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You closed the door to your car behind you slowly. There was a light drizzle of rain in the air as you walked the few steps to the flat, and you could see the lights in the living room and the kitchen were on - Maddy and Jazzy would be home as well. Jazzy was going to be crushed when you told her. 

You paused before you opened the door, letting the rain collect in your palm for a moment, and watching the drops slide off the tips of your fingers. You had been in a rainy sort of mood since this morning, and there was just something fitting about just being outside in it for a moment. 

Of course, it wasn't too hard to figure out why you felt like standing out in the rain. 

You had been trying to make yourself feel better about the whole Wilbur thing all day - telling yourself that it was just a work crush, that you would get over it in no time, that things would be better for your work environment now that you weren't having to bang on the wall every few minutes, that you would see him again-

Except it didn't work. And you probably wouldn't see him again. 

A raindrop sliding down the nape of your neck broke your train of thought and you shivered, opening the door and stepping into the flat. You closed the door behind you quietly and shrugged off your coat - letting it hang by the door. You slid off your shoes as well, leaving them on the mat. 

"Y/N!"

You looked up to see Jazzy, grinning at you from where she was flopped over the couch with a book in hand. "I ordered pizza for dinner - extra cheese and black olives, and one pepperoni."

"That sounds great." You said. Greasy pizza was just what you needed on a day like today. 

Jazzy hummed. "I know, I'm amazing." She grinned. "How was work? You look a little more tired than usual."

"Well, today was... rough." You said. 

Jazzy's eyebrows furrowed, and she set her book aside, patting the empty seat next to her. "Deadline stuff?"

You plopped down, letting yourself melt into the couch. "Wilbur got kicked out of the office."

"Wait, what?" Jazzy asked, sitting up straight to look at you. "What happened?"

"What about Wilbur?" Maddy said, coming out of the bathroom and sliding into the armchair.

"He's gone." You said again. "Got kicked out of the office for being too loud."

"I thought you said you stopped complaining about the noise?" Maddy asked. 

"I did." You said. "But I'm not the only one in the building, and I suppose not everyone got as used to it as I did."

"But you'll see him again, right?" Jazzy asked. 

You paused. "I don't know. I never got any of his contact information, and I don't know where he ended up, so... maybe not."

Her face fell into something solemn and pensive. You felt the corner of your mouth twitch down into a frown just looking at her - somehow, even though you couldn't have done anything about it, you felt like you'd disappointed her. 

Maddy glanced between you and Jazzy. "I'm sure you'll run into him again. He can't have gone far."

"It won't be the same though." You said, laughing slightly. "I'll probably get more work done now..."

Neither of them laughed. 

"I'm sorry." Jazzy said softly. "That really sucks."

You sighed, letting your head fall back onto the couch. "I know."

There was an unspoken truth in the room - both Maddy and Jazzy knew without you saying it that you were really going to miss him. You were sure they knew why too - it didn't take a genius to put two and two together and get four. You knew that they would miss him as well - but it would be secondhand. You would have no stories of him from your work days, and there would be no more front row seats to his shows. 

For you, it was already like something substantial was gone from your life. Wilbur had become so much more than just your office neighbor in such a short time, and now he was gone, just like that. No closure, nothing. 

It was almost like an era had ended. 

Jazzy's phone pinged and her trance broke. "Pizza's here." She said, sliding off the couch and heading over to the door. The boxes were waiting on the step of the porch when she opened it, and she picked them up, carrying them into the kitchen without a word. 

Maddy got up to follow, pausing as she passed the couch. "Coming?"

"Yeah." You sighed, closing your eyes. "I'll be there in a second."

You heard her pad into the kitchen, and a rustling from that room as the boxes were opened and pizza was laid on on plates. Maddy and Jazzy were quiet, speaking in low voices to each other, so that you couldn't make out the words. They were concerned though - you could tell by the tone of their voices. 

You knew what they were thinking - that without Wilbur you would slip back into that workaholic mode without taking any breaks. You knew it was a possibility if you weren't careful, but that wasn't your biggest concern. 

You were going to miss him so much and you didn't know what to do about it. 

You sighed opening your eyes to look up at the ceiling. The rain was coming down harder now, and you could hear it pinging off the roof. It was a gentle sort of rhythm, and normally it would have been calming, but now it just felt like a reflection of the discontent you had been feeling all day. 

It was odd how one small thing could change your entire world, just because you had gotten attached. 

"Y/N your pizza is going to get cold!" Maddy called. 

"Coming." You said, heaving yourself up off the couch and heading into the kitchen. Even though the workday was over, you still felt drain. 

That feeling was probably going to be here for a while. 

KEEP A PLACE FOR ME // Wilbur Soot X ReaderWhere stories live. Discover now