" Frantic "
requested by Nefarious Paramour
He had done it again.
He had let his mind slip.
Will had let himself drift into madness.
Gen knew the moment she stepped into the house that something was not right.
The door had been ajar, letting cold winter air fleet into the cottage. What would have normally been a warm and comfortable atmosphere had turned into a cold, dark place.
Setting the groceries on the counter, Gen swallowed thickly before calling his name throughout the house, hoping to quell the rising terror in her chest. She checked the fridge and counter for a note, yet found nothing.
He isn't here.
Stalking into the basement, she flicked the lights on and was greeted by the electric hum of the overhead lamps. She glanced around, finding no sign of Will.
She hurried up the stairs and locked the basement door behind her, ushering the dogs close to the fire before rubbing her face in worry. Winston was circling her legs now, whining angrily in the direction of the window, barking every now and then.
"I'll be back, Winston," she muttered, "I'll check around the house."
Scooting out the front door, Gen hurried around the property. Her boots crunched lightly through the freshly fallen snow that had iced over through the day. The temperature had dipped below freezing, and with an early setting sun looming, Gen felt panic tug at her chest.
"Will! God damn it!" She called out to the open clearing, "Will!"
She was greeted by silence.
Checking the hammock that swung lonely in the backyard and then rounding the house once more, she poked her head into his car. It was empty.
Glancing at her watch, the hands read 4:30 PM.
Wetting chapped lips, Gen knew the sun would be setting soon.
And so she hauled herself back into the house before grabbing Will's flashlight, a pair of knit gloves, a heavy coat and a warm hat. Quickly snatching Winston's leash from the hanger by the door, she whistled to him, knotting her fingers in his fur.
"Do you know where he is, Winston?" Gen pleaded with the handsome dog before his tongue lashed out at her face, catching her chin, "We have to find him, Winston."
She grabbed her keys, throwing them in her pocket before setting out the front door.
Sun was already beginning to dip beneath the tree-line, spreading its cold hues throughout the sky. Flakes of snow were tangling themselves in her thick lashes, kissing her cheeks every time she blinked.
His name was a frantic mantra on her lips.
Winston had tugged her towards the outer edge of the property, his nose stuck to the ground in a desperate attempt to smell his papa. The crunch of twigs and shifts of leaves beneath Gen's feet warned her of the dangerous territory she was lurking into.
The woods.
That's when she spotted the tracks.
A smile broke across her face for a single moment. "Good boy, Winst'. C'mon. Let's find your papa."
The footprints in the frozen snow where sloppy, as if Will had been stumbling blindly; as if he had been running from something. Swallowing the fear that crept up her throat, Gen hollered his name once more and was met with the dead silence of the woods.
The trees were beginning to become thicker and her breath more visible with the drop of the sun. Winston tugged her along, sniffing a nearby tree before stopping in his tracks and turning to glance up at his mama.
His face said, "Are you sure, mama? Are you sure you want to go into the woods with me? It's almost dark, mama. We could get lost like papa."
"It's okay, Winston. I promise."
And the turned his nose back to the cold earth, tugging her along.
The footsteps had began to become bloody.
Her eyes scanned every inch of the woods possible, her head bobbing around trees and eyes snapping to the sound of breaking twigs. Winston's tan ears would perk up every now and then and his head would rear, causing Gen to freeze.
There would be more silence, and then they would continue.
It was 5:33 PM when Will's tracks suddenly stopped.
"No," Gen muttered, "No, Will. No, please."
Her flashlight was flicked on, the sun having set moments ago. They had ventured so far into the woods, Gen could no longer see the glow of the house from where she was and she began to worry that she wouldn't be able to make it back.
Winston barked, a low growl rumbling from his chest.
Gen's eyes snapped forward.
She was met with darkness as her flashlight suddenly died with a sad flicker. Blinking, the woman shook the flashlight, suddenly remembering why it was on Will's work bench in the first place.
"The battery life is horrible," Will scowled, "Lasted me not even thirty minutes."
"Oh no, no, no."
Winston barked again, the sound filled with a warning sound, one that was threatening anything that lurked in the dark.
Gen swallowed, her eyes dilating.
"What's there, Winston?"
There was a heavy silence, and then the loud breaking of twigs. Fast, hard, like a night terror had come alive and was barreling towards her. Gen screamed, tugging Winston away from the beast as it barreled past her and dashed into the trees. Eyes wide and heart pumping, she scrambled to pick herself up from the ground.
It was a stag, with soft velvet antlers and hot breath.
She was locked in a staring contest with the beast.
Suddenly, it's head turned and it sauntered forward. When Gen didn't follow, the beast gave a big huff, it's hoffs scraping across the leafy ground. Timidly, Gen took a step forward. The stag seemed satisfied with this development and continued on, it's tall antlers curling majestically in the light of the moon.
Winston was quiet by her side, panting slightly as she led him through the woods, following the stag.
