A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 6

"So how did your hunt go Abe?" Millard asked when the three had reached the cabin, Aurora hadn't let go of Millard's hand once since the hollowgast attack.

"Very well, flushed out a whole brigade of wights along with their hollows, and it seems I made it back just in time." He said placing his crossbow on the table in the center of the room.

"We never did properly thank you for that." Aurora spoke up sitting next to Millard on the couch. She still couldn't believe that Millard had been willing to let that thing eat him just so she could get away.

"No thanks needed, miss."

"Aurora."

"Aurora, what a lovely name."

"Thank you."

"But like I said, no need to thank me. I very much enjoy what I do, knowing that every kill I make saves an innocent peculiar's life is enough." He said as he sat at the table, picked up the knife Aurora had seen the other day, and began to whittle more wooden arrows. Realizing she was covered in sweat from running Aurora excused herself to the bathroom to freshen up.

MILLARD P.O.V.

Millard watched Aurora as she shut the bathroom door behind her. Abe had noticed where he was looking and gave Millard a playful smirk.

"It seems you've been doing fine while I've been away Millard. How long has that been going on?" he asked pointing his knife from the bathroom to Millard and back again.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He muttered looking down at his shoes.

"She's a beautiful young woman, Mill."

"I've noticed."

"It's pretty uncommon, for a normal to be so accepting of us. You must have made quite the impression on her."

"And she on me." He sighed deeply leaning back into the couch cushions, "She may not be peculiar but she is far from ordinary, Abe. Her spirit, her goodness, and in a time of war no less."

"I remember a time when you thought you'd never find love."

Love. Millard mulled over the word in his head, was that what this feeling was? The knotting and unknotting in his chest whenever he looked at Aurora?

"I'm not sure if it's love, but it's certainly something. I can't seem to stop thinking of her. It's been quite a relief being invisible, otherwise she'd have noticed just how much I stare at her; when I'm marveling at her beauty, or her kindness, I just get lost in my thoughts."

"You're a lucky man, Mill. Make sure to hold onto her."

oOo oOo oOo

AURORA P.O.V.

"So Abe, Millard says you left the loop four years ago. Have you been hunting hollowgasts all that time?" she asked from her place on the couch next to Millard, his arm wrapped around her as she leaned against his side.

"Not at first, when I left I immediately joined the army. I'm originally from Poland and I wanted to do my part. But I met other people from our world as well and together we've been doing whatever we can to take out both Nazi's and wights."

"Then what are you doing here? Doesn't the army realize you're gone?"

"I have a friend high in the ranks, he gave me an official leave. I've been staying in this part of France, laying low, waiting for my informant to send word of more hollows. I'll probably be staying around for a bit though. That hollow that attacked you both means that there's a wight nearby."

Millard suddenly sat up, "The soldier."

"What soldier?" Abe asked and Aurora immediately saw the change in his body language as he switched from friend to hunter.

"The one in the alley the other night." Aurora felt her bones turn to ice and tried to keep the memory at bay.

"He was wearing sunglasses but it was pitch black out."

"Did you follow him? See anything else suspicious?"

Millard hesitated to answer, "No. . . I was a bit. . . preoccupied, something much more urgent had come up." Aurora felt his hand on her knee as his thumb rubbed back and forth against her skin.

"I'll look into it." Abe replied moving to the dresser and pulling out old maps and letters. As he thumbed through them Millard stood up, "It's getting late, I should get you home before supper."

Aurora took the hand he offered, bid Abe goodnight and the pair headed back to town.

oOo oOo oOo

They snuck into Aurora's backyard, her house was quiet, hopefully that meant her father was out. The pair stayed in the shadows, lingering, neither one wanted to part from the other.

"I'm glad you're alright." Aurora whispered, she couldn't believe that it had only been a few hours ago that they had been running for their lives. Millard raised their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. A moment or two passed in a comfortable silence as they listened to the crickets chirping in the garden, then Millard took a hesitant step forward.

They had been close before, but this was different; there was tension, like electricity buzzing between their bodies and it only intensified as Millard closed the gap. Aurora could feel his warm breath on her face, he smelt like parchment paper, fresh linen and vanilla. She felt his forehead press against hers, he took a deep breath, the tip of their noses brushed each other. She let her eyes slowly slide closed as she felt his lips gently touch hers.

MILLARD P.O.V.

He'd never been more terrified in his life, even struggling against the hollow hadn't been this nerve racking. Then, he knew he had to keep fighting, it was only logical. But this, this defied all logic, this was pure emotion, the only subject that couldn't be studied, only felt, experienced.

He slowly moved his lips against hers, thoughts clouding his mind and making him dizzy. She wasn't kissing back, Damn, he thought, he'd ruined it, he'd gone too far and now he'd ruined it! Then his mind conjured an even worse thought, what if he was bad at it? What if he was doing it wrong? What if – his mind immediately shut up as he felt her lips moving against his in the same rhythm. For the first time in his life, he thought nothing, his brain had completely shut off, the only thing he knew was it felt good.

AURORA P.O.V.

At first Aurora had frozen in shock, the electricity that had been between them must have somehow shot into her head and zapped her brain out of coherency. Once the initial surprise had passed she responded to the kiss with everything she had. Her hand cupped his face as his hands moved to her lower back, pulling her closer as her hand moved to weave her fingers in his short neatly trimmed hair.

Millard was the one to break the kiss but kept his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily.

"Was that your first kiss?" he asked, still panting. She nodded shyly as she felt the blush creep into her cheeks. He bumped his nose against hers again.

"Mine too."