Days passed into weeks, and the garage settled into its usual rhythm. Walter and Paige worked hard to push past the tension that had clouded their recent interactions, doing everything in their power to be 'normal' around one another. The confessions still loomed between them, the feelings they had both tried to bury, lingered like ghosts in the air, but neither of them acknowledged it. They couldn't. There was too much at stake. They had both silently agreed that the best way forward was to pretend it had never happened.

Walter returned to his methodical, work-obsessed self, diving into projects with laser focus. His interactions with Paige became professional, almost rigid, as if he were intentionally keeping himself at a distance. He no longer hovered when she entered a room or stole glances when he thought no one was looking. Instead, he buried himself in the cold, hard logic of his tasks, hiding behind his work as a way to control the emotions he couldn't fully grasp.

For her part, Paige was trying to maintain her composure, her smile firmly in place even as the nuances of their feelings threatened to call her out as the fraud she was. She stayed close to Tim, pouring all of her energy into her relationship with him, using their time together as a way to ground herself, committing every free minute to being with him. Tim was steady, reliable, and uncomplicated, everything she needed. Everything that wasn't Walter. But no matter how much she tried to move forward, she couldn't entirely ignore the gravitational pull that still lingered between her and the man who now kept her at arm's length.

It wasn't just them who noticed the change. The entire team had picked up on the change between the pair, though no one outright said anything. Toby, as always, was the most vocal about his suspicions, his curiosity bubbling over in his usual quippy way.

"You know…" Toby said one afternoon as the team worked on a new case. "For two people who claim nothing's wrong, Walter and Paige sure do act like they've been body-snatched by aliens."

Happy rolled her eyes, muttering as she adjusted the specs on her welding mask.

"They're just being weird. Leave it alone, Toby."

"Oh, I'm not saying anything is wrong. Just saying, it's weird. They are weird." Toby leaned in closer to Happy, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Have you noticed the way they don't talk to each other lately unless it's strictly about work? It's like watching two magnets trying to avoid snapping together."

Sylvester, who had been silently working on his computer, rolled his eyes at Toby's words. He glanced nervously between Walter and Paige, clearly uneasy.

"Guys, can we… can we not do this? I mean, if there's something going on with them, they'll figure it out. It's not really our business."

Happy smirked.

"That's exactly why Toby's so interested."

Toby grinned, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Guilty as charged. But come on, you can't tell me you haven't noticed."

Walter, who had been working at his desk just within earshot, shot Toby a sharp look of impatience.

"I can hear you." He said, his voice clipped.

Toby raised an eyebrow, looking completely unfazed.

"Oh, trust me, we know."

Paige glanced up from her own desk, her eyes darting to Walter before quickly looking away. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, the weight of the team's attention making the tension even harder to ignore. She forced a smile, trying to defuse the situation with her usual professionalism.

"We're all just busy with work, Toby. That's all."

"Uh-huh." Toby said, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "Whatever you say." Happy shot him a glare, clearly signaling for him to drop it, and Toby wisely raised his hands again, backing off. "Fine, fine. I'll behave."

Paige wasn't blind to how the team had been observing them for weeks, the comments made at every opportune moment, the analyzing of every moment that Walter and Paige were near each other. And while she was thankful that Walter had kept to his word on not fully avoiding her, she also wasn't blind to how they only spoke professionally and nothing more. Their work continued flawlessly, working side by side as one in perfect unison, but their personal relationship was anything but. It was strained, difficult, and void of any contact.

The day wore on, the tension between Walter and Paige ebbing and flowing, but they managed to maintain their professional facade. They communicated when they needed to, short, efficient exchanges about work, polite, nothing more. Neither one dared to stray into personal territory, and it seemed, at least on the surface, like they were succeeding in pretending everything was fine.

But it wasn't fine. Not really.

And everyone knew it.

Tim had even questioned Paige on what was going on a few nights ago, making her even more determined to put this whole mess behind them.

