Fragile Hearts (TID - Will Herondale fanfic)

Chapter 33: Morning

Will squeezed his eyes shut as his room door opened. It was early in the morning. Too early for any of the Institute's occupants to be awake.

  His head still felt light, his eyelids heavy. And his head was ringing.

  "Liam?"

  Instantly all the distractions ceased. He wanted to pretend to be asleep. So she wouldn't see him. He didn't want to face her disappointment. Not just yet.

  "I know you're awake," she said. "You should be sleeping. It'll help if you had slept it off."

  "What are you doing here?" Will tried to make his voice sound harsh. As usual, she wasn't bothered by it.

  Will felt the weight of the bed shift, and he knew that she was right beside him. He let his eyes open, knowing that there was no use in pretending anymore.

  She was certainly a sight to behold. Her auburn hair was let down and wild, and her eyes were wide and shone their blue-green light.

  Will thought that maybe he was still dreaming.

  She placed her hand on his forehead, and Will knew for sure that he wasn't.

  "You're don't feel hot anymore," She said, relief evident in her voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," said Will curtly.

"Do you want to explain why you were there?"

"I was thinking you'd know," said Will bitterly. When she said nothing, he continued, "How about you explain where you went? Cyril said you went to Magnus's."

"I did," Nora said. "He told me what you were planning to do. If you weren't in this condition, I would've killed you by now."

"What? For wanting to be able to have people love me? For wanting to not have to push everyone away?"

"Liam..." She said, brushing his hair back as she stood.

He jumped off his bed suddenly, shaking his head. His clothes from three days ago were still on. Creased and dirty.

"Don't you dare," Will said harshly, facing her, on his feet, wide awake. "Don't you dare tell me that it will all turn out fine. It won't."

She stood, too, and suddenly Nora and him were only a few feet apart.

He thought she'd leave, thought she'd get angry at him. What he didn't think would happen was Nora suddenly opening his arms for him, and him letting her hug him.

He clung to her as if she were his lifeline, letting his head rest at her neck. She wasn't taller than Tessa, but he didn't have to stoop down far.

Her hands rubbed her back, and she was saying something in welsh: "Rydw i yma i chi. peidiwch â phoeni Rydw i yma."

~

Ella didn't know how long she had held Will for. He seemed so relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him.

He finally pulled away, turning away quickly. Ella understood that. He didn't want her to see him so raw and opened.

"I'll see you at breakfast, Liam," she said, laying a light hand on his shoulder before turning and leaving him to his thoughts.

She headed to her brother's room next, opening his door quietly. He was standing, shirtless, rumpled hair and distressed look.

"What's going on?" She demanded. "That day—they were talking about the chances of us betraying them. We both felt something."