Acorns & Thimbles - 05
Even if I'm afraid, I'm going down Goodbye, Neverland, my love
⤑ pairing: hoseok x reader ⤑ genre: faerie au, yandere, dark fantasy ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 9.3k ⤑ warnings: YANDERE/DARK ROMANCE, minor character deaths, descriptions of violence/physical abuse, heavy manipulation, coercion, hobi is insane in this lol, mc is referred to as "mother", "poppet", and "darling", unrequited love with a minor character, forced marriage. ⤑ note: this is a pretty heavy chapter, so please do mind the warnings! we finally made it to the final chapter! a special thank you to everyone that left encouraging comments here and on AO3. i was so close to scrapping the story at one point, but we made it 😭🙌 and thank you for all your patience with the slow updates - i hope this last chapter is worth the wait. happy reading! :)
Chapters 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 (End)
You stare at the captain sitting across from you.
Hope’s real name?
Since you’ve stepped foot in Neverland, you’ve only known him as Hobi. It’s the nickname you’ve been calling him since you were a kid. The Lost Boys refer to him as their father, and everyone else regard him as the Fae prince. Other than that, you have no idea what his real name would be.
“What makes you think I know what it is?” you ask him.
“Surely, you do. No other child could return to their home once they’ve stumbled upon Neverland. Not easily, at least. Yet, you were able to go back and forth between worlds multiple times. And trust me, poppet, the last thing Hope ever wanted was for you to leave his side – even back then,” Hook explains confidently, his piercing, bright blue eyes staring into yours. “You know it. You’ve just forgotten.”
You sigh. It feels as daunting as trying to fly. “What if I won’t remember?”
“Just because it’s forgotten doesn’t mean it’s lost.”
He reaches toward a stack of papers on his desk and hands it to you.
At the top of the pile is an old news article about a missing child that was last seen in the woods. The young boy’s parents were with him during a hike and only took their eyes off of him for a second before he disappeared. Search parties spent days looking for him, but to no avail. In the article is the photo and name of the missing child.
Kim Taehyung.
Your eyes widen.
You look at the next paper and see it’s a dedication page from a self-published book. A grieving, foolish sister still mourns her missing brother, claiming it’s her fault he’s disappeared. Snippets of the story recount her encounter with the Fae and how she fell into debt to them, only to be saved by her selfless little brother. Among the pages is a photo of a young child with deep dimples.
Kim Namjoon.
In your hands is a collection of missing children reports, certified records, news articles, and other documents from your world that identify the Lost Boys – including the six that are remaining. “What is all this?”
“Something once forgotten, but is now found,” Hook says smugly. “I’ve scoured between worlds for any leads about our old friends before they were lured into this hell. Names mean something in Neverland, and I intend to use what I’ve found to set them free from Hope and from being his Lost Boys.”
It must’ve taken years of dedication and ambition for Hook and his crew to gather all these findings. All this research, following slim leads, and running into countless dead ends. He’s truly dedicated everything for his brothers.
“This is incredible, Hook.”
“James,” he corrects, watching as you continue to look through them. “It feels strange hearing you call me anything else.”
“I want to go home, Hobi.”
“Why? Aren’t you having fun?”
It doesn’t make sense to him. You get along with the boys. He showed you beautiful, rare sights. He broadened your horizons, experiencing all the fun indulgences and temptations you couldn’t have in your world. He taught you to be strong, to fight, to fly. Why would you ever want to leave?
“I miss my mother. And my father and Nana. My brothers miss them, too.”
Tears leak from your eyes, and it breaks the young faerie’s heart.
Hope isn’t all that bad. Rather, there are days when he can be all good. But faeries feel things differently than humans. Emotions are simple, but intense. Anger burns. Sadness makes him feel like he’s drowning. Joy gives him the ability to fly. Whatever he feels at the moment consumes him entirely.
Love, however, is a complicated emotion.
Especially for children like you and the faerie prince.
Hope loves you, but in a way that’s frightening. Possessive. He only wants you to look at him, and no one else. He’ll chop off the hand of anyone who dares to touch you because you’re his. He’ll figure out a way to make you stay with him forever.
Even if that means saying goodbye for now.
The faerie prince cradles your face and wipes your tears. Right now, after bringing you to his world for the first time, he is good. Generous.
He wants to make you happy.
“Then, let’s make a deal,” the young faerie proposes. Flecks of gold shimmer in the browns of his eyes as an otherworldly magic begins to happen. “I will take you home whenever you want, as long as you promise to always come back to me.”
You sniffle and look at his extended hand.
This is your first time in Neverland. But while you love the adventures and the friends you’ve made, it’s not home to you. Not yet. You still remember your family, going to school, and the nursery you shared with your brothers.
You still have so much growing up to do.
Which is why – despite all the warnings your Nana had told you – you had no idea you were making a deal with the devil. Your fate is sealed to him the moment you – burdened with homesickness – nod your head and allow him to press his lips against the corner of your lips.
The faerie prince smiles as the invisible contract is made.
You were always meant to be his, but now, it’s official.
When you’re away, you’ll dream of this place. You’ll dream of him. And when you return, you’ll slowly lose track of time. Until, eventually, you won’t even think of them at all anymore. It’s easy to forget how many days have passed when time stands still in this world.
And, to keep his end of the bargain – because he’s still so good right now – he leans over your ear and tells you the secret you need to bring you home.
His real name.
In total, James has gathered about twenty names.
Only six of them are what’s left of the Lost Boys: Kim Namjoon. Kim Seokjin. Min Yoongi. Park Jimin. Kim Taehyung. Jeon Jungkook.
