Hellhound AU

[just_aces]

Sometime round about 1900, a witch summoned a hellhound as a familiar.

He didn't mind it, hellhounds are loyal after all, and if some of her spells left him tired and drained, well, that was what he was there for, to keep her from using too much of her own energy for things. That and to eat the souls of her victims, sometimes.

But then, in the early 1970s, she ran afoul of a much stronger coven.

She was quite quickly banished to hell, but the hellhound couldn't be allowed to go with her, because, well, hellhounds are loyal and she was powerful and would have been able to use him to escape.

So the hellhound was made human, figuring that sixty, seventy, even eighty years if he was lucky would be enough time for the witch to have been consumed, so that even when the human-that-had-been-a-hellhound died, and Death herself realized that he was definitely not where, or what, he was supposed to be, she'd send him back.

But then one Charles Rowland kind of fucked up that whole plan by dying young and immediately running away from Death herself.

So the ghost-who-was-the-boy-who-was-the-hellhound has no idea what he was, or still is, under it all.

But, after a trip through hell to save his best friend (Hellhounds are loyal, after all) and time spent in a familiar position -though not a familiar kitchen- after that has been enough to knock a few things loose...

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[just_aces]

He did circle the desk then, instead of leaving it between them and leaning across it, though that had been his first instinct, closely followed by simply walking through it, but he wanted, needed to make sure that Edwin saw him coming, catching lightly at his partner's elbow, drawing Edwin in and giving a little shake of his head, "Not necessary." Another little shake of his head, rattling his own thoughts back into place, "Accepted, obviously, but not needed. I could've closed the gap at any time, too. Could've said something. Should have."

A small smile slid into place then, hand sliding down Edwin's arm to curl into Edwin's, lacing their fingers, "But we're putting that aside, for now. We can talk about it later if we need to." A gentle squeeze of Edwin's hand, "If I need to spend more time in the other shape to give you a chance to get used to it, I will. I hadn't because I just..." He shook his head, "I thought it would make things worse? So I didn't, and didn't say that's what I was doing, either."

A decisive nod, using his free hand to slide the parchment over to where it could be seen again, "So, let's get this done all official-like, and we can get back to doing what we do best."

[uptightboy]

The touch on his elbow, and then on his hand is the sign for Edwin that once again he was thinking too much. He let his silly thoughts carry him to dark depths he should have known are filled with false fears. He squeezed Charles's hand back, a small smile spreading on his lips. He let himself enjoy this a little. Even if they were together, he missed Charles. He missed him so much...

They both should have said something; with how eager Edwin was to point things out to people, even with Charles, some things still came difficult for him. Especially when he thought Charles would leave him. But as the boy told him that he wanted to be there with him, he wanted to be bound, he wanted to stay. And Edwin didn't want anything more in his afterlife.

"Indeed, let us address it when we are both in a better state of mind, I suppose," Edwin agrees, looking over to the spell. He rubs his thumb over Charles's hand, feeling the flutter in his heart that had nothing to do with fear. "I believe returning to our old routine shall prove productive," he remarked, reading the spell again, now with more intent. And huh, funny Charles mentioned his other form...

"Charles, you will have to practice your newly acquired skill because I need to bind you in your true form," Edwin said.

[just_aces]

"What?" It took him a moment to actually process that, "Oh, yeah, alright." He gave Edwin's hand another gentle squeeze before taking a half step back, smile tilting as he trailed his fingers along Edwin's the whole way, extending the duration of the contact as he so often did, mostly out of relief that he was still allowed to. The past few days had been harder than he'd thought if he was holding onto that more than anything else.

He shook himself then, hands flapping for a moment even as he bounced his weight from side to side as if he needed to limber up for this, the change was faster than it had been the first couple of times, leaving him sitting there in Hound form and looking almost surprised at how easy it had been, his tail swayed twice, trying to contain the movement even as he sat up high enough -adjusting his size just a little as he did- to rest his chin on the edge of the desk where he usually perched, turning those coal-bright eyes on Edwin in question, as if to make sure this was good enough, as there really wasn't room in the office for the full sized Hound, and he wasn't entirely sure he liked being that big in the first place.

[uptightboy]

Charles's lingering touches will be the reason Edwin will faint one day. It felt like they were even more intense since had come clean with his feelings. And the past few days without it all was torture, and Edwin only realized it just now.

