little bird // r.keene

v. the enemy.

Will was sat at the white table, his left knee bouncing up and down vigorously whilst he kept his knuckles woven together on the table's surface.

"Did your girlfriend not show today, Willy?" Will rolled his eyes at the voice from the doorway behind him, he threw a glance over his shoulder and saw Shawn leaning against the doorframe with a wicked smirk plastered on his face. "Such a shame, young love, never lasts when you're a criminal." He chuckled and Will just looked up at the clock, Wren still had some time but he had been sitting at the table for a while now but despite this, he knew Wren. He knew she would show.

"So Larson," Shawn took a few more steps in the room until he was at the side of Will's table, looking down at him. Will sighed and pushed himself up from his seat, he was taller than Shawn, which was a pretty difficult feat. But where Will had pale, thin arms, he knew he had lost weight since being in juvie, Shawn was strong and he liked to show it by picking on the new boys. Of course, Will wasn't a new kid anymore, he hadn't been for a long time, but Shawn still liked to mess with him when he could.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Shawn taunted, having to look up slightly.
"I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure- Could you please ask your mom to call me back, we need to discuss what we're gonna do for our anniversary." Will said calmly and Shawn's eyes flicked slightly, Will couldn't help but smile at the sound of the guard's noisy keys walking down the hall.

"When I get the chance, I'm gonna make you regret th-" He was in the middle of saying but another set of footsteps followed the guard and there was a small figure in the doorway.
"Will!" Wren smiled and walked over, Will stepped around Shawn and opened his arms for her. Wordlessly, Shawn stepped out of the room and the guard which had been leading Wren down the hall stuck his head in.

"You've got 30 minutes, be quick Larson." He said and Will pulled away from Wren.
"Thanks, Joe."

Joe left the room and the pair were left alone since all the other visitors had left. Wren took a step back and Will finally got a good look at her and he took one look at the bags under her eyes and the yellowish bruise by her eye that was almost done healing and knew they had a lot to catch up on.

Thoughtlessly, he pulled her back into his chest and mumbled into her hair, "We don't have to talk about it." He told her, breathing her in and Wren hugging him back.
"Thank you." He heard her whisper and held her a little tighter.

"But you are sort of suffocating the All Valley Champion." He heard her say and Will jumped back, still holding onto her arms.
"You won!" He beamed.

"Why did you say it like that? You surprised?" Wren teased, pretending to punch his arm but Will just wrapped his arms around her once more.
"Never." He smiled and Wren did too and with the 30 minutes they had together, everything went back to normal.

The pair sat opposite each other across the white table as they did every week, Wren had finished telling Will everything since she had seen him last and he took a long sigh before whistling.
"Shit." He said mindlessly. "Sounds like you've had quite the week, little bird." Will told her, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair.
"Everything is just so messy at the moment." Wren told him, pressing her forehead against the table's surface and groaning. Will leaned forward and poked her head once, then twice.

"Hey." He poked her again, "Come on, sit up."

"Got any of that mind changing advice for me Billy Boy? I could really use some right now." She asked hopefully, her head turning to the side but still on the table.
"I'm not sure you'll like it..." Will said and Wren sat up, looking at him intently because in her mind Will had all the answers. Ever since she was younger she knew she could always rely on him even for things he had little interest in, she could count on an honest answer.

"Hit me."
"You're spending too much time trying to make peace." Wren blinked in surprise, "Sam's right, you're the champion which means others may look to you from time to time but that shouldn't change what you want to do, if it's not right for them, it will die in time- that's not something you can control but in the meantime you have to do things that work for you." He told her and Wren remained silent, playing with his words in her head. "Okay, let me phrase it like this..." He sat up slightly, trying to get his message across, "You wanted to punch Hawk today, right? I certainly would have..."

"I suppose so."
"What stopped you?"

"I want my friend back, not push him further away..." Wren shook her head.
"I get that but right now, you have to do what works for you- screw the consequences. He built a wall when you helped Robby, right?" Wren nodded, "Right, and right now you're just at each other's throats and your friendship isn't going anywhere." Will pondered making Wren not entirely sure where he was going with this. "So maybe a punch in the face isn't necessarily a step in the right direction but it's a step nonetheless. It will put things in motion." Will finished and Wren shook her head.

"I think you've spent too much time looking at white walls, Will." Wren chuckled lightly, as appealing as punching Hawk in the face seemed, they were still on the same team.

"Gee, thanks little bird." He remarked sarcastically. "My point is, you have to stop trying to make everyone happy. Fuck them. Fuck Sam for trying to guilt trip you into joining Miyagi-do. Fuck Hawk for trying to make you feel bad about winning.... And Robby for taking out his anger on you, you've gotta stop putting other people first when it's clearly making you miserable. Dial down that moral compass of yours for a little while and then assholes like Hawk, Robby, Sam, even Miguel, will stop taking you for granted." Will was slightly breathless by the time he finished and Wren looked at him for a movement, then two... It had been a long time since she had heard will with that edge in his voice. The kind that let her know he was serious. The kind that let her know he meant what he was saying. That it was real.

Will was saying Wren had to stop getting in her own way, stop being so nice, so understanding and be the lion Johnny wanted her to be. No more walking on eggshells or being so understanding, Wren was tired of trying to live up to anyone's expectations.

From now on, she promised, she would only live up to her own.