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Will had mixed feelings.
He was spending his day off with Sion, who had quite aggressively invited him to lunch.
Will wasn't sure what to make of the invitation but his dwindling savings were thankful for the invite. He hadn't been working as much since they'd graduated to the tower so he was grateful to have friends in higher places.
Friends.
That was where his mixed feelings came from. His relationship with Sion had always been complicated. Sion had once saved him but had also hurt him and been hurt by Will himself. They'd wrapped themselves up in years of frustration and attempts to goad the other for different reasons and had suddenly settled into this odd truce.
Will still remembers when he'd returned from the dungeon the first time. He'd been covered in blood and gore and his cloak torn to pieces. Everyone in the class had been horrified but Sion was the only one who had stood up, and even seemed like he'd been about to reach out. To this day, Will doesn't know what Sion would have done, he'd never given him a chance. He doesn't remember most of that day.
That being said, he wasn't quite sure where they stood.
Will didn't have too many new clothes but where he'd just worn his uniform without his cloak as to not send Colette the wrong message when they'd gone shopping, he thinks Sion might find it a bit insulting rather than appropriate.
He puts on his older but quite nice pair of adventuring boots over a newer pair of black pants. He loosely tucks his white tunic into his pants before tossing a more casual cloak over the ensemble.
He looks in the mirror and heads out before he can second guess himself. He's just going to go meet a friend.
A friend! The thought was nice. Rosty would have been so happy for him, if not a bit jealous. The idea sends a fresh lance of grief through him but he breathes through it. He had to live and be happy, he couldn't use thoughts of Rosty to bring himself down, he wouldn't disrespect his best friend like that.
Sion gave him a long, lingering look that Will thought might have been vaguely approving. He didn't smile at him, but he also didn't scoff at him either. Regardless, Will could smile for both of them.
“You look really nice, Sion!”
And, wow, how interesting, there was a lot less fidgeting and only a low but not impolite acceptance of the compliment, but his reaction was- well. Goodness, Will had never known anyone to go quite so red at what he considered a rather bland compliment. He knew Elphy had always said to compliment girls and really it was just good manners but it was his first time complimenting someone who wasn't a girl in this manner.
But he had to, Sion was so cute and handsome all at once! He’d say more but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for him to compliment Sion quite so much. He wasn't sure how Sion saw him. He too had opted for boots over a rather fetching pair of what Will thought were dueling pants. The black shirt he wore only brought out his eyes and hair and his cape was neatly draped over his arm. He was the vision of a noble adventurer, especially compared to Will’s simple outfit.
“Let's go.”
Sion was suddenly trudging towards a street, Will hurrying behind him.
“Are we meeting any of the others-”
“It's just us.”
Will blinked as he adjusted his gloves.
“Is that a problem?” Sion asked as they approached the end of the street.
“N-no! I was just asking.”
Lunch started off a bit awkwardly, Sion staring Will down until he took a bite of the food and complimented it.
After that they ate in a surprisingly companionable silence.
Will did his best to focus on the delicious food and good atmosphere.
Sion finally spoke up.
“I was wondering, when we have more time, do you want to train together?”
“You want to train with me?! I-I mean, are you sure?”
Sion's gaze was molten and Will was quick to pick up his tea to hide his face from the other. Sion's boot nudges his own.
“What, am I not good enough to train with?”
Sion wasn't yelling. His voice was actually the softest Will had heard it in years.
Will looked up from his cup and all he saw was a small smile and a challenge in his eyes. Will doesn't think he'd ever seen Sion with such an expression. It was nice.
The smile fades away like embers in the wind and Will feels sad about it before he almost drops his teacup at the clap of a hand on his shoulder.
“Will?”
Oh. A classmate he didn't exactly recognize, but Will put a smile on all the same.
“Um, hello!”
“Sorry to interrupt your lunch but,” and Sion felt a familiar dread. They were about to thank him or apologize and he really didn't want to hear it. He hadn't been able to protect nearly as much as he wished he could. Not fast enough. “We just wanted to say thank you. We know your time at school wasn't the best and in the future we'll make sure to do more and be kinder to those who need it-”
“Hey.”
The two wix snap their heads towards the angry voice.
The other student bravely answers.
“Lord Sion Ulster. H-hello.”
“Where did you learn manners?” One of Sion's hands reaches out rather gently and gracefully. He had always been graceful but it was more gentle than Will had ever seen Sion move and it was to drop it over his own clenched hand on the table.
“Can't you see we're busy? Get lost,” Sion orders.
Will watches as their wide eyes quickly take in their now clasped hands, the meal between them, and their touching boots under the table and Will realizes that perhaps he has misjudged many things about his once rival and his invitation to lunch.
