Archive of Our Own ^beta

 “ Mail Call!”

Everyone in the office jumped at the sudden and loud intrusion into the room. Niko clutched her chest in surprise as Crystal – who was sitting next to her on the small sofa – grabbed the arm of the chair and let out a flurry of expletives. Charles slid off of his perch on the desk and took several steps back towards the cupboard and Edwin gasped.

“ Good grief!” he complained. “Can you not enter the room with a little less volume?”

“ You've got to be doing that on purpose.” Charles held a hand to his chest.

“ That's just the ghost post.” the postman shrugged unsympathetically, chucked a bundle of letters on the desk, tipped his hat and disappeared back through the wall.

“ Doesn't he care that some of us are still alive and capable of going into cardiac arrest?” Crystal complained, leaning back into the sofa.

Niko mirrored Crystal's position as she caught her breath.

“ I'll never get used to that.” Charles huffed and shook his head as he walked back to the side of the desk. “So, anything worthwhile?”

Edwin shuffled through the letters one by one, until one of them gave him pause. The handwriting was a surprisingly (given who he had just realised had written it) graceful cursive, written with deep purple ink. He was clued in by the ' Edwin Payne and co.' instead of it being addressed to the Dead Boy Detective Agency. The “I” s were also dotted with little hearts. He almost wanted to laugh when he turned it over and saw that it was wax-sealed with the cannery logo.

How delightfully conspicuous.

Curious, he pulled it open and slid the neatly-folded letter out of its envelope. A little voice in the very back of his brain wanted to tell him that this could just be two pages of explicit nonsense. However, he quickly quashed that thought and got to reading.

'Hello ghostie,

Sadly, this isn't the fun and sexy kind of letter I'd hoped to be writing you. Actually, I have some bad news. There have been whispers of a sect of ghost poachers making an appearance in various t e rritori e s. There have been several sightings in the underground clubbing scene and I have received word from my sister in London that they have also been sighted near your area.

I strongly advise that you lay low for the time being. They make sport of catching famous ghosts and your reputation has only been growing r e cently (good for you, any other time BTW). You and your bat-wielding bestie-for-the-restie have made quite the name for yourselves, which, in this case, is decidedly not a good thing.

Stay out of their way if you can and avoid them. These idiots could be dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt.

I hope that our paths will cross again, ghostie.

Love, The Cat King

P.S. Please stay saf e , Edwin. Do you miss me yet?'

A thousand and one thoughts flickered through Edwin's mind as he read the letter. Ghost poachers are a serious threat, and he couldn't deny the gratitude that he felt towards the Cat King for taking the time to warn them about it. The tone of the letter towards the end was sincere enough that it gave him pause. He was encouraged by that fact to take this case especially seriously.

“ Guess whiskers can be useful sometimes.” Charles said, from where he now stood leaning over Edwin's shoulder.

“ Ghost poachers in London… this does not bode well.” Edwin frowned in concerned thought. This could cause things to become exceedingly complicated.

“ It might not be that serious. I mean, it could just be that sneaky Cat King trying to trick you into going to see him again.” Charles suggested.

“ I do not believe that to be the case. He had plenty of opportunity to try something before we left Port Townsend, but he was… perfectly kind during our last conversation.” Edwin countered, recalling their farewell in the alley by the Tongue & Tail butcher shop.

“ Kind? The Cat King?” Charles could not have sounded any more sceptical if he had tried.

“ The Cat King was really helpful!” Niko chimed in. “He told me and Crystal all about Esther! And, he really likes Edwin~”

“ Yeah, true, but he was a dick about giving us his little story-time. Plus, he was the one that got us stuck in town in the first place.” Crystal huffed.

“ Be that as it may, the fact is that he did help in his own way and I, as the afflicted party, bare no ill will towards him. In actuality, we parted on rather amicable terms.” Edwin tried to be the voice of reason.

Sure, the Cat King's little punishment bracelet had resulted in a lot of problems for them, but he hadn't intended for it to do anything more than keep him around until he had counted all 147 cats. Edwin understood now, why he had been given that specific task to complete. It was intended to make him think about the cats, give them value, make him take the time to remember the individual felines after he had senselessly said that they all looked alike. A trap for a trap, a task for a task.

He understood Charles' distrust, but to Edwin, the intent was a vital aspect to the situation that needed to be considered.

“ You mentioned ghost poachers? That sounds really scary… what if they try to hurt you?” Niko's voice cut through Edwin's thoughts.

Edwin considered this, the letter made it sound as though the poachers might have a particular interest in himself and Charles, given their position as relatively well-known among the supernatural community. The letter did seem to voice a specific concern for the safety of Edwin himself, though how much of that was simply due to the Cat King's rather blatant favouritism remained to be seen. Either way, it was more than just himself that was at risk.

“ We cannot simply leave them to wreak havoc. We must do something about this.” He replied.

“ I say we gear up and go to scope out the underground clubs, since that's where the Cat King said they were lurking.” said Charles. “If his tip really is any good, that is.”

“ We have no reason to assume that it wouldn't be.” Edwin looked at Charles with mild confusion. “His help could prove to be incredibly useful.”

There had always been a specific kind of tenseness to Charles when the topic of the Cat King came up and it was clear that he didn't want to believe that the cat was genuinely trying to be of some help in this instance. He wished that he could understand, but he found himself perplexed.

Already, they were beginning to talk themselves in circles.

If he thought about it, it was also the attitude that he had had towards Monty, back when they had first started to spend time together bonding over books and learning about each others' interests. He had never quite bought into the idea of astrology, but he could certainly admire Monty's passion for the subject, and he was always open to broadening his knowledge.

Charles had praised Monty for his 'redemption arc' in helping Charles escape from his shackles to fight Esther's snake. That considered, perhaps it was just that he needed some first-hand experience before he could accept that the Cat King was not malicious.

On occasion, Edwin found that he would wonder about what had happened to Monty after Esther got dragged away by Lilith. They had not seen him since, but then, they hadn't really tried to look for him either. Was he free of his contract as a familiar? Was he okay? Was he safe, wherever he was?

Edwin shook the thoughts from his head and tried to refocus on the task at hand. It would not serve him to dwell on the matter; it would only make him sad.

“ I just think we'd be better off without him sticking around, yeah?” Charles moved towards the door and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Besides, he'd only get in the way, mate. We can handle this ourselves.”

Edwin let out a small, frustrated huff at that, but decided to let it go. They didn't really have the time to be wasting on a silly disagreement when there were souls at risk.

“ Wait, are we going now ?” Niko asked as she realised what they were planning.

“ Just some simple reconnaissance work is all. It is imperative that we figure out what it is that we are up against.” Edwin assured, having no plans to get them all caught too far out of their depth.

“ Alright, let's go. At least it isn't somewhere boring this time.” Crystal joked. “Maybe they'll just want to record you for their TikTok or something.”

-----

They did not want to record them for their TikTok.

Everything had been going rather well up until a point. Unfortunately, that point had come in the form of them being discovered in a painfully rapid fashion.

Upon their discovery, they had attempted to make a hasty exit from the club, but had been quickly apprehended by one of the poachers, whose associates had managed to surround them. Crystal had tried to talk them out of it, but they hadn't bought it and, if anything, had become more aggressive.

In a split second decision, Crystal had grabbed the one blocking their path by the wrist and told him: “You're covered in ants.” and let go.

As soon as she had dropped his arm, he had started shaking, looked down at himself and screamed, trying desperately to swipe off droves of ants that weren't actually there. The man had begged his friends to help him, but they had known that it had merely been a mind trick and ignored him, reaching out to try and grab the detectives instead.

One of them had managed to get a hold of Edwin after stabbing him in the side with an iron knife. He yelled out and had attempted to elbow the man, but had been met with another jab of the knife that had sent a second horrendous searing pain through his abdomen that, had he not developed an increased pain tolerance, would have sent him doubling over in agony.

Meanwhile, Crystal had been trying to get the other two men off of Charles, who was being restrained by both of his arms. With a lucky hit, Charles had managed to headbutt one of their assailants under the chin, causing him to reel back and loosen his grip enough to be shoved off and into the crowd.

The woman who the man fell back into had spilled her drink due to the impact and she looked furious. Furious enough to reel back her fist and punch him square in the nose.

When he cussed at her in response and another called her some particularly unpleasant names, her friends descended on the poachers in a startlingly vicious manner. The man who had stabbed Edwin, let go in shock and fell back against the very irritated man behind him, thus resulting in a gut punch that forced him to drop his targets in favour of self-defence.

A bar fight had quickly broken out, allowing Crystal and the boys to escape through the chaos.

It had quite possibly been the most calamitous attempt at reconnaissance that Edwin could recall ever having undertaken. And that was saying something.

-----

It had taken Edwin far longer than he had assumed it would for him to heal from the stab wounds that had been afflicted upon him by the ghost poachers at the club, which gave him reason to believe that the blade may have been enchanted and not simply made of iron. It raised a multitude of questions, none of which he had answers for.

He also felt stupid. He should have known that what happened to him would be a possibility and prepared for it far more thoroughly. They had rushed into things with the assumption that they would be able to fly under the radar, but he should have heeded the Cat King's warning. Now, they would likely have to put the case of the ghost poachers on hold until something could be done about his predicament.

He would not be making such a novice mistake again.

Next time, they would be sufficiently prepared for their confrontation with the ghost poachers and armed with the ability to stop them from carrying out their nefarious deeds any longer.

In the wake of his unfortunate injury and subsequent inability to function at his usual capacity, he found himself restless. He really did detest having to take the back seat on their recent cases since the incident, but until he was able to fully heal, it was most frustratingly unavoidable.

After their stint in Port Townsend and the subsequent quest to find and rescue Niko, he had realised that Charles had likely been correct in his assertion that he should really consider learning some sort of self-defence. However, he found that admitting to that fact to be highly objectionable.

They had made do over the years with book smarts, cricket bats and a few well-placed spells, but the increasing stakes of their cases as of late — particularly the case with these troublesome ghost poachers — had him reconsidering his attitude.

Charles had tried to get him to learn some boxing, but the sport didn't really hold and real appeal to him. It was too hands-on for him, perhaps. It was all fists and no grace, and more notably, it didn't really fit .

He had been finding that his mind was drifting to the subject more often than not during their moments of downtime, between cases and whenever they had to face something that was particularly dangerous. Especially after their disastrous experience at the club.

A large part of him was stuck thinking about how it might not be entirely fair to place that much pressure and responsibility on Charles' shoulders, by expecting him to act as the sole protector of the group. Granted, Crystal could more than take care of herself (though it clearly didn't prevent Charles from worrying), and even Niko had started taking an interest in learning some defensive spells since her rescue. Perhaps he should be pulling his weight more, to take some of the burden of managing combat situations away from the others.

He just didn't know what to do about it.

-----

“ There's something wrong with Edwin...” Charles whispered to Crystal as they observed him silently from behind an old book and a smartphone respectively.

“ It's starting to freak me out.” Crystal whispered back.

“ I think it's about the botched job. It took ages for that stab wound to heal… I'm worried about him.” Charles leaned closer to her side as he spoke under his breath. “He's been reading the same page for the last two hours.”

“ Have you tried talking to him about it?” Crystal gave him a sideways glance.

“ Of course I have. It was the first thing I tried, wasn't it?”

“ Are we talking about how weird Edwin has been acting since he got stabbed on that case that we never closed with those ghost poachers?” Niko chimed in, seemingly having materialised out of thin air.

“ Holy shit, Niko!” Crystal whisper-yelled. “Where did you come from?”

“ I just came in and saw you two whispering and it looked like fun, but then I heard that it was about Edwin and now I wanna help.” she replied.

“ He just won't admit that there's something wrong. I wish he'd just tell me.” Charles lamented.

“ Charles.” Edwin called, without looking up from the page that he was reading. “You do know that I have been able to hear everything that you've been discussing for the past hour?” he finished by looking up at them judgmentally over the top of his book.

“ Sorry mate. We're all just worried, yeah. We want to be here for you, mate, but you've got to let us.” Charles stood up as he spoke.

“ I assure you-” Edwin stood as well, placing his book down and circling the desk. “I am perfectly alright.

“ Edwin-”

“ I apologise if I worried you, but there is nothing to discuss. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going up to the roof for some fresh air.”

He was off, out of the room before any of them had the opportunity to question it.

Charles sighed dramatically and plonked himself back down on the small sofa, next to Crystal, who patted his arm sympathetically.

“ I'll go talk to him.” Niko offered.

“ Good idea Niko, he seems to be a bit more open with you.” Crystal agreed.

Charles tried to hide the small frown that made its way onto his face at that. He was glad that Edwin had more friends to talk to, who he felt comfortable with, but that didn't mean that he wasn't a bit sad that his best mate didn't want to confide in him. Though, he supposed that he had been just as guilty of keeping things to himself. Didn't make it suck any less.

-----

When Niko got up to the roof, Edwin was leaning against the edge of the wall that fenced in the small space. He looked tense and pensive.

“ Edwin?” Niko announced her presence before approaching to stand beside him, mirroring the way that he was leaning against the wall. “What are you thinking about?”

“ Just that… I feel completely foolish.” he admitted, casting his gaze down to the side. “I should not have underestimated the situation, and I got myself hurt because of it, almost got you, and Crystal and Charles hurt as well.”

“ That wasn't your fault, though. All of us made the choice to go in there without being totally prepared.” Niko said, gently.

“ I only wish that I had heeded the Cat King's warning. If I had just taken it more seriously, we wouldn't have gotten into such a mess.” Edwin sighed in frustration.

“ But Charles was really against asking the Cat King for help. You were just trying to compromise with him.” Niko reasoned. “Everyone makes mistakes, even with 124 years of experience.” She nudged her shoulder lightly into his and smiled.

Edwin smiled back, but then his expression turned contemplative once more. “Perhaps, I should consider learning some self-defence, as Charles suggested. If I had been able to fight back, maybe I would not have sustained such serious injuries.”

“ Well, what did Charles suggest exactly?” Niko asked, tilting her head to the side.

“ That I attempt to learn boxing. He called it a “gentleman's sport”. Really, as much as I appreciate his sincere attempt to help, I don't much see the appeal and I can't really picture myself in a bout of fisticuffs.”

He did recall, however, that he rather enjoyed his lessons in fencing when he was at boarding school. He had been fairly good at it and it might have been the only thing that he could name that he actually remembered fondly about that dreadful institution.

“ So boxing isn't really your thing, is there anything you can think of that might be?” She leaned more heavily against the wall, turning fully to face him.

“ I used to take fencing classes, which I would be happy to take up once more, but I fear that I don't have anyone versed in such a skill to practice with.” Edwin explained, after debating himself on it for a moment.

Niko tapped her chin while she thought about it, then held up her finger as an idea struck. “What about the Cat King?” she said it as though it could have been an obvious choice.

“ The Cat King? What do you mean?” Edwin turned to face her properly as well, tilting his head curiously.

“ Well… he's been around for centuries, right? So maybe he knows how.” She said, eagerly. “You should ask him!”

“ Niko, I cannot simply waltz back to Port Townsend just to bother him with something that he may very well not even be able or willing to help me with.” Edwin replied, mind reeling at the thought of seeing the Cat King again. “Besides, he would likely demand something in return for the favour.”

A contemplative look crossed Niko's face as she pondered that point for a moment. “He wouldn't make you do anything that you were super uncomfortable with, right?” She asked, voice as soft as always if not tinged with a fair bit of concern.

“ No. No… I suppose not. He is certainly the type to skirt boundaries, but he has never outright crossed any. I didn't get the impression that he would.” Edwin felt a strange sort of need to clarify that. He didn't want his friend to get the wrong impression.

Dealing with Charles' apprehension (and outright distaste) for the Cat King was more than enough for Edwin and he did not wish to add any unnecessary fuel to the fire by misspeaking or allowing any unwarranted doubts to occur with his other friends.

“ Well, he already warned you about the poachers without demanding repayment, so maybe he'll just want to help. But, if you think he'd want something in return, why don't you bring him a gift? Just in case.” Niko suggested, gasping happily as though it were a particularly grand idea.

“ I… wouldn't even know where to begin. What does one opt to gift to a king of cats?” Edwin pondered, surprising himself at his own willingness to humour the thought.

“ Hmm… he probably likes stuff that cats like, right? Maybe you could bring him some nice fish? Or chicken, I guess. Catnip, maybe? Oh! What about a fancy cat charm? Like on a necklace?” Niko listed some ideas, holding up her fingers as she went through them.

Edwin considered that for a while and tried to imagine how the Cat King might react to each of those gifts and couldn't imagine anything negative coming of them per se, but something about them just didn't feel right . He knew from experience that the Cat King worked with a sort of equivalent exchange, tit for tat. A thought struck him.

“ Niko, I think that I know what to offer him.” Edwin smiled, triumphantly.

“ That's great! Now you can go and ask him and he can practice with you!” Niko cheered and smiled back at Edwin.

“ That is assuming that he will be well acquainted with the sport… but yes, I suppose that I can ask him.”

-----

As he approached the mirror back in the office, Edwin felt his nerves creeping up on him. There was really no need for him to feel any apprehension, he tried to tell himself. But, there was that little voice in the back of his head that told him that this was all very silly and maybe a little bit pointless.

No . He resolved. He was going to go through with this, nerves be damned.

With that, he strode through the mirror.

When he arrived back in Port Townsend, it was on the far side of the docks, across from the cannery. It was also rather early in the afternoon. It was easy to forget that London was eight hours ahead, and he could only be thankful that ghosts did not experience what Crystal and Niko had described to him as “jet lag”.

He made his way across the docks, towards the warehouse, passing by a number of cats that seemed to either stare at him with curiosity or ignore him completely with little in between.

“ You again? What do you want?” Edwin looked down to see the cat that he had tricked for information.

“ I am here to see the Cat King.” Edwin replied concisely.

“ If I didn't already know that he's been waiting, I'd tell you to fuck off.” The cat said before scurrying away.

Edwin would have had more time to feel affronted at the comment, had the first half of it not sent his mind reeling. The Cat King had been waiting for him? For how long? How could he have possibly known that Edwin was intending to pay him a visit? Had he known at all or was this a broader statement? When he had told Edwin upon their parting that he would miss him, had he been hoping that Edwin would come back?

