Hey, guys. I'm really sorry I haven't updated in forever. Writer's block is kind of a bitch. Well, okay, there's no "kind of" about it. I finally got enough creativity flowing to write this one-shot that I'm thinking of incorporating into another story. So, here ya go! And it's written from Caspian's POV, just so you know. Enjoy!
It was quiet that night aboard the Treader. The last storm that had shaken us had finally subsided, leaving the men exhausted and ready to collapse. Even Edmund was as tired as ever, and yet, even though I worked just as hard as he and the rest of the crew had, I was unable to sleep. So I decided to head up on deck.
I was surprised to see Lucy there, leaning against a railing, staring out into the vast expanse of sea that surrounded us on all sides. Her hair hung loose from its usual side-ponytail, the tendrils of curls swirling around her face in the breeze. The dark red-brown of her hair contrasted sharply with the pale skin of her face, even paler in the moonlit night. She must have sensed my presence because she suddenly looked up at me. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed that the blue-gray of her eyes glimmered silver in the moonlight.
"Caspian," she greeted, smiling at me as I walked over to her. I nodded and smiled back.
"Couldn't sleep?" I asked.
"No. Too much on my mind. You?"
"Same," I replied. "What's on your mind? Maybe I can help in some way."
"Well," she began, and I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of a faint blush tainting her cheeks, "I was just thinking about firsts." She paused and glanced at me, continuing when I nodded. "Like the first time I was ever out at sea…the first time I learned to ride a horse…the first time I…." Her voice trailed off and she lowered her head, a curtain of hair falling between her and me, keeping me from reading her expression.
"I remember when I was first taught how to swordfight, as a boy," I offered, smiling when she looked up at me. Her gaze travelled out to the ocean again, and I wondered what exactly was on her mind when her blush grew a little more prominent.
"Caspian, have you ever…" she paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "…have you ever been in love before?" I blinked, wondering what could have brought this on, and then realized that maybe she could have fallen in love for the first time. She glanced at me, her eyes meeting mine, as I considered her question.
"Well…yes. In fact, I think I'm in love with someone right now."
"Oh?" she asked, her face unreadable to me for the very first time…well, that was ironic.
"Yes. But there's someone she's close to that I don't think would approve."
"Why's that?" she asked, gaze never leaving mine, face still unreadable.
"Because she's not from here. And she's going to have to leave soon. I don't know how soon, or if I'll ever see her again afterwards." I could tell from the light that shone in her eyes that she knew right then I was talking about her. There was sadness in them, though, because she knew what I was saying was correct. I noticed that, while we were speaking, we were slowly inching towards one another, and were awfully close now. I ducked my head, about to kiss her, but hesitated, my nose brushing against hers.
"Caspian," she breathed, eyes closed. Her hands slid up my neck and into my hair, eliciting a slight shiver from me. I slid one arm around her waist and placed my other hand on her neck, my lips about to meet hers…when someone behind us cleared their throat.
"Well…this is, um…awkward, to say the least," Eustace's voice said. I sighed internally; relieved it wasn't Lucy's brother that had interrupted. I turned to look at him, but he was already walking back below deck. I chuckled and turned back to Lucy. Her eyes met mine before travelling down to my lips and back up to my eyes. I chuckled, leaning down and kissing her.
When they were leaving, Lucy leapt into my arms, pulling back enough to press her lips to mine. I could feel Edmund's surprised stare on me, but I couldn't look away from the blue hues in front of me.
"I love you," she whispered, pressing her lips to mine once more before pulling back, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I love you, too. Always have, always will."
"Come on, Lu," Edmund said, smiling sadly at me. She nodded at him, turned to say her last goodbyes to the Great Lion, and couldn't resist briefly pressing her lips to mine once more in the last kiss we would share until we met once more in Aslan's Country.
It's sad, like most of my work. But then again, I'm going to be adding it to a series…so there may be something I left off. ((wink wink)) I promise to update Dear One as soon as I finish the chapter. Like I said, writer's block is a bitch. Don't forget to press that little review button we all love so much!