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Published:
2025-09-21
Updated:
2025-09-27
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2,368
Chapters:
2/?
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If Looks Could Kill

Summary:

“Anything you choose to change will look good mate, I’m sure of that.” Will scoffed at James’ words, though the slight relief that spread over his features was instantaneous.

“Been stuck around you for however many years, I think I’d know what would look good on your head and what wouldn’t.”

OR

Will gets a haircut and James doesn't know how to handle it.

Notes:

hi if looks could kill readers I Have Never Written a Chaptered Fic before THERE WILL BE MORE. so pls pls PLEASE be patient with me, i've started college this year but I just Had to act on this idea I've had because idk what i'd do if it was trapped in my mind cell... thank you so very much

also Thank you .gg/Glape server for being my main hype people.. means a lot :-)

Chapter 1: I wasn't lookin' for love this year

Chapter Text

“I’m thinkin’ about getting a haircut.”

 

The words hung in the air between the two of them, both sat next to each other in the chairs they usually recorded in. It’d been a while of stale conversation, back and forth showings of each other's phone screens more than anything, so Will's properly structured sentence made James smile. Though, it also made him think.

 

Will hadn’t changed anything around his style or appearance in forever and James honestly couldn’t imagine him without his mullet, it was such a staple. But change could be a good thing sometimes, right? He felt like he needed to convince Will of that anyway, because he looked like he was going to die if he didn’t get that from James.

 

“Honestly lad, I’d go for it if you really want a change.” James hummed in response, watching Will’s head bow in thought. It wasn’t something he saw often, the other deep in thought, but James could tell that this was a big thing for him.

 

Will’s mullet was a large part of his brand, something he’d teased James for ‘copying’, even after being the soul enthusiast for James getting one himself. His mullet was something he’d kept a part of himself for years, so it wasn’t a surprise to James at all that when Will even suggested for it to change he had to take a moment to think.

 

So James took his silence, and the sigh he saw in the way Will's body practically shivered, in reply to his words to keep going with it, because it was really looking like Will needed that encouragement more than anything right then.

 

“Keeping stuff the same all the time isn’t the best, even for you.” Will looked up from his lap at that to return James’ gaze. His eyes were filled with worry and supported with furrowed brows, James could almost read the internal panic inside of his head just from those wide eyes.

 

“Anything you choose to change will look good mate, I’m sure of that.” Will scoffed at James’ words, though the slight relief that spread over his features was instantaneous.

 

“Been stuck around you for however many years, I think I’d know what would look good on your head and what wouldn’t.”

 

“Thanks man, knew I could count on you Jim.” And that made James smile, Will’s eyes softening fully and a small smile pulling over his lips in response to James’.

 

That look.

 

It was a look that James was used to after these small intimate exchanges, and he missed whenever it left to go back to Will’s usual solemn expression he used with most people during conversations he’d rather not be a part of. It made James feel special when he did get those soft eyes that were practically made for him.

 

 

They ended up going to get coffee after that, both two ending up closer than they usually were when getting coffee. They were stuffed onto a back tables settee, not opposite each other like most times, side-by-side this time.

 

Will was tilting his screen to the right to show James his Pinterest board around hair ideas, James was crowded into his personal space to tap around on the others screen with the occasional glance at Will - smiling softly and usually supporting some snarky comment at the few Will had added ‘just because’ and not because he actually wanted to have that on him.

 

“It’s not like it’ll be, like, insanely different.” James could only hum, he could tell with the photos, though it was a large selection. Will was horrific at picking specific things, James had always picked up on that so he always tried to make it simpler for him.

 

“You could turn it into a combination of your favourites here.” Circling his pointer finger around the ideas that they’d scrolled to on the others screen without much direction to it, Will just sniggered in response to the childish movement, a teasing quirk to the head at it.

 

“Why don’t you ‘elp me pick one, Jimbo?”

 

It was a large ask from the northerner, something that made James’ eyes widen just a tad at the suggestion.

