Written In Ink ↬ Wilbur Soot

11; aftermath

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

Two officers had taken Nick away to be questioned; the bookshop workers had given their statements. It was a unanimous story against Nick.

Mrs. Piper brought an ice pack out for Will while the others helped him to a couch. Molly brought him some water and stood with Tommy.

"Do you need anything else, mate?" Tommy asked Will.

Will shook his head, gritting his teeth at the movement. Mac moved the crowd of workers away, leaving Taylor and Will alone.

"Are you ok?" Taylor asked him with her eyebrows furrowed.

"I-I will be. He was strong with it."

Taylor felt her temples begin to throb, and her stomach churned. "Will, I'm so sorry. I knew that something bad would happen when we agreed to start a relationship, and because of me, you were hurt."

Will shook his head dismissively. "Taylor, I told you I wanted to take the risk. It's not your fault what happened today. I think you just have bad taste in men," Will joked softly, making Taylor laugh in embarrassment. "Myself included," Will finished.

She gently shoved his shoulder. "Not true," she smirked. "Will you be ok?"

Will nodded. "Yes, and I don't immediately want to end things with us, so I think that's a plus," he teased. She grinned and softly kissed him. He returned it, happy that there was no tension between them.

After they sat for a while longer, Will stayed on the couch, talking to Taylor, who insisted she was ok to work. Occasionally, the other employees would come to check on Will. His cheek began feeling slightly better by the time Taylor was off the clock.

"Ready to go?" Taylor approached Will, whose face was in a book. He marked his page and tucked it into his large coat pocket.

"Of course. I'm feeling slightly better," Will told her, pressing the latest cold compress harder on his cheek.

"Good! I was thinking we could go get something to eat- if you're feeling up to it, of course."

"I am."

The pair walked a few blocks to a nearby cafe known for having incredible sandwiches, as Will had told Taylor.

They ordered from the counter and sat at a window-side counter. They were served their sandwiches and coffee shortly after.

"So," Taylor started, munching on her sandwich. "Exciting day... again, I'm so sorry. Nick is just a really bad guy."

"That doesn't make it your fault," Will replied, reassuring her. She smiled back and sipped her coffee.

The two talked for hours, bonding even more with every sentence.

It was around seven when the two left the cafe.

"That was amazing. You were right about the food, Will."

"I do know what I'm talking about sometimes. Not always, but sometimes."

Taylor chuckled. "I should be getting home- gotta feed Alex," Taylor looked up at Will, who had nodded. She thought about it for a second before asking him, "Do you wanna come with me? I have a couch and some blankets or-"

"Are you sure?" Taylor nodded. "Ok, I'd love to come."

They took the tube to Taylor's block, making their way to her flat and entering it.

"Welcome," Taylor said, her arms extended. Will looked around, examining the range of plants and decor. It all seemed like Taylor, especially the record player and collection- along with the shelves lined with books.

"I love it," the man stated. Taylor beamed. "Thank you! And here's my boy," Taylor pointed out the calico that had just entered the living room.

Will grinned and bent down to pet the cat gently. Taylor watched him engage with Al, smiling with glee as Will began playing with Alex using a nearby toy.

Will looked up at the girl, still swinging the toy around for the cat. "He's so cut- what's that look?" Will asked, smiling with confusion.

"Nothing, you're just a pretty cool guy."

Will broke out into laughter. "A cool guy- I'll take it."

Will stood up. Taylor watched as the man came closer to her- his height towering over her. Taylor suddenly felt tears prick in her eyes. Will noticed, his brows furrowing and expression dropping.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just f-feel so bad!"

"Still? T, I'm ok! It's not your fault, ok?" He pulled her into a hug, and Taylor wrapped her arms around him as well.

After rocking back and forth for a while in silence, Will lifted his head, asking if the girl wanted to watch a movie. Taylor agreed, unlatching from the hug and going to the sofa.

They cuddled up comfortably on Taylor's couch. Will navigated through Netflix while making jokes about the options to cheer Taylor up.

After choosing a rom-com that Taylor and Will both loved, they focused their attention on the screen, Taylor's eyes slowly shutting.

Almost two hours later, the credits began to roll. Will smiled and yawned.

"Love that movie every time," Will stated upon deaf ears. "T?" He looked down when he received no answer, finding Taylor asleep on his chest. He smiled and shook his head. Will decided to slowly get up, turn off the lights and cover the girl up completely with blankets. He debated joining her on the couch but didn't want to overstay his welcome. Will grabbed her spare key hidden behind a sconce on the front porch that Taylor told him about. Locking the door from the outside, he began his stroll back to the tube.

Reflecting on the day, he realized just how crazy it was, along with the fact that he had a girlfriend as of yesterday. He knew the risks (although he never expected her ex to show up, let alone assault him), and yet, he absolutely adored Taylor and was excited about what their relationship would bring.

A/N: sorry for the very short chapter. Been extremely busy + working on my unpublished sapnap book, as well. The next few chapters will be out soon, and thanks for reading :)

Have a great day/night!