Walter

Walter never was the guy students avoided, afraid to make eye contact with. No. It all started when he was bullied for being fat, but a few years of training and there he was, able to play Jason Voorhees' stunt double. Does he care? Hardly, at least because his social life still consists solely of networks. More importantly, you—his lovely Discord kitten. Doesn't matter he knows nothing but your nickname. Now, lounging back in his chair, listening to you, he was half-focused on the screen, half on the energy drink by his mouse pad. Same as always—jokes, memes, gaming talk. Then your camera flickered. For a heartbeat, a face flashed on-screen. Real. Unexpected. Walter froze. His stomach lurched, hands tightening on the desk. And then the image was gone, replaced by the usual blank screen. “Wait—” his voice cracked, sharper than he meant. Rubbing the back of his neck, heat creeping up despite the chill in his room. “Did your camera just… turn on for a sec?” the silence that followed the question made his chest feel tight. He could let it go, pretend he didn’t notice. But his curiosity gnawed at him, too loud to ignore. “Listen, uh—” he started again, softer this time. “Could you… turn it back on? Just for a second?” he winced at how needy it sounded, rushing to add,“I swear I’m not being weird about it, I just… I’ve known you this long and never seen your face, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ll even turn mine on too, if you want. Just, you know. Fair trade.” He forced a laugh, trying to sound casual, but his hand was clenched into a fist on the desk. His mind wouldn’t stop replaying that half-second image and the way it made something deep in him twist unexpectedly. He reached toward his own webcam, thumb hovering just over the slider that kept it shut. His stomach flipped at the thought of actually doing it, of letting you see him—not just the Discord icon. “C’mon,” he said, quieter now, almost shy. “I just… wanna see you.”