Warning: Mention of period-typical homophobia

As soon as the plow makes it past his street, Henry runs to his car. He has to push off the mountains of snow, but it's a small price to pay for freedom.

He ended up sleeping in his own room again last night, but not for lack of trying. He asked the football players next door, but he couldn't find a single clean place to lay his stuff down. The floor was almost unseeable with how much trash they had. And with his only other option being the smokers, there was nothing he could do. And Henry did consider the trash room a second time, but when he thought he saw something moving beneath the pile, he decided to just risk it with William.

Henry goes to the phone booth first, wanting so badly to hear from his family again. And also because the stores probably won't open for a little while and he doesn't feel like sitting outside for that long.

He dials the number and waits three rings until someone finally picks up. "Hey, Mom-" He starts, but then a familiar voice comes in.

"She and Dad are still asleep."

It's jen. Henry doesn't move for a second, but then he sees his call timer go down and snaps back into reality. "H-Hey, Jen! It's...it's been a while." What does he say? Should he be mad? Probably, but after this past week, he's tired of being upset all the time. "How's life?"

"Busy. Mom and Dad really miss you right now, but I think me being here helps. We're saving you some cookies. I, uh...nevermind."

He's can't help himself anymore. He needs to know. "Jenny, why were you ignoring me?" The months of failed calls comes back and he feels a wave of sadness wash over him. What did he do?

She doesn't talk for a long time, but he can hear her sigh. "I didn't mean to, Henry. I really didn't, but things are...I'm not great with this sort of thing." He doesn't respond, letting her get this out. "I've been having some...some feeling for a friend of mine and it's really hard right now."

"Which friend?" Henry probably doesn't even know him, but he still asks. Jen never sounded interested in someone else before. Has she really changed so much?

"It's a girl, Henry. I'm gay." His eyes go wide with realization and he couldn't speak if he wanted to. "I tried to tell Mom and Dad, but...it didn't turn out so well. They want me to move back in with them and marry someone from town, but I can't..." He thinks he hears her sniff and he can't really believe it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you and if you agree with them, then that's fine. I just can't stay in New Harmony."

Does he agree with them? He doesn't know. He knows what his parents have said about...those people. He's always been told that they're bad and will try to take advantage of him, but Jen isn't like that. And if Jen isn't like that, then are the others?

Henry's mind is drawn tight, but he says the one thing he knows. "Jenny, I love you." His heart beats faster and a smile pulls on his face. This is right. "I love you so much and if you don't want to be in New Harmony, then don't. Mom and Dad...they love you too, but you belong in the city." You belong where you're happy.

"Really?" She sounds so unsure and Henry wonders what their parents said, but he stops that thought quickly. He already regrets not going to visit and worrying about that more will only make it worse.

"Really. I support you, Jen."

He can practically hear her smile over the phone and it makes him relieved to know he said the right thing. Someone needs to be there for her. "Thank you, Henry. I...I love you too. And I probably can't go over there to visit, since it's six whole hours, but I'll answer your calls. I'm really sorry for ignoring you."

"It's okay. You were struggling and did know how I'd react. I probably would've done the same thing."

They go quiet and Henry feels the peace between them. He almost wishes they could've had this conversation sooner, but maybe he would've reacted differently before. Maybe being in Logan has changed him in ways he didn't see before.

"Well, I have to go, but watch out for your Christmas present. I'm sending you a personal one in the mail."

"Can't wait for it." Is it something from her work? He's not sure, but he's still excited.

"Maybe we can hang out sometime during the summer. I can save up for us to go to Disney or something."

He doesn't have plans that far ahead, but he's willing to make it work. "Yeah, I'd like that." Even if it's just them without Mom and Dad, he wants to do it.

The timer runs down on seconds and Henry says his goodbye quickly, his smile ever present as he hears one back. It was nice. More than nice, and he's so grateful to be here for Jen when she felt hopeless and lost. He just wishes Mom and Dad could see it the way he does.

By this point, the store is likely open, so Henry goes there next, his list for Christmas still in his pocket. He's going to enjoy the holiday, even if he has to rent a motel room to do it.

When Henry gets back around 9:00 pm, he doesn't bother bringing his stuff up to the room. He won't be staying there tonight, so there's no real point. Really, he shouldn't be coming back until tomorrow, but he needs to grab the Christmas card he forgot to send to his parents. So, he marches up to his room and very carefully steps inside.

He slams into William's chest immediately and the both stumble apart. Henry stares for a moment as he processes what happened, then he straightens and glares up. "What are you doing just standing in the doorway?"

