15.
Wendy woke up many times throughout the day. She didn't know she could be so tired during the day, but Hook seemed equally as tired, because he didn't move at all. His metal hand had been removed sometime when she had stayed asleep and he had woken up, but he seemed to be in the exact same position as when they first laid down together. They didn't seem to wake up at the same times but she knew that they did at least once when their breathing patterns became the same. She didn't look up, and for all she knew, he wasn't planning to get up at all. Eventually she fell asleep, and when she woke again, he was asleep as well.
When she woke up this time she was surprised, like she had been every time she woke, that Hook was still attached to her. It only took her a few moments to realize he was awake as well, though she tried to stay still, he realized the same thing.
"How did you sleep?" he asked in a kind voice she wasn't accustomed to.
"Horrible," she muttered, "You?"
"Could have been worse," he said in her hair and her eyes shut again, though not in sleep.
"True," she muttered, "How are you feeling?"
He gave a deep chest laugh and she felt it against her head, "I'm absolutely perfect, I should be asking you that question."
He felt her shrug, "Normal."
He lifted her face so he could see the damage, not just physically, but emotionally. The stains from her tears still stained her cheeks, and her eyes looked as if they were missing a vital piece of herself. A bruise had formed around one eye where the damned pirate had hit her, but the swelling had gone down. She looked battered all the way around, and Hook felt immeasurable guilt for putting her through it.
"You'll never be normal," he said trying to smile.
She sighed dramatically, "Says a Pirate Captain."
He gently sat up, pulling Wendy up with him in his arms. She complied, and then rested her head against him again. He seemed to fit against her, the smell of smoke and salt water filling her in the best of ways.
"I'm… sorry. For the whole day. I never wanted to put you through that."
"I'm not weak," she said sitting up to give him a hard stare, "Just so you know."
"I never said you were," he said steadily, hiding his surprise at her tone.
"I can handle fights, I just was taken aback."
"Understandable," he nodded, "It was your first battle."
"Well, my first real battle. A pirate battle and a lost boys battle seems to be different. Both are violent, but this one was more graphic. Just understand that I can handle it. I'm not weak."
"You aren't weak for being horrified by the whole thing," Hook said gently, reaching out to touch her arm, "You're human. If you were used to all this killing, you would no longer be Wendy. You have changed, but your character has stayed the same. If you started enjoying bloodlust on such an extensive level, I doubt you would be considered healthily sane."
She lifted her chin, "I don't like it. But I can stand it."
He gave an inward sigh, "I have no doubt that you can. You did amazingly well for your first battle."
He thought she was about to cry again, but she just nodded.
"Thank you again."
"You don't have to thank me," he said seriously, and then looking at the watch that was linked around the bed, "But wait for me while I go check on my crew."
She agreed, and offered to help him on with his contraption.
"I'll be fine."
"Let me help," she said forcefully and managed to put it together for him, "Wasn't so hard was it?"
He watched her as she walked to the couch and sat down, she was still very pale, but to an outsider she would look composed. To Hook she looked lost.
"I'll be back," he said assuming his usual tone, and then walking swiftly to the door, glanced back at her over his shoulder one last time, and then left.
His ship was winding down after the battle, the deck was cleaned, and the crew was laughing. They were enjoying the time after battle, and their own men who had died were few, but forgotten already. When you die in Neverland you are often forgotten, only the magic remembers.
"Alright lads," Hook said loudly, but not in his usual commanding tone, "You all did well. I expect better next time, but what you did now will have to suffice," a few men gave wide smiles and nodded, they knew what was coming next, "Now if you go down to your eating quarters, there is too much whisky for one man to drink alone."
Cheers, and the men left to become drunk, and forget the whole battle.
"Captain," Smee said silently coming to his side, "Miss Wendy, is she alright?"
"Perfectly fine," and then with a small smile, "She's not weak, just so you know."
Smee looked confused but nodded, "Aye Captain," and walked away to leave him to his thoughts.