James leans back against his seat and sighs. “That’s all that’s left of them, huh.”
“Yes,” you confirm, separating their documents from the rest. “Only them.”
“Fuck…”
You frown. It aligns with the story Namjoon told you when you first returned to Neverland. How there used to be about twenty or so of them, and how their numbers dwindled drastically. “What happened to them, exactly? The rest of the boys?”
He doesn’t answer for a while, seeming conflicted on how much to tell you. Then, he sighs again and straightens up on his desk.
“The last time you left, something dark and twisted grew inside Hope. Something that’s been in him for a very long time now. I noticed it the first time he brought you to Neverland. He hated when you didn’t want to play with him. He’d get jealous if you’d spent too much time with another lost boy. He’d always find a way to make you stay longer, to make excuses so you wouldn’t bring your brothers with you to Neverland, to isolate you from the rest of us so you could be his alone.”
You shiver. As a kid, you liked the attention he gave you. You naively thought it meant he liked you as much as you liked him. But you didn’t know better.
“When Hope realized that he may never see you again, it made him… different. Dangerous. Most of us wanted to get away from him before he hurt one of us. There were rumors about a pirate ship that could travel to other worlds, so we thought of abandoning him and joining their crew,” James continues. His gaze seems far off as he recalls the painful memories. “But we got caught. I watched him slay my brothers before my own eyes.”
“It’s my fault,” you whisper, thinking about the ones that are left and how terrified they are of Hobi. “I shouldn’t have come back.”
“I don’t know the circumstances of why you’re here, but I’m certain Hope didn’t give you much of a choice,” James sympathizes. “What matters now is getting you out of Neverland as quickly as possible. It won’t be long until he starts looking for you here.”
You nod your head as the unspoken truth hangs over your head.
The longer you stay with James and his crew, the more dangerous it’ll be for them.
And once Hobi finds you, it’s game over.
In Neverland, it is so easy to forget.
Time blurs the days. What feels like only a short time out in sea could actually be months in the vast, open waters. Sometimes, the reverse happens, and what feels like a lifetime riding through dangerous and turbulent waves is merely hours of a bad storm. The people in this world don’t age – at least, they didn’t use to. And with the indulgences of treasures, the thrill of the sea and being carried to where the winds set sail, and the comradery of men, it is easy to allow memories to drown in the back of their minds.
But Captain James Hook is a man who never forgets.
Just outside the captain’s quarters, you hear men suddenly shouting over each other. The wooden floors of the ship creak from the weight of their hurried footsteps. Among the commotion, you swear you hear the sound of a pan flute.
“What’s happening?” you ask Hook.
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he grabs his red coat, a sword, and a pistol.
Someone bangs on the door urgently. His first mate, Smee, calls to him from the other side. “Captain! It’s him! He’s here!”
“Hobi?”
Hook glances at you. He can’t tell whether you sound afraid or relieved that this monster has come for you. “Stay here and stay hidden,” he instructs as he dawns his hat. “Keep away from the door and the windows.”
James remembers his real name as he carved his initials on a wooden disc and tossed it into an empty treasure chest, officially becoming the first Lost Boy of Neverland. He remembers the faces and aliases of the brothers that followed after him, adding their own initials into the accumulating pile of carved wood.
He remembers the good times he had with them, the bond they all shared with each other, and how they all admired Hope as their leader and friend. The boys slept under the stars together, shared their meals, fought and bled for each other during hunts and pirate ambushes. They’ve become brothers, equals despite how long one has been in Neverland over the other.
James remembers the day you were first brought to the underground bunker as well.
You spared Tae from punishment when he nearly killed you. You hugged him and wiped his tears, showing him nothing but kindness. That had instantly put you in the good graces of Min, Kook, and some of the other boys he’s close with. You laughed at Jin’s jokes and attentively listened to Joon and Yoon’s rambles. You took care of all of them when you didn’t need to, always making sure no one was left behind, teaching them how to pick up after themselves, sewing ripped clothes and stuffed toys, warning them to be careful so they don’t get injured, and telling them stories every night.
Hope introduced you as their mother. And in a way, a lot of boys saw you as that figure to them.
And if you were the mother, Hope was the father. He was already their leader and the one who brought them to Neverland. While you won them over with your gentleness and kindness, he lorded over them with fear and respect.
But James never saw you as a mother. He never saw Hope as a father either.
You changed something in Hope the day you acknowledged him and accepted his offer to take you to his world. Something darker. Something possessive.
James listened as you tell the boys another nightly story – a fairytale about true love’s kiss and ends with a happily ever after.
And James realizes you changed something within him as well.
“You’re wasting your time, Hope! Your wench isn’t here!”
From the clouds, the faerie prince emerges. Hook’s crew noted that he’s been stalking them all morning, watching from the skies like a predator seeking out its prey. After searching all of Neverland for you, he must’ve turned his suspicions to the pirates.
“Don’t you remember the rules of the Fae, Hook?” Hope asks, merely inches away from the captain’s face. He tilts his head and smirks. “Or should I call you James, old friend?”
Dread pummels into the guts of his men, yet their captain remains steadfast. “You hold no power over me, boy.”
Hope bursts into laughter, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his dark eyes. “I’m just here to take back what’s mine. I won’t harm a single hair on your crew’s head if you hand her over peacefully. You have my word.”
“I already told you,” the captain snaps. “Your wench isn’t here. Look somewhere else.”
