Milo Manheim X Reader - Blog Posts

love story - ben plunkett

summary: the love story of you and your dorky best friend, ben plunkett || warnings: none || genre: fluff || word count: approximately 450

first thing i thought of is his little blue ford fiesta lol

you were always in that thing with him

cause he was always driving you places

but he didn't mind

he liked doing that

besides, whenever you were in the car with him

it almost always ended with karaoke sessions

the two of you singing your heart out embarrassingly loudly to the most random songs

people in the other cars on the street would give you guys looks

but neither of you cared

you were too busy having fun

enjoying each others company

then, he'd take you on "friend dates"

you called it "friend dates" but he never did

he actually got obviously flustered whenever you called it that

and after you realized you'd developed feelings for him

you could never look at the name or the thing itself the same

okay, back to the “friend dates”

he and you would watch a movie every friday and then eat at a diner in town

it was your little tradition

whenever you’d go to the diner, you guys would attempt to try everything on the menu

and eventually you guys would

but it'd definitely take some time

neither of you were very popular

and when people did see you guys, you were always together

so... everyone thought you guys were dating

neither of you even realized that before some popular kid came up to you guys and was all like "no nuts plunkett has a girlfriend?"

it was so awkward between you twofor the rest of the day tbh

but when he picked you up to bring you to school the next morning.. it was just like normal

when prom came around, you weren't exactly planning on going

but when you could tell that ben lowkey wanted to go

you asked him to go with you

as friends, of course

he smiled and said "yes"

and when prom finally came, you were both embarrassingly dressed very '80s for the prom theme that literally no one even followed

he started dancing with you since he could see you looking at all of the couples, wishing you could dance with someone

and when he was dancing with you, he leaned down and kissed you

and you kissed back

after a few seconds, you both pulled away

you were in shock about what just happened

he was blushing

"i- i'm- i shouldn't have-" he started

"ben!" you said, making him stop

"ben, i like you" you told him

he dorkily smiled at you

"i like you too" he said back before softly kissing you again

and that is the love story of you and your dorky best friend, ben plunkett

ᥫ᭡ link to my masterlist

𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 & 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 ? ☆💬。[𝐏𝐓. 𝟐]

continuation of this request: " PLEASE write wally clark x male reader !!!! :3 "

a/n: here's part 1 if you haven't seen it yet !! again, TYSMMMMM!!! AGHHH. THIS IS AWESOME. I'M GONNA BE SO FOR REAL, I STARTED THIS LIKE 2 HOURS AFTER I POSTED THE 1ST PART. I JS GOT RLLY RLLY EXCITED IDK. ANYWAYSS. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS SECOND PARTT!!!

pairing: wally clark x male! reader

warnings: might be slightly ooc idk. other than that, there's none that i can think of atm! :3

──★

IT'S been a LONG set of years ever since you dying. After your death, Daniel & his shitty friends had gotten caught on camera that showed footage of your murder & were later arrested. You got the closure you needed. The people involved with your death were brought to justice. But you still didn't pass on, for whatever reason.

You were sort of fine with it. That just meant you could spend more time with your mutually ghostly friends. Mostly with Wally. Oh, silly, bright, & ridiculously handsome, old Wally. The first person who helped you adjust to being a ghost. Over that time, you had became fast friends & eventually into best friends.

It was getting particularly lonely without the presence of Sarah after she graduated, but Wally helped you with that too. He was like the human embodiment of a golden retriever & you loved it. You loved him. Love was a strong word. A word you didn't truly understand until meeting Wally. And that word was creating way more definitions than you could've ever imagined when you were talking to him or was just in his presence.

Rhonda, Charley, & Janet could see it from a mile away. But you? You refused to. No way he would be into you like that. Or if he was into boys at all. So - being the stubborn person you are - you pushed those feelings into a cage, locked them up, & threw away the key before throwing the cage into a deep deep pit. You weren't about to lose the most important person in your life that made you feel your best just because of some stupid feelings that totally weren't growing by the second.

