#williamgold

You and Wilbur first ever talked through letters

You had been assigned each other as pen pals through a program you had both signed up for

Wilbur was the first to send his letter, and you two hit it off immediately

The letters took ages to get back due to the distance, but they were always worth it

They were always casual, but engaged. After a while, you could feel the lift in mood when you heard the postman come by

After half a year or so, Wilbur felt that you were good enough friends to ask for your number. What's the harm in asking? It would be easy.

Or that's what he thought until he found himself sitting in his desk, searching for the correct words

After a while he gave up and just out right asked as a footnote on the bottom of what was otherwise a typical letter

When you got the letter, you jumped up to grab your phone

But as you added the contact and hovered your finger over the call button, the truth set in

You had never even heard his voice. How should you approach this? What if he finds it weird how fast you called? Should you just text him?

You had been too caught up in your worries that you didn't even realize you had accidentally clicked call

It went for three rings before he picked up

"Hello?"

His voice was deep and laced with a beautiful British accent, and you found yourself unable to speak for a few moments

You panicked and stuttered out a incoherent string of words

"Sorry? Could you repeat that?"

"Yeah, uh sorry! Is this Wilbur? This is Y/N. Again sorry! I didn't mean to call you immediately, I should've considered your time zone and-"

"Y/N? No, I'm so glad you called! I thought maybe I had written my number too small or that you wouldn't, I don't know, care enough?"

You reassured him and you two went on to have a lovely (even though slightly awkward) conversation that night

You still wrote letters, just out of habit and because it was a source of comfort for both of you.

After the initial call, it became one of your daily tasks. You would eventually FaceTime, and that's when you began to notice it.

The butterflies when you called or the extra pep in your step when you got a letter back

So maybe you had a crush on the cute, letter-writing British boy

You assumed it would go away with time

But maybe you assumed wrong

The more you talked, the more you felt yourself falling for Wilbur

The letters you were getting seemed to be more and more affectionate, but you assumed it was all platonic.

"Yeah, what are your thoughts on relationships anyway?" The question from the man on the phone caught you off guard.

"Uh, I guess I'm kind of looking for one at the moment. I kind of, maybe have somebody in mind."

"Ah." His voice seemed deflated, but you were sure it was your imagination

After that, he became more distant and reserved. What used to be lively conversations turned into small talk. The inside jokes fizzled out, and your letters were a little less frequent.

And it was driving you crazy

Wilbur was one of the most important people in your life at the moment, and you really didn't want to lose him

You were too scared to bring it up on a call, so you resorted to your most affectionate form of communication: letters

You poured your heart out, asking him if you had done something wrong and why your friendship seemed to be fizzling out

When a week passed without mention, you felt your heart break a little

Maybe you were being ridiculous. You were just pen pals. There was no obligation for him to be your friend.

But the next day, the letter came:

(Please excuse my letter-writing skills💀)

Dear Y/N,

I never meant for you to feel as though the friendship was being neglected or even put on hold. Truthfully, I value it more than most things in my life at the moment. But in order to apologize and explain the reasoning for my distance, there's a very important confession I need to make. My hope is that it doesn't harm what we already have, but it's time I come clean.

For a while now, I've realized that I like you more than as a friend. But I was so nervous you didn't reciprocate that I couldn't find the strength or courage to tell you. I didn't want to tarnish what was a beautiful friendship. But I notice now that it's done more harm than good, and for that I deeply apologize.

Ever since the first call, you always made me feel special and wanted. Like there was a reason I exist and that you would be there for me. I noticed all the cute habits you have, like how you talk faster when you're exited or how your first instinct when somebody is down is to listen. Truth be told, I'm smitten for you and I'm not sure how to tell you.

When you told me you had somebody in mind for a relationship, I assumed you meant somebody else. I care too much about you to ever get in the way of your happiness. So I backed off, just in case you needed your space. My intention was never to cause you any anxiety or stress.

I'm hoping a letter will be enough for me to get this point across. I really dreamed of the day I would tell you to your face, but I'm scared of the situation I've put myself in. I completely understand if you get this letter and never respond because I've been such a shit friend lately. But even if I never hear from you again, I just want you to know that I love you.

Yours,

Wilbur

You had to read it about six times for the message to sink in

Holy crap, he loved you

Wilbur Soot loved you

You wanted to write him back an equally heartfelt letter with all your confessions, but you were too excited to hold the pen

You grabbed your phone and called him on FaceTime

It barely rang before Wilbur picked up, voice tight and face wearing anxiety and fear

"Wilbur! Your letter!"

When you didn't say anything else he sighed and blinked back tears

"I'm so sorry, maybe I shouldn't have sent that. I knew it was a bad idea..."

"No! No, are you kidding? Wilbur, I love you too!"

His face morphed from complete shock to euphoria

"Love letters really work then, huh?"

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