Who: Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs and Will Herondale What: Fretting Where: Jem’s apartment When: Early May Rating: G Status: Complete
Tessa looked at her watch for the ninth time in the last two minutes. The risotto she was cooking on the stove was simmering away nicely, just needing to be stirred, which left Tessa with plenty of time to worry about where the boys had gotten to. She had promised that she would make Jem some meals up for him to freeze while he was still recovering and while reminding him that her cooking skills weren’t all that great had insisted on doing it to help him out. She didn’t want him to push himself so hard that he put himself back in hospital or made his condition worse. She checked the clock on the kitchen wall, idly stirring the risotto as she fretted about what was taking the boys so long to get back from their sparring.
Will and Jem had been sparring for about two weeks now and their movements had become much more fluid and natural. During their sparring sessions, Jem paced himself, not knowing just how much was too much just yet. He’d had dreams about the two of them sparring together when they were younger and knew that he could handle more than he thought was possible for someone with an illness such as his, but he suspected that had more to do with the angel blood he possessed as a Shadowhunter in the dreams, which he doubted he had in real life.
Jem had known that Tessa would likely be at his apartment when they arrived, because she had asked for a key shortly after he’d come home from the hospital so that she could drop off meals when he wasn’t there and he’d complied.
Will was very much enjoying their sparring sessions, not only because they were getting better and increasing their skills but also because he enjoyed spending time with Jem. He’d become a good friend and were well on their way to becoming as close as they were in the dreams. He was careful to keep an eye on Jem to make sure he didn’t overexert himself too much. He tried not to fuss as that would make Jem feel bad but he did worry about him. They still hadn’t figured out what to do when the drug ran out.
Chatting amiably with Will’s arm casually flung around his friends shoulders they entered the apartment to be confronted by Tessa who seemed to fly out of the kitchen.
“Where have you two been?” Tessa demanded as they came in the door. Heading out of the kitchen to meet them she couldn’t help but let how worried she had been about the two of them show. “I was expecting you back an hour ago, please tell me you’ve not been training all this time,” she looked between the two of them for answers. Finally, her eyes landed on Jem with concern. “Are you all right? You haven’t been pushing yourself too hard have you?” she reached out a hand to place on his arm, trying to feel his temperature through the cloth.
Jem hadn’t quite expected Tessa to rush out of the kitchen the way she did or to fuss over him quite so much and his eyes widened slightly, “I...what? No, of course not.” They may have only been training for two weeks or so, but Jem knew when it was time to take a break, “I’m sorry if we worried you.” He placed his hand over hers, lightly, that was on his other arm, “We lost track of time is all.”
“Did you say you were coming over?” Will asked her frowning slightly, “I didn’t think we had anything planned so it wouldn’t matter what time we got back” He shrugged, “Anyway, we’re back now. You don’t need to worry so much. Not like I’d let him push himself too much you know” he added pointedly.
“Yes, well thank you for your input Mr Herondale, it was incredibly valuable as always,” Tessa replied curtly, folding her hands together in front of her. “For your information I’ve been making meals for Jem so that he doesn’t have to make them himself if he’s having a bad day. Not that it should matter to you,” she told him. “Have a seat James, I’ll make you a cup of tea before I go,” she said, voice tight as she did. She hadn’t realised how worried she had been about him until Will’s snarky remarks had seemed to resonate so much with her. She turned and headed back into the kitchen, running a hand over her face as she leant against the sink.
Jem also hadn’t expected Tessa to go off on Will like she had and he glanced from the man beside him then back in the direction that Tessa had gone and motioned for Will to follow him as he moved towards the kitchen, “Tessa, honestly, Will makes sure I don’t push myself too hard. He’s just as concerned about me as you are.” Reaching the kitchen, he stopped somewhere between Tessa and Will.
Will was also taken aback by Tessa’s reaction, he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d said called for it, he hadn’t put anything into his tone. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Jem but it looked like Jem was confused too. At least it was reassuring to know he hadn’t done anything wrong. He nodded at Jem before he followed. When he spoke Jem’s words made him smile, “Of course I am. I’d never let anything happen” he confirmed, honest eyes on Jem.
