Walter x Henry - a secret love story

Chapter 4 - I think I like you

Henry's pov

Later that night, we were back in our dorm room. It was one of those quiet evenings where nothing much was happening—no parties, no events, just the usual routine. Walter was sitting on his bed, flipping through a textbook, and I was lying on mine, staring at the ceiling. I could hear the faint scratching of his pen as he made notes, his quiet focus filling the room.

I watched him from across the room, noticing how the light from the lamp on his desk made his brown hair glow softly. His face looked calm, like he was lost in thought, and for some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was happening again—that feeling in my chest, that weird mix of nervousness and excitement I'd been having whenever I was around him lately.

He hadn't said much since we left the library, and I didn't know if he was feeling the same weird tension I was, but I couldn't ignore it anymore. Every time I looked at him, my mind wandered to thoughts I wasn't used to having. I wanted to be close to him. Not just as his best friend, but... something more. I wasn't sure how to deal with it, but it felt like tonight, something was going to happen, and I wasn't going to fight it.

I pushed myself up from my bed and walked over to his side of the room. Walter glanced up at me, looking a little surprised. I wasn't sure what I was doing either, but I sat down on the edge of his bed, facing him.

"Hey," I said, my voice quieter than usual. "You've been quiet tonight."

Walter smiled a little, the shy kind of smile he always had when he wasn't sure what to say. "Just... thinking, I guess."

"About what?"

He shrugged, looking down at his notes. "I don't know. Stuff."

I leaned closer, resting my elbows on my knees as I watched him. "You've been different lately," I said, and I realized I was talking about myself just as much as I was about him. "I don't know what it is, but it feels like something's changed between us."

Walter looked up at me, his brown eyes wide and a little uncertain, like he was trying to figure out what I meant. For a second, he didn't say anything, but I could tell he was thinking hard.

"Do you... feel that too?" I asked, my heart beating faster as I waited for his answer.

Walter swallowed, and for a moment, he just stared at me, his eyes searching mine. Then, slowly, he nodded.

"Yeah," he whispered. "I've felt it too."

Hearing him say it out loud made my heart race even more. It was like everything I'd been feeling the past few days, all the weird thoughts and confusing emotions, were suddenly real. Walter felt it too. I wasn't imagining things.

I moved a little closer, sitting right next to him now. My knee brushed against his, and I felt this strange, electric warmth rush through me. I didn't know if he felt it too, but he didn't move away. If anything, he seemed nervous, but he stayed right there, looking at me with those deep brown eyes that had been driving me crazy lately.

"I don't know what this is," I admitted, my voice barely more than a whisper. "But... I think I like you, Walter. I mean, more than just a friend."

Walter's eyes widened, and I thought for a second that maybe I'd said too much, maybe I'd ruined everything. But then, instead of pulling away, he just stared at me, his face softening as he took in what I'd said. He didn't look scared or upset, just a little surprised.

"I think... I like you too," he finally whispered, so quietly that I almost didn't hear it.

My heart skipped a beat. I didn't know what to do next. Part of me was nervous, but another part of me just knew what I wanted. I leaned in, slowly, watching his face, waiting to see if he'd stop me. But he didn't. He didn't move, didn't pull away. He just watched me, his breathing a little quicker now, his eyes locked on mine.

I was close enough to feel his warmth now, close enough that I could smell the faint scent of his shampoo, something fresh and clean. And then, before I could think about it too much, I closed the distance and pressed my lips to his.

It was soft, gentle - nothing big or dramatic. Just the two of us, sitting there on his bed, our lips barely touching, but it felt like everything changed in that moment. My mind went blank, and all I could think about was how right it felt to be this close to him. His lips were warm and soft, and for a second, I thought maybe this was just a dream, like it wasn't really happening.

But then, Walter kissed me back. It was small, just a slight movement, but it was enough. Enough to let me know that he wanted this too.

We pulled back after a few seconds, both of us breathing a little heavier, and I could see the blush spreading across Walter's cheeks. He looked down, a shy smile playing on his lips, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Well," I said, trying to keep my voice light even though my heart was still pounding. "That was... nice."

Walter looked up at me, still blushing, but he smiled too. "Yeah," he agreed softly. "It was."

For a moment, we just sat there, neither of us saying anything. It wasn't awkward though. It felt like we didn't need to say anything. I felt calmer than I had all day, and something about the way he looked at me made everything else fade away.

I didn't know what this meant for us, or what would happen next, but I knew one thing for sure: this was real. Whatever I was feeling for Walter, it wasn't just a phase or some passing thing. It was something I wanted to figure out, something I wanted to hold onto.

And judging by the way he smiled at me, I could tell he felt the same way.

***

Author's note

Writing this chapter was fun, I hope you liked it