Chapter 9-A Sweet Dream

Caspian was to spend the next however many nights in the boys' room. Peter didn't mind at all. The farther he is from Susan, the better. Caspian was quiet the rest of the night and Peter felt sort of ashamed for what he had said earlier. Caspian only wanted to talk to Susan, to know how she really felt about him, but Peter was so insanely jealous that he didn't want them to see each other within a ten-mile radius. Edmund seemed immune to their disappointment as he asked Caspian all about his adventures he's had since they last saw each other. Peter listened intently whenever the prince spoke. He missed hearing that accent and that soft voice.

He had so many questions for them about life in England in the midst of World War II. Peter and Edmund alternated between answers. Then, Caspian asked one neither of them answered right away.

"What does it take to win a girl's heart in England?"

Peter's jaw stiffened and Edmund was looking down at his hands, wondering if he should say something. Caspian looked at each of them expectantly, but repeated the question when they didn't answer.

"Well," Peter managed, "that depends on whose heart you intend to win."

Caspian regarded him consciously as he whispered, "you know which one."

Peter had to hide his face from the prince to keep from giving him a death glare. He could tell tears were forming in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away.

"You all right, Pete?" Edmund asked, concern peaking in his voice.

"Fine!" Peter cried, stifling his mouth a bit. "Just…fine."

Immediately, Peter felt hands on his back and he shrugged them off instantly. Then, he felt the weight of the bed shift as another person sat down next to him. He didn't bother to look to see if it were Edmund or Caspian, but by the way they weren't initiating question after question on what was wrong, he assumed it was Caspian.

Peter closed his eyes tightly as he tried to imagine a place where there was no love between Susan and Caspian, where there was only love for him and Caspian, where no one could ever say it was wrong and against all social status of that time. It would be free love, hidden love, forbidden almost. Peter couldn't fathom the thought of how Caspian were to react. It was too soon to know. He had to drop hints, be subtle, but not too subtle. He at least had to be cautious when his own brother was in the same room, watching them carefully. But Edmund doesn't suspect anything…I hope.

"Peter?"

Caspian's voice was so lovely to hear that Peter smiled just at the sound of it. He opened his eyes and turned to face the prince, only to have the copper face of the man he loved look at him in puzzlement. Peter had forgotten he was still wearing his smile and quickly dropped the curves of his mouth. He cleared his throat as he said, "I'm sorry, Caspian. Sometimes…I just…" He wanted to stay he couldn't stand to be away from Caspian, but remembered that his younger brother was in the room.

"I can't help being who I am, a protecting brother." Peter said, knowing that his words were as false as they had been when he told Edmund he was staying after school for something. "I need to watch over my siblings to make sure that…they don't get hurt."

In truth, he couldn't care less about whether Susan got hurt more than Caspian. She was stuffy enough that it would all melt away rather quickly, but Caspian wasn't too fast of a healer. If his heart were broken, he would be nursing it for weeks. Peter didn't want to see the prince's heart get broken.

"Peter," Caspian said, clasping his hands on top of Peter's right hand, "you know you can trust me. I would never hurt her."

It's not her I was thinking about, Peter thought melancholically. "I know," he responded, looking down at the prince's hand over top of his own.

Then, Caspian removed his hand, probably from some vibe of discomfort that was far from radiating off of Peter. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Peter didn't say anything. Caspian's hand had been so warm and nice to feel on his own that he thought it was way too soon for Caspian to draw it away. But he didn't protest, seeing as to how Edmund had his eyes glued to them from behind.

"Well," Peter said, in a voice that seemed to bring on a new subject, "I need to read some for English tomorrow, so, unless you two are going to stay up as late as I am, I bid you goodnight."

Edmund took that sign as a relief as he packed away his checkers set he had out just in case and went out of the room to the W.C. Caspian moved himself onto the mattress and laid down upon it, getting comfortable. Peter took advantage of the two of them alone by pretending he couldn't find his book right away.

"So, how do you like it so far?" Peter asked, facing the prince.

"What are you referring to?" Caspian asked.

"Everything." Peter said broadly.

"Well, England itself seems pleasant enough, though the weather seems awfully gloomy. I don't expect I'll find much time to ride in the fields or practice sword-fighting." He laughed lightly and Peter laughed too, showing Caspian the full gleam of his smile.

"That is very true. Though, if you wanted, I could show you the park. It's large enough that stick-fighting wouldn't be a problem."

"Sticks?" Caspian asked incredulously. "Is that what you fight with here?"

Peter suppressed a laugh as he explained, "No, no, we have more dangerous weapons here, but sticks are…simple enough and they don't hurt as much as the sword would. Plus," Peter leaned down to whisper to Caspian, "most people wouldn't allow you to handle a sword or to carry one if you didn't have a reason."

"What about protection from my enemies?" Caspian asked.

"Honestly, Caspian," Peter said, pulling away from him, "I doubt you'll make many enemies here. And if you do, just use your fists."

Caspian regarded his hands as he balled each one into fists, almost weighing the odds of how much damage they would do. Peter could tell he looked frustrated.

