#by far my favorite Wilyss love confession fic 😭

[rangertessadarling]

hsajgdf i'm speechless this is beautiful

Explain

Look, I know Will thought he could just take off and leave Seacliff for literal weeks just to tell Alyss that he loved her too but ??? Boy I wish it were that easy, I’m pretty sure you had some explaining to do though. But first: cheesy love declarations and explicit kissing iykwim

If there was an official record for travelling from Seacliff to Redmont, Will was pretty sure that he had just broken it. But what else could he have done? Alyss loved him. She loved him. 

And he loved her. He had realised it in Macindaw, but hadn’t dared to think that she reciprocated those feelings. But she did. She had told him so. She had told him she loved him without knowing if he felt the same way. But he did. And he had to tell her in person. 

Will dashed past the guards, in and out of the stables, up the stairs of the donjon and through the castle hallways. But then he stood in front of her office door, hand raised, and hesitated. 

Should he have announced his visit? What if she wasn’t in her office? What if she wasn’t even at Redmont? She could be away on an assignment. Maybe she was undercover again. And maybe he should have freshened up first? A million thoughts were racing through his head, and a thousand what-ifs. What if she’d changed her mind? What if she’d take back her words? What if-

But then Horace’s voice sounded in his head. 

What if you just knock and find out, you idiot. 

Will grinned. Horace was always pragmatic. And, if everything went as Will hoped, the knight would also be right. 

So Will took a deep breath - the last one before his heart would either be broken or claimed, never mind the cliches - and knocked. 

‘Just a minute!’

Thankfully, Will exhaled. At least she was there. 

Despite the worries that were still raging inside him, he didn’t have to fake the smile that grew on his face when his friend - friend? - opened the door. 

‘Will!’ Alyss said, caught by surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

Her blonde hair was a little longer than it had been last time he’d seen her. It fell past her shoulders, a few strands tucked behind her ears. There was a soft blush on her cheeks - Alyss always blushed when she was working on something she enjoyed. Her white uniform elegantly hugged her figure, a silver laurel branch pin shining proudly on her chest. And her sce‘I too,’ he blurted out. 

‘You what?’

Alyss frowned softly. She skimmed his appearance, as he stood there, out of the blue and half undone. 

Then she saw it. The letter in his hand. The letter was filled with her own handwriting and although she could not read them, she knew what words were written on the back. ‘Oh.’

Will followed her gaze and raised the hand with the letter.

‘Yeah. About that…’

Alyss smiled faintly and broke eye contact. She didn’t need to look at him. Didn’t want to see his beautiful face, the freckles, the dark and messy curls, the brown eyes that drowned her, or the big and idiotic grin that could leave her shaking on her legs. She didn’t want to see the lips she longed to taste tell her that she never would. 

‘You don’t have to tell me,’ she said. ‘Really, you don’t need to tell me if you don’t feel the same.’

‘But I do.’

Alyss’s grey eyes - oh, they were practically a liquid silver - shot back towards him. 

‘You do… what?’

‘I do love you.’

‘You do?’

‘I do. A lot, actually.’

He grinned at her - oh, she would never get enough of his stupid grin - and Alyss could only stare back as a huge smile slowly lit up her face. 

Will raised an eyebrow. 

‘What?’ he asked.

‘Do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?’

Will shrugged. 

‘Horace said I think too much,’ he replied. ‘I’d said it already, you know, in the tower - but you’d probably already figured that out - and I meant it, but I wasn’t sure, right - I didn’t know - and I didn’t know if you… I mean, it’d gotten you out of the hypnosis, of course, and Malcolm said - but I didn’t know-’

‘Will,’ Alyss interrupted him. 

Will looked back at her - really looked at her -, eyes big and, if she wasn’t imagining things, pupils slightly dilated. 

Alyss smiled. 

‘Shut up,’ she said. Then she kissed him. 

They’d kissed before, of course. At the restaurant, way back when. In Macindaw, a lot less time ago. And a few times in between those two events. But not like this. Never like this. 