Wally had seen you drift off more & more lately. He didn't know exactly what you were constantly thinking about, but he didn't want to pry - being the absolute sweetheart he was. But it had drawn to a line when he saw you with your head in the clouds while you & him were sitting by the bleachers, watching the footballers practice. Well, more like him watching, but you get it. Wally nudges your shoulder, gathering your attention.

" You okay, man? " Wally asks finally. You nod. " Sorry. Just.. been thinking a lot. " You reply. " I can see that. " Wally says, laughing slightly - bringing a slight smile to your lips. There was a slight comforting silence as you faced back forward to the practicing students. Wally shuffles in his feet, his gaze flickering over to you as if he wanted to ask you something but kept second guessing himself.

" Spit it out, Clark. " You chuckle. Wally lets out a sigh of relief. "Right- Uhm. Would youuu like to.. I dunno.. go like.. stargazing tonight. At the rooftop? I uh.. I found a telescope in the science room's closet & just.. thought that you'd like it. " Wally says, stammering slightly. You couldn't help but widen your smile throughout his stammering.

" I don't see why not. It'd be cool. " You shrug awkwardly. The jock beside you brightens. " Cool. Ye-yeah that's- that's- " He says before clearing his throat mid sentence. " Uhm.. yeaha. Cool. " Wally says awkwardly before ultimately deciding to stop talking before he embarrasses himself more with his stammering.

" ... Yeeep... " You say awkwardly back before clearing your own throat. " I should uhh.. go talk with Rhonda, she said she needed to talk with me about something. " You state, standing up off your seat on the bleachers. THAT was a bold faced lie, you needed to go talk with Rhonda because you were internally freaking out over the fact that Wally Clark MAY or may not have asked you out to go freaking STARGAZING.

" Oh- Of course. I'll see you later then?- 7:30?- " Wally asks, fiddling with his hands. " Got nothing better to do. " You smile before walking off. Wally watches you go your way, looking at you adoringly without you even knowing. But that didn't last long because you look back slightly, catching him staring at you but he quickly looks away. You just laugh a little before finally being gone from sight.

God Wally couldn't wait to see that smile again.

──★

THE rest of the day really just consisted of you having existential crisis - trying to decide if this 'hangout' was a date. You couldn't think too much of it. You & Wally HAVE had hangouts before. This shouldn't be any different.. right?? Don't make it weird. You shrugged off those thoughts, trying to compose yourself as you made your way up to the rooftop since it was just about time to meet up with Wally.

You take a deep breath before pushing the door open, seeing the back of the jock that's been on your mind nonstop all day. You shove your hands into your pockets as you awkwardly make your way over - looking up in awe at the gentle stars that scattered in the night, standing next to Wally. " Hey. " You finally say. Wally looks over to you, smiling at the fact you were here. " Hey. " Wally finally says back.

You both spent around 2 hours just talking & looking at the stars. It felt natural talking with Wally. Maybe that's part of why you loved him. He was just so.. enamoring & comforting to be around to the point you just can't help but be drawn to the guy. God he was everything to you. You couldn't help it. Maybe it was the way he looked at you or you started noticing the small details. Like the way he nibbles on his bottom lip slightly when the silence gets too loud, or the way he'd hum songs by The Police unironically, or the way he looks at you when you even utter a word. Like he's hanging onto every word your saying like it's your last one.

He's so attentive when it comes to you & by god does it make you wanna kiss every inch of his face like your life depends on it.

" You're spacing out again. " Wally says with a slight smile, causing you to blink out of your thoughts - turning towards him. " Sorry- I was thinking about stuff again. " You say awkwardly. " Will you ever end up telling me what exactly that 'stuff' is? " The jock asks teasingly.

" I dunno. Will I? " You answer back jokingly with a smirk, causing Wally to laugh a little. The comfortable silence falls again before Wally looks over at you - taking in your side profile as observantly as possible. You didn't notice.

