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The red carpet was loud.

Not because of the music, or the reporters shouting questions, or the endless flashes of cameras. Well. Maybe a little because of those things.

But mostly because your heart wouldn't stop pounding in your ears.

It was your first real carpet, your first chance of showing the world who you actually are. Not the actress, just you.

You smoothed down your outfit for what felt like the hundredth time, pretending to listen to your manager talking beside you.

Something about the afterparty. Or the seating arrangements. You weren't really paying attention.

Your hearts skipped a beat when you saw him.

Finn Wolfhard, the one and only.

Walking down the carpet a few yards away, smiling politely as photographers called his name.

He looked effortlessly put together, like he hadn't spent the last hour getting ready.

Like you had, you had really spent all day getting ready, anything to try and get your makeup perfect and to give your hair the best volume.

The unfairness of it almost made you laugh.

Almost.

Because the second his eyes found yours, your thoughts disappeared entirely.

His smile faltered. Just for a moment. And then his face went red.

You blinked, once, twice.

He looked away immediately.

What the hell just happened?

You stared after him, confused.

Every time you glanced in his direction afterward, you caught him looking straight at you.

And every single time you noticed him, the exact same thing happened.

His cheeks turned pink. Then red. Then he'd suddenly become very interested in literally anything else.

The floor, , the ceiling, a random photographer, a plant perhaps.

Anything except you.

A laugh escaped you before you could stop it.

Cute. Very cute. And unfortunately for the already flustered Finn, he heard you.

His eyes widened.

And somehow he looked even more flustered.

— " I think you're enjoying whatever is going on between us tonight way too much." You turned. Finn had somehow made his way over without you noticing.

You frowned, — "You were over there literally just seconds ago.."

He laughed, — "And you were enjoying it so much so now i'm here" his hands were shoved into his pockets, an innocent look displayed on his face.

— "Oh, was I?" you asked teasing.

— "Yes. Yes you were. You so were"

You smiled.

Finn looked like he wanted the carpet to open up and swallow him whole in that exact moment.

— "You're blushing." You exclaimed, laughter bubbling up in the most wholesome way.

— "I'm not." He raised an eyebrow.

— "You so are." You continued the teasing.

He gasped, — " No i'm not."

You giggled again, — "You really are. Don't even try"

Finn groaned quietly. — "Okay maybe I am, but maybe that's cause you're just.. so pretty."

You laughed, a million feelings exploding inside you. And for a second, neither of you said anything.

The noise around you faded into the background.

The cameras, the interviews, the crowds. None of it seemed particularly important anymore.

Not when Finn was standing there looking at you like you were the only person on the carpet.

The only person in the world.

He cleared his throat. "Let's just pretend I didn't say that.." he said carefully, "I don't know why I said that"

You watched him mentally relive the moment in real time. Watched the embarrassment creep across his face once again. Watched him debate whether running away was still an option. A grin tugged at your lips. — "It's okay"

— "Can we please just forget I said that" He spoke once again.

You shook your head, — "No."

Finn dropped his head into his hands. — "Please.." he murmured.

You laughed, — "No.."

You'd remind him every single chance you got.

You'd noticed that he had been acting weird all week. Not bad weird. Just... off.

Every time his phone buzzed he'd snatch it up before you could glance at the screen, and whenever you asked what he was smiling about he'd shake his head and mumble something about it being nothing.

Which, obviously, meant it was something.

The entire drive over to his house you tried not to think about it. Maybe he was planning a surprise.

Maybe he was hiding something.

Maybe you were overthinking—that one seemed the most likely.

Walker sat beside you on the porch steps, his knee pressed against yours as the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees.

Usually he'd be talking your ear off by now, telling some ridiculous story or complaining about something that Aryan said a few days ago. Instead he was quiet.

His fingers tapped nervously against his thigh. You narrowed your eyes.

— "Okay." He spoke, glancing at you with a michievious grin on his face.

— "Okay what?" You asked, what the fuck did he mean "Okay" "What are you hiding?" You asked again.

His face immediately turned red. Which answered your question. You knew him far too well to not notice when something was off.

— "I'm not hiding anything."

— "You literally suck at lying" you exclaimed.

He gasped, — "I can lie."

You raised an eyebrow, — "You can't. You know you can't."

"Yes I can?!" Walker lasted all of three seconds before groaning dramatically and dropping his head into his hands. —"Fine." A nervous laugh escaped him."Maybe I'm hiding one thing."

"I knew it before you said it!." You pointed at him accusingly, earning another laugh.

For a moment neither of you spoke.

Then Walker sat up straighter. And suddenly he looked terrified.

Your heart was beating fast against your chest.

—"Before you say anything," he started quickly, "this isn't, like, a proposal."

You blinked. — "A proposal? What the fuck have you done?"

"You don’t even know what i'm about to say and you're already making it sound bad." His words somehow became even more rushed.

"Look.. don't worry. I'd never propose." He begun, quickly realizing just how wrong that sounded. "Just because we're young and I know that'd be crazy and my mom already laughed at me when I told her what I was planning."

You couldn't stop yourself from laughing. — "Okay," you said softly. "Then what is it?"

You trusted him now.

Walker swallowed, then he finally pulled something from his pocket. A small velvet box.

Your breath caught. — "Oh."

— "Yeah."His smile was nervous.

Your eyes flicked between the box and him. looked from the box to him. Back to the box. Back to him. And suddenly Walker was rambling again. — "I know it's kinda cheesy," he said. "And you don't have to like it. Seriously, if you hate it that's totally okay because I can return it and—"

— "Walker William Scobell."

He stopped.

You reached over and took his hand. — "I don't hate it. Or.. I wouldn’t know that cause I haven't seen it yet. But I don't hate the idea." The corner of his mouth twitched upward. — "Okay good. I was so fucking nervous."

Slowly he opened the box.

Inside sat a simple silver ring. Nothing over the top. Just something small and beautiful.

Something that somehow felt exactly like him, and you.

You stared at it for a second before looking back at Walker.

His eyes were already on yoi. — "I know people usually have a bunch of fancy reasons for this stuff," he said quietly. "But honestly, I just wanted you to know I'm serious about this, about us." He gestured between the two of you.

Your chest tightened.

Oh how you loved him.

Walker glanced down at the ring. Then back at you. — "I don't know what everything's gonna look like in five years. Or ten." He smiled sheepishly. "I barely know what I'm doing next week." You giggled, — "Same."

— "Yeah." He nodded, a laugh threatening to slip out. "But I do know I want you around for all of it." The smile on your face wobbled immediately.

Walker noticed.

Of course he did.

His expression softened. — "It's not a forever ring," he continued. "Not yet, anyway. You'll get one when we're ready, a real one. A proposal." He added, saving his earlier mistake. His grin widened. — "But it's a promise." "A promise that I love you."

Your heart practically melted.

"And a promise that no matter what happens, I'm gonna keep choosing you." Carefully, he slipped the ring onto your finger.And somehow it fit perfectly. Neither of you said anything afterward.You didn't need to.

Walker simply pressed an innocent kiss to your forehead, and then another one, softer, to your lips.

You loved him so much, and you always would.

The end.

AGGH I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SO LONG AND I STILL THINK IT'S AHH I CAN'T 🥹🥹🥹