The drive had been so quiet and peaceful, Henry had dozed off sometime in the journey. William thought to let him sleep a little, mindfully driving as best he cared to- as not to stir him awake.

Driving through dirt, he had pulled off a lone road, noting Henry had seemingly begun to recognize they were just about there. He started to sit up right, yawning a little.

"Good morning, darling." William teased in a hushed tone.

Henry looked outside his passenger window to get a better view of where they were, but as it was so dark and barren in the night it didn't really help much. He lifted up his glasses a little to rub his eyes.

"Did you really drive all the way out here, for me?"

A soft grin formed on William's face.

"How could I resist? You asked nicely."

Henry chuckled under his breath a bit, looking to him.

"I forgot how spontaneous you are..."

That was a kind word to describe the way William was, he thought about how he'd have settled on impulsive.

Henry glanced at his watch, then to the dashboard. It was 2AM.

With just a few more minutes of driving off road, the car eventually came to a rolling stop just as the radio went quiet a moment as another track began to play. It came in bright with a disco beat, a sort of groove William seemed to have recognized as his eyes settled on the station. Henry grinned, turning up the radio as he urged him out of the car. It was loud enough to hear as he kept the car door open, reaching a hand out for William to take.

Their fingers settled upon each other, as William took lead, placing his hand upon his lower back as they've danced so many times before. The gravel crackled beneath their shoes as they swayed and twirled to the music, a song neither of them have heard in a while.

In the privacy of the night, it was a calm and gentle moment. The breeze was chilling but their touch warm as they only ever got closer as they continued to sway in circles, back and forth. Times like these, William felt normal- whatever that really meant or not, it didn't actually matter. Point was, he was his happiest, for lack of a better word, with him. In the embrace of his sweet Henry.

"Oh William..." he softly began with his head rested upon William's shoulder. "We're getting old, aren't we."

Henry slowly looked up at him, as William thought to put his hand atop of his head, caressing him into a gentle embrace as they continued to sway.

"We're not quite there yet, Henry."

If only he knew how much that bothered William, how every day he woke to the same conditions as he continued to deteriorate over time, it struck a chord in his soul... the idea that he was dying- especially with things as they were. Had his life lived up to everything he thought it could and could not be? It disappointed him greatly, that he already knew the answer. He did believe in what he had said, they weren't quite there yet- but time was ticking. There was almost a twisted sense of urgency in the darkest part of his mind that felt inclined to act fast.

If he wasn't willing to do something about it, what would become of himself... what would become of Henry? As he looked beyond Henry in the dark, that voice in the back of his mind he kept rescheduling till later held him captive as he watched a thought play out before him.

He imagined himself on an old decrepit stage that'd creak and groan like a creature that ought to have been put down long ago with every bit of movement atop it's surface- he saw himself within the springlock Bonnie suit, though it wasn't him moving... rather the animatronic was still active, still rotating at the hip and waving to the crowd as he was unable to do anything more than scream from within. He imagined the audience full of children, his own smiling and laughing up at him with their fingers pointed. He imagined Henry's children there too, Sam and Michael still tied to the hip- but no one looked up at him quite like Charlotte. The beaming example of everything he hated so much about their current lives... a smiling and happy little girl that loved and adored her father, who loved and adored her in return. A little girl who took after her father well, who'd probably take over the family business happily if asked- hell, she'd probably willingly choose to just so that she may perpetuate a never ending cycle of entertainment that ate away at his being. She'd look up at him and laugh with her hand outstretched, asking ever so kindly for that bracelet of hers back- the only thing keeping her even remotely safe as of now, because deep down she knew without it she'd be vulnerable to him- because she knew all to well who William really was. That child- that girl was always thinking... that she could go anywhere- that she could do anything as long as she was safe, as long as she wore her bracelet like her daddy asked of her.

He thought he'd kill her still wearing the damn thing, just to really show how useful it was in the end. Just to show her how safe she truly was with or without it. He'd-

"Will..?"

He glanced down at Henry, realizing his face had fallen neutral at best. He softly smiled once more.

"I thought I saw something in the distance- I think... I'm as tired as you are."

Henry laid his head on Will's shoulder again.

"I can always drive home, let you rest this time."

William couldn't tell how many songs had played on the radio at this point. His eyes were fixated on his own hand rested on the back of him. It was more mature than he remembered in his youth, wrinkled and with distinct veins. Every part of himself served as a painful reminder, the clock was ticking.

