Work Text:
“Please, please, please!” To try and help her case, the little girl joined both hands in front of her body in a pleading motion, rocking on the tip of her toes and making her little pigtails move along with her.
Edwin sighed, trying very hard not to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Emma, I am a hundred percent sure you already have this edition because I was the one who brought it for you on Christmas.”
“I know! But that’s not the point, because look,” she picked the graphic novel she had placed down, opening the book and thumbing through the first pages before thrusting it in Edwin’s face – or as close to his face as she could get, seeing that the top of her head only reached his waist. “See, it’s signed!”
It didn’t take him long to spot it; the big scrawl taking most of the bottom part of the second page, right underneath the title “Dead Boy Detectives - Volume 3”. The name of the author, C. Rowland, being both recognisable and a mess of jumbled letters at the same time.
He suppressed another sigh.
“And Uncle Edwin, you know this is my favourite book series ever!” Emma continued on her mission of convincing Edwin, even though they both already knew he was going to be buying the book for her. “Like, what were the odds of us finding my favourite volume of my favourite series signed? I need to have it, don’t you think?”
What eight-year-old kid even said shit like ‘what were the odds?’, he wondered, but then was acutely reminded that this specific eight-year-old was not only his niece but also his goddaughter and well… it showed.
“Fine, fine, we’ll take it,” he rolled his eyes in fond exasperation and when Emma whooped and jumped, obviously happy, Edwin reasoned that paying twenty five pounds – holy shit did they print these books with gold ink? – was worth it.
Emma Payne had been a big and unexpected surprise for the Payne family. Edwin had been in his second year in uni when his older sister had announced, rather dramatically during the Christmas dinner, that she was pregnant.
No, she wasn’t in a relationship. Yes, she knew who the father was but no, he wasn’t interested in being a father and she didn’t want him involved. Yes, she was keeping the baby.
Their parents had obviously hated that; a child out of wedlock was already terribly scandalous in their opinion, but a child without a father altogether? Preposterous. Obscene. Out of question.
Which of course didn’t stop Elaine from going ahead and having the baby. Both Payne children had stopped caring about their parents' opinions long before they were old enough to make decisions about their life by themselves, and it wasn’t gonna be any different now.
But that ended up bringing Edwin and Elaine closer, especially when she moved back to London and Edwin moved in after graduating so he could help her with Emma. They made it work and their parents came around after meeting their grandchild for the first time because who wouldn’t love sweet little Emma?
Then when Elaine had gotten engaged to a very nice guy who loved Emma like his own kid, Edwin had felt it was time to move out and get his own place, which was how he found himself living with Niko Sasaki, his best friend from uni.
And also the one who had first recommended the Dead Boy Detectives graphic novels for him to buy for Emma.
And apparently also the one who just gave him the best idea to celebrate the girl’s ninth birthday.
“There’s this book fair happening next month,” she was saying when she plopped herself next to him on their sofa, popcorn bowl in one hand and her phone in the other. “I had heard about it but with work being so crazy in the last few weeks I completely forgot, and you remember Crystal right?”
“That’s the girl you’re seeing?” He placed a handful of popcorn in his mouth, enjoying how it was perfectly buttery and salty.
“Yes! The one and only,” Niko giggled, and Edwin hid a smile, it was nice to see Niko so taken with someone. “This book fair is mostly for fantasy and mystery enjoyers, I think, not too big, not too small, and full of new and not so new authors. Apparently her best friend is going to be there doing book signings so she might show up and she was telling me about this.”
“Sounds like our type of thing, to be honest.”
“I know! Which is why I’m super bummed I had forgotten about it,” Niko shook her head in clear dismay. “But anyway, I went looking for more information and that’s when I found this,” she thumbed through her phone and then showed what she’d pulled on the screen to him.
It was an announcement banner, the logo of the fair in bold letters in the middle, dates and venue right underneath it and the name of various participants scattered around on the rest of the image. Before he could question whatever she wanted him to see, Niko used her thumb to swipe right and–
Oh.
He got it now.
There, staring right at him – at the camera, he corrected himself absentmindedly – was a man with dark brown eyes and dark curls, a soft smile playing on his lips. Wearing a maroon button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark suspenders that matched his dark trousers, he leaned casually against a light coloured backdrop, hands tucked effortlessly inside his pockets. A golden chain around his neck, a hoop on his ear and tattooed forearms completed his look.
