KEEP A PLACE FOR ME // Wilbur Soot X Reader

21

You closed the door to the flat behind you and let your bag slip to the ground so you could shrug off your coat and leave it by the door. It had started raining on your way home from the office, so you toed your shoes off as well, leaving them on the mat as you didn't want to track the wet throughout the house. You could hear Maddy working in the kitchen as she listened to Wilbur's album - probably getting dinner together. 

You hadn't seen Wilbur all day today.

It was kind of strange, after seeing him almost every day for a while now. He hadn't even shown up in the afternoon, like he usually did - or if he had, you hadn't heard him. You hoped he wasn't sick or anything, but you weren't too worried. It was just one day - you were sure he would be back tomorrow. 

"Y/N!" Maddy called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." You said, making your way to the kitchen. "What's up?"

Maddy was at the stove, stirring something as it boiled. You came to stand next to her and peered into the pot - pasta.  

"I just need you to test this for me." She said, fishing out a noodle with the spoon and handing it to you. 

You picked it up and popped it in your mouth. "Mmm." You said, swallowing. "Maybe a minute or so more, it's still a little hard. What are you making?"

"Bolognese sauce." Maddy said, gesturing to another pot that was simmering on the stove. "I found a recipe online that I wanted to try, so figured since Jazzy was going out tonight and it was just going to be us, you wouldn't mind."

"Sounds good to me." You said, leaning against the counter to watch Maddy cook. "Where's she going?"

"Some concert with her friends from school." Maddy said. "The usual."

You hummed, a small smile coming to your face. "Remember when we were in uni, and that girl in the dorm next to ours gave us those tickets to see The Kills since she couldn't go?"

Maddy smiled. "And we ended up missing the train back and had to wait hours for the next one."

"Didn't feel like hours." You said. 

"Well, we were drunk off our asses." Maddy laughed. 

You laughed as well, remembering your uni days. You knew it hadn't been that long since you were in school, but it felt like decades ago - it seemed adult life had a habit of sucking the years away like they were air. You were only 25, yet already painting your childhood with a hazy nostalgic glow.

There was a moment of silence as one song ended, and another began, and Maddy cleared her throat, bringing your attention back to her. "How was work?"

Right, work. "Just another day." You said with a shrug. "Nothing too crazy."

"And how's Wilbur?" She asked, turning the heat of the stove off. 

"He wasn't in today." You said. 

Maddy raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, it was kind of strange." You said. "Too quiet."

"Don't tell me you've gotten used to the noise." Maddy joked, draining the pasta in the sink. A large cloud of steam floated up towards the ceiling. "After all the moaning and groaning and going to complain to the man who owns the building, really?"

You laughed, covering your face with your hands. "I know, I know... I hate to say it but he's grown on me."

Maddy smiled, grabbing bowls from the cabinet and making up two dishes. "Don't let Jazzy hear you saying that, she'll have a field day." She said, as she handed you a bowl and fork. 

You sat down at one of the barstools and placed your bowl on the table, Maddy taking the seat next to you. "Why does she care so much anyway?" You said. "Shouldn't she be worried about her own love life?"

Maddy shrugged. "I just think she's trying to help, you know? We both see how stressed you are all the time, and I think it's her way of saying that she wants you to be happy... she really does care, you know. She's talked to me about it before, she really is worried for you."

You smiled. You had only known Jazzy for a few years, but she had become a little sister to you as well over the time. To hear that she had been concerned about your stress, and that she was actively trying to help was heartening. 

"Well now I feel bad for moaning and groaning about it." You laughed. 

Maddy shrugged. "Do her a favor and actually flirt back with him then."

"I don't even fancy him." You said, insisting more to yourself than Maddy. 

Maddy snorted, swirling her dinner around with her fork to cool it off a bit. "Because he's definitely not the highlight of your work days, and you don't listen to his album religiously, and you didn't sit in on some of his streams just because he asked." 

"Maddy..." You said, popping a bit of pasta into your mouth. "I can't, alright?"

"Why not?" She asked, looking you in the eye. 

"It sounds stupid, but I'm too busy." You said. "The deadline for the magazine just got changed, and I'm going to have to start looking for another gig soon, but I'm also sort of trying to get hired by the magazine full time, and there are interviews, and just..." You sighed. "Everything."

Maddy frowned slightly. "You know, I'm worried about you too."

"Honestly," You laughed. "I'm worried about me."

"You need a break." Maddy said. "You should take a break after this job."

"I told myself I was going to." You said. "I don't know if it'll actually pan out, but-"

"You should take a break." Maddy insisted. 

You took another bite of your dinner, as a silence filled the space between you. You knew you needed to take a break. You knew you fancied Wilbur. Admitting these things and committing to them would be another thing entirely.

"This recipe is really good, by the way." You said. 

Maddy smiled sadly.