"I could use rest..."

He retreated his hand from Henry's back, placing it upon his chin as he lifted his face up. He stared deep into the recesses of his eyes.

"But, as of now I want nothing more than to be here, with you... As long as possible."

As old as Henry felt he was, in moments like these he felt spry and full of such youthful adoration, it was as if he was a teenager again. As if he was brought back to when he first ever laid eyes on William. He noted, the feeling in his gut never did quite settle over time- that each time he locked eyes with him, it still turned his insides to jelly... a nervousness that came from a sort of shock, that William saw something in him, something to hold, someone to love. He hated to admit it, but deep down he didn't feel worthy of it- such was the pedestal he held William to in his mind, a man brilliant and as forward thinking as himself... a great engineer. He noted Will was quick to learn, quick to speak his mind... though he wasn't quick to love, at least not without there being something within he took notice of. For whatever reason, Henry knew that he saw that something within him, that the love he had for him wasn't any kind of performance. Whatever adoration he earned from William, was just that- earned. No mistake about it. Not just anyone could get that sort of attention from him, though Henry realized it wasn't as if he was incapable of loving anyone- or anything else... Really just that, no one seemed to love him like William did.

They had pulled in for another kiss, the most heartfelt one they've shared in a while as both men felt an equal pull of their entangled souls. Each kiss was motivated by a similar desire, but there was something about exhaustion that made their words more honest, their touch more true.

Henry laughed just a little, under his breath as he pulled away.

"We really could've made out anywhere..."

William smirked, running his fingers through his hair.

"True, but... we're here aren't we?" He glanced towards the direction of the lake, as he continued, "Why don't we go make a night of it?"

He began to guide Henry along, tugging him in the direction of the cool water. He couldn't help but to think, that was so much like him... In moments like these, William was always dragging him along like a little kid trying to show you something. It was childish, though an honest gesture of his... and as long as Henry's known him, he was always content to follow.

-
Over time, even the lake they held so precious in their memory together had begun to change. It was subtle but the more they visited the more it began to acclimate to a new status quo. The water level retreated, the shape altered and the quality of the water had always seemed to be inconsistent...yet aspects of it stayed true. It was always the same lake, in the same spot and they had always visited at a similar time in the night. The shores, rocks and sand were always similar over time, the same color and grain, the same kind of shapes carved and spat from the lakebed. In a lot of ways, the lake was a perfect reflection of them in the ways it changed over time- the fact that they continued to return as if nothing had happened to it, reflected the way they looked at each other as well.

As they approached the lake, it was quiet. The tiniest ripples pulsed onto shore, streaming ever so slightly through stones as the lake was equally as content, still in the night.

William began to step out of his shoes, setting them aside as Henry followed, setting them together. They each took off their wrist watches and set them inside their respective shoes.

"Why do we never think to visit when it's warm...?" Henry uttered, dreading the first contact.

"...Isn't it more exciting like this?"

Henry shook his head a little, taking off his work coat and placing it over their shoes.

William had taken off his socks and hiked up the legs of his pants a bit, stepping into the water. His reaction was exactly as before in the day, when Henry had nursed his wound with alcohol- really only showing any kind of shock through his eyes alone. It was quite deceptive, almost as if the water wasn't ice cold. He reached out his hands.

Henry took a deep sigh, mentally psyching himself as he darted his eyes between the water and his hands. William laughed suddenly, reaching across and pulling him in.

He let out a yelp as a chill coursed through his body. In one hand Henry held his, and in the other he pushed him in the chest.

"Hey! You- you- I didn't take my socks off yet- fuck it's cold."

William continued to laugh deviously, taking another step back. He adored it when he'd get that kind of reaction from Henry, it was uncommon to hear him curse, even as grown adults.

"You take too long each time, it's the only way you'll come in. You'll get used to it." He assured.

"I'm not going in any further- if you pull me under, I'll take your car home without you." He sternly pointed as William took a sudden playful inhale, stretching a hand over his chest.

"Henry, I'm ashamed you take me for such a lowly scamp...that I'd intentionally splash you with ice cold water...in the dead of night..." he exaggerates, already beginning to slowly creep his hand down to the surface of the water.

