.

The Night Nurse (Charles insisted on calling her Charlie, to her eternal annoyance) popping in at random intervals, giving them cases and evaluating their progress.

Edwin had changed too. He had had no idea at the time what a difference it would make to be free from Hell and Death for good. (Provided he and Charles continued to be ‘useful’ in solving cases, of course, but those were never in short supply.) As an incorporeal being, Edwin should not have been able to feel lighter. It defied all logic. And yet – that was the most accurate way he could think of to describe how he felt.

Charles had even commented on it, several months ago. “Got a spring in your step today, haven’t you?” he’d said. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

“I do not know,” Edwin had replied honestly. “But you are correct, I am… feeling quite well today.”

Weeks had passed before Edwin had been able to pin down the source of his improved mood. When he finally did so, and informed Charles of it, Charles had pulled him into a metaphorically-bone-crushing hug. “I’m so happy for you, mate,” he’d said, his words slightly muffled into Edwin’s shoulder.

That wasn’t to say that the year had been without challenges. There were growing pains as Crystal, the Night Nurse, and Niko joined the Agency. Edwin’s brief return to Hell and the torture inflicted by Esther’s machine had left psychological wounds that were not yet fully healed. And there were cases that went awry every now and then, as they were wont to do. But Edwin and Charles had weathered the storms, as they always did. In many ways, they were better at it now than they ever had been. Edwin knew now that the strength of their bond could withstand anything the universe might throw at them.

And Charles. Charles had changed as well, and Edwin could not have been more delighted. He’d grown in confidence until he was positively radiant, decades of self deprecation and doubt slowly falling away, replaced by a glowing warmth. He was learning, slowly but steadily, that he did not have to pretend at happiness when he - or anyone else - was upset. And Edwin was learning to see Charles’ mask for what it was; in truth, he was dismayed that it had taken him so long to do so. It was painfully obvious, now, the paper-thin smiles he sometimes wore. They talked about it from time to time, late at night when most of the living were in the lands of Morpheus. Edwin assured him that he need not pretend, and Charles, perhaps for the first time, accepted those assurances. Sometimes, he would tell Edwin what was bothering him. Other times, they would walk through London’s winding streets in comfortable silence, letting the night work its magic. Their troubles always seemed to diminish in the dawn of a new day.

All of that would have been more than enough, a flood of spring water to Edwin's parched soul. But even taken as a whole, those changes couldn't hold a candle to what had changed between them.

A hasty confession, late at night, up on the roof. Words, meticulously rehearsed, tumbling over themselves in the moment.

“I love you, Edwin Payne.”

“As more than a friend.”

“If you'll have me.”

A kiss, the first of many.

It had taken significantly less than forever, all told.

And now, another New Year’s Eve had brought them back to that rooftop. It was the same in many ways, and yet it was so, so different.

“Make a wish,” Charles whispered, his fingers entwined with Edwin’s.

Edwin closed his eyes and wished. When he opened them again, he looked over to see that Charles still had his eyes closed. His face was tipped back, toward the sky. Edwin studied his profile in the near-darkness, the flashes of fireworks illuminating his jawline, curving upward toward the pointed tip of his ear, his dark curls, his long lashes, his elegant nose, his lips…

Charles opened his eyes and caught Edwin staring.

“What did you wish for?” Edwin asked softly.

“I thought you weren't supposed to say, or else it won't come true.”

“To the contrary. I believe that sharing my wish will make it more likely to come true.”

“Yeah? What is it, then?”

“I wish that you would kiss me.”

Charles smiled. Then he cupped Edwin's face in his hands, closed his eyes, and granted Edwin’s wish.

#this one lowkey might be my favorite that i've written so far #i wrote the beginning and the very end of this one way back when i first started the promptfest #new year's eve #make a wish #wishes #new year's kiss #paynelandpromptfest2024 #fanfic #my writing #payneland #edwin payne #charles rowland #dbda #dead boy detectives

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alterego77 · 3 months ago

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Day 4: dancing

#the rest of forever #payneland promptfest #TROF #payneland #edwin payne #charles rowland #crystal palace #niko sasaki #dbda #dbda fanart #dead boy detectives #dead boy detectives fanart #dead boy detective agency

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lesbicosmos-writes · 5 months ago

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again very very late but i wrote a fic for the day 6 prompt of @paynelandpromptfest !!

prompt: star / "make a wish"

summary: charles and edwin are in love and they stargaze on the roof on christmas thats it thats the fic <3

notes: very late for the prompt day but in time for christmas so that's all that matters <3

also on ao3!!

in a sky full of stars, i think i see you

Christmas had always been both Edwin and Charles’s favourite holiday, even when they were alive. Edwin because he loved the traditions, the decorations, the general joy of it all, and Charles because he loved giving gifts to people. Even if he didn’t receive anything in return, he loved seeing people’s reactions to things he got for them. Also, Christmas was about one of the only times where he felt like he could relax in his own house. They always had family over for a few days, so his dad was less rough. For just a few days, he could pretend like they were a normal family.