“Do not lie to me, Hook,” Hope grits out, eyes wild with fury. He leans back, floating in the air and looking down at him. “I know what this is really about. You’ve always been a bit jealous of us, haven’t you?”
Hook glares. “This has nothing to do with that.”
But Hope smugly continues. “It kills you every time she comes back and chooses to be with me. Doesn’t it?”
Tension. Resentment. Bitterness.
The close bond between James and Hope started to spoil by the time you returned to Neverland the second time. And it only became more and more rotten over time.
Hope only showed you his good sides when you were with him. If someone crossed him, he’d carry out their punishment in the middle of the night when you’re asleep, marooning them in the mermaid’s lagoon or abandoning them in dwarven caves or elven woods. He taught them all how to fight and fly, but only James is able to match his skills and is the only one brave enough to defy him.
It went like this for a long time. James was tasked to rescue his brothers from Hope’s wrath, quietly organizing a resistance against him.
And then, one night, after you and Hope visited the faeries, James found you crying alone. When it came to your feelings, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against Hope. You liked him so much, you didn’t see anyone else.
That night, he wanted to tell you that Hope wasn’t the only one who harbored feelings for you. He did as well.
But instead, he buried his truth. Instead, he told you, “Go home. And don’t come back.”
“Stop him!” Hook commands. Hope flies away from him – dodging the bullets and attacks from his men – and goes straight to the captain’s quarters.
Had the doorknob been made of anything else, he’d burst through it. But like the hook on the captain’s hand, it’s made of iron. One touch would singe the faerie’s fingertips.
“I know you’re in there, darling. Come out. You can run from me, but you can’t hide forever,” he pleads from the other side of the door. “Joon, Jin, Yoon, Min, Tae, and Kook. This codfish wants to take them away from us. He wants to take our family.”
“How dare you call them your family after what you did to us!” Hook shouts.
Things got worse when it seemed like you were never coming back to Neverland.
Hope became angrier, more violent. Their numbers were being thinned out for stupid, nonsensical reasons. It was only a matter of time before there’d be no Lost Boys left.
One night, while Hope was away, James decided enough was enough and led most of the remaining Lost Boys out of the bunker. Rumors about the pirates and their vessel that could traverse between worlds had reached them.
Either stay at the bunker, enslaved to be Hope’s playmates until he gets tired of them. Or join his enemies and become part of a pirate crew. The answer seemed obvious, but only a handful stayed. That handful is still alive, and still trapped with Hope now.
A guttural grunt from a boy in the back signaled that they’ve been caught. The boy falls as Hope pulls the knife from the body, and glares at the rest of them with an icy, angry expression.
Although they outnumbered him, and although they all knew how to fight, they still didn’t stand a chance. Hope was fast and merciless.
The ones that James called his brothers – ones he slept under the stars with, shared meals with, fought and bled for – Hope was killing them like they mean nothing to him.
James was a great swordsman. He fought off Hope the longest, his blue eyes seeing red as he tried to avenge his fallen comrades. But Hope managed to disarm him.
He grabbed his wrist and pinned it down on a rock. He holds his knife over it.
“What did you say to her, James?” he growls as the blade begins to pierce his skin. “Why won’t she come back?”
James screams in pain, but he glares up at Hope and snarls, “Because you’ll never truly love her! She deserves more than to be your pet!”
With a roar, Hope lifts the knife and stabs it through James’ wrist.
“Please, darling. Open the door and it will all be over,” Hope continues, his voice clear despite the attempts the pirates make to keep him away from you. “Forget these guys. Forget them all. The kids miss their mother. I miss you. Come back home.”
Three mistakes happen.
First, Hook, in his anger and frustration, demands, “Leave her alone!”
Second, the doorknob. You try to turn it – maybe to stop him, maybe to give in to him; either way, the command he has over you is still hard to resist – but whimper in pain as the iron burns your hand. You’re not entirely human anymore, after all.
Third, Hook and his crew broke a rule of the Fae. They lied to him.
When the pirates came across James, he was alone, sitting on the beach and cradling an amputated arm. It was a miracle and a curse that he hadn’t fallen with the other Lost Boys in those woods.
Another brotherhood was formed. James quickly proved his worth within the crew, taught himself to fight again with an iron hook as a weapon, and earned his way to becoming a captain. He even made a new name for himself.
Hook.
After all he’s been through, and despite how much time has passed, James hasn’t forgotten that night. He hasn’t forgotten his brothers that died before his eyes, or the ones that were left behind. He made it his life mission to free them and avenge them all from Hope.
“So, she really is here…” Hope laughs again, his hand pressing against the door that bars you from him. But his laughter sends chills down Hook’s spine.
The next moments happen too quickly.
Hope grabs the nearest crew member to him – Smee, his first mate – and holds him hostage with a knife to his throat. The others raise their guns, but are hesitant to shoot. They may hurt their comrade with the bullets instead of the fae prince.
Panic fills Hook’s eyes as the memories of that dreadful night – the anguished cries of young boys, the fear in their eyes as they tremble at the sight of Hope’s deadly shadow, the splatter of red mixing with the green grass – flood his mind. “Hope, you promised no one would get hurt. You gave me your word.”
“I always keep my word. I promised I would not harm a single hair on your crew’s head. And this is the one.” He plucks a grey hair on Smee’s head and flicks it toward Hook. “Here, you keep it. The rest of them are mine.”
Hope isn’t always good. But he isn’t always bad either.
When you’re around, Neverland is full of life. Flowers boom. The sun shines warmly. Animals and their young are spotted among the trees and meadows. It feels like spring and new beginnings as the two of you share your first kiss – an acorn for a thimble – with each other.
