So how excited are you for the next chapter? You hating me yet for taking forever? Sorry. XD But don't worry, there is more that awaits for Tessa and Will! So I'll stop babbling and let you actually read now…

Tessa's POV

Never had I slept so peacefully in my life. Why that was, exactly, I wasn't sure. Perhaps it was the fact that the bed I rested in was soft and enveloped me in pillows and blankets. Or that the fire had died down at the perfect time, so that I was never too warm or too cold. Or maybe it was because I had kissed William Herondale the previous night…

I sat straight up. I had kissed Will the previous night. I had kissed a man that I was hardly acquainted with!

"What is the matter with you, Tessa?" I muttered to myself as I stood from the bed and gathered my nightgown around me. "Kissing gentlemen that you hardly know."

But there was another voice in my head that verbally smiled. You know him, Tessa. You know that. You know him better than you think.

I shook my head at myself and grimaced. "No more of this foolishness, Tessa. No more-"

I opened the bedroom door to see Henry standing there, fist half raised in the air as if to knock. "Oh! Miss Tessa! I was just coming to see if you had awakened…"

"Oh, why yes, I have. As you can see. What time is it?"

"Not yet noon."

"Noon?!" I repeated, bewildered. "I've never slept so late in my life…"

"Charlotte was going to come wake you…but William insisted that we let you sleep. It's quite understandable- I'm sure you've been through a lot recently…"

I smiled. Henry seemed to have a very awkwardly generous personality. "I have been, yes, though I've been lucky enough not to have my gnomes stolen."

"Aha! What a lucky thing indeed!" He held out his arm. "Might I escort you to breakfast?"

I looked down at myself, not dressed in the proper attire for company that I had only met the previous night. However, I was starting to realize that these people weren't much for formality. And I didn't care at all. My family would have been horrified.

But I took Henry's arm anyway with a smile.

"Oh, Tessa, dear, how did you sleep?" Charlotte greeted me the moment I entered the dining room. It was connected to the kitchen, and I found myself reflecting on the fact that the dining room of my own home was larger than Charlotte and Henry's entire house.

"Excellent, Charlotte. I've never received such generous hospitality before. I thank you greatly."

"Oh, Tessa, it's our own pleasure." Henry pulled out a chair for me and I sat down, silently thanking him. Charlotte hustled off towards the kitchen and I looked around at the table. The food smelled delicious. Of course, it wasn't the simple eggs and toast that I was used to at home. Every unhealthy but incredibly tasty breakfast food imaginable was sitting in front of me. My stomach growled.

"Someone's starved."

I turned and saw Will standing in the doorway, his jacket draped over his shoulder and his shoes held in one hand. He looked like he had gone out into the woods and gotten quite dirty…

I stood up from my chair, almost smacking into Henry. "Is that blood on your face?!"

Will had red smeared down across his cheek bone. I walked over to him and pushed his hair out of his face to get a better look at his forehead.

I gasped. There was a gash not an inch from his temple. It was deep, wide, and gushing with blood. "Will!" I combed his hair back again to get a better look. "What happened to you?!"

"Got a bit scuffed up, is all," he answered with a smile. "Nothing to worry about."

"Well are you alright?" Henry chimed in.

Will met my eyes. "I am now."

I felt heat rise to my face, and looked at his wound once more. "You need to get this cleaned up, William."

He opened his mouth to respond, but Charlotte walked into the room with a dish in her hands. She stopped and sighed when she saw Will. "Well come on then," she said, handing Henry the dish and starting off down the hall.

"William Herondale, you tell me how this happened right now!"

Charlotte was getting quite angry with Will. He wasn't admitting to where he'd gone or what he'd done that morning, and I was worried. What if he had been killed? What if whoever he encountered had taken him away?

"Charlotte, I told you that I handled it. It's nothing you have to worry your pretty little head about."

"Do you see yourself, Will?! There is blood running down your face!"

