WARNING: This fic involves a romantic relationship between brothers. Slash and incest warnings apply. The sequel to Once, Future, and Always. You will have to read that first.
After the battle is mostly a blur to Peter.
Susan takes Lucy around and they heal who they can. Aslan's breath awakens those who had been stone and Peter is introduced to Lucy's Mr. Tumnus and he may have said something witty, but he doesn't really recall what. He remembers that it made the faun laugh and that Tumnus had a very odd laugh, like he was just learning how to do so.
It seemed to Peter that every time he reached for Edmund, someone else stepped forward to demand his attention or shake his hand or weep on his shoulder (or against his kneecap as Mrs. Beaver had done). It all seemed to amuse Edmund, who stood back and smirked at him and if it weren't for the bright sparks of gold in his dark eyes, Peter would wonder if perhaps he had only lost his mind and had imagined his brother's recollections.
Before Peter really knew what was happening, he was standing in a room at Cair Paravel while a servant, a young faun, attempted to help dress him. The nervous creature fumbled with the clothing, dropping bits and pieces on the floor, and stepped on his foot twice with one of its heavy hooves. Never had Peter thought that he would miss Merlin's attentions and welcome his sad attempts at servitude, for even he had made a better manservant than Peter's new faun.
There was a light knocking on the door and the faun scrambled to open it, leaving Peter standing in just his silly gold trousers. He gasped and ducked his head, bowing low, "Your h-highness!"
Peter turned, eyebrows flying up when he saw his brother standing in the door way. Edmund was fully dressed, looking awkward in the fine clothes, and smiling crookedly at him. "Not ready yet? You always were rather slow."
Peter couldn't help but grin. Edmund gently pushed the faun from the room, quieting his protests with a gentle, "I need a moment with my brother."
"Oh, of c-course, sire," the faun bowed to them both before he left.
Edmund calmly picked up Peter's ice-blue shirt and helped Peter into it, doing up the ties with speed Merlin had always lacked. Peter laughed, "What, did you spend the past few centuries practicing?"
Edmund looked up at him, through the fringe of his dark hair, and Peter was startled by his young face.
He had thought it'd be easy, now that Edmund remembered as well. He could see now that it wouldn't be. They may have a lifetime of memories and history and emotion between them, but they were still stuck in the bodies of children. Peter wondered why he had even hoped. Things were never easy, not for them.
Edmund caught his hand with one of his own and raised another to cup the back of Peter's neck. "Hey. It's alright now."
"It isn't," Peter's voice was quiet though, a weak protest.
"It will be, though. I have to grow up a bit, but you can be patient when you need to be."
Peter nodded. He had little patience, it was true. Not like Merlin, who had rarely lost his temper, who had just rolled his eyes at Arthur even when he was in his foulest of moods. But it had always been in him, when he needed it. It was what made him able to wait in the brush until a deer came just close enough for his arrows to strike home, what made him a good warrior, circling his opponent and waiting for him to strike first
The problem, Peter discovered, is that patience was hard and his body was just beginning to take notice of all the things that his mind was already aware of. His dick had a tendency to get hard at the most inopportune moments, like when they were meeting with this centaur or that minotaur, and Peter just happened to notice the arch of Edmund's neck as he leaned forward, paying careful attention to whatever the delegate was saying as Peter should be as well.
Lucky that Edmund was the Just and Peter just got to sit back and be magnificent. He was quite good at that, anyway. Had had a lot of practice.
He shared this thought with Edmund once, and Merlin's eyes danced in return as he cheerfully called him a prat. Peter caught the gold light in them and took off running, Arthur's laughter bursting from his chest. He didn't get far before he was suddenly drenched in cold water, like a bucket had been upturned over his head. It was Merlin's eyes focused on him, but Edmund's laugh.
For the first time, Peter saw them both. He looked at Edmund and saw both his brother and his lover, both the boy he'd helped to raise and the man he would forever love, both the magician and the King of Narnia. He looked at Edmund and saw Merlin and accepted that they were one.
Peter shoved Arthur, the demanding voice that whispered in his ear, chanted at him, . He shoved Arthur away and turned away from Edmund.
He was too young, yet. Peter had to remember that.
He should have realized that Merlin wouldn't stand for such a thing for too awful long. Merlin had never let Arthur get away with anything if he didn't agree with it and, clearly, time changed few things. Looking back, Peter knew that he was lucky that Edmund had been willing to be so patient with him. It was never about Edmund growing up for Merlin's sake, but Edmund growing up for Peter's sake.
The day he turned sixteen, Edmund let himself into Peter's room and sealed the door behind him. Peter gawked at him, his eyes wide and his throat dry, as Edmund slowly stripped off his clothes.
"Ed," he croaked. Edmund smiled and his eyes went gold as he climbed up onto Peter's bed and crawled up the length of it, until he hovered over Peter's body.
"No, Peter. No more hiding, no more waiting," Edmund lowered himself until all that separated their bodies was Peter's thin sheet. Peter could feel every inch of him, feel the heat of him. He could smell him, was completely incased in Edmund and Merlin and love and need.
Peter's fragile resolve broke and Arthur surged forward to take Merlin's mouth in a hard kiss.
Edmund groaned and Peter twisted his fingers into his dark hair and pulled him closer.
When he awoke the next morning, there was no line that separated Peter from Arthur. They were one and the same and as he laid there, his arms around his brother and lover, he felt at peace for the first time in a millennia.
"Bloody hell, go back to sleep, prat," Edmund mumbled sleepily, pressing his face into his pillow.
Peter laughed quietly, but pulled Edmund closer and didn't argue. He shut his eyes and fell back to sleep.
A/N: It took me far too long to write this and I'm not sure I'm happy with it, but for everyone who asked for it, there you go. Hope you enjoyed it