The longer you stay, the warmer it feels. The summer days feel longer as the sun shines brighter, giving you two more time to spend together: whether cooling off at the lagoon with the mermaids, cozying up by the glow of a bonfire with the elves, or hiking along the dwarven mountains with his hand holding yours. It’s a paradise for him. He never wants these types of days to end.
But when you start to feel a little homesick, everything begins to fall apart. Leaves change their colors and break off from their branches. Plants begin to shrivel, animals start to hide, and the skies become dull and grey. Hope holds you a little tighter as the world around him grows colder.
And when you’re gone, everything is cold and dead. Snow covers the ground and barren trees. Water freezes as the winds and storms howl. And Hope abandons everything as he lingers by your window, waiting for you to let him in and take you away again.
Some would say it’s the faerie prince that controls the seasons in Neverland. But really, it was you.
Nothing else would make his heart feel warmer than when you’d take his hand, ready to go on another big adventure with him. Nothing else could destroy him when you’re not by his side.
At the time, he didn’t have a word for it. This feeling that strikes a fire in his soul. This constant urge to hold your hand and keep you safe. To always hear the sound of your laughter, to see your flustered face when he compliments you, to have you take part in every quest, every meal, every song, every dance together. This fear that one day, you’ll leave him. One day, you’ll forget him. One day, you’ll no longer be his.
He didn’t have a word for it. But you did.
“I love you.”
Love.
Is that what this is?
You watch his reaction, but his words are caught in his throat. His heart hammers in his chest as he swallows.
“I don’t know what that is.”
Your brows furrow a bit, and you frown. You seem confused. “You must know. Don’t you feel the same way?”
He doesn’t get you. You ask him about make-believe. You tell him you want something more than just to have fun. And now you’re asking him about this?
He hates the changes. He hates when the air gets cold and the flowers begin to die. He hates that he can’t understand what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling. He hates that you’re growing up without him and realizing things like love – things he needs to grow up to know the meaning of.
He hates that he ever let you return in the first place.
“I don’t want it,” he snarls. Love makes him feel sick. It drives him crazy. He feels like death when he’s not with you, and like he’s on fire when he is. “What’s it to you anyway? This love.”
He hates the way you look at him then. And the pained, quiet answer of, “To love would be the greatest adventure to me.”
Hope isn’t always bad. But he isn’t always good either.
An elaborate door, made of iron and wood, stands between you and the chaos outside. You can’t see through it, but you can hear the guttural cries and the snap of bones. You smell the metallic iron of blood spilled on the wooden deck. You fall back and kick yourself away from the door when you hear a loud thump and see a pool of blood seeping through the crack.
You hear yourself hyperventilating. Your eyes are wide and you’re frozen with fear. All your senses are heightened, and it makes you feel nauseous and overwhelmed.
Any second, Hobi could break through that barrier and snatch you.
You force yourself to stand. To move.
You don’t know what to do.
Panic rises as your feet take you to the captain’s desk. His notes from last night are still there, and you grab a piece of paper at the top of the stack. Grabbing a quilled pen, you quickly jot down names on the articles he’s found.
BANG. BANG BANG BANG BAG.
You bite back a scream as you duck under the desk. With trembling fingers, you rip around the six names you wrote: Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook.
A loud crash is followed by shattering glass.
He’s come through the window.
Even with your heightened senses, he moves so quietly. The floorboards barely creak as he slowly walks around the room. You can almost taste the heat of his anger. The scent of blood on his skin. You feel the intensity of his gaze as he searches for you.
Your heart hammers in your chest as a morbid realization dawns on you.
The chaos from outside has completely stilled. Only the ocean’s waters gently hitting the ship and the sound of your frantic heartbeat is all you hear.
Hook and his whole crew. They must be dead.
And it’s all your fault.
Eventually, he makes his way to you. “I’ve found you, darling.”
Your eyes slowly trail up to meet the Fae prince’s intimidating gaze. He peers down at you, brown eyes almost golden from the lighting. He’s covered in blood. Red paints his sun-kissed skin and the greens of his clothes, sticky and metallic. In one fluid motion, he grabs your arm and pulls you to your feet.
“Hobi…” you whimper, still trembling as he looks you over. “Why? He was your friend. He was one of us.”
You flinch when he brings his bloody hand to caress your cheek, You’re brought back to that party at the Fae Court. All those screams. All that blood.
“There’ll be another Hook. Another Smee. Another Lost Boy,” he simply says, as if their lives are disposable. As if he doesn’t care that they were all once people. “But you. Nothing in this world could replace you. One girl is worth more than twenty boys.”
His hand slips under your chin, lifting your face as he presses his lips against yours. The force of the kiss has you pinned against the desk. The small knobs of the drawers dig behind your back.
Without his medicine to placate you, you know you should push him away and get him off of you. To scream that you never want to see him again. Not after this. Not after everything he’s done.
But… his kiss is so warm.
“Stop.” You pull away, not sure if you’re saying that to him or yourself.
Hobi chuckles against your temple. His hand slides to your stomach. “If you want, we can be a family for real. If that’s what you wish.”
You shiver at what he’s implying. The terrible thought of bearing his children makes you feel more trapped than you already are.
“Hobi…”
“Don’t you see?” he whispers against your ear, a hint of desperation in his voice. “I’ll give you anything you wish for. I’ll do everything to make you mine. You’re my light, my spring. I need you, darling.”
