the Wendybird.

The kiss burned worse than the cold.

Peter stood very still, her hand in his, the granola bars and water awkward in his grip. For a second, he forgot how to breathe. If she kept looking at him like that, kept talking as though there was still a them left to save, he was going to give in.

He hated how badly he wanted to.

His fingers closed around the food. “You shouldn’t have come alone.”

A weak thing to say after everything else. He knew it. He unscrewed the bottle anyway because his throat felt scraped raw. The water was warm from her bag. It tasted better than anything he'd had in days. He drank too fast, coughed, then forced himself to slow down. His hands shook. He turned slightly, hoping she wouldn't notice, tore open one of the bars, and took a bite.

Sweet. Dry. It stuck to the roof of his mouth. He swallowed it with another mouthful of water and fought the ugly urge to tear through both bars at once.

Instead, he shoved the second one into his pocket. He didn't trust himself. Then he bent and reached under the battered table near the wall, dragging out the only things he owned that mattered: a threadbare blanket, a canvas sack, and a small tin box wrapped in cloth.

His chest tightened the moment his fingers brushed the tin.

Don’t.

He snatched his hand back. For a second. Then he grabbed the box anyway. and shoved it deep into the sack before Wendy could ask what it was.

“We can’t take the road,” he said. “If your brothers are looking for you, that’s the first place they’ll check. There’s a deer path behind the house. It skirts the woods and comes out below the hill.”

He slung the sack over his shoulder. The room tilted. Black spots flickered at the edges of his vision.

Not now.

He planted his feet harder into the floorboards and waited for it to pass.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have ventured out here on my own if I could've found anyone willing to join me. I thought Felix might have found you before I did." She paused, her brow furrowing in confusion. It was quite surprising not to have crossed paths with either of them, especially given how adept Peter's right-hand man was at tracking others. But in a way, she felt a sense of relief at having stumbled upon him first.

Her eyes were drawn to the little tin box that Peter had pulled from beneath the worn table. She watched as he hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over it, then suddenly yanking back as if there was something dangerous or poisonous inside. She wondered what would make Peter react so strangely. Just as she was about to ask him about it, he continued talking, leaving her no chance to interrupt. She promised herself she'd bring it up later, when the danger had passed. Until then, her curiosity would only intensify, replaying that tiny box in her mind again and again.

Her attention returned to the subject at hand.

“Sounds like a good plan,” replied Wendy, trying to sound a bit more optimistic, but then faltering as she caught sight of Peter swaying slightly. A knot of worry tightened in her stomach. “Are you sure you're alright?” Her hand found its way gently to his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath her palm. “Peter,” she said softly, “You look very pale. You look like you might pass out.” Her heart ached at the thought of him in distress, her brave, adventurous Peter. She couldn’t help but feel a protective instinct rise within her. “Please tell me you’re alright. I need you to be okay.”

#kingoftheneverwoods

"Both good options, but using the tree might me less conspicuous, especially when it comes to getting back in." Bae was already planning their escape in his mind, dodge the creaky spots once the house was asleep, scramble down the tree, leaving the window open so they could get back in, and away they'd go.

"We'll have to wait until everyone in the house is asleep."

#multiversalshenanigans #verse I : ouat.

What Bae said made sense. Besides, tying a bunch of sheets together would take too long, and they'd probably be caught before they even had a chance to use them.

“I do hope the tree is sturdy enough,” she said. She had never tried climbing it before, not because she didn’t want to, but because she was sure her parents would find out. Climbing trees was something only boys got to do.

"Maybe we should get ready for bed," she said. It was about that time anyway. Mother would be coming in soon to send them off. "Before we do, is there anything we should bring with us? You have more experience with these things than I do."

neverlandborn

George’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly at her apparently dropping the subject, a brief breath among the chaos that reigned on the isle.

The same chaos manifested itself with a thunder strike near them.

Talk about being unsubtle.

Pulling back with a curse, george's arms wrapped around his mother's shoulders to pull her back from the impact "you okay?" dumb question, yes, but his own breathing was coming in short pants at the surprise

#neverlandborn #mother bird : au verse.#verse I : ouat au.

