peter pan

     ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  HEARING THE BUZZER indicate that she was welcomed – invited, even – upstairs, made a smile grow wide on wendy’s features and without a single hesitation, the brunette rushed through the door before starting her climb to the right floor. and as if her smile hadn’t been wide enough yet, as soon as her eyes fell upon the most handsome, adorable, mysterious and lovely lost boy of all standing right there in his doorway – awaiting her – wendy felt as if her heart skipped not one, not two, but a billion beats. “ hey. “, she replied after he’d greeted her, her smile never once fading – not even a tiny bit. when he welcomed her, wendy nodded once, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “ thanks. “, she said cheerily as she entered the place he called his own – a place she’d so often wondered about. when he bowed down, wendy couldn’t help but giggle as a ‘ silly ‘ fell from her lips, however her attention was soon completely captivated by the loft. there were so many little things to discover, and the young woman honestly didn’t know where to look first. 

     " i reckon it’s quite enough. “, the brunette replied kindly as she looked around. “ it’s cute, peter. i love it. it seems so… cozy. “, or maybe it was the thought of it being his that made it absolutely perfect to her. it even seemed pretty c l e a n, something the girl surely had not expected. it was a secret to no one that the guy was a little negligent. would he have cleaned up a little for her ? the mere thought made wendy smile, shaking her head nearly invisibly. would peter pan truly clean up for anyone ? probably not even for the queen of england – e s p e c i a l l y not for her, because she wasn’t only an adult, she was an old one who had a l o t of authority. looking over her shoulder when peter suddenly called out he’d forgotten all about her jacket, wendy smiled and nodded. “ right. “, she mumbled as she quickly shrugged off her scarf and jacket ( she had completely forgotten about those still being on, honestly ). turning around on her heels when he asked her whether she wanted to look around, wendy faced him and smiled, nodding eagerly. “ yes, i’d love to. i feel like there are so many little things to discover… “, she replied.

      “ are you going to give me a tiny tour ? “, wendy then asked, her face lighting up. granted, there wasn’t that much space to be shown to her, but there was nothing the eldest darling would enjoy more than have peter pan tell her all about his little home and all the things it contained – and w h y they made this place home to him, in the first place. 

           What a question that was !! a smile immediately spread across peter’s lips at the prospect of giving her a tour, his heart jumping with the childish joy of being reminded of the time he first showed her something — introduced her to the lost boys and the hangman’s tree, showed her the map written in the stars and told her eons about neverland. " of course, i will !! “ and his hand reached for hers, fingers intertwining in a reflexive manner and with new enthusiasm ( as though he had needed any more ) he skipped his way further into his own place, gesturing to the small unimportant room in the back with the lame description that it was no more than a simple bathroom – the window not even tall enough to walk through; a tragic kind of window – then turning to lead her into the other individual room.

           “ That’s the kitchen i don’t use, ” he explained with a nothing but sceptical look, his fingers running over the counter top which although it might look like it, certainly did not feel as though it had never been used before. “ actually, tink uses it, ” he corrected himself, brows furrowing even deeper as he realised it contained at least some of the mess his best friend was so very well known for, spilling quite literally out of one of the drawers. one of his few chairs, tall except for one shorter leg, was standing in front of the coffee machine as the throne his best friend sat or balanced upon in the mornings with a bitter expression, scowling at the never fast enough coffee machine. “ she fixed one of my pots after cubby burned a hole in it. —  did you know you can burn holes into pots? didn’t know you could fix them either. ” not that he cared that much about whether or not you could. “ you should not let cubby make food, by the way. ever. “ peter, although smiling, gave her a rather serious look – meaning it, knowing of the chaos his friend had left behind – and then, with a shrug, he pulled wendy along with him to the main room, a combination of both living room and bedroom.

            The dining table ought to be considered large for a boy who lived by himself, long and wide and round, and surrounded by exactly three chairs — three because he had heard an adult say, it was an odd number, always either one too much or a few too little. one in particular seemed to be more comfortable than the others with pillows and a blanket which had clearly remained untouched by peter’s attempt of cleaning. “ that’s slightly’s place, “ the leader of the lost boys explained as if the maps, the pens, even the droplets of ink scattered all across the table and yet aimed towards that very chair were not indication enough that the other lost boy seemed to reside often here or rather even more often than the others. “ he likes the quiet, says it helps him to concentrate. “ and the shrug of peter’s shoulders spoke worlds about how little he understood his friends reasoning for all the times his own apartment fell silent, he felt not lonely, not sad, but shiftless. the exploring of the own mind, as slightly did it each time he drew a new map, it wasn’t the type of adventure peter pan wanted to have.

           “ That’s the lost boys’ treasure chest !! “ peter was quick to switch the topic, gesturing towards one of the pirate-esque chests, a smile stretching even wider across his lips. “ remember all the stories about successful adventures? “ he looked at wendy, eyes shining not necessarily with pride for himself ( although, as everyone knew, he had loads of it ) but for his boys and the many pirates they slayed. “ everything’s in there !! the twins used to carry it around with them, because, well, they’re always together and it’s gotten quite heavy over the years, but now it’s here. “ which wasn’t perhaps the safest place considering how often the apartment owner wasn’t here, but then again who really wanted to steal from a ragtag group of boys and what they called treasure? it could be considered trash for everyone who did not believe in adventures and pirates and the treasure that was spending time with your friends. “ i’m actually thinking about giving it to john, “ peter mused, “ what do you think? “ john’s very own pirate treasure to defend, that sure had a ring to it, didn’t it? 

      ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  TODAY WAS D-DAY. that probably made the day’s events sound way more exciting than they actually were ( at least, in the eye of any random stranger ) but while the plans wendy darling had made seemed to be nothing special – they were enough to make her heart pound in her chest. all morning, she had spend in front of her closet in order to pick out the right outfit for today. of course, peter probably didn’t care about what she’d wear – for all she knew, wendy could turn up in a plastic bag and he’d still be fine with it. but obviously, she would decide on something at least a t a d bit more fashionable. though nothing t o o fashionable either; after all she was just simple wendy darling. 

      after deciding upon a simple, black overall dress combined with a soft, white knitted pull, dark stocking and a pair of woolen, white socks the brunette had taken one of her favorite blue bows and put it up in her wavy, chocolate which nicely cascaded down her back. she didn’t apply much make up – just the basic, natural looking stuff. after all, she didn’t want to scare peter off. once she was happy with the over-all look, wendy put on her cognac ankle boots and white, faux fur coat. winter was drawing closer, and it was prominent in the air – a cold breeze made her put up the collar of her coat in order to shield her neck from the chilly weather. 

     with each step she took in the direction of peter’s home, wendy’s heartbeat sped up. they had been friends for years and years yet never had she seen the place where the lost boy lives. where he falls asleep and wakes up. where he comes home to after a full day of adventuring. a place he’d probably taken tinka several times to. today was the day she would discover yet another part of the peter pan – and that was a big thing to a curious girl like wendy darling. once she arrived at the building, she rang the bell that had his name next to it – quickly scrabbled on a piece of paper she supposed he pulled out of some book in a hurry. her heart was racing now, her cheeks pink – both from the walk combined with the cold air, as well as the promise of seeing her favorite lost boy again… { @lostxstboy }

             The emptiness of his own apartment, the lack of decoration and furniture meant for more than the practical storage or the bare necessities, the mere fact that it looked so very much like the place of someone who spend the majority of his time either outside and the few hours inside asleep — none of it had ever bothered peter. in fact, he quite likede it. it allowed space for all the dreams he had, for his relentless energy and the grand personality with the ( as some might call it ) massive ego. it had never crossed his mind to add pictures, small decorative pieces or even plants. it’d just be suffocating, he was sure. instead, peter pan in his immature fashion had a ceiling full of fairylights because it reminded him of his childhood and tink. he had an endless amount of pillows and blankets piling in a corner of his room, sometimes right outside the window in the niche on the roof or whenever all the lost boys had just stayed over, spread all across the apartment’s floor. he had maps spread across his dining table, because no one ever used it unless slightly came over to sketch his most recent visions. and there were clothes everywhere, not because he threw them there – of course, not – but because tink did, because john had forgotten his scarf once and the apartment had been turned upside down to find it, because the twins had some magical way of being dressed one way as they arrived and another when they left again ( another reason peter had decided to consider them one; there was just no way keeping them apart ). it was admittedly a little messy at times or felt plain empty the next, but peter had never minded either — until now.

             The mutual realisation that wendy had never actually seen or been in the place the lost boys practically considered the second hangman’s tree ( or the better hangman’s tree as cubby had once called it, considering it had electricity, water and the pizza delivery guy did not frown at the unordinary adress ), had sparked a careless invitation and where peter had smiled at her just a day prior, telling her she was by the leader’s law always welcomed where he or any of the boys were at, he now stood in his own place with a deep carved frown on his otherwise so boyish features. his apartment wasn’t very magical like he felt the living situation of peter pan was supposed to be, and it was nothing compared to the home the darling house was — was homey even to him ever since the first time he’d stepped foot inside it. in an attempt to fix it, to make it seem any more like the household wendy was used to instead of one she surely would find no comfort in, peter had started cleaning, collecting all the clothes and throwing them unorganised into one of the hardwood chests which served as his wardrobe ( which, on another note, was a brilliant idea john still envied him for as they reminded the right hand man of pirate treasure ). pillows where thrown on his bed, blankets pushed underneath it or tossed into the empty space opposite of it. tink’s coffee mug was almost shattered ( again ) as peter ignorantly put it back into the cupboard with a little too much force and haste. his best friend had sipped from it mere hours prior, bright green eyes looking over his apartment sceptically before she grabbed her backpack and left him with the evil but probably not malevolent commentary that wendy was in for a shock. she might’ve grown up with brothers, but she also had had a mother to clean her children’s minds and the by them created mess at night.

     ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  HE REMAINED SILENT for long… t o o long. it made wendy regret asking it in the first place. maybe there was a reason peter hadn’t really talked about neverland yet – even though the brunette wouldn’t even know why. she expected he would be over the moon, bragging and gushing about how simply perfect neverland is. but ever since he’d gotten back to barrie, the times he had brought up neverland himself could be counted on one single hand… should that have been alarming to her ? 

      the eldest darling was about to tell him to ‘ just forget she asked ‘, not wanting to create a new distance between them now that they had finally rekindled their friendship – and m o r e, dare she say ( or even t h i n k ) it. however when peter pan finally spoke up again, wendy’s face immediately lit up. with glimmering eyes filled with fondness and admiration she listened to his descriptions, not finding it very hard to imagine it all herself. after all, he’d told about neverland so many times in the past – it felt so safe. so familiar. “ that green ? “, she asked as he continued to tell his story, the brunette being all ears and merely letting out some ‘ aaah ‘ or ‘ ooh ‘ or occasional repeating of his words to emphasize her wonder and fascination. “ maybe it was rising just for you. “, wendy said silently, not once tearing her gaze away from him. after all, neverland seemed to be peter’s before anyone else’s – maybe it felt him coming home. maybe it all came alive again. for him. but that probably was the author in her, taking over her logical reasoning – the child inside of her heart, helping her leap back into naive hope and make-belief. 

      when he said he now knew for sure he believes in magic, wendy beamed. she was happy for him – truly happy. he deserved happiness, he deserved neverland. “ i think i want to see neverland one day. “, the brunette then said, her eyes locked with his as they still glimmered with enthusiasm and adoration. “ i want to see the greenest forests, the highest mountains, the most beautiful sunsets. “, she continued, her voice laced with a dreamy tone. “ i want to see magic. “. and she did. it would give her enough inspiration to write a billion stories. not to mention she would give anything to see peter genuinely happy. 

      she had her nose nuzzled away into the soft fabric of his green sweater when he said he’d missed her too. those four words stunned wendy, and without thinking she leaned back slowly, her eyes gazing up at him in a surprised manner. he missed her too ? he missed her too. his words made the brightest of smiles appear on her features, and without hesitance she leaned in again ( however careful ) to peck his lips and leave behind a cheery swift kiss.

      laughing when he said he could kiss her, wendy wanted to reply with a ‘ you can if you want to ‘, but bit her tongue instead. maybe it still was too soon for that. bu that didn’t take the happy, light-hearted smile off of her features as peter spun her around. once her feet were safely back on the ground, wendy let out a sigh – a happy one, of course – as she kept her eyes fixed on the guy standing in front of her. “ no… no, of course not. “, the brunette assured him, shaking her head as she threw him a sweet smile. “ we have all the time in the world, right ? “, she stated, lifting her shoulders in a nonchalant manner at him.

