little bird // r.keene

xxviii. two books.

Wren had been waiting for 3 minutes and 41 seconds... She had been counting.

It was all she could do as she, as well as the other visitors, waited for the boys to be let out to see them. And truth be told, Wren didn't know what to expect. It had been weeks since she had seen Will and she missed him dreadfully.

Wren hadn't been told if her request to see Robby had been accepted or decline. She knew new boys weren't allowed visitors but still, she had hope, Wren was fully aware of some of the strings Will pulled in this place...

But she had no clue if she was going to see Robby Keene that afternoon.

So, she sat still, her elbows resting on the table in front of her, her fingers knotted on the surface as her knee bounced vigorously to try and distract herself. Minute after minute dragged out.

One painfully sore minute after the other.

"Why the long face, little bird?" A voice rang out towards her and Wren's eyes snapped to her right, Will stood before her, his arms outstretched and Wren cracked an ear to ear smile. She pushed herself up and didn't waste another second before throwing herself in his arms.

Will wrapped one long arm around her back, whilst the other cupped the back of her head, tipping his head down, he pressed his face into her hair. "There's this thing called personal space..." He joked, "Of course, I doubt you have ever heard of it."

Suppressing a stifled laugh against his chest, Wren stepped on his foot. Will groaned, the sound vibrating through her, making her laugh more. "Shut up. Don't ruin this for me." She uttered and Will just smiled back into her hair.

"But then, how would I tell you about your surprise?" Will whispered, a hand smoothing over the back of her head, running through her hair and Wren pulled back. He let his delicate fingers rest gently on her jawline as she pulled back to look up at him and only at that moment did he see tears glistening slightly in her eyes.

He didn't know if they were sad or happy tears.

Will gave her a warm smile, before cocking his head over his left shoulder, "We don't have long," and since Wren couldn't actually see over his shoulder she pulled away a little more and peered around Will.

Wren didn't waste a second, and for the second time in five minutes, ran into an outstretched pair of arms.

Robby had kept quiet when Wren hugged Will, he figured they needed it. They deserved it. He couldn't shed the fact that Wren had prolonged visiting Will to keep him safe and keep him company.

Will had told Robby it had probably been because she wanted to keep Robby safe and Will himself was already in a safe place- well, sort of. But still, Robby, especially as he witness her fling herself in Will's arms, couldn't shed the underlying gut wrenching guilt her felt at keeping them apart.

"I've missed you, Keene." Wren muttered, pressing her face into his shoulder and Robby didn't reply, he simply shit his eyes and hugged her back. "I've missed you. I've missed you." She repeated over and over, more to herself than to him from the fear that if she let go of his shirt, of him, he might slip behind closed doors not to be seen again.

"I've missed you too, Evans." He breathed her in as if he needed her to live, "God, I've missed you too."

And looking at them now, standing a meter away with his hands slung in his pockets, Will couldn't help but feel a small twist in his stomach. Jealously? Longing? A desire for something that they had.

It made him wonder, watching as Robby kissed Wren's forehead, what Will could of had if he hadn't beat the man that killed his sister? Where would he be? In college? Would he and Wren be as close as they were? Would he be happy?

These were all answers he would never get. And he had to live with that. But still, his mind still wandered into small dark corners and came back with one large question.

Would he be in love?

The pair of boys sat on opposite sides of the table from Wren, which was the furthest thing from what they wanted but still, they had too. Wren clutched both of their hands on the tables and scanned them both for any injuries.

"How is everything? No one has given you any trouble?" Wren's eyes slid from Robby to Will, "Except him of course." She nodded at Will, who drew back, acting offended.

"I'll have you know, Wren, I have been a model influence." He said mockingly, making Robby chuckle but Wren's expression remained flat. "No, it's okay. No one had tried to mess with him yet, and they won't, I promise."

"And remember, Wren, I can look after myself." Robby said and Wren nodded in agreement, with all her worrying for them both, especially Robby, she had forgotten how well he could fight. She had seen it first hand. It wasn't the fighting she was afraid of, it was the consequences, added time.

She shook off her depressing train of thought and faded into a smile. "I feel like I'm forgetting something." She uttered, pulling her hands away from theirs and tucking them underneath the table to reach into her bag.

"Is it morals?" Will guessed, Robby looked over at him, "A sense of rational judgement? A hairbrush?" Robby laughed at his joke earning Wren a playful smirk.

"No, it's something important." She added before placing two books on the table and sliding them across to the boys.

"Little Women and Peter Pan." Robby read out loud, leaning over to read his own, then Will's.

"Really? This is your solution to keeping us out of trouble?" Will asked, flicking open his copy of Peter Pan before setting it back down.

"You've never complained before, Billy." Wren lectured, "Don't get boring on me now." She smiled and Will couldn't help but do it too. But still, Wren couldn't help but feel the looming sense of something unsaid between the three of them. She returned her hands to the tables surface and both boy slotted their own into hers.

"Is- is everything okay, truly ?" She asked, directed at them both, and it felt like a silly question but she had to know. "I know I've already asked but tell me if it's not."

Will glanced at his lap before returning his eyes to Wren, his same sense of warm and optimism evident in his features. "We're fine, little bird, honestly- Rob here has slotted in quite nicely if I do say so myself." Will said proudly, giving her hand a slight squeeze which Wren returned.

"It's going to be okay."

"Okay, good, good." Wren said, nodding. "You both have three months here and I swear to god, if either of you get any more time added I'm going to push you both down a flight of stairs myself." Both boys found themselves chuckling at that.

Will shook his head slightly, "Only you would turn such a tender reunion into a threat, little bird..."

"Do I look like I'm kidding William Larson?" She only called Will that when he was in trouble, which had primarily been when they were kids, it had been a long time. Wren took a steadying breath, "Please, I just, I want you both out of here." Will and Robby knew what she was trying to say.

I need you. I need you both.