A/N. So, I wrote this awhile back and stumbled upon this file on my computer. It wasn't quite finished when I found it, but I polished it up and finally did finish it... I really hope that you all like it!
**********THIS STORY HAS SPOLIERS FOR CLOCKWORK PRINCESS**********
This is my take on Will's proposal to Tessa... I know it happened totally differently in the book, but I just had this idea, and I wanted to share it with someone. The beginning is kinda awkward, so give it a moment... I really do hope that you love it!
Tessa awoke with a scream. She never could remember any details of the dream; only that it was reoccurring. She had always awoken with a layer of sweat on her forehead, her hair sticking to her face, tears rolling down her cheeks, and always with a cry for help. Of course, late at night, no one was ever there to calm her. She needed to find her own way, but she couldn't. Sure, she always had her books, but, in the middle of the night, it's pitch black. She could see nothing.
Tessa sat up with a deep intake of breath. It was just a dream. she told herself over and over. Tessa stood up and walked over to her window, looking out at the night, out to the empty sky. There were no stars that could be seen through the thick fog that coated London. She could see only a faint outline of the moon, high up in the sky. It wasn't a star, but it would do for now. With a deep breath, she looked up at the moon and whispered "I want help." Now, Tessa was never one for believing in wishing on stars, or really much of anything for that matter. But she was sure shocked when she heard a light knock on her door. Surely that didn't actually work. she dismissed the knock as something of her imagination. But it was there again. A steady light knock on the door.
She walked over to her door, I can't believe I'm doing this. she thought she was silly for believing that something actually came to help her. She opened the door, it was nearly too dark to see anything, save the outline of a person and two beautiful blue eyes looking at her. Tessa was taken aback as Will stood at her door, looking very concerned. "What are you doing here?" Tessa whispered, stepping to the side to allow Will to enter.
"I heard you screaming, and I wanted to see if you were alright." Will looked deeply into her pale blue-grey eyes. "What's wrong?" He wiped the tears from her cheeks as they began to fall.
"I don't know." Tessa's voice trembled. Will pulled her into his arms and she buried her face into his chest; More tears silently crept out of her eyes and down her cheeks.
"Tess, what happened?" Will asked resting his head on top of hers.
"I don't know." Tessa's voice was still trembling as she spoke into Will's chest. He held her close and stroked her hair in hopes to calm her. Soon her tears slowed and she looked up at him.
"Are you better?" Will asked, pulling away slightly. Tessa looked up at him, stray tears still glistening in her eyes.
"I don't know." she repeated. Will needed to help her, something was wrong. He knew. For the past night, he heard her scream, and the night before that too. He always wanted to do something, but never felt he could. He thought only Jem could calm her, but he was gone now. He had became a silent brother several weeks ago. "I can't do this." Tessa whispered, stepping back, sitting in the edge of her bed.
"What do you mean?" Will asked, looking down at her. Tessa had a wild look on her face. A look of fear, panic and insanity.
"I can't do this. I can't. I just can't." She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them.
"Tessa, what can't you do?" Will sat beside her, putting an arm around her.
"I can't!" she screamed. Will was taken aback by her sudden outburst. Usually Tessa was clam, and so reserved. She stood up, throwing her hands up in her hair, pulling it back from her face. Will could see tears spilling down her face, her face was flushed, and her eyes were wide. Will walked up to her, and grabbed her by her waist.
"Tessa, sit down. You need to calm down, tell me what's wrong." But Tessa was not going to do that. She shook him off and stood in the middle of the room. Will approached her slowly, like a wild animal, afraid he might frighten her off. "What's wrong, Tess? Tell me what's bothering you." His voice was calm. Tessa looked around the room, before throwing herself into his arms.
"I can't do this anymore. I just can't. Something's missing. Someone is gone, and I can't stay like this." Her voice was weak and quiet, without asking, Will already knew what she was talking about.
"He will be back one day. I promise you. You two will be... you'll be brought back to each other one day." Will said, holding her tight as he struggled to get the words out. "I know how it feels, Tess. I know how it feels to have the one thing you love, more than anything else in the whole entire world, ripped away from you." Will could feel something stinging the back of his eyes... tears. Will Herondale was the strongest Shadowhunter Tessa had ever met, seeing him, for the first time, with all his walls down, was mystifying and tragic. Behind his blue eyes, was a world of sadness and pain he'd kept hidden for far too long.
