"I wouldn't say no."

So Pete can hug. And then he can... focus inwards, look into his heart, try to really understand Peter, and to know how to convey what he wants to convey to him in a way he'll understand.

"I don't think you are," he murmurs, in a more subdued fashion. "It's never wrong to want things, there are no thought crimes. And... you have people who love you despite knowing this. You have people who will love you, even knowing this. Who will love you because they know this, because of who you are, and this is a part of who you are. Me, for example. That has to count for something. You're a good person." He squeezes Peter into the hug a bit, to underline this.

"And I don't want to say you'll never get what you want, that it doesn't exist. There's more between heaven and earth... and the world is bigger than this. There's more to it than you can see, there's more beyond heaven than under it."

Peter tries for a wan smile. It comes out more of a bitter tightening of the mouth.

"Maybe I'll be the first outbound Traveler. See beyond Heaven that way."

"First? For all you know there's been plenty and you've never met them because they never came back." Another hugsqueeze and then he lets go. "And I'll look into fencing, too. Give you a new enemy for some variety, and the sexual tension will just be a bonus!"

The first and third sentences didn't happen because the second was about swords.

"Oh, that'd be great! The way you move, I bet you've got the coordination, how strong are you? Arm wrestle me, here-" He stands up and shifts his chair so he can get his elbow onto the table.

He is as strong as American football soccer and swimming boy was, no matter how twinky he looks.

"Jesus!" Peter says, his hand thudding into the table. "Okay, again without my going easy -"

His hand thuds into the table again, but it takes slightly longer. "Christ!" Peter exclaims. "I almost want you for wrestling, and I don't even wrestle anymore. Alright, show up to the fencing club tomorrow afternoon or I swear I will make such a face. It'll be tragic. You won't even be there to see it."

"Just give me the time and place and I'll be there."

Okay Peter smiling is kind of making Pete fall a little bit in love with him. It's not really that he's attractive, though he is; it's just a kind of contagious radiance that makes his little femboy heart go dokidoki to look at.

"It's at four, in the Driscoll building, squash court 2. You won't get a sword your first day but you'll get to see the exhibition match where I thrash Fulham but make it look like he had a chance of victory."

"I'm not sure my heart will be ready for the sight of you being physically impressive but I suppose I'll have to deal with it."

"Your heart will go on, I'm sure."

"Did I hear you're going to be waving your sword around?" Tom asks, sliding into the seat next to Pete. "I can't say I'm surprised, necessarily."

Oh no.

"You're not? What gave me away, was it the pink backpack?"

"Well, the backpack speaks to the same underlying hunger for attention. But no, what gave you away was the way you were looking at Pevensie when I walked in. Very sort of puppyish."

"I actually don't mind people liking me. You mind people liking me."

"Ah, of course. My jealousy knows no bounds."

"Peter's smile is as radiant as the sun and was making my heart go all aflutter," he says, echoing his earlier thoughts, "so I'm not surprised I was looking puppyishly at him. And I do hope you're not the jealous type, because I'm very strongly nonmonogamous."

"I knew that much from you slutting it up with Pevensie the younger."

"-what??"

"Oh, dear." Tom takes a sip of coffee.

"I went on a date with Edmund yesterday. We had cake, kissed, and watched anime. I... hope that's okay?"

"-um. Yeah? I, it's good he'll have someone -"

"I can't help but feel if you're going to watch television you might do it elsewhere than a single-occupancy toilet. People might get the wrong idea."

"That was because I was helping Ed through an anxiety attack, and he wanted some privacy."

They did slut it up both earlier and later of course but Pete is not having Tom force his framing onto this. Also Pete perversely enjoys this kind of verbal sparring with people and Tom is fair game for anything.

"How kind."