Hook leaned against the mast and closed his eyes. He needed to calm Wendy down, just to let the stress melt away. He could use the same, and he began to think of how to do such a thing. The answer came to him quickly, and he gave a small smile.
"Smee," he called, "Can you handle the crew tonight?"
"Aye Captain. May I ask why?"
"I'll be going ashore tonight with Miss Darling."
Smee nodded, "Yes sir."
Hook was paddling the small boat later that night. Wendy was quiet on the other side of him looking at the stars. She found it amazing that he was able to do this with his hook but he seemed to have no problem with paddling. His gaze seemed to wander and then settle on her, she could feel it every time his eyes settled upon her. When they pulled up on shore he took her hand. She picked up the small bag he had told her to bring, her stomach clenching. She didn't know what was going to happen.
"Don't be frightened," he said with a smile.
"I'm not," she said defiantly, "We discussed this."
Her dress billowed out in the water and he suddenly felt the urge to bring her closer. He pulled her hand in a jerk, and she was pressed against his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes full of the moon. He grinned and picked her up and carried her in his arms, making her gasp, and he reveled in her gasp. Picking his boots up from the water, he began making his way on the beach.
"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.
"You wouldn't be able to keep up with me," he said, his lips twitching.
"I could!" she started to protest but he cut her off.
"I don't feel like finding out."
She decided to accept it, though she wasn't about to give in. He continued to carry her down the length of the beach.
"Aren't you getting tired?" she asked slyly.
"Not at all," he said pleasantly.
She huffed and then felt his chest shake in laughter. Eventually he began to slow down when they came to a small cave, one single cave almost hidden behind the trees. He set her down lightly and began to walk in the dark rock. She followed him, her dress catching the sand.
"I came in here after my first battle," he said sighing, "Before I became captain I found the cave, by accident you see. It relaxed me beyond belief, and I still come back."
She looked at the pools of water, a small amount of steam rising. Rocks seemed to be placed strategically to create walls and separate different pools. Light came from holes of the cave, and the water itself seemed to give off a Neverland glow.
"Oh my," she breathed.
"I thought you might enjoy some time to unwind. No one else knows about this cave. Not even Pan."
She gasped, and again he wanted to feel it. He didn't know why she gasped, but Wendy knew. He had trusted her with his secret. Something so close to him, and full of his past, and he was giving it to her. She felt something swell inside of her and she turned to look at him.
"Thank you."
He seemed embarrassed but nodded, "You can go on the other side of the rocks," he mumbled. She reached out to touch his arm and he jumped in surprise. Then seeing what she was doing he shook his head, "You don't have to thank me."
She went to the other side of the rocks and felt the water with her hand. It was warm, and stepping out of her dress in just her chemise, fell into the water. She stayed under, letting the heat wash up against her, listening to the sound of it wash around her. When she came up she reached for the soap and washed. When she finished she lay back in the water and sighed, she felt like the battle had just been washed off of her.
She heard a stirring of water and opened her eyes to see a shirtless Hook from around the corner, the water brushing up against him.
"Hello Captain," she smiled.
"My name," he said slowly, "Use my name."
"James," she said more intently, "Hello James."
"May I join you?" he asked, and when she nodded he leaned against the wall with her, "You can't swim."
"It's not really something my parents thought proper to teach me," she said watching his curly wet hair float in the water next to hers.
"Of course," he nodded, "A small amount of education and then marriage."
"My education wasn't small," she snapped, "I wouldn't allow that."
"I meant in general. How man girls in London who are your age really receive the education they need? If I remember correctly, not very many."
"What do you remember?" she asked softly.
He ran a hand over one of his tattoos and thought, "I went to Eton. I have mixed feelings towards it, I'm very proud of the school itself and what I learned. My time there, I think, was rather dull, so boring to me, no excitement in the least."
She felt herself lean into him, and very slowly his arm came around her, and her head fell against his bare shoulder.
"How did you come to Neverland?" she asked.
