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part one: dancing is a dangerous game.
All things considered, Will really shouldn’t have expected his twenty-first birthday to go well.
After all, his track record for “a good birthday” really isn’t all that great. It’s the unfortunate result of having an absolute asshole of a father, as well as several years of an ongoing war with a dark wizard that, by the end of it, had included: getting kidnapped and held hostage far away from his family, essentially becoming the previously mentioned dark wizard’s puppet and having his magic be used against his loved ones, and a whole lot of deaths that occurred in between.
One of those deaths had (fortunately, though Will would only say that to his closest friends and family) included said asshole of a father. Now, thank the gods, Will’s older brother sits on the throne, and in the past year alone, he’s already started to make sweeping changes to their kingdom. Leave it to Jonathan (and Nancy, of course, who’s the queen in everything but name at this point) to get shit done and to make things better.
So, excuse Will for being a little bit optimistic this time around. Excuse him for thinking that maybe—just maybe—he might have a normal birthday this year and not have to spend the entire night entertaining princesses and noblewomen that his father had wanted to marry him off to.
(Yeah, that’s another big change that has come about in Jonathan’s reign: the legalization of marriage between any consenting adults. Now, instead of being forced to marry someone woman Will could never love, he has the chance at getting a happy ending and spending his life with the man he loves with his whole heart.
…
Technically, it’s a little bit more complicated than that. But that’s another problem for later.)
The universe, though, loves to prove Will wrong, so, the night was bound to take a turn for the worse eventually.
Oh well. At least he got a one really, really good dance in before everything went to shit again.
“You haven’t stepped on my feet at all tonight,” Will’s mom remarks, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I think that’s a new record, baby.”
Warmth rises to Will’s cheeks, and he groans, ducking his head slightly as his mom begins to laugh. “Mom,” he complains. “I’m not that bad of a dancer!”
Again, Will’s mom just laughs. “I think I have permanent bruises on my toes that say otherwise,” she teases, then reaches up and brushes some stray hair away from Will’s face. “Have you had a good birthday?”
Will takes a moment to consider this. All the while, the musicians continue to play their instruments, soft and slow. It sounds like they’re nearing the end of this song, so after this, Will thinks he might take a break—maybe go find Mike or El or one of the other Party members.
“I have,” Will finally decides to say, and he means it. “I – it was really nice for Jonathan and Nancy to put all of this together for me.”
At the mention of his older brother and one of his partners, both Will and his mom glance over at the couple, who are dancing with one another a few feet away. “You only turn twenty-one once, sweetheart,” Will’s mom says softly. “I know all of us were happy to do this for you, and if anyone deserves a celebration, it’s you.”
Warmth rises to Will’s cheeks once more, and he just smiles back at his mom, slowing down as the song comes to a close. “Love you, Mom,” he whispers.
A smile to rival his own forms on his mom’s face; then, she leans up and kisses Will’s cheek gently. “Love you too, baby,” Will’s mom replies. “And happy birthday. Go enjoy the rest of your night.”
Without another word, his mom lets go and walks in the opposite direction, probably to go find Hopper or force him into a dance with her. Will looks around the room, trying to spot any of his friends who might be free to go outside for a little bit with him, but before he can find any of them, someone taps on his shoulder.
Will turns around, a bit surprised and mentally preparing himself to have to politely decline someone’s offer to dance, and he finds himself face-to-face with—
Oh.
Oh.
“Hi,” says Mike Wheeler, soft, delicate, sweet. There are butterflies in Will’s stomach that weren’t there just a moment ago, and a fire on his cheeks that feels like the warmth from a hearth.
Mike – he… he looks good. Really, really good.
He’s swapped out his armor for something more formal tonight, just like everyone in the royal family’s inner circle has. Tonight, the silver armor and billowing red cape are replaced by a simple white shirt underneath a navy blue coat with slight gold detailing, paired with dark brown trousers and matching boots. His sword is seemingly absent, but Will knows his best friend well enough to know there’s at least one weapon on his person, if not more.
(After all, Mike might be best with the sword, but that’s not to say he isn’t just as deadly with a knife more easily concealed in his sleeve or boot or some other godsforsaken place.)
“Hi,” Will echoes softly, and he offers his best friend a smile, trying to ignore the way his heart pounds inside his chest. Its nervous thumpthumpthump is always a distraction but tonight even more so.
Will’s only a man, after all. And he does have eyes.
Mike does too, apparently, and those eyes are a little wide now, looking Will up and down with a bit of surprise and awe on his face. That only serves to make Will’s face feel even warmer and to excite those stupid butterflies in his stomach even more.
Over fifteen years of knowing Mike Wheeler and nearly a decade of having feelings for him, and yet, Mike still has this effect on him.
“You – you look nice tonight,” Mike manages to say, a bit awkward and breathless. “Um… green’s a good color on you.”
Will glances down at his own choice of wardrobe for the night—picked out for him by the seamstresses who have been making his clothes since he was just a little boy. Tonight, they’ve dressed him in a light, warmer-toned green jacket with darker green and golden detailing over a cream shirt and brown trousers which match a new pair of boots that Will is rather fond of. And as is customary for his attendance at all other royal balls, he, of course, has his crown on—a simple golden circlet with small emeralds all around the base.
“Thanks,” Will whispers, and he smiles back, looking his best friend over again. “You do too—um… look good, I mean. Very handsome.”
Mike’s entire face turns as red as the cape he normally wears; he ducks his head, so as to hide the smile forming on his face. And that fills Will with a certain sort of smugness, because he did that. He made Mike smile like that and made him turn red as a young girl with a crush. He did.
It’s moments like these where Will – well, where Will thinks that maybe his “unrequited” feelings for his best friend might not be so unrequited. They’ve certainly had more moments like this one, over the last year especially, and though they haven’t quite gotten around to a conversation about it, Will imagines it’s bound to happen eventually.
Or maybe he’s just reading this entire situation wrong. It could be that too.
“A compliment from the guest of honor himself,” Mike muses, having recovered enough from his own embarrassment to grin at Will. There’s a teasing lilt to his voice when he bows slightly and adds, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“I take it back,” Will deadpans. The warmth is growing on his cheeks, spreading like a fire that can’t be put out, and he knows he must be the one looking like a silly young girl with a crush now. “In fact, I take back every nice thing I’ve ever said about you.”
The grin on Mike’s face grows. “You don’t mean that.”
(Will doesn’t.)
“I most certainly do,” Will sniffs, doing his best to sound all regal and royal and stuffy like every other royal or noble he’s ever met. It… doesn’t work very well, especially since Will can barely contain his own damn laughter.
There’s a playfulness in Mike’s eyes, and he bows again, looking up and grinning at Will like some stupid, annoying devil. He knows exactly what he’s doing here, because he knows Will. Better than anybody else does.
“Oh, my apologies then, Your Highness,” Mike teases again, and this time, Will resists the urge to reach out and shove his best friend away from him. “Could I… maybe make up for it with a dance?”
“Nice segue,” Will remarks, eyes narrowed just as playfully. Very smooth.”
Much to Will’s delight, the teasing causes Mike’s face to turn red. “Is that a no, then?” he asks, softer than before.
Of course, it isn’t, Will wants to say, but he’s pretty certain that Mike knows that already. So, with a playful smile of his own, Will shakes his head and says, “It isn’t – but you’re leading. I’ve been leading all night.”
Mike’s eyes crinkle, a pleased look forming on his face. “Of course,” he replies softly, and then he holds out his hand for Will to take. “Anything for you.”
(The butterflies in Will’s stomach are back.
Then again, maybe they never left.)
Like always, it feels like a jolt of electricity when Will takes Mike’s hand. His magic, always present and like a steady pulse of energy in his body, comes to life even more, thrumming with a newfound kind of energy and excitement. There’s no denying the way Will’s heart pounds inside his chest as Mike carefully leads him out to the dance floor, one hand going to Will’s waist and the other still holding Will’s hand.
The music playing is some soft, dreamy melody, and as Mike pulls him close, it’s far too easy for Will to just fall. Fall deep into this moment, into the idyllic dreamland that the music coaxes him into, into a sense of peace and familiarity and home that Mike always carries with him, and fall further and further into love with his best friend.
