Things We Don't Normally Do

FOURTEEN

A/N: Just found the song, Casual, on spotify and it just felt like such a fitting song for this chapter and where our characters are at this point. A bit soppy but that's what this is all about, isn't it?  All the good feels.

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"Should we tell them we're going?" Alex paused and asked Harry, as they were just halfway between the bar and the door.

He quickly glanced over the table where their friends were. The three were chatting and getting along, seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that they have been gone a while.

"Nah. They'll be fine." Harry shook his head before motioning her to continue on.

The pair of them walked side by side, falling into step with each other. They slowed down to each other's pace shortly after stepping out the door, walking just close enough to each other, arms and hands almost touching, but not quite. This went on for a bit, almost like a game of hand-holding chicken, both of them waiting to see who will break first and reach for the other's hand.

"Are you cold?" the temperature has dropped further, and their breath danced in the late November air with each exhale.

"I'm alright.' she said. Unlike Harry she was used to dressing for the weather with her little black dress covered up by a warm synthetic down coat, with a more dressy but still perfectly functional pair of winter boots.

Parts of her legs peeked through as they walked, the skin getting exposed to the biting cold air. But Alex tended to run hot so the cold air actually felt nice on her skin.

"Are you cold?" she raised an eyebrow at him, watching him rub his hands together.

"Maybe a bit." he shrugged, "It's alright."

"You look cold." she laughed, not at all buying his answer.

He laughed along with her, "Okay, yeah, it's freezing."

She took a pair of hand warmers from her coat pocket, opening the packet to activate them. She hands them to Harry who just stared at her, looking confused.

"You just always carry around hand warmers then?" he laughed taking one in his hand, before putting his hands into his hoodie's front pocket.

Alex slipped the second one into his pocket. "Take both, you idiot." she insisted.

Harry stopped her when she moved to take her hand out of his pocket, his fingers interlocking with hers. He hesitated but looked at her, smiling.

"I thought you didn't do soppy?" she squeezed his hand and bumped his arm with her shoulder.

He laughed, "Who's being soppy?" He was acting like he was actually completely oblivious.

"You're an idiot." she was shaking her head, but just like him, she was also smiling like an idiot.

"I think I turn into more of an idiot when I'm around you." he said, pausing briefly before adding, "Fuck me, I can't believe I just said that. I'm a bloody soppy twat."

There was a brief but comfortable silence. They walked aimlessly together, holding hands from inside Harry's pocket. Alex absentmindedly drew patterns on his hand—so lightly that it sent something between a tickling and a tingling sensation through Harry.

He stopped walking.

"What are you doing?" Alex looked up at him.

Harry smiled at her and shrugged, "I don't know."