Chapter Two: A Family Kiss

"Why'd you have to be so cute?
It's impossible to ignore you
Must you make me laugh so much
It's bad enough we get along so well
Say goodnight and go"

The air was crisp, and the wind was frosty, but still Peter liked his window open. He enjoyed the cold breeze that would sweep across his pale-skinned face. He would close his eyes for the moment, and take a big deep breath. It made his nostrils hurt, but it took him back out of reality. He very much enjoyed reading. He would read four books just in one week. He would hide himself away in the study, sit down in the big red leather chair, open the window, and begin to read. He would get caught away in the fantasy or the mystery, then, when the lunch bell was rung, he was brought abruptly back to reality.

He gazed out the window, and saw Edmund and Lucy taking their German lessons. They were being bossed around and scolded. Edmund had just gotten hit over the head with a wooden paddle. He would've never gotten treated like that there. He hated thinking about his other home, because it would just remind him that he had changed so much. He could be the bravest thing in Narnia, but once he stepped back into his other life, he would instantly become just as he was. Cowardly and not as nearly as brave.

That's when he heard her voice. His attention was immediately brought to the outside of the study. He smiled, and put down his book. It snagged his pant as he left. He grasped the cold door handle and was about to turn it when he suddenly stopped. It was him, it was Andrew. He let go of the copper door handle and took a step back.

"…Andrew…not here." He could hear Susan say. Susan on the other side of the door tried to nudge Andrew away from the study. She knew Peter was reading around this time of day. "Come on, this way." She tugged at his sleeve. Andrew turned around and hit Susan in the face accidentally. But Peter could make out none of this. He could only hear whispers and mumbles.

"Gahd Susan… I dihnt…!" Was all he could make out from Andrew, but as hard as he tried to hear Susan, he heard nothing. He immediately felt danger for Susan. The instinct that kicked in was not brotherly. It was something deeper, so when he turned the door handle in a frenzy to help Susan; and when he stepped out into the hall, he felt his heart being ripped apart thousands of time over and over again. There they were, Andrew was kissing Susan so passionately, but what Peter didn't notice was that, if you looked at Susan, she was kissing him in a way, that would look un-natural. Her fists were clenched, and her whole body was tense. She didn't like these kisses, and Peter would've known that if he hadn't been restraining himself to rip out Andrews's throat with his bare hands.

As Peter walked by, he violently nudged Andrew, but it would only seem like a mistake to the unsuspecting. Andrew stopped kissing Susan, and Susan smiled at Peter, but Peter never turned back, he was walking straight forward not even knowing where he was going. He didn't care. He just had to get away. He had put up with a lot, but this was just too much. He walked straight passed his room, passed the main hall, past the professor's study, straight to the one place where he wanted to be.

He threw open the wardrobe doors, and began banging on the back of the wall. He hadn't felt this way in his whole life. He screamed out of rage and then, finally after a couple of minutes of just pure anger, he finally stopped to take a breath. He was panting short, sharp breaths that made his throat burn. He lay against the side of the wardrobe, and eventually, he closed his eyes, and began to remember.

It was the first time Susan had ever brought home another man to Cair Paravel. When Edmund had told Peter she was bringing a Baron home, Peter laughed, and continued with his reading. But when Lucy came up to him as well, that's when Peter began to see. He leapt up, out of his chair, and looked out his long bay windows, only to find that Susan was walking with a man 6 years older than herself. She was 21, and he was 27. Peter didn't get it, and was confused. Only the other day, Susan was holding his hand, kissing his lips, and spending every waking moment with him. He knew they could never tell anyone, but she didn't have to pretend like nothing ever happened. He continued to stare until his eyes started burning. He hadn't blinked once.

When Susan came up the front entrance with her arm through the Baron's arm, Peter forced himself to smile, and he greeted his guest. Susan was smiling a smile that would be the beginning of a long chain of fake smiles. She thought the Baron was a nice man, but she certainly did not love him. Peter guided them into the lounge room and they all sat down to talk and chat. Peter was sitting on a dark blue couch with Lucy next to him and Edmund was sitting in a lone chair. Susan and the man they now knew as William sat next to her. William would occasionally place his hand on Susan's thigh, and Peter saw Susan twitch, but she complied none the less.

