A Promise | Part 2 - William Schofield
a/n: it has been a while!! i rewatched 1917 the other night and my love for the film and characters has been reignited, so i decided to finish this fic that i wrote almost three years ago! i am so happy that i was able to finish this and hope you enjoy <3
read part 1 here
WARNINGS: mentions of death
word count: 3,856
“I think I’m in love with you.”
Silence hangs in the air as Will stares at you in disbelief. He had no idea what to say or how to react to this sort of confession whatsoever.
“What?” He mutters out, eyes widening in fear, even backing up away from you a little bit.
Your chest felt so tight the longer the silence went on, like it was suffocating you and you couldn’t escape it. With some deep breaths, you calm your erratic breathing, but your hands were still shaking like a leaf in the wind.
“Ever since you started, um, coming around and visiting us…I’ve…I’ve really fallen for you, Will.” You have yet to meet his eyes, terrified of seeing his reaction through them. “And I didn’t know how to go about telling you because I’m so worried.”
Again, Will says nothing, and it was starting to get really discouraging. He truly had no idea what to say or what to feel. But deep down, he felt something. And that’s what scared him.
As he was going to finally speak, Percy’s cries erupt in the otherwise still household, and he shoots up, finding it a perfect excuse to get away from this conversation. The second he is out of the room, you burst into tears, covering your mouth to hush your own cries.
You take the chance to make an exit of your own, running right towards your bedroom and shutting the door just loud enough to let Will know that you were no longer on the couch waiting for him. Hearing this, he lets out a soft sigh, glad to know he can have the rest of the night to think over things and gather his thoughts.
Percy had thankfully quieted down as Will rocked him slowly in the rocking chair of the corner of his nursery. Looking down at the three month old baby in his arms, he shakes his head, seeing a striking image of his close friend who he misses so dearly.
When the baby was fast asleep, Will carefully puts him in his crib and walks out of the room, keeping the door cracked ever so slightly just in case he cries anymore. Looking down the hall, he sees your door completely shut. As much as he wants to walk right up to it and talk to you, he turns away and steps into his room, deciding to give you the space you need.
The days following your confession, you try your best to avoid Will at all costs. Unfortunately, since he is the father figure for your child, it was very difficult to do, but you managed to keep conversation and chatter to a minimum whenever you did.
Iris had even noticed the tension with the two of you, and pulled you aside one day when Will went into town for some groceries.
“(Y/N), honey, is everything alright between you and Will?” You two were baking some desserts for a few neighbors since the snow was finally starting to melt away from the winter storm a couple weeks ago and people were now able to get out and see others and deliver things.
Sighing, you set the whisk down in the bowl of batter you were mixing and look towards her. Thinking for a moment, knowing that you were going to spill all of the feelings you had inside, you go back to whisking the mixture for the moment.
“Let’s get this last batch into the oven and then I’ll explain.”
You knew you had to be quick with things, as Will could be home at any point of time, though he’s only been gone for less than an hour, trips to the local market took far longer than that usually.
Finally, you get the tins into the oven and set the timer when Iris bringing you to the living room and sits you down on the couch next to her. She waits for you to be the one to start the conversation, not wanting to push anything.
“Um, I’ve felt this way for a little while now, but I have really fallen in love with Will,” you tell her first and foremost. “And navigating these feelings has not been easy.”
“Darling, that’s beautiful. So why has everything felt so tense between you two then?”
With a pause, you fiddle with your fingers for a moment before you start tugging at a loose string on your dress.
“I told him and he didn’t react well. He said not one word about it, and then ran off when Percy started to cry. That was almost a week ago and we haven’t spoken much since. I don’t know what to do, Iris.”
“In terms of interpreting how he reacted or feeling this way?” You take another moment to think about her question.
“Both. I love him very much, I’m entirely sure of that, but…it feels wrong.” Getting this admission off your chest felt better than telling Will how you felt. This was the deep root of everything.
“Why?”
You take a moment to respond, feeling a little embarrassed and bad for feeling the way you do.
“It makes me feel guilty. Like I am giving up on Tom. I’m loving someone else when I promised him he’s the only one I’d ever love.” The tears brimming your eyes finally spill down your cheeks, and Iris is quick to hand you a handkerchief to wipe them away.
