BODYGUARD/ASSASSIN AU

[enigmaster]

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[enigmaster]

[And Edward is just... going to lie there. Watching over Oswald as best he can. Which isn't as much as he'd like. Edward's trying hard to stay awake, but he's a little bit in and out of consciousness right now. He's... He's trying.]

[agoodname]

[it takes a bit for Oswald to wake--he's always been a heavy sleeper and an even slower waker, and now is no exception. He sits up, slowly, rubbing at his eyes, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He's dressed in a pair of pajamas, and blearily pushes to his feet to shuffle over towards Edward, sitting in the chair that's been pulled up to the side of the bed. He doesn't bother to stifle a yawn, even as he glances down at Edward to see if he's awake or asleep]

[enigmaster]

[Looks like Edward has... not quite, but almost drifted off. Enough that he's not very aware that Oswald's up and awake, eyes mostly, but not entirely, closed. Someone's been trying to force himself to stay awake. And failing at it.]

[agoodname]

[Oswald blinks a bit as he notices that Edward's not entirely asleep or awake--so he's leaning forward a bit, a frown creasing his brow]

Edward?

[enigmaster]

Hm...? [Edward's eyes blink open at that and he turns his head.] Ah-- Your Highness... [He almost tries to sit up, instinctively, but he remembers himself just in time to just... shift, instead.] I didn't realize you were awake...

[agoodname]

I just woke up. [this is the most cognizant he's been so far, it seems, and Oswald's shoulders slump slightly] How are you feeling?

[enigmaster]

[The honest answer is "terrible". Or, well, sort of honest. It's complicated. He's good at blocking out a lot of this.] Ah... I'm alright, really. [because you know that doesn't sound like bullshit]

[agoodname]

[and Oswald just kind of stares at him incredulously for a moment] ....you almost died, Edward.

[enigmaster]

I've had worse.

[agoodname]

[his expression falters, then] You've had worse?! [his hands curl into fists on his knees] When did you have worse?

[enigmaster]

Not in a long time, now, but... some years back. [He frowns a little, shifting up just a little. The movement hurts, but it's not too much.] It isn't important.

[agoodname]

It isn't--of course it's important! [slkdfhs what the hell] I think I'd remember if you almost died before!

[enigmaster]

...I never really told you. I shouldn't really be telling you now, either. My apologies.

[agoodname]

[asldkfhsodihfs] I--I feel like this is something I should've known, Edward! [his voice cracks, and he's looking increasingly upset] That's--and now this happened--I thought you were going to die, and you're telling me that you've been hurt worse than that?!

[enigmaster]

[Edward stares a little bit.] ...I'm your bodyguard. I'm supposed to protect you, if you're attacked. No matter what.

[agoodname]

[Oswald...fumbles. Sputters a bit.] Well, yes, but--! [how does he even put this into words] But nothing like this has happened before! [he swallows, then, because if Edward has had worse, then--] At least...not that anyone's told me. Or that I've seen! Or that you've told me!

[enigmaster]

...I didn't want you to worry, your Highness.

[agoodname]

[and for a moment, Oswald can't do anything but stare at him. He didn't want him to worry. Sweet, almost, if it wasn't so incredibly mind boggling now. And horrifying, even. Terrifying. Infuriating.] ...you didn't want me to worry. [deadpan, almost] You...you didn't want me to worry?! [escalating now, and he can feel his magic starting to buzz under his skin, restless as he gets worked up,] You almost died now and you've had worse before? Meaning you've almost died before! [his voice rises up the octave in his distress] And what if you had?! Would I ever even have known?! [and there--his voice cracks and breaks, and he can feel his magic clawing at his fingertips, starting to seep out of him, perhaps to start crawling along the floorboards---and Oswald sucks in a breath, yanking it back, burying his face in his hands and taking deep lungfuls of air, trying to calm himself, to get it back under control]

[enigmaster]

[Edward is quiet, even as Oswald gets more and more worked up. There's a small part of him, inside, that immediately shrinks and cowers at the raised voice. A fear of anger that never quite leaves him. But the rest of him stays calm, so it doesn't show, other than Edward averting his eyes briefly.] ...I don't know. That would have been up to the castle staff to inform you of, I imagine. [Out of his hands. Things are different, now. But now if anything happens to him, Oswald will know immediately.] I am sorry, your Highness. I didn't mean to cause you any distress...