He kisses the spot just below your ear and trails his kisses down your neck. His heated touch traces familiar paths down your body, groping you lightly as his knee pushes your legs apart. Every fiber of your being feels the compulsion of his magic. When you kiss him, grabbing onto him needily, you taste his desire. It begs you to give in. To have him claim you as his.
“No!”
You push him. Your breath labored as your pulse throbs rapidly. That bit of humanity that’s left in you still fights to resist him. It reminds you of the horrors he’s done, and the blood he’s smearing on your skin and clothes. It has you imagining that blood belonging to one of the other boys – Joon, Jin, Yoon, Min, Tae, Kook – the next time they even look at you in a way that Hobi doesn’t like.
Your eyes meet his, expecting him to be angry or upset by your reaction. Instead, he tilts his head and smirks, looking rather amused by your turmoil.
“I love you, darling.”
Love.
Is that what he thinks this is?
You don’t resist as Hobi scoops up your legs and carries you bridal-style out the window. You don’t argue when he smiles at you brightly, red still splattered on his face against the afternoon sun, as he says he’s taking you home.
You’ve given up trying to escape from this hell yourself.
But you clutch the paper with a list of six names tightly in your fist.
“Why are you crying?”
Caught, you hastily wipe your tears. “Go away, James.”
But the young boy remains only a few meters from you, torn between reaching out to comfort you or giving you space. He doesn’t know what happened between you and Hope, but surely, it must be that damn faerie’s fault that you’re so upset.
“What happened?” he asks, deciding to stay and comfort you. His small hand soothes your back, but the gesture only makes you cry harder.
“I want to go home!” you sob, curling into yourself. Hobi would normally take you back to your world when you say his name and ask, but you refuse to ask for his help this time. Not after he just took your confession and threw it back in your face. “I never want to come back here!”
“Never is an awfully long time,” James sadly reminds you. He likes you, and he cares about you. Even if your heart belongs to someone else. But even he can see that you don’t belong here. “But… maybe that’s for the best.”
You lift your head, teary eyes looking at him. “What?”
“We’ll never grow and never change while we’re here, but you can. Neverland is a paradise of lies, and you don’t need to stay here and pretend anymore. Growing up, experiencing all that life has to offer, sounds like an amazing adventure.”
His words sink in, repeating them in your head over and over.
Hobi can’t love you because he can’t grow up – he can’t change. He’ll only pretend he understands what it means, and play the part to make you happy like it’s a game. Maybe when you’re older, you’ll mean something more to him. Maybe, because you’ve become older, he’ll just forget you.
Even if you know you’ll always remember him.
“You’re right, James,” you finally say, your heart aching at the thought of never seeing him and the other boys again. “Goodbye.”
“Go home,” he tells you, eyes watering as well. “And don’t come back.”
Later, you call Hope to take you back home. It’s a quiet and sad journey. You don’t say much, even if he seems to think you’ll get over the fight the next time you hang out with him.
He takes you to the window of the nursery. Only hours have passed since you left this world, but you’ve been in Neverland for a while. Your brothers are still asleep in their beds as you climb inside as quietly as you can.
Hobi lingers as he always does, quietly waiting until you tuck yourself in bed, thinking that him and all the adventures you just had are just dreams and nothing more. But you stay, looking around the nursery thoughtfully and then turning to face him.
Without a word, you reach out and gently brush your lips against the faerie prince.
“What’s this?” he softly asks.
A goodbye, you think.
“A thimble,” you answer.
A shared and shy smile breaks the tension. A secret meaning between the two of you.
This part is always hard for Hobi, but tonight, it feels different. Sadder.
“Will I see you again?” he asks hesitantly. Afraid of what your answer will be.
“I don’t know.”
A silence follows. It’s neither a yes or no, but, perhaps, there’s still hope.
“Is it because you’re still mad at me?” he asks. “If it’s love that you want, I’ll give it all to you. Whatever that looks like. Whatever that means. I’ll give you anything your heart desires. All I want is for you to be happy with me.”
“I am happy with you, Hobi.”
But it’s not enough. Not for you.
Hobi, however, smiles at you with his achingly beautiful, bright smile.
“You know that place between sleep and awake? The place where you still remember dreaming?” he asks you, as he does every time the two of you part. “That’s where I’ll be waiting.”
That’s where I’ll always love you.
“I know,” you reply back, and already, you yearn to be with him again. To forget all your troubles, worries, and responsibilities and live happily with him.
But you can’t. You know you can’t.
You’re ready to grow up.
“Goodnight, darling.”
“Goodnight, Jung Hoseok.”
Your eyes fly open. You remember that dream – no, that memory – so vividly.
Jung Hoseok. His real name is Jung Hoseok.
Since he brought you back, he’s attached himself to you like a shadow. You can’t eat, breathe, or think without him around. He pulls you to his lap during meals, joins you for baths, and climbs into your bed at night.
Whenever he needs to leave the bunker, he takes you with him, holding your hand like a chained leash and refusing to let you stray from his side. And you try not to shudder each time he gently touches you – on your inner thigh when you sit next to him, around your waist when he holds you, cupping your face when he wants you to kiss him – knowing those same hands murdered his old comrades in cold blood.
Fighting him scares you. You can’t tell what he’s thinking as you feel the intensity of his gaze, the way he tilts his head as he quietly observes you.
But giving in feels just as terrifying.
The lost boys look like they’ve been through a lot trying to find you while you were with the pirates. Not only did they all seem exhausted and stiff with pain, but you noticed the bruises on Yoon, the cut on Min’s lip, and how Kook’s nose was swollen and bloody. You see the fear in their eyes when the faerie prince cheerfully announces your return.
He’s hurting them.