Those kisses had been hesitant. They’d been careful. They had been filled with doubts and uncertainties and questions. But this kiss-- 

It was magic. Will had no other way of explaining it. Somehow, he had travelled to Macindaw to disprove the rumours of sorcery and wizardry, yet had returned under an enchantment he hoped would never break. 

Alyss’s lips were as soft as he remembered, though the force with which she pressed them against his was new. Her tongue, feared by many for its quick-wittedness, seemed eager to find his. 

And Will let it happen. Gladly. Because he loved her. 

He loved how she always carried herself straight, unafraid to tower above men. He loved how she always threw herself into every assignment, every mission. He loved her way with words, for hers could bring resolutions to even the most heated of conflicts. He loved how she could read every person, see right through them, and reduce them to nothing but a stuttering mess with just her smile and a raised eyebrow. He loved every piece of her, every doubt, and every insecurity. 

And suddenly, Will understood them. The tales. The songs. The bards and the legends. The stories, of neverending hope and of everlasting faith. Of two hearts beating like one and of souls melting together. All because of a love that could numb the senses better than anything ever would. 

Except, perhaps, the senses of a Ranger. 

A small noise had alerted Will. It was a few corners away, perhaps even a pair of stairs, but it was undeniably the sound of approaching footsteps. 

He pulled back - only slightly - and from a few centimetres above him, Alyss sought to meet his eyes. The blush on her cheeks had only grown. 

‘Your office,’ Will rasped, out of breath. 

‘Hm?’

‘We should get into your office. Anyone could see us.’

His voice - did she do that? Was that the effect that she could have on him, throat hoarse, as if talking was hard, was difficult, because he was restraining himself? Restraining himself… from what? Alyss needed to know. 

She grasped his collar and did as he had suggested. She pulled him in, gently but urgently, and heard how he kicked the door close behind them. Will’s cloak fluttered behind him - like the wings of a butterfly, Alyss faintly thought - as they moved into the office. They stood still in the midst of it and their lips found each other once more. 

They shared a breath, a moment, and so much more. 

Will tasted like vanilla. Alyss had never noticed it before, but he did. She let the flavour consume her. Will’s tongue was pushing against her teeth, begging her to let him in. She did. One of her hands was in his hair, never telling him to stop - not even when his mouth began to explore her jaw and then her neck, and she actually trembled. Her skin burned where his lips tasted her and yet she ached for more. 

His hands were everywhere, as she knew were her own. She wanted to feel him, wanted to touch every scar and kiss every freckle. 

Alyss knew her way with words, but if anyone asked, she wouldn’t be able to explain how she felt in this exact moment. 

Will loved her. He loved her like she loved him. She loved how he always asked a thousand questions, eager to get to the bottom of things. She loved his excitement, his hunger for adventure, and the way his mind worked to improve the lives of those around him. She loved his sense of humour, his compassion, and how he could always make her feel better. She even loved how long it had taken him to return the feelings. And above all, she loved his touch, his lips and his hands, their comfort and stability, their passion and dedication and love - pure, selfless, unimagined, love.

When at last, Alyss felt like her lips were chapped and as if she would faint if her lungs did not get to draw a normal breath, she pulled back. But not entirely. She rested against Will, and he leaned back. Eyes closed, just breathing each other in. 

They stood like that for a minute. Foreheads pressed together, both panting. Once again, Will’s hands found their way up and cupped Alyss’s face in them. 

‘Tell me what happened in the tower,’ Alyss whispered to him. ‘Tell me what you told me that broke Keren’s hold over me.’ 

How could he not oblige? 

‘I told you that I love you,’ Will breathed, as his thumbs traced the lines of her mouth. ‘And that I always have.’

His thumbs began moving up, over her cheekbones, every caressing touch so careful and so kind. Alyss opened her eyes and found herself looking down into his. She suddenly found it hard to breathe again. 

‘And then…’ Will gently stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ears, as if there wasn’t a part of her face that he wanted hidden from his sight. 

‘Then you saved my life.’ 

