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Charles was loudly cleaning out his bag, pulling out the most random objects and spreading them about the office, Edwin was certain he was purposely trying to put them within his space, the desk was now cluttered and Edwin could barely focus on the book he'd been reading.
"Ugh," said Charles with a disgusted face pulling out a random jar whose bottom was coated in slimy goo, Edwin looked up and scrunched his face in disgust, matching the one Charles was sporting.
"Don't even dare think about putting that thing on my desk," warned Edwin.
"Well, I gotta put it somewhere don't I?" antagonized Charles, "putting it on your desk is the perfect spot to annoy you."
"Find somewhere else to put it," said Edwin sternly.
"Fine, spoilsport, guess I'll have to find some other way to pester you into paying attention to me," grumbled Charles finding another place to put the jar, he put his hand back in the bag only to make an even more disgusted face as all that he'd managed to grab was a handful of that goo, "something must've spilled," complained Charles wiping some of the goo off on his jacket but his hand still had some goopy goo on it.
"What even is that?" enquired Edwin.
"How should I know? You're the smart one you tell me," complained Charles.
"Well, it is your goo."
"How do ya figure that, mate?"
"Your bag, your jar, hence your goo," explained Edwin.
"Just 'cause it's in my bag doesn't make it mine, if I put you in my bag doesn't make you mine, no matter how much I'd want that," countered Charles scrunching his face up at the end as if uncertain why those last words had slipped out.
Edwin bit back his retort, thankful that ghosts couldn't blush, and instead settled on a less harsh response, "do you at least have an idea what that substance could be?"
"I'll give you a closer look," said Charles invading Edwin's space, lifting his hand up as if to cup Edwin's cheek, and just before Edwin could question what exactly Charles was up to he rubbed the remainder of the goo all over Edwin, the majority of it getting on his cheek.
"Real mature Charles," scolded Edwin shuttering backwards at the grotesque feeling of the goo on his skin, he did his best to wipe it off his cheek as quickly as possible while Charles chuckled amused at his own antics.
"This stuff better not be toxic," scolded Edwin.
Charles shrugged, "We're already dead."
Edwin inhaled sharply, "we can get more dead or obliterated from existence for all eternity."
"Yeah, but I think I'd recall if I had a ghost evaporator goo in my bag."
"You don't even recall half of the stuff that goes in that damnable bag."
"'Scuse you, what does it look like I'm doing now, yeah?" complained Charles gesturing around their office and how the majority of it was covered in objects from Charles' bag.
"Being an adorable menace as always," countered Edwin.
Charles raised his eyesbrows clocking the word adorable, "wrong, I was doing inventory, but now I'm more invested into what you just said."
"Calling you a menace?"
"Not that part, mate."
Edwin scrunched his eyebrows not recalling what other thing they were talking about, "you mean when I told you, you don't know what's in your bag?"
Charles sighed dramatically, turning back to his bag, "You don't want to talk about it, fine, I'll go back to my inventory and forever wonder if you meant it."
Edwin rolled his eyes, "you are too endearingly dramatic for your own good Charles."
Charles gave Edwin a strange look then went back to his inventory, pulling out random objects, wiping the spilled goo off of them.
***
"I think it might be time to put some stuff away," observed Edwin as their office was now swimming with the most random of objects and there was little space unoccupied by the contents of Charles' bag.
"I'm not nearly done," complained Charles, "besides still haven't found where all this goo came from. You're the one who wanted to know if it was toxic, can hardly do that if I don't know what it was."
"You beautiful heathen, at this rate this office won't be functional again until the end of the year, at the earliest."
Charles faltered, "What did you just call me?"
"A heathen, surely this is not the first time I've used that word to describe your endearing antics."
"Okay, you just did it again," explained Charles.
"To what are you referring? I called you a heathen because you are acting like one, an adorable, loveable one of course, but still a heathen, this is not the first time I've called you that, might I add," retorted Edwin.
"Yeah, no, got that part, but the other, you keep adding adjectives, do you honestly not realize that? You're the most brilliant person I know, how could you not?"
Edwin flushed recalling back to earlier sentences and additional words that he couldn't stop from flowing out, "I... I... those were more internal than external thoughts, I don't know why I'm having trouble sensoring myself around you, I was hoping you'd be a dear and just ignore it. Clearly I was mistaken and your beautiful, critical mind cannot let this go until you figure out why such things keep slipping from my lips."
"Bullocks!" shouted Charles.
Edwin looked at Charles startled.
Charles frantically rummaged through his bag until he pulled out a nearly flattened tube that looked like a tube of toothpaste but was covered in the goo from earlier, "this was expensive, had to trade 3 haunted Clues for this."
"What exactly is that?" enquired Edwin.
"The source of the goo from earlier," explained Charles tossing over the tube to Edwin so he could read it for himself. Edwin frowned at the fact that it made his hands all goopy again.
"Couldn't you have just read this to me," complained Edwin.
"Could've but I kind of love seeing you squirm like that," teased Charles with a laughing smile, "you should see the look on your face absolutely brills."
Edwin frowned at Charles, "I will get you back for this, one day."
"Honestly, love to see you try."
"Did you seriously pay 3 haunted Clues for this?" asked Edwin holding the tube by the tips of his fingers.
"Yeah, thought it could come in handy, you know for interrogations and whatnot, force them to tell the truth and whatnot."