Back and forth, the two of them sway, never once taking their eyes off each other. Unlike the dances Will’s shared tonight with other guests, no words are exchanged, simply because no words are needed. They’ve never needed words to communicate with each other, and tonight is no different.
Mike smiles at him, soft and familiar. The hand carefully holding Will’s waist is warm, his touch a fire that sets everything within Will aflame. And together, the two of them dance and dance and dance around each other, the way they’ve done for years now.
I love you, Will thinks to himself. He hopes Mike can see it in his eyes—hopes that Mike gets it, because somehow, despite knowing each other better than anyone else, this is the one thing they’ve yet to fully understand about each other. There’s just too much uncertainty involved in taking that next step and too much fear that a step forward might send their friendship falling down a slope they’ll never recover from.
So, they continue their dance.
Finally, the final notes of the song fade away, and Mike takes a deep breath, offering Will a shy smile. “Thank you for the dance,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course,” Will whispers breathlessly.
Neither one of them moves.
In the background, the music continues to play, but neither one of them moves—either to go their separate ways or to continue their dance. Instead, the two of them just stand there, eye to eye and staring back at one another. Something like electricity hangs in the air between the two of them, reminiscent of how the air feels right before a storm or the feeling Will experiences right before his magic comes to life and responds to his call.
Mike’s eyes flicker to Will’s lips for a brief moment, and Will’s breath catches.
Are we—
“Excuse me, Your Highness?”
Will can’t help but wince, but he turns around, standing up taller and forcing a smile onto his face. Behind him, he finds a young man, probably around his age but maybe a little older, with blonde hair and light eyes. He’s dressed in formal attire similar to all the other partygoers, and there’s a shy but warm smile on his face. He’s not someone Will recognizes, but with how many different treaties they’ve formalized over the last year, it makes sense that there’d be some unfamiliar faces here tonight.
“Hello,” Will says politely, smiling again as the man bows to him. “Can I help you?”
The man’s eyes flicker to Mike for a brief moment before returning back to Will. “I, ah,” he says with a bit of a nervous chuckle, “I was just wondering if I’d be able to steal you away for a dance before the night ended.”
If Will’s being completely honest with himself, the answer he wants to give is “no.” In fact, right now, he wants nothing more than to run away with Mike and hide out in their favorite place in the gardens.
But if this man is one of their new allies, then unfortunately, Will should make a good impression. Denying a dance (and also running away from his own damn birthday party) probably doesn’t count as making a good impression.
So, Will reluctantly lets go of Mike’s hand, turning and giving his best friend an apologetic look. He’s met with a sad but understanding smile that seems to say, It’s alright. I get it. We can talk later.
“Of course,” Will says, offering his hand to the stranger. “I’d be happy to.”
The smile on the man’s face grows, and he pulls Will away from Mike and onto the dance floor. He takes it upon himself to lead, which… isn’t a problem, per se. It’s not that Will even minds, but it does feel a bit odd going from being led in a dance with his best friend to now being led in a dance with a total stranger.
And moreover, Will has this strange, unsettled feeling in his heart. There’s no reason for it, because this man has been nothing but courteous and kind, but something about this whole situation has him feeling on edge.
“I don’t think we’ve ever met before,” Will says in an attempt to break the awkward silence between the two of them. “What was your name again?”
The man looks down at him, eyes wide and bright. “Oh, my apologies, Your Highness,” he says quickly. “My name is Trevor.”
“Trevor,” Will echoes and forces another smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And where did you say you were from again?”
There’s a brief moment where Trevor pauses, like he’s trying to figure out how he wants to respond to that question.
And it’s in that brief moment that pure chaos ensues.
Time, the strange thing that it is, seems to slow down, and several things happen at once.
The defensive, instinctual magic inside of Will comes to life just seconds before the chaos erupts in the room, warning him of danger, danger, danger that surrounds him.
A familiar voice cries out, “WILL!” and echoes through the room over the music and the talking and the laughter.
Someone—Mike, Will’s mind registers after the fact—tackles him with their entire weight, sending Will crashing to the ground with a pained, breathless groan.
And the sensation of magic entirely unfamiliar to Will fills up the space around him, never getting close enough to touch or harm him, but reaching close enough that Will can feel the rush of energy, the vibrating power that of this new person’s magic, and the change in the atmosphere as the spell cast begins to take effect.
Time, the strange thing that it is, speeds up again.
“Mike!” Will cries, and he blinks back the stars in his eyes, trying to lift his best friend off him. It proves to be near impossible, because Mike is deadweight and sprawled on top of him, completely unconscious.
All around them, the chaos rages on, with people screaming and knights clamoring to find the spellcaster, but the chaos surrounding the two of them has nothing on the chaos filling up Will’s heart.
“Help me!” Will screams, his eyes filling with tears as he struggles to move away from Mike and lie him down on his back. “Someone, help!”
Mike doesn’t stir. His eyes are closed and his face is pale, but other than the fact that he’s unconscious and limp as a dead body, he doesn’t seem injured. There are no marks on him—not even any burns or torn clothes from where the spell would’ve hit him.
He looks completely fine.
“Come on,” Will whispers, placing his hand on Mike’s chest and feeling the steady thumpthumpthump of his heart. Like instinct, his own magic comes to life, flowing through his body and finding its exit in Will’s own hands. The golden light of his healing magic bursts forth from Will’s hands, searching and searching and searching for anything that might be wrong with Mike. “Come on, Mike! Wake up! Wake up!”
The magic continues to flow, and somewhere in the chaos, others begin to surround him—his parents, his brother, Nancy, Steve, and the rest of the Party. El, though not as well-versed in healing magic, drops to her knees beside Will, and Lucas, having been the Party’s medic for years now, does as well.
“Please, Mike,” Will chokes out, and he blinks back the tears in his eyes, looking at his best friend’s face. “Please just wake up.”
He puts everything he can into those words and into the magic leaving his body and entering Mike’s. The magic rushes out of Will, and then—
With a gasp, Mike’s eyes open, and he looks Will directly in the eye.
A choked sob escapes Will’s lips, and he all but tackles his best friend into a hug, holding him as close as he can. “You’re okay,” he all but sobs. “You’re okay.”
For a moment, Mike doesn’t move, instead staying completely still in Will’s arms. Then, slowly, he wraps his arms around Will too, and he hugs Will back just as tight—like he’s just as scared as Will is to let go.
I love you. Those words echo through Will’s heart and mind once again, and gods, he can’t imagine never getting the chance to actually say them. He can’t imagine what would’ve happened if he’d actually lost Mike.
After several moments, Will pulls away, and he offers Mike a watery smile, helping him to sit up but still holding onto his hands. Mike, to his credit, doesn’t seem too fazed by the fact that he almost just died, though he does look around the room with a look of awe on his face.
Then, finally, Mike’s gaze lands on Will once again, and his eyes widen even more. Before Will can even process what’s happening and before any of their friends and family can ask if he’s okay, Mike lifts one of his hands up to Will’s cheek, and in a breathless voice full of wonder, he whispers, “It’s you. My love.”
A beat passes.
Then, another.
And another.
And the only thing that Will can think is:
Oh, what the fuck?
part two: this spell on me.
“Will, if you hit me with one more book, I am going to turn you into a toad!”
Will huffs, and he glances over his shoulder, making sure his sister can see the exasperated look on his face. “You’re not allowed to turn me into a toad,” he says, in a tone that’s probably a little too snappy and rude, “until we figure out how to fix Mike!”
The books floating in the air spin around rapidly, responding to the increased emotion and energy building inside Will’s heart. His magic is buzzing underneath the surface of his skin, pent up like a nervous ball of energy that’s just itching to get out.
Hence why El keeps getting smacked in the head with spell books.
El returns his exasperated look with one of her own, holding out her hand and sending a massive tome away from her face and crashing into a bookshelf. A cloud of dust erupts from the collision, and Will coughs, turning his head away and covering his mouth and nose.
“We are not going to fix Mike,” El says through gritted teeth, “if you do not calm down, Will. You are freaking out. Stop it. You need to be calm.” Then, before Will can even begin to protest, El waves her hand, sending all the floating spell books crashing to the ground.
“Hey!” Will protests. “Be careful! Those are fragile!”
His sister just gives him another look, and she walks over to Will, arms crossed over her chest. “We can just repair any books that get damaged,” she reminds, gentler now than she was a moment ago.