           It should’ve ripped his heart out right there and then, to know that she wanted to see the place of his dreams, the home he’d finally found in neverland, and the reality was that he would never be able to show her — it should’ve, but it didn’t. instead, he was smiling, subconsciously and naturally a smile was stretching across his lips, because for the first time since he returned she looked at him with the same wonder in her eyes she had had before his disappearance. it was the awe and the dreaminess which had always been his favourite sight, the spark of shameless faith ( or naivity as adults would call it ) he’d chosen his lost boys by and the very look he had been convinced with every fibre of his stubborn heart he’d never get to see again. because what wonderous stories did he have left to tell? how was he supposed to tell others to make their dreams a reality if his own biggest dream wasn’t? how was he going to be the leader of the lost boys if there was nothing to lead them to? 

                     Somehow, that’s how.

            " Then i shall be the one to show you one day. “ he had no idea how he was going to do it, but if the sun could rise for no one but him on some days, peter pan could rise above the expectations of others. “ until then, i’ve got it right here. “ and in the potentially most adult fashion, he lifted his hand to tap a single finger against his temple — now, whether or not neverland was a place of his own imagination and no more than a story he told those who lacked hope, whether he’d made it up not, whether it was real or it wasn’t, it certainly was not a place he carried all inside his head. he was just a little lost, or a lot; the most lost boy who seemed to have forgotten that his home was were his heart belonged. 

            His gaze flickered upwards as she moved to lean away from him, a soft light rose colour rising into his ears as he suddenly felt embarrassed or worried, was it? peter himself couldn’t quite tell, and though it was the truth, he wondered for a brief moment whether he shouldn’t have said he’d missed her too. maybe it hadn’t been right coming from him? maybe he didn’t understand something? his lips parted to say something, but he did not know what and before he had the chance to filter his brain for anything, her smile had him speechless for a whole nother reason — and then she kissed him, a small one and short, the kind he’d always frowned upon ( or frowned upon more than the others ) because did they not seem unimportant? more unimportant than a first kiss most definitely, no? well, no. it felt different, but it did not lack any of the meaning he’d always imagined in them.

      ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  PATIENTLY, WENDY WAITED for peter’s answer – her eyes were still fixed on his, hopefulness being clearly visible in her own bright hues. even if he didn’t want to answer her questions, the brunette wouldn’t blame him for wendy darling was outspoken and wore her heart on her sleeve whereas peter pan… didn’t. what she wanted to ask him was p e r s o n a l. and she was well aware the subject of her question was close to his heart… expecting an answer would be selfish. but wendy wasn’t only well-aware of the power of her question, she was also curious. and more so than anything else. 

      “ what’s neverland like ? “, the question left her lips so effortlessly – as if it was a mission she needed to accomplish with determination. peter had been back in barrie for months ( months in which so very much had happened between them ), yet not a single story of neverland had been shared – not with her, not with the lost boys. “ you’ve never told anyone about it. “, the brunette continued, an encouraging, kind smile on her features. she was merely curious – an innocent curiosity which had never left her persona, despite all the mature her father had forced her throug – but understand the seriousness of the question. if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t force him to.

      feeling his arms wrap around her smaller frame, his face being hit away in the crook of her neck, wendy couldn’t suppress a genuine smile of pure happiness. for months she had been missing him, and when he returned, the feeling didn’t exactly disappear. while he had been with her in physic, it felt as if they were further apart than ever. it wasn’t until now that she realised fully and well – with her mind a n d her heart – that peter pan was back home, at last. if it were even possible, the eldest darling tightened her grip on him even more as if she were afraid he would disappear again if she let go. “ i missed you so much. “, she whispered, her voice nothing but a muffled noise as it was caught by the fabric of his sweatshirt. 

       looking up when peter spoke up again, wendy let go of him a little in order for her to take a step back. cocking her head to the side ever so softly, the brunette listened to his hypothetical question, a small smile forming on her lips as she let the possible answers wander through her mind. it didn’t take her too much thought to reply to his question, though. “ yes. “, the girl said with a nod and a sweet smile. “ i wouldn’t doubt for a single second, peter. “, she continued, and she meant it. she knew peter, and if ever she were to leave with him, leaving behind her family, she knew the guy would as well help her return home if she would come to miss them too much. “ when you were gone last time, i felt so alone. i was uninspired. sad. not myself. “, she explained, shaking her head as she looked at her opened window. “ you’ve grown to become a part of who i am… a home would never be a home without you. “, and that, she meant. so, if he’d ask her to leave with him, she would. because staying without him wasn’t a life she wanted to live. 

      with her arms still wrapped around him, wendy smiled as she enjoyed the tranquil moment. it wasn’t until he spoke up once again, asking h e r a question this time, that the brunette moved or even considered tearing herself away from him. a blush appeared on her cheeks when he asked her whether she wanted to go out with him, her heart beating way too fast to be healthy, and an answer leaving her lips so quickly it was a little awkward. “ yes. i would love to. “, she replied, an eagerness to her voice she didn’t even attempt to hide away.

               He had made a mistake. it was his first thought – his only thought – as soon as the question left her lips. he should’ve said no. he should’ve said or done anything else, really, which could have prevented this, but between the months he’d refused anyone answers and the months when even the most stubborn lost boys had given up asking, peter had believed himself to be safe. he was a complete idiot. peter could physically feel the weight of her question coming down at him, like a wave washing over him it seemed to turn his blood cold and push his heart into the pit of his stomach. he hated liars. he hated them with a burning passion as he considered every liar an adult, and yet the only solution he could think of – the only solution which wasn’t bound to him admitting defeat, admitting that peter pan wasn’t the guy he’d always claimed to be – was to lie to her. 

              “ It’s my favourite place. “ his voice was merely a whisper under his breath, not daring to speak louder in fear his heart could hear him — but he knew it could be mistaken for awe too. he hoped she’d think it was just his way of being dramatic, of giving neverland the breath-taking recognition it deserved. “ it felt like finally coming home. “ his eyes fell shut to imagine what it would’ve been like, to seem as though he remembered it vividly, to force the sadness he could feel tingle underneath them back into the corner he’d banished it to after the realisation of his loss had hit him. “ i like the woods best. “ which should be a surprise to no one considering he’d spent most of his childhood inside of barrie’s forest and was, to this day, still carrying the wood’s dirt everywhere. “ they’re greener over there. i didn’t think trees could be that green. “ and oddly, peter was thinking of tink now, of green eyes staring at him as she found him sitting in the window he’d escaped through six months prior. “ i stayed there for days, sleeping on the ground if i had to, waking up to– “ a blonde bun of hair in his face. peter smiled, not quite realising himself it was a genuine one. “ –the sun shining through the foliage. it’s my favourite sight. and there are eight mountains in the middle, i only ever remembered seven. “ one for each of the lost boys and the one which used to belong to peter himself but he’d given up for his trusted right hand — and now the well-deserved eighth one for the youngest darling, because peter was peter pan and he knew how to bend the rules. he’d imagined all of neverland, he could imagine an additional mountain as a reminder that michael was one of them, that maybe growing up wasn’t all that tragic too. 

