Somewhere in Neverland

*Age 23, Somewhere in Baltimore...*

Just Imagine...

You sigh as you pack up your things from another long day at work, and you thank God that it's Friday. You're one of the last people clocking out today other than your boss. Things have just become so monotonous for you since graduating high school, and you're really ready for a change, no matter who brings it about or how crazy it may be.

You turn off your computer and put the loose papers on your desk in their correct files before grabbing your phone and purse and standing up to leave. You feel the stretch in your legs after sitting all day, and you lean to the side, hearing a satisfying pop come from your hips. Oh, Lord, you needed that.

"Hey, Y/N. Heading out?" Your boss Jack asks, popping his head into your office.

"Yeah," you sigh wistfully.

"You okay?" He asks as he leans against the doorway with his hands in his pants pockets.

"Y-yeah. Just...just a long day," you stutter. Good God, he's more attractive than what should be legal.

"Well, would a trip to the coffee shop help?" He offers.

You raise your eyebrows. "Uh. Sure?"

He laughs. "It's not a date. I just like to get to know my employees. Plus, it looks like you need it."

"Alright. Thank you," you say timidly.

"No problem. Just let me pack my things up and we'll head out," he says.

You nod as he casually walks back to his own office.

You've been working for Jack for a solid three months now as a graphic designer. You enjoy it, but it's not what you originally wanted to get a degree in, which is music. He's very understanding about it, and was ecstatic when you shyly told him about the small solo career you had started on the side. He thinks you're quiet, but really it's just his boisterous, confident, and almost childish personality that throws you off a bit. Well, that and the fact that he's so attractive with his youthful skunk hair.

You peer out the window to find that it's raining. Your thoughts gloom over at the sight of it. It's a problem that you seem to have. Your mood always changes to match the weather.

"Have you ever been to the Warren Brothers Coffee Haus & Brewery?" He asks as he steps out of his office and closes the door.

"No, but I've heard they're pretty good," you say lightly, trying to not let on to your now sunken mood.

He grins. "You don't know what you're missing out on. Just follow me in your car."

You follow his lead to the front door. "Ew, it's raining," you say glumly.

"No, it's not," he says simply before stepping out.

Your eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. Is he crazy? "What?"

"It's not raining," he repeats. He sees your expression and chuckles. "Technically it is, but in my eye it's just mind over matter. When it's raining, people are unhappy, but I don't like being unhappy or seeing unhappy people, so I imagine myself someplace that it's not."

You shake your head. Yep, he's crazy. "Okay," you say skeptically.

You hold your purse over your head as you rush to your car and hop in. You start it and follow Jack downtown where he parks on Main Street beside a small coffee shop.

You get out and follow him inside where you stand in line for a few minutes.

"So, Y/N. What would you like? This one's on me, so pick whatever you want," he tells you.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" He grins.

You order a medium mocha latte while Jack orders some fancy microbrew.

Jack leads you to a table for two by the window and he actually goes up and pulls the chair out for you. You blush a million shades of red, and reconsider his words as to whether this is a date or not. You sit down politely, flattening down your blue spring dress, and thank him.

"So, tell me. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?" He asks before taking a sip of his beer.

You just sit there for a moment before a smile breaks out across your face and you start giggling. Well, he's one to cut to the chase, that's for sure. "Um, a singer?" You laugh.

"You sound uncertain," he says, narrowing his eyes.

You giggle again. What the hell is he doing to you? You're giggling! "Definitely a singer. It was just that you were so blunt about it," you smile.

"Well, I like to know things without beating around the bush," he tells you.

"I guess so." You take a small sip of your mocha, being cautious so as not to send the fiery pits of hell into your mouth. "How about yourself?"

"Hmm. I never wanted to grow up, so I never had a reason to want to be something when I grew up," he says matter-of-factly.

You're in shock at how open he is about everything. He obviously has nothing to hide, and it makes you a little more comfortable. You relax in your chair a bit, whereas before you were sitting taut.

"Well, then, Peter Pan, where exactly is the second star to the right?" You say sarcastically before laughing.

He laughs and grins. "So how exactly did you end up in graphic design if you wanted to be a singer?"

Your face falls just a little. "Things just didn't work out. My mom really pushed me to follow my dreams, but my dad pushed me harder towards college."

"Are you happy though?" He asks as he takes another swallow of his drink.

