Neverland
By
LindsayR
Summary: He's no kid, in spite of the nickname they've given him. And he may have been temporarily blindsided by his idol standing in that hallway where they all first met, but her barely cough covered "3 minutes" pulls his attention away from J. Daniel Atlas. Henley Reeves is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.
Rating: PG-13, possible mild R for mentions of underage non-con
Pairing: Jack Wilder/Henley Reeves, unrequited Henley/Danny and Henley/Merritt
Spoilers: Now You See Me movie in general, though I'm playing a little bit with it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
To live will be an awfully big adventure.
One girl is worth more use than 20 boys.
I taught you to fight and to fly. What more could there be?
~~ all quotes from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
He's been the kid ever since day one. Gushing over seeing his idol in the hallway that first day probably didn't help. Still, they have no idea the things that he's experienced, seen, and done in the 20 years since his birth. He never thinks about or mentions his drug addicted mother or the parade of boyfriends that wandered in and out of his home until he was 13 and ran away for good. He never tells anyone that once upon a time his favorite book was Peter Pan. Until the day he realized that there's no such place a Neverland and that all children grow up, sometimes before they're meant to. He certainly never lets on to the fact that he's probably slept with more men and women than the three of them combined. He lost his virginity one night when he was eight and his mother was passed out after screwing her dealer and boyfriend of the moment at the same time on the living room floor. He remembers hiding his head under the pillow on his bed to drown out the moans and grunts. She's still passed out an hour later when her boyfriend comes into his room and touches him for the first time, telling him to be a good boy and stay quiet. That he's going to make him feel good. There's nothing good or right about what happens next. Or the night after that. Or for the next five years with each new boyfriend that his mother brings home. He's not sure how she always finds the perverts but by the time he's 13 he's been used by 15 different men. It's the last one though, who almost kills him, beating him to a bloody pulp for trying to say no, that prompts him to run away.
A year later he sees J. Daniel Atlas perform for the first time. And it changes his life. He swipes a deck of cards from Walgreens in Time Square and with the aid of a couple books swiped from several different bookstores he teaches himself how to do magic. Endless days of practice in whatever warehouse or abandoned home he's crashing in are the only thing that keep him sane. Soon he's picking pockets better than any other kid he's met on the streets and he quickly has enough money for a cheap, by the week, hotel room in the crappiest part of town, but he's warm, dry, and has running water to take a shower every day. More important, he has food in his stomach every day for the first time in a long time.
By the time he's 19 he's upgraded from the crappiest neighborhood to a small apartment (and by small he's talking a 300 square foot studio with a half kitchen in Queens). He's pretty sure his landlady just felt sorry for him. Probably because he pretends to be an orphan who was kicked out of his foster home at 18 without a dime to his name. It's just days before his 20th birthday that he gets the Death tarot card. Which is how he finds himself face to face with his idol, the man responsible for him becoming the magician he is. J Daniel Atlas will never know it, but he saved the broken boy Jack had been and gave him a reason to live.
He's only star struck for a moment before a cough that does little to cover the words "3 minutes" catches his attention and suddenly he's staring at the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen. Her hair is like flames around her pale face. He's seen her before online, but can't think of her name. She's an escape artist. She also used to be J. Daniel Atlas' assistant. He can't stop the smirk that crosses his lips at her words. She's definitely no wall flower. Then again, she's a magician and the term wall flower is generally foreign among those in the magic world.
When they inform him that the door is locked, he doesn't miss the appraising look in her eyes or the smirk on her lips as he slips by her. "Nothing is ever locked."
Unlocking the door that day changes all their lives, his more than anyone else's. When they move in together at an apartment designated by the instructions they've been given, he ignores the questions about only having an oversized duffel bag and backpack to bring with him. He just shrugs it off, mumbling barely audible excuses before escaping to his new room.
