Chapter 17-Rebels

Dinner was both wonderful and painful. It was wonderful because Caspian got to sit next to Peter while the eldest Pevensie ate with his left hand in order to spare his right hand to hold onto Caspian's. It felt wonderful to be so daring especially right under everyone's noses. It was painful once Susan revealed to Mrs. Simmons that Lucy had a case of influenza. The caretaker was in hysterics, abandoning her own dinner to fix Lucy something from the kitchen. She then instructed Susan to send it up to her. Edmund was also suspiciously quiet. Peter tried his hardest not to make eye contact with him. Surely Edmund was suspicious. Looking back on the day's events, Peter couldn't really blame him. So much had happened in just a few hours and Edmund was in between it all.

After dinner, Peter volunteered to wash the dishes. Edmund was suspicious at once, sending him a look of confusion his way, but headed upstairs nevertheless. Caspian lagged behind, not wanting to be in the way, but at the same time not wanting to abandon Peter. He decided to go into the library where he decided to "read" a book.

After Peter suggested that Mrs. Simmons go and check on Lucy, the kitchen was empty except for him and the dirty dishes he volunteered to wash. He rounded the corner of the library and motioned Caspian over. Caspian took the opportunity without delay, striding over to the kitchen where Peter advised him to "help" him with the dishes. This entailed of Caspian washing one, then passing it on to Peter to dry and in the process giving him a short peck on the lips. Between dishes, the kisses started out soft and sweet, but when they had reached the sixth plate, Caspian had gotten used to the simple treatment and spiced it up a little. Peter was unfamiliar in the field of kissing, so he wasn't sure how to equally respond. By the tenth plate, he had managed to prolong a kiss for over fifteen seconds. He didn't want to do it for too long just in case someone were to come in and see. The person he was most afraid of was Edmund. Though if one of the girls saw it, they would probably throw Caspian out. But Edmund would be on Peter's case about it. He didn't want anyone to find out. It had to be a secret.

"Caspian," Peter said, breaking a longer kiss after the twelfth plate, "we should stop. It's risky."

"That's what makes it exciting." Caspian said.

"No," Peter said, holding Caspian's face at length so he could see it clearly. "We shouldn't do this here. If someone were to see us…"

"Let them." Caspian said, embracing the Pevensie in a tight hug.

"But…" Peter said, trying to knock some sense into the prince's head. "They—"

"Peter, they can't see us. We're safe."

But Peter wasn't as certain. Just because they went upstairs doesn't mean they won't come back down. "No, let's just finish this up, then we'll talk."

Caspian seemed disappointed, but didn't say anything as he handed Peter wet plates in silence. Peter felt guilty about Caspian's mood, but he was too afraid of someone else finding out. No one could know.

After the last plate, Peter took Caspian's hand and led him out the kitchen door where he circled around the house to the back gate. Inside the gate, he sat down by the corner of the enclosed area. Caspian sat down next to him.

"Okay." Peter breathed, "This is one of the safest places to be right now. Inside, we're taking too many risks. We were lucky to have so many lucky breaks earlier, but it won't always be that easy. We need to control ourselves."

"But—"

"Let me finish," Peter said in his most serious tone, "We can't always get away with whatever we want in there. We need to find outlets."

"Outlets?" Caspian asked, not comprehending the word.

"We need to find a good time where we can just be together. But that's easier said than done. School won't work. Before Mrs. Simmons arrives is a possibility. Though I don't like the way Edmund was looking at me. I think he may be suspicious of us."

Caspian didn't say anything, but Peter guessed that Caspian was in agreement. Edmund was growing more suspicious of them by the minute. Peter was surprised he hadn't come down to the kitchen to make sure they weren't doing anything. But what if he had? Had Edmund come down to the kitchen and had seen something that was utterly revolting to his eyes that he couldn't even speak? No, Peter thought, I would have heard him come…but what if he had and I missed it? Now Peter was paranoid.

"You don't think he saw, do you?" Peter asked quietly.

Caspian regarded him with careful eyes as he said, "I hope not. Like you said, no one can know."

"That's true. We have to keep a normal distance away. If we get too overtly friendly, Edmund will surely think something's going on. We have to make him believe that nothing's going on. But after what happened today, it will prove to be difficult."

Caspian nodded.

"An outlet is the only resolve. It has to be private enough, but at the same time it can't be too obscure. It could be during Edmund's radio program. That might work."

"Radio program?"

"He listens to a program on the radio (I'll explain later). There's one he will never miss though, usually around eight. We could have the room to ourselves then."

"What about this park place you were referring to earlier?" Caspian asked.

"Hyde Park? That's true, after school we could just go there. Though the idea of you going to school scares me slightly. How about you meet me after school there and we can go to Hyde Park together?"

"How will I get to your school though?" Caspian asked.

"Just ride the Underground. The school is six stops away from the nearest one where we live."

"I don't know, Peter, this sounds too—"

"Don't worry, okay? It'll work. I'll write down everything you need to know and then we'll be able to have our outing tomorrow."

Caspian smiled as he said, "I suppose that should work, so long as I don't get lost in your country."

"We wouldn't want that." Peter paused, "either that or I could skip school. We could both take the day off."

"But don't you have to go to school? Peter, you can't skip!" Caspian told him.

"Caspian, you aren't going to be here forever. I ought to have as much time as I want with you, right?" Peter said. It wasn't until the words came out of his mouth that he realized how horribly selfish he had sounded. He did want Caspian all to himself. He wanted more time with him than he deserved.

Caspian rested a hand on his shoulder and Peter looked at him, eyeing him carefully. Caspian then said, "It's okay. I want to spend time with you here too. I never really realized how much I missed you those two years after you left."

The prince brought Peter into a tight squeeze. He let go much too soon as he said, "But can't we do this without you getting in trouble as well?"

"What's the sense of going to school? No one will care. And if they do, I can just say that I was out spending time with my boyfriend."

"Is that what I am now?" Caspian asked.

Peter grew red. He wasn't sure why he said that. It just slipped out. He wasn't even sure if Caspian was allowed to be his boyfriend. But morals didn't matter to him at this point.

"Only if you want to be." Peter said softly, trilling his words.

Caspian glowed in the moonlight as he brought his forehead to rest on Peter's as he whispered, "I would like that very much."

He then kissed the eldest Pevensie. Peter closed his eyes, savoring the taste of the prince's lips against his own. He felt light-headed, but terrific at the same time. He pushed further and soon, he found himself on top of Caspian, knocking him over in the dirt. They laughed quietly as they thought of what they were doing and where they were. They were shielded by plants and trees. Peter knew how it felt like to be rebellious for the first time in his life as he bent the rules of society, caressing Caspian's beautiful form in his own. No one knew what they were up to and he didn't care. He had Caspian and that was enough even if he was caught by a thousand bobbies. The beautiful prince was his. Since what happened before was never finished, he decided to prolong the moment they spent together.