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The spell was only half complete when Peter’s body got sucked into the box.
His fingers digging into Henry’s shadow, Peter’s body began to get dragged into the red mist as his eyes flashed gold, his mind entering Henry’s. His grip on the silhouette loosened as he battled himself into the younger boy’s mentality, Henry’s hazel orbs also turning the shining color. Pushing on the entity that was Henry, Peter felt himself begin to take control of the believer’s body, his soul filtering into his veins as he fought against him. But before he was able to completely force the younger boy out, his body disappeared entirely, getting locked away into misery.
He instantly tensed, worried when the spell was left unfinished. He feared that when he would open his eyes, he would be back inside his own body and not in the Henry’s, tucked away into misery forevermore. He was afraid that he had lost the game he worked so hard to win.
But all of those fears slipped away as he peeled back his eyelids and found himself still in the Captain’s Quarters, only instead of standing besides the bed, he was sitting upon it. Glancing down, he saw a familiar plaid shirt and a small smirk formed on lips that usually weren’t his own.
He had been stupid for worrying. He was Peter Pan, and despite now being inside the truest believer’s body, that didn’t change that fact. He would win this game and his prize would be his immortality, and he refused to let anything get in the way – including his emotions. They had almost ruined everything before and he couldn’t let that happen again.
Groaning, Peter felt the head he had occupied began to pound as Henry’s shadow fully reconnected with his body, Henry’s – or should he say his? – limbs aching with a slight burn. Although rather disappointed about not being able to steal Henry’s heart, Peter couldn’t help but be glad that he was able to switch into the believer’s body before being locked away for eternity. He wouldn’t be able to save himself inside Pandora’s Box.
“You okay Henry?” Rumplestiltskin asked worriedly, rushing forward as he placed a hand onto Henry’s back, Peter inwardly smirking from the name the Dark One addressed him as.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said breathlessly, the voice Peter uttered out foreign to his ears. Instead of hearing Henry’s voice traveling across the air like he had before, he was hearing it through the bone of his skull now and it sounded a bit odd that way. “Thank you.” He said with false sincerity.
Nodding, Rumple offered him a small smile, “Of course.” He said, the tension in his shoulders relaxing, “I’ll let you get back to resting now, but all of us are right on the deck if you need anything.” He offered kindly, the words gentle. It was a different side of Rumplestiltskin; one Peter had never spoken to before.
In response, Peter mustered a childlike smile on the young, innocent face and nodded, Rumple standing a moment longer, his gaze lingering before exiting the room. When his footsteps carried to the flooring above him, Peter knew he had truly left.
Once he was gone, Peter allowed a smirk to consume his features, pride swelling in his chest from the small victory he had just accomplished. Not wasting any time basking in it, Peter began to form a plan in his head, but realized that he may need help. Although Henry’s body could produce magic, it wasn’t nearly as powerful as Peter’s could, and he wouldn’t be able to defeat his enemies with it. Conveniently for him though, all of the Lost Boys were on the deck above, but he knew most were traitors. There was only one boy he knew for certain that he could trust, one that had always been faithful to him.
Peter began moving to go to him when something cut him off.
Or should he say someone…
‘Ugh… What happened?’
That voice… It sounded just like Henry’s, and not the voice Peter thought in. But it couldn’t be. His mind was stuck with Peter’s body in Pandora’s Box… Wasn’t it?
A groaning echoed through his head this time, ‘What’s going on?’ The voice questioned.
“Who’s there?” Peter called out in a challenging voice, pushing the blanket from his borrowed body’s lap as he sat up more.
‘Uh, me?’ Henry’s voice went through his head again, making Peter drop his mouth slightly, ‘Wait… Why can’t I control my body? What’s going on?’ He exclaimed once more, his tone panicked.
Peter froze, his body tensing as he realized what this meant.
Since the spell had been incomplete, Henry never traveled out of his own body and into Peter’s. Although Henry may have gotten pushed out of the control center of his head, he still remained inside of it and was stuck with Peter inside his own skull. The two of them were currently just two minds jammed into the space of one.