             “ I climbed all the way up the tallest one once– “ which should’ve been slightly’s but was now john’s because peter had assigned mountains while he still clung to the rule that no lost boy was allowed to grow taller than him. “ –to watch the sunrise. “ and naturally, he thought about all the times he’d stolen wendy through her window to watch the beginning of the new day with her — or watch her, rather, as the sun rose to illuminate her eyes and a smile subconsciously or not stretching across her lips. “ it felt like it’s rising just for me. “ it added to his pride and his dumb arrogance to look at someone who meant so much to you and see their eyes filled with wonder and a bright smile on their lips. “ you know i’ve always believed in magic– “ peter’s eyes opened again, looking at his little bird and seeing the sunrise in hers, “ –but if i didn’t, if i hadn’t then, i would be sure of it now. i felt it. “ and perhaps, because sometimes meanings changed when you grew up, and peter pan had done an awful lot of growing up after he’d been gone, ‘ magic ‘ was now carrying the meaning of another word as well. 

              He smiled in pure adoration as her embrace around him tightened, not too far but further and he lowered his head to rest it against hers, whispering the words a peter pan had never dared to say out loud for it would admit to him ever being anything but happy — words not even tink knew how they sounded coming from him. “ i missed you too. “ and for once, there was no competition, no ‘ i missed you more ‘ because peter pan always had to be that extra peter pan bit better than the others because. he’d just missed her. it wasn’t something he could weigh or explain how much. he’d just missed her and missed her and couldn’t quite tell when he’d stopped — maybe it also was right now.

    ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  SMILING SOFTLY – SHE perhaps would’ve expected he’d understand… after all he was peter pan. the leader of the lost boys. destined to find neverland, a land where children can be children forever. if that doesn’t make your existence significant, than nothing would. but if he said he didn’t understand, then maybe wendy saw it wrong – because peter pan was a lot of things, but she knew he wasn’t a liar. and even if he were ( which she refused to believe ), she knew he would never lie to her.

      when he told her he d i d know what it was like to have a dream like that, a smile once again spread across wendy’s features. “ thank you. “, she replied genuinely, excited and honoured he would help her achieve her dream – little did he know that right then and there, she had come to the realisation that in the end, it wouldn’t be about the books or her name on them; about people reading them and remembering her name from it. in the end, it would be about t h e m. their story. and how it could hopefully warm people’s hearts… the same way it warmed her. or even a fraction of it would suffice already. and then, something came to mind, and with the smile still in place and a curious gaze in her eyes, she looked up at the boy with the messy red locks as his name tumbled from her lips in a soft, questioning manner: “ peter ? can i ask you something ? “.

     of course, wendy should have known that asking him in return wouldn’t be the best idea – but after all, she wanted to know what he wanted. what he expected. what he was t h i n k i n g. for she didn’t want to get too ahead of herself. her smile fell a little as he took a step back, her hands once again falling beside her body before she brought them to her chest where she folded them. with her smile faltering ever so slightly, she shook her head as she listened to his confession. “ it… it doesn’t have to. “, the brunette then told him, shooting him a reassuring smile. if anything, she didn’t want everything to change either… but that didn’t mean she didn’t believe it couldn’t get even b e t t e r than what they used to have. “ i mean… “, she continued, lifting her shoulders as she tried to look for the right words. “ nothing has to change, if you don’t want that. “, and she meant it. because t h i s, all of this was what s h e wanted. but this was t h e m, not her. and she wanted him to know that. she wanted him to know that, in the end, she would always pick him and their friendship above anything else… never wanting to put that at stake.

     smiling and shaking her head as he told her he would probably be deficient for a while – immediately, the moment that word once left her lips in an argument coming to mind – if not f o r e v e r, wendy sighed but it wasn’t a sigh of defeat or regret. because he was peter – and she never wanted him to change for anyone, or anything. but this peter is the one she fell in love with in the first place. the boyish, charismatic, adventurous, d e f i c i e n t character that could easily be one straight out of a storybook. he was nothing like any boy she had ever met before – and while he wasn’t the first one who had ever made her heart beat faster, he was the one who had made it beat the loudest for the longest time. and no boy or man, not even a bookshop keeper’s son, could ever change that. “ i don’t care. “, wendy then said, a chuckle falling from her lips as she once again shook her head, her eyes searching his. “ whatever it takes. “.

     as he continued speaking, he’d undoubtedly piqued her interest, and with curious eyes she kept her gaze firmly fixed on him, attempting to read his expression which was always a challenge. with her teeth sinking down in her lower lip, she registered what he said, only to have the corners of her lips curl up. “ but peter… i already a m your bird. “, she reminded him, shaking her head and giggling as if it were the most common knowledge to ever be known. “and you already are m y peter pan. “, and that was the truth. taking another step in his direction, wendy noticed how he tried to disappear into his hoodie as her gaze fell to the ground, a petite smile reappearing on her lips. wrapping her arms around his body, she gave him yet another hug before whispering: “ i’ll always be here for you. “.

                The way wendy phrased her request had a spark of suspicion illuminate peter's eyes, his eyebrows narrowing ever so slightly into a gentle frown and he wondered whether the mere fact that she asked to ask him something should make his response a negative one, but he was naive and braver than he thought of himself right now, and he was peter pan, he would never be able to deny his little bird such innocent seeming question. he nodded, offering her a gentle smile and the genuine truth: “ whatever you want. whenever you want. “ no matter how much he might hate it or how difficult finding a response could be, the least he could and would do was listening to her when she wanted him to. 

              Another reason, peter realised as he watched her, why in the bottom of his heart he wanted something to change was her smile – not the bright one, not the one he liked the most on her, but the one that seemed to have replaced his favourite one – the disappointed one. he didn’t know whether he was supposed to read it as such, but when she smiled just for him, when she smiled ( so much like an adult ) at him who didn’t want to lead on that they were disappointed, peter’s heart was sinking in his chest, and it was burning with such fury, because he knew basically what he felt. he knew she could keep smiling the happy one, but how did you say that? how did he become the guy she wanted? or rather, the guy she deserved him to be.

