"Oi, don't wait up for me, yeah?" Charles informs Edwin, "I'll be in Crystal's room all night."
"Charles! I'm surprised at you," Edwin exclaims, looking flustered.
"It's not like that, mate--she's been having nightmares about David and I've agreed to keep her company. Said she feels safer with a friend looking after her, y'know?" He shifts from one leg to the other, one hand rubbing his other arm, absent-mindedly. "It's not a big deal, alright? Just didn't want you wondering after me." He shrugs non-chalantly and gives his partner a gentle clap on the shoulder before re-entering Crystal's room.
She's already changed into her sleep clothes and curled up under the covers. Crystal meets Charles' eyes and pats the bed beside her. With a small smile, he approaches and sits on the side of the bed, leaning on one hand and looking down on her.
"Would you like to talk before bed, or should I leave you to it?"
Seeing him only sit on the edge, she takes his hand and guides him to lay down next to her. "C'mere. Just lay with me, okay? If you don't mind. . .?"
His eyebrows raise and a twinkle of excitement crosses his eyes that he fails to suppress.
Crystal rolls her eyes at him and he chuckles. She pulls his arm over her side and holds onto him as best she can, letting out a long sigh. Charles feels a fluttering sensation in his chest, like a memory of a quickening heartbeat.
"Thanks for doing this. I'm sure it'll be less interesting than however you usually spend your nights, and I'm not much company to you when I'm asleep."
He grins, fingers attempting to brush lightly along her back. "I wouldn't say that."
She looks him up and down. "Oh, geez, you're not gonna' like, stare at me all night are you?"
"Well, I don't sleep, but I could try closing my eyes and laying here with you. Seems restful, anyway, doesn't it?" Her brow furrows, and he mirrors her expression, sobering up. "I'm not sure, uh, what your plan was?"
". . .I guess I'm not sure, either. I just didn't want to be alone in this big, empty room tonight."
"You could invite Niko across the hall for a sleepover," he teases, tempting her to explain why she chose him.
She recognizes this immediately and narrows her eyes playfully, pursing her lips, and refusing to take the bait. "You've got a cricket bat handy if any other ghosts or demons decide to pop up overnight. Niko would probably just talk their ear off and try to set them up with each other."
He chuckles. "Tough to argue with that."
After a while, Crystal's breathing slows, her chest rising and falling in smaller increments. Charles does observe this for a moment, before realizing he's doing exactly what she told him not to do. He shifts so he is staring up at the ceiling.
He can't feel Crystal's breath and warmth beside him. Without looking at her, he could forget she's there. He could just be laying alone in this bed for no reason.
He turns onto his side again, facing her and snuggling as close as he can without phasing into her. He has to focus to keep his form solid enough for her arm to rest on.
He closes his eyes and replicates breathing, concentrating on being present, and trying to remember old sensations. How would this moment feel, if he still had his body?
A cold chill runs down his core and he tries to focus on the memory of body contact sharing warmth.
While Crystal has one of the best nights of sleep she's had in weeks, Charles struggles to remember how it felt to be alive.
