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Dr. Strange had always been one of Billy's favorites. He never even came close to the Scarlet Witch, mind - but then again, who did? Of course, there was nothing to be ashamed of about making the 'top 10' list of a seasoned fanboy like Billy Kaplan. It was that ranking as a long-time fave that left Billy quite beside himself when he received a letter signed by none other than the good doctor. Even the fact that the paper inside the envelope was blank did little to dampen Billy's unbridled fanboy glee - this was a test, he knew, and rolled up his sleeves to better get in the mood. He looked at the clock on his bedroom wall first and licked his lips. Teddy wasn't to be home for another two hours. He had till then to crack this thing and relish the look on Teddy's face when he told him that he solved a puzzle from Dr. Strange. Alright, he could do this!
...right?
–
"Why did the doorman say the fire alarm went off?"
It's been two hours, and as though cued, there Teddy was, back and in Billy's room and frowning down at Billy, who was sprawled on the floor, legs on the bed, note and envelope discarded next to him. He held up his hand long enough to answer that question before letting it drop back to the floor.
"That would be me, yes."
Teddy crouched down next to him, the concern on his face not lessening at all until Billy took the hand he reached for him; then it withdrew, if slightly.
"Are you ok? What happened?"
"That," Billy hissed and pointed at the discarded pieces of paper. Teddy examined the items while Billy pushed himself up to a sitting position, back to the bed. Teddy turned the pages, held them up, and then finally frowned.
"What am I looking at, exactly?" he asked and let Billy stall for a while longer. The answer he finally received was less than helpful.
"Blank paper."
"Yes, I gathered as much," came the exasperated reply while Teddy moved to sit next to his partner, who finally seemed ready to fill him in.
"Blank paper... from Dr. Strange."
"...oh!" Teddy looked at the letter with renewed interest and no small amount of excitement. "There's probably something written here, then, right?"
"It's either that, or the world is in really good shape for the Sorcerer Supreme to be sending prank letters."
"Yeah, that's probably not it," Teddy agreed. "What did you try to do with the fire? Check for invisible ink?"
"All it uncovered was that this thing is inflammable," Billy growled and tilted his head back against the mattress, his forearm pressed over his eyes. Teddy watched him for a moment before glancing away, a mild frown on his face.
"Dare I ask what isn't...?"
"Nothing I didn't fix already."
Teddy nodded curtly, then he reached to squeeze Billy's shoulder in a reassuring manner.
"Did you try 'I want'-ing it?"
"Why is that even a verb?! And yeah, I did; it didn't work, either. I think he rigged it to withstand my brand of wildcard abilities, somehow. I'm going to have to use something more specific..." Billy scratched his forehead; Teddy quirked a brow.
"How long have you been at this that you're no longer enthused about the fact Dr. Stephen Strange sent you a riddle to solve? And think about what's written there once you get to it!"
"Yeah, I was like that too, two hours ago."
"Take a break and try again! Don't you want to see his official invitation for you to be his pupil?!"
Billy stared blankly ahead. Despite biting his lower lip, a giddy smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You really think that's what this is? My invitation to Hogwarts?"
"Didn't you say he offered to teach you before? Face to face, might I add?" Teddy narrowed his eyes, his calm demeanor momentarily replaced with a snarl. "...over a breakfast date--"
"Ok, first-" Billy began and poked Teddy's cheek, an act that made the changeling puff out his other one. "The age gap is way too big for it to have been that--."
"That's what you keep calling it--"
"Second... I'm not having this conversation with you right now."
Teddy retaliated by trying to bite his finger. Billy withdrew his hand with a playful yelp before turning his attention back to the letter. Teddy took a moment to study his expression, then shifted slightly to get more comfortable, hands on his upraised knees.
"Any venues left for you to pursue?"
After a moment, Billy pursed his lips, seeming wary. Teddy titled his head, a questioning frown on his face.
"I'll take that to mean 'yes, but...'?"
Billy sighed and leaned his head back again. "But they're all things I learned from Loki."
"Ah," Teddy breathed out, as unsettled by the sound of the name as Billy was.
"It feels weird using that stuff, Tee. Back then, I didn't have much of a choice, but now?" Billy pulled his knees up and leaned forward against them, brows furrowed. "Now it feels wrong."
