Part two of Missing, which is now a three shot and the prequel to Serenade and Cavatina (coming soon).
To see his little brother standing there was nothing short of wondrous. The tousled hair, the slightly worse-for-wear face, battered and bedraggled clothing, but it was Edmund. He was safe, he was sound.
After the younger boy had changed, however...
"You bloody prat!"
Peter stormed into the tent, grabbing his brother by the shoulders and shaking him fiercely, eyes as cold as the icicles that made up the Witch's castle. Edmund, thoroughly shocked and quite scared, simply stared at his brother, shivering as if he had been thrown into a lake in the winter.
Letting go of the now-bruised shoulders, the blonde brother cupped one hand around Edmund's chin and used the other to slap him around the head quite harshly. Ignoring the tears that were now running from his eyes, Peter moved and enveloped Edmund in a hug.
It was a strange sensation - anger and joy were fighting for right of way in the elder child's heart, leaving him to feel as though he were about to explode, and quite speechless.
"You selfish, stupid, bloody little prat..." he cried, clutching the other as if he had made to leave.
With a nice bruise forming somewhere on the back of his head, Edmund tentatively brought his arms up and wrapped them around Peter's back, linking his hands together. When the older boy made no response, he squeezed his arms a little tighter.
His eyes bulged out as Peter returned the tightening of the grip tenfold, threatening to crack a few ribs.
"Peter..."
Peter lifted his head and looked into his brother's eyes. Oh, how he wished he had done this upon laying eyes on the wretch as he stood beside Aslan, head lowered. But no - he had to be strong for the girls. He couldn't break down and cry while they were there.
I shouldn't here either, he thought.
Aloud, he continued to mutter obscenities under his breath, lifting one hand to move some of the dark bangs out of his little brother's face.
"If you ever try anything like that again, I swear to Aslan that I will kill you myself. Understand? Never leave my sight again, Edmund. I couldn't bear it, you twit."
Edmund laughed slightly, and at that precise moment Peter thought he had never heard such a beautiful sound.
Grabbing him into another hug, the oldest Pevensie muttered something to himself.
"Why can't you ever do as you're told?"
Good news, peeps - she showed. Stupid cow left her phone at home and didn't tell anyone where the fuck she was going. I swear, when I actually see her... (kicks in shin).
See you next chapter!