Tessa let out a long breath as she regained her composure. “I’m sorry,” she told them quietly, half-turning from the sink. “I just..I’ve been having some dreams lately and...they have set me a little on edge is all,” she moved to fill the kettle up with water. “I will be fine,” she tried to reassure them confidently.
Jem hadn’t had any new dreams since him and Will became Parabatai and Tessa had told him not too long ago that she dreamt in the same world as him and Will. “Are you sure?” He asked, moving to place a hand, lightly, on Tessa’s shoulder then glanced back at Will, wondering if Tessa had told him about her dreams as well.
Will frowned, Tessa hadn’t mentioned her dreams to him before so he had no idea they took place in the same world as he and Jem. But he knew he didn’t like the idea of them upsetting her. He moved forward too placing his hand on her other shoulder, “You can talk to us” he added.
“I…” Tessa sighed at the feeling of their hands on her back. “Help me make the tea and then I’ll tell you about them,” she told them with a little smile.
Jem nodded and squeezed her shoulder gently before stepping away to get the milk out of the fridge and set it on the counter then got out three mugs, “Will, can you get the tea bags in that cabinet right there.” He gestured towards the cabinet to Will’s left. He was extremely curious what was upsetting Tessa so much and wondered if it had anything to do with his dream counterpart.
Will did as requested keeping an eye on Tessa as he did so, he was worried. He may not know her as well as Jem, who he only knew better because of the dreams and connection, but he very much liked her. He’d seen reports of some peoples dreams and they weren’t nice at all. Placing the teabags in the mugs he waited for the water to heat.
She smiled at the boys as the water boiled and reached over to pour it in the cups. “Go and sit down, I’ll bring them through and then we can talk,” she told them, stirring the cups.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to bring them all out yourself.” Jem said, returning to Tessa’s side, watching her intently as she filled the mugs with hot water, “We can each carry our own easily enough.” He didn’t want Tessa to act like a maid or anything; she was his friend.
Will nodded in agreement, “Exactly” he said, “In fact as chivalrous men we should really carry yours for you” he added giving her a soft smile.
“Yes, but I reacted to you poorly earlier,” Tessa told him. “Please, let me do this. I’ll even throw in some biscuits,” she smiled at them, pulling out a tray to put cups on from the cupboard she had found one in earlier.
Jem looked from Tessa to Will then back to Tessa and nodded, “Alright. We’ll let you do this, but you’re not going to wait on us again after this. Okay?” He smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder lightly before moving towards the table and taking a seat.
Will looked at Jem kind of helpless, they didn’t want to force the issue it seemed silly just over a cup of tea so he just shrugged. And after a moment of hesitation he joined Jem at the table.
Tessa loaded the tray with their cups and laid some of the rich tea biscuits she had been using in one of her recipes on a small plate before bringing the tray to sit at the table. “So, what have you guys dreamt about up until now?” she asked as she placed their cups in front of them.
Jem thanked Tessa and took his mug and blew across the surface of the tea before taking a sip as Tessa spoke. Once she had, he frowned slightly, “That last thing I dreamt of was Will and I becoming Parabatai. I haven’t had any since then.” He was curious as to what else could have happened in her dreams or their dreams, considering he now knew they shared dreams despite the fact that he still hadn’t dreamt of her. “Tessa, what happened?”
“Same here. The parabatai dream was the last one I had too” Will confirmed his hands wrapped around his own mug, “What’s happened in your dreams Tessa?”
Tessa went to reply and sighed, shaking her head. “I got a letter, from my brother. He told me to come to England and he would look after me,” she started to explain. “But when I got off the boat he wasn’t there. Just two women in his stead with a letter from him that explained he had sent them to collect me,” she sighed. “It just gets worse from there,” she shook her head.
As Tessa spoke, Jem frowned slightly; Tessa had told him how they met at some point in the dreams at the Institute, but she hadn’t told him exactly how she’d got there, but now it appeared that she had found out, “It’s alright, Tessa. You don’t know have tell us if it upsets you.” He said, reaching out to cover her free hand with his. He disliked seeing Tessa upset just as he disliked seeing her or Will worry about him so much.
“Jem’s right you don’t have to tell us” Will added, “But it might help to share it” His own hand moved to her shoulder as he gave her a small smile. He was still unaware her dreams were in the same world as theirs.
