The walk up the spiral staircase was a silent one, Zeke gripping tightly onto his backpack straps, his mind racing. What was Justin going to say? Was he going to be mad or supportive? Jealous or apathetic? A mix of all of these things?

Zeke was only sure of one thing: there was no getting out of this situation now.

Justin Russo was only sure of one thing, too. He was going to have fun with this one. It wasn't that he wanted to torture his best friend, but he had to give him a little bit of grief. That's what guys do - they mock, then they hug it out.

Justin thought about holding the conversation in the living room, but instead he continued up the stairs to his room. The last thing he needed was Alex or Max interrupting. As he reached his door, Justin mumbled words under his breath and gave a little wave of his hand as he touched the doorknob.

He used to re-arrange his room whenever he knew Zeke was coming over. His bedroom typically had a lot of magic to it - from lamps that require spells to work to artifacts and knickknacks picked up in the wizard world.

After one too many close calls when he'd forgotten to hide something, Justin figured out a spell to hide any magic from mortals with just a few words. It came in handy, especially since Zeke had been hanging out in his bedroom/science lab more and more these days.

The two entered, Justin pulling a swivel chair out and motioning for Zeke to sit down. Zeke did as commanded, placing his bag next to him but not daring to speak yet. He sat up straight, feet on the floor, hands on his knees to wipe the sweat from his palms.

His best friend, meanwhile, paced back and forth, fingers tapping at his cheek in thought.

"So..." he began, slowly turning to face Zeke. "Harper."

Zeke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, slowly nodding his head (as his voice had been trapped under that lump and couldn't break free).

Justin replied with a nod of his own, moving to bend his floor lamp's neck to face Zeke. He flipped the switch, casting a bright light in the face of his best friend.

This wasn't the happy best friend bonding moment Zeke hoped for.

This was an interrogation. The light, only casting upon his face for a moment, had already caused beads of sweat to pour down his brow. He felt jittery, nervous and like he was about to puke. He just wanted Justin to say something. Anything. The silence was worse than potential yelling, and he felt as if the walls were closing in around him.

Zeke couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I'M SORRY!" he shouted quickly, eyes wide as he moved his gaze from the bright light to his best friend's face. "I admit it! I can't help it! I really like her!"

It was then, after he'd said the words out loud, that Zeke felt the pressure in his chest loosen. And there Justin was, smiling. Not in a devious, Jigsaw kind of way, but in an amused and pleased sort of manner. In fact, Zeke was almost sure he heard a quiet laugh over the deafening pounding of his heart. The Russo flipped the light off, then pulled another swivel chair toward Zeke's and took a seat.

"I'm just messing with you, dude," he said, holding up his right hand and speaking the alien equivalent to "I promise."

Zeke slumped down in his chair, hands moving from his knees to his heart, then up to wipe his face. He felt foolish to have been tricked by Justin's antics. It wasn't even Scare People Wednesday!

"But seriously, Zeke, I overheard you guys talking," Justin said when he was sure his friend had caught his breath. "I heard you say that you had a gift for me, so you might want to give that to me before you explain this whole Harper Finkle thing."

Zeke laughed, reaching over to grab his backpack. He pulled out the box, handing it to Justin who quickly opened it up.

Not before noticing the hand-crafted gift tag with his best friend's name scrawled on it, of course.

Justin had received many of those gift tags in his time, a fact he would not bring up to Zeke. Sure, it was common knowledge that Harper harbored an obsession for the eldest Russo, but Justin considered everything with the redhead to be on okay terms. They were friends, and clearly she had moved on. He was more relieved than jealous.

In fact, her moving on was almost as cool as whatever gift could be in the box. Almost.

"Oh, awesome!" Justin shouted, holding up his miniature. "It's just like me but tiny and with a better outfit!"

Both teenagers were all grins and excitement, Justin hitting Zeke's shoulder as he ordered his best friend to take a picture of him. He held up the figure next to his face, Zeke using Justin's cell phone to take a photo before handing it back to him.

"So that's why you've been talking to Harper more," Justin said, shaking his head. He was smart enough to notice, but had assumed it was cheer business or some other extracurricular activity he hadn't realized they were both involved in.

After all, they were two of the most involved people he knew, not counting himself, of course.

"It started out that way," Zeke admitted, picking up the box and pulling out his miniature. A smile pulled onto his lips, his finger running over the details before he held it up for Justin to see. "I really like her," he repeated.

Justin reached over to examine Zeke's miniature, almost floored by the paint job Harper had given it. He knew Harper well enough to know exactly how much time and effort she put into a project. This one was important to her.

"And she really likes you, too," Justin reassured him, realizing that - while the teasing was fun - his best friend needed him to fulfill that best friend role right now. Exactly how long Zeke had been harboring these feelings Justin wasn't sure, but it had clearly taken a toll on him.

"You think?"

Zeke felt a spark when he was with Harper, but there was never a point where he knew 100 percent that Harper felt that same spark. Admittedly the not-knowing was kind of exciting for him, each conversation or glance turning into a game of 'did she just feel that, too?'

