thinking about how emotional edmund would be when coming out to his family - siblings, really; seeing as how homosexuality was illegal in england until 1967, even if attitudes towards it were more "relaxed" in the 40s (which rapidly changed after the war, though). and just...the fear edmund would have, even after coming out to his siblings...bc's, like...the idea of someone else finding out would absolutely terrify him, especially because of the consequences (gay men were targets of systemic homophobia after the anglican public morality council declared that the police were once again 'conducting a campaign against this deplorable (homosexual sex) offences'; which would be worse in london, where edmund lives) and just-