She didn't know how long she followed it for, or for how long it simply led her about, but she knew it was trying to help. She knew it knew where Will was.
She knew it was the stag from his nightmares.
Suddenly, the large beast froze, it's ears perking upwards at the sound of a voice.
"Gen!"
Her head snapped to the right.
"Will?"
Blinking and turning back, her face fell when she realized the stag was gone.
Winston yipped, oblivious to his mama's confusion, yanked himself and Gen through the woods and closer to the voice that had cried out in the first place.
"Will!" Gen shrieked, "Will, where are you?!"
He stumbled out from behind an oak tree, her face raw with cold. His nose was cherry red and his body was quivering, no thanks to the t-shirt and boxers adorning his body. She swallowed quickly, frantically rushing to him and tearing her coat off of her body.
"Jesus, William," she snapped, "What the fuck? You gave me a damn heart attack. I thought I lost you. I thought I wouldn't find you."
Yanking her gloves from her hands, she quickly helped him place them on his bloody feet; they had been cut-up from running through the icy snow.
"I-I lost time."
Gen inhaled sharply, pulling her hat from her head and placing atop his own.
"C'mon, Will," she rubbed his hand, "Let's go home. It's late."
Winston yipped happily, weaving his way between his Papa's legs, trying to share body heat.
"I'm cold."
"And the house is warm."
Once inside, she ushered Will to the tub, turning on the water and letting the steaming hot liquid fill the pearly white bath. Will stumbled in, wincing sharply at the weight that was put on his feet. She ushered him to the side of the tub, motioning for him to sit before she kissed his forehead.
"I'm sorry I yelled. You scared me, Will."
"I'm sorry," his voice was hoarse, "I had no intention of doing so."
Giving a soft smile, she ran her fingers through his hair before placing a chaste kiss on his nose. "Get in the tub. You need to warm up."
Will blinked up at her, dark bags under his eyes seeming darker than ever.
"What? Will, it will make you feel better, I promise."
"Can you come in with me?"
Gen paused, pushing off the doorway and smiling slightly. "If that will make you feel better."
The curly haired man gave a tired smile, nodding with closed eyes. He stood slowly, wincing every now and then, before making his way to her and kissing her cheek. "Thank you."
She helped him ditch his soaked cotton t-shirt and boxers, gently ushering him into the steaming pool of water. A laugh escaped her when he hissed and groaned before chiding: "It's hot."
"Does it feel good?"
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Gen lazily dumped a bit of bath soap into the water, smiling slightly as the bubbles began to build beneath the running water. She slipped off her jeans and t-shirt, splashing a bit of water Will's way when he stared. Gen dashed her fingers beneath the faucet and was happy with the temperature, so she quickly stripped down to nothing before stepping into the water and slipping closer to Will.
Two strong arms were wrapped around her waist, tugging her close. There was a kiss planted in her soapy hair, one that made Gen beam. She let her head loll back, resting against Will's shoulder. She swallowed, quirking a brow.
"What happened, Will?"
Will shrugged, making her head bounce. His mouth met her neck and a soft kiss was placed against her throat. "I lost time."
Gen whined slightly, sitting up and swallowing. "It's been getting worse, Will."
His blue eyes watched her, falling slightly when she frowned. "I... It's so difficult to control. It's like a switch, Gen. I find something that reminds me of darkness and it takes over."
Her soapy fingers curled into his hair, playing with the strands. "We should go and see a doctor."
"I am seeing a Doctor."
"A health doctor, Will," Gen sighed, "Not Hannibal Lecter."
He blinked, swallowing and nodding.
"Can we talk about it in the morning?"
Gen searched his eyes before she broke her facade and nodded quickly. "Yes, Of course we can."
Pressing his face into her hair, Will kissed the caramel tresses again. He felt himself exhale as Gen turned in his arms, nestling closer and resting her cheek on his chest.
Gen let out a content sigh, listening to his heart beat.
Will's fingers danced across the damp skin of her shoulder as she knotted her legs with his, her stomach pressed flush against his own. Her fingers pressed against the muscle of his bicep, nails dancing across the flesh there.
They fell into a comfortable silence.
"Will?"
"Hm."
"I saw a stag," she muttered, "Like the one you always mention."
Will's response was delayed, partially because of the panic building in his chest. Gen's voice faltered.
"I was so panicked; so frantic... I don't even know if it was real or not. But, it led me to you. I followed it and I found you."
Will swallowed. "I sure hope I'm not driving you insane."
Gen only gave a nervous laugh.
"I do too."
A/N:
Longest one yet! I hope you all like bath time! I'm thinking about doing 'Proposal' next... But hmm... I've got so many words to drabble about... What do you guys think? Do you wanna little bit of marriage? I could always make it awkward and fluffy... Or maybe I could do Will meeting Gen's parents? So many possibilities. Tell me what you guys think!
Oh, and yeah, the tenses suck ass. I'm trying, people. I'm trying.