Crush Culture {{Harry Lewis - W2S}}

✮FOURTY FIVE ✮

Mila's pov

She was speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she looked around. The twinkling lights pulling her in every direction, the smell of food making her stomach grumble, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day.

"It's amazing" she turned to Harry, his smile matching hers.

"You like it?" He looked around Hyde Park, Winter Wonderland set up cover the whole thing, "I just thought you never would have been before, because you haven't lived here long, so I wanted to bring you first"

Her heart melted, despite the frost around them, it was little things like this that pulled her into Harry. The thoughtfulness.

He was right, she'd never been to Winter Wonderland despite always wanting to. She had faint childhood memories of going to Christmas light festivals in Middlesbrough, running between the ice rink and food stands, but never something on this scale.

Wooden huts made pathways throughout the park, each one decorated with fairy light, white felt on the roofs to replicate the snow London was missing. Each sold a different thing; from wind chimes to wood statues, and all of them piqued her interest.

"Thank you" she mused, their eyes meeting briefly as Mila pushed onto her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his chapped ones. Before she could pull back Harry's hand raised to her waist, keeping her in place to deepen the kiss.

Somehow, with families and couples pushing around them, the two were in their own little world. Nothing else mattered at that moment, as Harry's thumb rubbed small circles on her waist under her coat, over the thin material of her top.

Eventually, they pulled back, their eyes meeting like they could speak through just that.

"Hot chocolate?" He whispered, his head nodding sidewards towards a hot drinks stand, the line not too long.

"Perfect"

They had spent the last hour wandering around the stands, picking up some last-minute Christmas gifts from friends and family, in Harry's case. He was leaving to fly back to Guernsey tomorrow, as he did every year to spend the holidays with his family. He'd offered multiple times to buy a ticket for Mila too so that she could stay with him for the Holidays but she'd declined time and time again.

"Look at these," he let out a light laugh, carefully picking up the glass flower, no bigger than his pointer finger. It sat in a small rock, space for a tea light on the petals.

"My Mam's favourite flower," Mila mused, pointing to the lily's, "she'd love these"

"Get her one" Harry's suggestion surprised Mila, "send it in the post, just let her know you're still thinking of her"

Mila swayed silently as she stared at the delicate flower.

She knew that it would be a nice gesture, but feared it'd be too little too late. Her mother had sent her a card every birthday and Christmas since she'd left, however, they stopped once Mila and Lucy had moved to London as none of her family knew that she was back in England.

Although Mila never returned the favour, she'd always meant to but ultimately forgot to send them in time so settled for not sending them at all.

"Yeah...maybe" she mumbled, placing it back down on the table before moving on, looking through the next stale which held bottles of homemade Whiskey, which Harry promptly bought for Josh, his younger brother.

After another twenty minutes of wandering Harry spotted a games stall, set on winning Mila a teddy, specifically a green elf that hung above his head.

"Harry, it'd be cheaper to just buy an elf" Mila laughed, watching him miss the bucket again as he pulled another fiver out of his pocket, "leave it, Harry, I don't even want"

"Oh, good to know now that I've spent near twenty quid" he spat back, shaking his head however a smile never left his face, obviously joking.

"You're useless, bet you'll get closer to fifty before even getting a point" she teased back, smiling at the concentration on his face.

He threw the ball, his hands shooting up as it finally landed in the green bucket.

"Yes! I got it" he spun to Mila who's face looked just as surprised before turning back to the worker, his face falling at the small reindeer teddy held out to him before taking it, dragging his feet back to Mila.

"He's cute" she smiled widely as Harry presented the Teddy, "I'll call him Rudolf"

"Don't take the mick" he mumbled, a pout on his face.

"I'm not, he'd great, thank you." Mila pushed onto her toes, kissing his cheek, finally seeing him smile, "come on, I'm hungry" she dragged his hand towards a food cart, ordering for the two of them then paying, despite him trying to pay first.

Soon they were back to wandering, eventually ending up at a Ferris wheel.

"Let's go on" she pulled him into the line, binning their food packages on the way, "please-" she dragged out the word as she spoke.

"Okay, okay, let me go get tokens you wait here" he hooked a thumb over his shoulder before disappearing back down the stalls, completely missing the token booth.

Mila's eyebrows furrowed as she watched him leave, confused but too excited about the ride to worry about it.

Soon she was only three groups from the front, nervously looking around for the blond boy, mirroring a meerkat as she popped up and down on her toes, before finally spotting him, a can on coke in one hand and tokens in the other.

"Finally," she chastised as he stopped beside her, "thought I'd have to go on alone"

"Nah, I'm here, don't you worry" he pulled her arm up onto the metal before basically dragging her into the cart, and down onto the seats.

The ride rocked, setting off as more people exited and entered the next cart.
In a few minutes, they reached the top, their cart swaying in the cold wind, making Mila rub her hands together, desperate for warmth.

"Come here" Harry whispered, sliding her towards him with his arm before engulfing her in his warm. "You have my hoodie for a reason" he referred to how Mila had opted to put his hoodie in her bag rather than wear it.

"Why do I need your hoodie when I have you" she smirked, leaning her head further into his neck as they looked out to the dark winter skies.

He only laughed in response, pulling her in tighter, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.

Content.

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Written: 19th February 2021
Published: 20th February 2021