             Peter fell silent, watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. he didn’t know whether he could believe her, whether she truly did not mind what flaws she had previously thrown at him, but he wanted to. he wanted to believe her with all of his heart, and for that sole reason he did. because it had been hurt talking, right? she hadn’t mean it. she had never thought it. everything she said must’ve been her father talking — yeah, peter liked that. he didn’t mind if mr darling thought of him as nothing but a deficient boy, but if wendy did... peter cut his own thoughts, finding no happy and up-cheering end to the sentence.

            This time, the leader of the lost boys didn’t hesitate as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “ i know, “ he muttered, closing his eyes as a silent sigh escaped his lips. and it was the truth, for the first part, anyway. he had never belonged anywhere, if you asked him that is. even his best friends, it seemed, were always known to be his friends and not the other way around. the lost boys belonged to him. tink belonged to him. neverland belonged to him. he wasn’t complaining, of course. he liked that everything always belonged to him, but when wendy said he was already hers, had apparently already belonged to her, he was genuinely surprised. it was nice. for all the years he’d spent priding himself in being free – free of his parents and free of belonging anywhere but neverland too – there was suddenly an unfamiliar wave of warmth surrounding his heart. 

          “ I’ll not... ask you again, “ because he had learned his lesson, but also because he himself didn’t plan on leaving barrie again right now, “ but if i leave again, will you want to leave with me? ” and he smiled, a childish little chuckle, because the question seemed like such a silly one. however, part of the reason why it had been so upsetting to have her choose her family the night they were supposed to leave, was because he’d thought of it as ‘ instead ‘ of him rather than her choosing them ‘ above ‘ him. he didn’t want to feel like that again. he didn’t want her to feel like he’d picked neverland instead of her either. “ if you don’t ask me to stay either, i promise, i will want to stay with you. “ and peter knew that he was speaking the truth, even without knowing that he would leave in future again, would leave her albeit still wanting to stay with her, and would only come back when john’s wedding called him to.

     ❝ ˛✦ ⊰  WHEN HE SAID he is creative and she has the talent, wendy nodded and smiled sweetly up at him. “ and together, we could be the perfect team… “, she replied silently, the twinkle still in her eyes. the eldest darling k n e w they could be the perfect team – she felt like peter complemented her. meeting him has turned her life around for the best. because of peter, she did so many things she otherwise wouldn’t have done, has discovered so much about herself. even if peter didn’t know yes, wendy already knew they were the perfect team. he had already been the reason for all the inspiration she had had the last couple years… he already was the creative side of her stories.

     blinking a couple times as a frown momentarily ghosted across her features, wendy shook her head barely noticeably as she was a little confused by his question – she didn’t realise it was confusing or unclear. but then again, she was talking to peter pan… an expectation for a normal reaction barely ever fit him. “ i mean… i want to… do something significant, you know? “, she explained, a small smile making its way back to her lips. however, as he reminded her she had eight lives worth of something to leave behind, she shook her head slowly and smiled at he ground. even though that wasn’t the exactly the same, after all, if those lives would, eventually, disappear as well… the name wendy darling would loose significance, right ? but then again… what would her name on a novel be worth if no one truly cared about the person behind it. “ thanks. “, the brunette eventually said, lifting her gaze again to fix her eyes on him again.

   and then, when he squeezed her hand and looked down at their intertwined fingers, she followed his example and looked down as well. “ it’s worth everything. “, wendy whispered, squeezing back as she nodded. and the fact that he believed it was – t h e y were – valuable, it made her heart skip a beat and a blush appear on her cheeks.

    with her palm still flat on his chest, the vibrations resulting from him giggle caused her own lips to curl up and a chuckle, mirroring his own, escaped. with her fingers curling up a little, feeling the soft fabric of his sweatshirt caressing her fingertips, the brunette bit down on her lower lip. “ i never really… i don’t know what to say because… “, she began, searching for the right words while deep down, she already knew she wasn’t going to find them. “ i never… felt this before. “, and that was the truth, no matter how terribly cliché that sounded. she wasn’t going to say she saw fireworks or her feet popped up – after all, and she couldn’t believe she’d think this, but her life wasn’t a movie. and while before all she wanted was a love-story like the first princess diary movie, after this… wendy knew no love story ever written would ever measure up to this. because she could read and write about love and how it makes you feel all she wanted, no story could ever prepare her for this. so all the words in the world, and all the times she’s read about falling in love, none of those felt useful right now. “ i’d say it was great but… that would be an understatement. “, the brunette eventually let out, smiling up at him, warmly.

      giggling a little when he started swirling one of her locks around is finger, the brunette tried to look down at it because ( and she never thought he would be able to do this ) it was kind of cute. his question however made her gaze back up and she smiled reassuringly at him. “ i, erm… “, she began, nodding slowly as she now brought both her hands to his chest where she began tapping them on his shirt, softly. “ i… what do you w a n t it to mean ? “, the brunette asked him in return, a slightly playful grin on her lips. she was fully aware peter wasn’t into romance or relationships… she didn’t want him to start feeling uncomfortable around her. all she wanted was for them to be great – no matter in what shape or form.

               Peter smiled at her with all the warmth his heart was feeling, shaking his head ever so slightly at his stubborn little bird being so beautifully determined that they were a good match — and truth be told, he couldn’t deny her. he didn’t want to either. their friendship had proven before anything else that he hadn’t just fallen into any window the night he’d been hunting down his shadow. he couldn’t have found a better one and if peter, who had only had his lost boys back then, who didn’t want to have anything else either, had been twelve and dreaming about girls, instead of a place beyond the moon, he was convinced he’d have dreamed of her. 

               “ I don’t, “ he was blunt with his truth because what sense would it make pretending to understand her yearning for significance if he himself didn’t have it? if he didn’t even understand where it was coming from. “ but i know what having that dream is like. “ it had always been neverland for him, leaving the boring town of barrie and finally finding a place he considered home, and he too knew what losing that dream felt like. he smiled, the same reassuring smile she always smiled with at him. “ so you’ve got me. i believe you will. i’ll help you. “

               If the dumbfounded expression was any indication, it was becoming quite clear that peter had not expected her to throw the question right back at him. it was bold to assume he knew what it meant, let alone what he himself wanted it to mean — which, somehow, happened to be even more difficult a question to him although that one was supposed to be the easy one, wasn’t it? " i – “ he had to take a step backwards, bring some room for his thoughts between them and let her hands slide off his chest. taking a deep breath – a breath which didn’t at all help to get her out of his system and concentrate on the question instead, because she was still in the air, in the warmth which lingered on his skin and the ghostly feeling of her lips on his. peter sighed. the truth was he didn’t know, but he refused to admit to that. “ i guess i... don’t want everything to change..? “ not that he thought it would have to, but he didn’t want to be the one who had to change either. he wasn’t one for secrets, never had been a person to keep his joy for himself, but he wasn’t the type of person to carry these things out in the open either, was he? there was a reason none of the boys ( as far as he knew, anyway ) had been told he kissed tink, why, for all he cared, they’d never need to know.