Maybe he had been expecting his letter to spur a visit.

No matter the case, Edwin would never know by standing outside, dawdling. So he straightened his jacket, took an arbitrary breath and headed inside.

When he approached the throne of pallets, there was a sleek and elegant black cat sitting there, its tail idly swishing back and forth. Its eyes seemed to widen when it caught sight of Edwin and before he could do much to react, the cat pounced off of the throne, transforming mid-leap.

All of a sudden, in a familiar shock of purple flames, the Cat King now stood where the black cat had been. Edwin was confused for a moment, remembering him to have previously taken the form of a long-haired ginger cat, but he mentally filed away the question for later.

“ Edwin~” the Cat King sounded positively elated as he approached, sidling up to Edwin and running a hand suggestively over the lapel of his coat. “I didn't expect to see you again so soon. What a pleasant surprise~”

“ Did you not? Your subject outside seemed to be under the impression that you have been waiting for me.” Edwin didn't know where the sudden desire to tease the Cat King had come from, but it was too late to question it.

“ Damn it, Meatball, you little snitch.” He whispered under his breath before turning the charm back on. “You should know that it's always a deep, deep pleasure to see you. Can you blame me for being a little eager?” he spoke slowly and with the insinuation of som e thing , and Edwin was incredibly glad that ghosts could not blush or he feared that he would be an embarrassing shade of pink.

“ Actually, I am here to ask you a favour.” Edwin changed the subject in an attempt to get back on track.

The Cat King let his gaze drop to the side for a second before looking back up. It had been too quick, but Edwin could have almost sworn that he had looked a little disappointed. “Oh? And here I thought this might be a social call. What is it that you desire?” he asked with his usual lilt.

“ I suppose you could consider it a social visit... That is, I was wondering if perhaps you might have some experience with the art of fencing?” Edwin said, seeming to take the Cat King completely off guard, if his expression was anything to go by.

“ Fencing? What for?” He questioned, completely thrown off.

“ It is just that, I have unfortunately been made aware of my need to learn some efficient self-defence for use in emergencies. I used to undergo lessons in fencing while I was at school, but I find myself a little rusty in the application and lacking in a suitable partner. I suppose that what I am attempting to ask is whether you would be amenable to the prospect of filling that role? As a sparring partner, that is.” Edwin rambled out his reply.

“ I am afraid that I don't know much about the sport of fencing. Too many rules.” Edwin couldn't help but be a little deflated at the Cat King's response. He didn't know what he had expected, but he didn't have long to dwell on the feeling when the Cat King kept speaking.

“ Swordsmanship, however; that I can teach you,” he grinned.

“ Swordsmanship?” Edwin repeated, attempting to keep his excitement reasonably contained.

“ I am a few hundred years older than you, as I said before. The tail end of the Renaissance period, to be exact. You don't live through all of that without picking up some tricks.” the Cat King winked as he stepped back a few paces.

In a show of purple fire, he emerged again in a loose, black, lantern-sleeved shirt and high-waisted trousers that fastened with a neat column of buttons at the left side. In his hand, he held a well-maintained rapier with a beautifully ornate, golden, swept hilt that resembled the swishing tail of a pouncing cat, its body being the handle itself and its head the tip of the hilt.

“ Here.” he said as he summoned an almost identical sword that had a silver hilt rather than a gold one, and threw it to Edwin, who lunged forward and somehow managed to catch it in his hand.

“ Really, Cat King. Do be more careful.” he chastised.

“ Edwin, sweetheart, I wouldn't have thrown it to you if I didn't know that you could catch it. Also, that blade may be sharp, but it can't cut you, ghostie. No iron.” the Cat King replied, seeming highly amused at being told off.

Edwin was once again grateful that ghosts didn't blush. He had admittedly been a tad distracted when the blade had been thrown, but he wasn't at all willing to admit as much. The Cat King cut a rather fine figure in his semi-historical attire and that mischievous grin of his was quite irritatingly handsome, though he was loath to ever say as much out loud. The Cat King surely didn't need his ego fluffed up any further than it already was.

“ Be that as it may, I would appreciate a tad more caution.” Edwin straightened up and adjusted his grip on the handle.

“ I have to gauge where you're at somehow, don't I? What better way than with a little hands-on experience? I don't want to go too hard on you after all~” the Cat King winked as he took a readied stance, twirling the sword in his grip.

“ Really now. I might be out of practice, but that doesn't mean that I am incapable of besting you.” Edwin was growing excited and by the Cat King's grin, it was likely written all over his face.

The prospect of getting to delve further into something that had ignited his passion in his youth now that he had aged a century or more, was exhilarating. He hadn't fully considered just how much he had missed this, nor just how enjoyable it might be to explore it with someone who he knew regarded him favourably, rather than with any sort of hint of the contempt or malice that his classmates had held.

He carefully extracted himself from his coat, then his blazer and tossed them to the floor a little ways behind himself, all too aware of the way that the Cat King's eyes raked over his body as he did so. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, feeling those amber eyes following the movement. He hadn't really intended for the action to hold any sort of allure, but he also wasn't completely ignorant to the appeal.

“ Always such a tease , Edwin~” the Cat King flirted, “I do love this competitive side of you, though. It's so… oddly charming~”

“ You have a tendency to say that; calling me odd. Is it supposed to be a compliment?” Edwin asked with a raised brow, as he prepared himself for combat.

“ I think that you know it is. I am annoyingly fond of you, ghostie. In case you hadn't noticed. I like you.”

Was it suddenly a bit warm in there?

Edwin cleared his throat. “I had noticed that you were annoying, yes. I hadn't realised that you were so self-aware, though. Colour me impressed.”

“ Mee-ow~ The kitten has claws.”

The Cat King laughed as he swept his blade through the air between them, Edwin quickly catching on and parrying the swing half way. The tone switched, and the Cat King came at him with several swift strikes, each one he met with increasing confidence. They each stepped closer, their swords crossed.

Their eyes met over the blades between them. A spark of something electric simmered between their shared gaze. It rushed through him in a jolt and he could almost swear that he felt the phantom pulse of his fluttering heart.

He decided to chalk it up to the excitement of the moment, though he knew in the back of his mind that it was, in actuality, a completely different kind of excitement.

“ You're good at this, but a little boarding school fencing isn't enough to take on an opponent who's trained with real blades.” as the Cat King spoke, he twisted the sword in his hand in a full circle, forcing Edwin's along with it before flicking his wrist and sending it skittering across the floor.

Edwin looked down at the sword in shock at how easily he had been disarmed, then back up at the Cat King. He really was out of practice. However, the Cat King wasn't wearing the kind of smug expression that he had been expecting, rather, it was a far softer look.

“ Well...” Edwin wasn't sure what to say.

“ The difference, ghostie, is that when you use a real blade, you're not just playing a game of tag. Life and death are in the balance.” he slipped his sword into a leather scabbard that was fastened at his left hip and walked over to the sword that had fallen and picked it up.

“ You were holding back.” Edwin said, contemplatively.

“ Edwin, how many years has it been since you last picked up a sword? A hundred? More? I wasn't going to go all-out right from the get-go.” The Cat King circled back around and passed the sword back to Edwin.

Edwin takes it and considers it for a moment before meeting the Cat King's eyes. A peculiar sort of gold that almost moved like liquid, like hot metal in a forge, bathed in the orange flame of the hearth.

“ Don't think of it as a tool, think of it as an extension of your arm, like it's a part of you,” he got Edwin to lift his arm straight ahead of him. “Feel the balance of the blade.” he moved behind him and spoke softly by his ear as he smoothed a hand along the underside of Edwin's arm, to guide his positioning.

Edwin inhaled sharply and let out a slow breath. He was so close. How exactly was he supposed to maintain concentration under these conditions?

“ I think that this may be a little counter-intuitive.” Edwin said, trying to remain composed.

“ Oh? How so?” the Cat King asked.

“ It's just a tad distracting-” Edwin had to cut himself off as he turned his head and came face-to-face with the Cat King. Their faces were so close that if he moved an inch, their lips might brush.

Edwin dropped his arm and took a broad step back with a quiet gasp.

“ Too close for comfort?” the Cat King asked.

“ No… Well, yes, maybe. I am not accustomed to such… proximity.” Edwin replied as he fought the urge to look away.

The Cat King smiled and walked back to his previous starting position, never once turning his gaze from Edwin's. “Shall we go for another round?” he suggested, drawing his sword once more.

Immediately, Edwin's expression changed and he perked up again. He felt that excitement that he had when he had first arrived building back up again. He also found that he couldn't exactly call the flirtations unwelcome. In fact, he was rather enjoying their back-and-forth.

He had a rather enjoyable argumentative banter with Crystal, and a friendlier bickering with Charles, but there was something uniquely entertaining about the teasing nature of his dynamic with the Cat King. He was constantly being challenged, but also felt that they were on equal footing. It was almost something that he felt less accustomed to than the occasional proximity.

It was nice.

-----

When Edwin returned to the office, it was still dark outside. Though when he looked at the clock, he saw that it was already well into the early hours of the morning. He was relieved that he hadn't underestimated the time that he had been gone by too much. It had been around five or six hours since he left.

At the same time, he hadn't realised just how long it had been. He had heard that time would fly when one was having fun and supposed that it must be true. He felt invigorated by his time with the Cat King, which was a pleasant surprise all on its own.

He had somewhat expected things to go less than smoothly, but he had felt more than adequately challenged and been treated as an equal despite the obvious difference in their skill levels. The Cat King had been endlessly patient and playful in a way that he now realised had completely prevented him from feeling inadequate or burdensome.

Edwin smiled to himself as he took his usual seat behind the desk and started looking through the list of their potential cases.

He looked forward to seeing him again.

-----

It had been a little over three weeks before Edwin found himself with a sufficient lapse in work for him to consider another visit to Port Townsend. He had quickly been bogged down with cases, especially with the Night Nurse dropping in with some of her own for them to solve, along with the ones that they were getting from clients.

Their troubles with the poachers fell to the wayside as other matters popped up time and again with more dire urgency.

He had been determined to get through them in a timely manner and work through the backlog before he would return for another sparring session, but now that so much time had passed, he found himself wishing that he had been able to find time for it between cases, even if it had only been while everyone else was off sleeping or doing their own thing.

It was a time such as that now, where their ongoing cases had all been wrapped up rather nicely and the others had all headed out for the night.

Charles had accompanied Crystal back to her flat a few blocks away. He liked spending time there in the evenings, especially since their relationship had begun to pick up steam again. They tried to hide it from him in a way that made it obvious that Charles had confided in her about his confession on the stairway to Hell.

He didn't mind their relationship as much as he might have thought that he would. He was genuinely happy for them and found that more than any sort of potential jealousy he may have harboured, he simply enjoyed the sight of his best friend being happy, even if it wasn't with him. It didn't hurt that he had also grown increasingly fond of Crystal.

In actuality, unbeknownst to anyone other than Niko and to Edwin himself, one of the biggest contributors to his ability to move on was that he had begun to find his thoughts rather preoccupied with someone else.

Someone else, to whom he was, in fact, just about to pay another long-awaited visit.

-----

“ Edwin” the Cat King exclaimed as he walked through the entrance to the cannery, jumping up from his throne. “It's been three weeks. I thought that maybe you weren't planning on coming back.”

“ I apologise. Things became incredibly busy at the office and I was thus unable to come by.” he stepped closer. “I am here now, though.”

“ So you are~” the Cat King circled him and came to a stop when they were face to face again. “Ready for another lesson?”

“ Ready to teach me?” Edwin countered.

The Cat King grinned with a glint of excitement and Edwin found himself very much echoing the feeling. It was like a spark catching between them and something in Edwin knew that he was at a decisive point, that this thing (sparring partnership? friendship?) that he was starting with the Cat King would change things. What that change would mean for them remained to be seen, but he was eager to find out.

-----

It was a couple of weeks of shorter visits snuck in between closed cases before Edwin was able to find his way back to Port Townsend again for a longer session of practice. He had also been rather preoccupied with their investigation into the ghost poachers who were now inhabiting London. They had drifted to the back of his mind as he became occupied with other matters, but as they began to make subtle moves, he had thought it prudent to keep his wits about him and do some proper research in an attempt to get ahead of the curve.

Though it sadly hadn't yielded much.

The Cat King had not mentioned anything more about the surge in their unwanted activity, either, though that could be because Edwin had never brought up the topic of conversation himself. He almost did not want to.

He did not want to somehow taint whatever they had been creating together with such a dark topic. What they were doing had undoubtedly begun out of necessity, but it could not be denied that it had become a sort of escape for Edwin, from the drama and danger of day to day casework.

The sparring was fulfilling in a way, allowing him to develop his ability to fight for himself in an environment which was safe, with a partner who he could now safely say that he trusted, who he knew thought of him as capable and who acknowledged his strength.

Perhaps more than anything, the part of this that made it something that he wanted to preserve, was that it was fun . He genuinely enjoyed every moment of it. He felt as though he might be on the cusp of something great and he was excited to see what that something might be.

He had an undeniable pep in his step as he walked up to the cannery. The cats outside still seemed to regard him with caution, though some seemed to have developed a hint of curiosity towards him.

When he walked inside, the Cat King was nowhere to be seen. He walked further into the room and up to the throne of pallets, only to find that he wasn't just lounging in his cat form either, it truly was empty. Though, oddly, the silver sword that he had been using during their sessions was leaning against the side of the throne.

“ Cat King? Are you here?” He called out, wondering if he was simply preoccupied with something.

Carefully, he leant down to pick up the sword. He stood straight and turned it over in his hand. It really was a beautiful blade, so much so that he almost felt honoured to have been allowed to use it.

Suddenly, he sensed something behind him and spun around, raising the sword up to parry the one that was being swung at him. When he saw the Cat King's golden eyes locked onto him over their joined blades, he felt a wave of excitement swoop through him, as it often did when they practised together. He twisted his wrist and pushed back, swinging to the side and causing their blades to part as he stepped back.

“ You're getting good~” the Cat King grinned, sharpened canines glinting.

How had Edwin not noticed that before?

He was dressed in another flouncing lantern-sleeved shirt, this one made of a subtly shimmering material (perhaps silk) that had a base of black and flickered in the light with patches of emerald green. He paired it with high-waisted full length trousers that hugged his legs as if they had been conjured just for him (and maybe they had been). Most notably, he donned a short, ribbed corset around his waist that accentuated his silhouette in a fashion that could most certainly be described as sinfully attractive . He looked a picture, as he moved with his sword, tossing it from hand to hand with practised ease, and approached Edwin with slow and graceful steps.

It was a performance, he noticed, a peacocking of sorts. He was showing off. The thought of the man before him wanting to impress him in such a way made his stomach flip, a sensation that he had become terribly familiar with since their first encounter.

“ Like what you see, Edwin?” the Cat King asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. He had undoubtedly noticed the appreciative gaze.

“ You cut a very fine figure.” He had thought those words when the Cat King had first taken on his historically-inspired garb and it felt strangely liberating to say them aloud. He wasn't sure where the confidence to say it had come from, though.

The Cat King glanced up with widened eyes at Edwin's unexpected compliment, his expression open. It hadn't been the denial or the deflection that he had most likely been anticipating.

He smiled bashfully, something that Edwin realised that he found quite endearing. “You are full of surprises, Edwin Payne,” he said.

“ So I've been told.” Edwin smiled back.

“ So,” the Cat King took up his stance. “Will you be spending a little more time with me this time, or do you need to hurry back to your duties again, Detective?”

“ Thankfully, our most urgent cases are done with, for the moment.” Edwin mirrored the stance. “I'm all yours… for now.”

“ Promises, promises~”

They smiled as they clashed blades again, relishing the playful back and forth that they had built between them. It had picked up every time that they had seen each other after having left Port Townsend for the first time.

It was all too easy to get carried away in the rhythm of their movements until a single moment that had everything tipping on its axis.

A loud crash from behind a row of crates, a shocked yowl and a short-haired ginger cat darting through the gap between his ankles.

Edwin tripped, and it all happened so quickly. He only had a moment to realise his trajectory and drop his sword to the side before he was careening into the Cat King, who had also dropped his sword in surprise.

They landed rather uncomfortably, the Cat King on his back and Edwin on top of him with the former's legs on either side of his own. A precarious sort of position to land in. Edwin felt his temperature raise and his eyes flicked to the Cat King's lips against his will.

“ Hello~” the Cat King flirted, but he immediately went quiet when he noticed the way that Edwin was looking at him... like he might kiss him. “Edwin?” he whispered.

Edwin gasped as he realised what he had been about to do and rolled off of the Cat King immediately, scrambling to his feet and turning away. He held a hand to his chest, feeling breathless and reeling over the racing of his phantom pulse.

Behind him, the Cat King sat up and dusted himself off before standing and adjusting his sleeves.

“ Edwin? Are you okay?”

“ I- I think that I had better go. Work to be done. Yes. That.” Edwin said hurriedly, only half making sense.

“ But, I thought that you'd be staying longer this time… I-” he cut himself off, not sure how to communicate how much he wanted Edwin to stay without making himself completely vulnerable.

Edwin immediately felt a wave of guilt come over him. He didn't want to go yet either; he had been looking forward to this meeting, but he didn't know how to move past what he had almost just done.

“ You don't have to go. Look. We can just forget what happened. We can just go back to sparring, or not, we could just talk… if you want.” the cat king offered, trying to sound nonchalant and slightly missing the mark.

Nevertheless, it seemed to do the trick, as Edwin turned around and looked at him again. “What would we talk about?” he asked.

“ Anything you want. I just enjoy your company.”

Edwin seemed to weigh this in his head for a moment, as though the thought hadn't truly crossed his mind that the Cat King might want to simply spend time together, without any sort of exchange or ulterior motives. Knowing now that it was an option, that the Cat King had an interest in him as a person and that he wasn't just some fleeting fancy; it left him feeling… tingly… and warm.

“ Alright... I would like that.”

-----

As it would happen, he did end up liking that. Very much so.

