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Will was having the WORST day.
Okay, admittedly, things could definitely be worse, but the day was shit nonetheless.
It had started out fine! Coffee and a croissant for breakfast, answering some admin messages from Aby, and then a pleasant walk from his flat to the train station. That’s where everything began to go downhill.
Firstly, the bloody ticket barrier refused his ticket. When he’d finally managed to flag one of the workers down to help (after NUMEROUS attempts including refreshing his phone), the ticket decided to work again and the guy no longer needed to do anything, making him look like an absolute tit. With an embarrassed “Sorry, mate.” to the man, he proceeded to the platform.
The train was on time, thankfully, and he boarded with few issues. It was only after he had sat down that an exhausted looking woman stumbled into the compartment he was in, a pram and screaming baby in tow. Grimacing slightly, he quietly offered her his seat, an internal sigh threatening to spill out. He was happy to do it but he had just been hoping for some ease on his poor, little, sore knees and maybe a nice view out the window so he could daydream.
Not a fab start.
After getting off the train, ears ringing, Will was shaky. He felt slightly like he wanted to tear his hair right out of his head. His knees ached, his head was hurting, and every little sound of the bustling Brighton streets felt like cymbals to his now overly sensitive ears.
He really needed to get to James.
As he walked, he thought about things that usually helped when he felt like everything was too much. Music. That was a shout.
Pulling his headphones out of his bag, he pressed the button to turn them on and waited a beat for the tinny beep that told him his phone had successfully connected. There was no beep. No please please not this now. He dug his phone out of his pocket hastily.
The red battery symbol flashed at him impatiently. He had hoped this wouldn't happen so soon. Will, of course, could afford a phone with a better battery life than lasting all of about 5 hours at the beginning of the day. It was just that backing up his phone felt like it took forever, and he had grown oddly attached to the phone he had, and replacing the battery was too complicated, and you would not find him paying 300 quid or something daft just for some guy to replace it for him. So, he had yet to get a new one.
Sighing, very frustrated now, he stopped walking. There was a small area of plain brick wall a few steps in front of him and he clattered against it, defeated and utterly miserable. He didn’t have the capacity to think about how close or far he was from James’ flat. Tears began to well in his eyes as he clutched at his own hair, head hanging between his raised knees.
He probably looked a right state, but he couldn’t care about that now. He wanted more than anything for James to appear with a cup of tea and lead him to a warm, freshly run bath, where he could wash away everything from the morning. He would stare into James’ gorgeous hazel eyes, tracing the flecks of gold with his own, and everything would be okay again. He really needed his boyfriend.
Heavy sobs started to wrack his body as he thought more about James and how he wasn’t there with him.
James was getting increasingly worried. Will had texted him that he’d boarded the train nearly three hours ago. He should’ve been there by now. And James wasn’t stupid, he knew trains could get delayed or run late. Will could’ve stopped for a snack on the way to James’ flat. But Will hadn’t answered any of his texts in at least 30 minutes, and his location had disappeared. James tried for the third time to ring him as he pulled the door to his flat open. He was hoping he might find Will at the train station and all would be alright.
In his haste, he almost missed the dark figure sat against the wall a few feet away from him, having quickly rounded the corner. He would have ignored it in his hurry if it weren’t for the gentle sob that echoed out from the small pile of person on the street.
He did a very dramatic double take before,
“Oh my god, Will?” James breathed out.
Despite the scene in front of him, he felt a crashing wave of relief wash over him at the sight of his boyfriend.
The sobs continued, Will was yet to notice him.
“Will, darling,” James tried in his gentlest tone, but loudly enough this time for Will to hear him, “Hey. Can you look at me, Will?”
Red, watery eyes peeked up at him from the sobbing figure. Then an even louder sob overtook Will as James firmly surrounded him in a tight hug.
James was not unfamiliar with this state of Will, but it wasn’t a particularly common occurrence. He thought very hard about what he knew Will might need or not need as he rocked them gently back and forth. Letting go, James secured their hands together and fervently ushered Will along with him around the corner and made the short journey through the entryway and up the stairs, pushing Will through the front door of his flat.
For the most part, Will stood, feeling rather helpless, having not fully grasped his surroundings again yet. James guided him purposefully, having him sit on the sofa so he could carefully untie his converse, pulling them off his feet whilst Will sniffled and tried to even out his breathing. He left him there for a moment, and Will heard the distinct, soothing click of the kettle turning on, before James was in front of him again. He was then being cooed at and nudged towards the bedroom where James began to undress him with an amount of care that on any other occasion might make him choked up and floundering for a meaningless insult to throw out in order to shift his awkwardness. Today he obliged willingly, sighing as his tears slowly began to dry.
“Wait here on the bed, okay? I’ll come and get you when the bath is ready.”
So Will waited. It felt like a very long time and no time at all until James walked back in. He took Will’s hand in his, leading him to the bathroom, which immediately engulfed Will in warm steamy air.
He sank down slowly into the water, feeling his muscles and joints easing every second that passed. He hadn’t even noticed James leaving the room until he walked back in and silently handed him a cup of tea.
“Jamie..”
Will’s voice was hoarse and quiet. James’ eyes widened and he stared in shock at his boyfriend. Will never called him Jamie. He refused. Told James it made him sound pathetic saying it, and that he wasn’t some lass that needed to be taken care of. James swallowed briefly.
“Hi, Will. Back in the room?” The corners of James’ mouth turned up minutely, and his gaze softened as he looked at Will, finally starting to look a bit more relaxed and at ease.
“Thank you.”
His words were small and he cast his eyes back down for a moment. James knew that when Will was feeling himself again he’d apologise profusely and beg James to forget that he’d had to take care of him. James would make Will understand that he wanted to take care of him.
James lifted a hand to carefully card his fingers through Will’s hair.
“Would you like me to read to you?” James proposed, allowing Will the grace of not dwelling on his thanks. Will closed his eyes. James thought he heard a quiet hum but the rest of Will remained still, so he grabbed his book from his bedside table as speedily as he could manage, and set himself up beside Will, near his head.
In a quiet voice, he began to read.
Will listened to the lulling voice as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The sound was comforting and warm, and he finally felt content. Just as he began nodding off again, deeper this time into dreamland, he felt a very light kiss pressed to his temple. The corners of his eyes welled up ever so slightly, and then he was asleep, smiling happily, and finally comforted.
James closed his book, and watched as Will breathed evenly. They could talk properly about it tomorrow. For now he was just glad Will was alright, and that he could savour the tranquility of this moment. He tried to commit it to memory, the look on Will’s face, the slightly mused hair, the quiet up and down of his chest as he breathed. They’ll talk tomorrow.