Author: shirasade

Charles sinks down a little lower in his chair and lets his knees fall open.

“What are you doing?” Edwin says, but he isn’t asking. Not really.

“I miss it,” Charles says. “Bet you do too, eh?”

“Charles.” Edwin sounds uncertain. “Are you…?”

There’s a moment of breath-held silence, wound tight as anything, and then Charles says, quietly, “Tell me—tell me to stop.”

Source: Tired of Picturing Love, by dear_monday – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

The tension here is just… *chef’s kiss* Pre-canon, hence technically pre-slash, insofar as the boys don’t touch each other. Which just hurts.

“A deal. You pretend to be my boyfriend for a few weeks, show up at my house, escort me to social functions and such. Your overall person, manner and opinions should be enough to truly scandalise my parents. You will only need to be yourself, only less… charming.”

Charles gave him a bright grin. “You think I’m charming?”

Edwin ignored him. “And I will act all smitten with you. When they offer you the money to break up with me – and rest assured, throwing money at problems is their only way of handling anything – you will take it. I shall be horribly heartbroken to make them feel guilty and any subsequent romantic partner who is a bit more… mellow than you will be quite welcome.”

Charles stared at him, unsure of how he could’ve ever thought of Edwin Payne as innocent. “Damn… you are a conniving little bastard, aren’t you?”

Source: Love For Hire – Chapter 1, by lucrow – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

This is the non-ghost fake dating AU I didn’t know I needed in my life. It sucked me right in, and I enjoyed every moment of the ride. Edwin as a ballet dancer is just too perfect for words!

Charles has never met a magical object he didn’t want to use. He might have gotten cursed a couple times over the years, but he also found some great stuff that way, and it keeps his afterlife exciting, you know? So when he and Edwin find something called “Desire’s Pince-Nez”, spelled glasses that make you see someone’s desires if you look into their eyes, Charles doesn’t really think twice before trying them on.

Source: pinch me (I don’t want this to be a dream) – Chapter 1, by shadowquill17 – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

I have a decided fondness for soft D/s, and this is a gorgeous “Charles buys a clue” story…

“Charles, I don’t need—”

“Mate, it’s alright,” Charles says. “Just drink.”

And maybe he should be worried that he’s being too pushy. Maybe he should be worried about the part of him that’s not thinking of Edwin, the part of him that wants this so much, wants the delicious sting of Edwin’s fangs and the firm, secure grip of his hands, which is just so bloody awkward when Edwin clearly doesn’t want that, when he has never loved the fact that he needs blood to survive and has never found it sexy the way some other vampires do, but—

But then Edwin is sinking his teeth into Charles’ neck and Charles is too busy trying not to melt into a puddle to worry about much of anything.

Source: your fangs in my neck (like an anchor like a vow), by shadowquill17 – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Vampire!Edwin and immortal!Charles… This works incredibly well!

“It isn’t just that,” Edwin gently interrupts. He looks thoughtful. “I know I’ve always been quite resistant to the idea of changing my clothing. I think when I escaped from Hell I wanted familiarity. To go back to something I knew. And it is a little bit morbid that the most familiar outfit I could think of was the uniform of the school I’d died in. But it felt… safe. Predictable.”

“And now…”

“And now I feel like it is time for me to… well, to at least think about exploring new avenues.”

He looks a little nervous but even more determined, and bloody hell, Charles will never stop being impressed by Edwin’s endless wells of courage.

Source: skirts maketh man – Chapter 1, by shadowquill17 – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

In which Edwin starts to experiment with clothes, and Charles maybe, just maybe is a little bit obsessed. I adore clueless!Charles, and this is funny and sweet and hot all at once.

“Naked?” Edwin’s voice had shot up and he sat stiffly in the office chair staring at Charles. “Surely it doesn’t say that?”

“Well no, but I mean, mate, it’s pretty clear that these need to be all over or it won’t work. Look,” Charles flipped the book around.

Edwin leaned closer and felt his cheeks inexplicably heat up as he took in the instructive imagery spread across the page. Carefully drawn across a double page was the front and back side of a nude male, arms spread out and legs slightly apart to show the intricate black lines covering him. They wrapped around almost every inch of skin in careful swirls and delicate curls depicting the protection runes Edwin and Charles had been researching for well over a week now.

Source: The Stroke of a Brush, by sixbynine – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

This is sensuous as sin and hot as hell. 😉

Charles and Edwin cling to each other, clutching at shoulders and elbows as they map out familiar seams on their jackets, taking stock of all the things that are still right where they should be. This is when they break apart, usually—and so Edwin backs up, loosens his grasp, winds up a half-step away before Charles breaks expectations entirely by pulling him back in by the elbows and kissing him.

Source: headfirst into something new – Chapter 1, by experimentaldragonfire – Dead Boy Detectives (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

A delicious and delightful first time fic.