“Fair point,” Will agrees, “but we don’t have time for that—”
“Will,” El interrupts, taking Will’s hands in her own. The look on her face has softened from exasperation to concern now, and she squeezes Will’s hands gently. “You are freaking out. Please calm down. Take a deep breath, and just relax.”
Honestly, Will isn’t sure whether he wants to laugh or cry at those words, but he knows for sure that he wants to scream a little bit. Because how is he supposed to relax here? How is he supposed to relax when his best friend has literally been enchanted to think that he’s in love with Will? And how the fuck is Will supposed to relax when Mike is suddenly staring at him with big, brown puppy dog eyes and is always wanting to hug him and is literally head over heels in love with Will?
Yeah. There’s no way that Will can relax right now.
“We have to figure out a way to fix this,” Will reminds, his own voice barely above a whisper. His eyes are beginning to burn again with tears, so Will looks away, hoping that his sister didn’t see him about to cry. “We can’t just… we can’t just leave Mike like this, El.”
“And we won’t,” El promises; then, she places her hand on Will’s cheek, turning his head back to look at her. There’s a gentle, reassuring smile on her face, and she gives Will’s hand another squeeze. “We will find out how to fix Mike and get him back to normal. The answer is most likely here in one of our books, and if it’s not… then, I am sure Max and Steve will be able to get some information out of the attackers. They can be very intimidating when they want to be.”
Intimidating isn’t exactly a word that Will would use to describe his older brother’s partner, but then again, he’s never really seen Steve in action. Somehow, the two of them are never paired up for missions, so Will supposes he’ll just have to take the others’ word for it and trust that Steve can be intimidating enough to get information from the people who did this.
Oh well. At least if he doesn’t succeed, Max will be there too. Max is definitely intimidating, especially since she’s both a badass knight and knows just a tiny bit of magic too, so if anyone in the Party can get criminals to talk, it’s going to be her.
Good. Whatever it takes to help Mike get back to normal, then Will’s fine with that. Gods, he’s still so angry about how stupid he had been. If he’d just trusted his instincts—trusted that strange, unsettled feeling he’d had while dancing with Trevor—then he would’ve caught onto all of this before Mike ever got hit with the spell.
The spell intended for Will.
Yeah. The working theory right now, quickly put together by Hopper and Nancy, who had been close by when the incident occurred, is that Will had been the intended target. Trevor and his accomplice, a blonde-haired girl whom the others assume must be his sister, had cast the spell, hoping for Will to get struck with it, but Mike must’ve noticed Trevor’s sister going to cast the spell.
Mike, as quick-thinking and noble and stupidly self-sacrificial, had tackled Will to the ground, causing the spell to hit him instead. And while Will and El don't know the exact details of the spell cast on him, their best guess is that it's one intended to make the enchanted person fall in love with the very first person they see.
Hence why Mike is in love with Will.
(Somewhere in the cosmos, Will thinks the gods are probably getting a laugh out of this at his expense. He’s always had rotten luck when it comes to… well, literally everything. So, this time really doesn’t seem much different.)
“And what if we can’t figure this out?” Will asks quietly. Before he can even stop himself, the words begin tumbling out of him in a panicked, breathless rush. “What if there’s nothing in these books that could help him? Or – or what if Max and Steve can’t get those people to talk? What if – what if Mike is just stuck like this forever?”
As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Will regrets them, because a devilish grin forms on his sister’s face. Oh no, Will barely has the chance to think, before El teases, “Well… would it really be the worst thing in the world if we just left Mike like this?”
Warmth rushes to Will’s cheeks at the insinuating tone of his sister’s voice, and he yelps, “El!”
“What?” El laughs, a bright smile on her face. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Will. It is not like they turned him into a frog or made him evil or something like that. They cast a love spell on him, so he is in love with you. Is that really such a bad thing?”
“Yes!” Will exclaims, throwing his hands up into the air. Gods above, he’s going to lose his mind here. “Of course, it’s a bad thing, El! How could you even ask that?!”
His sister merely raises an eyebrow. “You have been in love with him since we were teenagers,” she points out, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “And you two have been dancing around each other… also since we were teenagers. So…”
“So, let me get this straight,” Will deadpans, “your solution to that is Mike being enchanted for the rest of our lives? You really don’t see a problem with that?”
“Nope.” El shrugs. Will can’t decide if she’s joking or not. “It is not like I want to leave him like this. We’ll find a way to reverse the spell if we can. But I am just saying, if we can’t… it is not the worst thing in the world.”
“Not the worst thing in the world,” Will echoes, and he closes his eyes, running a hand through his hair. “Right. What was I thinking? This isn’t bad at all. My best friend’s just in love with me because some crazy person cast a love spell—one intended for me, mind you—on him, and you know, if we don’t somehow manage to find a way to reverse this, that’s totally cool too. I’ll just go on for the rest of my life pretending that Mike Wheeler’s in love with me when he’s actually not.”
Silence settles over the room. A beat passes, followed by another, and another.
“You’re glaring at me, aren’t you?” Will asks without opening his eyes.
“I am,” El confirms.
“You’ve been spending way too much time with Max and Lucas.”
“And you’ve been spending way too much time with Mike,” El sniffs, shoving Will’s shoulder lightly. He opens his eyes, only to give his sister another exasperated look, and she gladly returns it. “You have become so overdramatic.”
“I’m not being overdramatic,” Will grumbles, finally pulling away from his little sister and picking one of the books up off the ground. With a huff, he all but slams the book onto the wooden table, using his magic to flip through the pages. “This is a perfectly normal reaction to this situation, okay?”
“You have literally been kidnapped before,” El deadpans, coming up and standing beside Will with an open book of her own, “had your magic practically stolen from you and used against everyone we love, and survived an ancient spell connecting you to a dark wizard, which should have killed you eventually. And you are being dramatic over a love spell. Will, we can handle this.”
Will pauses, halfway through the book, and he side-eyes his sister, trying to ignore guilt that’s eating away at his heart. “You’re forgetting something important here,” he reminds. “All those things happened to me. And – and yeah, they sucked, and they were terrifying… but they happened to me. This… this is happening to Mike, and he should’ve never been the one to end up in this situation, okay? This is my fault, so I – I have to fix it.”
His voice cracks on those last few words, and fresh tears burn his eyes. This time, Will doesn’t even bother holding them back; instead, he lets them fall, dripping onto the dusty, old book in front of him.
All of this – it is his fault. And sure, it’s technically Mike’s responsibility to keep him safe, but the idea of Mike putting himself in danger for Will just makes him feel sick to his stomach. All of this could’ve been avoided and should’ve been avoided. But now… now, Mike’s in trouble, and Will can’t even figure out how to help him.
What good is being one of the most powerful sorcerers to ever live if he can’t even figure out how to help his own best friend?
“Will,” El sighs, softer and gentler now. “I promise you, we will fix this, and everything will be—”
She never gets the chance to finish that sentence.
Because suddenly, the door to the library flies open, crashing violently against the door, and both Will and El flinch, immediately taking on defensive stances and turning to face their potential assailant. Much to Will’s surprise though, it’s not an attacker hellbent on killing the two of them, but instead, it’s—
“My love!” Mike exclaims, and before Will can even process what’s happening, Mike is running towards him and throwing his entire weight at Will.
“Oof!” Will yelps, and he would’ve fallen backwards, except Mike has his arms wrapped very tightly around Will, holding him steady and keeping him from hardly moving at all. “Mike – let – go!”
Pushing Mike away doesn’t work well, surprisingly, and technically, Will could use his magic… but that doesn’t seem very fair. So, crushed by his best friend’s arms it is.
“Never,” Mike says decisively, and he presses his lips against the top of Will’s head in a gentle kiss. “I’m never letting you go again.”
Warmth rises to Will’s cheeks, and he squirms as best as he can in Mike’s death grip, giving his sister a panicked look. “Please help.”
El, damn her, has no shame whatsoever. She’s not even trying to hold back her snickers, and while Will struggles to escape Mike’s hug and his kisses and his very, very cheesy (and endearing) compliments and professions of love, she just flips the page on the book she’s reading.
“I am a little busy here,” El points out, gesturing to the book. “Trying to find a spell to fix him, like you asked me to.”
The gesture Will gives her is very unbecoming of a prince.
“Mike,” Will sighs, and he manages to push his best friend away ever so slightly, “please let me go. You’re crushing me.”
