A crescent moon shone brightly in the night sky as Minhyun and you landed back on Earth, the stars twinkling in excitement, anticipating Peter’s return. There was a gentle breeze as patches of fresh white snow lay scattered on the pavements, dripping down to the gutters as they began melting away. Shivering, you tugged the ends of your sleeves to hide your hands whilst pulling your dressing gown tighter around you, desperately trying to keep the chill away. You had forgotten how cold it was back home in comparison to Neverland, with its tropical climate.

               Glancing around, you tried to deduce where you were in London but to no avail. The area seemed well kept though, the white buildings and black railings extending on for what seemed like miles. There were a few bare flower pots at the front of some houses but what struck you most was the silence. It must have been quite late in the night as there was not a single soul walking the street or awake in their home. The silence unnerved you somewhat, especially after spending time with the Lost Boys who were very noisy.

               Walking down the street, it was unclear where Minhyun and you should start looking as neither of you knew exactly where Wendy had lived. Wandering around London in the middle of the night was not safe, especially when you had no specific destination in mind which left you both in a very awkward position. Trilby’s bluish hue did not offer much comfort in these dimly lit streets and the more you thought about it, the less you wanted to be on the streets of London at this hour. Noticing how purposefully Minhyun walked, you wondered if perhaps he had some idea of where to find Peter…

               “Is there anywhere specific in London that we should check?” You asked, glancing behind you as shadows danced menacingly nearby.
               “The only place I can think of is Kensington Gardens,” Minhyun combed a hand through his hair, deep in thought as he took in the Victorian buildings, so closely built to one another on the street that they could have easily blended into one. “That’s where he was found by the fairies and that’s where he grew up before he ended up in Neverland.”
               “Seems like the best place,” you nodded in agreement as he began to walk a little faster.
               “We’re not too far from the gardens so it’s probably quicker for us to walk than fly,” he told you, although flying for you felt a lot safer in comparison to walking. At least when flying, you only had to worry about birds and planes. On the ground, there was so much more danger surrounding you...

               “Unf!!” You had walked straight into Minhyun’s back without even realising, lost in your fearful thoughts. “Sorry,” you rubbed your forehead. He turned around and looked down at you, his blank expression suddenly contorting into surprise.
               “Ah!” You tilted your head to one side, baffled by his sudden exclamation. “You’re cold, aren’t you?” 
               “Huh? I…” you watched as Minhyun went to take off his hooded sweatshirt, a plain black t-shirt the only thing keeping his torso warm now. “No, I’m fine Minhyun, really!” You told him.
               “You should have said so before,” he shook his head. “Here. I don’t want to be responsible for you catching a cold, especially since I dragged you on this adventure.” He placed the item of clothing firmly in your hand before smiling. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” he patted your shoulder awkwardly.

               You could not help but feel a warm sensation in the pit of your stomach; his kindness was incomparable. It was strange how he could go from being so gleefully, joyful to being so stern and concerned. True as it may be, you were not helping find Peter Pan just because Minhuyn had forced you; it was your own curiosity more than anything. You were curious to see if Peter really existed but most of all, you were curious about Minhyun. He was looking away whilst patiently waiting for you to put the sweatshirt on, but the moment you had, he casually took your hand into his and continued walking.

               “You’re scared, aren’t you? I know you weren’t too keen on dark places when you were younger.” 
               “Just a little…” you replied, grateful that he was aware but once again baffled by how he knew. 
               “Don’t worry, it’s not too far. We’ll be there soon.”

               The more time you spent with him, the more you wanted to unravel the layers of Minhyun’s character, peeling them back piece by piece until you knew exactly who he was. You were not quite sure why it mattered so much but there was that aching need to understand why he could remember moments in the past involving you both when you could not. The answers lay in his childhood and part of his childhood involved living in Neverland. It was strange. He had always seemed like such a mature person, but perhaps there was a yearning inside of Minhyun to be young again. When you really thought about it, perhaps everyone had that same yearning, more prominent for some people and not so much for others, but ever present…

               Upon reaching the entrance of Kensington Gardens, it became quite apparent that there was no way in. All the gates were shut and locked, as they ought to be. Normally this would have been a hindrance for any normal person but Minhyun and you had a certain fairy accompanying you who had fairy dust and could therefore help you fly over said locked gates.
               When you had both safely landed inside the confinement of the gardens, you instantly noticed how the trees and bushes seemed to have a glimmer to them, glittering under the moonlight. It seemed magical already.

