I sat there, on the ground, my knees fallen and my hands to my mouth as I watched Peter whimper in his sleep from the deep cut in is arm.
My heart ached more when I saw Peter's eyelashes flutter open, immediately turning his head to his bloody arm, his brows furrowing. He touches the wound with his other hand, only to squeeze his eyes shut and wince in utter pain.
"Peter?" I managed to speak. I stand up slowly, finally having the courage to walk to the side of the bed.
"Winter?" He starts, his eyes beginning to grow glossy as he sat up. "W-what's happening to me?"
I sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Peter, I don't know. Pan and you are apart, but still connected. I can't hurt him without hurting you."
He glances at the gash on his arm. "That's why this is here."
"Right. Hold still," I say, placing my hand on the wound. He winces in protest, but the wound quickly healed as if it wasn't there at all.
Sighing, I pull my hand away, my eyes refusing to meet his. "You don't deserve any of this," I mumbled. I was half hoping he couldn't hear me, but I could tell he did when I felt his eyes stare at me full of sorrow.
"I don't know what I deserve," he spoke softly. "I've been so afraid of death, I try to avoid it, I've tried staying young for so many years, thinking I could be happy and feel free.... But I've never felt it. I can only grasp happiness for only a little while before it breaks free from my grip. And then I'm falling. I'm falling back to the darkness where I am haunted, running for my life, running for happiness.
There's always a light, and I'm always chasing after it, but no matter how far I run, I cannot reach it."
"Peter," I started. "What is your light?"
He pauses, then shakes his head and looks away.
"Are you afraid?"
He furrows his brows. "Afraid? Of what?"
"Afraid to tell me," I said.
He scoffs, but suddenly furrows his brows, his lips pursed. "I'm afraid if I tell, the light will disappear."
I shake my head, "no, it won't and I will help you find this light."
"No, I already found it. I found it a long time ago," Peter says with a small smile. "But, this light, it's always been near me, it even kissed me once. It gave me this." He picks up the small bear that laid next to him.
My eyes widened, my lips agape in utter awe as I stared at the bear's black eyes. "That was mine...."
"This light is so close to me," he whispers. "Yet I feel like I cannot reach it."
I take his hand. "Yes you have. And I have something to confess."
He lifts a brow, his eyes filled with question and confusion. The green in his orbs was a forest full of uncertainty and fear as his eyes widened and his heart began to beat louder and faster. "What's your confession?" He started, his voice only in a hushed whisper.
I lean closer to him, "I love you Peter Pan."
He furrows his brows, his face contorted with emotions. "But I thought you could never love a demon."
"No," I say, our faces inches away. "Peter, you're just an angel lost in the darkness, counting your scars. Scars that told stories and scars that held pain within them. These scars bled and they were filled with pain and salted tears. But with all of them, you lived, you have a story."
His eyes grew glossy, and his arms wrapped around me tightly. Sniffles could be heard as I wrapped my arms around him, rocking us gently side to side. I closed my eyes, listening to his breaths and his soft cries. He was letting go of pain, he was letting go of the feelings he had held back. The walls and cages that kept those feelings were crumbling into dust as love was truly filing back in his heart.
I smiled, and I held him tighter. I could feel the goodness and light in him. He had grasped his light.
"I wish I would have done this sooner," I spoke. "But I made you forget..."
"Forget that you were my light? At first, yes, but when the demon had split from me, I remembered....
Winter, I never thought you would love me. In fact, I thought you loved one of the Lost Boys. I was afraid to tell..." He trailed off.
I nod. "You were afraid that I might not love you back. You afraid to hear those words because you were afraid to be shattered again."
Peter shrugs, "I don't know what would have happened to me. At the time, I couldn't feel happiness, I couldn't feel light. All I could feel is anger. And when you were there, it disappeared. Then, I brought you back home, you were just a child.... And now you're back here.... But I'll have to bring you home again." He frowns, looking away.
My brows furrow, "who said I was leaving?" I grab his hands. "I'm never leaving you."
"But," his eyes meet mine, glossy and sorrowful. "I have to. You can't stay in a place like this, you deserve to be free."
"I can be free here," I argue.
He purses his lips.
"Besides, the demon is still lurking around, and I need to defeat it."
"We, need to defeat it,," he corrected. "I may be getting weaker, but I can still fight."
***
A/N: Quick chapter! I don't want to end this story, but it's slowly getting there. Please go check out my other stories, you'll most likely enjoy them!
Word Count: 976
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Counting Scars - OUAT
Fanfiction[DISCLAIMER] guys I wrote this when I was 14 and I cringe every time I look at it. He looks at me, tears continuously falling from his eyes. But the tears seemed to be hot, and made scars in his cheeks as they trickled down. "Oh, Peter," I said so...