It was nice to slow down and just talk with the Cat King. He was a very intelligent and well-read individual, as it turned out. Having lived for such a long time, he had accumulated a wealth of knowledge and was more than willing to share it with Edwin.

What was most interesting, however, was their common ground. The Cat King had been alive through the Edwardian times, and so they ended up having a surprisingly large amount to talk about. He discovered that the Cat King had often gone overseas to various places in Europe for diplomatic conferences and meetings with his fellow cat monarchs and even other supernatural beings. He had been to London quite a few times, in fact.

The part of it all that truly struck him was that he felt so much comfort in their conversation and in the Cat King's company.

Finding someone who he trusted and appreciated, who had lived through the same era that he had, who he could talk to about his experiences and who would understand them to a greater extent… it meant more to him than he could articulate.

“ -and then I got sent to hell on a technicality of all things.” Edwin finished his story. “Seventy bloody years down the proverbial drain.”

“ That's a load of bullshit. I'd be pissed, too. You should find a way to sue the afterlife for their giant seven-decade-long fuck up.” the Cat King sympathised, he was actually pretty angry on Edwin's behalf.

“ Yes, well, I think the others are rather tired of hearing me blather on about my experience of hell. So, thank you for listening.” Edwin gave the Cat King an appreciative look.

“ You can always talk to me if you want. Edwin,” the Cat King stopped walking and turned to him, taking a more serious tone. “you're allowed to be upset about what happened to you, you're allowed to be sad, to cry, you're allowed to be angry, to be absolutely furious . You should be angry, I know I would be. If anything, I should be thanking you for sharing that with me. I don't imagine it's easy to talk about.”

“ I-” Edwin was somewhat speechless. He hadn't known just how much he had needed to hear that. It had him, perhaps subconsciously, filing it away under a vague mental folder of reasons that he was growing so fond of the Cat King. “I appreciate that very much, but perhaps those details are a little too heavy to delve into just this moment,” was what he settled on.

“ That's alright. You don't have to talk about it right now, but I'm ready to listen if and when you want to. I may not know anything about hell, but I do know what it was like to be queer during… unaccommodating times. It's not exactly a cake walk, even as an uncommon being. What those boys did to you was unforgivable,” the Cat King knew he couldn't change anything for Edwin, but he was determined to never allow him to suffer like that again. At least not on his watch. He'd already dropped the ball with Esther and he wasn't going to repeat that mistake.

“ You know,” Edwin started, briefly thinking about how he did actually forgive Simon back in hell. It was nice to get that validation from the Cat King's words; that even if he was no longer angry at Simon, that didn't mean he was no longer allowed to feel angry at the situation itself, or at the school for doing nothing and covering it up, or for the time that he was forced to suffer through in hell.

He felt a bit overwhelmed by it all, and he found himself considering their shared longevity, and how differently they behaved. He wondered how much it had to do with differing experiences and how much it had to do with the Cat King's nature as a supernatural being. “It feels odd to know just how much you have lived through. I don't mean this in a critical way, but you don't act like someone who is several hundred years old. You seem so… unburdened by your years.” he said.

The Cat King contemplated for a moment on how to respond.

“ As a Cat King, I have nine lives, and I have lived through three of them already. This is my fourth. If being alive for so long has taught me anything it's that the time we're given is painfully short, and it's best to follow your heart and enjoy it while it lasts. Don't let your own wants get pushed aside.” the Cat King answered. “I have my fair share of baggage, too. The biggest burden of being given multiple lives, is knowing first hand how violently it can all be ripped away from you. Why waste time pretending to be something I'm not?”

“ I think I can understand that, at least a little. Though, I must admit, despite being 124 years old, I do not feel like I have done very much living. Over seventy years of my existence was wasted in hell.” Edwin fidgeted with his hands for a moment before dropping them back to his sides. “I missed a lot of change, and I find it challenging to… diverge from the sensibilities that I was raised with.”

“ It's not too late to start~” the Cat King gave him a playful half-smile. “But you don't have to.”

“ Don't have to?”

“ You don't have to 'diverge from the sensibilities' you were raised with, if you don't want to. Change if and when you feel it's right and natural, not just because it's expected or demanded by other people.” the Cat King smirked. “Personally, I like the way you are.”

“ Don't you think that I'm a little too dead to start living now?” Edwin, to emphasise, dead-panned. Despite feeling the tell-tale fluttering in his chest that he got as the Cat King so casually reaffirmed his interest.

“ You're still here , right? Living's not just the breathing and blood flow. It's about experience. There's plenty you've experienced since returning from hell, and there's even more left out there to explore. You've got a chance to do it all, Edwin!” the Cat King exclaimed, gesturing grandly around them. “And you're already using it aren't you? You're helping people, forging bonds, solving crime, trying new things, dancing with danger. There's so much to do, and doesn't that just send a thrill up your spine?”

The Cat King closed in on the space that had been between them, leaning close, into his personal bubble. Strangely, he did not mind this. He was minding it less and less, and he couldn't deny the intrigue that he felt.

“ You could do whatever you want.” the Cat King all but whispered, and Edwin couldn't have stopped the way his eyes drifted to the other man's lips if he had tried.

“ Then…” Edwin paused, swallowed, prevented himself from leaning in. “I can most certainly consider our time together as something that feels like living.”

The Cat King fell silent after that. He leaned back and his expression changed. He no longer looked flirtatious and the air of confidence that he had been exuding transformed into something open.

“ Did you mean that?” he asked.

“ Yes. I did.” Edwin straightened up. “I have gained a lot of experience thanks to your agreement to spar with me, but it is more than that; It has been fun ,” he surprised himself when he reached out to take the Cat King's hand, “I have not only gained experience, but I have also gained this. You. And that is worth far more than the sword fighting.”

“ I...” the Cat King's expression melted as he took in Edwin's honest words. “I don't think I can forget what happened back at the cannery, after all.”

Edwin looked at him with a slight furrow to his brow, more thoughtful than displeased. He was thinking back to that almost-kiss and wondering whether he should feel embarrassed or relieved that the Cat King wanted to commit it to memory.

“ The time that you've allowed me to spend with you means a lot to me. I don't want to forget any of that.” the Cat King squeezed the hand that was still grasping his own. “What you just said...that I am worth more to you than what I can give you...I've never- I never thought that you would- that anyone -” he struggled to get the words out. “People don't think about me like that. The fact that you somehow do …”

“ Yes, well.” Edwin cleared his throat after a moment of prolonged eye contact. “People are fucking stupid.”

There was a brief tick of silence before the Cat King burst out laughing, doubled over, wheezing. Edwin could not maintain his straight face for long either and was soon following suit.

“ You really are full of surprises!” The Cat King tried to say it with his usual charisma, but it was bracketed by too many giggles to have the desired effect.

By the end, as their laughter quieted and their time grew short, there was something different between them. What had originally been the strike of a match had ignited something with the potential to be far, far greater.

-----

Edwin couldn't believe how bold he had been with the Cat King. He wasn't usually one to initiate any kind of physical contact or to be so emotionally candid. He was proud of himself for managing to voice his thoughts, but he was also nervous. He had been able to experience so many new things these past weeks, even just from his first venture to Port Townsend, especially with the Cat King and it nearly scared him how much he wanted more.

More of what exactly? His first instinct was to say: all of it. Everything.

He hadn't thought that his feelings could develop in what felt like such a short timespan. It made sense though, if he thought about it. The Cat King had been the man to deliver his sexual awakening to him on a silver platter, after all. It only made sense that given time and willing proximity, that those initial feelings of attraction would develop into something deeper.

He wasn't entirely sure of what name to give them, but he could certainly feel them taking shape. The physical attraction he felt was mixing seamlessly into his sincere care and fascination with the other man. He wanted to know him, and to be known by him.

And wasn't that just something?

He felt the sudden need to talk about all of this with Niko.

So, as soon as it could be considered a reasonable hour, that was exactly what he did.

“ Edwin!” she exclaimed, while towelling her hair. She had just exited her bathroom in a big fluffy dressing gown when he came through the mirror in her bedroom. “How did it go with the Cat King?” she asked, excitedly, hurrying over to him.

He found himself filled with an immense gratitude towards her for her unwavering encouragement when it came to the Cat King. She had been the one to suggest going to him for help and had been gleefully supportive as things between them moved forward and evolved. Knowing how well she would respond had leant him a great deal of courage in opening up.

“ Niko! I do apologise for the early hour, but I simply couldn't wait any longer.” he said as she guided him to sit with her at the edge of her bed.

“ Never mind that! Spill! I want to know everything!” she smiled broadly, and he felt it fuelling his own enthusiasm.

This would always be something that he wholly loved about Niko. She was so easy to talk to, and had such a way of making him feel comfortable and normal about things that may have otherwise been uncomfortable to discuss. He could be honest with her about his feelings without having to worry about any sort of judgement.

“ I almost kissed him.” Edwin blurted.

Niko gasped in surprise and immediately it was obvious that she had a plethora of questions ready for him. “That's so exciting! How did it happen? How do you feel about it? What happened after that?”

“ Well… we were sparring, as per usual, when an ill-timed bout of clumsiness from one of his subjects caused some… proximity. I don't know what came over me and when I realised what I had been about to do, I panicked.” Edwin paused and Niko waited patiently for him to continue, which he was grateful for. “He reassured me and then we just… talked… about all manner of things together. It was refreshing to speak with someone who has lived through the same time period, who knows what it was like.”

“ That sounds nice.” Niko smiled, more softly this time.

“ It was. I told him about Hell and he got angry on my behalf, which was… strangely pleasant, in all honesty.” Edwin couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. “It was rather sweet.”

“ You like him” she stated, sagely.

“ I do.” Edwin agreed, more easily than he had thought that he would be able to. “Which brings me to my current conundrum.”

Niko smiled encouragingly and held his hand for support. He wasn't usually partial to that kind of casual physical affection, but he found that he was more than okay with it, when it was her. In fact, he was starting to realise that there were more and more of such exceptions popping up in his life.

“ He is exuberant, charismatic… handsome… and he has been a most excellent partner. I have learned a great deal from him. He acknowledges me as his equal, and spending this time with him is… fun. That is the only way that I can think to describe it.” Edwin looked at Niko as he prepared himself for the next bit of truth. “I think that I want to explore more of our developing relationship, but I am uncertain of what that means for me or what it might entail. I am also concerned about how Charles might react, given his strong distaste for the Cat King.”

“ I get that. I think he's mostly just worried, though. I'm sure that when he sees that you're safe and happy, he'll come around. He'll have to make an effort to play nice, even if he doesn't like him.” Niko reassured, “There's no way he can totally hate someone you care about.”

“ You're right.” Edwin sighed. “Of course, you're right. Charles will come around once he sees how good this has been for me. Still, I am unsure of how to broach the topic.”

“ I don't think you need to have some big announcement or anything. Just, you know, play it cool. It doesn't have to be a big deal.”

“ Alright, no need to be dramatic,” he nodded along, “I think that could indeed be the best approach.”

“ When do you think you'll be able to see him again?” Niko asked, grin easily returning.

“ If all goes to plan with today's research and endeavours, then tomorrow.” he smiled back at her. “I hope that I am able to behave somewhat normally, after last time.”

“ You'll be fine! You've just gotta follow your heart and do what feels right. Don't overthink it.” she replied.

“ I will try my best.” Edwin resolved. It was time for the heart to take a little bit of the lead over his analytical instincts. “I admit I am looking forward to seeing him again so soon. Being around him… he makes me feel… warm.”

Niko let out a tiny noise of excitement and there was nothing that Edwin could have done to prevent the feeling from spreading through him as well.

-----

When he arrived in Port Townsend the following day, the weather was overcast. The sky was completely grey with clouds and there was a fine mist in the air that a part of him wished he could feel against his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remember what it used to feel like.

The last case had gone surprisingly smoothly, and it had left him feeling strangely serene, and a little bit nostalgic over being alive. He hadn't really spared much thought to the absence of sensation (at least outside of some specific instances), but in that moment, he felt something akin to longing, to be able to recall even a single instance of real touch, outside of pain.

He sensed a familiar presence behind him a split second before there was a hand on his wrist. He let out a shuddering gasp as warmth seeped up his arm and down to his fingertips as the cool, fine rain brushed against his face.

He opened his eyes and immediately met the gaze of the Cat King, who was smiling in a way that was terribly fond. It made Edwin feel as though his heart could have stuttered in his chest.

It was clear in that moment, that he had been right in his assertion that things had changed between them after their last encounter. There was an ease to the blossoming affection between them that had been tentative before.

As he looked at him, Edwin realised that he hadn't really allowed himself to take it in before – at least not in any great detail – but the Cat King wasn't just attractive, he was beautiful .

The expressiveness of his brow, the slope of his nose, the soft line of his jaw, the sharp swoop of his cupid's bow, the gentle curl of his lips when he smiled. And those eyes, smouldering golden flames, flickering... It was like being able to look directly at the sun if it were gentle rather than harsh. It was warm.

His eyes drifted to the scar at the corner of his mouth and he wondered, briefly, how he had gotten it. Perhaps a spat with another Cat Monarch, or some other supernatural being. It seemed to carry over to his new lives. Maybe it was something from his first life. He wanted to kiss it.

“ You're staring~” the Cat King attempted to tease, but the words came out too softly for them to land that way.

“ I can feel the rain...” said Edwin, still in awe.

“ You looked like you wanted to.” he smiled. “and you can call me Thomas.”

“ I… thank you, Thomas.” Edwin tried the name, finding that it was nice to say and he felt as though he had been given something significant. Perhaps many significant somethings.

Thomas closed his eyes as Edwin said his name, letting it wash over him. When he opened them again, he looked vulnerable.

“ You're welcome, ghostie. I like it when you say my name.” Thomas murmured, leaning closer.

“ I like being able to say it, Thomas.” Edwin thought about closing the distance, about how easy it would be to kiss that mouth.

Instead, he only partially indulged. He lifted the hand that had been curled around his wrist and lifted it to his face, to press a kiss to the back of it.

He felt warm at the contact, and his lips tingled.

“ Thank you for sharing your name with me. I know how important names can be. And, thank you for allowing me to feel this… it means a great deal to me.” he whispered. “Now, I do believe that we have some sparring to get to.” Edwin took a short step back and offered Thomas his elbow. “Shall we?”

Thomas blushed a very pretty shade of pink and looped his arm through Edwin's, leaning into his side as they walked towards the cannery together. “When did you become such a flirt?” he asked, teasingly.

“ What can I say?” Edwin teased back. “You've been a terrible influence on me.”

When he cornered a glance at Thomas, he was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

-----

When Edwin stepped back through the mirror into the office, he was without his outermost layers and looked significantly more dishevelled than when he had left. He was panting from the exertion (though ghosts didn't technically need to breathe, he still found himself doing it reflexively), and his hair was a bit of a mess.

“ Mate where the hell have you been? It's gone two in the morning. What happened to you?” Charles questioned, taking in the sight of him.

Had it truly been five hours ?

Edwin straightened up and looked around the room, noticing that Niko and Crystal were also in attendance at the office, sitting on the small sofa. Both of them looked sleepy, but judging from their expressions, neither of them were too put out by the late hour.

It seemed that this conversation was going to happen sooner than he had anticipated.

“ Did you have fun?” Niko asked with a knowing expression.

“ I did.” Edwin replied, “and to answer your questions, Charles, I have taken it upon myself to learn how to fight properly.”

“ At two AM, mate?” Charles raised a brow and crossed his arms.

“ Well, it wasn't two o'clock where I was, it was closer to half past five in the afternoon. I simply lost track of time while I was there and wasn't particularly focused on the time difference. I was enjoying the experience.”

“ You were learning to fight in a different time zone?”

“ Yes, Charles, is it really so surprising? I thought you wanted me to learn self-defence.” Edwin folded his hands primly behind his back.

“ I do! I think it's brills! Really! But, I offered to teach you how to box and you seemed so against it...” Charles clapped Edwin on the shoulder with a smile, though he also looked confused.

“ I am not learning how to box, Charles. I am… sword fighting.” Edwin said.

“ Sword fighting?” Charles exclaimed in disbelief.

“ With the Cat King.” Edwin added, trying to sound casual about it.

“ With the Cat King ?” Charles echoed, voice going up several pitches.

“ Yes. It has been educational and also rather enjoyable.” Edwin smiled. He was feeling honest.

“ Edwin, I didn't know you had it in you.” Crystal teased, sounding awfully suggestive for the topic at hand and stifling a giggle.

“ I don't think he meant that kind of sword fighting, Crystal.” Niko whispered, though not quietly enough that he and Charles couldn't also hear it.

“ Is there some other kind of sword fighting? I'm struggling to understand what you mean.” Edwin frowned in absolute befuddlement.

“ Oh bloody hell.” Charles couldn't contain his exasperation if he tried. “How does that even work? Are you forgetting what happened last time you visited the Cat King? What if he tries to trap you again, or get frisky with you?”

“ I have not forgotten. I have nothing to worry about as I have not slighted him since that last mishap with the sardine. He is a skilled swordsman, as it so happens, and he has kindly agreed to spar with me. This arrangement has been going on for some time at this point. And frankly, Charles, I can handle the Cat King perfectly well. I do not believe that he would ever do anything “frisky”, as you put it, without my express permission.” Edwin explained, finishing by crossing his arms over his chest in a small act of defiance.

Charles simply looked at him in disbelief. It seemed that he could hardly find another expression in his repertoire for what he was hearing.

“ Mate, you can't be serious. From what you've let slip about your little meetings with him from last time, I think I can safely say that the bloke isn't exactly known for his impeccable sense of personal space. it's totally aces that you're learning to fight, really, but why swords ? Why the Cat King ?”

“ I think it's nice.” Niko interjected.

“ Nice?” Charles baulked.

“ Yeah! Edwin can do his old hobby again and he gets to see the Cat King, too! They're friends!” she clapped her hands together and smiled widely.

“ I used to fence when I was in school, as you know.” Edwin cut in before Charles could respond to Niko. “I missed the sport and needed to have a way to defend myself in a pinch. This seemed to be the logical solution given that I, at least, would not be required to start from the ground up. As for the Cat King, that was Niko's idea.” he shrugged. “A good idea. I've been visiting somewhat consistently for several weeks now.”

