Disclaimer: I own nothing involving OUAT, but it's my favorite show :)
A/N: I had this months ago, inspired by OUAT's twist on the character of Peter Pan. But wherever there is a Peter Pan there is a Wendy Darling, so this is my take on their relationship inspired by the OUAT's brilliant universe. Peter's past with Rumple is irrelevant in this fic; he is just a sixteen year old boy who grew up with Wendy when he first goes off to Neverland, and this story takes place a year after he does so. This most likely will be a three part story, so the last section will be my way of arranging my idea around what is currently happening in the show, especially after 3X07 where Wendy finally appears again, and we find out what has happened to her. Hope you all like it!
Gazing into the dark sky adorned with glittering stars, Wendy allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts. It had been a week since Baelfire sacrificed himself to the shadow in order to keep her brothers safe, and Wendy couldn't let go of the guilt that tormented her every day. Baelfire was her friend, but she would never see him again. Just like another friend she used to have…
Wendy sighed deeply, trying to fend off any thoughts about him. Despite trying, she couldn't completely block this other person out of her thoughts, so she sat frozen on her windowsill, forced to think about the boy who haunts her dreams every single night. Her breathing became more erratic the longer her thoughts lingered upon him, prompting her to close her eyes tightly and focus upon her breathing. As she did so, one hand rested upon a necklace she wore—a tattered rope chain that held a tiny seashell—which she kept hidden under her elegant wardrobe at all times. Though she tried many times, Wendy could never convince herself to take it off once and for all. If she were to remove it, then the person who gave it to her would be completely lost to her. A prospect that oddly frightened her.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, Wendy hit the side of the windowsill with her free hand when she felt a stray tear fall down her cheek. "Compose yourself, Wendy. He's gone," She mumbled the words, while releasing her hold on the necklace and turning her head to gaze once more into the night sky. Her eyes fell upon a looming figure that seemed to get closer and closer with each passing second—the sight confused Wendy for a moment, but realization quickly dawned upon her and Wendy knew danger was approaching. She ignored the tiny voice inside her head that begged her to keep the window open and stood up desperately. Before she could close the large bay window, however, a hand covered her own and kept the window open with force.
"Wendy," the boy feigned shock, "Would you really close this window in my face?" When she didn't look at him, he tightened his grip on her hand and violently pushed the window out of Wendy's reach. "Is that the proper way a lady greets a gentleman?" His voice mocked her, but the sad look his eyes beheld betrayed his nonchalant attitude. He waited for her to respond but Wendy refused.
Her silence incited a wave of anger to overtake the teenager, causing him to grab her chin and force her to look at him. He was met with Wendy's angry gaze.
"Let go of me Peter," she warned.
Taken aback by her aggressive tone, Peter became aware of how rough he was handling her and felt a rush of shame at his actions. He loosened his grip on her chin, stroking it gently as a silent apology before releasing his hold completely. Wendy ignored the butterflies that appeared in her stomach at the gesture and backed away to the far end of the window. She pressed her back to the wall in hopes of creating as much distance as possible between them.
He respected her silent wish for distance by settling onto the opposite side of the windowsill, though once he was comfortable, his settled his intense gaze upon her, content with watching her carefully.
Refusing to make eye contact, Wendy spoke. "Why are you here?" She panicked for a moment when she speculated the possible reason for his visit. "You can't have them." Her voice transitioned effortlessly from scared to fiercely protective as she fought to defend her brothers. "You never will."
Peter's serious expression never faltered as Wendy spoke; in fact, he was not surprised by her defensiveness. He would never admit to her that he cared too much for John and Michael to seriously consider trapping them in Neverland forever, so he just responded, "Don't worry. I don't need them. I have Baelfire now."
Peter angrily noted Wendy's instinctual reaction to his newly acquired lost boy—the struggle in breath, the fresh waves of tears cascading down her already soaked cheeks, and the way her hands shook—all of it was a sign of her affection for him. The thought drove Peter mental.
"You two became pretty close in the last couple of weeks, eh?" His voice revealed bitter resentment, which Wendy felt like a knife slicing through her chest. The desire to defend her friend consumed her in that moment.