The clinking of dishes echoed through Paige's small kitchen as she stood by the sink, her hands submerged in warm soapy water. Tim was drying a plate beside her, his movements slower than usual, his silence deafening. They had just finished a nice, quiet dinner at her apartment, but there was something off - something that had been hovering over them all evening, making her anxious.

Paige could feel it coming. She could sense the way Tim had been studying her, trying to find the right words, the right time to say what was clearly weighing on his mind. The tension between them was palpable. Tim had been present today at the garage, during a particularly awkward exchange between she and Walter, and Toby's subsequent commentary on it. She knew it had bothered him, and worse, that he was suspicious.

Tim finally broke the silence, his voice hesitant but steady.

"Paige... can I ask you something?"

Paige froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. She knew this was it. He knew.

"Oh um, yeah, of course." She said, trying to keep her tone light as she continued scrubbing a dish, scrubbing far harder than was necessary, scrubbing away her indiscretions.

Tim put the plate down and turned to face her, his eyes searching hers with a mixture of concern and uncertainty.

"Has something... happened… between you and Walter?"

Her stomach dropped. She felt her pulse quicken, but she didn't look up, keeping her focus on the dishes as she tried to think of a careful response.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice a little too casual, a little too forced.

Tim sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't mean to be accusatory or anything, but... I've noticed… things. You two have been acting really strange lately. It's like there's this tension between you, and it's… it's just hard to ignore."

Paige bit her lip, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew she had to say something, but the truth wasn't an option. Not now. Not like this. Yes, she was operating selfishly in an act of self preservation, but also, she didn't want to hurt Tim over something that sort of happened, but didn't happen, and where they all had to work so closely together, she didn't want to cause a problem between Walter and Tim either, because that would definitely take down all of Scorpion.

"I'm just... worried." Tim continued, his tone soft and reassuring. "I know how close you and Walter are, and I get that. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but something feels off, and I'm concerned about you. I just want to know if there's something going on that I should know about."

Paige could feel the panic rising inside her. She didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to lie, but the truth was far too dangerous. Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and turned to face him, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"No, Tim." She said, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Nothing's going on."

Tim didn't look convinced.

"Paige..."

She scrambled for a story, something, anything, that would explain the odd behavior between her and Walter without exposing the truth.

"It's just..." She paused, trying to make it sound believable. "Walter and I had this disagreement a while back. And well, you know how we both can be… We're entirely too stubborn, and it just... lingers sometimes."

Tim raised an eyebrow, still unsure.

"A disagreement? About what?"

Paige waved a hand, brushing it off.

"Oh, just some plans about… Scorpion's… future. You know how Walter is. He's all about logic, and I was trying to bring in a more… emotional perspective, and we just... clashed. It got heated. It's nothing serious, but we both kind of dug our heels in, and it's been... weird."

Tim studied her face, his eyes searching for any cracks in her story.

"That's it? Just a disagreement?"

Paige nodded, her heart pounding. "Yeah, that's it. We're both just really stubborn, and sometimes that sticks around longer than it should."

Tim was quiet for a moment, clearly still processing her explanation. Then he sighed, his expression softening.

"Okay." he said slowly, his voice gentle. "I believe you. I just... I didn't want to leave it unsaid. I've seen how weird things have been between you two, and I care about you, Paige. I just want to make sure everything's okay."

Paige felt a massive wave of guilt wash over her. She hated lying to him, hated how she had to weave this ridiculous story to cover up the truth. But she plastered on another smile, her heart heavy.

"Everything's fine, Tim. We'll move past it. We always do. I promise." At least that part was sort of true. Historically, they have always been able to swallow down their feelings. It was just a matter of time.

Tim nodded, though there was still a trace of doubt in his eyes.

"Alright. I trust you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "But if anything comes up, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here, okay?"

Paige swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Thanks, Tim. I appreciate that."

As he went back to drying dishes, Paige turned her attention back to the sink, her mind spinning with guilt and turmoil. She had lied her way out of the conversation, but the weight of her deception sat heavily on her chest.

