𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 - 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐤

~ 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 8 ~

culpable
/ˈkʌlpəb(ə)l/
adjective
1. deserving blame

~~~

The train pulled up to their hometown station causing Alex to walk around the table and pick Lila up bridle style and hide the small frown on his face when he saw that she hadn't touched any of the drink or food that was given to her by the civilians whilst Tommy grabbed her wheelchair from above them.

They both walked out of the train and onto the platform surrounding the train. Whilst Alex placed Lila in the chair she looked around trying to gain sight of her mum but froze when she heard a heart stricken voice from behind her.

"...Lila?" Lila's head shot towards the voice so quickly that she could have gotten whiplash and the sight of her mum blessed her eyes.

"Mum?" Lila whispered, her eyes took in every piece of her mother, her red eyes from where she'd clearly been crying, her messy hair and pale skin and the dark bags that hang under her eyes. Her mum lets out a sob and rushes forwards towards her and pulls Lila into a tight hug.

"I thought... I thought you would be gone too, but I wanted to know, I still had hope, after your brother I thought you'd be dead-" Lila cut her mum off when she continued to ramble.

"I'm okay, mum... I'm okay." She held her mum tightly as she continued to cry, her shoulders shaking. Lila's eyes filled with tears at the heartbreak she knows her mums feeling, she knows how scary it must have been; thinking she'd lost the rest of her family.

"Alex?! Oh my god, Alex! You're okay too!" Lila's mum released her and rushed over to Alex and pulled him to a hug, he comforted Louise whilst she worried over him and looked at Lila over her mother's shoulder and gave her a nod, a nod that only she could understand.

She nodded back and gestured for Tommy to come to her after she noticed him watching her with a close eye causing him to furrow his eyebrows but approach her anyway.

"Can... can you push me so we can go somewhere more private?" He immediately grabbed the handles on her wheelchair and started pushing her towards the opposite wall of the platform.

"Wait!" He froze immediately at the desperate call of her voice. "Can you.. grab that newspaper... please." The tone of depression in her voice broke his heart as he reached for one and passed it to Lila.

He read the title of the strip that her eyes were stuck on and his eyes closed immediately 'LOCAL BOY, GEORGE MILLS, JUST 17, HERO AT DUNKIRK'. He squeezed his eyes shut even more when her frail voice continued to read out the rest of the words.

"George Mills- Ramsgate native, whose death in action is admirable. He was the only son of two children of Mr. And Mrs. Mills." Her voice faded out at the end of the strip and her eyes travelled up to the picture and noticed it was of George in his school uniform, she stroked a finger over the image and knew straight away that this was Peters doing and let out a sad smile.

"Lila?" Tommy's voice rang through her ears, she looked up at him through her tears eyes.

"He died a hero Tommy." She let out a sad laugh. "They said the same thing about my father- I never believed them. But now- I do- George died a hero." He gave her a smile and held her shoulder comfortingly.

"Tommy-" Lila slowly started to push herself out of the wheelchair and Tommy immediately grabbed her arm to support her.

"Lila? What are you doing? You must sit down! You could tear your stitches!" He fretted but she continued to ignore him and stood up straight and turned towards him, they stood close, Tommy now had his hands on her waist- careful of her wound- supporting her and Lila held her hands on his shoulders.

"You helped me. You've helped me since that first day we met- you saved my life too many times for me to count, yet I could not return that- even if it was my job to do so-" she let out a chuckle and stared into his eyes. "-so I'm thanking you. And I'm apologising, I know Alex didn't mean all those things he said, he's not like that- not really- he just wanted t get home. We all did, I don't know if he's-"

He moved a hand to tuck a loose strand of her raven black hair behind her ear and replaced his hand back onto her waist.

"He's apologised already, Lila- he felt terrible but it's okay- it's all okay, you may not have realised. But you saved me too, if you wasn't there then I probably wouldn't have made it home. You gave me a reason to keep fighting and become motivated whilst we stay stranded on the beaches. You helped me-"

Tommy was cut off when a pair of lips met his, he stood there in shock, not returning it but immediately missed the feeling when they pulled away.

"I'm sorry- I- I thought you-" this time it was Lila's turn to be cut off by a pair of lips.

Tommy's lips nearly missed, his lips had gone a little bit too far to the right, but he continues going, and held her waist tighter as a sign of affection- Lila adjusted them so her head was at an angle to his and so their lips can finally connect and let out a smile against his lips.

The feelings that ran through them was indescribable as all they could feel was pure bliss- it's like they've been waiting for this moment their entire lives, heat rose to both of their cheeks as they continued the kiss, deepening it to show the raw emotion that they are feeling, that they felt on the beach.

The pulled away when their lungs cried out for oxygen and rested their foreheads together as Lila let out a breathy laugh.

"...Wow."

𝒯𝒽𝑒  𝐸𝓃𝒹