" ... Hey, Wally..? " You finally say after a while.

" Hm? " He hums back, still looking towards you.

" What would you do if you weren't dead, if you don't mind? " You ask. Wally thinks for a moment.

" ... Honestly, I'd probably end up playing football at college... It's not EXACTLY what I want to do but, it would've made my mom proud. " Wally replies. You tilt your head slightly.

" ... Yeah that's fair. What's the exact thing you wanted to do? If your mom wouldn't have pressured you into doing football? " You ask with a slight smile.

" ... Theatre. It's kind of dumb, but yeah. I've always been sort of into theatre. I wanted to be a director. Direct my own plays & stuff. " Wally shrugs. You just look slightly shocked at this new revelation.

" Really? " You ask again, genuinely shocked still. " Yeah. " Wally chuckles. " Wow. " You say with a smile. " I'm totally gonna use this against you, by the way. " You say jokingly, your smile soon turning into a smirk. " I knew it'd be a mistake telling you. " Wally says back jokingly.

" What about you, though? What would've you done if you were still alive? " Wally asks. You think for a moment.

" ... I would've been coding my way into Game Design. " You reply back after a while. Wally's eyebrows raise at this - almost making the same face you made just a couple of seconds before when he told you what he would've wanted to be. You chuckle slightly at his reaction.

" Yeah. I had an absolute thing for video games. My dad had gotten me Shadow Warrior when I was 5 & it pretty much changed the trajectory of my life. " You say, rubbing the back of your neck as you continued on with your little mini story. Wally hung on to every word - looking at you like you were the most important thing ever.

" ... You would've been great at it. " Wally states, causing you to look over to him again. " Y' think so? " You ask. " Yeah. Would've made a shit ton of awesome games. " He confirms with a grin. You grin back, looking down at your lap - not sure what to say. " ... You would've made a great director. " You say finally. Wally just continues to admire you - a surge of confidence running through him as he inches his hand closer to grab yours.

You notice. And yet you don't say anything. You let his hand rest over yours. You let his finger gently skid across yours before they thread between your fingers. You let him scooch slightly closer to you. You may have scooted closer to him too & you just didn't notice. It felt so.. natural. Like it was always meant to happen.

You finally look over - your eyes going down to both of your intertwined hands & then finally to meet the eyes of the boy you had been so enamored with from the start. You both stare at each other - the only sounds accompanying the both of you were the soft whistle of the wind & the distant sounds of cars driving by throughout the small town.

" Can I kiss you? " The both of you finally say at the same time - catching you both off guard. Wally laughs out. You do too. Then an awkward silence accompanies the two of you. You avert your eyes before looking back at him. " ... Yeah. " You finally say. " What? " Wally questions.

" ... Yeah. You can kiss me. I'm giving you permission. " You clarify. Wally beams almost immediately, shifting his stance a bit to fully face you. You do the same, swallowing a bit nervously. This was actually happening. No jokes. Was this a joke? Wally wouldn't be that cruel. It was Wally after all.

When he places his freehand on your bicep & leans in, you can't help but feel a little hazy from it all. What if he gets a bit disappointed from the kiss? What if you weren't good enough? What if it really was just gonna be a prank? The uncertainties showed in your eyes. Wally could see it. He's been waiting literally years for this moment & no way in hell was he gonna let himself back away from it now. He was gonna prove those what if's in your head wrong.

Before another 'what if' could form in your head, you felt a pair of warm & absolute cozy-worthy lips meld against yours. Your breath hitches - your eyes closing shut upon impact before you start to gently kiss back. All the previous self doubt in your mind had immediately faded away like dust. You use your hand that was still laced with Wally's - pulling his hand to bring him closer.

Wally - of course - obliges with absolutely no resistance until he's sitting on his knees, slightly towering over you as he gently removes his hands from their previous locations & putting them on each side of your cheeks. Your hands go to rest on the nape of his neck. The two of you just stay there for a bit. And then that moment unfortunately ends when you have to breath. You pull away from the kiss, Wally surprisingly chases after the kiss when you pull away. Like he couldn't get enough of you.