Mike’s eyes go wide, and he quickly lets go of Will, a panicked look on his face. “Are you alright?” he asks, reaching for Will’s hands barely a moment later. “Are you hurt? I’m sorry, love; I didn’t mean to hurt you. How can I help? Do you need anything?”
El giggles again. Will gives her the same gesture again.
“I’m fine, Mike,” Will reassures, doing his best to force a smile. “And I don’t need anything except for you to—”
And again, Will doesn’t get the chance to finish his sentence.
“Mike!” a familiar voice yells, followed by the sound of footsteps running towards the library. “Mike, where are you—oh. Oh, hey. You found him!”
Will glances up, first exchanging a look with his sister, then turning back to look at Dustin and Lucas, who have both made it to the library. “He found us,” Will corrects, nodding slightly at Mike. “Weren’t you guys supposed to be watching him?”
“We were,” Lucas says with a bit of a huff, and for the first time, Will notices the fact that his best friends are breathless and look a little worse for the wear. “Apparently though, this spell makes Mike absolutely fucking crazy when he’s not with you.”
Dustin nods vigorously, brushing the dust off his own jacket and scrunching his nose at Mike—who, by the way, has moved from merely holding Will’s hands to now standing behind Will with his arms wrapped around Will’s waist and his head resting on Will’s shoulder. “In hindsight, we really should’ve confiscated all his weapons,” he points out. “Bastard almost sliced my face open trying to escape and get to Will.”
“Damn,” El mutters, and Will just fights the urge to groan.
“Great,” he sighs. At this point, he doesn’t even bother trying to get Mike off of him, because he’s certain Mike would just end up coming right back anyways. Or maybe he’d attack the others, if what Lucas and Dustin are saying is true. “So… what does that mean for us then?”
“It means you’re on Mike babysitting duty,” Lucas deadpans, walking into the library.. “Because I am not dealing with that again.”
“Me either,” Dustin agrees as he follows Lucas and grabs one of the books off the floor. “Someone tell me what spell we’re looking for here, so we can figure this shit out and call it a day. If I’d known we would be staying up all night to babysit Mike, I wouldn’t have drank so much at Will’s birthday party.”
“You shouldn’t have drank so much to begin with,” El scolds. “Do you remember the last time you had that much to drink? Because I do. And I will never forget it.”
“Okay, that was one time, and I’ve already apologized for it multiple times…”
As the two of them continue to bicker back and forth, Will sighs, and he turns around slowly to look at his best friend. Unsurprisingly, Mike watches him the entire time, his brown eyes wide and full of awe—like he’s staring at something miraculous and beautiful, instead of just Will.
He’s been staring at Will like that ever since he woke up a few hours ago, so… that’s probably a good thing to note. Being enchanted by a love spell makes a person want to stare at the object of their affection. A lot.
“Are you okay?” Will asks quietly. Honestly, he’s not quite sure if Mike knows what the hell is going on or if he can even register anything other than WillWillWill right now, but it helps at least to ask.
A dopey smile forms on Mike’s face, and he nods hastily, before hugging Will closer to him. “I’m okay,” he promises and buries his head into Will’s shoulder. “Just don’t leave me again, please.”
Guilt twists in Will’s heart again like a knife, so he slowly wraps his arms around Mike, hugging him back just as tight. “I’m not going anywhere, Mike,” Will reassures, quiet enough so that only Mike can hear him. “I promise. I’m not leaving you.”
Mike merely hums in return, still holding onto Will tightly, and Will closes his eyes, leaning into their embrace.
I’m going to figure this out, he thinks to himself. I promise. I’ll fix this.
part three: lovesick with you.
Usually, Will isn’t one to complain about alone time with his best friend.
Today though?
Yeah, today is the exception.
Honestly, Will should’ve seen it coming. After all, he’s the one person who can keep Mike calm and not completely insane, so it makes sense that he’s stuck on babysitting duty while the others all desperately search for a way to reverse the spell. It’s just that… well, Will had sort of been hoping that the others would’ve figured something out by now.
It’s now been several hours since the end of Will’s party, and they still haven’t made any progress here. There are dozens upon dozens of books in the library with potential spells, so naturally, that’s going to take a while for El, Lucas, and Dustin to go through. But on top of that, Max and Steve had been less than successful in getting information from Trevor and his accomplice—only learning that their plan had been to enchant Will to fall in love with him and that they hadn’t actually looked into learning the counterspell for the one they’d cast on Mike.
On the plus side, thanks to the work of Jonathan, Nancy, Hopper, and Will’s mom, the palace is secure, and (hopefully) nobody knows about Mike’s, um… situation. But honestly, Will has lived in this castle long enough to know that news travels like wildfire, so he knows all of the servants at the ball must’ve already shared the latest gossip with their friends and family.
It’s fine. Maybe someday, this will be something they can all look back and laugh about.
Right now though…
Oh boy.
Right now though, Will is stuck babysitting his lovesick best friend, who has not let Will move at all since the two of them returned to Will’s bedroom a couple hours ago. Will’s intention with this had been to convince Mike to take a nap or something—you know, buy some more time for the others to figure out how the hell to fix him—but he hadn’t really counted on the spell’s strange effects on his best friend.
It’s like nothing else in the world matters to Mike. Nothing except for Will.
So, the two of them have been lying on Will’s bed for the last two hours at least, and Mike has not moved his arm, which is wrapped protectively around Will’s waist, in that entire time. He also has not stopped looking at Will the entire time. And to top it all off, he has not stopped complimenting Will the entire time.
Gods. Any other time, if Mike complimented Will’s eyes or his hair or his smile or literally anything else, Will would most certainly get a little bit flustered. And granted, he did get a little flustered at first—because hearing Mike Wheeler talk about how utterly kissable he thinks Will looks right now is something Will has only ever dreamed of hearing—but now, going on three hours later, Will thinks he’s going to gauge his eyes out the next time Mike compliments them.
“Mike,” Will sighs, for the umpteenth time this evening (or… technically morning now). “Please, you don’t have to keep complimenting me. Don’t you want to get some rest? Take a nap or something?”
A pout forms on Mike’s face, and he leans forward, nuzzling his nose against Will’s gently. “I’m not tired,” he insists, even though he just yawned a few moments ago halfway through another monologue about how much he loves Will. “I just want to be here with you, love. If you want to sleep though… I can stay up and keep you safe. I’ll always keep you safe.”
In spite of everything, Will can’t help the way his cheeks turn warm or how he smiles at those words. “I know you will, Mike,” he reassures gently. “I know you will. But I – I want to keep you safe too, alright? I want to make sure you’re okay, and you seem tired, so—”
“My love,” Mike interrupts, placing his finger against Will’s lips and staring at him with those wide, dark eyes of his. “I’m okay. All I want is to spend every single moment I can with you.”
He pauses here, then lifts Will’s hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “And I want to spend all those moments,” Mike murmurs, his voice low, “letting you know just – how – much – I – love – you.”
Between each of those words, he leans forward, peppering little kisses everywhere he can—on Will’s cheeks, his jaw, his neck, and everywhere in between. He never does kiss Will on the lips though, having picked up on Will’s aversion to that in an earlier interaction between the two of them.
…
Look, it’s not that Will doesn’t want Mike to kiss him. Of course, he does, and in any other set of circumstances, the thought of Mike Wheeler kissing him would make Will go absolutely insane with giddiness and excitement. But letting Mike kiss him right now? It just… it feels wrong. It feels like it’s crossing some unspoken boundary between the two of them—one that they’ve danced over and around and away from for years now.
Will’s not going to let Mike do that. Not while he’s like – like this, all lovesick and not himself and far more obsessed with Will than he would ever be in his right mind.
“Mike,” Will whispers, unable to stop the laugh that escapes his lips as Mike kisses his jaw again, “quit it! That tickles!”
Mike just laughs with him, and he reaches up, cupping Will’s face and running his thumb across the same spot he’d just kissed. “Sorry,” he whispers back, but he doesn’t sound sorry at all. “You’re just so beautiful, Will.”
Warmth rises to Will’s cheeks, and he glances away, unable to fully look Mike in the eye. “So you’ve said.”
