｡𖦹°‧ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐧' 𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐥 ⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ

( 008. 'party' )

ARIELLAS party was already by the time walker arrived, he had been looking forward to this hangout for a while now, but there was one thing—well, one person—that had been on his mind all day.

ariella.

the moment he stepped inside, it was impossible not to spot her. she was standing by the snack table, laughing with blake and a few of her friends, looking effortlessly beautiful in a just simple sweater and jeans. her dark curls bounced with every laugh, and her smile lit up the room. Walker couldn't help but smile too, and he found himself moving toward her almost instinctively, like there was a magnetic pull.

"hey ari," he greeted, leaning casually against the table when he finally reached her. ariella turned, her face brightening when she saw him. "walker! i'm so glad you made it!" she gave him a very long hug, her arms wrapped around his neck.

he laughed as they pulled away, trying not to get too flustered. "i mean it's all my friends have been talking about all week, i wouldn't miss it." blake, who had been watching their interaction closely, raised an eyebrow and smirked. "stop staring at each others eyes and just kiss already, we all know you want to."

ariella rolled her eyes but didn't try to deny it. "we're just friends, no kissing."
"sure," blake teased. "friends who hug like that?" before walker could respond, dior and leah came over, both grinning like they knew something he didn't. they pulled him away from ariella and her friends and brought him into a separate room.

leah grinned, hitting walker playfully. "sooo, how's it going with ariella? her and her friends are cool asff"

walker tried to stay cool, "the same as it was going when you guys asked me yesterday, we're just getting to know each other," he said with a shrug. "and no i havent "fumbled" your wife today."

"yea you better not have," dior said, "me and leah will actually kill you if you do anything stupid."

"okay, okay, i get it," walker said, rolling his eyes.

as the night went on, the party grew livelier. people were dancing, laughing, and chatting in different corners of the house. walker and ariella talking more than anyone else. every conversation just seemed to flow so easily between them. it was like they had their own little bubble, blocking everyone out. sharing stories and inside jokes, laughing at nothing and everything all at once.

at some point, they ended up outside by the firepit, a few others gathered around, but for some reason, it felt like they were the only two there.

"im really glad our friends like each other" ariella said, her voice quieter now as she looked into the flames. "it gives us more reason to hang out more walkie" walker smiled, leaning back against the railing. "yes, we could literally just make a big friend group and hang out all the time." he laughed.

ariella turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze, and the moment felt like it stretched on longer than usual. there was a softness in her eyes, something that made walker's chest tighten in that way that only happened with her.

"you know, you're pretty easy to talk to," she said, voice light but meaningful. "i didn't think I'd get along with you so easily. i don't know, it just feels right."

walker wasn't sure if it was the way she said it or the way her eyes locked with his, but he felt the same. there was something there something beyond just friendship and even though they hadn't talked about it, it was becoming more and more obvious.

"yeah," he said, his voice lower than before, "i feel the same way"

inside, the rest of the group was watching them. scarlett, who had been sitting with blake and leah, leaned over to dior and whispered, "is it just me, or do they have hella chemistry?"

dior smiled knowingly. "no, it's not just you. i think they both know it too, they're just trying to play it cool."

blake, who had been watching her sister and walker from the corner of her eye, couldn't help but smile. "they're definitely not fooling anyone. it's obvious. they just don't want to admit it yet."

aryan leaned in, his voice teasing. "so when's the 'confession' happening? we're all waiting. #walkella for life"

blake laughed. "honestly? they're already acting like they're dating. you should see them when they're on face time, its all flirts and giggles, and they fall asleep on the phone literally everynight."

leah, who was hanging out by aryan and charlie, added, "i think they're both just nervous. they're playing it cool because they don't want to mess things up. but it's pretty clear they like each other."

a little later in the night, walker and ariella found themselves in the kitchen, the room quieter now, just the two of them grabbing drinks. ariella opened the fridge and handed him a can of sprite, her fingers brushing his for a second longer than necessary.

"thanks," walker said, smiling at her, his heart skipping at the contact. he wanted to say more, but the words didn't come. he didn't want to overthink it.

ariella smiled back, noticing his hesitation. "what's up?"

walker cleared his throat, a little self-conscious. "i just... don't know what it is, but something about tonight feels different."

ariella raised an eyebrow, jumping up to sit on the counter. "different how?"

"i don't know. i guess i'm just realizing that maybe it's not just some casual thing between us." he paused, his voice a little softer now. "you know?"

ariella's eyes softened, and she gave him a small smile. "yeah. i've been feeling that too. i think maybe we're both realizing it." before either of them could say more, blake burst into the kitchen with leah right behind her.

"okay, you two," Blake said with a grin. "the whole group is watching you. everyone can tell you like each other. just admit it."

ariella rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. she glanced at walker, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to quiet down. "maybe we should talk about this more," she said, her voice quiet, walker nodded, the weight of her words settling on him. "yeah. we probably should."

⭑°‧꩜ .ᐟ