Once upon a time the captain might have took interest in whoever dared to invade his quarters when he had made it clear he wished to be left alone, but on this particular night lips merely twitch into a grin, as if the creak of wooden boards was the finale to some private laugh meant only for Hook’s ears. Curved steel taps mockingly against scarred wood, blue eyes never leaving the corner where his latest passenger is to be found.
“ How quaint of you to finally show up, Peter … “ Teeth flash, a gleam of white in the streaming moonlight and hard gaze swivels to the shadows where he knows the lad can be found. The darkness has always been a friend of Peter Pan –– shading him, protecting him, hiding the boy from those who wished him harm –– never eating at his soul, redefining his very core as it had always seemed to do for the captain.
A flurry of light in the empty lantern recalls the pirate’s gaze and he stands, swaying gently with the rocking motion of his ship on the waves. Bloody hell. Its exhausting being the villain of a children’s tale, doomed to live the part least understood, to be defined by one such as the daft ignorant boy hiding somewhere in his cabin.
“ .. Apologies for delivering my invitation in such a manner … “ Two strides have him across the room, fingers reaching into the dusty container to wrap around the still angrily twittering fairy; voice laced with feigned sympathy. “ .. But you see, I was afraid that without poor Tinkerbell here, you simply wouldn’t see fit to visit poor old Hook … and aye ... we can’t have that, can we?”