Guilt weighs heavily upon you when you realize he’s been taking out his anger and frustration out on them because you were gone. As if it was any of their fault.
Their relief of knowing you’re unharmed – and the pity in their eyes when they realize you didn’t escape Neverland after all – while they were hurt makes you feel worse.
He would never hurt you. But nothing would stop him from harming them.
Hobi – no, Hoseok – enters your room. You sit up and watch him with guarded eyes as he sits on your bed. He smells of citrus and wood, and there’s a subtle glow about him that makes the room feel too small, that commands attention to his presence.
“You’re not eating enough,” he states, offering you a piece of fruit. A pomegranate, just like the one that trapped you here.
“I’m not hungry,” you reply, pushing the fruit away. You flinch when he takes out his knife, but he only uses it to cut it open for you.
“Our wedding is coming up,” he reminds you. “It won’t be just make-believe anymore.”
Dread twists your stomach. “I know.”
“And will I have your consent?”
You glare at him. “No.”
He frowns at your answer. The pomegranate sharply snaps as he breaks it into pieces. “Is it so terrible to be with me?”
“Yes.” You can’t lie to him. The words get caught in your throat, even if you try.
“Why? Haven’t I done enough to prove that I love you?” he demands, his voice rising as his eyes flash with a dangerous anger. Juice from the red fruit stains his hands, dripping like blood. “All I want is for you to be happy with me, yet you keep running away to that place that forever bars me from you – the one joy I want. You don’t belong there anymore, darling. You’re meant to be here, with me.”
“What if I don’t want to be with you?”
“Where would you go?” he questions, tilting his head and looking down at you in a way that intimidates you. “Do you remember who your parents are? Your brothers? Your grandmother?”
Your heart stills as the answer falls on you.
“No…”
You can only draw blank faces in your mind. You remember nothing about your family.
Forget them, darling. Forget them all. Come with me, and you’ll never have to worry about a thing again.
“Be mine, darling. Marry me, and we can make this world ours. We’ll have so much fun, you and I. Every day could be our own adventure. We can live happily ever after like in your stories,” he continues as you turn away from him. “Don’t you want that? I’ll take care of you. I’ll protect you. I’ll give you anything your heart desires, as long as you consent to be my wife.”
“Anything?” you repeat, still keeping your gaze to the wall.
“Mmhm, anything,” he confirms, seemingly ready to make a deal with you. “As long as you’ll have me. As long as you’ll always love me, as I love you.”
You finally look at him. “This isn’t love, Hobi.”
A silence follows. But he gives you the pomegranate. The small seeds and red juice spills onto your own hands.
“It doesn’t matter. This wedding is going to happen either way,” Hosoek decides, leaning close to whisper in your ear. “In a few days, you won’t have a choice. I will get your consent, darling. Now eat.”
A faerie’s word is binding. That’s what makes them particularly dangerous creatures.
If you catch the attention of mischievous faeries, they may strike a bargain with you. Worldly possessions that are worthless to them, but are priceless to you. A particular talent for a chance of fame. Success in a goal you’ve been wanting to obtain.
A dreamlike paradise you’d run away to, where you’d never have to worry or grow up – where you could be with him forever.
In exchange, the faerie will ask for something in return.
The memory of a first kiss.
He already has this. An acorn and a thimble. Your first real kiss belongs to him.
A moment of your time.
Time works so differently in Neverland. A moment could just be a second to you, but could mean much longer to him.
Your firstborn child.
That’s how you ended up here. Your grandmother promised you to him.
Names have power to the Fae. Giving it to them binds you to them magically, allows them to track you no matter how far you try to run from them, and surrenders you to their influence over your thoughts and actions.
It’s suffocating when he’s around. Like the sun that shines too bright. His presence is overpowering. His touch ignites a fire that burns your soul and scorches your skin. You feel the heat of his gaze whenever he looks at you.
But his absence is more unbearable at times. Quiet, dark, and cold Sometimes, you think of letting your resistance melt away when the burdening sadness and loneliness gets the best of you. Sometimes, just the thought of giving up scares you the most.
However, you remember his name now. You have power over him, too.
But don’t lie to the Fae.
You shudder at the thought of what happened to Hook and his crew.
Don’t accept their gifts and favors.
The medicine. That awful, sticky, sweet faerie wine that changed you.
If a contract between a faerie and mortal has been made, the debt must be seen to the end. The abundance of wealth, then robbed blind by greedy hearts and thieves. The cost of fame is priced with the constant cycle of invasiveness, control, and backlash. The peak of success, and then never achieving another result close to it again, failing in all other endeavours and pursuits.
Unless, of course, something of equal value is exchanged.
For your grandmother, who wanted to live happily with her husband and children after breaking her contract, the faeries wanted the firstborn of the kin they couldn’t have.
For the Lost Boys, to come and live in Neverland, they each exchanged their name – granting their servitude, loyalty, and obedience throughout their endless youth.
Even the faerie prince, who only wants you to be happy with him, allows you to return to your world whenever you call upon his name and wish for it.
Your time is running out. All of Neverland is preparing for your wedding with the faerie prince, and the possibility that he might hurt one of the Lost Boys makes you uneasy.
“What are you doing, darling?” Hoseok asks, only a few meters from you, casually leaning against the wall.
You ignore him, focused on your task.
One by one, you sort through pieces of wood circles from the old treasure chest. The boys are gathered around you, too, curious about what you’re doing.
Two piles are laid out before you: one matches the six initials to the names you’ve memorized, and the other one doesn’t.
