A year as a Narnian || 365 Narnia one shots (Part two)

285: Sixteen years

October 12th - Prompt: I was a child

------------

Peter yawned a little as he wondered through the How, rubbing at his eyes.

It was late, and he knew he should probably be getting some sleep, after all he had a duel in the morning, but he'd found himself unable to sleep, and he wasn't sure why.

He thought at first it was the fear from the duel, but as worried as he was, he wasn't scared enough for it to keep him awake.

Then he wondered if it was Edmund, if it was what he'd done, with the witch, but the two had talked. They'd had a long, long talk, with many breakdowns, with many tears, and with a lot of shouting, but in the end, after everything, they'd actually made up, they were actually on better terms than they were when they came back to Narnia, and Peter had never been so happy... So, it couldn't of been that that was keeping him awake.

Whatever it was, he had just decided to head back to his room, when Edmund walked around the corner, head down, arms wrapped around himself, steps slow.

Peter frowned a little, what was Edmund doing up so late? "Ed?" He asked, beginning to walk over.

Edmund jumped quite harshly at Peter's voice, looking up quickly and only relaxing when he was a few steps away. "Peter." He mumbled.

"What are you doing up?" Peter asked softly.

Edmund stared at him. "I could ask the same of you." He muttered in reply.

Peter sighed, shrugging. "Just couldn't sleep." He admitted. "But I asked first."

Edmund's defensive attitude dropped, and he lowered his gaze to the floor, biting his lip.

"Sorry?" Peter asked after Edmund had mumbled something he couldn't understand.

Edmund sighed. "I had a nightmare." He said, louder this time as he raised his head again.

Peter took a deep breath, unsure what to say for a moment. "Bad?" He all but whispered.

Edmund shrugged. "Bad enough." He choked out, shoulders slumping as he leant against the wall, eyes slipping shut. "I knew it would happen, from the second I ran into the stone table room and saw Jadis in that ice, I knew it would bring back memories and nightmares, and I was right of course."

Peter looked beyond guilty, but Edmund snapped him out of it quickly. "We talked over this earlier." He said firmly. "It's the middle of the night Pete, let's not repeat everything we said."

Peter hesitated, but nodded slowly, and instead of talking, he just leant against the wall beside Edmund and pulled him close.

Edmund froze for a second or two, but soon sunk into his brother's hold, burying his face against his chest and taking a deep, shaky breath.

Peter held him gently, tears stinging his eyes which he refused to let fall. "Sixteen years later, and she still haunts you." He choked out. "I'm so sorry."

Edmund shook his head. "Don't be." He murmured, voice wobbly. "It's not your fault."

Peter sighed. "What was - was the dream about?" He asked quietly.

Edmund hesitated for a moment, wondering whether or not to talk, but in the end he sighed. "I was in her cell." He whispered. "She - She wanted information... information that I wasn't giving her."

Peter bit his lip, knowing what he meant.

Edmund suddenly shuddered in Peter's hold, and swallowed hard. "I was a child." He choked out, shaking. "I was twelve, a child-"

Peter's heart broke when Edmund stopped talking, and he immediately pulled him closer. "I know, I know." He whispered against his hair. "But it's over now, she's been dead for many years now Ed, many years."

Edmund nodded slowly. "I know that." He breathed. "And I've know for years that there were ways of bringing her back, but this time was so close."

Peter swallowed hard, but kept his promise of not bringing up what they had already discussed and sorted out. "I know it was." He murmured. "But it's all over now, she never came back, she never hurt you. Ed, you defeated her, you're the one who got rid of her, and I'm so, so proud of you."

Edmund smiled weakly against Peter's chest, hugging him a little tighter. "I've missed you." He whispered.

One tear trickled down Peter's cheek, for he knew what his brother had been referring to, he had missed the old him, the true him, and it made his heart shatter.

"I know you have," He murmured after a while, before smiling gently. "But I'm never changing again, I'm right here, me, and I always will be, I promise."

☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