Teddy nodded slowly. He shared Billy's reluctance to even think about that time, and couldn't even begin to imagine what it felt like to have studied under the person who orchestrated it all, and caused them all so much pain. Still, the opportunity Billy was presented with was too good to pass up on because of it, Teddy thought and rubbed Billy's back before leaning forward.
"I hear you, but just because you studied under a Sith, doesn't mean you have to go dark-side. Besides, it's not like he taught you any black magic... did he?" Teddy asked, only half joking. Billy snickered and uncurled, legs stretching forward as he leaned back again. Teddy's arm moved around his shoulders almost on instinct.
"No, he didn't. I was somehow spared that."
"Good. I'd hate for you to condemn your eternal soul."
"You mean even more than being a gay Jewish teen whose soul originated from a demon's would?"
"I am not having that discussion with you."
Billy laughed, but fell silent quickly at the thoughtful look on Teddy's face.
"You know, I'd love to be there when Strange tells your parents he's kidnapping you instead of letting you go to college."
Billy's face went pale before he held his hand over his mouth. "Oh Odin... and mom's terrifying enough even without the Life Force."
Teddy snorted awkwardly. "True, but... I was talking more about Rebecca."
"Oh, me too."
Teddy stared at Billy before bursting into laughter. "I... can't really argue with that."
Billy grinned victoriously. The change in mood let him exhale deeply, after which he seemed lighter, more relaxed.
"...what the hell. It's not black magic, right? What have I got to lose?"
"An afternoon of raiding online and then snuggles."
"Are you here to support me or talk me out of it?"
"Of course..." Teddy whispered in a sultry voice, holding Billy close against him. "If you do manage, we have the nightly program to look forward to..."
Billy's eyes widened, his cheeks painting. "You do realize that now you have to leave, or it'll be impossible for me to concentrate, yes?"
"Yeah," Teddy agreed and pushed himself up, ruffling Billy's hair on the way. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll be outside, keeping your brothers distracted."
"Taking one for the team, are we? Bless your silly face, Tee."
"What can I say, I'm dreamy like that."
The phrase struck a chord in Billy, leaving him preoccupied and more than a bit uneasy. It reminded him of something he's been meaning to ask Strange for a while, and so he approached the trial again with renewed, and noticeably more sober, determination.
–
The decoded letter contained several things. The first was a greeting and congratulations at having solved the puzzle, a string of words Billy felt was beyond mandatorily praising - Strange was genuinely proud of him. Following that was an invitation, naming a time and place, and a heads up, as the second page of the letter contained a key, one Billy would have to utilize in order to actually reach Strange. Following the request to come alone (much to Teddy's dismay), Billy found himself at an abandoned alleyway, littered with backdoors and trash carts. He looked up from the letter to the door he concluded was the right one and knocked for good measure. No response came, so he tried the handle. It was no true surprise it was left unlocked, as inside he found a dusty, empty room that smelled of old herbs and mold. His curiosity satisfied, Billy coughed twice, sneezed thrice, and then faced the now closed door once more. He pulled the second page of the letter out of the envelope and smiled at the flash of silver that ran across the page, forming the hidden symbol he had to unveil. It was almost enough to make him feel slightly grateful to Loki, if he wasn't beyond such positive sentiments towards the trickster.
Forcing such thoughts out of his mind, Billy held the page up against the door. A glowing rectangle opened over the dirty surface, indicating where the page was to be placed. It disappeared along with the page itself once the key was pressed against it, and Billy would've felt ripped off if not for the sound of a lock unlocking. He couldn't see any change, but he felt it, a presence behind the door that wasn't there before. Excitement bubbled up inside him as he reached for the handle, only pausing to inhale deeply. He exhaled as much anxiety as he could with that puff of air and opened the door.
"Welcome, Master William," Wong, Dr. Strange's loyal servant, greeted. Billy found himself in a small room with period design he had a hard time placing. There were several armchairs by a coffee table and a coat hanger occupied by two coats and a hat.
"May I take your belongings?" Wong asked and hastily put Billy's jacket and backpack away, leaving the teen to stare down the corridor. He clenched his fists, his earlier excitement turning to tension.
