ignite me / p. pevensie

chapter fifty-five

Rowyn didn't flinch as Tumnus worked a needle through her skin in an attempt to close up the bloody wound on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're home, Rowyn." Tumnus spoke quietly. Rowyn hummed in response as she stared in the mirror that rested in front of her while he stitched her up. Her throat burned. "I heard what you did . . . that wasn't you . . . we all know that—you did what you had to. For Peter. For all of us."

Rowyn squeezed her eyes shut but didn't respond. The rest of the stitching up was silent until, when Tumnus began to wrap bandages over the various cuts on her body, a knock sounded. No words were said between the person and Tumnus—just glances that Rowyn didn't bother to look at. Tumnus gave Rowyn a kiss on the top of her head before leaving the room and allowing the person to take over for him.

Rowyn wasn't surprised to see Peter come to stand in front of her. Rowyn just stared forward as her throat closed more and her eyes burned. Peter moved down onto his knees so she was forced to look at him.

"Can you lift your arms?" His voice was quiet and gentle. Rowyn lazy lifted her arms while Peter stood up and pulled the blood-stained—once white—shirt off her body. Her chest was now completely bare but Rowyn barely noticed nor did she care.

Peter placed the bloody shirt on a tray beside the bed before moving to sit behind Rowyn so he could clean up the cuts that littered her lightly freckled skin. Rowyn began to shake once more as her vision blurred and she blinked through the pain in her eyes.

"I-I thought she was gonna take you away from me-" Rowyn covered her mouth as she shook through a sob. Her breathing was shaky as she tried her hardest to calm down even though it was useless. Rowyn ran her hands down her face and sniffled hard when she saw the blood that rested stained on her hands.

Peter carefully wrapped his arm around her less injured shoulder. Rowyn's hand instantly shot up to hold his arm as it draped across her chest. She squeezed his arm a few times, confirming that he was real, before holding him tightly as he pulled her into his chest.

Peter kissed the back of her head before carefully resting his head on her shoulder. "I never wanna lose you again . . ." She whispered out. If she talked any louder she was certain she would break entirely.

"You won't," Peter whispered back as she held his arm with her other hand as well. "Never again . . . you're here and so am I—nothing will break us apart again . . . I promise, Wynne . . . nothing."

The couple stayed that way for many more minutes until Rowyn finally allowed for him to clean the rest of her wounds and press a kiss to each one.

Peter left for a moment before walking back with a bucket of water and some rags. Having handed one to her, they both rubbed the rags on her skin to rid them of as much blood they could. But Rowyn could only do her face before looking down at the now deep red rag and closing her eyes tightly.

"Here," Peter took the rag from her hands. "I can do it . . . it's okay, Ro." Peter continued to rub down her arms and chest until he removed almost all the blood. He grabbed her hand and helped her stand before unbuttoning her jeans and pulling them down her legs after he removed her shoes. Then, after having cleaned her legs as well, he helped her step into a pair of his sweatpants—since they would be super loose on her—before pulling them up to her hips.

Rowyn finally looked up at his face. His worried expression made her heart crack. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she placed her hands on his chest and snaked them up to his neck.

Peter held her waist loosely and kissed her forehead. "Don't—we're gonna be okay." Rowyn ignored the pain in her body as she pulled him closer to her as she held him tightly. "We're gonna be okay . . ." He repeated as he relished in the feeling of her skin on his hands.

Rowyn tugged onto his shirt. "I-I want to feel you." She said and Peter moved shirt off of his body. Rowyn instantly pushed her body into his. He was no longer just a brush of cold air, he was flesh and blood. He was real. She still couldn't fully process that he was here.

His skin was warm and made her never want to let him go again. "I love you." He whispered as she pressed her fingers into his back while holding him tighter. "I love you . . . I love you." He repeated.

Rowyn moved her head so her nose brushed against his chest and moved her hands down to his hips which were wore low hanging black jeans. "I love you." Her voice was the quietest it had ever been as she held back another cry. Peter's hands traveled up to her cheeks as he brushed the bone underneath it. Rowyn leaned more into his warm palms as she brought her hands up to hold his wrists. "I love you . . ." She squeezed her eyes shut as he pressed his forehead to hers—giving her another reminder that he was real. That she was safe.

Rowyn opened her eyes to see his were closed tightly as he touched her skin. Rowyn moved her hands to his jawline and pressed her lips up to his.

Peter instantly was pressing his lips back to hers hard. All the pain Rowyn felt vanished in that moment—though she knew it would return once the daze of the kiss wore off—and she ran her hands down his neck and to his shoulders. "I'm never leaving you again . . ." Peter whispered as his lips brushed hers after he pulled back a bit. "Come on." Peter led her to the bathroom that was attached to the room. He could read Rowyn's expression that she was uncomfortable and that she ached, so Peter turned on the shower and let it heat up. "I guess I could've waited to put you into these." Peter let out a small laugh, trying his hardest to make her feel better, as he untied the sweatpants she wore and helped rid her of the clothes she wore.

Rowyn studied him in silence as he rid himself of his clothes and then pulled her weak body into the perfectly warm water that rained down in the shower. She instantly sighed at the feeling as any extra blood and sand and dirt washed off her body. Rowyn turned around in his arms and pressed her naked chest into his.

With her head pressed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her ear, Rowyn pressed her palm against his hip as he held her tightly. "I don't regret killing her."

Peter gently scratched her scalp as he worked some soap into it. "You shouldn't . . . if you didn't, she would've come back later and hurt more people—hurt our family." Rowyn pulled away from his chest just enough to look up at him. "I would've done worse than you did if I thought she was torturing you or could at some point in the future—I did do worse back in the Golden Age when you nearly died from that Telmarine solider . . . what you did doesn't make you a monster. That's what you told me that night, do you remember that?"

Rowyn nodded softly as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Peter smiled slightly and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "No one thinks you're a monster." He told her. Rowyn felt as though he could read her mind in that moment. "My parents have heard the stories of you and they love you . . . and your mother knows why you did what you did. She's had to do the same thing in her life. Rowyn, Adeline loves you so much." Rowyn's mouth twitched upwards a bit. "They are more understanding about what we've all had to do in this world . . . they're great people, Wynne. Understanding and kind—they're just happy you're home." Rowyn moved her eyes away from his and shifted them to his collarbones. "They know you for who you truly are."

Rowyn nodded slowly and leaned up to press her mouth to his for a moment. Peter's hands pressed against the small of her back as he kept his lips on hers for a bit longer then either of them planned. "I'm happy I'm home too . . . I just didn't expect for it to happen like this."

Peter smiled sadly. "None of us did . . . but it's okay."

Rowyn nodded and met his eyes once more. "It's okay."