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Charles had been watching the clock for the last hour. It was starting to make Edwin nervous. They didnât pay much attention to clocks, as a rule; ghosts rarely did, with time less of an immediate concern post-mortem. And Charles, in particular, was not known for concern with clocks or punctuality.
It had been an absolutely lovely day; they had gone via mirror to visit the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, in the States, which had a domesticated rainforest, a grand and informative dinosaur display, and a profusion of exquisite flora. In earlier years, Edwin might have thought that Charles taking him somewhere so splendid and then watching the clock had catastrophic implications. But after all this time, and after Port Townsend, and after Hell, and after the changes in the year or so since, Edwin knew better. If everything from the worst place in the universe to treacherous corvids to Edwin's unexpected confession couldn't chase Charles away, they were, likely, stuck together, as Charles had promised all those years ago.
That did not, however, stop him from being anxious. There was a long stretch between âno bad newsâ and âabandonmentâ, wherein a great many unpleasant moments lived.
Edwinâs eyes slid back and forth between Charles and the clock. Charlesâs eyes slid back and forth between the Catâs Cradle twisted expertly around his hands and the clock.
At last, Charles seemed to deem the hour acceptable. He stood with purpose and edged sideways towards Edwin, eyes still locked on the clock. Edwin tried to look focused on his own work.
Charlesâs hand reached forward, and as their fingers met, Charlesâs eyes shifted from the clock to meet Edwinâs.
âFive hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes.â
âHmm?â
âThatâs how long ago you told me you love me.â
Edwin pulled in a startled bit of breath, not quite a gasp. âOh.â
âAnd weâve been next to each other, for five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes since then.â
Edwinâs mouth twisted slightly. âI was kidnapped by that warlock a few months ago,â he pointed out, âand we do occasionally go on errands apart, or separate to investigate different leads. Contrary to Crystalâs allegations, we are not physically attached at the hip.â
Charles raised his eyebrows. âYeah, maybe. But - â he lifted Edwinâs hand to flatten it against his chest. âWe werenât really apart, were we?â
Edwinâs eyes were wide, and âno, I suppose not,â came out on a soft breath.
âWhenever I was doing a spell, or tracing my fingers on a book, I could feel your hands over mine.â
âWhenever I was drawing runes, I felt your fingers guiding mine,â Edwin answered, watching Charlesâs long strong fingers over his, and however much he might have imagined it, and however many times Charlesâs hands had carefully eased him through the motions of a complex rune, there was something about this touch, tonight, that felt more electric and more real than any imagination or any reality.
âWhen I was solving cases, and being clever, I could feel your big brain working with mine like we shared just the one.â
âI could feel your agile mind even when we were apart, finding the sharpest paths and connections.â
âAnd,â Charles said, pressing Edwinâs hand so closely into his chest their skin began to melt together with a blue haze, âI felt your heart on mine, every second, of every minute, of every day.â
âOh,â Edwin said, and it felt inadequate.
âSo I was thinking. Iâve felt your heart on mine, for five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes, and not a single one of âem have I wished it was anywhere else.â
âNot one?â
âNot even part of one,â Charles said, and Edwinâs brain kept trying to find moments when that couldnât possibly have been true, but Charlesâs fingers on his, Charlesâs heart pulsing scarce inches from his hand, didnât let the thoughts form before chasing them away.
âEven when I was crying, or pissed, or scared, I just kept counting up the minutes, and every one of them was better because you were with me in it. And,â Charles said, âI was thinking, that I loved every minute of five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes, and I canât imagine ever wanting to stop. And if our hearts belong together, then. Well.â
âCharles,â Edwin started when Charles left off, with a quaver in his voice, âwhat are you saying?â
âIâm saying I want every single minute of the rest of forever to be with you, with your hands on mine, and my hands on yours, with our voices saying spells together, our brains working together like we've only the one, and your heartâŠâ Charles pulled Edwin in, further, and Edwinâs fingers slipped into Charlesâs chest with a deep indigo glow, and he could feel Charlesâs heartbeat in his fingertips. âYour heart with mine, forever and ever. Because I love you, Edwin, for all the millions and billions of minutes of the rest of forever.â
âForever is infinite minutes, dear,â Edwin said absently, and then he felt Charlesâs heart quicken as their lips met so firmly they glowed blue for a single, beautiful moment.