"This way, please," he was instructed as Wong took the first step down the hall. Billy took another stabilizing breath and followed. The way over felt like it took forever, giving Billy enough time to wonder whether the corridor was filled with shadows, or actual holes in reality. It felt like something was lurking there, alright. Before he could ask, however, they came to a stop, standing in front of a carefully crafted, thick curtain of beads. Each seemed to glow with its own light, but what piqued Billy's curiosity more was what he felt behind it, a chilly, almost unearthly breeze, and a mixture of arcane energies. This was it, wasn't it?
"The Sorcerer Supreme will see you, now," Wong announced, answering the unspoken question Billy had on the tip of his tongue. His fists unclenched and clenched again, and Billy willed the nervousness into determination before stepping past the curtain.
–
The ceiling vanished, leaving Billy standing under a clear sky. There were more stars visible than he could even comprehend, with the planets circling close enough that Billy thought he could touch them if he reached out. He would have stared on if not for a flock of bird-like spirits that flew overhead, dragging his gaze down to the blue and purple meadow below. The breeze picked up, blowing past trees and tall grass and waving one Cloak of Levitation, dancing around the Sorcerer Supreme, one Doctor Stephen Strange. The scenery was as out-of-this-world as they came, yet the man seemed to fit in seamlessly, as though this was where he was born to be, meditating in midair in this pocket dimension, the rest of creation be damned. It wasn't until Stephen opened his eyes and looked at him that Billy realized he had held his breath, and the gasp that tore out of him when the master sorcerer floated towards him left him breathless.
"Welcome, Billy!" Strange greeted, his expression and voice warm and fond. "Did you have difficulties finding the place?"
"Oh, you know," Billy started with an exaggerated shrug. "I only had to decode this message written in syrup from the bark of an ancient tree mixed with fae-dust, spelled out in runes used by the dark elves of Svartalfheim, so really, it was your typical walk in the park."
Strange regarded him with an amused smile during that display. "Nothing you couldn't handle, as it turns out. I must admit, though, I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it."
"That's... a strange thing to say as a vote of confidence," Billy admitted, watching with a quirked brow as Strange poured himself some tea from a pot Billy only then noticed, along with the rest of the tea set, resting on a translucent garden table.
"Solving my little puzzle required specific knowledge I was under the impression you lacked. Wanda was requested to contact me when you came to her--"
Billy looked away with a blink, expression that of blank shock. "I could have asked Wanda!"
"You didn't?" Strange asked, holding his cup down and slowly turning the liquid in it. "I thought she simply forgot to mention it, between the duties of the Unity squad and other world-level threats. You solved this on your own?"
To say Billy regretted coming was an understatement. He moved about uneasily, scratching his nape. "Yeah, I... kind of know more than you think I do. As to how and why, it's... really a long story..."
"And one I'd be delighted to hear, I assure you--" Strange replied and offered Billy a steaming cup of tea of his own. The pleading look the boy gave him was met with a reassuring one.
"Once you feel ready to tell it."
Relief made Billy deflate, and he accepted the drink with honest gratitude.
"Beside, I'm sure you have enough questions of your own...?"
Billy was mid-sip when Strange said that, and struggled to swallow before reaching for his pocket. "A couple, actually, I made a list--"
Strange laughed at that, but waved his hand just the same. "You refuse to disappoint. However, there will be time for that later. For now, finish your drink, and we'll begin.
"Oh, is this tea special? Does it have any special properties?"
"It calms you down."
"That sounds like normal tea."
Exasperation painted Strange's smile this time, and Billy caught on. He looked down at his cup sheepishly.
"Right, ok, gotcha. Calming down is a good idea, either way."
"It is," came the sober reply before Strange put his own cup down. He proceeded to stare at the sky, and while Billy did think it was an attempt to not make him feel rushed, it failed miserably. Leaving most of his drink in his cup, Billy followed Strange away from the table. they stopped at random in the middle of the meadow, and Billy was beginning to feel restless.
"So, what now, Doc?" he asked while throwing his arms back and forth, hands clapping whenever they met in front of him. The look Strange gave him wasn't a bad one, but Billy still stopped, feeling too self-conscious to proceed. He stood there, shifting his weight from one leg to another, while Strange sat down, legs crossed and hands over his knees.
"Now, we meditate."
"Well, that's anti-climatic," the teen admitted with a quirked brow. "Especially seeing how I know more than you expected, maybe we can skip ahead?"