“Because it’s true,” Mike insists. Again, he peppers kisses all over Will’s face—soft, fleeting little things, feather-light yet still somehow able to make Will’s cheeks burn with embarrassment and delight. “You take my breath away every time I see you. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Those words are enough to take Will’s breath away, and he dares to look at Mike once more. The goofy, lovesick smile still hasn’t left his best friend’s face, and the way Mike looks at him… gods, you would’ve thought that Will hung the damn sun, moon, and stars or something.
Yeah, this is most definitely the work of the enchantment. That’s the only explanation for it.
“And you,” Will deadpans, trying to ignore the way his heart is racing in his chest, “are literally under a spell right now.”
Mike grins, wide and dopey and so stupidly lovestruck. “Yeah, I am,” he agrees, and it’s far too flirtatious for Will’s liking, “I’m under your spell.”
Oh gods above.
Gods help him.
Will swallows the lump in his throat, purposely ignoring the butterflies that are alive and well and fluttering around inside his stomach. As Mike leans forward again, pressing little kisses against Will’s cheek, Will glances out the window.
Huh. What do you know? The sun is beginning to come up.
“We should go outside,” Will blurts out, turning back around to look at his best friend. “Watch the sunrise together.”
How romantic, a voice in the back of Will’s mind teases. It sounds suspiciously like El.
Mike’s face brightens, and he nods excitedly, sitting up and pulling Will with him. “We should!” he exclaims and jumps off the bed faster than Will’s ever seen him move before. “Don’t worry, my love! I can carry you!”
Will’s eyes widen. “Wait, wait, wait, no, Mike, don’t—”
Too late.
Mike, of course, ignores Will’s protests, and before Will knows it, he’s being scooped up into Mike Wheeler’s arms and being marched out of his bedroom like some damsel in distress being carried by a knight in shining armor. And again – ordinarily, that’s not something Will would necessarily mind, but there’s really, really nothing more suspicious than the crown prince being carried out of his room by one of his knights before the sun has even fully risen.
Will… really should’ve thought this through.
By some miracle, there’s nobody in the hallway outside of Will’s room, and the few servants they do pass by on their way outside hardly even spare them a glance. They must be too tired to care about anything, and Will can’t even blame them. In fact, he’s glad they’re too tired to care about this whole mess of a situation.
“I know the perfect place for us to go, love,” Mike murmurs into Will’s ear, and Will can’t help the shiver that runs down his spine. His heart, the traitorous thing that it is, beats wildly in response, and the stupid butterflies in his stomach fly around giddily.
“Okay,” Will whispers back, somehow managing to find his voice. “I – I trust you.”
Mike beams—like truly, honestly beams—at those words, and he briskly walks through the castle corridors, sneaking through their favorite shortcuts and avoiding areas that typically have more people in them. Eventually, the two of them make it outside, and as soon as Mike picks the direction to walk towards, Will knows exactly where the two of them are going.
It’s their special place on the palace grounds—the place where the two of them first met over fifteen years ago now.
In no time at all, they make it to their spot: a little, secluded area in the palace gardens where a wooden swing has been tied to one of the trees. Mike takes a seat on the swing, carefully holding Will on his lap, and he rests his head on Will’s shoulder.
It’s quiet out here. Peaceful, too. The sun, golden and beautiful in the horizon, is just beginning to rise, casting its gentle rays on them and showering everything in the garden with a soft light.
And for just a moment, everything else in the world disappears. For just a moment, Will allows himself to just be present here with his best friend—with the man he loves and has loved for years now. Maybe it’s not fair to do this to himself… to allow himself to indulge in this fantasy that his friends and family are currently working on trying to reverse, but… but Will can’t help himself.
For just a moment, Will has everything he could ever want in his life.
“I love you,” Will whispers, turning back around and looking at his best friend.
There’s something so tender and so familiar about the look in Mike’s eyes, and Will is almost able to imagine that this is real—that Mike truly does look at him this way and that Mike truly feels this way for him.
When Mike smiles at him, full of warmth and love, Will can’t help but fall deeper and deeper into love. “I love you too,” he whispers back, and he lifts his head, leaning in closer and closer to Will.
You shouldn’t do this, the rational part of Will’s brain reminds. Don’t cross this line.
I love you, I love you, I love you, whispers Will’s heart—the same words to a song he’s been singing for years. The very same song he and Mike have been dancing to for far too long now. Maybe it’s not a line he should cross.
Will can’t help but cross it anyway.
So, it’s together that he and Mike both lean in, as if there’s some invisible string pulling them closer and closer and closer still. Will closes his eyes, and he—
“Will!”
—flinches sharply and all but tumbles out of Mike’s lap, landing onto the ground in a painful, humiliated little heap.
“Ouch,” Will groans, and the next thing he knows, Mike is by his side, helping him up and whispering soothing words to him. “We’re over here, El!”
A few moments pass by before Will’s sister finally comes into view, followed by the other Party members, both of Will’s parents, and Jonathan, Nancy, and Steve. There’s a triumphant look on El’s face, and she holds up a sheet of paper proudly for Will to see. “We did it!” she exclaims. “We figured out how to break the spell!”
Will’s eyes widen, and he stumbles to his feet, quickly going over to his sister. Naturally, Mike follows after him, never once letting Will get more than a few inches away. “You did?” Will gasps. “What is it? What’s the spell?”
“No spell required,” El says, a smug smile on her face. “It is actually much simpler than that.”
“Well, that’s great,” Will says with a laugh, and as Mike wraps his arms around Will’s waist again, Will leans back, resting his head against his best friend’s chest and listening to the steady thumpthumpthump of his heartbeat. “What is it then?”
Years and years of studying magic and perfecting this form of art and combat never could have prepared Will for the next words that come out of his sister’s mouth.
“It’s simple,” El reiterates, and she looks down at the paper, then back up at Mike, still wearing that same bright smile on her face. “To break the spell on Mike, he just needs to be kissed by his one true love.”
…
…
…
Oh.
Oh. That’s well… that’s…
Oh.
Okay.
part four: saved by a perfect kiss.
Of all the strange things that have happened in this war room, this by far is the strangest.
Will has a headache, in case anyone was wondering. Maybe it’s because he drank a little bit too much at the ball last night or because he hasn’t eaten anything since last night. But most likely, the cause of this headache is the fact that the only way to save Mike is for someone else to kiss him.
No, wait. Not just someone. Nope.
His one true love.
True love’s kiss is the only thing that can break this spell. Because of course, it is. Seriously, it couldn’t have been something easy? Some sort of tonic or potion made out of unicorn horn or maybe like frog innards or something like that? Or even some complicated spell that he and El could’ve practiced until they finally got it right?
Literally any of those things would’ve been preferable to this.
True love’s kiss.
Gods, Will hates his life.
“So, what are we going to do?” Nancy sighs, rubbing her forehead. Like everyone else except for Will and Mike himself, she’s changed into more comfortable clothes to run around in, but she still looks exhausted. “Mike isn’t courting anyone, so it’s not like this is going to be easy.”
“Not to mention we don’t know if Mike’s met his one true love yet,” Dustin points out. El nudges him sharply in the ribs. “Ow! Come on, don’t give me that look. I’m just being honest here.”
“He’s got a point,” sighs Hopper. Like Nancy, he looks extremely tired and extremely done with the situation. “And the gods know we can’t just wait around forever to find Wheeler’s one true love or whatever. Are you sure this is the only way?”
“Positive,” Max responds, lifting her head from El’s shoulder. “Lucas, El, and I found a few books specifically on love potions and other enchantments. Every single one of them said that the only way to reverse these things is through true love’s kiss.”
Will lets out a heavy sigh, massaging his temple tiredly. Mike pulls him closer and rubs little circles in his back, a soothing and gentle motion.
All of this makes sense, as unfortunate as it is. When it comes to magic… spells and potions that tamper when another person’s mind and their emotions are dangerous. Taking another person’s autonomy and freewill away is a dangerous game to play, and it requires powerful magic to do so—and even more powerful magic to undo.
Will would know. Been there, done that back when he was just a teenager. And while this enchantment on Mike is nowhere close to being as difficult to break as the control spell Henry had him under years ago, Will has known deep down this whole time that breaking Mike out of this spell would be extremely difficult.
True love’s kiss though. Yeah, Will did not see that one coming.