For the next year they practice, practice, practice their routines until everything is perfect. And they're set to make their Las Vegas debut the week after he turns 21. The hero worship he once felt for Atlas is long gone in the wake of the other man's ego and control freak nature. He doesn't make waves, his laid back attitude a balm among the egos the others have. He's the kid, the joker, the baby of the makeshift family that they've become and he's okay with playing that part.
Because they think of him that way he sees everything and gets away with things they don't even know about. He still picks pockets to maintain his skills. He spends his 21st birthday dancing and drinking the night away at a club he's been wanting to go to for years. The next two days are spent in the bed of a redhead that resembles Henley more than he cares to admit. He doesn't pay too much attention to the lecture he gets for not telling anyone where he was going or checking in at all for almost 48 hours.
He's no fool. He's no innocent. He sees the way Daniel watches his former assistant like he wants nothing more than to kiss her. He hears the offers of meaningless sex that Merritt jokes with her about. They all want her. But Daniel's hindered by the fact that he treated her like she was dispensable and she left him because of it. The past will forever stand between them. Merritt's offers, though funny, will never be taken seriously by her because she's not the type to sleep around. Which is why Daniel's treatment of her years ago still hurts her. And she only looks at him like a kid brother. She doesn't know that he's wanted her since the first moment he saw her. She's everything beautiful, bright, and glowing in a world he once thought dull and pain filled. Of course he wants her. She's Wendy to his Peter Pan. She just doesn't know it.
Her praise of his fight and flight from Agent Rhodes causes him to smile. As he unlocks the gate and lets them in she's the last to enter. She never makes it past him though. He steps in front of her, halting her progress. Vaguely, he can hear Daniel's impatient voice behind him, followed by Merritt telling him to shut up. His heart is pounding in his chest as Henley looks up at him confusion drawing her eyebrows together.
"Jack…."
He doesn't speak, just shakes his head as his hand comes up to cup her cheek before courage fails him. His lowers his head, seeing her eyes widen and lips part in surprise just before his mouth settles over hers. And then she just wilts. Her arms wind around his neck and she sinks against him as he kisses her. It's no soft gentle meeting of mouths. He cups her cheeks in his hands as he devours her, tongue sweeping across her lips, demanding entry before plundering her mouth, exploring the sweet taste of her. He drinks in every moan as his hands run down her neck, over her shoulders down to cup her perfect rear end in his hands and pull her against him, fingers drifting dangerously teasingly between her legs as he presses her closer, pulling her up onto her toes.
They're burning up and his mind is a hazy mess which is why it takes him a bit to realize that Merritt is trying to get his attention.
"Okay, lovebirds. That's enough. We're on a schedule and in a public park. Curb those hormones before I drag you apart. The Eye isn't going to wait for you two to get it on. Not when it looks like it will take days for you to surface once you find a bedroom."
He pulls back reluctantly, silently asking her questions with his eyes as her gloved hand comes up to cover her lips, her eyes wide, pupils blown. She's shaking and he immediately steps toward her, wanting to put her at ease.
She must see something in his gaze that she likes because her smile is suddenly blinding and she nods just once. He brushes another quick kiss across her lips before turning and dropping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. She sighs and leans into him and for the first time in his life he feels complete.
He can tell that Daniel isn't thrilled, his jaw is tense and looks like it will shatter if he grinds his teeth any harder. But Merritt immediately deals with the other magician who looks away, shoulders slumping slightly before he pulls that notorious composure around himself and walks forward toward their destination.
"He'll be fine," Merritt says as they slowly move to follow. Jack nods once in response. Ten minutes later they're all standing in front of the carousel watching with eyes wide as Rhodes disappears. He feels Henley's gloved fingers slide between his own and tug slightly as they all jump onto the carousel as well. Their hands squeeze each other's softly as they take this giant step into the unknown. After the year they've just experienced this next step into the unknown isn't as scary as it probably should be. Besides, with Henley (and the others) by his side, he's ready for whatever adventure the Eye has in store for them next. This is his Neverland.