Still seated, Strange levitated up so he could look his pupil in the eye. "Billy, surely you've felt it. This world we're in isn't like the reality you're used to."
Billy looked around, eyes moving from the greenery to the translucent animals to the planets up ahead. Everything gave off a certain aura, and while Billy couldn't place exactly what it was, he understood instinctively what Strange was talking about. It didn't matter how much he knew in theory; in that place, he'd have to learn how to pick up the potato chips all over again, one at a time.
"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," he muttered under his breath.
"That we aren't," Strange agreed and continued, unfazed by the reference. "If you manage even the basics in this place, it will speed your studies. For that to happen, you must grow accustomed to this place."
The warning rang true enough, but Billy still decided to try it out. He looked down at his hand, surrounded by the blue aura usually visible when he summoned his powers. It felt different alright, almost wrong, and as he clenched his fist the light faded, dismissed. He looked up at Strange, a determined, calm look on his face before he finally sat down.
"Meditation, then?"
"As they say in Asgard - verily," Strange smiled and lowered himself back to the grass. He offered Billy a reassuring smile, which was answered with a mostly nervous one. Still, it was just meditating, right? Breathe in, breathe out, Teddy's mom's books had a lot of that in them. He did just that, then, inhaling deep with his eyes closed, and exhaled as much as he could, air and distractions both.
–
It wasn't that Billy didn't try, but still his efforts were largely for naught. Every time he thought he was beginning to find a sense of peace, his mind wandered, leading him back to the questions he wanted to ask, written on a note that by then was crumpled thoroughly in his pocket. True, some of them were benign, bordering the rhetorical, written down to make sure he really did get the thing right the first time, but others? Those tore an anxious gasp out of him every few minutes, his eyes tearing open and tension settling in. He'd glance at Strange and several times found the man staring back. Billy would always break eye contact immediately and try again, only to once more fail. Finally the elder sorcerer decided enough was enough, and he cleared his throat, drawing the witch's attention.
"Billy, do you need a break?"
The question raised the uneasiness to quite a peak.
"Wha-- no! I mean, we just started, I think I'm getting the hang of this, honest!"
Strange was having none of that, Billy knew, judging by the look on the man's face, but he wasn't calling Billy out on it, at least, not directly.
"I am willing to proceed, if, and only if, you are certain something will come out of it."
"Yes, of course!" Billy exclaimed, only to deflate under the man's gaze. It wasn't so much the scrutiny that did it, but the concern he saw there that finally made Billy growl in frustration.
"...not."
The fact Strange actually smiled at that was bewildering.
"Honesty is important, Billy," he began before lifting a hand. The tea set floated up from the table towards them and landed on a small magical platform. Strange then poured them both another round. "If you're not honest with me, if you don't trust me at least that much, I cannot guide you, cannot help you through your troubles."
The words, no doubt meant to be encouraging and reassuring yet ultimately generic, hit Billy harder than the man no doubt intended. He stared down at the cup offered to him and took it, holding it with both hands. Steam rose from it idly and warmth seeped into his skin.
"Tea, again?"
"The only ones allowed to use the word 'again' are those who actually had some the first time around."
Aware of how little he actually drank before, Billy nodded slowly and followed the steam with his eyes. He was wasting both their time, he knew, even if Strange seemed forgiving of that fact - chances were he was expecting as much, knowing his charge had a penchant for anxious fits. It offered some relief, and Billy let the man's words run through his mind. Help him with his troubles, was it? Of course, that meant Billy was honest with Strange, and for that to happen, as the man himself said, Billy had to trust him. He nodded again, a small sign he was still attentive, and then he focused on his drink. He took long, slow sips, rolling the liquid in his mouth before swallowing. He saviored how warmth spread through him, a tingly sensation. He let it work this time, and with an exhale he relaxed, gaining enough clarity and calmness to ask what he's been meaning to ask - for all the prestige and grandeur being the Sorcerer Supreme's apprentice held, Billy came for something much more important.
"Say, Doc, can I ask you a question... before asking you a question?"
The request was equally awkward and puzzling; though he took a moment to respond, Strange finally nodded, a warm look on his face.
"Whenever you're ready."
Billy ran a hand down his face, thumb and forefinger dragging over the corners of his lips. He took another sip from his tea for good measure before leaving the cup floating next to him. His eyes were still set on it when he spoke.