“Sorry Lord Ulster! Right away!” And then to their friend, “They're on a date , are you crazy?!” “Well how was I to know?! I thought he was in trouble!” Their argument is heard by all as they quickly make themselves scarce, “Well what were you going to do?! Fight Sion? He'd burn you quicker than you can cast Lux!”
A date? That can’t be right.
Sion huffs but doesn't move his hand as he picks up his own teacup, unbothered for a moment.
Will watches his eyes widen as he quickly slams the teacup back down.
“Serfort?”
Will's throat feels warm.
“ Will . Why are you crying?” Sion's warm hand squeezes Will’s and his other reaches across the table before pausing.
“Is this a date, Sion?”
“Huh?! Well, I mean…”
“I've…never,” Will tried to find his composure but he couldn't. Sion waited for him to calm down but when it was clear Will just couldn’t he stood up. Before Will knew it, the meal was paid for - and it turned out Sion had made a reservation and the meal had been so expensive - and they were just leaving but Sion was leading him, still by the hand, away from prying eyes and into an alley.
He actually looked worried so Will tried to smile but he was sure it looked terrible, just like he felt.
His breath caught as a soft fabric made contact with his face, gently wiping his tears. Without prompting, Will tried to explain himself.
“I've never had too many friends here. Well there's Colette, but she kind of just..stuck by me, ever since back then, when we were first years. And Rosty-” and this sent a fresh wave of tears down Will's face. He was so upset with himself, he was ruining their outing. Or based on Sion's delayed non-answer, he was likely ruining what was supposed to be a date.
But he'd felt so lonely the last few weeks and sure he had friends but he'd never been invited out the way Sion had done it, taking care of everything and in his own way making sure he was having a good time.
“Is it me? Did I approach this wrong?”
“No,” Will choked out, “I just, I don't deserve all this-”
“Bullshit.”
Will was so angry at himself.
“I don't! I let so many people die when if I'd just learned sooner or acted quicker then maybe…maybe it wouldn't have been so bad! I let him die! I let everyone-”
Suddenly it was warm, it was extremely warm, and Sion's surprisingly soft lips were pressed against his own. He let himself be pressed against the brick wall. Sion's hand was hot against the side of his neck and he felt his thoughts stop.
When Sion parted from him, Will opened his eyes.
“I'm right here. You saved me. Or am I not good enough for you?”
His right leg edged forward pressing him further against the wall and Will thinks it would be a threat if Sion did that to anyone else. However, they both knew Will could easily escape his hold. They both knew Will was physically stronger than Sion.
They both knew that neither of them stayed in places they didn't want to be.
There he just felt safe . Alive. Grieving and pained but held on to and cared for. Unbearably warm.
Will finds himself wrapping his fingers around the collar of Sion's shirt and dragging him close again. The fire mage follows easily, and it's no matter that his face is flushed and he looks mortified. He presses himself against Will before allowing Will to kiss him this time.
It isn't long before Sion's hands are in Will's hair and searingly hot against his waist.
Sion is downright possessive by the time they get back to the tower. They had managed to continue what Sion had begrudgingly admitted he meant to be a date, to Will's delight, and Will found himself in possession of a couple new sets of clothes and an enchanted necklace. He’d learned quickly not to protest the money being spent on him as it sent Sion into a series of rather long and noisy speeches about how nobles are meant to treat money and that commoners couldn’t understand. Will made the mistake of mentioning that he was a commoner and Sion froze only to say that he ‘didn’t care,’ and from that point on Will didn’t put too much weight on what was clearly rhetoric Sion had picked up from his surroundings.
He’d grown used to it and it was abundantly clear from the way that Sion acted that he only truly believed in the more chivalric side of nobility.
Besides that, Will was quite sure what Sion’s definition of common and the lesser lords and nobles thought was common were quite different. He did not hesitate to fight with his fists, just like Will, he ate anywhere the food was decent, just like Will, and he did not distance himself from those who approached him first, even if they weren’t nobility. It was such a stark difference from the brash and derogatory manners of Julius, and Wignall’s blatant acts of superiority, and rather derogatory comments, against dwarves and the ocassional lyzance that it was hard not to notice.
Their group of wix, with one exception, seem perplexed when they show up for dinner together and Colette drops her spoon when she notices the way Sion has Will practically tucked against his side. Julius rolls his eyes as if it wasn’t a surprise at all and grumpily slouches in his seat.
Sion is not subtle, he never has been about what he wants and he acts without comment, peacefully enjoying his dinner.
“Will, how was your day?” Wignall asks, not as tired on a day where he didn't need to deal with the elves.
Will looks up, smiling at Wignall and feeling warm and steady as Sion's hand shifts minutely against his waist before leaving him in favor of actually eating.
Sion had never been much for small talk. He was efficient about finishing his meal.
He grabbed Will's shoulder as he stood, intending to head back to his room since he had training early in the morning just like all of them.
