Proposals & Pancakes

"Women make next to no sense." Peter said as he gracelessly flopped onto the couch next to Felix, who for all intents and purposes was completely consumed in a book and ignoring him. When he didn't look up after the announcement Peter frowned and elbowed him, and then kept elbowing him until the other boy gave in and looked up at him. His eyebrows rose expectantly, as if it were Felix's responsibility to explain what was wrong with women.

Felix stared back blank faced. "You're just figuring this out now?"

Peter's frown returned.

They sat in silence for exactly fifteen seconds before Peter shattered it with a verbal mallet. "What's the point of buying them a ring? I don't see what difference a little band of metal will make. If you get bored you can still leave. How is the ring going to stop you?"

After recovering from a moment of shock, Felix decided that the only way to deal with the problem (the problem being Peter) was to ignore it. So he opened his book again in favor of waiting out the issue. One thing he learned about Peter early on was his tendency to abandon prospects he found boring. On the off chance he found the prospect fascinating however, Felix would be in for an evening of constant badgering by the other boy. Apparently this was one of those times, because the moment he felt ignored Peter snatched the novel from Felix's hands and tossed it over the side of the couch. Felix watched the hardcover go sailing with the same forlorn look most people had at a funeral. And he didn't even let me bookmark my page.

He was making that expectant, "explain-the-absurdity-of-society-to-me-Felix" face, so Felix tried to forget about the fact that he'd just lost his place in a really good book. Thinking up a suitable answer for Pan was like pulling teeth, always unpleasant and an experience most tried to avoid. He thought back to the series of books he'd read with mentions of rings in them. The first thing he thought of was the one ring (from Lord of the Rings), but somehow informing Peter that there was a sadistic piece of jewelry that liked killing a bunch of people and creating total chaos didn't seem like the best idea. Next, he thought of the few books Belle gave him to read in an attempt to "enlighten" his young mind and introduce him to the finer points of love. (Somehow she was under the impression that if he knew what he was doing, he could make Peter less…Peter-like.) He got nothing from that, so his mind immediately went to the things he'd seen on television and in movies. (Which consisted of Reality tv and Spanish Soap Operas).

"It's…not really about the ring itself."

Peter crossed his arms as if preparing to rebuff this statement. When he didn't, Felix continued. "It's more about…" How could he explain this to the kid who found fault with literally every argument in existence? He'd have to think of a good example. "It's more about representation."

They stared at each other for a moment, with Felix watching the other boy's face slowly melt into laughter. Peter crinkled his nose as if the idea repulsed him, which is what he always did when he didn't understand something. "What's it supposed to represent?"

"Uh. A promise to love…the person you're talking to?"

"You don't sound so sure, Felix." Pan snickered at him before his expression softened into a look that said he wasn't impressed. "What? So they just say 'I promise I love you' and stick a ring on the other person's finger? Seems kind of unreliable."

"Well, there's a little more to it than that I think."

"Oh yeah?" There was a challenge sparkling in Peter's eyes.

"Yeah."

"Okay. Fine. Propose to me Felix."

All forms of thought came to a screeching halt. Felix stared at the other boy stupidly, with his mouth hanging open. "…what?"