When displaying these radically different forms of love, there is a certain amount of body language that signals which kind is taking place. For example if you are brother and sister, and you are embracing or kissing each other you generally keep your arms and hands below the shoulders but above the waist. Never touch the other's head, face, or hips for these are indications of lovers' love.
You might have noticed this if you have ever witnessed a couple who are deeply in love and kissing. They tend to place their hand on the back of the other's head, applying gentle pressure, and - with their free hand - pull the loved one closer to them via the small of the back or the hip. The recipient of this kind of smooch might wrap their own arm around the other's neck or shoulders. They become so entangled in one another that it might be hard to tell who is who any longer. You never see that when a brother and sister embrace.
Susan Pevensie knew this well, of course, but it was becoming clear to her that Peter Pevensie did not.
He started it, the ignorant prat. He had just returned from one of his many raids on the Northern lands, and a particularly long and dangerous one at that.
The whole time that he had been gone Susan was simply out of her mind with worry and anxiety of another kind. She couldn't describe it but he occupied her thoughts more than normal. All she wanted was for him to return home and never leave again because she presently didn't think that she would survive being parted from him for so long again. Was that normal?
So when the day finally arrived that the young queen heard the trumpets that signaled the High King's return her heart leapt into her throat and she ran with as much speed as she could muster down to the entrance hall of the castle.
And there he was, just barely inside the hall, greeting the familiar heralds and servants with his usual grin and hearty tone. Not much had changed about him save for the scruffy facial hair that he developed and apparently ignored. His clothes were splattered with mud from the ride but he seemed glad to be home. Then he spotted his sister.
Susan smiled as he broke away from his conversation with the manservant and headed straight forwards, a dazzling smile gracing his features. She met him halfway and as she made to wrap her arms around his midsection she found that he had pulled her towards him by way of her waist. Before she could say anything she was being pressed closely to him, one of his hands moving up her back to her neck.
All words that she had planned to say died in her throat. This felt different. This wasn't her older brother Peter that was embracing her in such a fashion. Yet his voice was the same as the one that had left as he whispered in her ear, "Oh Susan, you haven't any idea how wonderful it is to see you again."
Susan leaned back, but could not do much else because one of his arms was still curled tightly around her hips. It was such an strange and unfamiliar sensation to be held this way by her brother, but Susan had to admit that it didn't feel out of place. She still found that her voice was out of commission so instead she stood on her tiptoe and pressed a kiss into his lips.
It was meant to be one of those platonic brotherly-sisterly pecks, but Peter's hand at the back of her neck kept her from pulling away and he held the kiss a little longer, adding a little bit of pressure before he broke it himself. He was positively beaming.
What did it all mean?
That was the question that repeated itself like a broken record in Susan's head over the next three days until she was nearly mad with wonder. She often found herself stealing long glances at him as though trying to pick his brain for the reason of his actions that first morning. And every time he caught her looking he simply threw a terribly sweet smile her direction that was filled with an emotion that she thought familiar but could not name.
She also realized that they were spending a lot more time together than before he left. Not that she minded; Peter was her favorite sibling and they understood each other more than anyone ever had. But that didn't discount for the fact that whenever they were together Peter laughed louder at her jokes and kept taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. "I never want to be without you again, Sue," he often said when he did this.
Now a week had passed and Peter's behavior didn't go unnoticed by the younger members of the family. Susan had accidentally overheard Edmund and Lucy talking excitedly in the library.
"Do you know if Peter's told her yet?"
"Nope. Every time I ask him he just pretends that I don't know what I'm talking about. As if we wouldn't notice."
"I don't know why Susan won't get the picture. I've heard the things he says to her."
"I know! Sue's eighteen AND a girl, she's supposed to understand these things. Even I know what's going on."
But that was all Susan heard before she had hurried on, lost in her thoughts. What WAS going on? What big secret was she missing out on that Edmund supposedly knew all about? What was so obvious that had just flown over her head.
Susan's course of direction changed abruptly, an expression of resolve on her face. It was just those questions that she was going to have answered, never mind just WHAT those answers might be. She didn't like the idea of being the only one out of the loop, especially when it concerned Peter.
She found her brother in his study poring over a long piece of parchment, Oreius standing near the desk giving a report. As they both caught sight of her, Peter jumped up and shot a look to Oreius who immediately understood and left the study without a word.
"Susan," Peter said cheerily, moving around the desk and towards her, his arms outstretched. He took both her hands in his and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. "What can I do for you."
Susan only stared hard into Peter's eyes, searching for the answers just to save her from asking.
"Sue?"
The queen pulled her hands away, drew a deep breath, and said shakily. "Peter what aren't you telling me?" When he merely gave her a quizzical look, she continued. "You've been acting strange ever since your return home and I just feel like you're keeping something from me. Something that even Lucy and Edmund know." She looked him directly in the eye, a hint of sadness behind hers. "I thought we were close."
Surprisingly, Peter grinned from ear to ear. "I had a revelation while I was away," he said in an excited tone. "You see the whole time I was on the raid, there was only one thing I was thinking about. I was thinking so hard on it that I couldn't focus on anything else. I was making poor decisions and I daydreamt and I'm afraid I wasn't a very good leader." He reached up and stroked her cheek gently. "Do you know what I was thinking about?"
Susan shook her head.
"Coming home... to you."
"But," Susan replied, frowning a little. "What does that have to do with a revelation? And it still doesn't explain your behavior."
"Oh Susan," Peter said with a small chuckle, a blush creeping ever so slightly into his face. "I realized that... that --" Now there was a definite redness in his cheeks and he cast his eyes to the ground in embarrassment. "We belong... together." He looked back up at her. "I love you Susan." Then he reached for her.
And if there was any doubt in Susan's mind just what kind of love Peter was referring to, the placement of his hands soon solved that puzzle. At first they were gripping her arms as he held her to him, but moved, once again, to her hips and neck. His tongue traced over her lips softly and he dipped her slightly, holding her tight.
Susan's mind emptied as all this happened except for the initial repulsion at the unnaturalness of it. But soon even that melted away and she felt one of her hands clasping the back of Peter's own neck, the other tangling itself into his hair. By the time they broke away for air, Susan gave no thought to the social repercussions of what had just happened.
Peter was beaming, though slightly winded and pink. He didn't have to ask if she reciprocated. There was something about the way she held him that gave it all away.