Walter x Henry - a secret love story

Chapter 12 - Birds of a feather

Henry's pov

The next week was just as bad, maybe worse. The whispers never stopped, and it felt like we were under a spotlight everywhere we went. I tried to act like I was okay, but inside, I was a mess. Walter was struggling more than I thought he would. I could see it in his eyes—how sad and hurt he looked when he caught someone whispering behind his back or when Vincent made another joke.

Every time I turned around, there was someone talking about us. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't help hearing bits and pieces. "Did you see them together? So weird!" or "I can't believe they're dating!" It felt like the whole school was taking turns poking fun at us. But every time I saw Walter flinch at a comment, it felt like a knife in my chest.

We were in class one day, and I could tell he was having a hard time. He sat a few seats ahead of me, and whenever I glanced his way, he seemed lost in thought. His usual bright smile was replaced with a frown, and it broke my heart. I wanted to go to him, to tell him that everything would be okay, but I knew that wouldn't help.

After class, I caught up to him in the hallway. "Hey," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Hey," he replied, but his voice was quiet, almost defeated.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked, hoping to distract him. Maybe we could find a place where we could be alone, where the noise of the school wouldn't reach us.

"Sure," he said, glancing around like he was nervous about being seen with me. I hated that he felt that way. It wasn't fair.

We slipped out of the main building and headed toward the woods behind the school. The trees were thick, creating a small shelter from the prying eyes. As we walked, I could feel the tension in his shoulders. I wanted to say something to make him feel better, but I didn't know what to say.

"Walter," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I hate seeing you like this."

He shrugged, his eyes downcast. "I'm fine."

I frowned. "You don't look fine. You look... sad. Are you okay?"

He took a deep breath, and I could see he was struggling to find the right words. "It just... it hurts, you know? The way people are talking about us. I thought we could just be happy, but it's hard to be happy when everyone is making fun of us."

I felt a wave of anger rise inside me. It wasn't fair that he had to feel this way. "It's not your fault, Walter. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, but it feels like I'm always the butt of the joke," he said, his voice shaking a little. "I thought it wouldn't bother me, but it does. I can't help it."

I stepped closer to him, wanting to offer comfort. "You're not a joke. You're... you're amazing, and anyone who thinks otherwise is stupid."

Walter looked up at me, his brown eyes searching mine. "You really think so?"

"Of course I do," I said firmly. "You're my best friend and boyfriend, and I'm proud of you. I'm proud of us. No matter what anyone else says."

He smiled weakly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Thanks, Henry. It just feels like everyone is judging us all the time."

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. "Then let's not care what they think. We can be us, no matter what anyone says. We have each other, and that's what matters."

As I held him, I could feel his body relax a little, and I took that as a good sign. We walked in silence for a while, just enjoying the moment, trying to escape the noise of the school. But I knew it wouldn't last.

After a bit, we reached a clearing, and I stopped to look at him. "You know, I think we can find a way to deal with this. Maybe we can talk to our classmates? Face them together?"

Walter looked uncertain. "What if they just laugh at us more?"

I shook my head. "They might, but we can show them we don't care. We're not going to let them ruin what we have. We can do this."

He took a deep breath, looking thoughtful. "You're right. I just want it to be over, to not feel this way anymore."

"We'll figure it out. Together," I promised, squeezing his shoulder.

Walter smiled a little more genuinely this time. "Thanks for being here, Henry. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Same here," I replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

As we turned to head back to school, I felt a sense of determination. I wouldn't let our classmates tear us apart. We were strong together, and we could face anything as long as we had each other. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was ready to fight for us.

***

Author's note

I hope you liked the chapter, I got inspired by Billie Eilish's song for the title