Disclaimer: I don't own the character of Bosco, and he is being
used without permission. Ember and Thomas belong to me. Peter
Pan and Tinkerbell are the property of The Great Ormond Street
Childrens' Hospital; also used without permission. No profit
is being made from this work of fiction.
Author's Note: Just a little story that popped into my head.
The references to Tink and Pan come from Barrie's tale Peter
and Wendy. I just thought it was a cute idea, Ember calling
Bosco Peter Pan, and he calling her Tinkerbell. *shrugs*
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It Lies Like a Snowflake in the Palm of My hand
It was the cold that woke him from a deep sleep. Not the even breathing of the woman in his bed, not the sweet honeysuckle scent of her skin. It wasn't the warmth of her body pressed tightly against his, or the soft smell of her hair. Nor was it the fact that his face was pressed against the silky skin at the nape of her neck, and not the soft weight of her hair across his arm. It was the cold, the chill of the room that had brought him out of his slumber. As usual, she had stolen all of the covers; leaving him defenseless against the chill. Bosco smiled, breathing in the smell of her; pressing a light kiss on her neck. She didn't move a muscle, didn't even wake up. Not that he had expected her to, she slept like the dead; always had.
He was not at all surprised by her presence in his bed; nor was he surprised by the fact that she had mananged to get there without waking him. It had always been that way with the two of them; the ease with each other that shattered all defenses. From the moment that they had meet, they had sensed in each other a kindred spirit. They understood each other, understood the darkness and insecurity that lurked deep inside. There were many, his partner included, who didn't understand the bond that they shared, who saw it as something other than what it was. Many who were often troubled by the uncanny way that the two of them related to each other. Of the way that they could seemingly speak volumes to one another with nothing more than a glance. Bosco himself did not understand it; only accepted what had always been.
Like now, like her presence in his bed. It was a ritual that had begun in childhood. He could not even begin to count the number of times that he had stayed the night at her house; nights when his father's temper had become too deadly. It was a common occurance, one the children looked forward to. And most often, Ember wound up in his bed by morning. He had long since forgotten how it came to be the first time, what had led her to seek him out.
It was always late in the night when she arrived, in that twilight time between darkness and dawn. That mysterious, secret time when the darkness of midnight had faded; and yet dawn was no where near. The time of night when magic was wrought. She always arrived in silence, never waking him. With the coming of the dawn he would find her there, warm body against his; sleeping the sleep of the truly innocent. At his first movements, she would awake, and pin him with those sapphire eyes. He would ask her why she was there, and she would playfully remind him that he was her world; that she just couldn't be apart from him any longer. It was the same dance every time, a ritual that still held its magic.
Bosco often wondered if there had ever been truth in her words; if there had ever been a time when she had truly needed to be near him. Had there ever been a time when he had truly been her world? Fear kept the question unspoken, fear that the truth would not be to his liking. And what right did he have to ask her such things anyway? He had been the one who walked away; he had been the one who had broken her heart. It had been out of necessity, out of love for her; out of a desire to protect her from the darkness that seethed within him. He knew that Ember knew that, knew that she understood. But he also knew that she had never fully forgiven him for that; never forgiven him for the fact that he had completely turned away from her.
Looking down at her now, he silently cursed the choices he had made. He loved her, always had. He could see that now, was wise enough to know the difference. Back then he had convinced himself that they were friends; practically siblings; that things between them went no further than casual sex. He wanted to believe that she felt the same; even though he knew otherwise. Now he was the one on the other side, the one who needed so desperately. And she was the one who held the belief that they were simply friends. The difference was, she hadn't turned her back on him. She was here, close enough to touch. Always ready to jump to his defense, always happy to put him in his place. Perhaps that was worse, the constant presence of what you could never have. Then again, at least he had this; he had the bond that forever bound them. Not even Thomas had that.
Just as his thoughts turned darkly toward Thomas, he felt Ember move. He looked at her, was pinned by her sapphire gaze.
"What are ya doing here Tink?", he asked, smiling.
