The Lost Princess - A Once Upon A Time Fanfic

First Love // Neverland

*past*

"I want to show you something," Pan said, taking Rapunzel's hand in his and leading her away from the campsite. 

The Lost Boys were getting rowdy as they did toward the end of the night. Pan had whispered something to Felix moments before, with him returning a nod.

"We get the night off?" Rapunzel joked as he led her to a small beach with a boat. They sailed across a small river to a big cave-like rock on the other side of the island.

"I just wanted a few minutes alone," he said convincingly as they reached the island. He helped her out of the boat and led her up the stairs. She looked around at the room with a bed and a giant hourglass in the corner. 

"What is that?" She asked. 

Pan walked up to it, staring into its bright light. "This is the time I have left on this island. As you can see, it's half-full." 

Rapunzel sat down on the bed across from it, staring up at it. 

"Oh," was all she could say. 

"This is why I'm so desperate to find the Heart of the Truest Believer. Once I have his heart, this sand will disappear forever. You and I can live here forever." 

"But you said I could help still," she said. He knelt down and grabbed her hand. 

"I don't want to put any stress on you," he said softly. 

"Then why are you showing me this?" She asked, concern filling her voice. "Why are you showing me if you won't let me help?" 

He sighed, standing up and sitting on the bed next to her. He draped his arm around her and held her close. "You know that your magic isn't the only reason I like having you here," he said, then pulling her away to look into her eyes. "You're the only one that has ever been able to challenge me. You're the only one that can make me feel any sort of happiness. You have the prettiest smile and the prettiest green eyes I've ever seen. You're good to the Boys. And I honestly cannot stop thinking about you. If I could sleep, you'd keep me up at night." 

She let out a laugh. "You just don't seem like the type," she said honestly. 

He smiled. "You're right about that. I've lived my whole life selfishly. I've left people that loved me just to live forever, and I couldn't even enjoy it in the beginning because I was all alone. And sure, I have the Boys, but they've never brought me any kind of joy the way that you do." 

She switched her gaze because she couldn't stand to look at him anymore. 

"You know," she started, "I grew up in that awful tower, never seeing my mother, never meeting my sister...I was all alone. I don't even know who my father is. I spent sixteen years in that place, only to be freed from the Dark One and have to spend close to a year with him before he abandoned me too. It's an endless cycle of abandonment," she said, getting lost in thought. 

"But you don't have to worry about that here," he promised. 

"Well, I kind of do," she said, looking back at the hourglass. 

"We have so much time until then. And I know we'll find the boy, I just know it. But until then, I want to just live. I want to live with you. I want to be with you," he said. 

"You are with me," she reminded him. 

"I may need more reminders than that," he said, leaning in to gently kiss her on the lips. She reciprocated, so desperate to stay in the moment with him. 

She had been so inclined to feel everyone else's emotions, that she was unaware of her own. She knew what love was; everyone in that little town was in love with someone else. The warm and fuzzy feeling was not unfamiliar to her, but she had never experienced it for herself.