"What do you expect Peter? He was my friend. I took him in when he had nowhere left to go. Until he was ripped away from here—to that evil island you like to call home now. How can I not be upset?" She finally salvaged enough courage to look at him. "Have you completely lost all sense of humanity over there?" These final words officially broke the young woman's composure, inciting the release of any remaining tears her worn eyes could manage to set free.
Peter gulped nervously, his heart aching for the girl in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but her quiet sobs paralyzed him. It was Wendy who broke the silence.
"You don't have a right to be upset that I cared for another, Peter. If I remember correctly, you walked away from me. Your…" Wendy hiccupped through the tears, afraid to utter the world out loud. The pain was still very real for her.
Wendy didn't have to finish the thought—Peter knew what she meant. And the pain it brought him was debilitating. It was a feeling he didn't miss; Neverland offered some refuge from any regrets he may have stored within his heart, but as soon as he took a step into the real world it all returns—just another reason for him to stay away.
Peter shifted closer to her shaking form, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his forehead against her cheek. "Betrothed." He whispered against her cheek. "I know, Wendy."
The sad tone in his voice captured Wendy's attention, enticing her for a brief moment to remember the boy she fell in love with and welcome his embrace. Turning to face him, Wendy ignored their close proximity, and gave into a question that had been plaguing her for a year. "Why can't you come home?"
Ignoring the foreign, painful tug in his stomach, Peter responded. "What home? My parents are dead." He paused for a moment when a lump suddenly appeared in his throat and tears threatened to make an appearance. It was strange—he had lost the ability to cry a year ago.
Sensing Peter's distress, Wendy allowed herself to forget the animosity and bitterness that had lodged itself between them and treated him with the genuine affection that had become second nature at one time. "Peter," soothed Wendy. She rested one hand on his shoulder and lifted the other to affectionately brush a piece of his hair aside. "It'll be okay."
Receiving comfort from his best friend almost made Peter forget exactly who he had become, but the reminder of his past—the pain that led him to discovering Neverland, a place of freedom, and then losing the only shred of happiness he had in Wendy when she refused to stay—crept into his thoughts like a poison.
"It's not okay," he retorted. His intense gaze bore into her own confused eyes for a long moment before breaking the contact to direct his focus onto her lips. Wendy noted the action, but before she could prepare herself, Peter pressed his lips against hers roughly. Opening her eyes wider due to shock at the sudden action, Wendy's eyes fluttered closed as she allowed Peter to kiss her for a brief moment before prying her lips away from his. He lurched forward to kiss her once again, but she managed to stop him.
"Peter," Wendy begged.
Her plea caused him to restrain himself and give her space once again; he waited with his eyes set upon her.
After catching her breath, Wendy took advantage of the moment of calmness to make her request once again, "Peter come home."
Clenching his jaw, Peter turned his head to focus his attention on the serene outline of London. "This isn't my home anymore." He uttered the heartbreaking words in a deadpanned tone void of emotion. "I'm an orphan, not fit for the Darlings precious daughter, so I have nothing left here." Ignoring Wendy's protests, he looked into her eyes once again, "We have nothing left here, but Neverland can very well be our new home. Remember our first visit? You promised me that you would accompany me to the ends of the earth if it meant healing the hole that formed in my heart after my parents' accident. When the shadow appeared the night of the funeral, you never hesitated to take my hand and join me in where it led us. Don't you remember, love?"
Her heart melted at the sight of Peter so close to tears, a wistful look in his eyes. "Of course, I remember, darling." Wendy couldn't help but notice how much she and Peter resembled her parents in that moment—the pet names, the words of comfort—it broke her heart to realize that she would never have a chance for that type of future with him. "It was meant to be a brief trip away from everything before we returned home to our lives. You are my best friend, Peter. No matter what my parents would have said; I would have chosen you a million times. All would be the same.'
