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the music blared from the speaker, something upbeat that had you both laughing and spinning around the living room in a ridiculous, carefree way. josh grabs your hand, twirling you dramatically like you were on a ballroom floor instead of in the cozy mess of the lodge's living room.
you laughed, the sound echoing throughout the room as your foot slipped slightly, but josh steadied you with a grin. "come on, i thought you could handle me by now. a little dance too much for you?" he teased, his eyes sparkling with that playful mischief you'd come to love.
"oh, please," you shot back, letting him spin you again, this time nearly stumbling as your feet slid on the wooden floor. you caught yourself against his chest, his laugh was just as contagious.
then, just as suddenly as the chaos started, the song faded into something slower, delicate. josh didn't let go of your hand, but instead of pulling you back into a spin, he slowed his movements, stepping closer. the mood shifted. his hand found its way to your lower back, he drew you in gently, until the space between you disappeared.
you hesitated for only a second, but the feeling of his hand settling firmly on your back, made it easy to relax. your free hand came to rest on his shoulder, your fingertips brushing against the soft fabric of his shirt. the moment felt natural, like slipping into a memory you didn't realize you'd missed.
josh didn't say anything, he didn't need to. the playfulness was gone, now replaced by a quietness that made everything around you slow down. you rested your face against his neck, your cheek pressed softly against the warmth of his skin, breathing in the scent of him.
his thumb traced a slow circle against your lower back, you could feel his breath steady as he held you closer. your fingers, still intertwined with his, tightened just slightly, anchoring yourself to the moment as you swayed together, moving so gently it felt like you were barely moving at all.
for a moment, everything else faded. the laughter of your friends in the other room, the crackling fire, the weight of whatever you hadn't yet defined between the two of you.
right now, it didn't matter. it was just you and josh, swaying slowly in a world that seemed to exist only in that space between his heartbeat and yours.
he turned his head slightly, his lips brushing the top of your head in the softest way, you could feel him smile, the kind of smile that was just for you, hidden away from the world.
neither of you spoke, but the silence was enough, filling the room with a kind of warmth that made your chest feel lighter.
you closed your eyes, melting into the moment, letting the gentle sway of your bodies carry you somewhere far from the snow and the cold outside.