Wendy gasped as George suddenly yanked her away from the path of a crashing tree limb, narrowly avoiding disaster by just seconds. She took a deep breath, her heart racing, and felt a wave of relief wash over her. "That was way too close," she said, leaning against George for support, grateful for his quick reflexes. "I'm okay, I think."

Her gaze lingered on the treehouse, and a heavy weight settled in her chest. A broken branch had torn away a section of the house, leaving the interior exposed and vulnerable.

She suddenly noticed the flames licking hungrily at the edges of the treehouse. Everything she cherished was inside: keepsakes from her children, mementos of her parents, and irreplaceable gifts from Peter. A surge of panic rushed through her body. “George, there’s a fire!” she screamed, racing toward the treehouse, desperate to save her precious treasures before the flames destroyed them all.

Peter’s gaze lingered on Wendy as she stood in the doorway, rain dampening her clothes, determination and concern written plainly across her face. The cold had settled deep into him. He hadn’t noticed how bad it had become until she arrived, carrying warmth into the room with her.

“I don’t know when I last ate,” he admitted, hating the weakness in his own voice. "I've been finding scraps where I can."

He watched her carefully, waiting for disappointment, disgust—something. It never came. Instead, her expression softened. He didn’t know what to do with kindness anymore. His stomach twisted.

The mansion she'd mentioned drifted back into his mind. He'd seen it from a distance, perched on the hill above town like a dark crown. It would be visible. Vulnerable. But it would also have walls that held against the wind and a roof that didn't leak.

“If we go to the mansion,” he said, swallowing hard, “we need to be careful. The town is already looking for a reason to hate me. If they find us together..."

His voice trailed off. He didn’t need to finish the thought.

Peter is in love with Wendy

This is an alternative timeline where Peter is trapped in Storybrooke with the others after the curse is broken. His cursed self is a homeless, orphaned delinquent boy rejected by the town.

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bottle of water and a couple of granola bars. "Here," she said, handing them to him. "Drink some water and eat a bit. This should keep you going until we find something better." She wished she could have packed better food, but she couldn’t take any chances that her brothers would discover her.

"They won't find us," she said, trying to sound confident, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her. If they did find them, one thing's for certain: the townsfolk would assume she was there against her will. No matter how much she'd beg and try to tell them she was with Peter because she wanted to be, they wouldn't listen. It frightened her to think what they would do to him. It was a relentless nightmare that would keep her up at night until they were finally free of this place.

She glanced up at him, worry lingering in her eyes. "We should leave soon if we want to make it to the mansion by nightfall." With a gentle squeeze, she slipped her hand into his. "Do you think you can make it?" She asked, then leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his cold, wet cheek, whispering, "Please don’t give up, Peter. Together, we can get through this."

#kingoftheneverwoods

Peter leaned into her touch before he could stop himself. Her palm felt impossibly warm against his skin. For one dangerous moment, he let himself bask in it before forcing himself to pull away.

"That place is just as bad as this one," he said, though his voice wavered. "And everyone in town will know exactly where to find you."

Rain pattered against the roof, slipping through every crack and hole. A cold drop slipped through the ceiling and struck the back of Peter's neck, drawing a shiver from him. He hadn't realized how cold he'd become until Wendy touched him.

She was looking at him with those eyes that always seemed to see too much. Eyes that had seen the hero, the villain, and the lost boy tangled together beneath his skin. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her leave. He wanted to tell her she had to leave. Before she saw how badly he wanted her to stay.

"I can take care of myself," he said, though the words rang hollow. His stomach growled at the worst possible moment, betraying him completely.

She could hear the growl of his stomach as clearly as if he had spoken her name. It was unmistakable, and it made her heart ache. "Peter, why must you be so stubborn?" she pleaded softly, wanting nothing more than to draw closer to him, especially now, when he looked so unwell. "Tell me truthfully, how long has it been since you last ate?"

She was at least smart enough to bring a sack of supplies, along with some other personal things. She didn't know what to expect when she found Peter.

"You might as well be truthful with me, Peter. because I'm not leaving you." The cold rain dripped steadily down from the cracks in the ceiling and fell on both of them, dampening their clothes and mingling with the warmth of their breath in the chilly air. She could feel the chill seep into her bones, but she ignored it. Her concern was only for Peter.

