Darling (OUAT Peter Pan x Reader)

Crackling echoes around the clearing. Opening your eyes you try to stop your thoughts from spiralling. "Darling?" You can't get enough air and you heave, trying to stop feeling like you're drowning.

"Darling. Hey. Look at me ok?" Peter is standing across the clearing, hearing his voice more clearly your head snaps up to look at him involuntarily. Your eyes wide and scared. "Can you let me through? Please?" Noticing a crackling noise in the back of your mind you look down at your hands. They are engulfed with vibrant fire, the flames forming a protective circle around you on the floor of the clearing. Your panic increasing tenfold you drag yourself up onto the rock at your back. "Peter- I don't know how." You choke out in a whisper, still staring at the flames. "I'm scared." You find Peter's face again and watch him walk right up to the circle.

"No don't! I can't control it- I can't- I'm- I'm a monster Peter." You voice is almost lost in the noise of the dry leaves burning but Peter hears and smiles gently. "Y/n. You're not a monster. You just don't know how to control your powers. Suppressing them until they burst is not effective or safe." You clench your hands tighter but instead the flames just jumps higher. "Darling. Let it in. Let everything in and don't be afraid." You just hug yourself, rocking slightly back and forth until finally a memory peeks through your hazy terror.

I'll find you. Don't worry, I'll find you and help you.

Peter's voice from a dream right after the first time you discovered your powers. Deciding to trust him you ignore your thoughts and focus on the texture of the rock underneath you, breathing in and out slowly. Opening your hands you slide down the rock and reach out towards the ring of fire. As if in a trance you let a flame spring up in your palm, twirling in sync with the ring of fire. Pushing your hand into the larger flame you snap your hand around, letting the fire and your panic calm down simultaneously.

The fire immediately drops to a ring of small flames, waving friendly at you. Blinking, you release a breath. "I did it." Pan steps carefully over the flames and crouched down next to you. "Of course you did. You're y/n." You give him a small smile that turns into a grimace when the pain from your leg rushes back in. "Shit- my leg."

Peter Pan's Pov:

*earlier*

"Pan. Y/n took Wendy. I'm not sure what she's planning." Curious about y/n and Wendy I finish up my target practice and flash myself down to the beach, appearing in the bushes just shy of Wendy's vision.

After a few moments I realise I'm spying and growl at myself. Walking over to them I see Wendy listening to Y/n earnestly. "I told him loved him. And he laughed." I can't believe what I just heard. She had loved someone- and they let her go? Worse- they laughed at her?? I watch helpless as she curls in on herself.

"He just stood there and laughed." I can feel my heart stutter as the urge to comfort her takes over. Before I can do anything Wendy looks up at me. "Y/n..." I don't move as Y/n looks over in my direction. I immediately hate seeing the look on her face- embarrassment. To me. She's embarrassed I know this, I get that- but I don't want her to feel uncomfortable around me.

"I-I didn't, Felix said.." I can't form words- and clearly I'm not helping because despite her wound she tears off into the jungle- again. "I'm sorry I put you in the cage Wendy." She just regards me coolly. "I'll forgive you- but I won't forget. Let me off the island when this is all over, but because it's not you better take good care of Y/n. I swear to god I'll find a way to kill you if you hurt her." Caught by surprise of Wendy's protectiveness of Y/n I agree to her terms and give her a protection bracelet so she can go back to camp and not be detained again.

Flashing away to Y/n I can feel her panic from across the clearing. "Darling?" She doesn't respond and I try me best to keep my own anxiety out of my voice. "Darling. Hey. Look at me ok?" I give her a small smile when she finally looks at me. "Darling can you let me through? Please?" As Y/n realises she is trapped in a ring of fire I want more than anything to help her.

"Peter I don't know how." Her broken voice is torture- but I have to stay calm and focus. "I'm scared." Those two make my chest feel painful- I haven't felt anything like this in... forever. Hang on- I'm....I can't focus on what I'm feeling right now. Instead I walk right up to the flames and firmly explain to her why she isn't a monster.

After she follows my instructions I slowly walk up to her, carefully stepping over the last few baby flames. As I crouch down next to her i watch her smile. My heart suddenly sky rockets and I'm filled with happiness, until we both realise how bad her leg was hurt again. "Shit- my leg." I glance at her face and see it twisted in pain. "Don't worry Darling. It'll be ok." She nods and grimaces, breathing through her teeth.