He went straight to the sun room and sat on the floor with his feet up on the coffee table. “Fourteen…” He muttered angrily, opening his sketchbook and starting to draw horns on the sketch of Pan he’d been doing.

Sure, he looked younger than he was, but fourteen? He was sick of people misjudging his age. His maturity. He was sick of everyone treating him as if he was a child... He scowled as he lifted his eyes up and looked to the couch across from him. He’d spent hours sitting on that couch studying, hanging out with the few friends he’d had, and even younger, coloring. “Nearly twenty two and still living at home…” He muttered grumpily, returning to the drawing. It didn’t matter. He knew he’d be able to leave in a few months. Wait… He checked the time. It was just past noon. He put a hand to his stomach. He wasn’t hungry. But you need to eat… He told himself, running a hand up and down his thin arm. His stomach squeezed at the thought. He knew he had to, but he just... Couldn't. He'd eaten an entire bowl of sugar crisp with that milk his mom thought tasted creamy, and he still felt queasy... So, instead, he resolved to just eat more at dinner and continued drawing, not moving from his spot on the floor.

By the time he finished the horns, and refined the sketch some, he’d calmed down a little. He opened the sliding screen door slowly and looked out into the garden. Pan was just ahead, sitting with his feet in the little stream. He turned to look around when he heard the door and shrank back. He looks mad. Is he still mad? He worried.

“I… May have overreacted.” WW sighed, walking over. He was mistaken as someone much younger often enough, he understood. He had a baby face. He would probably be grateful for it, later. He watched Pan’s face and wondered why he looked so distressed. Though, he was sure being locked out of your weird magical world would be rather troublesome. He sat next to the plant boy and stuck his feet in the water.

“I’m sorry I said you look fourteen…” Pan mumbled, staring at his bare knees.

“It’s okay, I get that a lot…” WW looked away.

“Lots of people tell me I look older than I am, too.” Pan frowned, looking over to WW. “Guess we’ve got the opposite problem, huh?”

WW nodded, but he didn’t return the reassuring smile Pan had sent his way. “Guess so… And, hey, my parents are going to be home, soon. We can ask them if they’re okay with you staying here, then…” Pan nodded slowly. “They’re probably going to ask you to help around the garden some, though, be warned.” But instead of frowning, like WW had expected, Pan lit up at that.

“Really? It would be my pleasure! You have a very nice garden! It’s so tranquil and lovely.” He beamed as he looked around.

“Right, I guess plants are your specialty, huh.” WW watched the excitement on the other boy’s face. Cute.

“Y-Yeah,” Pan’s smile turned a bit shy, “I love them.”

“Can you make them grow out of nowhere?” WW asked, tilting his head.

“Not out of nowhere, I’d need soil. And even then, I can only spontaneously grow small ones. If I take my time with it, though, I can help plants grow really big and healthy.” Pan hummed with pride, softly splishing his toes in the water.

“So just how much plant are you? Do you eat? If so, what? Does your like… Hair photosynthesize?”

“Um… Well, my entire body absorbs sunlight, if that’s what you’re asking? And I drink water, mostly. But I don’t eat.” Pan shrugged.

“Do you breathe? Do you make oxygen like plants do?” WW was fascinated by the boy. Questions kept popping up in his head as they were answered. He studied him as he listened to the responses. He’s very timid… Too shy to make eye contact, I suppose… He thought as Pan stared at his hands.

“I… Y-Yeah, I breathe. And… Maybe? I’m not sure?” Pan mumbled. He could feel WW’s eyes boring into the side of his face. It made him uncomfortable. What’s his problem with me? Why doesn’t he smile?

“Interesting…” WW went quiet and looked away from Pan for a moment. The only sound for a while was the soft rushing of the stream they were both dipping their feet in. WW leaned against his knees and let his eyes fall shut. He felt peaceful… Even though there was a strange magical person sitting next to him. Apparently magic existed. He felt surprisingly at ease with the discovery. “Do vampires and werewolves exist, too?”

“Yeah… They think we—W-W…” Pan went quiet a moment, staring forward. WW nearly leapt out of his skin when the other screamed, suddenly leaping to his feet.

“Wh-What?! What the fuck is wrong?!” WW stood too as Pan shook, pointing across the stream.

“R-R-R—” Pan pointed to one of the neighbourhood rabbits, who was just across the stream from the boys. He grabbed WW’s arm and hid behind him.

“Are you… Afraid of the rabbit?” WW turned his head to cock an eyebrow at him.

“N-No!” Pan huffed. Then he whimpered then the rabbit hopped once toward them. “Okay yes! Get it to go away!”

WW could barely stifle a laugh as he shook his leg toward the rabbit, who immediately ran off into the bushes. “It’s more afraid of you than you are of it, you know?” WW smirked.

“I’ll have you know that a rabbit once took a bite off my mom. Chewed off part of her ear lobe.” Pan tilted his head up stubbornly, crossing his arms.

“Bullshit.” WW frowned. “Rabbits only eat plants.”

“I am a plant person.” Pan rolled his eye. He was still shaking, somewhat.

“Oh, right… Sorry…” WW mumbled. He kept forgetting. How did he keep forgetting?

It was then, as the boys fell back into silence, that WW’s parents arrived home.