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“Ahhhh. Go gently, OK? I reckon that thing might’ve done more damage than we thought.”
Personally, Edwin considered this an understatement. The adrenaline of the fight had faded as soon as they had stumbled through the mirror into the office, Charles grey and shaky and clinging to him for support. Now that Edwin could see the state of him, he was surprised he was still standing at all.
“Charles, if you would be so kind as to remove your jackets and shirt.” He was disconcerted by how hard he had to work to keep his voice steady. “It would be most expedient if you were to vanish them. I need to assess the extent of it.”
“Sure you’re not just trying to get my kit off?” Charles raised an eyebrow, aiming for swagger, but missing somewhat. “Not that I’m complaining, but…”
He broke off with a grimace, having let go of Edwin’s arm in an attempt to stand on his own, and Edwin reached out to take hold of him, only releasing him when he had stopped swaying.
“Humour me.” It came out far more harshly than he intended, and he hastened to soften it. “Please?”
Charles let out a slow, painful-looking breath. “All right, if you insist.”
Gingerly, he focused, and an instant later, he was bare-chested. Edwin could not suppress a shudder; his arms and torso were purple with bruises where the creature had grabbed him, livid and mottled against his skin.
“Nasty surprise to learn it can harm ghosts, wasn’t it?” Charles continued, with some effort. “Wasn’t expecting it, for sure. Better...better write it down.”
“I am not writing anything down until I have seen to your injuries. And I shall be increasing the fee. The client ought to have warned us.”
Charles glared back at him mulishly, a storm brewing across his brow.
“What? Oh, come on, s’not that bad. I’ve had worse. Definitely doesn’t qualify for the wanker tax.”
“I wasn’t aware it was a competition.” Edwin bit his lip, wincing on Charles’s behalf. He was actually shivering, giving rise to an absurd urge to wrap him in a blanket, for all the good it would do. Instead, he crossed the room to the cabinet in the corner. “Perhaps this is a good opportunity to try that new salve Lily has been developing.”
“All right.” It was a mark of how serious it was that Charles did not protest any further. “I’ll just stand here so you can admire the show, yeah?”
Edwin levelled him with a look. “I will not deny that is an added benefit, but my priority, as always, is keeping you in one piece. Especially as you seem incapable of doing so yourself. To say nothing of your having looked better.”
“Oi! Cheeky," Charles said, with a glimmer of his familiar grin. “Anyway, if I see something going for you, I’m gonna throw myself in front of it, aren’t I? You’d have more luck asking me to stop blinking.”
“We are both fully aware you do not need to—” Edwin started, and Charles cut him off.
“I know, love. I know. But there’s lots of stuff that shouldn’t happen for ghosts, and I figure we’ve ticked most of them off the list by now. Blinking’s the least of it, really.”
Edwin had not been referring to blinking—as Charles knew full well—though there was no point in arguing. Recklessness was second nature to him, and if anything, their romantic entanglement had only made it worse. Contenting himself with a glance at the heavens, he located the salve and unscrewed the lid, revealing a thick, moss-coloured paste that looked reassuringly medicinal.
Hoping this wasn’t the first time it had ever been tested and reminding himself of Lily’s exemplary record, he held his breath and took a generous amount on his fingertips, waiting a few seconds. Once satisfied that it was not harmful to ghosts, he turned to inspect Charles again, clicking his tongue disapprovingly.
“Really, you have been through the wars. I scarcely know where to begin.”
“Glad you managed to blow that thing up,” Charles said through gritted teeth. “Hate to think of it still roaming around out there doing this to other ghosts. Gotta remember that spell, bet it’ll be dead useful. C’mon, get it over with.”
Deciding it would be best to work methodically, Edwin began the task, spreading the paste in a thin layer on every bruise he found. Charles was putting up a brave front, but the tight set of his jaw and his unusual pallor gave him away, even without the tiny noises he was doing his best to hold in.