She wondered how much time she had before someone would come looking for her. Her brothers must have realized by now that she had escaped her room. Her only hope was that they didn't care enough to try to find her.

“Peter, do you think anyone else knows about this place?” she asked suddenly, glancing around nervously. “Is it really safe for us to stay here? There has to be somewhere better than this. We’re going to catch our death if we don’t get out of this rain soon.”

#kingoftheneverwoods

Peter's hand fell to his side, fingers still tingling where her wrist had been.

She was standing there with her arms crossed and her eyes bright and wet, and she looked like every promise he had ever broken and every selfish thing he had ever done to her, all wrapped up in that defiant chin and that trembling voice.

She chose you.

The thought hit him like a fist to the chest. He wanted her to stay. She couldn’t stay.

"You don't know what you're saying," he said. He turned away from her because he couldn't look at her face and keep talking. The pocket knife was still in his hand. He stared at it, at the dull edge of the blade, and then folded it closed and shoved it into his pocket.

The floorboards creaked under his boots. Somewhere above, water was dripping through the ceiling into a puddle he'd been meaning to put a bucket under and never had.

"Wendy." He said her name like it hurt him. "Look at this place."

#kingoftheneverwoods #verse : tbd.

"I know exactly what I'm saying," she insisted, her voice gentle yet firm, with just a hint of vulnerability. Her heart ached at the sight of him, so pale and unwell. It felt like a lifetime since she’d last seen him, before the curse had taken its toll. He was a mere shadow of the person he once was, but rather than diminish her feelings, it only made her love for him grow deeper.

Wendy glanced around the crumbling interior of the dilapidated house, her thoughts momentarily drawn to the creaky floorboards and the musty odor that clung to the air. Yet despite the place's alarming condition, her heart was heavy with worry for Peter. The decaying walls and constant dripping faded into the background as her concern for his well-being took precedence, compelling her to push aside the unsettling atmosphere to focus on him.

"We don't have to stay here, Peter," she said softly, "There are so many places we could escape to." Although Wendy had no idea where they might go, she felt certain there had to be a place in Storybrooke where they could be together, free from the townsfolk's judgment and harassment.

She thought for a moment. "What about that old mansion on the hill?" Recalling a conversation she overheard between Mary Margaret and Emma Swan at Granny's. "I remember hearing about a man named Jefferson who used to live there with his daughter. They left before the curse hit. I think it might be worth a visit, just for a bit, until we can figure out a better plan."

Without a moment’s hesitation, she lifted her hand and gently cupped his cheek. His skin felt like ice against her palm, sending a wave of concern coursing through her. "We must get you away from here," she urged, her eyes reflecting her worry. "You don’t look at all." She hoped he wouldn’t fight her on this.

justanotherrpmusing

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!”

― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

#( aesthetic. )

Bae loved when Wendy got that look in her eyes, that mischievous, excited glitter when she spoke of adventures.

He had been to Kensington once, on the night he'd arrived in this world, it had been dark and pouring down rain, but he'd caught sight of the sign over the entrance to the gardens in a flash of lightning.

But this would be different, he wouldn't be alone this time, he'd be with Wendy.

"Sounds delightful, how are we going to get there without waking anybody?"

#multiversalshenanigans #verse i : ouat.#q.

"I once read in a book about a person who tied bed sheets together and used them to climb down from a window. What do you think of that?"

Honestly, she hadn't thought that far ahead. She hadn’t given much thought to how they would manage to sneak out of the house. It was bound to be tricky, especially with Nana always around.

She gave it some more thought.

"Or we can use the old tree in the backyard? It’s sturdy enough to climb down, and we can avoid the creaky floorboards inside. I do know that if Nana catches on to what we’re planning, she’ll wake the whole house."

Peter caught her wrist before her hand could fall away.

“Don’t do that,” he said, too sharply. He eased his grip, but he didn’t let go. Her skin felt warm against his cold fingers. “I’m fine.”

It was a stupid lie. He knew she could see it.