“Honey, I know it feels hard letting Tom go, but he wouldn’t want you to be miserable and attach to him when there’s someone else out there that makes you happy. And the fact that it’s Will, he would have been very elated, because he knows he can prodive you a wonderful life.” She pauses, listening to you sniffle and watches as you continue to wipe the non-stop tears away.
“I know he would want me to move on, but I hate that I have to,” you cry out, hiding your face in your hands as you sob loudly, everything hitting you once again. Iris gives you the time you need, gently rubbing your back as you let all of your emotions out.
“You shouldn’t have to, but you need to. I would hate to see you deprive yourself of something so wonderful, that you deserve, because you fear of forgetting Tom. I know you will never forget him. And loving Will doesn’t mean you never loved Tom or will stop loving him. I know my son meant the world to you, and nothing can replace the love you shared. But maybe this new chapter will do you some good, bring some light into your life.”
You think over her words and slowly nod, looking down at the sewn handkerchief she gave you, slightly damp from the tears you shed.
“Thank you, Iris,” you whisper, gazing up at her with a fond smile. She reaches over to squeeze your hand, her other hand raising up to your back once more.
“Of course, darling. I’m always going to be here for you in times like this.”
The two finish up baking for the day, preparing everything into an orgaized pile to distribute them tomorrow. Will, on the other hand, had quite an eventful morning before going to the market.
WILL’S POV:
Before I went to the market to stock up the house, I decided to take a little trip to see my mother and get her advice on this situation. I also planned on talking to Iris, but I needed my mother’s words first, she always knew the right thing to say.
“Hi, mum,” I greet her with a hug.
“Oh, it’s so nice to see you, my son. How is everything at the Blake household?” Gulping nervously, I take a seat on the armchair in the living room, as she takes a seat back on the couch, where she was currently knitting something.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that.” I nervously wring my hands together and take a deep breath.
“What’s going on?”
“Well, you obviously know I’ve been helping the with Percy and everything else in general.”
“Yeah, and it’s going well, isn’t it?”
“Kind of,” I taper off. At this point, she sets her supplies down and focuses her full attention onto me. “(Y/N) told me she’s in love with me.”
She says nothing, her eyebrows furrowing a little bit in wonder.
“And…there’s a problem with that?” Her question throws me off a little. Was there a problem? Obviously there was, but why?
“I don’t know,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Do you love her?” I’m stunned silent by her follow-up question, and suddenly, everything settles in. All the feelings I’ve been trying to push away the past few months, seeing how wonderful (Y/N) is and how beautiful of a person she has become, even in the face of tragedy of losing her lover and the father of her child.
“I think so,” I finally whisper after a few moments of thinking over things. “But I’m terrified, mum.”
She scoots closer, sitting on the end of the couch closest to me, and grabs my hands. My head raises to look at the serious expression on her face.
“There is nothing to be scared of, Will. If she loves you and you love her, there’s no hurt in seeing where things can go with each other. You’re already a father figure in that little boy’s life, it’s no surprise that you feel so strongly towards her.”
“What if I’m not enough?” My response leaves her speechless, she has no clue what to say. “What if I can’t give her what Tom gave her?”
“Listen to me, William. You cannot think that way. Tom may have been her love, but he’s no longer here. No two men will ever love the same woman the exact same way, things are bound to be different, but you won’t see that until you try. It could be so beautiful for the two of you, but if you’re held back by that fear, both of you are going to be miserable.”
Her words knock some sense into me and I sit there, nodding along to everything she says. Instantly, I feel a ton better about this situation, and have a small plan on how to fix thing when I get home, if (Y/N) is even up to hear me out.
“Thank you so much, mum,” I sigh softly, standing to give her a hug. She squeezes me tight, something she does when she knows I’ve got a lot on my mind and need love and support.
“I’m glad I could help. Now go talk to that wonderful girl and fix things!” I laugh a little and bid her goodbye, making my way into the town market to gather everything needed for the four of us back home on the Blake estate.
READER’S POV:
You were finishing up feeding Percy his afternoon bottle in his nursery when you hear the front door open and close, and Will’s voice greeting Iris, who sits on the couch reading a book.