Already having realized the futility of it, Henry quickly dunked his hands into the lake, splashing forward as hard and as much as his hands could scoop. William gasped for real this time as a wave struck him before he could initially strike, saturating him from the waist down. No amount of pretending could convince him it wasn't almost painfully cold- not even William could play it off as it sent a huge shiver up his spine.

Henry was laughing this time, though it was extremely short lived as he knew William would retaliate, to which he did as soon as he could reach into the water and splash back in return.

He was far too slow to fully move out of the way, perhaps if they were still in college it'd be more a strategic battle, but the older they became the more fruitless it was. One way or another they'd end up soaked.

After war had waged and later reached a compromise, their clothes clung to the surface of their chilled skin, as if their very souls were saturated to the core. Henry let out a huff, taking a step back before gently sitting in the water. It raised up just below the waist, as he leaned back. William snickered a little, making his way over and sitting aside him.

"My father used to say...It's actually good to soak in cold water...good for circulation" Henry had chuckled a little, gesturing his hands over his body before holding his arms together.

"Oh yeah? So it helps when I get you in like this, huh?"

"No way- I'm... I'm chilled to the bone." He laughed, exhaling again to try and warm his hands. "You're not gonna pull me under this time, are you?"

William thought about it with a finger tapping his chin.

"It's extremely tempting... but alas. I wouldn't want to have to walk home, it's too cold even for me."

Henry smirked a little, pushing his shoulder a bit. He looked back to the water, staring across the dark lake. He was shivering.

"I'd never leave you behind..."

William brought his eyes from the lake to him, taking a moment to really look at him before Henry turned back to him, his smirk falling more into an honest smile.

"Promise?" William offered his pinky, having been shivering as well. He wasn't one to make a wholesome gesture, but he felt compelled to ask.

Henry reached across and interlocked his pinky with his, the water dripping off their hands and down their arms, creating a subtle ripple in the pool below.

"Promise."

Leaning closer to each other, they pressed their icy lips together, reforming their fingers to better interlock as they held hands. Despite the chill, it was warm in their embrace. However much they moved, it was quiet... peaceful with the stir of the water around them, having always been a safe spot for them to express how they really felt about each other.

The water felt bearable after a while, not warm but not as cold as it initially felt, although the gentle breeze that moved through them made them shiver as they continued to drip.

Running down his neck like a bead of water, William had traced the contour of his skin with his lips, trailing down onto his collarbone. With the heat of his breath, it wasn't nearly as cold- though he always had a way of giving Henry a special kind of chills.

–

When they began to step out of the water, walking up the shore a little to where their shoes were, it was even colder than before. Surely it was the worst part about stepping out of the water, standing there a sopping mess as the night enveloped them in such a shiver, they felt like skeletons.

William snickered a little despite the largest shiver rolling up his spine as he fixed his belt. He began to wring out his sweater, before realizing it was probably easier to squeeze the water out while he wasn't wearing it, taking it off quickly.

Henry glanced over at his exposed skin, an eager smirk stretched across his face as he reached over and placed his hands on his back. William, having jumped at the sudden frosted touch, turned around and grabbed at him, sneaking his hands up his shirt in return. Thing was, his hands were always that cold, Henry grew to expect it over the many years of feeling his touch.

He always knew what to expect with William, as devious as he thought he was at times, Henry could always rely on knowing- if his hands were cold, he'd touch you in a tender spot. It was the perfect analogy for the type of person he was in general. He could really only guess why, but part of him felt it was to get a reaction, as far as he understood William, he'd always been the kind of person fascinated with cause and effect. Maybe having a level of control over how something affected someone, fascinated him too. He wondered for a moment, if that development in William branched from small gestures such as this, that maybe one day it started with a harmless prank- and now...?

He found himself glancing at the dampened bandaid on his neck. He tried not to focus too hard on it.

"Let's get your car started- you still have that blanket in the back?"

William was still tangled under his shirt, resting his head on his shoulder. He pulled away a little, still holding onto him.

"Of course. I've kept it back there for occasions such as this."

"Oh, you do wash it each time, right?"

William half smirked, rolling his eyes a little as he stepped away.

"Like you'd turn it down even if I didn't."

He wasn't proud to say it, but it was true. Besides, even if an unwashed blanket bothered Henry in a situation like this, it'd be a little hypocritical to worry about that when he knew full well the clothes he'd handle on William weren't so clean either...

Opening the passenger door of his car, William leaned inside and started it, turning the heat on full blast once the engine came to. Henry had sauntered over to the back of the car, opening the trunk as William approached shortly after.