“We could keep searching,” Jonathan suggests, glancing over at both Mike and Will sympathetically. Judging by the look in his brother’s eyes, he’s probably thinking the same things as Will right now. “But chances are, true love’s kiss is going to be our best bet at saving Mike.”
“So, what then?” Steve pipes up, and he lifts his head from Jonathan’s shoulder, looking around tiredly at everyone else in the room. “We just… ask all the women Mike’s ever interacted with to come up and kiss him? And then we hope we get lucky enough to find the right one?”
Will can’t help but flinch at Steve’s suggestion. It makes perfect sense and is honestly the only option they have here, but still… it’s not something that Will wants to think about.
And it’s definitely not something that Will wants to witness.
“Not just women,” Lucas points out, and every person in the room, save for Mike, turns to look at him. Lucas shrugs helplessly, glancing over at Mike. “Have any of you seen Mike in the tavern? He’ll flirt with anyone when he’s drunk—very badly, by the way. But still, we can’t rule out the possibility that Mike’s one true love is a man.”
At this, Lucas’s gaze flickers over to Will. There’s an almost… knowing look in his eyes, and Will feels his cheeks go warm with embarrassment.
It’s no secret to the rest of the Party that Will has feelings for Mike. After all, Lucas is one of his oldest friends—second only to Mike himself—so he’s known for years now. Dustin must’ve figured it out somewhere along the time (though Will suspects Lucas might’ve accidentally let it slip), Max caught onto it within days of knowing the two of them (at least according to her), and El and Will have had many conversations about Will’s ever-growing feelings for Mike.
Still, even though all his friends know about Will’s feelings for Mike, it’s embarrassing as hell to be placed in this situation.
“I think Steve’s idea is probably the best one we have,” Will finally manages to say. He does his best to ignore the nervous beating of his own heart as he adds, “We can narrow it down – maybe prioritize it by the people who are closest to Mike, since theoretically, that would increase our chances of finding the one, right?”
“Right,” Dustin agrees. “So… that means we should start with everyone here but Nancy then.”
For some reason, everyone in the room turns to look at Will, each of them wearing expectant looks. Right. They – they’re all expecting him to go first. You know… since he is Mike’s best friend and since they have been going back and forth with each other for the last few years. Once again, Will’s face gets hot, and he swallows the lump in his throat, slowly turning around to face his best friend.
Mike smiles brightly, causing all the butterflies in Will’s stomach to come alive once more. “Hi, my love,” he whispers.
Gods, this is so embarrassing.
“Hi,” Will whispers back, and he offers Mike a small, shy smile. Then, without giving it another thought, Will reaches up, cupping Mike’s face and leaning in for another kiss—
“Wait!”
Will flinches sharply, pulling away right before his lips meet Mike’s, and he turns around, giving his siblings an exasperated look. “What?”
Jonathan looks up from the piece of paper he and El are staring at, a panicked look on his face. “Do not kiss Mike,” he says firmly.
“What? Why—”
“If you kiss him,” El blurts out, “and you are not his one true love, then the spell becomes permanent.”
…
Oh fuck.
Will stares at his siblings with wide eyes. He can practically feel his headache getting worse with each passing moment, and he hopes to the gods his siblings can hear the exasperation in his voice when he says, “What the hell are you talking about?”
El frowns, crossing the room and showing Will the piece of paper with the instructions. “Look down there,” she explains, pointing to the bottom of the paper. “If the object of the enchanted person’s affection kisses the enchanted, the spell shall become permanent, unable to be reversed even by true love’s kiss.”
Great. That’s… well, that’s just great.
“Well… that’s awesome,” Steve says, breaking the awkward silence. “What do we do now then?”
“Revert to our original plan?” Lucas offers. “Start with all of us kissing Mike, then if that doesn’t work, we round up every person that could be his one true love?”
Will purses his lips, and he exchanges a look with his brother, hopeful that Jonathan has a better handle of what the hell to do right now. Unfortunately, Jonathan just offers him a sympathetic look, as if to say, I’ll leave this up to you, Will.
Ugh. He’s been doing that a lot more—something about letting go of his own need to take care of Will but also giving Will the autonomy to make decisions in his leadership roles.
Stupid older brothers trying to teach stupid life lessons.
“I think that’s our best bet here,” Will says quietly, and he glances back at Mike, who is still looking at him with a sad pout on his face. “I guess we just… try to find them and hope for the best.”
“Great.” Max claps her hands together and stands to her feet, looking at Mike with mild disdain. “Let’s all get this over with then, shall we?”
If Will has to watch another person that isn’t him kiss Mike Wheeler, he’s going to throw himself off the castle’s highest tower.
“Thank you,” Will says faintly as another one of the servants—Johanna, he thinks her name is—leaves the room. Beside him, Mike makes an exaggerated gagging sort of noise, and the only reason Will has survived this entire ordeal is because of Mike’s stupid reactions to all these kisses.
Yeah. They’ve been through practically the entire castle here, and not a single one of these people has been Mike’s one true love. So, each time, Mike has pretended to throw up after kissing these people, and then he’s looked at Will with his sad, woeful, and big brown eyes, as if to say, Why can’t you just kiss me?
If only it could be that simple.
Seriously, if it weren’t for that stupid clause in the spell’s instructions, Will would’ve already tried to kiss Mike already. It makes sense, after all. He and Mike are one another’s closest friends, and recently, Will has become more and more confident of the fact that Mike reciprocates his feelings. But gods, even with that assurance, it’s just too big of a risk to take.
If he’s been reading this wrong the entire time… if Mike doesn’t feel the same way for Will as Will does for him, then a kiss would doom Mike to a lifetime of being trapped in this spell and being in love with the wrong person.
Will can’t do that to him.
So, that’s exactly why he’s become so desperate throughout this entire day, going as far as to insist that every adult come and try to kiss Mike—yes, even those that are much older than the two of them are. If and when Mike is saved from this enchantment, then Will swears he’ll apologize for making him kiss Old Man Jeffrey who’s worked in the stables since Will’s mom was a little kid.
But for right now… desperate times call for desperate measures.
“Can you tell the next person to come in?” Will asks, tiredly looking over at Max and Lucas. The two of them seem as tired as Will feels, but they both nod, getting to their feet, exiting the room, and leaving no one but Will, Mike, and Will’s mom behind.
The others have all been taking turns throughout the day gathering people, ushering them in, and just being an overall supportive presence in the room, but Will hasn’t left Mike’s side throughout this whole ordeal. It just feels wrong to do that, especially since he’s the reason Mike is in this entire mess. No matter what happens, Will’s going to see this through to the end.
“You doing okay, baby?” Will’s mom asks softly, and Will looks up, meeting his mom’s eyes.
“I’m tired,” Will admits, shifting closer to Mike and resting his head on his best friend’s shoulder. Immediately, Mike wraps an arm around him and presses a kiss to Will’s forehead. “Ready for this to just be done.”
Because it’s his mom, she picks up on everything and sees right through him as usual. A sad look forms on her face, and she stands, walking over to where he and Mike sit and kneeling down in front of Will.
“Will, baby,” his mom says in that quiet but still firm voice of hers, “I think that… maybe it’s time you reconsider your options here.”
Her eyes flicker from Will to Mike, then back to Will again, and Will feels his face get hot. The implication of her words is obvious. She wants Will to try and kiss Mike to break the spell.
Will, aka the person who could literally trap Mike in this spell for the rest of his life.
“Mom, you know I can’t,” Will protests. “The spell—”
“Can be broken by true love’s kiss,” his mom interrupts, as if it’s as simple as that.
“Will become permanent if I kiss him,” Will reminds.
Will’s mom merely gives him a look, and she reaches for Will’s free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Will, baby,” she says, half reassuring and half chiding, “don’t forget that I studied magic for years too. I know how this works too, alright? If you kiss Mike and you’re his one true love, then that will be enough to break the spell. It won’t end with him permanently stuck like this.”
“And what if I’m not?!” Will exclaims, throwing his hands up in frustration. “You’re forgetting about that, Mom! What if I’m not Mike’s one true love? If I kiss him and it isn’t true love’s kiss… then I – I’ve failed him. He’ll be stuck like this forever.”
His voice breaks on those last few words. Mike, attentive as ever, notices, and in an instant, his arms are around Will once more. He whispers soft things to Will like, “Are you alright, love? What’s wrong? Talk to me please,” and peppers little kisses down Will’s face just like before.
