(Untitled)

[giftless]

What had he done? Edmund had woken up that morning, in bed with Luna but thankfully clothed, remembering every second of the day before, but he still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he'd decreed his love for Luna, a girl he hardly knew. He couldn't believe he'd been planning a wedding and went so far as to talk to Susan. He couldn't

Comments

[teenagerenegade]

Thankfully, Aly's not there, so it's just him and Honour. He's woken up all of a sudden, so he's tousled and barefoot and his hand's resting on top of the wolf's head as he comes to the door.

And he can't say anything. He just stares.
He must look like shit.

[giftless]

Charlie looked an utter mess. Just the sight of him tore at Edmund's heart and made him feel such a horrible wretch.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, still panting and a touch sweaty about the face, before Charlie could say anything or slam the door in his face. "I'm so sorry, Charlie. I don't know what came over me. Something happened to me and I just looked at her and it was like magic, like some horrible spell that I couldn't break out of. I don't love her; I barely even know her. I love you and I'm sorry, Charlie, I'm so sorry."

[teenagerenegade]

Honour sits down, looking severely unimpressed and Charlie just can't breath past his theart in his throat as he stares at Edmund. What's he supposed to say? Rachel might have been right about something funny happening, but that doesn't make it hurt any less.

Charlie feels like kind of an asshole for feeling like that, but there it is.

"I kissed Rachel."
He blurts it out and then it's said, and, if possible, he feels more miserable than he did before.

[giftless]

He blinked and nearly reeled back on his heels. That was the absolute last thing he had expected to hear from Charlie. Not that Edmund had anticipated much; he hadn't had time. But curses or tears or relief: those things he wouldn't have been surprised by. This was unbelievable.

He stood, gaping much like a fish for a few seconds before deciding now was no the time to be affronted. Yes, it hurt and a part of Edmund was deeply disappointed that Charlie had given up on him that quickly and had moved on that quickly, but even as he felt those things he was rationalizing it. Charlie had been hurt and thought they were broken up. He'd probably gotten drunk; he'd probably done something without thinking. The question was if he regretted it or not.

"You-- Are you two, um, together now?" he asked, voice cracking a shade.

[teenagerenegade]

"What?" It's out before he realises what's about to happen, and it's louder than he means it to be. He snaps and then looks almost startled by it, rubbing one hand across his eyes.

"No, we're not together, Edmund. I just...I was...I couldn't be at home. Either of them. And I couldn't come here right away, because you and Luna had fucked me over, so why not Aly?"

[giftless]

He knew he was the one mostly in the wrong here. He was supposed to be apologizing, maybe on his knees, and he would be doing things to make up for yesterday for a while. Only Charlie had opened this up and Edmund couldn't just let it drop.

"...That doesn't explain why you kissed her," he pointed out, trying not to be accusatory because that wasn't what he was after. He wanted to know what was going on with Charlie, as he thought he'd made it fairly clear that he was sorry and wanted to make things better.

[teenagerenegade]

"You told me you were madly in love with Luna," snaps Charlie, looking away for a moment. "You told me you cared about me, but you loved Luna."

He rubs one hand through his hair.

"And I was drunk and really, really fucking sad and it was barely a kiss. Because Rachel's a good person no matter what she wants people to think."

[giftless]

"I wasn't in my right mind," he started, then almost literally bit his tongue before continuing on. It took a fair bit of restraint to keep himself from turning this into an argument, but that wasn't what Edmund wanted. He didn't want to fight with Charlie about this apparent secret lust he had for some woman that he immediately indulged in after thinking he was free of Edmund. He also really didn't want to hear about all of her positive personality attributes.

"I'm sorry Charlie," Edmund said, returning to the start of this bloody conversation. "What can I do for you to forgive me? Please?"

[teenagerenegade]

"I know that, but it doesn't make it hurt any less," he says, and yes, he's ashamed about it, but he can't quite bring himself to stop, all the same. He glances up at Edmund, dark circles ringed under his eyes, and there's a part of him that wants to touch him, but his hands make fists instead.

"You didn't have sex with her, did you?" he says. It comes out more as a plea than anything.

[giftless]

"I know," Edmund sighed in frustration. He wasn't frustrated with Charlie, not really, though he wasn't really helping the frustrating situation.

"And no. We were--" He hesitated in embarrassment and rolled his eyes. "We were very chaste and saving ourselves for the wedding," he rambled off dryly. "Honestly, we were just ridiculous."

[teenagerenegade]

He huffs a laugh through his nose but there's not really a lot of humour in it. He pushes one hand back through already hopelessly disordered hair.

"At least you don't want to marry me," he says, and then turns, pulling the door of Aly's hut closed. "C'mon. I want to go home."

[giftless]

At just that moment, the mere mention of marriage was enough to turn Edmund's stomach. How close had he come to making yet another life-altering mistake? He let his head drop as he took a step back to give Charlie room.

He nearly took Charlie's hand, but pulled his hand back at the last second, perhaps thinking better of it.

[teenagerenegade]

Charlie shoved both hands into his pockets, but he falls naturally into step with Edmund, like they were made to walk together. He glances over at him.

"I think Honour's pissed at you."

[giftless]

"He just would be," Edmund replied, looking back over his shoulder to where the direwolf in question padded along, keeping to Charlie's side and hanging back.

"I'm glad he stayed with you though," he had to admit.

[teenagerenegade]

A smile tugs at the corner of Charlie's mouth and he looks up at him, looks down just as quickly.

"Me too," he says. "He even got in bed with me. So he must've been worried."

[giftless]

"Knew you were a big softie," Edmund said accusingly back to Honour, who took this as an insult and huffed before ducking off into the undergrowth.

"At least one of us kept our heads. Though I hope you don't think he's a better one to share your bed now," he added, stealing a glance at Charlie.