Before We Fall

Part 1, Chapter 24

Alivia's POV

Stage time is always a blessing, but the rare days when no one else is there are even better. I needed some time away from everyone for a little while, to break in and sew new dance shoes and work on my oversplit and just be, no expectations. 

No one had thought to use the stage that day, so I took the time to run my turn sequence at the end of "Seize the Day" about a hundred times. I dug my iPod and earbuds out of my dance bag, scrolling through the albums I downloaded until I found the Newsies OBCR. I hit play on "Seize the Day" and skipped closer to the end so I could time my turns to the music. 

After about the seventh time I did it perfectly, I heard applause from behind me, and turned to see Sky watching from the wings. I turned away, putting my earbuds back in. I hadn't spoken to him in three days, and now was not the time to deal with everything.

I went back to rehearsing my fouettés, trying to get my alignment just right.

"You're not spotting."

I made the mistake of looking over at Sky, causing me to fall out of my turn and hit the floor. He rushed to help me, but I ripped out my earbuds, held up my hand, and got up on my own.

"I don't need your help."

He snapped. "I really am sorry for how I reacted three days ago. What do you want from me? You made that very public appreciation post, which was fine until you ghosted me — ghosted everyone — all day. Hours afterward, you just appear at the theater at the worst possible time and act like you have no idea what possibly could be wrong. What else do you want from me?"

I didn't say anything. How am I supposed to respond to that? I felt a tear drip from my cheek, then another, and another.

"Goddammit, Flaherty, get it together," I heard Sky mutter. "Liv-"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I really have been an ass lately, huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it like that-"

"Yes, you would."

"Yeah, probably."

We both stood in a shocked silence that somehow wasn't awkward. It was just us, and that was enough.

"Sorry for invading your stage time," he said. "I'll leave-"

"No, wait. Stay. Stage time is for anyone in the show."

He stopped. "Wanna mark some choreo?"

That goddamn smile.

We decided on marking a segment from "Carrying the Banner" and worked out the counts since I was apparently wrong on a lot.

"How do I still have a job?" I jokingly asked.

"Beats me."

Near the end of the section we chose to work through, one of us skipped a few steps and we crashed into each other, sending us tumbling to the ground. He landed a few inches above me and we froze, my face inches away from his. I could feel my heartbeat quicken and my face heat up, and I could smell the pine and musk of his cologne.

If I was wise, I would have walked away. Would have pushed him off and left, locked myself in my hotel room to be angry I let him march into my heart as if he owned the place.

But I wasn't wise. You snuck up on me, Sky Flaherty. I never even saw it coming. And you own every scrap of my heart you're willing to take.

So I closed the gap. I grabbed a fistful of the fabric of his collar and pulled him towards me. I felt electric as his hand snaked around my waist and lifted us to a sitting position and pulled me closer to his chest, if that was even possible.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he breathed after we broke apart.

"Oh, is waterboy more of a loverboy?"

"Shut up," he mumbled, kissing me again. "You know, I think we're good on choreo for now. Demarius is out with Josh and Ben for today, so if you want to chill in my hotel room-"

"I take it that by 'chill' you mean 'cuddle until we have somewhere to be.'"

"What, and you're complaining about that?"

"Not at all," I said, kissing him again before standing and exiting stage left.

<><><>

"Do you want to tell people yet?"

In his hotel room, the two of us curled up on his bed, his arm slung around my waist as I leaned against his chest.

Sky thought for a moment. "Close friends, or generally just people we know IRL? Yeah, sure, that's fine. But fans? The rest of the world? I'm not so sure." 

"Yeah, I get it. I'm kinda in the same mindset." 

We both fell quiet for a moment, just soaking in each other's company. 

"The boys are never gonna let us live this down, are they?" Sky asked.

"Probably not." I shifted slightly, sinking deeper into his side. "How long until they figure it out?"

"Considering how bad of a liar I am?" He thought for a moment. "The next time one of them sees me." 

As if on cue, the door opened and I heard Ben start speaking. "Hey, Sky, are you in here? I stole -- uh, borrowed -- DeMarius' hotel card and-" he froze when he saw Sky and me.

"Hey Ben," Sky said. "What do you need?"

Josh crashed into Ben's back. "Dude, you can't just-" he froze as well.

"Oh, hey Josh," I said as nonchalantly as humanly possible given the current situation.

"Took you two long enough," Josh muttered before turning around and walking straight back out of the room.

"Josh, you can stay if you want," Sky called. "You're not really interrupting anything. We're just chilling." 

"Benjamin Tyler Cook!" Demarius yelled as he entered as well. He grabbed his hotel card out of Ben's hand and sat on his hotel bed. "Hey Sky, Alivia." He turned his attention back to Ben. "If you need something out of here, just ask!"

"Uh, DeMarius?" Ben gestured toward Sky and me.

"What?"

"Not gonna comment on that?"

He glanced back over at Sky and me. "Yeah, did y'all see them at the bonfire? Why is this a shock to either of you?"

"I mean, you're not wrong," Sky said.

DeMarius kicked off his shoes and laid flat on his bed. "At this point, it wasn't if, but when. If y'all wanna be that slow, go right ahead." 

Eventually, the energy of the room died down. Josh and Ben joined DeMarius on his bed, and I enjoyed the comfort of Sky, slowly dozing off in his arms.  

<><><>

it happened!

nobody asked, but i wrote their first kiss while listening to rasputin.

also sky flaherty has the same syllable pattern as jack kelly

love you all lots!