We're Only Watching The Skies

Fallon awoke the next morning to banging against her dorm room door. She didn’t have class until that afternoon and Arlie was at class already, so there shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to be violently knocking to wake her up. She threw back her sheets and jumped up hurriedly, rushing towards the door. She swung the door open quickly and stared at the figure in the doorway.
“Louis?”
“Well good morning, Princess.” He had a smug look on his face. “Ah, you were in such a rush to see me that you didn’t have a chance to put on any decent clothing.” Fallon glanced down at her outfit and realized she only had on a skimpy pair of pajama shorts and a tank top.
“You didn’t really give me any time to change. It sounded like someone was dying out here.”
“Well throw something else on. We are going to run lines,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Fallon laughed in his face, starting to shut the door. “Yeah, right.” A hand flew out quickly and caught the door.
“I’m serious.”
Fallon groaned slightly. “But it’s my only day to sleep in,” she whined.
Louis shook his head, inviting himself in. “Get changed.”
“With you here? I don’t think so.”
“If I don’t stay, you will lock the door and not come back out. I’m not stupid.” He sat down on Arlie’s bed, claiming the space. Fallon watched him closely, trying to decipher him. Sometimes, he was the most annoying boy that she had ever laid eyes on. But then he had those moments like the night before where he seemed like a normal, caring individual. “Either you change, or we stay here.”
Fallon thought it over in her mind for a few moments. “Can I stay in my pajamas if we stay here?”
Louis smiled slightly. “Of course,” he replied. “I’m not that cruel.” He pulled out a script from his back pocket of his jeans, and leaned back on the bed. “Let’s start where I come in, so we can run our lines together. Have you looked over the script yet?” he asked as Fallon reached over to her desk and grabbed her script.
Fallon shrugged slightly. “A little?”
“Yeah, you haven’t even opened it have you?” A twinge of humor traced his features.
“I had a lot of homework last night!” she protested as he laughed.
“Seriously though, are you going to take this seriously?” All hints of humor disappeared from his features. Fallon felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
“Y.. Yeah.”
“Because this is my calling. I just... I’ve always loved acting. ‘Peter Pan’ has always been my favorite, and I have dreamt about this day my whole life.” Fallon took note of the way he looked when he went on his spiel. He was lost in thought, catching memories that floated in his mind. “I watched the Disney version of it when I was just a child. Like three years old, tops. I cried when my mum wouldn’t play it for me. It was my favorite. I remember one time I had watched the video so much that the tape actually tore up. I was a mess. Mum searched high and low for a replacement. Finally she found one, and I fell asleep that night watching it.” He sighed contently, remembering this childhood memory. Fallon couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Louis had lost himself in the moment and he suddenly didn’t intimidate her. He was... cute.
She listened to him for a bit longer as he rambled on about his childhood theater career, ending his speech with a simple “And that’s why this means so much to me.” Fallon met his eyes and gave him a small nod.
“I’m serious about this.” Louis eye’s softened a little as he started to smile, but then that fleeting emotion that crossed his face disappeared. He was back to business again. He cleared his throat and opened up the script, skimming over the lines.
“Tinkerbell!” Louis started, his eyes gleaming brightly. “Tink! Where are you? Oh, do come out of that jug and tell me, do you know where they put my shadow?” He paused for just a moment, seeming to hear Tink’s reply. “In the big box?” Louis suddenly jumped from the bed and skipped to the dresser, hauling open one of the drawers. He emptied out the drawer, throwing the pajamas that originally rested there all over the floor. With his script in one hand, he grasped an invisible object in the other and fell to the floor. He then started rubbing it against the bottom of his shoe, and when he did not receive the wanted effect from the action, he began to sob dramatically.
It took Fallon a moment to tear her eyes from the delicate frame that sat huddled on the floor. Louis was such an attractive boy, it didn’t seem fair. How could one person be that breathtakingly beautiful? It didn’t seem possible.
She finally cleared her throat and glanced down at her script. “Boy... why are you crying?” she asked mildly.
Louis sprung from his cross-legged position on the floor and bowed in front of Fallon, causing her to snicker. “What’s your name?”
“Wendy Moira Angela Darling. What’s your name?”
“Peter Pan,” he replied.
The couple continued through their scenes together, getting acquainted with their roles. The lines were running smoothly until Louis interrupted. “What got you into acting?” he asked suddenly out of nowhere.
“Well... At my school every year, each grade would do a play,” she explained, playing with her hands nervously. “I mean, it was just a photo opportunity for the parents and a competition between the teachers, but I enjoyed it. I found out I was a pretty decent singer when I went into middle school. I would always perform in the talent shows and stuff. I mean... I just love entertaining people. With theater, it’s just amazing. What happens on that stage will never happen the same way again. It’s different every time. I just... it’s beautiful.” Fallon glanced up from her knitted fingers, catching Louis gazing at her. “What?” she asked as her face flushed.