“Thank you, both of you,” Tessa looked at them both. “I think talking to you about it might help. You’re both involved after all,” she shrugged, giving Jem’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You know I told you that I dreamed of hearing your music one night,” she looked at Jem. “Well, before that I was held captive by these women in their house,” she swallowed. “They made me...change, into something else...someone else,” she told them quietly, suppressing the shudder that ran through her at the thought of it.
Jem’s frown remained in place as Tessa spoke about her dreams. The thought of someone hurting Tessa or making her do something she didn’t want to do didn’t sit well with him, “You had an ability? Did they do that to you?” It shouldn’t have surprised him, considering the world they dreamt about, but it still did.
"Wait a minute, we're in your dreams? Why did no one tell me this?" he said, before he caught Jem's look, "Uh I mean not the point right now. So the creepy old ladies are making you...shape shift? Have they told you why? Or given you any indication why they're doing it?"
Tessa nodded a little, holding on to Jem’s hand. “They uh...they want me to marry someone. The Magister I think they called him,” she shook her head. “But they said I had to...learn how to control my power before they gave me over to him. They would give me trinkets from other people, dead people and then they taught me how to...Change into them,” she told them, tears sitting on the brim of her eyes as the feeling that she had felt in the dreams ran through her.
“And this is before you came to the Institute? Do you know how you get away?” Jem asked, still frowning as he squeezed Tessa’s hand then glanced at Will wondering what he was thinking, “She told me about meeting me not too long ago, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to say anything or not.”
Will nodded, he wasn’t sure exactly what he was thinking. He knew it wasn’t Jem’s dream to tell but they were parabatai now and he couldn’t help being a little hurt that neither of them had said anything. It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have found out eventually when he dreamed himself, after all if Tessa had met Jem in the dreams it stood to reason she’d meet him too. He remained silent and waited for Tessa to answer Jem.
“Actually...I was rescued,” Tessa replied. “By you,” she looked up at Will. “Granted, I smashed a vase over you when you came into my room as I was trying to free myself, but you rescued me all the same. You and Henry practically destroyed the place getting me out,” she quirked a smile at him.
Jem couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image of Tessa hitting Will over the head with a vase, “Was he upset?” He glanced from Tessa to Will and back, “I mean, it must have messed up his hair.” Tessa couldn’t tell them something like that and expect Jem not to tease Will a little bit. “And I’m not at all surprised that Henry destroyed something.” It seemed like the man’s inventions were rarely doing what they were supposed to.
“Hey” Will protested, “I still rescued her. Like a regular Sir Galahad or something, despite being attacked” he preened, hearing he had rescued Tessa had cheered him up immensely. He didn’t even mind anymore that they hadn’t told him. “Well when you have to rescue someone you go to any lengths and I’m sure it was more likely Henry destroying the place while I did the saving” he winked at Tessa with a smile as he nudged her arm with his.
Tessa rolled her eyes at Will but couldn't help but give a little laugh in response. "He was a little upset, but he quickly got over it after he told me he was there to get me out," she smiled. "Bear in mind that he then proceeded to tell me that the sky was purple and made of hedgehogs," she joked.
Jem laughed again, shaking his head, “That does sound like our Will.” He grinned and placed his other hand on Will’s shoulder for a moment before sitting back and picking up his tea to take a sip, “And now we know how you end up at the Institute to burst into my bedroom.”
“Well since I’d just saved you why would you doubt me?” Will grinned at Tess before turning that charming smile on Jem as his parabatai touched his shoulder. He rather liked being ‘our Will’. “Oh I see how it is missy, I risk my life rescuing you from a fate worse than death, I assume, and it’s Jem’s room you chose to burst into. Honestly, there’s nothing like appreciation” Will teased Tessa.
"You weren't exactly nice to me in the following hours and days," Tessa pointed out to him. "Thankfully you are slightly more sufferable in the waking world than the Dream world," she teased in return.
Jem smiled as he watched his two friends, “I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure whether he is more or less cocky in the dreams than in the waking world.” He took a sip of his tea to hide his smile widening.
“Sufferable? Cocky? You guys wound me. Besides say all you want, I know you both adore me. How could you not?” he said with a grin and a wink for the pair of them.