Peter Pan Fan Fiction ❯ Opening Closed Windows ❯ Evening moon ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

5. Evening Moon.

A boy with raven black hair stood in the hall of the Darlings. His hands were folded behind his back as
he examined a big grandfathers clock. His honey-colored eyes were looking at the wood with an
interest rarely showed in a clock. The teenager was dressed in black, with a single red rose pinned to
his jacked. Another item of interest he held, was a sword. A big, old pirate sword. The truth being
told, the boy didn't look anything like a pirate. But there weren't much people whom had actually
seen a pirate and lived to tell the tale.

The sound of a door opening made the boy look up and turn around when he saw Mr. Darling
approach him. He didn't extend his hand, but waited for the elder man to extend his first. It was only
polite to way half a minute longer. No matter how nervous he was. It was only polite to allow Mr.
Darling to take point in the matter. After all the matter concerned his daughter. Mr. Darling probably
was just as nervous as he was, maybe even more.

It didn't take the elder man very long to extend his hand. He just looked the teenager up and down,
plastered a smile on his face that was obviously fake and stretched out his hand.
"Edward Darling." The man said with a grim voice and the dark haired boy took the hand. "Christian
Montgomery sir, pleasure to meet you."
Mr. Darling nodded. "Likewise son." There was a small pause but then Mr. Darling gestured towards
an armchair. "Please take a seat. Wendy and my wife are taking care of the final things. They will join
us shortly."

They sat down opposite of each other and Mr. Darling stared at Christian for a period of time. He
obviously wasn't quite satisfied with the situation yet. He looked like a father brooding to find
something bad about the boy who came to pick her up. Giving him a proper excuse to keep her at
home, locked away from male attention. The question that followed wasn't an unexpected one. "Is
someone chaperoning you?"

Christian nodded. "Yes sir, my mother has taken it upon herself to chaperone us during this evening."
That his mother was most likely to fall asleep an hour upon arriving at the ball was something
Christian found wise not to mention and Mr. Darling didn't ask any further. He just nodded and
glanced at the clock muttering: "Very well, very well."

The elder man probably saw the time slipping through his fingers. Not being able to stop his daughter
from growing up, but not quite capable to accept the fact that she was nearly an adult. Christian had
to admin though, Mr. Darling had been quite effective at keeping Wendy away from society. Any
other girl with her looks would have several suitors by this age, but not Wendy. It was a miracle that
a lot of other man had missed her beauty. But not him. He had not missed the shyness of her smile,
the luscious glistering in her eyes when she talked to him. Nor had he missed the yearning in her
complexion. He had seen it all and it had engraved itself in his memories. Christian didn't even try to
forget about Wendy Darling.

He wanted her and she was to be his. For he was Christian Montgomery and he always got what he
wanted. One way or the other. He would be kind, he would be nice, he would even compliment her
mother to get his way. It wouldn't even matter if she looked like a bat straight from hell, he would
compliment her to get on this families good side. They would soon release her into his arms and then
he would persuade her to leave her old live behind. She had the opportunity to marry up and she
should take it with both arms. Her parents were working-class people with too many children. It
would be a disgrace for his family. Not Wendy, never Wendy. Only the rest of her entire family.

---

The sound of a door opening broke through Christian's thoughts and he looked at the door, just in
time to see Wendy enter. She looked absolutely gorgeous. She wore a green dress, made of some
kind of light fabric. Her hair was draped around her head like a halo and she seemed to be floating
into the room. That effect was magnified by the silk wings on her back and for a moment Christian
could only stare at the angel before him.

She smiled at him in a way only women could. A kiss hidden in the right corner of her lips. Which
made her smile much more interesting. It was the kiss he intended to steal before the evening was
over...

~*~

"You are not coming in that Peter! You will cause a scandal of such measures that I won't be
welcome anywhere!" Bianca nearly shouted at Peter. He just crossed his arm and gave the elder
woman his most impressive glare ever. "You said I had to be something mythical. I'm going as Peter
Pan, the boy who will never grow up."

"You are Peter Pan, and you've obviously grown!" Bianca countered and Peter looked slightly
abashed. He recovered rather fast however. "That does not matter. You are a grown woman
pretending to be the Goddess Diane! Why can't I pretend to be just a boy?"

Peter had never looked so stubborn before and Bianca sighed. "You are showing far too much skin
Peter. People can almost see your Mister Twinkletoes, because you are only wearing leaves."
At this point Peter turned beet red, he didn't like it when Bianca talked about his private parts. Sure
when he had just came back to London he didn't have any feelings like shame, shyness or anything
like that. But he did now! One of the few things he had learns whilst being here and it was a feeling
that made him utterly uncomfortable . It was that very feeling that made him grumble: "Fine! I'll just
go as a bloody pirate!"