Henry had reached in and grabbed a folded blanket, which was really more akin to a scratchy floor mat with how uninviting of a touch it had. But, a blanket was a blanket, and he could certainly use one as William carefully took it from his hands and unfolded it, draping it over his shoulders. Still gripping the corners of it, William pulled him forward and gave one last kiss, before they made their retreat to the warmth of the car.

While sitting in front of the vents, it always took a bit to truly warm up, as the air was nice but the sensation of wet clothes soaked to their skin kept the chills coming as they continued to shiver just a bit. It always made Henry imagine this was probably what it was like to be a dog getting blow dried after a good bath. William usually liked to stare at him as if he were a melting popsicle, now that the interior lights of the car gave him a better sight of how his clothes clung to him as delicately as he'd like to.

But alas, it was time to finally head home.
–

As William drove back onto the road, Henry glanced at his watch again after having put it back on.

4AM... the sun would surely start to rise on their way home. They pushed it a bit late there, but somehow Henry didn't mind like he usually would. Something about tomorrow felt sleepy anyway, maybe the forecasted rain and grey skies would convince guests to stay home... He couldn't imagine it'd be that busy tomorrow- no today, anyway. Besides, the diner was closed on Mondays so it was more like his Friday tomorrow. He began to picture how he'd spend his weekend.

He thought maybe he'd sleep in and take Charlie out for lunch once he picked her up from school, as they enjoyed doing each week. As he pictured it, he thought of Elizabeth too- Surely William wouldn't mind if he treated the girls to lunch together... He wondered how quickly he could make another toy since now he had practice- perhaps he could flip one of the many failed prototypes into a new toy for Elizabeth, that way the girls wouldn't feel as pressured into sharing all the time. Charlotte was always such a kind girl, he knew she wouldn't mind but still- he thought they deserved to have something specially tailor made for each of them, a matching set.

He found himself glancing at William again... a matching set. He smiled softly.

"A shower sounds heavenly right about now."

Henry looked at him, stretching his arms a bit.

"That does sound good, a nice hot shower..." he uttered in return as William began to dart his eyes towards him too. It was humorous to him, the way he could still feel the blood rush to his face as Will looked at him with an expectant expression in his eyes.

"I'd like to Will, but it is getting late- and I don't like to sneak around the house while the kids are home..."

William deeply suppressed every urge in his body to roll his eyes as he thought, 'tell me about it.' Though he persisted with a devious smirk across his face.

"I could at least step inside, to say goodnight..."

Henry laughed a little, nervously thinking about it as it slowly began to appeal to him.

"You... can say good night... only if you're absolutely quiet." He looked intently at Will as he began to chuckle.

William mimicked pulling a zipper across his lips as they formed into that familiar grin of his.

"Oh, I promise I'll be very quiet." He simply said, as Henry turned to look out the window, his cheeks more flushed than before.

–

Just after 5AM, William began to quietly pull onto Henry's street, cruising down the road so as to not cause a disturbance in the early morning. He yawned a little as he parked, getting up and out to stretch a little. Their clothes by now were slightly damp, not necessarily soaking anymore, which was an improvement.

Henry stood up and stretched his back, looking up at the red sky as the sun had begun to ascend. He thought of a little saying his father used to say, finding it amusing he'd still remember it even now. 'Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.'

It wasn't ever applicable to him or his father since neither of them sailed the open seas, but it was a neat trick to anticipate stormy weather. He thought maybe he'd pass that along to his kids, as he recognised that about being a father- as if part of the job description was saying ear worm level filler to see what randomly sticks in their mind. Everyone has a least one phrase they remember their dad saying all the time.

"Shall we?" William quietly interjected, breaking him from his thoughts. He smiled nervously.

"Yeah, follow me." Henry began to lead the way before turning around once more to face him, "but please, be quiet." He reiterated.

William nodded, a smirk spreading across his face too.

He approached the door with him behind, pulling out his house keys to open the lock as silent as possible, then carefully opening it.

Henry had a one story home, a pretty cozy and cluttered place compared to William's. It wasn't exactly messy, more so it looked lived in, as each member of the family had their own mark on their collective space. William tended to have a more sterile environment, even with his kids so the difference between each home really stood out to the both of them, though it was never really surprising either- just a natural escalation of the way they both were on their own.