The house smelled like mildew and cold ash. Wind hissed through a cracked window somewhere behind him. He could feel the damp in his boots and the hollow ache in his stomach, and all of it made this worse, standing so close to her and seeing her here.

He looked away first. “You escaped Neverland. You have a home again, Wendy. A family. Like you wanted.” His jaw tightened as he looked back at her. He forced himself to keep talking before she could. “Everyone remembers everything. So you have to leave me alone. If they see you with me, they’ll turn on you. They’ll say there’s something wrong with you for still—”

He cut himself off.

For still loving me.

The words lodged in his throat like glass. He could see it in her eyes that she still did. But she couldn’t. Not here. Not when she got what she wanted. What he wouldn’t let her have back in Neverland because he had been selfish.

#kingoftheneverwoods #v; tbd #( this got pretty long )#( i can't seem to help myself lol )

Wendy flinched slightly at his harsh words, a sudden wave of hurt crashing over her. When Peter grabbed her wrist and pulled it away, confusion swirled in her mind. She couldn't understand why he was acting this way. She had imagined he would be just as happy to see her, just as eager to connect with her as she was with him. But clearly, that wasn't the case.

He insisted he was fine, but it was hard to believe him. His expression told a different story, and the way he avoided eye contact as he talked only deepened the doubt.

He dominated the conversation, giving her little chance to respond. Yet, when he finally paused, she was more than prepared to share her thoughts.

The once-soft features of her face, which had been beaming with excitement and longing just moments before, hardened into something more resolute. "Do you actually think I would abandon you now… just because things have changed?" Her hazel eyes glistened with hurt as she pulled her wrist away from his grip. "It seems you have a low opinion of me, Peter."

As for her family, they were like strangers to her. They treated her pretty much in that way. Her brothers had their own lives to live, and it seemed to her that they felt obligated simply because she had once been their sister. That connection now felt like a distant dream, lost in the past. Since the curse had been broken, she couldn't help but wonder whether they were still holding her out of spite for their hatred of Peter.

"I don’t care what anyone else thinks... least of all my brothers. I barely know them. But you, Peter… you’re my family. You mean everything to me and so much more." Her voice trembled as she turned away, a wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her. "I’m sorry… I truly believed you understood that. After everything we've been through… I thought you would see." She didn’t want him to see her cry, so she quickly wiped away her tears, trying to regain her composure.

"And I'm choosing to stay here with you. I don't care if we live here in this rotting shell of a house, or out in the middle of the wilderness," She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "They don't own me, and neither do you. I'm perfectly capable of making my own choices."

Peter gripped the pocket knife he has stolen as he heard the door to the abandoned house he was squatting in creak open. He pressed his back to the wall as the person walked in. He had left the town alone. He was a shell of himself, malnourished, powerless and alone. They had no reason to bother him. The life the curse had given him made him nothing but an orphan no one wanted.

He jumped out from behind the wall ready to defend himself only to find himself face to face with the girl who still held his heart, who always would despite everything that had happened.

Peter lowered the knife, but his face didn’t soften. “How did you find me?”

@thebirdlass

#kingoftheneverwoods #verse : tbd.

Despite her brother's objections and attempts to confine her to her room, she skillfully used a hairpin to pick the lock and escape. The instant the curse was lifted, memories surged back like a tidal wave, and her heart screamed for Peter. She had to find him.

Though no one in town would help her, she felt an undeniable pull toward the forest at the edge of town. She couldn't shake the intuition that Peter would be drawn there too. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, she stumbled upon an old, abandoned house tangled among the trees.

She moved silently, unsure of what awaited her behind the door. As she cautiously opened it, a sudden shriek escaped her lips when Peter sprang out of the darkness, scaring her out of her wits. Before she could even process his words, she threw her arms tightly around him. "I didn't think I would ever find you!" She cried, with tears in her eyes. "They tried to stop me, but I knew I had to get to you."

She leaned back a bit to catch his eye, and the expression on his face sent a wave of concern through her. "You don’t look happy to see me," she managed, her voice wavering as tears continued to fall. "Are you okay?" She reached out, brushing her fingers across his cheek, letting them trail softly down as if trying to comfort him, hoping he would feel her concern.

mollybeenoel

#( fancies. )#q.

neverlandborn

Her words were deceptively soft to his ears. She was prying for details he wouldn’t -couldn’t- give away for all of their sakes.

