Come Home - E. Pevensie [2]

9 - Changing

I don't know how long I had been sitting on the grassy edge of the How when I finally heard movement and looked up to see the raven-haired boy walking between a centaur and a giant. I dropped my leather bracelet from my fingers and leaped to my feet, running down to the entrance. I shot out of the How and towards Ed.

He noticed me stalking towards him and laughed, opening his arms for my hug. I crashed into his chest and choked out a breath, inhaling his scent.

"Hi, Mae." He breathed. The decree he had in his hands had fallen from his grip, and Glenstorm plucked it from the ground before walking off with the giant, chuckling and mumbling under his breath.

I pulled away from Edmund and looked at his face, which was split into a grin. His eyes searched my face as well, which fell into a scowl before I sent a hard punch to his shoulder.

He stumbled backward a few paces, gripping his arm from the blow. "Ow! What was that for?" He shouted. I shook my head, stepping closer to him again.

"You know what that's for, Edmund Pevensie! You know not to leave me out of planning! And don't scare me like that ever again!" I yelled. Edmund smirked and dropped his arm.

"Awe, were you worried about me, Macey?" He teased.

I threw my head back and groaned. Well of course I...! You little- I can't believe you...ugh!"

My fist wrapped around the fabric of Edmund's cloth armor and pulled his face to mine, our lips crashing together. I could feel the shock on his face as he stood there with his arms at his side for a second, but he quickly recovered and brought them to my waist, pulling me closer to him as he kissed back.

A fire roared in my stomach, warming my whole body up to my fingertips. I felt like I was soaring as Edmund pulled me impossibly closer, moving a hand from my waist to my hair. He tangled his hands through my hair and kissed me harder.

I felt him tug on my braid slightly, which woke me with a start and pulled me back to reality. I stepped back from him in shock, panting for air. He stood in front of me with his chest heaving as well.

My fingers shook as they raised to my lips, running over the skin that still burned from his touch. My eyes were wide as they raised to meet his, which were blazing. My eyes traveled down to his crumpled shirt. You could see where I had grabbed him.

"I can't believe I just did that." I whispered. Edmund chuckled and stepped forward, but froze as I flinched away. Confusion covered his expression as he reached a hand out to me.

"Macey..." He started as I backed up more. My head pounded. What had I done? Suddenly the sun felt too bright. Too warm. I tugged at my tight clothes, pulling them away from my sticky skin. I turned back to Edmund.

"I'm sorry." I choked out, before turning and stumbling in the opposite direction. The ground tilted and swirled, threatening to suck me down into the black holes that formed in the patches of dirt. I cried and covered my ears, tried to hide my eyes. I pushed past three gaping Pevensies at the entrance to the How.

"Macey, wait!" Edmund called from behind. A sob escaped my lips. I wanted to go back to him. I wanted him to hold me, make this all stop. Whatever it was that was happening.

Change, I realized. Change is happening.

I don't know how I got there, but I found myself curled up on the cracked Stone Table, rubbing my eyes. My head ached with a dull throb as it always did, this time pounding in my eyes.

"Aslan help me." I murmured to the stone engraving. I felt a hand run its fingers through my hair, and I turned to see Susan smiling down at me. She sat next to me, pulling my head to rest on her shoulders as I usually did. She massaged my scalp gently, as she has since I was diagnosed with my spells.

"Why did you flee, Macey?" She asked softly. I sniffed and wiped my nose before answering.

"It felt like the world was closing in on me. The ground felt like quicksand and the sky looked like it was coming down on my head. Too much changed too fast." I muttered.

Susan shifted, causing me to lift my head. She turned to face me.

"What's changed?" She asked. I scoffed as tears filled my eyes, the frustration in me rising.

"What hasn't, Su? I'm stuck in the middle of a war when I'm thirteen, and then I lose my dad to it. Next thing I know I'm dropped in some magical land and expected to fight a battle. Then I'm a queen. Okay, great. But just when I've finally settled and gotten a grip on my life, we're brought back to these lives. I'm thirteen again.

"My dad is dead, my brother is permanently disabled. I've got crazy headaches that make me faint at loud noises. We finally come back here and everything is destroyed and nothing is the same. Now the one thing I had, the one thing that kept me grounded and pulled me through it all, I've changed. I've ruined my friendship with Ed and now I just... now I just don't know what to do."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, brushing away the spill of tears. Susan put a hand on my knee as I coughed out a cry.

"Mae, I am so sorry. I can't even begin to understand. I should have seen. I should have figured out you were struggling. Gosh, I am so terribly sorry. But Macey," She lifted my chin so my eyes met hers.

"Whether your friendship with Edmund has changed or not, that does not mean you will lose us. Edmund loves you in so many ways, and so do the rest of us. You will have the support of us in any world, at any time. No matter what."

I nodded and fell into her, burying my head in her chest and letting it all out. My body wracked with sobs and I felt two more pairs of arms wrap around me.

I lifted myself to see Peter and Lucy beside me, and I threw myself at Peter. He lifted me in his arms and dug his nose into my shoulder, his eyes holding fresh tears as well.

"I'm sorry, Mae. I'm so sorry." He mumbled. I nodded and stepped back, looking at all three. Lucy gave me a hankie to wipe my face with, which I thanked her with a small laugh.

Once I had rid myself of the tears and snot, I took in a deep breath and nodded. "Where's Edmund?" I asked. Peter nodded to the door.

"Out on the ledge, waiting for you." He smiled. I nodded to him and headed outside, towards the Pevensie boy. My breath hitched as I reached the rocks and my feet faltered. Edmund heard me shuffle and turned, standing quickly and looking me over.

"You've been crying." He said softly. I shrugged and stepped out.

"I'm okay now."

Edmund took a step closer. "Are you sure?" I nodded.

"Sorry for running off." I whispered. We had both taken another step closer and were now chest to chest, our breaths mingling together. Edmund slowly raised a hand to my cheek and stroked it softly.

He dropped his hands to my waist and tugged at my shirt, pulling me closer. I watched his actions, looking back up at him to meet his gaze. My eyes fluttered closed as we leaned in and our lips met once more.

He held my face gently within his hands, the pads of his fingers leaving fire in their wake. I clutched at his tunic as desperately as I had before. When we pulled away I kept my eyes closed a moment longer, afraid if I opened them he'd be gone.

I felt Edmund's nose brush mine and opened my eyes to see him looking at me, a new kind of light in his eyes.

"I've wanted to do that since we sat in the window at the Professor's." He whispered. I leaned back as my eyes widened. He laughed. "You truly are a blonde, Mae. I've been pining over you for years! You know I'm not usually such a flirt."

I chuckled and stepped back. "I just, I always thought that was just...you. I didn't realize-"

"That I was completely and utterly in love with you?" Edmund finished. I smiled lightly and nodded as he brought my lips back to his.

"I love you too, always." I whispered. He pulled back and grinned.

"Of course you do, I'm irresistible." He flipped his hair dramatically, grinning from ear to ear. I shoved his shoulder and let out a loud laugh.

"Way to ruin the moment, Ed." I turned and walked back into the How, ignoring Edmund's whining behind me.

"Wait, Macey! C'mon, I was only joking!"