#yes both porter and will are blorbo-fied

[agentplutonium]

i’m having thoughts so have these porter/william scene depicting what I think went down during the whole “hey, can you kill this guy for me? thx” conversation:

Porter knew he never was shunned from the Solaire House officially. However, intentions and impact were two different things.

Because he had no official house he belonged to, others were more willing to interact with him. He was able to find out information he never would have been able to under William, just as they intended. The difference was William didn't ask for information anymore. He was radio silent for years now, only getting what Porter sent over. Never responding. Never any kind of follow-up. Never a thank you. Porter was sick of the man.

But then his phone rang, and William's contact came up. Porter just about didn't answer it.

"William," Porter said curtly.

"Porter, it's nice to hear your voice again," William said, in that airy tone he typically had.

"What is it that you want?" Porter asked, expecting him to want intel or give him a new person to keep an eye on. Anything that retained to his current situation. He was not expecting-

"Is there a time we can meet up, talk face to face? There's something we need to discuss that is best done in person."

Porter couldn't stop himself from agreeing, even if his stomach twisted at the thought of seeing him after so long.

And that was how Porter ended up with King Solaire on the living room couch as if he belonged there. He looked so at ease like they do this every weekend. Porter handed the wine over, sitting on the far end of the couch.

"Thank you, Porter," William said with a genuine smile. "How have you been recently?"

"You'd know if you actually called every once in a while," Porter quipped without thinking.

William's demeanour deflated a little. "I know. I am sorry for not keeping up with you. I should have tried harder. I did miss you these past few years."

Porter wasn't sure how to respond. Did he mean that? Or was he just saying that? Instead, he opted to move on. "Let's not waste time with small talk."

"Can I not catch up with an old friend?" William questioned, his mood back to where it was before.

Porter's heart gave a twinge at the term. "You said you had something to discuss," he reminded William.

William sighed, placing his glass down. "I suppose so," he said, sounding genuinely upset that the small talk was ending. Porter could never even begin to understand William's moods. "It is concerning the House of Bennett and what you told me recently."

Porter was well aware. He threw that information at William in hopes he would actually respond to him for once. It was met with the same silence he had been getting. "What do you need me to do?"

William chuckled, "always so eager to help me," he muttered, "you don't change, Porter Solaire."

Porter ignored how his stomach and heart did a flip at the words.

"What I'm about to ask of you is a lot, even by our standards," William prefaced, tone growing serious. "The House of Bennett, as you know, is funding the group Close Knit. We have found evidence that Close Knit was in on the Inversion, and where the Bennett's were supporting them they, too, are at fault."

Porter knew this, and he didn't understand why William was mentioning it again. "Yeah, and what about it?"

William took a moment before he answered, regarding Porter carefully. "I need your help in... taking out King and Prince Bennett."

Porter floundered for a few moments, the words sinking in. "You want me to kill them?!"

"One of them," William corrected. "If things go according to plan, and I have little doubt in it, the other will be executed for murdering his King."

Porter scoffed, rubbing his hands along his face. "This is insane, even for you, WIll," he said after a moment. "You want us to play God?"

"I want those responsible for the death of thousands of people to be held responsible. If we let this one slide under the rug, it is as if we are excusing the actions of Close Knit," William said, voice resolute. "Don't you trust me, Porter?" he continued, voice softening.

Porter looked at William for a long time, those kind eyes he knew so well looking back. The worst part was he did. He'd trust William with his life. He'd trust him with his very essence. William would tell him to jump and he'd ask how high. If William said he needed Porter's help, then who was he to say no?

However, this was different. William was asking Porter to kill for him.

"I don't know, Will," Porter said quietly. "I'd do anything for you, you know that, but something like this is..."

William moved closer to Porter, hand reaching out to rest against his knee. Again, Porter ignored how it made his heart flip. "It has to be you," William said earnestly, leaning close. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with this. You're the best man for the job."

The more William talked, the more that Porter's, very minimal, resolve was wavering. The way that William looked at him, as if Porter was his whole world. As if he genuinely did need him for this.

"If you're not going to do this for them, then do it for me," William continued, "do it for an old friend."

Porter couldn't take it any longer. "Okay. Okay, I will. For you, I will."

William broke out into a huge grin, sitting upright again but still staying close. He gave Porter's knee a small squeeze as he said, "That's my boy. Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Porter didn't say anything, revelling in how William looked at him. His eyes warm, regarding him in a way that Porter hasn't seen in so long. He learned today that his devotion to William ran deeper than he thought, and yet he found himself unafraid of this revelation.

He loved William. For better, or for worse.