Free(PanxOC)

Chapter 5 Stay

The walk back to camp was uneventful and silent, aside from Pan making comments here and there about how I really looked like a lost girl now, and how he new I would do well here. I was beginning to see smoke rising up from behind some trees, mixing with the fog in the air that clung to nearly everything, giving the forest a creepy sort of feel. The sound of boys yelling and laughing loudly filled my ears, making the butterflies rise up in my stomach, fluttering around.

"Don't be nervous." Pan turned to me suddenly, as if he'd read my mind. "Sure you're the only girl they've been around in a while, but they're not complete animals." He lowered voice at the sight of my worried expression and placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "No one will touch you if i'm around."

"And when you're not?" I retorted causing him to raise his theatrical eyebrows and chuckle. 

"Did you miss the part about me ruling the island? If I tell them not to bother you they won't."

"You'll do that? You'll tell them not to bother me?" I asked hopefully, staring into his eyes.

"For the time being. You need to learn to hold your own around here or they'll find a way to eat you alive. This island might have seemed pleasant in your dream princess, but it, and everything on it, is ruthless." He turned away from me before I could reply, pushing his way through the remaining few trees, helping me through as well.

I stared at the scene before me in wonder and amazement. In the middle of the clearing was a stone pit housing a roaring fire with around fifteen to twenty boys, some in animal masks and some barefaced, dancing and parading around it, banging sticks and other things together as if they were reacting to some unheard music. 

Good sized huts lined the outer edges of the clearing, forming a circle around the pit and the boys, and logs and stumps littered the tiny area, acting as seats and benches. A little ways away from the area was a large tree house, overlooking the area, and to the left of that was another smaller tree house, a bit lower to the ground than the first. 

I tore my eyes away from the campsite and glanced at Pan, now noticing that he was watching my face to see my expression. A few of the boys who had been sitting and talking were now staring at me and smirking, whistling and whispering to each other, causing my face to go bright red and my gaze to fall to my feet. 

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Pan timidly reaching for my hand, and I moved mine a bit closer to his just as slowly. Eventually our fingers met, nudging each others before they finally interlocked and we were officially holding hands. I gazed down at our hands, feeling the urge to smile and not being sure why. 

I felt him tug a bit, pulling me behind him through the camp which had grown silent as all eyes had suddenly landed on me. I could literally feel his smirk grow as my other hand grasped his arm and held on for dear life, not lifting my eyes from the ground the entire way through. 

I felt a sudden pull on my entire body and when I looked up we were in the middle of the largest tree house that greatly resembled Tinkerbells, but had more furniture. There was a small cot in the right corner with plain white sheets and small log across from it near the wooden desk that was littered with paper and a few small daggers. Three lanterns sat in the two windows, illuminating the room perfectly, and the leaf curtain that separated the room from the balcony was pulled back a bit, revealing the tiny area that faced away from the campsite. 

I looked over to Pan in surprise at the sudden action and was not surprised to see him smirking and doing his best to feign an innocent facial expression, toying with his fingers as he stood a few feet away from me. 

"What was that?"

"Just a bit of magic. My fingers were growing numb from all the squeezing."

I rolled my eyes. "Well if you were going to use magic why make me do that in the first place?"

"I didn't know you were the shy type." He exclaimed, ignoring my question and taking a seat on the log across from the bed. 

"I'm not." I sighed, taking a seat myself on the bed, folding my hands in my lap. "Now when everyone is staring at me, that's a different story. Those huts, those are where the boys sleep?" I asked, pausing for him to nod. "Do I have one of those?"

"No." He replied. "You'll be staying here, with me."

My eyes widened as my head shot up to face him. "What? Why?"

He chuckled breathlessly. "Easy princess. I don't know how well some of the boys are going to do around you and I'd rather not find out the hard way. You'll be safer up here, it's enchanted, you see. No one can get in without my permission."

"So, none of the boys can come up here when you're gone?" He shook his head. "But you let me?"

"You and Felix are the only two able get in here."

"The-the one with the scar and the massive club thing? That makes me feel better." I sighed, rubbing fingers across my forehead. 

"He's my most loyal boy, my second in command. He wouldn't dare do anything to anger me and touching you would do just that." He glanced up at me, seemingly surprised at his own words. Clearing his throat, he quickly rose to his feet, rubbing his palms on his thighs while making his way over to me.

"You can sleep here. I'll see about another bed in the morning. I have a few things to show you tomorrow, so I'll wake you when its time to go."

I nodded, processing his words and just beginning to lean back on the pillows when he spun around and started to walk away. "Where are you going?"

He glanced over his shoulder at me. "I have some things to tend to. Like I said, I'll come get you in the morning."

My hand shot out before I could even process what I was doing, my fingers wrapping firmly around his wrist. "Stay." The word fell effortlessly off my lips, hanging in the silence for a moment. "Please."

I expected him to laugh at me and leave me sitting alone with my stupid fear, but much to surprise he did neither of those things. He gently pried my fingers off of his wrist, laying my hand down on the bed before making his way back over to the log and sitting back down, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes.