Right, well, I don't have an explanation for this. Actually, I might. See, I was reading the DSBS again-so hawt-and anyone who knows me-for example, Team Jem Carstairs-knows that I'm thoroughly rooting for the mystery boy to be Gabriel. I've also had a little plot bunny gnawing at me for a confrontation of sorts between Will and Tessa. And, well, here you have it. This is a ficlet, so I'm estimating about three chapters, minimum, and five at the most. And let's be honest, we all know Gabriel is fiiiiiiine. I think I'd pick him over Jem, which is saying A LOT, as you all know how much I love Jem.

A thank you to my wonderful Beta, Team Jem Carstairs. I hope you're all reading her stories like I told you ;D

DISCLAIMER: As I always say: CC owns the people, I own the plot.

Of all the people she thought would bring her comfort and ease the weight off her chest, Gabriel Lightwood was not one of them.

Strangely enough, it was all because of Will. Tessa had been minding her own business, curled up on the window seat in the library, nose buried in a book-Dorian Gray-when he came in. In retrospect, she knew there was no possible way he hadn't known she'd be there. She was always there. Even in the middle of the night, if she couldn't sleep she would be there-only if Jem wasn't playing his music-lost in some far away world with beautiful heroines and handsome men. Yes, he had to have known she'd be there.

He took one look at her and then smirked, moving to lean with one shoulder on the nearest bookshelf. She knew he was there-the way her nerve endings lit on fire made it hard not to notice. But she studiously ignored him, not in the mood for stinging words and a cruel smile. He noticed.

"Why, Tessa," he said, feigning incredulity. "are you ignoring me?"

She did not respond. Of course she was ignoring him. Wasn't it obvious?

"I see." His smirk grew into a grin. A very sharp, very dangerous grin. A shiver made its way down her spine; her body tensed in apprehension. He noticed this, too. "Well, that's quite all right. I know you're only trying to restrain yourself."

At this, Tessa had looked up, eyes snapping to his. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Herondale?" The question had been asked with an uncharacteristic amount of venom. Tessa had surprised even herself. Will, however, showed no sign of being affected by her attitude.

"It's rather obvious, I should think." he said, grinning wickedly. "I am rather difficult to resist, what with my devilish looks and all."

"Devilish, indeed." Tessa bit out, turning her eyes back to her book. Her head was beginning to ache and she found herself missing when Will used to smile and laugh around her, even if he did look a bit sad while he did so. What hit her hardest was that it hadn't been all that long ago when he had. Only a couple of weeks.

"So you agree." Will said, eyes sparking. "I knew it. I can't say I'm surprised, really. I know you've been lusting after me since that day I rescued you."

"Rescued?" Tessa repeated, snorting derisively. "Is that what you call it?" What on Earth went on in that beautiful head of his, she wondered. Rescued? Hardly. Sometimes she felt as though he had whisked her away from one God-awful place only to bring her to another. If not for Jem, she might have lost any sanity she had left.

"Yes, actually. I rather thought I was doing you a favor, taking you out of that ghastly brothel. The Dark Sisters' cruelty must have been so awful."

"They were not half so cruel to me as you are, William Herondale." she spat, her gray eyes had darkened to the color of ash and glared at him with all the anger and broken-heartedness she felt.

"Cruel, you say?" Will's grin had evaporated, his face unreadable. "I rather thought you would be thrilled at my proposal. After all, isn't it what you wanted? To be with me?"

Tessa made a most inhuman snarl, throwing her book upon the seat and rising so quickly that Will actually took a step back in surprise. He quickly righted himself.

"Yes, Will," she said, forcing the words out through painfully clenched teeth. "I wanted to be with you. I want to be with you, even now, when all you do is rip me to pieces with your words. But I am no man's whore."

Will was quiet, seemingly having nothing to say, and watched her closely. Tessa took a few deep breaths to somewhat abate her anger. Feeling slightly calmer-only slightly-she gave Will a stiff nod and made to leave the library. His next words however, stopped her cold.

"Strange. You don't seem to mind turning up in Jem's room night after night." She could literally feel the smugness radiating from him, like an obnoxious wave. For a moment, Tessa saw red, her vision consumed by the bloody haze. Then, without any warning, she whipped round and the palm of her hand connected with the left side of his face.

A loud cracking noise followed and Tessa's chest heaved. She had never been so furious. Will, for his part, stood stock-still, utterly surprised and bewildered, as though he couldn't quite believe she had struck him.

"Don't," she spat venomously. "don't you dare put Jem into this. He would never make such insinuations about me. Jem is a gentleman and a dear friend. If you really must know, I go to him because there are some nights that I simply cannot sleep for thinking of you. Of how you treat me; kind one moment, cruel the next. Jem cares; he is kind and gentle and honest and so much better than you are. I could take whatever you might have to say about me, but I will not stand for you to bring Jem into this. I won't have it."

Will hadn't moved, hadn't even tried to speak. He stood there, one hand clutched to his face, looking at her with wide eyes and a pale face. He looked horrified. Tessa had felt a small sense of satisfaction at that.

"For all your talk of how awful Gabriel Lightwood is," she said, tone quieter, but frigid and stiff. "somehow I don't think he would say something so horrid to a lady, or of someone as close to him as Jem is to you. No, I think Gabriel Lightwood isn't nearly as horrid as you."