For a brief moment, you pause when one of the last ones you pick up simply says “James.” And with a hard swallow, you place it with the bigger pile – the names of the Lost Boys who didn’t make it. You won’t let Hook’s efforts fall in vain.
“What’s all this, Mother?” Tae asks.
Hoseok watches as you put the bigger pile back in the treasure chest and bring the six that you selected to him. A smirk tugs on his lips when you finally meet his gaze.
“You said you’d give me anything my heart desires,” you remind him, gesturing at the wooden rounds in your arms. “My heart desires these.”
“Really?” he asks, picking one up and pretending to examine it. “A piece of wood with someone’s initials on it?”
“We both know they’re more than that, Hoseok.”
“Clever girl,” he states, genuinely impressed. “You remember it.”
His true name.
“I will consent to marry you in exchange for all six of these,” you tell him almost reluctantly. There is no bigger contract for a faerie than a marriage. “Our deal we made when we were kids still stands. You’ll allow me to visit them every now and then. Just to make sure that they adjust well. That they’re being taken care of and are doing okay.”
“Mother,” Jin interrupts. All of them have mixed reactions as they try to piece together your conversation with the faerie prince. “What are you talking about?”
But the faerie’s eyes are glowing in a way they’ve never seen before. And you’re not answering them, refusing to break eye contact with the creature in front of you.
Hoseok laughs. You’ve made it too easy for him.
“I’m feeling generous, so I accept your offer, darling,” he tells you, stepping forward and closing the gap between you two. “But just know, even if you leave Neverland, you will always belong to me. You’ll always yearn for me, even if we’re worlds apart. You’ll think about me all the time, in restless nights and waking hours. Your body will be there, but your heart will remain here – with me.”
You’ll never leave him. You’ll never want to.
That’s your price to pay.
“I accept.” The words spill out of your mouth before you have a chance to regret it.
The deal is sealed when Hoseok kisses you, stealing your breath away. Immediately, you feel the yearning. You taste the desire. Magic binds you to him as you exchange what’s left of your freedom for theirs.
When you open your eyes, Hoseok is gone.
“What kind of deal did you make with him, Mother?” Min demands to know. The rest of the boys look at you with a mix of horror and confusion.
“These are yours,” you finally reveal, handing each of them a wooden disc with their initials. “An old friend spent a long time searching for a way to set you free.”
The boys look at it blankly. It’s been so long since they’ve carved their initials on it, they’ve forgotten what it means to them – what it really is.
You take out the small stash of pixie dust the elven sage had given you, and lightly coat the disc with a small pinch. Their true name falls from your lips, and you watch the look on each of their faces as something they once lost is returned, and something that was long forgotten is remembered.
“Kim Namjoon,” Joon repeats, testing the way the name sounds. “That’s my name.”
“I’m Kim Seokjin,” Jin follows. His eyes read the carved initials over and over as the memories that are tied to that name come back.
“Min Yoongi.” Yoon says his own name like he can’t believe it’s his again.
“Park Jimin,” Min whispers, looking over at his friend.
“Kim Taehyung,” he replies, looking back at him.
“My name is Jeon Jungkook,” the last of the six states, eyes watering with emotion.
Those little wooden pieces that each boy carved their initials on is more than just a forgotten treasure they’ve been keeping in an old chest – it’s their contracts as Lost Boys.
They have their names back, and with it, their identities – their freedom.
“Go to the pirate ship. It’ll take you away from here,” you tell them, handing them the remaining stash of pixie dust and hugging each of them goodbye. There’s a sad smile on your face as you add, “Don’t worry. He won’t stop you. He has no power over any of you anymore.”
When you open your eyes, you find yourself in a familiar room. Old furniture from your childhood, with chipped paint and ruined corners, have been rearranged. The stuffed toys are dusty on the shelves, including your little brother’s teddy bear that he used to always carry with him. Thin curtains blow with the breeze from the opened window of the nursery you’re in.
“I told you not to open that,” your grandmother’s gravelly voice scolds. She struggles to pull down the window on her own. “You’ll catch a cold.”
“Sorry, Nana.” You stand up to help her. As the window shuts, you feel the strange urge to open it again. He can’t come in if it isn’t open.
“Is something wrong?” she asks, drawing you from your thoughts. For a long moment, she gives you a peculiar look, as if she’s noticed something different about you that she can’t quite place.
“No.” You feel a sting in your mouth from the lie. “I’ve just… had a strange dream.”
Later that day, you’re coming back from the nearby market. You’ve just gone to grab a few things for tonight's dinner and decided to cut through the park on your way home.
All day, you’ve been feeling off.
Like something is missing. Like you’re forgetting something important.
The dreams you’ve been having – they’ve also been so vivid. Visions of pirates, mermaids, dwarves, and elves linger in your head all day like memories rather than fantasy. Things you haven’t thought about since you were a kid have been coming back to you lately as nostalgia greets you like an old friend.
Nearby, you see a group of guys playing basketball. The six of them are divided into groups of three, shouting and cheering when someone in their team scores a point. You smile to yourself as you pause to watch them, captivated by their loud laughter and rowdiness.
They’re like a bunch of kids. Yet, your heart feels warm with a strange thought. Like a mother quietly looking over her own children.
Subconsciously, you twist the band around your finger as you sit on a bench and watch the game. It’s made of gold and silver, delicately carved to look like twigs, leaves, and acorns as beautiful gems are embedded within the design. It’s been on your finger since you woke up that morning, but you don’t remember where it came from.
Although it could easily be mistaken as a wedding ring, you don’t want to take it off your finger anyway.
