Coincidences

William Herondale had always been a confusing figure. Crude, but yet so caring. Close, but yet so distant. Always shielded, guarded.

He lies to make himself look worse.

Tessa fingered the corner of a page of her copy of a Tale of Two Cities, her mind lost in thought. She sunk into the velvet couch in the library, her brown tresses falling over her shoulders in a rather beautiful manner. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration of some sort, pondering over something… Or someone, for that matter.

He'd never say it, but she knew he cared, about many things really – even if it was in his very own peculiar way. Under that cold façade of his, laid a heart of warmth. Tessa smiled at that thought. It sounded just like one of those sappy romance stories. Now, back on topic – But of course, it was evident that he loved Jem and Jessamine, and maybe…

"Lost in thought, helplessly trying to get me out of your mind, my dear princess?" What perfect timing. Appearing out of nowhere, Will stepped out of the shadows, wearing an amused smirk on his face.

Tessa's cheeks begin to burn, but adamantly, she retorted, "I was merely thinking about how absurdly often coincidences seem to occur in books. It's silly, really, but it's always what allows the main characters to meet and eventually fall in love…"

"It's not that far off from reality. It was a mere coincidence that I was even there at the Dark Sisters' and eventually saved you from their evil clutches as your knight in shining armor, wasn't I?" Will leaned against the glass-paned windows, and sunlight shone in brilliant rays, making him look somewhat like an angel. The corners of his lips were turned up in a small smile.

Tessa ignored his egoistical comments and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. "That, Will, was just one coincidence that already had a very high probability because you had a motive in going to the Dark Sisters', and moreover—"

"Shh." He cut her off in mid-sentence, eyes still closed. "I'm trying to think."

Tessa frowned. "Fine."

Tessa got up rather ungracefully, nearly tripping over the folds on the elaborately-designed gold carpet. Scowling, she gently pressed down the creases on her Caribbean-blue dress and briefly glanced at the clock. It was two twenty. Charlotte had requested to meet her in twenty minutes in the basement – she didn't want to be late.

"Will—" She began, but he was still perfectly poised in the same position, head tilted and eyes shut. A quiet sigh escaped her lips. She turned to leave the room, just when he reached out and gently grasped her wrist. She barely had enough time to spin around before he took her hands in his.

"I was just thinking," he stepped closer towards her and leaned forward, his lips barely brushing against her chestnut-brown tresses, "whether it was a coincidence that you smell like lavender today, which just so happens to be my favorite flower."

"And whether it was a coincidence that you happen to be wearing my favorite color." His fingers softly danced over the smooth fabric near her waist. A shiver ran down her spine. Involuntarily, she let out a shaky breath.

He pulled her against him, hands skillfully wound around her slender waist. "I think," he whispered, lips lightly touching her ear, "I might be starting to grow fond of coincidences."

Almost instantly, his lips met hers. Momentarily, Tessa felt as if she was falling. The only thing that she could think of was Will – Will with his endless blue eyes, Will with his heart-stopping smile, Will with his irresistible – she broke the kiss for a gasp of air – lips. Feeling faint with her hands tightly knotted in the folds of his shirt, it was all Tessa could do not to crumple into his arms right there and then – until his lips found hers again.

And then, nothing else mattered – There was him, and there was her. Everything they ever needed in the world was just right there.

And so, Will and Tessa lay on the couch, her head lazily rested on his shoulder and her hands laced in his. A soft, content sigh left her lips, as he studied the intricate overlapping of her eyelashes and murmured sweet nothings into her ear.

"Tessa dear, you didn't turn up and I was just wondering if I would find you here but I…" Charlotte's voice trailed off. A moment of awkward silence ensued. It was a rather strange scene, honestly – you don't often get to catch a glimpse of Charlotte's shell-shocked, confused expression. She hastily cleared her throat.

"Oh, uh I– I'm sorry. Excuse me." And with that, she promptly stalked out of the room, perhaps a little too briskly.

"Oh dear. Now that, was a coincidence."

I'm currently trying my very best not to drown in a pool of Will/Tessa fluffiness, mind you. :')

This one was stuck in my mind for the entire day, so I decided to halt the other and finish this first.

On a random note, I think I wrote the word "lips" more than ten times. Oops? I HAVE TO EXPAND MY VOCABULARY HAHA.

So, comments, criticism, anything?