Your mouth is open, ready to respond, but then you think about his question. Are you happy? Damn, no one's asked you that in a long time. "Yes. No. I don't know," you say, rubbing your face. Jack looks at you curiously. "I just feel like I'm stuck in a rut. Like my life is a map with no compass, so I have no idea where I'm going, I have nowhere TO go," you explain in a rush. Saying it out loud makes you realize just how truthful it really is, and your heart sinks a little at the thought of this being the rest of your life.

"Well, why don't you do something about it?" He asks.

You raise an eyebrow. "How?"

"I don't know. Go to the source of the problem and cut it off. What's the problem?"

Your eyes are cast down. "I have no clue. I'm just stuck. That's the problem."

"Then move!" He laughs. "Do something exciting. Paint abstract things, learn the ukulele, pretend to be some foreign princess and have your way with everything," he suggests lightheartedly.

You're a bit taken aback by all of it. He's your boss after all, a high-end business man telling you to act like a princess. You shrug it off though; he's just being Jack.

"Umm. Okay?"

"Do it! We're only young once, and our teenage years are long gone, so live it up."

You nod your head, beginning to see his logic. He's right, you do need to get up and do something with your life.

All of a sudden, he jumps up, practically scaring the shit out of you.

"Oh my God, I love this song!" He says. You cock your head to the side and listen closely, a smile etching its way onto your face as you hear it. "Forever young, I wanna be, forever young, forever young," your child of a boss croons to you. You giggle like a little girl.

And from there you talk about practically everything. From the wine that stains your rich friends' teeth, to starting a life of the plain and the simple.

"I feel like doing something spontaneous," Jack says suddenly.

You raise an eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Yeah! Let's go!" He laughs. And so you do just that. You grab your purse and phone just in time as he takes your hand - which you will admit gives you butterflies - and pulls you out of the coffee shop.

"Jack," you say breathlessly. "Where are we going?!"

"C'mon! Just follow me!"

You roll your eyes and let him drag you along in the rain. At this point you don't really care though; Jack seems to be having that effect on you.

He abruptly stops and pulls you into a quiet little music shop. "I used to come here all the time," he muses.

You look up at him, considering the fact that he's practically half a foot taller than you. "This is where I bought my first guitar," you inform him.

"No way!"

You nod and smile. "I used to come here a lot too."

Suddenly, he runs over to the vinyl section. "Ooo, this is a good album!"

He pulls out a copy of Def Leppard's Hysteria. There's a turn table next to the vinyl stand, and he pulls out the album and sets it up. Next thing you know, Jack is singing along with Joe Elliot to "Pour Some Sugar On Me." You double over in laughter before you hear someone in the back yelling.

"Shit, run," Jack says before he takes your hand again and pulls you out of the store as the shop owner yells at the two of you about how you have to ask first and how you'll have to pay if there's any damage. But you book it out of there before any threats can be taken seriously.

You laugh hysterically as you turn the corner and Jack runs with you towards the Macy's across the street. The two of you run inside, ignoring the annoyed faces of shoppers that you almost run into. He lets go of your hand and runs down a long aisle of miscellaneous items. You follow him in the aisle next to it, slowly making your way to a sprint. You laugh as you go, your blue dress flying at your sides and your hair whipping behind you. You see him ahead of you, nearing the mattresses, and your thoughts turn childish. You have the urge to run and jump on them, but your adult mind kicks in and reminds you that it would be highly inappropriate, especially with your boss right there. Then you notice him run and leap onto one himself, hopping from one to the next, and you almost die of laughter right there. You follow suit, and soon, there are multiple workers yelling at the two of you, but none of them seem to be making an effort to stop you; either that or they've called security, which you doubt.

Jack hops off the last one, practically flying as he does so, and dashes behind a rack of clothes. You follow behind, but he isn't there.

"Oh, Y/N!" He taunts from somewhere behind you. You whip around, but he's still not there.

"Jack," you say exasperatedly. "Where are you?"

You gasp as you feel a pair of arms slink their way across your waist. "Hi," you hear Jack whisper.

"H-hi," you say breathily.

"Are you happy now?" He pants.

You turn around in his arms to face him and nod profusely. "Definitely."

A few moments pass by as the two of you try to catch your breath and he holds you close. "Jack?" You finally ask.

"Yeah?"

"Can I run away to Neverland with you? I know I sound crazy, but don't you see what you do to me?" You ask shyly before looking up to meet his eyes. There's a mischievous twinkle in them.

"Of course," he grins before pulling you up and kissing you with the passion of a million stars.

With Jack by your side, maybe you don't have to grow up after all...