Is he getting some kind of protagonist syndrome? If something plot-relevant isn't happening he starts getting nervous? Except, no, class was fine, wasn't it? And then rugby? And just now, uh...

Oh.

Right.

Okay.

He understands

He has somewhere he needs to go.

Edmund is in the library. That's a somewhere, even if it isn't a destination he strictly had in mind before setting out.

He's actually at the front desk when Pete shows up, chatting with Eric.

Excellent.

"Hey, Ed. Hi, Mr. Jones."

Eric looks up at h-them? Him? Him. "...hello. I believe you have the advantage of me, though."

...right. Wrong body. "I'm Peter Tarleton," he introduces himself. "I'm a new student."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tarleton. Was there something I could help you with?"

"Ah, no, not particularly, I just came here looking for Edmund."

"Pete!"

Ed glomps him. That's really the only word for it. Then he turns back to Eric. "Um. Mr Jones, this is Pete. My."

Slight face journey.

"..........boyfriend. Who is aware of anything you might have been about to bring up, and does not object to it."

Eric's eyebrows lift slowly into his fringes. "Is that so."

Pete hugs Edmund right back but keeps enough composure to answer. "Oh, yeah, Sam's great, he and I have a time-sharing arrangement with Ed."

"Is that so," he repeats, looking at Edmund this time.

Edmund is not available, perhaps you would like to speak to the tomato that wears his face, or the hands covering said tomato.

"It's complicated," he mumbles. "The. Arrangement. Is complicated. And not something I intend to share further details of."

"Yes, I do believe there's been quite enough sharing, here. Especially in this library."

"I will refrain from saying the immediate reply that came to mind because it would be terribly inappropriate, especially in a library."

"Speaking of inappropriate, Mr. Tarleton, what exactly are you wearing?"

"The school uniform. One hundred percent to reg."

"...I find that I cannot contradict you."

At quite enough sharing, Ed has a luridly detailed mental image of Pete and Eric (or "Sam" and Eric) sharing him, and only manages to avoid audibly whimpering by way of biting the inside of his lip until it starts to sting.

"He's difficult to say 'no' to," he says, once his voice is back. "Or maybe that's just me."

"I am really charming, it's true."

...Eric sloooowly turns to look at Edmund and, once again, lifts his eyebrows.

"I forgot that has different connotations when you're dating someone. He - pushes my comfort zone in ways that are good and helpful and still make me blush like an idiot. Is what I meant."

"I see. And Mr. Pearl...?"

"He and I are really very similar. Ed has a type."