Edwin blinked, swallowing a sudden lump on his throat. On the top of the photo, the name C. Rowland got his attention, along with the signing session details.
Oh well.
He blinked a few more times, trying to focus.
Emma’s favourite author was also one of the most gorgeous men Edwin had ever seen.
And what were the odds of that?
“Okay, here we are,” Elaine cut the engine of her car, resting her hands on her lap as she looked at her brother on the passenger seat. “Call me when you’re ready for me to pick her up. I’m meeting some friends for tea but they know I’m leaving whenever you need me to.”
“Of course,” Edwin nodded, unbuckling himself. He gathered the tote by his feet, full of Emma’s books, and turned to his sister. “You sure it’s not a problem to pick her up? I’d take her home but Niko insisted on us going out afterwards.”
“Not sure if you remember it, dear brother, but she is my daughter, you know?”
“Ha, ha,” he made a point of making his voice as flat as possible and Elaine giggled.
“She’s also right here, you know? Can we bloody go?” Emma asked, exasperated from the backseat and Elaine turned sharply toward her daughter, a deathly look in her narrowed eyes.
“Watch that mouth, young lady, or you won’t be going anywhere.”
Emma had the decency to blush, feeling properly chastised and mumbling an apology. It took everything in Edwin not to chuckle, since they all knew full well Emma’s dirty mouth was Elaine’s own fault.
“Alright, get out of here you two,” Elaine said, making shooing motions at them. “And have fun!”
“Cheers.”
Getting inside the venue where the fair was taking place was quite easier and faster than Edwin was expecting. Before long, the two of them were roaming the convention centre, looking at stalls and browsing books. As much as Edwin was focused on making Emma have the best day, he was also way too interested in books to not buy at least one for himself.
He’d just bought a new mystery thriller release when he looked at the time and got Emma’s attention.
“We should go–”
Emma stopped dead in her tracks, forcing Edwin to do the same since he was holding her hand. “What? Already, Uncle Edwin? But–”
“We’re not leaving the fair yet, Emma,” he snorted, pulling on their jointed hands and making the girl reluctantly start walking again. “We’re just headed to the main event.”
“Main event?” Her puzzled face made Edwin smile.
“So, when Niko told me about this book fair, she also told me that a certain graphic novel author was going to be present for signing sessions the whole day.”
“Uncle Edwin!” Emma stopped again, but this time she had a big smile on her face, eyes wide with excitement. “C. Rowland is here?”
“He is. And we’re going to meet him,” Edwin nodded and Emma squealed.
“Oh, oh, but wait,” her face fell momentarily and she frowned. “I don’t have my books! Uncle Edwin, why didn’t you tell me so I could bring my books?!”
“You honestly think I wouldn’t bring your books, Emma Lynn?” Edwin raised a brow, patting the tote on his shoulders. “I made sure your mother packed them for us.”
Emma squealed again, wrapping her arms around Edwin’s waist. “You both are the best! Now come on, let’s go!”
Edwin allowed himself to be pulled by his niece, gently redirecting her to the right direction since he was the one who actually knew where they were going, and it didn’t take long for them to reach the designated area where the signing sessions were taking place.
And since Edwin was nothing if not thorough, he had timed their arrival with the beginning of the cosplay competition taking place at the main stage, so the line was quite short. Emma paused briefly to scan the area, only to resume walking in purposeful strades once she spotted the Dead Boy Detectives banner behind one of the tables with C. Rowland right in front of it.
That also was when Edwin got his first glimpse at the man in real life.
C. Rowland looked distracted, sitting relaxed on his chair with one hand fidgeting with a pen while the other moved wildly as he talked animatedly with the person sitting next to him. Clad in a band tee with his golden chain hanging loosely around the collar, he laughed at the exact moment they arrived at his table, and suddenly Edwin had that big wide grin directed straight at him.
It was silly, but he could swear the room had turned just a tad bit brighter at that.
“Hi, Mr. Rowland!” Short as she was, Emma rested her elbows on the table and beamed at the man, who tore his eyes from Edwin to smile warmly at the little girl. “I’m Emma!”
