The Trap is Sprung

[shadowspun.livejournal.com]

Author: shadowspun
Title: The Trap is Sprung
Rating: G
Pairing: Gwen & Elyan
Characters: Gwen, Elyan
Summary: Elyan is hiding from a great danger.
Warnings: Elyan!whump
Word Count: about 720
Prompt: 331, random first line
Authors notes: none


He kept absolutely still as the footsteps got louder. He couldn't be found. He couldn't be caught. When they got close enough he held his breath, afraid that the pounding of his heart would give him away. If he could have willed away his heartbeat, he would have done so.

The footsteps paused and turned his way. He could tell the seeker was on to him. He timed his move precisely. The footsteps nearly silently crept toward his hiding spot. The moment they reached the spot right in front of the cupboard door, he sprang, pushing the door open and startling his pursuer into stumbling onto the floor.

He ran, flat out, through the house, grinning as his sister cursed and scrambled up to follow and tag him. "Elyan, you rat!"

The couch was right in front of him. He was nearly there. Gwen was left behind as he ran through the doorway to the living room. Suddenly, he felt himself flying through the air. He had a brief moment to wonder what he'd tripped over before he crashed into the floor mere feet away from the safe harbor. Gwen skidded to a stop right behind him and tagged him.

"Gotcha!"

"Ow." Elyan just laid where he was. He'd landed on his wrist as he went down and it was starting to hurt.

"Elyan?" Gwen stopped her happy dance when she finally realized Elyan wasn't grumbling or complaining about his little sister finally tagging him. "Are you alright?"

"No. My wrist hurts." He rolled over and winced. "Gwennie, it really hurts." He could hear the whine in his voice but couldn't stop it. He looked down at his wrist and his face crumpled when he saw how swollen it was becoming.

Gwen winced when she saw it. "I'll go get Mum."

Elyan simply nodded miserably. It was an indication of how much pain he was in that he didn't even notice when his mother showed up and took his arm in her hands, moving it carefully. "Well, my dear, you're getting a visit to the A&A. Gwen, get my purse and keys." Elyan's mum helped him stand up and directed him to the front of the door. "Elyan, mind the string your sister put across the doorway."

Elyan looked down at the yarn that had somehow managed to stay intact even after he'd run into it full-tilt. Gwen rushed back into the room, and cringed when she saw the direction of his gaze, "I'm sorry, Elyan."

"We'll get to your punishment after we see to your brother, Gwen." Mum's word was law and Elyan was in too much pain to do more than scowl at his sister for her tripwire.

After his badly sprained wrist was wrapped and iced, he laid in bed, trying to find a comfortable way to sleep that didn't put any pressure on his wrist or move it in any way. He heard the door to his room open and those same creeping footsteps that had chased him earlier tentatively approached his bed. Elyan was still angry enough at getting a painful sprained wrist that he kept his eyes mostly closed and feigned sleep. He watched Gwen approach through barely slitted eyes. She had her favorite stuffed animal with her, a little red dragon she had named for their grandfather, George. As he silently watched, he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks as she leaned over his bed and carefully placed George next to his unbandaged wrist. She then leaned in and kissed his cheek softly, sniffing quietly. Elyan opened the hand next to the dragon and reached for hers, taking it.

"I'm really sorry, Elyan."

"I know, Gwennie." Elyan opened his uninjured arm wide and let his little sister climb into bed with him, wincing a bit as she jostled his sprained wrist when she wrapped around him like a little octopus, the dragon squished in between them. They stayed like that, both miserable in their own ways, until Elyan's sleep- and painkiller-muzzled mind realized he had something to say to his sister before they fell asleep, "That was a really good trap, Gwennie. You have to show me how you did it. We can use it on Leon next time we go up to his house."