#dbda fics

“The effects of the truth potion should not last too long, but I could still look into a few potential counterspells for it.” Edwin looks Charles carefully over, his eyes full of concern, and it probably shouldn’t, but it still fills Charles’ stomach with a pooling warmth. He loves to be the center of Edwin’s attention, always, and especially like this, when Edwin’s extra soft and gentle with him, when he’s open with his affection and doesn’t hesitate to show Charles how much he cares about him. “What do you think, Charles?”

“I think we should shag.”

It causes Edwin’s brows to cease their frowning, and instead shoot up high on his forehead.

“...what did you just say?”

Charles has already slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as the words left his mouth, but the compulsion to tell Edwin the truth is strong and getting more and more unbearable the longer he tries to stifle it.

He quickly loses the struggle, the truth bursting out of him after only a few seconds, “I want to shag.”

Edwin just stares at him in silence and Charles can feel himself going red as a tomato.

“I’m sorry for just springing that on you, but it’s the truth. I think about it constantly, especially when you look right fit and that little frown you do when you're worried about me really gets me going.”

Apparently finally having thawed out, Edwin finds his voice.

“Constantly?”

“Not like, all the time,” Charles goes even redder trying to explain, but the potion doesn’t let him take it back. “But a lot. Ever since we first started shagging it's been hard to keep my hands to myself, you know?”

“O-oh?”

Thanks a lot for the tag @221beloved

I just had a look at my AO3 stats and was surprised that I’ve written a lot more than in previous years. In terms of hits, kudos and especially comments, however, I got significantly less (less than half from 2024). Perhaps that’s because I wrote most fics for a new fandom (Dead Boy Detectives) and they didn’t find readership there – I still get most engagement from and with my Sherlock fics. Perhaps it’s a general trend on AO3, I don’t know. Anyway, here are the fics I started (and mostly finished) in 2025.

Octopus Pillow (Dead Boy Detectives, M, 14k)

About a year after the events of Port Townsend, the boys and the new members of the agency have settled into routine again – until a curious case at a local Ikea upends this equilibrium by tearing up old wounds. While Edwin pretends to be unaffected, and Charles delights in introducing yet another new associate to the agency, both are ultimately forced to confront old hurt and grief in order to move on.

The Great Lambada Craze of ’89 (and ’24) (Dead Boy Detectives, M, 27k)

Noticing how affected Edwin still is by Niko’s death and his torture at Esther’s hands, Charles devises a plan to both cheer him up and possibly – hopefully – restore his ailing magical powers. If he chooses a somewhat unusual route and so happens to learn (and finally acknowledge) a few things about himself in relation to his best friend and their relationship, all the better. He gets help from Crystal and Wispy, the agency’s newly acquired “pet” – and, interestingly, from Edwin himself.

The Case of the Stolen Barrow (Dead Boy Detectives, M, 78k)

The Dead Boy Detectives are approached by the Wee Free Men to help them find their missing home and family. Whatever could go wrong with a case involving a bunch of blue pictsies and a visit to the picturesque South Downs? Sounds like a job easily jobbed, right? Things take a turn to the strange, however, when the old magic of the landscape begins to work its spell. Crystal discovers new things about her powers. The boys are forced to be more open with each other about their respective takes on their developing relationship and the direction it’s going. Charles has some success in the figuring-things-out-department. And with the pictsies being able to go literally anywhere, could they possibly help locate Niko, wherever she is – and even bring her back?

The Case of the Mysterious Jar (Dead Boy Detectives, T, 820 words)

When Crystal arrives at the office carrying a strange glass jar she received from a fellow student at school, she and the boys embark on an adventure with a surprising outcome.

Fantasia (Dead Boy Detectives, M, 9k, WIP)

Following a mysterious lead that may enable them to bring Niko back from wherever she went after Esther’s attack, the Dead Boys, their (only sometimes sad) Psychic Girl, and the Agency’s new associate Wispy the will-o’-the-wisp embark on a journey to Gloucester Cathedral, which leads them not only towards insight into what happened to Niko but also a better understanding of themselves, their past, present and future.

A Study in Living (Dead Boy Detectives & BBC Sherlock, M, 14k, WIP)

A strange case of a boy who seemingly showed up out of the blue at a posh boys’ boarding school forces Sherlock and John to confront their respective pasts and potential future together, while at the same time, another pair of detectives are trying desperately to find a resolution to the same case and indeed predicament – albeit on an even more existential level. Family, found and otherwise, friends and even adversaries get roped in to help, old convictions are challenged, and new friendships are forged. And Charles Rowland finally gets his beloved spaghetti.

Letters to Santa (Dead Boy Detectives, G, 1k, WIP)

Drawings and ficlets showing the Core Four (of various ages) and others writing letters to Santa Claus.

I Lay You Down (Dead Boy Detectives, T, 9k)

When shortly before Christmas, a demon interrupts a quiet night at the Agency to take Edwin back to Hell (again and for real this time, really!), he gets more than he bargains for. Because a pissed-off Edwin Payne and a supportive, protective Charles Rowland are not to be trifled with. Keepie uppie, a battle of grammar and some realisations ensue.

I have read SO many Dead Boy Detectives fics, so why not give some love to some of my favorites? (Fair warning: almost all of these are Payneland centered, and most of it is hurt/comfort and fluff)

Here we go! The official prompt list for Catwinter! (shout out to the catwin discord for brainstorming prompts with me again)

Each week of December has a theme so you can do all prompts, pick and choose or combine them however you like!

On the plus side though, I have finished off my fic, so... here is a bit of shameless fluff

XXX

She inhaled at his sharp tone, hurt briefly flashing across her face. "You know that's not what I meant," she said. "We were all worried about you and none of us could reach you. Surely you can see why that was scary for us."

He could. But at the same time, it wasn't that serious. He'd been fine, and so had everyone else. It wasn't a crime to not want to talk to people.

"Yeah, well, there was no need to be. I'm fine. Everything's fine," he said. Slowly, slow enough that if she wanted to stop him she could, he tugged his arm free and started to unlock his door.

"You think this is fine?" she asked. "What happened? Why did you get ejected? Did you talk to Coach Nurse today? What did she say?"

So many questions and Charles wanted to answer literally none of them. "Niko," he said, doing his best to keep his tone level and calm. He didn't want to yell at her, to prove he was just like his dad in every way he knew how to be.

"Just talk to me," she said. "The last time I saw you, you were on cloud nine! It's like two days passed and then…" She waved a hand over him, as if it explain exactly how he was being.

"Then what?" he asked, puffing up.

For anyone who remembers the Cat!Edwin fic I went on a ramble about a while back, I finally got something written for it!