“Well, hello Emma. It’s really nice to meet you,” he placed both hands on the table, leaning forward so he could whisper conspiratorially to her. “But please, call me Charles, yeah? Mr. Rowland sounds like my dad and I really don’t like that.”
Edwin could hear the faint dark note on his voice, but Emma just giggled, not noticing it, like Charles probably had hoped.
“Okay!” She blindly pointed at Edwin. “And this is my Uncle Edwin, by the way.”
Something very akin to recognition sparkled in Charles’ face when their eyes met again, but it was gone before Edwin could analyse it further, replaced by a appraisive look. “Nice to meet you too, then, Uncle Edwin.”
And fuck it if it didn’t make Edwin’s cheeks darken. “Likewise, Charles.”
Then the man’s smile was back. “Now, did you bring any books?”
Emma nodded, enthusiastically. “I brought all my books– Wait, Uncle Edwin, you did bring all of them, right?”
Edwin scoffed lightly, retrieving her books from the tote and handing them to her. “Of course I did.”
“This was a surprise, you know?” Emma said, placing her books gingerly on the table. “I didn’t know I’d be seeing you until we got here.”
“Oh, is that so?”
She nodded again. “Yes!”
“It’s her birthday next week,” Edwin explained, and Charles’ dark eyes flicked back to him. He cleared his throat, shoving his hands inside his pockets. “I figured she’d enjoy meeting her favourite author as a gift.”
Charles' answering smile made Edwin’s stomach flutter and he had to look away, feeling his face warming up. He focused instead on watching Charles’ hands as he pulled Emma’s books closer to him, opening the first one on the pile.
“And how old are you turning, Emma?”
From Edwin’s position, he could see Charles writing “To Emma, lovely meeting you!”
“Nine years old!” Emma announced proudly, bouncing on her feet.
A “happy birthday, from C. Rowland” was added to the signature and Charles closed that book, looking up at the girl once again. “Oh wow, you’re almost at double digits, that sounds exciting.”
“I know! Mum said she would give me a phone once I was finally ten, so I’m really counting down the days, but there’s still another whole year to go,” she sighed dramatically, and Charles held back a chuckle, exchanging an amused look with Edwin.
“So tell me, Emma,” Charles pulled another book from the pile, but instead of signing it, he focused his attention on the girl. “You read a lot of mystery books?”
“Yes! It’s my favourite type of book to read because I like to try and solve the mystery myself!”
“She takes it after me, I suppose,” Edwin couldn’t help bragging a little bit, a small smirk playing on his lips since he was proud to have influenced his niece on that. “I’ve been reading mystery books to her since she was a baby.”
“And then he gave me Dead Boy Detectives last year,” Emma added, pleased.
Charles smirked, eyes shining with mirth. “Does that mean you’ve read my books as well, then?”
“Well, yes,” Edwin raised a brow. “But I mostly prefer adult books.”
“Adult books, is it?” The suggestive tone didn’t go unnoticed by Edwin, and he had to roll his eyes even if his mouth twitched.
“I’m just saying I like my mysteries more… challenging.”
“Ouch,” Charles pretended to be hurt, placing a hand on his chest, but the effect was lost when his smile only grew.
“I didn't mean it like that–”
“No, no, it’s okay, sweetheart. You should definitely speak your truth,” Charles interrupted him, a hint of amusement in his voice, which did nothing to stop Edwin’s heart from beating faster at the pet name. “And besides, I do agree, yeah? I’m also more into adult mysteries myself.”
“Hm,” Edwin made a noncommittal noise, eyes still locked with Charles’. “Would love some recommendations, if you have any. To see if you have good taste.”
“Oh my taste is flawless, I’ll have you know,” he scoffed, finally opening the second book to sign it.
Edwin hummed again, enjoying their back and forth more than he probably should have. “If you say so.”
Charles finished signing with a flourish to his signature and a chuckle at Edwin’s words. Emma, who’d been silently watching their exchange, chose that moment to direct a saccharine smile at Charles. And somehow, just by that small little gesture, Edwin knew she was about to say or do something that would potentially embarrass him.
And he wasn’t wrong.
