before he could change his mind - walker scobell
walker scobell x fem!reader
warnings: fluff, teasing, kissing, idiots in love, friends to lovers (ofc), slow burn
summary: you and walker have always been just friends– at least, that’s what everyone says. but when a broken elevator traps you together for fifteen to thirty minutes, the silence starts to say everything you’ve both been avoiding.
masterlists | walker scobell masterlist | taglist
the hallway is quiet in that late-night hotel way, where everything feels softer, almost unreal, like the whole floor has fallen asleep without you.
you step out of your room, carefully pulling the door shut behind you, your fingers lingering on the handle for just a second as you glance down at your outfit again, smoothing your hands over your dress even though you already checked it three times in the mirror.
it’s short enough that you keep thinking about it, adjusting it subconsciously, even though it looks completely fine.
you take a breath, turning toward the elevator—
because at the exact same moment, the door across from yours opens.
you both freeze for a split second, caught off guard in the same way, eyes meeting instantly like they always do, like there’s some invisible string connecting your timing without either of you meaning to.
“oh,” he says, a small, surprised smile pulling at his lips as he fully steps into the hallway.
“oh,” you echo, your voice softer, but there’s a hint of a smile there too.
there’s a moment where neither of you move, where your eyes linger just a second longer than they probably should, and you feel his gaze flicker over you quickly before he looks back up, like he doesn’t want to get caught staring even though he already kind of did.
“you heading down?” he asks, locking his door.
“yeah,” you nod, finally stepping forward, “i thought i was gonna be late.”
“same,” he huffs out a quiet laugh, falling into step beside you like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “they’re probably already there, judging us.”
“oh, definitely,” you say, rolling your eyes lightly. “leah’s probably already texting me.”
“she texted me twice,” he admits. “and then sent a voice message. which is… never a good sign.”
you laugh under your breath as you reach the elevator together, the soft ding echoing slightly in the empty hallway as the doors slide open.
you both step inside, and he presses the button for the lobby.
for a second, everything feels normal.
the elevator starts moving.
hard enough that your hand shoots out to grab the railing, your breath catching as the sudden stop throws off your balance.
and then everything goes still.
you stare at the doors like they might suddenly fix themselves if you look at them long enough.
“…no,” you mutter, already shaking your head. “no, no, no.”
“okay,” he says, stepping closer to the panel, pressing the button again like that might magically work. “that’s… not ideal.”
“not ideal?” you turn to him, almost laughing in disbelief. “we’re literally stuck.”
he presses the emergency button, glancing back at you quickly, his expression softening a little when he sees the way your shoulders tense.
“it’s fine,” he says, quieter now. “we’ll just call, they’ll fix it.”
you nod, even though your stomach is already doing that uncomfortable twisty thing.
the voice on the other end comes through after a moment, slightly distorted, and he explains the situation quickly, one hand braced against the wall as he listens to the response.
his jaw tightens just slightly.
“fifteen to thirty minutes?” he repeats.
he exhales softly. “okay. yeah, that’s fine. thank you.”
he winces a little. “maybe less.”
you let out a long sigh, dragging your hands down your face before carefully sliding down the wall, sitting on the floor and adjusting your dress so it doesn’t ride up too much.
“this is actually so embarrassing,” you mumble, resting your head back against the cool metal.
he watches you for a second, then lowers himself down beside you, close enough that your arms are almost touching, his shoulder just barely brushing yours when he shifts.
“why is it embarrassing?” he asks, glancing at you.
you turn your head slightly, looking at him. “because we’re dressed up, and when they open the doors, they’re just gonna see us sitting here like… i don’t know, like we got abandoned.”
he lets out a quiet laugh. “i don’t think that’s what they’re gonna think.”
“then what are they gonna think?”
he hesitates for a second, his eyes flicking over your face before he shrugs lightly. “i don’t know. probably nothing.”
you narrow your eyes at him, not entirely convinced, but you don’t push it.
you answer, already knowing what’s coming.
“where are you?” she asks immediately. “and do you know where walker is, because—”
“yeah,” you cut in, glancing at him, “he’s right here.”
“we’re stuck in the elevator.”
and then she starts laughing.
you close your eyes briefly. “you’re so annoying.”
“oh my god, i’m telling everyone,” she says through laughter. “don’t do anything weird in there.”
“we’re not—” you start, but she hangs up before you can finish.
you lower your phone slowly, staring at it for a second.
“…i’m never hearing the end of this.”
“definitely not,” he agrees, smiling slightly.
for a while, the conversation stays light.
you talk about the others already being at the restaurant, about how aryan is probably complaining about being hungry, about how charlie definitely ordered food without waiting for anyone else.
at some point, you both end up sitting more comfortably, your legs stretched out slightly in front of you, his knee brushing yours every now and then without either of you moving away.
“okay but be honest,” you say after a few minutes, turning your head toward him again, “if we’re not out in like twenty minutes, do you think they’ll just start eating without us?”
“oh, absolutely,” he says immediately. “no hesitation.”
you smile a little, but then your expression softens, your voice quieter when you add, “i actually feel kinda bad though.”
he frowns slightly. “why?”