‘Wh-what are you talking about?’ He heard Henry stutter, ‘Peter?! You took over my body?!’ He screeched, the sound vibrating through Peter’s brain.
In response from the loud, internal noise, Peter’s head began to hurt. ‘Could you be any louder?!’ Peter thought back in annoyance, wincing as he did so.
‘Could you not be inside me?!’ Henry retorted angrily.
Without meaning to, Peter’s thoughts began to drift. The statement Henry had just made sounded much more sexual than the believer meant it to be, and it gave Peter an image he would love to play out… It was the same image he had, unfortunately, thought about more than he should have since he had been planning on killing the boy at the time. He had begun to desire Henry and that had started to interfere with the plans he had made…
Instantly, Peter pushed the thought away before Henry could realize what it was. Although Henry couldn’t physically do anything, thinking was still dangerous with the younger boy inside his head. Every thought that crossed his mind was shared with the believer. Henry heard everything.
‘Obviously.’ Henry replied dryly, and Peter wondered if Henry would be able to feel it if he slapped his head.
‘First off, it’s my head, and second off, uh, no.’ Henry retorted, ‘but… you can feel this…’ He trailed off, chuckling deviously.
Suddenly, pain blossomed in Peter’s head, Peter groaning as he flew a hand to Henry’s skull and cradled it. His mind stung and burned in a piercing way he had never felt before. It only continued for a few seconds though before the pressure disappeared. While exhaling with relief, Peter couldn’t help but wonder why it ended so quickly, and Henry couldn’t prevent himself from thinking of a response.
The mind can never be shut off, and it was a problem the two of them would learn about.
‘I don’t want to hurt you.’ Henry’s thought was small, but Peter still heard it. Henry’s embarrassment formed in the back of his head afterwards and Peter felt the believer try to block the older boy out from his thoughts.
Peter didn’t want to hurt Henry either, and soon that knowledge became Henry’s.
‘You… You didn’t?’ Henry questioned, his voice sounding very naive.
Sighing, Peter tried to prevent his thought process from occurring, but it continued anyways.
At first, Peter didn’t care about the biggest believer’s life being lost because he only cared about his own. The price of living was Henry’s death and he had been perfectly fine with that. But the more he grew to know Henry, the more he wished to not see the boy in pain. He saw how kind he was, yet still headstrong and brave at the same time, and after being stubborn for a day or two, he gave the Lost Boy’s a chance. He gave Peter a chance, despite his twisted and corrupt ways. And every time he saw Henry smile or laugh or even joke around with him, the more Peter began to l-
Pushing up from the bed, Peter cut the thought short, irritation bubbling up in his chest from starting the muse in the first place. He distracted himself by stumbling across the room, trying to learn how to use Henry’s legs which were much shorter than his usual ones. He could hear Henry yearn for Peter to finish what he was saying, both curious and slightly hopeful (which he attempted to suppress) but Peter ignored it.
After a minute, Henry sighed and voiced a thought louder, ‘You know, if we’re stuck inside the same head, we might as well try to get along and be honest with each other.’ Henry spoke, his voice worn out.
Clenching his teeth, Peter continued concentrating on walking. The first action caused him to realize the teeth and tongue he was sensing wasn’t his own, but instead, they were Henry’s… And of all the instances in which he dreamt of feeling them, exploring the believer’s mouth, thinking about learning of the hot depths… none of them were ever like this.
Hurriedly, he forced himself to respond to Henry instead so his thoughts didn’t stay on that train, and he hoped he was quick enough. ‘I’m already much more honest with you than I’d like.’ He thought back bitterly, aggravated with having to watch his every thought.
‘Well, you shouldn’t have taken over my body then!’ Henry couldn’t prevent himself from shouting in reply.
Growling, Peter yelled back, ‘You weren’t supposed to be stuck in here with me!’ Peter replied, but an emotion filled him as soon as he did so, one that rarely encased him. Guilt. Because, if the switch had been completed, Henry would be locked in a box full of despair, and someone as kind and trusting as him shouldn’t ever be put into Pandora’s Box.