“ Niko? Why would you suggest that after everything that happened in Port Townsend?” Charles questioned and Edwin felt a little bad for inadvertently throwing her under the bus.

“ The Cat King is Edwin's friend, and he's been alive since sword fighting was a big thing, so it made sense to ask for his help.” Niko answered calmly.

“ Maybe this is a good thing, Charles.” Crystal added, “He did help us to save Edwin from Esther before. I couldn't have summoned Lilith if he hadn't given us information. Plus, it was obvious that he cares about Edwin, or he wouldn't have gotten beaten to death for helping him.” she finished, having forgotten that Edwin had not previously been made party to that little piece of information.

“ He got beaten to death ?” Edwin's voice became soft and small. “That must be why his cat form is different...”

All he could think of was the pain that he must have experienced in being killed in such a violent way. That must have been what he had been alluding to when they had spoken about their shared longevity. Edwin had experienced hell for more than seventy years, being battered, torn apart and all manner of other horrific tortures, so he knew, first hand, what it was like to be killed so brutally. He would not wish it on his worst enemy, let alone somebody who had come to be so dear to him.

He really wanted to turn around and go back through the mirror.

Instead, he looked between his friends and said, “I need some air. I will be on the roof, if you need me.” and disappeared through a wall.

-----

Edwin paced back and forth across the rooftop, thinking, until his train of thought was disturbed by Niko making her way onto the roof with him. She smiled gently at him and propped the door open with a door stopper that had been kept just inside the entrance.

Edwin sighed and leant over the wall, Niko silently leaning against it next to him.

“ Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked, softly.

“ It is just...” he gave himself a moment. “I had not realised the extent to which he had suffered and now… I feel… complicated about some things.”

“ Like what?” Niko asked.

“ I did not know that the Cat King lost one of his lives because of me.” he replied, matter-of-factly.

“ Oh… when I got back to you guys, I just assumed that Crystal had filled you in on everything. I'm sorry.” Niko apologised, looking down, and Edwin quickly reassured her that he wasn't upset about that.

“ It is simply -or perhaps not so simply- that… I find myself feeling… rather significantly for him as of late, as you know. The thought of him going through that kind of traumatic experience just for telling me about Monty's intentions...it does not sit well. I cannot help but feel somewhat responsible.” he added.

“ It's not your fault, though! I'm sure he wouldn't want you to think that.” Niko protested.

“ In the forest, when he exposed Monty's deception, I was angry, at the whole situation I suppose, and worried for Charles and Crystal...but the way that I spoke to him when all was said and done, was rather… unkind.” Edwin frowned as he spoke. He was aware that he had been more than justified in his immense frustration, but he couldn't deny a small twinge of regret at having lashed out.

“ That's okay. You were hurt… and he helped us after that happened, right? Plus, he hasn't said anything and he agreed to help you with your sword fighting! So he's not holding it against you.” Niko replied. “You guys have been practising together for weeks.”

“ I suppose you must be right.” Edwin didn't know what made the Cat King so easily forget his threats to stop playing nice. Perhaps they had been entirely empty words right from the start. Despite himself, the thought of that made him want to smile.

“ Of course! He likes you a lot! He said so himself.” Niko said cheerily. “and you guys have been getting much closer , right?”

Edwin felt himself growing warm at those words, remembering what the Cat King, what Thomas had said to him the first time that they sparred together: 'I am annoyingly fond of you, ghostie. In case you hadn't noticed. I like you.' It made him feel… tingly.

“ I never asked before… did he like the gift you were going to give him?” Niko tilted her head in curiosity.

“ The funny thing is… I never really got to even offer it to him.” Edwin could feel his lips twitching upward at the corners.

“ What? Why not?”

“ Well, when he agreed to help me, he never actually asked for anything in return.” Edwin knew that he was smiling and at this point, couldn't do much to hold it back. “Perhaps I should offer it to him the next time we meet, as something given freely, rather than as a bargaining chip.”

Niko gasped. “Edwin, oh my goodness! You're glowing!”

“ What? Niko, don't be ridiculous.” Edwin questioned himself for a second. Ghosts couldn't blush… right? He felt his cheeks, only half-relieved when he was obviously unable to feel any real warmth.

“ No, Edwin, I mean literally !” She takes hold of one of his hands and urges him to hold it out in front of himself. “See!”

When he looked down at his own arm, he realised that she was right. He was glowing. It was subtle, but there was a soft, almost gentle light emitting from his person. It was pale, and yet strangely warm in tone, almost indigo.

“ Good heavens.”

“ That is so sweet! It's just like a fairy tale!” she clasped her hands to her chest dreamily as he kept looking at his hands and arms with rapt fascination.

“ I… in all my years, I have never heard of this phenomenon...” Edwin said, breathlessly, turning over his hand in awe.

“ It's because you like him back.” Niko stated, sagely. “You care about him, and spending time with him makes you happy. It gave you a special ghostie glow~” she grinned.

“ I… I have enjoyed our time sparring together, and simply being in each other's presence. He can be… incredibly sweet and sincere when he wants to be. He is… fascinating” he voiced his thoughts aloud as he considered Niko's words, not unaware of the irony of his fascination.

“ Do you think you'll go back again soon? Now that everything's out in the open, you won't have to wait until the middle of the night.”

“ I'd like that. It would be nice to be more forthcoming about seeing him. He does not underestimate me and that is… incredibly refreshing.” Edwin straightened up and smiled at Niko. “It is still early, of course, but you are right: spending time with him does make me happy.”

He found that after talking things through with Niko, he felt lighter, and could allow himself to bask in these new-found feelings, to really embrace them after allowing them to bubble just under the surface.

Edwin glowed.

-----

When they made their way back down to the office, Charles and Crystal were talking quietly with matching expressions of concern. As soon as they caught sight of his and Niko's return, they both stood abruptly and stared at him in shock.

“ Holy shit, Edwin!” Crystal exclaimed. “What's with the light show?”

“ Honestly, I am not entirely certain.” Edwin replied, smiling thoughtfully. “I shall have to consult my books for proper clarification.”

“ It's because of the Cat King.” Niko stage whispers to Crystal, with an almost gleeful excitement.

“ Hang on a tick, the Cat King did this? How? Why? Is it dangerous?” Charles questioned, unhappily as he looked between them.

“ It's a good glow...” Niko trailed off.

“ It is nothing bad, Charles. At any rate, it is not an affliction.” Edwin tried to reassure him.

“ You shouldn't go back. It's not safe.” Charles carried on. “If this is some weird magic of his that he's put on you, like that bracelet, I'll knock his whiskers off.”

“ Charles, chill.” Crystal chuckled awkwardly.

“ Now Charles, that was a bit unnecessary. Again, I assure you that I have been perfectly safe.” Edwin admonished.

“ He's always been a bit of a wanker, but this is taking the piss.” Charles frowned.

“ Please do not speak so ill of him.” Edwin requested. “I am well aware that you dislike him, but he is important to me.”

The light around Edwin seemed to flicker out at the increasing tension in the room. He felt it go out before any of them saw it. The warmth was gone and the tingling no longer danced across his fingertips. He felt bereft at its absence, like the snuffing of a candle.

“ Edwin…?” Charles' voice cut back through his thoughts.

“ I… it's gone...” Edwin was taken aback at the sorrow that leaked through in his voice.

“ Edwin? Are you okay?” Crystal asked gently.

“ I… I don't know… It was so warm and then-” He cut himself off and tried to regain his composure. “I am fine, Crystal.”

He wasn't.

“ Edwin, if whatever the Cat King did is hurting you-”Charles began, but Edwin cut him off.

“ He did not do anything to me, Charles. As I stated earlier, I enjoyed my time with him. It was pleasant . There is a distinct possibility that this glowing is- was , in fact, primarily linked to my own emotional state, and not an external force, though more experimentation and research is required to draw any meaningful conclusions,” the words were distinctly snipped, though he was trying to control his tone.

The loss of what he had been feeling left him frosty and displeased, and he knew that it wasn't fair to snap at his friend, but he could be so thoroughly frustrating at times. He wished in this instance, that he would just listen to him.

It was near infuriating how Charles seemingly opted to outright ignore Edwin's recollections of his own time with the Cat King. He did not know why his best friend couldn't just take his word for what it was instead of questioning everything. He could understand his apprehension towards the Cat King to an extent, but surely Edwin's word about his own experiences should mean something.

“ I don't trust him, Edwin, and I don't think you should, either. I just don't want you to get hurt. But for now, we should focus, do our thing, research and all that, yeah? Figure this out together.” Charles frowned, but quickly schooled his face into that familiar laid-back smile.

“ Charles, I know that you are trying to move the topic along, but I need you to hear me: I understand your scepticism over his intent, really, I do. However, there is far more to him than what you briefly saw during your only interaction with him. Like it or not… I have come to harbour a great deal of care for him. He has shown that cares for me as well and thus, I do not have any reason to believe that he would intentionally hurt me.” Edwin spoke in a measured tone, enunciating each word.

“ Mate, come on, I'm not trying to pick a fight.” Charles looked like he was trying to keep his tone more light-hearted, but it was only irritating Edwin further. “I just don't think he's trustworthy... I just want you to be careful. We don't know what he might be capable of.”

“ You are not listening to me. I am not asking you to trust him, or like him, but this is not just about him.” Edwin took a calming breath, feeling a little bit of the tension leaving him and managed a far softer tone as he continued. “I expect my best friend to respect me enough to at least trust that I know my own experiences better than anyone else can, and I can make my own choices about who I trust and who I spend time with. When I tell you that my time was positive , that is not an invitation to question it. I expect you to believe me.”

Charles looked as though he had been slapped. He clearly wanted to say something more, but Edwin didn't get the opportunity to hear it, as Crystal grabbed Charles by the elbow with a stormy expression on her face. He clammed up and started sputtering as she started pulling him towards the door.

“ Come on. I think we need to have a chat.” she said. “We'll see you later, Edwin, when it's not ass-o'clock in the morning.” she looked back at him briefly and then the two of them were gone.

“ Edwin? Are you okay?” Niko asked him after a prolonged moment of silence.

“ I… know that I am a ghost and thus, do not require sleep, however, I find myself... extremely tired.” he replied.

Slowly, he made his way to his desk and sat down in the chair behind it.

“ You were so happy earlier...” Niko said, sadly.

Edwin smiled a bit sadly at her. He wanted to reassure her, but wasn't sure of what to say. He settled for honesty, since it was becoming more of a trend for him as of late.

“ I am upset… that Charles will not just accept that I am capable of holding my own and am perfectly able to come to my own conclusions about the Cat King, given how much more time I have spent in his company at this point. I am also rather unhappy that he thinks so lowly of someone I care about.”

“ It's sad… I'm sorry that this didn't go well. But maybe if Charles spends some time with both of you, he'll change his mind when he sees how happy you are.” Niko was trying to be optimistic, and he appreciated it.

“ Maybe… I think I need some time before that happens, though… is that bad?”

“ No. I think it's okay to want to wait until you're ready. I also think it would be good to talk to the Cat King about it first, too.”

Maybe she was right about that too. He didn't know how wise it was to attempt to force Charles and the Cat King into close proximity when tensions were already so high between them, even despite them not being in the same room together since that first encounter in Port Townsend.

Edwin had a lot to think about.

He and Niko talked for a while about how things with his sparring sessions were going, something that he knew was a way for her to distract him from the stress that he had unfortunately been put under, but soon he was ushering her out of the office, citing the late hour. She was still living, after all, and she needed her sleep.

-----

“ Charles Rowland what the fuck do you think you were doing back there?” Crystal whisper-shouted once they were out of the room.

“ Ow, hey, what do you mean?” Charles shook himself free and frowned at the accusatory tone.

“ You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Crystal muttered. “Charles! You really fucked up big time.”

“ I was just worried.” he tried to defend himself, though admittedly, it was weak to his own ears.

“ Bullshit! Clearly I am going to have to make you spell this out for yourself.” Crystal sighed heavily before she rounded on him. “Edwin came back through the mirror, dishevelled and smiling. What does that tell you?”

“ That that bloody cat probably-”

“ No! Try Again! Before he said anything, Edwin was smiling , Charles. What does that mean?”

“ That he was… in a good mood?” Charles sounded uncertain.

“ That he was happy . And, who had he just gone to see?” Crystal continued.

“ The Cat King...” Charles answered, tone still hesitant. He could tell where this was going.

“ So, use your detective skills. Who was it that made him so happy that he came back without all his armour, grinning and breathless and happy?” She folded her arms and waited.

Charles flustered a bit at that and stumbled over the obvious answer. “The Cat King...” he said it under his breath.

“ When he found out that the Cat King died for helping him, he was upset enough to leave the room. What does that tell you?”

“ That… he really cares about him… he hates that he got hurt.”

“ Charles, he told you from his own mouth that the Cat King is important to him. Accept it. Because his relationship with the guy is clearly deeper than just friends or sparring partners.”

“ What do you mean by that ?” Charles questioned. He wasn't sure that he liked the implication.

“ Isn't it obvious ? Edwin has feelings for him!” Crystal raised her voice in exasperation. “For goodness sake! He was literally glowing! Read between the damn lines.”

“ No way. Edwin doesn't- But he can't. ” Charles protested.

“ Why can't he? Huh? Why is it so hard for you to understand? Did you really expect him to sit around pining for the rest of his existence after you turned him down? Do you think that's fair?” she demanded. “He is allowed to move on and fall in love with someone else. He's allowed to be happy and I'll be damned if I let you ruin it for him.”

She knew her tone and her words were harsh, but she also knew that he needed to hear it. “Charles, I'm saying this because I care about you and I care about Edwin, too: if you don't stop this and start showing him some support you're going to nuke your fucking friendship.”

“ Crystal... That's not going to happen. Edwin and I are best mates. ” he argued, though he was losing his bluster. Part of him did feel guilty for turning Edwin's happiness into a big disagreement.

“ Sure, yeah, you're his person and he loves you, he'd choose you over anyone else if you forced him to make that choice, but do you honestly think that he would be able to look at you the same way after? If you took this away from him? Hasn't he been through enough shit without adding heartbreak into the mix?”

As soon as those words left Crystal's mouth, Charles knew for sure that he really had messed things up.

Edwin had suffered more than any of them could ever comprehend. He had been through hell twice. Heck, Charles himself had gotten a glimpse into the torment that his friend had endured and even just that snippet of it had made him want to throw up, or cry, or panic, or all of the above.

The last thing that Charles wanted to do was to contribute in any way to Edwin's pain.

But, he already had, hadn't he? He'd acted like a judgemental idiot and hadn't really listened to Edwin at all. He'd suggested Edwin not go back even though going had made him look lighter than he had in a long time.

“ I've been a proper bad friend, haven't I?” he said, having been sufficiently admonished.

“ Kinda, yeah.” Crystal agreed, tone as sarcastic as the answer was obvious. “But, Edwin loves you, and he'll forgive you when you apologise.” she added far more softly. “Try to be supportive of this thing he's got going on with the Cat King. It'll mean a lot to him.”

-----

Edwin sat at his desk for a while, contemplating everything that had happened and everything that had been said. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, to be honest and spending the early hours of the morning ruminating on it, did not appear to be helping.

All he really knew for sure was that his best friend was insisting on being wholly disagreeable over his excursions, and disapproving of his developing relationship with Thomas.

He was still reeling a bit from the revelation that Thomas had died for warning him about the trap that Esther had set for them with that forest elemental. And, about Monty's duplicity.

The thought of him being beaten to death was an entirely unpleasant and upsetting one, and he wasn't sure how to deal with the complicated feelings that it was giving him.

In the end, he couldn't take it any longer. He grabbed a sheet of paper from the tray at the side of the desk and wrote a short note on it, explaining where he was going and not to follow him, that he would be back soon enough. Then, he hopped back through the mirror to Port Townsend.

When he got there, he was surprised to find that he appeared inside the cannery. When he turned to look behind himself, he saw that he had walked through a large ornate body-length standing mirror that had been set up in the corner.

He turned back and walked over to the dais where the Cat King's throne stood and called out. “Thomas!”

In an almost immediate flash of purple, Thomas was standing in front of him looking worried.

“ Edwin, what's wrong?” he asked, looking him over. “Did something happen?”

“ Did you die because of me?” Edwin asked his own question, instead of answering.

“ No.” Thomas replied, seriously. “I died because Esther's stupid plan failed and she was a bitch who decided it would be fun to take her anger out on me.”

“ But it was because you warned me about Monty and the trap, wasn't it?” Edwin's expression was down-turned. “And I didn't even thank you.”

“ I should have never asked that of you, Edwin. You had just been betrayed by someone that you trusted and had your own feelings launched at you like accusations before you were even ready to acknowledge them.”

“ Why did you help me that night? You could have stayed out of it and kept yourself safe.” Edwin needed to understand.

“ We might not have known each other for long, but I had already started caring about you back then. I wasn't going to just let you get killed” he replied, honestly. “and your friends too I guess.” he added as an afterthought, then pondered for a moment before continuing. “I guess I also got it in my head that you'd be so thankful that you might actually give me the time of day.”

“ Oh...” Edwin flustered a little bit, but quickly recovered. “It is belated, but… thank you, Thomas, for coming to find me, and for warning me about the trap.”

“ You were right before, ghostie. You didn't owe me anything, and you don't owe me anything now, either.”

“ Still… I am grateful.” Edwin insisted and then took pause before asking another question that had been weighing on his mind. “How did it happen?”

“ Are you sure you want to know?”

“ I think I need to… but not if you are uncomfortable with recounting the experience.”

Thomas looked at him for a long moment before letting out a resigned exhalation. He knew that the information was heavy, but he also knew that not knowing would only be worse for Edwin. He was a detective through and through, after all. Needing all the answers was kind of his thing.

“ You had just been taken back to Hell.” The Cat King began. “I knew because the bracelet returned to me, and that could have only happened if you counted the cats… or if you were forced to shift planes. I was… well, I was moping and pining.” he huffed, not entirely sold on sharing that, but feeling the need to just be open about it. He was doing that a lot more since he had met Edwin. “Then Esther showed up, pissed off and looking to let out her frustrations. Apparently that crow told her all about how I blew up her little plot. She was angry, but so was I and I think that just provoked her more.”