"I didn't want to die," he answered without hesitation.
She looked up at him, "Were you dying?"
He sighed, "My sister, it has to do with my sister," he said and then shook his head, "That's all. If I go back to your world I age faster now. Neverland has sunk into my skin, while you age one day I age two. If you've aged ten years, then I've aged twenty. There's no mercy here. To go back is a death wish."
"But you fight so close to death! With the other pirates, with Indians and mermaids!"
He nodded, "I get as close as I can to death," he gave a small smile, "And then pull away. But going back is actually dying. When I went to get you, it took a lot of fairies' dust for my ship, which is why we don't travel back very much. But I could feel myself aging. It's an odd feeling; I'm so used to being stagnant."
"Will I feel myself age?" she asked innocently, not meaning anything by it, but he took it that way.
"I don't want you to go back," he said, his voice becoming possessive, his arm tightening around her shoulder, "You can't leave me."
Any retort she had on her lips died when she saw the look of fear in his blue eyes. She felt her face soften and touched his hand, just now realizing his hook was off.
"I'm not leaving," she said quietly.
"Of course not," he said in a lighter tone, trying to dismiss the moment, but the fear still held, "You couldn't escape me."
She stiffened, "You don't need to treat me like a prisoner."
He turned, untangling himself, and then putting both arms on either side of her and looking her in the eyes, "Do you want to leave me Wendy?"
"I don't want to be forced into being here," she answered.
He leaned over and touched his lips to her neck, "Do you want to leave me?"
He trailed his lips up her throat, and felt the small gasp. It made his lips press harder as he went across her jaw and then without kissing her, rested his lips on hers, "Do you want to leave me?" he whispered.
Her eyes were nearly closed, but when the words touched her, she opened them and looking him in the eye, "No."
He took her mouth in his, kissing her roughly. It was then that he tasted it; her gasp. He pressed himself closer to her, only her thin chemise and the water between them. She wrapped her arms around him as he trailed his mouth down her chin, to her collar bone, onto her chest. She took his face in her hands and pulled him up to her mouth, leaning towards him hungrily, his strong arms holding her, his hands caressing her. They needed each other, and when he felt her hands explore his chest as she kissed his shoulder, he knew he couldn't take it much longer.
Her chemise came off with a small amount of difficulty, his trousers with less. His voice was in her ear as he breathed heavily, "I…" he couldn't seem to finish and then said in a strangled, "You."
It was the missing word she now sought for. The word, the second word, the lost word. She kissed the skin just under his ear and then whispered "Me too."
He kissed her, on her lips this time, tenderly, and it was then that everything seemed to slow down. He didn't seem able to contain himself anymore, and as if knowing she didn't know what to expect he kissed her eyes and in a voice she had never heard him use, he began to stumble on his words, "It… it might… it will… hurt."
She was his then. The moment she cried out, he knew she was his. There was nothing he had ever yearned for more, and now she was pressed against him, and she belonged to him.
Just as he belonged to her.
"James," she said his name clearly, her whole self focused on the one word and what it represented.
"My Wendy," he said with just as much clarity and focus.
Afterwards Wendy lay on the rock siding, breathing heavily, wondering how she had never known of such feelings, not just the intense physical feelings she had just experienced, but the emotional ones she hoped would last.
"Come closer, Wendy," Hook said softly next to her.
"I can't," she said bluntly, "I don't think I have the energy to move."
He laughed, his smile warming her, "You don't have the energy to move?"
She gave him a playful glare, but moved closer to him, letting him hold her as she traced on of his tattoos with her finger. He began to pet her wet hair absentmindedly as he watched her finger move, and then she looked up at him, her golden eyes taking hold of his blue.
"I don't want to leave," she said pressing her face against his chest and sighing, content.
He wasn't sure if she meant the cave, himself, or Neverland, just that whatever it was, he didn't want her to leave either.
He kissed the nape of her neck, "Then don't. Don't ever leave."
She nodded, "Never."