C is for Courage

By: T.D. Jamison

With a silent sigh Peter strode out of the main hall, the smoothness of his cloak billowing behind him like a hazy fog. He shuffled through the papers again, nerved at what he'd found there. The stupid ice bitch was back and Aslan had assigned Caspian and himself on the job of locating her. He'd given Peter a hopeful and smug look before he'd bounded away into the forest that let Peter know that he knew. That Aslan knew about the secret fire that had built up inside Peter's heart. The fire for Prince Caspian. With another sigh he closed the little vanilla folder and turned down the left corridor and up the steps that led to Susan's room. He'd tell her the news first and then move on to the others. Caspian would defiantly be last.

Peter glanced back down at the vanilla folder, completely ignoring where he was going and tripped on the last step. The folder flew up as his hands released the paper to brace himself with his hands. Papers scattered everywhere. Before he hit the ground, strong tan hands wrapped around his waist and held him partially up. His breath caught in his throat when he looked back into Caspian's eyes.

"Aren't you clumsy today? Something distracting you Peter? Your usually not so…" he trailed off, looking at the scattered papers that covered the tiled floor. "Yea…"

Peter pulled up his feet and yanked his body away from Caspian's. The heat that their bodies were making was making him dizzy and he couldn't think because of the smell of him.

He brushed a hand through his golden brown hair and smiled. Caspian saw it didn't reach his eyes and frowned. He stepped forward and grabbed his friends elbow. "Are you ok? Did something happen?"

Peter swallowed hard and diverted his gaze away from his wannabe lover. "Guess you could say that." He pulled away and started retrieving the papers. Guess Caspian had to go first. Just his damn luck. He picked up the assignment sheet and handed it to Caspian. The prince took it without a word and skimmed over the paragraphs. His face paled tremendously.

"Jesus. Why didn't you say anything?" Caspian's voice went surprisingly cold and hostile.

"I just got it today from Aslan. I was out practicing my strokes in the woods and he came to me and delivered that." Peter swallowed. "We leave tomorrow."

Caspian sucked in a huge breath and blew up his cheeks. He glanced up at Peter who was bending over to retrieve some more papers. Caspian's gaze lowered to Peter's ass.

"Mmmm."

Peter looked up and turned to look at Caspian who had a weird look in his eye. It was glazed over even.

"You say something." Peter asked, raising a brow at the prince.

"Huh? Oh no. Just reading this again. You know, skimming."

Peter looked to the right and then back at Caspian, shook his head and then retrieved the last paper.

"Mmmm."

Peter's head shot up and he turned his head quickly towards Caspian. The boy caught his eyes and blushed a deep red. Peter suddenly felt his own blood run hot as it poured into his face. He cleared his throat, shuffled the papers in his hands and handed them over to Prince Caspian. Their hands touched momentarily and they both froze.

"Am I interrupting something?" Susan asked, stepping out of the doorway where'd she'd watched both her boyfriend and her brother give each other weird looks. It made her angry in the deepest pit of her heart. But she didn't know why.

Still dressed in her nightgown she strode across the room and planted a kiss onto her boyfriend's lips. Caspian answered her with a hand around her waist as he pulled her into him. Jealousy struck Peter like a heat wave. He bit his cheek to keep from yelling and smiled when the two were finished. Caspian noticed it still didn't reach his eyes.

"Show Susan the papers. Then give them to Susan to show the others. I'm going to finish my practice and then I'm going to finish up some things later on. I won't be for dinner so don't wait up for me."

Peter tried not to glare as he walked past his sister and his best friend and sprinted down the steps to the garden doors.

"What's his problem?" Susan asked, wrapping her arms around Caspian's. He held her close.

"These papers have him worried that's all."

"What papers."

Caspian had almost forgotten them in his thoughts of Peter's quick get away. He'd caught a flint of anger and sadness in Peters blue eyes and hated seeing it there. He was thinking of going after him when Susan squeezed his hand. He looked down at her.

"You say something?" He asked her.

She frowned. "What papers Cas?"

He handed her the folder and watched her pale. She swooned a bit but he held her in place.

"It's not fair."

"I know, I know." He took the folders from her hand and kissed her cheek. "Why don't you go take a shower? And use that cherry blossom stuff again. I like the way it makes your hair smell. I'm going to finish up a few things."

She nodded and touched his cheek before going back into her room and shutting the door nicely behind her.

He sighed and looked in the direction Peter had fled. Now he only had to find him.