Colette gave a worried little call of Sion's name, she always seemed worried they were going to fight, and Julius merely raised his eyebrows. The point of contact prompted a startled look from Wignall and Lihanna who likely saw the odd behavior from Sion.
Sion was still aggressive in nature, but no one felt unsafe around him.
And Will just felt wonderfully normal.
“Heading to bed, Sion?”
“Yeah.”
The silence was a bit awkward but Will felt like Sion wanted something from him before he left. He turned and tilted his head up, curiously, only to feel Sion's lips press against his cheek briefly, like a reward for looking at him, as he squeezed his shoulder and left.
“What?!” Colette shrieked.
Will's hand rose unconsciously to the same cheek that Sion had kissed and he was sure his face was as red as Sion's hair.
“D-d-did Sion just- but he- they-” Colette couldn't get a proper sentence out as she tried to process what she'd seen.
Julius was staring down at his plate looking oddly guilty, and Will wondered if somehow they'd been seen earlier.
Wignall had stood up and Lihanna was continuing calmly with her dinner.
Wignall had stood up?
“Wait! Wignall where are you going?!” Will called.
“Sion Ulster has no right to touch you, correct?”
And Wignall's eyes are cold.
“No! I mean, yes! I mean, it's…okay…if he does…?”
Sion thinks back to the comforting kissing from earlier and he feels himself properly blush. Julius’ spoon scrapes against his plate.
“You-” Julius stops but takes a deep breath before looking up, his gaze almost as cold as his magic, “You two are fucking weird. I saw you earlier today.”
Colette squeaks at the curse, unused to the impolite language, and Will fidgets in his seat. Julius lets out a large sigh. Inwardly Will was a little glad to see the lack of airs Julius was putting up. He was much more casual with them and as far as he could tell, less manners meant a closer relationship when it came to nobles.
“Don't make such a big deal of it, you lot. I don't think Will would be so out of sorts for any of us and we bullied him plenty. Yes, you as well, Miss Colette. Not that he hasn't hit us back just as hard. The difference is, Sion and Will like it. The freaks.”
“Hey…” Will protests weakly, but he can't say much when it's true and when the table has gone silent in agreement. It was also sweet of Julius not to mention how he’d known before anyone else.
Likely playing with his clones again.
“I'm telling Miss Gina.” Julius teased.
“Hey!” The crew at the tavern would never let him live it down, that he was suddenly being courted by a noble. Things like holding hands and hugs and such were cherished and wonderful between friends. But he also wasn't sure of the difference of doing those things with friends versus with potential romantic partners. But even though Will knew he could be thick about such matters, he couldn't miss it when someone quite simply shoved their tongue down his throat.
Sion had been quite enthusiastic about pulling him into corners and empty streets and passageways throughout the day. Or anytime he felt Will was drifting into his own head. Or whenever Will looked at him for a moment too long.
Will had a theory that Sion saw it as another method for them to fight, in a way. Though he wasn’t sure who was winning if they were both enjoying it so much.
Eventually the others all head to bed. Will isn’t quite so tired yet and Julius’ schedule with the ice faction isn’t as taxing as some of theirs so he stays.
Will is a little lost in his thoughts when a cold hand against his cheek has him jerking back, startled, before he relaxes when he sees it’s just Julius’ hand.
“What’s wrong, Julius?”
The blue haired mage frowns and gently touches a cold finger to Will’s eyelids.
“You’re so stupid, letting me get this close. You’re going to get hurt one day,” Julius lets out a sigh that sounds like it shakes him to the core, “You’ve been crying. If Sion is hurting you..”
Will smiles, a bit wobbly, “He would never hurt me. Not like that. He helped me stop crying actually. Though it kind of kept happening all day. It was really embarrassing.”
Julius was always different when it was just the two of them. He was perceptive enough not to ask why Will had been crying.
“How strange. You two despised each other.”
“Yeah. I think we made each others’ lives hell for a while. But we’ve settled all that.”
“Yet you still want to have this…dalliance with him?”
“Sion is really important to me, I think. I don’t have a name for whatever is going on with us but I’d like to see where it goes.”
“Well said,” Julius presses both of his hands to Will’s cheeks, the cold relaxing him and soothing his slightly puffy eyes.
“There you go, now you don’t look like you’ve been crying.”
Will stared at Julius, he was being rather kind.
“And…sorry for spying on you two. I didn’t mean to, I just stumbled upon you. If you need anything, I’m here. At least until you get me on Elfaria’s good side.”
Will’s smile is huge, “Thanks Julius, you’re a really good friend!”
Julius’ face twitches and he opens and closes his mouth before settling on blushing, “I hate you.”
Things are hard, and life has been scary but Will is so grateful for the friends he’s made. He’s going to do his best to protect them, no matter what.