 

Will’s hair was such an important thing for the older, James didn’t want to be the one to pick the wrong thing and have to be met with a sulky, fed up and frustrated Will for however long it took for it to fix itself, which knowing how long of a gap there was between the other’s usual hair cuts, it’d be a while of negative Will.

 

James would rather avoid that.

 

“I think your judgement is better than mine.”

 

“And you were telling ‘m earlier you’d know what’d look good on my head.” Faux annoyance laced Will's voice as he pulled the phone from James’ view, earning a scoff from the taller man.

 

“Well, what about this one?” He’d given in and pointed out a cut he’d honestly been eyeing up for a while on Will’s phone.

 

He’d refused to give into it as quickly as he’d become obsessed with it and the thought of Will seen in that way, worried he’d be seen as desperate to see him presented in that way.

 

He was desperate.

 

But even despite the nonchalant act he’d put on while picking the cut, like it didn’t matter and it was random, the small twinkle in Will’s eye he saw when he glanced back at him after pointing it out gave him the answer to if Will could tell or not, embarrassment plaguing the younger's features at the recognition.

 

They had to leave soon, James picking the cut and Will sitting and mentally debating with himself if it was good or not. He decided that he’d see how he felt once things were booked and ready to actually happen, he still hadn’t sorted out timings, because he had to leave it until he’d had that chance to talk to James about it.

 

Pathetic really. But who could blame him.

 

It was hard to get them to actually get up, neither seemed like they had the energy to do so - despite the coffee they’d practically downed when they’d arrived. James’ notification about his train arriving in two hours dragged them out of that haze quite quickly though.

 

The drive there was an hour tops and they had to hurry if they wanted enough time to actually say goodbye to each other. And knowing them they’d need at least 20 minutes to do so.

 

Neither of them wanted to even think about James being forced to stay the night with Will.

Chapter 2: Know that you will be my downfall

Notes:

I had a Holy Crash Out over the layout of this chapter bro Ao3 Was not my friend. thank you all for all the support on the first chapter.. 71 kudos is insane for only 1k words so I thank you all SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Massive Shoutout to Jack for helping me with the Layout Problems btw This would not be out if it wasn't for him... yet again #SelfPromo to join my w&j Server https://discord.gg/glape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU

Chapter Text

The train back to Brighton was more boring than usual but James just couldn’t keep his mind off of the exchange they’d had in the coffee shop.

 

Knowing that Will trusted him enough to pick something like that for him was so sickeningly intimate, it made his stomach twist in ways he really wasn’t used to.

 

It felt unreal.

 

It was embarrassing.

 

Their dynamic had become something that James usually sat and thought too deeply into when he was on his own, replaying small moments - from years ago or from the same day - they’d had between each other that his brain passed off as more than just friendly banter.

 

Today had been a prime example of something that James would overthink for weeks to come.

 

Probably longer.

 

He would never bring it up to Will in fear of making things awkward, but it would be there eating at him for however long, because honestly, Will acted more gay towards James than he ever had with anybody else, on and off of camera.

 

And that’s what scared him, as much as he hated to admit it to himself.

 

And he for sure wouldn’t ever admit it to Will.

 

Because how are you supposed to ever explain to your best friend that you overthink everything he says to you, to the point where it keeps you up at night after something specifically shocking happens and you just cannot fathom to push it away because you’re grasping at straws for if he likes you or not.

 

But that wasn’t something for him to wallow on right now, and definitely not something he should be thinking about so intensely.

 

So he wouldn’t.

 

 

Cold air practically spilled over James’ face as soon as he got off of the train, eyes fluttering gently as they darted around the platform, looking for nobody in particular of course - because Will would be the only one he’d look for, and he obviously wasn’t going to be there.

 

The later months of each year were always so much colder than needed in Brighton, as they were based right next to the sea front, and it was something James both hated and loved at the same time.