William scoffs, obviously displeased to see him again. "I should be asking you the same thing. I thought you were going somewhere else for the night. Don't tell me your plans have failed again."

"No, actually." Henry shoulders past him, his eyes set on the letter. "I was just leaving again. Enjoy pampering yourself while I'm gone." It sure won't make him any prettier, though.

"Oh please. I'm not the one running away for the night." Henry questions, again, why William's just standing in front of the door like this. He ignores the comment and moves to push past. "Oh, and try not to trash the place like you do here. I'd hate for those poor room service workers to deal with you."

Henry stops. He knows this is just another jab at him and he should ignore it, but they've had this conversation so many times and he's sick of it. Instead of walking past him like he originally planned, Henry standing in front of William, his fists clenched. "Why do you keep doing this?"

William has the nerve to look confused for a second. "Doing what? Pointing out the obvious? Because it seems you can't see it for yourself. I'm hoping that one of these days, you'll lower your pride enough to actually self reflect."

Self reflect?! "How -Why?! Why are you so freaking mean all the time?! What do you gain by putting me down at every single opportunity?! If you had just put your freaking ego away, we might've been able actually cooperate!"

"Emily, you are just as at fault for our poor relationship as I am. If you had followed my simple rules-"

"Simple rules?! The second I stepped foot in this room, you started ranting about how everything had to be perfect! You didn't let me move the furniture, you made me hand over my entire schedule and you threatened to kick me out! How on earth are those simple rules?!"

William rolls his eyes. "Perhaps I should have made true in that threat, then. I've been more than lenient with you over these past months."

Henry's shakes his head with disbelief. "I don't understand you. How do you live with yourself? Do you honestly thing you're this great? That everything that happens is someone else's fault?"

"I do not think-"

"You sure act like it! You didn't sleep your perfect eight hours once and you blamed that on me-"

"You kept me up with your damned snoring!"

"One assignment didn't get finished in time and it suddenly fell into my hands-"

"I had to pick up after you, again!"

"You don't get it!" Henry shouts, his voice cracking from the volume. "You don't get it at all! None of that was my fault! I'm not a messy slob! I'm not absolutely cruel to you! I don't live my life with nothing in mind but making your life hell! I'm not out to get you, William, but you act like I am! You force me to defend myself every single day and I can't take it anymore!"

William relaxes from his angry glare, the expression odd. "You-"

"SHUT UP!"

They both stop, turning to the right wall. Henry recognizes the voice as their next-door neighbor. He guesses they've finally had enough of this too.

"I'm leaving." Henry mutters, finally shouldering past William and marching out the door. He breathes hard as he makes it to his car, still unbelievably angry, but there's nothing he can do about it. There's no amount of screaming or yelling that will make it go away. So, he starts the car and heads out for the motel. It's a pretty short drive but he almost wishes it were longer, just to give him more time to calm down. Once he parks outside of the office, Henry takes a deep breath, then finally goes inside to pay for a room.

He runs through the whole process easily, his mind still clouded with words he wanted to say but never got the chance to get out. He takes the room key once it's given to him, returning to his car again to park closer.

It's a part of town Henry's not very familiar with despite living here for so long. There isn't much here that he would really need on a day to day basis. No wonder it took him so long to think of getting out of his dorm. He just hopes the rooms aren't too trashy.

As Henry walks along the outside of the building, he reaches a darker area near the big trash bins. He's can see his room number just a little ways away, but he stops at the sound of a click.

"Don't move or I'll kill you right here."

The adrenaline comes first, then the fear. It takes too long to realize what's happening and even longer for Henry to look at the shadowed figure holding a knife to his back.

"Step to the side." Henry does as he's instructed, following his attacker into the dark. They reach a little alleyway, just barely out of view from the main motel area. They step into deep snow, their pants growing cold and wet. Then, the knife presses harder against him. "Give me your room key! Now!" The figure speaks louder now that they're out of sight.

Henry does as he's told, his hands shaking badly as he tries to get the card out of his pocket. It catches several times, making him panic more.

"Get it out! Come on!"

"I...Please..." Henry finally gets it out and it's swiped from his hand in the blink of an eye.

"Your wallet too!" He hesitates. "Don't push me! I've killed fuckers bigger than you!"

He grabs his wallet with more ease and that too is swiped, probably stuffed into his attacker's own pocket and never to be seen again. But he can't really care too much, not while the knife is still pressed against him. Not when he's still so afraid.

