(Untitled)

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen hadn't been hiding, precisely. He hadn't even been anti-social. He'd been having adventures, and helping (read: annoying) Eostre and the twins, and being entirely normal

Comments

[nevergrowsup]

It was all gone again. He'd been home. Got fluttery Tinkerbell kisses and Eostre had been there too, and it had been perfect. For a couple days it had all been back, and he could fly.

Now he was just stuck on the ground again, growing up same as before. It hurt more than he'd expected it to. Being here.

He sat down next to Jeroen in the sand without saying anything. Didn't know what to say, about any of it.

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen looked over at Peter as he sat beside him. Peter looked smaller than usual, silent, but that was okay. It was how Jeroen felt. He leaned into him, ever so slightly, though, and stayed quiet as Walt jumped out of his lap to greet Peter.

[nevergrowsup]

Peter leaned against him too, hand coming up to scritch at Walt's ears.

He felt a little bit better, now. Felt a little...well, not magic, of course. But a little bit more like a person.

Then he turned his head to murmur against Jeroen's hair. "I looked for you when I got home, but couldn't find you."

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen frowned slightly at that, trying to think of where he would have been. Probably at the beach, again. The waves were a good thing, something he'd grown used to. "Sorry," he murmured.

[nevergrowsup]

"It's okay. I just wanted to show it to you." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was not quite a sigh, but close.

"I could have taught you how to fly."

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen's mouth quirked into a smile, tiny. A few months ago and he wouldn't have believed Peter. A few months ago, he wouldn't have understood him, but even if he had, he wouldn't have believed it.

Now he sort of did. "Sorry," he said again, against Peter's hair, because he was sorry he hadn't had the chance.

[nevergrowsup]

This time Peter did sigh and curled a little closer to him. It wasn't as though this was a terrible place, but...he'd been back to being himself again. Flyin' and crowing and in his home underground.

Then he'd woken up muzzy-headed and ill and by himself here, and it had just been awful.

"It's not the same here."

[liberatedpet]

"No," Jeroen mumbled. It wasn't at all. And it was stupid, because it didn't seem to help anyone else, but he wanted to have gone home this weekend, to see his mother, the family that took him in. Walt.

[nevergrowsup]

He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking up the warm, solid comfort of a boy on his side and a dog in his lap. It made him feel a little bit better. Wasn't fur blankets the wide bed of the home underground, but it was close.

"Why'd me and Eostre go away just to come back?"a

[liberatedpet]

Jeroen shrugged slightly against him, shoulder raising, but not enough to shift either of them. Why hadn't he gone away? This island was never fair.

[nevergrowsup]

His hands were curled into Walt's fur and, because he didn't have a hand free, reached to nuzzle his head against Jeroen's shoulder.

"Next time, I'll find away to take you with me. We'll go to a fairies' dance."

[liberatedpet]

"Okay," Jeroen said softly, turning to press his nose against Peter's hair, closing his eyes.

[nevergrowsup]

He reached a hand out to pat Jeroen's hair softly, the way he did when Eostre was sad. Not that Jeroen was so sad so much as...well. Peter thought maybe the pats would help.

"We can keep each other company here."

[liberatedpet]

"Ja," Jeroen murmured, pulling back slightly, not away from Peter's hand, but enough that he could look at him.

[nevergrowsup]

Peter gave him a little smile, for all that he looked a little bit bedraggled still. Jeroen was his very favorite Lost Boy. A friend more than anything.

"We'll take care of each other."

[liberatedpet]

"Okay," Jeroen said, then leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Peter's cheek before he pulled back.