TWO WEEKS LATER
"So…" Jack grabbed the tip of Edmund's tie and pulled him into their room. "We don't have classes tomorrow, meaning we can stay up all night if you want." Jack smiled and kissed the tip of Edmund's nose.
"I know." Edmund nodded. "And I was thinking that…maybe…" Edmund paused and took a deep breath. "I was thinking that maybe you and I could put on our pajamas, crawl in bed, and I could tell you absolutely everything about me."
"Everything?" Jack looked at Edmund, not quite sure what Edmund meant.
"Yeah." Edmund nodded. "You've stuck with me this long and I've been keeping you in the dark. I love you and it's not fair to do this to us anymore…these last couple of weeks we've been dancing around it and we can't keep denying that it's been causing us problems…in the last two weeks we've been more distanced than before we got together…" Edmund let out a soft sigh. "I'd rather lose you by telling the truth and having you not believe me than lose you because I couldn't tell you everything." Jack wrapped his arms around Edmund's waist and kissed his forehead.
"Ok, let's get into those pajamas." Jack smiled and Edmund nodded, pulling away from Jack's embrace. Both boys put on pajamas and crawled into Edmund's small bed, their bodies pressed up against each other. "Look, Ed, before you start…" Jack pushed some of Edmund's hair from his eyes and kissed him softly. "Just know that anything you have to tell me, I'll listen."
"Thank you, Jack." Edmund smiled softly.
"And you don't have to tell me right away, if you want I can just hold you for a bit, we can cuddle for awhile first."
"I'd like that." Edmund smiled and snuggled into Jack, his nose nuzzling Jack's neck. As Jack's arms tightened around him, Edmund gained more and more confidence that Jack would believe him. "There's this place…" Edmund sighed almost an hour later. "It's called Narnia…and you can't get there unless you're called, and I've only REALLY been twice, but sort of three times…anyways, it's basically magic…but it's amazing…god, I'm going to sound crazy." Edmund laughed nervously. "Lucy first found it through a wardrobe in the house of the professor we stayed with in the country. I followed her one night and found it too, only I got in to trouble, I ran in to this witch and she told me she was queen, and she told me that if I brought Lucy and Susan and Peter to her that I would be king someday…" Edmund shivered slightly. "But she…well, she lied and I sort of wound up being her prisoner and Aslan, he's the lion in charge of Narnia REALLY, had to save me and there was a battle and-"
"Edmund, slow down." Jack sat up, letting Edmund roll out of his arms. "What are you saying? That there's a magic land in the wardrobe of some country house?"
"No…because the second time we got to Narnia all together we were at the train yards and everything just kind of…melted away into Narnia." Edmund shrugged. "Please…just let me finish." Edmund looked pleadingly at Jack.
"Alright, sorry…" Jack nodded, but didn't lie back down. Edmund took Jack's hand and sat up, joining him, and continued to tell Jack everything about Narnia. He told Jack about the White Witch and the way that she treated him, the way that she turned people to stone. He told him about Aslan and the stone table, the battle of Beruna, how they ruled for years before they found the wardrobe again and how no time had passed. He then went on to tell Jack about their second visit to Narnia, the battle with the Telmarines…how so much time had passed between their first two visits, how they met Caspian and how Peter and Susan were told that they were done in Narnia. As he spoke, Jack's hold on Edmund's hand got a little looser until they were no longer holding hands by the time Edmund finished.
"I understand that it's a lot to take in, Jack, but I'm glad that you listened to me, that you let me explain everything." Edmund smiled weakly at Jack, trying to read him for a reaction, but as far as Edmund was concerned, Jack was a blank slate.
"Wow…" Jack sighed and looked away from Edmund. "That's…that's quite a story."
"I know…It's really…I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you sooner."
"It's ok." Jack nodded and sighed.
"Jack…?" Edmund took Jack's hand reached out, raking his hand through Jack's thick, brown hair. He kissed Jack softly, but didn't feel Jack kissing him back. "Jack…do you…do you believe me?" Edmund gulped, looking at the boy he loved, trying to get him to look back.
"No, Eddie, I don't." Jack whispered the words quietly and pulled his hand away from Edmunds. He got out of the bed and sighed. "Look…Eddie, I think that I'm going to go crash on Liam and Chris' floor tonight, I'll…I'll see you tomorrow." Jack grabbed a bathrobe and took the pillow off of his bed before opening the door. "I'm sorry Ed…it's just…you didn't want me to lie to you and I can't say that I believe you if I don't." Jack closed his for a second and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there was a single tear rolling slowly down his left cheek.
"Jack…you don't have to do that, just sleep in your bed, I won't bother you, I promise…" Edmund sighed, looking at Jack pleadingly.
"Edmund, I think it's best if I sleep somewhere else tonight." Jack shook his head and wiped the tear from his cheek.
"Maybe you're right…" Edmund sighed and slumped down on his bed. "But um…I'm gonna go sleep in Peter's room, you stay in here." Edmund got up, put on his bathrobe, grabbed the pillow and top blanket from his bed, pushed past Jack, and walked quietly down the hallway, trying hard not to cry.
"Ed, god…are you alright?" Peter opened the door wearing only his school pants and his tie.
"I told him about Narnia." Edmund sniffled slightly. "I told him everything and…and he didn't believe me." He dropped his pillow and blanket to the ground and threw his arms around Peter. His older brother patted him on the back and pulled him into the room and over to one of the beds. Caspian grabbed the pillow and blanket from the hallway floor while Edmund cried into Peter's shoulder.
"Shh, Ed, shh…" Peter soothed gently, hoping to calm his brother down a little bit. "He'll come around, if he's right for you then he'll come around."
"And what if he doesn't come around?" Edmund asked, pulling away from Peter and looking at him, teary eyed. "What if this is it for me and Jack? I love him…"
"I know you do." Peter nodded. "And if it's meant to be between you two, something will happen, it did for me and Caspian, it will for you and Jack."
"I hope you're right, Peter, Ihope you're right."