"Yes, indeed I do. Perhaps we could patch that up then? I'm starting to feel a tad bit light headed…"

"Then clean yourself up, you ungrateful fool!" She threw the wet cloth she'd been holding into his face and stormed out of the room.

Will stared after her with a look of guilt on his face, but didn't call after her. "Right then," he said, beginning to blot at his forehead with the cloth.

I stood from my chair. "Here, allow me." I took the cloth from his hand and dabbed at his wound. "So," I said as I focused on cleaning his face. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Why should I?" he replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Perhaps because I have the odd feeling that this little run in you had this morning had to do with me."

"Tessa-"

"Will." I looked him in the eyes. "I want you to be honest with me. You've already gotten yourself into so much trouble because of me. Please, just tell me. What happened?"

I realized that I was holding his face between both of my hands, though I wasn't quite sure when that had happened. I moved to withdraw them, but he caught them and held them where they were. "No. I like your hands where they are."

I felt his own hands move then, up my arms, then very slowly down my sides. I was still in my nightgown, having never gotten dressed after Will's wound was discovered, and I shivered. I couldn't move though. I was so entranced in his beautiful, bright blue eyes; I felt frozen where I stood, until his hands gripped my waist and pulled me closer.

Will stood, so that I was the one now looking up at him. "Do you really want to know what happened?" he asked huskily, face only inches from mine. I couldn't speak, so I only nodded. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "I fell down a rather steep hill in the woods."

I pulled back, but only slightly. "You what?"

"I was taking a morning stroll and…well, there was a rather rocky path that I came across…tripped over a branch and found myself tumbling through trees and mud…a stray branch caught me right here." He pointed to his gash.

"You fell down a hill."

"You don't sound like you believe me."

I laughed. "I believe you, William Herondale, because I know that you know that if you were lying to me, I would wound you even more seriously than you already have been."

"I am not lying to you, Theresa Gray."

"Good. Though this news still slightly displeases me, Will. I thought you were a more graceful man."

He chuckled. "Oh did you now? Well if you'd like, I can show you real grace…"

Before I even had the chance to be confused, he pushed me slightly away from him and took me up in a waltz around the small wooden room. I laughed. "Ah, he can dance like a cat, but can't manage to walk in a straight line!"

"Oh Tessa, darling, I am more majestic and graceful than a cat. Besides, who walks in straight lines? If one wants a little adventure in one's life, one must occasionally stray from the path."

Will swung me out and I twirled back into his arms…to find my face incredibly close to his. Our noses were practically touching. "You see?" he said, lips slightly brushing against mine. "Graceful like a cat."

I did not know which of us moved first, but before I could take in another breath, our lips smashed against each other. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer, pressing in to him anywhere our bodies could touch. His right hand grasped my lower back, his left hand on my neck. I had never, never let go like this. It was a feeling that I was thoroughly enjoying, especially when Will turned and pushed me up against the wall. His mouth explored mine, teeth clashed, tongues touched…

It was the most improper thing I had ever done, and I loved every second of it. I had never thought that there could be such passion behind a connection that formed in such a short amount of time…but I felt it, and I wanted more.

Oddly enough, Will pulled away first. When he met my eyes with his own, it looked like he very badly wanted to kiss me again, but was forcing himself to stay in control. "You should-you should get dressed. We'll have to travel soon."

I took a deep breath. "Er, right. Yes, of course." I smoothed out my nightgown and turned towards the door, but Will wouldn't let go of my hand. I looked at him, and he gave me a charming smile. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I said softly.

"For that," he answered. "And for this." He leaned forward and lightly kissed me again, just a brush of the lips. He pulled away and gave me another smile before leaving the room.

I waited a few seconds before letting out another big breath*, then exited the room myself and went to get dressed.

*yeah what that big breath really meant was "HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD I JUST KISSED WILLIAM HERONDALE CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE LIKE GET ME A PILLOW I'M FEELING A LITTLE LIGHT HEADED OMG OMG OMG HE'S SO PERFECT HIS LIPS ARE AMAZING WHY WERE MY CLOTHES STILL ON."

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