Will can’t even bring himself to care.
Honestly, right now, he’s just so tired. He’s exhausted and scared, and he just wants his best friend back. Because as much as it does give Will butterflies to hear Mike call him “love” or to be held so gently by Mike or to listen to the compliments Mike showers him with, he knows that this isn’t real.
None of this is real. It’s all just the product of this stupid spell that Mike has been put under, and once Mike’s one true love kisses him, then the spell is going to be broken. Then, things will go back to normal between the two of them—back to whatever this weird dance back-and-forth the two of them have been doing for years now.
None of this is even real.
“And what if it is true love’s kiss?” Will’s mom challenges. “What if you could save Mike and finally know for sure whether he loves you the same way that you love him? Baby, I know – I know you’re scared. But we’re running out of options here, and I… I think the chances of Mike’s one true love being you are pretty high.”
Warmth rises to Will’s cheeks, and he stares down at his hands, unable to look at both his mom and Mike. “This isn’t how he usually acts,” he mutters.
“No,” his mom agrees, “it isn’t. But you know what is?”
Will sighs. “What?”
A knowing smile forms on his mom’s face. “Being only fourteen years old but leading the others in a mission to find you,” she reminds. “Or being fifteen and remaining by your side, even when you weren’t you, because he would never give up on you. Or how about all the years you two fought by each other’s side during the war? How Mike refused to leave you, how he refused to let you sacrifice yourself for the greater good? Will, there is no one in the world who has gone to lengths like these to make sure that you’re safe and that you’re okay. Is it really that hard to believe that Mike could be in love with you too?”
Will’s breath catches. Finally, he dares to look back up at Mike, and to no surprise, he finds his best friend still staring at him with that lovestruck, dopey look on his face.
But even under all the effects of the spell, Will just sees Mike.
Mike, who was one of the only people who didn’t give up on Will, even after all signs pointed to him being dead that year he was kidnapped.
Mike, who was by Will’s side throughout the entirety of his first encounter with Henry, and who was the first one to remind Will of who he is.
Mike, who was Will’s biggest support during the entirety of the war, who held Will as he cried and consoled him as the nightmares became worse and worse, and who marched right into battle at Will’s side, promising to see all of this through to the very end.
Maybe he and Mike have never said those words to each other, but for the two of them, actions speak louder than ones.
And gods, Will knows he loves Mike. He loves Mike more than he’s ever loved anyone else, and he knows he could spend the rest of his life loving Mike Wheeler.
And you know…
Will knows Mike loves him. He knows Mike would do anything for him, because Mike has. He’s gone to the ends of the world and back for Will, because that’s what love does. He didn’t need to be enchanted or anything. Mike did all of those things for Will because he loves Will.
…
So, why wouldn’t Will be Mike’s one true love?
Will takes a deep breath, and he sits up, slowly turning to his best friend. Mike adjusts himself so the two of them are sitting face to face, and he smiles, bright and warm and so very familiar, back at Will.
And gods, Will loves him. He loves Mike so much.
This has to work. It’s going to work. He and Mike do love each other. This is going to work.
Without giving it another thought, Will leans forward, cupping his face gently, and he kisses Mike.
Over fifteen years have led to this moment, and it’s every bit as magical as Will would’ve expected. The kiss only lasts for a few brief seconds, but everything about it is electrifying, as if Will’s heart and mind and body have all come to life in a new way he never thought was possible. The magic under the surface of his skin vibrates with a newfound energy, desperate and searching for a way out.
Finally, Will pulls away, and he takes a deep breath, daring to open his eyes.
But much to Will’s dismay, the look on Mike’s face is completely the same.
No.
No, no, no, no, no—
That same lovestruck look of wonder is written all over Mike’s face. He’s still staring at Will like Will hung the damn sun, moon, and stars, and it didn’t work, it didn’t work, it didn’t work—
Oh gods.
What has Will done?
Tears well in Will’s eyes, but he doesn’t bother holding them back or wiping them away. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, the horror and realization of what he’s just done to Mike creeping up on him. “I’m so sorry, Mike.”
Then, without giving Mike a chance to say anything else, Will gets up and runs as fast as he can out of the room.
part five: enchanted to meet you.
The library is a complete mess when Will arrives.
The tears in his eyes make everything a little bit difficult to see, a little bit blurry, a little bit off center, but Will runs right inside anyways, using his magic to slam the door behind him. The others must have just left their mess behind after finding out how to save Mike from this enchantment, because there are books and scrolls and random pieces of paper everywhere on the floors of the library.
Without wasting another moment, Will lifts his hands, using his magic to levitate the books and begin turning the pages as quickly as he can. The words on the pages are difficult to read, but no matter how hard he tries, the tears just won’t stop falling.
…
Fuck.
Fuck, what has he done? How could he be so stupid and so reckless? After literally everyone in their closest circle of friends and family had spent the entire night desperately searching for some way to fix Will’s mistakes, now he’s gone and screwed things up even more.
If he can’t find a new way to break this love spell, then Will has doomed Mike to an entire life of being in love with him.
Fuck.
It’s something that Will could laugh about, under different circumstances or maybe in hindsight. How silly of him, right? How stupid of him to just assume that because Mike has been a good friend all these years he would have the same feelings for Will as Will does for him? How foolish of him to misunderstand Mike’s actions—the actions of a good and loyal friend and the actions of a brave and noble knight—as something romantic, simply because that’s what Will wants? And how reckless of him to actually act on those feelings, when he knew damn well what was at stake?
Mike’s entire wellbeing and his normal life were at stake here.
And Will?
Will was selfish. He was selfish, and he made a decision based on his own feelings, rather than the actual truth. And now, Mike might suffer the consequences of Will’s stupidity.
The old tomes float around Will at rapid speeds. His magic feels frenzied, wild, out of control, like it’s about to burst from into some massive explosion that’ll bring everyone to their knees. Normally, Will is able to contain his magic and keep it under control, but there are rare times, in moments of heightened stress and emotions, when it just feels like too much.
The pressure inside of him feels like it’s building and building and building, and Will chokes back a sob, reaching out with his trembling hands and trying to pour some of the excess magic into his current spell. It works… kind of, though the bookshelves in the library do begin to tremble violently, and some of the books begin flying across the room, slamming into each other and into walls. Some of them nearly take Will’s own head off, and though redirecting the magic into this spell helps a little, Will can still feel more of the magic coming to life inside of him, awakened by the sheer amount of stress he’s feeling right now.
“Fuck,” Will whispers, and he clenches his fists, dropping to his knees and trying to draw the magic back into himself. The books around him fall to the floor with a loud CRASH, and Will flinches, shutting his eyes tightly.
He needs to calm himself down. He – he has to just breathe, has to control his magic, has to get up and find a way to fix this. He can’t let Mike get stuck like this because of him, and he can’t ruin Mike’s life. He has to find a way to fix this, he has to, he has to, he has—
The anxious thoughts in Will’s mind are interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the library door.
Again, Will flinches, and he curls up, clenches his fists tighter and forcing himself to breathe. “G-go away,” he manages to say. “Please don’t come in—”
The door opens anyways.
Because of course, it does.
Of course, when Will is on the verge of both an emotional and magical breakdown, somebody would come barging in. That’s what all his friends and family do, because none of them really have no regard for their own safety, so even though Will knows his magic can become dangerous in moments like these, it’s not going to matter to whichever one of his loved ones has entered the room. They’re not just going to leave him here.
“Please go away,” Will whispers shakily, not even bothering to look up. His magic still feels like a wild, raging sea inside of him, and it’s taking everything in him to keep it under control right now. “Please, just leave me alo—”
Before he can finish that sentence, the person wraps their arms around him, and immediately, Will knows who has followed him here.
Mike.
Of course, it’s Mike.
Fresh tears well in his eyes, and Will shuts them tightly, tensing in his best friend’s arms. Surprisingly, Mike doesn’t say a single word; instead, he just holds Will close, rubbing soothing little circles into Will’s back. And Will sits there, with Mike’s arms wrapped around him, he can’t help but cry.
“I’m sorry,” Will chokes out, all the emotions spilling out of him like a dam that’s burst. The books on the shelves rattle from the excess magic that comes spilling out too, and Will leans in closer to his best friend, crying quietly. “Mike, I’m so sorry—”
“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” Mike reassures, his voice soft and gentle. He hugs Will tighter and reaches up, running a hand through Will’s hair. “It’s okay, Will. I’m okay. Just breathe, alright? Deep breaths, in and out. You’ve just gotta calm down before everything gets out of control.”