When they finally moved to the dinner table, William would talk and talk about all of his adventures, accomplishments, and troubles. He would laugh obnoxiously, and stuff food into his mouth. Susan gave Peter the occasional glance, trying to mend his pain, but Peter just stared at his plate. Peter had hardly touched his food at all, he just poked at it with his fork, but he did maintain the conversation, because it would be improper for a high king not to do so.

It was after dinner, when Peter was reading in his big red leather chair, when things got interesting. Peter had just turned to page 376, when he saw Susan and William walking outside. He really disliked William. He had had other guests in his house, but none of them acted as arrogantly as William. None of them butted into the conversation when the Kings were discussing future plans, and no one certainly ate as much food as he did. Nonetheless, there was nothing Peter could do about it, because, it was Susan's choice, and he couldn't act like he really cared. That's when Peter heard Susan yell. He leapt up from his chair, and turned the crystal door handle. He ran outside, to find William kissing Susan's neck, and Susan was trying to push him off. Peter shoved the Baron out of the way, and threatened him with words. He then quickly turned to Susan and embraced her in a hug. The Baron did notice that it seemed a little different than a family hug, but he wasn't smart enough to really tell the difference. Susan clung herself to Peter, and didn't let go. Tears were streaming down her face.

"..Pe-ter…I di-dn't wa-want to." Susan said as she was crying. Peter ran her hair threw his fingers, and hushed her.

"Shh…shhh…" That was when Peter realized something. No matter how many men Susan brought home, no matter how many men tried to woe her, he would always be there for her, and she would always come to him. They were there for each other...forever.

It was at eight o'clock when Peter woke up. He had slept for five hours. He slowly opened his eyes, and it took him a second to realize where he was. He felt the fur of the coats against his skin, and suddenly remembered everything. He rose out of the wardrobe and resumed back downstairs. He saw no car in the driveway, and he saw Susan sitting by the fire, drinking tea. He walked over to her and sat across from her. Susan brought up her knees to her chest, so that she was in a ball and she pulled her ivory colored silk nightgown over them. She wasn't smiling, and neither was Peter.

"Where are Ed and Lu?" Peter asked as he slouched in the chair, staring at the fire. Susan took a sip of her tea.

"Lucy's asleep and Edmund's at Alden's." Susan replied. "So, where've you been?" She asked. Peter froze. He didn't want her knowing that he was in the wardrobe. It would be so obvious.

"I was finishing my Latin homework, and then I dozed off." Peter answered. Susan smiled.

"Sorry about today. He just didn't understand 'my brother's down here' when he was busying kissing me." Peter nodded, but also flinched at the thought that he was just her stupid, older… brother.

"It's okay. You are 18, you are allowed to do what you want." Susan took a sip of her tea, and smiled.

"Hey, Peter?" She asked slyly.

"Hmmm?" He responded. Susan laughed.

"When was the last time you were out on a date?" Peter turned and looked at Susan. He couldn't believe she was asking him this.

"You know I've never dated anyone. Well except for Abby two years ago, but that was a long time ago." Peter responded. He looked over at Susan and smiled. She looked so young without all of her makeup on. He loved her either way, but he preferred her without the lipstick, blush, and eye makeup. You could tell she had been hurt in her life, and Peter hated the person who had hurt her. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and there were strands around her gentle face. He wanted so much to get up right there and kiss every inch of her, but he knew he couldn't.

"Well, I think they're having trouble keeping their hands off of you." Susan was smiling Peter, and that made it all, everything worth it. He laughed.

"Oh yeah Su?" He asked playfully. Susan nodded.

OH YEAH! Are you kidding me? I could've sworn I saw Jill flirting with you. Ah well, what's keeping you from them Peter?" She asked, as she laughed. Peter suddenly froze, and looked at Susan. He then quickly got up from his chair.

"It's late, I should be going to bed." Even though, he wasn't really tired. As he began to walk out of the room, Susan called him back. back here for a sec?" She asked, and of course, Peter followed. Susan got up and gave him a little kiss on his lips. For a second, he felt her lips linger, but when she separated, he knew it was only a family kiss. "Goodnight." She smiled, and Peter smiled as well.

For a quick second, he almost remembered how things used to be. But then, he came to realize, it was only just a family kiss.