Note: I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy new year. Stay safe out there, folks.
22. Sometimes in between kisses she saw the darkness return to Will's eyes.
"What are you doing?" Yumi questions.
William shifts and meets her eyes in the mirror. "Hey," he states. He turns to face her. "I didn't see you there."
"Obviously," she replies. She frowns at him, hip resting against the open doorway. "You turning into Narcissus there?"
He cracks a smile and runs a hand through his hair. "Nah, just good to be back, you know?"
"Yeah, imagine it would be." She pushes off the door and wanders over to him, grips his chin to tilt it. He meets her eyes steadily, dark and glittering with amusement. "You look normal-ish."
"Only –ish?" he jokes.
"Well, your head's still a bit big." She releases his chin and gives him a smile. "It's good to have you back."
"So, is this a social call?"
"We're meeting in twenty minutes, Jeremie wanted me to see if you were interested in joining."
His smile widens, slow and self-assured. "Yeah, I'll check out the team bonding."
"You sure? Wouldn't want to cut into your renewed social life."
He laughs and shakes his head. "Not much of a social life if you aren't there."
Yumi rolls her eyes, shoves him lightly on the shoulder, and then head's out the door. She pauses in the doorway, looking back at him. Will's staring at his reflection again and she frowns, bites her lip. "Coming?" she asks.
"Yeah, of course. Wouldn't want to leave a lady waiting." The smile is self-assured, but it doesn't reach his eyes. She watches him out of the corner of her eye as they head down the hallway.
. . … . .
"Do you ever feel…not like yourself?" Will asks, voice soft.
Yumi frowns, looking at him curiously. "What do you mean?" Will doesn't meet her eyes, staring over her head at the trees on the other side of the field. "Will?"
"Nothing, just forget it."
Yumi reaches up, touches his cheek and turns his face to meet his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asks.
Will's eyes are distant, staring at something she can't see. She lets her fingers rest against his skin, frowning up at him. "Will," she repeats. "Talk to me."
He looks at her and blinks slowly. "How do you know you're you?" he asks.
She looks away, crossing her arms over her chest, and stares out at the soccer field. "I don't know…I just do." She takes a breath, watching a plastic bag blowing over the grass. "What was it like?"
Will stares at his clasped hands, head hanging so the hair obscures his face. "I wish I could say," he replies. "It was like being awake, but dreaming at the same time. Or, watching things through the fog or water. You see things, but it isn't clear, and everything sounds muffled."
She shivers. "It sounds terrible."
Will scuffs his shoe against the metal bleachers, drawing Yumi's eyes. "Sometimes I didn't mind so much. It was nice, just floating."
"And other times?"
Wills hand wraps around hers, cold and slightly clammy. She meets his eyes, sees the dark glints half obscured by strands of hair. "I never wanted to hurt you, Yumi."
She looks away, tracks the plastic bag once more. Will squeezes her hand and she squeezes back reflexively. "I know," she says quietly. "It wasn't you, Will, it's okay." Will doesn't say anything further and she can't bring herself to pull away, just squeezes tighter when he resumes studying his shoes.
. . … . .
"One day you'll tell me what these mean, won't you?" Will asks, mouthing along the ink on her wrist.
Yumi shivers but doesn't respond.
"Yumi? Come on, I want to learn all your secrets."
She laughs, pushes at his shoulder lightly. "They wouldn't be secrets if I told you," she murmurs.
Will meets her eyes, eyes that are dark and shadowed and send a shiver down her spine. "We shouldn't have secrets from each other." His hand tightens around her wrist and she narrows her eyes at him. "Didn't we agree on no secrets?"
"You agreed," she replies. She pulls at her arm, grunts as he shoves her back against the bed. He runs the back of his knuckles along her cheek, across her jaw, down her neck. His fingers fan out, palm resting on her collarbone and fingers curled and resting on her throat. "Will."
He blinks, smiles lazily at her. She feels his thumb brush over the necklace at her throat, feels her blood pumping in her carotid. "Do you trust me?" he asks.
She studies his face, the small scar at the corner of his lip, the gray smudges ringing his dark eyes. She reaches up, fingers tangling in his hair to pull him down until they're sharing the same breath. "Of course I do," she replies.
She tugs him down further before he can continue speaking. She presses close, mouth hungry against his. She loses track of the minutes, but when Will pulls away for a breath, his eyes are light and laughing once again and there's that mischievous, self-satisfied smirk firmly in place once more. She smiles back at him.
. . … . .
"I love you," Will murmurs, breath warm against her ear.
She feels her chest tighten, her own breathing coming in staggered gulps. She turns, presses her forehead to his and stares at where their hands are tangled together.
"You don't have to say anything," he tells her. His fingers tighten around hers and she lifts her eyes to meet his. "It's okay," he murmurs, brushing the hair from her face.
"Will…"
"It's okay, Yumi," he replies. His fingers tangle in her hair and she searches his eyes, sees the glint in their dark depths. "It's okay," he repeats.
She presses close, kisses him as hard as she can. Maybe, hopefully, he can feel the words she can't say. She pulls back, studies his face carefully. There's a curve to his mouth, it doesn't reach his eyes though. She reaches up, smooths her thumbs along his eyebrows, easing the frown lines between them.
"Okay," she whispers. She presses tight again, fingers threaded through his hair and kisses him again, again, again.
. . … . .
"Yumi."
She turns, sees Will leaning against the side of the building. "Hey, Will," she replies. "How have you been?"
He laughs, pushes off from the wall and bumps his shoulder against hers. "You're acting like I didn't see you in the cafeteria this morning. C'mon, I thought we were past the weird small talk by now. You look good."
She smiles in spite of herself, bumps her shoulder back. "Okay, you're right. Thank you." He slings an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into a hug. "Can you believe we're through with Kadic?"
"And good riddance, right?" he asks. "So, why are you skulking over here in the shadows instead of celebrating with your family and friends?" He jerks his chin toward where the rest of the gang are chatting with her family.
"Just needed a breather," she replies. She leans into his arm and glances around. "What about you? You aren't with your family?"
He shrugs and looks around, not meeting her eyes. "Eh, not really their scene, you know?"
"Will…"
"It's good, Yumi." He gives her a smile, tugs on a strand of her hair. "And we're good, yeah? In spite of everything, and I mean everything, it was a good run."
She glances up at him, studies his expression intently. Will offers her a crooked smile, eyes dancing as he looks at her. "We did, huh?"
"Looks like they're waiting for you." She looks over to where her parents are chatting with Shannon's. She sees Aelita and Ulrich looking toward where she and Will are standing. "Don't be a stranger."
"You either."