Will sniffs; then, he takes a slow, shuddered breath. In and out. In and out. The magic inside of him is still trembling, desperate for an escape, and the longer he holds it back, the worse and worse he feels.
“C-can’t,” Will gasps, his voice raspy. “Mike, I – I can’t—”
And somehow, Mike understands that desperate plea. He gets exactly what Will is trying to say here and what Will needs, simply because he knows Will better than anyone else does. “Okay,” he whispers back, and then, he’s helping Will to his feet, supporting most of his weight, “let’s get you outside, alright? We’re not far from our garden, so just hold on, Will, okay? Just hold on for me.”
Will nods, unable to say anything else, because it takes every last bit of energy he has within himself to keep a lid on his magic and to keep it from spilling over. As quickly as he can, Mike guides Will out of the castle and back to their garden. The two of them are stumbling, faster, faster, faster, until cobblestone turns into grass and until Will is back on his knees and surrounded by nature once more.
It’s only when they’re outside that Mike lets go of him and takes a step back, giving Will the space he needs. “Okay,” he says, sounding farther away than he was a few moments ago. “We’re safe now, Will.”
Those words feel like a release, and Will takes a deep breath, finally letting go of all the magic inside of him and letting it spill out into the world around him. His magic, though sometimes used for combat, has never been a destructive force. No, its nature is always to create, and so in moments like these, when the magic inside of him is just too much for Will to handle, he finds himself most at peace in nature himself, where his magic can reconnect and give back to the world around him.
Flowers and new plants and life burst forth from the ground beneath his hands, and slowly, the energy inside of him finds new life in the world surrounding him. The magic ebbs and flows, giving and creating, and Will breathes deeply, in and out, in and out, as slowly those heightened emotions begin to still into something more manageable.
It feels like an eternity, but finally, the magic inside of him feels calm once more. And though those feelings of anxiety and fear still remain in Will’s heart, he can keep them in check now. He can manage them and figure out what to do with them.
Finally, Will opens his eyes, and he dizzily looks around, his eyes landing on Mike.
Sure enough, he finds his best friend sitting on the very same swing that Mike had walked up to on the day they first met and became friends.
“Hi,” Will says hoarsely.
A small smile forms on Mike’s face; his eyes flicker to the new flowers—a patch of blue and yellow wildflowers—that have grown beside Will. “Hi,” he greets, before standing up and walking over to Will. He takes a seat in front of Will, a concerned look on his face. “You okay?”
Will swallows the lump in his throat and runs a hand through the new flowers in their garden. “Tired,” he admits. “It – it’s been a long day.”
This time, a quiet laugh escapes Mike’s lips. “That’s what I heard,” he says sympathetically. “I – I don’t remember much, but your mom – she… she sorta caught me up on what happened last night.”
Mike hesitates here and offers Will another smile. “Apparently, I got enchanted by some love spell?” he asks incredulously, and Will feels his own face go hot with embarrassment. “And I was stuck in it all last night, but you… you got me out of it.”
His voice grows soft on those last few words, and he stares at Will intently, like he knows.
He knows exactly how Will… supposedly broke him out of the spell.
“I—” Will starts to say, but the words fall flat. None of this makes any sense. Mike didn’t look any different after Will kissed him. No, he still had that same lovesick look on his face, as if he was still caught up in the same spell. The only way that this could’ve worked is if maybe the kiss had a delayed reaction? But rarely, if ever, do spells and counterspells work like that…
“I don’t understand,” Will finally manages to whisper. “I – I mean… I tried to break the spell, Mike, but… but afterwards… you still looked the exact same. You still had that – that stupid, lovestruck look on your face, like you… like you couldn’t believe I was real or something.”
For some reason, Mike’s entire face turns a bright shade of red, and he goes quiet for a few moments, fiddling with the hem of his jacket the way he always does when he’s nervous. But then, finally, he looks up, shyly meeting Will’s eyes, and with a quiet laugh, he asks, “Well… wouldn’t you act all stupid and lovestruck if the person you’ve been in love with for years just kissed you?”
…
Oh.
Oh.
Will’s eyes widen, and his mind… sort of stops working. All he can do for several moments is just stare at Mike as a few select words echo over and over and over again in his mind.
The person you’ve been in love with for years.
The person you’ve been in love with for years.
The person you’ve been in love with for years.
Mike is in love with him.
Holy shit.
Mike is in love with him.
Will is Mike’s one true love.
Holy shit.
“Oh,” Will says, and his voice comes out sounding much smaller than he intends it too.
Somehow, Mike manages to get even redder, and he rubs his neck awkwardly, glancing away from Will. “Y-yeah,” he says, suddenly shyer now. “I – I… I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but I – I guess I just didn’t know how, and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and mmph—”
Mike doesn’t get to finish his rambling.
Will doesn’t let him.
Because see, the thing is: the two of them have been waiting for this moment for so many years that Will has stopped counting now. This is a path the two of them have been walking down, since the very first day that Mike walked up to Will in this very same garden and asked if Will wanted to be his friend. This path, though difficult at times, is one that they’ve been on for years now, moving through different stages in life together and learning more and more about each other as the years go on.
They’ve been waiting for this moment for years now.
This is no time for anxious rambling or second guessing.
So, Will chooses to be brave, and he all but tackles Mike into a sweet kiss, one hand going to Mike’s cheek and the other being gently run through his hair. Fortunately, Mike manages to catch him, and he wraps his arm around Will’s waist, holding him close.
These lips – they’ve kissed far, far too many people that aren’t Will today. And Will’s never been a selfish person, but this is one instance where he will be selfish, if only because he wants nothing more than for Mike Wheeler to be his and for him to be Mike’s.
Their kiss is sweet and playful and free, just like the two children who met here all those years ago. At the same time though, their kiss is passionate and greedy and desperate, just like the teenagers who experienced years of loss and grief and who held onto each other as tightly as possible, while the world tried to tear them apart.
But most of all, their kiss is familiar. It’s a welcome home and an oh, there you are; I’ve been waiting for you rolled into a motion that’s easy and fluid and that feels like something they’ve been doing together for their entire lives. When Will gives, Mike takes, and when Mike gives, Will takes. They move together and as a team, and nothing, Will thinks, is sweeter than the taste of his best friend’s lips on his.
When Will finally pulls away, he’s breathless and full of awe, and he finds himself staring back at the same dopey, lovesick, and enchanted look that he’s become far too familiar with over the last several hours. “There you go again,” Will whispers with a bit of a laugh. “Looking at me like that.”
Mike’s eyes soften, and he leans forward, nuzzling their noses together. “Like what?” he whispers back, though Will suspects he already knows the answer.
“Like you love me,” Will murmurs, gently running a hand down Mike’s cheek. “And like you want me to love you too.”
There’s a fond smile on Mike’s face as he presses his lips against Will’s own, kissing him soft and slow and sweet. “I do love you,” he breathes, and the words send a shiver down Will’s spine. “I love you more than anyone else.”
He hesitates here, like he’s unsure of what he wants to say. “Do you,” Mike asks hesitantly, “do you love me too?”
It’s a silly question, Will thinks, but he’ll let it slide just this once. Mike’s had a rather long night after all, so he can’t be blamed for asking silly questions like this.
Do you love me too? As if the two of them haven’t been walking down this path together for years. As if they haven’t danced around each other, spinning around and around and around as they tried to figure out their own feelings. As if his kiss hadn’t been the thing to rescue Mike from this spell.
And as if Will hadn’t been completely and utterly enchanted by him from the very first day that they met.
“Of course, I do,” Will answers softly, and he watches as a smile blooms on Mike’s face, beautiful as the new patch of flowers grown in this garden just moments ago. “I love you more than you could ever imagine.”
Mike laughs quietly; then, he presses his forehead against Will, leaning forward and stealing another kiss. “Maybe,” he murmurs, “you could show me then?”
Will just smiles back, and he leans in, allowing Mike to pull him close. “Of course,” he breathes. “Anything for you.”
And as Mike closes the space between the two of them, capturing Will’s lips into another sweet kiss, it’s nothing short of magical.