“So, Mr. Row–” upon seeing his pointedly raised eyebrows, she giggled. “Okay, Mr. Charles. Do you like… boys?”
Edwin felt his heart miss a beat, appalled. “Emma! What the–”
Charles choked out a surprised laugh, eyes widening in shock, but he sounded more amused than mad when he replied. “I do, in fact, like boys, Emma.”
Wait, what?
It took everything in him not to say the words out loud or have a bigger reaction than just letting his mouth hang open, because he was definitely not expecting Charles to answer so matter-of-factly.
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair, but by the way Charles snorted, it was definitely not low enough. “Emma Payne, you can’t go around asking people about that stuff.”
“Why not?” Emma demanded, looking crossed. She placed a hand on her hip and she looked so much like her mum that Edwin crisped his lips. “You always say no one should be ashamed of it!”
“That’s not–”
“If you wanna know my opinion, I don’t really mind it,” Charles interjected, sounding more amused than ever as he relaxed on his chair and looked up at Edwin. “Especially if it would make it easier to keep flirting with you.”
For a second too long, Edwin thought anyone in a twenty mile radius would be able to hear the way his brain screeched to a halt, short circuiting. His mouth opened once, twice, before he gave up and snapped it closed; it wasn’t often Edwin was rendered speechless but it wasn’t often either that people – men – flirted with him so unabashedly. But then Emma joined her hands on top of the table and nodded.
“Okay, good,” she said solemnly. “Because clearly my Uncle Edwin likes boys too and my mum always says he’s awfully single so maybe you’d like helping him with that.”
There was a beat of silence, where Edwin gaped at his niece and he could swear Charles’ friend was trying very hard not to snicker – and honestly Edwin could understand it; if it wasn’t so mortified, he’d probably be chuckling as well – and then Charles himself snorted a laugh.
“Are you sure you’re just eight and not like, fifteen?” He asked Emma, his voice carefully neutral while his eyes still shined.
“Trust me, she’s just really, really like her mum,” Edwin pursed his lips looking pointedly at Emma, who just giggled mischievously. “And the two of them talk way too much for my liking.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Charles winked at Emma, who hid her giggles behind her hand. He opened the last book to sign, but before he did so, his eyes travelled back to the man in front of him. “So… are you not single?”
Edwin really tried not to flush, but it was futile and he could do nothing to stop his cheeks from warming up for the millionth time in the last few minutes. However, it was fun and he was enjoying it more than he would’ve expected, so the corner of his mouth went up and he shrugged one shoulder.
“Oh no, I am. Awfully single, as Emma so helpfully stated.”
“Good to know.”
Sending a final smile his way, Charles signed the last book, Edwin watching as he wrote “To my new friend Emma, love Charles” and he totally, absolutely did not think that was cute.
With that, Charles busied himself with collecting bookmarks and postcards and other swags with Emma’s help as she told him about her birthday plans for the next week. And it was sweet to see Charles giving the little girl so much attention, who was clearly basking up on it. Edwin took the opportunity to take some pictures, knowing that, not only Emma but also Elaine, would enjoy them.
But then, the previously calm area became bustling with activity when a group of twenty or so kids arrived with two frazzled looking teachers. In a matter of seconds, Charles’ line got bigger as the kids scattered around the place, finding the authors they wanted to see the most and suddenly Emma’s – and Edwin’s – time with Charles had come to an end.
“Okay, now tell me why the hell are you sulking?”
Edwin, who had both his elbows resting on the table in front of him to prop his head up while he sipped from his Aperol rather despondently, looked up with a frown. “I’m not sulking.”
Niko raised a brow, not impressed. “Oh really? So you’re not looking down pathetically sad at your drink and you’re actually super happy right now?”
“I… wouldn’t say that either,” he sighed, one of his hands leaving his chin to swirl the ice cubes on his drink with the straw. “It’s just– C. Rowland.”
Sitting on the booth in front of him, Niko leaned forward when it was obvious he wasn’t about to say anything else. “What about him? Was he not nice?”
“Oh he was very nice, indeed,” he couldn’t help the little smirk that showed up on his lips. “Charles was quite… flirty.”
“He’s also– Oh,” Niko went suddenly silent before clearing her throat and ducking her head to sip from her own drink. “He flirted with you, did he?”