"Still, truth goo? The tagline is absolutely horriendous guaranteed to get to the gooey truth who even thinks of such things."
"I don't know mate, it's like truth serum, just a little more gooey, seemed like a good deal at the time, yeah?"
"Except now it's all over us and our belongings," scolded Edwin.
"Yeah, sucks that we ended up wasting it, but could've been worse things we got enchanted with."
"Really? How do you not care that we are forced to tell the truth," complained Edwin.
"Well, the way I see it, we're best mates, not like we have any secrets between us, anyways, we probably won't even notice it, not like we go around lying to each other all the time," laughed Charles.
Edwin looked at Charles with wide eyes.
"Right?" questioned Charles upon seeing Edwin's expression.
Edwin remained stoically still.
"Oi, what's this then, you saying you lie to me?" asked Charles a hurt expression spread across his features.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't not say that," countered Charles.
Edwin huffed, "you are being ridiculous."
"Tell me now, that you haven't lied to me and I'll drop it."
"I haven't lied to you," stated Edwin firmly and purposely closed his lips firmly so no other words would spill out.
"Alright then," said Charles perking up, "why were you acting all cagey about lying, sometimes I don't understand you."
Edwin nodded his head refusing to speak and give away more truth than he was willing.
"Wait a minute, I asked about lying and secrets, does this mean you have a secret!"
"Stop being so brilliantly clever!" admonished Edwin, "It is unfair that you have brains, brawn and looks you are entirely too charming!"
"So what's your secret?" asked Charles a mischeiveous glint to his eye.
"No," said Edwin.
"Aw come on, I tell you all my secrets."
"That's because your secrets wouldn't alter the very foundation of our friendship."
"Well, now I have to know."
"You really, really, really wouldn't want to hear this," assured Edwin.
"Unless your secret is how you secretly hate my guts or find me annoying, I can assure you I want to know."
"When have I ever hid when I'm annoyed with you?" questioned Edwin.
Charles laughed, "fair point, guess that means no excuse not to tell me, mate."
Edwin shook his head, "you will hate me and want to leave, and I don't want to exist in a world where we are parted."
Charles approached Edwin with kind eyes and gently placed his hands on Edwin's shoulders, sliding his hands down Edwin's arms until they met Edwin's hands and held on, "I assure you mate, never gonna happen, you and I, we're a team, so whatever this secret of yours is we'll deal with it together, alright?"
Edwin nodded his head squeezing Charles' fingers for assurance before forcing out the dreaded words, "I love you."
Charles smiled, "love you too, now can you please tell me this big secret of yours so I can assure you that you've been worrying over nothing."
"You don't understand. I love you Charles."
"And I love you," stated Charles, "could you please just tell me your secret."
"No, that is my secret," said Edwin eyes getting glassy.
Charles huffed out a laugh, "that's your BIG secret? Mate, that's not a secret, you love me, I love you this can't be the first time we've stated that, right? What's the big deal we're friends of course you love me, we've been best friends for decades and I love you, obviously."
Edwin shook his head, "You misunderstand."
"So you don't love me?" laughed Charles with a teasing smirk.
"I do every part of my being loves you."
Charles smiled softly at that admission.
Edwin looked like he was about to burst into tears and ducked his head.
Charles analyzed Edwin, looking him up and down, clueing in that there must be some part he's missing, he released one of Edwin's hands and then reached up to cup Edwin's cheek with the now free hand, gently stroking his skin coaxing Edwin to look at him, "tell me why you're upset."
"I don't want to ruin things between us."
"You wouldn't, you couldn't, nothing you do could, if ever something were to tear us apart it would've happened long ago."
"Charles, you don't get it."
"Then explain it to me in a way that someone as thick as I can understand. I want to understand why you think loving me is such a disturbing thought, am I really that unloveable?" asked Charles he was trying to stay light and happy but the final words stung on his lips as he wondered at the upsetting truth that maybe Edwin hated that he loved someone like Charles.
"It's, it's... the way I love you... I love you in ways you will never reciprocate..."
"And how's that?" asked Charles with warm eyes, fingers gently stroking Edwin's face.
"I'm in love with you Charles."
Charles double-blinked, "what?"
"You heard me perfectly clear Charles!" said Edwin annoyed, "must you embarrass me further by making me repeat that I am in love with you, that I'd want nothing more to kiss and hold you, to be your paramour, your person."
"You are my person," was all Charles could think to say to Edwin's confession.
Edwin shook his head, "I know you can't reciprocate."
"Bullocks."
Edwin scrunched his brows together.
Charles stepped closer one hand still on Edwin's cheek the other clasping Edwin's hand. Edwin gasped at the lack of space between them, they were a mere breath apart now.
"You are my person, Edwin, have been since before I died. I love you deeply and sincerly," admitted Charles before leaning in impossibly closer, gently stroking Edwin's cheek before he closed the gap between them and their lips connected in a gentle carress that both broke and mended their hearts.
Edwin pulled away first looking at Charles in stunned silence.
Charles smiled softly at Edwin, "you have no idea how long I've waited to do that."
Edwin opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.
"If it's not clear I've been in love with you for decades Edwin, I just never knew how to tell you."
"Charles," said Edwin endearingly before reaching forwards and reconnecting their lips in a lingering lustful kiss that threatened to fuse their energies, both of them pouring their heart and soul into the kiss.