tms][Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight
( Picture prompt. Fluff is needed like crack. Set in whenitsadream. Sara-Rose is gramslilpicasso and Bela is, as always, enjoythe_ride. And because he's Michael, he didn't end up letting it be straight up fluff.)
"never say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away. and going away means forgetting." ~peter pan
"Daddy, why is Peter Pan all alone?"
Michael was stretched out on the small bed with his daughter curled up against him and a book open in his hands. He looked down at her and met her green eyes as they stared up at him. "Because he chooses to be," Michael said slowly.
"But he likes when the Lost Boys are there. And Tinkerbell. That makes him happier." Sara-Rose frowned. "Why can't he ask them to stay?"
He took a long breath and let it out slowly. "He does like having them in Neverland with him, but he also knows they're happier somewhere else. He's sad to see them go, but I think he'd be much more sad if they were there and thinking of being in another place."
Sara-Rose thought this over. Michael just watched as her six-year old mind worked. He was always fascinated by that. "He pretended that he didn't care so that they would go be happier."
"He did."
She chewed on her lower lip and traced the images on the page. "Peter Pan is smiling...but his eyes are sad."
"Are they?" Michael looked at the book and then at his daughter. Part of him was shocked that she picked up on that, but a part of him wasn't surprised. It was her eye for detail, even at this age, that made her into the artist she was becoming.
She picked her hand up from the book and looked up at her father, her little fingers coming to rest on his cheek. "Like Daddy."
He frowned and pulled her closer. "What makes you say that? I'm very happy."
"Somedays they're Peter Pan eyes."
"Mine?"
"Uh-huh."
Michael leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm not Peter Pan, honey."
"I know, Daddy. You're happy most times."
"I am." He pushed the book away and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm happy almost always now."
"Were you sad when you were a boy? Like Peter Pan?"
It took him a moment or two to respond. "Yes, I was."
"And then you met Mommy?"
"And then I met Mommy," he nodded. "And we had Lizzie, and you, and Cole..."
Sara-Rose cuddled against him and closed her eyes. "Daddy?"
"Yes?" He kissed the top of her head.
"I'm gonna never say goodbye to you. Cuz I never want to forget you."
He gripped onto her tighter. "You'll never have to. Ever."
"Night-night, Daddy. I love you," she murmured into his chest.
"I love you, too," he whispered.
He stayed with her until her breathing was deep and measured, a sure sign that she was asleep. Then he carefully got up and tucked her in. He moved over to where Lizzie was already asleep and leaned down to touch her forehead, and to watch her sleep for a bit. He kissed her lightly before getting up and leaving the room.
He went into the next bedroom and moved over to Cole as he slept, pulling the blankets up around him. Michael watched his son sleeping for a long time. His conversation with Sara-Rose played around and around in his head, and he lost track of time. After awhile a hand on his arm made him jump.
"Coming to bed, darling?" Bela whispered.
He nodded. "Sorry...I got...distracted."
She pulled him out into the hallway where they could talk a bit easier. "By what?"
He watched his feet for a moment or two. "Peter Pan," he murmured.
"That book again?" She smiled and headed for their bedroom. "Sara-Rose will never get tired of it, will she?"
Michael followed her into the room and into bed. He lay back with his arm folded behind his head. "Sara-Rose says I have Peter Pan eyes."
Bela turned towards him and took his cheek, turning him to face her. She studied his eyes for awhile. "You do. Sometimes."
He held her gaze. "You know I'm happy, right?"
"Of course I do."
"I know...it's never been easy, but...the Peter Pan eyes don't mean anything." He moved so that he was laying on his side and pulling her into his arms. "I've never been happier than I am now," he whispered against her cheek.
"Neither have I," she replied with a soft sigh. She curled up in his embrace and closed her eyes.
"Bela?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm never going to say goodbye to you, because I never want to forget you."
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"never say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away. and going away means forgetting." ~peter pan
"Daddy, why is Peter Pan all alone?"
Michael was stretched out on the small bed with his daughter curled up against him and a book open in his hands. He looked down at her and met her green eyes as they stared up at him. "Because he chooses to be," Michael said slowly.
"But he likes when the Lost Boys are there. And Tinkerbell. That makes him happier." Sara-Rose frowned. "Why can't he ask them to stay?"
He took a long breath and let it out slowly. "He does like having them in Neverland with him, but he also knows they're happier somewhere else. He's sad to see them go, but I think he'd be much more sad if they were there and thinking of being in another place."
Sara-Rose thought this over. Michael just watched as her six-year old mind worked. He was always fascinated by that. "He pretended that he didn't care so that they would go be happier."
"He did."
She chewed on her lower lip and traced the images on the page. "Peter Pan is smiling...but his eyes are sad."
"Are they?" Michael looked at the book and then at his daughter. Part of him was shocked that she picked up on that, but a part of him wasn't surprised. It was her eye for detail, even at this age, that made her into the artist she was becoming.
She picked her hand up from the book and looked up at her father, her little fingers coming to rest on his cheek. "Like Daddy."
He frowned and pulled her closer. "What makes you say that? I'm very happy."
"Somedays they're Peter Pan eyes."
"Mine?"
"Uh-huh."
Michael leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'm not Peter Pan, honey."
"I know, Daddy. You're happy most times."
"I am." He pushed the book away and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm happy almost always now."
"Were you sad when you were a boy? Like Peter Pan?"
It took him a moment or two to respond. "Yes, I was."
"And then you met Mommy?"
"And then I met Mommy," he nodded. "And we had Lizzie, and you, and Cole..."
Sara-Rose cuddled against him and closed her eyes. "Daddy?"
"Yes?" He kissed the top of her head.
"I'm gonna never say goodbye to you. Cuz I never want to forget you."
He gripped onto her tighter. "You'll never have to. Ever."
"Night-night, Daddy. I love you," she murmured into his chest.
"I love you, too," he whispered.
He stayed with her until her breathing was deep and measured, a sure sign that she was asleep. Then he carefully got up and tucked her in. He moved over to where Lizzie was already asleep and leaned down to touch her forehead, and to watch her sleep for a bit. He kissed her lightly before getting up and leaving the room.
He went into the next bedroom and moved over to Cole as he slept, pulling the blankets up around him. Michael watched his son sleeping for a long time. His conversation with Sara-Rose played around and around in his head, and he lost track of time. After awhile a hand on his arm made him jump.
"Coming to bed, darling?" Bela whispered.
He nodded. "Sorry...I got...distracted."
She pulled him out into the hallway where they could talk a bit easier. "By what?"
He watched his feet for a moment or two. "Peter Pan," he murmured.
"That book again?" She smiled and headed for their bedroom. "Sara-Rose will never get tired of it, will she?"
Michael followed her into the room and into bed. He lay back with his arm folded behind his head. "Sara-Rose says I have Peter Pan eyes."
Bela turned towards him and took his cheek, turning him to face her. She studied his eyes for awhile. "You do. Sometimes."
He held her gaze. "You know I'm happy, right?"
"Of course I do."
"I know...it's never been easy, but...the Peter Pan eyes don't mean anything." He moved so that he was laying on his side and pulling her into his arms. "I've never been happier than I am now," he whispered against her cheek.
"Neither have I," she replied with a soft sigh. She curled up in his embrace and closed her eyes.
"Bela?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm never going to say goodbye to you, because I never want to forget you."
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