The worst part? Tim believed her, and that made it all the more painful.

And now, sitting here, once again listening to Toby chastise her and Walter's odd behavior, she doubled down on acting as normal as possible, professionally nonchalant. Glancing stealthily at Walter, she frowned, saddened at what their relationship had become.

She missed him. Missed his friendship. His closeness. His banter. Missed the way she felt like the only person in the room whenever he looked at her. Missed his goofy attempts at humor. Missed spending time with him.

Their professional nature, the distance, it was necessary while they pushed away their feelings, but, it didn't change the fact that her best friend was just a few feet away, and yet, lightyears away and completely unreachable.

And it broke her heart.

--

The garage was still and quiet, the last echoes of the day fading into the background as the night settled in. Paige waited for Ralph to be dropped off from his Forestry Braves meeting, her thoughts churning like butter as she sat alone in the dimly lit space. Walter was still at his desk, his eyes fixed on his monitor, but the silence between them was overwhelming, too overwhelming. It had been weeks since they'd been alone together, and now that it was here, she had no idea what to do or what to say.

Paige stood from her desk, her steps light but purposeful as she walked over to Walter. Her heart pounded in her chest, a nervous energy bubbling under her skin. She knew they needed to talk, to clear the air once and for all. There was no more avoiding it. Pretending they could move on without acknowledging the confessions that hung between them like a tether neither could cut, had clearly not been working.

"Walter…" She said softly, coming to stand a few feet from him, her voice shaky with nerves.

Walter looked up, his expression guarded but expectant, as though he knew this conversation had been inevitable. His fingers twitched on his mouse before he set it aside, turning his full attention to her.

"Yeah?" He tried so hard to sound carefree, but they both heard the cracking.

"Can we talk?" Paige continued, her voice steady, but her heart racing painfully.

"Oh, um, sure. Okay. Yeah. Um, what…. what about?"

"About… what we said to each other… that night. About the uh… the feelings we both admitted we have… for each other…"

"Oh."

Walter's jaw tightened, and his eyes flickered with reluctance.

"I know we sort of made this subject taboo, and that was my doing, but I… I don't like how things have been between us. I don't like being so distant from you. So I hoped we could talk about it."

He stood up slowly, his movements measured, and crossed his arms as he faced her.

"Yeah." He said quietly, his voice low. "I uh, I don't like it either."

For a moment, the silence between them stretched again, both unsure what to say without making things worse, the kind that felt almost unbearable. Paige swallowed, her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag as she struggled to find the right words.

"I think… we need to be honest." Paige began, her voice soft but firm. "We both admitted that we have feelings for each other, um, strong feelings. And pretending we don't hasn't worked. But… we need to make a choice about where we go from here."

Walter's eyes met hers, the tiniest flicker of something, regret, longing, perhaps hope, passing through them before he blinked it away.

"You're right." He agreed, his voice a little tighter now. "We do have feelings for each other, but…"

"But we can't act on them." Paige finished for him, her voice quiet but resolute. She said the words, but even as they left her mouth, they felt forced. As if she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

Walter nodded, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at her.

"Exactly. We have to… move forward. As just friends."

"Just friends." Paige echoed, the words tasting bittersweet as they hung in the air between them.

They both stood there, trying to let the idea settle, but it didn't. Not really. It felt forced, as though they were trying to fit themselves into roles that neither of them truly believed in.

Walter shifted on his feet, his eyes locked on hers, the newfound tension between them palpable. His fingers fidgeted at his side, and then, in an almost absurdly awkward gesture, he extended his hand toward her.

"Maybe we should… shake on it?" He suggested, his voice slightly strained, a hint of nervousness slipping through.

Paige stared at his hand, her breath catching in her throat as she hesitated. The idea of sealing this decision with something as formal as a handshake felt ridiculous, but at the same time, it felt like the only thing keeping them tethered to reality. Caught between wanting to giggle at the gesture, and taking his hand and pulling him to her, she could feel the chemistry radiating from his presence, the electricity between them humming in her ears.

