CHAPTER 14

The fire slowly sputtered to life, giving off some welcome heat. Wendy took a deep breath to clear her head.

"Are you okay?" Peter said quietly. "I'm sorry about the way I reacted…" Wendy couldn't grasp how he could apologise for effectively saving her life.

"No, Peter, if you hadn't been there…" If he hadn't been there… She couldn't begin to think about it. Peter must have seen it in her face. He reached over to place his hand over hers on the carpet. She smiled, thankful that she had someone who was able to read her like that. Wasn't that what this whole idea of being matched was about? Finding someone who knew you. Someone who understood and could take care of you…

Then she realised: She and Peter hadn't shared a lot since he returned. It was such an odd thing, given everything she had planned to tell him over the years. She didn't know where to start.

"Peter… What happened? I thought you were going to come back… to visit, and hear stories…"

"Oh… I know. I wanted to…" He looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I couldn't get here… I got sick and it all got so complicated."

"Sick? How sick?" She automatically took his hand, a comforting gesture to return his previously. Seeing them together in the light of the fire she noticed the difference between them for the first time. His hands were now noticeably larger than her own, possessing a masculine charm. It was strangely soothing.

"Slightly says whatever it was it caused all of this." He said gesturing to himself. So he had noticed.

"I wanted to ask about it, but I wasn't sure if you knew." She said, a little embarrassed.

"After we went to find clothes I figured it out."

"Oh, of course. So, it's all because you got ill?" Wendy asked, a little lost still.

"It's a long story… a lot changed, and suddenly I couldn't-" Peter cut himself off going quiet.

"You couldn't..?"

He looked so serious then that Wendy almost told him that she didn't want to know anymore, but he continued:

"I can't fly…" He was still as a rock, his hand unmoving.

"But… Peter," Wendy's eyes grew wide. "Does that mean… Your happy thoughts-?" The idea hit Wendy in the chest. All these years she had been thinking of herself and how she would suffer for having lost this joyful impish boy… When this whole time Peter had been grounded.

"What? No, I was still happy. I just… had trouble concentrating," He seemed to rethink, mid sentence, "-because of the illness." He clarified. "I fell, and when I woke up I couldn't fly…"

He looked at her expectantly, but Wendy wasn't sure what he was waiting for.

"As long as you're happy, I guess that's okay." She offered with a reassuring smile.

"…Really? You're not… disappointed?"

"In what…" Then Wendy realised what he meant. "In you? Peter no! All I want to know is that you" She lifted up his hand to demonstrate, "are happy… I couldn't live with myself if I thought you had been alone and hurt this whole time."

Peter didn't comment. Instead he looked down at their hands, something seemingly weighing on his mind.

Peter sat thinking about the way their hands looked against each other. He couldn't really deny the differences... But somehow they seemed to match. He was still a little in shock that he had been able to say it. Of all the people in the world he had been most scared about how she would react, but she wasn't sad... or disappointed. She didn't care, as long as he was... happy...

The thought struck a note with something Slightly had said during their talk. 'As long as he is happy.' ... Peter played the conversation out in his head, this time with Slightly posing the question to Wendy: 'What if he had been here but was unhappy?' … 'Then I would make him happy...'

Did that mean…?

No, of course not...

But what if she was… Could she be-?

Peter studied her face, as if such a thing could be seen there if he looked hard enough. Though he didn't see it, he found an answer of sorts when Wendy moved their hands together. At first he was confused, unsure how to take the gesture. He wondered if she was telling him something... Slightly had warned him about this: How he should always be vigilant for signs that girls made without saying a word. Apparently they were the most important kind. He thought about what she was telling him with this… It didn't make a lot of sense, having made sure to sit separately, only to reach out and get closer to him. Had she changed her mind? They could be more than just 'next to each other' after all? Perhaps being connected like that was something she wanted.

Was this the sort of thing that made her happy..?

Wendy smiled at him.

Wendy was content just watching Peter for the time being. The heat of the fire had helped her anxiety, but she was soon realising that being alone with Peter, being able to talk with him was what put her mind more at ease. The longer he stayed the more convinced she became that he wasn't going to disappear. That in turn seemed to be calming her nerves about the attack: knowing that he would be there to protect her should something happen.

The thought of Peter protecting her like that seemed to distract her from the fear entirely. She found herself focused on the warmth of Peter's hand and felt a wave of goosebumps down her arms in spite of the fire's heat. She was just getting used to the feeling when his hand slipped away. She looked up wondering where he was going only to find him much closer. She looked away without thinking, her eyes staring at the fireplace as he moved to sit against her. She could feel his fingertips brush against back as he reached behind to gently take her shoulder. Before she knew it, she was wrapped in Peter's body, her head resting on his shoulder. She was unable to see his face and so felt suddenly clueless. She continued to face the fire resolutely, painfully aware of how close they were. She knew it wouldn't be a problem for them to stay this way and continue talking, Peter would surely be able to hear her, but if she were to turn to face him, as she so desperately wanted to, she sensed that the talking would come to an end, and she still had things she wanted to say.

"Peter," She said softly, "I didn't mean it…"

"Didn't mean what?" His voice was equally gentle from over her shoulder, as if telling her a secret. Wendy couldn't be sure if he was doing it on purpose to get a reaction from her. Then she corrected herself, such things didn't occur to Peter.

"I said things to you back in Neverland... Things I shouldn't have." He paused, seemingly thinking about it. She hoped he remembered, because she didn't want to have to specify. She was still a little ashamed of her childishness. She knew it had been her fault Hook was able to get the better of him that day. She never would have said it if she knew it would have such a drastic effect. "I didn't realise it was going to hurt you so much. I only said it because I…" She reassessed her courage mid-sentence. "I was upset."

Wendy said the last few words carefully, trying to judge whether Peter understood. They had been through a lot, and their conversation in fairy hollow had brought so much to light, but in the end she had never clearly told him how she felt. To that day she didn't know what he thought. She couldn't bring herself to say it directly out of fear that she would be cast aside once again. She couldn't stand to see him run from her, not after she had just gotten him back. So instead she used the word upset, and waited for his reaction.

"It's okay… I know…" he said quietly.

Wendy felt her heart sink. So he did know… Wendy didn't respond, not sure what to say. So it was a case of enjoying her fantasy. She scolded herself for expecting anything more. Their act would come to an end sooner or later, after all none of it was true.

With that thought, she gave in and let herself relax into Peter's arms, grateful to have had this chance. Before long she felt her eyelids growing heavy, and she drifted off in the light of the fire.

...

((A/N: A standing ovation to idecodesx you lovely person you.
Hope all of you out there are enjoying this, I genuinely do.
Reviews are my way of telling if my hopes are coming true...
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Author Out.))