Disclaimer: I own nothing

Written for the Susan/Caspian Livejournal Weekly Drabble Challenge #15 (Key)

His heart was carefully guarded.

He let no one in.

He grew up trusting no one and relying on himself.

He was under his uncle's rule, carefully guarded and watched.

Such was his heart.

And then he met her.

And he let her in.

Not at first.

He didn't want to end up trusting someone to have that all fail again.

But slowly he did.

He began to show her things about himself that no one else knew.

What he really thought like.

His starved childhood.

His want to please and rule with wisdom.

How sometimes it was too much for him.

She would always reassure him with kind words.

She wanted to comfort him and let him know that he would do well.

As she began to see through him, their friendship grew into love.

Slowly and subtly at first and then he just knew that she and only she held the key to his heart.

He thought no one else would or possibly could.

It was locked to all else.

But every so often she could get it to open again.

She understood.

She understood his guarded heart.

She had become that way.

Guarded herself against anything so that she wouldn't be disappointed.

So that if they left again she could manage it.

He taught her that it was ok to let go sometimes.

To feel instead of think.

Let her emotions go and see where it took her.

Life was too short to live otherwise.

As they taught each other to open up, so they gave each other the key to their hearts.

And then she left never to return.

Ever.

She had left his emotions so raw and open.

Eventually he let someone else in.

She didn't understand like Susan but she understood in a different way.

Slowly his love for Susan dwindled, and he grew to love and treasure everyone and everything.

She followed a different path.

She guarded her heart.

Believed she could only possibly have him, even though she never could again.

She grew away from all she knew and loved.

No one could open her heart.

Until one day she met someone.

She didn't understand who this Him, he was always talking about, was.

He asked her if it would hurt to try again.

She met Him again and she gave Him the key.

If she ever met the man who first stole her heart, who knows?

But He held the key to her heart, and perhaps along with the man she first gave it too.

For when you give someone the key, they always can open the lock again.