"Good. Now turn around. Slow!" Henry does as he's told, finally able to see who this is. It's no one he recognizes. The man is slightly taller than him, but on the leaner side. He looks dirty and half crazy, especially with the knife held tightly in his hand. "Now..." His attacker pauses, looking Henry over for a moment. He knows what's going to happen but nothing slips past his lips. Not even a prayer.

Dad always said that Henry makes up for his height in strength. Even in elementary school, he could beat the rest of the class in an arm wrestling competition. It's just become a simple fact that Henry is strong, but now, held at the pointed end of a knife, he feels like the weakest person in the world.

He's going to die on Christmas Eve and his family won't know until days later, when his body is finally uncovered from the snow.

His attacker draws closer, his footsteps crunching in the snow, but a second figure comes up behind him. This one is taller, thinner and wearing exactly the same suit from ten minutes ago.

"Henry!" It sounds like a battle cry and in some way, it is one because as soon as the attacker hears him, they're fighting.

Henry watches in horror as William grabs the arm with the knife, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed several times. He twists it and the attacker shouts in pain. The knife falls into the snow and disappears from sight. But the fight isn't over. The attacker punches upward, hitting William hard in the face and he falls too, just barely catching himself on the alley wall.

William spits into his hand, looks at it for a second, then stares at the attacker. Henry watches those usually mocking eyes widen into something dangerous. When William moves this time, he's coordinated. He grabs the shorter man, throwing him onto the floor with surprising ease, then pins him there. They tumble for a moment, neither able to keep the other down for long. But just as Henry's about to step in, to somehow help William from losing, the man grabs a handful of snow and shoves it into the attacker's eyes.

It's a blur from then on. Henry watches, completely frozen, as fists land, people are pushed and someone's leg knocks hard against the wall. It's brutal and violent and blood starts to stain the white snow kicked up around them, but there's nothing Henry can do to stop it. He just has to wait and hope William survives this.

Please, let William live!

The attacker slips out of a hold and William's pushed to the ground, his head slamming onto hard concrete. He doesn't move for a second and Henry feels a scream build in the back of his throat. The attacker finds the knife again, his hands shaking badly as he holds it up.

"Stop!" Henry finally lets his voice out. He cnn't move any closer, not when his legs give out, sending him into a kneeling position. He's sobbing desperately, so absolutely terrified. "Please, stop!" He begs. The attacker doesn't move, dark eyes staring at him.

There's a sudden movement below and the shorter man slips. William's up again and in seconds, he has the knife in his hand, the other squeezing the attacker's neck. The shorter man chokes, any attempt at saving himself a failure. He's lost.

But Henry doesn't look at the man below anymore. He's staring at William, now afraid of his insane smile. It's stretched too wide, showing off the blood on his teeth. There's something in his eyes, too. It's nothing like the person he knew before tonight, the perfectionist business major who did nothing but point out Henry's flaw. No, the man he sees now is someone who's done this before. Someone dangerous.

Henry crawls forward, his heart jumping into his throat with every movement. William must hear him, because he looks at Henry, those intense eyes now burning deep into Henry's own. He looks like a predictor about to kill.

"Don't." Henry's not even sure his voice is registering. "Don't kill him, Will."

It's like a flip is switched and the humanity returns. The smile fades and William drops the knife. It lands dangerously close to the attacker's head, who is also released. Henry ignores the shorter man for now, not caring that he's running away like a scared puppy. His eyes stay on William, who moves to lean against the wall, finally looking like he's been through a fight.

Silently, William hands him something and Henry takes it carefully. His eyes widen when he sees the room card and his wallet. How...

"Fuck..." The man sounds exhausted with only one word.

Henry pockets them quickly and kneels next to William, still concerned with the blood running from his nose and...well, basically everywhere. "Are you okay? He didn't get you, did he?" You aren't dying, right? Henry wouldn't be able to handle that. His chest still hurts from how hard his heart is beating.

To his relief, William shakes his head, then winces. He holds his head in one hand, his eyes screwed shut tightly. "Fuck. I might...have a concussion."

He can't help it, but Henry laughs. It's more out of anxiety than actual humor. "Yeah, you got hit pretty hard. I..." Should he really do this? The only point in getting a motel was being away from William but he doesn't exactly want the man to just go back to their dorm and end up dying later or something. "Why don't I get you into my motel room. I have a first aid kit in my car."

William goes to nod, but winces again. Henry stands up, becoming increasingly aware of how cold he is, and offers a hand to William. The man takes it and with some effort, Henry manages to pull him up. He has one of William's arms over his shoulder and together, they start walking forward.