"Watch your language young man," came the reply as Peter was already halfway up the stairs. He
just waved at his foster mother and disappeared into the room which belonged to him. About ten
minutes later he was downstairs again. This time in a black pants with a stunning white shirt. It was
an old-fashioned shirt, with frills on the sleeves. It made Peter look like a charming pirate who al the
same must be approached with caution. It suited him, just as Bianca had expected when she had
bought it for him. "You look wonderful dear. Let's go, we mustn't be late."

Of course they were late. But only because everyone thought it to be wise to arrive by carriage.
There was a huge line in front of the Alabasters house and Peter hated every second he had to wait.
He hated small secluded spaces. It made him feel like he was suffocating. Bianca wanted to take a
carriage. If it had been up to Peter they had made their way over to the Alabasters by foot. It
would've taken them far less time to get there and he would not have felt so utterly uncomfortable.
Unfortunately he no longer was the boss of his own kingdom. Bianca was the adult and she had every
right to make the decisions for him. Until he turned twenty-one that was.

After that he would be as free as humanly possible whilst being a grown up. He would have other
responsibilities. Even less time for himself and no right whatsoever to have fun. By the time he would
turn twenty-one London would have truly clipped his wings and stolen his freedom. He would be a
shadow of the person he once had been. The person he was supposed to be. He would be ordinary.
He would be normal. He would be everything he hoped never to become. And he hated every
moment of inching closer to it.

~*~

---

"Would you care to dance?" Wendy looked at the crowded dance floor and then back at Christian.
Perhaps this would be a good time to tell him that she did not care for dancing. She had shared a
dance with a boy a long time ago and would rather not dance again. Although he had been just a boy,
it was that boy she had always kept in her thoughts. On the other side she really didn't want to insult
Christian. He had been really kind to her al evening, even though she felt very uncomfortable.
Everyone was looking at her and Christian. They where the subject of gossip in the entire room.
Wendy just smiled at Christian and nodded. She realized that the boy in front of her was making a
point of being seen with her. It was most likely his way of letting everyone know he was courting her.
The teenager thought he was just a little too willing as he grabbed her hand and leaded her onto the
dance floor.

She could feel his left hand pressing warm against her hip and the right one was gripping her hand
tightly. It made her feel that if he would let go off her, she would fly away. It was a feeling she hadn't
had in quite some time. It was a feeling Wendy reveled in. So as the sweet tones of a waltz were
audible in the room, she closed her eyes and let herself be taken to a world she hadn't seen in years.
A world build on the imagination of one single person.

Christian was a powerful leader in the dance and Wendy allowed it. She was glad that he had not
stepped on her toes yet, although the room was getting rather chilly. The music had gotten softer to
and Wendy opened her eyes, only to discover that she was no longer in the ballroom. She was out on
one of the balconies. Slowly her eyes focused on the dark haired boy in front of her and she could
see that he was smiling at her. It made her feel odd, like something really important was about to
happen. His face was slowly moving closer and that was the moment Wendy saw something move
over Christian' shoulder.

Without realizing it herself, Wendy gasped for air and took two steps back. At the sound Christian
opened his eyes, looking confused and bewildered. Over his shoulder however blue eyes met sea-
green ones, both looking stunned. I a moment of silence she took his appearance in. His green eyes,
that looked so tired. His tousled blonde hair and challenging smile. She saw it all. His grieve, his anger
and his hurt. She couldn't find the boy she once knew. And because of that she could only whisper:
"Peter?"

"Who?" Christian asked, stepping into Wendy's line of vision. She couldn't see past his broad
shoulders anymore and because of that she totally missed that Peter had froze. His eyes were still
staring at the spot where he had seen Wendy. Now a place somewhere in the middle of Christian's
back. He seemed absolutely flabbergasted en looked unable to say something or even move.
Wendy however pushed Christian aside as she answered his question. "Peter"
"I am not Peter. I am Christian," the teenage boy said bewildered as he allowed Wendy to push him
aside. "I know that you are Christian, you could never be Peter."

At that comment, Peter's body seemed to come back to live. A hard look appeared on his face, on
that Wendy had never seen before. He didn't say a word however, proving once more how much he
had grown up indeed. He stared at Wendy as Christian turned around to look at the other boy. As the
dark haired teenager opened his mouth however Peter stormed passed the couple and went back
inside. He had not said as much as one word, but the look on his face had said it all. Wendy
understood that he did not want to see her. No matter how many questions she had.

It felt like someone had just thrown a bucket filled with cold water over her head, without any
warning. She felt cold and like crying but at the same time she wanted to smile and laugh. She did
none of those things however. She looked at Christian and said: "Let's go back inside. We shouldn't
be alone, it only gives people more reasons to gossip about us."

---

Christian nodded silently, realizing that Wendy had failed to notice that he had wanted to give all
those people a real reason to gossip about them. It would've worked to, if that 'Peter' person hadn't
gotten in the way. A grim look appeared on the teenager's face as he escorted his date back inside.
He would have to go looking for 'Peter' later on and explain to him that he had to disappear out of
Wendy's live just as fast as he had entered it. Within a second..

---