Stepping into the home, Henry took off his coat and hung it on the back of the front door. As soon as it closed behind them, William wasted no time holding him against the entrance wall. He held up Henry's chin, inches away from his face. The rush of it all was still just potent as when they were young, William having always pulled similar antics as soon as they were behind closed doors... It used to be at risk of Henry's parents once upon a time, but to think now it's the other way around as they were the parents sneaking around... It was just funny to think how things change over time.

Henry didn't exactly like that risk factor, but even he couldn't resist his allure each time, as William would slowly place his lips on his- holding him tighter with an urge he could hardly restrain.

It was nice, the heat of his lips since warming up- in fact the warmth between them in this moment was almost overwhelming, like an equal and opposite state from how freezing they were little over an hour ago.

William's fingers interlaced the buttons on Henry's shirt, as he began to tug at it. He continued to pull deeper, though he heard a whisper, a little voice as his mind couldn't comprehend what it even was.

As soon as he had heard something, William found himself pushed back as Henry pivoted, peeking down the hall with a flustered expression as the sound of tiny footsteps followed shortly after.

He suddenly pulled back his head before taking a step out from the entrance, a wide smile growing across his face.

"My darling! You're up early!" He called out as William froze, out of sight.

Charlie had stepped quietly down the hall, a blanket wrapped around her as she stood there, sleepy and a little dazed.

"Daddy, you're home now?..." she had said in a low tone, rubbing her eyes as William peeked around the corner, catching her off guard a little as she locked her eyes on him.

"Ah- Uncle William dropped me off for the night- uh well morning now is it?" He fumbled. William thought to smile but it wasn't a very nice looking one.

"Oh I see... I was worried, I couldn't really sleep..."

Henry let out a little sigh as he approached his little girl, picking her up in his arms.

"Oh, you're a sweet girl- you don't have to worry about me."

She wrapped her arms around her fathers shoulders, hugging him tight.

"You're not usually out this late..." she began to look at his shoulders, placing a hand on his shirt before pinching it a bit. "Daaadd, you're all wet..." She drew out.

Henry couldn't really control the expression on his face as he turned to face William who stood there with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face. He laughed a little before throwing his hands up in a large gesture.

"It rained cats and dogs out there... didn't it, Henry?" William egged, placing his hands onto his hips.

Henry looked back to this daughter with a grin.

"It did!! ...Did you hear the wind?"

Charlotte thought about it a bit, she had been listening to the sound of the wind howling all night, waiting for her father to come home. She nodded.

"I didn't know it rained...the wind was so noisy I couldn't hear it..." She continued to think a little bit before turning back to Henry, who was laughing a little nervously. She yawned again.

"Hey dad... Do you think you can tuck me in tonight?"

Henry kissed the top of her head, squeezing her tight.

"Of course darling, I was just saying goodnight to William, I'll take you to bed now... say goodnight to him too." He gestures towards him as Charlie slowly brought her gaze over to him.

William thought his face probably looked just as enthusiastic as hers, that which was an expression no more exciting than neutral. She formed a little wave.

"Goodnight, Uncle William."

"Goodnight, Charlie..." he grinned. "Don't worry Henry, I'll see myself out. Rest well, old friend."

Henry stood there with the subtlest frown before it fixed into a shallow grin.

"Goodnight Will. Thanks for taking me out, and for taking me home... I'll see you later this afternoon- I'm sure a little late for the both of us..."

William nodded, his gaze fixed to the ground as he started to turn away.

"If you'd like an extra hour, I can come in before you." He offered. Henry cooed the air with his hand.

"Oh, no worries- I'm sure it'll be okay today, I appreciate it, though."

William smiled a little more honestly, giving Henry one last glance before heading out the door, although as he held it open for himself he turned back to the coats that had been hung on the back of it. He reached up and grabbed one, leaving with the jacket Henry had worn today.

Henry had begun to take Charlie to bed, opening her bedroom door adorned in her name spelled out in colorful green stickers. He sat her down, setting the comforter over her as she settled into bed. He laid his eyes on the golden Bonnie plush aside her pillow, picking it and placing it into her open arms as she hugged the toy.

"I'm happy you're home dad..."

"Me too, though I would've been home sooner if I had known you were up..." he ran his fingers through her hair.

"It's okay! I usually wait a little...I don't know why I couldn't fall asleep yet..." She looked past him a little before bringing her gaze back to him.

"Do you think you can tell me that story again? The one about how you met Mom."