Finally, she reached out, her hand sliding into his. The moment their skin touched, they both felt time stand still. The handshake that was meant to solidify their 'just friends' status only deepened the connection between them. Walter's grip was gentle but firm, and Paige felt a jolt of something deep in her chest - a pull, magnetic and undeniable. Toby had been right, they were like magnets trying to repel each other.

Their eyes locked, swirling with intrigue, longing, love, the air between them sizzling with every passing second. Neither of them let go, too afraid to break the spell. The handshake became an anchor, not to the decision they were trying to make, but to each other. It was as though the world around them had fallen away, leaving only the two of them standing there, their hearts pounding in time with one another.

Paige's breath hitched, she swallowed hard, as she took a step closer, their hands still clasped, and she saw it in his eyes, the same pull she felt. Walter's lips parted slightly, his gaze flicking to hers, dark and intent. They both knew what was about to happen, even as they fought against it.

His other hand nervously played at his side as if he wanted to lift it to her, to close the space between them, but fear was holding him back. Paige's heart pounded erratically, the room seeming to shrink as the desire to be closer built, layer upon layer. They were just inches apart now, the chemistry between them at an all time high, undeniable. It wasn't supposed to be this way, but they were powerless to stop it.

Their faces drew closer, their breaths mingling in the narrow space between them. Walter's eyes softened, his gaze flicking between her lips and her eyes, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in perfect enchanting circles. Paige leaned in ever so slightly, her pulse quickening to what she was sure would result in cardiac arrest, as she tried and failed to fight the inevitable draw toward him. She couldn't be sure who was moving, but they were suddenly flush against each other, their hands still clasped between them, cradled against Walter's chest, and her eyes slipped closed as they moved to complete the distance, their lips aligning.

But, just as their lips were about to meet, the sound of the door cut through the air like lightning. Zapping them apart in an instant, pulling away from each other as though they'd been caught doing something forbidden. Which they had. Paige's heart raced, this time not in a good way, as she jumped back, her hand slipping from Walter's as Ralph burst into the garage, his cheerful voice echoing through the room.

"Mom! Look what we made!" Ralph called out, oblivious to the moment he had just interrupted.

Paige turned to greet him, forcing a smile as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Hey, buddy! Let me see!" She said, her voice shaky, but she hoped Ralph wouldn't notice. "How was your meeting? And what am I looking at?"

Ralph smiled, dropping his backpack by the door, handing her his device.

"It was awesome! I made a solar powered water filtration system! Can we test it out this weekend?" She nodded enthusiastically. "What about you? How was your day? Any cool cases?"

Paige's eyes darted back to Walter for a brief moment, her chest seering with guilt as she saw the same lingering contrition in his posture, the same raw emotion in his eyes. But when he looked at Ralph, his expression shifted, the mask slipping back into place.

"Just… regular working. No explosives today. Definitely nothing blowing up at all." Paige replied, her voice tight as she tried to steady herself. "Ready to go? How about we grab some burgers and you can tell me all about this… thing?"

Ralph nodded, bouncing on his feet, completely unaware of the storm that had nearly broken between his mother and Walter just moments before. Paige stole one last glance at Walter, her heart aching with everything unsaid, before turning toward the door with Ralph.

"Goodnight, Walter." She said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Walter's eyes met hers for a fleeting second, something raw flickering behind them before he quickly looked away.

"Goodnight, Paige. Goodnight Ralph."

As Paige walked out with Ralph, her mind was spinning, the heat of the moment still thrumming beneath her skin. They had made their choice. They were just friends.

But even as they left the garage, she knew they were both still trying to convince themselves that it was true.

Just friends, that had Ralph been one second later would have crossed the line from friends to affair.

This was a problem. A big problem.

But it would be fine.

They would be just friends. It was a moment of weakness. That's all. It was over. And now they could get back on track with their friendship.

Just. Friends.