She helps him bring all of the items from the market inside and the two of them take their time in putting everything away. You were still rocking Percy after burping him, but all you wanted to do was hide in your room to avoid Will as much as possible.
“Um, Iris, can I ask you something?” Will decides to ask her now, finding it perfect while they put things away and with you being absent for the time being.
“Of course, Will. You know you can talk to me about anything.” Will nods and takes a deep breath after placing a bag of veggies in the refridgerator.
“I don’t know if she’s mentioned it to you, but the other night, while you were away, (Y/N) admitted that she loves me. Well, she phrased it as in love, if there’s a difference.”
Iris chuckles softly and nods, grabbing cans of beans to put them in the cupboard.
“She did talk to me about it, earlier today. And she said that you didn’t react well.” Will nods in shame and sets down the cans he was holding, ready to put away.
“I went to my mum and asked for advice, because she always knows what to say. She…well, what she said and told me got me to think over things.”
“I can tell she really cares for you, Will. She may have loved Tom, but that doesn’t mean she can’t love you.”
“I fear that I won’t be able to love her as much as Tom did,” he admit to her. Iris sighs and walks over to stand next to the young man, resting her hand on his back as gently as ever. “Tom talked about her like she hung the moon and stars in the sky. I don’t know if I’ll be able to live up to the love he had for her.”
“You can’t simply live and think like that. I’ll tell you what I told her. Her loving you doesn’t diminish the fact that she loved Tom. While Tom did love her dearly, you can provide a different kind of love, and if she’s willing to move forward with that, I don’t see the problem.”
“My mum said the same thing,” he smiles a little, looking over at Iris. She offers him a small grin to him and drops her hand.
“Do you love her?” She asks after some time. The smile on Will’s face remains as he answers her differently than he answered his own mother.
“I do,” he says confidently.
“Then tell her. Because the both of you deserve to be happy, and I know Tom would want the two of you to be. It’s not that you or (Y/N) are going to forget him, but it’s healthy to move on, and I think you guys would be very lovely together.”
Will widely smiles at her words and finishes putting all of the groceries away.
“Go talk to her, last I remember she was putting Percy down for a nap.”
Will takes his chance to go find you, checking the nursery first. Upon quietly opening the door, he sees the light was off and Percy was in his crib, fast asleep. He backs out and leaves it cracked like he usually does before he steps a few ways down to your door.
It takes him a few seconds to gain the courage to knock on your door, and when he does, you don’t answer for a little bit. He thinks that you’re laying down for a nap as well, and as he goes to walk away, you slowly open the door and come face to face with him.
“Hi,” he whispers, gulping nervously. Gazing into his beautiful blue eyes for the first time in a week, your heart begins to race in your chest, all of your feeling still very clear for him. “Um, is this an okay time to talk?”
“Uh, yeah,” you mumble, stepping to the side to let him in. Shutting the door softly, you take a seat on your bed while he sits in the chair next to it, keeping his eyes on the ground.
“I’ve done a lot of thinking and talking to my mum and Iris, and I know you deserve answers as to…what happened last week.” You nod at him and wait for him to continue before you speak any. “I love you as well, (Y/N). I’ve had a lot of conflicting feelings and after speaking to them, things have become more clear and I’ve come to terms with how I feel.”
Will pauses to look up at you, his bright eyes shining with a few tears. His mouth opens and closes as he tries to find the right words to say.
“I have fallen for you. I pushed it away because I felt so much guilt and fear, I kept telling myself it was nothing, that what I was feeling was admiration for a friend. But I can’t keep pretending, you mean so much to me and I have fallen in love with you too. I was terrified of everything.”
“How do you think I felt, Will?” You finally manage to speak, your voice coming out rather choked and shaky. Tears were also threatening to spill over and Will stares at you in surprise. “I’ve had these feelings for a couple months, and so much guilt has surrounded me. Like I am a bad person for falling in love with someone that’s not Tom, the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with.”
“I’ve had the same feelings, sort of. I know I can’t love you the same way Tom did, and I know he holds a very special place in your heart. I am terrified of not loving you to that extent, to not be able to provide the love he gave you, that you deserve.”
