UNREQUITED LOVE
Presenting the third and final chapter. It's much shorter than the previous two chapters have been, and the ending turned out kinda weak, but then, I suppose it could have turned out worse, too.
Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media
Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08
All rights reserved.
PART 3
Now that Terence was reconciled with Lucy, the young man knew he had to find Tumnus and make up with him, too. He only hoped and prayed Tumnus could forgive him for snubbing him the way he did. So, after Terence and Lucy had gone their separate ways, feeling a world of better about one another, the silver-haired youth proceeded to comb the castle for the faun.
Fortunately, it didn't take long at all to find Tumnus, who, as it quickly became apparent, had been searching earnestly for him. "Tumnus," said Terence, as soon as he saw him.
"Hello, Terence," said Tumnus quietly. "Long time, no see."
Terence felt a twinge of guilt when he heard that last part. Raking his fingers nervously through his already disheveled white hair, the boy began, "Listen, mate, I can explain—"
"You don't have to," Tumnus cut him off. "I know why you've been avoiding me this past week, Terence."
Terence stared at his hoofed companion. "You…do?" he was almost afraid to ask.
"I found out today, just now. I heard you talking with Lucy, and I learned everything there was to know concerning your peculiar behavior."
With a sinking feeling, Terence realized Tumnus must have been listening from around the corner, the whole time he and Lucy were together. That meant he knew about Terence kissing Lucy, from the very beginning. Oh, what Terence wouldn't give right now to simply dissolve into thin air, on the spot. What must the faun think of him? Bowing his head in shame and grief, Terence could only bring himself to say, in a hoarse, emotion-filled whisper, "Oh, Tumnus…I am so sorry." Then he closed his eyes and abjectly hid his face in his hands.
He wanted to run far away from Tumnus, but he couldn't get his legs to move, and his feet seemed to be nailed to the floor. However, Tumnus, instead of rebuking Terence or striking the young man down, or even getting angry, only placed a light hand on his companion's shoulder and said in an unusually gentle voice, "Terence, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"I'm sorry, Tumnus," Terence said a second time, his voice muffled by his palms. "I'm such a terrible friend, the very worst friend in the world." Taking his hands away, and lifting his teary, remorseful gaze to the faun's, he besought him, "I'll understand if you can never forgive me. I'll understand if you want nothing more to do with me. Just, please…please don't hate me."
Tumnus felt his heart brim with pity for the poor boy. "I could never hate you, Terence," he said softly, making Terence come closer to him and wrapping him in a hug. "Never!"
"Believe me, Tumnus," Terence half-croaked, "I could never betray you. Had I known that you and Lucy were already involved with each other, I would never have done what I'd done."
"I understand, mate," said Tumnus empathetically, as he continued to hold Terence and fondle him like a child. "If anything, I owe you a bit of an apology myself. Both Lucy and I should have been more honest with you. We shouldn't have kept you in the dark as we did. Maybe if we didn't, this whole misunderstanding could have been avoided altogether." After a moment, Terence felt Tumnus ease his hold on him a little and lift his chin, so they were looking one another properly in the face. "Forgive me?" Tumnus asked him.
Terence didn't understand why Tumnus and Lucy felt they had to take share in the blame, why they almost always had to be the ones to initiate the apology.
But he decided to comply. "All right," he said, "you forgive me, and I'll forgive you."
Tumnus smiled. "All right, that sounds fair enough."
He hugged Terence a second time, and this time Terence readily squeezed the faun back.
- END -