Through Heaven or Hell (William Macbeth X Female Reader)

Explanations - Sorta

Time stopped the moment (Y/N) breathed out those horrified words. Her (E/C) eyes were wide, concentrated on his wrist, sadness and pain fighting on her face.

Will hated himself for doing that to her.

Then time resumed.

And (Y/N) reached out further for the injury, that troubled look growing even worse. It sent daggers into Will's heart - but whether those daggers were caused by the aching look on (Y/N)'s face or they were thin needles of terror, he couldn't tell.

Jerking back from her touch, Will jammed his hands into the pocket on the front of his black hoodie.

Damn...

Will didn't know what to say, how to get himself out of this situation. On one hand, he desperately wished that he could be honest with (Y/N). On the other, however...

His jaw tensed. He couldn't allow (Y/N) to know about the King of Despair. In fact, at this point, it was probably best that he try to blatantly lie. She would leave and be safe and he... he would...

Well, he'd probably suffer for the rest of his short, miserable life, but that was besides the point. What mattered was how he was going to cut himself off.

"I could ask the same about what happened in there," Will found himself saying automatically, jerking his head to the hospital that loomed behind them. The way he said the words was cold. Regret filled him.

The sudden emptiness behind (Y/N)'s eyes sent a pang through his heart. He hadn't realized just how much of her walls she had let down while they were around each other - at least, not until the walls came right back up.

"Nothing of importance," she finally muttered. Her voice wasn't angry or cold, like Will had expected. Just... tired. Disappointed, perhaps. "My grandma... well, she's... losing some of her former capacities."

He was taken aback by her honesty. True, he hadn't known her for too long - not anywhere near as long as Leo had - but he hadn't pegged her for the type of person that would be honest to somebody that cornered them.

Guilt swept through Will at the thought. He truly had cornered her, hadn't he?

He felt his shoulders droop slightly. "I-I... oh."

(Y/N) shrugged. "Whatever." She scuffed the ground by her feet. "Not like we can do anything about it." The words would've been venomous had she not looked so empty.

"I'm sorry," he murmured unhelpfully.

Pursing her lips, she looked past him once more. Her eyes were misty with tears that were his fault.

Stupid stupid stupid. He should've just told her something - anything - rather than to turn everything on her. That was cruel and he knew it.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," (Y/N) muttered, brushing past Will. She didn't verbalize her need to leave, but he knew what she left unsaid.

Hearing her retreating footsteps was the boost - no, the catalyst - for Will's explanation - and apology.

Will quietly murmured, "The bruises came from an attack. A-a mugging." Of sorts, he added silently. He didn't mention that he thought that he was the one that was mugging the other person. Will didn't know if he was or wasn't guilty for everything.

(Y/N)'s footsteps came to a halt. Will could sense a curiosity in her silence despite her anger. She must've been battling between her hurt anger and her wish to understand what was going on with him.

Will winced slightly as he turned to face her. He wasn't sure if it was because turning his head aggravated the large bruise that ringed his neck or if it was because he knew that, despite everything, he still wasn't going to end up telling (Y/N) the truth.

Well, I'll be telling a little bit of the truth. Just a little, but... that has to count for something. Right?

It didn't erase the curve on tension in her shoulders or the way Will's heart twinged when she looked back at him with her tired, red-rimmed eyes.

However, Will plunged into the story, disregarding his doubts. "Last night, I was walking home. I-it was late, I was stupid, and - well." He shrugged and tried to keep himself from stuttering. If he did, it would blow his story completely. (Y/N) would be able to see through his thrown-together explanation in milliseconds. "Let's just say that going down a dark alleyway in Hellsalem's Lot is a bad idea."

Her expression was unreadable. The only indicator to what could possibly be going through her head was the way her brows furrowed as her (E/C) eyes flicked over his face.

He bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood. (Y/N) wanted to know more. He could see the fevered curiosity firing away in that mind of hers. What he told her was enough, though. For now, anyways.

I'm not going to tell her about Despair. I can't. I'll... figure it out. I have to. Will swallowed nervously, his gaze dropping to his beat-up sneakers.

(Y/N) didn't have to stay. He knew that. But it didn't stop him from wishing that she would.

A low sigh huffed its way out of (Y/N), startling Will's gaze back up to her.

Her lips were pursed, a thoughtful look on her face. Those brilliant (E/C) eyes were trained on him. Then, a small, shy smile spread over her face. It was fragile and uncertain, but it was a million miles away from the distressed, empty girl that Will had been a witness to a mere ten minutes before.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said softly. "I don't know what I... well, what any of us would've done without you."

A strangely light feeling filled Will's chest at her words. His heart felt like it should've been racing in his chest, like he was having an anxiety attack but... it didn't feel bad. It merely gave him an energy that he hadn't experienced in over three years.

Will flashed her an equally shy smile in return. "Thanks, (Y/N)." Then, he added in an even quieter voice, "I'm sorry."

(Y/N) shook her head slightly, her hair being tugged by the wind even once she stopped shaking her head. "I can't say that it didn't hurt, but..." She shrugged. "I can't do anything to change the past. And neither can you. The best we can do is move on." She glanced at him with a meaningful look. "And avoid dark alleyways at night, apparently."

Will flushed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Not my proudest moment, I'll admit."

But despite his bashful display, guilt and terror whirled in him.

What had he done when he'd gone down into that alley? He knew what everything had ended in - death, as it was safe to assume from the corpse and the purple blood.

Quit it.

Nothing would come from him thinking in circles once more. Will would have time for it later. He always did.

He focused his attention on (Y/N) once more to see that troubled, half-empty look on her face once more.

"(Y/N)?"

She blinked at him in surprise before a small, reserved smile filled her face. It was tight and nervous, oddly enough. "It's nothing."

Sighing, (Y/N) cast one last glance up at the cloudy sky with a frown.

Will also frowned as he studied her. He hadn't noticed it before, but she looked... really unwell. Tired. Sick.

She looked worse than he felt.

Her eyes returned to his face and the moment was gone. A smile was back on her face, but Will could see that it was strained.

"I'd better head off," (Y/N) said easily, raising her hand in a wave. "It was good seeing you." The strain in her face softened into a more genuine smile. "I'm glad you're safe, Will."

And with that, she left.

Will stood in that courtyard, frowning and trying to understand what could possibly be going on with him and (Y/N).

(A/N): I FORGOT THAT YESTERDAY WAS FRIDAY

I'M SORRY