But nothing compared to Christmas with Edwin.

He hadn’t expected Edwin to love the holiday as much as he did, but it was amazing being able to show him the way traditions had changed since he was alive. They celebrated in their own special way every year, picking up little routines and rituals constantly.

Their Christmas was always a mixture of things Edwin loved when he was alive, things Charles loved when he was alive, and more modern things. Their office was decorated with both the holly and paperchains of Edwin’s childhood, and the brightly coloured lights and baubles that brought nostalgia for Charles. They’d play both classic carols and more modern hits on their record player. It was strange and a little all over the place but it was perfect and it was them.

Then, Crystal and Niko came into their afterlives and suddenly there were more people to celebrate with. Crystal raised an eyebrow at their strange little rituals at first, but eventually realised that they were just so true to the boys. Of course this would be how they celebrate.

This year specifically, since the relationship between the two of them had developed another layer if intimacy, yet another tradition had manifested itself in Charles and Edwin’s festive routine – mistletoe. There was a sprig hung from every doorway in the office, and the two took every possible opportunity to kiss beneath it. Edwin had always thought the idea a little silly when he was alive, but he hadn’t considered it in the context of himself having someone he could openly love in that way to kiss under the shining white berries. He’d always just been forced to sit there and cringe while his extended family members pretended that they hadn’t noticed the plant before despite having already kissed beneath it several times in the past two hours. It was quite ironic, in retrospect, that he was now the one in their place seizing every opportunity to get his lips on Charles’s, despite the fact he didn’t really need an excuse to at all.

The girls had gone out to do their own celebrations on Christmas Eve, then crashed at the office for the night so they could all open gifts together at the crack of dawn – much to the insistence of Charles and Niko.

A case came up in the middle of the day that they all had to run out and solve, but for the most part, their Christmas was a fairly chilled one, the four of them all just playing games together in the office. Edwin scoffed at the terrible jokes in the crackers, and Charles once again got very sad he couldn’t eat when Niko and Crystal brought in practically their entire kitchen cupboard’s worth of savoury snacks. Edwin vowed to find some spell that would allow ghosts to eat.

Eventually the girls fell asleep on the sofa, leaving Charles and Edwin practically alone in the office.

“It’s a surprisingly clear night,” Edwin noted, gazing out of the office window above the streets of London.

Brightly coloured lights shone in the surrounding streets, and they could quietly hear the music and chatter of the party going on in one of the blocks of flats across the road. Edwin looked up, away from the lights, and had an idea.

“I think this would be a perfect night for stargazing. Would you care to join me on the roof, Charles?”

“Course, mate,” Charles replied.

Language was one of Edwin’s passions, and he would constantly correct people if they used a word incorrectly or at the wrong time. And yet, he never corrected Charles calling him mate despite their growing romance. Somehow he had managed to take a common moniker used between friends and turn it into the most romantic petname Edwin could imagine. It was the way he said it; so naturally, so proudly, so full of love and feeling. Besides, there was nothing to correct about it in the first place. They were mates – best mates – and always would be. No matter the changes their relationship went through, no matter the colour or shape of the feelings between them; at their core they would always be two best friends. Two boys who found each other in their worst moments, a light in the other’s darkness, and felt nothing but love. Love – not just attraction - for the other person, just because of who they were. Edwin had always thought it was beautiful.

So when Charles called him mate, with that soft glint in his eyes and that smitten smile on his face, Edwin didn’t question or correct. He just smiled back.

“I’ll be out in a sec though, yeah? I’ve got an idea.”

“An idea?” Edwin asked, intrigued.

“Yeah, and it’s a surprise idea so you go sit up on the roof and I’ll meet you there.”

Charles pressed a soft kiss to Edwin’s cheek before ushering him out of the office.

Edwin took an unnecessary breath as he stepped out onto the roof of the abandoned building their office resided in, as though acclimatising to the cold December air despite being unable to feel its effects on his skin.

He looked up at the sky. From several storeys up, the light pollution wasn’t quite as bad - although it was still central London, so that didn’t really make much difference. Only a few constellations were visible directly above. He’d always thought it was a shame, really, the fact that advancements in technology meant they were no longer able to observe the natural universe around them to quite the same degree.

Edwin had always loved stargazing. When he was alive, his family had bought him books about the stars for Christmas every year since he was a small child, and he was obsessed. He never really understood the astrological beliefs surrounding them – although he had become more intrigued after reading the book Monty gave him in Port Townsend. No, he was always more captivated by the science behind them; those huge spheres of energy roaring away lightyears away from Earth. It made him feel insignificant at times, but he’d become used to that. It was easier to accept his insignificance on a cosmic scale than to accept it on a much closer one.