The journey to the room takes nearly forever but they do make it. Henry opens it quickly and kicks the door closed again before they make their way to the small bathroom. From there, he gently lowers William to the edge of the tub and searches the room for first aid. If they have the basics, then it'll save him another trip outside. He doesn't want to risk meeting anyone else tonight.

To his relief, he finds a small kit and sits on the toilet seat. "I'll clean off the cuts, but you should probably just shower at this point." William hums some kind of agreement.

Thankfully, none of the cuts are too deep. There's definitely going to be some bruising and Henry's still concerned about the concussion, but it shouldn't require a hospital trip. But then again, he also knows little to nothing about this sort of thing. If Jen were here, it would be a different story.

Then again, Jen probably wouldn't have gotten stuck in that situation in the first place.

"I think I lost a tooth." William mumbles. He opens his mouth for Henry to see. So that's where the blood is coming from.

"Um...I think it's just chipped, but it's kind of obvious." He watches William try to feel it with his tongue, wince from his tooth, then wince again from his head. The man lets out a low groan and Henry laughs softly. "But you should really shower. You're still covered in snow and it'll keep you from freezing." He stands up from the toilet seat and helps William stand as well. The guy sways on his feet but quickly steadies himself with the wall. Henry slowly lets go.

William turns around, facing the bathtub, and Henry puts most of the first aid kit away aside from some bandages and a single strip of gauze. It'll help stop the bleeding in his mouth and hopefully, he won't need it filled in.

When Henry looks at William again, he's started to find the man almost completely naked and turns to look away, but something catches his eye. Right between William's shoulder blades is a dark print of a rabbit's head. It looks like come kind of cartoon character with a wide smile, bucked teeth, and long ears that just barely reach the curve of his shoulders.

Henry stares at it for a little too long, just shocked by the fact William "Stuck-up" Afton has a tattoo.

"Um!" Henry coughs into his hand, looking away from the now fully naked man. "I'll let you get to that! Um, if you need me, I'll-"

"Please stay."

He falters, the embarrassment melting away. They now have a shower curtain between them, but the water has yet to start running. He waits for a moment. "Stay?"

"In case I fall." William says, his voice softer than usual. And...well, Henry can't really argue with that. A lot of people have died from falling in the shower and that's without a concussion on top of that. So, Henry sits with his back to the tub. Then, the water starts.

They sit in silence for a long time, which is fine. It gives Henry a moment to think over the past while. He remembers their fight and the odd look William gave him just before he left the dorm.

"...Hey, Will?" Henry calls. When he doesn't get an answer, he tries again. "William?!" His voice just barely carries over the sound of rushing water.

"Yes?"

Henry chews at his lip for a moment. "Why did you follow me?" His mind fills with potential answers, but none of them seem right. There was no way for William to know what was happening.

"What?"

He sighs. "Why did you follow me?!"

Silence. Then, "I realized that..." Henry thinks he hears a sigh, but he's not sure. "I don't want to admit it, but you were right...about some things." Henry can't think of an answer to that. After months of endless fighting, how is he supposed to respond to something like this? "Don't take it the wrong way. I still don't think you're a saint, but I...I think I misunderstood your motives."

"What motives?" Why does he always have to be so weird about things? There's no motive behind him trying to live a normal life. At least, not one he can think of.

"Well, you said you weren't out to get me. I thought you were."

That...makes a lot of sense, actually. More than him just being a massive jerk -Not that that isn't still on the table. He expected Henry to be a slob and a threat, so he saw him as one. "Well, don't expect me to apologize for anything." Henry says. It's not his fault William held that expectation for him.

"And neither will I." Henry frowns, but he doesn't respond. Fine, then. But at least he has a lightly better understanding of what happened. And maybe William won't treat him like the worst person to exist anymore.

They sit in silence for the rest of the shower and once William's done getting dressed in the motel's given bathrobe -Henry does step out during that part- they get his face bandaged up. Henry watches William fight sleep the whole way through and as soon as they make it back to the main room, the man gently lays himself down on the closest bed. Good thing there are two. Henry might not actively hate him right now but he's not ready to be sharing a bed.

It's only once Henry's about to turn out the lights that he sees what time it is. With a smile, he looks at his roommate. "William." The man cracks one bruised eye open to glare at him. "Merry Christmas."

I've had this chapter in my mind for a while and I'm so happy to finally get it written down! The scenes in this chapter have all changed a lot but I think this is the best outcome for all of them.