Misguided Steps

forts☽

They pulled apart when the song ended, Luca not having learnt a single thing on how to dance; too busy getting lost in swirls of hazel. Finley hadn't realised but he'd been holding his breath. He let it out softly, hearing Arya's soft footprints return having scavenged for socks on her journey to his bedroom.

She wore his oversized shirt and hung her oversized jumper along with her jeans over a chair to dry.

Luca smiled foolishly down at his feet while Finley blushed, hiding behind his fringe. He couldn't understand why he'd done that, where he'd got the guts to do so, dance with Luca instead of Arya. It was her he liked, wasn't it?

"What was that song?" Luca suddenly asked, his eyes lifting up to Arya. She smiled, hugging her chest in the large shirt.

"Pas de Deux." She spoke, walking into the living room as the boys followed. "It's by Dodie Clark."

Finley and Luca nodded like they knew who that was, but it was clear neither of them did. Luca went to sit on the couch but Arya suddenly jerked out an arm, stopping him.

"No!" She protested. Luca quickly balanced himself before he touched the seat, arms flailing. He gave a confused look and so did Finley.

"We must make a fort!" She grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it into his face, laughing. Finley laughed too, shaking his head at them both. Luca glared at him but it didn't last long as he too started laughing, bewildered by the proposal.

"A...A fort?" He turned to Arya who had already started to remove the couch cushions and arrange them.

She simply said, "where are your sheets?" with a serious expression and then, "oh, and your pegs?"

Within ten minutes Arya, with the occasional help of the others, had set up a decent fort between the two couches, sheets creating a roof and back wall. She plopped herself in the middle where the throw cushions and blankets had been placed during the construction.

Luca soon followed her, right behind him, Finley. They sat down with their legs barely touching, but if Finley moves ever so slightly to the left, the fabric of their sweatpants would meet. "Why are we in a fort?" Finley whispered.

"Because we made one and sat down inside." Arya grinned. Luca rolled his eyes in time with Finley.

"Yes, but why are we in a tent?" He spoke, voice oozing with annoyance. All she did was shrug, a bright smile on her face as she lay down and pulled a blanket up.

"Why not?"