Thomas took a breath. He was usually more the type to repress the memories of his painful deaths than to relive them, but he could get through it, if it was for Edwin. Though, this next part would be unpleasant for both of them. He just hoped that Edwin wouldn't think any less of him.

“ She used that ridiculous fucking iron bird cane to do it. She hit me over and over and over with the beak-end of it until I couldn't move. I tried to get away, but they just kept coming until- well…” he didn't want to go through the next bit, but he knew that he had to. “When I reincarnate, I come back… different. You know?” he looked to Edwin for understanding and the ghost was looking at him with such rapt, pained focus that he had to divert his eyes again. “Each time it happens, I have to... claw my way out of my own corpse.”

There really was no easy way to say it, no way to sugar-coat it to make it seem less horrific than it was. He shivered involuntarily at the sharp memory that it evoked. The worst part was yet to come though… Much against his expectations, Edwin reached out and placed his hand over Thomas' in a small act of comfort. Such a thing was uncommon for him, but more than welcome.

“ ...I mentioned that you had been through more suffering than either of us could have imagined, and that was what planted that stupid idea in her head to make that fucking torture device.” Thomas squeezed Edwin's hand, anxiously, worried that the ghost would resent him for his weakness and leave, but to his surprise, Edwin squeezed back. “I tried to tell her to keep her paws off… but she threatened to come back and kill me again, and again, and again...” he trailed off.

He was ashamed of his inability to protect Edwin, that much was clear from the look in his eyes alone, but it was also clear through his honest and regretful tone. Edwin's mind was reeling a little bit as he took in all of the new information.

Such an abrupt and violent death. It was something that Edwin was unfortunately all too familiar with.

“ I should have done more… I wish I hadn't been such a coward.”

“ You weren't a coward, Thomas. You were protecting yourself after experiencing something horrific. I cannot fault you for that.” Edwin countered.

He knew better than perhaps anyone else what it was like to be violently killed, to come back and to have the fear of that violence looming over him like a shadow that followed his every step.

“ When I was in Hell...” he started, taking his time to say what he wanted to. “The demon that would chase me… when it would catch me, it would gnaw and bite and tear me into pieces until it was bored and discarded my body. Then I would reappear somewhere in the room and it would start all over again. I would run, it would chase me, catch me, tear me apart… sometimes I would hide, make myself small and hope for a few more moments.”

“ Edwin...” the Cat King was stunned. To think, he had gone through all of that and was still so patient, so kind, so brave… “I'm not sure what to say… or how to feel. It was partially my fault that you got sent back there… if I hadn't used that caging spell...”

“ Thomas, that is not what I wanted you to take from my words at all.” Edwin was exasperated, but gentle.

“ Then what did you want?” Thomas asked.

“ For you to feel less alone,” Edwin glanced away for a second. “I suppose.”

“ Less alone?”

“ You know what it's like, and I know what it's like. To die. To… be killed, horrifically… and to have to come back and do it all again. To look down at your own body; the previous you, the version of yourself that you can never return to.” he tried to swallow the emotions that were attempting to force their way up, but with little success.

“ You-” the Cat King aborted his sentence, then started again, “You know.”

You know a part of me I've never shown, a part of me that's a part of you. You have seen me, and I have seen you.

“ I know.”

Edwin shifted their hands to link their fingers together.

-----

Edwin didn't keep track of the time that he spent with the Cat King, but when he returned, the sun was rising and the dawn coated the city in a mist of pale light. Perhaps there would have been a slight chill, though he could not feel it.

He was so focused on the sky outside as it changed its colours, that he didn't notice Charles phasing through the door, into the office or approaching the desk. Eventually, he announced himself by clearing his throat.

Edwin's eyes snapped to him in an instant, before he turned to properly face his friend.

“ Have you been here this whole time?” Charles asked, voice uncharacteristically quiet.

“ Truthfully, I went back to Port Townsend.” Edwin paused to gauge Charles' reaction, the latter frowning lightly. “I went to see the Cat King. I couldn't sit still with the thought of his death in my mind.”

Edwin's posture was rigid and proper, and Charles could tell that he was preparing to rebuff further criticism of his choice to be close with the Cat King. His expression was closed off, apprehensive.

Things that Edwin should never, ever have to be around Charles. He would have realised it then, if he hadn't been reamed out by Crystal, the impact of his open distaste on Edwin's trust in him. It was painful to see, and he hoped that his apologies wouldn't be too little too late. They had been best mates for so long, been the only person that each other had to lean on. He knew now that he needed to make room for the Cat King in the same way that Edwin had made room for Crystal.

“ How, uh… how did it go?” Charles started out tentatively. “Was he… alright?”

Edwin eyed him a bit suspiciously. “He… told me about how it happened, what it was like to come back. If anything… he seemed to regret not doing more, which was ridiculous. He already died once and that was one time too many.”

“ Right...”

“ I also told him about my time in Hell. I told him about… being torn up and having to come back and do it all again and to… see what had become of my past self, and to know I can never go back to who I was before.” Edwin took a long pause to steady himself. “Very few people know what that's like.”

“ But he does.” Charles finished the thought, letting himself process that knowledge. “He knows in a way that no one else can… not even me.”

“ Charles-”

“ Edwin, I owe you a massive apology.” Charles took a few steps closer, so that he was directly on the other side of the desk. “I was being a right dick-head about you and the Cat King and I've been ignoring what you were saying about him, which was… not what a best mate should be doing.”

“ Charles… I suppose, I am curious as to why you were so adamant in your assertions...” Edwin said.

“ I think I just got so wrapped up in my first impressions of the guy, that I ended up not paying attention to what was actually important in this whole thing.”

“ And what was actually important?”

“ He makes you happy.”

Edwin was hit, for a moment, by how true that was. When he was with Thomas, he felt so light and so free (that wasn't to say that he didn't feel free with Charles, Niko or Crystal, but it was simply… different ). He was able to put down walls that he hadn't even fully realised were up in the first place. He could shed his layers and have fun, goodness, he could laugh .

“ He does.” Edwin smiled to himself, but didn't hide the expression when he looked at Charles. “It is… surprisingly easy to allow myself to let go of some of my inhibitions around him. It's… really quite nice.”

“ It might… take a while, but… maybe me and him could get along? I mean, he makes you smile, and like, you've been way more relaxed recently, so...yeah.” Charles offered a lopsided, somewhat apologetic smile. “We already have the most important thing in common, yeah?”

“ And what's that?”

“ We both love you to bits, don't we?” Charles shrugged.

Edwin couldn't help the full-blown smile that made its way onto his face at that. He felt an immense relief. He hated disagreeing with Charles and he had been dreading having to keep defending his developing relationship with the Cat King, because he would have kept on no matter how long it ended up taking. He was just unfathomably glad that he didn't have to any longer.

He made his way around the desk and paused only briefly, before putting his arms around Charles, who quickly reciprocated the hug once he realised that it was happening.

“ Thank you, Charles.” Edwin said quietly.

“ You don't have to thank me, mate. I really am sorry for reacting so badly. I promise I'll do better.” Charles replied, leaning into the hug. Edwin wasn't the touchiest of people, and he especially didn't initiate touch frequently, so moments where he did were always to be savoured.

“ You are forgiven.” Edwin gave him a quick squeeze before stepping back. “I know that it was based in concern for my well-being. I hope that, given time, you will come to appreciate him… he is a good man.”

“ If you like him this much, I'm sure I will, mate.” Charles smiled, and Edwin returned it.

“ I am glad that we have been able to talk about this. Admittedly, it would also mean a lot to me to be able to speak more openly about him in general.” Edwin's gaze flicked off to the side before he looked back again. “I do not wish for two of the most important parts of my afterlife to be separate.”

“ I understand that much better now. I'm not gonna try and stand in the way of you and him.” Charles assured. He would have liked to assume that it was a given, but he felt like he had needed to say it out loud. He wanted to always be the person in Edwin's corner no matter what, and if that meant accepting the Cat King as a non-negotiable part of their afterlives from now on, he'd gladly do it.

Immediately, he could see the difference that that confirmation had made. Edwin wouldn't have to fight to keep the Cat King in his life, he wouldn't have to face losing all that they had been building. He almost felt like hugging Charles a second time; he also felt like going to Port Townsend again to hug the Cat King. Since when had he had this much of an inclination towards physical affection? Goodness gracious.

-----

Come the following morning, once all of them had reconvened in the office, Crystal and Niko showing up together with their respective coffee orders and chocolate croissants, they found themselves in a somewhat heated discussion over which of their recent clients they should follow up on.

“ I just think that the clowns would be more fun.” Crystal said. She was being insistent about it just to rile up the others at this point (there was no way in hell that she actually wanted to follow up about the clowns).

“ You do not even want to work the clown case! You hate clowns! When they came in, you quite literally said, and I quote: “ ew, clowns .” and then proceeded to use Charles as a shield while you backed towards the door.”As Edwin finished his outburst of a response, even he could barely maintain a proper level of seriousness.

“ Maybe they're just lashing out because they died in their Halloween costumes and now those are their ghost outfits forever .” Niko's suggestion sounded like it could have been another joke, but it rang genuine.

“ I mean… it's not completely out of the realm of possibility, is it? Ghosts do tend to default to the outfit that is most memorable to them or what they died in.” Charles agreed, taking a moment to actually consider it.

“ You think that these clowns could be terrorising the London Underground because they can't change clothes?” Edwin questioned. It sounded outlandish, and yet entirely within the realm of possibility.

“ So what, you fix them by teaching them how to… manifest new clothes or something?” Crystal asked, leaning forward in her seat.

“ I mean, it is possible to-”

“ Excuse me...” Edwin was cut off by a meek voice coming from over by the door, accompanied by a quiet knock. “Are you the Dead Boy Detectives?”

Immediately, all of their attention was focused on the newcomer that was hesitating in the threshold. She was petite and dressed up like she had recently been clubbing: sparkly bronze mini dress and black thigh-high boots. But, her once immaculate makeup was running under her eyes and smudged in several places and several places along her arms had scorch marks.

“ Oh my god, are you okay?” Crystal asked, quickly running over and helping the girl inside.

She guided the girl to the chair in front of the desk for clients and let her sit down.

“ What happened to you?” Niko got up to help. “Can I get you anything?”

“ No, thank you.” the girl smiled, endeared by the thoughtfulness. She turned to Edwin and Charles with a more serious expression. “I need your help.”

“ That will depend on what the problem is that you need solving.” Edwin replied, ready to hear her out. “Tell us what happened to you.”

“ Mate-” Charles gave him a look that said 'remember your bedside manner'.

“ It's okay.” the girl assured. “The club I was at got attacked by this group of guys. They were all dressed in black and had these strange weapons. They started attacking us with iron rods and then capturing some of us. We all tried to run, but most of us were stuck temporarily solid and couldn't get away. I only got out because I know where the emergency exits are and happened to be close to one...” she took a steadying breath as she finished.

None of them could have controlled the way their expressions darkened. This was clearly the same group of ghost poachers that they had faced off against those weeks ago. They had been somewhat flying under the radar for a while, but they had grown emboldened by the lack of proper resistance or consequences.

This had gone too far. They hadn't been prepared to go after the poachers before and not one of them could say that they were prepared this time, either.

“ It seems that your case is linked to an ongoing investigation,” Edwin replied. “Please, tell us everything that you can remember. Even the smallest details could prove to be immensely helpful.”

“ You've run into these people before?” the girl questioned, a worried expression adorning her features. “I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse...”

“ We're working on it, yeah? Promise. We're doing what we can to make sure these guys will be toast, just a matter of time.” Charles tries to reassure her and it seems to somewhat work.

She looks around at them and sighs. “You have a good reputation and I know you all take this seriously, just from your track record.” she sighed again. “I'm Tara, by the way. You should probably know my name.”

“ We'll do everything we can, Tara.” Crystal said, feeling just as awful as she was sure the others were about having to bail on taking those poachers down the first time.

“ They took my friends that night. Do you think there's any chance that they're okay?” Tara asked.

“ We…don't know anything for certain, I'm afraid. However, we are working on building a picture and your recollection of your experience is helping us to build that picture.” Edwin assured. He knew that he sounded confident in the moment, but he couldn't help the guilt that was eating at him. He had been the one to rush in and lead them into failure, as well as put his friends and himself into harm's way.

He needed to succeed this time, needed to get rid of these poachers, no matter what. They could not be allowed to continue to run amok, targeting places that were supposed to be safe for ghosts and attacking them while they had their guards down.

The use of iron rods was a large cause for concern, too. The fact that they were able to purposefully prevent the ghosts from leaving through walls and mirrors by forcing them to be solid meant that they would have to approach this with an even higher degree of caution. He was glad, at least, that that little piece of information had been made available to them before they had managed to attempt to seek out the poachers again.

It would help them to formulate a more informed game plan.

Tara spent the better part of the next hour and a half giving them a detailed explanation of her night, where she was, the address of the club, the history of its popularity with ghosts and potentially other supernatural beings, and the general layout of the building. She also gave them an estimated number for how many guys were there and what they looked like (at least the few that she managed to get a decent look at).

“ That's all I can tell you. It all happened so fast… The one I remember the most was the bastard who took Kitty. She's my best friend. He slashed her arm with an iron knife and dragged her away. She yelled for me to run and get help… he had blonde hair, green eyes, square jaw and a prominent nose. Thick eyebrows, too, and he must have been about 5'10''.” she finished, looking tired and deflated.

“ Thank you. We know that was hard to talk about… you were really brave.” Crystal said, briefly placing her hand on Tara's forearm.

“ We will find these guys, and we will deal with them and help your friends.” Charles added, trying to come across with as much cheery determination as he could appropriately manage.

Tara left them with a way to contact her and provided them with her address, should they need to follow up or bring her any news on the situation with her friends. After she left the office, the burns on her arms already having mostly haled up, they knew that they would have to actively take on this case again, ready or not.

One other thing was for certain, as well: they wouldn't be able to pull this off with just the four of them. They needed help.

-----

“ We will not be able to approach this as flippantly as we did the first time.” Edwin said, pacing back and forth. “We must plan ahead. However, we still know frustratingly little about these poachers, their monikers and what they are capable of. Thus, we must, in this case, ask for assistance.”

“ You want to get the Cat King on board?” Charles guessed.

Edwin stopped pacing and nodded. “And the Night Nurse.”

“ You want to ask her for help? She'll never let it go...” Charles wanted to mope a bit, but he knew that Edwin was right. “but yeah, I agree.”

“Better to have two supernatural beings on our side than one.” Crystal shrugged. “The poachers would have set some kind of alarm bell off in the afterlife at some point, right? Might as well get ahead of the curve and ask for help now.”

“ Indeed,” Edwin had been thinking the same thing, “and as the Cat King was the one to warn us about the poachers to begin with, I am sure that he has contacts that could assist in acquiring more information.”

“ Okay, then Edwin should go and speak to the Cat King and we can speak to the Night Nurse.” Niko suggested.

“ Wait a tick. You want to split up?” Charles asked.

“ Edwin won't have a problem getting the Cat King to help, but the Night Nurse might take more than one of us to convince her...” she explained her plan, and Charles had to admit that it made sense.

“ Right.” He nodded once. “Edwin goes to get the Cat King and the three of us will get the Night Nurse.”

“ I do believe that that is the best course of action.” Edwin agreed and readied himself to hop through the mirror. “Good luck.” he said, before heading through the rippling surface of the glass.

“ Right. Let's hope Charlie's in a good mood.” 

-----

Edwin was nervous.

He had gotten much closer to the Cat King over the weeks that they had been sparring together, but he had never divulged the reason as to why he sought out lessons in the first place. He hadn't meant for it to become a secret, but it was entirely possible that he had waited too long before bringing it up.

He knew what he had to do, but he also didn't want Thomas to be upset with him (yet another thing to add to the long list of evidence that his feelings had grown deeper than he had ever thought that they could).

He took an unnecessary breath before entering the cannery, greeting the cats that he passed along the way (at least, those which could be bothered to acknowledge him). Most of them had grown too accustomed to his visits to pay him too much heed, though they were certainly more cordial than they had been at the beginning.

When he approached the dais, Thomas was already there, lounging on his pallet throne. He was dressed in a pair of flowy, wide-legged trousers and a fitted silvery turtle-neck, which could be seen to be sleeveless through the sheer, purple-black organza-like fabric of his loose, lantern-sleeved shirt. Frustratingly, but also foreseeably, he looked absolutely ravishing.

“ Edwin~” he greeted, flinging his legs down from where they had been slung over the arm rest of the throne. “What a delightful turn of events~” he purred, but then he noticed Edwin's expression and squinted at him. In a flash of purple he disappeared and reappeared next to Edwin. “And why do you look guilty?”

Edwin did his utmost to remain collected as he addressed the reason for his arrival. “I have something that I must discuss with you.” he started, “It is about the poachers.”

Thomas reeled back slightly, taking in Edwin's changing expression and body language. “Edwin, please tell me you didn't do anything stupid.”

“ We went to do some reconnaissance work and it went very poorly.” Edwin decided to just deliver the information in a straightforward manner, even if it would take him a while to get through it.

“ Fuck.” Thomas spat. He turned around and pinched the bridge of his nose before spinning back towards Edwin again. “Tell me they didn't recognise you. Edwin, tell me they didn't hurt you.”

“ I...” Edwin bit his bottom lip. He felt tremendously guilty for keeping all of this information to himself, but he couldn't help the part of him that felt a little pleased that Thomas very obviously cared about his wellbeing. “Now do not worry yourself too much, as this happened shortly after the arrival of your letter, but I did get stabbed with an iron knife.” Edwin glanced away sheepishly. “As for if they recognised who I was… I have no way of knowing just how much they are aware of.”

Thomas frowned deeply and looked as though he was resisting the urge to start pacing. “Are you okay now? Are the others?” he asked, and Edwin felt his heart warm at the genuine concern, but it quickly sank when Thomas' own look of relief melted into hurt. “Is that why you came here to learn sword fighting?”

“ Primarily, yes. It was something I knew that I had some basic skills in, that could help prevent me from getting so easily injured again.”

