Chapter 5: Homecoming, Part Two

Disclaimer: Obviously, some of them belong to C.S. Lewis' estate. Some of them are based on real people (with permission), and the rest belong to my imagination.

Characters: The Pevensies plus the majority of the Finchley High School student body.

Summary: Caspian has been crowned homecoming king to everyone's surprise, but did anyone ask him if he wanted it? He thinks not.

Author's Note: Now begins the good stuff. :D There's more surprises in this chapter too. Also, just in case it wasn't clear before, Caspian is the taller of the two boys, so when I say "the taller boy", I'm referring to him.

Peter remained standing by the back of the bleachers until the game resumed. At that time he made his way toward the gym, where he met Lucy. The two of them joined their schoolmates inside. There was no particular theme to the room, as that was reserved for prom, but the student government had decorated tastefully. It certainly looked less like a gym than usual with the lights turned low and the wooden floor covered. A few couples were already dancing, among them Susan and Caspian.

As more and more students gathered at the middle of the room, the pair were swept out of sight. Peter smiled indulgently at his youngest sister and twirled her once before they began dancing.

"Did you know she was coming with him?" Lucy asked after a while.

"No," he answered honestly. "I'm glad she didn't tell me."

Lucy was silent. Though not as perceptive as Edmund, she could still sense when something was bothering her older brother. There was a firm set to his jaw and a look in his eyes she'd never seen before. It frightened her a little to realize just how angry Peter might be. She'd heard about the fight and seen the bruises on his face, of course. It was a sore subject in the Pevensie house, so no one brought it up. Apparently things had not been completely resolved.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's all right, Lu," Peter answered. "I'm not angry at Susan. I just don't know that he and I will ever be best friends."

He managed a smile, which she answered with a joyful, if relieved, laugh.

By ten o'clock, the gym was full. Most everyone was either dancing or crowded around the refreshment table. When Edmund came over to ask Lucy for a dance, Peter excused himself, claiming he needed a bit of air. Both of his younger siblings watched his retreating form a little worriedly.

Outside, Peter leaned against the side of the building and closed his eyes. The cool air felt like a balm against his heated skin, which glistened faintly in the light of a waxing gibbous moon. He removed his tie and draped it over one shoulder so he could unfasten the top buttons of his shirt. Several minutes passed before he realized he was being watched. He straightened and stood in one fluid motion. Caspian stood a few feet away, his approach muffled by the dew-soaked grass. One hand was tucked in his pants' pocket, the other held the crown at his side. Subconsciously, Peter relaxed a bit, but he did not lean back again.

"Your sister said you would be here," the other boy said.

"It was hot," Peter replied simply.

"Si," Caspian murmured. "This is much better."

"Did you need something?"

The taller boy opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again, his brow furrowing.

"Yes. I need to know why you do not like me. We talk when we work out, but still I can tell there is something," he said finally.

The blonde pitcher choked back a sardonic laugh.

"You really want to know why? Because you're a complete stranger and you've just waltzed in here and taken over," he snapped. "I've been working all my life toward this year, to be able to start every game and lead my team to the championships and show people what I can do. You've divided the team. How can we win when half of us aren't getting along with the others?"

Caspian drew closer suddenly, his fists clenched.

"How can you be a leader when at the first sign of a fight all you can do is sulk and try to ignore the problem!"

Peter swung, but Caspian caught his wrist and held on, twisting his adversary's arm down and backward. Peter was forced face-first into the brick with a sharp grunt of pain. He was breathing hard, but he stopped fighting.

"No more," Caspian hissed into his ear, his body pressed along his teammate's.

The reaction he received was unexpected, though not unpleasantly so. Peter's brilliant blue eyes closed in a grimace that was a mixture of pain and pleasure as a shudder ran the length of his body.

"No more," the shorter boy answered breathlessly. "I swear."

Releasing his prisoner, Caspian stepped back and retrieved his crown, which lay where he'd dropped it when Peter came at him. He picked a few blades of grass off it, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart and the tightness in his midsection. His schoolmate still faced the wall, blonde head bowed slightly.

"I'm sorry," Peter said softly. "I'm not usually such a jerk. It's just that…"

"I know," Caspian interjected. "I did not want this, believe me. I never meant to cause any problems. I just wanted to play baseball here in America. It's so much better here."

The two boys were silent for a while.

"So are you and Susan…?" Peter asked, waving his hand toward the front of the gym.

"No," the other boy replied. He seemed to be waiting for Peter to say something else, but when nothing followed, he went on. "She and I were just dancing earlier. She did not come with me."

The eldest Pevensie whipped around, mouth agape. "What? Then why are you…? I don't understand."

There was an odd smile on the Spaniard's lips as he watched Peter fumble for words, as if he enjoyed seeing him caught off guard.

"She came with Wes," Caspian said at last. "I came alone. I danced with her while she waited for him to come from the game. I was afraid to ask the person I like to the dance, though several people asked me. I turned them down…"

Peter interrupted. "But the flower, it matches Susan's dress."

"Does it? I had not noticed. I was looking for something darker, but they did not have it," his schoolmate explained thoughtfully. He held out the crown. "I wanted you to have this. It should be yours. I don't have the head for a crown."

Still shocked by the information he'd received, Peter said nothing. When he shook his head, Caspian ignored the gesture and came forward, stopping just inches from away. He settled the crown on Peter's head, letting his fingers brush against the silky golden hair beneath as he drew away. The touch seemed to rouse the blonde and his eyes met Caspian's. Where before there had been anger and even jealousy, there was now bewilderment and somewhere deep beneath the surface, something much more primal. Seeing it mirrored in that black gaze frightened Peter and the moment was broken. They hastily parted and without another word, the taller boy loped off toward the parking lot.