He braced himself for the transformation, expecting the fear to settle into him again. But as Charles shifted, and yes the scent of Hell was still in the air about him, Edwin didn't have to fight the urge to bolt. Even if he knew what this creature was capable of, he had seen it with his own eyes. What Charles was capable of. And suddenly, all that didn't matter. What mattered was that Charles was here, and they could touch, and they could solve cases together. Edwin slowly got down on one knee, holding the parchment.

"Perfect," he nodded at Charles, then reached to take the string off of him. The spell advised to trap the hound in a circle first but Edwin figured they wouldn't need it. Because he wasn't here to shackle this beast. He was here to... bind him to him. "It is not supposed to hurt but if you feel strange we stop, understood?" Edwin warned and reached out to put his hand on Charles's head and scratch behind his ear. Just a few words of reassurance could change him this much? Edwin tried not to think about that too much as he continued what the spell instructed him. He didn't necessarily need to keep his hand on the hound because, for obvious reasons, it wasn't advised but he still wanted Charles to feel him through this all.

Edwin said the words loud and clear, three times. The spell was supposed to put a collar and two cuffs on the hound, tying it to its owner. To Edwin's surprise, the collar looked similar to the one their family dog was wearing; it would be called antique by current standards. It also had his family crest on it, just like the one on his notebook. It didn't look as tight as the Duchess's almost as if Charles wanted he could shake it off. Of course, this is what the binding looked on Charles's true form, Edwin suspected they may also change with Charles's appearance.

"Done," Edwin stated, and immediately felt a little lightheaded. He figured it was expected, he just bound a powerful creature to himself without having a proper body. There ought to be side effects.

[just_aces]

He nodded once at the question, though part of him knew he might not realize what 'strange' was supposed to feel like, though he knew pain, and knew enough to know he'd be able to duck away if that happened, but he doubted it would, Edwin didn't want him trapped, just kept, and that made all the difference.

He couldn't help the low, vibrating hum that emanated from somewhere deep in his chest at the gentle scratch of Edwin's fingers behind his ear, eyes dipping partway closed at just how pleasant that felt. Though he did collect himself enough to sit more fully upright as Edwin began the spell, leaning his head more firmly up into the hand there.

Once it was finished he shook himself almost the same way he'd done before shifting down to this shape, it was a very human movement for a Hound, though it made the tag on the collar jingle, which delighted him, turning a tight circle as he tried to get a look at it even while wearing it, distracted enough by that that he hadn't even noticed the cuffs, they were like a much-less-restrictive version of what he'd done to himself by charming already-charmed wood in the arena, and that just set him off into another bout of circling, tapping both forepaws against the floor in apparent excitement.

At least until he felt that wave of something like exhaustion and he rounded on Edwin almost immediately, inching closer to press his head and then his shoulder against Edwin's side, offering support, he knew there was a way to loan Edwin his energy, that was something the Duchess took from him often and easily, and rarely when she actually needed it the way Edwin seemed to at the moment.

[uptightboy]

Even as a hound, that was Charles, Edwin had to realize. It felt silly to think about him as anything else than Charles. But apparently, fears can make people think silly things... What he didn't expect was the touch and the press on his side. He could potentially get on his feet, he didn't need much help in that. But at the contact, he could feel something else.

"Ah..." It was gradual and warm. Edwin was familiar with the sensation. It was magic flowing through him. It was like he was empty or lacking and only by being in contact with something, someone that was bound to him, the emptiness was starting to fill up. "Charles," Edwin frowned when he realized it was coming from Charles. So this is what it felt like, to own a 'magical battery'. "I am fine, you do not need to do this," Edwin warned. Partly because they still didn't know what kind of effect it would have on Charles. But on him? Oh, it felt like bathing in warm water in the winter. Felt like a good meal after a long day of hunting. And Edwin understood why this was so appealing. His mind already went to all the spells in those spellbooks that were too powerful for him alone...

[just_aces]

He did sit back at that warning, head tilting as he regarded Edwin for a long moment, much the same way he would have in human form if Edwin was making the same insistence, probably while actively bleeding.

Though, really, that was more Charles' style than Edwin's. He did trundle to his feet a moment later, once he was sure that Edwin would do the same and either sit in the chair at the desk or move to the couch, just wandering off around the office once he had, partway keeping an eye on Edwin and partway just tracking the scents in the office, re-familiarizing himself with them, because despite it all he did have the good sense to wait for his own energy to stabilize again before changing back.

Which he did within a half hour, emerging from between the bookshelves with a fully-enamored, "Well that's mint." As he examined the bonds still encircling his wrists, honestly they reminded him of the stacked bangles his mother wore for special occasions, and he wasn't sure if Edwin was the one who had decided they should be decorative, or if that was just how the spell worked. It didn't even properly occur to him that he was the one who'd done that just through being delighted by them.

