Maroon Socks

20: MOVING ON (PHYSICALLY)

"Actually, Elijah had a bad dream," Arthur responds, truthfully.

"It was very bad! There were clowns!" Elijah exclaims, trying to justify himself.

"It's alright, Sweetheart. No one's judging you," Brooke chuckles, shaking her head. Then she sees the cigarette in Arthur's hand. "Bubba!" she calls, walking to him. She sits on the arm rest of his chair. Then, Brooke snatches the stick from him, before pressing a kiss onto his hair. "Brooke," Calvin groans, getting up and snatching the cigarette from her. Brooke yells and gets up as well.

"Oh, Munchkin, not matter how hard you try you will always be such a Munchkin," Calvin laughs. Then walks around her and throws it into the garbage bin.

"Thanks a lot, asshole," Brooke grumbles, taking her seat again.

"Are you just going to stand there, Dakota?" Elijah asks. Then he pats the seat beside him.

Dakota glances at Arthur who's looking right back at him. Clearing her throat she suggests, "I think you guys should begin loading your bags. We're meant to be leaving soon."

Although most of them groan, they still get up and walk to their rooms. Arthur's the last one to come back in. He stops and looks at Dakota, who hasn't moved from her spot.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Arthur asks.

Dakota tilts her head and smiles. "Not now. Not when we're happy," Dakota whispers. She doesn't want to ruin the moment at all. Her and Arthur are somehow rolling smoothly and she doesn't want to stop that. Leaning in, she sets a hand in the side of Arthur neck and presses a kiss to his cheek.

Dakota thought that if Brooke can kiss his hair without feeling anything, than she can, too, surely. She finds herself to be completely wrong. 

The brief moment of Dakota's velvet lips in contact with his skin makes them both fuzzy and mush from the inside, completely. Both of their bodies experience shocks. 

Dakota gives him another smile before turning around and walking away. Arthur looks at her retreating form.

He guesses that they stay like this. Not worked and rough. There is only so much they both are willing to discuss about. 

Arthur knows that it's best if they do. He understands why Dakota is so reluctant to talk about what's happening. Taking a break from this roller coaster of emotions is what's best for them at the moment. Things are going to happen, nevertheless.

Arthur joins the boys upstairs, to pack their baggage.

"I know it's cheesy, but I think that this place helped us bond," Elijah comments, as he packs his rucksack.

Calvin bites his lip and looks down at his bag.

It's true. There was an unspoken communication between them that tied them together. Especially him and Brooke. It was that mutual understanding that ended their dislike. Not only that, they realized that comfort is found in one another. 

"I agree," Calvin mumbles. Sighing, he puts his luggage onto the floor and rolling it out the door. Elijah follows. Zipping his bag up, Arthur sits beside it, on the bed. He contemplates as to what to do next. These few days with Dakota has made him not himself. He's grown, he's grown outside the box. Arthur ponders over what he can do about that. Arthur does not want to stop talking to Dakota, ever. So, he decides that returning to his a few of his old routines might help him stay on track. Arthur Bradley has a life planned out before him and he isn't going to turn his back on it, just yet.