for Edmund

[tooktheblack]

After having spent some time with Lionel that wasn't exactly in Jon's normal habits or routines he thought, perhaps, it might be a good idea to seek out someone to talk about recent developments. It wasn't really breaking his oaths, of that Jon was certain, but what it was he couldn't say and Edmund, at least, had taken another man as a lover and

Comments

[giftless]

Edmund was a boy who preferred to spend most of his time outdoors rather than in, even if it was simply sitting on the porch of his hut as he did now. Feet propped up on the railing, Honour sprawled out beneath his legs, Edmund lifted his head as he leaned in his chair at the sound of Jon's voice.

He hadn't any idea what Jon would want to speak to him about exactly, but he thought that if he had to ask, then it had to be somewhat important. "Of course," he called back. There was another chair for the other young man to sit at, if he wanted, but Edmund tried to drop his feet back down to the ground, to at least appear more respectful. He ended up nudging Honour with his heels until the direwolf huffed a great sigh and rolled out of the way. "Lazy sod," he muttered fondly.

[tooktheblack]

Jon took the other chair. How did one really broach this subject anyway? There was nothing to do but just be out with it, he guessed, and he covered by greeting Honour before speaking to Edmund directly.

"How did you know, exactly, that you were attracted to Charlie?"

[giftless]

Edmund was also a boy who appreciated not beating around the bush, but he was in no way prepared for that sort of question.

He stared at Jon blankly for a moment, lips parted, then pulled himself together. It was a personal subject in his mind, but Jon was a friend and more importantly he was family in the ways that mattered. There had to be an awfully good reason for this kind of conversation.

"Well... To be honest, he had to kiss me," Edmund explained. "Rather surprised me with it, in fact. I hadn't thought about... that sort of thing, not really, with anyone before that. And then once he kissed me, he was all I could think about."

[tooktheblack]

Similar, then, to Jon's own experience and he brushed his palms off on his trousers before looking back up at Edmund. Strange, how difficult it was to talk about this when it hadn't been difficult at all to do it.

"Ah, Lionel kissed me. I wasn't bothered by it."