You laugh out between pants when he starts pressing kisses all over your face before he finally pulls away a little with an absolute lovestruck smile engulfed on his face. You can't help but smile back just the same way as you press your forehead against his.

" ... Was that okay? " Wally finally asks after just a moment of the two of you basking in each other's comfort. " Wally, it was great. " You reassure genuinely before pressing a kiss against the corner of his mouth. Wally melts into it easily, closing his eyes before nuzzling into the crook of your neck. You seriously couldn't stop smiling. You got the guy. You finally got the fucking guy.

And you weren't letting go any time soon.

──★

a/n #2: YAY IT'S DONEEE!! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED WRITING THISS. PLS SEND ME MORE REQUESTS I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU GUYS COME UP WITH!! THANKS AGAINN!!

── DAMIEN !! ★

PLEASE write wally clark x male reader !!!! :3

OK WHEN I POSTED YOUR REQUEST, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I COULD JS WRITE IT LIKE THIS. I FEEL INCREDIBLY STUPID NOW. ANYWAY. YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AND MADE!!! I HOPE YOU ENJOY <333

── DAMIEN !! ★

𝐢'𝐦 𝐦𝐫. 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ☆💬。

request: " PLEASE write wally clark x male reader !!!! :3 "

a/n: first of all, TYSM ANON FOR YOUR REQUEST AHHH THIS IS LITERALLY MY FIRST EVER TIME GETTING A REQUEST IM SO HYPED & I HOPE THAT I GET MORE REQUESTS AB HIM. I RLLY HOPE YOU ENJOY <33

pairing: wally clark x male! reader

warnings: homophobia, bullying, slurs & death occur throughout the story. angst. yep. angst ho. yeah i just cooked your fries in peanut oil. whatchu gonna do ab it. /j MIGHT be slightly ooc, idk.

──★

YOU have been here at Split River High as a ghost since 2005. To say the least, it was a pretty fucked up way to go. I mean, most of the ghosts here at the school have had a fucked up way to go, but this wasn't about them right now. This was about you.

You were really just a regular teenager that lived around a somewhat fucked up time. You had recently figured out you were queer & you just didn't tell anyone. Not even your parents or friends. You had already known how people in your school were when it came to people of lgbt. Charley Horosa of class of '94 was a pure example of that change. He got relentlessly bullied because of who he was & he eventually ended up dying.

You tried not to let that happen to you. But all that trying ended with a rumor spreading around about you, leading to popular people who you used to have a neutral opinion about, turned into you having a burning hatred for. It started with only words that cut deep. And then those words turned into getting nosebleeds & bruises behind the school after classes. You seriously wanted to fight back. Every fiber of your body wanted to. But you just.. couldn't. You weren't brave.

You weren't the one throwing the punches. You were the one taking them. And that was your downfall. Not being strong enough. It was during the Homecoming game. Your best friend, Sarah wanted you to come with & how could you say no? You weren't really doing anything tonight anyway.

You had decided to go get some snacks from food stands just outside the stadium. While paying for snacks, you saw those fuck asses who've been beating your ass ever since the rumor started. You quickly excused yourself when you saw them heading your way, power-walking to a safe place before spotting a bathroom. You quickly walk inside - locking the bathroom door & backing yourself into the wall, on the verge of having a mental breakdown. You couldn't do this. Not tonight. This was supposed to be fun. You were supposed to be out there with Sarah, cheering on your school's football team & having the time of your life.

But here you were, locked in a bathroom while your bullies kept banging on the bathroom door, calling you names, yelling at you to open the door or else they'd do things much worse. This lasted on for 12 minutes until it suddenly stopped. You stumbled up on your feet, wiping your tears with your jacket sleeve - quietly stepping towards the locked door, pressing your ear to the door if they were still out there. The only sounds out there were the distant cheering as the Homecoming game starts.