He sought out her lips again, but Alyss froze when someone knocked on the door to her office. Will balanced on his toes so his mouth could move past Alyss’s, until his lips were next to her ear. 

‘Don’t make a sound,’ he whispered. ‘Maybe they’ll go away.’ 

The knocking sounded again. 

‘Alyss?’ 

‘It’s Pauline, I can’t ignore her,’ Alyss sighed. She untangled herself from Will’s touch, took a deep breath, and called out: ‘Just a minute!’ 

Then, with one hand, she gently pushed against Will’s chest, beckoning him to move against the wall behind him. From there, a large closet blocked the view to and from the door. 

‘Stay here, and pray your invisibility skills are as good as you Rangers like to make people believe.’ 

Combing through her hair with her fingers, Alyss moved towards the door. Her cheeks were burning, she knew, but there was nothing she could do about that on such short notice. 

‘Pauline! What can I do for you?’

The closet might block Pauline’s view of the room, keeping her from discovering Will, but so too did it block Will’s view. He could depend on nothing but his ears. He heard a pair of feet enter the room. Then a voice. 

‘Alyss, dear, you look flustered. Is everything alright?’

Will couldn’t see it, but Alyss faintly gestured towards the stacks of paper on the table. 

‘Just a ton of work,’ she replied. ‘You know how it goes.’

Will grinned. He loved how easily she lied. But then-

‘It wouldn’t have anything to do with my former apprentice, whose horse I just saw in the stables, would it?’ a deep voice sounded. 

Inwardly, Will cursed. He had really hoped his visit would go unnoticed. 

Before Alyss could concoct another lie - one which Halt wouldn’t believe anyways - Will stepped out from behind the closet. His arms were wide, in what was supposed to resemble a welcoming gesture. 

‘Halt! What are you doing here?’ 

He was met by two raised eyebrows, both belonging to another person who now turned towards him. 

‘I could ask you the same question,’ Halt answered. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you graduate a year or so ago? Don’t you have your own fief to take care of - say, Seacliff or so?’

But Will was ready. Somewhat. 

‘That doesn’t mean that I never have business elsewhere, Halt,’ he countered.

Behind the older couple, Alyss’s eyes widened. She quickly composed herself, however, when Halt and Pauline turned to her. Seemingly effortlessly, she said: ‘There were some questions regarding the events in Macindaw past winter. Will and I decided to try and answer them together.’

Halt raised an eyebrow. 

‘Is that so? And why did this have to be discussed in person?’

‘I thought it would be… faster,’ Will said weakly. 

‘So people asked questions and instead of sending letters like a normal person, you decided to drop by unannounced and spend the next long minutes giving an answer?’

‘Yes,’ Will said. His confidence was growing. Maybe he could get away with it. 

But Halt’s next question shattered any hopes of doing so. 

‘Then why are you still wearing your cloak?’

‘I… I was cold?’

‘Did Halt teach you to lie?’ Pauline asked. Her head was cocked to the side as she studied him with interest. ‘Because you have the same tells as him.’

This time, Halt’s frown was directed not towards his former apprentice, but towards his wife. 

‘I don’t have tells.’

But Pauline met his eyes without hesitation. 

‘You do, dear. Quite a few of them, too.’ 

Will bit his lip in an attempt to hide his grin. He was aided by the fact that Pauline now turned her piercing gaze towards another person in the room.

‘Alyss? I hope I taught you better than that.’

Alyss straightened her shoulder, raised her chin, and didn’t break eye contact with her mentor once. 

‘I sent Will a letter in which I referred back to the events in Macindaw. I also asked him to elaborate on something. So he travelled here to provide an explanation,’ Alyss said smoothly. Her voice hadn’t wavered, her hands hadn’t fidgeted, and she had successfully answered Pauline’s questions without lying. Out of all three of them, Will had known Alyss the longest. And if he didn’t know any better, he wouldn’t have guessed that she was hiding something. He added it to his mental list of reasons why he loved her. 

‘And were your questions answered?’ Pauline asked. 

Alyss nodded. 

‘Certainly. It has been most… enlightening.’ 

