Note : Next chapter is already drafted and I've begun to write it a long time ago, so it should be posted next week, hopefully. There won't be a proper epilogue, so it'll be the last one.
Yesterday I was disguised as Luna Lovegood for my school carnival, and my friends were Hermione, Umbridge and Bellatrix. It was fun.
On a late April's night, Edmund braces himself and eventually sends a letter to Caspian, asking him if he wanted to spend the Eastern holiday with him at professor Kirk's mansion.
He's been thinking about this for a long time. It's been a while since their last meeting-end of August actually-and he kind of miss him. Of course they've kept sending each other letters- Caspian has begun his Auror's formation so he's been quite busy this year but he still saves time for Edmund-but well, it's not really the same. They were supposed to see each other at Christmas but a last minute obligation prevented Caspian to come in London.
So when Pr Kirk asked him and his siblings if they wanted to come and see him at Easter, Edmund's first thought was to Caspian. He knew neither Peter nor Susan could go-the former had an internship already planned and the latter was to go to America with their parents. Even Lucy had other plans- she was supposed to visit a friend of her in Ireland-, so it meant that if he went there, he'd alone with the professor. Of course he could decide to stay at home in London but he'd much rather go to the countryside for the holidays, and that's why Caspian came to his mind- Pr Kirk's house was large enough for the three of them and it was a golden occasion to invite him. Edmund first wrote to the professor to ask him if he didn't mind and Pr Kirk answered him promptly that it was an excellent idea. He wrote the letter to Caspian not soon after but he hesitated a long time before sending it-he couldn't help but fear a negative reply. It took him three weeks.
Caspian's answer is quick and short-a large Yes in bold on a piece of paper which arrives two days after Edmund's sending. The Slytherin uses the same one to write Perfect, I'd meet you at King's Cross on Saturday the 28th. He hesitates a little before writing in a side note My family won't be there- what he really means is Susan won't be there. He may have not been precise enough in his first letter and he doesn't want to give Caspian false hopes. The answer he gets is a Right, I'd see you there and a noncommittal Sure as a postscript. Edmund wonders if he's disappointed.
When they meet on the platform, two weeks later, Caspian's smile is so big it might break from his face. He takes Edmund into a tight embrace for a whole minute. When he eventually lets him go, he ruffles his hair and tells him, still smiling, "Glad to have you back", and Edmund feels the same, even if he can't bring himself to say it.
Their holidays are nice and peaceful one. They share their time between long talks with Pr Kirk in the living room, reading and walks in the countryside. Some days, they forget they're respectively sixteen and eighteen and they spend the afternoon with with old wood sword Peter and him made during one of their earlier visit. There are moments, when they're both playing and laughing loudly, the grass under their foot and the sun on their skin, during when Edmund thinks it might be the happiest he's ever been.
One night, as they're sat in comfy armchairs, reading at the light of candles, Edmund stares at Caspian. Part of his face is in the shadows but he's still able to see his profile-lips parted in a half smile, eyes focused on his book and slightly furrowed eyebrows. There's a beginning of a stubble on his chin, which is annoying, mostly because Edmund has this urge to stand up and touch it. He's been having these kind of thoughts more and more often lately- how his new slight tan suits him well, how his hair glisten in the sunny afternoon. He's aware he's not supposed to feel this way towards his best friend, and he fears that at any moment, Caspian might discover it and shun him away- the thought only makes his skin crawl. But how is he supposed to hide it if he doesn't understand what it is exactly ?
Caspian suddenly snaps his fingers in front of his face, interrupting Edmund's train of thought.
"What's on your mind ?" he asks him with a teasing smile. "You've been staring into space for the last ten minutes or so."
"Nothing" stutters Edmund, flush creeping out at the back of his neck out of shame. "Nothing important."
"Are you sure ?" insists Caspian, his smile only widening. "You've been doing that an awful lot lately. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're in love."
Edmund stays quiet for maybe ten seconds, before he eventually manages to stutter "I'm not. In love, I mean." He knows his face is now crimson, so he ducks his head, using his reading as a pretense. When he rises it again, Caspian has scooted closer with this armchair and is now only twenty inches away, leaning on Edmund's armrest
"You'd tell me if it were the case, wouldn't you ?" he asks again, smiling charmingly like he does so well. Edmund bits his lip out of frustration. What is he playing at, for god's sake ?
"Well you can hardly talk." he finally blurts out, regretting his words as soon as he see Caspian raised eyebrows.
"How's that ?"
"I just mean that, well, from your letters, you don't seem to have dated anyone this year. Actually, I don't think I've seen you date any girl since I met you, and I'm pretty sure you've had opportunities to. So you must have a special somebody already."
Caspian's smile can only be described as predatory as he leans even closer and whispers "And who'd that special someone be ?"
Hufflepuff- he first frowns, then begins to laugh, and he ends up laughing loudly, his whole body shaking with the force of it.
"What's so funny ?" Edmund asks with a disapproving glare. Caspian wipes out tears from his eyes, before answering lightly "Nothing- just that for someone supposedly so clever, you can be really dense sometimes."
The Slytherin doesn't know what that's supposed to mean. He doesn't know either why Caspian is now leaning so close that he can count his eyelashes.
"What are you doing ?"
"I'm sure you're able to figure out by yourself." Caspian whispers as he closes the space between them and kisses him.
For a split second Edmund think he's hallucinating, but itfeels to real- Caspian's hand on his arm, his hair tickling his chin. He isn't dreaming- this is actually happening. By the time he realizes this, Caspian has drawn back already. Out of reflex, Edmund leans down to kiss him again, and this time he truly enjoys it, understanding finally, as he feels Caspian in a way he's never been able before, that this is what he was looking for all along.
When they eventually break apart, Caspian rest his forehead on Edmund's and whispers with a smile "Took you damn time, Pevensie."
Edmund stays quiet for thirty seconds, before he dares to ask "How long ?" because he wants to know for how long they could been have doing this.
"Since last summer." answers Caspian confidently, and Edmund rises his head to stare at him, bewildered.
"How come you didn't say anything ?"
"I wasn't sure about how you felt until very recently." the former Hufflepuff shrugs. "You've always been very secretive on the subject, and I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship by making an inappropriate move."
"I withdraw anything I might have said sooner." answers Edmund, smiling. "You're the clever one."
He prevents Caspian's laugh by kissing him another time.