Waking

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate them, and did realize Caspian should be more shy. I feel iffy about this chapter, but decided to publish it anyway. Hopefully everyone gets more of the sense of shyness around Susan and Caspian, even though Caspian is more open to the concept of love (I think that's why he came out so open last chapter). More reviews please! :)

"Susan...Susan!...SUSAN!"

Startled, Susan woke up suddenly to the sound of her voice being yelled. She found herself looking right into Edmund's eyes.

"Finally...took forever to wake you up!"

"So...any particular reason why you were sleeping next to Caspian out here?" Peter taunted from the side, delighting in the tease and anger shown in Susan's eyes.

"Oh, come it off you two," replied a thoroughly annoyed Susan. "I'm out here because I happen to enjoy stargazing, and Caspian found me out here. By the way, how do you find me?"

"That still doesn't explain why you guys fell asleep in each others arms!" Edmund teased, disregarding the latter of Susan's inquiry.

Susan look down to see his arm still around her shoulder. She shrugged out of his embrace, grateful he was still sleeping, and slid off the rock to face her two brothers.

"Oh, shut up you two. Now, move on with it and tell me why we're awake."

"We're starting the march back to the castle. Aslan's orders to begin today at noon. It's ten right now; we have time till then to pack up and get ready," Edmund said.

"Alright. Now, scram, the two of you, while I wake Caspian."

And off Edmund and Peter went, laughing and talking about Susan and Capsian. "Ten to one Susan'll reject him before the weeks out," proposed Peter quietly as they walked off; obviously not expecting Susan to overhear.

"No way! Did you see the way the dryads were fawning after him?" replied Edmund.

Susan waited until the last of their steps had faded away, then turned back to Caspian, sighing.

She didn't know what to do. On one hand, she hated the idea of making a relationship; who knows when she'll go back to England? On the other...

She shook her head. No, she was going to keep her head clear and forget the entire night. She climbed back up to wake Caspian.

Caspian was running through the forest, looking back to make sure he had left the monster behind. He paused for a bit, his hands on his knees, catching his breath. That was when he heard Susan's voice calling out for him. "Caspian! Caspian! CASPIAN!"

Startled, he opened his eyes—and found himself looking into the eyes of Susan, who stopped yelling at him as soon as she saw him looking at her.

As he tried to clear his head and leaned up to get off, Susan herself slipped off the rock and adjusted her quiver and arrows, facing the path. "Aslan has ordered us to get ready for march in two hours."

"To where?" he asked.

"To your castle and coronation," Susan replied, still facing away from him as she got ready to leave.

Caspian felt something was wrong; usually Susan always made eye contact as she spoke. "Are you alright, Susan?" he asked as he walked up to her.

"Yes, of course."

"Are you sure? Something seems...off?"

Susan turned. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, rather stiffly.

"Susan, you don't have to lie to me-"

"Good thing I'm not, then," she replied, then briskly began walking back to the path.

Caspian frowned. Something was definitely off, but he didn't want to push it as it was not in his place.

As he walked to catch up with Susan, he reflected on the other night. It was rare when Susan let her guard down, but last night she was completely herself.

...But to be honest with himself, Caspian didn't know how to continue.

So he caught up to Susan, and unconsciously matched her stiff attitude as they walked back to camp.