Title: One door closes
Fandom: Sanctuary
Characters: Henry Foss and Will Zimmerman
Notes: Phrases or sentences in italics represent character thoughts. Title based on the following quote:

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
Alexander Graham Bell

"Hey. How you feeling?" Will asked. He was inordinately pleased to have found Henry's door open. It permitted him a modicum of feigned nonchalance about the whole thing. He might not have been courageous enough to knock on the man's door had it been closed after the things he had said and implied.

"Fine." Henry's terse reply did nothing to deter Will, who pointedly did not leave even though he wasn't even looking at him. It made Henry wish he had closed and locked his door. He didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Just wanted to let you know we... ah... we chased that snake creature to the basement warehouse..." Will went on to describe his current working theory about the mishaps of the day, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. The status report was quite obviously a mere excuse to come into Henry's room, seeking forgiveness. He had let the cop in him run away with his judgment when he saw the cut on Henry's leg earlier. It had all been circumstantial, and he should have known better. He'd been rash and unfair, as Bigfoot had in no uncertain terms pointed out to him.

Having a burly Neanderthal size one down with a tone that fully reminded him that he could quite possibly tear him limb from limb while barely breaking a sweat was quite the wake up call. Not that he needed one. He was quite miserable with guilt to begin with. He'd all but accused Henry of being the author of the snake creature's acts. Then Henry had exposed his secret, his safety, and risked his life to save Will from the actual violent creature that had become loose in the Sanctuary. It was a miracle he hadn't suffered grievous bodily harm from his fight with the thing; not to mention the part that involved crashing through a window and dropping a couple of stories. For me. He put himself in harm's way for me after I all but called him a criminal. Will's voice kept going on automatic, mortified. It had never been easy for him to apologize, even when he was wrong. Especially when he was wrong.

Henry did not even pretend to listen. He was so mad at Will for not trusting him he could have spit, even though he intellectually recognized the soundness of his colleague's earlier bit of detective work. He still hated the fact that Will even for a moment thought him capable of such random violence and destruction. And that was before he was made aware of his... condition. Now he'd probably think Henry no better than an animal. A monster.

Although he wasn't really paying attention, the tone of Will's halting, awkward explanation did cause him to dart a glance at the handsome psychiatrist. It burned him to think he had been working so hard to help Will out, even though he was running a fever and feeling miserable only for the man to turn around and cast suspicion on him, of all people. Out of all the abnormals in the bleeding Sanctuary.

"Listen, I was a jerk," Will finally said, and not a moment too soon. He'd gotten no further reaction from Henry so far, and the awkwardness dial was teetering close to eleven.

Not exactly the magic words, but apparently they'd have to do. At least for now, thought Henry. He finally deigned to stop fidgeting with his portable computer unit and looked Will squarely in the face. He gave away nothing. He really should have kept his bedroom door closed.

Will went on, feeling like more of a heel with every word. "I just didn't think... what it must be like to carry this around with you." I had no right to treat him like a perp. After all, he's been here a lot longer than I have, and Magnus trusts him completely. What right did I have? Crap. "I'm sorry."

Ah. Magic words. He actually said it. I honestly didn't think he had it in him, Henry mused.

Although it was obvious that Will was sincerely apologetic, there was a knot in Henry's stomach that wouldn't unwind. And now Will knew. He knew something Henry very much didn't want him to know. Any chance there could have been of... of what? Who was he kidding? He was sure that he didn't even register on Will's radar. For one thing, Henry was one of those guys who didn't set off anybody's gaydar, like an old flame had once told him. Perhaps if he didn't come across as a horn dog, he figured. Sure, he'd zone in on any remotely attractive female to come into his line of sight. Everyone knew that. However nobody seemed to notice the fact that he became equally solicitous of any healthy, good-natured and good-looking males that happened to come by. Maybe because not many of either actually came down to the dungeon where Henry usually worked, he thought. But now Will Zimmerman had joined their dysfunctional little Sanctuary troupe, and it was all Henry could do not to hump his leg whenever he came close.

In fact, it had been Bigfoot who'd kept ushering Will away from him. He'd told Henry he didn't like his friends making fools of themselves. Pretty socially aware for a freaking Neanderthal, isn't he?

Henry immediately felt bad for thinking that way. It was just the bitterness talking... or thinking, rather. At least Bigfoot had cared that he was running a fever and made him lie down. Not to mention he'd fed him and kicked Will out of his room when the questioning wouldn't stop. It was sad that while he should be furious with Will for making him out to be a suspect, all he could think right now as the man earnestly apologized was 'Why won't he like me?' He looked away, more sad and disappointed at himself than angry.

Will did not pick up on that at all. He squirmed in his chair and gave a deep sigh. Feeling decidedly unwelcome, he got to his feet. He essayed a smile and failed.

"And hey, ah..." He snorted derisively at himself before continuing. "Thanks for saving my ass." Will shot a rueful look at his unresponsive colleague. Please, I'd really rather you yelled at me. A lot. Please? He'd not only overstepped, but he had made a colossal error in judgment. The repercussions were likely to go a lot further than having Henry give him the silent treatment, and Will was certain he deserved whatever it was that was coming his way.

Henry gave him a half-lidded look that was equal parts annoyance and resignation. He wasn't going to be able to stay mad at Will, was he? That would have made things so much easier. Instead, his stomach roiled in sympathy for the lithe young man. He fidgeted some more with his stylus, trying not to look at the other man, who was currently hanging his head and shuffling away like a kicked puppy. Damn those baby blues.

"You're welcome," Henry gruffly muttered. It's rather a nice ass. Couldn't help but save it. He looked over at Will just long enough to register the man's relief, then glanced back at his screen with almost a smile on his face. It didn't last long. He had big old crush on a male co-worker to whom he was, to all appearances, sexually invisible. It was a lose-lose situation, and he knew it. He was much better off flirting incessantly with Ashley. At least they both knew it was nothing but innocent sparring, and that it would go nowhere. Will was dangerous because he was brilliant, kind, oblivious to his own beauty and hopelessly straight. He could have groaned. He felt more than saw his door closing, and he felt a vague sense of despair at the perceived finality of that action.

What Henry had missed was Will's lopsided little smile as he left the room. The psychologist felt his heart skip a beat at the hint of forgiveness in Henry's words. He found the depth of his relief unusual, yet welcome. Henry was a good man. A sensitive man, for all his protestations to the contrary. He was also quite the technological wizard, as Will had learned he pretty much single-handedly kept all the hardware and software in the Sanctuary up and running. Will promised himself to make it a point to be much nicer to Mr. Henry Foss from this day forward. It very much pleased him to think that, for reasons he couldn't as of yet fathom. He was glad to have closed the door on that bit of awkwardness between them. Perhaps this was someone he could come to call a friend.

While Will's thoughts were full of hope, Henry longingly gazed at his closed door for a long time, his heart nursing regret for things that might never come to be.

FIN?