You took a deep breath in, slowly unlocking the bathroom door & stepping out. You looked around left & right - seeing no one. Then you finally exhaled, walking fully out. You then look to your right again, seeing a boy your age in footballer gear. You've never seen him before. You'd DEFINETLEY notice a handsome person like him before. Why wasn't he in the game? It was starting, right? You shook it off. It wasn't your business anyway.

You didn't even get five steps in before being tackled by one of your bullies who had been hiding just behind the corner. You tried pushing him off, grunting as the bully punched you in the face - eventually all the bullies started kicking you on the ground, one of them even managing to kick you in the face. HARD. They relented for a moment, starting to make teasing jabs at you.

" You have enough yet, faggot? " The bully on top of you named Daniel retorts.

" ... Fuck off, Daniel. " You retort back angrily, spitting out a gob of blood right in his face. Daniel grunts, wiping the blood off his face. The brunette grabs you by the hair, bashing your head into the ground while muttering 'little shit'. You groan out as you try to stay awake. Throughout your vision blurry you could make out the appearance of the boy from earlier, rushing over to what was happening. You felt the press of Daniel's knee on your shoulder as his hands wrapped around your throat.

Then you heard one of the bullies say 'finish him off'. And Daniel did. You struggled & tried to fight back as Daniel used his bare hands to strangle you. Tears crept up in your eyes as you tried to gasp for air - punching at Daniel's chest. It didn't last long before you grew weaker & weaker, eventually going limp. You didn't wake up until a couple of minutes later by a soft tap on the cheek.

But you didn't awake as the same you as before. No, you were something.. different. You woke up to see a pair of pretty brown eyes staring back at you.

" Hey, hey, take it easy yeah? You just took a really bad beating. " The boy in front of you said as you sat up. You were confused. Why did you feel so different? Seriously, who was this boy in front of you & why hadn't he helped you before you had just took a massive ass beating?

" Who the fuck are you? " You finally say in confusion but before the boy could answer, the sound of a shrill scream cuts him off. You look behind him to see Sarah, who came to find you after you'd been missing for 20 minutes. You quickly stood up, running over to her.

" Sarah?? Sarah! What's wrong? " You say, trying to talk to her but she seemed to not be listening. You try to grab her attention again & then...

She walks through you.

And an overwhelming shiver overcomes you as you slowly turn around - your eyes meeting your limp corpse. Oh god. Your breath catches in your throat, clasping your hand against your mouth to stop yourself from letting out a strong sob. You shut your eyes, trying to block out the image of your cold body that melted itself into the confines of your brain. You felt the gentle brush of a hand land on your shoulder - closely pulling you into a hug as you finally choke out a strangled cry.

You were dead.

And there was no changing that.

But at least there was good company.

──★

a/n #2: HAI EVERYONE!! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THISS!! WHILE WRITING THIS, I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS INTO TWO PARTS - IDK YET! THEIR MIGHT BE MORE PARTS, I'M NOT SURE. YOU'LL JS HAVE TO FIND OUT. ANYWAY, I'M PRETTY SURE I DID PRETTY WELL BUT I WANNA HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! MAYBE GIVE ME SOME POINTERS OR ADVICE. EITHER WAY, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT PART !! :P

── DAMIEN !! ★

edit; here's part 2 nerds :3

why are there no fics about milo manheim. i need one rn and i can’t find any

‘EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE,

- EVIL!WALLY CLARK X READER -

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; yandere/evil hcs w wally clark.

⋆ tags/warnings. wally clark x female reader. obsessive behavior. toxic white man !!

♫ “Oh, can't you see, you belong to me? How my poor heart aches, with every step you take?” ♫ Every Breath You Take by The Police

𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊

You think you can get away? Sorry sweetheart, not an option.

Jumping straight into this, he will kill you. Find a way to orchestrate it. Manipulate Mr. Martin somehow, set it all up. You’re coming with him. Forever.

