Wishing Only Wounds the Heart

A Tumnus and Lucy Romance

Notes: I own nothing. As an early Christmas present, I'm uploading the final chapter of "Wishing" because I hate to string you guys along for longer than necessary. Thank you from the bottom of my toes for your encouragement and love. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

Acknowledgements: This could not have been done without the great help from our very own in the Tumnus Fan Club, Sanaryelle and mrstater, and to also everyone's crazy love at this story. A great huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed! I am simply blown away!

Dedication: With love to those of you that ship Tumnus and Lucy with a passion.

Lucy awoke some time later, her head aching from crying and her body stiff from being so tense the night before. With defeat, she stood and dressed, thinking that there wasn't any use in it seeing as to how she had nothing planned for the day. Making her way to the balcony, her favorite place to be during the early morning, she smiled at the petals that were falling from a nearby tree. The young Queen rested her arms upon the banister, looking out towards the shores. She heard the slight click of something against marble and looked around. Thanks to the sun she could see a faint shadow of someone hiding behind a pillar.

Smiling she remarked softly, yet loudly enough for the person to hear, "How strange it was for goats to be smarter than Fauns."

A second later and Tumnus was at her side explaining passionately that Fauns were indeed more intelligent than their cousins. "Lucy, you have it all wrong again. Do I have to keep explaining that we are cousins and therefore other than our legs…and feet…and ears…and horns I suppose, we Fauns are the more intelligent."

"I was only joking, Tumnus," putting her shoulder against his, gave him a light shove, but instead of moving aside as he usually did, he stayed where he was.

Lucy looked to him and their eyes met for a long while before they both remembered who they were. What seemed like a never-ending moment of silence followed before Lucy took a small step away so as to no longer have any contact with him.

"We're both so quiet this morning," she observed.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"You know what this means then."

He looked sideways to her, realizing how cold his shoulder felt without her leaning against it, could she possibly know? "I'm afraid not, my Queen."

She looked to him, watching him carefully, "Silly Faun, we are both in love." Inside Lucy was shocked at her outspokenness and vowed to never lose a night's sleep again since this was the consequence of it.

"You always were good at finding out hidden things."

Nodding to the compliment, she returned her gaze to the waves, asking him in a hopefully nonchalant voice, "Is your love beautiful?"

"Oh yes," he replied, desperately trying to not look at her, "she is the essence of beauty. Is your suitor handsome?"

Lucy followed suit, not looking towards him and took great interest in the leaf she was twirling between her fingers. "More handsome than any Man."

Tumnus froze, unable to believe what he had heard, "He is not a Son of Adam?"

"No," her voice taking on a whimsical manner, "no, he is better than a Man." Blinking, she seemed to come out of a dream she had been having, "Is yours not a Faun?"

Frowning slightly before answering, he looked in the opposite direction for he was certain that the comprehension of the situation was apparent on his face. They were speaking of one another! Was she playing a cruel game or did she not know? He cleared his throat and tried to sound distraught, "No, not a Faun."

Lucy looked to him carefully and sighed, how she wanted to all this to end. Thinking that she should tell him now, she opened her mouth but was interrupted by him.

"Have I told you of the Choosing tradition of Fauns?" His eyes were bright and they found hers immediately. Noticing how she averted then, he slightly frowned, but ignored it. Surely she felt the same? She had to, he considered, she just had to. And even if she didn't, he had to tell her now, for he knew that if he waited another minute, he would lose his boldness.

She shook her head, "No, what is it?"

"It's when a Faun meets someone- "

"Another Faun."

"No, not necessarily, just someone that they care for. It's called Choosing. And I-"

"Have you not told her this?"

Tumnus' ears fell in disappointment, he was so close. "Tell her what?"

She shrugged, looking back to the sea, "Tell the one you Choose about this." Folding her hands together, she looked down to them, "I can't tell my suitor. He doesn't feel the same." Closing her eyes from the pain of it all, she inhaled a shuddering breath. It was quiet now; she could hear Tumnus beside her breathing, a bird in the distance call out, and the wind blow through the trees. He took hold of her hand, and she smiled at the friendly gesture from him, but upon feeling his lips against her wrist she opened her eyes quickly, finding him with her hand inches from his mouth, about to repeat the gesture.

"I am trying to tell her, Lucy. But she seems a bit distant this morning."

Frowning slightly as he kissed her wrist again, he caught her eyes, "As I was saying, the tradition is that a Faun loves someone and to mark his love, so to speak, the wrist is kissed. And then-"

"But you-"

Tumnus gave her a solemn look, smiling lightly as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently, "I Choose you Queen Lucy Pevensie."

He watched her carefully, wanting some sort of a reaction instead of the silence he was receiving now.

He didn't have to wait long, understanding soon crossed her face and she looked to him at last, an unasked question in her eyes.

Feigning frustration, he looked to the heavens, "By the Lion, give me strength," putting his arms around her waist and bringing her towards him, he shook his head, "the Human doesn't understand even now when I'm telling her that I love her." The last few words were said with a tone that she had never heard before and his eyes were serious, something that she had seen only on rare occasions of speaking about his father.

Lucy said nothing as she raised a hand hesitantly to touch a curl of his hair in her hands. Running it between her fingers, she stared at it, a small smile forming slowly upon her lips. "My Tumnus…." Her eyes found his and she blushed, "Chooses me and I Choose him." With that, she laid a soft kiss to his lips and when Lucy broke away, she said, "That's the Human tradition."

Softly, Tumnus replied, "I confess…I enjoyed that better than the Fauns'."

"Then we'll practice both, my dear Faun, we'll keep both traditions alive."