“Oww...are you sure this stuff’s meant to sting this much when you put it on? Gotta…gotta ask Lils if she can tone it down. Still, at least I can’t smell it.”
Edwin paused in his ministrations, surprised. “How do you know how it smells?”
“S’medicine, innit?” Charles wrinkled his nose. “Medicine always smells bad. Everyone knows that.”
“Not necessarily. My nurse always used to use arnica when I was a child, and I remember it being rather bracing.”
“Yeah, well, your lot used to put cocaine in cough syrup, didn’t they? Things’ve changed, mate.”
Edwin ignored him, focusing on keeping his movements light. It was wretched, but even now, some treacherous part of him desired Charles, an instinct so deeply rooted he could not fight it. Charles had noticed, of course; he missed nothing, despite his compromised state. He grinned.
“What is it about me shirtless and banged-up that gets you going? Works every time.”
“I believe that says more about the regularity with which you injure yourself than about my particular proclivities. It is just you, Charles. To quote someone I love dearly, you might as well ask me to stop blinking.” He heaved a sigh born of long acceptance, and Charles gazed back at him, a soft, unguarded expression on his face. “But I’m sorry. I should not allow myself to be distracted by you, not when you need my help.”
“What if I want you to be?” Charles laid a hand on Edwin’s, stilling it. “C’mon, love. You must’ve got them all now, yeah? Wanna help me take my mind off it?”
Edwin folded his fingers around Charles’s, gently lowering them as he attempted to resume his task. “Charles, you cannot be serious. I can see you are doing your best to hide it, but you are clearly in considerable pain.”
“I am serious.” Charles’s eyes were wide and wheedling, a hint of a smile playing around his lips. “Please. Want you on me, not this stuff.”
They stared at each other for a moment, during which Edwin’s eager body warred with his reluctant mind—implacable in all things, except Charles.
“You would have to settle for both,” he warned. “Lily said that the mixture must rest on your skin for at least an hour, otherwise it will be ineffective.”
Charles’s shoulders slumped. “Ugh, fine. All the more reason for you to distract me though….”
He leant forward to brush a kiss to Edwin’s lips, almost managing to conceal a flinch, and Edwin drew back.
“Are you positive you’re up to this?”
“Yeah, I’ll be aces as long as we take it easy.” At Edwin’s frown, he pressed on, more insistent. “No, don’t go looking all worried, I’m fine. I just.” He dropped his gaze, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Look, I know it sounds stupid, but that was bad, back there, and it hurts, and I don’t wanna dwell on it. So could you please give me something else to think about instead? Like…like that I’m yours?”
The little crack in his voice made Edwin’s heart twist. “Oh. Oh, darling. Of course.” Kissing the tips of his fingers, he touched them lightly to Charles’s sternum, taking care to avoid the salve-covered marks. “You are mine, and I shall make sure you know it.”
Despite Charles’s half-hearted protests, Edwin insisted on carrying him to their bed, where he laid him tenderly down. Indulging his earlier wish, he fussed over arranging the pillows and blankets around him just so. Only then would he countenance the removal of the rest of their clothing, sliding in beside Charles and curling around his back so as not to jar his injured chest. He took his time preparing him, wringing every drop of sweetness from it until Charles was trembling and pleading, his gasps of pain mingling with cries of pleasure.
Charles so often used his body as a shield; now, Edwin wanted it to be a sanctuary, to nurture the bright flame inside it and protect it from harm. He was bruised and he was battered, but he was here, and it was suddenly more important than anything to hold him, to overwhelm him with sensation so that only bliss remained.
“Can you take me, darling?” he whispered.
Charles made a small noise of assent, and Edwin sank into him, a slow, decisive claiming, one leg draped over Charles’s hip. At first, neither of them spoke as they settled into a deep, undemanding rhythm, an easy give and take between them as Charles’s body adjusted to Edwin, welcoming him in. Edwin rested his head against Charles’s back, listening intently for any indication of discomfort, though none came. He kept his hold gentle, careful not to press too hard, his hands resting over Charles’s heart.