Henry smiled, brushing her hair off her forehead.

"Sure honey..."

He sat onto her bed, facing her as he began to recount a memory she's heard a hundred times by now. He enjoyed anticipating the parts of it that always made her laugh, as Charlie would listen so intently each time.

—

William had a firm grasp on the steering wheel, his knuckles white. He was exhausted, beyond tired and endlessly out of patience. 'The sooner the better' he kept thinking to himself.

By now any mindfulness he had at Henry's was gone, as he sped into his driveway- uncaring of however much noise it made to anyone. It was insane to him the level of anger he felt, though he could hardly contain it, realizing he had been setting it aside all night as to not disturb Henry with what he really wanted to say. With what he really wanted to do. With what he felt he needed to get away with.

He slowly peeled his fingers from the wheel, looking at the jacket he 'borrowed', laying on the passenger seat Henry had taken up only a moment ago. He placed his hand on it and brought it up to his face, taking a moment to breathe.

In and out.

In and out.

In and- out... something had fallen out of the pocket of the coat, it sounded light as it landed on the car floor. His eyes opened to see a small piece of paper between his feet.

He reached down and picked it up, opening it thoughtlessly to read its contents.

He recognized it to be a shopping list, though it resembled more a stream of consciousness as Henry recorded all sorts of little ideas in between. The supplies listed were unmistakably for the diner, a grocery list of ingredients used at their establishment. It was useless to him at the moment, but William thought it had potential- a good excuse to slip out of work anytime if need be.

He folded the note and placed it inside the dashboard for now, sitting back in the driver's seat. He caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, a dull and lifeless look behind the shell of his eyes. He thought it was the most honest expression he'd had all night.

William thought back to the voice he heard in the hall... As little Charlie came out to greet her father. He found himself laughing a bit, part of him wondered if he'd ever experience that and the more honest part of his mind knew he never would. He didn't love his kids like Henry did, and he surely didn't treat the same either. It was a stupid contradiction of his heart and mind, the utter nonsense of thinking he'd have earned anything even remotely normal with his family- or lack thereof since he felt he hardly raised anything but hands and mouths- not even in recognition of their humanity as children- as people. The contradiction came from the part of his heart that wished deep, deep down that he would somehow still have that- that all things that didn't work in his life suddenly would- that he'd love his kids, and that they'd him in return.

He slipped his fingers up his left sleeve, gently scratching an itch as he was suddenly very aware of how uncomfortable the damp fabric was on his skin.

It's foolish to expect anything of the sort, he thought to himself- trying to smuggle that part of him that ached for normalcy... like closing the lid to a candle, he tried to snuff out the inner flame of his heart so that it'd be easier to be as cold as he was. It's always easier to hurt, when you're numb to the pain... and from what he thought of himself, he deserved it too- to only ever be the worst possible version of himself because he'd never deserved to be anything more than that. He tried to remind himself of the role he had to play, to not think past it anymore. At the end of the day, he was still himself and he felt that was the worst possible thing to be.

He glanced down at his arm, as the raised red lines began to sting a little... he stopped scratching. This time he wasn't so sure how intentional that was, sighing as he brought down his sleeve again- wanting to get out of his clothes as quickly as possible as he finally stepped out of the car. While he was at it, he hoped he could crawl out of his skin too once he was inside in his room.

Holding his keys in his hand, he sifted through for the house key. He quietly opened the front door, as three pairs of shoes caught his eye as he stepped inside. He didn't usually bother to, but whatever reason he felt compelled to step out of his shoes, placing them aside the others carefully. Perhaps he was just eager to get comfortable again... but the more he thought about the gesture, he thought to "fix" it by kicking Michael's out of line so as to not let anyone assume he'd have kindly walked through. He smirked a little, as he stepped over the scene.

Walking upstairs, he wasn't particularly mindful of how much noise he was making, though even if he wanted to be quiet, the suffocating nature of a silent home such as his always made whatever noise stick out to painful degree. He just kept ascending until he reached the top, sauntering past the hall bathroom and then around the two bedrooms. One he reached the door to his bedroom, he froze a moment- not really thinking about it but he was still... waiting in anticipation for something...for anyone at all to have wondered where he had been. A sign that his return was noticed at all.

He waited there for a moment, feeling more and more stupid to expect anything at all, turning the knob with an expected feeling of disappointment.