[agoodname]

[It would have been up to the castle staff. If that's case, he probably wouldn't have known. Edward would've just disappeared with no explanation. Just stopped being in the castle one day and Oswald would've assumed he'd just quit. That he was done with his job and wanted to do something else. He can just imagine it and it's something that's so incredibly plausible and as such, also incredibly distressing. His magic wraps around his throat like a vice, wanting to crawl out from his mouth and expand outward like a scream; he feels too small for his body, like he can't contain whatever it is that's bubbling inside him, he can't--] You would've just disappeared--[his voice, strangled still, muffled by his hands, and he can feel black spilling out onto his palms but they're pressed to his face and Oswald sucks in a breath, drawing it back inside himself, control, control, and he's shaking with it, pushing unsteadily to his feet, stumbling for the bathroom. He slams the door once he's inside leaning against it, forehead pressed against the flat planks, fingers digging into the wood--black curling at the tips and into claws, raking down and gauging lines in their wake as he sinks to the floor, trembling still]

[enigmaster]

Your Highness-- [But Oswald is going, he's walking, heading for the bathroom. And Edward blinks, staring at the door. He hadn't thought this would be so upsetting to him. And it shouldn't be, really. If Edward had died, then... that would have just meant he was doing his job right, but wasn't quite good enough. There would have been someone else, surely. ...He hopes, anyway. Really, the reason doesn't matter. Right now, Oswald is upset. Very, very upset. Anything going on with Edward just seems inconsequential. Edward takes a deep breath... and he pushes himself up. The pain is unimportant right now. He's moving slowly, at least, so he hopefully doesn't cause any damage. But he has to... he has to get to Oswald. He manages to get his legs on the side of the bed. Now he just has to actually stand...]

[agoodname]

[Oswald sucks in as deep of a breath as he can manage--there's anger and hurt and something like anguish burning into a miasma in the pit of his stomach at the horror of this revelation; of everything he didn't know. Wouldn't haven't known. He wants to tear the room apart, release some of this emotion, get it out of his body, and he opens his mouth--before quickly snapping it shut, pressing his lips together hard. he can't let it out because it's going to destroy something, or, worse, someone. And Edward is the closest person to him and it's in bad enough shape as it is; and, it seems, the fault of that is entirely on Oswald. From the attack to his magic making his injuries worse, it turns out this isn't the first time he's nearly killed Edward simply because they happened to be near each other. Yes, he was technically a bodyguard, but Oswald's never thought of him as such. He's had no reason to. A sacrificial lamb for others, maybe, in the hopes that if his magic got out of control again, Edward would be the first in the line of fire, but Oswald had practiced having control over it for that very reason. So neither Edward nor anyone else would get hurt. Apparently, that did nothing. And even his attempt to quell his magic, which is starting to creep across the floorboards, dragging scraping marks into the wood, was absolutely and utterly useless. Edward had gotten hurt anyway, and Oswald didn't know and wouldn't have known. He nearly died and the times before were worse and it's devastating He kind of wants to cry but the risk of that emotion is too high and he tries to strangle it, fingers digging deeper into the wood, breath a hiccup in his throat as he struggles for control]

[enigmaster]

[Edward stands up, slowly. His limbs are shaky, but his willpower is strong enough to make up for that. It just means he has to take it slowly. That's not ideal, but it will do, for now. He messed up. Not just now, in that conversation. Before. When he slipped up enough to get hurt in the first place. He never should have let that dagger get him. He'd let himself get distracted and... that's his own stupid fault. Carefully, he puts his hand against the wound in question, on his side. Making sure not to disturb it too much as he slowly makes his way to the bathroom door. He hates... moving this slowly. Like this, he's so completely and utterly useless. He can barely even make it to the door to talk to Oswald. But he manages, just about. He won't try to open the door or anything, of course, he just stands there. He should be audible through the door, at least.] ...Your Highness?

[agoodname]

[Edward's voice trickles through, and it takes a moment for it to register, as deep in his head as Oswald is. When it does, his eyes fly open in surprise, heart sinking down to his stomach] Edward? [and his eyes flick to the gauges in the wood, in the floor, realizing how much he's let his magic get away from him. And now Edward is far too close for the state he's in now. Oswald sucks in a harsh breath, panic surging and overriding the other emotions that have threatened to overwhelm him. And he's forcibly drawing all of that magic back into his body with a concentrated yank. It almost hurts with how quickly it retreats back into him--but he ignores that, pushing to his feet and moving to yank the door open] What are you doing?! You need to be resting, you absolute--[he cuts himself off with another snarl, already reaching for Edward, to herd him back to bed]

[enigmaster]

[Edward's staring, a little, almost numbly.] I-- [That's about all he gets out before Oswald yanks the door open and reaches for him. And he blinks, surprised, confused.] I'm sorry, your Highness, but I needed to know if you were alright-- [It's slow heading back to the bed and Edward is more than a little reluctant, really only moving because Oswald is herding him. He's far too concerned with Oswald right now to even think about rest.]