Peter Parker & Tom Holland Imagines

never grow up pt.2

I bury my feet in the warm sand with a beaming smile. It's only been a few days of life here in Neverland, and even the other lost boys seem to notice the change I feel. There's no more rigorous rules to worry about, no need to mask my emotions or personality, and no Refinement looming over me. I'm free.

"Aren't you going in?" Peter questions as he suddenly appears beside me, which makes me let out a startled cry. He tries—but fails—to hide his laughter, and I'm almost thankful since it means he doesn't notice my embarrassment at the realization he lacks a shirt like the rest of the boys in preparation for swimming. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to ask if you're swimming; I wasn't trying to scare you."

"Don't give yourself too much credit; you only startled me." I quip and look back to the others splashing and laughing in the water. "And I am. I just—it's been I while since I went swimming."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. There's nothing dangerous in the water, and the mermaids never travel this far in—something about the water not being salty enough and us being too loud." He shrugs and scratches the back of his neck. "But, if you're still uncomfortable, I'll—um—I'll be there the whole time—if you need me that is."

I bite my lip and avoid looking at him to hide my blush. "I'd—um—I'd really like that."

Peter easily returns the smile, and I swear the air gets a little warmer in that moment. Except, I don't have much time to dwell on it as I'm lifted off my feet by unfamiliar arms. My heart pounds in my chest and limbs swing towards whoever's holding me. "Newbie incoming!" The voice I recognize as my least favorite lost boy, Flash, shouts as he swings me towards the water.

My body plunges beneath the surface, and I let out a gasp, not even realizing how little air is left for me to make it back up until the water is filling my mouth. I swing my limbs around frantically as I struggle to remember everything my brother, Kellan, taught me when we were little kids. Yet, I still feel miles away from the surface.

After another terrifying long second, my muscles finally remember the rhythm and propel me upward. I gasp and wipe my hair from my eyes. Peter surfaces right next me, clearly just as out of breath and thoroughly relieved as he says, "I thought you said you couldn't swim."

"No, I said it's been a long time." I reply and try to keep myself up. "My brother taught me when I was little, but I haven't done this since I was a kid."

"You're doing pretty well though, but Flash is still gonna get in trouble for doing that. You could have drowned." Peter whispers with a dark expression.

"Hey," I whisper and ignore the feeling of some of the lost boys watching as I swim closer, "I'm fine. Nothing happened to me that I can't handle. Plus, I have a feeling Flash will get his eventually."

"Do I even wanna know what you're planning?" He asks with a mischievous grin.

"Probably not." I tease and swim past him to the other lost boys, most of whom are trying to hide their giddy grins. The girls have all made it pretty clear at the fact that they think Peter and I would be cute together. So I'm sure this will be hard for them to let slide. I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I whisper to them, "Don't even start."

Shuri just grins deviously as she splashes me. "Fine, but you'll have to explain later."

"So, change of topic," MJ speaks as she swings her legs through the water and leans forward from her spot on the ledge, "Has anyone noticed that thing Peter has been wearing? The little silver one on a string that he wears like a necklace."

"Yeah," Harley chimes in, "I noticed it right around the time that—" His gaze turns to me as the connection is made. "Y/N?"

"It's something I gave him. Tink had said I should thank him with a kiss; so I did." I murmur and avoid looking anyone in the eye as a hush falls over the group. My heart hammers against my chest as the nerves settle since it's now obvious that I don't even know what a kiss is. "At least, I thought that's what a kiss was."