Just as he opened the door to his room, he stepped through the threshold, closing it quietly behind him in a tired sigh. Though as he turned to his bed, his eyes widened.

A strange sight before him, as he slowly approached his bed to see golden strands of hair sprawled from under the crumpled comforter. He delicately reached out to the blanket, unsure of the truth of what he was seeing.

Sure enough he pulled the covers to reveal a tiny sleeping face underneath, as Elizabeth had seemingly crawled into his bed and fallen asleep. He sat at the edge, staring at her for a moment almost in shock, as he wasn't at all used to this level of formality with his own children. It wasn't at all usual for one of them to leave their own room and enter his like this.

He thought to put the blanket back on her, tucking her in before quietly sneaking into the bathroom, after having grabbed actual pajamas for once. His mind had been so exhausted from thinking all day, he didn't feel as if he thought anything at all initially- though as he ran a nice hot shower and stood in the water, he was overall unsure of how he felt. He wanted to cry but he couldn't, he wanted to be thankful but it was difficult, he wanted to ignore it and pretend it was a normal circumstance of an everyday father, but he knew he wasn't. His kids didn't love him like Henry's did.

Even as he dried off and wiped the condensation off the mirror to get a better look at himself, he still couldn't decide if he was happy or not. With little remaining strength and patience, he dressed himself, nervously buttoning up his pajama shirt.

He peered out of his bathroom, to see if what remained was still there...sure enough he could just barely see little hands peeking from the covers. William found himself wondering- trying to rack his brain for a distant memory, unsure of if he had ever climbed into the bed of his parents so many, many years ago. What he did remember of them, he didn't think any rational child would- though it wasn't as if Elizabeth was irrational- he wondered if maybe it was a trick. It was slowly started to sink in for him.

Perhaps he had one child that loved him unconditionally as any child her age would to a parent. Most children become disillusioned over time, they realize their parents aren't the greatest in the world, they're flawed... sometimes broken and disjointed, cruel and unjust... part of him recognized he was projecting, not that he'd ever admit that. His parents were long since gone, he had nothing solid to compare it to, nothing... well except for Henry. Even now he couldn't help but to think of him, how he'd react... He continued to think for a little, before gently sitting down on his side of the bed.

William reached across, lifting the blanket to expose her face as she so peacefully slept on her side. He poked her cheek a little bit, as it started to stir her awake.

He was hesitant to say anything, but found the courage to from within, a soft smile on his face.

"Hey..." he simply started as Elizabeth slowly began to look up at him. "What are you doing here?"

When her mind seemingly put two and two together, and she recognized her father was home and beside her, her face lit up as a wide grin spread across her face.

"Daddy!" She called out as she sat up. He put his hand on top of her head, wrestling her hair back and forth, as she reached her arms out to hug him. He found himself laughing a little, grabbing and pulling her in for an embrace.

"I was waiting for you to come home."

"You... waited for me? ...you really did, huh?"

Elizabeth had giggled, yawning a little before nodding her head. William thought back to what Henry had said earlier, thinking to say the same, as she sat back.

"You're... a sweet girl."

He tussled her hair once more, before embracing her just one more time, then settling into bed more comfortably.

"Oh Elizabeth, I'm just so exhausted... Are you okay to rest a little more?"

Elizabeth nodded her head again, laying back down on her side. He pulled the blanket up and over her till just about her shoulder, patting it.

"Oh good, I could use some rest after everything today..." he uttered as he laid on his side as well, facing her.

He noticed she was already fighting sleep again, akin to a little cat who napped all day long. He pet her head a little, before reaching up and grabbing the covers.

His fingers dragged the blanket up and over himself, as a certain dark spot caught his attention towards the other end. The more he pulled, the higher the stain reached him as he remembered the bedsheet was saturated in his blood since yesterday night. A gentle reminder, that even at the best of times- even when he could squint and imagine himself as a real father, there was always something left... an affirmation that he couldn't ever be as long as he continued to be the father- the person he was now. That even as he laid aside his daughter who loved him more than anything else in the world, she'd still have to realize for herself one day, her precious childhood memory was wrapped in a blood soaked blanket, aside the man she once beloved but will grow to despise like Michael... and like Evan had so long ago.

He wished he could capture this moment in time forever... compartmentalize this era of her youth so that she wouldn't have to see the day she'd eventually turn on him like the rest. If he could make a doll out of her, pristine and forever smiling- forever with a glimmer in her eye...To protect her from the misery he only ever brought the people around him... forever a little girl who loved her father very much.