[uptightboy]

Edwin sat back at his desk, keen on reading up on magical energies and creatures that could lend them. Though, even if he felt Charles's energy for just a short time he could still tell it energized him in a way that could be addictive. They had to be careful about it, especially if Charles was affected. So, as usual, Edwin turned to research.

He barely looked up first from his book when Charles spoke, but he quickly turned all his attention to him. Edwin did not expect the cuffs to turn into such accessories. They suited Charles extremely well. Not that Edwin wasn't aware of Charles's love for jewelry but this was different...

"I suppose the bonds have to..." Edwin started to explain but he stopped immediately when he realized that not just the cuffs but the collar was also visible. Changed, of course, but it was around Charles's neck. For everybody to see. Edwin's collar. And the cuffs. Goodness.

[just_aces]

It was only when Edwin just stopped talking as if he'd somehow run out of words in the middle of his sentence that Charles actually paid attention, brow creasing slightly as he lifted his fingers to his neck, only then realizing that the collar was still in place as well, smaller than it had been, a sort of fine-linked mesh, like a band of decorative chain-mail as much as anything else, loose enough to sit at the base of his throat, but close enough that the pendant -still very much in evidence- rested tidily in the hollow between his collarbones.

It made him grin when he realized that was what had caught Edwin's attention enough to just stop talking, and he slowed his pace still further as he crossed the room, "You alright there, Edwin? Looking a little peaky."

[uptightboy]

"I'm quite well," Edwin retorted too quickly. Only a second later he thought he should have said he was still a bit lightheaded due to the binding spell. But would that made it better? "It is nothing."

He wanted to look away, oh so desperately. But Charles was absolutely, utterly gorgeous. Well, he was a handsome and attractive boy altogether but with his binds it was a whole new level. Edwin idly wondered if it was the jewelry or the fact that those 'jewels' were the ties that bound Charles to him. Seeing the pendant on Charles did make him feel... things. Not quite proper things. Possessiveness was one of them.

"Ehm, as I was saying, the bonds need to materialize somehow, I suppose," Edwin said, tearing his glance away from that cursed collar, to look into Charles's face.

[just_aces]

"Mm, yeah, suppose they do." He replied, managing to sound properly thoughtful about it, but there was still some kind of wicked amusement lurking in the tone as well, because it wasn't often that he got to see Edwin so unsettled.

Or, at least, unsettled when it wasn't someone else's doing, or even something dangerous. He was vaguely aware of the brush of Edwin's state against the edges of his mind, something he'd definitely been more in-tune with in the other shape -things were simpler that way after all- but was still aware of at the moment.

"You know, I think..." He trailed off there, brushing one banded wrist against the other, grinning when exactly what he'd been hoping would happen did. Which was the weight of one side increasing while the other reduced, leaving him with a single thin band at his wrist on one side and a thick near-gauntlet on the other, just sliding them against each other again to reverse it before bringing them to balance once more, though leaving the same stack of assorted, mismatched bangles on each wrist, even adding small chimes to a few of them, giving it a jostle, "There, now you'll always hear me coming."

As if Charles' sneakiness was anything remotely close to being part of the problem.

[uptightboy]

Edwin was ready to look away, to try and make himself get used to the fact that Charles has a collar now. A beautiful collar on a beautiful boy he is in love with and this is his afterlife now. But then Charles had to play with the cuffs too.

"Wonderful, as if you were not far too eye-catching already," Edwin remarks then freezes. Alright, maybe it's not a big deal calling Charles that, this is fine. Everything about this is more than fine. Please sacrifice him again he will not be able to endure this...

[just_aces]

Edwin unsettled was one thing, but unsettled and denying it was usually Charles' M.O., which was why he went still and quiet, leaning against the edge of the desk with both hands, not quite putting himself in Edwin's space again just yet, but definitely bordering on it, "Nah, this isn't nothing."

He lifted one hand to wiggle his fingers near his own temple, a movement that set the bangles to jingling softly, "Something's going on up here, I can tell." His brow creased, "C'mon, Edwin, talk to me, what's the matter?" He didn't think it was guilt, but he couldn't be entirely sure either.

[uptightboy]

As Charles put his hands on the desk Edwin's attention was on the bangles again. They were still gorgeous, and Edwin just noticed that Charles had pretty hands. Alright, was this the binding or the jewels? Or he was just... utterly smitten.