‘If you hadn’t done the spell though, then you’d be stuck in there…’ Henry trailed off once he realized this, his tone suddenly turning sad, ‘I wouldn’t want that.’ He mentally sighed.
Peter let a bitter laugh escape out loud, it sounding foreign through Henry’s voice, ‘After I tried to get you and your entire family killed, you wouldn’t want me locked inside a miserable box?’ He questioned, rolling his eyes, ‘Yeah right.’ He scoffed.
‘If I believed anything different, do you think I’d be able to keep it from you?’ Henry retorted sarcastically, and Peter could practically hear Henry also roll his eyes through his voice.
Realizing that Henry was right, Peter wondered why and of course, received an answer.
‘You’re not evil Peter.’ Henry began, ‘Just… just…’ He searched for a word, ‘Lost.’ His train of thought landed on, causing both of them to snicker in amusement from the irony.
‘We’re not called the Lost Boys for nothing.’ Peter said, his eyebrows flickering as a grin consumed his borrowed body’s features, but it fell when he remembered it was appearing on Henry’s face. He wanted to see Henry and his innocence; he no longer wanted to be him. The cost of the game was becoming too high, and he discovered that when he saw Henry’s lifeless body fall to the ground. When he realized that he had done that to him. And he didn’t think he could bring himself to do it to Henry again.
He waited years and years for Henry to be born, for Henry to arrive, simply for the game to begin. Simply so he could win his immortality and live forever. He never expected to become so close to the boy who would save his life, in turn losing his own, and he never expected remorse and shame to fall upon him when he did. He had been utterly desperate and confused when he came upon the Jolly Roger, and he couldn’t believe he tried to take Henry’s life from him a second time.
‘Peter, do what you have too.’ Henry suddenly said, his inner voice strong, ‘Convince my family that you’re me, remove the spell that’s preventing you from taking my heart, and then switch our bodies back. Take my heart and live.’ He whispered, his voice sounding like he was on the verge of tears.
“What?!” Peter asked aloud, completely shocked, his mouth falling agape, ‘Then you’ll die!’ He retorted mentally this time.
A humorous chuckle echoed through Peter’s head, ‘If you don’t, then you’ll die.’ Henry said, and couldn’t stop himself from continuing, ‘And I don’t know how, but I’ve fallen in love with you, and I didn’t stop loving you even when I discovered that you had lied to me. I can’t let you die when I know I can do something about it!’ He shouted, his voice frantic.
‘I don’t want to be the cause of your death though!’ Peter shouted back, tears beginning to swim in his eyes that he quickly pushed away. It had been a long time since he last cried, and he refused to do so now, ‘I already watched you die once because of me and then I tried to kill you again!’ He said, sounding angry with himself, ‘My fear of dying outweighed my love for you before, but I can’t let it now. I won’t let it now.’ He thought back quietly, and Peter wanted nothing more than to take Henry into his arms. He wanted nothing more than to mold their lips together, but he couldn’t. His body was locked away and he was in control of the very same boy he wanted to kiss.
‘If it wasn’t though then we wouldn’t be having this conversation then, huh?’ Henry weakly joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, ‘As much as I wish that could happen, you need to start forming your plan. I refuse to let you die and-“
‘And I refuse to let you die.’ Peter cut him off, his voice stern.
‘Well then, it appears the game just became much harder.’ Henry retorted, a smirk in his voice. Peter couldn’t help but realize that he was rubbing off on the younger boy, and he couldn’t help but like it. ‘I like it too.’ Henry chuckled, the noise making Peter smile. ‘Find a way for us both to live if you won’t let me die for you then.’ Henry said sternly.
‘It won’t be easy, but I’m determined.’ Peter thought back. Not only did he already know he had Felix on his side, but he had Henry too now, and that’s everyone he needed.
‘Good.’ Henry said, his happiness spreading as warmth throughout Peter, ‘I believe in you.’ He whispered, and before Peter had wanted Henry to have faith in him for selfish reasons, and without them, it felt much better to be believed in.
Peter knew they would find a way to their happily ever after. They had too for the sake of both of them.