“He did,” Edwin narrowed his eyes at her, a bit suspicious of her reaction. However when she just looked at him with wide, curious eyes, he softened. “But we had to leave before we could, I don’t know, exchange numbers or something.”
“That’s a shame,” she made a sad face that looked more like a grimace and Edwin raised a brow, wondering what was wrong with her. “And were you also interested? Was he cuter in person? I remember seeing his picture when I told you about the fair and oh my God, he looked very much like your type!”
“I don’t have a type,” he scoffed.
“I’ve known you for years, Edwin. You absolutely do have a type.”
“So pray tell, what is my type?”
“Cute and funny with a killer smile and preferably dark-eyes but blue-eyes could work too – Thomas is the living proof of that,” she recited rather easily, sending him a pointed look as she got to the end. “And of course let’s not forget the curls.”
“You are hilarious,” he deadpanned.
“I’m not wrong, though. Am I?”
“To answer your previous questions,” ignoring her cheekiness, Edwin played with his straw once again. “I was interested in him as well. I, um, flirted back.”
“You did?” Niko giggled delightedly. “I love when you get so interested you abandon your sensibilities.”
“Aw come on, I’m not that uptight.”
“Edwin, you couldn’t look me in the eye for like a week when I accidentally walked in on you and Thomas.”
“That was a completely different matter,” he argued.
“Oh don’t worry, that’s one of your charms,” Niko teased. “Anyways, the flirting…?”
But the thing with Edwin’s mind was that, when allowed the time to think, it did a lot of it. Overthinking had basically been his middle name since he was a teen and started to realise his desires laid in the opposite direction than those of his schoolmates. So it wasn’t that much of a surprise when he sighed, already feeling a bit silly for fancying an author he was probably never going to see again.
“I don’t know, Niko,” he ran a hand through his hair, feeling the soft locks between his fingers. “Maybe he’s just the type to flirt with everyone.”
Niko frowned. “Edwin, just because he’s bi doesn’t mean he flirts with everyone.”
Edwin paused, confused. “How do you even know he’s bi? I certainly didn’t know that, he only said he liked men.”
“Ah, um, you didn’t?” She forced out a giggle but it sounded so fake and forced, Edwin raised a brow. “I might have seen it on his page?”
“Niko,” he straightened his back, fixing her with his best bitchy look. “You are acting particularly cagey right now.”
His best friend let out another awkward giggle but she was saved from replying by Crystal, who slid in on the booth by Niko’s side. “Why is Niko acting cagey?”
“No reason, just–”
Another person joined them on the booth, this time on Edwin’s side, and just a tad too close for his comfort, making him lose his train of thought. But then he was distracted for a whole other reason when a familiar voice said, “Fancy seeing you here.”
And Edwin turned his head so fast he was surprised he didn’t get a whiplash. “Charles!”
“Hey Edwin, I’d introduce you two but I see we’re past that stage already. This is Niko though, Charles,” Crystal said with a knowing smile and Niko giggled, waving her fingers at their newest addition.
“I’ve heard a lot of things about you, Charles,” Niko smirked and it suddenly struck Edwin why she’d been acting weird. She had previously said Crystal had an author friend at the fair and she must have connected the dots when he mentioned Charles’ name.
“Oh God, you better not believe anything Crystal says, yeah?” Charles laughed good naturedly before getting comfortable in his seat and drinking from the beer Edwin was only now noticing he had with him. “I’m sure she has plenty of questionable things to say about me.”
“Not everything was from her, though,” Niko commented casually and Edwin, who had chosen that moment to sip his drink, choked, making both Crystal and Charles laugh.
He loved Niko to death, but she really wasn’t known for her subtlety.
“Is that so?” Charles asked, his voice still laced with amusement and as Edwin sent Niko a pointed glare, he could also feel his gaze on him.
Edwin cleared his throat. “Emma was really taken with you, is all.”
Charles hummed and Edwin chanced a look in his direction to see he was smiling. He wasn’t even surprised when he felt his cheeks warming up.
“Just Emma then? That’s kind of a bummer,” his smile grew when Edwin rolled his eyes. “Where is she, by the way?” Charles looked around as if Emma was supposed to be hiding somewhere in the pub and that made Edwin chuckle.
