Walter x Henry - a secret love story

Chapter 13 - We should stick together

Henry pov

The next week dragged on, filled with whispers and laughter. It felt like we were walking around with a target on our backs. But every time I looked at Walter, I knew we had to do something. We couldn't keep hiding forever.

One day after school, I found Walter sitting on the steps outside the main building, staring out at the parking lot. His shoulders were slumped, and I could see the weight of everything pressing down on him. I sat down beside him, trying to find the right words.

"Hey," I said softly. "We need to talk."

He turned to look at me, his expression uncertain. "About what?"

"I think we should just... tell everyone. Let them know who we are. Stop hiding."

Walter looked surprised. "You really think so? What if it makes it worse?"

I shook my head. "It can't get worse than this. We're already the talk of the school. If we just say it out loud, maybe they'll finally shut up."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. I could see the gears turning in his head. "You think we can do it? In front of everyone?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Together. We can do this."

Walter took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Okay. Let's do it."

The next day, we called a meeting in the courtyard during lunch. It felt like everyone was buzzing with excitement as they gathered around. I could see Vincent leaning against a tree, a smug look on his face. He clearly thought he'd be getting another laugh out of us.

I looked at Walter, who was standing beside me, and gave him a reassuring nod. We stood in front of the crowd, my heart racing. I could feel the tension in the air as everyone watched us, waiting to see what we'd say.

"Hey, everyone," I started, my voice shaking a little. "We wanted to talk about something important."

Walter stepped in, taking my hand. "We know that people have been talking about us a lot. We're not ashamed anymore. We want you to know that we're together, and we're proud to be gay."

The crowd was silent for a moment. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for their reaction. Would they laugh? Would they throw insults?

But then I noticed something strange. People were just looking at us, some with surprise, others with curiosity. I took a deep breath and continued, "We know this might be unexpected for some of you, but we don't care what anyone thinks. We're happy, and that's what matters."

Walter squeezed my hand, and I could see a flicker of hope in his eyes. "So, if you're going to talk about us, just know we're not going to let it bother us anymore. This is who we are, and we're not going to hide it."

After a few seconds of silence, someone in the back started clapping. Slowly, the applause spread through the crowd. I was shocked. Instead of laughter, there was support.

"Good for you!" someone shouted, and soon a few more voices joined in.

Vincent looked furious, his face red with anger. "This is stupid! You guys think this is funny?" he yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the cheers.

I turned to Walter, who was smiling now. I could see the relief washing over him, and it made my heart swell. We had done it. We had taken control of our story.

Afterward, the gossip faded. People stopped making jokes. Instead, some classmates came up to us and told us they admired our courage. I was surprised but grateful. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Over the next few days, Walter and I started to feel more at ease. We could walk down the halls together, holding hands, without worrying about what people would say. It felt amazing to just be ourselves.

One afternoon, as we were walking back to the dorms, I turned to Walter. "You know, I'm really proud of you," I said, grinning.

He smiled back, his blue eyes sparkling. "I'm proud of us. I can't believe we did it."

"Me neither," I said, nudging him playfully. "Who knew we could be so brave?"

Walter laughed, the sound light and free. "I think we make a pretty good team."

"Definitely," I agreed, feeling happier than I had in a long time. "And if anyone tries to mess with us again, we'll just remind them that we don't care."

"Exactly," he said, confidence returning to his voice. "We can handle anything together."

And in that moment, as we walked side by side, I knew that no matter what happened, we would always have each other. Together, we were strong, and nothing could change that.

***

Author's note

I hope you liked this chapter! Some emotionals are coming next!