Chapter 8- Softness There Had Been

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To his foes I could wish a resemblance in fate:
That they, too, may suffer themselves, soon or late,
The injustice they warrant,
But vain is my spite-
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(warning: sexual content)
(trigger warning: homophobia, use of f-slur, violence)
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It was a cloudy day. Clouds gathered over the town of Finchley, darkening the day, occasionally lighting up with sparks of lightning every few minutes. The air was wet, and smelt of soil and something sharp- and Sanya was happy.

It happened more often nowadays- happy days. The entire day wasn't usually happy- she wouldn't be herself, if she didn't have moments throughout a day where her heart felt flayed again and her mind felt like it had the weight of Atlas on it- but, most of the day was happy. Whether that was because she would be out of school for another month, or because she and Edmund had reconnected physically, or because of Bonnie's constant letters, or because of the swings she frequented, she did not know. But it was real, the happiness. It was real.

"But it's about to rain." Susan said, her brows creased. She'd opened the door of the Pevensie home, after Sanya had knocked on it. "You can't possibly go out now."

"Susan, please stop talking." Sanya loved her, though, she did. "And get your brother down."

Her sister-in-law rolled her eyes, "Fine."
She yelled over her shoulder, "EDMUND! SANYA'S HERE!"

There came the sound of a crash from upstairs, which probably meant that Edmund had fallen off the bed in his haste to get down.

Susan turned back to Sanya, and then pursed her lips.
"This dress-" She reached her hand out and pinched the collar of Sanya's blue frock, "is very thin. If you get drenched, it'll become see-through, and all of Finchley will be able to see your-"

"Let them." It was as Sanya had said. She didn't care. "I don't mind."

The other girl tilted her head, "Like that sort of thing, do you?"

Sanya stared at her- that tone, Susan's head-tilt, the amusement in her shining silvery eyes-
"Su, I'm your sister-in-law." She laughed, her cheeks pink, pushing away her hand. "You can't flirt with me."

Susan laughed, too, "I know, but there's no one else to practice on. If I playfully ask some other girl if she's an exhibitionist, I'll be jailed."

"You'll find someone, Susan. You made men who like women go weak in the knees back in Narnia. It'll be the same with women who like women." She assured her, and was inwardly grateful that she had met the love of her life at sixteen.

She could not imagine wading through the cesspool of dating and break-ups and romances and relationships day-in and day-out. She'd had crushes, several, before marrying Edmund- though Ikhlas had been the most significant one- and she'd slept with many, after losing Edmund- but falling in love had been only once. For one, it was difficult and arduous to fall in love- but, more than that, she had never wanted to and still didn't want to fall in love with anyone else. It was always Edmund.

Susan looked unsure, despite the laughter, and Sanya went on, "Believe me, I speak as someone whose first thought when I first met you was 'why couldn't the Gentle Queen be the Just King's twin instead of his sister'?"

Her parents had said that the only reason she'd married Edmund was because he was nearest to her age.

And because he was male, she was sure, though they hadn't said that out loud.
She couldn't even ask them about it, because they were dead. Why hadn't she asked them before- when they were still there, back in her old life? She was a coward.

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