"Have you ever heard of a being calling herself Mother?" He glanced at Strange, trying to gauge his reaction. There was a look of comprehension on the man's face as both stared at each other, measured each other for a moment, until finally the teacher looked down, a concerned frown on his face.
"I have heard rumors. The entity's presumed nature makes her difficult for most people to perceive. Most of what's known comes from the mouths of children, and often is tied to tragedies. Many dismiss it as yet another child's fright tale, like the Boogeyman--" he paused before looking back up at Billy.
"But we both know such myths often have much truth to them, don't we?"
Billy shut his eyes tightly. He let out a shuddering breath he was holding in, refusing to calm down yet, but still feeling the tension slipping away on its own. Strange heard - listened - and he acknowledged it, he didn't dismiss it outright-- Billy could reach him. He pulled his hands down his face slowly, needing a moment to recover from what he could only describe as overwhelming relief.
Strange allowed him that moment while he contemplated the situation. Finally, he offered a portion of his thoughts on the matter.
"Is that the reason why you were away all these months, Billy?"
Hands still covering the lower half of his face, Billy glanced up at Strange. He then slumped forward, elbows on his knees, and eyes set on the oddly colored grass.
"How about we say you won't be hearing any more rumors about her... and leave it at that?"
The silence that followed was tense, and Billy was certain Strange would press the issue, but--
"That's good to hear," Strange concluded, sounding quite pleased. Billy blinked.
"You... are? I mean, that's it?"
"If I did ask further, would you answer?"
The pupil scratched the back of his neck. "Not... really, no."
"Now you are being honest with me; good." It was an important foundation for the future, the man thought. They had time, he wouldn't rush it any more than he had to, especially seeing how the threat was taken care of.
"Have I passed the test, then?"
Billy blinked, confused. "Wha--"
"You said you had another question after this one. I was curious whether or not I have earned it."
"Oh--! ...well, yeah, you did," Billy yielded, and for a moment appreciated how Strange sat up straighter and even floated higher above the ground.
"Then ask, and let the Sorcerer Supreme be at your service!"
The display was appreciated, but Billy couldn't afford to enjoy it for long, not when he remembered just what he had to ask. It's been nagging him for a good while, and now that he finally mustered the courage to ask, he found himself reluctant. did he really want to know? After all, one of the possible answers was-- But that was it, wasn't it? Why he had to ask. He had to know, and act accordingly. Of course, it still took a while after that realization before words left his mouth.
"A while ago, a... certain someone... brought up this possibility," he spoke in a low voice, eyes set on his hands as he toyed awkwardly with them. "A possibility that I--" The words died on his lips. He slumped forward again, eyes shut tightly behind a hand. He's spent so long denying the very possibility, but now that he so much as humored it again, he could hardly breathe, let alone speak. Finally he forced himself to spit it out.
"That I might've spelled Teddy into loving me. Or, you know, spelled him outright!" He huffed, waving his hands around. On his face was a smile, one speaking of very little amusement and more of something akin to despair.
Strange considered his words in silence, then regarded the boy himself. To say Billy was besides himself was quite the understatement, he decided. He seemed nothing short of terrified, and Strange couldn't blame him, given what he was just told. He weighed his words and decided to take a more straightforward approach.
"Am I wrong in my understanding that I am to pass judgement on the matter, be the answer what it may?"
Billy shook his head, holding onto Strange's voice and attention like onto a lifeline.
"You're not wrong. I don't know that I did, but I don't know that I didn't, either, and I need to know."
"Then you have my word, consider the matter settled."
The promise meant more than Billy thought it would. Knowing Strange listened and would help, with no judgement or criticism... it was brilliant. Or at least, it was, until Billy realized nothing was happening. He blinked before ruffling his hair.
"This is you telling me you can't answer right away and will need to look into it or something, isn't it?"
"That it is," Strange confirmed with a sympathetic, somewhat amused smile. Still, Billy seemed a bit more relaxed, having said what he wanted, and Strange figured they might as well make the most of it, if only because he was reluctant to let the boy out of his sight before he was certain he properly regained his composure.
"Is there anything else you wanted to tell, or ask me, Billy?"
He received a silent shake of the head as an answer, to which he replied with a nod.