Then he met Charles, and gradually his thoughts about the cosmos became much less about insignificance and more about how lucky they were that they existed. Knowing that there was so much out there, and yet here was the only place that life had been found, that a new kind of life could somehow begin even after death; it felt special.

He never felt insignificant when Charles was by his side.

As though aware Edwin was thinking about him – which he probably was, considering there’s rarely a time Edwin isn’t - Charles stepped onto the roof behind him. Edwin turned around to find him standing there with a pile of blankets and pillows in his arms.

“Charles,” Edwin chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he walked towards him.

“What?”

“We do not feel the cold!”

“I know but, like, it’s the vibe innit? Snuggling up together under blankets and watching the stars.”

“You’re quite the hopeless romantic, aren’t you?”

“Yep,” Charles grinned, stepping towards Edwin and handing him a few pillows from the pile.

They set their little spot up – one blanket on the ground to sit on with pillows against the wall – and sat beside one another, the other two blankets covering them both.

Edwin swore he felt a rush of warmth as he relaxed into the soft knitted material, but he was quite sure that was less to do with the blankets themselves and more to do with Charles’s presence, leaning his head on his shoulder and cuddling up close. They were facing each other just a little, their hands clasped together in between them covered by the thick blanket.

“This is nice,” Charles said, gently brushing his thumb over Edwin’s hand in the way he knew drove him a little insane with affection.

“Hmm,” Edwin hummed in agreement.

They sat together in silence for a while, snuggled up to one another, until Charles turned his head just enough to whisper in Edwin’s ear.

“Make a wish,” he said.

“Charles, there aren’t any comets,” Edwin smiled.

“Make one anyway. There's always a shooting star somewhere.”

He had a point.

“The greatest wish I never even thought I was allowed to have has already come true. I don’t know what else there is,” he said, looking down at the top of Charles’s head on his shoulder.

“Well, I wish that every Christmas is as brills as this one.”

“You know if you say it aloud it won’t come true?” Edwin moved his head away from Charles momentarily, questioning.

“Nah. That doesn’t count when it’s you.” Charles looked up into his eyes. “Telling you doesn’t feel like revealing it to someone. It’s like you already know anyway.”

Edwin just smiled.

“Go on then, what’s yours?”

“Hmm. I suppose...” Edwin thought for a moment. “I wish for an infinite bookshelf.”

“Oh.” Charles laughed, taken aback.

“What?”

“Sorry, I guess I was expecting it to be something about us.”

“I told you, I already have everything I could possibly wish for in that department,” Edwin said proudly.

“You flirt,” Charles grinned, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Infinite bookshelf would be pretty brills, though. It’d be like my backpack, only way more organised.”

“We could have several libraries worth of books and yet never run out of space in the office.”

“That’d definitely make case research easier.”

“Precisely. Which would leave us with more time for... other things.”

Charles moved out of the embrace but kept one arm around Edwin’s waist, his eyebrow raising with his smirk.

“Oh yeah?” he teased. “What other things you thinking of?”

“You know what things I’m thinking of.”

“Damn, who would’ve taken Edwin Payne for an insatiable horny teenager?” Charles said, he amusement evident in his voice.

Edwin laughed, a real open from-the-heart laugh that Charles had never heard around anyone but himself and the girls. “It’s you. You corrupted me,” he half-joked.

“Can’t exactly say I’m complaining.” Charles pulled him closer so that he could press light kisses to Edwin’s neck.

“Besides, I didn’t only mean... that,” Edwin argued, his voice shaking slightly at the contact. “I also meant we would have more time for things like this,” he Charles’s hand a light squeeze under the blanket.

“This is definitely good, love,” Charles replied, squeezing back and shuffling somehow even closer, nuzzling his head into his neck.

They couldn’t fall asleep, not really, but they got as close as they could; snuggled up against each other on the rooftop as the 25th of December ticked away into the 26th.

They’d stargazed on Christmas a few times before, the first time being December of 1990, back when they’d barely known each other a year and had just set up the agency, operating out of a treehouse in an old woman’s back garden. They’d climbed on top of the wooden structure, and Edwin pointed out all the constellations they could see above the horizon. That night, there had been a shooting star passing overhead, and Edwin had wished on it. He’d wished that Charles would stay with him for the rest of their afterlives. At the time, he’d thought it foolish and naïve. Surely Charles would eventually move on, perhaps Edwin would – they couldn’t spend the rest of eternity playing detective together, could they?

Well, thirty-four years on, Edwin was starting to believe that maybe that wish had come true, but it wasn’t entirely down to the star.

Sure, their little Christmas routine changed over the years; but so had their existences, their relationship, the people around them. And no matter what changed, the holidays always brought the same warmth to the still hearts of two boys who may not have been given as many Christmases to live as they should have been, but more than made up for it in their afterlives, and would continue to do so for as long as there were stars in the sky to wish upon.

#so glad i finally had the time and motivation to finish this its been in my wips for weeeks #dead boy detectives #payneland #edwin payne #charles rowland #payneland promptfest

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