Ugly Duckling ¤ Will Herondale

Midnight Surprises

ARCHFEILD.

I stepped back just as Will stepped forward and for the fist time in years I felt insecure. I'm Zelie Archfeild for goodness sakes. Why was moody Mr. Whorendale making me insecure?

He stepped even closer to me, causing me to take a step back in return. Like a dance, a horribly lame one but still. We repeated this process a few more times before my back hit a wall. "This could have been the dagger wall, imbecile." I glared at him crossing my arms over my chest to make more space in between us, breaking my "seductive" act. By the angel, of course! He was always smarter than me.

"At least I got you to stop saying Whorendale." He trapped me by putting one of his arms on either side of me.

I smiled at him and saw his eyes widen in realization of what he just said. "You just said, W-H-O-R-E-N-D-A-L-E, Whorendale, my favorite word." I sang moving my head from side to side.

He closed his blue eyes, that had gotten even bluer since last time I saw him, I'm not even sure how it was possible they were already the bluest eyes I had ever seen. "You know you really have grown up." Will looked down at me and twirled one of my curls that had escaped their buns around his long fingers, musician fingers as Jem would say.

I had never been this close to a boy before if it wasn't for a friendly hug or for shadowhunter purposes without punching them in the throat as soon as possible to get them off me. Yet, here stood Whorendale close enough that I could smell his breath that smelled of mint and dark chocolate, and sure as hell not like alcohol that I knew he would blame all this on tomorrow, and I didn't want him to move. When two years ago I wanted to fight him just for speaking. Come to think about it part of me does want to fight him for looking at me. "Have I?" I asked batting my eyelashes. "Or did I just grow... assets." I glanced down at my breasts and back at Will grinning.

"You're correct you really are the same annoying little grow. Except, last I saw you, you were an ugly duckling. Actually not even a duck should be insulted like that." A horribly infiltrating smirk playing on his full lips as he eyed me amusedly, making me want to kick his shins.

"And not even a degenerate like you should take the liberty of touching me." I pushed him away from me. As I was about to walk away I paused. "Come to think about..." I marched right up to him, grabbed him by the collar of his now ripped coat and pulled him down to me crashing my lips against his. My eyes were closed but I felt him stiffen against me before he grabbed my head gently with award arms, as if he wasn't used to physical contact, and kiss me back. He held me softly but secure as if I was a dream he was trying to hold on to. His lips weren't experienced, of course mine weren't either, but they were eager and delicious. They tasted of cool mint and rich chocolate. It weirdly felt as if I was on fire and his lips were the only way to cool myself, intoxicating, and like my life depened on them. He held me tentatively and it was hard to pull away from him. I pulled back dragging his bottom lip out with my teeth softly. I grinned at him and pushed myself back. "Annoying little girl, huh?"