"You mean, you've never been in a fist-fight before?" Peter asked, distinctly remembering how well Caspian had fought the first day he found him at school.

"Not long enough to really learn. I used my instincts last time, watching you and copying your moves. I admit, I fight better with a sword than with my own hands."

"I guess we all fight a bit differently." Peter admitted, before lying back on his pillow, completely abandoning the attempt to read since he was talking to Caspian. He would pay for it in the morning when he failed a reading test, but it was worth getting the chance to talk to the one he loved.

"Peter?"

Peter looked down at the prince expectantly. Caspian bit his lip, as if he were nervous about something. Peter attempted to keep calm at the anxious expression on the prince's face.

Caspian shifted so he could face the oldest Pevensie easier and said, "Earlier, when I first came here, you had started to tell me something, something about you not wanting to leave Narnia last time…"

Peter gulped.

"Didn't you miss your home?"

"It's true, I did miss England, but for years I was used to being a king…and I just, I guess I wasn't ready to give that up yet. Then, we suddenly appeared centuries later to find our home there in ruins. But somehow, everything seemed to turn out okay…once we knew what to do, to help you claim the throne and bring Narnia to peace once more."

Caspian blushed slightly and Peter bit his lip, hoping that the explanation he gave was enough for Caspian to swallow without him sugarcoating his love for him on top.

"And I thank you even now for aiding me, even though we didn't always agree about how to go about making it happen." Caspian told him gratefully.

Peter smiled, but right then, the door opened and Edmund filed in, glancing at the two of them. "So, couldn't find your book?"

Peter glared at Edmund momentarily as he turned over and grabbed it off his bedside table. He reluctantly turned to the designated chapter and scanned over the words, but made no sense out of what he was reading. His mind was still focused on the man next to him, sleeping on the mattress next to his bed. He wanted to talk to Caspian more, but he couldn't risk telling him about his true feelings when Edmund could hear them. Edmund went straight to sleep and Peter read (or tried to read) the rest of the chapter by what little light his lamp carried off. He assumed Caspian had also gone to sleep until he turned his lamp off and heard the soft whisper of the prince's voice.

"Peter?"

Peter turned over excitedly to meet the prince's face in the dark. "Yes?"

"Will I have to attend this skool tomorrow?" Caspian didn't sound so thrilled with the idea of it, considering he had learned all he needed to back in Narnia. Education in England must have proved difficult for him to grasp.

"Not if you don't want to. No one will be home until we arrive." Peter said. He was hoping Caspian would go to school with him and they could sit next to each other, but also knew that Caspian still needed to adjust to the time difference and the different location. It would be odd for him to learn about England's history when he would go back to Narnia eventually. Peter knew it was hopeless in asking Caspian to stay. Lucy and Edmund still needed to go back. That's what Aslan said.

"Okay. And then when you come back, you can show me around?" Caspian asked, hope tracing his voice.

Peter smiled in the dark and said, "sure."

Peter felt the damp floor beneath him. Looking around, he saw he was in a tunnel of some sort. After passing several advertisements, he realized he was in the Underground. He called out hopefully, but couldn't find any traces of anyone else. He started running down the tunnel until he saw what looked like a small figure ahead. Speeding up, he called out to whoever it was. Getting closer, he noticed the long, dark hair and the recognizable war attire. Caspian.

"Caspian!" He called out cheerily. He ran faster until he met Caspian's face. "Caspian, what—?"

His voice cut off at the prince's expression. He looked upset about something, depressed almost.

"Caspian?" Peter asked hesitantly, wondering what was bothering him.

"I spoke to her." Caspian whispered. "She said no."

Peter didn't need to ask who or what. He knew what the prince was referring to. He asked Susan if she loved him and she said no—or something along those lines.

"Don't worry, Caspian. She's not good enough to have you anyhow." Peter said. "In fact, I know she isn't good enough to have you."

"Oh, Peter," Caspian muttered, and then fell head first into the blond boy's arms. Peter stroked his hair, calming him, then Caspian looked up at him, tears dripping from his eyes as he swiftly came up to Peter's face and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Peter was more surprised by this than he should have been. He was sure he would have to be the one to initiate anything, but he responded by moving his lips in time with the prince's. Peter held fast onto the prince's hair when Caspian suddenly cried, "Ow!"

Peter's eyes shot open to find that he had somehow fallen out of his bed. He had landed awkwardly on top of Caspian who had been sleeping soundly until he felt Peter's body weight suddenly crush him. It must have woken Edmund as well, who was glancing sleepily from his bed across the room.

Peter quickly got off of Caspian as he apologized for disturbing them.

"What happened?" Edmund asked, yawning.

"Nothing." Peter lied, not wanting to discuss the vivid dream he had with Caspian. He had no idea how he had managed to land on top of Caspian but Peter imagined it didn't just happen out of coincidence. The dream left him awake for the next few hours until he figured it was time to get out of bed and bid Caspian goodbye. The prince had fallen back asleep, so after Edmund left the room to go get breakfast, Peter whispered in Caspian's ear, "I'll be back in a few hours. Sleep well." He then kissed Caspian softly on the cheek and ran out of the room before the prince could wake up.