“You are wonderfully brave,” he murmured into Charles’s neck, kissing his nape and nuzzling into the short hairs there. “Always looking to protect me, even when it endangers you. I wish you would take better care of yourself.”
Charles whimpered again, his fingers tangling with Edwin’s as Edwin continued to kiss him, dusting his shoulders, the tips of his ears, the back of his head. They rocked together, each subtle shift drawing them closer, tiny sparks of desire flickering across their skin.
“Do you want me to…?” Edwin offered delicately, but Charles shook his head.
“Not yet. Just…just like this, yeah?”
“Of course.” Edwin kissed behind Charles’s ear where he was ticklish, earning him a breathy laugh. “You’re here with me, Charles. You’re safe. We’re safe.”
Charles made a sound that might have been a sob and rolled his hips, increasing their pace.
“C’mon,” he said. “Want…want to feel you.”
Edwin was still wary, though he followed Charles’s lead, lavishing him with praise, guided by his hitching breaths. It was a tender climb, Edwin’s body anchoring Charles’s as they ascended the peak. Charles was unusually vocal, perhaps for Edwin’s benefit, perhaps for his own. This time, when Edwin reached down for him, he did not argue, chasing his pleasure until he was spilling over Edwin’s hand with a harsh, choked cry, Edwin’s fingers in his mouth.
Afterwards, Charles stretched languidly next to him, pliant and supple, and Edwin took full advantage, savouring the closeness, ensuring he felt properly cherished. He was loath to disturb their peace to check whether Charles’s bruises had faded, but it was a relief to hear him breathing more easily, his chest rising and falling with a comforting regularity. The salve had almost sunk into his skin; Edwin idly traced the last few patches with his fingertips, enjoying Charles’s pleased little shivers.
Eventually, when he judged that Charles was sufficiently recovered, he gave in to the compulsion to defend himself.
“That wasn’t quite true, what you said about the sight of you injured getting me going.”
Charles said nothing, merely squeezing Edwin's hand to show he had heard. Encouraged, Edwin continued:
“It is more about your protectiveness, the lengths you are willing to go in order to keep me safe. I cannot deny that the effect is…stirring.”
That was enough to make Charles turn to look at him, his face split in a knowing smirk.
“S’one way of putting it, if it makes you feel better.”
“And how do you feel?”
Charles shuffled back slightly. Lifting the blankets, he gestured to his body, now entirely free of bruising save the bite mark at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, which Edwin had no intention of erasing.
“Ta-da! You’ve healed me.”
Edwin rolled his eyes.
“I am fairly certain that was the salve. You should thank Lily, not me.”
“Already got quite a lot to thank her for, haven’t we? Not sure we should be giving her more ammunition.” Charles’s smirk deepened at the flush that crept across Edwin’s cheeks. “Anyway, I’m gonna give you most of the credit. Sexual healing, right?”
Edwin cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose if it was good enough for Ovid, we ought not to disparage it.”
“Dunno who that is. I was going for Marvin Gaye.” Charles looked almost back to his usual self, a familiar twinkle in his eye. “Anyway. Reckon we’ve earned the rest of the night off. So…wanna stay here and check I’m properly better?”
“You are meant to be resting—”
“M’lying down, aren’t I? That counts as resting, if you ask me.” He leaned forward and kissed him, slow and unhurried, and a new flame kindled in the pit of Edwin’s stomach. “Let’s make a deal. We can do anything you like, as long as I’m horizontal. Sound good?”
Lying there, whole and grinning with one hand still wound tantalisingly in Edwin’s hair, he was utterly irresistible. Inevitably, Edwin folded, reaching up to draw him in.
“As a matter of fact, it does.”
“Aces,” Charles breathed against his lips. “Let’s make the most of it.”
