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Edmund came up behind Caspian where he stood, shirtless, bathed in golden morning light from the window. Edmund’s hands slid around Caspian’s chest, fingers chasing that gold and finding a far worthier treasure in the warmth of his lover’s skin. He pressed kisses to Caspian’s shoulder, the back of his neck. Caspian turned to look at him.
“Missing me already?” he teased.
“Just worried you’ll get cold, all the way over here,” Edmund said, as he laid his head on Caspian’s shoulder and wrapped him more fully in Edmund’s embrace.
Caspian had only just risen from where they’d lain tangled in bed together, and that longer than they should have; the gold—late morning gold—was evidence of that. It was easy to ignore their duties just a few moments more when they lay in the calm joy of simply breathing in each other’s presence. Even now Caspian could feel little shame, despite being the one who finally rose and began stretching the sleep out of his limbs first. He doubted Edmund did either.
Caspian nuzzled Edmund’s head with a chuckle.
“How thoughtful of you.” He surveyed Narnia, green and sun-soaked through the gap he had made in the curtains. “It promises to be a fair day. I shan’t even need a shirt, with you to keep me warm.”
Edmund snorted.
“Oh, I can’t see that causing any problems at our meeting with the Ettin ambassador today.”
“Nor the ship launching we promised to attend later.”
“Was that today? We’ll have to invite the ambassador along, you realize. He’ll think you’ve gone mad and are planning to jump into the sea after the ship.”
Caspian raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“I’ve heard Ettinsmoor has nearly as many ghost stories about the sea as Telmar once did. It’s too cold along their coast for many merfolk to go that far north. Perhaps he’ll fear I’ve been lured away by some siren of the deeps.”
Edmund smirked back.
“I suppose you’d expect me to jump in after you and win you back.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Edmund pretended to consider.
“Mm, I’ll think about it.”
Caspian laughed and turned in Edmund’s hold so Caspian could kiss him, slow and deep and lazy. Edmund’s lips were softly flushed when they parted, and his cheeks and ears golden, just at the edges, where the sunlight slipped around the shadow he cast on Edmund. Caspian mirrored the gold, cupping Edmund’s face in his palms.
“Any decision yet?”
Edmund’s eyes sparkled with laughter. The brown in them was bright today; the indirect sunlight lit their normally dark irises without making him squint. Sometimes Edmund’s beauty took Caspian’s breath away.
“I suppose I better. I don’t want to manage your share of meetings and paperwork, too.” Caspian opened his mouth, and Edmund laughed and said, “You goose, I’d—”
“Goose?”
Caspian frowned, trying to figure out what feathers had to do with anything, or pride or protective wrath—
Edmund was laughing again.
“It’s a British thing. You know, ‘you silly goose’?”
Caspian squeezed Edmund’s cheeks between his hands, making a show of pouting; Edmund just laughed harder, the sound distorted by his squished mouth.
“You best not let Lady Lavenderbeak hear you say geese are silly.”
“Jus’ seafawews.”
Caspian gave Edmund a look. People had only just begun calling him that, and Edmund knew perfectly well Caspian was trying to be graceful about it, and also secretly delighted to have an epithet as the Golden Age monarchs did. It was utterly beneath Edmund to be joking about it.
“Maybe I shall run off with a mermaid.”
Edmund giggled and squirmed forward in Caspian’s grasp. Caspian held on, but let Edmund lean forward to kiss Caspian’s nose. Caspian’s flat scowl twitched. Edmund made his eyes big and sorry and adorable. Caspian looked away, desperately trying to stay stern.
“Swi’ a’,” Edmund said. Caspian looked back. Edmund’s eyes were bigger and sorrier than ever.
“What?”
Edmund blinked earnestly. Caspian huffed and let his face go.
“Swim off,” Edmund said. “You can’t run off with a mermaid.”
“This is the charm that will win me back from siren’s spell?”
“Isn’t it working?”
“No,” Caspian lied.
“You’re a silly goose because I’d dive in after you a hundred times.” Caspian, who’d looked away after his last comment in an attempt to keep his mouth under control, looked at Edmund again. Edmund was absolutely sparkling with mischief. He was also as earnest as Caspian had ever seen him.
Caspian sighed, and traced the gold up Edmund’s shoulders to cup his neck, brush his fingers into Edmund’s hair, a treasure worth more than any siren song could ever promise.
“You are utterly unfair,” Caspian said. “That you can tease and be so honest at once.”
“It’s easy when I’m so lucky. I’ve got you.”
His smile was so beautiful Caspian had to kiss it. His mouth was honey.
“You wouldn’t have to once, you know,” Caspian said when they drew back. “Swim after me.”
Edmund kissed him, slow and soft.
“I know,” he breathed against Caspian’s mouth.
Caspian sighed, lingering in the warmth of the moment.
“In that case, I suppose we’d better not frighten the Ettin ambassador.”
Edmund stepped back to run his gaze warm over Caspian’s chest.
“More’s the pity.” One hand lingered at Caspian’s waist.
Caspian tugged Edmund close by his shirt collar, kissed him, and shoved him toward the chest of clothes he’d opened before deciding Caspian was more interesting.
“Oh, go on, or we’ll never get dressed.”
Caspian followed a moment later, and Edmund, knelt to resume his search for the tunic he wanted, paused to watch Caspian step out of the sunbeam. The golden light seemed to slide from Caspian’s body as reluctantly as Edmund’s hands had.
“You’re getting distracted again,” Caspian said. Edmund resumed his rummaging.
“Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Oh, much too late for that.”
Edmund made a show of raising his eyes as if despairing of this vainglorious lout he had for a lover, but his mouth was laughing, and he kept his hands working. The sooner they were dressed, the sooner he could fling the curtains wide, and drench Caspian in sunlight once more.
From the way Caspian strode over and threw the curtains open before Edmund could, a few minutes later, and then turned to look Edmund over with his whole heart in his eyes, it seemed he felt similarly.