Walter x Henry - a secret love story

Chapter 3 - Somehow you're special

Henry's pov

It's funny how you can be friends with someone for so long and not notice things about them until suddenly, you do. I've known Walter since we started at Hillerska, and we've been close ever since. He's always been the quiet one—shy, kind of keeps to himself unless he's with me. Then he opens up more, and I can always make him laugh. I love making him laugh.

But lately, something's been different. I don't know when it started, but I've been noticing things about him that I didn't before. Like the way his brown hair falls into his eyes when he's focusing on something, or how his brown eyes seem to look at everything so carefully, like he's thinking deeply about things. There's something soft about the way he looks, like he doesn't realize how good-looking he is. He's not flashy like some of the other guys at school, but there's something about him that's... I don't know, just nice to look at.

We were in class again, sitting next to each other like always. I was bored out of my mind, doodling in my notebook while Mr. Svensson went on and on about history. I don't even know what he was talking about, something about the Swedish kings or whatever. I was way more interested in watching Walter out of the corner of my eye.

He was sitting there, completely focused, like he always was in class. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, his lips pressed together in concentration. I smiled to myself. He looked so serious, but I knew if I said something stupid, I could get him to laugh, and then that serious expression would disappear. I liked that I could do that—break through his shyness, get him to relax.

Without really thinking, I poked him with my pen. He glanced at me, confused at first, then he smiled that small smile of his, the one that always made me feel warm inside for some reason.

"You're gonna get us in trouble again," he whispered, but he didn't seem too mad about it.

I just grinned. "Worth it."

I don't know why, but I felt like I wanted to be closer to him. Not in a weird way or anything, just... closer. I leaned in, making sure the teacher wasn't looking, and whispered, "Wanna skip next class? We can hang out in the library."

Walter gave me a look, like he was considering it. He's always the responsible one, so I wasn't sure if he'd go for it. But then, after a second, he sighed and nodded.

"Fine. But if we get caught, it's on you."

I laughed softly. That was the thing about Walter—he acted all serious, but he'd still go along with my dumb ideas. I liked that about him. He trusted me.

When class ended, we slipped out quietly and headed to the library. I was trying to act casual, but I couldn't help feeling excited. Not just about skipping class, but about being alone with him. It felt... nice. We found a spot in the back where it was quiet, and Walter sat down across from me.

I watched him as he settled in, pulling out his notebook like he was going to pretend to study or something. His brown hair was messy, but in a way that made me want to reach over and fix it for him. His eyes were focused again, but this time, I wasn't interested in messing with him. I just wanted to keep looking at him.

It was weird. I'd never thought about Walter like this before. Sure, I've always cared about him—he's my best friend—but now, when I looked at him, I felt something different. Like my chest got tight, and I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't know what that feeling was, but I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I broke the silence after a while, suggesting we play truth or dare. It was kind of a stupid game, but I wanted to lighten the mood, maybe get us both to relax. When I asked him if he'd ever had a crush on someone at school, I didn't really expect an answer. But then he got quiet, and for a second, I wondered if he was thinking about me.

I shook the thought out of my head. That was ridiculous, right?

When it was my turn, I chose a dare, and of course, Walter dared me to steal a book from the librarian's desk. It was so like him—pretending to be the good guy but still coming up with something sneaky. I loved that about him too.

I did the dare, of course. I wasn't about to back down. But even when I came back, showing off the book like I was some kind of master thief, all I could think about was the way Walter's eyes followed me the whole time. He looked at me like... I don't know. Like maybe he was noticing me too, in a way he hadn't before.

We spent the rest of the time in the library just talking and joking around, like always. But the whole time, I kept catching myself watching him. Every time he smiled or laughed, my chest felt tight again, and I didn't know what to do with that feeling. I'd never felt like this around anyone before, especially not a guy. But with Walter... it just felt different. He felt different.

As we left the library to head back to the dorms, I couldn't shake the thought that maybe—just maybe—I liked him. More than a friend. The idea scared me a little, but it also made something inside me feel warm, like it wasn't such a bad thing.

Walter walked next to me, quiet but content, and I found myself glancing at him again. His shy smile, the way he always looked a little nervous but still comfortable when we were together. I liked that about him too.

Maybe I'd figure it out soon. Or maybe I'd just keep pretending everything was normal. But either way, I knew one thing for sure: being around Walter made me happy in a way I hadn't noticed before. And I wasn't sure if I wanted that feeling to go away.

***

Author's note

This is a version of Henry's point of view, I hope you liked it