Hey there guys, this story actually stemmed from something else I was writing, not fanfiction related at all. I don't use any plot points from TID, just the characters and the time period. It's all human, but I promise you, the characters still have their personalities. Also a heads up- Tessa and Will are older than they are in TID, in their early to mid-twenties. I strongly encourage you to read it- I myself am not a fan of all human TID stories, but I really think this one is coming along quite well. All of the characters belong to Cassandra Clare! Hope you enjoy! R&R, yeah?!
Tessa's POV
There are many reasons why people try not to make mistakes. Sometimes they have an instinct, a sense that indicates a possible danger or bad decision. There's that feeling deep in your stomach, a twinge beneath your ribs that urges you to stop.
I would usually consider myself to be an intelligent woman, but on the Christmas Eve of 1878, I would consider myself rather moronic.
At an occasion such as a Christmas party, it was expected of me to be there, looking elegant and beautiful. Sometimes I wondered what would happen if I arrived only in my undergarments. I told my sister of these thoughts once; she gasped at the idea and was horrified. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself from then on.
So I clearly would not comment aloud what I thought of the majority of the people at my uncle's Christmas Eve party. Many of the women wore dresses that would have been beautiful- if they had not been decorated with giant gaudy bows.
Idiots, I thought. You act as if I would smite you down if you were as well dressed as I am.
And still I had no choice but to smile and greet them as they spoke to me as if we were old friends. I sometimes said outrageous things, or spoke about some of the novels I so much adored, in order to see the reactions of people- whether they would agree with me on my odd opinions are would look at me strangely for being such a well educated young woman.
But it didn't matter what I said; everyone wanted to be friends with Theresa Gray.
I sighed as another possible prostitute dressed as a less-elegant version of myself walked away from me. People were so easy to read. She had gone on about how her father was incredibly rich and she was carrying on his wealth; but when I asked her what he did for a living and how he came across such large amounts of money, she excused herself.
My own father owned a vineyard and had made millions off of the wines he produced. That was why I was so popular- I was a member of one of the richest families in London.
"It's quite sad, isn't it?" A voice said from my left. I turned and saw a handsome man dressed quite fairly, though not quite cleanly shaven. He had deep blue eyes, the color of the night sky, and shocks of pitch black hair. A scar ran across his right eyebrow, a flaw of mystery etched into his face.
"Pardon?" I said after composing myself.
He nodded in the direction of the prostitute. "It's sad, how people lie about their own lives to impress others."
I studied him for a moment. "Do you mean to tell me that you would rather inform someone that you spend most of your time in a brothel?"
He chuckled low in his throat. "If a man such as I did say so, I believe it would be quite normal. Their standards of me may lower slightly, but it is of my nature."
"It is of your nature to spend most of you time in a brothel?" I asked, trying not to smile.
"It is a man's nature to do so," he corrected me. "Especially a man under stressful situations."
"And would you classify yourself as a man under stressful situations?"
He seemed to ponder on that for a few seconds. "I would say so."
I laughed. "What is your name, sir? I don't believe we have been acquainted yet."
His blue eyes bored into my grey ones. "You are quite forward, aren't you?"
I almost shrugged, then remembered I was in polite company and chose against it. "You don't seem offended, sir."
He shook his head. "Not at all. Please- call me Will."
I hesitated. "You wish me to call you by your Christian name?"
Will raised an eyebrow. "Unless that makes you uncomfortable…?" He went on before I could respond. "Then you must call me Mr. Herondale."
"I shall call you by whatever name you wish…Will. It is only that my calling you by your Christian name indicates an intimacy we do not yet share."
I saw his lips twitch. "Yet?"
"You intrigue me, Mr. Herondale. There is something mysterious and unique about you, and I've taken a sudden interest in discovering what it is."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"Well, I am not a cat, am I?"
Will's eyes flicked down my body, then back up to my face. "You most certainly are not." I felt a blush creeping up my face as he smiled at me. "Would you care in telling me your name?"
I blinked. "You do not know my name?"
"Should I?"
"I…suppose not," I said slowly. "It's just that most people are aware of who I am. I'm not exactly the type of person to be unknown."
"Well, by all means, do make yourself known to me," Will said with a nod of his head.
I looked down at the floor and fiddled with my fingers the way a child my do so when confessing to her faults. "Theresa," I said quietly. "Theresa Gray."
Will's POV
Of all the women at that party, it was her.
She was every bit of the beautiful and charming woman I expected her to be. At the same time, she was the opposite of what I expected.
I hadn't originally planned to approach Miss Gray gently. Then again, I hadn't realized who I was getting acquainted with. I must have realized subconsciously that it was she who I was searching for; for I seemed attracted to her presence without me knowing it.
I desperately wished her to take back her words, to tell me she was not who she said she was. I also wished she wouldn't.
I wanted her to be Theresa Gray.
I composed myself and cleared my throat. "Ah, so you are the lovely Miss Gray."
She curtsied. "I would prefer simply Tessa."
I bowed in return. "Very well, Tessa." She smiled, and it was so beautiful that my heart started to ache. My next decision surprised even me, though I'm not sure why. "Would you care to dance, Tessa?"
I saw the excitement spark in her eyes, but she said calmly, "I do not see any reason against it."
Tessa took my extended hand and I led her to the dance floor. I pulled her close enough to me that our chests touched each other. I was positive she could feel the hammering of my heart.
We stared into each other's eyes as we swayed through the room- until she stepped on my foot.
"Oh goodness, my apologies!" she mumbled. "I'm usually an excellent dancer…"
"I'm not exactly a graceful ballerina, so consider it forgivable." She laughed at my comment, pushing her few hanging brown curls off her shoulder.
"May I ask you something?" I said after a moment. She nodded. "Are you happy with your life?"
Tessa seemed startled by the question, and she had every right to be; it wasn't the type of thing you discussed in polite company. Still I could see her thinking about how to answer me.
"I…am grateful for my life," she said. "And I love my family. But I sometimes wish that I was not as wealthy as I am."
I raised my eyebrows. "Why?"
"I wish to be normal. I cannot go anywhere without someone staring at me or whispering about me. It's horrid. Everyone wants to know me because I'm rich. Why doesn't anyone want to know me because I'm me?"
There was such innocent sorrow and desperation in her words that I was speechless. She was not the stupid woman that Axel thought she was. Dear God, she was so much more. Tessa could never be stupid, no. She was probably smarter than Axel himself.
"I would like to know you for you. I could care less about your social class, or how much money you have."
Except I had to.
"You are a great man, Will Herondale," Tessa said, squeezing my hand. "Promise me this won't be our first and last encounter."
"I promise." I said the words with a smile. I thought them with pain.
Someone caught my eye, at that moment. A man, who was standing across the room, was staring at me with piercing blue eyes and a sinister grin.
Axel.
"Damn," I said under my breath.
Tessa looked alarmed. "Is something wrong?"
"I-would you excuse me for a moment? I don't mean to be rude…"
"Oh, no, of course." She stepped away from me. I bowed and turned in the direction of Axel. Tessa caught my arm. "You will be coming back?"
There was so much hope in her eyes that I had to smile. "Hell hounds couldn't stop me."