"Very well. Let us attempt meditation again. Hopefully, it will help put your mind somewhat at ease. Let the matter settle down again, as it were. After all, nothing has changed since you walked in but a short while ago."
To say Billy was skeptical it would work was quite the generous statement. He had difficulty before, and he doubted actually bringing that topic up would help any. Still, he managed to study under Loki, didn't he? If Strange thought they should meditate, he could at least give it a shot.
Sitting straight again, Billy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled.
–
"Billy? ...Billy!"
A snap of fingers brought him back to reality. Billy gasped as he came out of his trance, blinking repeatedly and trying frantically to place himself. He was-- right, in that magical space Strange conjured, and there Strange himself was, with that fond, slightly amused smile Billy by then was used to seeing directed at him.
"I swear, I wasn't sleeping--"
"I know," Strange reassured, brows raised slightly. "You were so focused, I was afraid I was losing you. A promising development, yet ultimately another thing we'll have to work on."
Feeling sheepish, Billy scratched the back of his neck. "One of many, I take it."
"Perhaps. Perhaps your skills are far beyond my expectations, even if fine-tuning remains. We shall see."
The statement was more eerie than praising, Billy thought, but decided to take it at face value for the time being.
"Does that mean I can come again?"
"That is correct, yes."
"Same time, same place, next week?" Billy asked with a grin and pushed himself up. Strange remained unmoving, a fact that made Billy pause.
"We could, yes, but do you really want to wait that long for those answers I owed you?"
Billy blinked before falling back down, eyes wide. " I thought you needed time...?"
"Of which I had plenty. Travel through the astral plane is quite efficient, you see."
The teen felt a cross between sheepish and a need to kick himself. Of course Strange could do that, Sorcerer Supreme and all... that thought only lasted for so long before something else broke through it, a realization that the answer Strange had was one to quite a dreadful question. Before the man's calm demeanor, Billy found it hard to panic, or even really worry, no, he was past those feelings. All he had in himself to feel was profound if morbid acceptance. This was it, now he'd know - for better, or worse.
"Give it to me straight, Doc. How bad is it?"
The attempt at humor to cover insecurities, one Strange knew was instinctive rather than intentional, made Strange's lips curl upward briefly before he assumed a more serious manner.
"I do have some bad news..."
Billy's eyes shut tightly. He realized he had held onto hope only when he felt it slipping away. Bad news... so, that meant--
"This means... what, exactly? Some bad news? How--"
"It means even I cannot ascertain whether or not a spell was ever in effect, not without the use of time travel. I do hope you'll forgive my reluctance to do so."
"Yeah, time travel is-- yeah, don't," Billy nodded slowly before looking down at his hands. To not have that guarantee was terrifying, but there was something about the way Strange carried himself that rather than despair, left sparks of hope in Billy's heart again.
"And...?" he tried, still bracing for worse. In response to this, Strange actually shrugged.
"And that is all for the bad news. I realize you were hoping for more, but I rather not lie to you."
"No, I'd hate that, thank you," Billy objected before rubbing his hands down his face. This was... bad, he admitted, but he had expected much worse, and if that was all the bad news, then...
"Is there good news?" he asked, expecting the worst but still hoping for better, and judging by the look on Strange's face, the good news did exist, and was good.
"Let us begin with the simpler matter. Teddy's existence is as valid as any other person's, and his will - intact. You've had nothing to do with how he turned out, nor the decisions he makes."
For a while after these words were said, nothing happened. The two sat there silently, only the wind blowing past them. Then the words' meaning finally registered and Billy let out a gasp that left him deflated. He didn't create Teddy. Teddy was his own person, and Billy... was impossibly lucky that the guy existed - no, improbably lucky, isn't that what it meant? That for all the unlikelihood of it, it just happened?
He ruffled his hair, fighting off disbelief before a part of him remembered - there was still more to it than that, as miraculous as even that was. As much as he wanted to hold onto that joy, he forced himself to ask -
"And the other, more complicated thing?"
Strange chose not to stall, nor to be subtle, two things Billy was quite grateful for.
"The truth about his feelings for you, you mean."
Billy nodded. Now that the matter of Teddy's existence was resolved, it was even harder for him to face this aspect of the crisis. In a way, knowing Teddy was real while his emotions potentially weren't made everything worse. Still, this was the good-news part of their talk, wasn't it? So all he had to do was listen.