He looked up at Charles at his question. Slightly annoyed he was read so easily but it was working the other way around at least. He closed his eyes for a moment, a thing he was doing when he was annoyed or squaring up to one of Charles's shenanigans.

"Well, it is not the fear I shall deal with from here on but the... the fact that your binds fits you quite well." A moment of pause as his shoulders drop. "Charles, you look very attractive with those jewels on." Jewels and the fact that it was his family crest around Charles's neck.

Edwin let out a huff, leaning back in his chair.

"But I shan't make things awkward for you, so I won't mention it again."

[just_aces]

He blinked twice at that revelation, mostly because it rang true with what was buzzing against the edges of his mind from Edwin's thoughts -and that facet of their connection was going to take some getting used to- but his smile just spread, slowly as ever and twice as bright, "Edwin. Did you forget I'm here because I want to be? You can look if you want to, it don't make me uncomfortable at all."

He shrugged then, circling around to perch in his usual spot, though not moving to close the additional distance created by Edwin's leaning back in his chair just yet, "Look..." His brow creased a little, struggling to sort the words into the right order, because initial teasing aside, this was too important to mis-speak about, "It's alright if you like how they look. I like how they look, and I like knowing they're yours. You're allowed to like that part, too."

[uptightboy]

It was reassuring to hear Charles's words about it. About what he felt and what he was thinking. Maybe because of the confession Edwin was just a bit more on edge about these things. His lips tightened as he was listening to Charles but the knot in his chest loosened just a little.

"I..." he started, letting his gaze roam the collar again. "I do like it, yes. That it is m-mine." He cannot flat out say 'I like it that you are mine', that would just push it. He would decease on the spot. "And now everyone can see it," he added straightening his back. "I suppose it would take time to get used to all that has happened."

He then dares to reach out to run a finger over one of Charles's bangles. And he can actually feel them. The metal was warm, for some reason, either because of magic or because it was on Charles's body. Edwin found it a nice sensation.

"Do tell me if they ever get heavy," Edwin whispered a little distracted.

[just_aces]

Charles was grinning outright at that point, the little half-caught stammer delighted him in a way he couldn't explain, and maybe it was just the difference of Edwin still not being eager to control or own him but just to keep him the same as he'd always done.

He nodded at the way Edwin's fingers trailed over the bangles, turning his own hand over to catch at Edwin's hand lightly, tone serious enough as he replied, "I will." He didn't say that he doubted they would, mostly because he was fairly sure Edwin could feel as much the same as he could feel Edwin's nervousness and resolve against the edges of his own mind.

He made a thoughtful noise then, "Though, if we're going to get you used to looking, I suppose I should give you something to look at, yeah?" There was something warm and teasing in the tone as he lifted both hands, fingers running lightly along that thumb-thick band of mail at his throat, brow creasing as he concentrated, shifting the bulk of the bonds again, letting the collar unfold into something that was more of a gorget, some combination of finely-linked chainmail and edged with something more like scales, and despite the fact that the edge of it was well below his collarbone, the pendant with Edwin's family crest -and he would be amused to know that's what it was- still hung in the space at the hollow of his throat.

It also left him with two bangles on one arm and three on the other, the ones with the chimes, just because it amused him to do so, and the fact that he hadn't bothered manifesting his usual shirt again after his earlier transformation, only the singlet, meant that the whole works was, as intended, quite visible.

[uptightboy]

Edwin let himself to smile, squeezing Charles's hand fondly. He loved this little beast so much, he thought. Though he was alarmed when Charles seemingly had an idea. Edwin had a bad feeling about it...

He watched as the transformation happened, his eyes widening. If he thought about Charles as a knight before now it was even more so. How could he even get more regal and pretty? This was an overkill and Edwin was so flustered it annoyed him.

"Now you are just showing off, goodness," Edwin, rubbing his eyes. He was glad ghosts couldn't blush but he could feel the burn on his cheeks and ears. What a menace... And the worst thing was, others must have thought the same thing; Charles was aces with people, he was popular. And now when he would go and flaunt his perfect self at living girls, there was going to be a beautiful pendant of ownership around his neck.

[just_aces]

"Yeah," he replied easily, grin right back in place, "I am. You going to try and tell me you don't like it?" He would absolutely tone it down if Edwin didn't like it, but as the idea was to get him used to the fact that he was allowed to look, and not just to look, but to enjoy, Charles didn't think he actually disliked the look, it was just that it was going to be distracting.

Which was also kind of the point as far as Charles was concerned.