Will coughed. 

Pauline pulled one corner of her mouth up into an almost-smile. 

‘That’s better,’ she said. 

‘Explanations for Will's presence here notwithstanding …’ Halt continued, and Will could feel his shoulders drop. 

‘Is Seacliff aware that its Ranger has disappeared for the second time in less than a year?’

Will shrugged. 

‘I’ll be back before they even know I’m gone.’

But Halt seemed unconvinced. 

‘Is that so?’

A revelation dawned on Will.

‘I don’t even have to explain myself to you,’ he said. ‘You’re not my senior.’

Halt raised an eyebrow at that and Will corrected himself. 

‘Well, you might be a senior citizen, but you’re not my boss.’

‘What if Crowley finds out you abandoned your post?’

‘Crowley won’t know. Besides, nothing ever happens at Seacliff. Trust me.’

‘On your head be it,’ Halt muttered. Inwardly, Will smiled. As far as he could speak of winning, when his visit had been discovered, he was about to win this exchange. Especially when Alyss - smart, quick-witted, lovely Alyss - came to his rescue. 

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine, if Will says so,’ she added. 

A silence fell over the room. It wasn’t awkward - the four of them knew each other too well for that - but neither Will or Alyss was entirely comfortable with the lack of showing of either approval or disapproval from their mentors. But then Pauline spoke up again. 

‘Will you be staying for dinner, Will?’ the older Diplomat asked.  

‘Or was Alyss the only person in this castle you were planning on visiting?’ Halt added innocently. 

There was something devious about the way Will’s lips curled up into a grin. 

‘I honestly don’t know if you want me to lie or not.’ 

Halt rolled his eyes up at the ceiling. 

‘Just be there, or I might mention your visit to Crowley after all.’

‘Of course. Wouldn’t want to miss dinner with you, Halt,’ Will replied. His mentor muttered something at that, but moved back to the door. The older Diplomat began to follow him, but she was held back. 

‘Pauline?’ Alyss asked. 

The head of the Diplomatic Service looked back at her, beckoning for her to speak. 

‘What did you come here for?’

Pauline gestured towards the table. 

‘The papers. The … you know which ones. I just wanted to check in on your progress with them.’

Alyss nodded. 

‘Of course. I’ll have them done, I promise.’

‘After you finish the Macindaw business?’

Even Alyss could barely hide the blush that now spread over her cheeks. 

‘As soon as possible.’

And at that, Pauline drew the door in a close behind her. 

A sigh escaped both of the young people left in the room. Then, both of them looked up. Their eyes met and a burst of laughter escaped them. 

Will opened his arms and Alyss walked right into them, throwing her own arms around his neck. The young Ranger looked up at her. 

‘So. Where were we?’

‘I think you were telling me just how much you love me.’

‘Really? Did I use the words “a lot” already?’

‘You might’ve mentioned them.’

‘Then I guess I have to make myself clear using something other than words.’

Will’s eyes dropped towards her lips, but Alyss pulled back. 

‘Will you be in trouble?’

Half-reluctantly, Will met her eyes again. 

‘Nah. Halt won’t tell Crowley. And if he does find out… as long as I’m back by the end of the week, he won’t care much.’

‘Okay.’

‘What about your papers?’

‘They can wait. Pauline might give me a hard time over them, but they’re not due till the end of the week and I’m already almost done.’

Will’s lips curled up. 

‘So… does that mean that we have time to finish our unfinished Macindaw business?’

Alyss could feel her own lips pull up in a smile that matched his. 

‘We do.’

The kiss that followed was slow, but nonetheless full of love. By the time it ended, seconds could have passed, or it could have been minutes. Time was an illusion, anyways. 

Alyss pulled away a little, just so she could look at him. 

‘I love you,’ she whispered, before burying her head in his shoulder. 

Will smiled against her hair as he breathed her in. Really, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough. nt-- she smelled like mint and apple and the freshness of an early morning dew. 

Never had Will felt his heart beat as hard as it did now. And never had his smile felt this big. 

‘I love you too.’