Ranger's Apprentice: The Tantalizing Tales

Home is where the heart is

In which Halt presses a kiss to the top of Will's head, but it's "not romantic because it's Halt to Will during book 4 because Halt is a worried dad". Requested by anonymous. 

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Then he was driven back by the impact of a small body running headlong into him, and a pair of arms that wrapped around his waist, and Will was sobbing and babbling mindlessly as he embraced his teacher and mentor and friend. Halt patted his shoulder gently, and was surprised to find a single tear sliding down his own cheek.

Then another one. And another. And another. Before the grey bearded, grim Ranger could do anything to stop it, several tears were falling down his cheeks. There was nothing he could do to hide them. Enough with the emotionless patting, he decided. The boy deserved a proper hug.

And so Halt wrapped his arms around him, like a cocoon protecting him against whatever storm might blow, and hugged him tight.

Will asked him a question, he thought. But then again, he always did. Halt couldn't speak, not without the lump in his throat giving away the emotions that were raging inside him. So he just pressed a kiss to the top of Will's head, a silent answer and reassurance that he was here, that he had kept his promise and had found him, and that everything was going to be okay.

When finally, Halt felt like he could speak again, he summarised all those thoughts that had formed in his head and said: "Don't you ever get yourself captured again."

The apprentice - the boy, his apprentice, Will - laughed through the tears and only hugged him tighter. He had understood the message, loud and clear.

Will didn't know when he'd see the little cabin in the woods again. But it didn't matter. Halt was here, and that was as close as home could get.