An Awfully Big Adventure

Chapter 8: Growing Pains & Thimbles

Louis lay in a practically catatonic state at the edge of the forest. He hadn't let any of the Lost Boys near him since he had come back from Hook's ship last night, nor had he spoken to anyone. Tink was impossible to move, but if he could have made her leave, he would. He wanted to stew in his own misery by himself.

On the flight back to the island, Louis had started thinking again about what Harry had said. He had sounded so certain that Louis had grown, and it unsettled him. As soon as Harry had left, however, he had pushed his thoughts to the side to focus on getting free and rescuing the Lost Boys. It had taken ages just to get ahold of that blasted knife with his foot. Then he'd had to try to get it up to a hand without dropping it...needless to say, it wasn't the easiest thing he'd ever done and it had taken quite a bit of concentration.

However, when he'd returned to his thoughts, he came to a few uncomfortable realisations. He forgot most things and people. He forgot most of his past and what he'd done as well. So how did he know he didn't grow? The few memories he had from early on featured a reflection much more similar to the five year old boys he used to bring to Neverland. When had he started bringing older children? When Louis really thought about it, he noticed he never brought boys younger than six anymore, and they were more often around eight to ten years old.

He didn't used to think that much about height because he could always fly to get higher up...but he didn't always need to anymore. Climbing trees didn't require flying for a boost, and he had no issues picking fruit when he was simply walking.

No. Louis did not like this thinking thing one bit. These things implied change, and change implied growing. Louis did not want to grow. He refused. And yet, it had all happened so gradually that he hadn't noticed. He'd been around for quite a few years, and none of the Lost Boys were there long enough to notice changes...Oh no, this was very bad.

"Tink?"

She fluttered closer immediately.

"Do I⁠— am I different than when I first came to Neverland?"

Tink gave him a measuring look before deciding he could handle the truth.

"Really? But⁠— but I'll never grow up! I said, I said, I...can't actually remember why I know that. But I won't!"

She flew closer to pat him on the cheek.

"No! You don't need to comfort me, because it's not a problem. It's not happening. Y⁠— What?" he spluttered, "What do you mean it's not just physical?"

Louis straightened himself up.

"I will never do things the grown up way. I do not act grown up, I only concentrate on fun! I do not think like⁠—" Louis cut himself off and put his head in his hands. "Is that what that was? All those...suffocating questions? But⁠—but the other pixies fixed it. They're not everywhere anymore."

Tink shook her head.

"It wasn't the pixies? What do you mean I just grew to accommodate them? I did nothing of the sort! I didn't⁠—I didn't grow at all, especially not for more thoughts."

Louis huffed.

"I don't have to do anything I don't want to. I am not going to grow up."

He angrily took flight, heading to the lagoon so he could play with the water nymphs. Frustrated tears sprang into his eyes and he impatiently wiped them away. Maybe the nymphs would make him feel better. Playing with nymphs wasn't an adult thing to do anyway, so there!

Louis dived straight from the clouds into the middle of the lagoon, startling the mermaids and nymphs, as well as the birds and squirrels in the surrounding trees. His clothes would dry at some point later, he supposed. He surfaced and, recognising his face, a few nymphs came over. Louis simply hugged them, treading water. He needed that comfort feeling again. The tears wouldn't stop coming because he was so frustrated and confused, which frustrated him more because he didn't want to cry, which, in turn, only made him cry harder.