[ he can't help the way he breathes out in relief, shoulders sagging just slightly, before the frown on his face is replaced by a small, fond smile. he squeezes edwin's shoulder, then, because, ] Yeah, I know.

[ of course he knows — how could he not, when if the situation was reversed, he'd be saying the same? he knows edwin would have stopped at nothing to find him, which is exactly why he'd been so relieved to know he wouldn't even know to miss him.

realising they're blocking the way to the booth, then, charles grabs edwin's arm and tugs him along so they can start to walk along the street, to — well, somewhere that's not here, in the middle of all the noise of the festival. ]

Told you already, yeah? Not your fault. And besides — least I knew you were back home, safe. Made it easier to be here.

[ it had been the only reason he hadn't tried to burn the whole place down, honestly, the only reason he'd accepted being here so easily; because at least edwin wasn't stuck here, at least edwin wasn't worrying about him, at least he hadn't left edwin alone. ]