A/N: This story culminates in some brief slash-ness, so don't read if that sort of thing isn't for you! I might write a companion piece to this later… We'll see how it goes. :) Enjoy! (Man... I write a lot of CS Lewis, don't I. :P )

Peter and Caspian Play a Drinking Game

It was a cold and damp night at Aslan's How, and Peter found himself unable to sleep. He got out of bed and went for a stroll along the many intertwining hallways. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Caspian until the two literally collided with an unpleasantly loud thump.

"High King Peter!" exclaimed Caspian, remembering to address the other with respect, even as his flesh throbbed from the collision.

"Prince Caspian," Peter greeted with some difficulty. "Can't sleep either, I presume?"

Caspian sighed and moved to continue down the hall, Peter joining him at his side. "I have not slept for many nights now, my King."

"You blame yourself," Peter observed sympathetically. "The battle at the castle, the White Witch… I'm as much to blame for our failures as anyone. I… " he stopped, catching himself before revealing anything too personal. Ally though he was, the man next to him was still a stranger. Caspian didn't push the matter.

They walked on in companionable silence for some time when Peter suddenly announced, "I have a suggestion."

"Yes, my King?"

Peter cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable with the constant use of the formal title. "Let's play a drinking game."

Caspian blinked. "A – what?"

"You heard me. We used to play these in the old days, and I've missed them since going back to England." The two had now stopped, and Peter chuckled as he patted a confused Caspian on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll like it."

"But I don't drink…"

"No problem. Come, help me find the stores."

Caspian led the way to the food storage area, and with the help of a torch light they soon found crates upon crates of ale. Caspian uttered some half-hearted words of protest, and soon they had carried quite a few with them to the nearest sleeping chamber, which happened to be Peter's.

"Right," said Peter, opening one of the crates and taking out two bottles. He chucked one to Caspian and motioned for him to have a seat. Caspian, feeling a little more on guard than the situation called for, stiffly sat on the edge of the bed.

"Now, what shall the game be?" asked Peter, sitting down near the prince. "You don't look very happy, so let's make it a quick one. We take a swig of ale every time one of us utters a pronoun, starting… now!"

Caspian blinked. "You can't be serious." Peter immediately said, "Ah-ha!" and motioned for him to drink.

"You don't seem like the King of Old," said Caspian an hour later, leaning on his elbow, his nose almost touching Peter's. The two had rapidly lost the ability to sit up straight.

Since the drinking game had progressed so quickly, they ended up taking a swig simply after every sentence. Caspian drank from his third bottle, spilling much of it.

"That's because," slurred Peter, "I'm a girl now. I mean – I'm a boy,"

"You were one then too," pointed out Caspian, a little emotionally. He made to take a drink but the bottle missed his mouth and went somewhere past his ear. He soon forgot about it.

"I know I know," said Peter. "But the magic of this place," he waved his arm about the room to indicate Narnia as a whole, "it's working slower. Or less. Or – something! I don't feel like a King."

Caspian moved his face into what he thought was a smile. "You'll always be King to me, my King."

Peter got serious and sat up to look down at Caspian. "That's disturbing. And! Call me Peter," he demanded, inadvertently tipping his bottle and spilling it all over the prince's chest.

"Ohh," lamented Caspian, sitting up to examine his shirt. "That's unfortunate…"

Peter suddenly started to laugh, uncontrollably. Caspian frowned, and with a mostly unintelligible "Don't laugh at me!" pushed the King off the bed. Peter tumbled to the floor in anything but a dignified manner and slurred a few angry words at Caspian from below.

"Peter," said Caspian, his face appearing over the side of the bed. "Lesssay hi to the others. I'm sure they missus."

Peter vehemently agreed to the plan. It was possible that no one would miss their presence in the dead of night, but neither considered this.

Susan awoke to the distant sounds of singing coming from the hall. She became alarmed as the singing grew louder and suddenly stopped, right outside her door. Before she could grab a weapon the door flung open, and in spilled Caspian and Peter.

"What in Narnia…" she breathed.

"My King!" beamed Caspian, attempting to bow profusely. Susan felt dizzy just looking at him.

"Queen, Queen," corrected Peter as loudly as he could. "Susan! Donnworry! We're here!!"

"Oh, I feel so comforted," she said, scrambling out of bed. She planted her feet in front of the two and pointed to the door, saying, "Out."

"You sooo pretty – " started Caspian.

"Out! Out!" she repeated.

"It's okay," said Peter, a little indignant. "I can tell when we're not wanted. Caspian – come."

Susan watched in angry disbelief as Peter pulled Caspian by the hand out of her room and to whatever Godforsaken destination the two had in mind next. She got back into bed, buried her face in her pillow, and shouted a muffled "Why??" into it.

Edmund opened his eyes.

"This is my other brother. I mean no, my only brother," he heard Peter's voice say right by his ear. He felt someone repeatedly poking his cheek on his other side. He sat up.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" he demanded, whipping around to see none other than his brother and the prince, lying in his bed.

"Greetings, my King!" said Caspian, glancing over at Peter to see if he noticed him use the correct title. Peter nodded his approval.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," muttered Edmund. Without another word he stood up, yanked a pillow from underneath Caspian's head, grabbed an end of one of the blankets, and stalked out of the room.

"Some family!" Peter yelled after him. "I say, how's anyone supposed to have fun around here? Heyyy, Caspian!" he poked a finger somewhere near the vicinity of the prince.

Caspian groaned in reply, a headache finally starting to hit him. In minutes the man was asleep, and even a fairly rough shake from Peter wouldn't wake him. But that was no matter, because the King soon followed suit. The two fell silent at last.

The next morning Caspian awoke to a splitting headache and dared not open his eyes. There was something large and warm resting against his chest, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around it.

Unbeknown to him the "it" happened to be Peter, who was also very slowly waking. For him the only good thing about waking that morning was feeling the warmth underneath his body. The first thing Peter did was plant sleepy kisses on the flesh, which felt like someone's neck and jaw line. The stiffness in his pants that he acquired during sleep encouraged him to continue and, with eyes still closed, he kissed his way to a pair of delicious lips and sweetly moaned against them.

"Ki – Ki – Pe – " he felt someone stutter against his mouth. He opened his eyes and found a wide-eyed Caspian staring back at him.

"Oh," he uttered, shock beginning in his chest and rapidly consuming his entire body. With jerky movements he managed to remove himself from Caspian and get out of bed.

Caspian sat up. "I, er – Hmm," he said, turning his face away as a deep red flush began at his neck and crept upward.

"May I have my room back now, please?" said Edmund, who had suddenly come through the door without anyone noticing.

Peter jumped, a very guilty expression on his face. He dared one last glance back at Caspian before hauling ass out of the chamber.

Edmund stared after him and turned back to Caspian. "What is going on here?" he demanded.

Caspian coughed and mumbled something about breakfast, hanging his head to cover most of his face in his locks. Without meeting the other boy's eyes, he stalked out of the room at full speed.

A moment later the prince stuck his head back through the doorway with a victimized look on his face. "We played a drinking game," he said urgently, by way of explanation. There was a pause. Then: "Drinking!!" and the prince ran off for good.