Helliam//Willry

Chapter two

Henry POV

The cold stunned me once again, accompanied by a slight drizzle in depth of the dense air. I covered my paperwork with the shelter of my chest, and jogged to the pizzeria entrance, it's dimmed lights reassuring me of it's hospitality. With a strong force, I locked my shoulder against the door - pushing the resistant hinges to my absence of exposure; the showering rain just out of my reach.
To my surprise, no one - not even William - was there. The temperate ventilation blew my hair into a ruffled mess, as I was left to order my belongings onto the closest party table. The establishment was... empty...

I was too self-conscious to call out, so quickly scoured the hall for any other employees; biting my lip in a mild anxiety. When I was met with enraging isolation, I grabbed my phone. I knew for a FACT that William had to be here. In a stumbled desperation, I unlocked the device -planting my gaze on any alerts. Shoot... A singular message was displayed on the chat, along with several alternate reactions to the wording. "Hello, any employees scheduled for the meeting tonight - do not risk coming. We will reschedule the meeting at a later date, stay safe, Mr. Afton."
Stay safe... stay safe?! What was that meant to mean?! Panicking, I gripped to my phone, why would he tell us to stay safe unless something threatening could interfere? No matter what, William's car was still parked outside... he had to be on the premises!

I briskly strode down the alignment of tables, running a few fingers through my hair to fix it. My mind hammered at the phrase, but I had to find William - I had to find what the hell he was on about! The minor illumination of the hallway lurched at my shadow, as I apprehensively approached the security office; in raw anticipation, I lunged to the handle and burst into the room, my raging intent louder than it seemed.
Surely enough, a bewildered gaze lay in my direction - as William was informally slouched on the office chair, staring up at my flustered confusion. "Mr. Afton?" I blurted out, half doubting myself of his consistent formal antics.

"Henry... What the devil are you doing here?" William tucked his legs from the office desktop, his thick British accent ringing through each word. "I... I came here for the meeting," I stuttered, in realisation of how unsuspecting he was. "I just got your message."
"I sent that message well over an hour ago, you shouldn't be here!"
His alarm was somewhat intimidating, a pang of doltishness striking through my expression.
"My... phone is slow, Mr.Afton. Why weren't we meant to come here?"
William's harsh tone mellowed to a sincerity.
"Henry, haven't you heard about the storm? Even driving here would be crazy - we're in a high risk area!" He stared to the ground, biting his nail - a familiar aspect of his dissatisfaction.

My face burned in disappointment, knowing my devices had compelled this scolding fate. Wouldn't that mean I'm... stuck here, with him?
I took in his image once again, taking advantage of his silence - letting him think things through. His fair brunette hair had strayed from it's usual temperament, his jacket torn from his figure and thrown to the back of his chair, with his crisp shirt now untucked and his tie loose. It was rather amusing, spectating such a state of his comfort - but it made me come to terms with his revelation. Nonetheless, he now remained in composure.

"My children are at home, are yours?" I swelled a dusted pink, engaged with his concern. But despite his complimenting care, I could not answer in a usual way.
"I... do not have children, Mr. Afton." His face spread into a look of understanding, a questionable sorrow misting his empty eyes.
"Oh yeah, sorry Henry." Rather taken aback from the statement, I did not reply. His acknowledgement had complicated the flow of conversation.
"What are we going to do?" I started, in attempt to re-engage a format of speech.
"You'll have to stay here for the night. We have food and drink, and can set up sleeping stations."
"Oh, ok." I swept my vision outside, the journey here could've been minutes away from a perilous accident. A bitter shower had struck down outside, in unison with the swirling cacophony of thunder rumbling in a distance. My mundane routine would usually rectify any complications regarding the weather, but in my earlier distraction - I had not had the chance.

"I'm just glad you're okay." He shattered my daze in a silky tone.
"Thank you, Mr.Afton."
"Just call me William, it's after hours." I pelted my eyes to his adequate consideration, nodding in the wake of his wandering stare.
"Okay, William. I need to collect my things, I will be back in a moment."
"That's fine, just let someone know you're here."
"Okay."

Any constructive criticism is appreciated!! :))