Chapter Text
They do actually make it to the meetup point on time, and Edmund and Caspian both do their best to look like they haven’t spent the better part of the past hour kissing.
Rhince gives them a knowing look, but no one else seems to notice or care.
And, well, Edmund figures that makes sense. Tons of people hook up at these conferences – it wouldn’t be so unreasonable that they might, too. It’s just that this is different.
It has to be different, because he couldn’t just hook up with his roommate. That’d be too much of a risk to take.
In spite of his earlier anxiety about the conversation, Edmund finds that he’s glad they had that talk – and glad for the timing, because as it turns out, the Christmas market is really very romantic.
He wouldn’t have been able to bear it without having talked it out with Caspian. It’d have been far too much, between the hanging lights and the quaint little stands and the general sense of magic in the air.
They walk through all the stands, sampling lots of different foods (there’s really an impressive selection of marzipan, with more things made of marzipan than Edmund would have ever thought possible) and drinking hot mulled wine.
It’s almost like a date. Maybe it is a real date. Edmund’s a bit too nervous to ask.
Caspian offers him a candy apple, and Edmund takes it gratefully.
“So,” Caspian says after about twenty minutes at the Christmas market. “I forgot to ask.”
“Hm?”
“Are we boyfriends now?”
Boyfriends. Susan will never let him live this down. “We’d better be,” he teases. “I don’t kiss just anyone like that.”
Caspian grins. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
“Besides, how many people get to have their first date at a Christmas market like this?”
He tries to keep his tone light, but he thinks Caspian can sense the underlying tension, because he squeezes his hand. “Not enough. Everyone at home is going to be so jealous when we tell them,” he says.
Even though anyone from their Model U.N. group could see (to say nothing of everyone else), Edmund can’t help himself. He leans in and kisses Caspian.
Naturally, they crush it during the conference. They sit next to each other at Thanksgiving dinner and make friendly conversation with Israel and Ukraine. Edmund’s a little sorry to miss Thanksgiving with his family, but they understand what this trip means to him.
When he gets back to his room, he does a Skype call with them, just so they can actually see each other’s faces. Peter isn’t home, either, so he calls in, too. Caspian gives him space while he does this; he knows as much as Edmund does that it’s too soon to tell their families. It’s still too new, too fragile, no less because they’re roommates.
They’ll talk about it when they’re ready.
“We still have two more sessions,” Edmund says. “But Caspian and I are crushing it.”
“You don’t mind being on his team?” Susan asks, with just the slightest tone in her voice.
Edmund shrugs. “It turns out we work well together. Besides, he never would have been my Model U.N. rival if he couldn’t hold his own against me. Together? I think our president knew we’d crush it.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re having a good time,” his dad says.
“Be sure to send us lots of pictures,” his mom says.
“Of course I will. And I have souvenirs from all of you. Maybe I’ll go home next weekend? Take Amtrak up?”
“Oh, yes, please!” Lucy says. “It’s been too long!”
“I guess I could come back up, too,” Susan says.
“I’d love to join you,” Peter says, “but it’s more than a short train ride for me.”
“We understand,” Edmund says. “I’ll make sure your souvenir makes it in your next care package.”
Peter smiles. “I appreciate it, Ed.”
He finishes up his call with his family, and after he says goodbye, Caspian comes over and kisses him.
Edmund’s amazed how easy this feels with Caspian. He expected more awkwardness, but no. It’s natural. They research and debate well together, and getting together has only sharpened their skills with Model U.N.; Edmund isn’t sure how, because every time they’re alone together, he just wants to grab him and make out with him, but he’s not complaining.
Especially since he does get to kiss Caspian when they’re alone together.
“You know,” Caspian says. “I kind of like having our beds like this.”
“It’s not bad,” Edmund agrees.
“I wonder if we should do it in our dorm.”
It’s not an outlandish suggestion. “We could,” Edmund says. “But maybe that’s a bit fast?”
Caspian hums. “You’re probably right. But it’s something to think about.”
Does Caspian think they’ll be together at the end of the year? Edmund thinks he must. There’s no other reason for him to bring something like this up, and besides, he wouldn’t have risked their friendship if he’d thought it’d be a short-term thing.
Not when they live together.
So Edmund kisses him again. And again. And again.
The last two committee sessions are almost too easy, but Edmund reminds himself not to let it go too much to his head. At least not around other people.
He feels safe enough letting it go to his head around Caspian.
After the closing ceremony, they have three hours before the delegate dance. Edmund and Caspian spend that time back at the Christmas market. They’re not the only ones with that idea; they say a friendly hello to Lichtenstein and Kuwait when they see them.
This time, Edmund buys Caspian mulled wine and enough snacks to count as dinner. After all, Caspian can’t be the only one buying Edmund things. That would hardly be fair, and despite their shaky beginnings, Edmund wants this relationship to be equitable and fair.
“I can’t believe you’ve liked me this whole time,” Edmund says as they sip their wine.
“I can’t believe you didn’t notice. I thought it was the most obvious thing in the world. I was so paranoid you’d see it and freak out.”
Edmund shrugs. “I just thought you hated me, the way you avoided me.”
Caspian laughs. “Not even close.”
Edmund kisses his cheek. “Well, I won’t forget now.”
“I should hope not.”
“I think you’d remind me if I did.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Here, I thought you liked me.”
Caspian’s grin is absolutely radiant, and it’s just for him.
Edmund can’t believe his luck.
The two of them peruse the market until it’s time to go back to the hotel and get ready for the delegate dance.
Edmund has always loved the delegate dance, and this time, he has someone to make out with in a dark corner. He might joke about making up for lost time, but he doesn’t really care about that.
What matters is that he and Caspian are together here and now, and they’re going to make the best of it.
Which is why, a few drinks and some dancing in, Edmund pulls Caspian off to the side and kisses him. They make out for a while, Edmund in Caspian’s lap, neither caring who sees. When Caspian pulls away to trail kisses along Edmund’s jaw, Edmund says, “I want you.”
“I want you, too,” Caspian says, trailing more kisses along Edmund’s sensitive skin.
“Tonight,” Edmund manages.
There’s that grin again. “I thought you’d never ask,” Caspian says. “Now?”
Edmund is nervous, but it’s the good kind of nervous. He can jump into this unknown and know that Caspian will catch him. “I don’t think anyone will miss us,” he says.
So Caspian takes him by the hand and they go back to their hotel, giggling like kids. Maybe it won’t be perfect, but it’ll be wonderful all the same.
Edmund can’t wait.