Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Wasn't There •|| WINTUMN ||•

Prompt: I want to see how many times you needed me and I wasn’t there.

Autumn sat on the edge of their shared bed, her long red hair cascading down her back in a disheveled mess. The room was dim, the soft glow of the bedside lamp highlighting the curve of her hunched shoulders. She hadn’t said much all evening, her silence loud and heavy in the space they called home.

Winter approached cautiously, his footsteps deliberately soft as he crossed the room. His black hair, usually straightened to perfection, was slightly mussed—he’d spent the last hour pacing the kitchen, trying to figure out what to say.

He sank to his knees in front of her, his hands resting gently on her knees. She glanced down at him, her glasses slightly askew on her nose, her green eyes guarded.

“My love,” he began, his voice low and tender, “show me your scars.”

Her lips parted slightly in confusion. “But why?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Winter’s silver-framed glasses reflected the light as he tilted his head up to meet her gaze. There was something raw in his expression, something that made Autumn’s chest tighten.

“I want to see how many times you needed me and I wasn’t there,” he whispered, his voice cracking at the end.

Autumn’s breath hitched. She averted her gaze, staring down at her lap, where her fingers twisted together nervously. She didn’t know how to respond. Winter was always the one with words, the one who could talk his way out of anything. But this—this was different.

“You were always there,” she murmured, though even she didn’t believe the words.

“No,” Winter said firmly, his hands moving to clasp hers. “I wasn’t. Not when it mattered most.”

Autumn’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t know.”

“I should have known,” Winter countered, his tone gentle but unyielding. “I should have been there to protect you, to hold you, to tell you that you didn’t have to go through it alone.”

She finally met his gaze, and the dam inside her broke. “I don’t want you to see them,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I don’t want you to see the parts of me that are broken.”

Winter reached up, his thumb brushing away a stray tear that had escaped down her cheek. “You’re not broken, my love. You’re still standing. Still fighting. And I’m here now. Let me be here for you.”

Autumn hesitated, her mind warring with itself. But the warmth in Winter’s eyes, the unwavering love she saw there, made her nod slowly.

Wordlessly, she pulled up the sleeve of her sweater, revealing a faint line of scars along her forearm. Winter’s breath hitched, but he didn’t look away. Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to each one, as if trying to heal her pain with his touch.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against her skin.

Autumn reached out, cupping his face in her hands. “You don’t have to be sorry, my sweet. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. “I promise, Autumn. I’ll never let you face anything alone again.”

For the first time in days, Autumn allowed herself to smile, even if it was faint. “I know, my sweet. I know.”

And in that moment, with Winter’s arms wrapped tightly around her, she felt a glimmer of hope—a promise that no matter how many scars she carried, she wouldn’t have to bear them alone.

[A/N: We're back, baby! Happy New Year guys!]