'"No," disagreed Peter with a shake of his head, "I wasn't fit to be part of this family after that, nor would I be a proper part of this stifling society for that matter. I don't want to be confined to a life of rules and expectations. I'm in control over my own destiny, and I can freely exercise that control in Neverland. If you came with me—when you come with me—everything will be complete." He grabbed her cheek, "Please, Wendy. Just give into your fate. It's with me."
Wendy felt a spark of rage at Peter's disregard for her own life, "I'm in control over my own destiny too, Peter. I have a family—my parents, John, Michael, and Nana—that I don't want to abandon. I love them just as much as I love you. If you would finally realize that and return home then I would show you how wrong you are about my parent's expectations. I have no purpose in returning to Neverland for good. I don't fit into your club of lost individuals, and every moment you spend on that bloody island is another moment that you lose control over who you are. I am not going to call that place my home, since it took you away from me." Desperate to show him how much she needed him to listen, Wendy initiated a kiss that left both teenagers in a daze. She broke the kiss to whisper against his lips, "You belong here with all of us, Peter."
Wendy's words didn't change Peter's mind one bit, but he decided to delay his response with another tender kiss that would be strikingly different from his next harsh choice of words, "I am an unbelievably selfish being, love. When I want something, I make it happen."
The words, sounding like a threat, led Wendy to push him away from her and put up her defenses," You need to grow up, Peter. Being a petulant child your entire life is not an option."
Peter chuckled darkly, and much to Wendy's dismay, allowed his smug smirk to reappear. She lost him again. "Petulant, eh? Wendy you would make such a good mother figure to the boys, but I guess that's the point of Neverland. No authority figures to ruin things. Well except for me, of course."
He moved away from her, turning to step into her room so that he could pace back and forth. Wendy's brown eyes followed his actions. "You truly believed that I would want to stay in Neverland for good?" Her voice rose dangerously close to being hysterical, "In the span of one year, you have turned into a tyrant, sending that shadow to steal innocent lives away from their homes for what purpose? To serve your psychotic needs—" Before Wendy could finish her thought, Peter's livid face appeared dangerously close to hers. "Tyrant? At least it's an improvement from being petulant."
His arrogant attitude stunned Wendy into silence, allowing him the freedom to explain his side, "Did it every occur to you that I have no reason to be good when you aren't there?"
Wendy shook her head, ignoring her desire to give into him once again. "You don't want to be good. There is something dark inside of you all along that only grew stronger when you exiled yourself to Neverland. What's the point, Peter? My love will never be enough to change you."
Her words injected despair into Peter's mind and soul. Wendy was the only one who believed in him—without her, he really was a lost boy. Trying to mask the hurt that consumed him, Peter responded, "You've given up on me. Can't say I blame you." His voice trailed off, revealing his sadness. Desperate to mask his vulnerability, he paused to grab something from the small bag that sat around his waist, and he was able to change the topic of conversation. "I stole this from Hook's stash of treasure. The bloke had no idea."
He grabbed her hand and placed the beautiful pearl ring set in a yellow gold band on her ring finger. "I was going to appropriately propose to you when we arrived at the island, but considering the way things are unfolding, it seems like it must happen this way." Struggling to breathe, Wendy managed to glance at the ring and at Peter's sudden kneeling form. "I don't ask questions, it would suggest weakness, a need for permission. I am in control of my life now, so it's not needed. However, you are an exception." He brought the hand that contained the ring to his lips and kissed it gently.
Tears spilled down her eyes as her heartbeat sped up with unwelcome excitement at the scene before her; she had dreamed about marrying Peter one day even before their parents had decided they would be betrothed. No matter how much she would try, her feelings for him would probably never disappear. It frightened her beyond belief. "I won't go with you Peter. I just can't." Her voice was stained with regret.
Already expecting her words, Peter nodded solemnly," I know my love."
He reached into his pack once again and took out a small pouch filled with a sand like element. Wendy eyed it curiously, but said nothing. The moment happened so quickly—Peter's quick kiss, the strange substance falling into her direction, and the closing of her eyes. Before Wendy's limp form could fall, Peter effortlessly scooped her up into his arms and took a moment to gaze at her still form. "Now we can go home," He jumped out of the window without a second glance, flying towards the second star to the right, straight on till morning….