𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓾𝓼
ᴮʳᵒᵒᵏˡʸⁿ ⁹⁹

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the lot as Aurelie sank deeper into the plush couch in her trailer.

A blanket was draped over her legs, and the comforting sound of Brooklyn Nine-Nine filled the small space.

Jake Peralta was mid-rant about something ridiculous, and she couldn't help but laugh, tossing a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Her rare downtime between scenes was sacred, and she planned to milk every second of it.

A sharp knock at the door pulled her out of the episode.

"Come in!" she called, adjusting the blanket as the door creaked open.

Walker poked his head inside, his usual mischievous grin plastered across his face. He stepped in, letting the door close behind him. "What's this?" he teased, gesturing toward the screen. "Hiding out while the rest of us suffer Aryan's one-man Broadway production?"

Aurelie laughed, shifting to make space for him on the couch. "Please tell me he's not still singing all his lines."

"Oh, he is," Walker groaned, dropping down beside her. "I think he's trying to turn the Cyclops fight into a duet. It's bad. Really bad."

She giggled, tossing him a piece of popcorn. "Poor you. Guess I'm not the only one who needs a break."

Walker caught the popcorn in his mouth with a triumphant grin. "So, this is your escape plan?" He nodded toward the screen. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine again?"

"Yup," she said proudly, grabbing the remote. "Nothing better than Jake Peralta and Captain Holt to cure a stressful day."

Walker smirked, leaning back against the couch. "I remember you used to force me to watch this show all the time. I swear, you wouldn't let me leave until we'd watched at least five episodes."

Aurelie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. "Force you? You loved it, really. Don't deny it."

"Oh, sure," Walker said with mock seriousness. "Loved being held hostage on your couch while you quoted every single line."

She laughed, nudging him with her elbow. "You loved it so much we ended up with a plushie named Jake."

Walker's eyes widened, and his grin turned genuine. "Wait, you still have that?"

"Of course I do!" Aurelie said, standing up and digging through one of the cupboards. She pulled out her and walkers bear child from . "Behold, Jake Scobell in all his glory."

Walker laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you kept that thing. I thought you would've thrown it out ages ago."

"Never," she said dramatically, hugging the plush to her chest. "Jake's been through too much with us."

He reached for the plush, but she held it just out of his grasp. "Hey, I remember winning this for you," he said, leaning closer.

"And it was the best prize ever," Aurelie said with a smirk, finally handing him the plush.

Walker turned it over in his hands, his expression softening as he looked at the familiar toy. "You really kept this?"

She nodded, sitting back down beside him. "Of course. It's a piece of history. Besides, you secretly loved this show as much as I did."

Walker didn't respond right away. He just looked at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're not wrong," he admitted quietly. "It was always fun watching it with you."

Aurelie felt her cheeks warm at his words, the playful banter giving way to something softer. She reached for the plush, her fingers brushing against his as she took it back.

"Good times," she said softly, hugging Jake against her chest again.

"Yeah," Walker said, his voice equally quiet. "Good times."

The moment lingered between them, the faint noise of the TV in the background. Aurelie glanced at him, her heart doing that now-familiar flutter. She hadn't expected the simple memory of a plushie to tug at her emotions like this, but it did.

Walker leaned back, breaking the moment with a light laugh. "Alright, play another episode. Let's see if it's still as good as I remember."

"You're going to love it," Aurelie teased, hitting play.

But as they sat together, sharing popcorn and laughs, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the realization settling in her chest again: she fell for him.

— THE SECRET OF US —