fifteen

                                    

                                          
You were fucked. 
A switch had flipped at some point within Pan, and rather than being hostile and unfriendly towards you, he was now acting like you were the one person he had been waiting such a long time for. 
He dragged you back the way you had run, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your wrist to ensure you wouldn't attempt escape again. Occasionally he would glance over at you, and it looked like he wanted to smile, which was weird because you couldn't recall Pan ever smiling without there being some sort of malicious intention behind it. 
At some point, the lost boys had regrouped and had found Pan dragging you through the jungle. They were surprised to see you alive and unhurt, especially since the entire point of you being tricked into 'escaping' was so they could harm you for fun. But nobody dared to utter a word against Pans decision as he dragged you back towards their camp. 
You had struggled against him at first. You tried to dig your heels into the ground; you tried to spontaneously pull away in hopes of catching him off guard; you even attempted charging into the side of him to jolt him. But Pan was like a rock, unmoving and not easily persuaded. 
The camp finally came back into view, and your heart dropped into the pit of your stomach as you wondered what would happen next. It was clear that Pan wasn't going to hurt you— he'd had the chance to crush your heart back in the cavern, but instead he seemed to have a complete change of mind and seemed to believe he had been waiting for you. Again, it was weird, because you had been in Neverland for a good handful of weeks now and not once did Pan seem to think you were someone he had been waiting for.
As you were dragged over the camps threshold, you immediately spotted Baelfire off to the side with his weapon in hand. He seemed alarmed at your sudden return, and you watched as he processed several different emotions at once. You could have laughed at the way his entire face twitched, but the situation was far from funny. 
You didn't have to look to see where Pan was taking you. You already knew where he'd decided to put you, and that was back in that awfully cramped cage that dangled you high above the ground. You'd rather not have to return to it, because after Felix's cruel deceit, you truly knew nobody was ever on your side now. There'd be no escaping that cage once you were in there again, and you hated Pan for making that abundantly clear. 
"Let go!" You demanded, returning back to hitting Pan's arm. You curled your fingers tightly into the palm of your hand, and you bashed your fist as hard as you could. Even if Pan wouldn't let go, you at least hoped you'd leave some sort of bruising on him as your act of defiance. "Let go!" 
To your surprise, Pan stopped abruptly. He whirled around before you could even understand what was happening, and both of his hands gripped your shoulders tightly in place. You winced at the harshness, but you fought back the whimper that threatened to choke you. 
"You don't get to make any demands here, [Name]," Pan said, a shadow falling over his face as the moon hid behind the trees. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, like he was a type of demon. "You're going back in that cage, and you're going to stay there where I know you'll be safe. I won't let you run away from me again." 
You considered kicking his shin and bolting it back the way you had come, but you were surrounded by lost boys and they'd give their lives if Pan wanted them to. 
"I don't like it there." 
"What?" 
Pan stared down at you. The moon started to appear from behind the tree again, casting an ethereal glow to his face. Standing so close to him, you could see the softness of his features and how boyish he was when he was not scowling and glaring at others, when he wasn't planning something so horrific and cruel. 
But you knew better than to believe he was soft. Pan could never be soft. 
"The cage..." you mumbled, lowering your head to avoid his gaze. You feared he'd see into your head and hear your thoughts if you looked at him for too long. "I don't like the cage. I don't like being up high." 
You'd half expected Pan to snigger and laugh at your show of weakness, but he didn't utter a single word or show any amusement. 
Curious, and baffled, you slowly raised your eyes to catch a glimpse of his expression, to try and gauge whatever he was thinking. And to your surprise, he seemed to be genuinely considering something. 
Then, Pan dropped his hands from your shoulders. If you weren't so shocked, you would have turned to run away. Instead, you left yourself wide open for Pan to capture your wrist in his hand, and you allowed him to drag you across the camp and towards his treehouse. 
There were crooked steps that were wound around the trunk, and at the very top, peaking above the trees, was his private room. While the lost boys all shared the ground together, with tents made of animal hide and leaves woven together, Pan lived in luxury with a tree so high up that he was practically untouchable. 
You hardly noticed the ascent upwards. You barely glanced over the sides as you climbed higher and higher, and you became numb to the anxious drop inside your stomach that often warned you of something being dangerously wrong. 
You only snapped back into reality when Pan guided you into the treehouse room. 
Pan let go of your wrist and ushered you forwards, so you stood in the very centre. He lingered by the doorway and folded his arms over his chest, his thick brows drawn into an observant furrow. He watched as you stood awkwardly, hands clasped together as you fleetingly looked to each item of furniture within the room. 
There was a bed by the window, a nightstand, a chest of drawers, and a chair. It was scarce, but it was more than what the camp had below. 
"Is this better?" Pan asked, breaking the tense silence. 
You were almost relieved that he'd started to speak. With the way he continued to stare at you, you wondered if he was trying to pry into your thoughts. 
"Better?" You echoed, unsure of how to answer. You looked nervously towards the window. Would it hurt to jump from this height? 
Pan scoffed. "Is it better than the cage?" 
You shot him a frown. What kind of question was that supposed to be? It was miles ahead better than the cage. Not only was there room to move about in, but there was a bed for you to actually sleep on. You wouldn't be cramped and sore with stiff muscles from sleeping all curled up, and you wouldn't be subjected to freezing temperatures at night with the blanket provided. 
If you didn't know any better, then you'd guess he was expecting you to thank him for bringing you to his treehouse. 
"It is." 
Pan seemed to wait for you to say something more. His jaw muscles tensed, and you braced yourself for him to begin threatening you with something awful. But he closed his eyes, exhaled through his nose, relaxed his body and let his hands drop to his sides. 
"Good." Pan turned away from you and opened the door, but instead of leaving he just stood there, frozen. He then looked to you from over his shoulder, and he smiled. "Rest well." 
And then he left, closing the door behind him.