one-shots

the crow's nest (casmund)

"How has Narnia been since we were last here?"

Edmund was now standing atop the crow's nest of the Dawn Treader, Caspian climbing up the pegs right behind him, and hurling himself into the basket.


"Well, I'm not sure that much has happened since you were last here, Your Majesty," Caspian heaved before he began, and Edmund turned back slightly, gazing at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't call me 'Your Majesty,' okay? Just call me Edmund." He said almost sternly, but then let his voice soften again. "So, what's happened, Caspian?"

He cocked an eyebrow, and looked down a little, feeling a slight tension in the air as he continued, looking up at Edmund once more.

"I've already told you the important events to happen in Narnia, what more could you want to know?" He cocked his head to the side, the moon illuminated in his deepest brown eyes.

Edmund shrugged, and turned to fully face the seafaring king.


"What have you been doing since we last were here, Caspian?" He cleared his throat gently. "That's what I meant."

Caspian nodded, and let the ocean breeze whip his hair back, showing the slight creases in his forehead. Becoming king had aged Caspian, Edmund noticed, and he felt some sympathy. He hadn't had that responsibility for hundreds of years, and placing it all on Caspian, a boy the same age as his own brother, had taken it's toll. No other particular wrinkles or age marks seemed to reveal themselves, and besides the creases, Caspian looked to be almost ageless.

"I've been doing my duties as King, of course. I never thought I'd be the King of Narnia, but I am the first Caspian, without a doubt," he grinned, chuckling gently as he moved beside Edmund, resting his arms on the edge of the crow's nest.


Edmund grinned, and nudged him gently. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Caspian smiled at Edmund, and leaned in a little closer, turned to him now. From a view of their backs, the moon was wedged between them, creating dark silhouettes of their profiles.

No one would have been awake this time of night, Eustace and Lucy curled up in their respective beds, and most of the other inhabitants of the ship finding it too dark to see them, their voices to silent to hear, the only trace of them their dark shadows casting over the deck. Edmund's shadow fell over the port side of the ship, and Caspian's struck starboard.

The stars shimmered and twinkled, and the now gentler waves of the ocean rocked the boat smoothly. The two boys continued gazing up at the sky, in total silence.

As the two began to grow weary of standing and stargazing, they began climbing back down to the deck, both climbing down on opposite sides of the large pole of wood holding up the largest mast.

Their hands kept brushing as they both seemed to be trying to climb down in perfect sync, until Caspian focused the weight of the left half of his body onto Edmund's right hand. He glanced at Caspian past the pole, and they finished the trek back down in silence.

The stench of sea salt invaded their noses, and Edmund's hand was now reddened, and in slight pain. Caspian's nose was running, and his cheeks has flushed a light pink at the cold breeze of the sea.


Edmund moved a bit closer, resting against him now, hands pressed up against his chest.

Caspian stood still for only a fraction of a second before he pulled himself closer to Edmund, his nose pressed to the Pevensie boy's forehead.

Their laughs were high and breathy, and once they had pulled away, the two were staring at each other with now matching dark eyes. Caspian's eyes illuminated by the moon, and Edmund's shone with the light in the other boy's.


"Edmund, do you really think of me as your brother?" Caspian asked, looking down into Edmund's blushing face.

Edmund seemed to not have a response thought up quick enough, since he saw his fellow king walking back into their quarters.

Caspian's shirt sleeve was grabbed roughly, and he turned, seeing Edmund's smiling face. With the door only slightly ajar, Edmund pulled Caspian down to his level, and kissed him very quickly, softly.


Edmund's heart beat fast, his stomach began to knot tightly. He didn't know that's how it would feel to have your first kiss, he was told by Peter and Susan it wasn't exactly the stereotypical knees going weak and butterflies in your belly.


After they'd broken away, Caspian was standing there, feeling like something had been put together that made him feel so complete now.


The two took to their respective beds, and Edmund glanced at Caspian.


"Goodnight, brother," he smiled gently, turning to his other side and drifting off.


Caspian lay awake, thinking of what had just happened.

A large smile creeped onto his lips, and he turned to look at Edmund one last time.


"Goodnight, My King."