Perhaps following into this game was a bad idea. Edmund was weak on his feet but would turn around and crash into him subtly harder each time, not enough to injure him, but still. Luckily, Francis was more than happy to go self destructive in the name of fun!

Then the game ended. Confusion filled the Scotsman when he was being talked to. On the surface, it wasn't much. But the gratitude he could feel deeply, and it touched him. He looked over and brushed up his hair a little from his eyes. When was the last time he'd had so much fun. "I am having a lot of fun. But I'm not amazing, but if you want to keep thinking that, I won't stop you." He grinned playfully to keep it light. He didn't want to let him know that he wasn't amazing and this was a dangerous game.

He was having too much fun, and his knew friend was too handsome, and - ah, his hand slipped around his. He felt different things and wondered how one was supposed to react to this. In the end, stick to the old tried and true.

While continuing to help keep Edmund steady, he giggled slightly showing he was having fun. He glanced over and smirked, "Be careful, you are letting me have so much fun and being so charming. I might fall in love with you, man or not." Let the guy say how wrong it was and laugh awkwardly, maybe drop his arm. But they can laugh and keep hanging out. At least then, hed have a hint to the truth.

How could Francis deny what Edmund was saying?  The younger couldn't help but pout as his words were brushed off again.  Maybe Francis was a better judge of himself than Edmund was, but he still wanted his friend to not just hear his words, but believe them.

"Love?" he repeated, surprised by the statement.  He said, love? but what he meant was, charming?  You think I'm charming?  Why did that please him so much?

"I don't think I'm the type of man someone could fall in love with," Edmund said.  He was still looking at Francis and walking best he could.  "I'd be - what's the word... honored if someone did, though.  Man or not."

Was that a safe thing to say..?  Francis had just said it, yes, but he had been joking, hadn't he?  Or was it one of those jokes, but not really?  Edmund could never tell on a normal day, he had no hope of deciphering it now.

That pout was very cute and Francis wondered if he'd get him to do it again some time without actually hurting his feelings in any way. Then the other spoke, and it had him stop walking.

"You must be kidding me." He said bluntly. This was wrong, and he wasn't looking, but this guy did touch him inside even though they'd just met. The guy had thrown all of his eggs into a much more shallow and fragile basket in the past. He stood there for a second, still ignoring the light rain and reached out to brush his thumb over the other man's soft cheek. It was cooled from the rain and he moved back the hair from his face to see it clearly and turned to face him fully.

"I see no reason not to fall in love with you You really are handsome, and I am having a lot of fun at your side as a friend. But you seem kind and I ..." He immediately blushed and looked away. "I really .. sort of.. like when you take my arm and I do want to see you a lot more. So if you want to tell me why you think you can't be loved, I'm all ears. But I haven't seen it yet, and I don't believe it. You can do far better than I, but I am waiting for you to prove me wrong, even if you want love from someone else. I just like being right." He smiled then slowly dropped his hand, having brushed back the man's hair and let his fingers linger down his cheek until he realized he'd stil been touching him.

Edmund was forced to stop when Francis did, and he turned, worried and confused and -

"What's wrong?"

A hand brushed his cheek, and then into his hair.  Edmund couldn't understand what was happening, just stared at the other man and touched his hand.  He didn't hold it or trap it in his own, just brushed his fingers against it, just to make sure it was really there.

Francis' words were more shocking than the last had been.  Mouth agape, Edmund listened to the man, not sure if he was hearing correctly now.  How did he touch words to make sure that they were real?

"I..."  How is someone supposed to respond to this?  Declarations of love and compliments and challenges, blushes and gentle touches.  Edmund, not for the first time and probably not for the last, felt extremely overwhelmed.

"Francis I'm - I'd - I'd love to - to prove you right, but I'm not - you think I'm handsome?"  Mable had always told him his face was unique, and he'd always taken it as a bad thing.  "I'm sorry, I don't know - I've never done - this - before - Francis."

Edmund was blushing, and it was definitely not from the alcohol this time.  He lifted his hand, wanting to do the same to Francis as had been done to him, but that felt silly somehow.  His arm hovered before landing softly on the other's shoulder.  He still might be brushed off.

"Francis, I'm - really drunk, I don't know about you, but I like taking your arm, but I'm so.  I don't know anything, really, I've never been to school a day in my life and I get angry so quickly, I..." Edmund couldn't count very high but that didn't matter, there was an uncountable amount of reasons why he knew he couldn't, shouldn't be loved, but.  Very suddenly, he did not want to say them out loud.

Francis wasn't insulted, but he also wasn't welcomed. He had pushed himself and it was a terrible idea. He listened to the other and didn't lose his gentle smile. Edmund was being very kind, and he realized his mistake as he withdrew his hand.

"I find you incredibly handsome. Knowing nothing doesn't mean a thing, since you didn't go to school, you could. And I haven't seen this anger. But you've been through a lot and probably was around angry people. I think a soft and gentle approach could calm you."

