Dirk's head over the back of the couch, and
draped over the arm of the couch he could see Haley's legs dangling
from the knees down. On the TV a smiling woman posed with a bottle
of fluorescent colored soap, her smile bright and sunny.
Simon took a deep breath and knocked on the opened
door.
"Hi," he said.
Haley immediately shot up, grabbing at the head of
the couch to catch herself, staring at him wide-eyed. Her eyes
looked a little red, he noted. Dirk also turned, and there was no
mistaking the relief in both of their faces. It made him feel a
little embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring a bit
off to the side.
"... Can I watch TV with you guys?" As soon as the
words were out of his mouth he cringed slightly; to his own ears it
sounded too much like his childhood, hanging nervously at the edge
of the crowd on the first day of school, before he had learned to
utilize the money his parents had. There were echoes of previous
vacations, too, because even Haley, as tolerant as she could be of
him, didn't always think to invite him whenever she did things.
"Sure," Dirk said, then glanced at Haley.
"Right?"
She nodded slowly, still staring at Simon. "Sure.
It's fine."
Relieved, Simon came forward, sliding onto the couch
between them. It wasn't a narrow one by any means -- the cushions
were wide and plush -- but Haley still had her feet up on it, and
Dirk was sprawled in a sort of sideways slant, which left
relatively little room for him. It felt less like a rejection,
though, and somehow, in its own way, more intimate. Haley prodded
his hip with one of her feet as he settled, flashing him another
smile when he looked her way.
"We're just watching bad B-movies," she said. "But if
you wanna change the channel, just let Dirk know."
He turned his head and Dirk grinned, brandishing the
remote lazily. "You're just in time for the end, anyway. They've
discovered the bad guys' hideout, so they're making their plans to
get in."
"Mmm." He settled back against the couch in a low
slouch. Haley's foot remained pressed against the side of his leg,
and he found himself glancing at it more than once, even as the
commercials ended and the movie started up again. She was barefoot,
her long thin toes loosely curled and pale against the material of
his jeans. The toenails had been painted a pale lavender at some
point.
As he studied it, though, he felt something nudge up
against him from the other side. When he looked, Dirk's leg was
pressed against his, so that his foot was dangling in the space
just in front of Simon's knee. The surprise of it made him freeze,
sucking in a sharp breath and holding it -- but when he glanced at
Dirk's face, Dirk seemed to be absolutely absorbed in watching the
movie. Simon looked back at the screen: there was some large and
awkward-looking animatronic monster flailing around as a woman
screamed and a man opened fire on it. Dirk's leg shifted slightly,
as if with the weight of the rest of his body, but remained pressed
close to Simon's.
He chewed on his lip and let out his held breath
slowly. It was probably nothing more than his imagination, he told
himself sternly. There was no way that Dirk didn't know about how
Simon felt about Haley -- Haley wasn't the sort of person who lied,
and even if she said it wasn't all his business, that wasn't
entirely true, was it? Especially since after their summer vacation
ended, it wasn't as if Simon would simply disappear out of Haley's
life. He was a rival, even if Haley wasn't interested. In the light
of all that, there was no way that Dirk would be doing this sort of
thing deliberately -- maybe he'd been playing footsie with Haley
before Simon had arrived, and he'd already proven himself to be a
great deal more openly touchy than anyone else in the extended
Oakley family. He wouldn't shy away from touch if it happened, but
there was no reason for him to deliberately push for it,
either.
Simon fixed his gaze on the screen,
though he barely registered
draped over the arm of the couch he could see Haley's legs dangling
from the knees down. On the TV a smiling woman posed with a bottle
of fluorescent colored soap, her smile bright and sunny.
Simon took a deep breath and knocked on the opened
door.
"Hi," he said.
Haley immediately shot up, grabbing at the head of
the couch to catch herself, staring at him wide-eyed. Her eyes
looked a little red, he noted. Dirk also turned, and there was no
mistaking the relief in both of their faces. It made him feel a
little embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his neck, staring a bit
off to the side.
"... Can I watch TV with you guys?" As soon as the
words were out of his mouth he cringed slightly; to his own ears it
sounded too much like his childhood, hanging nervously at the edge
of the crowd on the first day of school, before he had learned to
utilize the money his parents had. There were echoes of previous
vacations, too, because even Haley, as tolerant as she could be of
him, didn't always think to invite him whenever she did things.
"Sure," Dirk said, then glanced at Haley.
"Right?"
She nodded slowly, still staring at Simon. "Sure.
It's fine."
Relieved, Simon came forward, sliding onto the couch
between them. It wasn't a narrow one by any means -- the cushions
were wide and plush -- but Haley still had her feet up on it, and
Dirk was sprawled in a sort of sideways slant, which left
relatively little room for him. It felt less like a rejection,
though, and somehow, in its own way, more intimate. Haley prodded
his hip with one of her feet as he settled, flashing him another
smile when he looked her way.
"We're just watching bad B-movies," she said. "But if
you wanna change the channel, just let Dirk know."
He turned his head and Dirk grinned, brandishing the
remote lazily. "You're just in time for the end, anyway. They've
discovered the bad guys' hideout, so they're making their plans to
get in."
"Mmm." He settled back against the couch in a low
slouch. Haley's foot remained pressed against the side of his leg,
and he found himself glancing at it more than once, even as the
commercials ended and the movie started up again. She was barefoot,
her long thin toes loosely curled and pale against the material of
his jeans. The toenails had been painted a pale lavender at some
point.
As he studied it, though, he felt something nudge up
against him from the other side. When he looked, Dirk's leg was
pressed against his, so that his foot was dangling in the space
just in front of Simon's knee. The surprise of it made him freeze,
sucking in a sharp breath and holding it -- but when he glanced at
Dirk's face, Dirk seemed to be absolutely absorbed in watching the
movie. Simon looked back at the screen: there was some large and
awkward-looking animatronic monster flailing around as a woman
screamed and a man opened fire on it. Dirk's leg shifted slightly,
as if with the weight of the rest of his body, but remained pressed
close to Simon's.
He chewed on his lip and let out his held breath
slowly. It was probably nothing more than his imagination, he told
himself sternly. There was no way that Dirk didn't know about how
Simon felt about Haley -- Haley wasn't the sort of person who lied,
and even if she said it wasn't all his business, that wasn't
entirely true, was it? Especially since after their summer vacation
ended, it wasn't as if Simon would simply disappear out of Haley's
life. He was a rival, even if Haley wasn't interested. In the light
of all that, there was no way that Dirk would be doing this sort of
thing deliberately -- maybe he'd been playing footsie with Haley
before Simon had arrived, and he'd already proven himself to be a
great deal more openly touchy than anyone else in the extended
Oakley family. He wouldn't shy away from touch if it happened, but
there was no reason for him to deliberately push for it,
either.
Simon fixed his gaze on the screen,
though he barely registered
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