“because they made reservations and everything, and now we’re just… not there.”
he studies you for a second, then nudges your arm lightly with his. “hey. it’s not like we planned this.”
“they’ll survive,” he says, a small grin forming. “and if they don’t, then… that’s on them.”
you huff out a soft laugh, shaking your head.
time passes slower than you expect.
you talk about random things—filming, stupid behind-the-scenes moments, inside jokes that don’t make sense to anyone else, the kind of conversations that flow easily because you’ve had a hundred like them before.
but there’s something different about this one.
maybe it’s the fact that there’s nowhere else to go.
at some point, your conversation fades a little, the words slowing down as the silence stretches between you—not uncomfortable, just… heavier.
you glance down at your dress again, tugging it slightly.
“i still feel like this is gonna look so weird when they open the doors,” you mumble.
“this,” you gesture vaguely. “us. sitting on the floor, all dressed up.”
he turns his head toward you fully this time, his expression softer, more focused.
and then, quietly, like it just slips out—
it’s not teasing this time.
your breath catches a little as you meet his gaze, your fingers stilling against the fabric of your dress.
“…thank you,” you say, softer now.
neither of you looks away.
his eyes drop to your lips.
and then down again, slower this time, like he’s not even trying to hide it anymore.
and suddenly everything feels louder—your heartbeat, your breathing, the way the air between you feels charged with something you’ve both been pretending isn’t there for way too long.
you don’t remember deciding to move closer.
until your faces are only inches apart.
his breath hitches when your noses brush.
for a second, neither of you moves.
like you’re both waiting for the other to pull back.
and when he sees your eyes flick down to his lips, something in his expression changes—softens, but also becomes more certain.
the kiss is gentle at first, almost hesitant, like he’s giving you time to stop him if you want to.
your hand comes up instinctively, gripping the front of his shirt lightly as you kiss him back, and that’s all it takes for the hesitation to fade just enough for the kiss to deepen, still soft but more sure, more real.
it feels like something that’s been building for a while finally snapping into place.
when he pulls back, it’s slow, your lips barely separating, your foreheads almost touching as you both try to catch your breath.
“i—” he starts, his voice low, uncertain. “i probably shouldn’t have—”
you don’t let him finish.
this time, there’s no hesitation.
your fingers tighten slightly in his shirt as you kiss him again, and his hand comes up to your arm, steadying you as you lean into him, the kiss deeper now, more certain, like neither of you wants to question it anymore.
a loud knock against the elevator door makes you both jump apart.
“hello? is everyone okay in there?”
you blink, still a little dazed. “yeah! we’re okay!”
you glance at him, and your heart does something stupid when you notice the faint shine on his lips.
the doors open shortly after, and he stands first, immediately reaching his hand out to you.
you take it, letting him pull you up carefully, his other hand hovering near your waist for a second like he’s making sure you don’t lose your balance.
once you’re out, everything feels a little too bright, a little too normal compared to what just happened.
the car ride is quiet in a different way now, filled with glances that last a little too long and smiles that neither of you fully explains.
when he parks, you turn toward him, your eyes immediately dropping to his lips again before you can stop yourself.
he notices instantly. “what?”
you try to hold it in, but you can’t. “you have lip gloss on your lips.”
he raises an eyebrow, and immediately opens his phone camera, groaning under his breath when he sees it.
“you’ve gotta be kidding me.”
a blush creeps up his neck as he looks at you. “do you have a tissue?”
you hand him one, grinning slightly. “not gonna lie, lip gloss suits you.”
he shakes his head, wiping it off. “yeah, okay.”
when you walk into the restaurant, everyone immediately looks up.
“oh wow,” aryan says dramatically, “they remembered we exist!”
“we got stuck in the elevator,” you say quickly.
“yeah,” walker nods, way too fast, “not our fault.”
you both sit down next to each other.
before you stand up. “i’m gonna go to the bathroom.”
“i’ll come,” she says instantly.
the second the door swings shut behind you, she turns to you, eyes wide.
you last maybe two seconds.
“…fine. we—um—we kissed.”
“finally!” she whisper-yells. “took you guys long enough!”
you groan, covering your face.
leah doesn’t even hesitate. “they finally kissed.”
dior gasps. “really? took you guys long enough!”
you want the floor to swallow you whole.
when you get back to the table after the bathroom, the boys are smirking, and walker looks like he just got interrogated, his ears still slightly red as he takes a sip of his water a little too quickly.
you sit down next to him, and for a moment, neither of you says anything.
you both look away at the same time.
then, quietly, under the table, his hand finds yours.
and in this moment, the both of you knew everything had changed.
but you wouldn't have it any other way.
this has also been sitting in my drafts for longer than i'd like to admit...
but at least i won't have to make you guys wait, and just post whenever i remember.
i definitely will try to at least post once or twice a week, mostly on weekends but i'll try to post sooner i promise!
anyway, thank you so much for reading!
feel free to request anything- specific or not!
click here to be added to my walker scobell taglist!