"He's not the only thing I love." Tessa whispered, barley audible, but Will still heard her. "I have never loved many, I always felt it foolish to love anything so undeserving, but there is... another. There is another whom I love. But the question still remains," she trailed off, looking into Will's brilliant blue eyes through her grey, tear-filled ones and said, as silently as ever, "does he love me?" Will felt a trail of slight warmth travel from his eye to his cheek; a single tear had escaped, but it was far more than that. To him, it was a result of his final wall, crashing down. His emotions were free, and with that, he crashed his lips to Tessa's.
It was the most amazing sensation he'd felt in weeks. There was so many feelings in a single kiss, pain, joy, love, loss and guilt. Will could feel guilt, as if he were only anticipating for his parabatai to leave, so he could find his own love. But, he also felt something like an approval. Though the bonds of their parabatai rune was forever severed, he could still feel a connection to Jem.
Their kiss ended with Tessa pulling back, her eyes and face stained with tears, but she had a great smile upon her lips. "I love you. I love you so much, and I've waited far too long to tell you." she admitted, causing Will to let another tear escape, and another. For the first time in what felt like ages, Will allowed himself to cry, in the presence of another.
"I can not express to you, in any way, how much I love you. You are the sun, if I am the earth. You are the only one, who will forever hold my heart, if you wish to carry it. For I have been through far more than I should have been able to endure, and, without you, I would be gone. You are what I wish to see first every morning, and the last every night." Will spoke softly, Tessa still had a steady stream of tear falling down her face. "You are the most incredible, yet mysterious, person I have ever encountered, Theresa Gray." Will said, stepping away from Tessa. He could see the sun rising behind the drawn curtains, it cast a radiant shadow around her, illuminating her in the most gorgeous way possible.
"I really don't know what I am; I don't know who I am, and now, now I feel back at home. I feel as if you are what keeps me grounded, though you are a great mystery, William Herondale, I wish to explore our mysteries together." Tessa could feel the question floating in the air before Will asked it.
"Then I have one mystery to solve, right now." He got down on one knee, taking her hands in his. "Now, I know this isn't the romantic proposal I wished to give you, I have no ring, no necklace, nothing. This is no carriage ride around London with all the beautiful sights to see, because I have the most beautiful one infront of me right now." He took a deep breath before asking the question that'd weighed heavy on his mind for so long. "Tessa, will you do me the honour in marrying me? Will you marry me and become Tessa Herondale?" He could see her smile with all her energy and her tears increasing as she nodded frantically.
"Yes." she said in a small voice. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Yes. Yes I will marry you. Yes, yes, yes!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Will and burying her face in his chest.
"Thank you." Will said to Tessa as he wrapped his arms around her. "You are the first dream..." His voice trailed off, knowing Tessa knew what he was saying. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, before continuing. "of my soul." Tessa pulled back form him, just so she could see Will in his entirety.
"And from that dream, I hope will come all other dreams." Tessa continued, Will saw tears glimmering in her eyes. He reached up, wiping them away before leaned his forehead against hers.
"A lifetimes worth." They said together, lacing their hands together.
Tessa's tears ceased as she took a deep steadying breath as she laughed. "I'm such a mess." She shook her head, wiping tears away and smiling as Will leaned down, kissing her.
"You are a beautiful mess." he said, grabbing her hands again. "When should we go?" Will asked. Tessa had a look of confusion as she asked,
"Go where?" she asked, tilting her head. Will chuckled as he smiled brighter.
"Go tell the others. We don't need to tell them now. But, I would love to share our love, without hiding." Will admitted. Tessa smiled, walking over to her closet grabbing a dress.
"I must change first. But as soon as I have, we shall go." Tessa beamed, shoving Will to the door.
"Must I?" he asked, stopping as Tessa opened the door.
"Yes." she stated firmly, shoving her fiancée out into the halls and slamming the door. Quickly, Tessa took off her nightgown, doing her best to put on her dress and lace it up properly.
Within ten minutes, Tessa had changed and opened the door, letting Will back in. He looked at her, in a beautiful gray-purple dress, her curling brown hair cascaded down over her shoulders and back. "Tess, you look incredible." he said, in awe. Tessa smiled.
"You really think so?" he asked, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear.
"Stunning." Will smiled, extending his arm to hers. "Let's go tell the others then, shall we?" he asked. Tessa smiled, feeling nervous, as she looped her arm in his.
"Let's go." She smiled confidently as they began to walk down to the drawing room, where everyone would most likely be gathered, preparing themselves to share their big news.
A/N. So... Did you like it? I really hope everyone liked this! But, this will probably remain a one-shot. But, there is a chance, (probably a slim one,) that I might one day add another chapter to this, or put up another story based off/inspired by this. I was kinda just practicing writing fluff, and this was my result.