Chapter 21: Close Your Eyes
Wendy Darling was a smart girl. Of course she had suspicions. Given all of Peter's hints, Captain Hook's insinuations, memories of Peter Pan's Flight, and her own secret desires, Wendy believed that Peter Pan wanted to give her a kiss. At the very least he was curious; curious enough to explorer the idea like an adventurer exploring a mysterious treasure map.
However, Wendy Darling was also very prudent and demure. A proper young lady, she suppressed her suspicions under the guise of first-date flutters. After all, Wendy had always been a little smitten with Peter. Her feelings were only natural.
However, since their first meeting Wendy had amended her feelings; she learned to love Peter as a best friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just a silly best friend to share adventures, tell stories, and play pranks on pirates.
The reason? Well, it was because Peter Pan...was Peter Pan.
Peter symbolized a very special idea to the people of the world: One may grow up, but one can always grow with the faith of a child. The type of faith that upholds whatever you dream– no matter how fantastic – that dream can come true. If only you just believe.
People depended on Peter Pan; Wendy saw it every day. Visitors came to Disney World just too see him. Whether it was a toddler meeting his hero, a teenager with a secret crush, or a young adult desperately searching for her childhood, people needed Peter.
Peter Pan was special. His spirit was immortal as his youth.
And Wendy could not bring herself to change that. She could not ask Peter Pan to grow up.
So, even though she wanted her suspicions to be true, Wendy kept them under lock and key. She settled instead for a perfectly lovely date.
"Is THIS how you feel all the time?!"
Wendy laughed. Peter had taken her to a playground. Gravity was a new concept for him, and Peter wanted to try falling every way possible. A playground was the perfect springboard.
It was adorable. Peter sampled every playground station with the enthusiasm of a puppy. At first he worked on mastering each obstacle. It was tough without flight, but not a problem for Peter Pan! Then, after he was proficient on the playground equipment, Peter practiced falling.
"Watch!" He'd call from the monkey bars. For a moment he'd dangle, making sure Wendy was watching. Then with a snap Peter would release, plunge, and roll across the woodchips laughing like a goon.
Wendy insisted that Peter stop falling when the round-about almost flung him to kingdom-come. Happily, Peter retired to the slide. Wendy agreed to let him descend backwards if she guarded the bottom. Peter was satisfied and Wendy stopped counting his rides when the number exceeded a thousand.
"Is what how I feel all the time?" Wendy asked as Peter slid backwards and bumped into her hip. She smiled. Had she not been there, Peter would have fallen off and cracked his head!
"Like this!" Peter kicked his feet in the air. "Like you could fall down at ANY second!"
"Not exactly." Wendy shifted as Peter scooched by her legs. "Regular children don't learn to fly. But we do learn balance."
"Well flying is good!" Peter hung upside-down from the slide. "But this is wayyy more fun! There's no way to stop yourself! You just stumble and plunk! Kerrr-spat!"
Peter twisted, searching for Wendy's face. Mischievously he winked. "No wonder I have to catch you all the time!"
Wendy feigned offense. "I beg your pardon, Sir?"
"Beg it all you want! Let's see, shall we count the times I've saved you from falling? Hm." Peter held out a thumb. "One: your first day in Neverland – "
Wendy hopped from the slide. "—after being shot by the Lost Boys – "
"- Two: your second day in Neverland –"
"Oh Peter you can't count that!"
"—Three!" said Peter as Wendy settled on a swing. "Your third day in Neverland – "
"—But I didn't see those storm clouds coming!"
"—Four." Peter grabbed the swing. "Your fourth day in Neverland – "
"Peter!" Wendy protested. "You tripped me!"
"Five, six, seven," Peter stepped onto the swing. He stood behind Wendy. Together they started to pump. "Eight, nine, ten, two-hundred-and-one, two-hundred-and-two, two-hundred-and-three, two-hundred-and-four –!"
"Oh come now!" Wendy kicked her legs. She felt Peter leaning into the momentum from behind. "That's not fair! You only just taught me to fly! It was my first time!"
Peter's grin was criminal. "You think you're any better?"
"What?"
Peter threw his body forward and back. The swing arched higher and higher with each pass.
"Well you are my best flier!" Peter squeezed Wendy with his knees. "So show me little Wendy Bird! Prove it! Let's fly! On the count of three!"
"What?" Wendy's stomach dropped as the swing lifted and plunged. "You don't mean jump?"
"ONE!" Peter yelled.
Wendy tried to catch the earth with her toes. "Peter!"
"TWO!" Peter unclenched her hands.
"Ohhh!" Wendy closed her eyes.
The swing reeled back, hurdled down, vaulted up –
"THREE!"
They jumped. And then, they fell.
"Oof!"
The earth and sky spiraled into a mushy blur. Peter threw one arm into the woodchips and the other around Wendy. He twisted, wrenching Wendy on top him so she wouldn't get hurt.
Together they skid to a halt.
"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaand ho!" Peter sang.
"Land ho?" Wendy gasped. "No sir! Crash landing!"
"Yeah! You fell again!" Peter smirked. "Should we add that to the list? Fall and rescue number...?"
Wendy hit Peter Pan with his hat.
"You are incredible!" she laughed, beating him with her fists. "Incredible and unbelievable!"
"Thanks!"
"That was not a compliment!"
Peter grappled. He forced Wendy's hands into his. When their fingers were weaved, he yanked, pulling her onto his chest. Wendy lurched. Her lips stopped a breath from his.
The children stared, waiting for the moment to unfreeze into something that neither quite understood but wanted to understand.
"I..." Wendy withdrew. Untangling her fingers, she hurried away.
But somehow, Peter stopped her escape. Standing before her, he spoke very calm and very direct.
"Close your eyes."
"...w..why?"
Peter stepped forward. Deftly, he placed both thumbs over her lids.
"It's okay."
His fingers drifted from her lashes and into her hair. Then, they disappeared.
"Just think of a happy thought."
Wendy trembled. Her heart throbbed out of her body and into the air. She was scared, so very scared.
Then Peter whispered.
"Trust me."
Wendy inhaled. He was close. Too, too close. Thoughtlessly, she touched her acorn necklace. But, she trusted Peter Pan. She trusted him more than anyone else in the world; real or not.
Breath held, Wendy waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
"...Peter?"
Someone snickered. Something crawled up her spine.
"Peter?"
Wendy opened her eyes.
She screamed as Tinkerbell attacked from behind.
Captain Hook smiled.
"Hello Wendy." he said, hook pulling Peter Pan's throat.
sultal's note: there is an adorable pic of wendy/peter Disney World character actors on a playground slide that helped this chapter along! Google it I guess for the feels...? ;)