“Her mum picked her up after we left the fair,” he explained and upon noticing Niko and Crystal were lost in their own conversation, he rearranged himself on his seat to be able to look better at Charles. “And she had a really lovely time meeting you today, you know? So thank you for that.”
Charles’ smile softened and Edwin felt his stomach fluttering, once again thinking how gorgeous this man was.
“Nah, no need to thank me for it,” he played with the beer label, and Edwin was starting to notice that, whereas he was able to sit still as much as he wanted, Charles seemed to always need to be moving. “I like meeting my mini readers.
Still fiddling with the straw on his drink, Edwin gave him a smile. “How did you start drawing and writing for children?”
“Well, with my younger sister actually,” the way Charles chuckled was enough for Edwin to know it was a fond memory. “She was like my shadow when we were growing up and she liked watching me drawing. So I started creating little comics to entertain her and well, the rest is history. And, um, the main girl in the series is based on her.”
“Charles, that’s so sweet,” Edwin couldn’t help saying and Charles looked down, a sheepish smile on his face.
“Yeah, I guess,” he took a sip from his beer – and Edwin did not watch the way his throat moved as he swallowed, absolutely not – before zeroing his eyes on Edwin again. “Now, what do you do?”
“Oh, I’m a teacher.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Charles teased, and Edwin rolled his eyes. Then the other man gave him a once over, taking in his blue sweater vest and white shirt and the corner of his lips went up. “Alright, lemme guess. English Literature?”
Edwin straightened his back, levelling Charles with his best teacher look. “Chemistry, actually.”
“Okay, I did not see that coming.”
“Edwin does look a lot like the stereotypical English Lit teacher, doesn’t he?” Niko’s voice burst their bubble, making Edwin remember they weren’t, in fact, alone in the pub. When both Crystal and Charles nodded, she giggled. “But don’t let him fool you, Chemistry was actually his second choice.”
He rolled his eyes. “You are a little traitor.”
Niko hid another giggle behind her drink but Crystal blinked. “How the fuck did you even go from English Lit to Chemistry?”
“It’s stupid,” he tried to deflect but obviously Crystal wouldn’t let him.
“And now I wanna know it even more.”
Edwin sighed, realising he had everyone’s attention, even if Niko already knew the whole story. “When I told my parents that I was going to pursue a teaching degree, they immediately assumed it was for English Literature, so obviously it turned me off instantly and I went for something else that I also enjoyed.”
“Edwin,” Charles chuckled, bewildered. “That's so petty.”
“Well, I said it was stupid,” he shrugged.
“I respect it,” Charles looked away briefly before looking back at him. “Are your folks not… good?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say that, but–”
“They are very posh and judgmental and cold and they still try to introduce me as Edwin’s girlfriend even though we’re both very gay and they make sure to let their disappointment show whenever they can in the most passive-aggressive way,” Niko blurted out.
“Well,” Edwin joined his hands on the top of the table, resignated. “Let’s just say having a gay son and a daughter who is a single mum wasn’t really what they envisioned for themselves.”
“That’s such bullshit,” Crystal spitted out, her American accent even more pronounced because of her anger.
“It is what it is,” Edwin shrugged, slightly uncomfortable. Talking about his family was always a bit of a sore spot.
“But anyways, enough of it,” Niko said animatedly, noticing Edwin’s discomfort like the good friend she was and changing the subject. “Tell us about the fair, Charles.”
It didn’t take long, however, for Edwin and Charles to be left alone at their corner booth, when Niko and Crystal, after a round of shots, decided to join some of the patrons on the, quite frankly, poor excuse of a dance floor.
As the night went on and a few more drinks were consumed, Edwin ended up sitting sideways in the booth, feeling relaxed and comfortable as he chatted with Charles about everything and nothing. It was remarkably easy to talk to Charles, Edwin had realised. It wasn’t always that he found someone who could keep up with his snarky comments and bitchy attitude without even flinching and rather gave it as good as he got.
So Edwin found himself opening up about himself, more than he usually would with anyone else, telling Charles about his family and all the drama before Emma’s birth, his work at an all-boys secondary school and his last relationship with an American who wanted nothing more than for Edwin to go back to the United States with him after he was done with his doctorate, but there was just no way in hell that Edwin would leave his sister and niece behind.
