Beyond The Lamppost

I Wouldn't Want it Any Other Way

Peter shrugged. "I get tired of all the parties sometimes. Just a hundred people who barely know me saying happy birthday. Plus it feels like we have parities all the time! I wouldn't mind a small party with just family and friends."

"Why don't you tell Susan and Lucy that?" Edmund asked.

"Susan loves planning parties. I don't want to upset her. I'd rather see her happy and suffer through the party than tell her I don't want one."

Edmund smiled at him. "You know, you really are an amazing brother, Peter."

Peter smiled down at him. "Thanks, Ed."

Edmund nodded.

"It's not all bad you know." Edmund said, after a few minutes of silence. "There's free food. And cake. I love me some cake."

Peter chuckled. "That's true, yeah. Although, I don't love food as much as you do."

"That's alright." Edmund said. "Nobody does."

Peter laughed slightly, rolling his eyes.

"What kind of cake are you having?" Edmund asked.

"Strawberry with chocolate frosting." Peter answered.

"Oooh." Edmund said. "That sounds-" but he stopped short, gasping instead when he tripped over a huge tree root, hitting the ground hard.

"Ed!" Peter said, kneeling down beside his brother.

Edmund gasped, slowly sitting up, holding tightly onto his ankle. "My ankle really hurts."

"Let me see." Peter said, slowly examining his brother's ankle. Edmund hissed when his brother touched it, causing Peter to sigh. "I think it's probably sprained."

Edmund sighed. "Well that's great."

"You think you can walk on it?" Peter asked.

"I'm not sure." Edmund said slowly. "I can try."

Peter nodded, helping his brother to his feet. But the second Edmund put weight on his ankle, he gasped in pain, falling to the ground again.

"Alright." Peter said gently. "It's alright. You okay?"

Edmund took a deep breath, shutting his eyes until the pain subsided. "Yeah, I'm alright. "

Peter nodded. "Good. I guess that's a no on the walking." He said, chuckling slightly.

Edmund smirked at him. "Yes, that's a no."

"Well then, there's only one option left." Peter said, standing up. "I have to carry you."

Edmund's eyes went so wide they could have popped right out of his head. "What?! No! You are not carrying me, Peter!"

"I don't think you really have a choice, Ed. We have to get you home, and how else are we supposed to do that?"

Edmund stared at him. "You walk home, bring back Phillip and then he can give me a ride to Cair."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "For one, that would take way too long. And for two, you really think you can climb onto Phillip with a sprained ankle?"

Edmund glared at his brother, before sighing. "No, probably not."

"Exactly. So just let me carry you, it will be fine."

"Peter, I am 16 years old! I am a king of Narnia! You are not under any circumstances going to carry me!"

Peter nodded slowly. "Okay." He said eventually.