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Eddie woke up on Sunday to his phone going off like crazy and his mom frantically asking him when he’d last seen his boyfriend. He was fully awake immediately.
The Kaplan’s - William’s parents - had woken up hours earlier to find his car missing, and more importantly, him missing. They said his bed looked untouched and his laptop was still open, dead from being left on all night. Eddie couldn’t help but think it sounded like something straight out of a horror movie.
They called the police after listing statistics about people who go missing and how many hours they’ve been gone for, and the police came to question him. He answers truthfully, regrettably informing them about William’s weird correspondence with some guy from Reddit of all places.
By the time night fell, there was still no sign of William and everyone was all spent out of emotions and energy. Mrs. Kaplan was convinced she’d never see her son again and Eddie worriedly agreed with her sentiment, knots forming in his stomach at the idea of never seeing his boyfriend again.
“I’m going to stay with the Kaplan’s tonight.” His mom told him, handing him the car keys. “Just till things are sorted out.”
“I should stay too.” He argues.
“You need rest, sweetie. And sometimes he comes over to our place, what if he goes there? Someone should be there.” It’s a hard bargain but Eddie eventually agrees, taking the keys and driving himself home with a sick feeling in his stomach.
He doesn’t want to sleep when he gets home but his body doesn’t agree with this sentiment and he finds himself nodding off on the couch, the news playing quietly in the background.
He’s not sure how long he’s out for when there’s a knock at the door and he’s instantly awake, moving towards the door quickly. Unlocking it, he swings it open, and can’t hide the look of shock and horror on his face when he sees it’s his boyfriend, covered in grime and looking like a shell of himself.
William had been missing for a day, but here he is standing in front of him. It takes Eddie’s brain a moment to compute.
“Can I come in?” William asks, a small tremor in his frame that Eddie wouldn’t have noticed if it wasn’t for how beat up the rest of him looks.
“I- yeah, yeah, come on in.” He responds, unsure how to respond. His boyfriend nods and steps into the apartment, movements almost mechanical as if he’s overthinking every single action he makes.
He looks tired and borderline upset, the bags under his eyes spelling a lack of sleep mixed with dirt and smudged makeup. When Eddie looks in his eyes, though, he sees what can only be described as a weariness he’d only seen on people much older than the both of them. Whatever had happened, it clearly wasn’t good, he concludes.
“Where were you?” He asks, cringing slightly as his tone comes out more accusatory than he’d meant. William turns his eyes away, hands fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie, balling it up in his hand and holding the fabric so tightly his knuckles turn white. “Will, I’m not- it’s just-” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You were missing for a day, William. Where did you go?”
“A day?” William asks in a small voice and Eddie catches a hint of disbelief in his tone. “It was only a day?”
“Will? What do you mean-”
“It felt longer.” He’s trembling now, eyes glazing over with tears. Oh, Eddie thinks, oh god, what happened to him…He looks so lost, was he hurt?...Who hurt him?
William flinches, taking a step back from Eddie. “Nothing happened to me, I’m fine. It’s fine, I’m fine.” His response is quick and janky. He’s panicking, Eddie realizes.
“You don’t look fine.” His boyfriend averts his eyes again, not saying anything. “Will, please, I just want to help. Just talk to me, please.” He’s practically begging but he doesn’t care, letting his worry fully take over.
William hesitates for a second, wrapping his arms around himself. Finally, he responds, voice tearful. “You can’t help me.”
“What do you mean I can’t help you?”
“You just can’t!” He snaps, all the lights in the room flickering at the same time. Eddie looks to the lights for a moment before turning back to William, his boyfriend having paled, looking almost sick.
“Why, Will. Why can’t I help you?” He asks quietly.
“I’m dangerous. If you try to help me, you’ll just get hurt.” William sniffles. “Everyone always gets hurt, I don’t want to hurt you too.”
“That’s not true, Will-”
“It is!” He interrupts again, tears threatening to spill over his waterline and clogging his voice. “I’ve hurt people, Eddie, and I’m going to hurt you too. It’s better if you’re not near me at all.”
This causes Eddie to pause, taking in his boyfriend's words that almost feel like knives stabbing at his heart. He can’t remember a time he’s ever seen William hurt anyone, though he’s seen him get hurt countless times. Regardless, he wouldn’t hurt a fly if he didn’t have to. The words he’s saying are in complete contrast to everything he knows about his boyfriend. So either something really bad happened to him or he’s seriously out of it, because Eddie can’t comprehend any other reason for his behaviour.
“No, you won’t.” He says instead.
“I won’t?”
“You won’t hurt me, because you don’t hurt people, William Kaplan, never on purpose.”
At this, the dam finally breaks, and a sob tears its way through his boyfriend's throat, tears spilling down his face as his body shakes like a tree in a storm. Instinctively, Eddie moves forward and wraps William up in his arms, holding him close as sobs wrack his lanky frame.
They stand like that for a few minutes, the only sound in the apartment being his boyfriend’s sobs as he leans against him, arms wrapping around his back and grabbing at the fabric of his shirt.
Then, as if a switch flips, he’s trying to push away from Eddie, still crying loudly. Eddie doesn’t let him, gently grabbing his upper arms and holding him in place so they’re looking each other in the eye. William’s are bloodshot and glassy, tears and horror filling them.
“Will, talk to me, please, what’s going on?” He asks and William shakes his head.
“I’m a monster, Eddie.” He hiccups. “I’m a monster.”
“You are not a monster, William Kaplan.” Eddie says firmly, his boyfriend clearly not believing him. “You are not, under any circumstances, a monster.”
“Yes, I am. You don’t know what I’ve done, what I can do with my powers.” William responds, trying to tear himself from Eddie’s grip again. Again, he’s stopped from moving by his strong but gentle grip.
“You’ve already told me about your mind reading and I’ve already told you I don’t care about that-”
“It’s not just mind reading!” William exclaims, sobbing louder. “I’m a witch, Eddie. I’m a witch who hurts people and controls people and I can’t control any of it!”
He crumbles again, knees buckling under him as the adrenalin most likely coursing through his system slows down and the sobs quaking throughout his entire body. Eddie catches him, guiding him over to the couch and letting him lean on him heavily.
“You shouldn’t be near me! I’m dangerous! I’m a monster, an abomination!” William tries to argue but Eddie’s having none of it.
“I don’t care what you are or how dangerous you think you are, you’re still my boyfriend and I love you and you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He retorts.
“You deserve to be with someone more normal.” William hiccups and Eddie can tell all the fire is starting to leave him, wilting fast.
“I didn’t sign up for normal.” Eddie says quietly. “I signed up to be with you, flaws and all.” He thinks he sees the hint of a smile grace his boyfriend's lips. “Now, tell me what you need Will, I was serious when I said I wanted to help you.”
William sniffles, worrying at his lip for a second before responding in a quiet voice.
“Can you call me Billy?”
“Billy?” Eddie repeats.
“Yeah. I like the name Billy better.”
“Okay.” Eddie nods. “I can work with that.”
Billy smiles fully this time, and he’s beautiful, despite the tears still trailing down his cheeks and the cuts on his face. Eddie gently ghosts over one with his thumb and Billy hisses slightly.
“Will you tell me what happened? Or at least how you got these cuts?” Eddie asks softly.
“You won’t believe me if I tell you.” Billy mutters, smile disappearing under a cloud of gloom again.
“Try me?”
Billy sighs but nods. “Okay, but it’s a bit of a long story.”
“I’ll listen.”
“Well, I should preface this by saying I absolutely shouldn’t have broken into the house of a centuries old witch-”