“I’ve never heard anyone explain it that way before.” He shook his head. “You know, I may have underestimated you.”
“Oh,” she smiled. “I’m just full of surprises, huh?”
Just as it looked as though Louis may give out a few more secrets, he changed the subject quickly. “Wanna see some costume ideas I found?” Louis sprung from the bed opposite her and pounced beside her, almost knocking her over.
“Jesus,” she managed through laughs. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started skimming through the photos.
“I don’t want to be a girly Peter.”
“You’re going to be wearing tights.”
Louis cleared his throat. “Well, besides that.” He leaned over closer, pulling up another picture. He was so close to her that she could smell the clean, fresh scent of his hair that was falling in his face. He hadn’t seemed to have a chance to fix it up, but had just raked his hand through it as he rolled out of his bed. It pained her for someone to be that beautiful and not even have to try. As much as she hated it, she just couldn’t keep from gawking at this boy. “This one,” he started, snapping her back to reality before she could begin to daydream about his eyelashes, “is what I was leaning more towards.”
Fallon nodded quickly as he swiped to another. “These shoes have a pretty good design, but the half-nakedness of the costume throws me off.” Fallon doubled over with laughter as an image of Louis prancing around in a bright green tutu and practically transparent tights popped into her head. “What’s so funny?”
“You really don’t want to know,” she gasped as she tried to catch her breath. “No, no, ok. I pictured you dancing on the stage in that costume.”
He stared at her bluntly until she was completely quiet. “Are you quite finished?” His face made her start laughing again, and this time he couldn’t resist it. He started to laugh, the soft sound turning into a guffaw after a few moments. However, their laughter was cut off in an instant.
The door swung open abruptly, and Arlie stared at the pair. “What are you doing here?” she asked, staring wide-eyed at Louis.
Louis shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Oh, just running lines and going over ideas,” he replied.
“On a bed? Right next to each other?” Louis’ arm wriggled around Fallon’s waist.
“So?” Fallon froze under his touch. Her shirt was hiked up somewhat over her pajama bottoms, revealing a little bit of the skin on her midriff. This allowed Louis free reign of the sensitive skin on her hip. He slowly inched her closer and closer, and she couldn’t help but realize just how nice it felt to be held. She knew he was doing it just to make Arlie uncomfortable, but Fallon didn’t care. She could pretend for a few moments that Louis actually wanted her.
“You... you’re odd,” she responded, walking past the door and to her bed. “Do I need to give you guys some privacy?”
“No!” Fallon cried at the same moment Louis laughed, “Yes.” Arlie eyed them both suspiciously for a few more moments before she pointed at Fallon, wiggling her finger.
“There will be questions asked when... he... is gone.” She then grabbed her computer. “I’ll be in the study lounge if you need me. Have fuuuuunnnnnn.” With that last taunting sentence, Arlie left the room, her giggle still hanging in the air.
Louis glanced over at Fallon. “What is that all about?”
Fallon gulped slightly. “Oh... it’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
“She knows you like me.”
“I do not!” Fallon yelped, causing Louis to bust out laughing again.
“For such a good actor, you are a terrible liar.” Fallon looked away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I know I affect you.”
“You do not affect me one little bit.”
“I felt the way you tensed up when I touched you.” His grip on her waist tightened ever so slightly. The reminder of the closeness between the two made her inhale a hard breath. “You don’t have to hide it.” Fallon turned her head to protest, but this resulted in her face being just a few inches from his. His breath ghosted over her jaw, and she was immobilized. It had been so long since she had been this close to anyone. She just wasn’t used to it, and couldn’t save herself from falling, even if she wanted to.
Louis’ eyes trailed over her face as he brought his hand towards her cheek. Warm fingertips traced over her jaw line. She tried so hard to resist, but in the end, she lost the battle. Her eyes fluttered shut as she slowly leaned in. Just when she expected soft, plush lips to press against her own, she felt Louis chuckle.
“Gotcha,” he whispered. She opened her starry eyes, confused.
“Huh?” she exhaled, her heart still fluttering away nervously in her chest.
“You said I didn’t affect you. It’s quite obvious I do, Darling.” Louis pushed himself off the bed, leaving Fallon still stunned. He leaned over and pressed a small, barely-there kiss on her cheek. “See you at practice, dear Wendy,” he breathed into her ear, setting off a shutter within her.
Before she had any time to react, he had drifted swiftly out the door.
Fallon clenched her eyes closed as she took a deep, wobbly breath. “What have I done?”