Justin nodded and, just for giggles, moved the miniatures like they were nodding, too. Zeke had to laugh at that - prop humor was never not funny.

"Trust me. I've known Harper for a long time and she doesn't do stuff like this for just anybody," he insisted as he handed over Zeke's gift.

"But...." Zeke turned away dramatically, as if contemplating his thoughts. Justin was being supportive, but there were so many things unsaid. So many unanswered questions that needed answering.

"I want to ask her out on a date," Zeke explained as he swiveled back around, his hands emphasizing the word 'date.' "And not just a date, but a date-with-the-intention-of-asking-her-to-be-my-girlfriend."

Justin faked a gasp. "Not a DWTIOAHTBMG." The alphabet soup letters came out quickly, and Zeke nodded, not realizing that Justin might be poking fun at his lingo.

"Yeah, one of those," he answered, eyes wide. "Is that okay? I mean, with you? Obviously it'll be okay with Harper if she does like me, but what about you?"

"What about me?" Justin didn't see where he was going with this, nor could he figure out why Zeke was so freaked out in the first place. At first he thought it was just because Zeke was embarrassed about harboring a crush on Harper, but that clearly wasn't it. Now he couldn't follow his friend's train of thought, which felt odd and unfamiliar for the wizard. He was usually on board right from the station.

"It's bro code, J-man," Zeke said, only throwing in the J-man because it sounded more bro-y. "You don't date your best bud's ex gal. I think there's a specific clause that says it's double against the rules if she lives with him, which technically she does, but I haven't looked into it too much."

"Double against the rules?" Justin first questioned the logic of that one, but soon the words 'ex gal' sunk into his brain. When had Justin dated Harper? Sure, Harper told everyone they did but...

Butt. That was it. Cupid. Arrow. Ugh.

"No, Zeke, me and Harper - we never...."

Justin trailed off, realizing that it wasn't just magical heirlooms in his bedroom he had to hide from the teenager next to him, but rather a weird and complicated history of relationships he couldn't explain.

"You never what?"

Justin had to think fast, but he was starting to sound like his dad with all of the short syllables and noises escaping his lips.

"We never had that connection, you know?" Justin offered Zeke a smile, hoping that would explain it enough. "And you guys, you obviously do. I'm not going to stand in the way of that. Consider the bro code abolished."

"Even the double against the rules clause?" Zeke looked hopeful, and who was Justin to squash his dreams?

"Especially that one," Justin answered. He now realized why Zeke had acted so weird, and he felt a bit guilty for making such a show of it. He expected Zeke to look a lot happier now that things had been patched up, but a sullen look still lived on his best friend's face. "What's wrong?"

A moment of seriousness filled the air, Zeke shrugging his shoulders before catching Justin's eye. "She makes me really happy," he began, and Justin, with a smile on his face, interrupted.

"Yeah, you look so happy right now...."

Even Zeke had to laugh at that one.

"Seriously. It doesn't seem fair, for me to be all happy when you're still...you know. How uncool is it for me to potentially-get-a-girlfriend when you're...."

"Single," Justin finished, understanding more and more about how his best friend's mind worked. Zeke had been there since the break-up, and never once did Justin consider that his best friend was giving up on other things just to hang around him.

It almost made him wonder how many other things Zeke had passed on just to be loyal to Justin. Justin stood up, pacing a bit around the room. Now he was feeling guilty.

"Zeke, you have to do what makes you happy," Justin reassured him. "Did I ever ask you if it was okay when I started dating a girl, even though you were single? No. So why should you ask me?"

Zeke had never thought of it that way.

"You're right," he decided, finally allowing a big smile to grow on his face. "I've gotta do my own thing." A pause, a hopeful glance shooting in Justin's direction. "And you're sure it's okay?"

"Zeke, I officially give you permission - which you don't need - to date Harper Finkle. No take backs."

Zeke grinned, standing up and throwing his arms around Justin. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said quickly, hands smacking his best friend in the back to signify that it was a manly hug.

Justin did the same before pulling away, a smile resting on his lips.

"Does she know?" he asked, eyebrows raising. "That you like her? Have you shown her, told her, anything?" He was like a proud father, watching his son fall in love for the first time.

Zeke thought about it, eyebrows scrunched and eyes narrowed.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "Once she fell in the cafeteria. I stepped around her. Do you...do you think she noticed?"

Justin highly doubted it, but he didn't let on.

"Maybe," he said, voice reaching a higher pitch. He was awful at lying. "But you need to show her. Harper, she goes big. You need to make sure she knows."

Zeke thought over his words, bringing his hands up to scratch at his messy hair. He had to find a way to show her - something unique to them.

It clicked, just like that. Zeke knew what he had to do, and he had to do it soon, before any more obstacles got in the way.

"So you really dakka Harper?" Justin asked for a final time.

Zeke smiled, flashes of the girl's face flying through his mind as he thought about it.

"I really dakka Harper," he repeated.

Now he he just had to hope she dakka'd him back.