           “ I'm going to be – “ he searched his brain frantically for a fitting adjective to describe the problem he was having — that he wasn’t exactly made for relationships, that being parentless had perhaps left him with a little more than just a stubborn hatred for adults and that it was tough, even ( or maybe especially ) for peter pan, to kill his habit of pushing and pulling away. “ – deficient for a while. “ he didn’t look at her when he used her word, simply staring off into the distance instead, determined not to let her notice her saying such a thing stuck with him — but the mere fact that he used it now, that he remembered it instead of solely shrugging it off and dumping it into the bottomless pit of insults he’d received over the years, it showed it’d lingered with him nonetheless, didn’t it? “ probably forever. “ he grinned now, bringing light to the situation like it was an achievement, and in a weird way, it was to him for adults hated deficiency and he would always consider it a compliment to be young and cheerful enough to be hated. 

           “ But – “ peter blinked, falling into a pause as he imagined their lives if nothing changed, if this was going to be a kiss just like tink’s and they were free to do whatever they wanted with whoever they wanted now. peter had to think of booth again and where his lost boys and him had always made fun of the bookshop keeper’s son for probably being the type to stand in the rain first chance he saw, yelling to a window that wasn’t even kept open for him and getting electrified because some book had told him a girl would go out with you if you held a boombox above your head — the vision was a lot less funny if it ended with booth actually being invited in. peter was by no means a jealous being and he wasn’t jealous right now either, but there was something defeating about having to watch ( even in your own imagination ) the possibility of your dream vanishing in front of your own eyes. “ i want you to be my little bird. “ which was confusing, because he already called her so and he called everyone else his as well, but there was one significant difference: “ i want to belong to you. “ 

( °. FEELING THE TIPS of his fingers brush against her cheeks as they pushed some hair behind her ears, wendy kept her eyes fixed on the lost boy, her eyes wrinkling as she smiled sweetly up at him. with her hands resting on his sides, the brunette had a rather curious look in her eyes as her name fell from his lips. “ yes ? “, she asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper, as she scanned his eyes, trying to figure out his thoughts. there had been a time where it was so easy ( well, sort of… to an extend. because you can never truly know what is going on in peter pan’s head, can you ? ) to read his mind by merely looking into his joyful hues. it was something wendy had grown used to doing, over their years of friendship… and even after months of being separated, it still felt so familiar staring into his eyes. as if he never really left. his words made a petite smile tug at her lips and she nodded slowly, not averting her gaze – not even for a single second. “ i know. just like i want you to be happy as well… “, wendy replied, as if it was the purest, most sound logic in the world. as it became clear what he was referring to, wendy had to suppress a sigh as she nodded once again before resting her head on his shoulder, her arms sneaking further around his torso as she held him tight. “ i am happy. and a big part of that happiness stems from you being back. “, she said softly. hearing him say that no one would ever get in between them caused her to smile, as if she was relieved. “ no one. i’m always going to be your wendy bird… “, wendy continued with a sweet, honest smile as she looked back up at him. “ and you’re always going to be my peter pan. “.

( °. WHENEVER THE GIRL threw her arms around peter, part of her expected him to step away from the hug and change the subject to something… childish and innocent. something playful. but not this time. feeling his arms tightly wrap around her small frame caused wendy’s smile to grow even brighter. peter probably didn’t know, but his hugs were some of the very best. they were filled with warmth and unspoken emotions. feeling his breath tickle her skin as he buried his face away in the crook of her neck, caused a sweet giggle to fall from her lips as she softly rocked them back and forth. his laugh was enough to have her heart jump with pure joy – a childlike joy she had missed so much during peter’s absense. feeling his lips near her ear caused goosebumps to appear on her spine and she smiled, a blush on her cheeks. “ good. “, she whispered. when he twirled them around, wendy laughed, holding on tight until her feet were placed back on the ground. looking into his eyes as he spoke up again, the brunette nodded slowly as she bit on the inside of her cheek. “this is going to be us forever. “, she repeated his words, a twinkle in her eyes. just him and her. “ no matter w h a t would happen, or w h o would come along the way. right ? “, she asked, her voice soft, as another guy came to her mind, slightly pulling at her heartstrings.

( °. HIS WORDS CAUSED a grin to tug at her lips and her heart fluttered. she’d missed this – these sweet, carefree moments with peter. they used to have so many, back in the days. it kind of astonished wendy just how much things had changed. but not in this very moment. in this moment, it still felt like the good old days. like peter and wendy. it reminded her of why she liked peter so much… why she was so heartbroken when he left… wendy followed his gaze which wandered over their intertwined hands, and it caused a blush to appear on her cheeks, her heartbeat going up just a tad bit. it was… nice. being this close to him. it had always done things to her heart and mind, whenever he was so nearby. it made her… wantm o r e. but maybe that was just selfish of her. he was peter pan. he didn’t care for romance, or feelings. for love. but still – it passed by in her mind, and she couldn’t help but be faced with numerous what if’s. nodding slowly as she kept her eyes still fixed on his, the girl smiled softly as she whispered: “ promise. “. and as soon as the words had left her lips, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close – closer than he already was. with her eyes closed, she inhaled deeply, taking in the scent she had grown so accustomed to – the scent she missed when he was gone. “ no matter what happens. i’ll always be your wendy. and you will always my peter. “, she assured him, and it was a truth she felt deep down in her heart – one she knew would never, ever change. she didn’t pull back from the hug, but merely turned her head a little in order to place a kiss on his cheek. “ do you promise you will always be my peter ? “, wendy asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