“ So it wasn't that you wanted to spend time with me?” Thomas flinched at his own words. “Shit, that sounded so obvious when I said it out loud… I really am pathetic.”

“ Thomas, no. You are not.” Edwin tried to sound assured, but he felt like he was making things worse.

“ No, I really am. I really went and convinced myself that you missed me even a fraction of the amount that I missed you. You didn't miss me. You didn't want me. You needed something from me… and I let myself believe that all of this was real.”

“ Stop that, this instant!” Edwin demanded, outraged that he had allowed Thomas to feel like that for even a moment. “That is entirely false and I will not have you making such wild assumptions about my intentions,” he took a second to breathe while Thomas was too stunned at the outburst to argue, “More than one thing can be true at a time. Yes, I came here because I got hurt; I felt like a failure and a burden and I- I felt vulnerable , but Thomas, you treated me like an equal at every step, never underestimating me, never doubting me. You gave me back the piece of confidence that was stolen from me that night.”

Edwin took a step closer to Thomas, not letting up. “I needed you then, as I continue to need you now, not because I intend to use you, but because I trust you. I feel safe with you, I feel safe relying on you; that is a big deal for me.” Edwin calmed his tone as he took Thomas' hands in his own, hoping that he wouldn't pull away. He didn't. “I did miss you, Thomas. I do want you, and this is so very real .”

Thomas stared at Edwin for a long moment, not having expected such a passionate rebuttal. Any small urge to deny those words or to argue against them had been dashed. He had been missed , he was wanted … this was real . Edwin felt safe with him, and saw him as reliable . That wasn't just a big deal, that was huge .

“ Okay,” Thomas released a breath and then took on a more determined expression, “In that case, if you're going to face them, then first you have to beat me.”

“ Excuse me?” Edwin was taken aback at the shift in tone. He was half-expecting that he would have to do a bit more convincing.

“ Defeat me in a duel. No holding back.” Thomas summoned their swords and threw Edwin his own, smirking as he caught it with ease. “If you can't best me, then you have to stay put while I deal with the situation.”

“ Absolutely not. Thomas, you could get hurt. You already lost one life because of me.” Edwin protested.

Thomas just smirked again, this time sharp and challenging. “You better win, then, Detective.”

He spun his sword in his grip with a flourish and took up his stance. Edwin only paused for a second before following suit. He simulated taking a deep breath and steeled himself. He would not lose this match.

The duel began, Edwin struck out first with a graceful lunge, to which Thomas span out of the way in an instant. He lunged again, only to be parried and swiped at in return, Thomas moving with all the dexterity and instinct of the cat that he was. This, like all of the times before, was exhilarating and near intoxicating in its speed and coordination. They moved in a way that was close to perfect synchronicity, like a choreographed dance.

A dance of blade against blade, and what proceeded was a flurry of blows that played in a rhythm that almost felt pre-planned. But it was not; they had simply come to know each other that well, and had come to understand each other's movement and balance.

In a blink, Thomas had circled Edwin and caught him from behind, Edwin spinning in place just fast enough to counter the strike that came down at him like a swiping claw. He felt as though he was being sized not by a house cat, but by a ferocious, prowling wild cat; a creature of instinct and poise. This was a game as much as it was a duel and Edwin wanted to play, to discover who was truly the hunter and who was the hunted.

The slide and clash of their swords was the only sound that filled the cannery along with Thomas' panting breaths, the rhythmic tapping of their shoes against the stone floor and the whipping of fabric with their rapid movements. It sent a tingling sensation up his spine.

They circled each other for a moment, anticipating the next movement. Edwin felt pierced by the Cat King's golden gaze, those slitted pupils dilating as he tracked Edwin's every movement, down to the most minute tensing of muscle. Edwin wondered what his own expression must be doing, whatever it was must have pleased the Cat King as he flashed his pointed canines in a grin before artfully lunging forward once more, landing them in another flurry of blows.

Lunging, parrying, swiping, countering, dodging, spinning, dancing, until all at once they were bound, chests heaving, pressed together a sparse distance from the cannery wall.

The Cat King smirked, the corner of his mouth drawn up in emphasis of the scar that graced his upper lip. He had won, had backed Edwin into a corner, sword pressed lightly to his throat, drawn across it in triumph.

Edwin allowed him to simmer in victory for only a moment before moving his own sword against the Cat King's shoulder, bringing to light that it had been placed at the side of his throat the entire time.

A stalemate.

The Cat King's eyes darted down to the placement of Edwin's sword and then that gaze was on him again, gold meeting green like the sun over the coastal sea.

That gaze dipped down to Edwin's lips, Edwin mirroring the movement as though magnetised. The space between them was electric.

It could not be helped, then, when Thomas loosened his grip on his own sword to lean up and place the barest kiss to Edwin's lips, soft and sweet and hopeful.

In one instant, Edwin delved back in, unable to allow Thomas to stray from him more than a hair's breadth, the first touch had burst the dam and in the next instant their swords met the floor in a metallic clatter and it was Thomas with his back to the wall, arms looped around Edwin's neck for support as he went weak at the knees.

Edwin pressed against him, their bodies flush, hands roaming down Thomas' torso to grip his waist, he squeezed lightly moved again, bringing his hands to the tops of Thomas' thighs before dipping behind them and lifting.

Thomas, having the intuition to act, but not the expectation that this scenario would unfold between them, gasped as he allowed it to happen, eagerly allowing himself to be picked up and pressed more firmly against the wall. The pressure of Edwin against him was indescribable when coupled with the heated meeting of their lips.

It could surely be agreed upon that second kisses were better. Second kisses were phenomenal. These were not stolen but given and received, and in being given so enthusiastically, surely the third and fourth and fifth and so on and so forth would be better still. For when the one kissing him was Edwin, and when the one kissing Edwin was Thomas, it was impossible, then, for it to amount to anything less. It could only ever be more.

Thomas might have been displeased with himself at the pitched sound that left his mouth as they parted for air, had it not been Edwin that drew it out of him. The sound, as well, seemed to have had quite the effect. He had never seen such a heated look in Edwin's eyes and he would be lying if he said that it didn't excite him to his very core.

Edwin pressed one, two, three more kisses to Thomas' lips, and another to his scar before leaning back a little and calming himself from the heat of the moment, eyes closed.

A trickle of anxiety seeped into Thomas' heart at the distance and the silence. What if Edwin were to regret his own actions? He wanted so much, he wanted to be wanted by Edwin so much. He wanted to be loved. Shit. He loved Edwin, he was so, so in love with him that it was maddening.

“ You… are a magnificent creature, Thomas the Cat King.” Edwin opened his eyes as he spoke, his resolve melting into sweet affection as he took in the vulnerability of Thomas' own expression.

He set Thomas down, allowing him to regain his footing, but did not let him go, hands securely at his waist once more. It sank into him how prolific this moment had been, how prolific it still was, to hold Thomas in his arms and to be looked at with such open adoration, by someone so incredible, and who had become so dear to him.

“ I feel like that should be my line, Edwin Payne.” Thomas' voice was barely over a whisper, still shaken by the intensity of what had just happened.

Edwin smiled. “I must admit, I am glad that our duel concluded in such a manner. It pleases me to know that we remain on equal footing.”

“ I need this to mean something, Edwin. I- please tell me that was more than just getting swept up in the moment.” Thomas pleaded, rather than responding to the statement. Of course, he could probably make a reasonable assumption based on the fact that Edwin was still holding onto him, but he desperately needed the verbal confirmation.

“ It is… no secret that I am attracted to you, and that this tension between us has been building for quite some time,” Edwin paused to collect his thoughts, “however, it has certainly become something far greater than that. I… have become awfully attached to you. You have come to mean a great deal to me, to the point that I can no longer picture my life without you in it.” He moved his right hand up to brush a stray hair from Thomas' forehead and then settled it against his cheek. “I hold a – not insignificant amount – of affection in my heart for you, and I want to explore this with you, if you are amenable?”

“ Edwin,” Thomas sighed around the name, equal parts dreamy and hopeful, and longing. “I want that. I want everything that you're willing to give me.”

Edwin leaned down to kiss Thomas again, just as soft and sweet as the first time that Thomas had kissed him. How could he not?

“ As much as I am loathed to allow this moment to end, the case back in London cannot be ignored. The poachers are becoming more bold and we cannot allow them to continue their attacks.” Edwin frowned, and glanced away before looking back.

“ I trust that you can defend yourself Edwin, you have more than proved your capability.” Thomas replied.

“ Come with me?” Edwin asked, “I do believe that I am ready to face them again, but I cannot do it alone, and I fear that the strength of the agency will not quite be enough.”

“ Of course I'm coming.” Thomas scoffed. “Did you really think that I'd let you storm in there without me? Where's the fun in that?”

Edwin smiled broadly at that, unable to hold it back. What other reaction could he have expected? “I do think that it would be fascinating to discover just how well we work together side-by-side, as opposed to acting as opponents.”

“ And when you put it like that, how could I possibly say no?” Thomas grinned.

“ We should probably go now. The others may be waiting for me to return and they were tasked with discussing this case with the Night Nurse.”

“ Ugh, you want me to cooperate with the Afterlife Department?” Thomas complained. “ Fine. But only because you're pretty.”

Edwin almost laughed out loud at that. Thomas had a way of bringing out parts of himself that he often held back. To laugh freely, open himself up to more casual acts of affection, and develop the confidence to act on his feelings and desires. All of those were things that had blossomed for him thanks to his developing relationship with Thomas.

“ How gracious. I am ever so thankful for your cooperation.” Edwin said, dripping with irony and Thomas simply grinned in response.

“ Edwin, before I go back there with you, I think we should have at least a quick talk about how you want to handle the topic of us with your friends.” Thomas said, seriously, a bit of that previous anxiety reappearing in his facial expression.

“ I am not entirely sure of what label to put on it, but I know that I am serious about having a relationship with you. If you also wish to be with me, it must be understood that I expect monogamy. I do not intend to conceal our relationship from others, either. I intend to be forthcoming.” Edwin answered plainly.

“ Monogamy is what I want too. I don't like sharing,” Thomas smiled, glad that he and Edwin seemed to be on the same page. He was relieved that Edwin wanted to be honest with his friends about their relationship. He wouldn't lie; he would have been hurt if Edwin had intended to be secretive.

“ Good. Neither do I.” Edwin returned the smile and Thomas could not have fought against the urge to kiss him again if he had tried.

And goodness did it feel good to kiss Edwin's smile.

When he pulled back, he was taken aback by the sight before him. There was a subtle indigo glow around Edwin that had not been there previously.

“ Edwin, you're glowing.” he said, stunned.

Edwin quickly lifted his hand and inspected it. “It's back...” Once more, his heart felt inexplicably full, warmth tingling all over him.

“ This has happened before? When?”

Edwin felt like he needed to blush at the memory of his conversation with Niko, and the indigo glow got a little more intense for a moment. “It happened once before on the rooftop of the agency, while I was talking to Niko about you… It appears to be related to feelings of intense happiness.”

Thomas felt his heart flip in his chest. He wouldn't have ever imagined Edwin saying such a thing to or about him in previous months. Edwin had spoken to Niko about him already, and had been happy enough when he was doing so that he literally started glowing.

Thomas almost felt like he could start glowing, himself.

“ A gift for you, before we go,” Thomas started, and took a hold of Edwin's wrist. In a flash of purple, the sword that Edwin had been using disappeared from the floor and a miniature version of it appeared wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet. “Put your hand over it with the intent to use it, and it will transform back into its proper form for you. It will also turn back into the bracelet when it is no longer needed. It cannot be removed or tampered with by anyone other than you or me.”

Edwin looked over the sword and the way that it curled around his wrist with curiosity. It was indeed the exact same sword, but on his wrist it was flat and blunted, and it would be easily concealable under the sleeves of his shirt and coat. He wanted to ask about the magic that was used to enchant it, but there would be time for that later.

“ Thank you.” he said, sincerely, and with the full intention to file away all of his questions so that he could ask them when this particular case had been closed.

-----

When they arrived back in the office, it was in a flash of purple flame, and with Thomas leaning into Edwin's side, the ghost still emitting a faint indigo light.

Thomas looked around a bit, taking in the environment of the office space, the walls, the flooring, the large desk and the bookshelves. Then, his attention landed on Charles, Niko, Crystal and who he assumed must have been the Night Nurse, who were all staring at him with varying levels of curiosity and distaste (apart from Niko, of course, who looked absolutely ecstatic).

“ Edwin! You're glowing again!” Niko exclaimed, immediately rushing over to them, causing Edwin to smile somewhat bashfully. “Your majesty.” She greeted with a curtsy.

“ The only one of Edwin's friends to show any kind of class,” Thomas mock-glared at Charles and Crystal before smiling at Niko. “You can just call me Cat for now.”

“ What are you doing with a Cat King? ” the Night Nurse looked as though she was about to burst a blood vessel.

“ If you must know, he is my partner,” Edwin reached for Thomas' hand and gave it a squeeze, “ romantically . And, he is here to help us.”

“ Oh for heaven's sake! That is the absolute last thing we need. I don't want to upset you, but there is no romance to be had with a Cat King. They are selfish creatures who only value themselves. He is using you.”

“ Not a cat person?” Thomas asked with a taunting sort of nonchalance. He wouldn't show it outwardly, but he was reassured by the way that Edwin squeezed his hand.

“ He is non-negotiable. Do refrain from disrespecting him in my presence from now on, as I will not be tolerating it. Now, I shall not be wasting my breath on discussing it further, so I suggest that we move on to the matter at hand.” Edwin gave a pointed look as he spoke; one that would be incredibly difficult to argue with.

The Night Nurse stared him down for a prolonged moment before closing her eyes and sighing hard. “What help can he offer exactly?”

“ Well, I can be a bridge of communication between you and the uncommon beings of London, for one. No offence, but most of them won't want to talk to Afterlife employees.” Thomas made a show of giving her a judgemental once-over. “And I have a long list of contacts, including a sibling.”

“ You have a sibling here in London?” Edwin asked, only half-surprised at the reveal, since Thomas didn't really talk about his family much.

“ Technically, I have one here in London, one in Ireland, one in Scotland, one in Cornwall and another in Brighton.” Thomas listed, “I have family all over the place. I may be an uncommon being by nature, but cats still come in litters." His tone was humorous, and it made Edwin curious about the origin of Cat Kings.

How were they created? Were they assigned or were they born into it? What type of creatures were they really? Fae? Something else entirely? It was hard to say, seeing as there was very little information available about them to research. The Night Nurse seemed to know something, or at least she seemed to think that she knew something.

Edwin pushed down a wave of stark displeasure at her harsh and ignorant words. He didn't care what she thought she knew about Cat Kings and their proclivities. He knew Thomas, and he was nothing like her assumptions.

“ Are we gonna meet the London Cat King?” Niko asked, hopeful and excited by the prospect.

“ Yeah… even if I don't like the idea of you all meeting him, he might be our best shot at finding wherever the poachers are hiding out.” Thomas pulled a face, but had to admit that much. It was why he was there after all. “I'll have to be the one to request an audience, but yeah, one or two of you will have to come along so that he doesn't take it as an act of disrespect that you didn't go in person.”

“ Alright, in that case we'll all go.” Charles nodded, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“ All? You don't exactly have a good track record dealing with Cat Kings, Charlie boy.” Thomas raised a brow and folded his arms over his chest.

“ Well I've only met one and to be fair, mate, he was really annoying.” Charles smirked.

“ Is that right? Pretty sure you went in swinging and made things worse.” Thomas shot back, irritated but with no real bite.

“ Well maybe if he hadn't whisked away my best mate for hours on end and trapped us all in town with a blood-thirsty witch obsessed with eternal youth.” Charles raised both eyebrows back at Thomas.

“ Um. In his defence, if he hadn't done that I would have been exploded and I kind of like not being exploded.” Niko pitched in, sheepishly.

Thomas smiled with smug satisfaction, “Exactly, Niko, thank you. She doesn't like being exploded, Charles, I can't believe you want to explode Niko.” he said with a tone that was mockingly aghast.

“ I don't- What?” Charles looked utterly confused as to how the conversation had taken this specific turn.

“ Charles I never knew you felt that way about Niko, I'm shocked.” Crystal added on, wanting to be part of this silly interaction. She couldn't resist.

“ Oh not you, too.” Charles sent Edwin a pleading look for help, but Edwin just shook his head in pretend disappointment.

“ Charles, I must say that I am utterly flabbergasted that you have been harbouring such feelings of ill will.”

“ Wh- I haven't! What is happening right now?” Charles looked between them in confusion.

“ I do not get paid enough for this.” The Night Nurse threw her hands up and walked towards the door. “I don't get paid at all!” she turned towards them one last time. “Talk to me again when you have made contact with the London Cat King. In the meantime, I will be keeping on top of the paperwork so that when you inevitably do something insane, I can minimise the bureaucratic disaster you leave behind.”

With that, she opened the door and left. It wouldn't be too far though, considering that her office in the agency was only down the hall.

“ Well, I suppose we ought to get going then?” Edwin looked between his friends, his eyes flicking between Charles and Thomas.

“ Good idea.” Crystal agreed. “I kind of want to meet his majesty's hotter British twin.” she joked.

“ He's not hotter and he's not my twin.” Thomas corrected. “He's also not as nice, so you all need to watch what you say if you want him to cooperate. Don't give anything away and for the love of all things good, do not make any deals.”

“ Duly noted.” Edwin agreed, followed by Niko nodding along eagerly, and Crystal shrugging.

Once Charles had also – albeit reluctantly – agreed to be on his best behaviour, Thomas gathered the four of them in a circle and, in a flash of purple, teleported them out of the office, to the home of the London Cat King.

-----

“ Well, well, look what the cat dragged in~ If it isn't my dear American brother.” The London Cat King drawled from up on his throne. “And… his gaggle of lost-looking morons!” he added with faux delight. “Hello, morons~”

The room that they were in was like a large office, high up in a tall building. Everything was kept clean and fancy, appearing like a perfectly professional business setting in all but the bold colour scheme. The place was decked out in gold, black, and royal purple and green. It was a marvel that the place somehow managed to avoid looking tacky. The throne that the London Cat King sat on was more of a fancy leather desk chair, behind an ornate mahogany desk.