He straightened then, giving a little roll of his shoulders, "So, we've still got another day before back to business as usual, yeah? What kind of preparations should we be doing today?"

[uptightboy]

"Oh dear, Charles, you know well it is quite a sight and I shall not deny it further," Edwin pouted. Enjoy was truly a weak word for what he was feeling. The more it sank in what they did, the more he felt some kind of pride about it too. That Charles was his; not it the way of he could 'tame a beast' but in a 'Charles Rowland was standing by him and him only'. This truly wasn't helping about his feelings for the boy at all.

"Yes, let us see about work then," Edwin was quite happy to jump back into their routine. Even if he had a feeling it wasn't going to be the same. "We shall see our supplies, if we need anything. I admit I wasn't paying much attention to our stocks lately. I also believe we need to visit Mr. Newt to thank for his services. Also, I suppose this is as good time as any to go through some cold cases, as I have acquired invaluable knowledge from the coven, we may find new clues," Edwin listed, finally trusting his knees enough to get up from his chair. Work could always calm him down and he was absolutely looking forward to it.

[just_aces]

"Cold-storage cold?" He asked, jerking a thumb towards the bookshelves where the fully dead-end cases were kept, still accessible, but out of the way, "Or just bottom shelf cold?" He cocked his head towards the shelf that contained the ledgers of the past year and change's completed case files, but also had the more-recent cold case ledger as well. It was a movement that caused the scale edge of the collar to click softly, not quite the jingling of the bangles, but still soft and nearly musical all the same.

He slid from his perch, just bouncing once -because he could- as he landed, "Because I can handle the inventory, that'll keep me busy for at least an hour, and if you've got fresh eyes on cold cases, I can still answer questions while I do that."

[uptightboy]

"Cold-storage cold," Edwin repeated in a low voice. That box was the bane of his existence. Cases that eluded him were the most annoying things; so much so that Charles physically had to take the files from him and lock them up in an iron box to stop Edwin's stress about it. But the soft clicking of Charles's collar made him look at him again. Perfect, so it also gave a sound. Edwin couldn't wait to lose himself in cases a little. Not that because he didn't enjoy Charles's new upgrade but it was overwhelming.

With that he closed the books on his desk, and slipped the parchment of the binding spell into one of the drawers. He will sort it to its proper place later.

"Alright, do start with the inventory, I will take the files." He knew where the key for the box was after all, it was only taken from him when he was overly agitated.

[just_aces]

He clicked his tongue against the edge of his teeth as he leaned over to snag the memo pad from its file bin on the desk, "Got it." He replied even as he went rummaging through the cup next to it for his favorite pen, grinning when he caught hold of it, "Be back in a tick with the box."

It was the equivalent of an ammunition box, with a tea towel knotted around the handle so that it could be moved without actually injuring either of them, as the box being iron wasn't meant as an actual deterrent, just something to make them think twice before opening it, and it had worked so far.

Charles slipped off -still jingling faintly- to the other side of the office, sticking the memo pad in his back pocket and clipping the pin to his bracer strap where he could pop it off again as needed, careful in pulling the file box from its place, setting it gingerly on the desk, "Mind your fingers."

Box delivered he swung the games cupboard door open, wedging it easily once he had, "I'll work anti-clockwise from here." There weren't many places where supplies were stashed in the office, and starting in the cupboard would take care of the bulk of it.

[uptightboy]

"Thank you," Edwin nodded, taking the key from one of the hidden compartments of the desk, and carefully opened the box. Even if he would burn himself on the box, it didn't matter, but he learned to take care of himself because of Charles mostly. He got more upset about Edwin burning himself than the boy himself.

Placing the files on the desk, he picked one up, and opened his notebook too. Edwin started to work. He basically knew these cases by heart by now and he tried to solve them almost obsessively.

And even as he was working, he could still hear the jingle from Charles occasionally as he moved around. At first it was slightly annoying. But as time went on Edwin didn't even pay attention to it anymore. It was almost soothing.

[just_aces]

It probably helped the getting-used-to that it wasn't just the new jingling, but also the familiarity of Charles muttering to himself as he counted and made notes, and humming in a decidedly off-key fashion even though it was under his breath, though he did lean back around the open door to check on Edwin every few minutes, whenever he changed categories in his indexing, really, just to make sure he wasn't dangerously absorbed in the work, just the regular level.

Once he'd finished with the cupboard he swung the door closed again, "Mostly good, few things we're close to low on." He commented, "I'll get you the list when I've done the rest."

It was only partway through counting paper supplies on their proper shelf that he turned to ask: "Is floating market this week or next?"