Title: Just Tell Him Already

Pairing: William Beardsley/Dylan North

Rating: T

Word Count (Chapter 5): 1,627

Author's Notes: And with this, this fic finally comes to an end. Only took me 8 years, right? Hah. Anyway. This chapter took longer than expected, partly because I'm bad at endings and partly because I suddenly became busy in real life. Also, I got distracted very easily when I wasn't actually busy, too, so. I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this, and I am so sorry for the long wait. Without further adieu, here is the finale (and longest piece) to "Just Tell Him Already"

Dylan had waited way longer than he'd hoped to for William to come back to their bedroom. It seemed like hours since he'd stormed off and ever since Phoebe had left, all he could think about was what a bad idea this was. Part of him wondered if William wasn't even coming back to the bedroom at all, if he'd already went and told their parents he wanted a room switch or something.

Phoebe's voice replayed in his head, and Dylan stopped his pacing and sat on his bed. He picked up his sketchbook and began to draw again, not having an idea in mind and just letting the markers go.

In reality, the 'hours' ticking by in Dylan's head were less than fifteen minutes. William stood at their closed door, trying to will himself (ha) into entering. He chickened out, deciding he needed to use the bathroom and then that he needed a water. After he'd finished his third glass in the kitchen and used the restroom for the second time, he finally forced himself to stop procrastinating. Beardsleys were not procrastinators. They got things done in a timely and precise manner.

Spurred on by his own pep-talk, Will entered the room and shut the door behind him, bracing himself for any yelling that may come. When the room remained silent, he looked up at Dylan. The younger boy didn't make a move to look at him, but Will could see that his hand that held a marker almost against his sketchbook had stilled. William took a deep breath and locked the door behind him, not wanting anyone to walk in on the conversation that was about to happen.

Dylan's eyebrow raised when he heard the click of the lock, mind immediately replaying the image of Will on top of him. He blinked that thought away, popping the cap off the back of his marker and covering it, followed by shutting the sketchbook and sliding it under his bed. His mind was racing and he was honestly scared to look back at William, but he did, doing his best to not let on what was going on in his head.

Will moved to sit on his own bed, tension quickly filling the large space in between the two boys. It took a few heartbeats for either to say anything, but when they did, it was at the same time and sounded too indistinct with the mix of their voices. They stopped after a few words and Dylan sighed softly. "Do you want to go first?" he asked, after a few moments of silence.

William thought about it for a second. Did he? He usually was fine with taking charge but on this, between the two of them, he felt like he might have been the one less prepared. Still, he found himself nodding and took a deep breath. "I guess I'll just start with an apology, I'm sorry."

Dylan furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't expect an apology. "For what?" The only thing he could think of was maybe that the other boy would be apologizing for leading him on, that maybe William realized Dylan's feelings after that kiss and now felt bad for encouraging them when he didn't feel the same.

"You were in a vulnerable state when I was helping you before and I completely took advantage and made a move on you without asking or anything and I'm sorry." The older boy looked down at his bed.

Dylan blinked for a moment. Figures. Was Will trying to singlehandedly prove that chivalry was still alive or something? "Will. You know me pretty well, right? If I hadn't been okay with the move, don't you think I would have let you know?"

Will looked up, a little surprised, as he pieced together what was being said. "So…so you didn't mind?"

Dylan chuckled. He'd imagined this conversation a lot more serious than it actually seemed to be. William was either really good at yanking his chain and making him think he liked him back when he didn't, or his genius crush really did like him back and was actually pretty oblivious. "Yeah. I mean, I really appreciate the apology and wanting to have asked and whatnot but, yeah. I certainly…didn't mind."

William nodded. "Okay, so does that mean, I mean, are you…?"