In retribution, Charles told him about his parents’ horrible marriage and how abusive his father used to be toward both Charles and his mum, until one day Mrs. Rowland had managed to find an escape, freeing herself and her children of that situation. On a lighter note though, Charles told Edwin about realising he was bisexual and how all of the admiration he felt for one of his upper classmates while he was in school was actually a big fat crush that made so many things fall into a new perspective.
Then they talked about their favourite books and authors, Edwin noticing, quite pleased, that not only did they share some favourites but Charles really had an astonishing good taste in literature.
And if Edwin had made a list of recommended books on his phone… Well, he cannot be blamed for that.
Edwin was mid-laugh – something that also wasn’t usual for him, for that matter, but Charles' joke had been that good – when he noticed the pub staff slowly starting their closing rituals as some of the other lingering patrons closed their tabs. With a shocked glance to his watch, he realised it was later than he expected.
“Christ, I fear we’ve completely lost track of time,” Edwin said, with a rueful smile.
“Oh,” Charles also looked around, brows slightly raised in bafflement. “I hadn’t even noticed.”
“Yeah, me neither,” trying not to acknowledge the thrill Charles’ words gave him, he lightly nudged the younger man on his ribs. “Come on, let’s get the girls and head out.”
After making sure Niko and Crystal were safely inside an Uber and heading towards the latter’s home, Edwin turned to Charles. “Since you live nearby, mind if I walked you home?”
Charles' answering grin was as bright as the stars. “I’d love to.”
The night was clear and pleasant, a nice summer breeze brushing Edwin’s face and helping him shake the last remnants of the drinks he’d consumed at the pub as they walked for the first few minutes in a comfortable silence.
But then Charles broke the quietness. “I have a confession to make.”
Charles’ words would have made him anxious if it wasn’t for his lighthearted tone and open stance, so he just placed his hands inside his pockets, regarding the man curiously. “Oh no, that sounds ominous.”
“It’s not, honestly,” Charles huffed out a laugh. “If anything, it’s a little embarrassing.”
“Okay, now you need to tell me.”
“Well, I already knew who you were and recognized you when you introduced yourself at the fair.”
“Really? How?”
“I uh, I heard Crystal and Niko talking about you taking your niece to the fair. I didn’t know you’d be going to see me, though, so it was a bit of a shocker to have you there in front of me,” Charles laughed again, a little more subdued and definitely more embarrassed. “And not gonna lie, you’re way more fit in real life than in photos.”
Edwin, who was still thinking about the weird way Charles did seem to look at him with recognition when they first met, paused when hearing his next words. “Wait, photos?”
“Uhhhh,” Charles scratched his neck, then ran a hand through his curls. “I might have tried to find you on social media and when I couldn’t, I went through Niko’s Insta and found some pictures of you together.”
There was a brief silence and then Edwin couldn’t help the giggles that escaped him. “I guess I also have a confession to make because believe it or not, I did the same thing after finding your public Instagram.”
Charles gaped at him. “You did not.”
“Sure did,” Edwin shook his head, amused. “I only have a private account, which is mostly used to keep up with my sister and Niko, but after she showed me about your signing session and I saw what you looked like I just…” he felt his cheeks warming up in a blush, “had to snoop around a bit, I suppose.”
A slow, teasing smile took over Charles’ face as he tried not to look smug. “Liked what you saw, did you?”
“Well, I could say the same about you,” Edwin said, primly, making Charles laugh.
“But I didn’t make it a secret though, did I?” Charles shrugged, smiling cheekily. “I don’t usually flirt with those who bring my readers over for a meeting, you know?”
Edwin tried to hum noncommittally, but he couldn’t hold in a pleased smile. “Lucky me, I guess.”
“Lucky me, actually,” they exchanged smiles as Charles stopped in front of a building. “This is me.”
“Oh.”
With a sudden pang of disappointment, Edwin realised he didn’t really want the night to end yet and his feelings might have been obvious in his face, because Charles hesitated for just a second before biting his lip. “Do you wanna come up for some tea?”
Edwin took in a deep breath, deciding to take a risk. “Yeah, I’d really like that.”