Work Text:
Oswald had been away for a while. A lot longer than he had originally planned. But what he hadn't expected what he saw. He opened the door and there was Edward, leaned over, in a white lab coat. His glasses reflected over the mess of chemistry tubes over the table.
Edward turns and smiles a saccharin smile. "Ohh Oswald, it's you."
"Yeah it's me. I'm back. Surprised?!"
"Oh yes, I really am." His smile deepens with sincerity. It had felt like so long ago.
But something wasn't quite right. This wasn't just the product of Edwards normal levels of obsession. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and he seemed to be partially drunk with how he walked, with a foggy unfocused look about him. There was all kinds of things scribbled on papers, on the walls even. Oswald's eyes Edward very slowly up and down trying to take in whatever has happened here. The full mess of the situation at hand.
Ed looked gaunt and drawn out like a sliver standing on its end.
"Please sit down." Oswald asked. Edward tight lipped shook his head very slightly, as if to say the smallest "no." This caused a panic in Oswald.
"What? Why? Do you have something to tell me, you can tell me here." Oswald said. Edward replied with a half hearted attempt at a chuckle, but then he is back to focusing on the papers and the equipment before him. Oswald wonders if he should even ask what it is, but he doesn't. He doesn't know why he doesn't ask, it's like an invisible force field is over the subject.
"No. I think you should rest." Oswald says forcefully this time.. But then falters and softens suddenly, his eyes feel misty. "You look pale Edward. .Please?" And Oswald let's out the smallest please.. He desperately wants to reach Edward, who might as well be in a tower locked and surrounded by guards for that matter with the look he has. Busy and gone, gone..
"Ohh Edward looks 'pale?'" he said in a mock tone. "I thought I always looked pale Oswald? No no, you don't understand i have things to do." Edward said oddly harshly all of a sudden, and pushed up his glasses and shifted his body away, his back to him and seems to be manically pacing in the small space he was contained in. And then Oswald saw at once as he was slightly leaning on the counter for support though. How he even managed not to fall over was it's own mystery as his legs wobbled as he seemed to come to at random again.
"When was the last time you slept, or ate for that matter?" Oswald asked thrusting a finger out at the floor, not to be deterred by Edward's behavior to him. Edward snapped out of his state for a moment and turned back and looked vulnerably back for a second.
"I don't know. What are you, my mother? I've been busy." he clucked his tongue, but the punch was gone. And yet he still resisted somehow. And Oswald suddenly thought perhaps he had been like this all month, and he could see it. Since he had been gone, he had been up here spending every available minute on this. His mental health must have taken a nose dive at some point and this work was how he compensated for it. He knew it as soon as the thought came to him. But Edward was also at his limit. Looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. What if something really bad was about to happen..? He felt himself get angry and sad all at once and he wanted to yell at Edward to cut it out and drag him out of there. But would any of it work? Why was he being like this.. Surely he must know how serious this is. Oswald got more agitated by the second and didn't know what to do. Oh Edward, why won't you let me help you? Oswald thought to himself, but not saying it just yet. And finally one more time..
"What has happened to you?" Oswald asked. He covered his mouth as his eyes shone in the dim room. He is trying to keep his voice as level as he can, but his voice was cracking. Edward can't help but notice but he doesn't want to get out of the place he is in. He needs to be here. And Edward just shakes his head. Oswald takes in what remains of him and the weight of it all sinks in. Something very wrong has happened here.