( °. NODDING IN AGREEMENT, the brunette thought back about that one night where he had taken her hand and told her to believe – to think happy thoughts and they’d lift you into the air. during that very night, wendy became the wendybird… h i s little bird. he had taught her how to fly, taught her how to believe, taught her how have fun. he taught her so much about herself… and for that, she would be forever grateful. she would forever love him… scrunching her nose when he said they should get her a grilled grass hopper, she turned her head to face him, his chin nearly resting atop her shoulder. “ i promise you… my pancakes will be way more delicious than those grilled grass hoppers. “, she assured him with a proud, confident smile. “ once you’ve tasted the wendy darling pancake, you will not want any other, ever again. “, and with that she chuckled, shaking her head to her own words. as soon as she’d turned around, and peter caught one of her hands in her own, his other arm wrapping around her waist, the brunette’s heart rate immediately went up. it always did, when peter was as close as he was right now – she was even afraid he’d hear it beating loud. and fast. when he spoke up, wendy hung at his lips… he… w h a t ? a glimmer of hope ignited in her chest, just like it had done before he left. when he had asked her to run away with him. for a second, she allowed herself to dream – to get sucked into the moment and wonder ‘ what if … ‘. lifting her chin slightly, the girl couldn’t help but have her face inch a bit closer to his, her breath stuck in her throat. he was so close… she could feel his breathing stroke against her nose. when he continued, wendy nodded slowly, though she kept her eyes locked with his. “ i will always be your little bird. “, she whispered, finally and slowly letting go of the breath she’d been holding.

( °. “ IS THAT SO obvious, then ? “, the brunette asked, a smirk tugging at her lips as she played along in his rather cocky game. it was nice, having these… mindless conversations with peter. god, they’d had so many of those over the years. they were enough to make her forget about her problems, her father, any possible fights with her brothers… they made life so much simpler. more enjoyable, at times. “ hey – if you think they’re poisonous, you don’t have to eat any. “, wendy said, turning her head so she could smile playfully, nudging him softly as he came to stand behind her. laughing upon hearing his words, the brunette shook her head. “ oh, how could i make such a terrible mistake. forgive me, peter pan, it’s been too long since i last had a g r i l l e d grasshopper. “, the bird replied, grinning as she focused back on the ingredients and the cook book. when he mentioned her parents, though, the brunette’s jaw dropped and quickly – almost automatically – she averted her gaze, fixing it on the scenery out of the window only to see there was… no one. “ you… meanie ! “, wendy laughed as she turned around, now being extremely close to him, quickly lifting her hand to hit him on the chest. “ you scared the life out of me. “, she continued as her laughed died down a little, her eyes now fixed on his.

( °. A CHUCKLE FELL from wendy’s lips upon hearing her friend’s reply. it was nice to hear him say he trusted her… and not a little bit, either. it made her heart flutter because what bigger compliment was there to receive, right ? taking a step in his direction, the brunette smiled at peter. “ i trust you too. “, she said, genuinely, their eyes locking momentarily before she turned around on her heels to get back to the ingredients she’d stalled out. “ everything? even… baked grasshoppers ? “, she asked, raising a brow

( °. A SMIRK WAS constantly tugging at wendy’s lips as she stalled out all the needed ingredients to bake pancakes – peter’s presence something the brunette was awfully aware of. it had always been like this, and even after six months of being without him, this obviously hadn’t changed yet. as everything was set, the girl turned around on her heels so she could face her friend – her p e t e r – who had already taken a seat on the counter of the expensive darling’s kitchen. luckily, her parents were gone for the weekend – that meant no fuzz about wendy inviting peter over. “ you know… there goes some major trust into allowing me to bake you pancakes. for all you know, i’m a terribly cook, right ? “.  

             ( °. WHEN PETER TOLD her he was sure – confidence lacing his voice, as it had done so many times before – wendy sighed softly. of course he thought so, there was no way for him to know what was on her mind. he’d never guess it, either. though those slightly saddening thoughts which clouded her mind soon disappeared as he brought his finger up to her head to lift her chin, his eyes peering straight into hers, sending a wave of goosebumps down her arms. with a soft smile, she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side before she nodded nearly invisibly. “ i know. “, wendy replied with the sweetest voice, hope radiating through as she thought ‘ maybe he was right… things take time… ‘ because who really knows what the future holds. for her. for t h e m. hearing him speak about neverland made a giggle fall from her lips and she sighed and nodded, a twinkle in her eyes. even though she’d wondered why he hadn’t told her more about neverland ever since his return, wendy was glad to see he found what he’d always been dreaming of. with their gazes still tied to one another, wendy bit on the inside of her cheek as she tried to suppress the urge to step up to him and hug him; pull him close to her and whisper in his ear what he had been doing to her heart since the night he tumbled into her bedroom. to finally let the thing off her chest which had been truly weighing down on her for months now. but she couldn’t. the brunette knew it wasn’t her place. so instead she just laughed kindly and nodded as she answered: “ you are that important, peter. i don’t w a n t you to leave my side ever again. “, and her words were nothing but the truth. those six months without him had been awfully lonely and cold. as if she was missing a part of her. feeling how his fingers moved from her chin up to her ear to push a strand of chocolate hair out of her face, wendy held her breath briefly. it was so sweet, a simple gesture though could it be… i n t i m a t e, almost ?perhaps, it was all just in her head. as quickly as he pulled back his hand, wendy let go of her breath silently before looking back down, the sincere moment gone in the blink of an eye – so fast one would wonder whether she’d only imagined it. the wind caressed her bare skin as she took a small step in his direction, her hair blowing in her face briefly until she brought her hand up to her features to clear her vision again, her eyes still fixed on the thimble around his neck. in any other circumstance, wendy would’ve questioned why he leaned back as she approached – did he not want to have her close when she was undressed ? – but none of the doubts lingered as there was only one thing important enough to occupy her mind: the thing around his neck. as her fragile fingers graced his chest momentarily as they reached for the thimble, wendy felt a small blush reappear on her cheeks. his words made her jaw drop ever so slightly, her gaze finding his as he shot her a sheepish smile. he kept it, around his neck, because he believed it to be his first kiss ? the corners of her mouth slowly curling up into a sweet – fond, loving almost – smile, wendy shook her head slightly. “ you’re so sweet, peter pan. i can’t believe you still have it… “, she whispered, the smile never once faltering. the fact that he kept it so close to him, it did things to her heart she didn’t bother trying to understand. “ but this isn’t a kiss. i mean… it is, sort of. but not a r e a l one. “, the brunette continued, her voice still soft and sweet as she kept her gaze fixed on his.

