The Secret of Us

Just For Me (Leah's POV)

AirPods in his ears, Walker rubbed his hands down his jeans for the 3rd time in 20 minutes. Yes, I've been counting. For first class, these seats are small and Walker is growing by the second at this point.

"Are you hot?" I asked him. Walker was deep in his own mind, so he didn't hear me.

My eyes traced his side profile. He really looked like he could be a god, with his strong nose, cut jaw, and the way the band of muscle flexed right in the corner when he gritted his teeth or got nervous.

Kind of like it was doing now.

"Walker," I whispered, leaning closer. Walker took out an AirPods and turned his head, his face inches from mine.

I caught my breath. Those eyes. The light from the overhead cabin made them glitter soft, cerulean blues. Sometimes they were close to turquoise, other times, I swear I can see little teal flecks in them. Not that I stare, of course.

Heat pooled into my face, and I leaned back. "Dang! Your face was close!" I joked away my nervous energy. I gave a light giggle. Walker's eyes seemed to soften before he immediately looked away, again.

"Sorry," Walker glanced up to give me a small smile. The close-lipped one that made his eyes squint. I hated that smile because it wasn't the one he gave Aryan and Charlie. They got the full Megillah. Even Dior...

I steeled my jaw. I would get him to relax around me, I will get him to give me his full smile. I'm supposed to be his Annabeth Chase, right? How hard could it be to be friends? The kind that give big full smiles, and not just in front of the cameras.

"Are you hot?" I asked him again casually. Walker looked up at the back of the seat for a moment. The Percy smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"All the time," He threw a trouble-maker smile my way, "I'm glad you noticed."

There it is. Nervous, hot, whatever, Walker would never miss an opportunity to compliment himself. I shook my head.

"All I noticed were your sweaty hands, Walker Scobell."

"Sweaty? Hm- let's find out," He casually reached out to grab my leg. 

His hand was impossibly warm and very soft for a boy. Comforting. But definitely no sweat. Walker yanked his hand back like I was hot coal.

"Sorry," Another small, tight smile. I laughed, cinching my hands between my thighs to give them something to do. "It's okay."

Walker's eyes followed the movement of my hands. There it is again. The muscle in his jaw clenched. He slid his eyes closed in focus. He took a deep breath. Then another. The silence between us stretched.

"So," I said desperate to start a conversation that would stick. "What are you listening to?" Walker snapped open his eyes. He sheepishly flipped the AirPod in his hand back and forth.

"Here with me. By D-Four-VD. Heard of him?"

Wait... D-Four... After a confused moment, I bursted out laughing. I leaned forward, the laugh practically bouncing me from my seat. Walker smiled at me, ah there they are. I got a few teeth in this one.

"Walker. His name is David."

"What?"

"It's D4VD, but it's pronounced David. The 4 is like an A... it doesn't matter. Just know it's D4VD."

"Oh, you're so sure? How do you know?" He quirked a brow with a sassy tilt of his head.

"Because I'm smart." 

He rolled his eyes. 

"And I'm a big fan so I googled it." I opened my phone and clicked through my Spotify playlist which had way more than its share of D4VD.

"Oh cool, you listen to D4VD?!" He leaned closer to look at my phone. "Whoa! Wait is that Flume?! You listen to them too?!" Walker excitedly locked eyes with me.

My heart skipped a beat. Whoa. What... was that? I instantly looked away, shifting in my seat. Why am I suddenly the one who feels uncomfortable?

"Even you admitted I have great musical taste, Walker Scobell."

I got a chuckle out of him. "Why do you keep doing that? Saying my full name?"

"... I don't know. I guess I like the way it sounds. Walker Scobell. Walker Scoble. I mean, Walter Scoble." I said each name with an extra flourish, being overly dramatic with how my mouth shaped around the words.

Walker laughed. I couldn't help the slow smile that crossed my face. His eyes dipped to my lips. He subconsciously licked his own, his smile slowly fading. My eyes dropped to his mouth. Each breath was a bit harder than the last.

DING. The seatbelt sign turned off. Me and Walker jumped. We both immediately turned our faces forward, staring at the back of the seats in front of us. The flight attendant droned on the intercom.

"This has been the longest 20 minutes of my life." I heard Walker grumble. It shouldn't have, but that hurt a bit. Did he really not like talking with me? I turned my face toward the aisle to hide my expression. Since when has making friends been this hard?

I took a confidence-building breath. I turned to look at him, only to notice he was already staring. His brow quirked a bit in worry - it made him look handsome.

Yikes. Another weird thought. I shook my head. I must be tired; my brain is glitching. Goofy Walker Scobell, handsome? I mean he was cute, of course. You'd have to be blind not to... 

"You know what always helps me pass the time?" I said trying to get out of my own head. I plucked his AirPod from his hand.

"Hey!" Walker reached for it. I blocked his hands as I put it on the other side of my ear, out of his reach. "Sharing is caring, Walker Scobell. What are we listening to now?"

On The Run (Part II) blasted through the headphones. 

"Ah! I love this song! And I love Beyonce! I love this song and Beyonce, not equally but totally." I said excitedly. I did a little dance in my seat. 

"I figured you might like this song," Walker said with a big, toothy smile. 

Victory. It was the kind of smile Aryan, Charlie, and Dior got... but maybe slightly different. Like it was just for me. 

Warmth blossomed in my chest. I felt like I was flying head-first into the sky... or maybe this feeling was falling? Like toward an ocean.