               “So this is where it all began,” you mused out loud.
               “It is,” Minhyun nodded. “I’ve not been here in a long time.”
               “When were you last in Kensington Gardens?” You asked him.
               “When Peter helped me to return from Neverland,” Minhyun told you, as he began strolling down the path. Following after him, you took the opportunity to quiz him a little more.

               “Hey Minhyun, can I ask you something?” Hesitantly, he nodded. “Why did you become a Lost Boy?” 
               “That...I guess, the same reason why Peter did.”
               “You didn’t want to grow up?” You asked.
               “I didn’t want to grow up,” Minhyun repeated. “I had never had those thoughts before and then one day, I just...suddenly felt it deeply, that I wanted to stay that way forever and the deeper you wish it, the louder Peter hears it. That’s how he knew to find me.”
               “I see…” you put your hands in your dressing gown pockets, Minhyun’s hooded sweatshirt underneath keeping the rest of you warm. “How long were you a Lost Boy for then before you decided to come back?”
               “Time doesn’t work the same way in Neverland,” you noticed goose pimples running up Minhyun’s arms and knew he was beginning to feel the cold. “It felt like a really long time, years maybe, but it was in fact only half a day.”
               “That’s all?” You looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting that.
               “I know. It doesn’t sound like long at all, but it worried my mum enough when she couldn’t find me in these gardens. There was a policeman with her I remember, trying to get details to try and help her find me but she looked so distressed, she could hardly explain anything properly. My sister was stood by my mum, tears rolling down her face silently as our...friend stood by her, trying to comfort her...actually, it was our friend who saw me first. When I emerged from some bushes, they noticed me instantly and told my sister who came running straight towards me, pulling me into the tightest hug ever. I’ll never forget that...” Minhyun trailed off, his eyes glazing over. 

               “Why did you decide to come back Minhyun?” You cautiously asked him.
               “I...I…” Minhyun stopped suddenly. “Fairies.”
               “What?” It took a moment for you to realise what Minhyun meant and then you saw them too. That glimmering and glittering by the trees from earlier was not just the moonlight reflecting off of leaves and branches; it was fairies. 
               “Trilby,” Minhyun turned to the small fairy, perched quite happily on Minhyun’s shoulder. “Could you speak to them for us please? Find out if they’ve seen Peter?” She stood up immediately, saluting to Minhyun before flying away. 
               “They must have seen Peter, right?” You asked Minhyun.
               “Possibly...by the way,” he turned to you and smiled warmly. “I’m really grateful to you for helping me find Peter. You didn’t have to and all of this must be...kind of overwhelming and maybe a little strange, but I’m really thankful. I just thought you should know that.” You smiled back at him, reaching up to dust some snowflakes from his hair; they must have fallen from the overhanging branches.
               “I’m glad you asked me to come along,” you replied. “Also, are you sure you’re not cold? Because the goose pimples on your arms say otherwise.”
               “You always were perceptive,” Minhyun chortled to himself. “I’m cold, but I’ll survive. I’ve been flying around in the cold for days after all; what’s one more day of standing in the cold?”
               “Now you’re just tempting fate,” you poked his arm in jest. “If you get sick, I’m not explaining it to your mum!”
               “That’s fair,” Minhyun replied, nodding in agreement as his eyes met yours. There it was again, something somewhat woeful and just out of reach. Why did he always look at you with a guilty expression? 

               Just then, Trilby returned, hovering just in front of Minhyun, throwing her arms wildly about her before flying back the way you had all come.
               “Where’s she going?”
               “To Peter,” Minhyun told you before grabbing your hand once more. “Come on!”