              ( °. WHEN HE NODDED, wendy smiled and lifted her shoulders, bringing one hand up to her elbow to scratch it as she thought about her own words for a little longer. there were so many things she wanted to tell him – but something held her back. something that always held her back. nodding in return when he told her she knew how he thought about those things, wendy’s smile faltered a little and she averted her gaze. “ you think so? “, she asked, her voice soft, because she was pretty sure that there were things she believed in – wanted to believe in – and hoped for which she wasn’t too sure of would actually ever happen. she didn’t want to dwell on those things for too long, though – today was supposed to be a day for fun. not for her to ponder over her unspoken feelings. his next words caused a chuckle to fall from the brunette’s lips and she fixed her gaze back on him as they stood face to face once more. “ only when i’m around you. “, the brunette replied, her voice soft and barely audible – wendy was sure the lost boys had not understood. but she hoped that her voice carried out ‘till his ears. because it was the truth, and she wanted him to hear it. shaking her head when he bowed down, a laugh falling from her lips as she pushed a brunette lock behind her ear. “ you jump, i jump… “, she nodded, her eyes finding his as she smiled. “ c a p t a i n. “. wendy never called him that – because to her, he wasn’t just the leader of the lost boys. he was peter pan. peter. her peter. noticing how his eyes widened as he caught up on her drift, which immediately caused a blush to appear on her cheeks and she cast her gaze down to the floor. “ erm… “, she started after clearing her throat, but peter was faster, jumping up from where he was standing to tell he lost boys to look away. just like them, wendy turned around as well before she lifted her shirt over her head, carefully dropping it on the floor before she pushed down her skirt. collecting all of her brunette locks over one shoulder, wendy looked over her shoulder when peter spoke up again. noticing how he as well took off his shirt caused her blush to get fiercer, her heartbeat going up a couple notches. shaking her head as she turned around to reach for his shirt, her eyes found his the moment he looked behind him – and wendy believed she’d never been any more flustered. her cheeks now bright red, she cleared her throat, an awkward smile tugging at her lips as she forced herself to tear her gaze away from his. so, instead she dropped her eyes, which she immediately regretted as the fell to his bare chest, so quickly, she brought them back up – and that’s when she saw it. the thimble she’d once given him. the one he’d returned to her before he left for neverland. the one she lost. there it was… dangling from a necklace around his neck. stepping closer to him, wendy for a second forgot about the awkwardness of the situation as she reached for the thimble. “ you… you still have it ? “, she asked, her eyes finding his again.

                  ( °. HIS QUESTION MADE her frown and she pouted for a second as she thought. “ i… “, she said softly, however she wasn’t really sure what the correct answer was. “ i mean, i’d love to be a writer. “, the words fell from her lips, them being the most evident choice. but there was m o r e. she didn’t just want to be a writer. there were so many things she wanted to be – things she never really thought about, which seemed so plain and simple. common, even. “ i want an adventurer. “, wendy continued, the words causing a smile to tug at her lips. “ i want to be... “ your wendy bird, forever ? your biggest adventure? for some reason, quite some ‘ your’s ‘ came to mind, but those answers were probably too cheesy to say and for a second, wendy believed it would ruin whatever they had. right ? “never mind. “, she finally said, smiling at her friend as she brought her hand up to her head, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. his next comment caused a chuckle to fall from her lips and she shook her head as she put her trust in him, her eyes still closed. “ i’m sorry, peter. i didn’t mean to spoil anything. “, she replied kindly, her hand softly squeezing his. once they’d arrived at the ‘ secret spot ‘, and wendy’s eyes had finally adjusted to the sunlight, wendy turned her head to face peter who burst out into laughter. sure, the thought of jumping off that cliff was… daunting. but it made her heartbeat go up with excitement, adrenaline already starting to pump through her veins as she looked down. with a smile, she shook her head and waved his words away. “ no… i mean, i’ll jump. but only if we jump together. “, the brunette asked, her hand briefly placed on top of his, which rested on her waist as he still kept her safe from falling. when she realised he probably didn’t like that, wendy dropped her hand back next to her body before taking a step away from him, her smile not leaving her features. “ it’s… it’s fine. i’ll just… i will… “, the brunette muttered, bringing her hand to the hem of her shirt, lifting it a little to indicate she’d just take her clothes off. they were her friends. it was no big deal… and her parents would never have to find out ( they wouldn’t approve of their daughter – a real lady, after all – to jump off a cliff in merely her undergarments ).

              ( °. WHEN PETER ASKED whether michael was the creative one, wendy pouted. wasn’t she supposed to be the creative one ? john the brains, michael the sports and wendy… well, she was creative. she was the writer, the one who came up with adventures and stories. “ but… if michael’s the creative one… then… who am i ? “, the brunette asked, slightly hesitant as she pointed at herself, her eyes fixed on peter’s as a petite smile tugged at her lips. it actually wasn’t a fair question – wendy knew as much. and not only because peter had been gone for six months ( who knows what could’ve happened in six months, right ? ), but mainly because wendy wasn’t even sure of the correct answer herself. not anymore. but right now, the brunette didn’t want to think about that. this was such a beautiful afternoon. it was peter, and her, and the lost boys. she wanted to have fun, like the good old times. she sure wasn’t going to let these six months drive them even further apart. no, today was for getting closer. closer again – something she craved so badly. giggling, wendy lifted her shoulders: “ i guess you’re right. but peter, you know i don’t like surprises very much. “, she reminded him, her smile never once falling from her features. with her eyes still firmly closed and her hand safely in peter’s, the brunette gave herself into his hands, trusting upon his guidance. she knew she was safe with him – she’d always be. “ erm… there’s water… we’re too far away from the beach so that can’t be it… “, the girl reasoned as they carefully advanced. “ the cliff ? “, the word left her lips slightly unsure – she’d never been there. her father told her it was dangerous. it was a steep fall, he’d said. and he wouldn’t want her to fall into her death. when peter stopped moving, so did wendy, and with a smile still bright on her lips she waited for him to tell her she could open her eyes. feeling his hand caress her arm briefly before sneaking his arm around her waist, wendy bit on the inside of her cheek – she was very aware of his presence, of how close he was standing to her. and just like every other time, his proximity made her heart beat a bit faster. at the ‘ go ‘, the brunette opened her eyes slowly, having to blink a couple times before she’d gotten used to the light once more. “ are we going to… ? “, she asked hesitantly as she looked down at the water. “ jump? “, her brows raising as she turned her head to face her friend. “ i didn’t…. i didn’t bring my bathing suit. “.