The Playground

Written by Kinomi Akai

For Holly - this is your true birthday present. I hope it lives up to your expectations! You inspire me, and maybe I say it all the time, but I do love you :) You'll find your Peter Pan!

Again I think I'll put a disclaimer here - I don't own Peter Pan; Disney owns it all! I am going to Disney soon though :) To learn from the animation experts. So I own...my plane ticket? That's probably it.

It was Saturday morning and he was doing the same thing he always did--waiting on her doorstep. It had been a tradition since they were kids, switching houses every weekend. Today, it was his turn to wait.

The door opened. "I...I didn't think you'd come."

He leaned back, turning his body slightly to see her standing in the doorway.

"After I got so mad at you and all, I mean." She continued, looking nervous when he hadn't replied. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I had a bad day and I took it out on you, and--"

"It's okay." He cut off her rambling and gave her a smile. "You're going through a tough time, I know."

"But that's no excuse." She insisted.

"Well, maybe it isn't, but it's good enough for me."

"Really?" He could hear the hope in her voice.

"Really." He answered, and stood. He gestured to the side with his head as he said, "Let's go."

She gave him a warm smile. "Okay."

They walked to the same park they always had gone to, though the playground had been updated, replaced, re-painted countless times. It didn't look like the same park, but it felt like it.

"It's weird," She suddenly stated. She ran her hand down the red metal bars as she spoke, "I feel more at peace here than I do in my own home."

He grinned. "Maybe because this is our Neverland."

"What?" She looked at him.

"Neverland! We're forever young when we're here. There's no pressures of growing old or anything like that...there's you, in your playground; your own world, where the only limit is your own imagination. It can be anything you want, you know?"

"Like a pirate ship?" Her eyes scanned the place, an enchanted, soft smile gracing her face.

He laughed. "Yeah, like a pirate ship." He had the same expression, but his eyes were focused on something else entirely.

"Remember when we dressed up like Peter Pan and Wendy for Halloween?" She suddenly asked him.

"How could I not?" He snickered. "All the parents in the neighborhood mention it only every time they see us!" He imitated a high-pitched exaggerated female voice. "Oooh, you two were just so cute!"

He had her in hysterics as he continued, "You made such a dashing pair! Always together, ahh, young love..." He trailed off with a dreamy sigh, hand over his heart.

"The scary part is," She had to pause to calm her laughter, "that's exactly what they sound like!"

He grinned at her; he loved to make her laugh.

"C'mon! Let's play on the monkey bars!" A voice startled them both, and they turned to see two young children, a girl and a boy, excitedly running to the playground.

"Looks like someone else found our Neverland." She commented as they watched the kids play; oblivious to everything but their own world.

"I think I make a better Peter," He mock-huffed, making her laugh.

"Of course you do," She said, patting him on the arm in consolation.

A loud squeal made them look back at the kids; the boy was tickling the girl mercilessly. They watched the two for a while, before he suddenly turned to her with an evil grin on his face. She abruptly knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Don't you dare," she warned, backing away. When his grin only widened, she made a split-second decision and ran. They ran off the playground, into the field, but it didn't take long for him to catch up to her, and viciously tickle her.

"Ahaha! Mer-ahah..Mercy! Mercy!" She struggled to get the word out as she flailed on the grass helplessly.

Eventually, he stopped, and she glared at him. "You're no Peter Pan, you're the evil Captain Hook!"

He gave a laugh and teasingly said, "Then you're the alligator because you're always on my mind."

"Yeah, because you're terrified of me." She taunted him.

He laughed again. "Tick-tick-tick," He imitated a clock's hand turning with his fingers. She giggled and leant against him. They sat on the ground, neither saying anything for a few moments.

She watched the children play before breaking the silence, "Let's leave them to their world. I think I'm ready to start growing up, back home."

He smiled, and simply said "Okay."

The walk back home seemed shorter than it had when they went there. They stood on their street, examining it as they walked down. They got to the point where they had to go their separate ways, and he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah." She answered, and turned around, an odd feeling filling her.

"I'll bring Tinkerbell!" He suddenly shouted after her.

Her laughed echoed down the street, and the day became just a little bit brighter.

Author's Note: Okay, so I'm not sure if this one is as good as the first story I wrote. Hopefully I did, but I'd really love some concrit. Don't be afraid to unleash it on me, I really want to improve my writing. This is the actual birthday present for a amazing friend I have, so I want to make this really good for her! Holly, I really hope you like this. Happy Sweet Sixteen! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed my other story, you guys are awesome :) Thanks for reading this one! Hope you like it!

- Kinomi