Walter x Henry - a secret love story

Chapter 9 - We are a secret

Henry's pov

Things got a lot better after that night. It felt like a weight had been lifted between us, and for the first time in weeks, Walter and I were really happy again. We spent most of our free time together, laughing, talking, and, of course, kissing. A lot. It felt natural now, like we'd found our rhythm again.

At night, when the door was closed, we'd curl up in bed together, his head resting on my chest, our legs tangled up. I'd run my fingers through his soft brown hair, and he'd smile up at me with those big brown eyes of his, making my heart skip a beat every time. Sometimes, it felt surreal - like I couldn't believe this was really happening, that Walter was mine. I'd kiss him, and everything just felt right.

But there was one thing that wasn't easy. We couldn't exactly let everyone know we were together. We had to be careful, especially at school. Hillerska wasn't exactly the kind of place where two boys could just be open about being a couple. Especially not me. I wasn't ready for anyone else to know.

Walter understood, even though I knew it bothered him a little. He was more open than me, more comfortable with his feelings, but he didn't push. He was patient. And I appreciated that more than I could say. We kept our relationship hidden, sneaking moments together when no one was watching.

In class, it was hard sometimes. I'd catch his eye across the room, and he'd give me this small, secret smile, the kind that made me want to kiss him right there. But we had to act like everything was normal. We still hung out like we always did, but we made sure not to be too close. No touching, no obvious signs that things were different between us.

But even though we tried to hide it, I think some of our friends started to notice something. One afternoon, we were hanging out in the common room with a few guys from class. We were all joking around, talking about some dumb movie we'd watched the night before. Walter was sitting across from me, and every time I looked at him, I had to fight the urge to reach out and hold his hand.

At one point, Karl, one of the guys, gave us this weird look. "You two are always together," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You hiding something from the rest of us?"

I felt my stomach tighten, and for a second, I panicked, but Walter just laughed it off.

"Yeah, we're secretly spies," he joked, making everyone laugh.

I relaxed a little, grateful for how easily he handled it. But I could tell Walter was nervous too, even if he hid it better than me. We had to be more careful.

After that, we became even more cautious. We'd wait until everyone else was asleep before sneaking into each other's beds. Sometimes we'd go for a walk in the woods behind the school, where no one would see us, and steal a few kisses under the trees. It was risky, but I didn't care. As long as I had him, that's all that mattered.

One night, after everyone had gone to bed, Walter slipped into my bed like he usually did. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, and he rested his head against my chest, his fingers tracing small circles on my arm.

"I hate hiding," he whispered after a while.

"I know," I said quietly, kissing the top of his head. "I hate it too."

"Do you think we'll ever be able to... you know, just be us? Without worrying about what everyone thinks?"

I didn't have an answer to that. Part of me wished we could, but I wasn't sure. "Maybe one day," I said softly. "But right now... I don't know. I'm not ready for everyone to know yet."

Walter sighed, but he didn't push me. "As long as I have you, I guess I can wait."

I tightened my hold on him, feeling this deep warmth in my chest. "You do have me," I whispered. "Always."

We lay there for a long time, just holding each other in the quiet. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. For now.

And even though we had to keep our love hidden from the world, when it was just the two of us, it felt like nothing else mattered.

***

Author's note

This chapter is a bit shorter but the upcoming ones are longer again, I promise!