He’s been watching you from the get go. Even before he killed you, he studies you like his life depends on it. Rhonda and Charley can ask him why he’s standing in the hallways. He’ll come up with BS excuses- they don’t deserve to know you. Not yet.

He watches your friends with contempt. He’d kill them too if it wouldn’t be so damn awkward, running into them for all eternity. Yuck! The thought makes him sick.

Once your dead- he comforts you. He’s the only person to get to hold you. If anyone tries to talk to you to help you figure out what happened, he’s sending them a charming (a bit scary) smile, and saying “I’ll take over from here.”

He’s sneaking an arm around you. He makes big shows in the ghost circle when your present; pretending to care about helping you find out what killed you. Defending you from Mr. Martin or Rhonda.

He needs to be seen as your hero.

And you’ll be none the wiser.

“Wear my letterman jacket, yeah? For good luck?”

also makes you wear the necklace.

He just wants everyone to know who you belong too.

He’ll dig up CD’s in the school library for you two to have little dates. Listen to the 80’s music in a corner at night. Make you watch all his favorite original horror movies, just so he can see your innocent little face terrified. And then he can wrap an arm around you-

“Hey hey hey, I’ll protect you.”

Truly believes he’s given you everything the two of you could ever want. An eternity together.

If you don’t want to be his prom date, you don’t have the option. His eye will twitch- and with a smile, he’ll say he understands through gritted teeth.

But oh, oh, oh, poor Charley. Wally Clark is a jock- and classic one at that. His highschool bully roots will come through eventually.

He’ll have Charley pushed against a locker, threatening to kill him a second time if he doesn’t convince you to go.

You’re his girl. His only hope to find happiness in this shithole of a school.

“You- you love me, right?”

He asks, his eyes a bit too focused on his jersey number he doodled on the back of your hand.

If you say yes, he’ll practically wag his tail and put an arm around you possessivley.

If you stutter, he’ll nod with a shy laugh- a quick “i’m jus’ kidding,” muttered.

But…on the inside? He’s thinking what more he can do to worship you. To make you realize he’s your knight in shining armor, your best player.

He’s an optimist. And a patient man.

He’ll wait for you to come to your senses.

I’ll probably end up writing all three but I need an idea of which one to do first

Jealousy Looks Good on You

Notes: mentions of smoking! mentions of jealousy! drinking!

You weren’t expecting Wally to be here.

Then again, maybe you should have.

The party was already in full swing by the time you arrived, music thumping through the walls, the smell of cheap beer and too many different colognes thick in the air. People packed into every corner of the house, red cups in hand, laughing, shouting over the music.

You’d barely made it through the front door when you felt it—that prickling sensation creeping up your spine, like you were being watched.

And then, there he was.

Wally Clark, leaning against the wall near the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, an unreadable expression on his face. His usual smirk was nowhere to be found. Instead, his dark eyes tracked your every move.

Your stomach flipped.

Your date—Ryan, sweet, safe, boring Ryan—didn’t seem to notice the sudden shift in atmosphere. He laced his fingers through yours, tugging you further inside. “Come on,” he grinned. “Let’s grab a drink.”

You hesitated, but nodded.

Wally didn’t look away.

Fifteen minutes later, you were perched on the arm of the couch, laughing at some story Ryan was telling. Or at least, pretending to laugh.

Because you could still feel him.

Every time you glanced up, Wally was there—lingering near the kitchen, posted up against the back wall, watching.

Your stomach twisted.

He was never this quiet at parties. Never this still.

Ryan’s hand landed on your knee, snapping you back to the conversation. “So,” he said, giving you a playful smirk, “why’d you finally say yes to going out with me?”

You forced a smile. “Figured I’d give you a chance,” you teased.

Before he could respond, a shadow fell over the couch.

Your heart stopped.

You didn’t even have to look up. You knew.

