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James laughed as he pressed the shirt into Will’s waiting hands. “You’ll love it I promise.” James giggled as Will’s eyebrow raised, the latter reluctantly took the shirt, hesitantly unfolding it. He was already suspicious, the fact that James’ coat was zipped up was evidence enough that the taller had something up his sleeve. James’ giddiness was doing nothing to answer Will’s ever growing questions.
The shirt unfolded before the shorter’s eyes, big bold capital letters reading I YAM, smack in the middle of his shirt. Immediately Will devolved into insatiable laughter. “You haven’t even seen mine yet!” James said loudly, a bark of laughter escaping his lips. Will watched incredulously as James unzipped his jacket to reveal his own shirt, reading He’s my sweet potato.
“Oh my god!” Will shouted, his sides starting to hurt from how hard he was laughing, “you want me to actually wear this!”
“For the video!” James gasped out, he was doubled over, hands on his knees.
“You’re serious?!” Will’s eyes widened when he realized James was, in fact, deadly serious.
“I don’t have any other shirts.” James breathed, all of his air practically sucked out of him from laughing. Will thought if he went any longer, he would be on the floor.
“Why do I invite you to these things?” Will asked, soft giggles still slipping out of his mouth.
“Because you love me.” James said, a little less breathy this time as he regained air.
“Yeah yeah whatever.” Will laughed, waving his hand as he turned to the bathroom to change. The brunet listened until the door clicked shut behind him, quieting the softer but still ever present laughter of the other right outside in the studio, before lifting the plain white shirt he had originally worn over his head. He paused, looking at the shirt his boyfriend expected him to wear. “This is the dumbest thing ever.” Will muttered, a fond smile overtaking his face as he pulled the black shirt over his head. He looked at himself in the mirror, taking in the shirt in all of its glory. He laughed at himself, all of his life choices led him here, wearing a shirt that proved to everyone that the punchline didn’t work without the joke, and the joke was standing outside the door waiting for the punchline to walk through.
Will opened the door, his laughter still spilling out of his chest as he faced James. James laughed, stepping up to the shorter, wrapping his arm around his waist as he went. “You look great.”
“I feel ridiculous.” Will sighed as James leaned down to press a soft kiss against the shorter’s lips. Will hummed, soaking in the moment and the broader’s body against his. James pulled back after a moment, Will’s lips chasing after his for a second before the shorter realized what he was doing. His face darkened into a blush, turning away from the taller. James laughed, softer than he had been, cupping Will’s face to turn him back to his own.
“You’re so cute right now.” James said, pulling Will into another kiss before the shorter could say anything else.
“Can you two stop mashing your faces together so we can record?” Abby shouted from the recording section of the studio. They pulled away from each other, James releasing Will’s waist as they stepped away.
“Sorry, sorry,” James relented, starting to make his way over to the rest of the crew.
“Oh my god what are those shirts.”
“I look ridiculous don’t I?” Will smiled, his hands pulling the shirt taught in order to better show off the words.
“He’s my sweet potato!” James called indignantly from his seat at the table, still laughing his ass off at the shirts.
Will rolled his eyes, “I yam.” This caused James to double over in hysterics, almost causing him to tip out of his chair. Will giggled along with him, subjecting himself to James’ infectious laughter.
“Let’s record the damn video oh my god.” Will laughed, his hand landing on the table to brace himself. His sides ached, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He knew James’ sides hurt significantly more than his at this point, due to the fact that the man was still practically howling with laughter.
“Come- HA- come sit then” James managed to get out. Will moved around the side of the table, his arm wrapped around his aching middle. He sat, and the instant his ass touched the chair James’ hand shot out and wrapped around his neck, gently pulling him towards the taller to interlace their mouths once more. The shorter brunet hummed, his body heating slightly at the action.
That will be unpacked later. Will thought as he pulled away, his entire body burning from James’ action and the continuous fits of laughter. They allowed themselves a moment to breathe before Will signaled to their camera crew to start the video. He watched as the camera light flicked red, flying through the intro like he usually does. His thoughts were elsewhere, thinking if he should just name the channel “Will and Jim” at this point, since every other video without his boyfriend tanked. He was sat wondering if James would like the food, if they were gonna take the blindfolds after the shoot or return them, James’ phantom touch around his neck amplified by his lack of sight, if the shirts that they had on would make the viewers catch on.
So wrapped up in his head that he barely registered what was happening before James’ strangled, “Welp, that’s the most alcohol I’ve had in 2 and ½ years,” snapped him back out of his whirlwind. He paused, his entire body halting, his mouth slowing around the bite he had in his mouth. Despite himself, he laughed, his hand slapping the table, reaching up for his blindfold. He didn’t know what else to do, so he laughed, the ache in his sides reappearing from before. His laughter intensified at James’ reaction, but both of them knew how much the other was hurt by the seemingly insignificant revelation. Will knew James was probably crushed, his efforts to stay away from the bottle that Will had so carelessly thrown about the studio destroyed in a matter of seconds. He knew his boyfriend was saving face for the camera, and most of all for Abby, clueless to the fact that the tiramisu she’d ordered went against James’ sobriety. Unfortunately for Will, he kept laughing, unable to comfort either James or Abby, the lightheartedness of before still carrying into this moment. The shorter’s laughter eventually subsided, allowing him to get back into the chair. He was quick to end the video after that, listening to the way James’ voice wavered with every sentence from then on. James continued through the last three minutes expertly saving face, throwing himself into giggling fits to hide the fact that he was probably about to cry (or the small intake of alcohol that James wasn’t used to encouraging the laughter, Will didn’t know).
The camera clicked off after Will said goodbye, James’ infectious laughter barely letting Will stutter out the outro. Abby profusely apologized after the video stopped, and James just smiled and waved her off. He got up from his chair, Will instinctively rising with him. “I’m gonna go lay in Will’s room, wait for the alcohol to digest.” The taller said, his giggling subsiding to a lighthearted chuckle, “No hard feelings Abby, really.” He added as he walked off. She turned to Will, an upset look on her face.
“It was an accident,” Will reassured, “he means it, no hard feelings. He’ll be back to record another video next week.” She nodded as Will moved to follow James back to his room. When he got there the door was cracked, a small sign that James was waiting for him to get there. The shorter pushed the door open, taking in the sight of James hunched over on the edge of his bed. “James?” He asked, the mentioned lifting his head. Hot tears were pouring down his face and Will immediately rushed to his side. “It was an accident,” Will muttered, not used to his boyfriend crying, usually one of them would just say something dumb and the tears would fade into infectious laughter, “Technically it doesn’t count.”
“I know.” James whispered, “But I’ll know.” Will frowned, leaning over to peck his boyfriend’s cheek.
“Let’s lay down,” Will sighed, pulling until James moved further up onto the bed with him, both of them laying down cuddling together.
“I tried so hard…” James muttered into Will’s hair, the shorter pressing a kiss into his chest.
“I know,” Will murmured, “It was going to happen eventually though.”
James sighed, “It doesn’t hurt any less.”
Will nuzzled into James’ chest more, his heart aching for his lover’s. They sat in silence for a moment, James’ deep breaths in Will’s hair the only sign James was still thinking about it. A thought occurred to Will, a small smile overtaking his face. “Hey Jim.”
“Yeah Will?”
“You can eat tiramisu now.” Will giggled, feeling James’ arm tighten around his waist. James laughed, his breathless laughter filling Will’s ears, warmth returning to the former’s tone.
“I love you Will,” James laughed lightly, “my sweet potato.”
Will rolled his eyes fondly, smiling all the while, “I yam.”