“I know what I deserve. And you have given me something to live for after such tragedy. I never thought I could love someone the way I loved Tom, but falling for you has been so different, a good different. While I still love Tom and I always will, living in the past is not good. We have to move on and not get hung up on those that have passed. I will never forget the place he had in my life, but you…you have become such a special person to me, Will. And I can’t deny the feelings I have any longer.”
Will raises out of his seat to stand in front of you, grabbing your hands gently. Slowly, he kneels to the ground, and finally, the tears fall from your eyes, seeing the kind-hearted and soft look in his own.
“I promise you, from here on out, to give you a love that you deserve. I want the best for you and for Percy. I made a promise to Tom, and now I’m making a promise to you. To love you so deeply and to always be here for you, through everything. I know I won’t love you the way he did, but I will do my best, in my own way, to make sure you know you are loved and cared for, as well as Percy. You two are my life now, and I will do everything in my power to show you that.”
Without a response, you jump up and fall straight into his arms. But to make things more comfortable, Will stands up and grabs you, holding you tightly against his body, nuzzling his face into your shoulder. His large, muscular hands spread out across your back, and he never wants to let you go.
“I love you, (Y/N). I’ve truly fallen in love with you the same way you have with me.”
“I’m so thankful that Tom brought us together. I know neither of us want to get in the way of what he and I had together, but that doesn’t have to happen. We can love each other in our own way.”
Will pulls back to look at you and smiles so sweetly, a sight that you haven’t seen in a while. Your hand comes up to cradle his cheek and he leans into your touch.
“Have I told you that your smile is truly beautiful,” you whisper, your thumb softly stroking the apple of his cheek. He shakes his head in response and chuckles softly.
“You think so?” Going along with the silent answers, you nod your head before you lean forward and place the softest kiss on his cheek. A soft hum rumbles in his throat and he can’t help the way his heart beats like crazy in his chest. He’s never felt this way before, but everything was exciting him.
“Can I kiss you? Would that be okay?” Will asks quietly, not wanting to upset you or make you uncomfortable in any way.
“I’ve been wanting to since that night you got Percy to calm down,” you reply, referring to the night, about a month after Percy was born, when Will tried skin on skin with him and he instantly relaxed and stopped crying. He seems to know exactly what you mean, as it’s a memory he’s very clearly stored in his mind. But with your answer, his hand comes up to cup your face, his touch as tender and sweet as can be, and he slowly leans in.
In seconds, your lips press against his and it’s as beautiful as your first kiss with Tom. Though that thought is far in your mind, and all you can think of is Will. The scent of his cologne still lingering on his shirt, how soft his lips are and how you can taste the strawberry he stole while putting them away in the refrigerator. Your own hands trail up his chest and shoulders, resting on his neck.
Under your thumbs, you can feel his pulse racing, and you want to giggle so bad, but the feel of his lips pulls you back in and your mind is clouded with thoughts of him once more.
When the kiss ends, Will presses his forehead against yours, catching his breath. His eyes remain closed as he tries to calm his spiraling mind and breathing, a small chuckle escaping his lips.
“You’re so very special, my love,” he whispers, his breath hitting your lips. It sends a shiver up your spine and makes you want more of him. You barely even register the pet name, being so caught up with everything else.
“As are you, my hero.” He lets out another laugh and kisses you once more. The feeling makes your head spin and your knees weak, it’s a feeling you’ll never get over.
“Hm, beautiful girl. What do you say we spend the day next to the fireplace as I read to you?” He gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his touch lingering on your face for a few seconds.
“I think that sounds wonderful. Iris is going into town soon to meet with her support group, so it’ll be the three of us for a few hours.” Will kisses your temple, continuing to rub your back comfortingly.
“I like the sound of that…the three of us,” he grins, looking down at you as your cheeks heat up, leading you to hide your face in his neck.
“It’s our little family.”
Your words seem to get to Will, and all of his emotions suddenly hit. But that fear isn’t as prominent as it was before, it’s a good feeling he gets when you say this. Hope fills him, and as much as it scares him, he welcomes it. Because even though things were going to be rocky in the beginning, he knew two things for sure.
His love for you was deep within him already, and he was more than ready to live his life with you fully by his side, as his lover.
—
tags from previous chapter: @thingsforimagination @fodenswhore