All around the room, there were cats on every surface. Six or seven of them were on the small sofa to the side, another two on the top of the glass coffee table. On the other side of the room there were several grandiose cat trees that were practically overrun with inhabitants, either lazily watching or completely ignoring them. The ones who were interested likely only were due to the unfamiliar Cat King in the room.

The king himself was a tall man with neatly styled blond hair, dressed in an ostentatious, fitted suit. The jacket was a dark purple velvet (matching the shade of his trousers), with a forest green silk lining (matching the colour of his silk tie and the handkerchief in his breast pocket), and was embroidered all over with intricate patterns, spun in gold thread. He would have looked more like a peacock than a cat if it weren't for his sharp, yellow, slitted eyes and feline smirk.

“ Barnaby, be nice.” Thomas replied, stepping closer. “These are the Dead Boy Detectives , and we're here on official business.”

“ Oh?” King Barnaby disappeared from his seat in a purple flash and reappeared behind Edwin and Niko, causing her to flinch and for Barnaby to corner a quick, assessing glance at her. “They are rather interesting aren't they?” Barnaby smirked and leaned close to Edwin and took a long sniff. “This one smells like a warm hearth, it would be oh so hot , if it weren't for your sad, wet scent, Tommy~”

Thomas bristled at the same time that Edwin leaned away from Barnaby with a look of pure outrage. Charles also looked like he was about two seconds from abandoning his deal to be on his best behaviour.

“ Paws off, Barney.” Thomas warned. “We have poachers on our hands. I'm sure you already know about it.”

“ Sure.” Barnaby leaned away and circled behind Crystal and Charles. “This one's pretty~” He leaned in to Charles and sniffed, dragging a hand down his arm, then ducking down to Crystal where he did the same, moving away too fast for either of them to react. “You're like honey and wine, pretty boy~” he winked at Charles. “and this one… that's a lot of raw ancestral power left untapped.” he teleported back to lean against his desk and looked at Thomas. “A powerful psychic, a loyal puppy who's a lot of bark and a lot of bite, a sugar plum princess with leftover divine energy, and maybe the strongest ghost on the planet. You sure know how to pick them.”

“ You know who we are.” Edwin stated, choosing to ignore the descriptors, and realising that this Cat King must have known about their agency for a while. In retrospect it was probably silly to assume that he wouldn't.

“ Obviously.” Barnaby dead-panned. “You think I don't know what goes on in my city?”

“ Then you know we have to stop those poachers.” Crystal said, sharply.

Barnaby eyed her. “What will you give me in return for my help?”

Edwin stepped forward at the question, sidling up next to Thomas. “That will depend entirely on what ' help' you are able to provide us.”

“ How about I tell you exactly where to find these poachers and in return, you give me a favour.” Barnaby smirks.

“ Absolutely not. I must insist that we set proper parameters for any sort of exchange.” Edwin insists, and Thomas feels a little proud. No open-ended deals with a trickster.

“ Fine. Be that way.” Barnaby narrowed his eyes. “Worth a shot.”

“ You think I didn't warn them not to make any deals before coming here? Please.” Thomas rolled his eyes. “Cat King to Cat King, you and I both know that you aren't capable of taking out the poachers on your own and that they'll start going for other supernatural targets now that they've gotten bolder. You can't fight poachers with a keen sense of smell and your party tricks won't cut it either; you need their help.”

Barnaby seethed. He didn't take his eyes off of Thomas as he summoned a piece of paper and passed it to Edwin. Edwin took it, only to have Barnaby snap his attention to him. “That's the address of their hideout and the times of day that they come and go. Get rid of them and bring me proof that they're gone. That can be your payment.”

Edwin gave him a short nod, trying not to give away any concern over the change in mood and tone.

Barnaby snapped just as quickly back to Thomas. “You may be my brother but that does not give you a free pass to act up.” he bit. “Undermine me in front of my cats again and I'll take it as an act of war. Go back to your miserable, dank little cannery and don't let me catch you in my territory… or I might just be tempted to play with your toys.” he cast a dangerous and pointed glance over the others, lingering on each of them one by one.

When he had made his point, he clicked his fingers and the next thing they knew, they were all standing back outside of the agency gate.

“ Right.” Charles started. “I'm sure that won't come back to bite us.”

No one else said anything for a while, only sharing matching looks of worry as they headed back inside.

-----

“ Well, what do we do now?” Niko asked once they were all back inside the office. “That did not go well and I know we have what we need, which is great, but also now Thomas has to leave and I didn't know your name was Thomas, but that's a nice name and it suits you.”

“ Yeah, about that.” Thomas looked at everyone in the room with a tense expression. “I can make my peace with you guys knowing my name, but you can't repeat it in front of anyone else. If you give it to the wrong person it could spell some seriously bad shit for me.”

Unexpectedly, Edwin moved closer and placed a hand comfortingly on his forearm. Some of the tension left his body at the contact and he took a steadying breath. He did his best to ignore the analytical way that Charles seemed to be watching them as well, despite how obvious he was being about it. He even saw Crystal elbow him out of the corner of his eye.

“ We won't tell anyone , will we?” she said, nudging Charles.

“ Yeah, sure. We'll keep it mum.” he agreed, shaking off his distraction.

“ We won't tell anyone! We promise!” Niko chimed with her usual earnestness. She might be (read: definitely was) Thomas' favourite of Edwin's friends.

“ Good. Now that's out of the way, Edwin has been looking like he's wanted to speak for at least five and a half minutes, so how about we hear his plan?” Thomas turned to Edwin, who was already looking back at him with a small, fond smile.

Then, his expression turned serious as he addressed the room. “Now that we know where they are located and have an estimate for the times of day that they come and go from their headquarters, I suggest that we be proactive. We must first travel to the location in question and then wait for the opportune moment to sneak inside while it is unguarded and free the trapped ghosts.” he explained. “We will have a limited time window and must do our utmost to get in and out without being caught or noticed. However, in the event that we do get caught, we must be prepared to get ourselves out by any means.”

“ I can help you out with that part.” Thomas volunteered. “I can teleport you out.”

“ You cannot stay in London, Thomas. If things go south with your brother...” Edwin frowned, knowing that the Cat King would not agree to leave.

“ I'll deal with him if I have to. You still need me for this plan to work and I'm not letting you go in there alone. Besides, he said not to come back and I haven't left yet.” Thomas reasoned, along the lines that Edwin had expected.

“ Oi!” Charles protested. “He wouldn't be going alone , would he? He's got me, and Crystal. We'll be fine.”

“ What, like last time?” Thomas snapped. “When he got stabbed with an iron knife? An iron knife that those fucking poachers carry specifically for stabbing ghosts? Forgive me if I feel the need to make sure he's fine with my own two eyes.”

“ You think you can do a better job of protecting him?” Charles questioned, offended at the insinuation.

“ I know I can if I need to, but I also know that Edwin is strong and he knows what he's doing. He's been training with me , after all, and he didn't get hurt on my watch.” Thomas gave him a look that dared him to argue the point.

“ You-!” Charles was frustrated, angry. He wanted to argue with Thomas, but he couldn't. He already felt guilty about Edwin getting hurt on his watch, especially after he made such a big stink about not letting him ask the Cat King for help. As much as it annoyed him, he also couldn't be mad at him for needing to protect Edwin himself… because Charles would be doing the exact same thing if the roles were reversed.

Damn it. The Cat King was already growing on him.

“ Enough. Both of you.” Edwin moved his hand down to link his fingers with Thomas', causing the other to instantly simmer down. “We have a plan this time, and while I do not particularly like the idea of Thomas getting involved in a more serious conflict with Barnaby, we do need his help for this plan...” Edwin frowned a little, but Thomas gave his hand a squeeze in reassurance. “We will do this together .”

“ King Barnaby mentioned that I have leftover divine energy? What did that mean?” Niko interjected, reminded of the comment by his mention.

“ Maybe it's to do with how you survived and came back?” Crystal suggested. It made sense. “Something to do with the totem that you got from Mick?”

“ Maybe?” Niko pulled the bear totem out of her pocket (she always had it on her) and turned it over in her palm. “I don't remember much about what happened...”

“ Maybe… maybe you should stay here?” Crystal said, quickly going over and sitting down next to Niko. “If you have some sort of energy, maybe the poachers can sense it? It could put you in more danger...you can't defend yourself like the rest of us can...”

Niko looked disappointed. She wanted to be useful and help her friends, but she didn't want to get in their way or make things harder.

“ While we are gone, you should get a head start on research, Niko.” Edwin said, seriously. “We will need all of the information that we can get on related deities that could have had a hand in saving you. It would also be worth finding out if there could be a way for you to harness what residual energy you might have.”

“ Okay! I can do that!” Niko agreed with some renewed enthusiasm. “I'll find out everything I can, and maybe the Night Nurse will help too.”

“ If anyone can convince her, it's you.” Charles smiled encouragingly and she beamed back at him.

“ Right! Operation 'get the Night Nurse to help me research while the gang takes on Poachers to save the ghosts' is a-go!” Niko exclaimed, practically sparkling with motivation.

“ According to the schedule, they should be gone tomorrow evening at six PM, but will return within two hours. That will be our window of opportunity.” Edwin said, making sure that they all got a good look at the schedule before tucking it between the pages of his little black notebook and placing it safely back into his pocket.

“ That gives us a while to prepare, so we should do what we can while we wait, yeah? We can do a bit of research, get some spells memorised, take some practice swings: the works.” Charles added, taking the bat from his bag and giving it a spin.

“ Right you are, Charles. We should take advantage of the fact that they will not be expecting us.” Edwin agreed.

“ Also gives me a bit more time to snoop around your office~” Thomas leaned into Edwin's side and batted his lashes. “Where do you keep the stuff you definitely shouldn't have?”

“ It might disappoint you to know that the most dangerous items in our collection are the books on the shelves.” Edwin replied, but then leaned down to whisper to him, “bottom two shelves in the cupboard and the third drawer down on the right side of my desk.”

Thomas grinned widely and kissed him square on the lips before sauntering off towards the cupboard. “My oh my what a vast and fascinating collection of Clue~”

Edwin just watched fondly, as he very un-subtly crouched down to look at the lower shelves.

“ You're gonna spoil him.” Crystal teased.

“ He won't be able to come back to London after this.” Edwin said with a bitter-sweet tone, but smiled warmly as he continued. “It won't do any harm to allow him to indulge his curiosity just this once.”

“ While he's busy, you should go and indulge Niko, next. She's been holding back on bombarding you with questions about your new long-distance beaux ever since the two of you got here.”

Edwin glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Niko was giving a very obvious look, like she was eager to talk to him. He smiled and made a gesture to let her know that he was on his way, smiling a little wider when she immediately stood and practically bounced over to the door.

-----

“ So~” Niko sing-songed as they reached the rooftop. After the last few times that they had had their heart to heart conversations up there, it did sort of feel like it was their spot.

“ What would you like to know?” Edwin asked, barely holding up his air of properness. It was new and strange to feel so eager to speak with someone on personal matters (it was new to have such personal matters on which to speak), but it was also nice.

“ Edwin! You have to tell me everything!” her eyes sparkled with glee. “How did it finally happen? What was it like? What's he like? Is he a good kisser?”

She fired off the questions in rapid succession and Edwin had to take a moment to process them enough to put the answers into words. It did not help that he felt like he should be blushing.

“ We were sparring.” Edwin started, feeling a little hot under the collar at the recollection. “He said he would support me in going after the poachers if I could defeat him. It was a draw.” Edwin took an unnecessary breath. “He… kissed me, and then I kissed him… quite enthusiastically.” Niko grinned widely as he said that, and he sighed fondly at the memory, his heart fluttering. “He is quite talented in that specific area… and surprisingly light.” he added as an afterthought.

“ What does that mean?” Niko asked excitedly.

“ I think that is plenty of detail already.” Edwin refused, knowing full well that it would only make her more curious, so he also opted to move the conversation along. “We did manage to establish that, moving forward, we would be in an exclusive relationship. That… made me extremely happy.” he smiled to himself.

“ Edwin!” She cooed. “That's so sweet! You guys are so good together!”

Edwin felt that familiar sensation again, that tingling warmth and he knew that he was glowing again. The look on Niko's face was enough to tell him that he was right.

“ I think… I think that it would be really easy to--!” his words are abruptly cut off with a shock.

Niko gasped in horror and stared at him wide-eyed. He looked down to the iron rod that was sticking out of his chest, burning and smoking.

“ Go! Get help!” was all he managed to say before he was being tugged backwards, off of the rooftop by a chain that had been attacked to the other end of the iron rod.

“ Edwin!” Niko yelled, trying and failing to reach out for him.

Without wasting another second, she turned on her heel and high-tailed it back through the door and down the stairs to the agency. She sprinted through the door, causing the glass to rattle slightly in its frame with the force of her entry.

Everyone's attention snapped to her immediately as she panted. “Edwin! They got Edwin!”

Thomas teleported to her in a flash of purple with a dangerous look in his eyes. “How the fuck did they get him? Which way did they go?” He demanded.

“ We were talking up on the roof, it's our spot, but then he started glowing again and then he got stuck with an iron rod and they pulled him off of the roof!” Niko replied rapidly, full of panic. “I didn't see where they went, he said to get help and I ran straight down here to you guys!”

“ Shit!” Thomas disappeared in another purple flash, leaving the three of them alone.

“ Niko, are you sure you didn't see where they went?” Charles pressed, holding on to both of her shoulders and obviously trying his best not to lose his cool.

“ I'm sure! I'm so sorry! He was right there but I couldn't do anything!” her eyes started to well up and Crystal pulled her into a tight hug, shooting Charles a worried look over her shoulder.

“ We'll find him. We can go after them, right? We have the address and the times, we just… have to move our plan up to tonight, instead.” she said.

“ Right.” Charles agreed, though the panic in his eyes didn't dim.

“ Those fuckers!” Thomas hissed as he reappeared again. “They're taking him to their base! It's only a matter of time before they find his notebook.”

“ Shit.” Crystal cussed, letting Niko go so she could turn around.

“ That's bad! They'll know you guys are coming.” she looked between them, hoping they'd have some idea of what to do.

“ We're going now! Obviously! Fuck!” Thomas didn't wait before grabbing Charles and Crystal by their wrists and teleporting them with him, gone just as quickly as he had reappeared.

Niko slumped down on the little sofa and put her head in her hands.

-----

When they arrived at the poachers' base, it was just in time for them to start filtering out of the building and heading away. Thomas looked to Charles and Crystal before nodding back towards the base. It took them both a moment, though, to reorient themselves after the abrupt teleportation. It was safe to say that neither of them had experienced anything like it.

“ We're going to have to tread carefully. They'll likely be able to detect us in some capacity so be fucking ready.” Thomas gestured to them to stay close to the wall where they could remain out of view. “Since we don't know jack shit about the layout, you two should count your blessings that I can sense Edwin's energy to an extent. Once we're in, it'll be the fastest way to find him.”

“ Got it.” Crystal nodded, over the lag of how they got there and fully determined now that they were right outside.

“ Right then.” Charles took an unnecessary breath. “Here we go.”

Once they were sure that all of the poachers from around the perimeter of the building were gone, they carefully filed their way to the back of the building, keeping close to the wall as they went. Thankfully, it didn't seem that these guys had had the time to put up cameras yet after getting their base established.

Once they reached the back entrance via the alleyway that ran between that building and the two blocks of flats next to it.

Charles crouched down and took off his backpack, rummaging around for a while before pulling out his lock pick. “Stand back, Whiskers, this is my forte.” he said as he got to making easy work of getting the lock open.

Meanwhile, Crystal attempted to read the door to see if she could discover anything useful.

“ Oh gross.” She hissed as she pulled her hand away and quickly whipped out some hand sanitizer from her pocket. “Glad I started bringing this shit with me. Fuck.”

“ What the fuck did you see?” Thomas asked, keeping his distance from the door.

“ One of those shits pissed on the door and wall out here earlier. Fucking gross.” she replied with a grimace. “First thing I'm doing when we get back is taking a hot shower and covering myself with disinfectant.”

“ Guess being a piece of shit poacher isn't lucrative enough to afford toilets.” Thomas joked, though he still kept his distance. “Did you at least see anything that was actually useful?”

“ Just that this entrance doesn't seem to get much use.” she sighed, shoving the bottle of sanitiser back into her pocket and rubbing her hands together furiously before tucking them into her pockets as well. She wouldn't be touching anything else in there unless she had to.

As soon as Charles was done with the door, he pulled it open and gestured them all inside with a flourish and a boyish grin. Crystal shot him a fond look as she walked inside, followed by Thomas, who just rolled his eyes. Charles just grinned wider as he stepped in behind them and allowed the door to swing slowly shut.

The inside of the building was odd. It was a long, long hallway, littered with unlabelled doors. Thomas looked around, tilting his head this way and that with an intense focus. “I can't sense him yet.” he said, frustrated.

“ So, are we just supposed to start opening doors, or what?” Crystal asked, peering down the hall.

“ Hate to say this right after you sanitised your hands, but...” Charles offered her an apologetic shrug. “Probably got to read the doors, don’t you?”

Crystal glared at him, but sighed in resignation. She was the only one capable of seeing what might be through the doors without opening them, after all, since it would be too dangerous to let Edwin or Charles phase through or for Thomas to teleport.

“ Fine, but I want some kind of compensation for the door outside and I want double compensation if I see something like that again.” She countered, inwardly shuddering at the recent memory.

She reluctantly approached the first door and got to work.

After about ten minutes, things were getting more urgent. Thomas reminded Crystal that they only had another twenty-three minutes before the poaches were due to return to the base. They had to move quickly to find Edwin, especially if they wanted to be able to free the trapped ghosts and get them out.

“ I'm working on it.” Crystal shot back at him after another tie prompt. It's not like doing multiple psychic readings in a short period wasn't draining. She was doing her best.

She reached out and touched the handle of the next door, only to be catapulted into a vision that was definitely not the same as the others had been up to that point. Visions of the poachers going in and out of the room played out in her mind and flashes of what lay beyond the threshold flickered across the backs of her eyes. Hundreds of ghosts, trapped in cages and bottles, many of them forced into their crackling orb-like forms.