"Yeah, that... what about that?"
Strange regarded him silently for a long moment, contemplating how to best word his answer.
"I did say I couldn't conclude whether or not a spell was ever in effect--"
"That was the bad news."
"Indeed," Strange confirmed and proceeded calmly, unfazed by Billy's interjection. He understood the nervous origin of it, and so set to resolve the matter post-haste.
"The good news is that I could, at present, detect no any such spell affecting him. His emotions, like his will, are his own, organic and true."
This was too good to be true, Billy thought, fully expecting the other shoe to drop. It couldn't be that easy - it never was.
"But there could have been a spell involved sometime, right? I mean--"
Strange held a hand up, bringing the uneasy stream of words to an abrupt stop.
"It is the nature of such spells that they're static, unchanging in their inability to mimic the true emotions. For me to detect no spell now means that even if you put a spell on him-" the emphasis made Billy wince as he seemed incapable of accepting his possible innocence. "His feelings must have changed at least once, in either direction, breaking our hypothetical spell. And for you boys to stay together for this long, through everything you've been through, it seems he grew even more fond of you over time, wouldn't you say?"
"I... guess so, I mean... yes," Billy replied finally, slowly and silently, his hands gripping tightly onto each other. He was yet to be fully convinced, it seemed, and so Strange cleared his throat and put on the best teacher-face he could pull.
"The final conclusion of the Sorcerer Supreme is such--"
Both tone and words made Billy sit up, his entire being on edge. Yet a part of him realized, when Strange looked at him with the same look he's had for a while now, like a parental figure looking at their confused child - he had nothing to worry about.
"The existence of a spell, even a transient one, is understandably unnerving, yet ultimately redundant, in this case. Your partner has kept caring for you all this time, proving this simple fact of the matter - you are the kind of person your partner could fall for, and have been from the very beginning. I therefore urge you, young man - when next he tells you how he feels about you, how he wants to be with you, believe and trust him, Billy," Strange urged before his voice softened, yet never once lost its encouraging edge. "You have no reason not to."
The initial reaction was not a vocal one, save perhaps a choked sound that left him. Salty teardrops fell in thin streams down Billy's face as the truth - the simple, precious truth finally registered. He reached up a hand to clumsily wipe them away, but they kept falling, making him rest that hand over his eyes instead. He slumped forward, struggling with his voice.
"So..." He managed at last, making Strange tilt his head upwards in anticipation. "So, I didn't...?" The question, breathless and broken, actually hurt to listen to. Strange closed his eyes momentarily before nodding.
"You didn't. Any of it."
"Oh, God!" Billy panted and palmed his face with both hands. "I didn't... it's really real... I--"
A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Strange was on his feet next to him and smiling again - still? Billy lost track - and seemed like he had something more to say, but--
"Master," Wong interrupted from the entrance. Strange gave a curt nod before pulling away.
"I had hoped we'd have more time, but it seems I must leave now. I am grateful we managed to resolve your dilemma, at least. Will you be alright?"
Billy wiped his face again and allowed himself one last ungraceful, loud pull of his nose. "Yeah, I just need a minute. That was... that was amazing news."
"Which I recommend you share," Strange hummed before a chuckle left him.
"Oh, absolutely!"
"Take your time, then. This space will remain so long as you inhabit it. Oh, and one last thing," he added as he was on his way to leave, stopping halfway to the door. "Same time next week is more than doable, but expect directions to a new location."
"Another puzzle?" the boy, now also on his feet, asked with lightness in his voice that made Strange feel reassured as he watched him dust the colorful grass off his clothes.
"Certainly, though I will have to come up with a new challenge, you're noticeably more skilled than I pegged you out to be."
"I need to work on my first impression, is what you're telling me, isn't it?"
Another eerie smile preceded their parting, and Billy took his time even after the other two left. He looked up at the planets floating above before he closed his eyes. It wasn't such an intense session as far as using his skills was concerned, yet he still felt spent. It was the good variation of that feeling, however, leaving him feeling lighter than he had in a while, and with a kind of joy in his chest that was almost too much, and in the best way imaginable.
It was real. All of it. And nothing any trickster could say could take it away from him ever again.