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

( 032. 'something about a beach' )

IT WAS AROUND EVENING TIME on the 3rd night of vacation and the breeze of the ocean blew over the group as they went back to the beach again after dinner. the sky was beautiful, it was painted with pinks, blues, purples, and oranges. and the sun was betting behind the waves, giving everything a golden glow. (nothing gold can stay - outsiders)

walker and ariella walked side by side, the rest of the group behind them. their shoes sinking into the sand as they walked towards the bonefire they had set on the beach, everyone walked over and sat on the pillows they had beside the fire. 

"so, what are we doing tonight?" leena asked, her voice cheerful. she was sitting with blake and tanner near the bonfire, the sand around them littered with bags of snacks and drinks.

blake shrugged her shoulders. "i think we should tell ghost stories and make s'mores."

ariella laughed softly at the suggestion, but walker had seemed to light up at the mention of s'mores. "i'm so down for that," he shot up out of ariellas lap, where he had been laying his head. 

"you fatty," ariella teased him, her eyes soft as she looked up at him.

walker shrugged, giving her a playful smile. "you literally ate 3 bags of tru fru in the house."

ariella side eyed the mess out of the boy. "its fruit so??? whats your point." she rolled her eyes at him. 

after they got their marshmallows roasting over the fire, the group settled in, passing around graham crackers and chocolate.

everything about the night felt natural to the girl—being here, with walker and the others, under the sky.

she watched as walker carefully constructed his s'more, his face glowing under the light from the fire. she couldnt help but stare at the beautiful boy. she smiled at how focused he was, his tongue peeking out slightly as he toasted his marshmallow. 

"walkie i think you're taking that way too seriously," ari laughed, nudging him with her foot.

he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "ari its an art form"

ariella's laughter was cut off by a voice from behind her. "so, you two are, like, definitely a thing, huh?"

blake's voice rang out, teasing but also curious, and ariella rolled her eyes for for a second, caught off guard by the directness of the question.

she glanced at walker, feeling the sudden tension, he didn't seem as caught off guard, though, and simply shrugged.

"maybe," he said nonchalantly, staring into the fire.

blake snorted. "come onnnn already.  i've seen the way you two look at each other. It's practically painful to watch."

ariella's cheeks warmed, and she fumbled with her s'more. "we're just... figuring things out," she said quickly, trying to get her sister to shut up. 

"well, take your time," leena piped up, grinning from where she was sitting on the blanket. "but i'm calling it now. by the end of the week, you two will be official."

walker smiled, glancing at ariella from the corner of his eye. "we'll see."

later on, after the group had eaten, ariella found herself slipping away from the group with walker. the two walked down the beach, close to the waters edge. 

"walker," ariella said quietly, glancing over at the boy as they walked. "i've been thinking about what blake said earlier."

"yeah, whats up ari?" walker said, his voice casual, though his gaze flickered toward her, as if he could sense the change in her tone.

ariella hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to say what was on her mind. "i mean... i don't know. sometimes I feel like things between us are... obvious, like blake said. but I don't want to rush anything. and i dont want my sisters words to make you feel rushed- i mean, and i just—"

walker stopped walking suddenly, turning to face her. his eyes were soft, his expression calm. "ariella, we're not rushing anything. but i get it. i'm in the same place as you."

she looked up at him, her heart thumping in her chest. "you are?"

"yeah," he said with a small, quiet smile. "i like being around you, ariella. and i think... i think i might like you more than I realized."

Ariella's breath caught in her throat. "you think so?" her voice came out softer than she intended.

"i know so," he said, his voice low and serious now, his hand brushing against hers. "it's just that... i don't want to mess anything up. so, if you need more time, i'm good with that. but i wanted you to know how i feel."

ariella was quiet for a moment, feeling the weight of his words. Her heart was racing now, and she couldn't help but let a small smile sneak on her lips.

"i think... i think i feel the same way," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"you think so?" he asked, mimicking the look ariella had on her face a minute ago. 

"i know so, walker." she replied rolling her eyes and laughing. 

walker's smile widened, and for a brief moment, the world around them seemed to disappear. it was just the two of them, standing under the stars with the sound of the waves in the background. everything felt perfect, and it was like the right words had finally come.

"i'm glad," walker said softly, stepping a little closer to her.

without thinking, ariella closed the space between them. they stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, before walker leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

ariella frowned, looking up at the boy. "uhm hello? what happened to an actual kiss?"

walker shook his head, "nuh uh ari, no more of those until you're my actual girlfriend." 

ariella blinked, caught completely off guard by his words. she opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a laugh. "wait, what? seriously?"

"yes seriously," walker said, crossing his arms, though his smirk betrayed how much he was enjoying her reaction. "i'm done giving out free samples."

"free samples?" she repeated, narrowing her eyes at him. "you're acting like you're some kind of exclusive brand or something."

"i am," he shot back, grinning now. "walker scobell: premium edition. only available to girlfriends."

"okay, so... when are you gonna ask me, then?"

walker paused, like he hadn't expected her to turn the question back on him. he let out a low laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "soon," he said, his voice quieter now, almost careful.

"soon?" she repeated, narrowing her eyes at him. "what does that even mean? like... soon-tomorrow? soon-next-week? soon-when-i'm-80?"

walker grinned, stepping just a little closer. "soon enough ari"

ariella groaned, throwing her hands up, "you're impossible walker, you know that?"

"and yet, you still like me," he said, his tone light but his eyes locked on hers.

"thats debatable," she muttered, though the way her lips curved into a smile completely betrayed her.