“He’s probably taking a walk” George tried again with his usual nonchalance tone. Mal was hidden away safe and sound for now. But if there was one constant in this isle was that it could change as easily as its king’s moods did “you know how he is”

#neverlandborn #verse I : ouat au.#mother bird : au verse.#q.

She would have to take his word for it, but something in her gut told her to be cautious. If there was something to hide, he was clearly unwilling to share. She needed to believe he was being truthful.

"Alright, I'll accept that you’re being honest with me," she stated firmly, managing a slight smile. "I know you have your brother's best interests at heart, and I trust you won’t let anything happen to him." Her words were loaded with intent as she locked her gaze on him.

She decided to drop the subject for now as a clap of thunder rumbled overhead and rain began to fall. "We'd better get inside," she said. Before she could move an inch, a bolt of lightning struck the treehouse, causing one of the branches to break and fall toward them.

While the Darlings were his new point of safety, Bae had been raised by pirates, so his eyes sparkled with mischief when Wendy suggested they run away, if only for an evening.

Adventure was in his blood.

"Where are we running away to?"

#multiversalshenanigans #verse I : ouat.

She gently released his hands and tiptoed to the door, closing it softly behind her. Wendy wanted to keep their plans a secret, especially from her younger brothers. They would undoubtedly want to tag along, and saying no to them would surely ruin everything. She feared they would tell on them.

She walked back over to where Bae stood, her smile filled with excitement. "I was thinking we could explore the enchanted gardens of Kensington! Just imagine running through the winding paths and discovering hidden nooks among the flowers. It would be the perfect spot for our adventures!" She hoped he wouldn’t laugh at her idea, thinking it was just a silly fantasy from someone who hadn’t seen much of the world.

"I might add, I think it would be much more thrilling if we went at night." Her eyes sparkled as she bit her lip, eagerly anticipating his response.

"That's not at all ominous." Bae teased, but even as he teased her Bae knew whatever Wendy asked of him he'd do the best he possibly could to do it for her. Wendy was one of the few people in this world Baelfire held dearest to him.

"What is it?"

#multiversalshenanigans #verse I : ouat.

A playful smile crossed her face at his jest. With Bae, she felt comfortable enough to be honest, revealing parts of herself she couldn’t share with anyone else. It seemed as though no one cared about her hopes and dreams for the future. She longed for a taste of freedom before being confined by the rules and social expectations of an all-girls finishing school.

“So…” She lingered, inhaled deeply, and said it outright. “I wish for you to run away with me.” Their fingers still intertwined, she offered a soft squeeze. “Just for tonight.”

0paliite

"that sounds right, actually." leave it to peter to be wrong...again. he'll never admit it. but at least she could rub in that she's right. she could almost imagine an animal fairy breathing heavy at the idea of anyone swatting at an animal. "in their defense, bees do give a little bit of a warning before they sting." she remembers being told that they're easy to make upset. but tink didn't know too much about them firsthand.

she shrugged. "there's a tree. it provides dust to us if we take care of it." tink never went by it. she usually waited for her own dust to be delivered to her. tink even wondered if wendy saw it. it wasn't a giant tree for a human girl. but it wasn't a small plant either. "it's mostly just avoiding getting eaten when we're small." though she never really thought about anyone really wanting her dust here. tink wasn't the only fairy on neverland. "have you seen the ones that deliver the dust?" she was curious if she's seen any of them. she almost wondered if peter told her tinker bell wasn't the only fairy, that her home with the others was only a mile or two away from the hideout.

tink chuckled. she was actually smiling as she shook her head. "i don't. animal fairies do. i just made the tool to make it go faster." wendy and an animal fairy would get along. she could almost picture it. her friends were a lot nicer than tinker bell was. they'd be telling tink to give wendy a chance and they'd be proud of her if they could see her right now. "i'm working on something to help crack nuts right now for chipmunks. but it's not going very well." everything was too soft and broke. "has peter shown you any of neverland? at all?"

@thebirdlass