Taking Back

Echoes and Injuries

Warning: mentions of rape

Eddie awoke feeling well-rested from his slumber. He groggily opened his eyes to see the tree cover shielding the blinding sun. Eddie felt an iota of discomfort for some reason. He felt something was off.

Eddie moved slightly. Eddie felt his head pressed on both sides. Trying to remain calm, he gently turned his head to the side and realized he was not on the ground but in someone's embrace.

Oh wait, that's right. Eddie thought. The princess was with me. But why do I still feel–

He soon understood why he felt such an odd discomfort: the princess holding him, keeping him pressed against her body! He suddenly felt red in the face, knowing his head rested against her chest. He tried to calmly and carefully pull away and not wake her, but each attempt made her arms pull more.

W-what do I do? He thought again, his face still red with embarrassment. I don't want to wake her, but I don't feel anyone should see us like this. Especially after all that's happened in such a short time! What do I do??

Alisha moaned in her sleep and nuzzled his forehead, which only made Eddie blush more. "I'm never letting you go."

Suddenly Eddie stopped moving, slightly calming down. He tilted his head best so he could not wake the princess and looked at her slumbering face as she slept talking. He wasn't sure what to think or say, so he stared.

What did she just say? He thought, admiring her sleeping visage. Her soft hair lay across the ground like a blanket. Her soft-looking rosy cheeks flushed from whatever dream she must've been having. Seeing her like this almost made his heart flutter. Instead of trying to pull away from her, he laid his head back on her chest, letting her arms hold him more. It felt peaceful.

I'm not sure what her dream is, he thought as he heard her moan. But it does sound peaceful.

Eddie then felt her kissing him on his head. He froze with wide eyes. Did she kiss me? In her sleep?! Alisha moaned as she shifted in her sleep, and her arms released their hold on him. Eddie took his opportunity to get up from their position before anyone saw them.

"Ah, come on, you two couldn't stay like that a bit longer," a voice called out, grumbling.

Alisha moaned and opened her eyes. "Mm, what's going on?" The princess saw that Eddie had left her hold. "You didn't have to leave," she whined, sitting up and wrapping her arms around him. She nuzzled into his hair, which left Eddie blushing. "I don't want you to be alone again."

"Princess," replied Eddie breathlessly. He couldn't help but be admired and touched by her words. He looked down to see the scrape bleeding down her leg. "I'm sorry for scaring you. That cut looks bad. Are you in any pain?"

The princess glanced at her injury and continued to nuzzle and hold him tight. "I'm not worried about it. It doesn't hurt that bad."

Eddie could see the princess lying through her teeth. "Princess, you told me that Elestelians don't fib, but I can tell you just told one. I won't be taking no for an answer. I'm taking you to the nurse."

Despite being weak, he kneeled over her body to lift her in his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling. She could tell he was struggling to stay standing.

"S-stop, wait a minute," she told him nervously as her face flushed. "You're still weak, aren't you? You'll hurt yourself. Also, the way you hold me, it's not exactly the least awkward position for us to be in."

He tried to keep a straight face as he began blushing. "It-um, it doesn't matter to me," he told Alisha. "I've carried you once like this before. You were just unconscious when I did, so don't worry. B-besides, your legs still hurt, don't they? I don't want you falling and hurting yourself more than you already have."

She felt his hands grip her body more tightly and gently as he lifted her into his hold. She couldn't help but pull herself closer to his chest. His body felt warm, like an ember trying to stay aflame. She nuzzled gently into him, suddenly letting out a soft purr, which caught them both off-guard.

"Don't worry about it," the princess stuttered, hiding her embarrassment in his shoulder. "We should get back to the castle."

"You two can stay here and enjoy each other's company," grumbled the voice again. The prince and princess looked to see Shoutmon standing on a boulder holding onto Anaka's tail with his foot. "No one is going to miss you for another few hours."

A rush of heat flew up Eddie's body quickly as he held the princess closer into his arms.

"I-I uh, I'd probably consider it, i-if we were in a more private situation," he called out to Shoutmon, which placed a cocky smile on his face.

"My, my," Shoutmon responded playfully. "How bold and daring you now sound, kid, haha! Bet you feel pretty tough now, huh; holding a smokin' babe and all? Hehehe!"

Alisha felt flustered at the sound of those words, burying her head into Eddie's chest as they both blushed awkwardly and nervously. "Is-is he talking about me?" asked the princess, stuttering. She swore her cheeks overheated from all the embarrassing blushing. She felt her cheeks grow hot like fire.

Am I that attractive? No one ever called me anything flattering compliments.

"Beautiful," his voice echoed in her ears.

Alisha covered her ears as she trembled in Eddie's arms, and she grabbed his collar with a shaky grip. Her action caught Eddie's attention.

"Princess? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Alisha shook her head as tears built in her eyes. She sniffed, "Just him. He's in my head, and everything reminds me of him. I want to forget that week ever happened."

"Week?" asked Eddie. He quickly thought about who she was talking about, and then it clicked. "He kidnapped you and raped you for a week!" Eddie felt enraged that a princess like Alisha got kidnapped for a week. He never knew about his father's plans, but he did remember his father talking with a spy about a secret mission. Eddie never asked for the details, but Eddie never saw the spy return. "Where is he!" seethed Eddie.

Alisha could feel his body rise in temperature as he grew agitated. It would be a matter of time before something caught on fire again. "My-my father executed him the day he rescued me." Alisha didn't want to see Eddie grow in anger more. "Eddie, please, he's been dead for three years." She saw some of the hotspots glow brightly with a new flame.

Shoutmon then jumped down from his rock, releasing Anaka. "Kid," he said calmly, watching his body steam. "I'm telling you this one time to calm down."

"I swear," Eddie responded. "If I ever see anyone do that to you again, I'm gonna murder–" But before he could finish his sentence, Shoutmon bashed his face in with his staff, extinguishing the small flames steaming from him.

"I warned you to calm the hell down, kid!" Shoutmon growled. "We don't want him getting any ideas."

"But Shoutmon! I–"

"I said," Shoutmon's eyes glared with intensity, almost with an intent to kill. "We don't want HIM... to get any ideas, do we? Now calm the hell down."

Eddie could tell Shoutmon wasn't playing around, then looked at Alisha, worried. He didn't want to cause another scene again; that wouldn't go well. Especially since they already went through enough this afternoon. His body stopped steaming as he took a deep breath in, then out. "No," he answered, worried and upset all at the same time. "No, we don't."

Shoutmon lowered his staff in agreement. "Exactly, I didn't think so." He then turned around and walked a few steps away from them. "Now come on. I heard a huge lunch would be in the garden after our training. So let's head on up there."