Dylan waited for him to finish the sentence, but when he didn't, he decided to finish it for him. "Gay? Yeah, I am." He looked down at his hands and bit his lip, the first time in the course of the conversation he'd looked away from William. "I've known for a while. Haven't really told anyone yet. Jimi knows, and now so do Phoebe and you, and I guess Christina, even though I didn't really come out to her…" He shrugged, aware he was starting to ramble. It felt weird, like a weight was simultaneously off his shoulders and crushing him with just how many people were slowly finding out. Three in just one night. "Um, how about you? It's okay, I guess, if you don't want to tell me, it's hard to come out with it – wow, no pun intended…"

William gave a small smile; he couldn't help but find the rambling endearing. This was his crush, every bit of awkward and everything else that was in Dylan. As for his own sexuality… "I, I'm not exactly sure? I've liked girls before, too, so I didn't think I was gay."

"There's more than just gay and straight, Willie," Dylan said with a shrug. "You could be bi or pan, and there's demi or asexual, and you could always figure it out if you're not sure now…" He took a deep breath and leaned against his wall. "I'm rambling again. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize." Will bit his lip, getting off his bed. "Do you mind if..." he trailed off with the question, motioning towards Dylan's bed.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem." Dylan scooted closer to his pillows to give Will more room, not that he didn't have a good amount of space beforehand. "Well, I guess now that we have that question answered as well as we can for now, we should focus on what happened before."

Will nodded in agreement, feeling back to his old self and a lot more confident. Or at least, more determined to get this out before he lost his nerve, because he was still unsure what actually saying this out loud would mean. "Okay, well, I guess it's been implied but I should probably just say it. I may not know what I am but I know I do like you, and I'm not sure how long I have or how well this would work, even if we hadn't ended up stepbrothers, but I guess it's finally time you know. For sure. Before anything else happens."

Dylan looked up at the older boy, who was looking at him with such an intensity, such a raw, honest emotion that he hadn't ever thought he'd get to see on Will's face. It almost took him back but he found instead that he was drawn to it. "Well then, I guess we have that in common."

Will couldn't help but smirk a little, finding an opening to tease the other. "You like yourself, too?"

Dylan rolled his eyes, playfully punching Will in the upper arm. "Jerk. You know what I meant. I like you, too, and I don't know how this," he gestured in between them, realizing with that motion just how little space actually was between them, "is supposed to work."

Will nodded again, slower this time. "Well, Christina's advice was to figure this out first before worrying about all the specifics of it…"

Dylan raised an eyebrow up at the taller of the two. "You, not worry about specifics?" Fair was fair, he needed to get in his own snark.

"Oh, shut up." There. This was a lot more like them. A lot less serious, that part could wait for another time.

"Or what, Beardsley?" This was Will and Dylan, trading snide remarks back and forth.

"Or I'll have to make you, North." But with a touch of flirty, and that damn smirk Will wore had gotten a bit more predatory.

Dylan wasn't sure what it said about him that it was stirring something in him. He cheekily looked Will up and down, defiant as ever. "I dare you to try."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" Well, he did know Dylan was up for it, and he had locked the door after all… He slowly leaned over, and almost pulled back as Dylan had started moving back. However, when the shorter boy had settled himself into the pillows with a smirk of his own, Will took that as a good sign. Hovering over the other boy, he slowly leaned down, but instead of going straight for the lips, he leaned in closer to his ear.

Dylan snaked his arms around Will, biting his lip in anticipation for whatever it was Will was planning. "By the way," he heard his stepbrother whisper. Dylan shivered at the hot breath at his ear and the hand that had found its way to his chest. "You put your shirt back on backwards," Will finished, hand pulling the tag that was incorrectly at Dylan's front instead of back out, and laughing a bit as he pulled away from Dylan's ear.

He teasingly moved further back and began to get up off the bed, back to Dylan and smirk widening when the other boy protested, a little too loud. "Will, you jerk, get back here. Now."

Will threw a look over his shoulder, eyebrow raised and smirk still in place. "Make me."

Author's Notes: Sorry if you wanted more love and physical affection in this last chapter. I just couldn't help but make Will a little shit. I finished this in a rare moment when I wasn't feeling sick this week so I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you for everything.