"I am here because you are my world Pan, and I couldn't bear to be away from you one second longer."
"Right, your world. How could I forget that.", he smiled and kissed her on the head. Content for the moment to play the game; dance the dance, for the chance to hold her in his arms.
*******************************
It Lies Like a Snowflake in the Palm of My hand
It was the cold that woke him from a deep sleep. Not the even breathing of the woman in his bed, not the sweet honeysuckle scent of her skin. It wasn't the warmth of her body pressed tightly against his, or the soft smell of her hair. Nor was it the fact that his face was pressed against the silky skin at the nape of her neck, and not the soft weight of her hair across his arm. It was the cold, the chill of the room that had brought him out of his slumber. As usual, she had stolen all of the covers; leaving him defenseless against the chill. Bosco smiled, breathing in the smell of her; pressing a light kiss on her neck. She didn't move a muscle, didn't even wake up. Not that he had expected her to, she slept like the dead; always had.
He was not at all surprised by her presence in his bed; nor was he surprised by the fact that she had mananged to get there without waking him. It had always been that way with the two of them; the ease with each other that shattered all defenses. From the moment that they had meet, they had sensed in each other a kindred spirit. They understood each other, understood the darkness and insecurity that lurked deep inside. There were many, his partner included, who didn't understand the bond that they shared, who saw it as something other than what it was. Many who were often troubled by the uncanny way that the two of them related to each other. Of the way that they could seemingly speak volumes to one another with nothing more than a glance. Bosco himself did not understand it; only accepted what had always been.
Like now, like her presence in his bed. It was a ritual that had begun in childhood. He could not even begin to count the number of times that he had stayed the night at her house; nights when his father's temper had become too deadly. It was a common occurance, one the children looked forward to. And most often, Ember wound up in his bed by morning. He had long since forgotten how it came to be the first time, what had led her to seek him out.
It was always late in the night when she arrived, in that twilight time between darkness and dawn. That mysterious, secret time when the darkness of midnight had faded; and yet dawn was no where near. The time of night when magic was wrought. She always arrived in silence, never waking him. With the coming of the dawn he would find her there, warm body against his; sleeping the sleep of the truly innocent. At his first movements, she would awake, and pin him with those sapphire eyes. He would ask her why she was there, and she would playfully remind him that he was her world; that she just couldn't be apart from him any longer. It was the same dance every time, a ritual that still held its magic.
Bosco often wondered if there had ever been truth in her words; if there had ever been a time when she had truly needed to be near him. Had there ever been a time when he had truly been her world? Fear kept the question unspoken, fear that the truth would not be to his liking. And what right did he have to ask her such things anyway? He had been the one who walked away; he had been the one who had broken her heart. It had been out of necessity, out of love for her; out of a desire to protect her from the darkness that seethed within him. He knew that Ember knew that, knew that she understood. But he also knew that she had never fully forgiven him for that; never forgiven him for the fact that he had completely turned away from her.
Looking down at her now, he silently cursed the choices he had made. He loved her, always had. He could see that now, was wise enough to know the difference. Back then he had convinced himself that they were friends; practically siblings; that things between them went no further than casual sex. He wanted to believe that she felt the same; even though he knew otherwise. Now he was the one on the other side, the one who needed so desperately. And she was the one who held the belief that they were simply friends. The difference was, she hadn't turned her back on him. She was here, close enough to touch. Always ready to jump to his defense, always happy to put him in his place. Perhaps that was worse, the constant presence of what you could never have. Then again, at least he had this; he had the bond that forever bound them. Not even Thomas had that.
Just as his thoughts turned darkly toward Thomas, he felt Ember move. He looked at her, was pinned by her sapphire gaze.
"What are ya doing here Tink?", he asked, smiling.
"I am here because you are my world Pan, and I couldn't bear to be away from you one second longer."
"Right, your world. How could I forget that.", he smiled and kissed her on the head. Content for the moment to play the game; dance the dance, for the chance to hold her in his arms.