 

It was the reason James felt so refreshed some days, filled with energy and the ability to complete all the tasks he’d striven to do on that day, because the cold had activated his brain in the early morning.

 

But it was also the reason why sometimes he couldn’t be bothered to pull himself out of the house or even get up out of bed properly, because having the icy sensations sink through the small crack he’d accidentally left in his window and onto his skin was somehow more overwhelming to him than the heat they barely got during the summer.

 

During the months of this weather, though, there were almost always warm fairy lights strung between the open upper space in alleys he frequented, which made the walk to his usual coffee spot nicer than it ever was. The extra hanging baskets of wildlife and the thick clothing everyone wore while bustling around him to do their own various tasks brought the most homely warmth to James’ chest, he hated how cliche it felt.

 

He also believed the cold weather made the coffees he frequently picked up taste better too, despite the fact he still got a cold brew during the prickly weather, so the temperature wasn’t the difference it usually was.

 

It was his own personal theory that it tasted better, when it probably didn’t, it was just the vibes.

 

That day was especially cold, the air bristling through the streets he wandered down which left a chill James couldn’t say he missed, deciding to skip out on coffee - a rare occurrence - to get himself home to the warmth of his apartment that he could say he missed.

 

He’d also missed Otto more than ever.

 

 

Eyes fluttering as he took in his apartment, the warm lighting so refreshing to his senses compared to the bright lights from Will’s studio, the more than not flickering lights of the train and the dim outside that was blotted with small streams of proper light.

 

James was so fond of how he’d sorted his apartment out over the past few months. The plants overgrowing their pots and spilling over the cabinets in the kitchen, the different selective sofas plotted around the wide space that he’d spent time at IKEA picking out - all while looking like a lonely and depressed loser, which wasn’t massively far from the truth - and just honestly everything he’d bought that fit together.

 

Around half a year or so ago, probably even longer but at least when he was in his old apartment, he wouldn’t have dreamed of making things proper or pretty looking - it was almost his worst nightmare. He would’ve stuck to the bland and draining surroundings that the old office supported too.

 

But, after all of his improvement with himself, he’d realised making things look and feel nice made everything much easier, even if the thing made easier was just getting out of bed in the morning.

 

Otto had easily been more happy with all of the new space and surfaces to explore too, it benefited them both, and James would happily do whatever to keep that calmness between them.

 

He could recall in the old apartment when Otto had yelled at him - well, more meowed at him - to wake up because something was placed wrongly in the house and the feline didn’t like it.

 

That was at 5am.

 

James would rather not wake up at 5am like that ever again.

 

 

The evening went on as it normally would’ve every other day, which was honestly surprising, it almost felt as if he hadn’t been up north a mere few hours ago. The only thing stopping him from moving on and forgetting completely was that stupid exchange in the coffee shop.

 

James just couldn’t shake the feeling it gave him, and he couldn’t even specify what that feeling was.

 

He felt fond of the moment, holding it close to his heart - and obviously his active train of thought - cherishing how Will had looked at him with such deep-set admiration when he’d told him that he’d look good with whatever he chose, he could never be used to that from the other.

 

But yet again, there was a sense of dread almost creeping up on him as he thought further into it, because why would Will act like that with him as a certified straight man.

 

And as much as James hated to even imagine it as a possibility, he was nervous that Will was playing some sort of sick prank on him - a game with his other UK Youtuber friends - to see when the younger would break and lose it at him for how he was playing him.

 

That’s another reason for why he was so scared of it all, because what else could it be?

 

Otto meowed, breaking James from the sullen, zoned-out, silence he’d been sitting in.

 

“Thanks little man.” Is all that James sighed back to the noise as the cat moved and climbed onto his lap, making biscuits and pushing against his chest slightly to settle himself like he always did. He curled up on James and continued to purr gently, almost like he could sense James’ unease.

 

He was thankful he had him.

 

And with that, he decided that all he could be sure on with the ‘Will Situation’ is that he was utterly fucked when the other man got that haircut.