"But you're right. You're very drunk and I shouldn't be hitting on you. We just met. I am sorry for taking advantage of you." He was almost as drunk, but the other didn't know how to handle it. He continued to smile gently, hoping Edmund knew the sincerity. "But I am happy to be your friend and hang out a lot if you are, and you are always welcome to take my arm. I am sorry for.." He seemed in thought. "Doing this. I am nothing to offer you as I have nothing but myself. I am lucky to be your friend and hope you don't hold it again me." He was right about how much fun and how nice Edmund was. None of his reasons to not like him meant a thing to Francis other than reminding him that Francis was the one not good enough.

Edmund brought his own hand to his chest when Francis dropped his.  Francis was smiling and apologizing, but Edmund still felt like he had lost.

"Understand I'm not - I'm not saying no.  I'm saying, I can't think straight right now, and you're saying so many nice things about me, and if I'm really going to do this, I want... I want to be able to speak properly too.  Don't apologize.  You've done nothing wrong."

The world was still spinning and strange, but Edmund just kept his eyes on Francis.  It helped more than it should have.

"Should... do you still want to walk with me?  I understand if you don't but I don't want to end the night yet."

Edmund's eyes remained on him, and Francis still looked back at him. He wasn't Lewis, but he was kind and fun. Maybe Francis wanted to try to help him even if he had no idea how. But he remained with the knowledge that tomorrow could change everything. He shook his head, "I know. But when you're sober, you could change your mind about me. And I shouldn't have said anything until then, maybe..."

A gentle and warm expression remained on his face and he delicately nudged him once more and smiled. "Why wouldn't I? We're still friends like before. And I still really like spending time with you. Unless you want me gone, I say let's go. I really wanna see this baton, and I don't want to leave you until I have to." He said honestly and offered his hand to let Edmund lead the way this time.

Friends.  They were still that at least.  Despite everything that had just been discussed, or maybe because of it, Edmund smiled and nodded.  He offered Francis his hand.

"Follow me then."

The rain was getting Edmund wet right through his shirt by now, and his skin was cold, but he still felt warm.  Hopefully, that was a feeling that would remain when they were inside.

Edmund only let go of Francis when they reached the hotels to open the front doors for him, and followed him in.  He sent a wave to the people behind the desk, doing a very poor job to hide his drunkenness, and not caring for that reason exactly.

"Down this hall here," he murmured to Francis, leading him with a hand trailing against the wall for stability instead of the other man.  He stopped at the right door without looking at the number engraved plates and tried the handle.  It was unlocked, which meant,

"My sister is inside," Edmund warned as he opened the door.  "But don't worry.  She's very nice..."

Sure enough, inside the hotel room and sitting on one of the two beds inside was a girl, only a few years younger that Edmund.  Her skin was darker than Edmund's, her hair thick and curly, the texture completely different from her brothers.  It seemed the only physical similarity between the two of them was the color of their eyes.  In her lap was a Bible she had just slammed closed.

"Mable!" he greeted happily.  "I made a friend.  Come meet Francis."

Francis nodded and smiled as he squeezed his hand when it was taken. The journey was still relaxing and filled with a sense of adventure. He'd walked along close, until they got to the hotel and his hand was released. Slipping into the hotel, he worried briefly about getting kicked out, but smiled cheerfully and waved to the others as he went after him to his room.

His eyes wandered around the hallway to look at the series of doors until they got to one. With a small curious look, he smiled brighter at Edmund. "Why would I worry? She is your dear sister, I assumed she was very nice." He was worried the sister wouldn't like him, but he did hope she was just like her brother and would get along with him just fine.

His eyes moved to the girl who was quite different physically from his new friend. He gave her a nervous smile and waved a little. "Hello.. " He wondered if he should apologize for the drinking, but perhaps the child wouldn't notice or bring it up. "It's very nice to meet you...ah.. Mable. I was just making friends with your brother. Sorry for..' He looked down as they did drip on the floor a little. "The rain."

Francis was so nice.  He didn't have to apologize for the rain, he had no control over it, but he still was.  Edmund smiled at him and ushered him further into the room, gesturing to a small table with two chairs.

"Have a seat, I'll - the baton is here somewhere, I just need to find it.  Make yourself comfortable and all that..."

The first place Edmund looked was the desk, but every surface there was covered in shells and rocks of nearly every size and color Edmund had ever seen.  He shook his head and went to his bed, kneeling down and swiping his arm underneath it until he hit something.

"Ah!"  He grabbed it and displayed it before him with a proud grin.  Two sets of green eyes flickered between the baton and the man at the table.

"Here it is, then.  Here, here, hold it."  With only a little difficulty, Edmund made his way to the table and handed his prize to him.  Still on the bed, Mable was quiet, her face unreadable as she watched her company.