From your peripheral vision, you also see them.
Faeries.
The tiny winged creatures bow and curtsy whenever you make eye contact with them, following you around since you’ve left the cottage. Perhaps it’s their way of saying hello, but you know better than to interact. They seem to flock you wherever you go, strangely visible to your eye when they’re not supposed to.
You take this as your cue to leave before you draw an unwanted audience with them.
There are five rules that your grandmother had taught you. Five rules that she made you follow the moment you started to see them as a child. THey’re meant to keep you safe – to protect you if you ever find the misfortune of becoming their target.
Rule #1: Do not draw the attention of mischievous faeries.
They’re everywhere.
In shapes of unsuspecting animals, as haunting wisps in the nearby woods, as the tiny winged creatures you saw earlier. But sometimes, the Fae appears to you in a strange form. Human. Visible.
Only those high in the Fae Court can do that, like kings and queens.
One of them stands by the old iron gate that leads up to your grandmother’s cottage.
Rule #2: Do not tell them your name.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. What’s your name?”
THe faerie before you is handsome, but oddly familiar. You feel like you’ve seen him before in your dreams. The recognition makes your heart stir with a strange longing, fond of the things you can’t quite remember.
He greets you below the hill of your grandmother’s cottage, shuffling behind an old brown and white shih tzu wearing a onesie and a leash. THe dog, you realize, isn’t a faerie, but an excuse to poke around where he shouldn’t.
Whatever reason a faerie of his rank is doing here – just outside your grandmother’s cottage – can’t be good.
“Shouldn’t you tell me your name first?” you counter, cautious.
The faerie smirks. “Hope.”
Rule #3: Do not lie to them.
“Well, Hope,” you start, and for a brief second, you wonder if that’s even his real name. “What business do you have with my grandmother?”
“Who?”
“This path leads to her cottage,” you explain, nodding to the house that’s closed off from the rest of the town. Places like the park, market, and town center are in the opposite direction. “Is there a reason why you’re here?”
“You caught me.” He holds his hands up in defense. The band around his ring finger looks similar to yours, as if part of a matching set. His lips are shaped like a heart when he smiles at you. “I heard one of the old lady’s grandchildren came to town. I just didn’t expect them to look like you.”
Word travels fast in the Fae world. It couldn’t have been that long since your brother dropped you off to live with your grandmother, and already, the higher-ups in the Fae Court know of your arrival.
You cross your arms. “Disappointed?”
He laughs.
Something stirs inside your heart, like a magic spell has been cast upon you by the sound of it. But you firmly remind yourself of what you’re dealing with. He’s a faerie, and he’s dangerous.
“Not at all,” he replies smoothly with a flirty smile. “I knew she had a granddaughter. You’re just prettier than I imagined.”
Rule #4: Do not accept gifts, food, or favors from the Fae.
A thank you sits on your tongue, almost forming into words that you would’ve said outloud, but you catch yourself. Faeries, from what you understand, don’t take kindly to meaningless words of thanks. Even if you intend to be polite.
You can’t imagine falling into debt with a creature like him. Not after all the horror stories your grandmother warned you about.
You start to feel uneasy with how effortless it is for Hope to charm you. To make you almost forget the very rules that have been embedded in your mind for years.
It feels like he’s just toying with you. That this is all a game for him.
“Well, you’ve met me,” you state indifferently, but still puzzled about him. What does he want? Why is he here? Who is he to you? “I should get going.”
“You’re ready to go home?” he asks, eyeing you from head to toe. His eyes linger on the acorn necklace you always wear around your neck. “I can take you back if you are.”
It’s such an odd question to ask. “I’m already home.”
You hope the conversation ends there. With that said, you give him a small, polite nod and walk around him and his little dog. You feel his eyes on you the entire time, watching you carefully and curiously.
“You know,” he starts again before you could travel too far. Part of you tells yourself to ignore him, pretend you didn’t hear him. But you’re already looking over your shoulder and meeting his gaze. “You still haven’t told me your name.”
Rule #5: If you ever find yourself in their debt, you must give something of equal value in return. Only then will your debt be repaid.
“I’ll only tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
The faerie stares at you for a long moment, as if he isn’t sure what to make of you just yet. And honestly, you’re not sure what you think about him either.
There’s something beyond his good looks and charming smile that draws you to him. Like meeting him has offered a missing piece to something you’ve lost. Something you’ve forgotten.
You expect him to drop it. To insist that Hope is truly his name, and that you’re being silly for accusing him otherwise.
“Jung Hoseok. That’s my name,” he reveals. “When you’re ready to go home, call out to me and I’ll be there. Like always.”
His words are confusing, but your gaze briefly shifts toward the nursery window. You’re compelled to open it again, even though your grandmother says you shouldn’t.
“I will,” you softly reply. The words come out of your mouth, even if it doesn’t make sense to you yet.
Hoseok steps closer to you. Close enough, you could smell the notes of citrus and wood in his cologne, mixed with the sunshine,
You should step back. Push him away. Do something.
But you don’t.
He cups your face with his hand, and you can’t help but notice how warm his touch is. The ring on his finger definitely matches yours, and around his wrist, he fashioned a child-sized thimble into a pendant of a bracelet.
“Don’t make me wait too long, darling,” Hoseok whispers against your ear. “This game is fun, but I’m starting to really miss you.”
“What do you mean?”
Rather than answering, he kisses the corner of your lips. The gesture makes your heart yearn for him even more.
“I’ll see you around, darling.”
And for some reason, it feels like he means it as a promise rather than a goodbye.
Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!
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