Hands braced against the tiles and head bowed, Will barely registered that the water pouring onto his head and dripping down his face was utterly frigid. He'd come home from his shift, walked right for the bathroom, and left his scrubs in a heap on the floor as he'd stepped straight into the shower. Temperature hadn't been high on his lists of concerns, more preoccupied with washing away the memories of his shift.

Will's eyes shuttered closed, the image of the young man he'd treated, body broken and bleeding from the car accident he'd been in, flashing behind his closed lids. The anguished cry of his young wife echoed over and over in his ears, and Will didn't think he'd ever get the sound of her screaming her husband's name out of his head. Even his cheek still stung, the scratches from the nails she'd raked down his face when he'd told her he was sorry but he hadn't been able to save her husband were undoubtedly still red and angry-looking, having barely stopped bleeding when he'd left the hospital.

"Will?"

He started a little at the sound of his name. He hadn't noticed the quiet sounds of Connor getting home or coming into the bathroom, had barely even noticed that the apartment had been empty when he'd gotten home, Connor having had the day off to run some errands. Will sniffed a little and ran a wrist under his nose, realising for the first time that the warmth on his cheeks was from the tears he hadn't noticed streaming down his face.

Both Connor's voice and the hand he placed on Will's back as he stepped into the shower behind him were gentle and Will knew instinctively that Connor knew what had happened, Maggie likely having texted him. He fought against the instinct to move away as Connor stepped closer, that old urge to look after himself and not allow himself to be vulnerable around anyone else flaring up again. He'd mostly trained himself out of it in the years he'd been with Connor but still had a tendency to pop back up occasionally.

"Baby," Connor murmured, stepping under the spray and sliding his hand around Will's waist. "Why's the water so cold?"

Will had shuddered at the endearment but didn't answer straight away. He shook his head and tried to explain, but didn't get out much more than a stuttered, "I- I don't-" before Connor was reaching around him to coax some warmth from the other tap. "He was going to be a father," Will heard himself say distantly, the sight of the woman cradling the slight swell of her stomach now in his head.

Connor hummed sympathetically, nestling up behind Will, plastering them together, back to chest; Connor was shorter than Will but still tall enough that he could press his face to the spot where Will's neck met his shoulder. One arm looped around his waist while the other slid along his arm, tense from both being braced against the wall and the cold water.

"I know. But you did everything you could, just focus on that."

"It wasn't enough," Will gasped, another shudder passing through him. "I wasn't enough."

Connor lifted his head, dragging his lips along the side of Will's face so he could kiss his temple. "You're enough," he murmured into the skin there. "You're always enough."

A sob worked its way free of Will's throat and Connor murmured a quiet, comforting stream of nothings as he succeeded in getting Will to drop his hands from the tiles and turn into his embrace. He had to hunch a bit but Will buried his face into Connor's shoulder, the other man content to let him unleash the emotions he'd been holding inside until the water started to run cold again.

"Come on, baby," he murmured, running his fingers through Will's damp hair.

His sobs had eased a while ago, Connor softly stroking his back through them all, and now Will raised his head, eyes swollen and red, but now lacking the tension that he'd been carrying in his shoulders before. Connor turned off the water and led Will out of the shower, grabbing a towel for each of them, wrapping one around his own waist before turning his attention to Will.

He roused himself and tried to take the towel but Connor just tutted a little and held onto it. "Let me take care of you tonight, okay?"

Will gazed at him for a moment, and Connor knew he had to be exhausted because he just nodded, not even putting up a fight as he wrapped the towel around his shoulders and started to dry him off. He stayed quiet as Connor methodically dried him, didn't complain when he rubbed the towel over his ahir, and stayed still when Connor told him to and disappeared into their bedroom for something for him to wear to bed. Once he was dressed in his favourite sweats and hoodie, Connor nudged him towards the bed, promising to be there soon. He dried himself off, taking far less care than he had with Will, and quickly dressed himself before slipping between the sheets as well.

The plan had been to turn Will onto his side and curl around his back, legs tangled together and arms secure around his waist, but as soon as he was lying down, Will moved, slipping down the bed slightly and situating himself with his head on Connor's chest.

"Like this tonight?" Connor asked quietly, arms encircling him.

Will made a quiet noise to the affirmative and settled his cheek firmly against Connor's peck, and it was only with that movement that Connor realised his boyfriend had likely chosen this position so he could hear his heartbeat. The thought made him close his eyes, even as he threaded his fingers through that red hair he loved so much.

Then, when he felt like his heart wasn't breaking anymore, he lifted his head, angling it so he could press a kiss to the crown of Will's head. "You're enough," he whispered again. "You're more than enough."

Will's hand clenched in the fabric of his shirt but he didn't answer, but that was alright with Connor. Will likely wouldn't believe the words tonight, or tomorrow, or even the next day, but Connor would keep telling him until he did.


I just believe that Will deserves to be a little sad sometimes and get a naked hug from his boyfriend alright?