“Didn’t think you were coming tonight, sweetheart,” Wally drawled, his voice smooth, laced with something dangerous.

Ryan blinked. “Sweetheart?”

You knew Wally was trying to get a rise out of you. You knew he was doing this on purpose. And yet, your skin burned under his stare.

“You didn’t tell me you’d be here,” Wally continued, tilting his head, a slow, smug smile finally curling on his lips.

You clenched your jaw. “Didn’t think I had to.”

Wally chuckled, low and slow. “Right. Of course.” His gaze dropped, sweeping over you, pausing on the way Ryan’s hand still rested on your knee.

And just like that, his smirk vanished.

Ryan cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly. “Uh, do we—do we have a problem, or…?”

Wally finally looked at him. “Nah,” he said, too easily. “No problem.”

Ryan nodded, obviously unsure. “Cool, cool.” He turned back to you. “So, you were saying—”

Wally moved.

Not much. Not even close enough to touch you. But just enough to make his presence undeniable.

Just enough to make Ryan notice.

Just enough to make you hold your breath.

Your fingers curled into fists. “Wally.”

His eyes flicked to yours, dark and unreadable. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

Ryan sat up straighter. “Okay, man, seriously. What’s going on here?”

Wally smiled, but it was sharp, predatory. “Nothing. Just making sure my good friend here is enjoying herself.”

You wanted to strangle him.

Ryan exhaled. “Right. Well, we were.”

Wally hummed. “Yeah?” He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice low enough for only you to hear. “You havin’ fun, sweetheart?”

Your stomach flipped.

Ryan frowned. “Dude, do you mind?”

Wally looked at him, slow and deliberate. Then, without breaking eye contact, he reached out—fingers just barely grazing your wrist before you yanked it away.

Ryan noticed.

He wasn’t stupid.

His mouth parted slightly, realization dawning. “Oh,” he muttered. “Oh.”

You could feel Wally’s smirk without even looking.

Heat rushed to your face. “Wally. Go away.”

Wally exhaled through his nose, finally—finally—stepping back. “Sure thing, sweetheart.” He flashed a grin, turning toward Ryan. “Good luck, man.”

And just like that, he walked off.

Ryan let out a breath. “Okay,” he said slowly, looking at you. “What the hell was that?”

You rubbed a hand over your face. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

You found Wally outside, leaning against his truck, flicking a cigarette between his fingers.

“You are such an asshole,” you snapped.

He barely glanced up. “Nice to see you too, sweetheart.”

You stomped over. “You just embarrassed me in front of my date!”

Wally smirked. “Date?”

Your face burned. “Yes! My date!”

He hummed, taking a slow drag of his cigarette. “Looked more like a charity case to me.”

Your jaw dropped. “Are you serious right now?”

He shrugged, exhaling smoke. “I mean, come on, sweetheart. We both know you weren’t into him.”

You clenched your fists. “You don’t get to decide that.”

Wally chuckled, shaking his head. “Please. If you actually liked him, you wouldn’t have let me get under your skin so easy.”

Your stomach twisted.

Because he was right.

And you hated that he was right.

“You’re jealous,” you accused, crossing your arms.

Wally tilted his head, his smirk sharpening. “Yeah,” he admitted, voice lower now. “I am.”

You weren’t expecting that.

He stepped closer, flicking his cigarette away. “Hated watchin’ you sit with that guy,” he murmured, eyes flicking over your face. “Hated him thinking he had a chance with you.”

Your heart pounded.

“Wally—”

“You wanna know why?” he interrupted, voice quiet.

You swallowed. “No.”

He ignored you.

“Because that should’ve been me sitting next to you.”

Your breath caught.

Wally’s hands slid into his pockets, his expression unreadable. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he said softly.

You opened your mouth.

Nothing came out.

Because you couldn’t.

And he knew it.

Wally exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

And then, before you could even process what just happened, he turned—walking away, leaving you standing there, heart in your throat, knowing nothing between you would ever be the same.