She gave him one last steely look, before turning and sweeping out of the library in a poorly concealed rage. And who should she have run into only mere seconds later? Jem. He had looked so alarmed and worried, Tessa had felt something in her heart clench.

"Tessa?" he said, catching her by the shoulders. "Tessa, what is it? What's the matter?"

But Tessa couldn't answer him. She was so angry and hurt by the things Will had said, that she could only shake her head. She wrenched herself from Jem's grip and, gathering her skirts up, took off down running down the corridor. She'd heard Jem's footsteps going toward the library, heard his voice speaking to Will. She hadn't paid much attention, instead careening round the corner, into the foyer and bolting for the entrance. She'd had to get of there.

And that was how she found herself now. She ran out of the Institute and into the small courtyard, finally free, only to crash headlong into none other than Gabriel Lightwood.

"I say," he gasped, rolling onto his back and propping himself on his elbows. He looked at Tessa with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "that was rather unexpected."

Tessa agreed. Her previous emotional turmoil was forgotten in lieu of embarrassment. She felt a flush creeping its way up her neck and onto her face. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you, Mr. Lightwood." she rambled, looking down at her skirts and blushing furiously. Gabriel only chuckled.

"That's quite all right," he said, standing up and brushing the dirt off his trousers. He held his hands out to her and pulled her up to stand on her feet. "and please, call me Gabriel."

Tessa smiled a bit. "All right, Gabriel. I don't suppose we were ever properly introduced, that day in the library." She extended her hand to him. "Theresa Gray. Or Tessa, as I prefer."

Gabriel gave her a winning smile and, taking her extended hand in his, pressed a small kiss to the skin there. "A pleasure to meet you, Tessa." When he stood straight again, there was a pleasant sparkle in his green eyes. "Pardon me if I seem too forward, but is everything all right? You ran out of the Institute looking rather flustered."

And here, Tessa felt her anger and hurt rise up again, threatening to spill over. She took in a ragged breath and opened her mouth to tell him that yes, everything was perfectly all right, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, what came out left her feeling a bit horrified, but at the same time light, as though a burden had been lifted off her chest.

"It's just something Will said to me, not too long ago. It was awful and very upsetting and I just had to get away." Tessa wasn't sure what she was expecting Gabriel to say, but it wasn't what she heard.

Gabriel's eyes took on a knowing look and his face softened. "I understand. Herondale has a way of saying the worst things at the most inopportune of times." It wasn't said with the usual hatred or contempt with which he spoke to Will. He merely stated a fact. "I suspect he's not really all that terrible of a person. Rather, he just doesn't like to get very close to people."

Tessa blinked. She wouldn't have thought Gabriel could have made such an accurate deduction of Will's character. From what she had seen, Gabriel thought Will was a right scoundrel, and she couldn't really object.

"And I think," Gabriel continued. "that you have gotten far closer to him than anyone else ever has, and he doesn't much like it."

Now, that she could object to. "I think not. He doesn't like me at all, especially after I yelled and hit him like that."

Here, Gabriel's eyes widened, but Tessa thought he looked delighted. "You hit him? Will Herondale?"

Tessa flushed. "Well, I-I hadn't thought of it, it just happened, you see. He just-he made me so angry and I couldn't stop myself." She cast her eyes down to the ground, unable to look at him.

"Tessa," Gabriel crooned, his voice soft and soothing. "I'm not blaming you. I have no doubt that whatever he said was perfectly wretched and you had every right to be angry. I'm more concerned about how this will affect you."

She gave him a curious look. "Affect me?" Gabriel nodded. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I know that you must care for Will to some degree-the way you reprimanded me is proof enough of that," he grinned, seemingly amused by the memory, while Tessa could only blush. "I think that later on, you'll be upset that you struck him, no matter how deserving of it he was, and you'll sit alone and let the guilt eat away at your mind. I know I've done it many times, myself."

"You have?" Tessa hadn't meant to ask, the words had slipped out of their own accord. She just couldn't stop embarrassing herself. "Oh, I'm so sorry-I don't know what's wrong with me today."

Gabriel only gave her a smile, one that made her think he knew exactly what was wrong with her today and he didn't harbor any offense at it. "It's all right."

She smiled a bit, still flushed at herself. How stupid could she make herself look? Very stupid, apparently.

"Tessa, would you-" Gabriel hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Would you like to take a walk? I know it's late, but we won't go far, only to the bank of the Thames."

Tessa paused for a moment, considering. It was getting late, the sun was beginning to set and could only just be seen above the tree tops and roofs of the buildings. She cast a glance back at the Institute, trying to make up her mind. Then she saw him. Her gaze was drawn to the library window and there, staring down at her with an unreadable expression in his Hellish eyes, was Will. That made up her mind.

"I'd love to," she said, giving him a more genuine smile. "Thank you."

Gabriel beamed down at her, looking pleased with her for consenting. "The pleasure is mine," he said, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"

Taking it, she came to the conclusion that Gabriel Lightwood was not the smarmy prig Will claimed him to be. He was brilliant. Tessa nodded and they set off toward the gates of the Institute. As they passed through, Tessa could feel Will's hard, intense gaze bearing down on her back. She was nearly tempted to turn round and meet it. But Gabriel began talking with that lovely lilting voice of his and Tessa forgot, briefly, all about Will and his gaze.

She did not turn back.

Aaaaaand? What'd'ya think? Feedback is most appreciated, so give me some feedback! :D

Until next time, dear readers.

~Anna