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

357: I need to know

December 23rd - Prompt: I'm not going anywhere

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"Why are you here?"

Peter swallowed hard, standing just inside the tent, staring at his boots and chewing on his bottom lip. "I - I just wanted to know if you were okay." He mumbled.

Edmund sunk down onto his hammock, looking guilty. "Why do you care?" He whispered. "You shouldn't care, I don't deserve for you to care."

Peter looked up, sighing. "Ed-" He paused, before taking a deep breath. "I need to know, I'm still your brother."

Edmund hesitated greatly, before he shrugged. "I'll live." He mumbled.

Peter looked concerned by this. "Edmund?" He whispered.

"I don't want to talk about it." Edmund told him quickly, shaking his head back and forth a little.

Peter stood there and stared at him for a while, before he sighed, but he nodded his head. "You don't have to talk," He told him, voice soft as he walked over and knelt in front of Edmund. "But if you're injured someone needs to know."

Edmund avoided eye contact with his brother, heart pounding.

"Ed come on," Peter almost pleaded. "Your condition could get worse if the injuries aren't treated."

Edmund squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Peter whispered, voice shaking. "Let me help."

"I don't deserve help." Edmund choked out.

"That's not for you to decide." Peter told him. "Whether you like it or not, I'm not going anywhere, not until I help you."

Edmund bit his lip gently, opening his eyes and glancing at his older brother.

"Please?" Peter whispered, voice desperate and sad as he placed a hand on Edmund's knee.

Edmund winced at the touch, guilt filling his eyes as he did, but he couldn't help it. After three days of being abused and tortured, a simple touch was enough to make his heart pound. He'd flinched when Lucy and Susan had hugged him too, he was just better at hiding that.

Peter moved his hand away, giving Edmund an apologetic look before sighing. "Please?" He repeated, voice soft, full of concern.

Edmund swallowed hard, blinking back tears when he suddenly realised that - despite Peter clearly having not forgiven him yet - he still cared.

After a moment or two, he slowly nodded his head, and after a soft, reassuring smile from Peter, he ducked his head and pulled off his shirt, letting his brother help him, after all, he was in too much pain to not.

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