Not only ghosts though, there were supernatural creatures trapped in similar manners, some of them chained, some of them sedated and caged behind iron bars. It was horrifying.

“ This one. This is the door.” Crystal gasped as she came out of her onslaught of visions. “We have to get in there! They're keeping them in iron cages!”

“ Right, I'll go through the wall and open it from the inside.” Charles started, but Thomas grabbed his arm before he could go through.

“ Wait,” Thomas said, letting the arm drop when he was sure that Charles wouldn't just charge on through anyway. “There's probably some kind of trap or something that could hurt you from going in there. They have ghosts in iron cages , who knows what sadistic shit they've set up to stop them from escaping.”

“ We can't just leave them!” Charles protested.

“ Obviously.” Thomas rolled his eyes. “ I'm going to teleport into the room. I doubt they'll be expecting a Cat King.”

“ This could be extremely fucking dangerous, you know?” Crystal said. “Edwin will be pissed as hell if anything happens to you.”

Thomas softened at the obvious concern in her words. He smiled reassuringly and shrugged, trying to play off the seriousness of what he was offering to do.

“ Someone has to get in there and let everyone in and it's not going to be any of you.” he said. “I knew what I was signing up for when Edwin asked and I offered to help. Besides, you're out of your fucking mind if you think I won't tear this place down brick by brick to get my reckless boyfriend back.”

“ Just don't die in there, yeah?” Charles said, regarding him with more appreciation than he ever would have expected.

“ Charles,” Thomas was surprised to say the least. He didn't think Charles would particularly care what happened to him. Then again, it was probably only for Edwin's benefit. “I don't die that easy.” he smirked, vanishing in a plume of purple fire.

“ What?” Charles asked, noticing that Crystal was watching him.

“ Nothing, just… it would mean a lot to Edwin that you're warming up to Cat.” Crystal replied with a knowing look.

“ I don't know what you mean.” Charles refused to acknowledge what she was implying. He wasn't going to talk about his feelings while they were in the middle of a case. “The bloke still has a long way to go to earn my approval.”

Crystal just smiled at him.

There was a bang on the other side of the door, causing them all to freeze. Then, a loud clatter like several things being dropped onto the floor at once, some choice words, and then the door was swinging inwards.

“ You coming then?” Thomas asked, acting like it wasn't obvious he'd teleported in and immediately knocked a load of stuff off of one of the tables.

When they were in, the full scope of what the poachers had done became visible to them. There were hundreds of terrarium-like glass cases filled with ghost orbs, ghosts trapped in iron-barred cages or chained with iron shackles at the far wall, along with a couple of supernatural creatures. It was truly horrifying to behold.

Edwin was nowhere in sight though, and Thomas wasn't picking up his energy signature.

“ You two get to freeing this lot. I'm going to teleport around a bit and see if I can find Edwin.” he said.

“ You got it.” Crystal nodded.

“ Be careful.” Charles added with a frown.

“ No shit.” Thomas replied and vanished again.

“ Kind of annoying when he does that.” Charles huffed.

“ Yeah, well.” Crystal shrugged. “At least he's useful.” She turned to survey the room and rolled up her sleeves. “Let's free some fucking ghosts.”

-----

Edwin struggled as he was dragged across the street and into the back of a black van, reeled by a winch that was welded into the back of it. He tried his best to ignore the horrendous burning in the centre of his chest that made it feel like he was being torn into pieces from the middle, outwards.

Once he was inside with no room to move, he caught the face of his captor, smirking at him as he slammed the door shut. The very same man that had stabbed him in the club.

It dawned on him in that second that they must have been following them, watching them and hunting them ever since that first moment all those weeks ago. They must have just been waiting for the right moment, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Thomas had been right to warn them away and they should have heeded his warning from the start. Maybe if they hadn't made themselves targets early on, they would have stood a better chance.

No. He needed to stay level-headed. He was in this situation now and he would just have to deal with it.

He tried to stay still as the van drove down the street, hissing in pain every time it turned a corner and jostled him, causing another round of smoke to sizzle from the hole in his chest.

The second after the van pulled up, the door opened up again and he was dragged by several of the poachers through a side entrance and into the warehouse that they were using as a base. Thankfully, this did seem to be the same place that Barnaby had tipped them off about.

They hauled him through corridor after corridor, identical walls and doors at even intervals, winding through the building as they went deeper, in a way that he wished didn't remind him so much of hell.

He couldn't hold back the cry of pain as one of the poachers twisted the iron as they shoved him into the room. He lurched forward at the sudden push and fell onto the ground, groaning as he picked himself up onto his knees. Two of the others kept a hold of the chain, moving behind him to attach it to a winch with a crank that disappeared into a gap in the wall.

“ Now you sit pretty for a while. We'll be back later, Detective.” the one that had stabbed him sneered “You won't be totally alone though. Make any trouble and my friends here will come back in and teach you a lesson.” he smirked cruelly before slamming the door shut and locking it, leaving Edwin in complete darkness.

-----

Thomas stopped in the hall and bent over, leaning on his knees and panting. This was taking too long and using so much of his magic outside of his own territory was draining his energy much faster than he had anticipated. He wasn't sure just how many more teleportations he had in him and he needed to save at least one to be able to get them all out of there together and in one piece.

Just as he was about to kick open a door manually, all of the lights in the hallway turned red and an alarm sounded out, the noise of it coming from all around him.

Shit.

Charles and Crystal must have set it off while they were breaking out all of those ghosts and they really couldn't afford to get caught. Hopefully they'll be smart enough to help the captives get outside and away instead of trying to hang about. He hoped that they would trust him to get Edwin out of there on his own.

He made his way further down the hallway and ducked around a corner when he heard a rush of footsteps.

“ We'll let him stew for a bit while we take care of the alarm.” one voice said.

“ We just gotta get his little friend with the bat and then we'll have the matching set.” another replied.

They were talking about Edwin and Charles!

“ He's probably the one that got in and set off the alarm. Guess our intel on them was right.”

Once Thomas was sure that the guys in the hallway were far enough away, he came out from his hiding spot and hurried down the hallway in the direction that they had come from.

He strained his ears, listening for anyone that might be coming and put the metaphorical feelers out for any hint of Edwin's magical signature. It wasn't very strong in general for ghosts, but it helped that Edwin had escaped hell, and that he was a decent magic user. It gave him a very unique signature.

It was two hallways later, further into the depths of the building that Thomas finally picked up on something. The second he picked up on it, he didn't think.

He just teleported.

-----

Edwin couldn't see anything around himself. It was pitch black in the room with no way to tell what might be around him aside from his own memory of what the room had looked like before they closed the door and shut off the lights.

His chest hurt so badly. He hadn't experienced prolonged pain like this since he had been strapped into Esther's torture device. Though, admittedly, this was not as bad as that had been. He just had to think. Surely there was a way out of this.

Only, with the iron rod stuck through him for so long, there was no telling how long it would be before he stopped being corporeal again.

All of a sudden, a familiar burst of purple flame shot up in front of him, temporarily lighting things up enough for him to see his rescuer (and for his rescuer to get the full view of him as well).

“ Edwin!” Thomas rushed over as the light went out.

“ Cat...” Edwin could have sobbed with relief at the feeling of Thomas' hands coming to frame his face. “You're here.”

“ I'm here.” he confirmed, placing a kiss to Edwin's forehead. “How the fuck do I get you out of here?”

“ There is a winch,” Edwin struggled to speak with the rod sticking through him. “in the wall. Behind me.”

As Thomas got up and went to go and inspect the wall, the door crashed open and the lights flickered as a group of armed poachers filed in.

“ Look-y here boys, looks like we caught ourselves a cat king too. Bet he'll fetch a pretty penny. Lust-domain fae creatures like him always do.”

That sent a disgusted shiver up his spine.

“ I don't want to hear about my monetary value from a piece of shit glorified trafficker with no bitches who looks like he sunk all his money into pick-up courses from alpha male podcast scammers and Gamer Girl Bath Water.” Thomas mocked in the most derisive tone he could muster.

“ Fuck you, pussy cat!” the poacher yelled and lunged at him with a baton.

“ No thanks.” Thomas easily dodged out of the way. “You're not my type.”

He moved to defend himself, but as he turned, another poacher attacked him from behind and managed to get a hit to the back of his head. The strike made a sickening crack and Thomas collapsed to the ground.

“ Cat!” Edwin cried.

Immediately, he tried to get back to his feet, but the other two quickly restrained him, while the one that he had insulted struck him across the face with his baton, smirking in sick satisfaction at the nosebleed and busted lip that he had caused.

“ Let him go this instant!” Edwin shouted, causing the guy with the baton to grin sadistically.

“ Does he mean something to you? How precious.” his voice dripped with condescension. “Didn't think a ghost who survived hell would waste time with a creature like this.” he jabbed Thomas in the stomach with the baton and laughed.

Edwin glared as he gripped the iron rod with both hands, ignoring it as his hands started burning.

“ What the fuck are you doing?” the poacher demanded.

“ I didn't just survive hell, you arse.” Edwin forced himself to stand as he gripped the iron rod tighter and pulled so hard that the chain behind him snapped and he yanked it out of himself from the front, the hole that was left behind simmering as it slowly reformed. “I escaped .”

Edwin used their shock to his advantage and swung with all of his might, the rod making contact with the poachers face with a crunch, knocking him completely unconscious.

“ Get your disgusting , wretched hands off of my boyfriend .” Edwin swung again, catching one of the others in the shoulder, sending him over into the third.

They let go of Thomas and scrambled towards the door. He didn't let them get that far, though. He flung the chain end out, tripping the one at the back again, this time causing the one at the front to fall and smack his head against the metal door handle. Before the one he'd tripped could get back up, Edwin brought the rod down over his head over again until he was sure that all three of them were out cold.

Then, he threw the rod behind himself and rushed to Thomas' side as he sat up, clasping his face between his smouldering hands and inspecting the damage.

Thomas smiled at him with no mind to the blood in his mouth. “That was the hottest thing I've ever seen.”

“ Well, you must be alright if you are well enough to be flirting with me.” Edwin tried his best to smile, but it was obvious that he was seriously shaken.

“ I'll be fine, sweetheart. Let's just get the fuck out of here.” Thomas said, trying to be at least a little bit reassuring (though he wasn't sure how convincing it would be given the current state of his face).

“ The other ghosts-” Edwin protested, but Thomas cut him off by placing a hand over one of his own.

“ Charles and Crystal have already got that part covered. We just need to get them and get out.” Thomas winced. “Don't know how much energy I have left, though, so we might have to leave the old fashioned way.”

“ Well… I am known to be rather good at the old fashioned way.” this time, Edwin's smile was more genuine. He pulled back and helped Thomas to his feet as well. “Please don't put yourself at such risk again for my sake. I don't want you getting hurt again.” he said severely, “I cannot die again, but you can .”

“ You know I can't make that promise, Edwin. You wouldn't make Charles promise it either.” Thomas stated, unsure of Edwin's response.

“ I couldn't ask it of Charles, the same way he couldn't ask me. It's-” Edwin wasn't sure how to put thought to words.

“ I love you, too, Edwin, in case you hadn't noticed.” Thomas reached out and linked his fingers with Edwin's as he grabbed his hand. “No way I could sit around while you're in danger like this.”

Edwin's heart flipped at those words, and he hoped that he would be able to say them back soon. But for now, he squeezed Thomas' hand once and they left the room, heading straight towards the back exit.

-----

They were almost there, having busted open as many doors as possible on their way back in an attempt to find and free as many other ghosts and creatures as they could find. There weren't many, but the few that they did find were grateful to be able to get out.

Just about to turn onto the last hallway, when Edwin got a feeling. He stopped abruptly and span on his heel, pulling the sword from around his wrist just in time to block a blow from behind from the poacher who had stabbed and captured him.

Green eyes, blond hair, square jaw, thick brow… it was the same man who had attacked Tara and Kitty at the nightclub.

Edwin pushed back with his sword, twisting it so that it forced the man to back off a step or two.

“ Still got a few tricks up your sleeve, detective?” he jeered.

“ Plenty.” Edwin glanced at Thomas, who seemed to take the hint.

The poacher lunged at them, brandishing two iron rods, like the one that he'd skewered Edwin with before, only sharper at the tip. As he did, Thomas summoned his own sword and countered at the same time as Edwin, their movements synchronising and the clash of metal sounding out a satisfying, sharp noise that sliced the air even as the alarms continued to blare.

The building around them shook and rumbled with the sound of angry, vengeful spirits and one by one, distant screams began to echo out from around the building. This wasn't good. If these ghosts managed to get their revenge on the poachers, then Death would surely follow to collect the souls.

Despite the noise of his colleagues being potentially killed, the poacher in front of them was determined to put himself on the offensive and attacked again, going at both Edwin and Thomas at full swing.

What followed was a rapid back and forth of exchanged blows, the poacher getting a good hit in on Thomas' arm, but not without a slash from Edwin's sword across his back. He roared in anger and pain, turning on Edwin in fury.

However, before the blow could make contact, there was a resounding thunk, followed by the poacher sinking to his knees and then collapsing face-first onto the floor.

“ 'Bout time you two caught up.” Charles grinned, swinging his bat up to rest over his shoulders. “Crystal is already outside. We've been getting everyone out, but I think it's officially time to go now, yeah?”

“ Yes. I certainly think so.” Edwin readily agreed.

Thomas grabbed Edwin and Charles' hands. “Think I've got one more left in me.” he said, and winked as he used the last of his energy to teleport them away.

-----

When they teleported out, it was to the top of an adjacent building that was far enough away that they wouldn't be seen. As soon as the purple flames dissipated, Thomas slumped forwards against Edwin, who easily caught him and helped him steady himself.

“ Are you alright?” he asked quietly, tucking an arm around Thomas' back for support, Thomas' arm draped over his shoulder.

“ I'll be okay, just tired.” he leaned more heavily, “Oh, you might have to catch me again.” he said, and then abruptly transformed, the purple giving way to a small black cat.

Edwin quickly adjusted and held the cat close to his chest, cradling it close to make sure that it was comfortable.

“ You're awfully endearing in this form.” Edwin said, quietly, only earning a soft mew as Thomas nuzzled his face into the crook of Edwin's neck.

“ He's a bit more bearable like that.” Charles joked.

Thomas let out a little meep of protest, but was clearly far too exhausted to give any real rebuttal. It was hard to find the will to be irritated, even playfully, with Edwin's arms around him and one of his hands running over his dark fur. If he wasn't so sure that he had a concussion he might be able to purr.

Just as Edwin was about to respond, he and Charles were distracted by what was happening down below. They were right to get out of there when they had, as Death's blue light twinkled from several of the windows.

At least some of those ghosts got to move on to a pleasant afterlife, however…

There was a deep rumbling that built up, the ground shaking, sending tremors up through the building that they were standing on and all of a sudden, the light turned red. Deep and bright, it shone out from the crevasse that opened up beneath the building and swallowed it whole. Black tentacles reached out from the gap, wrapping around the building and tearing apart the concrete and brick, dragging it inside until nothing was left of it.

When all was said and done, the broken concrete, paving and tarmac closed back up, the ground knitting itself back together until there was no trace of what had happened, or of the building that had once stood there.

-----

Once they were back at the office, all of them had needed to take a moment. Niko had thrown her arms around Edwin the second that she had seen him, and then had abruptly stepped back to give space to Thomas, who had let out a tiny yelp at being squished between the two of them. He had leaned into it though, when she had petted his head in apology.

Niko, Charles and Crystal were all sitting next to each other on the little sofa, comfy despite being a little bit squashed. Edwin sat in his desk chair, where he had always been the most comfortable, with Thomas still resting against his chest.

It was when they were all starting to relax, that the Night Nurse burst into the room with a tense look on her face.

Before she could speak, however, another figure appeared in the room.

She was tall, beautiful, with a dark complexion, dark hair and remarkably kind eyes. She had a warmth about her that had an odd calmness washing over them despite the panic that wanted to well up, like everything would be okay.

Death.

“ I have to say, I'm impressed.” she said, smiling warmly at each of them. “Those poachers have been capturing and torturing innocent souls for decades. Souls, which, thanks to you, are now all at peace and in their rightful afterlives.”

“ And you… won't be taking us?” Edwin asked, voice small as he cornered a glance at Charles, who seemed equally interested in the answer.

“ Of course not, Edwin. You and Charles are right where you're supposed to be, aren't you?” she looked at the two of them knowingly, kindly.

“ Yes… yes, I do believe that we are.” he said.

“ Right where we're supposed to be.” Charles echoed, seemingly also fairly in awe of finally seeing Death face to face after all these years.

“ You don't have to run from me anymore. You're some of my best employees, after all. You have helped so many souls move on since you started, and solved so many cases.” she walked over to their case board. “Those girls you helped, Tara and Kitty, they both moved on tonight, after reuniting, along with two-hundred-and-eleven others that had been trapped. Those poachers also won't be coming back.” she turned back to them with a smile. “I just wanted to stop by and say thank you . And, keep up the good work.”

Charles said “You're welcome.” At the same time Edwin said, “We will.”

Niko and Crystal just stared up at her in awe, unable to say a thing.

Death walked up to Edwin's desk and leaned over it to run a hand over the top of Thomas' head, a soft smile on her lips.

“ I see you've also been taking care of my Thomas.” she said, fondly. “Please look after him, he is a fragile soul.” there was a sadness in her eyes as she spoke, though it was ultimately overshadowed by affection.

“ I will, I promise.” Edwin replied, holding Thomas to him with equal amounts of gentleness and protectiveness.

“ Thank you, Edwin.” she said, standing back upright and turning towards the Night Nurse. “Thank you, too, Charlotte, for looking out for them.”

The Night Nurse looked as though she might break down and cry at the words of appreciation. It was so very rare for her to receive praise, especially like this. Death was usually far too monopolised to visit her employees.

Death faced each of them with one final smile.

“ It has been a pleasure to finally meet you all.” she said. “Until next time.”

Then, Death turned and she was gone, just as she had arrived.