He wanted nothing more than to take the beautiful locks of her golden hair into his hands, and to wrap it around her neck- to quickly snuff out the life in her tiny body so that she'd forever be beside him like this. His hands shaked and trembled as he imagined it, unable to control the tears that squeezed out the corners of his eyes as he stared at her with wide eyes. Had he not blinked this entire time, or was it that he dared to care- to love his daughter.

The deep recesses of his mind thought to remind him, if this was how he showed his love, if this was how he proved he cared- then it was better he never loved at all.

His hands continued to tremble, as he manually began to brick off his heart, turning over in his bed to rather face the wall. He wiped the tears from his eyes, glancing at the clock on his nightstand. He set it, only a few hours of sleep for today before work again. He began to lay his head onto his pillow, closing his eyes.

"...Goodnight, Elizabeth."

—

"Hey, dad..."

Henry had stopped at her doorway, turning around to look at Charlie as she sat up from bed once more.

"When we helped in the kitchen today, uncle Will took my bracelet..." she continued, "He said it'd be bad for it to get wet, but he didn't give it back right away."

"I waited for him to, but he never did..."

Henry thought about it, leaning against the doorframe of the room.

"I see you're wearing it now, did he eventually give it back?"

Charlie nodded, "I asked for it back on our way out for lunch, he told me he forgot..." she looked conflicted still.

He had let out a little sigh, smiling a tad as he approached her again, sitting beside her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Charlie has taken a moment to consider how she feels, a little unsure herself.

"Dad... do you really trust him?"

At first Henry thought to look away as he considered it, but he already knew the answer.

"I do... I really do."

He glanced at her again, unsure if that helped at all and she started looking off too, still thinking.

"I've known William for a long time now, but even when I first met him, people asked me that."

Charlie smirked a little.

"Really?"

"Really." He insisted. "William has always been kinda hard to read, at least from the outside looking in." He gestured with his hands like he was sprinkling water from his fingertips. It made her laugh a little.

"But, I've gotten to know him well enough that I kinda get it. He can be strange, but he usually means well." He smiled, looking at her again. That seemed to help.

"I guess so..." she sighed a bit in relief. "I had the feeling he wanted to take care of it, cause he should know how much it means to me..." she twirled her fingers over the bracelet, but the soft expression on her face just kept dropping the more she thought about it.

Henry placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her in for a hug.

"If I felt as if you or your brother were in any kind of danger around him, I'd have shipped him back to Britain a long time ago."

Charlie giggled a little, as Henry squeezed her. But as he let go, he pointed his finger towards her stomach.

"But- with that being said, I want you to always trust your gut. Your intuition is strong, and it's good to be skeptical- a lot of bad people will use politeness against you, they make you think speaking up is rude, or making a scene is too loud..." he looked at her again, more seriously. "If you ever feel you're in danger, you speak up and act out, okay? And I'll come get you as soon as humanly possible- I'll fight through crowds to get to you."

Henry had tickled her, putting emphasis on his point, Charlie laughed and tried pushing him away a little. She nodded and pinky promised her father she'd always trust her gut. He hugged her once more, kissing her on top of her head.

"I do trust him though, I really do. If you're asking me- I'd say, I think he was trying to be nice today, because he knows he's not always so nice... and I think it's good to reward good behavior like this." He continued thinking about the day they shared earlier, and then the night too- a little bit aware his cheeks were ever so slightly flushed. "I think we'll both be seeing more of that... we're old and tired but, we're starting to really appreciate what we have, and what I have right here, right now means the world to me." He squeezed her tight again, this time she squeezed back as hard as her arms allowed.

"I love you, dad."

Henry grinned, and pulled back, booping her nose a little.

"I love you too... Now, let's try and get some rest before tomorrow, okay?" He said as he began to stand up from her bed. Charlie nodded and settled herself into bed once more.

As Henry began to leave her bedroom, he turned to her dresser and approached it. On top was a music box, a gift from her mother the day she was born. It was painted like a present box, inside was a precious ballerina who posed with her leg out and her arms up. He had wound it, and let the music slowly start to fill the atmosphere, a calming melody rang through.

And with that, he said goodnight a final time, and had closed her bedroom door, officially heading to bed for the night- though maybe not without a quick shower.